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According to The Athletic, Tottenham can sack Nuno Espirito Santo on the cheap if they fail to finish in the top six this season.

The Lowdown: Mixed start to the season

Spurs have so far had a mixed start to the campaign. They started well, winning their first three Premier League matches 1-0, including a victory over champions Manchester City (Sky Sports).

However, they then lost three league games in a row, conceding three goals in each, before returning to winning ways on Sunday against Aston Villa.

The Latest: Levy’s backup plan

As per The Athletic, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has a contingency plan in case things do not go as they hope with their current manager.

The report stated: “The Athletic has learned that chairman Daniel Levy succeeded in reaching the agreement on his terms, notably including a clause that would benefit Spurs if their season does not go to plan.

“It is understood that should Nuno fail to deliver a top-six finish, Tottenham would be able to sack the 47-year-old midway through his two-year deal without having to pay any compensation.”

The Verdict: Great news

While there was little fanfare around the hiring of Nuno, it looks like Levy has pulled off an impressive deal here. It is a win-win situation for the north London outfit – should they finish in the top six, the season will be a success; if they fail, they can bring in another manager without it costing them an arm and a leg.

In Nuno’s case, they do have a manager with Premier League experience who has twice finished in the top seven with Wolves. To get such a deal for a solid manager is impressive from Levy and illustrates his ability to find value in the market.

In other news, this man turned down the chance to manager Spurs in the summer.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a fresh behind-the-scenes claim involving Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele and manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Days numbered?

Recent reports suggest that Spurs’ club-record signing may well be on the way out of north London permanently this summer as Conte makes his decision.

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The Evening Standard and Football Insider both back that Tottenham’s manager doesn’t see a future for Ndombele at N17, so much so that the Lilywhites will entertain offers from clubs to take him off their hands permanently.

Ndombele parting company may well be a determining factor in Conte having money to spend this summer as the club aim to boost their transfer kitty as much as possible.

The Latest: O’Rourke makes fresh Ndombele claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke believes there may have been a behind-the-scenes fall out with Conte, with the pair not seeing ‘eye-to-eye’.

He explained: “It seemed him and Conte didn’t see eye-to-eye, so they tried to rush through this January loan move back to Lyon, which was the only move they could do.

“In the summer it will give them maybe more time to explore and see if they can seek a permanent exit. It’ll all come down to price and what Spurs are looking for, but I’m sure there will be interested clubs and Lyon would love to make it permanent.”

The Verdict: Time to sell…

The France international will continue earning a salary of around £10,400,000-per-year upon returning to Spurs from his loan, if Lyon don’t make his move permanent.

An arguable drain on Spurs’ wage bill an overall funds, it is in transfer chief Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy’s best interest to successfully negotiate a sale as one of their first actions of the summer window.

His ability is obvious, with Tim Sherwood calling Ndombele a ‘maverick’ and Son Heung-min once branding the midfielder ‘unbelievable’, but his skills have always been marred by questions surrounding his application.

In other news: Conte personally approves ‘monster’ player move as Tottenham take pre-summer action, find out more here.

After it was recently reported by The Athletic that the San Francisco 49ers have a deal in place to buy Leeds United for more than £400m with an option for 100% control of the Yorkshire club to pass to 49ers Enterprises by January 2024, which includes ownership of Elland Road, it seems as though fresh details have emerged on the matter.

What’s the news?

Leeds journalist Adam Pope recently shared a post on his Twitter page with some fresh details on the proposed takeover deal.

He said: “I understand that due to a multiple of revenues the overall price to take over Leeds could rise to £500m or more depending on factors such as future spending and league status.”

Pope also said that Andrea Radrizzani’s company Aser have the option to void the deal if they wish and that the current message seems to be 49ers and Leeds are “still working closely.”

Radz buzzing

Radrizzani completed his takeover of Leeds back in May 2017, ending Massimo Cellino’s three-year spell as the club’s owner after buying a 50% stake in January of the same year.

Since then, the Yorkshire club have managed to rise from the bottom half of the Championship at the end of the 2017/18 season to a top-half finish in the Premier League last season under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance.

With the future in mind, it seems as though the club could be welcoming new owners in the near future to presumably push the club even further than they’ve managed to come under Bielsa and Radrizzani, which would surely delight a lot of Leeds fans.

However, taking into account what Pope had to say in his recent tweet, it seems as though the club’s final league position this season could have some sort of financial impact on what the takeover deal could look like.

Consequently, if Leeds can finish as high up the table as possible, this would lead to more money being put into the club, which would surely be music to Radrizzani’s ears. Not only would he have generated some fantastic results behind the scenes, keeping them in the division, but his pockets will be larger as a result.

Of course, the Italian’s first thoughts should be with the club but he will surely be motivated by the opportunity to gain an even greater source of income from Leeds’ accomplishments this term. The end goal for Radrizzani was always to cement their Premier League status and if he ends his tenure at Elland Road with that achieved, he will be a very happy man indeed.

However, the fact that Leeds are currently sitting in 15th position in the Premier League table with 16 points on the board from their opening 15 games of the season suggests that there is still some work to be done throughout the second half of the season if they want to match or even improve on their ninth-place finish in the league last season.

In other news: Time to shine: Bielsa must now unleash “superb” £17k-p/w prodigy after big Leeds blow – opinion

Newcastle United host Manchester United at home in the Premier League tonight as they go in search of their second win of the season.

The Magpies are on ten points after 18 matches and have won just one game as they sit in the relegation zone heading into the half-way stage of the campaign.

They now come up against Ralf Rangnick’s United side off the back of losing three games in succession to Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City.

St. James’ rocking

Newcastle need to get St. James’ Park rocking tonight to create an intimidating atmosphere for the Red Devils to play in and Howe could ensure that happens by unleashing Allan Saint-Maximin from the start.

The tricky winger was left on the bench against Manchester City last week and should now be brought straight back into the starting XI as he is a player who can get fans off their seats. He has the quality on the ball to lift a crowd and this could be vital to gain momentum throughout the match.

This season, the forward has averaged 1.9 shots, 1.5 key passes and 4.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League for Newcastle. He is constantly involved in the play and wants the ball at his feet in order to make things happen, which brings with it an air of excitement every time he is in possession as the fans know that there is the potential for something magical to happen.

Gary Neville previously lauded the £93k-per-week gem, saying: “To see his speed, his movement, it’s absolutely breathtaking. We were defenders in the Premier League and played against lots of good players.

“But every team now has three or four players who are unpredictable and brilliant, he’s breathtaking.”

The 24-year-old also has three goals and three assists in the league this term, which shows that he has been able to provide the end product to make him a genuine threat in the final third. He can scare defenders with his trickery and Howe must use this weapon against Rangnick’s team tonight.

This is why the Magpies boss must ensure that he is in the starting XI ready for kick-off at 8pm. He can get the St. James’ Park crowd rocking with his direct running and that could give the team the boost they need to pull off a shock result under the lights.

AND in other news, Howe must ruthlessly axe “laughable” NUFC dud who Shearer dubbed worse than an “U10″…

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action this evening and manager Antonio Conte is facing several decisions on his team selection.

Their north London derby against Arsenal was postponed on Sunday, so he should be able to welcome back a few players from injury that wouldn’t have featured, as one positive.

Conte’s men head to the Midlands to face Leicester City, who haven’t played in three weeks due to a number of postponements, at the King Power Stadium.

This encounter is actually re-arranged from before Christmas, so both teams have plenty of games in hand and are by no means out of the race for the top four.

But what sort of lineup could we see from the Italian tonight? Here’s what we are predicting…

It has been a week since Spurs last played as they exited the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage, tasting defeat to Chelsea over two legs. And there could be as many as four changes from last Wednesday’s defeat.

After being rested for that encounter, club captain Hugo Lloris should return between the sticks over Pierluigi Gollini, on the week in which his contract edges closer to an extension.

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The backline is likely to remain largely the same, with central defensive duo Eric Dier and Cristian Romero still absent through injury. It means left-back Ben Davies will partner Davinson Sanchez and 22-year-old Japhet Tanganga in a back three.

Emerson should continue at right wing-back but Conte will be able to welcome the return of Sergio Reguilon on the left, who replaces Matt Doherty in a straight swap.

In midfield, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg should remain and he is joined by Oliver Skipp. There is no place for either Harry Winks or Giovani Lo Celso, who are both axed to allow the midfield gem back into the side.

Further up the pitch, there is still no Heung-min Son but we may well see the return of Steven Bergwijn, who was expected to be named on the bench on Sunday.

He joins Lucas Moura and Harry Kane in the attack.

Predicted Spurs XI vs Leicester (3-4-3): Lloris; Davies, Sanchez, Tanganga; Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Emerson; Bergwijn, Moura, Kane

AND in other news, Spurs now “interested” in £10m gem with “enormous ability”, he could be the new Walker…

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, the future of defender Gary Cahill is far from certain heading into the last few days of the January transfer window. The 33-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and has done so since 2012, although struggles for regular game time under new Blues boss Maurizio Sarri this season has called his future at the West London outfit into question.

And a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that Unai Emery’s Arsenal are seeking a move for the experienced defender this month, as should Everton manager Marco Silva as he seeks to navigate his way through what is proving to be a testing time in his Toffees reign.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the appointment of 41-year-old Silva was met with much anticipation in the summer as Everton sought to move on following the reign of Sam Allardyce, with the highly-rated Portuguese chief seen as the man to help take the Toffees forward and closer to the Premier League’s top six.

And while he made a fine start to life at Goodison Park, with his side sat sixth in the division at the start of December, things have gone awry since then with just two wins from their last ten Premier League matches, alongside an FA Cup exit at the hands of lower league opposition at the weekend.

As such, the pressure appears to be building on the Everton manager given they have lost five of their last seven league matches, but moving for an experienced professional like Cahill could be exactly what he needs to try and get through this tricky patch in charge.

The 33-year-old has proven to be an excellent Premier League defender ever since making the move to Chelsea back in 2012, with the Englishman in that time helping the Blues win two league titles, the Champions League, the Europa League, and indeed several domestic cup competitions – ultimately, he has won almost everything the club game has to offer.

And it was only in the 2016/17 season in which Cahill continued to underline his defensive credentials in shining in Antonio Conte’s backline to help Chelsea win the Premier League title – be it on or indeed off the pitch, the former England international would surely have a big impact.

Significantly, he would go some way to strengthening an Everton backline that have kept just one clean sheet since the end of November in the league, and have just five overall for the season to date – only one side above them in the table (West Ham) have shipped more goals so far this term.

Ultimately, things really don’t look good for Silva at present given he hasn’t been able to mastermind his side out of their recent rut – a defeat tonight against Huddersfield Town is simply inconceivable.

And with it clear that the club need big characters both on and off the field to help Silva get through this tricky patch, as well as another option in a backline that hasn’t exactly shone so far this term, making a move for linked-away Cahill makes complete sense in the final few days of the window.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Retired Scotland international Kris Commons recently claimed that Rangers should attempt to sign Billy Gilmour on loan from Chelsea in the summer and take advantage of his lack of game-time on loan at Norwich.

The midfielder has not started a Premier League game since 18 September, losing his place in the middle of the park for the Norfolk side.

Interestingly, one of the players keeping Gilmour out of the team also has strong connections with Rangers – that’s Kenny McLean.

Not only was the midfielder a reported target for Rangers in 2020, he also came through the ranks at Ibrox in the academy. He played for the under-17 team for two years before joining St Mirren, where he eventually broke through into the first team.

McLean went on to join Aberdeen and then signed for Norwich in January 2018. He made 253 Premiership appearances for St Mirren and Aberdeen, scoring 36 goals and providing 21 assists to earn himself a move down south.

The £25k-per-week beast has gone on to make a name for himself in the Championship and the Premier League with Norwich. Despite suffering relegation in the 2019/20 campaign, Canaries boss Daniel Farke hailed McLean’s Premier League performances and claimed that he is “irreplaceable”.

He said: “Kenny for me last season was unbelievably important and he has developed further. He is a versatile, all-round player with the game to play a number of positions.

“Let’s be honest, we have some players with great possession skills, or finding a key pass, or maybe delivering a set-piece. But he is probably our most complete midfielder. He is competitive, his workload and his endurance are good and he is definitely our best defensive header.

“He is aggressive in the duels and our most dynamic midfielder.

“He is also composed on the ball, and a left-footer. He offers many skills, and that physicality at this level is irreplaceable for us. If you can dominate the ball in a game then maybe the defensive skills are not as important.”

The Scotland international has played 112 times for Norwich since the move from Aberdeen, playing 45 times in the Premier League and winning two Championship titles. In that time, he has scored eight goals and provided 15 assists from a deep-lying midfield position.

This suggests that he has the quality required to be a top-class player for Rangers, as he has proven his ability in the top two tiers in England and in the Premiership with St Mirren and Aberdeen. Therefore, the Gers fumbled the ball by opting against keeping him in their academy at the start of his career.

Instead of ending up in England with Norwich, McLean could have come through the academy at Ibrox and bossed the midfield for years at Rangers. They could also have brought him through into the first team before making a decent chunk of change by selling him on, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £4.05m in 2019. Instead, they axed him from the academy and watched on as he has enjoyed a fairly successful career.

He’s one who slipped through the cracks at Ibrox…

AND in other news, Imagine him & Aribo: Wilson could land dream Rangers midfield with “fabulous” maestro…

Every day of every week somewhere in the world, football matches are being played to the delight of football fans all over the globe. This is also something that makes avid football gamblers happy. For the most avid football gamblers in the UK, having an opportunity to bet on football matches every day is a dream come true.

Unfortunately, too much online betting on too many football games could lead to gambling addiction. Yes, there are people in the online sports betting world who have trouble controlling their online gambling activities. By some estimates, that could be about 6% of the online gambling population in the UK, even around the world.

In the worst of gambling addiction cases, treatment and counselling would be the right call. Almost all addicts have something they need to sort out before they can set aside their addictive behaviours. Once they get the help they need, they should restrict themselves from ever gambling again.

Of course, online problem gambling issues don’t always lead to gambling addiction. Sometimes a problem gambling issue is nothing more than a sign that may be a break from online gambling would be a good idea.

Taking a Break with GamStop

As the UK’s number one gambling regulator, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) works hard to make sure the UK gambling industry is doing its part to protect kids and vulnerable problem gamblers. Within the online gambling community, the UKGC’s GamStop Self-exclusion scheme sits front and centre in the nation’s effort to deal with gambling addiction.

The beauty of the GamStop program lies in its simplicity. For UK online gambling operators, GamStop membership is mandated by the UKGC as a condition of licensing. To become a compliant member, operators only need to pay a subscription fee and place an accessible link on their respective websites.

For UK online gamblers, the voluntary registration process is free and only takes a few minutes to complete. All they have to do if they want help taking a break from their online gambling activities is to provide some basic personal information and choose a self-exclusion period with options ranging from 6 months to 5 years.

Once registration has been completed, the registered GamStop gambler will get the break they need. There is nothing that will stop the football online gambler from settling in as nothing more than a football fan. That is unless they decide self-exclusion is not for them. If and when that happens, the GamStop football gambler will have to make decisions.

Getting Around UK Self-Exclusion

Since GamStop registration is voluntary and a short-term self-exclusion option, there is nothing that prevents the GamStop gambler from changing their mind. If they change their mind, they will immediately have to face the fact that using licensed UK gambling websites won’t be an option. They will also find out there are ways to get around GamStop scrutiny until their self-exclusion period ends.

Leading the way of non GamStop alternatives would be UK gambling sites that are not GamStop members and or are not licensed by the UKGC. The reality is they are lots of non GamStop UK betting sites for online wagering available to gamblers trying to avoid GamStop scrutiny. Even better many of these sites are terrific alternatives because they are reliable and work hard to maintain stellar reputations.

If a GamStop gambler isn’t comfortable with this option, they might find other options more appealing. Here are some other non GamStop options worth mentioning:

Crypto-only casinos do not do much in the way of customer verifications Other offshore jurisdictions are quite welcoming of UK gamblers (VPN might be needed) Some operators have weak account verification protocols Retail gambling establishments in the UK have no connection to the GamStop scheme It’s acceptable to open new accounts under other identities with the permission of the new accountholder

For the avid football fan who decides to take a GamStop break, the hope is a short break will be all that’s necessary before they can safely start betting on football matches again. They may do so with licensed UK sports betting operators and their self-exclusion period expires.

Photo by Unsplash

Wolves have reportedly submitted a transfer bid for Tottenham wing-back Matt Doherty, as they look to bring him back to Molineux this month.

The Lowdown: Doherty struggles at Spurs

The 29-year-old traded Wolves for Spurs in 2020, having been a hugely popular figure at Molineux, making 302 appearances and scoring 28 goals, proving to be an absolute bargain for the meagre £81,000 fee he cost the club in 2010.

Things haven’t gone well for Doherty at Spurs, however, with the Republic of Ireland international struggling for playing time and appearing just 39 times to date.

It appears as though the defender will be allowed to leave in the January transfer window and an exciting update has now emerged from a Wolves perspective.

The Latest: Wolves submit bid

According to Football Insider, a recruitment source has informed them that Wanderers have made an official bid for Doherty, as they look to seal a reunion with him.

Wolves and Spurs are ‘set to hold talks’ over a move, although it isn’t specified if the transfer will be a loan or permanent deal.

The Verdict: Great news for Wanderers

Doherty was such a consistent performer for Wolves, so the idea of him coming back to the club is hugely exciting, especially at a time where Bruno Lage’s side are thriving, winning 1-0 away to Manchester United on Monday night.

Granted, the right-back has struggled at Spurs, but sometimes a move simply doesn’t work out and coming back to the club he shone at could be ideal for all parties.

His record of 69 goal involvements as a Wolves player speaks for itself, and Lage will need more depth if they are to truly push on and become a regular challenger for European football.

Doherty, who has been hailed as ‘sensational’ by Jermaine Jenas in the past, would provide competition for Nélson Semedo at right wing-back, meaning the manager would have two quality options on both flanks with Rayan Aït-Nouri and Fernando Marçal competing on the other flank.

In other news, Tim Spiers has hinted at one player leaving Wolves. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham could sign Antonio Conte’s new N’Golo Kante in Juventus star Weston McKennie.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent months had claimed that the Bianconeri would be willing to let the USA international go in the summer, with “strong interest” from both Spurs and fellow Premier League club Aston Villa.

Italian publication Calciomercato have now claimed that the Lilywhites, led by transfer chief Fabio Paratici, have reignited their interest in the midfielder, with Juventus still willing to part ways with him.

Conte’s new Kante

The last time Conte was in the Premier League, he had a successful stint at Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea, leading them to the Premier League title with his favoured back-three formation.

Part of that team’s success came from the incredible midfield work that Kante got through in the midfield engine room, with the Blues ace playing more games under Conte than any other manager in his professional career (89).

The title-winning 2016/17 campaign saw him average a whopping 3.6 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game in the Premier League, and Conte will be looking to find his own Kante now at Spurs. In McKennie, he could find exactly that.

USA legend Alexi Lalas has already drawn comparisons between McKennie and Kante, saying: “He could be a new Gattuso for Pirlo, who played with the original and knows how important it was for the balance of that AC Milan (team).

“McKennie has something of Gattuso but also of (N’Golo) Kante and (Arturo) Vidal. As they say here: beauty and the beast both serve to win.  And McKennie, as well as a conqueror of balls, also has excellent skills in the construction of the game and with his head he is always dangerous.”

Hailed as a “leader” by David Wagner, the American’s performances in the Bundesliga for Schalke earned him a high-profile move to Juventus, where his former boss Andrea Pirlo was a big fan of the 23-year-old.

Calling him a “rock”, the Italy icon added: “He’s young and can improve a lot. In my opinion, he’s a midfielder who can play as a No 8 in a three in midfield, right or left. He gets in the box and scores goals but he’s also very good at winning the ball back.

“His role is in a three in midfield as one of the two players on either side of the regista. Last year we played in a different system, so he had to adapt.”

As per WhoScored, McKennie has an impressive career average of 1.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, while also managing just under one shot and key pass per match – a real indication of how he could be used not only as a midfield destroyer, but as a more box-to-box threat too.

The “outstanding” £22.5m-rated star’s prospective arrival would surely have Spurs fans buzzing, and give Conte someone around whom he could build his midfield like he did with Kante at Chelsea.

Meanwhile, this Spurs star was disappointing against Vitesse…