Tottenham Hotspur: Alasdair Gold dismisses Jesse Lingard and Wout Weghorst speculation

Tottenham Hotspur are not interested in signing Jesse Lingard or Wout Weghorst in the current transfer window, that is according to reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

It has been a busy few weeks for Spurs who have moved to bolster their squad for the 2020/21 campaign. Joe Hart, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Matt Doherty were all brought in prior to the season kicking off, whilst Sergio Reguilon and Gareth Bale have now also arrived.

However, it seems that the spending won’t stop there as Jose Mourinho has admitted that he still wants another two additions before the window closes in early October.

Two names who have been linked with moves to north London are Lingard and Weghorst. The Times suggested that Mourinho was keen to reunite with the £15.75m-valued Manchester United midfielder, with The Mirror then claiming that any move hinged on Dele Alli’s future.

Meanwhile Weghorst, who is valued at £27m, has been touted to join Spurs by De Telegraaf, who suggest that he is seen as an ideal back-up option to star striker Harry Kane.

But links to both players have now been downplayed by Gold, who has suggested that “links with Spurs looking to sign Jesse Lingard and/or Wout Weghorst are wide of the mark.”

Lingard has struggled for game time at Old Trafford recently under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, making just five Premier League appearances for the Red Devils during 2020, just one of which was a start (Transfermarkt).

Weghorst on the other hand has been a regular for Wolfsburg and was prolific in the Bundesliga last season, netting 16 goals in 32 appearances whilst also chipping in with three assists.

However, whilst it seems that Mourinho is keen on a couple more additions in the next few weeks, including a back-up striker, it looks as though these two players will not be following Bale and co through the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs fans, do you think that the club should sign Weghorst and Lingard? Let us know below…

Everton will regret missed Yannick Bolasie opportunity if Besiktas sign Kalinic

Everton will be banking on a late collapse in Besiktas’ efforts to sign Atletico Madrid forward Nikola Kalinic after the Super Lig giants identified Yannick Bolasie as a potential alternative.

What’s the word?

According to Demiroren Haber Agency, Besiktas are continuing to evaluate a range of offensive options late in the summer transfer window having so far failed in their efforts to lure Kalinic away from La Liga.

The Black Eagles are striving to secure an agreement with the 32-year-old over a move to Vodafone Park after two months of negotiations, but issues have arisen over the payment structure and guarantees that have been offered.

Reports in Italy also suggest Torino are beginning to show an interest in the Croatian and have contacted his agent Fali Ramadani, although the Serie A side would be hoping Kalinic lowers his salary demands before penning a proposed two-year deal.

If Kalinic does secure a move elsewhere or snubs Besiktas, Sergen Yalcin’s side are expected to turn to Colombian striker Miguel Borja or Bolasie after the DR Congo forward was deemed surplus to requirements at Goodison Park.

Ancelotti has no place for Bolasie

Bolasie’s Everton future has been in doubt ever since the forward returned from a one-season loan spell with Sporting CP, with reports in August suggesting the 31-year-old would have to train with the Under-23s until a new club can be found.

Carlo Ancelotti has now confirmed that he sees no way for Bolasie to enter his plans after overlooking the former £25million signing in Everton’s opening fixtures of the term.

“He is not part of the squad,” the Italian said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “He can train with us if he’s not able to find a club until the end of the market, and if he stays here of course we are going to train him.

“But I said to him that we have a big squad, and unfortunately there is no space for him.”

Ancelotti’s update came as no surprise to Bolasie, who later confirmed on Twitter that he had spoken with the Blues boss to discuss his future on Merseyside.

“Not been let go,” he noted. “I spoke with the boss last week, not news for me.

“All I’ll say is the respect I have for him is very high. I’ve finally been treated like a human being again after a few years.”

With Besiktas struggling to get a deal for Kalinic over the line, Everton and Bolasie will both be hoping for further issues to arise before a total collapse in talks that sparks the Turkish giants to focus their efforts on the Toffees’ unwanted outcast desperate to play football again.

If not, Ancelotti will have to offer Bolasie the chance to train with the first-team as suitors have not been easy to find for the £75,000-per-week attacker who has started 58 games in the past three years for four different sides.

AND in other news, Everton are warming to the idea of sending a rarely-seen man away from Goodison Park.

Everton: Fans hammer Mark Bosnich comments

Mark Bosnich has said that players who cause serious injury should be out for as long as their victims following Jordan Pickford’s tackle on Virgil van Dijk in the Merseyside derby.

The match between the Toffees and the Reds at Goodison Park ended 2-2, which keeps Carlo Ancelotti’s side on top of the table. However, the big talking point was the England’s international’s poor challenge on van Dijk. As a result, the 29-year-old will require surgery and faces a long spell on the sidelines.

There has been plenty of criticism of the tackle, and former Australia, Chelsea and Manchester United shot-stopper Bosnich has even called for a rule reform to deter players from committing such challenges in the future. This does seem particularly harsh as it appears to insinuate Pickford deliberate tried to injure his opponent.

As you can imagine, these Âfans were disgusted with the comments from Bosnich, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what they made of the analysis from Bosnich

Let us know what you think!

Everton being without James Rodriguez may not be a boost for Southampton after all

Everton have announced that not only will they be missing Seamus Coleman on Sunday, but new star signing James Rodriguez will also be out of action. Carlo Ancelotti revealed that following a challenge during the Merseyside derby, the Colombian picked up a slight problem (via Liverpool ECHO).

The Blues will certainly miss Rodriguez and his creative flair on the right-wing. Since his move from Real Madrid, he has notched three goals and three assists in just five appearances on Merseyside, contributing heavily to the club’s fiery start to the season.

However, this isn’t all good news for Southampton, who will be looking to cause an upset at St Mary’s on Sunday. With Rodriguez out, Dominic Calvert-Lewin may be without his usual creative passes, but it will likely force Ancelotti to deploy Alex Iwobi instead.

Whilst the former Arsenal man may not get himself on the scoresheet that often, he is strong in his ability to track back and help out the defence. But as highlighted by Danny Murphy, Rodriguez is a player who very much focuses on attacking only.

“The better teams will have seen how you can exploit the Colombian’s lack of willingness to track back when the opposition left-back is bombing forward,” the ex-midfielder said in his recent Mail on Sunday column (via Daily Express).

“Andy Robertson capitalised. Liverpool were a real threat down that side and of course that’s how they took an early lead with the full-back crossing for [Sadio] Mane.”

Indeed, over his last few appearances for Everton, Rodriguez seldom tracked all the way back to his own box to help out his defenders. His Sofascore heat maps show that whilst he did venture over the halfway line, it wasn’t very often, nor very far. Ryan Bertrand, who loves to get forward for Southampton, will have been looking forward to capitalising on this and pinging some crosses in towards Danny Ings in the box.

Ralph Hasenhuttl could be forced to rethink his game plan ahead of Sunday to avoid hitting a brick wall when trying to create attacking opportunities straight out from the back.

In other news, Danny Ings could cause big upset for Everton with impressive record…

Leigh Griffiths let Celtic down in weakened Neil Lennon side against AC Milan

The Hoops were unable to make amends for their Old Firm loss on Saturday as AC Milan handed them another defeat at Celtic Park. Neil Lennon opted for a weakened side to face off against the frighteningly in-form Italians, who cruised to their tenth win in a row.

It took 14 minutes for Milan to open up the scoring after Rade Krunic beat a struggling Varsilis Barkas for an early lead. After netting a second just before half-time, substitute Mohamed Elyounoussi’s strike looked to put Celtic back in the game, but another Milan goal sealed the result.

With Odsonne Edouard currently ruled out, it looked likely that Lennon would opt for the same strike force he deployed against Rangers. However, he instead dropped both Elyounoussi and Patryk Klimala to the bench and put faith in elusive striker Leigh Griffiths.

Leigh Griffiths stats vs AC Milan

It was certainly an odd decision to start a player who has featured just twice this season, but it’s arguably one of the biggest places Lennon went wrong last night.

Whilst the defence could have been tighter to stop the Milan forwards, the starting Celtic attack was extremely disappointing.

According to Sofascore, Griffiths made just eight successful passes and attempted no shots towards goal. The 30-year-old also struggled to create chances for his teammates, with no successful crosses, long balls or dribbles registered. Needless to say, he was hauled off at half-time and replaced by Ryan Christie, who had a much stronger game.

The midfielder came on and set Elyounoussi up for Celtic’s only goal of the game. He also made a total of three key passes in the second half and created an additional big chance for the Hoops to score.

Griffiths has recently returned from a calf injury, which saw him sidelined for 11 matches. He may still have some fitness to catch up on and will more than likely be left on the bench in Celtic’s next match against Aberdeen on Sunday.

In other news, Celtic will be wishing they had Fraser Forster to fend off AC Milan…

Liverpool have ready-made Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement in Neco Williams

Trent Alexander-Arnold became the latest Liverpool man to pick up an injury in their 1-1 draw with Manchester City recently and whilst he is on the sidelines, Neco Williams could be given the opportunity to shine.

The 19-year-old has now made 15 appearances for the senior side at Liverpool, in which he has contributed three assists, which suggests that he does hold a threat going forward.

The Liverpool Echo have suggested that Alexander-Arnold could be out for a month following his injury and whilst Jurgen Klopp will be relieved that we are currently in the international break, so he won’t be missing the 22-year-old for too long, he will need to think about who will replace the England international at right-back for his upcoming fixtures.

Whilst there may be a temptation to play the experienced James Milner there, with the 34-year-old having played as a right-back 11 times in his career, we feel that Williams should be given an opportunity to start by Klopp, especially when you consider the number of games the Reds have to play between now and Christmas.

The Welsh international is a product of Liverpool’s youth academy and has impressed in both of his Liverpool appearances in the League Cup so far this season, earning a 7.39 rating for his performance in the 7-2 win against Lincoln City, and a 7.84 rating in the 0-0 penalty loss against Arsenal in the next round.

The teenager has earned the praise of Wales boss Ryan Giggs for his recent performances for the national side, with the former Manchester United man describing his performance against Bulgaria as both “outstanding” and “brilliant” (per Sky Sports).

Therefore, Williams has clearly started the season well for club and country and perhaps deserves to start at right-back ahead of Milner, or anyone else Klopp has in mind, in Liverpool’s next fixture, which sees them take on top-of-the-table Leicester City at Anfield.

If Williams can take this opportunity, perhaps we will start to see him in Alexander-Arnold rotating on a more regular basis, to try and prevent the Englishman from picking up more muscle injuries as he did at the Etihad last weekend.

Liverpool fans rage as injury crisis mounts – %%sitename%%

Many Liverpool fans were incensed over the news that youngster Rhys Williams picked up an injury while on international duty.

Cited by The Mirror, England U21s head coach Aidy Boothroyd confirmed that the 19-year-old had a “very minor stiff hip” and it was his priority to “get him back to Liverpool” so that he could receive treatment.

Williams has added to Jurgen Klopp’s injury crisis in defence, with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez ruled out with long-term knee injuries, leaving Joel Matip as the club’s only established centre-back available for selection.

However, the Cameroonian powerhouse has been struggling with his own fitness issues. But Fabinho has stepped in at central defence previously and outcast Nathaniel Phillips could be included once more after featuring and impressing against West Ham United before the international break.

Unsurprisingly, supporters were outraged by the latest news as they prepare for their side to field a makeshift defence in their next Premier League game against Leicester City.

Fans rage as Williams adds to mounting crisis

In other news, Liverpool fans blast pundit after making nonsensical claim about Reds’ superstar.

Glasgow Rangers captain James Tavernier produced a near-perfect performance against Ross County

James Tavernier once again underlined his importance to Glasgow Rangers as Steven Gerrard’s side routed Ross County to extend their lead over Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

A goal from Kemar Roofe gave the Gers the lead before the club captain finished from close range, Callum Morris diverted the ball into the back of the net, and Jermain Defoe added the icing with a lovely finish on the turn to mark his 800th senior appearance in his professional career with a goal.

Whilst Roofe opened the floodgates, Tavernier was the real standout, as the Bradford-born right-back has defied the critics to establish himself as an integral part of Gerrard’s side, which has coincided with their resurgence in form since the start of the season.

Once again, the club captain produced another near-perfect performance, having scored his ninth penalty of the season against Standard Liege in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday night.

As per SofaScore, the 29-year-old was given a high grade of nine out of ten for his efforts against Stuart Kettlewell’s side, as Rangers largely dominated proceedings from start to finish.

Tavernier’s penchant for scoring goals from right-back has led to some, including legendary Ibrox gaffer Walter Smith, describing him as one of the most impactful full-backs in the world, as he has bagged 10 times and 7 assists in 16 games in the Scottish Premiership so far this season.

But it is his defensive contribution that cannot be ignored as the Gers restricted the Staggies to just one shot on target in the entire game, as Harry Paton’s powerful strike was comfortably saved by wily goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Tavernier, who currently earns wages worth £14,000-per-week, played the full 90′ minutes and he did not disappoint, as he won three out of his six ground duels, won both of his aerial duels, and made one tackle, whilst he wasn’t dribbled past at all, which implies that he put in a defensive shift.

The free-scoring full-back looked comfortable in possession and confident on the ball, as he took 96 touches in total, made one key pass, produced 47 out of 62 passes (76%), created one big chance and took one shot on target, two shots off target and had one attempt blocked.

As is often the case, the Rangers skipper found himself on the scoresheet once again, as he took advantage of a deflection to register his 16th goal of the season. The monster defender then had a cross deflected in by Callum Morris to cap off an impressive performance.

It’s fair to say that if he can continue his current run of form, it’s hard to see his understudy Nathan Patterson getting a chance in the starting line-up anytime soon, as the captain has started every single game in the Premiership so far this season.

With both Borna Barisic and Tavernier bombing up and down the flanks, Gerrard’s side are looking like a force to be reckoned with at this moment in time.

AND in other news, Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield can fulfil the role Gerrard has wanted for so long…

Predicted Newcastle line-up vs Fulham: Longstaff axed, Almiron & Shelvey return

Newcastle United welcome Fulham to St. James’ Park on Saturday night looking to bounce back from their 5-2 humbling at Leeds.

The Magpies had begun to build a run of form with wins over Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion before visiting Elland Road, where Steve Bruce’s side were outpassed, outthought and outworked from the first kick of the game to the last.

Bruce will be looking for a response from his players when the Cottagers descend on Tyneside, but will have to consider changes to his starting line-up with a three-day turnaround and a vital Carabao Cup quarter-final looming.

So, with changes almost certain to avoid further physical damage on a squad still recovering from coronavirus, here’s a predicted XI Bruce could name against Scott Parker’s Fulham…

Bruce has confirmed he has no new injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s encounter with Parker’s relegation-threatened side, but conceded that he fears fatigue and illness will see a few miss the next couple of weeks.

Karl Darlow should expect to start in goal with Martin Dubravka still sidelined through injury alongside Allan Saint-Maximin, while Paul Dummett’s absence should see Jamal Lewis retain his spot at left-back despite leaving fans irate with a horror show performance at Leeds.

Jacob Murphy will likely not be as fortunate at right-back, despite offering Bruce some positives at Elland Road going forward, as he was unable to bring the defensive support needed that DeAndre Yedlin would supply should he earn his first Premier League start of the season.

Sean Longstaff, who Rafa Benitez once praised as being “very humble” and hardworking, totally crumbled in West Yorkshire after his mistake gifted Leeds the chance to break for their third goal of the game and must be replaced against Fulham.

Jonjo Shelvey is the most likely name to feature alongside Isaac Hayden after sitting out the Elland Road affair given the quick turnaround between fixtures.

Miguel Almiron also only made the bench against Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites and will expect to be recalled to face the Cottagers, joining Ryan Fraser in the starting line-up after the former AFC Bournemouth winger registered a joint-team high three key balls against Leeds.

Dwight Gayle was unable to deliver the same impact from the bench at Elland Road that he brought against West Brom, leaving Bruce with no choice but to retain faith in Joelinton partnering top-scorer Callum Wilson despite the Brazilian only scoring once in 11 league games.

AND in other news, Mike Ashley must block Steve Bruce from making a knee-jerk decision on an “instrumental” Newcastle gem.

Fred and Martial return, Paul Pogba starts: Manchester United Predicted XI vs Manchester City

Manchester United suffered a humiliating defeat at RB Leipzig as the Red Devils were dumped out of the Champions League and will want to make amends when they take on Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be looking to get their campaign back on track, as they have failed to keep a clean sheet since the 1-0 win over Premier League strugglers West Bromwich Albion, having lost two out of their past three games in all competitions.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Solskjaer confirmed Anthony Martial is set for a return to action after recovering from injury, with Edinson Cavani facing a race against time to prove his match fitness.

He said: “Anthony will definitely be involved. Edinson has been on the grass but I’ll make a decision later.”

Here’s our starting line-up for this afternoon, which sees the club legend make three changes from the defeat to RB Leipzig.

Despite being criticised for his performance against RB Leipzig, David de Gea will most likely be given the gloves to face Pep Guardiola’s side, which means Dean Henderson will have to settle for a place on the bench.

Maybe Luke Shaw could keep his place, but it’s hard to imagine any changes to the back four that have served Solskjaer so well in the league, with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Alex Telles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka likely to start.

In midfield, Solskjaer has an abundance of options at his disposal, with Donny van de Beek, Fred, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba all vying for a place in the starting line-up.

Asking Matic to play again may be a step too far, so recalling Fred and bringing Pogba back into the midfield is surely a no-brainer at this stage, whilst Bruno Fernandes will be deployed in the advanced playmaker position.

We said earlier this week that Pogba has to be given the time to shine and the stage is set for the Frenchman to prove his worth at Old Trafford.

Saturday’s game may come too soon for Cavani, so Martial will likely lead the line, with Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood forming the rest of the front three.

AND in other news, Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must unleash this under-fire star vs City…

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