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Newcastle journalist Liam Kennedy has made a claim on Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, regarding a potential January swoop.

What’s the talk?

When asked about whether or not the England international is a player the Magpies could target, the reporter told GIVEMESPORT:

“He’s exactly the profile of player they’ll be targeting in the first couple of windows.”

This comes after Danny Mills tipped the midfielder to leave Tottenham in January in order to recapture his best form. He told Football Insider:

“Yes, I think he needs a fresh challenge of some description.

“Don’t forget he was on fire, he was absolutely outstanding in his younger days, when he first came to Spurs.

“Somehow he needs to rediscover that mojo. That could well be a new club, a new challenge, a new set of fans, whatever it might be, to re-energise himself.”

Imagine him & Wilson

PIF must secure a deal for Alli in January because he could form a dream partnership with Callum Wilson at the top end of the pitch.

Wilson has scored 16 goals in 29 Premier League starts for the club since joining from Bournemouth at the start of last season, proving that he has the quality to be a regular goalscorer at this level. Imagine how many goals he would score if he had a playmaker behind him capable of providing him with a higher quality of service – that player could be Alli.

The Tottenham midfielder has enjoyed three top-flight seasons with nine or more assists and has 67 goals and 61 assists in all competitions for the club in 263 appearances. This shows that, at his best, he is able to score and create goals in the final third.

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Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino once claimed that Alli is a ‘fighter’ and that his mentality is not affected by his minutes on the pitch. He said:

“Dele is not one to be affected if he plays or if he does not play.

“He’s so strong, he is a fighter, very competitive.”

These comments suggest that he could stand up to the challenge of a relegation battle in the second half of the campaign. His quality in the number 10 role could help the Magpies avoid the drop, whilst creating a dream partnership with Wilson, proving in the past that he has the ability to regularly provide assists and the former Bournemouth man has shown that he can score goals.

Therefore, PIF must secure a deal for the £100k-per-week England international. If they could strike an agreement to sign him on loan with the option to make it permanent if they stay in the division, it could be an ideal transfer for all involved.

AND in other news, “Sources telling”: Journo drops major NUFC manager update that’ll leave fans ecstatic…

With the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and summer signing Ibrahima Konate in their senior squad, it’s safe to say that Liverpool are pretty stacked in the centre-back position at the moment, which is just what Reds fans would want considering the injury issues the team suffered in that department last season.

However, one player who caught the eye for Jurgen Klopp’s side last season that we feel has proved himself to be a great bit of business by the Merseyside club is Nat Phillips.

Liverpool signed the defender to their under-23 side on a free transfer from Bolton Wanderers back in the 2016 summer window. He then made 27 appearances for Liverpool’s under-23s, chipping in with three goals in the process, and was granted his senior debut for the Reds back in their 1-0 FA Cup win over Merseyside rivals Everton in January 2020.

Last season saw the 24-year-old make 20 appearances for Klopp’s side across the Premier League and Champions League, contributing in a big way to their overall campaign and earning himself high praise from Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp, who dubbed him an “unbelievable” player.

In terms of his market value, in December 2020 – shortly after making his Premier League debut for the Reds in a 2-1 win over West Ham just under a year ago – Transfermarkt had it listed as £1.62m. It now stands at £7.2m, highlighting just how much he has progressed and developed in the space of 12 months, showing why he has been a low-key great signing for the club.

Furthermore, Liverpool gave Phillips a new contract back in August, illustrating just how impressed they were with him last season and how they see him as a long-term option for the club.

Moving forward, even though the 24-year-old hasn’t made a senior appearance for Liverpool so far this season, we feel that he could well go on to be a regular figure for them once again in the future given the experience he gained last season, his youth in comparison to 30-year-old pair Van Dijk and Matip, who could both only have a few years left at the club.

In other news: Klopp could unearth LFC’s perfect Milner successor with “energetic” 18 y/o prodigy

According to reporter Niccolò Ceccarini, writing for TUTTOmercatoWEB, there has been another update in Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Vlahovic race…

Links to the exciting Serbia international can be traced back all the way to middle of last summer as Tottenham eyed a striking alternative to superstar Harry Kane.

Long before Antonio Conte’s arrival at N17, managing director Fabio Paratici had his sights on Vlahovic, and there were even suggestions that an offer had been made (Fanta Calcio).

Whilst not going that far, The Telegraph backed Tottenham’s interest in signing the Serbian among other forward options amid his precarious contract situation at Fiorentina.

La Viola president Rocco Commisso recently confirmed that the 21-year-old rejected new contract offers to make him the highest-paid player in the club’s history, potentially boosting Spurs as they maintain their interest for Conte.

As per Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Spurs are now ‘perhaps the favourite’ to sign him and apparently meetings have already been held in London.

The Latest: Paratici and Conte ‘agreed’ on Vlahovic…

As per TMW and journalist Ceccarini, the Lilywhites are certainly eyeing a swoop, with both Conte and Paratici already ‘agreed’ on Tottenham’s ‘list of names’ to target.

One of them is Vlahovic and the reporter claimed that Spurs see him as ‘one of the right profiles’ to replace star striker Kane, who Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane called ‘amazing’.

They said that the England international ‘should leave next summer’ and this will allow Spurs to swoop for Vlahovic. It is even claimed that Tottenham could ‘invest a lot of money’ and it is a ‘track to be monitored carefully’.

The Verdict: Like-for-like?

If Tottenham’s chiefs have indeed ‘agreed’ to target Vlahovic as a possible replacement for Kane, we believe there is no better candidate.

Scoring an impressive 21 goals last season for Fiorentina, he has continued that fine form into 2021/22, with 10 strikes and an assist already in all competitions this term (Transfermarkt).

Lauded as ‘really exciting’ by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, it’s safe to say that Vlahovic is one of the brighest young forwards in world football and has even earned comparisons with Champions League superstar Erling Braut Haaland.

As developments continue to heat up, with Spurs allegedly among the favourites for his signature, we believe this is certainly one to keep an eye on, as his prospective arrival would certainly bolster Conte’s centre-forward options significantly.

In other news: Conte ‘green lights’ Spurs move with deal in the works to sign ‘extraordinary’ player, find out more here.

Ange Postecoglou has been advised to take Liel Abada out of his starting line-up for Celtic’s clash with Ferencvaros. 

Club correspondent Kieran Devlin called for Mikey Johnston to start instead in The Athletic’s matchday discussion.

The lowdown

Abada joined Celtic from Israeli outfit Maccabi Petha Tikva in the summer for a fee of £3.6million.

In his first 16 appearances for his new club, he’s been directly involved in 10 goals (six goals, four assists).

But the stats suggest he struggled in Saturday’s win at Motherwell, his SofaScore rating of 6.8 the second-lowest in the Celtic side.

Not one of his seven attempted crosses found a team-mate and he lost possession 12 times in all before being substituted on 73 minutes.

The latest

Devlin described Abada as ‘badly out of form’ and says he ‘needs a rest’ or, from another point of view, ‘time out the spotlight’.

He said he is a ‘big Johnston fan’ and would ‘like to see him get 60 minutes if he’s capable’.

The verdict

Celtic are in desperate need of points on Tuesday, having lost their first two Europa League matches. Lose, and their prospects of progressing look very bleak indeed.

If Postecoglou selects Abada, he struggles again and the result goes against them, he’ll likely come under fire.

And who knows? As Devlin suggests, the rest could actually rejuvenate him, with another home fixture coming up on Saturday against St Johnstone.

In other news, Tom Boyd shares his ‘horrendous’ fear. 

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has revealed he almost signed for Rangers before making the move to the Bees instead.

The Lowdown: Toney shines at Brentford

Toney made the move to Brentford from Peterborough last year for a fee of £5m, and that is looking like a snip.

After helping the London outfit earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, Toney has managed two goals and two assists in six top flight games as Brentford continue to impress (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Toney admits close Ibrox shave

Speaking to Ally McCoist on talkSPORT (via Ibrox News), Toney has admitted he also made the move to Rangers. He explained:

“I was going to sign for Celtic but I was also going to sign for Rangers. So you might be happy with that.”

The Lowdown: What could have been

£25.2m-valued Toney (Transfermarkt) had proven to be an outstanding signing for Brentford since making the move there. In his last 97 matches, he has found the back of the net 61 times, while he also broke the Championship scoring record last term during Brentford’s triumphant campaign (iNews).

Rangers themselves did win the Premiership title last season and also reached the last 16 of the Europa League, so it doesn’t seem they were crying out for Toney. However, he is clearly a talented player, and would have given Steven Gerrard a possible long-term replacement should Alfredo Morelos leave.

In other news, Rangers fans are unhappy with this club update.

Taking to Twitter, journalist Ekrem Konur has shared news on West Bromwich Albion ace Sam Johnstone as he backs claims that West Ham United are eyeing a move.

The Lowdown: Transfer changes on the horizon?

Since the club officially appointed new recruitment chief Rob Newman, there have been many links emerging to transfer targets.

West Ham are continuing the chase for a new striker, with reports from Spain even claiming that they are prepared to invest significantly in the chase for Espanyol’s Raul de Tomas.

Elsewhere outfield, the Irons are also apparently interested in USA international Weston McKennie.

Konur, however, has now come out with a claim on who Newman is eyeing for West Ham between the sticks.

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The Latest: Newman eyeing Johnstone move for West Ham…

As per the Turkish source, West Ham, and by extension Newman, are eyeing West Brom ace Johnstone even after their failed bid to sign him in the summer.

Football Insider even claimed that the 28-year-old was ‘very keen’ on a move to the London Stadium but GSB’s alleged bid was swiftly rejected.

Konur, however, believes West Ham are still interested in the player alongside the likes of Tottenham and Southampton.

“WBA and England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is targeted by Tottenham,” he explained on social media.

“Southampton and West Ham are the other interested teams with the young keeper. Johnstone will be free to negotiate with those clubs in January. His West Bromwich contract will expire at the end of this season.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Depending on whether West Ham opt to make Alphonse Areola’s move a permanent one at the end of this season, Johnstone could certainly come as a shrewd signing.

Lauded as ‘unreal’ by former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, the England international proved a more than capable shot stopper in the top flight before the Baggies’ relegations last season.

Acquiring Johnstone on a free deal in 2022 certainly seems like a no-risk move by Newman and the club.

In other news: West Ham join race to sign ‘complete’ 6 foot 4 forward likened to Firmino, find out more here.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن مطالب برشلونة من فرينكي دي يونج لتخفيض راتبه من أجل الاستمرار في النادي الكتالوني.

برشلونة لا يمانع رحيل دي يونج عن الفريق وقبول عرض مانشستر يونايتد، لكن الهولندي يرفض الانتقال إلى النادي الإنجليزي.

التقارير أكدت بأن برشلونة اشترط على دي يونج تخفيض راتبه في حال قرر البقاء مع البلوجرانا، في وسم 2022/2023.

صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، كشفت بأن برشلونة طلب من اللاعب الهولندي، أن يخفض 4 ملايين يورو، أي أكثر من ثلث ما ينص عليه عقده وهو 11 ملوين صافي.

طالع أيضًا | سبورت: لابورتا يبدأ استدراج ميسي ووالده عاطفيًا.. وعقبة أمام عودته لـ برشلونة

اللاعب سيخفض ما يقارب 40% تقريبًا ليكون قادرًا على البقاء في برشلونة، ولكن هذا الأمر لم يتم حسمه بعد.

فرينكي دي يونج يضمن مشاركته مع تشافي، ولكن هذا لن يكون ممكنًا إلا إذا تنازل عن جزء من راتبه، بعدما ألقى برشلونة بالكرة في ملعبه، إما الرحيل إلى مانشستر يونايتد أو البقاء مع تخفيض الراتب.

دي يونج يريد أن يلعب دوري أبطال أوروبا، وهو ما يجعله يرفض الانضمام إلى مانشستر يونايتد، الذي فشل في التأهل للبطولة من خلال احتلاله المركز السادس في الدوري الإنجليزي الموسم الماضي.

الدوري الإسباني ينطلق بعد 3 أسابيع فقط، وتغلق أبواب الميركاتو بعد ما يقارب شهر، ويبدو أن قضية دي يونج ستظل حتى اللحظات الأخيرة.

Celtic have been dealt a tough hand in Europe with Ange Postecoglou having to withstand the test of some troublesome sides.

The Hoops have already come unstuck against Real Betis and they will desperately need to improve when Bayer Leverkusen arrive at Parkhead.

On the chalkboard

Based on Celtic’s recent form, supporters should be incredibly fearful over what result may occur on Thursday evening.

They have lost to Livingston and drawn with Dundee United during their last two league fixtures so the omens don’t exactly bode well.

Postecoglou’s men did score three times against Betis but it would be a great surprise if the same eventuality occurred tomorrow night.

Celtic will still be missing Kyogo Furuhashi and it’s thought that Callum McGregor will almost certainly be absent again.

He sat out their last Europa League clash with what was thought to be a knock but he hasn’t played since.

Who plays instead of him will be a crucial point of debate for the manager because he simply hasn’t got it right in the last few weeks.

James McCarthy has been abject to say the least, being terrorised for his performances since a first start in the defeat at Livi. During that clash, the Irishman attempted no attacking actions and lost the ball on 15 occasions.

Sadly, the midfielder was average against Dundee United too, winning just 33.3% of his defensive duels last weekend.

The solution

With that in mind, Postecoglou should consider turning to Ismaila Soro on Thursday, especially in a game where the Bhoys are expected to do more work off the ball.

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Like McCarthy, Soro hasn’t been at his best this term and he was fortunate not to be sent off against Betis.

The Ivorian was keen to get stuck in and did make a number of impressive robust tackles. However, he is often caught out with his lack of discipline causing him to throw in challenges even when he’s already been booked.

That being said, the Celtic brute is clearly more dynamic and mean-mannered than McCarthy.

Described as a player with “explosive power” by former coach Ori Guttman, he has been compared to N’Golo Kante and it’s clear to see why.

Soro occupies little pockets of space that enables him to sweep up the play. He reads the game well and is traditionally in the right place at the right time.

The 23-year-old knows what it takes to put in a defensive masterclass in Europe too. When they beat Lille 3-2 last term, he made a mind-boggling ten successful tackles.

The midfielder has failed to replicate that sort of display since but he simply has to step up with McGregor still on the sidelines.

Now feels like his time to really make a name for himself in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Ange may fix one of Celtic’s biggest problems by signing “lightning-quick” 43-cap ace…

Andrew Strauss has been appointed as England’s captain for the entire tour of the West Indies, 24 hours after being unveiled as the new Test skipper. But, according to an ECB statement, his one-day captaincy will be reviewed at the end of the tour

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2009
Andrew Strauss has been recalled as ODI captain today © Getty Images
Andrew Strauss has been appointed as England’s captain for the entire tour of the West Indies, 24 hours after being unveiled as the new Test skipper. He will work alongside the current coaching set-up, headed by Andy Flower, although according to an ECB statement, his one-day captaincy will be reviewed at the end of the tour, leaving open the possibility that England could yet seek their fourth captain in 12 months should results not go to plan.”The selectors feel that it is important to have stability and continuity on the Caribbean tour given the events of the last few days,” said England’s national selector, Geoff Miller. “Andrew and I have also agreed that we will review the one-day captaincy at the end of the tour. Andrew is extremely comfortable with that.”Strauss was the stand-out choice to succeed Kevin Pietersen in the longer form of the game, but admitted that the situation regarding the one-day job remained “in a state of flux”. He has not been a part of England’s ODI set-up since being dropped during their ill-fated World Cup campaign in the Caribbean two years ago.In 78 ODIs to date, Strauss averages 31.98 with a strike-rate of 75.82 runs per hundred balls, which compares favourably to the record of his former captain, Michael Vaughan, who averaged 27.15 from 86 matches, with a strike-rate of 68.39.His efforts also compare favourably to the current ODI opener, Ian Bell, whose average (35.47) is higher, but whose strike rate (72.36) is lower. One of England’s current top-order will have to make way to accommodate the new captain, and that man could be Bell, whose form fell away badly on the recent tour of India. Strauss has two ODI centuries to his name, with a highest score of 152 against Bangladesh in 2005.”I am delighted to lead the team in the one-day Internationals and Twenty20. I know I haven’t played an ODI since the end of the World Cup in 2007 but I do feel that I have something to offer in that form of the game,” Strauss said. “Now this situation has been resolved we can now all unite and get about the business of winning cricket matches for England and winning them consistently.”Should the West Indies series, which comprises five ODIs and a Twenty20 international, not go to plan, the other alternative would be to revert to the split captaincy format, with Paul Collingwood the likeliest choice to resume the role he relinquished in favour of Pietersen back in August.Strauss will be supported in the Caribbean by Flower, England assistant coach, and Phil Neale, England team operations manager as well as England’s other specialist coaches and support staff. Although no official interim appointment has been made, Cricinfo understands that Flower will be the senior man in the coaching hierarchy, and has been named, along with Strauss, as one of the three selectors on tour.The ECB refused to comment on reports in The Guardian that Pietersen had wanted Flower removed from his post along with Peter Moores, though Cricinfo understands that Flower has since sought assurances from the ECB about his long-term future in the England set-up, and remains in the frame to take over the role on a full-time basis.Hugh Morris, England cricket’s managing director, said: “We have a backroom team with a proven track record. They will all work very closely with Andrew Strauss during this tour with the sole aim of securing success in the Test, ODI and T20 matches.”A successful tour will enhance Flower’s prospects of securing the full-time role, although competition could yet come from the Western Australia coach, Tom Moody, who did not rule out his candidature while speaking to reporters in Perth.”You’d look at anything,” said Moody. “This day and age, you’re not going to turn your back on any opportunity, [but] I’m very happy here in Perth, [the] family is settled, I’ve got a great job, enjoying what I’m doing. I’ve got no reason to be looking further afield.”Meanwhile Moores has spoken for the first time since losing his job. In a brief interview with Sky Sports News, Moores described the events of the past week as “interesting” and said that a full statement would be coming out shortly. On the subject of Pietersen, Moores buried any animosity saying: “Kevin’s got to go on, hopefully, and I want to see a successful England team.”

Despite being in a batting line-up which includes several heavyweights, VVS Laxman has made his presence felt in no uncertain terms throughout his 12-year Test career. In Nagpur, he completes a century of Tests, a feat achieved by only seven other Indian players.Parallels are often drawn between him and a follow Hyderabadi whose strokeplay was similarly silken and magical, but one who missed the century landmark by a solitary Test. Not only is Laxman’s batting evocative of Mohammad Azharuddin’s, their stats are remarkably similar too: Laxman’s amazing performance in Delhi against Australia, where he scored 259 runs without being dismissed, ensured his average crept past Azharuddin’s, but the sitter he missed from Michael Clarke means the catches tally for both is exactly the same – 105.

Unlike Azharuddin, who blazed his way into Test cricket with three hundreds in successive Tests, Laxman’s entry was far more subdued: his first century came in his 17th Test, and his average didn’t touch 40 till his 34th.In fact, Laxman’s career can be split into four parts: the first one – lasting 20 matches – was one where he struggled to make a mark, scoring just one century, against Australia in Sydney in 1999-2000. The next phase started with that unforgettable Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001 – Laxman’s epic 281 began a glorious run which continued through most of the next three years. He scored six centuries and 13 fifties in 30 Tests during that period. When India toured Australia in 2003-04, Laxman notched up two hundreds, the second of which was the ideal way to celebrate his 50th Test – a sparkling 178 in Sydney, which also pushed his average up to an all-time high of 47.39.The next three years were largely disappointing, in which he even failed to get runs against his favourite Australian team when they toured in 2004-05. His only hundreds in those 30 Tests came against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and West Indies. That barren spell was broken when Pakistan toured in 2007-08, and since then Laxman has been fairly consistent – he was the only middle-order batsman in the Indian line-up to score two half-centuries on the tour of Sri Lanka, where they struggled to find answers to Ajantha Mendis.

A significant reason for Laxman’s early failures was his position in the batting order: for most of his first 20 Tests he opened the innings, a responsibility which clearly didn’t bring out the best in him. Exclude his stats as an opener, and Laxman’s average shoots up to almost 49, with 44 fifty-plus scores in 86 matches.

The one aspect of Laxman’s career that will always stand out is his performance against the best team of his era. The Australians invariably brought out the best in him – in seven series, the only time he failed utterly was at home in 2004-05, when he averaged 17.57 in four Tests. Overall, in 23 Tests against them, Laxman averages a splendid 56.21, the highest among all batsmen who’ve scored at least 1500 Test runs against Australia since 1970. His heroics in Delhi means his average against them has nudged ahead of Tendulkar’s. Of the three times Laxman has won the Man-of-the-Match award, two have come against Australia.

Batting within a couple of spots of Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly meant Laxman had plenty of opportunities to bat with them. Among the three, Dravid was the one with whom he forged the biggest partnerships: in 66 innings, the two put together 11 century stands, with two match-winning triple-century efforts in Kolkata and Adelaide against the Australians. They also added 175 in Sydney earlier this year – their average against Australia in 22 innings is 66.38. They are one of only nine pairs to score more than 1000 runs against Australia, and in terms of averages only Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, the legendary openers from England, have done better among those nine pairs.

Of the 66 innings that Laxman has batted with Dravid, a third have been for the fifth wicket, where they average 66.45. The 1329 runs they have put together is the third-highest among all fifth-wicket pairs, and just 320 runs off the record, which is currently held by Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh. If Dravid comes out of his current rut, the two might yet have the opportunity to get another big stand going, and break that record. Almost five years back, Laxman had celebrated his 50th Test with a gem against Australia. Can he do an encore in his 100th?