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Journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed it could take months for Tottenham Hotspur to appoint a new manager rather than anything happening in the near future.

What's the latest on Spurs and their manager search?

Amid a run of poor form and explosive comments, Spurs opted to sack Antonio Conte and so Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason have been asked to step up and take charge for the time being.

The announcement may have only come days ago, but already a number of names are being linked with the job. Indeed, Julian Nagelsmann is said to be open to talks having recently been fired from Bayern Munich, while former boss Mauricio Pochettino seems to perpetually be discussed as a possible option.

However, despite all these exciting rumours, Romano has suggested that a decision will not happen any time soon with the process expected to drag on for a while yet.

While talking about how it could all impact Harry Kane's future on The United Stand, the journalist outlined when he thinks a new head coach might come in.

He said: “I think this kind of manager situation will make things slow [for Kane's decision].

"Also because Tottenham are not appointing a new coach in a few hours or days. It probably will take weeks or months.”

Who is linked with the Spurs manager job?

Beyond Nagelsmann and Pochettino, the likes of Marco Silva, Roberto De Zerbi, Sergio Conceicao, Thomas Frank, and Vincent Kompany have emerged as credible options for the club (via Sky Sports).

With so many managers to consider, it's no wonder Daniel Levy and co might need months before coming to any final decision on the matter.

Of course, Spurs still have plenty to play for. After all, with just ten games left to go in the Premier League, they sit fourth in the division hoping to keep themselves in the Champions League next term.

With that in mind, the club do run the risk of not qualifying if Stellini and Mason don't have the quality to see out the final run-in with much success.

But certain managers may not want to come in until the summer, so they can get a full pre-season under the belt before being judged – while also knowing what European competition, if any, the north London side will be competing in.

All in all, there are a number of great candidates who will all have different demands if they are to join Spurs and so this hunt for a new head coach could take some time.

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has claimed that if Manchester United are bought by Qatari-linked Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, “there might be a situation” where Kylian Mbappe joins in the future, while the likes of Harry Maguire go to Paris Saint-Germain.

What’s the latest on the Qatar-linked bid for Man United?

The Glazers may well be looking to sell the Premier League club in the near future and so a number of interested parties have been tipped as possible new Man Utd owners.

Indeed, alongside Sheikh Al Thani’s bid, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and a third “mystery” US bidder have all been reported in the media as having made offers for the Glazers to consider.

Of course, the ownership group already have strong ties to PSG and it remains to be seen if the Qatar-based consortium can get passed UEFA rules to own both clubs who of course regularly play in the Champions League.

While speaking about it all on The United Stand, Goldbridge pointed out that the Red Bull-owned clubs in Salzburg and Leipzig often both play in the same European competition and are allowed to do so despite being owned by the same company.

He explained: “That’s my point. There’s already two clubs in Europe that play in the same tournament in Europe and they feed each other players, so I don’t think it would be unprecedented.”

Goldbridge then suggested that the club would have to be “subtle” to avoid “dodgy” transfers but could end up agreeing to some exciting deals with PSG if a relationship was established.

He said: “It won’t happen anyway, it will be way more subtle than that. We won’t have a situation where [Marco] Verratti and Mbappe come to Man Utd for £5m and Maguire and [Scott] McTominay go to PSG for £100m. That would be dodgy.

“But you might have a situation where Mbappe leaves PSG and comes to Man Utd because of the relationship he’s got with the Qatari ownership of PSG and they’ve got close ties with our ownership – that might happen.”

What could a Qatari bid mean for Mbappe to MUFC and Maguire to PSG?

Interestingly enough, there have already been reports in The Sun that Harry Maguire could end up joining PSG in the summer for a touted £50m transfer fee.

That rumour, as far-fetched as it sounds, might be something the Ligue 1 outfit want to pursue regardless of any relationship with Man Utd – especially seeing as the Glazers may not even end up selling.

But if there is any truth to the report, then you can see how negotiations could be made less complicated in the summer if the Red Devils are owned by the Qatari-linked Sheikh Al Thani.

And so, in theory, if a deal was sorted this could then open the door for other future transfers, potentially such as Mbappe, who has been urged to join the club in recent times, so perhaps it wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary if United can put themselves in a position to fund such a move.

Wolves take on Spurs on Saturday afternoon and Julen Lopetegui must consider unleashing Adama Traore, given his history against the north London side.

Why should Lopetegui unleash Traore?

Spurs arrive at Molineux low on confidence, having lost out 1-0 to Sheffield United in midweek, to seemingly bring an end to their trophy chances once again this season.

Antonio Conte’s side have looked susceptible defensively throughout the campaign, with the Italian manager selecting the ageing Ben Davies and Clement Lenglet on the left-hand side of his defence on a number of occasions recently.

Ivan Perisic has also struggled to have the impact many expected him to have as a left-wing-back, and he could also struggle defensively against the pace of someone like Traore.

The Spanish winger has struggled to replicate his performances from the 2019/20 Premier League campaign when he averaged a phenomenal 7.49 rating from WhoScored for his displays in the top flight.

He boasts just one goal and one assist so far this term, with a far-less-impressive 6.52 rating to his name, but there is no doubting the power and pace he could offer the Old Gold on the counter attack.

After a loan spell with Barcelona last season, Xavi was full of praise for the powerful wide man.

The Spaniard said: “Adama has matured a lot. And physically, he is a beast, a monster… In 1v1 situations, you cannot beat him. Adama is the perfect winger for me. I am convinced that he will be great for us.”

The 27-year-old, who earns £55k per week, certainly has a history of strong performances against Spurs, as a lot of Wolves fans will remember his sensational display in a 2-1 loss at Molineux in 2019, when the wizard constantly tormented Jan Vertonghen.

BBC Sport awarded him the man of the match award in their report, as he registered three shots on target and more crosses and successful duels than anyone else on the pitch – scoring Wolves’ only goal in the game as the forward punished their weak defending.

While Vertonghen is long gone, starting the speedy winger on Saturday could have a similar impact if he is left isolated against one of Lenglet, Perisic or Davies on the counterattack, which could prove decisive as Lopetegui’s side look to earn an important three points.

Therefore, the Spanish manager should hand Traore – who has created 0.8 chances per game this season – a rare start this weekend in the hope that the gem can rediscover the form he showed in the same fixture back in 2019.

Sunderland will be looking to extend their run of five matches without defeat in the Championship as they travel to face Rotherham United tonight.

The Black Cats have not lost in the division since 14 January (against Swansea) and are heading into the clash against the Millers off the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Bristol City.

Jack Clarke put the hosts in front at the Stadium of Light with a stunning strike from distance before Trai Hume conceded a penalty in stoppage time, which Nahki Wells converted.

With fixtures coming thick and fast at the moment, Tony Mowbray may look to make some changes to his starting XI to keep players fresh and maintain a high level of competition for places.

Will Pierre Ekwah start against Rotherham?

One player who could benefit from alterations to the starting line-up is central midfielder Pierre Ekwah, who should finally be unleashed from the start by Mowbray tonight.

The former West Ham United gem, who was signed in January, has made three appearances as a substitute in the Championship, and this clash could be his first opportunity at Sunderland to showcase his talent for more than just a few minutes.

He impressed in a recent cameo against Queens Park Rangers, completing 100% of his attempted dribbles and ground duels whilst also creating one chance in just nine minutes of action, as per Sofascore.

Mowbray recently hailed the gem’s “silky-smooth left foot” and has been trying to get the best out of the midfielder’s physical attributes.

The Sunderland coach said of Ekwah: “His left foot is really smooth, and yet I have been trying to encourage him to bring his physicality because he is a big lad – he’s not a small, skinny, frail, kid. He’s got huge physical attributes that he should bring to the party.”

These comments suggest that the youngster has all the qualities that he needs to be an excellent player for Sunderland, and handing him an opportunity to play against Rotherham could allow him to put it all together to produce a complete performance.

In the EFL Trophy for West Ham’s U21s earlier this season, Ekwah averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 as he created two chances and made two tackles and interceptions per match across three appearances, which shows that the midfielder has the ability to make a big impact at both ends of the pitch.

Therefore, Mowbray must rest Dan Neil or Edouard Michut in order to hand the 21-year-old gem his first big opportunity to prove his worth in a Black Cats shirt.

Leeds United did not struggle in the January transfer market, as their speed in decision-making allowed them to capture many of their top targets with minimal fuss.

They were seldom drawn into ongoing sagas, and even when they were heavily linked they refused to be caught up in a bidding war which would put them in financial peril. Therefore, they swiftly added their four new players and moved on.

However, one of the few transfer blunders that Victor Orta did make during the transfer window came in the form of tricky Croatian winger Mislav Orsic, for whom he neglected to bid despite the minuscule fee for which Southampton signed him.

Having originally taken an interest in the now 30-year-old in 2020, Leeds neglected to revive that interest last month amid the Saints stealing in for him. However, later that year, they did sign a little-known speedster named Raphinha for £17m.

The Brazilian went on to quickly become an Elland Road favourite, playing an instrumental role in their narrow escape from the drop last season before leaving for Barcelona in a £55m move.

It therefore makes the Whites’ decision to not secure a replacement in the form of Orsic all the more baffling, especially for just the £8m that the Saints paid for him.

He may only turn out to be a short-term solution at 30, but his guaranteed quality could have been integral in once again ensuring safety through his goalscoring exploits from out wide, much like the Brazilian a year ago.

Raphinha netted 11 times in the Premier League last season, including one in the pivotal final day win at Brentford which ensured top-flight survival, whilst his would-be successor was scoring 20 goals and setting up six in all competitions for Dinamo Zagreb.

He was been a consistently prolific attacker throughout his career and now seems poised to bring that to St Mary’s in Southampton’s bid to also survive the drop – potentially at Leeds’ expense, with only three points separating the teams ahead of today’s action.

During his time at Dinamo Zagreb, Orsic boasts 91 goals and 40 assists in 214 games, and his pedigree is futher boosted by his performances on the biggest stages.

His magnificent strike to secure Croatia a third-place finish at the recent World Cup springs to mind, along with his sensational hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur to knock them out of the Europa League two years ago.

Even his goal against West Ham United in December 2021, another English opponent that he terrorised, was dubbed a “stunner” by OptaJoe, while his hoodoo over London clubs continued with the winner against Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this season.

Orsic manages to pair that finisher’s instinct with the creativity that Raphinha also boasted. In his final season in England, the Brazilian averaged 1.9 key passes per game, which is not a far cry from the 1.7 that his Croatian counterpart has recorded during the current campaign.

The two forwards boast striking similarities with regard to their goalscoring feats, and it begs the question as to why Leeds did not reignite their interest to secure such a coup to finally replace their former talisman, who could now make them regret that inactivity if the Saints finish above their relegation rivals.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has shared a very promising update on Harry Kane’s potential contract extension at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Kane exit links…

The England captain has been repeatedly linked with a move away from N17 as he enters the final 18 months of his contract at Spurs.

Kane’s current deal expires in 2024 as things stand, putting the likes of Bayern Munich and Man United on red alert as both sides scour the market for a world class centre-forward.

The 29-year-old has been a crucial player under Antonio Conte, scoring 16 goals in 21 Premier League starts this season as he spearheads Tottenham’s chase for a top-four finish.

The Latest: Plettenberg shares promising Kane update…

Taking to Twitter, Sky journalist Plettenberg claims that, after a latest round of in-house talks, Spurs are ‘very optimistic’ that Kane will put pen to paper on a contract extension.

Furthermore, it is believed that United and Bayern should have ‘no chance’ of stealing the striker away from north London.

Plettenberg explained: “News #Kane: More talks between Tottenham/agent took place. Been told that Tottenham is ‘very optimistic’ now that Kane will extend beyond 2024. Bayern and #MUFC should have ‘no chance’. Bayern don’t give up hope but the bosses are more & more pessimistic.”

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The Verdict: Great news…

You can never say never until Kane officially puts pen to paper, but this certainly comes as a very encouraging claim for Spurs supporters. The odds have appeared to swing in both Conte and Daniel Levy’s favour, with Tottenham now looking like favourites to tie down Kane rather than seeing him leave.

According to WhoScored, the forward’s contribution stretches far beyond being a proven goalscorer, as he also ranks joint-second in their squad for key passes made per 90 in the final third.

At the end of 2020/21, Kane won both the Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Year award, prompting serious interest from champions Manchester City at the time.

The Three Lions star comes as a real all-rounder and a rare striker in the beautiful game, especially in the sense that he can drop deep and create alongside his ability to poach in the penalty area.

Keeping hold of Kane beyond 2024 would be a major boost for Tottenham, and this update suggests that they may well do so.

Tottenham Hotspur have now been linked with a potential move for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya as a possible replacement for Hugo Lloris.

What’s the latest?

According to a report from Matt Law of The Telegraph, Spurs have identified the Bees goalkeeper as a possible option and have the Spaniard high on their radar.

Another name to be linked in the report as a potential recruit for Spurs to replace their Word Cup-winning captain is Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Lloris has now played in north London for almost 11 years and now at the age of 36, the Frenchman has just over one year remaining on his deal with the Lilywhites.

But in light of the report, journalist Luke Edwards has shared his approval of a potential swoop from Spurs for Raya when speaking on the BBC Transfer Gossip Daily podcast.

He said: “David Raya, really, really good goalkeeper. Kept David de Gea, Manchester United’s goalkeeper, out of the Spain squad for the World Cup. I can totally see why this would make sense.

“And he’s done really, really well for Brentford, and I think he’s probably one of the most underrated goalkeepers in the Premier League, in that we don’t talk about him very often as much as we do about the goalkeepers that play for big clubs, but has probably done enough at Brentford to earn a move to a club like Tottenham and I really like that deal.”

Time for change

Lloris has been a fantastic servant for Spurs over the years and has racked up an impressive 439 appearances for the Lilywhites club over his long stint in north London.

However, there have been some more frequent errors creeping into his game over the last year or so which has potentially seen Spurs feel the need to find a replacement this summer rather than at the end of his contract in 2024.

The recent defeat against Aston Villa was a key example of that with Lloris at fault for the away side’s opening goal with the game delicately balanced at 0-0.

And then in the following game against Crystal Palace, the Frenchman showed what he is still capable of after pulling off some sensational saves to keep a much-needed clean sheet.

Following the game against Villa, Lloris was slammed on Sky Sports by Graeme Souness with the former Liverpool man suggesting Lloris’ time at the top was over:

“I think since the start of last season he’s made four errors that have led to goals, that’s the worst record in the Premier League for goalkeepers. For me he’s past his sell-by date,” he said.

And it is those costly mistakes which will potentially see the end of Lloris at Spurs this summer with no player in the league conceding more errors leading to goals (3) than Lloris.

So with that in mind, his two reported potential replacements both sit in the top two of saves made this season with Raya (79) top and Pickford (68) narrowly behind him.

Raya has kept the same number of clean sheets this season (5) as Lloris, but the Spaniard has only made one error leading to a goal thus far.

Given he is 27 years old and has just over one year left on his current deal there are a lot of positives in Raya’s favour, however, he does lack a lot of Premier League Pickford.

Arsenal have been credited with an interest in a current French international midfielder who shone at the recent World Cup in Qatar…

What’s the News?

That’s according to Italian journalist Niccolò Ceccarini, who wrote in his column for TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness) that both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Adrien Rabiot in January.

He then claimed that Spurs are ‘moving decisively’ for Rabiot, while Arsenal are ‘also pressing’ for the midfielder’s signature as he has no intentions of renewing his contract at Juventus.

Mikel Arteta first became interested in the player last month, however as the transfer window looms into focus, the onus is now on firmly making a move for Rabiot.

He’d be key for Arteta

The Frenchman was one of Didier Deschamps’ key performers at the World Cup, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst even describing him as a “cracking midfielder” following his performance against Australia and it’s certain he could add something different to the Arsenal midfield.

The 27-year-old played in six matches as France reached their second consecutive World Cup final, chipping in with a goal and an assist while creating a further big chance and making 0.5 key passes per match.

His displays in the Middle East perhaps shouldn’t have come as a major surprise considering his form in Serie A leading up to the tournament.

Across 11 league matches for Juventus, this term, the £152k-per-week star averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.29 while registering five goal contributions – three goals and two assists – along with playing 0.9 key passes per match.

His defensive qualities were also on show, with the player making 1.1 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 0.6 clearances per game, while also winning 55% of his total duels, proving that he can be just as effective in helping the defence as he can when the side are on the attack.

These qualities would be an excellent fit for Arteta’s side, and it could allow Martin Odegaard to push even further forward, knowing Rabiot would be effective at cleaning up behind him.

January could be the most important month in the club’s recent history, if Arteta manages to negotiate it with ease by winning all their matches while securing a few signings, it could well be Arsenal’s year.

Manchester City have set their sights on Juventus starlet Nicolo Rovella as journalist Massimo Pavan shares a transfer offer.

The Lowdown: City chase another title…

The Sky Blues, under the tutelage of trophy-laden boss Pep Guardiola, are chasing a third-consecutive Premier League crown and have recently been boosted by their head coach putting pen to paper on a contract extension.

Star striker Erling Haaland, after joining the club last summer, has lit up the English top flight and other signings like Julian Alvarez and Manuel Akanji have really impressed when given the opportunity.

Sporting director Txiki Begiristain, it seems, is now plotting ways to further boost Guardiola’s options and has reportedly set his sights on Rovella – a hugely promising Italian talent.

The Latest: Sky Blues make Rovella offer…

The 21-year-old, who is currently enjoying a productive loan spell at Monza, has allegedly been attracting interest from City.

Journalist Massimo Pavan, writing for Tutto Juve, claims Guardiola’s side are ‘offering more or less’ €30 million (£26m) to take Rovella off Juve’s hands.

The Verdict: Exciting talent…

The defensive midfielder has already been called an ‘extraordinary player’ by Monza boss Raffaele Palladino and it’s clear by his stats that Rovella is one to watch out for.

As per WhoScored, the Italian is in Monza’s top five for most accurate passes per 90 (89.2%) and averages a higher rate of interceptions than any of his teammates in Serie A.

Begiristain and co may be seeking to sign Rodri and Kalvin Phillips’ future heir and it’s clear he has the potential to become an effective midfield enforcer.

We’re only one game into the World Cup but one Leeds United star is already receiving a ton of praise.

“He has the heart of a lion,” said United States centre-back Aaron Long of midfielder Tyler Adams – who is set to be the skipper of the USMNT in Qatar.

“I think he shows that everywhere he goes. He is a key, key part of this team for what he brings on the field and what he brings off the field. He is an amazing guy and an amazing player,” via FOX Sports.

Leader. Powerhouse. Captain.

You’ll struggle to run out of superlatives to describe the 23-year-old and that only goes to show just how good business it was to sign him during the summer transfer window.

No one could have predicted his impact, particularly given the sheer magnitude of the job at hand in replacing Kalvin Phillips at the base of the engine room.

He has, arguably, been the signing of the summer at Elland Road.

The American’s performances for the inconsistent Yorkshiremen have already seen interest in his signature from the bigger teams in England, including Manchester United.

WhoScored currently ranks Adams as Jesse Marsch’s eighth-best performer of players to have started ten or more matches but that doesn’t paint the full picture.

He leads the squad for tackles with a whopping four per game, whilst he ranks third for key passes per game (1.2) and some of Leeds’ top performances have come when he’s excelled, such as against Chelsea earlier in the season.

Leeds stunned the London side with a 3-0 victory, and Adams was lauded as the “engine” and a “monster” for his involvement.

The USMNT enforcer only cost director of football Victor Orta and chairman Andrea Radrizzani £20m, over half of what they sold Phillips to defending champions Manchester City for.

With his stock set to rise at the World Cup, given just how crucial he appears to be for USA, it’s clear that Leeds have hit the jackpot with the signing of Adams.

AND in other news, Orta could finally ditch Leeds’ £13m flop in Jan swoop for 19 y/o “exciting prospect”…