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Tottenham cold have a very precarious situation with their centre backs this summer, but could Eric Dier fill the void if Toby Alderweireld leaves the club?

Alderweireld has been constantly linked with a move away from Spurs since it was revealed that he has a £25m release clause this summer.

And while the Lilywhites are interested in Joachim Andersen as a possible replacement, Football.London report the Sampdoria star’s age could prevent the move.

Signing the 23 year-old would leave Mauricio Pochettino with just one experienced option in Jan Vertonghen, with the rest of his defensive ranks made up by youngsters.

Because of this, Football.London’s report claims Pochettino could turn to Dier at centre-back, a role he believes the Englishman has huge potential in.

Our trusty writers at Football FanCast have given their verdicts on whether the 25 year-old Dier is capable of replacing Alderweireld…

Who is your club’s Lionel Messi? Fans of Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle and more answer in the video below…

Billy Meyers

“I’ve always thought Dier is a better centre-back than he is a midfielder, given the fact that I feel he tends to get caught out when in midfield due to a visible lack of technical skills. He is far better suited to being the big lump at the back who can head things clear and get his body in the way of shots. Of course, if Spurs can buy a new one to replace Alderweireld they should, but the reported pursuits of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso look likely to cost upwards of £50m, so moving Dier back could help Spurs afford the midfield pair as well as replace the Belgian.”

Charles Jones

“Although Dier is a competent centre-back, Alderweireld has consistently proven himself to be one of the best in the league, making the PFA Team of the Year in 2016. Spurs shouldn’t sacrifice the quality he brings to their squad. Tottenham seem to be on the verge of winning something after getting into the Champions League final last year, and the worst thing they could do right now is to replace a world-class player with someone who doesn’t posses the same ability. Perhaps the England international could be a good backup if Spurs bring in a new defender to replace the Belgian, but he shouldn’t be seen as Aldeweireld’s successor.”

Harry Sherlock

“Using Dier as a centre-back is not the way forward for Tottenham. Yes, he’s a perfectly adequate defender but he’s absolutely nowhere near the level of Alderweireld, a genuinely world-class centre-back who will be missed by everyone at the club if he leaves. At best, Dier should be a back-up option, the kind of player who can slot into the back four if needs require it but never as a first-choice. If Alderweireld leaves, it is understandable that Spurs would look to replace him with a player already at the club, but Dier isn’t the one to do it. In reality, Daniel Levy will have to spend some money to fill the hole left by the Belgium international. “

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Kiko Casilla had a turbulent opening to life at Leeds United in the 2018/19 campaign.

Keeping Bailey Peacock-Farrell out of the starting XI during the final months of the season, the Spaniard managed to play a total of 17 games last season and conceded 18 goals in that period.

He managed to keep five clean sheets but high-profile mistakes, such as the one which allowed Derby back into the play-off semi-final, tarnished his reputation somewhat.

However, he was looking sharp in his latest

/BzJTCR2hMiU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram video, in which he showcased his skills on the training ground.

Needless to say, it soon attracted plenty of attention from around the footballing world.

Most of the comments were from his fellow compatriots and many of them were there to shower the goalie with praise for the outstanding training routine he displayed in the video.

The likes of Lucas Vazquez and Borja Mayoral were the first on the scene.

But they were not the only ones. Rivals, friends and colleagues soon arrived into the comment section to gush over the flying stopper.

Many of the comments from La Liga players, like Luca Zidane, Zinedine Zidane’s son and fellow goalkeeper, and Sergio Garcia from Espanyol.

Zidane emphasised how Casilla was like a plane in the air and Garcia told him he looked like a little boy simply having fun on the pitch.

Borussia Dortmund’s Achraf Hakimi told him that he was simply on a different level, and looking at the video, that is certainly not far from the truth.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to reports from The Hull Daily Mail, Hull City are interested in signing Mallik Wilks as it is understood that Leeds United are willing to let the winger go on a permanent basis if the offer is right.

Barnsley have also reportedly shown an interest in signing the 20-year-old, but the Whites’ willingness to let him go without much of a fight is baffling.

Wilks’ season

The winger enjoyed a fantastic season out on loan at Doncaster Rovers last term. He scored 14 goals and assisted a further eight as the Yorkshire club made the League One playoff semi-final.

Throughout the season Leeds fans were in awe of what the youngster was doing at The Keepmoat Stadium, and excitement was growing about what he would do for the Whites once he returned.

Letting him go

For some reason, the Elland Road outfit don’t want to keep hold of a player who put up such promising numbers in England’s third division last season, and it just doesn’t add up.

One problem that has plagued Marcelo Bielsa’s side is a lack of goal contributions from the left-wing. Last season’s first choice Jack Harrison contributed to just seven goals throughout the entire campaign, yet Leeds have opted to bring him back and are seemingly set to let Wilks go.

It makes no sense, why would a team that has enjoyed bringing through young talents such as Jamie Shackleton and Jack Clarke turn their back on a 20-year-old prospect coming off the back of a red hot season in League One?

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It’s hard to believe that a youngster putting up those types of numbers wouldn’t be of interest to the Championship club. Indeed, he isn’t experienced at this level yet, but to outright sell him rather than loaning him out is completely baffling.

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Celtic fans enjoyed their first glimpse of left-back Boli Bolingoli after he made his debut for the club on Tuesday night against FK Sarajevo.

The Hoops won the match 3-1 thanks to goals from Mikey Johnston, Odsonne Edouard and Scott Sinclair, with Neil Lennon’s side taking command of the two-leg tie ahead of the return fixture at Celtic Park next week.

It’s time to throwback to another Celtic legend in the video below. This time, Keith from C’mon the Hoops remembers Stiliyan Petrov…

Celtic have made three signings this summer already but Bolingoli was the only one ready to make his debut in the opening fixture of the season, finally giving Lennon’s team a viable back-up option to the injured Kieran Tierney.

Despite a solid showing, the night didn’t go exactly to plan for the former Rapid Vienna man as he had to go off injured in the second half.

Lennon later confirmed he had rolled his ankle earlier in the match.

Supporters were nonetheless buoyed by his first performance, believing the signs are there that he could be a good acquisition.

These fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Nigeria were only one step away from the final of Africa Cup of Nations but they were eventually knocked out of the competition by Algeria on Sunday.

As Alex Iwobi stated in his heartfelt message on Instagram, it just “wasn’t to be” for the Super Eagles.

Riyad Mahrez’s late and emphatic free-kick was enough to eliminate Nigeria from the competition but they had a great run until that point.

In the aftermath of proceedings, Iwobi took to

/Bz7i61LAdZ7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to share a message for all of his friends and fans who supported his nation on the way, and it was met with a lot of positive feedback from the footballing world.

Ahmed Musa, Leicester City’s former player and Adebayo Akinfenwa were among the first ones on the scene as they shared their messages of support.

Akinfenwa said he was proud of Iwobi and Musa just posted a series of emojis for his friend. They were, of course, not the only ones as multiple other stars swarmed the Gunners’ comment section.

The 23-year old winger played a total of 51 games in all competitions throughout the 2018/19 campaign, scoring six and assisting nine goals along the way.

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Liverpool continue their pre-season challenges in the United States after suffering a narrow defeat against Sevilla on Sunday night.

It was a tightly contested game but the Reds couldn’t overcome the challenge of the Andalusian team, who clinched a 2-1 victory on the night.

But still, Jurgen Klopp was mostly happy with what he saw during the game, though he probably wasn’t as happy with a little friendly bust-up with Dejan Lovren in training prior to the fixture.

The Croatian centre-back shared an

/B0LWo_8Fq91/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap with the boss that showed him winning an aerial duel against his manager, decking him to the floor in the process.

Of course, this was not something sinister nor was Lovren fined, contrary to what he stated in the image, captioning it with “getting a fine” along with a short apology to his manager.

We’re sure Klopp will let that one slide if Lovren can stay fit and firing throughout the forthcoming season, something he had trouble doing in the 2018/19 campaign.

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to call on the club to make some new signings in light of Nathaniel Clyne’s knee injury.

The England international looks set to be out for the next six months after suffering knee ligament damage in a recent friendly against Borussia Dortmund, leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold as the only recognised senior right-back in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

Joe Gomez and James Milner could fill the role if need be, as too could Jordan Henderson after he covered at right-back against Leicester last season, but the news has got Liverpool fans on Twitter worried about squad depth and demanding new signings as a result.

The Champions League winners are yet to add to the first-team ranks this summer, with 17-year-old Sepp van den Berg the only new face to arrive at Anfield.

Let’s take a look at what the Liverpool supporters on Twitter have been saying after they heard of Clyne’s injury…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to a statement from Leeds Live, Ryan Kent is the outstanding option should Leeds look to complete any remaining transfer business before the window shuts.

What’s the word?

Leeds have been rather quiet of late when it’s come to transfer activity.

They welcomed back Jack Harrison, however, they’ve only brought in players on loan for this season, seeing Ben White and Helder Costa arrive beside the deal that saw Jack Clarke return temporarily too.

Perhaps rather bizarrely, the club has hinted that not much further work is required after Victor Orta said they were 90% done in terms of what they’d set out to achieve this summer.

But despite that, there could yet be one more arrival according to Leeds Live.

In a Q&A on their website, they admitted that Liverpool winger Kent remains an option for them, declaring that there is room in the side for the right player at the right price.

They say that the Whites have been interested since before they sold Clarke.

Time to move on

Although this Leeds squad does need more bodies in its ranks, it certainly doesn’t need another winger.

Kent was in fine form for Rangers in the SPFL last term, netting six goals, but the Yorkshire club aren’t exactly short of options in his position.

Costa will bolster their choices significantly whilst Clarke is another year older and perhaps more ready to make a breakthrough.

They also have Harrison whilst Pablo Hernandez is one of the star players in the squad, contributing to 12 goals and 12 assists last term. Even Ezgjan Alioski could play in that role if Marcelo Bielsa found himself short.

Earlier this summer, Goal reported that Liverpool were looking for £12m for his services. The fact of the matter is that Leeds need to be targeting other areas with that kind of money.

You sense that Bielsa’s side are still short defensively and lack cover following Pontus Jansson’s departure. Meanwhile, they also head into the new campaign with one fit senior centre forward in Patrick Bamford after an injury to Kemar Roofe.

Thus, continuing to pursue Kent over targets would be foolish and if they brought him in over improvement in other areas, they’d be staring at a huge mistake.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans cannot believe a report linking the club with Barcelona ace Philippe Coutinho.

ESPN reports that Spurs are a “more likely” destination than Manchester United after the Catalan giants offered the Brazil international to a number of Premier League clubs.

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Of course, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino worked with Coutinho at Espanyol and a deal to bring the attacking midfielder would be something of a reunion.

ESPN claims that the pair remain on good terms but there are a number of complications to any deal, namely that he would either have to take a significant pay cut or Barca would have to accept a loan deal.

Despite the report, Spurs fans are refusing to get excited after a summer that has been marked by inactivity.

Indeed, the club have only made one senior signing, with Tanguy Ndombele arriving from Lyon. Jack Clarke was signed but loaned back to Leeds United.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Scott Bain had a poor night between the sticks in the embarrassing defeat to Cluj on Tuesday, and it raises the issue surrounding the Celtic number one jersey.

On the chalkboard

Neil Lennon’s side have been linked with players in pretty much every single position on the park in recent weeks apart from one – goalkeeper.

We’ve heard of right-back rumours, young centre-back reinforcements, Kieran Tierney replacements, central midfield options, further striking support and wingers to add competition up front, but all is quiet on the goalkeeper front.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Earlier in the window, Asmir Begovic had been tentatively touted, yet here we are after a poor goalkeeping performance at Parkhead with Bain and Craig Gordon as the club’s options between the sticks.

Gordon lost his spot as first-choice after suffering an injury last season and at 36 his best days look to be behind him. He is also entering the final year of his contract.

Bain stepped up well in his absence, but does he have the pedigree of a ‘keeper capable of playing in Europe’s premier competition? A CV of Hibs, Dundee, Alloa, Elgin and Aberdeen suggests not, with Tuesday night’s sub-par performance confirming as much.

Here we go again

At 36, Gordon should be being moved into the role of third-choice keeper, effectively a coach who swings some crosses in during the warm-up. Yet, he’s the club’s back-up and could expect some minutes this season.

It’s time to throwback to another Celtic legend in the video below. This time, Keith from C’mon the Hoops remembers Stiliyan Petrov…

Bain, too, should’ve been looking at a demotion this summer. He’s an admirable back-up, but he’s far from ready to be a Champions League group-stage keeper. Bain covered for Gordon well last season, but if the club wanted to secure European football he should have been relegated to the bench with a more accomplished stopper coming in.

Both are a tier too high in the pecking order of a club with expectations of competing in the Champions League, yet with no targets on the horizon, it looks like they’ll have to do for the coming domestic season and potential Europa League campaign.

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