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According to The Telegraph, Tottenham are ready to hijack Leicester’s loan deal for Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans. 

The 21-year-old was poised to be joining The Foxes this January, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has given the green light for his club to intercept this deal. However, the article does not state whether this is a loan or permanent deal.

The French club are willing to loan the Belgian, or sell him for £20m as well. However, it is imperative that Tottenham sign him permanently.

The Lilywhites have a long and rather embarrassing history of signing substandard players; there are currently some in the squad now, and there have been many in the past. Particularly though, the club have signed a raft of slow starters. There is absolutely no guarantee that Tielemans will acclimatise quickly, in which time, this would be a waste of a loan deal from Spurs.

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On the other hand, a permanent deal means the 21-year-old has time to settle into Tottenham and truly become the successor to Mousa Dembélé. Stylistically, Tielemans has many similarities to his compatriot, while also showing a greater attacking instinct. His powerful shot and ability to chip in with a goal could even make him a greater asset to Tottenham, particularly as central midfielders like Eric Dier, Harry Winks and Victor Wanyama are not famed for their goal-scoring prowess.

Now that Tottenham are out of the FA Cup and League Cup, they do not need quick fixes, particularly in the heart of midfield, they need long-term figures and Tielemans is that man.

This January was a make or break month for Newcastle, as the club’s future depended on it. 

Manager Rafa Benítez was demanding that owner Mike Ashley backed him in the transfer market, and there was the possibility that the Spaniard may walk away from St James’ Park at the end of the season.

Key decisions were to be made in the northeast in order to save Newcastle’s season. With that in mind, here are the two biggest mistakes Newcastle made in the transfer window:

Not enough

The Magpies left it late, but they did secure the signings of Miguel Almirón and Antonio Barreca towards the end of the window. These were surely deals to appease both the restless Benítez and the fans, who had grown tired of the inert state of the club.

However, while two signings are better than none, the question will remain as to whether it was enough. Firstly, many will wonder whether it was enough to strengthen a Newcastle team that are sitting only five points above the relegation zone in the Premier League. Secondly, whether it was enough to keep the manager at the club at the end of the season.

Benítez would have wanted some serious investment, and this may not have been enough. Only time will tell as to whether Ashley made the right choice or not over January.

Breaking their transfer record

Newcastle signed Almirón from MLS outfit Atlanta United for a club-record fee of £20m, something that the Newcastle fans have waited a long time for their club to do. Now it must be said that £20m is incredibly modest in terms of the lofty prices that are paid for football these days, but it is still a record nevertheless.

But invariably, having the moniker of being a club’s record signing mounts an immeasurable amount of pressure on a player to perform. The question will constantly linger over Almirón as to whether he was worth it, as there is certainly the chance that the player may struggle to live up to the hype.

The pressure will not be as great as that which was put on a player like Paul Pogba at Man United, but there will still be pressure nonetheless, and that is the last thing that a player that is unproven in the Premier League will want. With 13 goals and 11 assists in the MLS last season, these are great stats for the midfielder; he will now be expected to replicate that form at St James’ Park.

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Loads of Tottenham fans have been reacting to some comments from Moussa Sissoko, who has insisted the Lilywhites are in the title race.

It seems quite ridiculous that the title race is being largely portrayed as a two-horse race, especially considering Tottenham were ahead of one of those horses before they played two games in the space of four days.

This could of course work to Tottenham’s advantage, and Sissoko says they are “not far” from the two favourites.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

“We are not far,” he told The Telegraph. “If people want to talk about Liverpool and Man City then it’s better for us. We can follow our way in… how can I say it in English?”

“Ah, yeah, we will be like that,” the Frenchman agreed after being asked if Spurs are flying under the radar.

“Under the radar, I like that – and try to win and see where we are. For me, I prefer that. It means we can just do our job. We will fight to the end and anything can happen.

“And yes, I think we can win the league because we have a good team.”

Sissoko has gone from zero to hero in north London, as the former Newcastle man spent his first two seasons in a white shirt crumbling under the pressure of his £30m price tag.

He is now a very popular figure inside Wembley though, and Pochettino clearly loves his work rate and versatility.

That said, talking about being under the radar is probably not the best way to stay under the radar, and plenty of fans have been reacting to his comments.

You can find some of the best Twitter verdicts below…

The unpredictability of the EFL Championship struck Norwich City on Wednesday night, with Daniel Farke’s men falling to an embarrassing loss to Preston North End.

Going into the game unbeaten in five, it seemed that over-confidence resulted in the poor result.

Norwich were stunned in the 2nd minute itself when poor set-piece defending allowed Ben Davies to score the opener. The Canaries might’ve had the lion’s share of possession, but just weren’t their clinical self on the day. Preston added another later with Paul Gallagher’s penalty and when the reliable Marco Stiepermann had his penalty saved after the half-hour mark, it dawned on Norwich that it just wasn’t their day.

Preston added another one in the second half thanks to Sean Maguire’s effort and Teemu Pukki’s stoppage-time goal only served as a consolation. The Canaries conceded five in their last five games before this, but complacency and complete lack of concentration triggered their downfall.

The hosts were just too mobile on the attack and caught them off-guard on multiple occasions. While Pukki tried his best and had multiple shots saved, even he couldn’t save them. Norwich’s inexperience in defence was exposed, with Jamal Lewis and Max Aarons both disappointing along with the poor Tom Trybull failing to shield their defence in the first half.

With Leeds United once again getting the edge over them to the top of the table, this sorry defeat poses as a reality check for high-flying Norwich, who need to maintain composure to prevail in the Championship race.

Pep Guardiola must aim to sign a top-quality left-back when the summer transfer window opens in the next few months.

The Spaniard spent over £50m to prise Benjamin Mendy to the club in the summer of 2017 after the Frenchman impressed greatly with Monaco. However, his time with the Citizens has been plagued with a long-term injury that has kept him out of the side for long periods. Mendy missed the majority of last season with a problem that required surgery and the defender has made just nine Premier League appearances in the current campaign.

As well as his injury troubles, there is also growing concerns over his attitude towards leaving the treatment table. Reports from Goal suggest that the City staff are less than impressed with his antics that has seen Guardiola publicly criticise the 24-year-old.

One man the Spaniard could target is Porto flyer – Alex Telles. Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, the former Inter Milan man has been a star since joining the club from Galatasaray in the summer of 2016. Telles was a crucial member of the team that lifted the Portuguese title last season, registering an incredible 13 assists for his team-mates.

The 26-year-old has been in impressive form yet again, helping his side’s cause with one goal and eight assists in all competitions. Telles loves to get forward to help out the attack with his frightening pace and brilliant crossing ability; the defender has averaged an incredible 2.9 key passes this season. He doesn’t neglect his defensive duties either, making 1.2 tackles and 2 interceptions per game in Liga NOS (WhoScored).

Ditching Mendy for Telles could prove to be a wise move in the long-term.

Manchester City fans, thoughts?

Brendan Rodgers was announced as Leicester City manager on Tuesday, and the fact he’s left treble-chasing Celtic goes some way to prove the Scottish top division is a ‘pub league’.

The news came as a shock to most, particularly as it was expected the Scotsman would stay at Celtic Park until the end of the season to try and win his third straight SPL title. Instead, he’s decided to jump ship and climb aboard a mid-table Premier League side with no chance of silverware this season. It seems strange, but that highlights the attraction of England’s top flight.

Yes, Leicester won the title in 2015/16, but the chances of doing something similar again is almost impossible, so he’s not here to win lots of trophies. It’s clear he wants to become one of the best managers in the world and be back at a club like Liverpool where he nearly won the title in 2013/14.

He surely sees this move as a step up from the SPL and as a rung higher on the ladder to returning to one of Europe’s great clubs. After all, it was his impressive stint at Swansea City that brought him to Anfield in the first place. He was sacked in the 2014/15 season and strangely Premier League clubs avoided him like the plague, so he headed to Scotland.

The SPL may indeed be the victim of its own perception, because there are some great games being played across the division, but if big clubs don’t see it being good enough for someone to prove themselves capable of managing or playing for them, it’s irrelevant. The ‘it’s only Scotland’ put-down is clearly something top Premier League sides believe in.

Celtics fans may not agree leaving their club would be a step in the right direction but it’s clear to everyone else that it’s the only way Rodgers can make his way back to where he’s capable of managing – at the top.

How do you think Brendan Rodgers will fare as Leicester manager?

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Tony Cascarino has ripped into Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge in his latest The Times column following the striker’s cameo against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds missed the opportunity to extend their lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings as they were held to a goalless draw against the Red Devils.

Sturridge wasn’t actually named in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI but he replaced the injured Roberto Firmino just after the half-hour mark against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, but failed to make much of an impact in the final third.

Speaking to The Times, Cascarino said: “Daniel Sturridge was shocking when he came on and Mohamed Salah looked out of sorts.”

The 29-year-old was making his 21st appearance of the season for the Merseyside outfit, and he has scored four goals and provided a further assist.

Is he right?

While in some ways he may well have been right, it’s not exactly as though Liverpool were at their attacking best against United and Sturridge was simply the weak link.

The usually reliable duo of Sadio Mane and Salah also struggled to do what we have all seen them do so often before, and therefore it seems harsh to blame the England striker on this particular occasion.

It is never easy to come on in a game of this magnitude where both sides are largely cancelling each other out, and Cascarino should cut the former Chelsea and Manchester City man some slack.

Sturridge is still one of the best back-up centre-forwards in the Premier League, and he can still have a big part to play during the title run-in.

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Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Eric Dier is unlikely to start against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

The midfielder has missed the club’s last four Premier League outings and played a single minute in the 1-0 win over Newcastle United in February.

What’s the word?

Dier has struggled with injury throughout the 2018-19 season and has missed games with both appendicitis and tonsilitis.

Spurs have won just one of the last four games the England midfielder has missed, against Leicester City, and have lost to Burnley and Chelsea and drawn with Arsenal in the north London derby.

He could make the bench, however, with Pochettino confirming that he will be assessed before Tuesday’s second leg, with Spurs holding a 3-0 lead.

Harry Winks, too, could feature after missing the north London derby with a hip injury.

“We need to assess both,” Pochettino said, per Football.London.

“They are here because we still need one day more to assess if they can. Dier has been out for a while and maybe on the bench. Winks we need to see tomorrow.”

Pochettino has also confirmed that Dele Alli is nearing a return after suffering a thigh muscle strain against Fulham in January.

“Dele is close, we will see if it is possible for Saturday to be involved with the team against Southampton,” he added, per Football.London.

A timely boost

Spurs have missed genuine physicality in midfield, with performances against Chelsea and Arsenal lacking the bite needed in the centre of the pitch.

Dier coming back, particularly against Dortmund, would be a massive boost, especially with Victor Wanyama looking out of his depth against the Gunners.

Alli, too, could be back for the quarter-finals if Spurs progress and his unique skillset has not been effectively replaced since his injury.

Dier, Winks and Alli all returning to action could come at just the right time with the club looking to pull off a shock European triumph.

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As reported by The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Crystal Palace are hoping to beat arch-rivals Brighton to the signing of Chelsea star Reece James, who is currently enjoying a stint out-on-loan with Wigan.

What’s the word, then?

Well, according to Nixon, the Blues are keen on sending James out on loan once again next season, although that may not be what suits James the most.

The Eagles and the Seagulls are keen to buy the England Under-21 international outright, although that may prove difficult what with Chelsea’s failure to successfully appeal their transfer ban.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

James is one of England’s top talents and has been earning rave reviews for his performances in the Championship this season, where he has excelled in his 36 appearances for the Latics – the 19-year-old also has a goal and two assists to his name, whilst he has shown his versatility by playing right-back and centre-midfield impressively.

James must force a move if not given first-team guarantees

Given the right-back situation at Stamford Bridge this season, in which Cesar Azpilicueta seems to be struggling with the demands of Maurizio Sarri, whilst backup option Davide Zappacosta doesn’t appear to be trusted by the Italian, there is a realistic pathway into the first-team.

However, as we have seen in Sarri’s refusal to grant consistent first-team minutes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, it doesn’t matter how well the young players perform at Chelsea, they never seem to be rewarded for their efforts.

The transfer ban could change that, but if not, James must seek a way out of west London if he is to fulfil his obvious vast potential, or he risks ending up in the period of stagnation that the aforementioned duo currently find themselves in.

As we saw in Bayern Munich’s protracted transfer saga over Hudson-Odoi in January, however, it won’t be easy for Palace or Brighton to prise James away from Chelsea – the teenager should force his way out, especially to Palace if the Eagles lose Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

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Some West Bromwich Albion fans booed when Kyle Bartley came on to the pitch as a substitute during the 3-0 win against Swansea City at The Hawthorns on Wednesday night, and those that did have gone too far this time.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Baggies were playing their first match since Darren Moore was sacked following the 1-1 draw with bottom-of-the-table Ipswich Town on Saturday.

After playing the full 90 minutes against the Tractor Boys, Bartley was back on the substitutes’ bench for the visit of the Welsh side following a less than convincing display at the weekend.

While he was a regular in the starting XI earlier in the campaign he has struggled in more recent months following a mid-season injury, and more often than not has failed to be named on the Championship club’s team-sheet.

The 27-year-old replaced Craig Dawson on the hour-mark on Wednesday, but there were more than a few boos and jeers as he entered proceedings.

West Brom fans will want to cover their ears for the video below…

The supporters have gone too far

Yes, Bartley may not have been at his best in recent months, but the west Midlands outfit are at a stage of the campaign – also currently with no manager – where they need to be getting behind their players.

The centre-back is probably one of the individuals who suffered most from the style of play that Moore and Graeme Jones tried to implement, and his confidence appears to have suffered as a consequence.

Booing him certainly isn’t going to help, and given West Brom need some momentum for a play-off finish that is looking more and more likely, the players need a positive atmosphere right now – even those underperforming ones.