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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former England midfielder Carlton Palmer has made a stunning claim about Tottenham Hotspur misfit Dele Alli.

The 24-year-old has been restricted to just 66 minutes in the Premier League all season and hasn’t even been named in the matchday squad for eight of the ten top-flight fixtures, as per Transfermarkt.

Throughout the summer transfer window, there was speculation over his future amid links to Ligue 1 giants and Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain.

It has since been reported that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is expected to reject any advances for him next month despite Mourinho’s lack of trust in the two-time Young PFA Player of the Year.

When asked about why Alli hasn’t been involved as much this season under the ‘Special One,’ Palmer revealed that it has been down to his application on the training pitch.

The ex-West Brom and Leeds United star told FFC:

“Now, you’ve got to train the way you play. If you don’t train well, you’re not going to play well.

“So from what I’m hearing, that’s part of the problem, right?

“And then he’s got to do the other side of the job in the team, the way Mourinho’s teams work. They’re functional teams, they’ve got jobs to do.”

When Mourinho first took over from Mauricio Pochettino last season, the £46.8m-rated playmaker initially looked to have benefitted from the change in manager, contributing four goals and three assists in his first five matches at the helm.

Although just one start in the Premier League since June tells a completely different story.

The world also witnessed the Spurs boss lambast the out-of-favour England international in front of the whole team during their Amazon docuseries ‘All or Nothing,’ calling him “lazy” but with a bit more colourful language.

If Alli hasn’t improved his behaviour on the training pitch, then perhaps it is hardly a surprise that he’s struggled for game time during the 2020/21 campaign thus far.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit BACKS Harry Kane to keep up SHOCK record amid “worries”…

Eibar’s sporting director Fran Garagarza revealed that Newcastle United altered their stance over the terms on which they wanted to allow Yoshinori Muto to join the La Liga side after just one week.

Newcastle confirmed Muto’s departure to Eibar on a season-long loan on September 16, with the Japanese international forward having dropped further down the pecking order at St James’ Park following the £20m arrival of Callum Wilson from Bournemouth.

Magpies change stance to accept lower offer for Muto

Muto was made available for transfer by Newcastle, with the forward having only managed to register two goals for the Magpies in his first two seasons at St James’ Park. However, the Tynesiders turned down Eibar’s initial offer for the striker as they wanted a higher loan fee for the 28-year-old, as per Spanish outlet AS.

However, speaking to AS about Eibar’s transfer dealings this summer, Garagarza suggested that it took just one week for Newcastle come back and accept the Spanish club’s original offer for Muto. That came despite having told them they would not allow him to leave for the terms initially offered by the La Liga outfit.

He said: “Newcastle told us, either you reach some figures or Muto does not come out. We told them that it was impossible. (A week later he arrived) on the figures that we initially told them.”

Muto deal reminiscent of past Newcastle transfer failings

Newcastle enjoyed a productive transfer window this summer, with the Magpies having brought in the likes of Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Jamal Lewis and Jeff Hendrick. However, this news on their negotiations over Muto’s departure may remind fans of some of the less than salubrious moves that have been agreed in terms of both incomings and outgoings over recent windows.

Muto was a player that they brought in for a reported £9.5m, so to end up having to haggle just to secure a reasonable loan fee for him two years later shows the lack of quality they have had in the market. The Magpies may not be able to fully improve in this regard until new owners take over at St James’ Park, with the vicious cycle set to continue otherwise.

Geordies, what do you make of this update on Muto’s loan move to Eibar? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Reading defender Omar Richards, if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, we told you about Roy Hodgson’s interest in Royals skipper Liam Moore. Now, it turns out the Eagles have turned their attention to his teammate as well.

According to The Reading Chronicle, Palace face stiff competition from Premier League rivals West Ham for his signature.

It’s claimed that Hodgson’s side have a long-standing interest in the former England U21 international, as they have been keeping close tabs on the situation for some time.

Sign him up!

Let’s face it, Palace have the oldest squad in the Premier League, which has become a bit of a problem in recent times. Don’t get me wrong, having an experienced defence isn’t always a bad thing, as Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva has impressed for Chelsea, but there will come a point where they will have to start planning for the future.

To compound the problem even further, several Palace players are out of contract in the summer, including defenders such as Scott Dann, Gary Cahill, Martin Kelly and Mamadou Sakho, as well as academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell, who has made six appearances in the Premier League so far.

Palace fans will have to wait and see if Mitchell will decide to try his luck elsewhere instead, as Hodgson has backed the left-back to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Meanwhile, HLTCO regular Dan Cook believes “the vultures will begin to circle” as the uncertainty surrounding his future at Selhurst Park continues to build.

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that the 22-year-old would be the perfect replacement for Mitchell.

Once hailed as an “outstanding” player by former Reading boss Mark Bowen, the £1.35m-rated ace has played seven games in the Championship this season, whilst he has made 2.9 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, Mitchell has only managed fewer than one interception in the Premier League so far, as per WhoScored.

Whether Richards is a one season wonder or not, it’s surely worth the risk anyway, especially when you take into account the fact that he could be available for a cut-price deal as his contract is set to expire next year. Get it done Eagles, whilst you still can.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction audacious swoop for Crystal Palace target Liam Moore in January…

West Ham United must use Josh Cullen’s pre-season statement against him and force the central midfielder to accept a late offer to join RSC Anderlecht before Deadline Day.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail’s Adrian Kajumba, Belgian giants Anderlecht are interested in forging a late effort to sign Cullen and are hopeful of sealing a deal before the window slams shut on Monday.

Cullen, who has two caps for the Republic of Ireland, has struggled to establish himself in manager David Moyes’ plans since returning from a loan spell with Charlton Athletic in the Championship last season, with the Scottish coach only awarding him a Carabao Cup outing against his former loan side in the Second Round.

Bar those 90 minutes at the London Stadium, Cullen’s name has not yet featured on any first-team team sheet with the 24-year-old instead left at home to watch the action unfold.

The Westcliff-on-Sea-born midfielder had been keen to establish himself in the West Ham senior squad after starting all 34 of his second-tier outings either side of an ankle ligament injury last term, stating that this season is his time to make it happen.

“I’ve always said all along, through all the loans, the end goal is to be at West Ham,” the Hammers academy graduate told West Ham TV. “I’m 24 now so it’s time to make it happen.

“It’s been a different pre-season, a shorter one than normal, but I’ve loved every minute of it under the gaffer. Having worked under him and his staff during his first spell here, to come back and work under him again, I’ve loved it.”

Time to force the move

As much as Cullen is eager to forge a successful senior career at the club he’s been with since 2010, his time is now surely over and it is the responsibility of the Hammers to force a move if the offer is there.

Anderlecht’s interest comes at a point in Cullen’s career when he has just the one year remaining on his contract and is failing to the earn opportunities to impress Moyes and convince the ownership that he deserves an extension put before him.

Moving to Belgium, however, would see Cullen land the chance of competing at one of the top club’s in the country as they look to right the failings of last season, having ended the campaign down in eighth place and 27-points behind champions Club Brugge.

Vincent Kompany’s side would certainly appear to need reinforcements, too, as the former Manchester City centre-back has only overseen three wins from his side’s first seven league games to already be trailing the leaders by six points.

If the chance to play is not there under Moyes, West Ham must use Cullen’s “make it happen” comment against him and ensure the player does not waste another year of his career.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a setback in the club’s efforts to land the missing spark of David Moyes’ midfield.

Everton appear to be closing in on their first move of the summer transfer window and whilst it’ll raise a few eyebrows, it certainly shouldn’t be frowned upon.

What’s the word?

According to Novosti, Carlo Ancelotti is in talks to bring his former Chelsea powerhouse, Branislav Ivanovic, back to the Premier League for another spell under the Italian.

The 36-year-old has been playing for Zenit St Petersburg since 2017 after nine years in west London where he won three PL titles, a Champions League as well as being named in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions.

Discussions with Ivanovic are said to be in the ‘final stage’ with the veteran Serb free to join who he pleases this summer following the expiry of his contract.

Ancelotti sees the 6 foot 1 enforcer as a potential pillar of his defence and given the Toffees have young duo Mason Holgate and Jarrad Branthwaite, it could be a smart move indeed.

Shades of Distin

Everton have been linked to PSG legend Thiago Silva, who is of similar age, but as the illustrious Brazillian would come at a hefty premium – he’s been on around £340k-per-week in France – it would be a financial disaster.

Instead, raiding Ivanovic on a free transfer would be cunning from Ancelotti, so much so that it would feel similar to when the Merseysiders welcomed Sylvain Distin to Goodison Park.

Despite his advancing years, Moyes brought in the uncapped Frenchman to ‘keep us steady’ yet he stayed for five years and was colossal in the heart of the defence.

Comments from Jose Mourinho sum up what the Toffees would be getting, the former Chelsea boss labelled Ivanovic a “competitive animal with a big heart” whilst City superstar Raheem Sterling dubbed him the scariest opponent he’s faced back in 2013 before dubbing him a “tank”.

At 36, he’ll have to be managed in terms of fitness, but don’t underestimate his likely impact given the trophy-laden career he’s enjoyed and the potential long-term impact he could have on those around him.

For a season or two, this makes complete sense.

AND in other news, Everton can land huge Iwobi upgrade in “phenomenal” PL target…

Manchester United are ready to face Tottenham Hotspur away on Friday as the Premier League is set to restart this week.

The Red Devils are currently fifth in the table, four points clear of Spurs, who are now managed by former Old Trafford boss Jose Mourinho.

United have won the last two games between the teams, which could give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side an advantage as both sides must win in order to boost their hopes of a top four finish. Marcus Rashford, who is the club’s top scorer this season, bagged a brace in December to condemn Mourinho to his first defeat as Spurs’ head coach.

Earlier this week, the Premier League announced that Jonathan Moss will take charge of the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Moss qualified as a referee in 1998 and has often been on the receiving end from the Old Trafford faithful over the years. Indeed, he endured the wrath of supporters for his decisions during the match against Burnley last season (SportBible).

It is worth pointing out the Red Devils have lost three of their past five games Moss has refereed. He also handed Rashford a red card in the 2-0 win over the Clarets back in September 2018.

Unsurprisingly, many United fans slammed the “atrocious” decision, with one fan tweeting “Spurs W incoming” and another adding “we’ve lost then”.

Scroll through some of the scathing reactions so far…

United fans, do you think the Red Devils will beat Spurs? Let us know in the comments section below!

This week Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with their first ‘swap deal’ ahead of a new landscape in the transfer market this summer.

It remains to be seen just how bad the pandemic has affected finances in football, but the Evening Standard reported that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho would be mainly limited to free transfers and deals that didn’t involve hefty fees.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the north Londoners could look to deal both Danny Rose and Serge Aurier to Serie A outfit Juventus in return for fellow full-backs Alex Sandro and Mattia De Sciglio.

This could well be a sign of things to come as strange as it seems now.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Rose is currently out on loan to Newcastle United whilst Aurier has been a frequent presence under Mourinho this campaign, featuring 24 times since he took the reins in November.

Meanwhile, Sandro appears to be Mauricio Sarri’s first-choice left-back having played 22 league games this term – De Sciglio has barely featured at all this term, via WhoScored.

Here’s how the Spurs faithful have been reacting to the reported transfer plan…

AND in other news, Spurs fans react as Dennis Cirkin report emerges…

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been discussing their Harry Winks on social media this week after one Twitter account asked fans for their opinions on the midfielder and his future at the club.

And many in north London took the opportunity to take fire at the Englishman with them believing he’s simply not good enough for Spurs.

The 24-year-old came through the academy system at the club and made his first-team debut back in 2014, coming on as a substitute in the Europa League against FK Partizan.

Winks has since gone on to make 134 further appearances and has also picked up six national team caps.

This season, he has been a regular presence in Jose Mourinho’s starting XI, featuring 33 times without a goal or assist.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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The young playmaker was once likened to Iniesta and Xavi by former boss Mauricio Pochettino whilst he has seen his value increase to £28.8m as per Transfermarkt.

However, much of the Spurs faithful aren’t impressed by his performances in recent times as evident below.

Here’s how they have been reacting…

AND in other news, Spurs fans react to “dream” 7-goal transfer target…

In this instalment of our TT Roundup, Football Transfer Tavern have gathered three of the biggest stories to have involved Celtic recently and have provided our thoughts on the reports published.

St Mirren hoping to sign Lewis Morgan

St Mirren are hoping to bring Celtic winger Lewis Morgan back to Paisley in January, with manager Jim Goodwin telling STV that the 23-year-old is a player he would “love to get”.

According to STV, the Buddies are hopeful of striking a loan deal for Morgan, who joined the Hoops from St Mirren in 2018 but was loaned out to Sunderland for some of last season.

Goodwin told STV: “Of course Lewis would be a player we’d love to get, he’s obviously been here before and been very successful. He’s a quality footballer but at this minute in time he’s not available. We haven’t been told by Celtic that he is and he remains part of their squad.”

Verdict

With Mohamed Elyounoussi, Scott Sinclair and Mikey Johnston all vying for the role of left winger at Celtic, Morgan has been limited to five starts in all competitions this season.

Elyounoussi has made a huge impact with seven goals since arriving three months ago but both he and Johnston have been injured recently, while Sinclair has barely featured and has reportedly told friends that he wants to leave the club, as per Football Insider.

At present, the Hoops might not be able to afford letting Morgan leave, but if the other left wingers were to bounce back strongly from injury, then it probably would make sense to loan him out if he can’t forge his way into Neil Lennon’s first XI.

Pundits think international retirement has helped Scott Brown at Celtic

Chris Sutton and Ally McCoist have both commended the displays of Scott Brown for Celtic in recent months since his retirement from the Scotland national team and have advised him not to return to the Tartan Army, with the 34-year-old not ruling out an international comeback (as per The Scottish Sun).

Sutton told BT Sport [via HITC]: “I don’t think that would necessarily benefit him. He has been phenomenal this season, the fact that he has had that rest, and what have you.”

McCoist echoed Sutton’s sentiments, saying on BT Sport [via HITC]: “I think clearly Scott Brown has benefitted from the fact that he has not been involved in international football, the rest that he has got, and I think that should continue.”

Verdict

Brown’s goal against Livingston on Saturday was his third in 27 appearances this season, matching his goal tally from 51 games in 2018/19.

He announced his international retirement during the 2017/18 campaign, in which he didn’t score once for Celtic in 56 games.

Those figures would support the views of Sutton and McCoist that the midfielder’s club form has benefitted from stepping away from Scotland duty.

Tsoanelo Letsosa catches the eye of European scouts

Celtic midfielder Tsoanelo Letsosa has reportedly been attracting plenty of attention among scouts from multiple European clubs.

According to Football Insider, the 16-year-old has caught the eye of elite clubs from the Premier League and mainland Europe with his performances for Scotland in the underage Victory Shield tournament.

Football Insider added that the teenager has impressed observers with his technical qualities, speed and athleticism.

Verdict

With Letsosa apparently attracting widespread interest from European clubs, and having set numerous records in athletics in Glasgow underage competitions (as per Football Insider), Celtic seem to have a very promising prospect on their hands.

They could find it difficult to keep him at the club, though, if one of the continent’s top names comes forward with an enticing proposal.

It was only three months ago that Bayern Munich signed 16-year-old defender Liam Morrison from Celtic, who could be facing into a similar situation with Letsosa judging by the reports on his development.

Celtic fans, what do you make of these stories concerning the club? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!

Harry Kane has enjoyed a glistening career at Tottenham Hotspur and is arguably one of the finest products to come through the youth system in the club’s entire history.

181 goals in 278 appearances is a phenomenal return for a striker, and below you can delve into his top five long-range screamers.

From his outrageous attempt against Arsenal in 2016 to that goal against Juventus…

The 26-year-old has won plenty of awards, including a World Cup Golden Boot, multiple PFA Team of the Year entries as well as clinching an MBE from the Queen.

Although, that elusive trophy in north London still escapes him…

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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AND in other news, Alasdair Gold suggests TWO Spurs transfer targets if Harry Kane leaves…