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Tottenham Hotspur appear to have missed out on an absolute bargain this summer as an interesting claim has emerged earlier this month…

What’s the word?

According to Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony on his podcast ‘The Hard Truth‘, Spurs were one of several teams eyeing a move for prolific goalscorer Ivan Toney.

He said:

“David [Pleat] thought Ivan was a relatively cheap option to boost the Spurs squad what with all Harry Kane’s injury problems.

“Levy might have been worried Spurs fans would laugh at him for signing a League One player but, in any case, the pandemic ruined any chance of the move going ahead.”

The 24-year-old, who failed to cut the mustard at Newcastle United, went onto sign for Championship promotion hopefuls Brentford for an initial £5m, though that could rise to £10m through add-ons, as per Sky Sports.

One that got away?

Indeed it seems the Spurs scout was onto something quite incredible with his suggestion to sign Toney on the cheap, he’s fast become an absolute deadly force to be reckoned with in the English second-flight.

He’s bagged a whopping 16 goals in just 19 starts, including a goal in six of his last seven outings, via Transfermarkt.

Whilst there was no chance he was usurping Harry Kane, he would have been an interesting candidate for the future, especially if you sent him out on loan to the Championship like the north Londoners have done with Troy Parrott.

Posh chief Barry Fry lambasted Celtic for not plotting a genuine bid to sign Toney in the summer, claiming he’d have been a “revelation” for the SPFL giants, whilst his former boss Steve Evans lauded the former Magpie as a “dream” to work with on the training pitch due to his “phenomenal” work rate.

Just imagine the sort of forward he could’ve become under the tutelage of someone like Kane, England’s no.9 and captain.

The confident talisman even likened himself to both Wilfried Zaha and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in an interview with The Sun last month.

Levy may have ultimately made a ghastly blunder with this one. A bargain was staring him straight in the eyes.

AND in other news, Spurs £70k-p/w wage thief continues to rob Daniel Levy blind…

Liverpool have been handed a potential injury boost with Jurgen Klopp confirming that Joel Matip is set to miss just three weeks of action after suffering a problem with the adductor problem he suffered against West Brom in December.

Therefore, the Cameroonian defender should return before the end of the transfer window but that should not prevent the Reds from acting in January.

As it stands, Klopp has just Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams available as natural centre-backs in his first-team squad and neither of those had appeared in the Premier League before this season.

Fabinho has, of course, been superb in his performances as a centre-back but the Reds cannot rely on him to perform superbly out of position in every single game he plays, so must look to bring in another defender in the winter transfer window.

The Reds do have the likes of Billy Koumetio and Sepp van den Berg waiting in the wings if required but having a solid defence is the key to winning titles, evidenced by the 15 clean sheets the Reds kept in the top-flight last season, so the Merseyside club should definitely be looking to add an experienced centre-back to their ranks in January.

The club will no doubt be regretting not replacing Dejan Lovren during the summer transfer window, after he joined Zenit St Petersburg, as whilst the Croatian was error-prone at times, he was an excellent back-up option for Klopp to have during his time with the Reds.

It has been suggested that Liverpool weren’t looking to sign a centre-back in January before Matip’s injury and with the former Schalke man only set to be out for three weeks, they may be tempted to stick with what they have for the rest of the season.

However, the 28-year-old has been extremely injury-prone during his time with the club and even when he does return from injury, there is certainly no guarantee that he will remain fit for the rest of the season, especially if he is expected to play twice a week.

Therefore, despite the positive update on Matip’s injury, Michael Edwards must rip up the previous transfer plans and ensure that Liverpool sign a centre-back next month.

And, in other news… LFC “baller” was Klopp’s one positive vs NUFC; he must start vs Southampton…

When Tottenham and Leeds came to blows on Saturday it was an unrelenting difference in style.

Jose Mourinho has become about scoring an early goal and then defending what you have. For Leeds, it’s all about attacking from minute one until the final kick of the game.

Even in matches against the top sides, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have utilised that strategy but it didn’t particularly pay off this weekend. It may not have been the 6-2 drubbing they were on the end of at Old Trafford but they were still played off the park in a 3-0 defeat.

Spurs were excellent and once again it was Heung-min Son and Harry Kane that put the opposition to the sword.

However, the true hero wasn’t anyone in Mourinho’s attack. Instead, it was left-back Ben Davies.

The former Swansea man hasn’t exactly had the best of seasons and that’s typified by quotes from pundit Noel Whelan, someone who tore the defender apart for his performance against Liverpool.

“That’s embarrassing for any senior pro, appalling, really, even against a side who dominate possession and pen you into your own half all the time,” he said.

That being said, Davies has bounced back and now looks a man reborn, putting in a number of convincing displays for the Lilywhites. He was assured in the draw with Wolves but was even better on this occasion.

Compared to Matt Doherty on the right, the Welshman dealt with the Leeds attack competently and won a colossal 85.7% of the duels he contested – meaning he lost just one.

Everything Raphinha threw at him, he seemed to deal with. Davies also completed 87% of his passes and produced two key passes, proving a threat in the left-hand channel.

His impact in that third of the pitch could have been better but what was most pleasing, was that his defensive display was impressive when Sergio Reguilon was missing.

The left-back hasn’t always been particularly well-received but he’s now starting to find more consistency. Long may it continue.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Toby: Levy must seal Spurs swoop for £6.5m “diamond” who silenced Son…

When Danny Rose left Leeds United behind in 2007, the scene at Elland Road was vastly different.

Having been relegated to League One, the club entered administration and as a result, Rose was sold to Tottenham in a bid to raise vital funds.

The Yorkshire outfit received a fee of just £1m for his services and with his exit, they lost one of their most promising young players.

Rose had grown up in the Leeds academy and for the Doncaster-born defender, it was a brave career decision to move south to London. Yet, you can’t say his career hasn’t been a fruitful one.

The 30-year-old has won 29 England caps and been to multiple international tournaments and he entered the spotlight when he thumped in a remarkable volley from long range against Arsenal.

However, despite his ability to ripple the net from distance, he had one special quality – speed.

In an article by Goal in 2010, their scout report concluded: “Capable of playing on either flank, Rose is predominantly left-footed and, like fellow Leeds academy graduate Aaron Lennon, has pace to burn.”

But why is this relevant in the present day? Well, Leeds are hoping to sign a left-back who possesses similar qualities at a young age.

That happens to be Liverpool’s Yasser Larouci. According to Football Insider, the door has been opened for Leeds to sign him this month and if they did, they’d find themselves their new Rose.

Like the Tottenham defender, he’s capable of playing on either flank and crucially, he has plenty of pace. In an assessment from Liverpool journalist James Pearce, he typified the 20-year-old perfectly:

“Larouci has made big strides forward. He’s an interesting one in itself because he’s a player who came in as an attacker, as a real pacey, strong winger with an eye for goal,” he commented.

Coincidentally, Rose started his career as a left midfielder before migrating slightly further back, just as Larouci has.

Rose didn’t manage a competitive league outing for the Whites but it’s hard to suggest they’ve had a quick defender in that position for a while. Gjanni Alioski and Barry Douglas hardly epitomise pace so it would be refreshing for Leeds to find an energetic youngster capable of playing in that position.

If Rose had stayed, he could have been their man for a number of years. As it happens, they are now ready to welcome through a new generation.

Larouci has just two senior Liverpool appearances to his name so could do with more experience but the early signs are certainly promising for the Algerian.

This would be a canny investment from Victor Orta, one that could finally make up for the loss of one of their most talented academy players all those years ago.

AND in other news, Better than Struijk: Orta must seal Leeds swoop for “dominant” £5.4m-rated colossus…

According to The Sun (via HITC), Demarai Gray has snubbed a switch to Southampton as he looks to move abroad instead.

Gray set to move abroad

The Saints had been linked with an approach for the Leicester City winger, who has made just one appearance in the Premier League so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).

However, it seems he is set on moving away from England to continue his career by following a similar route to Jadon Sancho.

Blow for Saints

While Gray has struggled to nail down a place in Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI at the King Power stadium, he is a player with plenty of talent. The £10.8m-valued man (Transfermarkt) was called “electric” by Darren Bent in September last year (Football Insider), and his style of play has been previously compared to the likes of Sadio Mane (Football Whispers) and Raheem Sterling (The Athletic), both of whom have been amongst the Premier League’s best performers in the past few seasons.

He has played over 100 times in the top flight for the Foxes and is still just 24 years of age, offering a good mix of youth and experience at the top level. Given his contract is set to run out at Leicester at the end of this current campaign, he could have been signed for a cheap price by the Saints. Now, though, it seems Ralph Hasenhuttl and co will have to go back to the drawing board.

In other news, Southampton fans are delighted by this injury update.

Jonjoe Kenny has been urged to leave Everton and move to a club where he will play week in and week out by Gabby Agbonlahor.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Aston Villa and England striker was asked if the time is right for the England U21 international to leave the Goodison Park faithful on a permanent deal:

“Yes, 100 per cent.

“If Coleman is out injured and you’re not starting and he’s playing Holgate out of position, you know your time is up.

“He needs to definitely look to move on and go somewhere where he will play week in, week out every game, for sure.”

Kenny needs to leave Everton

Kenny definitely needs to leave the Merseyside club if he wants to play more regular first team football.

The 23-year-old has only played in a mere seven games in total in all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term, and has only completed the full 90 minutes on two separate occasions, which were both in the EFL Cup (Transfermarkt).

With captain Seamus Coleman still at the club, and the likes of Mason Holgate being able to fill in at the right-back position in his absence, it is difficult to see where Kenny will get any game time under Carlo Ancelotti.

Thus, it would be a wise idea for the Toffees to cash in on him while he is still at a relatively good age, and being English may add to a potential transfer fee if any clubs come knocking at the door for his signature.

Nonetheless, Kenny needs to leave the Blues in order to kickstart his footballing career.

In other news, find out what update on one star has been lauded by EFC fans here!

Sam Allardyce’s chances of keeping West Brom in the Premier League were dealt a devastating blow on Tuesday night as they were defeated by rock-bottom Sheffield United.

After taking the lead late in the first half through Matty Phillips, the Baggies let the home side come-from-behind to seal all three points at Bramall Lane, leaving them nine points adrift of safety and in a precarious position.

Initially, a direct approach seemed to be working for Big Sam with new signing Mbaye Diagne spearheading the attack, but that evidently went out the window in the second half as Chris Wilder’s men fought back from the brink.

Indeed, the Senegalese frontman, signed on loan from Galatasaray just last week, endured a nightmare of a display in what was his first start in English football.

As per SofaScore ratings, he graded as the worst player on the pitch with a diabolical 5.9 ratings – the only starter to receive a 6.4 or below for either team.

It’s no wonder Allardyce hauled him off just before the 70th-minute mark because the way he was playing was certainly not going to help them find that winner, or equaliser.

The 29-year-old target man was anything but. He won just one of three aerial duels (33%) and failed to win any of his six duels on the ground, meaning he lost a total of 89% of his battles. Lightweight and ineffective, considering his 6 foot 4 colossal frame.

It was a rude-awakening of what the English top-flight may bring as the Blades’ central defensive trio of Ethan Ampadu, John Egan and Chris Basham had the powerhouse in their pocket. with all three graded 7.2 or better, via SofaScore.

Diagne was also caught offside twice, the most of anyone on the pitch whilst he also managed only 21 touches and nine passes, which was fewer than Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone – it was an indication of just how much of a passenger Diagne was for the Baggies, and that spells trouble for Allardyce.

Valued at just £2.88m by Transfermarkt, the Galatasaray striker was brought in to improve their record in front of goal – only three other teams have scored fewer goals than Big Sam’s Baggies – and based on that nightmare evening alone, he’ll struggle to alleviate the problem.

Given Albion’s situation, Diagne needs to hit the ground running fast, so Tuesday’s anonymous outing will surely have Allardyce worried.

AND in other news, Baggies lightweight who lost possession 23x badly let Allardyce down…

Bruno Fernandes’ two strikes either side of half-time, including a sublime effort in the second half, helped Manchester United in a stunning 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad in Turin.

Fernandes’ clever finish gave the Red Devils the lead halfway through the first half before the Portugal international scored his second of the game by curling the ball into back of the net from the edge of the area.

It may not be often that we say this, however, but Daniel James actually outshone him on the night. The Wales international has had his fair share of critics since his arrival at Old Trafford, ourselves included, but this was the kind of performance United fans have been expecting to see from a player who was once billed as the ‘next Gareth Bale.’

Despite Fernandes no doubt taking most of the headlines having bagged a brace against the two-time La Liga champions, James also shone brightly at the Allianz Stadium after he played a key role on the right-hand side of their attack, to leave Italy with a goal and an assist and end his wait for his first goal in the Europa League this season.

After Solskjaer’s side doubled their advantage when James’ pass released Fernandes on goal, it appeared as though the Red Devils would deservedly be going into the second leg at Old Trafford with a vital three points, and from then on it was pretty much one-way traffic as Sociedad struggled to earn a foothold in the game.

James could have ended the night with a couple more goals to his name, too, after recording two shots on target – only Fernandes attempted more shots on target, only for one to be ruled out for offside and another to be denied by a good save from goalkeeper Alex Remiro.

Not only was James a live wire with the ball at his feet, but he also demonstrated a real sense of composure as he produced 18 out of 19 attempted passes at a pass success rate of 95%. No other player in a United shirt scored higher by SofaScore, including Fernandes, who could only muster a pass accuracy rating of 83% by comparison.

In addition, the Welshman also won 71% of his duels overall, winning five out of a possible seven individual battles , which implies that, for the most part at least, he managed to get the better of the opposition.

This was just the sort of confidence boost he needed that will surely only help him in the long run and should do him the world of good going into the business end of the season.

James’ electric pace and incisive ability on Thursday night really made him stand out as Solskjaer’s real attacking magician.

AND in other news, Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly was colossal against Real Sociedad…

While Leeds United may have gotten back to winning ways against Southampton last time out, Marcelo Bielsa must consider unleashing Helder Costa when Aston Villa make the trip to Elland Road on late Saturday afternoon.

The Whites ran out 3-0 winners over the Saints in the Premier League, but the scores were locked level at 0-0 before a second-half salvo knocked the wind out of the home side’s sails.

And one man who was instrumental in changing the complexion of that game, was Costa.

The £10.8m-rated star has been on the periphery of things in the Premier League this season, after initially starting the first eight games of the campaign. Since then, both Jack Harrison and Raphinha have nailed down the starting wide positions, with the 27-year-old Costa left looking in from the outside.

But after coming on at the break for Harrison against Arsenal, the exciting winger has shown flashes of being back to his best. He delivered an emphatic finish at the Emirates to pull one back against the Gunners as Leeds tried to mount a second-half fight-back, while he was equally impressive against the Saints, this time picking up an assist after again coming on for the same player.

Against Southampton, he attempted more dribbles, provided more key passes and won more duels than Harrison, while his quick feet and trickery also saw him earn four free-kicks for his side – the joint-most of any player on the day.

Speaking earlier this season, his former manager at Wolves, Nuno Espirito Santo, waxed lyrical about his fellow Portuguese man, saying: “When we arrived in the Championship, Helder was injured. They were major injuries and it took a lot of time for him to recover. So that season was not the best for him, but in the first season we were in the Premier League, Helder was immense and had a huge impact on the team.

“He’s a very talented player, but things happen naturally, players move from here to another place. It happens in football. Honestly, I’m delighted he’s showing his quality and enjoying his football.”

With his long-term future up in the air, Costa doesn’t appear too much time to really stamp his mark on Leeds and prove to Bielsa that he deserves to remain at Elland Road.

But given his recent performances from off the bench, he’s absolutely deserving of a rare start when Aston Villa come to town on Saturday afternoon. He could well be the Leeds boss’ game-changer if given the opportunity.

A brave gamble from Jurgen Klopp with Trent Alexander-Arnold is still paying off for Liverpool years down the line.

In the midst of an injury crisis at Anfield during the 2017/18 season, with first-choice right-back Nathaniel Clyne restricted to the sidelines, the German made the decision to play the then 18-year-old in the team.

It was a bold choice from Klopp, giving so much responsibility to a player just fresh out of the academy, but it is a position that Alexander-Arnold is yet to relinquish, highlighting a piece of managerial brilliance.

Since making his first Liverpool appearance during the 2016/17 season during the tenure of Brendan Rodgers, the 22-year-old has gone on to notch 164 appearances for the Reds.

In that time, he has scored nine goals and provided a stunning 40 assists – almost revolutionising the expectations and demands of a modern, attacking full-back.

Gary Neville has even gone on to give a wonderful assessment of the defender. Taking to Twitter, the former Manchester United suggested that the £99m-rated Red has the potential to become the “best England right back ever”.

It’s a glowing evaluation from Neville, who having patrolled the right-flank for the Red Devils for the best part of 19 years, may know how to spot a quality defender.

To put Alexander-Arnold’s output into context, he now has just eight fewer assists that Neville himself provided throughout his glittering career for both Manchester United and England.

At just the age of 22, the youngster also has an impressive trophy haul.

He played a key role in the Reds’ UEFA Champions League success of 2018/19, even teeing up Divock Origi for a memorable winning strike against Barcelona – awareness that defied his tender years.

He wasn’t done there though as in the time since, he has managed to claim a UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, as well as of course lifting the Reds’ first-ever Premier League crown.

Just for his sheer contribution thus far, the decision by Klopp to keep his faith in Alexander-Arnold despite Clyne’s return to fitness looks more like a masterstroke with each passing season – and that is surely only going to be exemplified as the young full-back reaches his peak.

In more news, Dean Windass has urged Jurgen Klopp to swoop for a Roberto Firmino replacement…