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Tottenham Hotspur may be able to finally replace Mousa Dembele if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to French outlet le10sport.com, Spurs hold a strong interest in signing Lille midfielder Renato Sanches this transfer window but they are yet to make a concrete offer for the Portugal international.

North London rivals Arsenal and financially struggling La Liga giants Barcelona are also mooted by the report, whilst Liverpool have also been linked in recent weeks.

It’s thought that Sanches is available for around €30m (£26m), with The Athletic also suggesting that Ligue 1’s financial crisis could lead to many players being sold right across the French top-flight.

Shades of Dembele

Arguably, some of Tottenham Hotspur’s decline in the last 18 months or so could be attributed to their loss of Mousa Dembele in the heart of the engine room – a player capable of pulling the strings from midfield and contributing at either end of the pitch.

He was effectively the link between defence and attack for so much of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign, so when he departed for the Chinese Super League in January 2019, the club should have sought after a viable replacement.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was brought in last summer but he’s more of an anchorman than a box-to-box type, whilst Tanguy Ndombele is yet to justify a club-record £55m fee, though 2020/21 was a vast improvement on his maiden campaign in England.

The pair of them could benefit from a Dembele-like presence alongside them in a three-man midfield and that’s where a swoop for Sanches makes sense, especially after becoming a sensation at this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament.

You may remember him from a disappointing loan spell at Swansea City but since then, he’s flashed glimpses of the huge potential he was once touted with.

“He was a big prospect. Everybody was waiting for him to be one of the top young players for the future,” new Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira told ITV during coverage of Belgium versus Portugal (via football.london). “Last year with Lille, he did really well. He wasn’t really consistent during the season, but he had some flashes of his talent.”

The official Euro 2020 website would go onto laud him as one of Portugal’s biggest positives at the tournament, some five years on from picking up the Golden Boy trophy and earning lofty comparisons to Xavi Alonso.

Bundesliga.com once described him as a “box-to-box midfielder with the strength of a WWE heavyweight and the nimble feet of a ballet dancer,” also likening him to Clarence Seedorf. Well, you could suggest that Dembele was cut from the same cloth and that’s exactly what should attract Spurs to Sanches.

That much is backed up by his statistical returns. Across all competitions in 2020/21, including Euro 2020, the £27m-rated powerhouse averaged 0.7 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, one shot and 1.6 dribbles per outing, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder he has been praised as a “machine” and as a “complete athlete.”

Fabio Paratici could well finally replace the Belgian beast with a move for the Lille star. They must win the race to secure him before the season gets underway next month.

AND in other news, Paratici should seal Spurs summer swoop for “excellent” beast admired by Lionel Messi…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones of Eurosport has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Hlozek…

As widely reported in recent months, the Czech Republic international is a striker West Ham and manager David Moyes have been keeping tabs on as the January transfer window opens for business.

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Indeed, Football Insider claimed just before the new year that the Irons, and by extension recruitment chief Rob Newman, made an early approach for Hlozek to find out what it would take to win the race for his signature.

They believe that Sparta could demand around £16-20 million for West Ham to sign him mid-season with The Daily Mail reporting since then that Hlozek is still firmly on the club’s radar.

Sharing an update, Jones has made a claim to GiveMeSport as he backs their interest further.

The Latest: Jones makes Hlozek claim…

Speaking to GMS, he says that West Ham are ‘definitely’ eyeing a move for the 19-year-old sensation who they like a lot.

However, he also claims his valuation could well be reason why they haven’t made their move yet.

“He is definitely somebody that’s on their radar and they like him a lot,” Jones explained.

“I can’t remember what his value is right now but I think that’s part of the concern of signing him at the moment.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

As West Ham remain in the market for a player who can back up striker Michail Antonio, a move for Hlozek in January comes with both ups and downs.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by his agent Pavel Paska (90min), the teenage hot shot has certainly impressed since the beginning of 2020/2021 – racking up 21 goals and 24 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

These numbers at such a young age highlight his magnificent potential, but one red herring may well be that this comes in a far inferior division to the Premier League.

It remains a point of contention whether he could eventually replicate those numbers in England and there is an argument to be made he is more one for the future than the here and now.

West Ham shareholder Daniel Kretinsky’s ties as co-owner of Sparta, however, could gift the club an advantage in the race for his signature.

We believe a swoop for Hlozek is certainly worth considering even despite the slight drawbacks.

In other news: ‘Tears in my eyes’, ‘Finally’…Many West Ham fans flock to ‘very exciting’ transfer development, find out more here.

Nottingham Forest are one of the EFL’s most in form sides having lost just one league game in 2022 with Steve Cooper’s side very much in the picture for a playoff spot come the end of the season.

Having beaten Birmingham City 2-0 at the City Ground on Saturday, the Reds are now third in the Championship table and have an outside shot at sneaking into the automatic promotion places with second place Bournemouth six points ahead with seven games to go.

It’s been a marvellous turnaround for the East Midlands club under Steve Cooper, who has made a colossal impact in the Forest dugout, with the Welshman looking set to lead a side to a top-six finish for the third consecutive season.

The likes of Brennan Johnson, Lewis Grabban, Ryan Yates and Keinan Davis have all been fit and firing over the course of the season. However, Cooper’s talented squad could be further improved with the addition of U23s striker Will Swan who has enjoyed an impressive campaign in Premier League 2.

In the pipeline

21-year-old Swan has scored 12 goals and assisted a further four in 18 appearances for Forest in Premier League 2 this season and is certainly one of the youth setup’s hottest prospects.

The East Midlands outfit sit third in the second division of the Premier League youth league after an impressive campaign with the English striker’s goals a major contributing factor to their success.

Swan has had various loan spells without truly making the grade at Forest yet but the forward will undoubtedly be knocking on the door of Cooper.

The loan signing of Keinan Davis from Aston Villa in January certainly boosted the Welshman’s striking options, but at the same time limited the opportunities that could’ve been handed to Swan.

Although, if Davis isn’t to make his stay at the City Ground permanent in the summer, the 21-year-old could find a clear pathway to the first team next season.

The idea of having a lethal finisher like Swan linking up with the creativity of Brennan Johnson and James Garner would certainly be a mouth-watering concept for Forest fans.

They both have superb technical attributes and that’s where Swan thrives too, with journalist Josh Bunting hailing his “lovely” ability earlier this year.

Whether or not the young striker will be given an opportunity in the near future is yet to be seen though.

In other news: Cost £0, now worth £3.6m: Forest struck gold on “superb” gem likened to “Wolverine”

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones should be fit to return from an eye injury after the current international break, according to James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Midfield issues for Liverpool

The Reds were beaten 3-2 at West Ham on Sunday, with the midfield producing a lifeless performance for much of the game.

Jurgen Klopp has had constant injury problems in the middle of the park this season, which has seen him struggle to keep a rhythm in that area.

Jones is one of the midfielders currently sidelined, along with Naby Keita, James Milner and Harvey Elliott, but some positive news has emerged regarding the 20-year-old.

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The Latest: Pearce provides Jones update

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after the West Ham game, Pearce claimed that Jones could be back in the fold for the Premier League clash with Arsenal on November 20, with him likely to have recovered from an eye issue by that point.

When asked if there was any update on the young midfielder, the journalist replied: “Curtis got a finger in the eye in training mate. Should be fine after the international break.”

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The Verdict: Much-needed boost for Reds

Last season Liverpool had a centre-back shortage and this time around it is midfield woes which threaten to derail their season, so this is undoubtedly good news.

Granted, Jones wouldn’t necessarily be guaranteed a place in the team if everyone was fit – he has only started three league games this season – but he gives Klopp a much-needed option and is a talented young player, as he illustrated by scoring against Brentford and providing an assist against Manchester City a week later.

The youngster may be lacking a bit in terms of match fitness to start against Arsenal but he could be a vibrant option to bring off the substitutes’ bench.

In other news, Pearce has talked up Liverpool’s potential interest in one player. Find out who it is here.

Celtic have the chance to make it to the final of the Scottish Cup this afternoon if they’re able to beat their Old Firm rivals Rangers in the semis.

The Hoops had a rather successful previous match last weekend, putting seven past St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Before that, Ange Postecoglou’s side faced off against Rangers, beating them at Ibrox and extending their lead at the top of the league table.

The two Glasgow clubs now meet again away from league duty to see which one will be in with a shout of securing the Scottish Cup.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t start in the 7-0 win against St. Johnstone but did end up playing a big part in the game was Liel Abada, who should be included in Postecoglou’s the starting XI this time around.

After replacing Giorgos Giakoumakis with 27 minutes on the clock, Abada saw the game out to the end after the Greek striker picked up an injury.

With 35 touches of the ball in total against the Saints, the 20-year-old ended up completing 22 of the 25 passes he attempted as well as having four shots at goal in total.

The winger even managed to get his name on the scoresheet by grabbing Celtic’s final goal of the match, giving the Hoops’ goal difference what could prove to be an all-important boost.

Labelled as a “little superstar” by Nir Bitton and a “wonderful” player by Frank McAvennie, the Israel winger has been a deadly attacking force for the Bhoys all season.

Having scored 10 league goals in 32 league appearances, Abada is currently Celtic’s top scorer, proving that it didn’t take him long to settle into Scottish football after joining the Parkhead side last summer.

In addition to this, the £15k-per-week attacker has the fourth-highest number of shots at goal out of any player in the entire SPFL, including fellow Hoops attacker Kyogo Furuhashi, who has eight league goals to his name.

This shows how much of a threat he is going forward and what sort of problems he could cause Rangers.

With that in mind, it should very much be in Postecoglou’s thinking when putting his starting XI together to include Abada and unleash him against the Gers.

AND in other news: “Behind the scenes…”: Insider drops teasing Celtic claim, supporters will be buzzing

An update has emerged on Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, regarding Leeds’ interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Whites are eyeing up a potential January swoop for the England international to bolster their squad.

The report claims Burnley and Newcastle are also looking at the ex-Everton midfielder, with Chelsea set to allow him to leave Stamford Bridge.

Hernandez 2.0

Leeds chief Victor Orta could find the new Pablo Hernandez by securing a deal to sign Barkley in January, finding a creative magician to open up doors for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the Premier League.

Hernandez, who left Leeds in the summer, has a career average of 2.9 key passes and dribbles completed per game, showing how he is consistently able to be a creative force in the final third. He has the ability to dribble past players and set up chances for his teammates, which is something Barkley could also bring to Elland Road.

The 27-year-old Chelsea midfielder has a career average of 3.1 key passes and dribbles per game, which is particularly impressive given these statistics are taken from his performances for Chelsea, Everton and England in the top-flight and in Europe.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer lauded the £100k-per-week wizard’s talents whilst he was on loan at Aston Villa last season. He told The BBC:

“Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

This highlights the quality he could provide Leeds on the pitch, with one of the league’s greats hailing him as a match-winner at his best. Barkley could come in and add some extra creativity to Bielsa’s side and offer him the chance to change formation to accommodate a number 10, or mould him into a central midfielder who will work hard for the side whilst also offering quality on the ball.

Orta must now ensure that he can beat the likes of Burnley and Newcastle to win Barkley’s signature in the winter market. If he can then Leeds could have another diminutive creator to enjoy watching week-in-week-out, just as they did with Hernandez.

AND in other news, Phil Hay drops key update on “top-class” Leeds wizard that’ll delight supporters…

Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Dusan Vlahovic recently, as Pep Guardiola’s side continue their search for a Sergio Aguero replacement.

What’s the word?

It was claimed that the Citizens could consider a move for the Fiorentina forward this summer as they continue to be frustrated in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.

However, the Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee has now dispelled any of those rumours, suggesting on Twitter that the Serbian is not a target for Guardiola’s side this summer.

Although he is obviously a world-class striker, it seems strange that City are so deadset on singing Kane this summer, especially considering Daniel Levy’s stance on his situation at the North London club, and Vlahovic could have been a superb alternative.

Would Vlahovic have been a good signing for Man City?

Fans might point to the 5-0 victory against Norwich City on Saturday afternoon and suggest that a striker maybe isn’t needed, but in reality, the Canaries were awful and if Guardiola’s side want to retain the title this season then they might just need a top-quality forward to lead the line.

Vlahovic’s performances in recent seasons suggest that he would score a lot of goals for City, whilst at 21-years-old, he has a huge amount of potential and time to adapt to the Premier League.

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Last season saw the Serbian forward contribute 21 goals in 37 Seria A appearances for Fiorentina, averaging a solid 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Serie A expert Conor Clancy was full of praise for the young striker when speaking to ThisisFutbol recently, saying:

“[He’s] Incredible, and it really caught me by surprise because I’d seen him play in the flesh a few times and he scored a great goal against Inter and there was a lot of hype in Florence about him. People were saying this guy’s the real deal and I just couldn’t see it.”

“He’s just a complete number nine and I know it’s just off the back of one season, but he’s strong, can link play up, can hold the ball up and most importantly, he’s scoring goals. He’s one of those players that when he looks confident, you almost expect him to score every time he plays.”

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Therefore, it seems as if Vlahovic would have been an excellent addition to Guardiola’s squad, and Man City fans will surely be gutted with this update from Sam Lee, especially if the Citizens fail in their attempts to bring Kane to the Etihad before the window shuts.

And, in other news… Man City handed huge boost with “world-class” beast, Txiki must deliver

West Ham United manager David Moyes must turn to academy gem Jamal Baptiste after suffering yet another defensive injury blow this week.

The Irons host Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb in their final Group H match of the Europa League later tonight and they will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run in the competition despite losing Kurt Zouma, to add to the Scot’s woes.

He was already without first-choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna for the rest of the season, and now the £30m summer signing is out for the foreseeable future too, so it leaves Moyes rather light on options heading into kick-off.

The French colossus was withdrawn early during the win over Chelsea on Saturday. It has since been described as a “massive blow” by football.london reporter Tom Clark.

However, the Hammers have already qualified for the knockout stages, so there is room to manoeuvre and it wouldn’t be worth risking any more injury setbacks to other first-team stars.

It could be wise to hand some valuable minutes to Baptiste, who is widely touted to be one of the club’s most promising youngsters. It would be good to see exactly what he can offer before January strikes, too.

“One of the finest young prospects at the club without any doubt is 15-year-old Jamal Baptiste, who believe me is going to be a monster player in the Issa Diop mould,” claimed former academy chief Terry Westley to Claret and Hugh back in 2019. “I see him as exactly that – the new Issa Diop.”

“He’s got everything, height, power, pace and is already, at such a young age, making a serious impact on the under 23s.”

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Indeed, now at 18 years of age, Baptiste could be in line for an opportunity in the first team, following the devastating injuries to Zouma and Ogbonna.

Over the years, the east London outfit have seen numerous talents emerge through their ranks, of course – most notably one being Declan Rice, whilst Ben Johnson is another fine example.

The 6 foot England U19 international, who has been dubbed ‘the new Rio’ Ferdinand, could be the next in line, should he be given the chance to shine tonight.

Hammers legend Carlton Cole waxed lyrical about the youngster during an appearance on the ‘Irons Inside’ podcast.

After describing him as a “massive prospect”, he added: “He’s going to be the next Anton Ferdinand hopefully or the next Rio, so hopefully we can these boys on the right track and help them transition into being a professional footballer full-time.”

At a desperate time of need and with West Ham already in the next round, there would be little harm in unleashing Baptiste on Dinamo Zagreb at the London Stadium tonight.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee reveals major West Ham injury update…

Fans of the Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday will no doubt be aware that Jeff Stelling, after 25 years at the helm presenting the live football results and game chat show, is stepping down.

At the age of 66, Jeff has made the decision that it is time for him to step aside and you can clearly see the reason why, when he talks about taking the Abbot Ale ‘slow down’ pledge.

‘Unbelievable’ Jeff (his official title according to Chris Kamara anyway!) explains:

“As I get a little older, I am trying to slow down! Life is still so frantic but I want to enjoy pleasures like a dog walk, a round of golf or especially a good pint! I say cheers to those who have the option of slowing down that bit sooner than me!”

The partnership with Abbot Ale, who are trying to introduce the nation to a new pint drinking concept to the British pub culture, highlights that most Brits aspire to slow down at the age of 43, the theory being, at that point, they will have had 25 fast paced years.

It is interesting that people are starting to see there is more to life than money and working long hours.   In the UK, we work amongst the longest hours in Europe and maybe lockdown and restrictions to going out during this pandemic has made people question what they are doing in life and more importantly, what they want to do.

In light of this, Abbot Ale is on a mission to get the nation to slow down and savour.

And what do we do to slow down?  Well, it will be no surprise that football is on the list of activities we enjoy when trying to switch off from work, and of course, the pub also features – and let’s be honest, the two go hand in hand – we can even throw in a walk (to and from the pub and stadiums to watch the football!), having a pint and a pie and chips to cover even more of the top ten slowing down activities.

Go for a walk Enjoy nature Read a book Listen to music Going for a meal Do some gardening Cook something nice Have a beer or wine Watch sport Going to the pub

Or maybe all of the above, whilst on the way to watching some football?

Kevin Phillips is very impressed with Glasgow Rangers’ signing of Charlie McCann and has even said he could be the next Billy Gilmour.

The Lowdown: Gers complete McCann signing

Last week, the Gers completed the signing of McCann from Manchester United (rangers.co.uk).

The 55-time Scottish champions reportedly spent a fee of £750,000 on his services (Manchester Evening News), and the 19-year-old will initially join up with the Gers’ B squad.

The Latest: Phillips impressed by McCann

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker Phillips shared his delight with the deal. He said:

“It’s great to see.

“I think that actually comes from the manager. I’m sure that’s his move.

“Signing players like that, you can’t do it in your first season at a club, as a manager.

“You have to earn that trust from the board or the owner. He’s done that. It’s a bargain as well.

“He’s won the trophy and they will listen to him. Rangers are planning for the future.

“What can they do to aid the club’s progress? Signing top young talents is a good place to start.

“Rangers could have the next Billy Gilmour. It’s another very exciting move from the club.”

The Verdict: Easy comparison

The comparison to Gilmour, given how the Scotland international came through the Gers’ youth system before moving to Chelsea, is an easy – perhaps even lazy – one to make from Phillips. However, given that the Gers were willing to spend close to £1m to capture the midfielder’s services despite him never making a first team appearance, McCann clearly has talent.

The Gers have been looking to bring in several exciting young talents in recent years such as the likes of Tony Weston and James Graham. At 19, McCann is not too far from playing senior football, you would have thought, and hopefully he can make that step at Ibrox in the near future.

In other news, this Rangers man is on the verge of a move away from Ibrox.