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Tottenham Hotspur could seal their best signing since Heung-min Son following an exciting claim from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

The north London outfit are in desperate need of fresh additions this month, certainly if Antonio Conte is to stand a chance at reviving this sinking ship.

Given his tactical system – primarily deploying three-at-the-back – he needs further reinforcements to his backline, where left-back Ben Davies has been plugging a gap and the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga have had to be trusted.

One player that Spurs appear keen on is Villarreal defender Pau Torres, who rejected a move to the club during the summer window but back then, it was the underwhelming Nuno Santo in charge – rather than the trophy-laden Italian.

And Romano believes their interest is something to keep an eye on heading into deadline day in a little under two weeks time.

“Let’s see what happens with a centre-back. Tottenham want to sign a new centre-back in January. Pau Torres has always been on their list since last summer, but Villarreal have no intention to let him leave in January,” he told the ‘Here We Go’ podcast last week.

Torres’ desire may well hinge on any sort of Champions League involvement but Spurs are firmly in the race for a top-four finish and that could well be achieved with the Spaniard’s arrival.

He played an integral role for former Arsenal boss Unai Emery at the Yellow Submarines as they defeated Manchester United to clinch the Europa League title last season.

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Meanwhile, domestically, the 25-year-old colossus ranked as their fourth-best player (6.76) in La Liga last season. Across 33 starts, he proved to be an excellent ball-playing option by averaging an 87.8% passing accuracy and 0.8 dribbles per game, as per WhoScored.

“When he was small you could see he had an extraordinary talent to construct the play, I even played him for a few games in midfield, but he told me he was more comfortable at the back. Bit by bit he picked up more intensity, more strength, becoming more physical and he kept developing,” once claimed his former youth coach, ex-Villarreal midfielder Javi Calleja.

His profile is exactly the sort of one that Conte would love in his backline – an aggressive but astute on-the-ball beast to pair alongside summer signing Cristian Romero and Eric Dier.

As such, any move for Torres would surely excite the manager and fanbase alike. He’d be such a necessary addition that it could well equal the arrival of Son, who has quickly become one of Tottenham’s most reliable players over the years.

Fabio Paratici and co must seal a move for the £45m-rated Villarreal star at all costs this month.

AND in other news, “I understand..”: Sky Sports reporter drops transfer claim that’ll anger Spurs fans…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has been reacting to the injury that Liam Cooper sustained against Brentford on Sunday.  

The Lowdown: Phillips and Bamford worries

Marcelo Bielsa has had to deal with plenty of injury issues this season and may well have three more players sidelined after the 2-2 draw on the weekend.

Kalvin Phillips had to make way in the second half against Brentford, with The Daily Mail now believing that he could be out until February with a hamstring injury.

Patrick Bamford made his return to action late on against Thomas Frank’s side and managed to salvage a draw with a 95th-minute equaliser. However, he too may be back on the injury table after reportedly suffering a hamstring issue in the celebrations after the goal.

The Latest: Cooper’s injury; Whelan reacts

Cooper also had to be withdrawn early on at Elland Road against the Bees, with Bielsa unsure in regards to the extent of the Scotland defender’s injury. However, reliable reporter Phil Hay believes the Scot is facing a ‘lengthy spell out’ along with Phillips.

Whelan, who contributes as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider about the injuries to Cooper and Phillips in a story on Tuesday morning, saying: “It’s a massive worry. One’s our club captain, and the other is invaluable to how we play.”

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Whelan added: “We can’t afford this, to be missing players like them over this Christmas period, they’re vitally important.”

The Verdict: Back to square one…

Bielsa was edging closer to a fully fit squad prior to the latest triple blow, with Pascal Struijk and Robin Koch the only major first-team absentees on Sunday. However, it now seems as if the Whites could be back to square one when it comes to injuries at the worst possible time.

Leeds have five fixtures before the end of the year, and it seems as if Bamford, Phillips and possibly Cooper may end up missing some of those, leaving Bielsa searching for answers once again at a crucial stage of the season. It’s no wonder that Whelan is so worried about the Whites’ immediate prospects given the latest glut of body blows.

In other news: Leeds receive boost in quest to sign 13-cap beast who’s been hailed as a “young star”. 

With 2021 quickly winding down, it’s time to look back on what has been a very impressive year indeed for West Ham United.

David Moyes’ side produced a superb Premier League campaign last season to break up the so-called ‘big-six’ and finished in a Europa League spot, ahead of the likes of London rivals Arsenal and Spurs.

The Hammers have since followed that up with an equally impressive start to the current season, establishing themselves as contenders once again for a European place – this time perhaps for a chance in the Champions League.

However this season ends, West Ham fans will no doubt look back fondly on the entirety of 2021, and here on FFC, we’ve decided to create a bumper quiz for the most passionate of supporters to sink their teeth into.

With 15 questions to answer, can you somehow manage to get 100% and prove that you’re a REAL West Ham fan?!

Have a go below!

A number of Liverpool supporters are happy that Jurgen Klopp has hinted at fielding a weakened team in tonight’s Champions League clash with Porto.

The Reds roared back into form last weekend, beating Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield in the Premier League. After dropped points against both Brighton and West Ham, it was the perfect response by Klopp’s men, who performed like title challengers against an in-form Gunners side.

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Domestic commitments make way for European duties tonight, with Liverpool taking on Porto at Anfield, having not only qualified for the knockout stages already but even won their group with two matches to spare.

The hope is that Klopp makes plenty of changes in order to keep legs fresh amid a spate of injuries, and speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday [via journalist David Maddock on Twitter], he hinted at doing as such.

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Liverpool fans happy with Klopp’s team news hint

These Reds fans took to Twitter to react positively to the manager’s comments, claiming it would be a wise decision ahead of a busy schedule, as well as considering the costly three-month injury incurred by a flying Diogo Jota in a similar dead rubber against Midtjylland last December.

“Sense prevails”

Credit: @liamtogher88

“Bring it on. I want to see the most random starting 11 ever”

Credit: @TweetGiffen

“Good, we respected it by qualifying two games early. Play the under 12s”

Credit: @SirLeonP

“Get Carol & Caroline out on the pitch too I reckon”

Credit: @footyyuxun

“VAMOS”

Credit: @tombelcerf

“Get in, love it. Gordon, Kelleher, Morton all start I hope”

Credit: @LFCPG90

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited about a Reds transfer rumour that has emerged. Read more here.

A key Newcastle United update has emerged, regarding the club’s search for a director of football to work with Eddie Howe.

What’s the talk?

Magpies reporter Liam Kennedy has revealed that he has heard the likes of Michael Edwards, Paul Mitchell and Victor Orta mentioned as possible targets for the club’s director of football role. He has claimed that PIF will take their time with the appointment, with a number of candidates still in contention.

Speaking on the latest edition of NUFC Matters, via ThisIsFutbol, Kennedy said:

“There are other people in line. I’ve heard loads of names mentioned. Of course, we’ll have heard the lad at Liverpool, whose name escapes me at the moment [Michael Edwards]; there’s the lad [Paul] Mitchell, who used to be at Southampton who’s now at AS [Monaco], is one that is mentioned.

“I’ve heard Victor Orta mentioned – the lad at Leeds who had a meltdown the other day, I’ve seen him on Sky Sports News shouting at some fans.

“And again, it’ll be one that they take their time on, it’s a big appointment.”

Buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this update from Kennedy as it illustrates the calibre the club are aiming for. They are targeting top operators and want to ensure that they get the best possible person in to fill the role, as they will be leading the club’s football operations in the long-term and this is not an appointment they can afford to get wrong.

Edwards, in particular, is an intriguing target for the Magpies given his impressive work for Liverpool. He is due to depart Anfield at the end of the season and Newcastle could hold out and wait for him to join ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The sporting director helped to build a squad capable of winning the Champions League and Premier League for the Reds, whilst having a net spend of £130m. He is also said to have convinced the club to spend the money required to land Mo Salah, who has scored 145 goals and provided 56 assists in 224 games for the Premier League side.

To illustrate his impact on Merseyside, Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on the director for the positive contributions he has made. The German head coach said:

“If we are as fortunate and blessed as we have been so far, maybe we can create more special memories for our club in this remaining time.

“He has been a constant presence during my period at LFC and his contribution to our success is clear for everyone to see.”

This highlights the standard of candidate Newcastle are eyeing, according to Kennedy, and why fans will be buzzing with someone like Edwards being under consideration.

However, it is now down to the board to go out and ensure that they are able to convince him, or one of the other targets, to make the switch and come in to help Howe and his team.

AND in other news, 98x possession lost: Howe must brutally axe NUFC’s “manager’s dream”, he’s a passenger…

Marcelo Bielsa’s position as Leeds United manager remains ‘solid’ despite a disappointing start to the season, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds’ early-season struggles

The Whites bounced into the 2021/22 campaign hoping for a repeat of last year’s efforts, when they finished ninth in the Premier League upon their top-flight return.

Instead, Leeds currently sit 17th in the table and have only won two of their opening 10 league games, one of which came at bottom-placed Norwich City on Sunday.

Bielsa might have come under pressure because of this poor form, but it doesn’t appear as though there is any talk of him losing his job.

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The Latest: Hay provides Bielsa update

That’s according to The Athletic’s Hay, who claimed that Bielsa is still seen as the man to take Leeds forward and that results will continue to improve once key players are back from injury.

In an article for the publication, he wrote: “Within the four walls of Elland Road, Bielsa’s position remains solid. There has been no discussion about it at a high level and the prevailing view is that he will find the straight and narrow once certain players dig up their best form and injuries stop biting so deeply.”

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The Verdict: Still the right man

At a time when managers are too readily sacked – Nuno Espirito Santo has become the latest victim – it is refreshing that Leeds are not panicking when it comes to Bielsa’s future.

The Argentine has been a revelation at Elland Road, guiding the Whites back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence and leading them to a strong first season back at that level, and this dip in form doesn’t change that.

Bielsa’s contract expires at the end of the season, and barring a disaster between now and May, he remains the man to take the team forward, having made such a difference since arriving.

In other news, Hay has also provided an update regarding Leeds’ potential interest in one player. Read more here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt a major blow regarding the future of Francisco Trincao.

What’s the talk?

According to reports in Portugal (via Mundo Deportivo), Barcelona’s recently appointed manager, Xavi Hernandez, is looking for a way to bring the 21-year-old back to Camp Nou in the January transfer window, as the 41-year-old believes the winger would be an important part of his first-team squad at Barca.

However, the report goes on to mention the fact that Wolves paid Barcelona a €6m (£5m) fee to loan the Portugal international from the LaLiga side for the 2021/22 campaign, while the Premier League club also have a €30m (£26m) option to purchase the forward at the end of the current campaign.

This means that, should Xavi indeed begin negotiations with Bruno Lage’s side regarding Trincao making a return to Spain, Wolves would be entitled to some form of financial compensation.

Fans will be fuming

Considering just how impressive Trincao has been since making the move to Molineux back in July, should Wolves indeed go on to lose the services of the winger this winter, it would undoubtedly be a nightmare for the club, in addition to being something that would leave fans fuming.

Indeed, while the £19.8m-rated man is yet to directly contribute towards a goal over his eight Premier League appearances, the 21-year-old has created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game – ranking him first and fifth in Wolves’ charts for these respective statistics.

These returns have seen the player who Ronald Koeman dubbed an “excellent” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking him as Bruno Lage’s eighth-best performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that losing the services of Trincao in January would come as a massive blow to Wolves’ hopes of qualifying for Europe via a top-seven finish in the league this season, while the further prospect of not being able to sign the winger on a permanent basis will also be a devastating thought for Lage and his side.

In other news: Bruno Lage drops promising Wolves update which is sure to have fans buzzing

It was an important result for Southampton on Saturday where they managed to secure their first league win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United.

A second-half goal from Armando Broja was enough to secure the three points for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, putting them in 15th place in the league table with seven points prior to Sunday’s fixtures.

Despite the victory, there was one player that was involved against Leeds that failed to impress.

The player in question was Saints winger Mohamed Elyounoussi, who started the game against Marcelo Bielsa’s side before being taken off and replaced by Nathan Tella late on in the match.

During his time on the pitch, Elyounoussi failed to even have one shot on target while he was also unable to provide one accurate cross or long ball.

His dismal afternoon was capped off by a miss at the back post where he was unable to get his head to what would have been a simple tap in. What made matters worse was the fact he lost possession on 19 occasions and won just ten out of the 21 duels he was involved in. That ultimately earned him a rather disappointing overall match rating of 6.3/10, making him the lowest-rated Southampton player on the day that started the match, according to SofaScore.

Given how Elyounoussi, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £60k-per-week according to Spotrac, was taken out of the starting XI in Southampton’s 3-1 defeat against Chelsea, we feel as though the winger failed to repay the faith that Hasenhuttl showed in him to put him back in the starting XI against Leeds.

Southampton signed Elyounoussi back in the 2018 summer transfer window from FC Basel before sending him out on loan to Scottish club Celtic in the next summer window.

Overall, the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £10.8m according to Transfermarkt, has made just 26 appearances for Hasenhuttl’s side, scoring four goals and providing two assists along the way.

During his time at Celtic, Elyounoussi was once described as being a “passenger” by Hoops podcaster Paul John Dykes, which is how we feel he was like in the game against Leeds.

Moving forward, if Hasenhuttl decides to stick with Elyounoussi in the starting XI for their upcoming Premier League clash against Burnley next weekend, the winger will have to put in a solid display to show that he is worthy of being a regular starter for the club, or else he could find himself back on the bench, potentially for an extended period of time.

In other news: Forget Broja: £60k-p/w Southampton beast who made 6 key passes stole the show vs Leeds – opinion

According to The Guardian, Leeds United’s finances may force Andrea Radrizzani to sell Raphinha, on whom they could make a profit of more than £50m.

The Lowdown: Raphinha linked with exit

Raphinha has impressed once again so far this campaign, scoring three goals in his opening seven Premier League matches (Transfermarkt).

As such, he has been linked with a move away from Elland Road, with Liverpool in particular believed to be interested in the Brazil international’s services (via Globo Esporte).

The Latest: Leeds may be forced to sell

As per this latest report, the Whites would not be in a position financially to turn down a big offer for the former Stade Rennais man.

It is also noted Leeds could make a £50m+ profit on a player they signed for £17m just last summer (BBC).

The Verdict: Reinvest

Raphinha has proven to be a hit under Marcelo Bielsa. All in all, he has managed nine goals and nine assists in 39 appearances for the Yorkshire outfit, but those stats only show part of his influence. Against Southampton for example, Leeds were outplayed as they lost 1-0 with a whimper, and they missed the 24-year-old’s creativity and directness.

Still, a profit of £50m would see Leeds receive a fee of at least £67m, which is quite frankly huge money. In fact, that would see the club receive a 294 per cent profit that they could reinvest into other parts of the playing squad which need reinforcements. It remains to be seen where Raphinha ends up.

In other news, one former Premier League ace makes this Kalvin Phillips claim.

Newcastle United have received ‘scores of applications’ for the role of Under-23 manager, according to The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope. 

The lowdown

The Newcastle youth compete in the second division of the Under-23 Premier League. They finished bottom of the pile last season with 25 points from their 24 matches.

In August, Chris Hogg left his coaching post to take up an assistant’s role at League One outfit Milton Keynes Dons.

Newcastle academy product Gary Caldwell has taken over on an interim basis while an ‘external recruitment process’ takes place.

The young Magpies have made a solid start to the new season, collecting seven points from their first four matches to sit fourth in the table.

The latest

Hope was asked by a supporter on Twitter whether he had ideas of who the leading applicant is at this stage.

He’s ‘heard’ that there has been plentiful interest in the position.

Newcastle are considering ‘a trial period’ whereby ‘a few candidates’ are given the opportunity to take sessions with the players and demonstrate their coaching talents.

The verdict

Newcastle made some good additions to their Under-23 ranks over the summer, most notably recruiting Santiago Munoz from Mexico, Remi Savage from Liverpool and Charlie Wiggett.

It’s an exciting group who should be finishing higher up the table and catching the eye of Steve Bruce. It’s encouraging to see the club being so thorough, and fans may well be hoping that this isn’t the only coaching change on Tyneside in the coming months.

In other news, one well-placed source has issued a damning verdict of Steve Bruce.