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Writing on Twitter, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped a major managerial update, claiming there is a ‘growing feeling’ from within the club that Jose Mourinho will not be in charge next season.

Gold drops major managerial update

The Portuguese has been under mounting pressure from the media and fans alike in recent weeks following a string of bad results.

Tottenham have no wins in their last three matches and recently endured terrible results in the north London derby against Arsenal and a humiliating Europa League exit to Dinamo Zagreb in the round of 16.

As a result, there has been plenty of speculation as to who could succeed Mourinho if he were given his marching orders by chairman Daniel Levy. The likes of Maurizio Sarri and Nuno Espirito Santo are the latest names to enter the rumoured managerial candidate list, with Gold now providing a major update on Mourinho’s situation.

“I understand there’s a growing feeling within the club that Jose Mourinho will not be at Tottenham Hotspur next season,” he explained on social media.

Transfer Tavern take

Before the beginning of this season, much had been made of Levy’s cleverly-navigated transfer window amid the global pandemic taking its toll on Tottenham’s finances (football.london).

Seven new additions arrived in north London to bolster Mourinho’s squad, including a much-needed backup striker to Harry Kane in Carlos Vinicius and the sensational return of club legend Gareth Bale on loan from Real Madrid.

However, despite the initial expectation, with Spurs even climbing to top spot in the Premier League at one point earlier this season, Mourinho has arguably failed to get the best out of this squad overall.

His future now looks less secure than ever, as highlighted by this update, and all signs point towards his possible sacking this summer unless he inspires a very quick turnaround, starting with next week’s Carabao Cup final.

In other news: Journalist drops enticing Tottenham transfer claim, find out more here.

Manchester United could be set to sign a centre-back this summer to add to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.

It has been reported that a central defender could one of the club’s transfer priorities.

Intriguingly, two Frenchman are apparently on the club’s list of potential recruits in the form of Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana and Raphael Varane of Real Madrid.

Despite the latter boasting considerably more experience – and indeed trophies – throughout his career, it is actually the former Saint Etienne youngster who could be the better signing for the Red Devils.

In his short time at the King Power Stadium, Fofana has certainly had a huge impact since his arrival, Brendan Rodgers even hailing him as “colossal”.

Earning £51k per week with Leicester, he has played 21 matches in the Premier League so far, claiming seven clean sheets at a rate of one every three matches.

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The 20-year-old has also averaged two tackles, 2.4 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per game in the Premier League according to WhoScored, playing a key role as Leicester continue to challenge for a place in the top four as well as having reached the FA Cup final.

Surprisingly, these statistics are considerably better than that of Real Madrid’s World Cup winning defender this season.

Varane has averaged just 0.7 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 3.7 clearances per match in La Liga so far this campaign – numbers that are hugely inferior to his compatriot Fofana.

Meanwhile, the current Leicester man continues to dominate Varane in the air, winning 3.4 aerials per league game compared to the Madrid man’s 2.3.

Now, it must be taken into account that Leicester are more likely to need to defend more often than Madrid but even so, taking into account that Fofana is seven years Varane’s junior, those numbers are extremely impressive.

So on the search for a centre-back and seemingly having narrowed down their potential list to two Frenchman, Manchester United should certainly look to Leicester instead of Real Madrid as they’d be getting a younger, more productive and likely cheaper option.

AND in more news, the Red Devils have been boosted by a shocking departure from Old Trafford…

Graham Roberts, the former Tottenham Hotspur captain, has told Football FanCast that the club and chairman Daniel Levy made a huge mistake by allowing Jan Vertonghen to leave the club last summer.

The Belgium international called time on an eight-year spell in north London last summer as he moved to Benfica in Portugal.

He has gone on to make 37 appearances in all competitions, and he remains an integral member of the Belgium squad, often captaining his country.

Spurs have struggled this season defensively, with Jose Mourinho repeatedly chopping and changing his backline, switching between the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier, Joe Rodon and Davinson Sanchez.

In their last six games, before Mourinho’s sacking, Spurs conceded 12 goals.

And Roberts believes that Vertonghen would have been perfect in a back-three for Spurs this season, as he continually shows for Benfica and Belgium that he remains a more-than-competent defender.

He told FFC: “But I think the biggest factor for us was we lost Jan Vertonghen in the summer and I don’t think Jan’s legs had gone.

“I think in a back three he would have been absolutely perfect. Him, Toby, and you could have played Sanchez or Rodon in between them to cover.

“They would have the legs. But we didn’t, we let him go, and he’s now playing for Benfica and he’s playing for the national team every international game. That was our loss I think.”

Vertonghen made a total of 315 appearances for Spurs.

Newcastle have been named as one of a number of Premier League clubs monitoring Norwich starlet Max Aarons.

What’s the story?

The England under-21 international has just helped the Canaries to promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, and it’s now being reported that he could well be playing his final season at the club.

90min claimed that Steve Bruce’s side have “asked to be kept informed of his situation ahead of this summer”, but will face significant competition from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Everton and West Ham among others.

The report added that Norwich currently value him at £30m.

Could shine in the Premier League

Given that he already has a season of Premier League football under his belt with Norwich last year, Aarons looks ready to make a real step-up this summer.

Norwich manager Daniel Farke has raved about the youngster this season, saying: “Max is outstanding in many topics. I can’t praise him enough for what he has done since his first appearance. You watch some of our games now and the opponents go man-for-man on him. That is crazy for a player who is a full-back but it says a lot about his reputation. He is just a special player and he has an unbelievable future.”

The Magpies could desperately do with some young talent to really freshen up the squad, which is the fifth-oldest in the Premier League at an average age of 28, and 21-year-old Aarons seems to fit the bill perfectly.

Signings like him could provide a real breath of fresh air at St James’ Park and help kick-start a new, more exciting era at the club; and given the level of competition for him, it really would be a major statement of intent if Newcastle could convince him to join the Magpies.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce could finally wave goodbye to this Newcastle liability…

Pedro Neto’s injury at Wolves may well prove crucial for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it has put a significant dampener on a campaign where injuries have been rife all season long for the Old Gold.

Secondly, it could rule him out of the start of next term and finally, it may stop him from moving elsewhere during the summer.

As Neto was taken from the field after just half an hour of their clash with Fulham, the club’s worst fears were confirmed soon after. The 21-year-old had broken his knee cap and was now set to miss the next six months of action.

It’s a huge blow but it would be even more devastating if they lost him permanently. Before the Portuguese suffered that injury, he’d been linked with a mega £50m move to Manchester United.

However, if and when he moves will now be dependant on the timescale of his injury. If Neto returns quicker than usual then we could well see him at Old Trafford next season.

Should that happen, Wolves will need to find a replacement.

Nuno Santo and co could do much worse than target Peterborough’s Siriki Dembele, somebody touted with a switch earlier this season. The attacker is out of contract in a few months time and as a result, won’t cost Wolves a single penny if they try to sign him.

We’ve already compared Dembele to former Wolves man Bakary Sako because of his exploits in League One but you sense the former’s potential and ceiling are far greater.

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Capable of playing through the middle or on the flanks, he’d make a wonderful replacement for Neto. He is bright, energetic and can score and create in equal measure.

This season Dembele has scored 12 goals and registered a further dozen assists. It has been an outstanding campaign for the 24-year-old who has fired his team back to the Championship.

He is an artist on the ball and in much the same way Neto does, the Peterborough forward beats players for fun.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast a few weeks ago, Posh director of football Barry Fry told readers to “watch this space” in a relation to a bid and ongoing contract negotiations.

That was after handing the player a phenomenal review; “Siriki can get the ball in his own half and with dazzling dribbling ability, he can beat four or five players and score a wonder goal or cross it for somebody else to score,” he began.

Fry added: “He’s very, very exciting. He’s got the best stats outside the [English] Premier League, I think.”

Looking towards a player who has been plying their trade in League One this season might not be the smartest of ideas on paper but if one thing is clear, it’s that Dembele is a weapon.

Signing him on a free transfer is low risk and would be particularly shrewd for a player of his qualities.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Neto: Wolves can forge perfect duo by signing “phenomenal” 30-goal bully…

Leeds United midfielder Eunan O’Kane is set to leave the club this summer, having not been part of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Loan spell at Luton

The 30-year-old is currently on loan at Championship club Luton Town, having joined on an 18-month deal back in January 2020 – his second spell there.

O’Kane has suffered a horrendous time of things with injuries, however, missing over two years of action after suffering a broken leg in 2018.

He will return to Leeds at the end of the season, but there don’t appear to be any plans to keep him at the club moving forward.

The Latest: O’Kane to exit Leeds

According to Football Insider, the seven-time capped Republic of Ireland international will leave the Whites ‘for good’ in the summer, with ‘no chance’ of signing a new deal and his current contract expiring this month.

Sadly, O’Kane is now battling to save his career and it remains to be seen if another club are willing to take a punt on him in the coming weeks and months.

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The Verdict: Time to move on

O’Kane has suffered shocking luck in recent years, so the hope is that he can rebuild his career and find another team in the next transfer window.

Being ruthless, though, it makes complete sense for Leeds not to extend the Irishman’s stay at Elland Road, considering his fitness woes and the fact that the Whites have gone up a level under Bielsa.

His 58 appearances for Leeds should not be forgotten, though, and had it not been for the injury, he may have been able to impress Bielsa enough to retain his services.

In other news, Leeds have suffered a big blow that will impact them for the rest of the season. Read more here.

Southampton cast aside their dreadful recent form to record an impressive 3-1 win against Crystal Palace at St Mary’s on Tuesday evening, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side playing with the freedom you’d expect from a team mathematically safe from relegation.

Although it was a dreadful start from the hosts, with Christian Benteke firing the Eagles in front with just two minutes on the clock, Southampton fought back and equalised through Danny Ings, who found the back of the net on his return from injury.

Fraser Forster saved Luka Milivojevic’s weak penalty at the end of the first half before an early second-half goal from Che Adams put the Saints in front, with Ings later adding a third to seal the victory.

Whilst the strike duo were instrumental in the win, a lot of credit must go to captain James Ward-Prowse, who well and truly ran the show from midfield.

As per SofaScore, the England international would earn an impressive 7.6/10 rating for his display, with only Ings (7.9) and Adams (8.7) rated higher.

During the game, the 26-year-old midfielder would register 107 touches of the ball, which was comfortably the most of any player who featured in the game.

He also completed 75/80 passes, which again was the most of any player and his 94% pass accuracy rate is a vast improvement on the 86.3% he has averaged in the Premier League this season.

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Ward-Prowse’s four key passes were also unmatched and is significantly more than the 1.5 key passes he has averaged in the top-flight, which emphasises just how impressive he was at St Mary’s on Tuesday night.

He also played a big part in Southampton’s second goal as his well-worked corner routine led to Adams turning in at the back post, whilst he was unfortunate not to score with a free-kick of his own in the first half.

The Saints academy graduate also contributed effectively from a defensive point of view, completing three tackles, which again, is a big improvement on the 1.9 he has averaged in the Premier League so far this season.

Therefore, whilst Ings and Adams scored the goals, it was a superb all-round display from Ward-Prowse and he definitely ran the show from midfield.

And, in other news… Semmens disaster: Saints missed out on “perfect” gem with 18 G/A

Southampton confirmed on Tuesday that Theo Walcott will be joining Southampton on a permanent basis this summer and Rob Lee, who made 280 Premier League appearances during his career, has spoken exclusively to Football FanCast about how it is a sensible move for both parties.

Walcott is a product of Southampton’s famous academy which has seen players such as Gareth Bale and Alan Shearer progress into their first team and following his season-long loan spell at St Mary’s, it has now been announced that he will be staying on at the south coast outfit for a further two years.

The former Arsenal winger spent most of his career at the Emirates where he was signed from Southampton in 2006 and ended up making 398 appearances for the Gunners, but returning back to where his career started has seen Walcott start the most games in a season since the 2018/19 campaign.

The 32-year old still has a lot to offer in the Premier League despite not managing to score many goals this campaign, that is according to Lee, who spoke exclusively to FFC:

“He loves the club and obviously he’s joining on a free and I don’t think his wages will be astronomical now that he’s 32-years-old. He hasn’t been a prolific goalscorer for a long time now but he still has a lot to offer.

“I think the numbers for the deal will work for Southampton and obviously that’s where he is from so he loves the club so I think it will work.”

Walcott made the switch from Arsenal to Everton back in 2018 but injuries and other players performing better than him, saw his first-team Premier League appearances limited to just 85 games.

Southampton have endured an indifferent season as they found themselves top of the Premier League last year and were pushing for a spot in the top six, however, their form fell off a cliff from January as they’ve won just five Premier League games in 2021.

Daniel Farke and Norwich City are resigned to losing the services of Emi Buendia this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by David Ornstein for The Athletic, who claims that the Canaries have acknowledged that the time is right for the 24-year-old to take the next step in his career, and will not stand in the way of the attacking midfielder’s exit if a club lodges an acceptable bid.

It is reported that both Arsenal and Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on the £19.8m-rated Argentinian ahead of a potential summer move, while a major European side are also believed to have enquired about the former Getafe man last week, with Norwich thought to be demanding a fee of around £40m in order to part with the midfielder.

Fans will be gutted

Having just earned promotion back to the Premier League, the news that Norwich could be set to lose Buendia this summer is likely to come as gutting news for fans of the club, as the 24-year-old has been a crucial part of Daniel Farke’s side for the past three seasons – scoring 24 goals and providing a whopping 42 assists over his 121 appearances for the club.

Indeed, the midfielder was pivotal in Norwich’s Championship-winning campaign this term, scoring 15 goals, registering 16 assists and creating 18 big chances over his 39 league appearances, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.68 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the second tier.

As such, regardless of the large fee that the club would bring in through his sale, losing a player with both the goalscoring and creative ability of Buendia this summer will undoubtedly put a huge dent in the Canaries’ chances of retaining their status as a top-flight team come the end of next season.

Having said that, if the player truly has his heart set on a move away from Carrow Road this summer, then perhaps it could be worth City cashing in on the 24-year-old in the upcoming market, as, if he doesn’t give his all for the side next season, the club could see his value decrease, as well as running the risk of suffering relegation anyway.

Either way, should Buenida indeed go on to secure a move away from the club this summer, it will be a sad day for Norwich City fans.

In other news: Forget Skipp: Webber must sanction bargain NCFC swoop for 9-capped £2.25m-rated beast – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made a move for Mauricio Pochettino, with Daniel Levy personally calling him in order to try and get him to join.

The Lowdown: Pochettino may return

There have been plenty of rumours circling about as to whether Pochettino is coming back to Spurs to take over from interim boss Ryan Mason, as Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol reported earlier in the week that one of his sources had told him they felt that the potential deal was ‘basically done’.

Nonetheless, there should be more developments heading into Euro 2020, as the Lilywhites would ideally like to being a new manager to north London as soon as possible with the summer transfer window edging ever closer.

The Latest: Tottenham make Pochettino move

As per AS (via Sport Witness), Tottenham have ‘made a move’ for Pochettino, as Levy has personally called the former Espanyol and Southampton coach on a number of different occasions in order to try and ‘convince’ him to return.

Pochettino would return to Spurs on two conditions – if he is offered a deal worth at least four years, and if he gets to ‘enjoy full powers’ when it comes down to sporting decisions.

The Argentine is ‘going through a bad situation’ at PSG and is looking for a way out of the club, although the recently vacant manager’s job at Real Madrid, given that Zinedine Zidane has now left, may ‘alter his plans’.

The Verdict: Tottenham should avoid Pochettino

Pochettino did a lot of great things at Spurs, none more so than getting them to a Champions League final, along with achieving four successive top-four finishes in the Premier League.

However, the 49-year-old never won a trophy during his time in N17, which is exactly what the north London club need at this moment in time in order to end their 13-year drought.

There is still time for the Lilywhites to find themselves the ideal successor to Jose Mourinho, with title-winning managers such as Zidane and Antonio Conte recently leaving their posts at both Madrid and Inter Milan respectively.

Spurs need to be ruthless and therefore put aside any sentiment that they may still have for Pochettino.

In other news, find out what big Brendan Rodgers to Tottenham claim has been dropped!