According to an exclusive from The Express, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Borussia Dortmund striker Paco Alcacer.

What’s the word, then?

The same outlet explains that Jose Mourinho would like to sign at least three players before the January transfer window closes this week since Spurs’ only reinforcement so far has been Benfica’s Gedson Fernandes.

Express also go on to state that Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale remains Spurs’ primary target and that the clubs are currently discussing a potential permanent deal.

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

However, Borussia Dortmund’s Paco Alcacer is among some of their other options, with Mario Gotze a possibility as well, as they still need a striker to fill Harry Kane’s void following his injury.

Verdict

From Borussia Dortmund’s point of view, it’s easy to see why they could sanction this deal and let the Spanish international leave for the Premier League.

After all, their newest signing, Erling Braut Haaland, is already firing on all cylinders having scored five goals in his first two games for the German outfit.

But equally it’s easy to forget Alcacer has been extremely unlucky with injuries yet still managed to bag seven goals across all competitions in 2019/20.

Maybe keeping the 26-year-old centre-forward as the more experienced man in that role, and also someone who can be a strong option within the squad, would not be such a bad idea.

Let’s not forget that he scored five goals and assisted one in the first six Bundesliga games before injuries stopped his excellent run, so he definitely still has a lot to offer Dortmund.

Meanwhile, there will be one clear winner and one clear loser of Danny Rose’s potential departure from Spurs…

Liverpool were once again victorious on Saturday in the Premier League.

The Reds beat Southampton 4-0, meaning they are now 22 points ahead at the top of Premier League – although Manchester City have a game in hand. Incredibly, they have now won 24 out of 25 matches in the top flight so far this campaign – truly astonishing stuff.

In this match, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah – twice – were the goalscorers, and almost every player put in a good display as the Anfield outfit were rampant in the second half. However, there was one main exception – Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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

The 21-year-old was far from his best against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side. Defensively, he was anything but solid. Whilst he did manage two clearances, he registered just one tackle and was also dribbled past on two occasions as well. On top of that, he prevailed in just two of the seven ground duels he contested.

The £99m-valued England international – per Transfermarkt – is far more renowned for his offensive contributions – he has 10 assists in the Premier League this term – but even in that respect, he struggled here. He failed to make a single key pass, was unable to land a single cross and completed just six out of the 23 long balls he attempted. Not only that, he lost the ball an astonishing 41 times. It is not something that we have become used to.

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It says a lot about the quality of Alexander-Arnold that his poor displays stand out so much when they occur. In the end, though, he has even been able to time his poor performances to perfection. As his side dominated their opponents in the second half, it actually became irrelevant whether the Liverpudlian contributed to the play.

Jurgen Klopp, though, will have no doubt noticed his struggles. It is something he will not want to see again any time in the near future.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are happy to let this man listen to offers in the summer.

According to The Telegraph, Everton want to reward Mason Holgate with a new contract after putting in some fine displays under recently-appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti.

What’s the word?

The 23-year-old has struggled to really establish himself as a key part of the Everton first-team since making the move from Barnsley back in August 2015, registering just 70 appearances across all competitions.

He has played a far more prominent role this year however, playing and completing the full 90 minutes in the Toffees’ last 16 Premier League games. And under Ancelotti in particular, the defender has really impressed, registering an average match rating of over seven in four out of the seven games in the top-flight.

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With his current deal expiring in the summer of 2022, The Telegraph claim Everton know it is the “right time” to start negotiations with his representatives over signing a potential new deal.

Smart move

Still only 23, Holgate still has plenty of years left before he should hit his prime, and so it makes no surprise the club are looking to extend his contract.

Upon his signing back in 2015, then Everton manager Roberto Martinez remarked: “With Mason, an opportunity came up and we didn’t want to lose out. He is a young man with an impressive future. His development is going to be important and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can have an impact on the first team.”

Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Whilst he may not have kicked on as quickly as some may have expected with just the 70 games in more than four years at the club, working under someone like Ancelotti could be the key to really establishing him as a top defender. The Italian manager has worked with the likes of Sergio Ramos and Kalidou Koulibaly in his time with both Real Madrid and Napoli respectively, so he could certainly help Holgate grow a lot more over the coming months.

Meanwhile, this Everton player has received glowing endorsements from Steven Pressley.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have “laid the groundwork” ahead of a potential deal for Norwich City defender Max Aarons this summer.

The right-back has made 25 appearances for the Canaries during the 2019/20 campaign, including 23 in the Premier League.

Football Insider claim that Spurs have already “held extensive negotiations” with Norwich as they look to sign the Englishman at the end of the season.

However, it would be fair to say that a number of the London club’s fans are not overly enthused by the idea of the 20-year-old arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, there are a number of fans who would seemingly welcome the arrival of the full-back – contracted to the Canaries until June 2024 – in this summer’s transfer window.

Aarons has only provided one assist and zero goals in the Premier League this season, but the fact that he has only missed two of Norwich’s 25 league games this term shows a brilliant level of consistency for a player who is still so young.

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Meanwhile, Harry Kane has stepped up his recovery from a hamstring injury, and the latest on the England captain can be seen here…

Celtic took a giant step towards clinching the SPFL title in midweek as they ran out 5-0 winners on an evening when Rangers slumped to a 2-1 defeat away at Kilmarnock.

What’s the word?

With the Hoops storming towards their ninth consecutive title, attention will now turn towards the Europa League clash away at FC Copenhagen next week.

Celtic’s most dramatic victory of the season so far arrived in Europe when Olivier Ntcham scored a last minute winner to down Lazio in the Group Stage as Neil Lennon’s decision to play 3-5-2 paid dividends.

That formation has been utilised in the league since the turn of the year, but the recent return of Mohammed Elyounoussi has created a conundrum to dissect for the 48-year-old manager.

Ahead of the trip to Denmark, one fan asked The Athletic’s Celtic correspondent, Kieran Devlin, how he expects Lennon to approach the game from a tactical point of view, and he claimed he’s anticipating a return to 4-2-3-1.

“I think this Celtic team can only really play one way — at least one way very well — and that is to be high-intensity and high-risk. Lennon’s intention will be made clear with the team announcement before kick-off next Thursday but I think there’ll be a return to the 4-2-3-1, with Frimpong and Elyounoussi’s return.”

Changing a winning formula

While it’s easy to understand the reasoning behind Devlin’s point of view, it would be a bold call to alter a system that’s been working so well for the club domestically.

It’s also worth considering that Elyounoussi has only played 103 minutes of competitive football in 2020 and 85 of those arrived in the SFA Cup against third tier opposition.

To throw him back into the mix in a game of this magnitude and intensity would be a brave move, especially when you factor in a change in system alongside it.

It will be intriguing to see which way Lennon goes in Thursday’s showdown.

Just after the January transfer window slammed shut, a report emerged revealing that Crystal Palace are eyeing up Norwich left-back Jamal Lewis ahead of the summer, having made enquiries while the future of Patrick van Aanholt also remains uncertain.

We will simply have to wait and see if the Eagles go in for the Englishman when the season comes to a close, although his most recent outing for Norwich was an impressive one and may well have Roy Hodgson drooling over what he saw.

Lewis actually started on the bench, but was forced to replace Sam Byram after 27 minutes.

From that point on, the Norwich No.12 was superb, impressing at both ends of the pitch for the Norfolk-based side.

He registered an impressive seven clearances – only Christoph Zimmermann made more out of all the players on the pitch – while Lewis also recorded three tackles.

Additionally, he showed his attacking qualities by taking one shot at Alisson’s goal, while completing two dribbles.

What makes his performance even more eye-catching, however, is the fact that he shackled Mohamed Salah.

The former Chelsea attacker – once described as a player who “no defender is happy coming up against” and also “dynamic” by former Egypt boss Bob Bradley – failed to score against the Canaries while also finding himself dispossessed on three occasions. No player on the pitch had the ball taken off them more.

Also, Salah had six unsuccessful touches up against Lewis down the right flank, on a day where he also failed to embark on a dribble, nor was he fouled once which showcased how faultless the Crystal Palace target was up against a formidable opponent.

If Hodgson truly is keen on the 22-year-old left-back, then we presume that he will have been left licking his lips at what he saw from the defender against Jurgen Klopp’s European champions.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers avoided a scare in the Europa League Round of 32 second-leg as Nuno Santo rotated his side with five changes.

The west Midlanders lost 3-2 to Espanyol in Barcelona but progressed thanks to their 4-0 thumping in the opener last week, meaning they were victorious 6-3 on aggregate.

A Jonathan Calleri hat-trick wasn’t enough to help the La Liga outfit through, but Nuno Santo’s fringe men still have plenty to do to prove the visiting supporters wrong.

Just like Morgan Gibbs-White, who has come in for intense criticism on social media.

Here’s what has been said…

A wide range of superlatives were used to describe the 20-year-old, including “rubbish,” “dreadful” and “average” while one supporter brandished him as a “competition winner” as if he had just been pulled from the crowd to play while another added that he was nowhere near good enough.

Some others wondered why it wasn’t Gibbs-White who was sent out on loan last month instead of Connor Ronan, who has joined League One Blackpool.

There were also comparisons made to his teammates, such as Bruno Jordao; a player many would rather watch out on the field for the first team.

Gibbs-White was blasted as a “League 1” player at a push.

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He was even described as the “Helder Costa of this season” – someone who wasn’t in Nuno’s plans and was shipped away to Leeds in the summer.

Meanwhile, loads of fans in the Wolf Pack wanted the club to part ways with the academy graduate – either temporarily with a loan next season or outright selling him.

Reasons for why included him being “garbage” and the fact that he brings “absolutely nothing” to the side.

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Mohamed Elyounoussi was one of the few players to make something happen for Celtic on Thursday evening.

The Hoops crashed out of Europe courtesy of a 3-1 defeat against Copenhagen but it could have been a far easier night, especially if Jozo Simunovic didn’t defend calamitously for the opener.

However, it might have also been Celtic’s night if Elyounoussi was more effective in the final third.

Having recently come back from injury, the Norwegian loanee was afforded a chance ahead of Leigh Griffiths in attack. Though, this rather came back to bite Neil Lennon and his side.

Midway through the opening period, the Southampton man showed excellent speed and agility to get away from his marker on the left.

After a few more phases of play the ball fell to Elyounoussi who had the goal at his mercy inside the penalty area. Rather than adding to his seven goals already this campaign, he blazed the ball off target in what was a decisive moment in the tie.

It was a telling moment, but it also summed up the type of player the left winger can be – one that’s sometimes found wanting in the final third.

13 goal contributions this term is a very handy return but despite being an effervescent character in the Europa League, he was wasteful.

Throughout the game, the wide man only managed one accurate cross of nine he attempted. He also lost possession 21 times as he continued to frustrate and excite both in equal measure.

Elyounoussi was one of few players to really get at the Copenhagen defence but his output in the final third is not that of a £10m player.

The Norway international is only on loan at the moment but according to reports he may cost that fee should Celtic want to land him on a permanent deal in the summer.

Nick Hammond has done some brilliant work with Celtic’s recruitment, namely bringing Fraser Forster and Christopher Jullien in, but spending £10m on a player of Elyounoussi’s calibre would be foolish.

He showed as much on Thursday, being crammed into a system that Celtic haven’t been playing with in recent weeks. This is one of the key reasons why a permanent switch would perhaps be rather bizarre.

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Lennon has preferred a three-man defence with a lack of wingers in each of the last five league matches and if he is going to continue to do that, there is no room for a wide man, especially if he’s going to cost the price reported. After all, Celtic looked worse this week after the change in formation.

Despite having the ability to beat a player, for the money touted you want a player who stands up in the big moments on the big stages. The Celtic loanee proved on Thursday he might not be the man to do so.

The Hoops can do far better for their money.

Meanwhile, one Celtic star should have NO FUTURE at the club after Thursday night…

Chief football writer Graham Smyth and reporter Joe Urquhart discussed Leeds United’s current situation on Inside Elland Road podcast and touched upon the subject of Kalvin Phillips.

The 24-year-old midfielder missed Leeds’ clash against Middlesbrough at the end of February and while Marcelo Bielsa insisted the team can cope well without him, Smyth doesn’t seem to fully agree with that statement.

He highlighted that their opposition had more control due to the player’s absence and even though he does admit it’s not the end of the world if he’s not there, it still makes quite a difference.

Here’s what he said for Inside Elland Road podcast (27/2/2020): “I slightly disagree with Bielsa that Leeds United cope well without Phillips. I don’t think they cope brilliantly. I think they cope okay, but I don’t think they cope brilliantly and I feel like they’d have had a lot more control in that game. Boro would have had a lot less success in the middle of the pitch and Leeds would have had the ball more I think.”

Of course, the crucial player he is, Phillips has already recorded 31 games in the ongoing Championship campaign, only missing clashes when he was suspended or injured. When he’s fit and available, however, he always starts every single game, which is evident in his appearance right from the start in every single one of those 31 games he’s played so far.

Coping without him is difficult for Leeds given he averages the highest amount of tackles (2.8, via WhoScored), crosses and long-balls per game, so Smyth does appear to have a point.  It remains to be seen, however, if they can keep the momentum going until the end of the season and keep hold of their position or even improve on it by jumping over league leaders, West Brom.

Leeds fans, do you think your team can cope well without Phillips in the squad? Do you agree with Bielsa or Smyth in this case? Let us know in the comments down below!

The Sun is reporting that Arsenal are still interested in Wilfried Zaha.

What’s the story?

The report says that the Gunners are still interested in making a move for the Ivory Coast international – they had a bid turned down for him by Crystal Palace last summer.

They say that he is rated at £75m by the Eagles, who have already identified Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin as a potential replacement.

However, Palace face competition from Everton.

No return

There was plenty of interest in the 27-year-old last year. Arsenal appeared to be desperate to take him to the Emirates Stadium, whilst Bayern Munich were also interested in the former Manchester United youngster. In the end though, he ended up staying at Selhurst Park.

Last term, Zaha set the Premier League alight, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists. However, he has been a shadow of that player this time around – he has three goals and five assists in just five less appearances than the whole of the previous campaign.

The failed move appears to have rocked him, and he has struggled to live up to his usual high standards. He has done little recently to justify the reported £75m price-tag that Steve Parish and co want for their star asset, and Arsenal would be wise to avoid such an investment.

It is not as though Mikel Arteta does not have enough attacking options at his disposal. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe, Mesut Ozil, Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah are already in his squad, which indicates that another forward shouldn’t be the priority.

Not only that, Arteta has also indicated that he will not have a huge amount of money to spend this summer. He recently said: “The damage caused by the club not being in the Champions League for the third season is really big. Financially the impact is enormous because the structure of this club is built to be in the Champions League and you can sustain that for one year or two, but then after you have to start making decisions”.

Surely that would make a £75m spend on one player all but impossible? Perhaps they could move some things around if a truly special player came along, but Zaha has not put himself in that category this season.

Given his recent showing, Raul Sanllehi and co had a lucky escape last summer. They should look for more cost-effective targets rather than spending big on an out-of-form player.

Elsewhere, Arsenal fans loved this man’s performance against West Ham.