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Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that his club are considering dipping into the January transfer market, as reported by Goal.

It comes following news that the club will be without arguably their two best players – Harry Kane and Dele Alli – until March.

Fernando Llorente has stepped into the centre-forward role in recent matches and although the Spaniard scored against Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Thursday night, there remain question marks over his suitability for the role.

Whether Tottenham are able to secure the type of player that they want for the right price remains to be seen.

However, Pochettino has hinted that his team could make a signing before the window closes, despite the fact that Son Hueng-min will be back with the club sooner than expected.

The Tottenham fans have been reacting to Pochettino’s words on social media and it would be fair to say that not many are particularly confident.

Club chairman Daniel Levy is known to drive a hard bargain and it is always difficult to sign players of the required quality during the January transfer window.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Playmaker FC Exclusive: “Wolves absolutely spanked you” – Jermaine Jenas gives damning verdict of Arsenal’s season. Check out the video below…

Rangers are plotting a key deal to ensure Alex Lowry’s future under Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox beyond 2023.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, a Gers source has revealed that the club have made the talented youngster a new contract offer worth £5k-per-week.

The report claims that he is set to meet with van Bronckhorst and club officials to discuss a deal this week, with Rangers hoping to pin him down to fresh terms until 2025.

His current contract expires in the summer of 2023 and the Light Blues are keen to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of next season. He is said to be attracting interest from unnamed clubs from England, and the Gers are hoping to ward off those advances with a new deal for the midfielder.

Van Bronckhorst will be elated

This update will surely leave Van Bronckhorst elated, as Rangers are pressing ahead with their attempts to keep Lowry at Ibrox. They are not waiting until bids have already come in for him to start trying to retain his services, which means that they are being proactive in their approach.

The Dutch head coach will be desperate to keep hold of the teenager heading into the 2022/23 campaign and beyond, as he is a talented young player with high potential.

At the age of 18, Lowry has already been exposed to first-team football at Ibrox. He made his Premiership debut earlier this season and scored his first senior goal for the club against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup, which shows that he has the talent to make an impact outside of the youth team.

Last month, journalist Josh Bunting lavished him with praise, tweeting: “Alex Lowry is just a fabulous footballer, on this pitch the way he’s dribbling on it indicates he has so much quality, so good on the ball and has a wonderful sense of balance, really good at driving at the opposition defence he creates plenty of problems with his movement.”

This shows that the 18-year-old has been catching the eye throughout the campaign. He still has the majority of his career ahead of him to continue developing and Rangers cannot afford to lose him at the end of his current contract as they would not be able to benefit from his full potential.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be elated with the efforts to keep Lowry at Ibrox and will be hoping that the Scotland youth international is willing to commit his future to the club.

AND in other news, Insider drops worrying behind-the-scenes Ibrox claim, it’s very bad news for Rangers…

Rangers star Ianis Hagi is determined to play if Rangers reach the Europa League final, his father Gheorghe has said. 

The lowdown

In late January, Giovanni van Bronckhorst said that Hagi would be out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

In his absence, Rangers have overcome Borussia Dortmund and Red Star Belgrade to reach the last eight in Europe, and on Thursday he’s set to watch from afar as the Gers travel to Braga for the first leg of their quarterfinal clash.

Win, and Van Bronckhorst’s side will meet RB Leizpig or Atalanta for a place in the final.

Rangers haven’t played in a European final since 2008, when they lost 2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester.

The latest

Hagi is confident that Rangers are capable of making it to the Seville showpiece and says his son has expressed an intention to feature if they do so.

“If they got past Dortmund, they have the ability to play in the final,” he told Sport Arena, via Rangers News.

“Ianis told me that he will play the Final. There are still two strong teams, Barcelona and Lyon, who are on the other side.”

The verdict

Hagi, dubbed ‘magic’ by Van Bronckhorst’s predecessor Steven Gerrard, is a real asset for Rangers.

He started 15 of their first 21 Scottish Premiership matches, and three of their six UEL group stage fixtures, before he sustained his injury.

He was commendably averaging a goal or assist every 221 minutes (which equates to every 2.5 matches).

The concern, however, would inevitably be the risk of rushing Hagi back based on sentiment.

Come back too soon, and there’s a danger that he exacerbates the injury and is out for even longer than first forecast, potentially damaging the pre-season recovery over the summer.

That is a dilemma Van Bronckhorst may face if his side are able to beat Braga and cause an upset against Leipzig or Atalanta.

In other news, Heart & Hand issued a brutal verdict on one player’s Old Firm display.

Leeds United have been touted with a move for Chelsea outcast Ross Barkley this summer…

What’s the story?

90min have suggested that Jesse Marsch’s side, along with fellow Premier League outfits Everton and Newcastle are possible landing spots for the former England man in the upcoming transfer window.

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His contract at Stamford Bridge comes to an end in the summer of 2023, and it’s been claimed that a cut-price sale is a “dead-cert”.

Marsch heading for a mistake

The £100k-a-week ace was on loan at Villa Park last year, and endured a rather nightmare spell in the Midlands, managing just three goals and the solitary assist in the Premier League.

It was no surprise then that he came in for some harsh criticism from those who watched him week-in and week-out, with The Athletic’s Villa correspondent, Gregg Evans, saying: “He doesn’t do enough for me now. I’ve seen enough of Ross Barkley now to realise that he’s becoming a bit of a liability for Villa. He’s not helping out enough as he should, really.”

This campaign has seen him completely fall out of the reckoning back at Chelsea, having initially seemed like he was at least a rotational part of Thomas Tuchel’s side.

But after playing 25 minutes against former club Everton back in mid-December, Barkley has not taken to the field at all for the Blues, and it’s been a real indication of how he’s slipped down the pecking order that there have been occasions when he hasn’t even made the match-day squad for them.

At 28, Barkley simply hasn’t shown enough in recent seasons to indicate that he would be someone Marsch can really count on in the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, and his troublesome injury record certainly doesn’t make him more of an appealing signing either.

It’s a move that seems like a real mistake on the part of Marsch, and one that won’t have the Elland Road faithful delighted at all.

AND in other news – Leeds could finally axe shocking £50k-p/w liability with “extraordinary” 6 ft 2 star

An injury expert has now dropped a Newcastle United claim on Callum Wilson before they play Norwich City away from home in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Shooting drills

As cited by The Shields Gazette, Eddie Howe has revealed that Wilson has taken part in some low-level shooting drills as he looks to step up his recovery from injury.

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The striker was reportedly confident of making his return against the Canaries, and the Toon Army will no doubt be eager to hear an update on his situation from Howe before the game on Saturday afternoon.

The Latest: Injury expert

Speaking to Football Insider, medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in both medicine and data analysis, has claimed that Wilson is now ‘moving in the right direction’, and that it would be ‘fantastic’ if he could still play a part in the run-in:

“He is moving in the right direction.

“They will be proceeding with caution given his history with soft tissue injuries.

“With this injury specifically, you need to be careful with him because there is that danger there.

“If it was a choice between bringing him back too early or having a fully fit and firing Callum Wilson next season, you’d take the latter.

“If he does play some part in the run-in, fantastic. As long as he is moving in the right direction, that will suit Newcastle.”

The Verdict: Big boost

It would certainly be a big boost if Wilson could come back for the remainder of the run-in, starting with NCFC on Saturday.

Amazingly, he is still their top scorer this season with six goals despite his injury setback, and would be useful in getting the St. James’ Park faithful to finish as high up in the Premier League table as possible.

Nonetheless, a nice run of matches will get him best prepared for next term, where the North East club will be hoping to kick on after a potentially busy summer transfer window.

In other news, find out who NUFC’s three worst players were against Crystal Palace here!

Wolves manager Bruno Lage has revealed the latest on injured defender Willy Boly’s status, with the Ivory Coast international having made just one appearance under the Portuguese this season.

What’s the latest?

Boly endured an injury-stricken 2021, playing just 11 games in all competitions across the calendar year and is yet to appear in the Premier League this season, having made just one appearance in the EFL Cup.

The 30-year-old most recently made the squad for Wolves’ 1-0 win at Brighton in mid-December, although another setback has ruled the defender out of action for the Golden Boys as well as for his native Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations.

Speaking to the media about Boly’s situation, Lage said: “He has some muscular problems and sometimes doesn’t feel comfortable with it. That’s why sometimes he is ready to play, then he starts training and feels a little pain.

“It’s important when you are in that position you feel ready and confident.

“This situation is not good for Boly, it’s not good for me and it’s not good for the club,” the 45-year-old added. “Every time he comes, he goes. He needs time to work, to prepare himself, because he was important in the past and can help the team to be better.

“He has a contract with us, and he’s a top player, and he stayed with us instead of going to the national team – it means something. He preferred to stay with us and recover. This is a good signal.”

Wolves fans will be gutted

The Ivorian is certainly a popular figure amongst the Molineux faithful, having played a major part in getting the West Midlands club back to the Premier League in the 2017/18 campaign, in which he made 36 Championship appearances.

Moreover, the 30-year-old was vital in Wolves’ first campaign back in the top-flight as he missed just two of their 38 league matches.

However, it now appears as though there is little room for the centre-back in the starting line up, that is with everyone available.

The regular trio of Conor Coady, Max Kilman and Romain Saiss has been a revelation this campaign, with Wolves the Premier League’s second-best defenders behind league leaders Manchester City, having conceded just 15 goals in 20 matches.

Boly will have to find a solution to his reoccurring issues, if not, it may prove to be the end of his tenure in the West Midlands. Considering his popularity among the fanbase, this is an eventuality that would leave the Molineux faithful gutted.

In other news – £33k-p/w Wolves gem, who created two big chances, stars in victory over Southampton

Sky Sports journalist and North East reporter Keith Downie has now dropped some news on Newcastle United’s transfer plans for the summer.

The Lowdown: Busy summer

After all but securing their safety in the Premier League, the summer transfer window now looks set to be a busy one for the St. James’ Park faithful.

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It is expected that they will make the loan move for Matt Targett a permanent one from Aston Villa, while they have also been recently linked to the likes of Evan Ndicka, Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike, suggesting that they will be looking to strengthen in quite a few areas of the pitch.

The Latest: Five signings

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Downie has said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will now look to sign a central defender, a playmaking forward, a striker and a goalkeeper as well as Targett, and could bring in even more players if others were to leave:

“I think they’ll bring in a centre-back, a forward, like a playmaker, and a striker. They’re also looking at the goalkeeping department, and then it all depends on players going.

“If they lost a centre midfielder or they don’t manage to sign Matt Targett, then they’ll look to bring in more on top of that.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It certainly is exciting for the Toon Army to see so many quality players linked to the Magpies, and in so many different positions on the pitch, as PIF look to take them to the next level.

Money should not be too much of a problem for the mega-rich owners, and so providing that they can ship out a few and comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, they should be able to bring in plenty of fresh faces.

Nonetheless, Eddie Howe will need time to get them all to gel, but the future is certainly looking bright.

In other news, find out who could now be first to leave NUFC this summer here!

Taking to Twitter, journalist Sean Walsh of 90min has broken a major Southampton transfer development on Twitter involving Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Tete.

The Lowdown: Saints eye move…

The Brazilian has been on Southampton’s radar in recent weeks with links emerging ahead of this summer’s looming transfer window.

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talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook explained that the Saints and manager Ralph Hasenhuttl are indeed in contention to sign Tete this summer with advanced talks having also been held.

The 22-year-old has also been attracting interest from the likes of Leicester City, Brentford, AC Milan, Atalanta and Benfica.

The Latest: Walsh shares major development…

90min journalist Walsh, writing a message on social media, has now shared a major development – explaining Southampton are confident of sealing the deal for Tete.

Sharing a piece in which he explains Hasenhuttl and co are ‘set to win the race’, it appears the St. Mary’s side are now in pole position to sign the South American.

He explained: “Understand that Southampton are confident of signing Tete from Shakhtar Donetsk.

“Brentford, Everton & West Ham were among several PL and European sides keen on a deal.”

The Verdict: Big news…

News of Saints transfer chief Martin Semmens already making moves ahead of July 1 should come as promising for supporters.

Tete in particular stands out as a potentially exciting addition, having racked up ten goals and two assists over 28 appearances in all competitions this season before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.

Still young and able to play on either flank, as well as in a more central attacking-midfield role (Transfermarkt), he could be a very astute purchase if Southampton do win the race.

In other news: ‘It is true’ – Southampton backed by close source as they also eye international ‘star’, find out more here.

Everton are on the hunt for their next manager after a nightmare season so far that has left the side sitting 16th in the Premier League, just four points off the relegation zone and Moshiri has been interviewing managers over the last week to replace Rafa Benitez, with a new update emerging on the next manager to open talks for a move to Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

Popular transfer insider, Fabrizio Romano, has taken to social media to reveal that a new prospective manager is on their way to the club to interview for the highly anticipated role as the next Everton head coach.

Romano tweeted: “Vitor Pereira will be in England in the coming hours to meet with Everton board. Contract, staff and details to be discussed in order to make the final decision.”

“Key hours/days ahead to find out new Everton permanent manager.”

Fans won’t be happy

The situation that Everton have found themselves in has left fans furious, and this update on Vitor Pereira is not going to better the situation, as many have already taken to the replies of Romano’s update on Twitter to share their thoughts on the Portuguese native becoming their new manager.

One fan tweeted in response:

“Disaster, what a sad day for EFC. The final nail in the coffin.”

Another tweeted: “Since we last interviewed Pereira in 2013 he has managed 6 clubs. Doesn’t strike me as the man we need to bring stability and a long term vision.”

Despite the concern from fans, Pereira has won eight trophies during his managerial career so far, and a winning mentality is something Everton really need to be injecting into the side after just five wins from their 20 Premier League games so far, however, it’s clear where the concern comes from with Toffees fans.

The 53-year-old was sacked just before Christmas during his second stint at Fenerbahce after only winning one of the last five games he was in charge at the club, leading the side to trail 17 points behind league leaders Trabzonspor at the top of the table when he was relieved of his duties in December.

Everton are in dire need of stability and a manager who can come in and impact the club instantly to inspire a huge U-turn in the Toffees season, and rightfully, supporters don’t think that Pereira is the man who is capable of doing that job.

Farhad Moshiri and his team will interview the former Porto manager today, and the right decision will need to be made fast as Everton are in no position to continue losing games and further damaging their season. As far as we’re concerned, though, the Toffees need to be looking elsewhere.

In other news: Moshiri must sign Omar Colley

Newcastle United have been offered the chance to take Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti on loan on favourable terms, according to The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder. 

The lowdown

Newcastle are trying to secure the signings of two centre-backs in the form of Lille’s Sven Botman and Sevilla’s Diego Carlos, but the 28-year-old could perhaps be an alternative option.

The Frenchman joined Barcelona from Lyon ahead of the 2016/17 season and made 25 league appearances in each of his first two campaigns (via WhoScored), but that dropped to 14 in 2018/19 and 13 in both of the subsequent two seasons. This year, he has featured just once in La Liga.

A succession of injuries, including a series of knee problems, has played a significant part in his limited involvement.

The latest

Posting a link to his piece in The Chronicle via his Twitter feed, Ryder stated: “Magpies offered cash incentive to take Barcelona star”

Barcelona have made it clear that they are willing to pay a portion of the defender’s £16m-a-year wages, something which Ryder claimed ‘could appeal to Newcastle should they go ahead with the deal’.

The verdict

Umtiti boasts a pretty enviable CV. He has won 10 major trophies at senior level, most notably the 2018 World Cup and two La Liga titles.

On an individual level, he featured in the FIFPro World XI second team in 2018, which indicates that he was deemed one of the four best centre-backs on the planet that year. Former Batcelona team-mate Lionel Messi has also spoken highly of him off the pitch, describing him an ‘excellent person’.

However, it’s simply too big a risk for relegation-threatened Newcastle to bank on a massively reimbursed player who’s been hit so hard by injuries and played so little football of late.

In other news, Nick Hammond is also interested in this potential signing