Tottenham Hotspur: Fans react to Joao Cancelo transfer link

Jose Mourinho has been in contact with Manchester City to inquire about the possibility of signing right-back Joao Cancelo, that is according to a report from El Desmarque.

The 25-year-old only joined the Premier League champions in the summer but has struggled to make much of an impact at the Etihad Stadium. Indeed so far this season he has started just six times in the Premier League as he is behind England international Kyle Walker in the pecking order (Transfermarkt).

The report suggests that the Portuguese international is unhappy in Manchester and is keen to move on. This isn’t the first time that he has been linked with a transfer away from City either, with Marca reporting in December that Valencia were keen on signing him.

Spurs have certainly had issues at right-back this season having sold Kieran Trippier in the summer. Serge Aurier has been the man who has regularly played there, but he has struggled, particularly in his defensive duties. So far this season on average he loses possession 15.9 times per game, he wins just 49.3% of his aerial duels and has given away one penalty (SofaScore).

So signing a player in that position may well be a priority for them and it seems that many Tottenham fans would love Cancelo to be the man they bring in. Many have taken to Twitter to suggest that the former Juventus man would be a great signing, here is what some had to say…

Spurs fans, would you like to see your club sign Joao Cancelo? Let us know your thoughts below…

Spurs have to find a way to stop Norwich ace Teemu Pukki

Tottenham Hotspur take on Norwich City on Wednesday evening and they will have to stop one man if they want to get a result: Teemu Pukki.

On the chalkboard

The Finland international has taken to Premier League football like a duck to water, scoring 10 goals in 22 outings for the promoted club.

While his output has tailed off somewhat – he scored six goals in his first five games, compared to one in his last five – he remains a major threat for the Canaries.

Indeed, he scored the winner last time out as Daniel Farke’s men chalked up a 1-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth.

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Per WhoScored, the striker is something of a menace in the final third.

He averages 2.6 shots per game along with one key pass and 0.8 dribbles. He also has a passing accuracy of 82.3%, perhaps helping to explain his three assists thus far this term.

Spurs stopping him is key.

Keep his back to goal

If Spurs are able to man-mark Pukki, they should.

This is a player who thrives on cracking off shots on goal and attempting to make things happen.

However, he is not exactly the quickest forward – he has a physically stocky frame and is barrel-chested – and keeping his back to goal would limit the threat he poses considerably.

Defenders engaging him as soon as the ball is coming to him will be key, especially if Spurs are to ensure he does not get any major scoring opportunities at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The centre-backs that Mourinho selects will have to be vigilant throughout and ensure that Pukki does not slip through their fingers.

Otherwise, they could be dropping points against Farke’s men again.

Meanwhile, a key Spurs man is nearing a return!

Tottenham fans react to Willian Jose transfer update

Tottenham’s pursuit of a new striker has led them to turn their attention on yet another new target, Willian Jose, but there is a big stumbling block in the way of a possible deal.

It comes down to the most integral part of any transfer – how much the player is going to cost, with Real Sociedad setting an asking price that is several million above what Spurs have reportedly bid so far.

The Guardian report that the two clubs are £11m apart in their valuation of the striker as the north London outfit have offered half of what the Spanish outfit believe he is worth, casting into doubt the likelihood of a deal being struck.

Spurs faced a similar issue in their pursuit of Krzysztof Piatek after Milan set a fee of £30m for the player, so it is little surprise that fans are voicing their frustrations with Daniel Levy.

The need for a striker is very evident with Harry Kane ruled out long-term, as well as the fact that the team has scored just five goals in six games despite coming up against the likes of Middlesbrough and Norwich.

If a price cannot be agreed soon then Tottenham should turn their focus to another forward due to the limited time remaining in the window, and it is not like they are short of targets.

However, some supporters are glad with this particular transfer update as they believe Spurs are correct in their estimation of Jose, arguing that he is not worth the price set by Real Sociedad, indicating they would like to see a better alternative signed instead.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

In other news, Spurs fans have been reacting to the performance of one transfer target who has been linked with a move to the club for some time.

Sheffield Wednesday target Josh Windass on his way for a medical

There has been a fresh development at Sheffield Wednesday this evening as the Owls edge closer to confirming a new arrival.According to Dom Howson, Wigan Athletic playmaker Josh Windass is on his way to Hillsborough to undergo a medical ahead of a loan move.[ad_pod ]It comes just hours after reports suggested that a bid was accepted for the 26-year-old.Howson tweeted:

The Owls are also close to clinching Crystal Palace frontman Connor Wickham on loan too as he is also due in south Yorkshire for a medical this evening.

There are less than three hours remaining to complete these deals so Garry Monk and co are certainly in a race against time, they could need the deal sheet to save them if things are getting tight late on.

What could’ve been… Can you name the clubs these football legends almost joined?

It could also signal a mark for a new era at the club after the 40-year-old lambasted his team following their defeat against the Latics last time out.

Wickham and Windass would be signings number three and four after signing a pair of unknown wingers in the past two weeks.

Spurs need a defensive midfielder before January’s deadline passes

Tottenham Hotspur need a defensive midfielder, and they should try and get him this month.

On the chalkboard

They have been operating without a proper anchor man in recent weeks, with Eric Dier not selected to start in the Premier League since the end of December and the win over Wolves.

He has been on the bench against Norwich City at Carrow Road, Liverpool and Watford and was not even in the squad for the league clash with Southampton. He played just two minutes against Saints in the FA Cup.

It is telling that, in those games, Spurs have not won once; he did come on as a late substitute against Norwich at home, helping his side see out a 2-1 victory.

In the games that he has not started, the team has struggled to exert proper authority.

While they have had the better of possession against Watford, Saints, and Norwich, they struggled to know what to do with it. They had 16 shots to the Hornets’ 15, 14 to Liverpool’s 13, 11 to Southampton’s 12 and 15 to Norwich’s five.

Of course, one would expect Spurs to keep the ball against such opposition but there is little opportunity to cede the ball when a defensive midfielder is not playing.

If a proper destroyer was lurking behind the midfield, potentially in a 4-3-3 formation, Spurs would be able to allow the opposition to bring the ball forward, allow said destroyer to win the ball and kick-start a counter-attack.

As it is, they are practically forced to keep the ball, even though it is clear that they have struggled to use it effectively.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

Window of opportunity

The January transfer window is still open.

As such, the club have the opportunity to rectify this issue and potentially bring in a defensive midfielder before the month is out.

A move for a replacement for Dier – it has become apparent, given his playing time, that manager Jose Mourinho may not trust him – would add depth in a thin position and also solve a problem for the club.

Spurs have already secured a deal for PSV Eindhoven winger Steven Bergwijn, while David Ornstein has confirmed, per The Athletic, that Tottenham have a desire to sign a striker before the window closes, though that is unlikely to materialise unless they can secure a deal for Olivier Giroud.

A move for a defensive midfielder has to be a priority too, however.

It remains to be seen if there is time.

Meanwhile, Spurs have to sell one man this month!

Sheffield Wednesday’s Preslav Borukov further away from breaking into the first-team

Sheffield Wednesday’s recent transfer activity has just made it a whole lot harder for one Owls starlet to gain a long-awaited break in the first-team setup.

Player profiled

His name is Preslav Borukov, a Bulgarian striker who joined the south Yorkshire outfit back in 2016 from PFC Levski Sofia before signing his first professional contract in the summer of 2018.

Now aged 19, the Owls U23 frontman will soon be running out of time if he is to make a mark on manager Garry Monk and break into that senior fold.

Borukov is described as a ‘real physical presence’ by the club’s official website, who also state his ability to hold up the ball and attack crosses.

The young prospect has been capped at youth level for his national team and was named on the bench for Wednesday’s FA Cup tie at Queens Park Rangers last month.

The future

However, as previously stated, his place in Monk’s striker pecking order has sunk even further since his rare sighting as a substitute.

The 40-year-old boss clinched Conor Wickham on loan from Crystal Palace as well as unknown forward Alessio Da Cruz from Parma in the final week of the transfer window – the latter even made his debut at the weekend with Borukov nowhere to be seen.

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If you presume a fit Steven Fletcher – the top goalscorer at the club – is Monk’s first-choice option, you then have Wickham and Cruz to add to Jordan Rhodes, Sam Winnall, Atdhe Nuhiu and maybe even Fernando Forestieri.

That would mean the rising Bulgarian powerhouse is merely seventh or eighth choice currently. What chance does he have of ever becoming a first-team regular?

Calling all EFL experts: Can you get full marks on this stadiums quiz?

The Owls have the second oldest squad in the Championship, so Borukov’s involvement would surely help Monk begin trending towards that rebuilding job, but it just seems growingly uncertain that the 19-year-old will ever be able to actually contribute given the mountain of options ahead of him.

And in other news, here’s why Sheffield Wednesday taking a significant risk with Connor Wickham…

Leeds fans react to Marcelo Bielsa’s explanation of Ian Poveda’s situation

Marcelo Bielsa has had a lot to answer for in recent weeks after Leeds’ poor run of form.

Indeed, his press conferences lately have been quite interesting – last week he answered just five questions in 59 minutes, and this week he’s given an explanation about one thing Leeds fans have been concerned about.

The Elland Road faithful were complaining on Tuesday evening about Ian Poveda not being in the matchday squad against Brentford.

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Understandably, when his press conference rolled around journalists were keen to find out why the 20-year-old had been left out against the Bees.

Bielsa’s explanation was that he wanted his bench to be more balanced with a mix of defenders, midfielders and strikers.

The first thing to note from that comment is that it simply doesn’t add up.

Against Brentford Leeds’ bench consisted of three defenders, one midfielder, one striker, and a winger, so immediately that doesn’t make much sense.

Jordan Stevens has been on the bench lately, and many fans believe that he should get a chance on the bench ahead of him, or others that have been appearing in the squad.

Another section of the fanbase were questioning why the former Man City man was even brought into the club if he wasn’t going to be used.

Others weren’t buying his explanation and they were quick to brand the manager a liar.

In other news, Marcelo Bielsa is developing an unhealthy obsession at Leeds.

Everton interested in Real Madrid’s chief scout

According to The Telegraph, Everton are one of a number of clubs looking to lure Real Madrid’s chief scout Juni Calafat away from Spain.

What’s the word?

The report claims that along with the Toffees, the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool are considering trying to “poach” Calafat from Madrid.

It goes on to reveal that Calafat is “credited with overhauling Real’s recruitment and change of strategy by signing some of the most promising young talent in world football”.

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As well as Reinier Jesus’ arrival from Flamengo, the likes of Martin Odegaard, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior, amongst others, have all gone to the Bernabeu under his watch.

Hidden gems

As Calafat’s track record suggests, he has got a very impressive history of signing exciting young talent from South American football especially. As well as the aforementioned, he helped bring in the likes of Fede Valverde and Rodrygo to Madrid too.

With Premier League clubs flush with cash these days, scouting networks are probably as strong and diverse as they have ever been. It means finding the next big talent becomes even more difficult to do, as a lot of teams are likely to have seen them one way or the other.

Calafat has shown he is a master talent-spotter in his time in Madrid, and so luring him to Goodison Park would help the Toffees unearth some hidden gems. His impressive eye for young players could land the Merseyside club some of the best up-and-coming starlets in the world, and particularly from South America. Everton’s future would be in incredible hands if they could convince him to turn down the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Did he really play for us?! No Everton fan has managed to name all of these obscure Toffees players….

When Marcel Brands arrived as the club’s new director of football from PSV in the summer of 2018, Farhad Moshiri proudly remarked that he would help make them “more equipped to challenge the top teams” – after all, he helped sign the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Dries Mertens in his time with the Dutch club.

But in all honesty, his work at Everton has been largely underwhelming, with signings like Moise Kean under-performing massively – the Italian having scored just once in 23 games across all competitions.

But snaring someone like Calafat from a European giant like Madrid would be the ultimate coup for the Toffees, and even more of a stellar acquisition than Brands initially was. Though he may be a chief scout at the Bernabeu and not a director of football, he is certainly highly-regarded in Madrid considering they have signed players that he spotted.

It would be far more exciting for Everton than when they lured Brands to Goodison Park, and ensure that their future is extremely bright.

Meanwhile, Everton’s swoop for this starlet should spell the end for this Ronald Koeman signing.

Tottenham must exploit Steven Bergwijn as a play-maker

After arriving in a £27m deal from PSV, Steven Bergwijn enjoyed a fairly promising start to life at Tottenham – his goal-scoring debut against Manchester City certainly not a hindrance to endearing himself to the Lilywhites faithful.

But in his three games since, the Dutchman has failed to find the back of the net or provide a single assist, with Jose Mourinho using him both from the left-hand side, and as a number nine.

Amidst Spurs’ current woes up front – both Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have been ruled out with lengthy injuries – the north London side’s boss has to be a bit more creative when it comes to trying to boost his team’s chances of scoring.

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And one way he can help do that, is by unleashing Bergwijn in the number ten role. The 22-year-old only started playing in that position this season for PSV – his previous campaigns with the Dutch side saw him operate on both flanks, and through the middle.

But in the ten games that he was deployed in that all important play-maker role, he scored twice and provided a remarkable seven assists – almost a goal contribution every game (a record comfortably better than any other position that he has played in this year).

And when you look at the underlying numbers behind his game, it really does seem like he’s tailor-made for that position just behind the striker.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Whilst playing in the Eredivisie this season, Bergwijn averaged an impressive 2.8 key passes per game as he provided ten assists in just 16 games. And whilst his numbers in that category has taken a slight drop in the few games he has played in the top-flight (now 1.7), it is still impressively higher than any other Spurs player – including more than double that of Giovani Lo Celso (0.8).

With his natural pace from being a winger, the Dutchman could prove to be an intriguing alternative in the number ten role, and offer a different dimension to Mourinho’s side. He has shown he has the creativity to pick out a cute pass, whilst his speed could mean he could be a decisive player in transitions, helping to make the right decision with the final ball.

By keeping him out wide, or even as a number nine, there is always that element that when things aren’t going your way, those players are the ones to fade out of the game. But allowing Bergwijn to roam to his heart’s content in the middle, could ensure he always remains at the forefront of any Spurs attack. And that position change could well be the key to unshackling the £31.5m-rated ace’s true potential.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are scouting this Ligue 1 powerhouse.

Crystal Palace fans react to starting XI vs Newcastle

It has been a difficult run for Crystal Palace in recent weeks.

The Eagles have lost each of their last three games, being defeated by Southampton, Sheffield United and Everton. However, they will be hoping to turn it around against Newcastle in their next game today, as they host the Magpies at Selhurst Park.

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

Roy Hodgson’s starting XI for the game has been released, and it seems that many supporters aren’t happy with the presence of three defensive midfielders in the side.

Bearing in mind that Newcastle have only scored 24 goals in 26 Premier League matches so far this campaign, it does seem a bit of a bizarre choice.

Others are unhappy that this set-up comes at home, where Palace have only scored 10 Premier League goals this season.

Against a team that has clearly struggled for goals this season, Hodgson should be more adventurous – especially considering they are playing the match at home as well.

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Meanwhile, Steve Parish reveals how the Aaron Wan-Bissaka money was used.

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