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Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Eredivisie ace Oussama Idrissi this transfer window.

The Morocco international has been linked to the Premier League outfit by El Desmarque (via Sport Witness), who claim an offer of €16million (£14.4m) could be tabled for his services.

Wanderers aren’t the only ones in pursuit of Idrissi, though. The report states that both Sevilla and Napoli also have their eye on the 24-year-old forward.

How would Idrissi fit in at Wolves?

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side looked on course for a place in the top six last season but fell just outside of the margin on goal difference to Spurs. Their main attacking threat was undoubtedly Raul Jimenez, who notched an impressive 17 goals in 38 league appearances.

Next behind the Mexican was Diogo Jota with seven goals, followed up by Leander Dendoncker with four (via Sportsmole). The gap between Jimenez and the rest of the team in terms of goals scored is difficult to ignore. Wolves’ top scorer needs more support in attack if the team are to push up the table this season.

Signing Idrissi would pad out Nuno’s roster and provide more options when breaking down the opposition.

Could Oussama Idrissi replace Diogo Jota?

The AZ Alkmaar man tallied some superb numbers with the Dutch outfit last season. In 25 league appearances, Idrissi found the back of the net 13 times and provided a further five assists. His overall count for the term finished on 17 goals and ten assists across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

The 24-year-old also operates on the left wing, which is a perfect match to fill the Jota-shaped hole left in the Wolves squad after the Portuguese moved to Liverpool.

Although Nuno experimented with his squad last season, Jota put in some strong performances and was the difference between a loss and a draw, and a draw and a win on several occasions. Losing him to Liverpool definitely makes the left wing an area of importance to strengthen.

With Idrissi’s numbers and international experience, for the low price of £14.4million, it’s a no brainer for Wolves to snap up the Moroccan before the window closes.

In other news, Leeds can land the perfect De Paul alternative in Erick Pulgar

The Gunners set their sites on a top-four spot at the start of the season – a goal that seemed realistic enough to achieve given the club reaching the Europa League final last season as well as finishing just one point from the top four last time out.

The plan didn’t quite go as hoped, however, with Spaniard Unai Emery being sacked towards the end of November after a string of disappointing results. The Gunners would soon appoint former player Mikel Arteta, and things began to change for the better.

A strong push towards the end of the season, along with beating champions Liverpool in the league and seeing off Manchester City to reach the FA Cup final. The latter would turn out to be the biggest win, as the club went on to win the FA Cup for a record 14th time against bitter rivals Chelsea.

But with all the ups and downs, how much can you remember about the club’s 2019/20 season?

As per The Herald and Times Sport, Glasgow Rangers are keeping an eye on Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Dan Glazer.

Steven Gerrard has previously confirmed that he would like to add another midfielder to his squad, and now it is being reported that he is eyeing a move for Glazer.

As per the report, the Gers are joined by a number of Championship clubs in eyeing the 23-year-old.

Glazer plays for one of Israel’s biggest sides in Maccabi, and he has already done enough to earn seven caps for the Blue and Whites – Scottish football fans will likely get the chance to see him in action first hand soon, with them facing Israel in their first UEFA Nations League game of the season on Friday evening.

So far, Glazer has made 79 appearances for his current club, scoring once, and has won the Israeli league on two occasions. Currently valued at £1.44m by Transfermarkt, Glazer is a defensive midfielder – whilst Gerrard is looking for someone in the middle of the park, there have been calls from the likes of Brian Laudrup for more creativity to be added, which is something that Glazer does not appear to have in abundance.

The Ibrox outfit could well be required to pay a seven-figure fee to take take him to Glasgow – it feels like they would be better off looking elsewhere.

Let us know what you think below!

Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold has dropped a major transfer claim this week as Tottenham Hotspur gear up for a busy summer of activity.

What’s the word?

According to the Spurs journalist, the north London outfit have Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell on their radar following the Canaries’ relegation from the Premier League.

It’s also believed that Jose Mourinho could test the water with the Championship newcomers with young right-back Max Aarons also a player that the Portuguese manager admirers.

What sort of fee the English talent would command very much remains to be seen – Transfermarkt value Cantwell at £18m whilst the Daily Star have mooted £10m amid interest from Sheffield United.

Eriksen successor

Spurs have plenty of positions that are in need of revamping but Mourinho still hasn’t found a true number ten akin to Christian Eriksen at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He’s often gone to Giovani Lo Celso, who seemingly is better suited to a box-to-box role, and Dele Alli, who has been in and out of the side since the 57-year-old’s appointment in November.

Cantwell can be the man to fill that void, especially as he’s been dubbed the next Alli.

And it’s easy to see why.

Per WhoScored, the 22-year-old has provided six goals and two assists whilst averaging 1.3 dribbles, 1.1 shots and 0.9 key passes per game for a side rock-bottom in the PL. Imagine what he could do with the likes of Heung-min Son, Steven Bergwijn and Harry Kane around him.

In a similar vein to Spurs’ Englishman, Cantwell is often the man to provide late bursts into the box – another trait that was akin to Eriksen, who bagged ten goals in his final full season in north London.

The promising attacking midfielder has regularly received raving reviews, ranging from being the “most gifted” in Norwich’s system to having “god-given” abilities.

At just £10m, it presents extremely low-risk, so Daniel Levy would be foolish not to make the most of another’s misfortune here. Cantwell would be a most welcome addition in north London.

AND in other news, Spurs can land £10m bargain in reported striker transfer target…

Tottenham Hotspur plan to sell Danny Rose for a cut-price fee when he enters the final year of his contract, according to Football Insider. 

Tottenham valued Rose at £50m several years ago, when he was arguably at his peak and linked with Manchester United.

A source told Football Insider that Spurs are willing to listen to offers for the defender in the summer, but the club are aware that his market value has plummeted amid the economic uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus crisis. Therefore, they are prepared to sell him for £5m as he is not expected to play for Spurs again.

The Lilywhites reportedly rejected an approach from Watford last summer amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Schalke 04.

Understandably, this latest update could be good news for Ryan Sessegnon.

Last week, David Ornstein revealed that Rose has signed a loan extension to stay at Newcastle United until the end of the season.

The left-back, who is best friends with former Arsenal star Danny Welbeck, made just five appearances for Jose Mourinho before moving to St James’ Park on a short-term loan in January. The 29-year-old will soon enter the final year of his contract with Spurs and Steve Bruce is eager to tie him down to a permanent deal on Tyneside.

The veteran has impressed the Magpies so far, making 1.4 tackles per game and completing 1.2 clearances on average, with a passing accuracy rate of 77.7% (WhoScored).

Meanwhile, Sessegnon carries the burden of great expectations on his young shoulders. He has been deployed in various positions all over the pitch as Mourinho has tried out a range of different options.

Although his debut season has been rather quiet, the 20-year-old scored during the 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. He has played in three games in the European competition at the time of writing, providing one assist, taking one shot per game, averaging one key pass and completing one interception on average (WhoScored).

Sessegnon’s displays on the left flank in particular have been praised by Mourinho’s backroom staff.

The head coach is adamant that Rose will not be a part of his plans for the future (via The Northern Echo). Moreover, whether or not he returns to north London at the end of the season remains to be seen, as he will be below the likes of Ben Davies, Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga in the pecking order.

Despite insisting he will sit tight and see out his Spurs deal, the 29-year-old appears to have changed his mind. The Geordies believe that keeping him in Tyneside on a permanent basis makes perfect sense for all parties involved.

Indeed, if Rose finally leaves the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for good, this will be a major boost for Sessegnon as it would reduce the competition for a spot in the starting line-up.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sell Danny Rose in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

After a hugely disappointing 0-0 draw away to a relegation-battling Bournemouth side on Thursday night, it was no surprise to hear some pundits take aim at Tottenham.

One man in particular, Roy Keane, certainly didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Lilywhites.

Speaking whilst on duty for Sky Sports, the former Manchester United captain said (as quoted by The Daily Mirror): “Tottenham were poor tonight. When you analyse Tottenham, and watch Tottenham closely you shouldn’t be surprised. They’ve got that type of performance in their make-up, we’ve seen it regularly over the years.

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“They went to Sheffield United last week, Mourinho’s spoken about it, they didn’t show any fight. He had to make changes at half-time. That is in Tottenham’s DNA, they will constantly disappoint you. When you look at the table, the table doesn’t lie at this moment in time. Tottenham are ninth in the table, that’s where they deserve to be.”

It was a particularly scathing verdict, and one that certainly rings true. No trophies to show for well over a decade, and multiple instances of slipping up at the final hurdle, whether it’s the Champions League or a race for the Premier League title.

And whilst the early months of Mourinho’s reign in north London has hardly been in inspiring, Daniel Levy absolutely made the right call in getting rid of Mauricio Pochettino and appointing him.

This change in mentality, and ‘DNA’ that Keane talks about, isn’t going to change overnight. For all the trophies he has won throughout his illustrious managerial career, Mourinho is no magician, capable of waving a magic wand and ridding Spurs of all their bad habits.

The structure of winning that the Portuguese man has almost always built at the clubs he has been at, takes time to develop and consolidate. For all the great work that Pochettino did in establishing Spurs as a Champions League regular, he could never get them over the trophy hump.

And that was precisely why Levy chose to bring in Mourinho. Speaking at the announcement of his appointment, the Spurs chairman said: “In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football. He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician. He has won honours at every club he has coached. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room.”

If allowed the funds to bring in the players he wants this summer, and shape the squad in his image, then Mourinho stands a far better chance of delivering Spurs what they want.

Keane’s comments were searing, but they proved that Levy took the right gamble in trying to change the club’s DNA.

Despite Jose Mourinho’s purported reluctance to place his trust in youth, it seems like Tottenham are very much interested in bringing in one of European football’s brightest talents to north London this summer.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold recently revealed that Spurs “certainly like” Ajax starlet Sergino Dest, and that he “wouldn’t be surprised if they look at whether he’s viable financially this summer”, further adding that Spanish giants Barcelona are also interested in him.

And even at just 19-years-old, it’s clear to see why Mourinho’s side would be so interested in luring Dest away from the Netherlands. The teenager was an ever-present for Ajax in the Eredivisie, and registered an impressive record of five assists in just 20 league games.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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Right-back is a major area of concern for Spurs given that Serge Aurier continues to be a liability with his defensive howlers and giving away of penalties, and also the very fact that they let Kyle Walker-Peters go on loan to Southampton in January.

But in Dest, Mourinho could transform Spurs’ future by landing a starlet that could go on to dominate the position for most of the next decade.

And when you look at the kind of praise and accolades he has already got in his fledgling career, then it just makes the case for Spurs to sign him this summer even stronger.

According to his Ajax teammate Quincy Promes, Dest is a “big talent”, and those thoughts were echoed by his manager, Erik ten Hag. Speaking after the American won the club’s young player of the year award, he said to the full-back: “You came like a comet. You played a lot of games in Ajax 1, including in the Champions League. You showed your potential. This is well deserved.”

With Spurs already boasting one talented attacking full-back in Ryan Sessegnon, the north London side stand to boast an impressive future if they can bring in Dest.

Sessegnon can maraud up and down the left-flank, whilst Dest does the same from the right-hand side. The Lilywhites could quite reasonably argue that they have the best up-and-coming full-back combination in the Premier League, and Mourinho could help develop the duo and put to bed any notion that he doesn’t develop young players.

Former West Ham United striker Carlton Cole has shed some light on his relationship with the club’s fans, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

What did he say?

Cole spent nine years at West Ham between 2006 and 2015, managing 68 goals in 293 appearances in all competitions.

During that time he built quite a relationship with the fans and he remains a supporter himself to this day.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said the relationship was at its best during the club’s 2011/12 promotion campaign.

Cole said: “The fans knew I had taken a 50% pay cut just to play that season [2011/12 Championship season] and I knew that if I’d stayed and gave my all they’d respect me for that.

“I always gave my all, I always tried my very best. I wasn’t the captain but I tried to be a captain in my own way, I tried to leave everything on the field and even played through injury. That’s when I think the fans realised I was with them through thick and thin.

“I realised as well, as long as you give your all the pitch for the club, because that’s what any fan would do, then they’ll take you in as one of theirs. It’s all they ask.

“No matter what any footballer says, they always want a home. I’d left West London with Chelsea, that was my main home, but when I came to West Ham I had it good. I put in the years there as well, so I didn’t want the fans to think I was only there for the money – I’ve got too much pride to do that.

“The West Ham fans soon realised I was one of them, I had a good rapport with them. I always tried to speak to them, sign autographs, I did a lot in the community with the locals. I’m one of the fans now and I don’t think that’s ever going to change because I’m like part of the furniture!”

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Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie O’Hara has slammed Tottenham’s players over their lack of action amidst the controversy surrounding the club.

What did he say?

It’s fair to say it’s not been the greatest of weeks for Spurs. The north Londoners came under heavy fire for their decision to furlough some of the club’s non-playing staff, and whilst O’Hara labelled it as “stupid”, he did take aim at the players themselves too.

He said: “I’m disappointed in the players. They’re the money-earners there. Come on now, if you’re a big player at Tottenham you look after your own and for me, it’s the first and foremost thing you should be doing in this situation, so I’m surprised.

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“Maybe Daniel Levy is put in a bit of a situation where he’s waiting for the players to take pay cuts, so he’s got to do something and try to save money as he’s a businessman. If I was there I’d be asking that question and hopefully some of them are, like Harry Kane and Dele Alli. They’re big players at the club and earn a lot of money – they should be looking after the staff.

“Tottenham is not just about the players, it’s about everyone at that football club – the financial team, the corporate side, the marketing, the stewards, the chefs – everything about what makes the club great is all the people that work there, so the players should be the first people to make sure they’re looked after.”

Responsibility

Levy of course will have to take the brunt of the blame that has accompanied his decision, but the players themselves as O’Hara suggests, should be trying to fight the corner of the club’s staff.

With the increasingly ridiculous amounts of money being pumped into football, and the astronomical wages players earn nowadays, the entire profession is just completely out of touch with normalcy.

Situations like these simply reinforce the divide, and it’s why Spurs’ players can send a major statement by publicly voicing their frustrations and taking a strong stance on the matter.

Meanwhile, Alasdair Gold has provided an update on Spurs’ interest in this Premier League starlet.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Harry Kane could be set to break even more records at both club and international level.

The England international scored against Kosovo at the weekend as the Three Lions won 4-0, meaning that he became the first player in English football history to score in every single qualifier for an international tournament, this one being Euro 2020.

It also took his tally for his country to 32 goals in 45 caps.

Wayne Rooney, who scored 53 goals in 120 caps, currently holds the all-time scoring record.

Football FanCast has crunched the numbers, both at national and club level, and one has to feel that Kane can break both the national team record and the Premier League one held by Alan Shearer, who hit 260 goals during his time in the top-flight.

As it is, Kane has scored a goal every 0.7 games at international level. He needs 22 more goals to pass Rooney’s record, meaning he needs to win roughly 32 more caps.

That would take him to 77 – more than achievable for a player who is currently the captain of Gareth Southgate’s side.

Indeed, in his last 11 caps, Kane has scored 13 goals. If he were to keep up that record, he would break the record within his next 21 appearances for England, meaning he would be their all-time goalscorer after just 63 outings.

At Premier League level, the hill is higher and harder to climb.

Thus far, the 6 foot 2 striker has scored 131 Premier League goals and is 13th in the list of the league’s all-time top scorers.

He has averaged 18.7 goals per season so, if we round that up to 19, we can get a clear picture of how long it will take the Spurs striker to break Shearer’s long-standing record.

Now, it must be said, that Kane could well leave for a club like Real Madrid or PSG but let’s assume that he stays in north London or joins a rival Premier League club like Manchester United or Man City.

If he continues at his current rate of scoring and hits 19 in every single season, it will take him until the 2025/26 season, when Kane is 32, to break Shearer’s record. At that rate, he would reach 264 goals by the end of 25/26. A 19-goal season in 2019/20 would take his tally to 150, equal with ex-Liverpool star Michael Owen.

Yet there is hope that it could be reached quicker.

Kane’s zenith came in 2017/18, when he hit 30 goals. Now, if he were to score 30 goals in every season hereafter, he would smash Shearer’s record by 2023/24.

The amazing thing about these numbers is that they are achievable for Kane.

He is a goalscorer, first and foremost, and has proved that he can hit the net with regularity in a variety of different Spurs and England teams.

The stats point to the realisation that Kane could well become both the best goalscorer England have ever had and also the best goalscorer the Premier League has ever seen.

It would be quite a career for a player who spent 2011 on loan with Leyton Orient.