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Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to land a new striker this summer is quickly becoming desperate with less than a week to go in the transfer window, although one name could be the solution…

What’s the word?

According to TVI24 (via Sport Witness), Spurs are one of several Premier League teams eyeing a move for Benfica forward Carlos Vinicius with the deadline looming on Monday night.

The Primeira Liga outfit are demanding €50m (£45m) to let the 25-year-old leave whilst Crystal Palace and Leicester City are also keen.

It’s also claimed that Spurs have already had a €30m (£27.5m) bid rejected for Vinicius this summer.

Jose’s new Drogba?

Spurs have one hugely congested fixture list this season having had to qualify for the Europa League group stages, so the need for a back-up or an alternative to Harry Kane is paramount.

In midweek, the north Londoners edged past Jose Mourinho’s former club, Chelsea, on penalties with Steven Bergwijn and Erik Lamela playing upfront.

Last season, Spurs rued the Englishman’s absence as they crashed out of the FA Cup and Champions League, so Daniel Levy ought to sanction a move for Vinicius as soon as possible.

At Stamford Bridge, Mourinho had a very fruitful partnership with Didier Drogba – a fast yet powerful goalscorer, who seemed to be the ideal fit for the Special One.

And this is what Vinicius could bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 25-year-old provided 24 goals and 13 assists from 47 appearances last term, via Transfermarkt, and is considered more of a “clever penalty-box poacher” than a “dominating target man,” which again is very Drogba-esque.

Kane desperately needs support and having someone with a different skillset in the 6 foot 3 monster would certainly be one way to alleviate the problems at Spurs.

AND in other news, Levy could end a six-year nightmare with swoop for “explosive” £9m man…

Name: David Brooks

Club: AFC Bournemouth

Date of Birth: 8 July 1997 

Position: Midfielder, winger

David Brooks – His career so far

David Brooks was born in Warrington, England, and at just the age of seven he was part of Manchester City’s youth academy. Brooks was a City youngster for ten years before joining Sheffield United’s youth academy in 2014. After two years and a brief loan spell at Halifax Town, Brooks broke into the Blades’ first team on 30 August 2016, making his first professional debut against Leicester City U23’s in the EFL Trophy.

Brooks made his first start for Sheffield United just over one month later, in the same competition. Just four days after his first start, Brooks was called up to the senior Wales team, by Chris Coleman, having previously represented England’s U20 team at youth level.

In the summer of 2018, Brooks caught the eye of Premier League side Bournemouth, and joined the Cherries for a £11.5m fee. The youth midfielder made his Premier League debut in the Cherries’ first game of the season, and he scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace soon after.

Unfortunately, Brooks suffered a nasty ankle injury in a pre-season friendly match against Brentford. It was later revealed that this injury would keep him out for almost eight months, and after two operations he returned to full training in March 2020.

Transfer Latest

After facing relegation with Bournemouth at the end of last season, Brooks has been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer after the Red Devils hopes of signing Jadon Sancho look to have been shattered.

Player Profile

Brooks is a very versatile footballer – he is able to play as a number ten, as well as on either side of the attacking line. He has a great dribbling ability and is able to use both feet, which makes him a solid all-rounded youngster.

Tottenham’s Eric Dier has been banned for four games after confronting a spectator during the FA Cup defeat to Norwich in March and he will now miss the clash with Arsenal at the weekend as a result.

According to ESPN, the Football Association have handed him a four-match ban after he leapt into the stands and started a fracas with a Spurs supporter who had directed insults at his brother, with security guards trying to break up the midfielder and spectator.

The Lilywhites will face the Gunners at home when one of the biggest rivalries in the country plays out again on Sunday. However, Spurs will have to go into the game without the services of Dier following his suspension, dealing a significant blow for Jose Mourinho’s plans.

The 26-year-old has played in every single minute since the Premier League restart as Tottenham bounced back from a disappointing defeat at Sheffield United by edging past Everton at home on Monday night.

After he conceded a penalty against Manchester United three weeks ago, Dier helped the defence to keep a clean sheet in the subsequent 2-0 win over West Ham and again on Monday night.

The England international, who was a favourite of Mauricio Pochettino, has played 18 Premier League games this season, supplying two assists, winning 1.2 tackles, averaging 1.1 interceptions and completing 3.1 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

Dier has never had it easy at Spurs, as he has been beset by multiple injuries, illness and mixed form over the years. However, he has established himself as a regular starter under Mourinho in recent weeks and has received high praise from the manager. He is currently valued at £18m via Transfermarkt.

The Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun all season long and now they will be without one of their most trusted players when they face the Gunners at home.

Mourinho will be well aware of the dangers posed by Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Dier’s absence could be sorely felt as they prepare for the derby on Sunday.

Tottenham fans, will Dier be missed against Arsenal? Let us know your views in the comments below!

As Jose Mourinho heads into his first summer transfer window in charge, all eyes will be on how the Portuguese man chooses to strengthen his Tottenham squad.

One of the main areas of concern will surely be on how he can better add some firepower to the north Londoners, with Spurs having been out-scored by all of the top five in the Premier League this season.

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

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And according to Telefoot’s Julian Maynard, the Lilywhites have their eyes set on Lille attacker Jonathan Ikone, with the 22-year-old potentially leaving the French side should a significant offer come in.

After hearing about the links to Ikone, Spurs fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of supporters pointed towards QPR starlet Eberechi Eze as a better option than Ikone, with one fan even calling him the “better prospect”.

Some Spurs fans revealed their frustrations at potentially signing another player from Ligue 1, and pointed to how it’s not really been a successful hunting ground for them – the likes of Clinton N’Jie and Tanguy Ndombele in particular perhaps bringing up some bad memories.

Able to play all across the front-line and just behind the striker too, Ikone could add some versatility to Spurs’ attacking options.

Whilst four goals and seven assists in 36 games for Lille doesn’t sound like a great return, at just 22, Ikone still has plenty of time to grow into a star at Tottenham.

But judging by the reaction of some of these Spurs fans, it’s not a signing that would get a lot of people excited.

Tottenham Hotspur’s club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele hasn’t even been in north London for longer than a year yet his future under Jose Mourinho is constantly in doubt, and reports this week have no doubt further fueled the fire.

However, the £55m Frenchman posted a compilation of clips from his time at the club to Instagram along with the caption “Rien à signaler” meaning ‘nothing to report.’

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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The Spurs boss has publically slammed Ndombele on more than one occasion whilst it’s claimed that La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are courting his services despite only joining in the summer.

He’s a player that has divided opinion all season amongst the fanbase and this footage has only compounded that further.

The 23-year-old has averaged just 51 minutes per appearances this season and has featured in 27 matches, contributing to a total of six goals, per Transfermarkt.

His lack of regular game time due to his fitness is predominantly the reason for any negative comments against him, but going by the video, it’s clear to see there is a superb player in him somewhere.

Here’s what fans have been saying…

AND in other news, Spurs backed to sign PL talisman but only if Kane EXITS… 

Many Everton fans have revealed the one player that they regret leaving Goodison Park, with various names being thrown into the hat.

Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti will embark on his first summer transfer window in charge of the Toffees, and it is expected that the former AC Milan and Real Madrid man will look to allow numerous player exits in order to bring his own faces.

With the potential of a busy transfer window at the Merseyside club, many fans have looked back on players who have departed in previous seasons and in doing so, an abundance of household names have emerged.

Former striker Romelu Lukaku is one that pops up more often than not when Toffees fans think of players they wanted to stay, having seen the Belgian international spend a fruitful time at the club.

Wayne Rooney is another player who has gone on to play at the highest level after playing at Everton. The former England international is now turning out for Championship side Derby County, but his career saw him gain multiple successes at Manchester United.

Rooney did return to Everton prior to a stint in Major League Soccer with DC United, but many have been left asking ‘what if’ when looking back on his time at the club.

Other names that were thrown up in the debate were players such as Gary Speed, Steven Naismith, and Gary Lineker.

Reacting to the question on Twitter by fan account @thetoffees_com, fans gave a varied response, and below are some of those…

Everton fans, which player do you wish never left? Let us know in the comments below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Andrew Robertson has turned himself into one of the best left-backs around in recent years.

Just two years ago, he was relegated to the Championship with Hull City, but was snapped up by Liverpool for £8m. Since then, he has appeared in two Champions League finals and was a creative force last season, contributing 11 assists in the Premier League. He has also seen his Transfermarkt value rise to £54m.

However, he is currently the only senior natural left-back in the squad. James Milner has played there on occasion, but he is a central midfielder by trade, meaning he is makeshift on that side of the defence.

With the Scotland international now a doubt for the Reds’ next game against Crystal Palace – he has recently stated he has not been training for the last two-and-a-half weeks because of an ankle issue, and he also pulled out of the Tartan Army’s squad for their Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Kazakhstan. Milner could step up once again, but he is not a long-term option.

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In the future, perhaps Jurgen Klopp can look towards his youth academy and Yasser Larouci in particular. The Algerian 18-year-old is still a novice and has yet to play for Liverpool’s first team, but there is plenty of buzz around the teenager at Anfield.

Larouci moved to Merseyside after having come through Le Havre’s famed academy – a place where the likes of Paul Pogba, Steve Mandanda, Benjamin Mendy, Lassana Diara and Dimitri Payet worked their way through.

Since then, he has appeared for the club’s development sides, making 55 appearances across the various different age groups. He has also tasted his first piece of silverware, as well, winning the FA Youth Cup last season.

His displays at that level clearly caught the eye of Klopp, who took him on his pre-season tour of the USA. He played in five warm-up matches, coming up against the likes of Jadon Sancho. His performance against the winger, in particular, earned him praise from the 52-year-old manager. He said:

“Being good in big spaces and in small spaces makes you a pretty interesting player – and that’s what Jadon is. Yasser [Larouci] our 18-year-old left-back played against one of the biggest talents in world football and did pretty well the whole night.”

He used to be a winger, but Under-18 coach Barry Lewtas told Goal.com: “He was a wide player when he came, but this year [2019] we’ve just wanted to have a look at him at left-back, because we think he has the attributes. He’s got great athleticism, he runs into space well, he carries the ball and he gives us great width.”

Giving he used to play further forward, he should have the same offensive drive as Robertson. Meanwhile, considering the lack of depth at his position in the first-team squad, there is no reason why he can’t be the 25-year-old former Dundee man’s understudy. Not everyone can keep Sancho at bay, after all.

Sheffield Wednesday may not have been in action over the weekend, but some of their current squad members were still on international duty.

Owls full-back Liam Palmer is starting to cement his name as one of Steve Clarke’s first-choice options, having played the full 90 minutes in each of their last three Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Scotland defeated Cyprus 2-1 on Saturday afternoon and will face a play-off in March to determine whether or not they make it to next summer’s tournament.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Footage has emerged from the pre-game build up in the tunnel, and it has left some Wednesday supporters delighted as Palmer appears to help a young Cypriot with his boots.

One member of the Hillsborough faithful said that a simple act of kindness like that showed a lot about the man while another hailed the 28-year-old as a ‘legend.’

A further fan went as far as saying he was the best full-back in the world with one more labelling the gesture as ‘class.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Everton fans have reacted to the news that summer signing Moise Kean was dropped for the trip to Southampton because of a disciplinary measure. As reported by BBC Sport, the forward was late to a team meeting for the second time this season, resulting in his absence in the matchday squad at St. Mary’s.

Kean signed for Juventus for £27.5m and has since had a torrid time since swapping Turin for Merseyside.

The Italian has started just two Premier League games so far and has not been seen in the league since the West Ham United win last month.

The 19-year-old has struggled tremendously in front of goal up until now, averaging just one shot per game in the league. Now, after many poor performances and now this incident, it seems some Everton fans are losing patience.

One supporter said he must “step up or he moves on”, whilst another fan believes his disciplinary concerns could be the reason Juventus sold him in the first place.

However, some other fans are sticking by Kean, with certain followers alluding to the potential language barrier and the fact he could be adjusting still.

Here’s what a select few have had to say on his latest troubles…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

There aren’t many bad things you can say about Leeds United’s defence this season.

Indeed, the Whites have been pretty much impeccable at the back as they’ve conceded just nine goals in 16 league matches this term.

However, their game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday highlighted one area that they need to improve in, and that may involve getting a different type of defender.

Set-piece troubles

A staggering 44% of the goals conceded by Leeds this season have come from set-pieces. That number may be hard to believe, but it’s true as four of the nine goals they’ve let in have come from dead-ball situations, including Blackburn’s strike on Saturday.

This really is the only time that Leeds’ defensive acumen isn’t in play as these phases are usually just a physical battle between individuals.

That’s the only minor issue you can point at in Leeds’ backline, they simply don’t have a towering centre-back to deal with these issues.

In fact, Leeds’ tallest defender is Liam Cooper standing at 6 foot 2, so it’s clear to see that the Yorkshire outfit don’t really have a towering defender in their armoury.

Someone like Jansson

If only there were a 6 foot 4 centre-half who United could call upon, perhaps a player with enough talent to make it into the Championship Team of the Season.

Of course, we’re alluding to Pontus Jansson, and although Leeds’ defence has been impenetrable at times this season, it’s hard to say that they aren’t missing the Swede in these situations.

Indeed, Jansson has been a defensive juggernaut in the air as he won 4.9 aerial duels per game during his last season at Elland Road. On top of that, he’s won 3.6 in 2019/20.

Now, we’re not suggesting that Leeds should bring the £5.4m-rated Jansson back, but having a taller option at the back, especially when playing as a back three is certainly something that United should look at in January.

With margin for error incredibly tight in this division, it could well be something that ensures they don’t drop off like they did last campaign.