Tottenham Hotspur have drawn a blank once again in the transfer window, but some supporters are slowly beginning to turn on Mauricio Pochettino rather than Daniel Levy over their lack of transfer activity.

Levy has often been depicted as a tight-fisted dictator, who negotiates with an stern-eyed glare which compels those joining him on the negotiating table to succumb to his demands, regardless of how unfathomable they may seem to the average chairman.

The persona which he has been created – or has been created for him by the media – has earned him gushing praise down the years, but that has not earned him exemption from criticism.

Frustrations of bewildered onlookers have culminated in the past twelve months after three transfer windows brought about the arrival of a single player, Lucas Moura.

But, while Levy has often been the whipping boy amongst the supporters, murmurs from the media regarding Pochettino’s Oxbridge-style transfer selection process have turned the tide in his direction.

Last January, Pochettino reportedly snubbed Ross Barkley despite Levy’s willingness to sanction a £15 million deal, and twelve months later a report from Het Belang van Limburg (via Sports Witness) has claimed that his pickiness deprived Spurs of rivalling Leicester City for the signature of Youri Tielemans – a creative midfielder widely regarded as one of the most promising on the continent.

Those who have seen Tielemans in action would naturally be drawn to regard him as a natural Dembele successor. The fact he was available to complete a January loan and, pertinently, one which did not include an obligation to buy clause, has left supporters feeling deflated.

Surely, surely, Pochettino knows something which both the football media and the supporters do not? There is nothing to suggest that Tielemans is the type of character to disrupt a dressing room and, in the absence of inside information, you’d have to assume Pochettino simply doesn’t think he’s good enough for the club.

But, with the opportunity to showcase his quality in the Premier League during the final 14 fixtures of the season, Tielemans could effectively be undertaking an audition to force the Argentine into a transfer u-turn; Spurs will undoubtedly need to bolster their options in central midfield when the summer window arrives and a series of fine performances at Leicester could convince Pochettino to change his tune.

14 fixtures represents a transient period of time for any budding prodigy to make the transition to Premier League football and impress a manager in Pochettino who is slowly becoming one of the most difficult men to please in the business, but with quality players around him at Leicester he is well-placed to leave Spurs pondering what might have been.

If the Belgium international does indeed manage to showcase the true extent of his potential from now until May, there is no question he could re-emerge as a target for Pochettino in the summer window.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Everton take on manager Marco Silva’s former club Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday. The Toffees could do with a win, having lost three of the their previous four Premier League outings.

Silva’s side have been struggling at both ends of the pitch recently, and the Portuguese coach will be looking for a positive response from his side against the Hornets. Plenty of Everton players have something to prove, few more so than striker Cenk Tosun.

Since his £27 million January 2018 switch to Goodison Park, the 27-year-old forward has flopped in English football. As per Transfermarkt’s stats, the 35-cap Turkey international has scored just two league goals this season and has been afforded only eight starts.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

However, the powerful 6’0” attacker could have an impact against Watford. Javi Gracia’s defenders are rough, tough and physical. They are opponents who Tosun could compete with and perhaps thrive against, whereas the likes of Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin might be bullied or struggle to impose themselves.

The Turkey international has the attributes to hurt the Hertfordshire-based outfit, and if he takes any given chance to do so he could finally prove his worth to Everton too.

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Southampton fell to defeat against Cardiff City on Saturday in dramatic circumstances. Despite having equalised themselves in stoppage time, the Saints contrived to allow Cardiff to claim a late winner.

The result lifted the Bluebirds out of the relegation zone and sent the south coast club closer to it.

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl will be furious that his side weren’t able to cling onto the draw at St Mary’s Stadium. Too many of his players made errors and his side generally lacked cohesion. One man who particularly struggled to make an impact was Shane Long.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The 32-year-old worked hard but nothing he tried came off. If Southampton are to stay out of trouble this season they need the 82-cap Republic of Ireland forward to be able to deliver when called upon, but he failed to do that against Cardiff.

After the match, plenty of Saints fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment with Long’s display…

A number of Tottenham Hotspur fans took to social media on Sunday afternoon to discuss their star man from the clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Adama Traore cancelled out an early Lucas Moura effort to leave the two teams all square heading into the final exchanges, but Spurs secured all three points in the 91st minute when Jan Vertonghen headed a Christian Eriksen corner into the back of the net.

Moussa Sissoko, Eric Dier, Lucas and Vertonghen were offered up as the four choices for the club’s Man of the Match award at Molineux.

And it would be fair to say that there were a lot of mixed opinions among the supporters.

Some of the fans were also disappointed that the likes of Paulo Gazzaniga, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld had not been included among the choices.

As a result, it is not too difficult to determine that it was more of a team performance from Jose Mourinho’s side on the afternoon, rather than a display which saw one player drag them to all three points.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

There is no question that Spurs were struggling in the latter stages of Mauricio Pochettino’s time at the club, but the London giants are currently just three points off the top four in the Premier League table.

And next up is the small matter of a home game against Chelsea on December 22.

Meanwhile, a number of the club’s supporters have recently offered their views on a transfer report surrounding Gareth Bale.

When Patrick van Aanholt was forced off through injury and replaced with Jairo Riedewald in the 65th minute, one would assume that not many inside Selhurst Park were expecting much from the former Ajax man.Van Aanholt had left the field almost immediately after signalling that he had a problem, and with little notice that he was set to enter the fray, Riedewald was perhaps unprepared both mentally and physically.The 23-year-old had made just two Premier League appearances prior to appearing against the Hammers on Boxing Day, and having failed to feature at all in the league under Roy Hodgson last season, Riedewald seems far from a favourite of the manager.

However, it was his vital contribution in the 87th minute that deserves as much praise as Jordan Ayew’s Goal of the Season contender just three minutes later.

After Aaron Cresswell cut the ball back nicely into the path of Robert Snodgrass in the dying embers of this London derby, it looked for all the world like the Scotland international would grab his second goal of the game.

The former Leeds man’s cultured left boot met the ball firmly, but the sound of the goal net springing upon impact was not heard, for Riedewald had thrown his body on the line to keep the ball away from Vicente Guaita.

It felt like it was the only thing that the Dutchman did after coming on. Statistically, his crucial intervention was amongst just a handful of contributions that involved 11 passes – all of them successful – as well as one clearance and 17 touches of the ball.

Despite that, his efforts enabled the south Londoners to reset and go again, where Ayew then momentarily allowed the spirit of Pele to possess his body before he waltzed through the Hammers’ backline and exquisitely dinked Roberto.

Many will presumably only remember Ayew’s moment of brilliance, but Riedewald’s heroic block deserves just as much praise.

In other news, see what Roy Hodgson had to say after his side were hit with yet another injury blow…

Dani Olmo has been one of the players whose reputation simply rocketed in the last year or so.

And now, after an incredible 2018/19 season for Dinamo Zagreb and even better ongoing 2019/20 campaign with the same team, the young midfielder is starting to attract the attention of some of Europe’s best.

Just recently, he was linked to Manchester City by Calciomercato as they state Pep Guardiola is very interested in bringing the former La Masia graduate to the Etihad.

And this doesn’t really come as a surprise, either.

Watch Manchester City Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Olmo has scored a handful of goals and provided assists across all competitions this season, including two goals and an assist in the Champions League group stage.

Interestingly enough, he also scored a goal against Manchester City on the last matchday of the group stage at the Maksimir stadium.

And seeing other experts’ opinions on the 21-year-old, it really seems like he’s a huge talent just waiting to be snapped up.

Here’s what those in the know have had to say about him…

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager

Let’s start with the man who just might be getting his hands on the Dinamo Zagreb prodigy in the not too distant future.

Guardiola already seems to be a fan of Olmo as he has praised the kid before their big clash in the Champions League, emphasising his talent and claiming he could go on to become a big star.

Here’s what he said in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by Manchester Evening News:

“I said after our home game, it was an incredible surprise. He came from the Barca academy – it’s not easy, he’s one of the best players in the Spain academy, and he’ll come to one of the big clubs in Europe.

“I’m so glad for him, he’s doing so well. The future is in his hands.”

Nenad Bjelica, Dinamo Zagreb manager

Another coach who believes Olmo is destined for greatness is Bjelica, his current gaffer over in the Croatian capital.

He’s been working with the 21-year-old for quite some time now and unfortunately for him and his club, he’s very much aware of the fact Olmo will be on his way out sooner rather than later.

After all, he’s too talented and too good to stay at Dinamo, as per Bjelica’s interview with 24sata, quoted by One Football:

“I think we are just watching his last matches at Dinamo. There are so many offers. In the end, the club and the player will decide together what is best for both sides. He is ready to play for the best clubs in Europe.”

Denis Silva Puig, Olmo’s former La Masia coach

Of course, Olmo’s meteoric rise is not something that should come as a big surprise.

After all, he was perceived as a big talent even when he was still in Catalonia, playing for Barcelona’s youth teams. His former coach, Puig, described the now 21-year-old as a natural-born goalscorer who was bagging goals in every single category.

Here’s what he said about Olmo, as quoted by Bleacher Report:

“He was very good that season with me.

“He was a typical forward, a very good finisher. He scored goals in every age category, and, of course, as a forward, it’s the first thing you notice about him—he has always scored a lot of goals. He understood space well, so he could find room to score. He’s a natural-born goalscorer.”

Verdict

It seems that Man City might be getting a true gem of a player if they manage to land Olmo’s signature.

The 21-year-old surely looks like a player who could go all the way to the top and Dinamo Zagreb could be enjoying their last days with this prolific midfielder.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have urged the club to avoid a move for Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha.

The Daily Mirror reports that the agent of Zaha, Pini Zahavi, is attempting to broker a deal between the two clubs for the Ivory Coast international.

The former Manchester United man attempted to leave the club in the summer, handing in a transfer request amid interest from Everton and Arsenal.

And a number of fans believe that he either isn’t the player the club need or that he simply isn’t good enough.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

The Mirror also report that Zaha could cost £80m, a fee that Spurs are said to be unwilling to match.

And several supporters believe that he is overpriced for the talent he offers.

Zaha has scored three goals and registered three assists thus far this season.

Palace, currently, are ninth in the Premier League, eight points behind Chelsea in fourth.

They are also eight points clear of the relegation zone, with AFC Bournemouth currently 18th.

Meanwhile, Spurs are monitoring a player who is absolutely electric form. 

Southampton have missed out on a transfer target after it was confirmed that Swansea have signed Chelsea’s Marc Guehi on a loan deal until the end of the season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Swans confirmed on Friday afternoon that they had completed the signing of Guehi, who will wear the number two shirt for the Championship side.

According to a report from The Sun just before Christmas, Southampton were believed to be interested in securing a loan for the 19-year-old defender, while another Premier League outfit in Norwich were also keeping an eye on the situation.

The Sun also reported that Swansea were interested, along with other Championship sides in Bristol City and Nottingham Forest, although it has now been confirmed that Steve Cooper’s side have won the race for the teenager.

The hunt for defensive recruits continues for Southampton

After missing out on Guehi – a January target for the Saints – it is now a case of going back to the drawing board for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The former RB Leipzig boss declared that his side “will do something” in the market in terms of bolstering the full-back positions this month, while Adam Blackmore reported that Hasenhuttl reiterated that claim in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Leicester game this weekend.

Significantly, the south coast side have conceded the second-most goals in the Premier League this season with 38 concessions in 21 games, so the need for defensive recruits is a great one.

Additionally, behind Ryan Bertrand, Yan Valery and Cedric, Hasenhuttl doesn’t have any other senior full-backs while he also has just Maya Yoshida – who has played just five Premier League minutes since that 9-0 loss to Leicester – and Jannik Vestergaard, who the club are open to offers for, behind first-choice centre-back pairing Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Apart from The Sun’s report, it is unclear just how badly Southampton wanted Guehi – however, he was believed to be a target, so Hasenhuttl can put a red cross next to this one on his wishlist.

In other news, this Southampton decision is a damning indictment of the club’s transfer policy…

Newcastle have been linked with a number of players this month but so far it seems that nothing is coming to fruition.

Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien is rumoured to be on the Magpies radar in a reported £20m move, with the Daily Mail also suggesting that Tottenham are interested in the Frenchman.

Steve Bruce could be on the lookout for midfielders seeing as he lacks experience from his options in the centre of the pitch when Isaac Hayden and Jonjo Shelvey are unavailable, with the latter currently out injured.

Matty and Sean Longstaff both have less than 20 career league starts to their name which means the Magpies should be looking for reinforcements, particularly as they have only averaged 39% possession in the league this season.

However, the club is also in need of a forward as the club’s four strikers only have three goals between them, so Bruce may have some decisions to make with Moussa Dembele and Alfredo Morelos having been linked.

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With that under consideration, our team of Football Fancast writers have offered their opinions on whether the north-east outfit should make a move for Cyprien.

Lewis Blain

“Newcastle’s interest in Wylan Cyprien is quite baffling and ultimately epitomises the tactical nous of Steve Bruce. The Magpies have a wealth of riches in the central midfield position, Jonjo Shelvey along with the Longstaff brothers and Isaac Hayden is suitable for the time being. It is the scoring of goals that has been their thorn. Only three other teams in the Premier League have scored fewer than Newcastle’s 21 – it’ll only take one weekend for that to flip.

“Joelinton has been nothing short of a flop with just a solitary league strike to his name while the rest of the attacking department makes for disgusting reading. Miguel Almiron has two in the league, Andy Carroll is yet to score and Dwight Gayle just cannot buy an opportunity – he is also expected to leave the club this month if reports are to be believed.

“£20m combined with anything they garner from departures should go towards finding a goalscorer, failure to do so is likely going to cost Bruce his job, and lets face it Mike Ashley’s history with appointing managers has been nothing short of a farce.”

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

Harry Sherlock

“Newcastle, clearly, can’t really be trusted to spend massive fees – they dropped £40m on Joelinton and, well, that hasn’t exactly worked out.

“His problems mean that bringing in another striker has to be a priority, not spending £20m on a midfield that, actually, appears relatively settled.

“Midfielders don’t keep clubs in the Premier League; strikers do.

“Joelinton, though, isn’t the player to do it; he has just one Premier League goal to his name and spending the money on a player like Morelos or Dembele would be the sensible option.

“Both other players have better striking records – Morelos has 28 goals in all competitions this season while Dembele has 14.

“Of course, there is no guarantee they will adapt instantly to life in the Premier League but if the money is there, it needs to be spent on a new striker, regardless of how good Cyprien may be.”

Charles Jones “I’d be very wary of signing any midfielders from Ligue 1 if I was Newcastle.“Their track record of signing players from France hasn’t been too great as of late as the likes of Remy Cabella, Henri Saivet, and Florian Thauvin have all flopped at St James’ Park.“It’s not only a trend for players at Newcastle as we’ve seen others from Ligue 1 come in and make little impact including Andre Zambo Anguissa and Cyprien’s old Nice teammate Jean Michael Seri.“£20m could land them a great striker which they’re desperately in need of, rather than adding to a position that is already strong.”Billy Meyers“I just don’t think Newcastle should be spending this amount of money on unknown quantities anymore.“Despite his recent run of four goals in seven games, Miguel Almiron was relatively unheard of before his £20m move to St James’ Park, and he has largely failed to make an impact despite the aforementioned good form of late.“Another of the Magpies’ marquee signings was Joelinton, who cost a staggering £40m and has only managed to muster up one Premier League goal so far this season.“If I were Steve Bruce or Mike Ashley, I would prefer to aim my focus on helping my £60m duo settle and find their feet on a consistent basis first, before splashing out another significant sum on a player who brings no guarantee of success.”Meanwhile, Bruce may have expanded his search for a new player by looking abroad at a young player with a lot of potential.

According to TugaScout, Wolves are one of several teams to have been offered the chance to sign Porto frontman Ze Luis this month.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that the Portuguese outfit are willing to sell the Cape Verde striker for a fee of around €20m (£17m) as they look to cash in on the 28-year-old.

Sevilla and Tottenham Hotspur are the two other names mentioned per the report with Molineux being a potential destination too.

Ze Luis only joined Porto in the summer for €9m (£7.7m) from Spartak Moscow, and he has gone on to find the next eight times in all competitions but is yet to feature in 2020, via Transfermarkt.

Nuno’s nightmare

With just over ten days remaining in the January transfer window, Wolves will need a bit of magic to bolster their playing squad.

Nuno Santo has emphasised the need for additions, claiming that deals need to be done and dusted “ASAP” – they cannot afford to end the month without strengthening.

The club offloaded striker Patrick Cutrone last week, meaning they only have one senior option in Raul Jimenez, who himself revealed that he was “tired” which is no surprise given the number of matches he’s played this season alone (36).

Call yourself a Wolves expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

An injury to the Mexican would scupper their season and subsequent chances of breaking into the Premier League’s top six as well as mounting a serious run at the Europa League.

Ze Luis offers the solution, especially after Nuno reverted to a 3-4-1-2 formation in their stunning comeback at St Mary’s on Saturday, meaning he could be likely to get more of an opportunity than the Italian, who managed to start just three games in the league.

Per WhoScored, the 28-year-old has won three Man of the Match awards from just eight league starts, whilst also averaging 2.4 shots and winning 2.3 aerial duels per game.

He also comes with experience across Europe’s top competitions, playing 18 matches in the last three seasons across both the Europa and Champions League.

And in other news, Wolves’ revenue for their Premier League bow have been revealed, and it won’t help Fosun’s reputation this month if they fail to sign players…