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Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring their former manager Mauricio Pochettino back to the club this week…

What’s the word?

According to Duncan Castles, the Argentine is not Real Madrid’s top target to replace Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu, which means that Spurs have one less problem to worry about if they are to secure his sensational return to north London.

Speaking on a recent episode of ‘The Transfer Window’ podcast, the Sunday Times journalist revealed: “It’s not clear to me – from what I’m hearing from Madrid – that he’s the preferred candidate to take that job for them any longer.

“They watched what happened towards the end [of his spell] at Tottenham and what’s happened in Paris, and we all know that it’s easy for a coach’s status on the market, in the space of one job and one season of performance in a job, and I think that’s where Pochettino is at the moment.”

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke first revealed Spurs’ interest in Pochettino on Thursday, claiming that chairman Daniel Levy had held talks with the Paris Saint-Germain boss and that the 49-year-old was even open to returning to Spurs.

However, doubts quickly arose after the La Liga club were mooted with the Lilywhites’ fan favourite by Goal, who claimed that he was their first-choice option.

Pochettino has previously suggested that it would be a “dream” to manage Los Galacticos one day, so their interest will always cause some considerable concern among the N17 faithful.

A big boost?

This fresh claim should certainly come as rather exciting news for supporters, as many have struggled to contain their desperation to see their former coach return to the club as Jose Mourinho’s successor.

As revealed by This is Futbol, several members of the Lilywhites faithful have displayed their excitement over the news that Pochettino could come back to the club. One fan likened it to “Christmas Eve”, another dubbed it a “madness” and a further supporter claimed to be “salivating uncontrollably”.

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Now that Real Madrid do not appear to be in the running, this will only bolster the Spurs fans’ hopes and dreams even more, as it’s one obstacle which is no longer blocking a return from happening. Instead, it will now be on Levy to do whatever he can to secure the former Southampton man’s services.

Pochettino is currently under contract at the Parc des Princes until the summer of 2022, with an option of a further year, and it’s thought that the Ligue 1 giants have no intention of letting him go.

That is perhaps the biggest hurdle standing in Tottenham’s way, although it should come as pleasing news to many that they do not have to battle Champions League-bound Real Madrid as well.

As a result, Castles’ latest update is an exciting development in Spurs’ quest to fill their vacant managerial role. The door has opened for Levy to strike but can he do it? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Kane: Levy must seal Spurs swoop for 40-cap gem dubbed “very talented” by Pochettino…

Celtic had a significant overhaul during the previous summer transfer window in terms of the number of players that moved in and out of the club.

After their busy summer, the Hoops have definitely made the most of it in their latest SPFL season in terms of their results.

With 34 league games played, Ange Postecoglou’s side have won 27, drawn four and lost three, scoring 80 goals and conceding 19 along the way.

Now that the end of the campaign is in sight, the Hoops are within touching distance of the league title as they currently find themselves six points clear at the top of the table.

Looking beyond that, the next summer transfer window will be opening and once again give the Parkhead club the chance to make whatever changes to the squad that Postecoglou feels are necessary.

With that in mind, one figure that we think should follow in the footsteps of the numerous players that left the club last summer is midfielder Ismaila Soro.

Having appeared in just eight league games this season, the 23-year-old has played only three minutes of action since September.

This is a big clue that the Ivorian is quite far down in the pecking order at the moment and isn’t likely to be in Postecoglou’s plans for next season.

Back in January, Soro was heavily linked with a move away from the Parkhead club after originally arriving for a fee of £2m during the 2020 winter window.

Taking into account how the midfielder has failed to show the 56-year-old why he deserves to be a regular figure in the team in terms of his performances, the summer could be the ideal time to finally call his time with the Bhoys to an end.

According to WhoScored, the Hoops outcast has only been able to earn himself a rather disappointing overall performance rating of 6.25/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players currently in the squad to have started at least one league game.

This shows just how much the £10.5k-per-week flop has been stealing a living this season.

To further highlight how ineffective the player has been for the Bhoys in this campaign, he has one yellow card to his name but not even a single successful tackle.

With the likes of Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley, David Turnbull and Reo Hatate all contributing to the team in terms of scoring goals, it’s no wonder that Soro has not been in Postecoglou’s thinking in recent months.

90% of voters in a recent poll ran by Football FanCast claimed that the club should look to get rid of the player in the summer, so things aren’t looking great for his future in a Celtic shirt.

Moving forward, if the Bhoys are able to pick up any sort of cash for the player in the summer and sell him on a permanent deal, this will certainly be the best option for all parties.

In other news: Celtic now plotting 7-figure bid for 14 G/A sensation, he’s perfect for Angeball

After coming on at half-time against Manchester City, Keinan Davis must surely be pushing for a rare start in Aston Villa colours when West Brom come to town on Sunday night.

The 23-year-old has only played a peripheral role in Dean Smith’s side’s Premier League campaign thus far, playing just ten times in the competition – even that has only amounted to 147 minutes of action.

However, after being brought on for Jacob Ramsey at the interval in Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Man City last time out, the striker should be in the frame to start, especially given that West Brom have endured a nightmare campaign which has seen them concede 62 goals in the season – the most of any top-flight club by far.

While that might involve a rare tactical shift from Smith to go with two centre-forwards, it could just give Villa that extra edge and spark that they’ve been missing in recent weeks – a run of just one win in their last seven top-flight games has seen them lose major ground in the battle for a European place for next season.

The 1.89m (6 foot 3) Davis has one huge admirer in teammate and club captain Jack Grealish, who even insisted that he compares favourably with the likes of former Villa striker Christian Benteke.

The England international said: “He’s so strong, honestly, so, so strong. He’s one of the best hold-up players I’ve ever played with and that includes the likes of Benteke and stuff. Honestly, he’s unbelievable. The only thing he needs to add to his game is his end product.”

Speaking to FFC’s sister site This is Futbol, former Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has suggested that Davis’ introduction into the starting line-up would be the kind of bold call which could pay off for Smith.

He said: “I think it could work. I don’t see why he can’t try it. I think we’re in a situation now where I don’t think they’re going to qualify for Europe; it’s all about finishing as high up as possible, which is still very tight in that midsection.

“So, yeah, I mean, it’s certainly an option that you can look at. I do like the fact that Keinan holds the ball up well. I think it might work. I don’t think it will happen. But it’d be great, it would be great to see.”

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Given Villa’s struggles in recent weeks, bringing Davis into the fold could be the kind of game-changing move to kick Smith’s side back into form as the season nears its conclusion.

Meanwhile, Villa could build a dream attack by signing this Premier League star…

Wolves have been rather quiet in the transfer market this week but that shouldn’t frustrate supporters after the window they’ve had.

Despite rumours of players leaving, they still boast a full quota of top footballers and they’ve also added the likes of Trincao and Jose Sa to their ranks.

What’s the word?

One player who Wolves have been targeting for months now is Milan forward Rafael Leao.

The Portuguese sensation only joined the Serie A side in the summer of 2019 but it looks like an escape route out of the San Siro is likely. Milan are thought to want €25m (£21.3m) in order to sell him, an asking price that’s continued to drop in the last few months.

Leao is working hard during pre-season in order to convince club officials to keep him in Italy but according to a report (via Sport Witness), Jorge Mendes has put forward contacts from Wolves in a bid to lure him to Molineux.

Jota 2.0

Leao is a truly enigmatic character. As he was coming through at Sporting and Lille, he looked like one of the finest young talents in Europe.

He was compared to Kylian Mbappe and the great Brazilian, Ronaldo. He was even hailed as “spectacular” by former striker Rolando Bianchi.

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However, despite providing glimpses of his immense potential in Italy, he has been rather inconsistent.

A review from reporter Zach Lowy epitomises the hardships he has been through: “The fact that Dany Mota — a player at Monza — and Gonçalo Ramos — a benchwarmer at Benfica — overshadowed Rafael Leao during the U-21 Euros should serve as a wake-up call for him. He needs to drastically change his mentality or he’ll be leaving Milan sooner rather than later.”

Heading for the departure lounge wouldn’t be the worst news for Wolves, though. After all, if you compare his qualities to a certain Diogo Jota, they do line up quite well.

Both players possess incredible pace and have the ability to beat opponents for fun, using trickery and close touch control to eliminate opponents in breathtaking fashion. They can both play out wide and through the middle, while they’re equally creative and destructive in front of goal.

During his final Premier League campaign with Wolves, Jota found the net on seven occasions, a tally that the 22-year-old Leao neared last season. He scored six goals in the red and black of Milan, providing half a dozen assists for his troubles as well.

In 2020/21, their dribble tallies were quite similar, with the Wolves target amassing 1.3 per match compared to Jota’s 1.1 per game. Leao managed 0.9 key passes while the former Old Gold star produced 0.6 key passes in the top flight.

Wolves have managed to replace Jota with the effervescent Pedro Neto but, with his own future in doubt, Leao would be a wise addition to the Molineux ranks.

AND in other news, Lage must brutally axe £50k-p/w Wolves dud this summer, Coady said he’s “outstanding”…

Aston Villa announced on Tuesday that Austin MacPhee has joined the club as their new specialised set-piece coach, and that appointment has had a lot of Villa supporters talking on social media.

The 41-year-old, who retired as a player back in 2006, has held numerous assistant roles in recent years. He worked alongside Michael O’Neill with Northern Ireland, while also being a number two with Hearts, St Mirren and most recently FC Midtjylland.

The Express and Star suggest that it was with Hearts where MacPhee’s set-piece coaching reputation began.

Reports at the beginning of July claimed that Villa were looking to bring in a set-piece coach, and Dean Smith has seemingly had his wish granted with the appointment of MacPhee.

Smith knows what it’s like to work with a set-piece coach during his time as Brentford boss, and MacPhee’s work will hopefully help Villa with the small margins of attacking and defending dead-ball situations.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news regarding MacPhee on Tuesday lunchtime. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘great’ and a few now hoping to see free kick specialist and reported  Villa transfer target James-Ward-Prowse follow MacPhee to the Midlands.

“To work alongside JWP? good timing”Credit: @TyBracey”it’s all happening”Credit: @catrinavfc”ANNOUNCE WARD-PROWSE”Credit: @Dips_avfc”Great bit of business this. We’ve under utilised set pieces since the days of Laursen & Mellberg. Could be the difference this”Credit: @Reece_AV”YEEEEESSSSS FINALLY”Credit: @AVFC_AP”Needed”Credit: @GW_94″Need Ward-Prowse or otherwise there is absolutely no point”Credit: @Harry34740948

In other news: ‘Jeez’, ‘Genuinely gutted’ – Many Aston Villa fans react to John Percy’s update on this player

Rangers have been linked with a move for Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer recently, and if he were to join Steven Gerrard’s side this summer, he could solve a big problem for the 40-year-old at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, Rangers are one of the clubs taking an interest in the Dutch midfielder, who is also being considered by Norwich City, Brighton and Brentford ahead of the summer transfer window.

Although he only joined the Sky Blues last summer following their promotion back to the Championship, Mark Robins’ side could be willing to cash in on him this summer should they receive a suitable bid for the midfield maestro.

Would he be a good signing?

The 23-year-old has made 41 appearances for Coventry in the Championship this season and has contributed an impressive five goals and two assists, averaging a solid 6.75 WhoScored rating for his performances.

This ranks him as the fourth-best performer in the Sky Blues’ squad so far this season, so it is clear that he has been an important part of their impressive season, which has seen them comfortably avoid relegation back to the third tier.

No player has averaged more key passes or dribbles per game (1.5) than Hamer in Coventry’s team this season, whilst he also scores highly when it comes to interceptions and tackles, which suggests that he can contribute from an attacking and a defensive point of view.

For comparison, only Borna Barisic, James Tavernier and Ryan Kent from the Rangers squad have averaged more key passes than Hamer this season, whilst only Joe Aribo and Kent outperform him on dribbles, which suggests that the £1.8m-rated midfielder could be a solid addition at Ibrox.

The former PC Zwolle man, who was labelled “unbelievable” by teammate Marco Marosi earlier in the season, could also amend a key issue in Gerrard’s squad ahead of next term.

The Ibrox manager has been left low on midfield options for much of this season following the long-term absence of Ryan Jack, whilst only Joe Aribo, who has also often featured on the right wing, has managed to regularly contribute goals from midfield.

Hamer’s five goals from midfield this season suggest he could add a goalscoring threat from that position in Gerrard’s squad which the likes of Steven Davis and Glen Kamara simply don’t offer, which has been one disappointment in a largely successful season for Rangers.

Should the dangerous front three of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi lose form or be broken up, Gerrard may need someone from midfield to step up next season. Hamer could prove to be that man, so Ross Wilson should try to bring him to Ibrox this summer.

In other news… Gerrard handed major boost with 23 y/o dubbed “the best”, Wilson must deliver

Leicester City are reportedly interested in signing Schalke centre-back Ozan Kabak after he impressed during a short-term loan spell at Liverpool last season.

What’s the story?

The Reds turned to the 21-year-old as they searched for a solution to their defensive injury crisis but turned down the opportunity to make his stay on Merseyside permanent for £18 million.

As a result, Kabak has been linked with a move to several sides in recent weeks, and well-respected journalist Constantin Eckner has confirmed the Foxes’ interest.

He tweeted: “Ozan Kabak: Leicester are interested in signing the centre-back after he has returned to Schalke who essentially have to sell him, as they are forced to reduce the cost of their squad significantly following relegation.”

Fans should be buzzing

After finishing in fifth place for the second consecutive season, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has already been quite active in the transfer market.

Deals for RB Salzburg striker Patson Daka and Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare appear to be nearing a conclusion, yet defensive reinforcements will also be required.

Experienced duo Christian Fuchs and Wes Morgan have left the King Power Stadium, leaving a sizeable gap in Rodgers’ squad.

Former England international Ryan Bertrand is expected to bolster the full-back positions following his release from Southampton, but a new centre-back will also be required.

Therefore, news that Kabak is being targeted by the Leicester hierarchy should have the club’s supporters buzzing.

The Turkey international recovered from a shaky start to life in England to perform well for Liverpool during his six-month stint at Anfield.

He made 13 appearances for the Reds in all competitions throughout the second half of the recently concluded campaign, helping Klopp’s charges to a third-place finish.

Adding someone with Premier League experience will be a huge bonus as Leicester plot another assault of the top four next term, and his potential arrival would be a big boost to the FA Cup holder’s chances of returning to Europe’s top table.

With Schalke in a poor financial situation, director of football Jon Rudkin may be able to pull off a bargain deal for Kabak, adding to the extensive list of astute purchases he’s overseen.

And, in other news…Leicester City handed major injury boost ahead of next season, Rodgers will be buzzing 

David Moyes has received an encouraging squad boost at West Ham this week…

What’s been said?

Irons forward Michail Antonio, who is currently the Premier League’s third leading talisman, has withdrawn from international duty with Jamaica due to logistical problems, as revealed by co-owner David Gold on Twitter.

“MICHAIL ANTONIO has pulled out of the Jamaica squad for three qualifiers due to logistical problems. The news will be a welcome boost for boss David Moyes, who has concerns about the effect of travelling across the Atlantic would have on Michail who has been plagued by injury,” he revealed.

Moyes boost

Given the 31-year-old’s history with injuries, this news will undoubtedly leave Moyes delighted, even if his star striker is a little gutted to not feature for his national side.

Antonio has not started more than 24 of 38 league games in any of the last four Premier League seasons, and that’s largely down to constant injuries – for example, he missed 13 matches last season from a variety of problems and issues.

His importance to the Hammers is undeniable. The 5 foot 11 beast has scored five and assisted three in the English top-flight this campaign, adding to his ten goals and five assists from last season.

The former Nottingham Forest ace has already missed one game this term, though that wasn’t through injury, after he picked up a suspension and he was sorely missed as West Ham were defeated by Manchester United.

Antonio is above and beyond the standout performer under Moyes, earning a 7.84 average rating on WhoScored, which is way clear of the next best, who is Said Benrahma (7.43).

No Irons player is managing more shots (4.5) or key passes (2.5) than the Jamaican star after seven matches, further highlighting his importance.

Therefore, to have him around Rush Green this week, and not on the other side of the world is a massive, massive boost to Moyes and West Ham.

He will no longer be at risk of injury away from the club, nor will he have to quarantine, meaning he will be available for their first game back next week, a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton.

AND in other news, West Ham handed January transfer boost, Newman could seal instant masterclass…

With just four points on the board from four draws and three defeats, Southampton are still without a win in their 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

In addition to this poor start, Ralph Hasenhuttl has only seen his team score five goals in the process, with just Norwich City (two) having found the back of the net on fewer occasions by this stage.

Southampton’s next league fixture sees them take on Leeds United, who have also suffered a rather disappointing start to their season with just six points under their belt.

Ahead of the match at St Mary’s on Saturday, the Saints have been hit with an injury blow after Che Adams was ruled out of Scotland’s match against the Faroe Islands last week upon suffering a muscle injury in their 3-2 win over Israel, a development which won’t leave the Southampton faithful at all pleased.

On the matter, Hasenhuttl said that it’s “not too serious” but the 25-year-old will definitely miss the Leeds match, which at least offers hope that he won’t be out for too long.

Even though Adams has yet to score a goal for the Saints in the league this term after five appearances, we feel he will still be a miss against Leeds considering that he has averaged 1.4 shots and 1.4 key passes per game (joint-third and joint-top respectively in the squad), proving himself to be a useful attacking outlet for the team.

Since joining Southampton back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Birmingham City, the 25-year-old – who is currently valued at £18m by Transfermarkt – has made 83 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing 10 assists along the way.

In terms of who Hasenhuttl could select as a replacement for Adams against Leeds, we feel that the Austrian should give Armando Broja his first league start of the season after he managed to score the winning goal in Albania’s recent 1-0 win over Hungary.

Either way, Southampton need to secure their first win of the season sooner rather than later before questions start getting asked about whether the club can avoid relegation.

In other news: Ralph could have ideal Vestergaard replacement at Southampton with 19 y/o “monster”

David Norris has exclusively told Football FanCast that he clubs would have contacted Leeds over Diego Llorente but expects the Spaniard to still be at the club next season.

The 27-year-old joined in a reported £18m deal from Valencia last summer, with his first campaign in the Premier League a season of two halves.

Injuries restricted Llorente to just a handful of appearances during the first half of the season, much to the frustration of the Elland Road faithful.

However, after returning from a groin and them hamstring problem, the defender found his best form in the Leeds side and quickly made himself undroppable.

Once forcing his way into the team, Llorente featured in every Premier League game until he was rested for the final-day victory over West Brom.

Following that brilliant end-of-season form, Leeds were reportedly preparing themselves for big offers, although they had no intention of cashing-in on the Spanish defender, who was named in their squad for Euro 2020, although he didn’t feature.

Asked whether he expects Leeds to face any interest for his services, Norris told FFC:

“I’m sure there would have been contact made – they’ll be keeping tabs on him. Leeds are not going to look to let him go, he’s going to cost a fortune.

“I don’t expect to see anything happen, unless one manager pushes the boat out and takes a risk.”