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Tottenham Hotspur are set to consider the future of Serge Aurier in the coming weeks, though one potential outcome could spell absolute calamity…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, both Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and his manager Jose Mourinho will sit down to discuss plans for the Ivory Coast right-back as well as Erik Lamela.

It comes just as they turn their attentions towards offering Heung-min Son a bumper pay rise.

They also claim that Levy has an unwritten rule in that he does not allow players to enter the final two years of their contracts to avoid losing them on free transfers, so it is reasonable to suggest that Aurier could either be sold this January or handed a new deal himself.

The 27-year-old has just under 18 months to run on his current contract.

Contract calamity

Perhaps surprisingly, Aurier has started Spurs’ last two Premier League outings  – a 6-1 mauling of Manchester United, in which he scored and assisted, as well as that thrilling 3-3 draw with West Ham at the weekend.

However, this could well be a mere purple patch as the right-back has all too often been the root of many defensive problems, whether that be through silly fouls, lapses in concentration or outright stupid mistakes.

Not to mention the controversy surrounding the former PSG man breaching the UK’s lockdown rules back in May.

It is why Mourinho brought in Matt Doherty from Wolves this summer.

The Special One even admitted to Aurier, in front of all his teammates, that he was “afraid” of his defending during one episode of Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing‘ docuseries.

As per SofaScore, Aurier lost possession an average of 16 times per match in the Premier League last season and also committed 1.2 fouls per game. He even conceded two penalties in just 31 starts.

Many pundits have criticised him since his move to north London too – Teddy Sheringham once lambasted him as “erratic” whilst Alan Pardew believes these poor moments come down to his arrogance.

Throughout the summer, he was linked with moves to AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen, according to Sky Sports, so there’s a good chance that someone will take a punt on him again given the winter window is just a few months away.

Aurier is valued at €20m (£18m) by CIES Football Observatory, so Levy must consider cashing in instead of sleepwalking into the long-term disaster that would undoubtedly come with handing him fresh terms.

AND in other news, £45.5m-rated LIABILITY must be on borrowed time after latest Spurs clanger…

Tottenham Hotspur have entered negotiations with Inter Milan to sell Tanguy Ndombele this summer, reports say. 

Ndombele has struggled to settle down under Jose Mourinho this season and the Spurs duo have a fractured relationship which is seemingly beyond repair at this point.

According to Fabrizio Romano via The Guardian, Tottenham are in talks with Internazionale to sort out a deal for the club’s record signing in the summer.

Ndombele, 23, has largely failed to live up to expectations in his first season in the Premier League since joining Spurs from Lyon last year, as he has only started 12 games in the English top flight so far.

While Mourinho claimed that he is confident the Frenchman can turn his form around, he seems to have changed his mind.

Although Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has insisted he is not up for sale in the transfer window, this turn of events marks quite a dramatic U-turn.

The Italian transfer guru claims the Lilywhites will accept €50m (£45m) for the French international, which is a fraction of the price Levy originally paid for him to part ways with Lyon.

Recent reports revealed Inter are prepared to try and prise Ndombele away from north London by using Marcelo Brozovic to sweeten the deal.

While Antonio Conte has made it clear that the Croatian World Cup finalist is considered surplus to requirements, it appears the Nerazzurri want to use Slovakian defender Milan Skriniar as part of a swap deal instead.

The Portuguese privately believes Skriniar is an ideal replacement for Jan Vertonghen, who left north London at the beginning of the week.

Ndombele may be about to follow suit, as Mourinho is fed up with the Frenchman’s lack of effort on the training pitch.

The transfer saga has rumbled on for several months and the only way it will get resolved is if one of them leaves the club. Skriniar is highly rated by Mourinho, who won’t be leaving Spurs anytime soon, and he may not get a better opportunity to trade the mercurial midfielder for another top-class player.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sell Ndombele in the summer? Let us know down below!

West Ham have been tipped to make another offer for one of their reported transfer targets this week and there’s a good chance it gets accepted for the right amount.

What’s the word?

According to A Bola, via Sport Witness, the Irons may submit a €25m (£22.5m) offer for Sporting Lisbon attacker Jovane Cabral after previously having a €15m (£13.5) bid knocked back by the Portuguese outfit.

It’s claimed that this amount would be enough to tempt the club into a sale this summer with Ruben Amorim keen to reinvest the funds with summer additions of his own.

David Moyes may only have to stump up €20m (£18m) with the rest following in add-ons, which is a bonus too.

Fernandes influence

Cabral is one of the most exciting prospects in Liga NOS right now and of course, coming from the famed Lisbon academy is also a benefit – following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Joao Moutinho.

In fact, his potential impact in the Premier League could be similar to that of Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United, a superstar who has been somewhat a mentor to the 22-year-old.

Speaking to Canal11, via Inside Futbol, the Red Devils playmaker revealed that he still texts his former teammate with advice – even if it’s negative. He said: “In my opinion, he did not have a great game because I know Jovane’s quality and I think he can give more.”

The Cape Verde international has played just 19 times this campaign but has still managed to provide six goals and two assists whilst averaging 2.9 shots and 2.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

He shoots more than Hammers’ top goalscorer Michail Antonio (2.8x per game).

Clearly, he likes to put himself about and attack his man out wide, though he’s also been deployed through the middle since the departure of Fernandes in January.

Portugoal.net have dubbed Cabral as a “wing sensation” who can be the heir to Gelson Martins’ throne – though its the Hammers who should swoop for him as a potential replacement for Felipe Anderson, who is on the chopping block this summer.

AND in other news, West Ham bid for Championship STAR spells trouble for Ryan Fredericks…

Former France international Robert Pires has said that Sabri Lamouchi is content at Nottingham Forest.

The current Reds boss is coming up to his one-year anniversary with the club after replacing former manager Martin O’Neill in June 2019 just 18 minutes after the Irishman was sacked (via BBC Sport).

Pires, a former teammate of Lamouchi, recently spoke about his own managerial career, admitting that he isn’t sure where he’ll end up. “You can’t know where you’ll go as a manager,” the Frenchman told Vosges Matin (via Sport Witness). “I’ll give the example of Sabri Lamouchi, who’s very happy at Nottingham Forest.”

The Reds will resume their Championship season fifth in the table, with a place in the play-offs very much in reach. Forest have won 16 games so far this term and have accumulated 60 points, putting them just behind Brentford on goal difference (as per TransferMarkt).

If Lamouchi can lead his side to the play-offs, it will be the first time in nine years that the club have fought for a spot in the Premier League. Bagging the third promotion spot is a strong possibility for this good-looking Forest side, and if they succeed it will be a long-awaited return into the top flight, in which they last played way back in 1999.

How would you rate Lamouchi’s influence on the team so far, Forest fans? Have your say in the comments below…

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly ‘close’ to becoming the new boss of Newcastle United, according to Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness).

As per the outlet, the former Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Espanyol coach has apparently rejected ‘many offers’ because he would like to return to managing in the Premier League.

St. James’ Park could well be his next destination, if the proposed takeover in the North East is eventually approved by the top flight.

Talks are still ongoing over whether the prospective £300 million deal between Amanda Staveley’s Saudi Arabian-led group and Mike Ashley will be given the approval by England’s highest division given some of the delays that has meant that the whole situation still remains unclear.

For example, it is not yet clear as to whether the would-be owners have passed the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) set out by the league, as they have to determine as to whether the buying side are both fit and proper people.

As well as Staveley, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) and the billionaire Reuben brothers, who are originally from India but based in London, are all aiming to take ownership of the Tyneside club.

Pochettino could well be a target of theirs to potentially replace Steve Bruce given his relatively impressive previous record in the Premier League, as he has won over half of the 256 games that he has managed in the top flight for the Saints and Spurs combined (via Transfermarkt).

However, everything is still speculation at this moment in time as the bid is not guaranteed to go through as of yet.

Geordies, would you like Poch as your manager for next season? Comment below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

It was so close, yet so far for Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in his attempts to win the Ballon d’Or.

The Netherlands international had been amongst the favourites prior to the ceremony and some, such as his boss Jurgen Klopp, backed him to win the individual award. However, in the end, it was the diminutive FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi who won the trophy, collecting it for the sixth time in his glorious career.

The difference between the two could barely have been smaller. As the Argentina international picked up 686 points in the voting, the Reds centre-back amassed 679. Eight more people actually chose the former Southampton man as their first choice over Messi, and it is the smallest margin of victory he has had in any of his six triumphs.

The 28-year-old will have no doubt been disappointed to have come within touching distance of being crowned the best player on the planet, especially after such a fantastic year. He was a part of the best defence in the English top flight, with Liverpool conceding just 22 goals with him as part of their back four. Not only that, he played a big role as the Reds lifted the Champions League in June in Madrid. He also impressed on the international stage, captaining the Oranje to the UEFA Nations League final against Portugal, a game they would eventually lose 1-0.

Keeping up with Lionel Messi, though, is a tough task for anyone. The 32-year-old scored an astonishing 51 goals in 50 matches last term, providing 22 assists along the way. His amazing performances helped the Catalan club win La Liga, too.

In the end, it may have been the smallest margins in the Premier League that kept van Dijk’s hands off the golden ball. Liverpool finished one point behind Manchester City in the end, becoming the team with the most points not to win the league. They even led by seven points at one stage, but they were unable to hold on.

Would things have been different had John Stones been 11mm too late at the Etihad Stadium at the start of the year? Who knows. But had the Reds picked up the trophy at the end of the campaign, then there would surely have been no question as to who would receive the ultimate individual recognition. As it is, van Dijk will have to make do with second-place, just as he did domestically last term.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans react to this leak for next season.

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

According to The Telegraph, West Bromwich Albion’s loan man Chris Willock could be allowed to join another Championship team after a lack of senior game time at the Hawthorns so far this season.

What’s the word?

The young winger joined the club on deadline day from Benfica on a season-long loan but is yet to make a senior appearance for the Baggies this campaign.

He’s not even been able to feature in a matchday squad, resulting to appearances for the U23s only.

Last week he continued his rich vein of form by providing his fifth assist of the season in the Premier League 2, he’s also netted four times, per Transfermarkt.

It is believed that his parent club are open to him staying in England and moving mid-season in order to garner some first-team playing minutes.

Squad depth setback

Although Willock is yet to feature in the senior setup, his departure would be quite the loss in January.

As the Championship embarks into the new decade, squad depth is going to prove crucial for Slaven Bilic, and that’s excluding any potential interest other teams may have in their rampant ranks.

There’s also the matter of Grady Diangana, who can be recalled by West Ham over the course of a two-week period if they so wish. It remains to be seen if they will indeed exercise that right, and if he does return, then Willock will undoubtedly be needed.

The 21-year-old is also able to play the number ten role which offers further back up to Matheus Pereira so his presence is one that could increase as the seasons draws on.

Bilic may need to plead with Benfica to keep hold of him, especially after it was reported that the club wanted to sign him permanently anyway.

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In other news, West Brom fans have been praising one of their striking options…

It was a stunning season for Liverpool last time out.

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They broke the record of the most points earned without winning the title in the competition’s history. 97 wasn’t enough to topple Manchester City at the very top, who managed one more, but the race to the trophy showed just how close the Reds were.

Check out footballers’ biggest fashion disasters in the video below…

https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x7mpln3

Whilst they were unable to earn themselves the title of the best team in England, they were able to conquer all of Europe. They won the Champions League in Madrid by beating Tottenham 2-0, meaning they became the European champions for the sixth time in their history.

In Jurgen Klopp’s team, there were plenty of star performers. So much so, 10 of the Anfield outfit’s players have been nominated for the UEFA Fans’ Team of the Year award. They are Alisson, Andrew Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum.

However, it appears a lot of the club’s supporters are unhappy with the fact Joel Matip was not included. He played 31 matches in all competitions last term.

The fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

In other news, Liverpool should take these words of warning from 65 y/o seriously.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Wolverhampton Wanderers progressed into the knockout stages of the Europa League on Thursday evening despite seeing a victory snatched from their grasp.

Nuno Santo’s side drew 3-3 with Portuguese outfit SC Braga, but they went into the break two goals to the good – Raul Jimenez’s 13th-minute header cancelled out the home side’s early opener before Matt Doherty and Adama Traore scored in quick succession.

The performance of the enigmatic wide man was nothing short of exceptional as he continues to prove that he can do it on the biggest stage.

And not for the first time this season has he stood out amongst others in this Wolves squad, who themselves look to go one better than last season’s emphatic seven-placed finish.

Traore cost the club £18m back in the summer of 2018 from Middlesbrough and ever since then he has split opinion amongst sections of the Molineux crowd.

The 23-year-old was blasted as a ‘waste of money’ at the tail end of last season while his criticism took on a dumbfounded level after he was slammed for forgetting his passport early in their Europa League qualification campaign this term.

Now look at him. He’s tearing up this very competition each matchday, proving to actually be quite the bargain.

Against Braga – per SofaScore – Traore recorded the joint-most amount of successful take-ons of any player in the competition this year. He also had two shots at goal, registered one key pass and got himself on the scoresheet.

The Spaniard now has three goals and six assists in all competitions, becoming one of the first names on Nuno’s teamsheet having played 22 matches.

Who’d have thought that after he was slammed for his ‘lack of end product’ by BBC and SkySports pundit Danny Higginbotham earlier this year.

Those remarks are starting to look sillier by the game.

This monumental turnaround has no doubt been down to the stewardship of his Portuguese boss, but if Traore keeps it up, they’ll have to watch over their shoulder as his stock continues to rise up rapidly.

You only have to look at Nuno’s links to Arsenal to see what could possibly come in the near future.

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Meanwhile, Wolves sporting director Kevin Thelwell has had to defend Jorge Mendes’ involvement at the club this week…

Sunderland appear to be moving in the right direction on and off the field and though there is work to do on both fronts, they now look better-placed to get back into the Championship than they did in the summer.

They have received an investment of a substantial figure – believed to be £10m – which may be enough to take the club to the next level, according to Executive Director Charlie Methven.

He hasn’t put an exact estimate of what that means exactly, but the next level would mean promotion to the Championship, and it is no secret that is the aim this year, and the reason why Phil Parkinson was brought in last month.

The additional finances should serve the club well, but boasting the biggest stadium and the biggest budget doesn’t guarantee success.

The Black Cats found that out the hard way in 2018/19, when they missed out on promotion despite spending a League One record of £4m on Will Grigg, who has since returned just five goals in 32 league appearances.

As a result, the reported £10m may not be the solution to Sunderland improving on their seventh-placed position, but it certainly should put the club in better standing off the pitch.

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In reaction to the news, we asked Football FanCast writers what effect the cash injection will have on Sunderland’s chances of promotion, here’s what they said.

Billy Meyers

“While the added investment will presumably be helpful to Sunderland in many ways, I don’t know how beneficial it will be to the Black Cats’ promotion hopes.

“The Wearsiders splashed out a massive £4m on Will Grigg, only for him to have notched just one league goal so far this term, so that just goes to show that throwing money at players in League One isn’t the be-all and end-all for clubs to be successful.

“In all honesty, I don’t think it’ll have much impact, if any. Not for a few seasons at the very least.”

James Beavis

“Sunderland appear to be on something of an upward curve under new manager Phil Parkinson – especially with two home wins out of two in League One so far – but the recent investment actually may have no impact on their chances of winning promotion back to the Championship this season.

“While it is a boost that looks likely to benefit the club’s academy and the fan matchday experience, there has been no suggestion yet that any money will be pumped into improving the playing squad in the New Year.

“Of course that could feasibly change depending on where they are in the league – they currently lie five points adrift of the automatic promotion places – and Parkinson may want to add one or two new faces to his side if possible.

“If the investment does allow that to happen, to ensure they secure a top-two finish and avoid the lottery of the play-offs – something that of course cost them last term when they were beaten by Charlton Athletic in the final – then it can only be a good thing.”

Matt Dawson

“Such is the flux at Sunderland over the last couple of years that who knows what added investment will mean. After all, the way they forked out £4m for Will Grigg, who only has one goal this term, shows that it isn’t all about spending money. As sides like Luton have shown in the past, a simple togetherness and team unity is all it takes. Perhaps Sunderland should take a leaf out of the book of some of the more organised sides to get out of League One.

“One thing is for sure, however, is that it would undoubtedly boost their promotion hopes, and potential added sums of money available in January could prove game-changing. 22 goals in 15 matches isn’t the best of returns so that’s an area they may possibly look to exploit. If they do so successfully, this moment could be the catalyst for the Black Cats.

“Aston Villa were boosted by investment at the beginning of 2018/19 and ultimately reaped the rewards, achieving promotion from the Championship. That being said, although adding monetary value to a club may seem wise, it doesn’t always have the desired impact. Whatever they do end up investing, they must be wise and cautious with it.”

Kealan Hughes

“On the face of it, a £10m boost should be of significant benefit to a third-tier club, but it will only prove beneficial if the club is managed well on and off the pitch.

“Stewart Donald has previously stated that the club didn’t need financial help to get out of League One, yet he has had to sack a manager and finds his team eight points behind first-placed Wycombe Wanderers, whose success proves it is not all about money.

“Sunderland have struggled at times despite an ability to spend big and bring in the players they want, which would suggest not all is right.

“It may be a case that Jack Ross was simply the wrong man for the job, and time will tell if Phil Parkinson can turn things around. Should he do so, he will likely receive the backing he desires in January, and that’s why the money could end up proving valuable for a promotion push.”