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Leicester could be set to strengthen their forward-line ahead of a potential UEFA Champions League campaign with the signing of Espanyol’s Raul de Tomas.

According to Reports in Spain, the Foxes are eyeing the Spaniard alongside fellow Premier League clubs Leeds United and West Ham United.

Brendan Rodgers and Jon Rudkin must make sure they secure his signature.

Whilst in the Segunda Division, de Tomas is enjoying a stellar campaign in front of goal having scored 16 goals in the league for Vicente Moreno’s troops.

This adds to his impressive record in the top-flight of Spanish football having netted a respectable 18 goals in 47 showings in La Liga throughout his career.

His form has certainly been noticed. Striker partner Jonathan Calleri has labelled the Spaniard as a “great footballer”.

De Tomas’ prolificacy then would add to Rodgers’ options considerably with Jamie Vardy edging towards 35 and Iheanacho, whilst in a rich vein of form, has not quite shown the consistency throughout his Foxes career to become a viable long-term successor to the veteran striker.

More options would, of course, be welcome with another European campaign potentially on the horizon too.

De Tomas has previously played on the European stage with Benfica so that experience could come in extremely handy.

Away from that, however, the former Real Madrid starlet would be an extremely affordable option as the Foxes aim to strengthen their forward line.

The 26-year-old is rated at just £9m so could certainly be a deal that the Foxes could complete with ease, a key aspect considering the impact that the pandemic has had upon the finances at the King Power Stadium.

Should the Foxes look to bring in another striker ahead of an upcoming UEFA Champions League campaign, De Tomas looks an excellent option.

AND in more news, take a look at which former flop had Leicester laughing all the way to the bank…

Mark Douglas has dropped a claim from sources close to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium on the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the football journalist has claimed that the consortium are continuing to wait the outcome of arbitration and that previous talk from James Pallotta about namechecking the St. James’ Park faithful after admitting that he wanted to buy a club in the Premier League was ‘best ignored’.

Douglas adds that all parties involved in the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA group hope that a resolution will come into fruition soon, and that while Pallotta’s interest in taking over in the North East is ‘genuine’, he knows that there is ‘no prospect’ of anything happening on that front any time soon.

Newcastle takeover paused for now

It seems as if any talk of a potential takeover at the Tyneside club, whether that would be by the KSA consortium or Pallotta, is on pause for now until their fate is sealed in the top flight.

Steve Bruce’s team are not guaranteed to avoid relegation down to the EFL Championship just yet, despite Fulham’s latest 1-0 home loss at the hands of Wolves on Friday night.

Nonetheless, the Magpies absolutely must stay in the division come the end of the 2020/21 term, and then focus can be put on a potential takeover.

In other news, find out when a well-placed source has claimed the takeover could be completed by here!

Manchester City travel to Le Parc des Princes on Wednesday night to face PSG in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final and Pep Guardiola should axe Raheem Sterling from his starting lineup.

Whilst the England international’s performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the 1-0 Carabao Cup final win on Sunday was a vast improvement on some of his recent displays, he still looked too desperate to score a goal and he was guilty of snatching at chances.

The 26-year-old has now failed to score in any of his last 10 appearances for the Citizens so will be desperate for a goal on Wednesday evening, which may prove detrimental to City’s chances of earning a positive result.

The last thing City want is a repeat of last season’s Champions League quarter-final against Olympique Lyon, where they dominated proceedings and missed a number of chances to take the lead after Kevin De Bruyne’s equaliser in the second half.

They were punished, with Moussa Dembele making it 2-1 with less than 15 minutes remaining, before Sterling was presented with a golden opportunity to equalise in the 86th minute but somehow contrived to put the ball over the bar when faced with an open goal.

This proved to be the vital moment of the game as Lyon pushed up the other end and made it 3-1 to seal their place in the Champions League semi-final.

There is no doubt that Sterling is a superb footballer when he is at his best, with Guardiola describing him as “remarkable” earlier in the season, but the reality is that all of Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva have comfortably outperformed him in recent weeks, so he doesn’t really deserve to start ahead of any of those players.

His worrying record of missing big chances could certainly come back to bite City on a night where they will definitely be looking to score an away goal.

It may be ruthless to drop him after the cup final, but Guardiola should axe Sterling from his starting line-up and leave him on the bench.

And, in other news… Txiki must avoid transfer disaster over 26-goal “winner”, Pep would be fuming

Tottenham Hotspur have many promising midfielders coming through the system.

In the summer, chairman Daniel Levy bolstered their academy options by raiding financially-struggling Wigan Athletic for young prospect Alfie Devine.

The 16-year-old was called up to the first-team earlier in the campaign and even scored on his senior debut against non-league outfit Marine in the FA Cup third round.

He has also been named on the bench for two Premier League fixtures, the latest of which coming last weekend at Aston Villa. He’s certainly one that’s earmarked for the future.

But Devine isn’t the only one.

Jose Mourinho often included some of their U23 stars in the Europa League squad. For example, ahead of their second leg knockout clash with Wolfsberger AC, no fewer than six youngsters were called up.

One of which was Jamie Bowden, who has been at Spurs since he was just six. And whilst he didn’t come off the bench to feature that day, he could soon be the next to follow in Devine’s footsteps.

According to football.london, the 19-year-old is really well thought of in north London as he’s ‘extremely composed on the ball, capable of breaking up play and has a great range of passing in his locker.’

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This is something reflected by the club’s official website, who describe the midfielder as a ‘deep-lying’ playmaker with a great range of passing.

Bowden has come on leaps and bounds this month for the U23s, scoring twice from defensive midfield in their last three Premier League 2 outings. He’s even captained the side on two occasions in that spell, as per Transfermarkt, too.

Spurs could well be onto their next Jamie Redknapp – that’s not because they share the same first name; there are far too many similarities between the two.

The former midfielder turned Sky Sports pundit was renowned for a couple of things – an ability to control the tempo of a match from a deeper role, deadly set-piece deliveries and of course, an unfortunate injury record.

These are all hallmarks of Bowden’s game.

Earlier this season, football.london claimed the teenager’s progress had been blighted by injury this season but still boasts plenty of talent. Whilst one of those two goals came from the spot, further adding to that set-piece skillset.

There have even been previous comparisons made to Michael Carrick and Harry Winks, who too are cut from the same sort of cloth as Redknapp.

The “talented young player” could well become a future star at Spurs should Mourinho continue to give him exposure to the first-team set-up, and in doing so, they may well have their next Redknapp.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt “significant” injury blow…

With Wolves unbeaten in their last five Premier League games, it would appear that Nuno Santo has engineered somewhat of a revival at Molineux.

After the defeat to West Brom last month, fears of relegation started to be talked about at Wolves. However, they have shaken off those concerns by responding in an emphatic fashion over the last few weeks.

A win over Arsenal seemed to be the wake-up call that Nuno’s team needed but they are still struggling in one particular department; their attack.

The Old Gold did their best to strengthen that part of their squad in January. They had a bundle of targets but ultimately settled on Willian Jose following Raul Jimenez’s injury.

They secured the forward on loan from Real Sociedad with an option to buy him for £18m in the summer. However, after his first month at the club, it would be surprising if they saw his long-term future at Molineux.

Truth be told, Jose has been poor. He is yet to score for Wolves and his performance against Newcastle on Saturday was abject, to say the least. He completed just 11 passes and had fewer touches of the football than goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

The Brazilian has offered very little in the way of a presence in attack and perhaps, Jeff Shi and Nuno chose to sign the wrong player in January.

It would take a bold man at Wolves to admit that was the case but when they were chasing someone like Olivier Giroud, well,it is night and day in terms of form between him and Jose.

Chelsea signed the powerful striker for £18m back in 2018 and although he’s not been too prolific, he’s come up with some golden moments in a Blues shirt.

He scored four goals against Sevilla in the Champions League earlier this term, a performance that Glenn Hoddle described as “out of this world.”

For a tall man, he is blessed with magical feet, something his overhead kick goal against Atletico Madrid last week testifies. He is supreme in the air but like Jimenez, is comfortable in possession of the ball.

He brings players into play like very few in the game. You only need to look at how influential he’s been for France. They won the World Cup with Giroud at the top of their attack but he didn’t have a single shot on target in the entire tournament. They primarily used him in order for Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann to make runs off him.

Dubbed the best target man in world football by Eden Hazard, even the very best appreciate his play style.

For Wolves, a player with his attributes would have been game-changing. They miss a presence in attack and Giroud offers that in abundance.

AND in other news, Forget Neves: Electrifying Wolves gem who managed 14 dribbles stole the show…

Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla has hinted at a summer exit from Elland Road in a cryptic social media post on Tuesday night.

The 34-year-old has been at Leeds since the summer of 2019, following a spell at Real Madrid that brought with it three Champions League titles.

Casilla has had to watch on from the substitutes’ bench for the vast majority of this season, however, starting just once in the Premier League and playing second fiddle to Illan Meslier. He didn’t even make the matchday squad for Monday’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham.

Casilla’s post hints at Leeds exit

The Spaniard’s current Leeds deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2023, but he has hinted that he may move on to pastures new before then.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Casilla posted a message that was translated by The Boot Room, saying the following:

“I’m slow to leave, because I believe in change. I wait, I endure, but one day I get tired. Without saying anything, I leave, and leave everything. Once I get tired, I will not come back. I give everything before leaving.”

Transfer Tavern take

It certainly looks as though Casilla is eyeing up a fresh challenge, perhaps feeling like his spell at Elland Road has reached its natural conclusion.

It seems highly unlikely that the former Madrid man is going to suddenly become Leeds’ first-choice goalkeeper again, but this may be a concern for the likes of Victor Orta at Elland Road, who will have to splash out on an experienced deputy for Meslier if Casilla leaves – you are unlikely to find such an experienced player happy to play second fiddle.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided an update on Pablo Hernandez. Read about it here.

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to Diogo Jota’s brace for Portugal, as the Anfield star’s stock continues to rise.

The 24-year-old joined the Reds from Wolves last summer and immediately hit the ground running, scoring a debut Anfield goal against Arsenal, as well as bagging the winning goals at home to Sheffield United and West Ham in October.

The forward was proving to be an excellent addition to Liverpool’s attack, but unfortunately a knee injury picked up in December kept him out for several months.

Jota returned recently in a huge boost for Jurgen Klopp and he netted the only goal away to former club Wolves, meaning he now has 10 goals in 21 appearances for the Reds.

The Liverpool star has also become a key man for Portugal and he proved that on Saturday evening, scoring both of his country’s goals in their 2-2 draw with Serbia.

Jota powered home two headers to showcase his ruthlessness in the final third, taking his international tally to five goals in just nine caps.

Liverpool fans hail Jota

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to heap praise on the Reds hero after his “unreal” performance in the World Cup qualifiers.

“Five goals in his first nine games for Portugal. Some player”

Credit: @JackSear

“DioGOAT”

Credit: @LFCTransferRoom

“Diogoal at it again I see”

Credit: @dan_clubbe

“Diogo Jota rediscovering his goalscoring form just in time for the business end of the Champions League. Is rightttttt”

Credit: @BenWebbLFC

“Diogo Jota is unreal btw”

Credit: @TheAnfieldWrap

“Jota is set to be a great for us. Has everything to his game. No doubt he can bag like 25 next season if he stays fit. Incredible player”

Credit: @lfcxcathal

In other news, one Liverpool star has suffered a potential setback ahead of the Euro 2020 – find out who it is here.

This is proving to be quite the deadline day for Liverpool. The Reds are frantically searching for two new defenders which could see their activity stretch right until the deadline.

What’s the word?

Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Preston defender Ben Davies but they are seeking another centre-back to join him.

One player linked with a move is Schalke stalwart Ozan Kabak. It’s thought the player could join Liverpool on an initial loan deal buy an option to buy the player next summer.

His current side have already made moves to sign a replacement with Shkodran Mustafi – also a target for Liverpool – set to travel to Germany for a switch.

Though, if things don’t go according to plan, Reds reporter James Pearce has revealed that contingency plans are in place.

He tweeted: “LFC in talks with Schalke to sign Ozan Kabak but no deal yet in place. Would be a loan with commitment to buy. Been told Liverpool still have “a few plates spinning”. Other options if they can’t get Kabak.” 

Who are the options?

While we can’t say for certain, Liverpool have certainly been linked with their fair share of central defenders.

This is a busy day for the club’s sporting director most of all and he simply has to act now in case the Kabak deal falls through. The last thing he needs is just one defender arriving when the club are in such strife defensively.

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They had to play Nat Phillips and Jordan Henderson at the back against West Ham, something that summed up the problem they’re facing from a defensive point of view.

With Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez out, they desperately need to find other options. Who Edwards would target remains to be seen but other players linked with Anfield in recent days have been Mustafi, Issa Diop and Nevan Subotic.

Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car has also been an option although that one now looks unlikely with the French side unable to find a replacement.

One thing is for certain – they have plenty of players to choose from.

AND in other news, Journo claims Liverpool “could bring” £90k-p/w CB to Anfield, Edwards making an error…

After avenging their defeat to St. Mirren last time out, Glasgow Rangers play host to Celtic at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Premiership league leaders wasted no time at all to exact their revenge over Saints, and find themselves in a hot streak heading into the clash with Celtic.

Steven Gerrard faces some tough decisions before the second Old Firm derby of the season, namely whether to recall Ryan Kent, while Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack have been ruled out due to injury. Kent’s struggles have been well-documented in recent weeks, with the 24-year-old failing to find the back of the net in each of his past five appearances.

The Light Blues boss opted to snub Kent against St. Mirren after his recent run of form to give him some brief respite and allow him to recharge his batteries.

But if he is fully fit and firing on all cylinders, he simply has to be one of the first names on the team sheet to face Celtic.

There’s no denying the fact that Kent is still one of the biggest creative influences on the flanks – only James Tavernier has contributed to more goals across all competitions than the left winger this season.

He’s levels above the rest in terms of his passing ability – since the start of the season, the former Liverpool academy player has averaged 2.3 key passes per game in the Scottish Premiership, via WhoScored.

It would be a heinous mistake from Gerrard to leave him out from the off, as he underlined his credentials after opening the scoring in the 2-0 victory over their arch rivals in the Old Firm derby in 2019.

The Ibrox boss reserved special praise for Kent after he claimed the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month earlier this season, saying: “Ryan Kent has been top class and hasn’t let any noise affect him, he is scoring goals and looking very dangerous. He is really taking it to opposition teams and he’s settled and enjoying his football.

“Kent deserves to be Player of the Month and has been in sensational form. He has been fantastic to work with.”

Similarly, his former manager Tony Mowbray was equally effusive in his praise for his young charge, adding he has a “fantastic ability to pick the ball up and run our team 60 yards up the pitch.”

If Gerrard does decide to bring Kent back into the fold, he simply has to start against Celtic.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard dealt huge blow as Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield ruled out of Old Firm clash…

Speaking to the press (via football.london) before his side’s trip to Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has refused to rule out a first team comeback for big name summer signing Gareth Bale – dropping the teasing two-word hint ‘let’s wait’ as murmurs grow over his lack of playing time. 

Bale is currently at the forefront of heavy debate, with the Welshman barely being utilised by Mourinho and Spurs since his return from a small injury picked up against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup.

Jose refuses to rule out Bale comeback

Reports were especially intensified in mid-week, as Mourinho snubbed the inclusion of Bale off the bench against Fulham and instead opted for the likes of Erik Lamela and Carlos Vinicius.

This comes amid reports Spurs could opt not to extend his loan deal and send him back to Madrid, with calls from the media urging Mourinho to at least play the 31-year-old and give him a chance to rediscover his best form.

In a two-word hint, he refused to rule out the possibility of him featuring against Sheffield United in a first team comeback for Spurs – simply stating ‘let’s wait’ when asked if Bale would be handed a chance tomorrow or more over the coming weeks.

Transfer Tavern take

Time will tell whether Bale does get given the opportunity by Mourinho, but if no first team comeback beckons, more questions will be asked about his future.

In other news: This Sky Sports pundit has been wowed by a ‘shining light for Spurs’, find out more here.