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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Dean Windass has challenged Dele Alli to step up in Heung Min Son’s absence.

The South Korean sustained a hamstring problem in Sunday’s north London derby, and Jose Mourinho confirmed that he will miss Spurs’ Europa League tie with Dinamo Zagreb this evening.

Alli has started just once in the Premier League since the opening day, but appears to have put his differences aside with Mourinho having featured in nine of Spurs’ last 10 matches since returning from a tendon injury in February.

And with Son now ruled out of the game in Zagreb, and Steven Bergwijn being overlooked at present, it could present an opportunity for the England man, rated at £34.2m by Transfermarkt.

Alli has started each of Tottenham’s previous three Europa League matches, and Windass believes he has a real chance to make a real impact with Son sidelined.

He told Football FanCast: “It’s a good opportunity for Dele Alli. We don’t know what reaction Dele Alli has in training every day, Jose sees him every day in training. You don’t become a bad player overnight.

“He’s got back in the squad, then he gets the opportunity to come on. I thought he did really well when he came on [against Arsenal]. Now’s the chance if he starts the next game, then he’s got to say ‘yeah, I am a good player, I have got a future at this football club.'”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Barry Fry has urged the Leeds hierarchy to back Marcelo Bielsa in the summer transfer window, believing squad depth is a big concern for the Argentinian right now.

Leeds are having a very solid Premier League campaign following their promotion from the Championship, with their signings from the last summer transfer window playing their part.

Brazilian attacker Raphinha joined from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes during that transfer market and has not disappointed. The 24-year-old has scored six goals and provided five assists, helping the Whites climb to 11th in the table and away from relegation danger.

If Leeds are to remain in the Premier League long-term, though, and push on, Fry believes reinforcements will be needed. He exclusively told FFC:

“The only thing wrong with Leeds United is they haven’t got strength in depth. And I think if I was the owner there, or if I was the director of football there, I’d be saying, you know, ‘we’ve got to help him by giving him a few more quality players to give him the squad that he needs, not only to survive in the Premier League, but make an impact on the Premier League’.”

One area of the Yorkshire club’s squad that could possibly do with some strengthening is up front.

While Patrick Bamford has done an excellent job leading the line for his side this season, scoring 14 goals in English football’s top flight so far, the English striker could arguably do with some cover. Rodrigo was brought in from Valencia last summer, but the Spain international has had his problems with injuries and has rarely been used as an out-and-out No.9 by Bielsa.

Steve Bruce has dropped an injury blow for Newcastle United ahead of their game at home to West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against David Moyes’ team, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss confirmed: “Ryan’s not fit. He’s got a groin problem that he picked up when he was with Scotland. It’s been frustrating for him and we’ve never really got him up to speed. It’s been stop start and we’ve not seen the best of him with the problems he’s had.”

Newcastle will miss Fraser

The North East club will certainly miss Fraser when they take on the Hammers, who are chasing a spot in the UEFA Champions League for the 2021/22 term, at St. James’ Park.

The pace and directness that the former AFC Bournemouth ace possessed could have caused the East London club a lot of trouble down the wing, and with his former Cherries teammate Callum Wilson back from injury, he would have been able to feed off of Fraser’s supply.

The Scotland international has averaged more key passes per game (1.4) than any of his teammates in the top flight so far in the 2020/21 season (Whoscored).

With Allan Saint-Maximin back as well along with Miguel Almiron, the link-up play with Fraser could have caused the Irons lots of problems, especially on the counter attack.

Nonetheless, the Tyneside club will have to try and find a way to get something out of the match without the 27-year-old.

In other news, find out what definitive relegation claim Liam Kennedy has dropped on the potential takeover here!

According to reports, Tottenham are facing a battle to sign Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.

What’s the story?

MilanLive claim that the Serie A giants are intent on securing the £36m-rated star to a new contract at the San Siro, and that he is one of the players there who the club do not want to sell.

However, the report adds that the likes of Spurs, Arsenal and West Ham are all very much interested in luring him to the Premier League, and that they have “always shown interest” in him.

Mourinho’s new Essien

The 24-year-old has really come into his own this season in the Serie A, developing into a bona-fide star as a box-to-box midfielder – he’s already racked up ten goals and three assists in 36 games across all competitions, even earning some rave reviews from the likes of former Italy forward Antonio Casano.

He said: “I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he is intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, against Roma he was devastating. He reminds me of the Yaya Touré of the best times. He is a different player, but in terms of impact. He is holding Milan’s midfield alone.”

And, speaking after a 2-0 win over Torino, Milan manager Stefano Pioli, said: “Franck is a complete player. He gives us physicality, energy, quality, protects the defence and knits the moves going forward too. He has this eternally positive mentality during the matches, he’s the first to help out a teammate or reassure them. This is a young side that needs guidance and encouragement, so Kessie is invaluable in that sense.”

That unique combination of being a workhorse defensively, but also with the guile and craft to stitch things together in midfield, is eerily reminiscent of Michael Essien when he was in his pomp at Chelsea under Mourinho.

The former Ghana international would patrol the back-four, but also offer a presence going forward – you only have to look at that stunning swerving strike against Arsenal to see what he could bring to the table at both ends of the pitch.

Kessie is very much in that ilk, and it’s exactly why Daniel Levy must get a deal done for the Milan powerhouse. He could bring that power and drive to Spurs’ midfield, and give Mourinho the kind of player who would have fit in seamlessly in his early Chelsea days.

Meanwhile, Spurs played a blinder by selling this man for £17m…

West Ham United have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of ‘top target’ Joshua King with AFC Bournemouth now said to be in talks to sell the striker to Southampton on Deadline Day.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, negotiations between the Cherries and Saints have gained significant traction after last-ditch discussions began over the weekend.

The deal would see King head to St. Mary’s for a nominal fee after Bournemouth finally reduced their asking price for the Norway international, who is set to be out of contract when his £45,000-per-week terms expire at the end of the season.

Southampton striker Shane Long would go in the opposite direction on loan with an option to buy if Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl can convince King of a move along the south coast, as the 29-year-old would have to accept the deal on the table for a transfer to go through.

King had reportedly been demanding a £120,000-per-week contract to quit Bournemouth in the winter market, feeling that he should be given a sizable offer in lieu of the payday a free transfer would return in the summer.

His demands are said to have priced Everton out of a move, while Fulham’s interest is not seen to be an attractive proposition after King was relegated from the Premier League with Bournemouth last term.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/west-ham-deadline-day-latest-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Deadline day is here: Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours and more!”]

West Ham had also monitored King’s situation in the winter transfer market and were said to have still identified the former Manchester United trainee as their top-target on Friday.

Just what Moyes didn’t want to hear

The Athletic claiming that Bournemouth are in productive talks to sell King to Southampton on Deadline Day will be exactly what David Moyes did not want West Ham to hear, with the Scotsman still yet to secure a replacement for Sebastien Haller.

King was one of Moyes’ top-targets in the last transfer window and had to be convinced into signing Said Benrahma from Brentford, after the Hammers saw a £13m bid turned down by the Cherries.

Moyes has since been regularly claimed to have marked King as his favoured option to bolster the Irons attack, and may now end the winter market with no proven depth behind Michail Antonio and be forced into unleashing academy sensation Mipo Odubeko or turn to winger Andriy Yarmolenko.

King would have delivered proven top-flight attacking quality in abundance if he were signed, with the £10m-rated gem scoring at least six goals per season that he featured in the Premier League – including two campaigns that returned double-digit tallies.

He is also lauded for his approach to the game, with former England international Emile Heskey telling HITC: “He gives you that pace, that directness, he understands the league. He’s an international player.

“Getting him at this part of the season, he should be able to hit the ground running because he knows what it’s about.”

AND in other news: “It’s nonsense” – Exclusive: Pundit baffled by GSB’s West Ham decision…

Newcastle head to Manchester United on Sunday with four players missing through injury and with Steve Bruce facing a selection dilemma upfront.

The Magpies will once again be without 10-goal top-scorer Callum Wilson due to the deep hamstring tear he sustained against Southampton, while Fabian Schar remains some weeks away from a return due to knee ligament damage.

Bruce is in need of an extremely rare win over the Red Devils this weekend after Fulham closed the gap to the Magpies and Premier League safety to just three points after beating fellow relegation-threatened side Sheffield United 1-0 on Saturday.

But Bruce – who played for 251 times Manchester United – has only beaten the Old Trafford natives once in his career as a head coach. So, as the 60-year-old looks to avoid a 20th defeat in 26 meetings, here’s a potential line-up the Newcastle boss could name…

Bruce opted to field Miguel Almiron in a makeshift false nine role at Chelsea on Monday night following the Paraguayan’s brace at home to Southampton and will be expected to persist with the 27-year-old occupying a central position against Manchester United.

Dwight Gayle would have hoped to see his name selected as cover for Wilson but failed to light up the stage at Stamford Bridge while forced out onto the wing. And should now see Ryan Fraser come in for only his seventh Premier League start in black and white, with the ex-AFC Bournemouth maestro able to offer the Toon width and creativity at Old Trafford.

Allan Saint-Maximin will be due a third-straight top-flight start for the first time since November, with support on the left-channel from Jamal Lewis, who recorded the most touches by a Newcastle player at Stamford Bridge with 62 earlier this week.

Jonjo Shelvey has opened 15 of his 16 Premier League appearances and captained the Magpies on five occasions this season, yet he should see his name omitted from the starting line-up at Old Trafford after producing a lazy and often uninterested performance against Chelsea.

His absence from the XI could afford Jeff Hendrick a return following his one-game suspension but should rather be taken by Paul Dummett after Bruce stated that the defender is in contention to start against Manchester United.

“We’ll need his experience and know-how,” Bruce said, via quotes by Chronicle Live. “We’re also mindful of just throwing him in there. Since Southampton, he’s trained another week, and the more sessions he does, the better. He’s there or thereabouts.”

Ciaran Clark and Jamaal Lascelles will expect to retain their places at centre-half, potentially beside Dummett, and line-up behind midfielders Isaac Hayden and Joe Willock.

Bruce had hoped to see Federico Fernandez be passed fit to face Manchester United but has ruled the Argentine out for a further week with a calf injury, joining Wilson, Schar and Javier Manquillo in the treatment room.

Emil Krafth took Manquillo’s place in the starting line-up at Chelsea but ‘took an ear bashing’ from Bruce for his performance and should now be replaced by Jacob Murphy after the £25k-per-week dynamo’s efforts at right-back earlier in the season.

Karl Darlow will expect to retain his position in goal despite claims Martin Dubravka is unhappy with his understudy status since returning from a cracked heel bone after Bruce defended his goalkeeper decision.

“He’s been very professional, but that doesn’t mean he’s happy [with not playing], and I wouldn’t expect him to be,” Bruce said of Dubravka. “I’ve stayed with Karl because I think he deserves it – all season, we’ve said how well he’s played, but I need that competition.”

AND in other news, Newcastle are facing a dilemma over the future of a £40k-p/w ace set to be the subject of a tempting offer…

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has warned Celtic about moving for David Moyes in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

According to GiveMeSport, the former SPFL champions have sounded out the 57-year-old West Ham manager as they look to replace Neil Lennon following his exit last month.

Moyes has done a sublime job at the Hammers this season, guiding them to fifth in the Premier League and just three points behind a Champions League spot with a game in hand. Bearing that in mind, Palmer is not too convinced by the idea of Moyes switching the London Stadium for Celtic Park, believing he has found his place in east London.

Speaking on Moyes and Celtic, the retired England international told FFC:

“Celtic is a massive club, a massive club. But I just say sometimes you’ve got to be careful. David Moyes did a fantastic job at Everton then ended up going to Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson, which was always going to be a tough gig, and then for a while he lost his way. He’s a very, very good manager, but he lost his way.

“He seems to have found his niche at West Ham. I think he’s found his little spot there and they’re doing exceptionally well.”

Moyes’ contract at West Ham expires at the end of the season, which could bode well for Celtic. However, with their former player doing so well with the Hammers this term, you would expect the club’s board to get him tied down to a new deal, meaning Celtic are probably going to have to look elsewhere.

That could come in the form of Roy Keane, who is one of the latest names to be linked with the job in the Celtic Park dugout.

According to an update by Spanish outlet Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham summer signing and ‘unplayable’ star Gareth Bale now ‘threatens’ to return to Real Madrid and wait out the last year of his contract with the Galacticos – coming as a danger to Jose Mourinho who could lose him as the Lilywhites’ stance is revealed. 

Bale, who is yet to hit full gear for Spurs due to reoccurring fitness issues, could now be on the way out and back to the Bernabeu at the end of this current loan spell – even despite some talk of potentially extending his temporary deal.

Tottenham could lose Bale

Indeed, as per this update, a Tottenham exit looks on the cards as Bale now ‘threatens’ to return to La Liga and fulfil the final year of his Real Madrid contract – regardless of the club’s wish to finally get him off their wage bill.

Daniel Levy apparently doesn’t ‘want’ to keep hold of Bale, coming as a potential blow to Mourinho who could lose an ‘unplayable’ option and an even bigger blow still to Madrid.

Transfer Tavern take

If the Welshman does return to Spain, with no extension on his loan or permanent deal agreed, he will recuperate a further £26.6 million in gross salary. 

Bale’s return to the English capital arguably hasn’t been the fairy tale start most supporters were expecting, with a combination of injury problems and limited game time as a result meaning they have only seen small glimpses of his best.

Time will tell whether the 31-year-old could play his way back into the club’s plans, but for now, it seems as if Mourinho could lose him.

In other news: Tottenham are close to ‘amazing news’ according to Fabrizio Romano, find out more here.

When has life ever been simple for Sunderland?

Over the last four and a half years in the north-east, football has not been the usual escape route that Sunderland supporters crave.

Instead, it fills them with enraged depression, falling from the Premier League to League One. Under Jack Ross and Phil Parkinson, they have failed to regain promotion and now it could come down to not only a change in management again, but a change right at the very top too.

That’s because Stewart Donald is reportedly on the verge of selling his majority stake in the club. A consortium led by Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus have agreed on a deal with Donald which will see them take ownership of the football club. So we thought anyway.

News emerged early this week that new investors were seriously lining up a bid to buy the Black Cats in a fresh twist.

The Shields Gazette issued an update into the thought passage of Washington DC-based businessman Matthew Pauls.

They revealed that he is now preparing a rival bid for Sunderland and sources close to the party shared that he did indeed have the money to finance a proper deal. It’s also thought that Donald would retain a stake if Pauls arrives at the Stadium of Light.

This is obviously bad news for Sartori and Dreyfus. At first glance, it looked as though they had a free run.

However, since having a bid accepted the club could now turn into an auction with Rich Energy CEO William Storey continuing to preach about his efforts on social media.

If Pauls can generate enough funds to usurp the previous bid made to Donald, then it could be curtains for Sartori’s consortium. What this would mean for his current 20% stake in the club is also unknown. Would it also disrupt his ongoing relationship with Donald or would he still have a say in Sunderland?

As is customary with the Mackems, there is a lack of clarity about where things are heading.

Pauls continued interest has the consequence to be disastrous for Dreyfus in particular, who is looking to gain control of Sunderland and then spread his wings to other clubs throughout Europe.

He wouldn’t be able to do that if he can’t even add the first club to his armoury.

The 22-year-old will need to push this deal with Donald through sharply.

In other news, Sunderland may have found their NEW Joel Asoro…

Crystal Palace seem to have come unstuck under Roy Hodgson once again.

Fifteenth in the Premier League, 13 points from a possible 30, just one win in their last four games. Not exactly the stuff of dreams, especially for a club who are trying to push towards the top half of the table.

Hodgson’s hands have been somewhat tied as injuries have taken their toll but this doesn’t excuse the fact that Palace have dropped points in back-to-back defeats away at Burnley and at home to Newcastle.

Hodgson has battled serious adversity with James McCarthy being out injured as well as club captain Luka Milivojevic being suspended for all of November after an appeal against his red card at Wolves was rejected by the FA.

Despite their obvious struggles, Jairo Riedewald has been the real standout in recent weeks, as he is quite possibly their most in-form player at the moment, besides Wilfried Zaha.

The Dutch midfielder, who can also play in the centre of the defence or on the left, has scored one goal in eight games in the Premier League so far this season, whilst he is averaging 1.6 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

Riedewald also has the highest pass success rate (a whopping 91.8%) out of any other Palace player, forming a key part of the supply chain in the midfield for the likes of Zaha and Eberechi Eze, whilst shielding the defence as well.

It’s this kind of contribution that cannot be ignored for much longer as he is arguably one of the hardest-working players on the pitch in every game.

The 24-year-old has been somewhat of a Marmite figure at Selhurst Park, with some Palace fans claiming that he has proven people wrong after he was named the Player of the Month for October.

His redemption arc seemed to have taken another twist in recent weeks following reports from The Athletic that Riedewald was ready to renew his contract with the club. However, there has been no official confirmation since then, which has raised further questions over his future at the club.

He is clearly highly rated by the Palace boss, who described the Dutchman as an “intelligent player” who is a “superb professional” after he was recalled for his first appearance in the Premier League since April 2018 last season.

Riedewald’s contract will run out in 2022, which means Steve Parish will have to act soon to secure his future at the south London club as he has established himself as a first-team regular starter under Hodgson.

He has been in such fine form since the start of the season, and if he can continue his hot streak, other clubs may start to circle, as his contract is coming to an end.

Parish must reward him with a new contract once and for all, otherwise, he may live to regret his indecision.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace simply can’t afford to lose James McCarthy to Celtic…