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Speaking to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has explained that there is a feeling ‘at the top of the club’ that chairman Daniel Levy could now sanction a discounted sale for big name Dele Alli at the end of the season – despite previously being prepared to ride out his poor patch.

Indeed, as per this report, Tottenham will more than likely work on a £25 million exit for the Englishman barring an upturn in form – coming after Levy apparently thought Spurs were well placed to keep faith due to the fact he is contracted until 2024 with his best years still ahead of him.

Tottenham U-turn on Alli

As explained by Football Insider, the Lilywhites chairman ‘upset’ manager Jose Mourinho by blocking Alli’s loan move to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain – with financial reasons touted as the reason Levy refused to agree a deal.

Extensive discussions were held with PSG over the switch, but no agreement came to pass, with the 24-year-old remaining at Tottenham.

Now, a source close to the club has told Football Insider there is a feeling at the very top Levy is prepared to sanction a near half-price £25m exit for him in the summer transfer window – coming down from his previous asking price of £45m.

If Alli does leave the club for that amount, it’s safe to say it wouldn’t exactly be the fairy tale ending for his north London career after a promising start to life.

Transfer Tavern take

He was heralded by previous boss Mauricio Pochettino, with the Argentine even calling him a ‘beast’ (Sky Sports), but he hasn’t earned the same favour from Mourinho.

Levy was apparently prepared to ride out his slump, however, feelings now coming out of the club may indicate the chairman is willing to perform a drastic U-turn.

In other news: Alasdair Gold drops claim on barely-seen Tottenham talent, find out more here.

If you could sum up the life of a Celtic player this season, it would be encapsulated in the downcast Olivier Ntcham.

The Frenchman, like many at Parkhead, has had a very disappointing campaign. His numbers – just one goal and one assist – have been terrible and he’s looked incredibly out of sorts.

Questions had arisen over the midfielder’s attitude and thus, he was removed from the team. The midfielder was rarely brought off the substitutes bench and as a result, was moved out on loan in January.

A move to Newcastle fell through but Marseille came calling. A trip back to France seemed an ideal place to revive his career but it’s been nothing short of a horror show so far.

Andre Villas-Boas left his role as Marseille boss in dramatic circumstances after disagreeing with Ntcham’s arrival before he put in a dismal showing last Wednesday.

The 25-year-old was withdrawn at half time having touched the ball on just 22 occasions and making a woeful eight passes. It was a game that saw him earn a 3/10 rating from the ruthless French outlet L’Equipe.

Yet, it’s only gone from bad to worse for Ntcham. At the weekend, he was withdrawn at half-time again as Marseille crashed out of the Coupe de France at the expense of Canet Roussillon, a team in the fourth tier.

This time, French newspaper La Provence gave him a 1/10 rating, describing the performance as “unacceptable.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Journalist Ludovic Ferro added: “A lot of sideways and backwards passes, when they weren’t completely sent into the void. Not helped by the lack of movement in front of him or on the sides, the former Celtic player also missed basic moves and didn’t bring anything to the table. Clearly lacking rhythm.”

Indeed, Ntcham managed just 37 touches during the encounter, a tally that happened to be a lower total than goalkeeper Scott Bain’s touches during Celtic’s 0-0 draw with Dundee United.

Ntcham failed to have a single shot, neither did he make a key pass. Considering the calibre of opposition he was up against, it’s a dismal tally.

This loan spell was meant to breathe fresh life into the £4.5m midfielder’s season. Instead, it’s surely leaving any lingering hope of securing a bigger move completely out of the picture.

AND in other news, 6 ft 4 giant must be at the top of Celtic’s shopping list, he “trains like a monster”…

Barry Ferguson believes Glasgow Rangers will need to sell one or two stars during the summer, but he thinks Alfredo Morelos will not be one of the players to depart.

Morelos to stay

Ferguson was writing for The Daily Record about the Colombia international and what the future may hold for him.

The former Gers captain suggested the Ibrox outfit may need to sell in the summer, but Morelos may not be one of those to depart. He said:

“I know Gerrard joked afterwards that Morelos enjoys playing in the Europa League because he knows clubs from all the biggest leagues will be watching him. I also know that Rangers will need to sell one or two of their biggest assets to keep the club financially stable moving forward.

“But Morelos looks settled and highly motivated right now – I even saw a wee smile out of him the other night – and I actually wonder if he’s already got one eye on making a mark on next season’s Champions League.

“Yes, he’s made a big impact in Europe already but the Champions League is where players really showcase what they’ve got. That’s the pinnacle.

“Just hearing that music blast out before kick-off sends a shiver down the spine and that’s exactly where Morelos will want to be performing. He’s about to have the chance to do it in a Rangers shirt next season and it could present him with the ideal platform to take his career to another stratosphere.“I think he realises now how badly he is needed by the rest of his teammates. Quite simply, Morelos at his best makes Rangers a better team.“I’d love to see him doing that next season under the floodlights on the greatest stage of them all.”

One more season

In the long-term, Morelos’ future does not lie at Ibrox. The £10.8m-valued (Transfermarkt) 24-year-old has already said he has hopes of playing in a more competitive league (The Scottish Sun), and he was very close to a move to Lille just last summer when he reportedly agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 side.

However, one more season in Scotland may be the best thing for all involved. As Ferguson said, Morelos could have the chance to play in the Champions League next term. A series of good displays in that competition would drive up interest in Morelos and could well offer him more lucrative options, while it would also put the Gers in a stronger position when it comes to the transfer fee they would demand. In that scenario, everyone would be a winner.

In other news, Rangers fans slam this journalist’s article.

David Moyes has left West Ham United in a position where he must unleash academy striker Mipo Odubeko after Oladapo Afolayan joined Bolton Wanderers on loan.

Afolayan sealed a Deadline Day switch to Ian Evatt’s League Two strugglers and will see out the rest of the 2020/21 season at the University of Bolton Stadium.

It will be Afolayan’s third spell away from east London following previous moves to Oldham Athletic and Mansfield Town, and it comes after he scored on his senior West Ham debut during the Irons’ 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Doncaster Rovers in January.

Bolton boss Evatt has lauded the arrival of Afolayan in a last-ditch move, noting: “He’s quick, strong and technical, and a very exciting talent that can play all along the front three.”

Afolayan’s exit further deprives Moyes of attacking options at the London Stadium following Sebastien Haller’s £20m move to AFC Ajax last month, with West Ham failing to secure the services of a replacement for the Ivory Coast international.

Alleged winter targets Joshua King – seen as Moyes’ top target – and Josh Maja both sealed Premier League transfers on Deadline Day, with the AFC Bournemouth ace joining Everton and the FC Girondins de Bordeaux forward moving to Fulham.

West Ham’s lack of activity means Michail Antonio remains the Hammers’ only recognised senior centre-forward, and Moyes in a position where he is now considering utilising winger Andriy Yarmolenko and Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard as false nines.

Yet the Irons boss does not have to consider turning to alternative solutions, as Odubeko is ready and waiting for his chance to impress in the senior fold following his first-team debut.

Odubeko’s progress was stinted following a serious hamstring injury last term and the national lockdown, meaning the striker was forced to sit out for much of the previous six months. However, Moyes awarded the 18-year-old his senior debut in the FA Cup at Stockport County and must now trust in his potential.

It was alleged during the winter transfer window that Moyes could opt to take a closer look at Odubeko after his outing in the cup, as the Hammers chief wanted to see whether or not the prolific youth forward was ready to make the step up.

Odubeko boasts an impressive record in the junior tiers, having scored 35 times for Manchester United’s academy before sealing a move to the London Stadium in October 2019. He has since fired home nine in seven U18 games in claret and blue, plus five in three with the U23s.

Yet, while Afolayan was awarded 20 minutes against Doncaster in which he scored, Odubeko entered the action in stoppage-time at Stockport and has not been seen on the pitch since.

Moyes has kept the forward in and around the senior squad, and claimed he has “big hopes” for him, but – after losing Haller and Afolayan – it is time for the West Ham boss to put his money where his mouth is and unleash Odubeko.

The east London side certainly looked desperate for a different sort of threat from their attack against Liverpool last time out, when Antonio cut a frustrated figure and sent his only telling chance of the game wide of the post.

Obviously, Antonio is going to be Moyes’ number one striker going forwards but in terms of his Plan B options, Odubeko should be at the top of the manager’s list.

AND in other news, West Ham eye future swoop for prolific £30m striker with “absolutely superb” movement…

According to a report by Football Insider, Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is a leading contender for the Tottenham Hotspur job if Jose Mourinho is sacked – with chairman Daniel Levy allegedly pinning him as a potential heir to the current Lilywhites manager. 

Indeed, nine years after he was Levy’s ‘preferred choice’ at Tottenham, it appears Rodgers is back into consideration as doubts continue to linger over Mourinho’s future in north London.

Levy eyeing Rodgers as potential Spurs managerial contender

A potential sack for the Portuguese boss has been mooted, and while it remains to be seen whether Tottenham will dismiss, Football Insider now claim that Rodgers is a leading candidate for the potential job opening.

Football Insider also reveal that Rodgers himself was very keen to join Spurs at one point, but Liverpool made a formal approach first and the Northern Irishman agreed to be appointed at the Anfield helm.

Harry Redknapp was given his marching orders a fortnight later by Tottenham with Levy turning to Andre Villas-Boas as a Rodgers alternative.

Now, it appears he is a leading candidate for the Spurs job once again should Mourinho be shown the door.

Transfer Tavern take

Former Arsenal attacker turned pundit Perry Groves, speaking to talkSPORT recently, described Rodgers as an ‘elite manager’ – and Leicester’s high-flying form this season supporters his claim.

Rodgers will reportedly figure high on Tottenham’s shortlist if Mourinho is dismissed, and you can arguably see why Levy rates the former Celtic gaffer.

In other news: Tottenham have been gifted a potential boost over this star, find out more here.

Sheffield Wednesday are among the teams chasing a loan move for Jarrad Branthwaite this month, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Owls are said to be one of several Championship sides lining up a temporary spell for the promising Everton centre-back, as per the ECHO.

The 18-year-old is thought to be open to the idea of a short stint away from his parent club to gain some valuable first-team minutes under his belt after a frustrating campaign.

League rivals Blackburn Rovers are the only other side mentioned in the report.

Shades of Michael Hector

With the Toffees teen down the pecking order, behind the likes of Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey, a move to Hillsborough Stadium would certainly prove beneficial.

In recent weeks, Wednesday have suffered injuries to their backline, notably Chey Dunkley and Julian Borner, whilst last season’s Player of the Year, Dominic Iorfa, has been ruled out for the entire season.

The Owls have even lost central defensive loanee Aden Flint back to parent club Cardiff City, so there is a need for additions at the back.

Since his debut last season, Branthwaite has been restricted to a total of only five senior appearances and requires game time, and Wednesday know all too well how loans like this can turn out as Michael Hector was a massive hit in south Yorkshire only two seasons ago.

Many fans wanted his return after a successful loan spell from Chelsea, though he went on to sign for Fulham for £8m.

And the two bear some similarities – both are at least 6 foot 4 inches in height and have pacey attributes despite their towering presence.

Indeed, Branthwaite has been dubbed one of the fastest players at Goodison Park (Sky Sports, via the News and Star) whilst Hector was lauded for his speed by the Premier League’s official website after transforming Fulham’s backline.

The teenager’s former manager at Carlisle has previously waxed lyrical over his potential, claiming: “The truth is, I think he has got everything. He can pass the ball almost equally as good with both feet. He’s a terrific footballer.”

Considering he’s only on a reported £15k-per-week, he could fit into the Owls’ wage bill nicely as Flint was thought to be on the same amount and he’s no longer at the club.

Dejphon Chansiri must swoop for Branthwaite before one of their rivals get to him this month.

AND in other news, How Sheffield Wednesday could look under managerial front-runner Paul Cook…

Glasgow Rangers sit at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a comfortable lead over their arch rivals Celtic and should now start to think about some long-term investments with an eye on the future…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, long-term Rangers target Juan Alegria isn’t bound for Ibrox – despite a cryptic post on Instagram.

Alegria has been heavily linked with a move to the Govan-based Glaswegian giants, having scored four goals in ten appearances across all competitions this season, via Transfermarkt.

However, contrary to popular belief, it’s claimed the Colombian isn’t on his way to Ibrox but has jetted off on holiday instead.

Alfredo Morelos 2.0

Rangers are the Premiership’s most prolific side, scoring a whopping 57 goals so far – 12 more than any other team – in 22 games this season. But with Greg Stewart seemingly destined for the Ibrox exit, Ross Wilson could do with signing some offensive reinforcements with one eye on the future.

Despite his age, Alegria’s potential arrival would certainly bolster Gerrard’s firepower as he has a penchant for finding the back of the net. He has scored on every appearance in the Kakkonen for the reserve team this season so far.

The 18-year-old has made no secret of his desire to follow in the footsteps of his countryman Alfredo Morelos, who previously plied his trade in Finland after making the switch from his South American homeland.

It’s no wonder, then, that legendary Rangers fullback Alan Hutton has described him as a “big talent” whilst former Celtic and St. Mirren striker Frank McAvennie has hailed him as an “exciting” prospect.

While admittedly very little is known about the uncapped Colombia U17 international, the numbers don’t lie, and he could have a similar impact to Morelos if they can get a deal over the line. Alegria could add a natural goal threat in front of goal and still has room to improve at the age of 18.

Gerrard must convince Wilson to sanction a move for the promising talent as the chance to sign a star in the making who is available for a pre-contract agreement is simply too good an opportunity to miss.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must get Kai Kennedy to sign new deal after Gerrard transfer U-turn…

Gareth Bale produced a worryingly invisible display as Wales ground out a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland on Sunday night to stay top of their UEFA Nations League group.

Wales are in a close-fought battle with Finland to top Group B4 with Markku Kanerva’s side just a point behind Ryan Giggs’ men, who scraped a narrow victory over Ireland thanks to a close-range header from AFC Bournemouth star David Brooks in the 66th-minute.

Bale was credited with assisting the game-winning goal after Brooks turned home the Tottenham winger’s looping header in a match starved of big chances, with interim Wales coach Robert Page seeing his XI direct just four of their 10 efforts on target.

Page returned Bale to the Wales starting line-up after the Real Madrid loanee missed the October internationals through a knee injury, but struggled to see any real quality from the 31-year-old as his 3-4-3 system forced the attacker to drop far too deep.

Bale was more productive after the break as a change in tactics allowed for the Tottenham icon to bother the Irish defence more often, yet he still ended the game with barely any of his 39 touches coming near to, or inside, the visitors’ penalty area, per SofaScore.

Jose Mourinho claimed after Bale had a similarly slack display in Tottenham’s 1-0 Europa League defeat to Royal Antwerp last month that the forward was improving, having registered zero shots on target and played just 24 accurate passes before being replaced by Harry Kane.

“He is working very, very hard,” Mourinho said, via quotes by The Guardian. “He is improving.”

“Seven years is a long, long, long gap,” the Spurs manager added, admitting fans should not expect the same Bale from his first stint in north London. “So which player in the world is the same as he was seven years ago? Sometimes they’re not better or worse, they’re just different players.

“For example, you look to [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi and compare them with seven years ago. They play in different areas, different positions. They transform their qualities to try and explore their qualities in other responsibilities in the tactical system of their teams. I think it happens with the majority of the players, so for sure, he is a different player.”

Bale remaining on the field for the full 90 minutes at home to the Republic of Ireland helped the Tottenham gem to reach 39 touches, yet he could still only find teammates with 22 of his 29 attempted passes. Furthermore, he did not attempt a single cross, he registered just one shot on target and he attempted – though completed – only one dribble.

Mourinho will have been buoyed to see Bale play the match to its entirety after earning his first start of the Premier League campaign in a 78-minute display at West Brom, but he would have hoped to see the winger fare far better with his assist painting over some worrying cracks.

AND in other news, Tottenham can unearth their new Dembele in a youth prodigy who can play five positions.

Manchester City look to have made a terrible mistake in loaning out Spanish left-back Angelino, as he continues to impress for RB Leipzig.

The 23-year-old was loaned out to Julian Nagelsmann’s side during the summer, with the Bundesliga side reportedly holding the option to make the move permanent for £16.3 million.

This looks to be a bargain deal when you consider the impressive manner in which the left-back has started the season, both in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League.

So far this season Angelino, described as “inquisitive” by Nagelsmann in October, has averaged an incredible 7.46 rating for his performances in Germany’s top-flight, having contributed four goals and two assists in those games (per WhoScored).

He has been equally impressive in the Champions League, with three goals and three assists to his name in the group stages, which saw him average a 7.24 rating.

The defender will no doubt have won over a lot of Manchester City fans with his most recent performance for Die Roten Bullen, as he earned the man-of-the-match award after scoring and assisting in Leipzig’s 3-2 win against Manchester United in midweek, which knocked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side out of the competition.

Angelino’s average rating far surpasses the likes of Benjamin Mendy, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Nathan Ake, who have all featured at left-back for Manchester City this season, suggesting that the club may have made a mistake in loaning him out.

City’s sporting director, Aitor “Txiki” Begiristain Mujika, will surely be regretting the decision and will be hoping that Leipzig don’t exercise their option to buy him, although when you consider his superb start to the season, this seems unlikely.

The Spanish defender, who earns €55k (£50k) per week, was never really given an opportunity to impress in Guardiola’s side, with just 15 first-team appearances to his name, which certainly seems like something the club may regret if he continues to impress with Leipzig.

And, in other news… 0% duels won: “Special” MCFC ace badly let Guardiola down with an abysmal display…

Many football fans are not happy with Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend following his latest comments about VAR whilst he was speaking on talkSPORT today.

Palace took the early lead against Leeds in the 12th minute during their game at the weekend thanks to a Scott Dann header. This goal looked to have been cancelled out in the 18thÂminute by Patrick Bamford, who slotted home with a delightful chip after a clever through ball. However, VAR decided that the goal wasÂoffside,Âwith the striker’s deemed to be offside after using his arm to point where he wanted a pass to go.

Townsend, who was on the pitch when this happened, has spoken out and even though he says he ‘sympathises’ with Bamford, he believes the decision was correct with the current offside laws.

The decision was very tight, and Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa should definitely feel frustrated following the decision. Many supporters have gone to disagree with the winger, saying: ‘Of course he’s going to say that. The decision was in favour of his team! It’s a ridiculous thing to come out and say.’

Here’s how fans of a range of clubs reacted to Townsend after these comments:

In other Palace news, have a read of the latest club update that has the fan base very excitedÂhere!