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Tottenham Hotspur have suffered early setbacks in their bid to find the best replacement for the recently sacked Jose Mourinho.

Daniel Levy has missed out on two of his mooted top managerial targets in Julian Nagelsmann, who has rejected the north London outfit to become Bayern Munich’s next head coach, and Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers, who has downplayed swapping the Champions League-bound Foxes for struggling Spurs.

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is now expected to quickly rise up the shortlist, according to the Telegraph, whilst names such as Gareth Southgate and Ralf Rangnick feature.

The 51-year-old Dutchman is said to be affordable for Spurs as he will soon enter the final year of his contract at the Eredivisie champions.

We know that Levy is also targeting an attack-minded and progressive coach that can fit in with the club’s culture after reports suggested that Mourinho had ‘sucked the life’ out of the squad prior to his departure.

Ten Hag has brought success to Ajax – recording a 73% win percentage since taking over in 2017 – through his flexible 4-3-3 system, which has been inspired by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff.

“He ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham. He’s very good at developing young players and he has Ajax playing with real style,” claimed Alasdair Gold in a recent Q&A on football.london.

So Levy won’t have to worry in terms of excitement on the pitch there and indeed, the former Bayern Munich ‘B’ head coach could fix another one of Spurs’ mounting problems.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-managerial-update-transfer-rumours-levy-mourinho-sacked-gossip” title= “Read the latest Spurs manager updates, transfer news, gossip and more!”]

As further revealed by Gold, there have been concerns over the fitness levels of the current squad despite a lot of these players still remaining in N17 from the Mauricio Pochettino era, where they were among the fittest in the Premier League.

‘Numerous mistakes have been made on the pitch during this campaign due to tiredness both physically and subsequently mentally,’ wrote the reliable journalist in a recent column.

Ajax were unofficially crowned champions on the same weekend Spurs looked legless in their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City, and Ten Hag has credited their success to the squad’s impressive fitness levels.

“Everyone hopes that Ajax is at the end of his rope, but we are far from being there. It appears every time that we can switch in the second half and the opponents are destroyed”, the 51-year-old revealed to reporters (via Teller Report). “We brought that [fitness change] in and it certainly plays a role in this title. But I think that we have played very well in many phases this season.”

In another interview, sourced by football.london, he echoed these thoughts: “The team is good. We are very fit, very eager and very fresh. We can certainly perform at our best, we know that.”

On the above evidence, Ten Hag seems like an ideal candidate and a more than worthy new front-runner for the vacant Spurs job. In appointing him, Levy could solve more issues than one.

AND in other news, Alli and Bergwin? How Spurs could line-up under managerial target Erik ten Hag…

Aston Villa are thought to be admirers of Brentford manager Thomas Frank, according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans.

The Lowdown: Frank’s time at Brentford…

The Dane was actually Dean Smith’s assistant at the west London club and took over as their manager when the latter joined Villa back in 2018. Since then, he has taken charge of 161 games, winning 79 of those and taking the Bees into the Premier League.

Brentford have impressed in their first Premier League campaign, beating Arsenal and West Ham and drawing with Liverpool, whose manager Jurgen Klopp labelled Frank ‘incredible’ and ‘entertaining’.

Villa are now on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Smith, and it seems as if they may look to take another Brentford manager three years on after securing the 50-year-old.

The Latest: Villa are admirers of Frank

Evans shared a story on The Athletic regarding Smith’s sacking and the contenders to replace him.

Well-known targets such as Steven Gerrard, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Kasper Hjulmand were mentioned, but the journalist added that Villa are admirers of Frank.

Evans also claimed that NSWE are prepared to pay compensation to get the manager they want, which would not preclude any candidates who are currently in a job.

The Verdict: Lange to be key?

Sporting director Johan Lange will reportedly play a key role in bringing in a new head coach, so a move for fellow countryman Frank could be a realistic one. The pair know each other well after sharing an office when coaching at Lyngby, and the Brentford boss has impressed in his first season as a manager in the English top flight.

Lightning may well end up striking twice when it comes to Brentford bosses leaving for Villa, so the links to the 48-year-old may be worth keeping a close eye on during the international break.

In other news: Five-honour boss also in NSWE’s Villa’s thoughts; he’s ‘one of the best’. 

With Steven Gerrard preparing for his first fixture in charge of Aston Villa this weekend, there will undoubtedly be a number of positions in the 41-year-old’s first-team squad that he is not entirely sure which player is his best option.

Indeed, with the former Liverpool captain preferring to set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation, Gerrard must pick from the options of Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka, Morgan Sanson and John McGinn in the middle of the park – with both Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz appearing injury doubts for Saturday.

He will also pick from the likes of Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, Bertrand Traore, Anwar El Ghazi and Emi Buendia to make up his three-man attack.

And, while £33m summer signing Buendia had somewhat struggled to nail down a starting spot under the leadership of Dean Smith this season, Gerrard simply must unleash the 24-year-old against Brighton & Hove Albion, as the winger undoubtedly has the ability to terrify the Seagulls.

Gerrard must unleash Buendia

Indeed, over his nine Premier League appearances so far for Villa – seven of which have come as starts – the £31.5m-rated man has already scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots and making 1.7 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player who Daniel Farke dubbed an “outstanding” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Villa’s fifth-best performer in the league thus far.

However, while it is undeniable that Villa fans are yet to see the best of the Argentina international – something that is extremely exciting considering his already impressive metrics – the £80k-per-week winger proved his ability at the top level during his last Premier League campaign with Norwich City.

Indeed, over his 36 top-flight appearances back in 2019/20, Buendia scored one goal, provided seven assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots and making a whopping 2.3 key passes per game – the fourth-highest number in the league that season, behind only Kevin De Bruyne, James Maddison and Jack Grealish.

These metrics saw the 24-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as the Canaries’ second-best performer in the Premier League.

As such, considering the huge upgrade in talent Buendia is now surrounded by at Aston Villa, Gerrard simply must afford him the game time to refind his previous form in the top flight, as, when up and running, the Argentine can terrify any defence in the league – starting with Brighton on Saturday.

In other news: Grealish 2.0: Gerrard could save AVFC millions with 18 y/o sensation dubbed “the best”

Wolverhampton Wanderers signed Fabio Silva for £35m in a record-breaking transfer for the club, but Silva has since only been given 36 minutes of Premier League football so far this season under Bruno Lage.

The Portuguese boss hasn’t been playing the 19-year-old forward often, with just two starts for the side in the league cup, during which he has bagged two assists for the side.

The Wolves manager did speak out last week about why he hasn’t been included in the side much this season:

“Fabio is important for us,” Lage said. “He’s a young talent. Me and my staff have a pathway for the youth. Luis (Nascimento) worked with Fabio before so we see potential in him.”

“He needs to continue to work and wait for that chance. He needs to work for today and work for tomorrow.”

The teenager played 37 games in all competitions last season under Nuno Santo, scoring four goals and assisting three times for the side but has become out of favour for game time since the arrival of new manager Bruno Lage, in the summer.

Silva has been predicted to be an “extraordinary striker” by Sporting CP legend, Manuel Fernandes and even compared the teenager to Ronaldo.

“When Ronaldo was 17, he played as a centre-forward for Sporting’s youth teams. I saw him doing things that I’m now seeing a boy from FC Porto do, Fabio Silva.”

One of the main reasons that Silva did get so much game time last season was due to the fact Raul Jimenez suffered a horrific skull injury a few months into the season in November 2020, missing the rest of the season for Wolves, meaning that the youngster had the opportunity to step into his shoes quickly.

Although the Mexican has made his return to the side, Lage will need to look at future prospects for Silva, who will be keen to break back into the first team.

Wolves will be looking to capitalise on their fantastic first half of the season, with the view to securing a European spot by finishing in the top half of the Premier League.

The number of attacking options in Wolves’ locker still hasn’t deterred the rumour mill from working overtime when it comes to the imminent winter transfer window, with Enner Valencia linked to a move to the Molineux.

However, Lage could make smarter moves by saving millions and forgetting about the aforementioned target, utilising Silva in the team instead.

In other news: Hatfield hints at an early exit for Traore

Glasgow Rangers legend Brian Laudrup believes Ryan Kent could be the difference for the Gers in their Europa League clash with Slavia Prague.

Laudrup backs Kent

The Ibrox outfit progressed to the round of 16 after beating Royal Antwerp 9-5 on aggregate and will now face the Czech champions.

Writing in his Daily Mail column (via HITC), Laudrup has backed the £7.2m-valued former Liverpool man (Transfermarkt) to be the difference for Steven Gerrard and co. He explained:

“I covered Slavia’s win over Leicester City for Danish television last week. There’s actually quite a lot of interest in them over here because a young Danish international player, Alexander Bah, has moved out to Prague.

“They have a good unit that will press high and run hard. Defensively, they are sound. Leicester barely managed to create a couple of chances against them as they were denied the space to use their counter-attacking prowess.

“But I think Rangers have different qualities – players who can take people on and create. Look at how Ryan Kent played against Antwerp, for one example.

“I still see Gerrard’s team as slight favourites. Maybe 60-40. That’s all.”

More consistency

Kent was in top form against Antwerp – he scored twice across the two matches and provided an assist despite not starting either game (Transfermarkt). However, he has proven to be inconsistent across the campaign – he was on fire earlier on in the term, scoring five times in the first nine matches, but it has taken him 32 games since to double that tally.

The 24-year-old’s ability is clear for all to see, but given that the Gers parted with £7.5m to capture his services in 2019 (Sky Sports), many will no doubt be expecting more. Gerrard and co will be hoping he is at his best in the next round of the Europa League as the 54-time Scottish champions aim to reach to the quarter-finals.

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this journalist’s latest article.

Neco Williams was handed a rare chance to impress when Liverpool faced Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

It was his first start since Wolves came to Anfield way back in December (via Transfermarkt).

Difficult afternoon for Williams

However, the Welshman found the going tricky against the Cottagers as Ademola Lookman was able to torment the Reds down his side of the pitch, while going forward he struggled to create chances for Liverpool’s attackers.

One hopeful ball did tee up Diogo Jota, but that proved a flash in the pan for a player who lost possession no fewer than 26 times – the most of any Liverpool player (via SofaScore) as he was replaced by Trent Alexander-Arnold for the final 15 minutes.

After the game, Williams took to Instagram with a rallying call, writing: “We have to stay together and keep pushing, no excuses.” A screenshot of the post was later shared on Twitter by Anfield Watch.

Liverpool have fallen to six consecutive home defeats, slipping from title contenders to European outsiders.

Some supporters have grown tired of Williams’ social media messaging, demanding evidence of his commitment on the pitch instead.

Williams post offers Reds fans little consolation

“Hearing the exact same thing from the players after every loss, it’s ridiculous. Nothing is changing, they need to be better not just on the field, they’ve lost their desire to win.”

Credit: @AymonBertah

“Not gonna lie. Getting a tad annoying hearing this from the players. Every week now with no change”

Credit: @GavinDoyle18

“All our players should just keep quiet. Every time, same story…”

Credit: @IreOluwadiran

“Takes him 10 minutes to put in a cross.”

Credit: @moosavarachia09

“Need to sell him this summer”

Credit: @BPangsatabam

“The chronic lack of effort chasing back made him stick out like a sore thumb. He’s got a future, but not at Anfield.”

Credit: @jamesm_s

In other news, James Pearce reacts to the dismal Fulham defeat.

Bournemouth have reportedly made an approach to sign Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh this summer.

The Lowdown: Drameh at Cardiff

The Leeds youngster decided to head out on loan during the January window, joining Championship side Cardiff City until the end of the season.

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Drameh has become a regular for The Bluebirds, making 18 consecutive starts following his move to Wales.

The 20-year-old, who’s positioning was labelled as ‘awful’ by Ian Wright against Arsenal back in December, now appears to be catching the eye elsewhere following his spell in the second tier.

The Latest: Bournemouth approach

According to Wales Online, Bournemouth have made an approach over a move for Drameh, outlining how much they’d be willing to offer when it comes to wages.

The report adds that Leeds look likely to assess the full-back in pre-season, with Drameh open to the idea of another exit if he isn’t guaranteed minutes under Jesse Marsch.

The Verdict: Tricky…

Drameh will be entering the final two years of his contract in the summer, and it looks as if Andrea Radrizzani, the 49ers group, Victor Orta and Marsch will have another difficult call to make on the youngster over the coming months.

We have already seen that Drameh is willing to force his way out of Elland Road, and another temporary deal away could suit all involved.

Bournemouth could well be a destination, and it looks as if they are going to earn promotion back to the Premier League. Therefore, if regular minutes can be guaranteed, then the south coast could be the perfect place for Drameh ahead of a potential breakthrough into the Leeds side in 2023/24.

In other news: Sky Sports now share big news on Leeds star’s Elland Road future; ‘dealing’ already happening. 

Celtic must look to sell Olivier Ntcham in the January transfer window amid interest from Premier League side West Brom.

What’s the story?

The Frenchman has yet to complete the full 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership this season for Neil Lennon’s side, and has scored just the one goal too.

Now, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has claimed that West Brom have made “initial contact” over Ntcham, and that a number of clubs in France are also keen on signing the midfielder.

Celtic must sell

Rumours of an Ntcham exit has been a long-running saga now, but it’s surely the perfect time for the Hoops to finally cut their losses on the £3.6m-rated ace.

His performances this season have shown nothing to suggest that the Bhoys will really miss him in a way they might have done a couple of seasons ago when he was really showcasing his potential – a record of just one goal and two assists in 23 games is testament to that.

It’s a far cry from August 2019 when Lennon said: “Olivier Ntcham is an excellent player and it’s really up to him to keep that consistency. When he is in the mood, he’s fantastic. If we can just get that consistent level from him, we’ll have one hell of a player on our hands – as we already do.”

Sadly for both Ntcham and Celtic, things just haven’t quite gone the way they would have hoped. It’s about time they move on from this saga and look to the future.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League defender Michael Ball believes Chris Wilder would be a good fit for West Brom if Sam Allardyce ends up departing the club.

Allardyce has been unable to turn around West Brom’s fortunes and his future at the Hawthorns remains unclear.

As for Wilder, the 53-year-old is available for work following his exit from Sheffield United back in March.

It means he could be one name West Brom possibly consider should they decide to part ways with Allardyce at the end of the season, and Ball thinks the Midlands club could do much worse than the former Blades boss.

He told TT in an exclusive interview:

“It seems to be the right fit. He’s got that right experience of bringing teams together, improving them, knows how to win promotions.

“The Championship, you’ve got to be more on the front foot, and Chris Wilder has that in abundance and experience in how to do that. So, yeah, it seems a good fit.”

As Ball mentioned, Wilder has a track record of winning promotion, though the same can be said about Allardyce.

Bearing that in mind, whether it is Wilder or Allardyce, West Brom would be in good hands next season and should be well placed to bounce back after a largely disappointing 2020/21 campaign.

Following the injuries to Joel Matip and Fabinho earlier this week, Liverpool now incredibly short of centre-back options in their side, with reports suggesting that Jurgen Klopp is desperate to add to his squad before next Monday’s transfer deadline.

One centre-back to be linked with a move to Anfield is New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long, who could prove to be an ideal short-term option for the Reds, whilst the likes of Matip, Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez recover from their injuries.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, the Reds are considering a loan move for Long this month, with the 28-year-old having established himself as one of the best defenders in the MLS in recent seasons.

America’s top-flight is currently suspended until March at the earliest because of the current viral outbreak, which suggests that New York Red Bulls would be willing to send the 6 ft 2 star out on a short-term loan.

Would he be a good signing?

In 2018 the centre-back, who former New York Red Bulls boss Chris Armas described as being a “big voice” in the team, would make 38 appearances in the MLS, averaging an excellent 7.08 rating, with three goals and two assists to his name.

2019 saw him average a solid, if slightly less spectacular, 6.87 rating, although he did win an impressive 4.7 duels on average per game, which is more than the likes of Matip and Van Dijk have managed this season.

Considering he would likely join on loan, this could prove to be an excellent piece of business by Liverpool. It could help steady the ship in defence, considering Jordan Henderson and young Nathaniel Phillips were paired together in the second half against Spurs recently, which is certainly not a long-term solution for Klopp.

FSG were seemingly unwilling to back Klopp with a new centre-back earlier in the window due to a lack of funds, so a loan move for the £3.15 million-rated Long would surely be an attractive proposition for them, even if New York Red Bulls did include an obligation to buy, as he surely wouldn’t be anywhere near as expensive as some other options.

If we compare Long’s performances from 2019 to Rhys Williams’ performances in the Champions League this season, where we have seen the most of the 19-year-old, then it seems clear that Long would be a better option in Klopp’s side than the academy graduate.

Long averaged 1.1 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 5.3 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game in the MLS in 2019, compared to Williams’ 0.7 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 2.2 clearances and zero blocks per game in the Champions League this season.

WhoScored also suggests that the 28-year-old’s strengths include his ability to win aerial duels, and suggest that he doesn’t dive into tackles – something which Williams was certainly guilty of in the recent FA Cup defeat against Manchester United.

From a purely defensive point of view, therefore, it seems as if Long would be an upgrade on Williams in this Liverpool side, so it may be worth bringing him to Anfield.

Whilst Long has no experience outside of the USA, he is a regular in their international side, and was named MLS defender of the year in 2018, so he could be a cheap solution for the Reds this month and would likely prove a good addition if he could continue his form from the MLS in the Premier League.

And, in other news… Edwards can end five-year LFC nightmare by axing £25k-p/w flop this summer