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Tottenham Hotspur could be eyeing a solution to their long-term right-back problem if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Spurs have registered an interest in signing Norwich City starlet Max Aarons ahead of the summer transfer window.

It’s claimed that, despite a failed move in the past, the North London outfit have reignited their pursuit of the 21-year-old as one of their main priorities ahead of next season.

The Canaries are said to be willing to let their first-choice defender leave for around £30m after he gave the Championship winners another season of service following relegation from the big time.

Finally a solution?

One of Spurs’ recurring problems this season has been defensive mistakes, as noted by The Athletic, and the right side of the backline has been particularly troublesome.

Matt Doherty was signed in the summer with the intention of replacing Serge Aurier, but in reality, neither have been able to cement down a regular spot in the starting XI, with academy prospect Japhet Tanganga and even Moussa Sissoko playing there at times.

The former Wolves man, signed for £15m, has started only 12 league games, whilst recently, the Ivory Coast international was dubbed “one of the biggest liabilities in the Premier League” and was described as a player who would “put you off management” by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher.

It’s rather telling that he’s the one to start the most in the role, playing 18 times in the top-flight this term.

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Not since Kyle Walker have Spurs had a solid and long-term option. He left for Manchester City nearly four years ago, earning Daniel Levy a cool £45m plus add-ons.

His replacement Kieran Trippier, who was already at the club, stepped up but within two seasons, he had swapped North London for Madrid in a deal worth around £20m.

Since then, it’s clear that Aurier and now Doherty, who may well have been sold this summer had Jose Mourinho remained (as per ESPN), have failed to step up to the mark, so enter Aarons.

After an impressive maiden campaign in the Premier League, it was a surprise to see the England U21 international remain at Carrow Road and not follow his ex-teammate, Ben Godfrey, into the top-flight following Norwich’s relegation.

But it may well have worked in his favour as he’s elevated his game to a new level.

No player has played more minutes for the Canaries this season than Aarons (3,959) and in the last year, his average WhoScored rating has risen from 6.55 to 6.92.

He has added more goal contributions (two goals, one assist) and is proving to be a valuable part of Daniel Farke’s attack, averaging 1.4 key passes (vs 0.6 last term) and 1.3 dribbles per game.

Back in December, Farke waxed lyrical about his trusted youngster, telling reporters: “In my eyes, he is not the young Max Aarons, he is just a special player and he has an unbelievable future. I know he has been labelled as one of the best young players in this league. Well, I told him we can reject this label now because he is no longer one of the best young players, he is one of the best players.”

Whilst his former England U21 coach Aidy Boothroyd claimed he “gives 100% in training and matches” and offers “real energy” to the side.

On all the evidence above, and considering he’s only 21, Levy could secure Spurs their long-term solution in he problem right-back position with a swoop for the £18m-rated Championship dynamo.

AND in other news, Levy could pile more misery on Spurs by hiring 47 y/o with a 30% PL win rate…

There were tears of joy for South Korea after a 2-1 victory that took them into the last 16 and Cristiano Ronaldo actually contributed to their win.

There were tears streaming down Son Heung-min's face at the Education City Stadium.

He wasn't the only South Korean crying. Several of his team-mates, and hundreds of their compatriots in the stands, had been reduced to an emotional mess by the most dramatic of finales to Group H, with the Taegeuk Warriors defeating Portugal with an injury-time winner from Hwang Hee-Chan to pip Uruguay to second place on goal difference.

The Koreans appeared to be going out with a whimper after conceding an early goal to Ricardo Horta. It was the worst possible start, and yet they responded in the best possible way, with Kim Young-Gwon pouncing on a corner that deflected off Cristiano Ronaldo to level the game before Hwang Hee-Chan popped up with an injury-time winner after a stunning surge from Son.

As for Portugal, they still progressed as group winners, meaning they have avoided Brazil but this was a game that raised more questions over Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness after a miserable evening for the forward.

Below, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from yet another dramatic night of action at a tournament full of upsets…

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  The Winners

  Son Heung-min:

  It just wasn't happening for South Korea's talisman. Time and time again, he took too much out of the ball, clearly too keen to try do it all himself, to carry his country into the last 16 on his own. But then, with just seconds to go, it finally all came together for the Tottenham man. Picking up possession wide on the right wing, but deep inside his own half after a Portugal corner, Son set off. Three Portuguese defenders were drawn to him and he waited until the perfect moment to slip the ball through Diogo Dalot's legs and into the path of Hee-Chan, who did the rest to spark wild scenes of celebration. And no neutral would begrudge Son this magical moment. He did well to even make it to the World Cup, after suffering a facial injury on the eve of the tournament; now he's just played his part in one of the greatest victories in South Korean football history.

  Ricardo Horta:

  Good things come to those who wait. Ricardo Horta was still only a teenager when he made his Portugal debut in 2014. It seemed that he had a long international career ahead of him. Yet this was just his seventh cap for his country, and only his second goal. Horta's long path to Qatar will only have made his well-taken opener all the sweeter.

  Paulo Bento:

  It all worked out in the end for Paulo Bento, but oh how he suffered! The South Korea coach, a former Portugal international, was forced to watch this game in the stands after being sent off after the full-time whistle in his side's loss to Ghana. It looked like he was going to endure more frustration here too, but Hwan, one of his substitutes, changed everything. The sight of Bento being reunited with his jubilant coaching staff and players after the game is one of the most endearing images of the tournament to date.

  South Korea's fans:

  They just never stopped singing, bouncing and beating their drums. And it'll be some time before they stop celebrating this epic victory. They tempted fate by mocking Ronaldo with chants of "Messi! Messi! Messi!" but they got away with it. This was on off day for the great man but a historic one for South Korean supporters, who absolutely lost it when the Uruguay-Ghana game concluded.

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  The Losers

  Cristiano Ronaldo:

  The slow walk to the touchline said it at all. Cristiano Ronaldo was not happy and that was hardly surprising. Given he had been an injury doubt beforehand, it was a surprise to see the five-time Ballon d'Or winner start this game, and he might wish he hadn't. It was a miserable evening for Ronaldo, who struggled to get into the game early on, having just three touches inside the opening quarter. He then played a key role in Korea's equaliser, accidentally deflecting a corner into the path of Kim Young-Gwon. Thereafter, Ronaldo struggled to stay onside and appeared to have a few words with Cho Gue-Sung as he reluctantly left the field just after the hour mark. Fair to say that the real Ronaldo has yet to turn up in Qatar as he goes in search of the two goals that will take him above Eusebio as Portugal's all-time top scorer at World Cups.

  Rafael Leao:

  This felt like the ideal occasion for Fernando Santos to unleash Rafael Leao from the off. However, the AC Milan attacker once again had to make do with a seat on the bench. One can understand that approach to a certain degree. Leao's lightning pace should be a great asset against tiring legs but the 23-year-old failed to push his claims for a starting spot during his half-hour cameo.

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  Portugal Ratings: Defence

  Diogo Costa (7/10):

  Was given plenty to do and stood up well to the challenge. Nothing really he could have done about either goal, having been let down by those in front of him.

  Diogo Dalot (7/10):

  Terrific start to the game, creating Horta's goal before then standing up brilliantly to Son Heung-min when the Korea forward was running directly at him. Very nearly put Portugal back in front with a good strike, after a tremendous first touch, shortly before half-time. But he was nutmegged by Son in the dying seconds and that proved costly…

  Pepe (6/10):

  Laid the foundations for the opener with a terrific ball over the top for Dalot to latch onto but had some shaky moments. Still a fierce and fearsome competitor at this level but a potential weak link going forward.

  Antonio Silva (5/10):

  A decent run-out but not as impressive as his veteran central defensive partner. He'll be replaced by Ruben Dias in the last 16.

  Joao Cancelo (6/10):

  Some nice touches here and there but still struggling to replicate his Manchester City form.

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  Midfield

  Matheus Nunes (6/10):

  Repeatedly showed off his good technique but didn't make the most of a decent opening just before the interval. Hauled off midway through the second half.

  Ruben Neves (6/10):

  Terrific cross-field pass to Cancelo probably the highlight of his game before being replaced in the 62nd minute.

  Vitinha (7/10):

  Decent strike from distance after a corner and there was a lovely link-up with Ronaldo at one point. But probably didn't do enough to earn himself a starting spot in the last 16.

Dave inviting a young PSG shirt-wearing fan to the stage at Glastonbury 2019 to join him for a renditon of 'Thiago Silva' will go down as one of the …

• Dave & AJ Tracey – 'Thiago Silva'

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• Dave – ‘Attitude’

• Skepta – 'English Breakfast'

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• AJ Tracey – ‘You Don’t Know Me’

The United chief doesn't have the greatest of reputations for his moves in the market, but which signings have been a success and which have failed?

He has overseen 30 senior signings at a cost of almost £750 million over the last six years, but Ed Woodward is still struggling to prove he has what it takes to be a successful football administrator at Manchester United.

The executive vice-chair has been widely pilloried for some of his transfer market moves since taking over from David Gill in 2013 as United’s boardroom chief, even attracting the criticism of former manager Louis van Gaal recently.

“At Manchester United, Ed Woodward was installed as CEO – somebody with zero understanding of football who was previously an investment banker,” Van Gaal told . “It cannot be a good thing when a club is run solely from a commercially-driven perspective.”

So what has Woodward added in the way of positives in the transfer market and what have been his biggest failures? Here, Goal  ranks all of United’s signings since the summer of 2013.

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  30. ALEXIS SANCHEZ – from Arsenal (swap deal)

  Five goals in 45 appearances was not the kind of return United had in mind when they swapped £35m-rated Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Alexis Sanchez in January 2018 and handed the Chilean a record £390,000 weekly wage plus significant appearance bonuses.

  Not only has Sanchez failed to deliver on the pitch in his 18 months at Old Trafford, but his unprecedented pay packet has boxed United into a corner with the rest of the first-team squad. The decision to break the back for the 30-year-old has created disharmony and conjecture at every level of the club and the sooner they get him off the bill and start from scratch once more, the better.

  Rating: 1/10

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  29. ANGEL DI MARIA – from Real Madrid (£60m)

  Angel di Maria was not Louis van Gaal’s choice in the summer of 2014. But with Real Madrid offloading the misfiring Argentine, Woodward found the chance to sign a notable world star to be too big a chance to turn down, whatever the footballing fallout. His £59.7m signing was a British transfer record.

  "I was satisfied, because he was a creative player, but I had other players on the list,” Van Gaal told . “Di María had a problem with the English football culture and the climate. You cannot buy players and know, for sure, that they can deliver.”

  Di Maria didn’t deliver, and within a year he had engineered a move to Paris Saint-Germain at a £15m loss to United having netted four goals in 32 games.

  Rating: 1/10

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  28. MEMPHIS DEPAY – from PSV (31m)

  Memphis Depay was the marquee signing of the summer of 2015 as Louis van Gaal looked to push his side on to the next level after Champions League qualification the previous season. But the Dutch attacker would instead become a symbol of a failed era.

  The £30.6m signing was a perennial substitute within six months of his arrival, with the emergence of Jesse Lingard squeezing him out of Van Gaal’s favoured XI. And a dramatic fall from grace was completed in January 2017 when Jose Mourinho allowed him to leave for Lyon having made only one start – in the League Cup – in half a season under the new manager.

  Rating: 2/10

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  27. RADAMEL FALCAO – from Monaco (£6m loan)

  Only strictly a loan addition, the entire package of Radamel Falcao’s one-year spell at Manchester United is well worth a closer look. United paid Monaco £6m for his temporary addition and the player earned in excess of £260,000 a week as part of the deal.

  It didn’t go altogether well. Falcao made just 14 league starts and scored only four goals in 29 total appearances before United turned down the opportunity to pay £43.5m for his permanent transfer and the striker headed out on loan to Chelsea instead.

  Rating: 2/10

This has been a very disruptive week for Wolverhampton Wanderers, not just because of the failed European Super League plans but also because of their manager.

Once again, Nuno Espirito Santo is attracting interest from one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. Arsenal were keen on the 47-year-old before they appointed Mikel Arteta, but now it’s their north London neighbours Tottenham who are considering him as their replacement for Jose Mourinho.

Nuno issued a defiant response on Friday, hinting that he’d be staying put in the Midlands. Before any talks can happen, though, they will need to negotiate the test of Burnley on Sunday lunchtime.

Wolves have begun to find their rhythm again in recent weeks and have now won their last two games without conceding a goal.

They’ll hope that continues when they face the Clarets this weekend but how will they line up? Here’s what we’re predicting…

We’re tipping Nuno to make only two changes from the side which beat Sheffield United 1-0 last time out.

Willian Jose scored his first goal for the Old Gold that night and hence keeps his place as the leading striker.

There is a place for the £80,000-per-week Fabio Silva, however, who replaces Daniel Podence in the starting XI. The club’s record signing has a goal and an assist in his last three matches, whereas the 25-year-old has struggled since returning from injury. He failed to provide a single key pass in the win over the Blades and was hauled off in the 72nd minute having surrendered possession 19 times.

The other change is in midfield, where Leander Dendoncker drops out in favour of Vitinha. The Belgian is a robust presence but hasn’t offered very much from an offensive point of view.

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Considering that he’s playing next to Joao Moutinho, another more defensive type of player, they could do with some added creativity in the form of Vitinha. He supplied a late chance for Adama Traore in their last game and deserves to finally earn a start.

Ruben Neves is still missing as he sits in isolation, while the likes of Jonny, Pedro Neto and Raul Jimenez remain long-term absentees.

AND in other news, Forget Jonny: Shi must complete Wolves swoop for £17m beast who can “play like Alaba”…

Who are the highest earners in Major League Soccer and how much do they make? Goal runs through the 10 best-paid players in the league

Who are the top earners in Major League Soccer?

The MLS players' association released the salary numbers for the spring last week, and Goal has been diving into the numbers. 

Predictably, the top 10 earners in the league are all well-known players with global names, and the top club in the league from 2017 is well represented in the top 10 earners for 2018. 

Equally predictable is the makeup of the top 10, with only two players on the list – both Americans – not either a playmaker or an out-and-out forward for their club.

Check below to see who all made the 2018 list of the top 10 earners in MLS. 

• John E. Sokolowski
  

  10Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC

  At $7.1 million (£5.3m/€6m) per year, the former Juventus star is at the top of the heap in terms of total compensation. 

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• Orlando Ramirez
  

  9Michael Bradley, Toronto FC

  Toronto hold the top two spots, with the former Roma man coming in at $6.5m (£4.8m/€5.5m) in 2018. 

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  8Carlos Vela, LAFC

  The top earner outside of Toronto, the Mexican star will make a whopping $6.3 million (£4.7/€5.3m) in his first year in the league. 

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  7Bastian Schweinsteiger, Chicago Fire

  The World Cup winner is the highest-earning German player in the league and will earn $6.1 million (£4.5m/€5.2m) in 2018. 

With the 2017-18 Premier League season coming to an end, Goal takes a look at a standout XI, including PFA Player of the Year Mohamed Salah

• GK – David de Gea | Man Utd

  If there was a fixture to encapsulate David De Gea's campaign it would be Manchester United's 1-0 defeat at Brighton, in which the 27-year-old made a string of exceptional saves before ultimately being let down by his uninspiring United team-mates. It's difficult to imagine where United may have finished the season without De Gea protecting their goal.

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  RB – Kyle Walker | Man City

  Kyle Walker has enjoyed a fine first season with Manchester City, proving his decision to leave Tottenham in the summer was the correct one. "I want to be the best in the world," Walker told . "Everyone wants to be the best in the world and that's what I want to strive to do. With his [Guardiola's] knowledge, experience, hopefully he can get me to that."

• CB – James Tarkowski | Burnley

  Burnley will be playing Europa League football next season. Sean Dyche's side are promised a finish of at least seventh, qualifying them for next year's competition, while James Tarkowski has been shortlisted in the Premier League Player of the Season contenders. The 25-year-old's imapct at Turf Moor this season has been so great that he was rewarded with his first England cap during the Three Lions' friendly meeting with Italy in March and holds an outside chance of a spot at the 2018 Russia World Cup.

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  CB – Jan Vertonghen | Tottenham

  Ever-present in Spurs' defence this season, Belgium international Jan Vertonghen has formed a strong partnership with Davinson Sanchez to help the London side edge towards a top-four finish.

Former Newcastle United and England midfielder Rob Lee has told Football FanCast that Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez is a liability in possession.

The £42m Colombia international has struggled at times this season alongside various centre-back partners.

Jose Mourinho has played Sanchez alongside Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld, and Joe Rodon throughout the season, and he has looked uncomfortable throughout, particularly on the ball.

Sanchez has been so erratic that Curtis Woodhouse, the former Sheffield United and Birmingham City midfielder, claimed that he has “zero composure in anything he does” on Twitter.

Lee has agreed with him, and he believes that opposition teams will actually let Sanchez have the ball, because they’re so convinced he will give it back to them.

He told FFC: “I know what he means. He’s what I would call an old-fashioned defender. So I know what Curtis is saying.

“If I was playing against him, I’d let him have the ball, that’s what I would say. There’s certain players where you let them have it, because he’ll give it to us. There’s certain players, we had Philippe Albert, don’t let Albert have the ball, the teams playing against us, let Darren Peacock have the ball because he was our defender. I think that’s what people say about Sanchez, ‘let him have it because he’ll panic and give it us’.”

Lee does admit that the expectations for defenders and goalkeepers have changed in recent years, with players now expected to play out from the back.

But he does not think Spurs should have Sanchez in possession too often, as he will make a mistake.

He added: “I think, nowadays, defenders have to be able to play, goalies have to be able to play. It’s lunacy what goalies can do now, how they ping it, so it depends how Spurs play.

“One thing you can’t let him do is have too much of the ball.”

Sanchez has played in all of the club’s last eight Premier League games, with Spurs keeping four clean sheets and conceding eight goals.

With not a lot to play for between now and the end of the season for Wolves, they can begin focusing on how they can improve ahead of the next campaign.

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, Wolves are one of a number of teams in the race to sign Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill.

The 25-year-old has only been in the Premier League for the best part of 14 months but plenty of teams clearly like what they’re seeing from him.

Wolves have already made trips to scout Brownhill, but they have been joined by Southampton, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Aston Villa, per TEAMtalk.

The Clarets signed him for a price of £9m, so you’d imagine they’d want a similar sort of fee in order to sell. They may also need to improve on his £35k-per-week wages in order to tempt the midfield general elsewhere.

Moutinho heir in waiting

There are very few positives from Wolves’ arduous season. They are in the bottom half of the table and haven’t been able to build upon their accomplishments of being in Europe last term.

With Raul Jimenez missing through long-term injury, they’ve not been their usual selves and that’s all been encompassed in Joao Moutinho. The Portuguese midfielder oozes class but has been one of a number of Old Gold players to suffer. He has only scored once this term and has attracted criticism as such.

Wolves reporter Tim Spiers has even claimed that this could be his final campaign as a regular in the starting XI. At the age of 34, he is no spring chicken and his best days may well be numbered.

With that in mind, the Molineux outfit will need a replacement. Could Brownhill be that man? Quite possibly.

The midfielder played a starring role for Bristol City in the Championship where he was given a more advanced role. In doing so, he contributed to 15 goals and 12 assists during his final two-and-a-half seasons in that part of the world.

Brownhill was capable of cutting through opponents, producing 1.4 key passes per match during his final half-campaign in the second tier. For context, despite Moutinho’s one assist in 2020/21, he has provided 1.2 key passes per game.

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Crucial, however, is the added penetration and zip he could bring to Wolves’ midfield. Brownhill is a player who loves to run himself into the ground, something Sean Dyche was keen to stress last September. He said: “(He’s got) boundless energy, will and desire, and he’s a good footballer. I’ve been really pleased with how he’s come through.”

Since signing for the Clarets, he has added to the defensive side of his game too, playing in a deeper role when Dyche’s men don’t have possession. Indeed, that’s a similar position to the one in which Moutinho plays at Molineux.

He starts attacks from deep by winning the ball back and then laying it forward. That’s an attribute in which Brownhill has thrived since arriving in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has registered 1.4 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per match this term. In comparison to Moutinho, he is streets ahead in terms of his reading of the game. The Portugal international has only made 1.3 interceptions but importantly, wins two tackles per outing.

You can see why Brownhill would be a good replacement, though. He’s got an incisive pass but he’s also adept defensively. It might not be the most eye-catching of signings, but it would be smart business from Jeff Shi to bring in the 25-year-old.

AND in other news, Wolves must swoop for “dangerous” £37k-p/w beast with “really big potential”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals for Wolves, believes Pedro Neto can push himself to the levels Cristiano Ronaldo has reached during his career.

Neto has been Wolves’ main man since Raul Jimenez fractured his skull, and the Portugal international has registered five goals and five assists in just his second season in the Premier League.

During Ronaldo’s second season with Manchester United, he registered five goals and six assists, meaning Neto requires just one assist this season to equal what began to get Ronaldo the attention he received in England.

Wolves legend Bull believes Neto is already at a big club so doesn’t think he will be leaving any time soon either and can develop into a similarly important player for Wolves, as Ronaldo was for the Red Devils.

Speaking on Neto’s potential and whether he could replicate what Ronaldo has during his career, Bull told FFC exclusively:

“I think he can stretch to those levels, I really do.”

He added: “He’s absolutely class, he just floats across the grass and the way he stretches his legs past players is absolutely unbelievable.

“I know there’s a lot of talk saying he’ll go to a big club, but he is at a big club now with a big manager.

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“I’d say in the next 18 months to two years we will be in the top five or six.”

Neto is currently Wolves’ joint top scorer with five goals alongside Ruben Neves, but the winger is leading the way in assists with Daniel Podence closest in second with two.

The 21-year old signed a new deal in November last year to keep him at Molineux for another five years so if he was to leave like Jamie Carragher believes he will do, Wolves will be able to command a large fee.