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Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts is not sold on the prospect of the club hiring Brighton & Hove Albion boss Graham Potter as their new manager, telling Football FanCast that he is not the kind of appointment that will keep Harry Kane at the club.

The England international has been linked away from Spurs ahead of the summer transfer window, with The Athletic reporting that he wants to take on a new challenge this summer.

Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho earlier this season after a desperately poor season that saw the club fall to ninth at one stage.

Potter has been linked as a potential appointment and Football.London have reported previously that Spurs’ players have been impressed by Brighton’s approach whenever the two sides have met.

However, Roberts thinks that a manager with a bulging trophy cabinet is required to ensure that Kane feels the club are moving in the right direction following Mourinho’s exit.

Asked about how Kane would feel if Potter, or Scott Parker who has also been linked by the same Football.London report, became the new boss, he told FFC:

“I think that would be a bad thing for us.

“If you’re Harry Kane, you’re looking for a top manager coming in now, somebody that’s won trophies and those two haven’t won trophies.

“We haven’t won any trophies so we can’t go shouting our mouths off. That’s what Harry wants to win.

“He won the London trophy (Player of the Year at the London Football Awards) the other day and it was all about ‘no, I want a team trophy, I don’t want individual ones, I’ve got them, yeah, they’re good but I want that team one’.”

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the current condition of Leeds United centre-forward Joe Gelhardt.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent revealed that, after limping off with what initially appeared to be a dead leg in the U23’s 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday evening, the 19-year-old is now set for further assessment to determine the seriousness of his knock.

In his post, the journalist said: “Due to have more assessments.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

Marsch will be gutted

Considering the terrible luck Jesse Marsch has had with injuries since his arrival at the club back in March – with all of Patrick Bamford, Jamie Shackleton, Lewis Bate, Junior Firpo, Tyler Roberts and Leo Hjelde currently in the Elland Road treatment room – the news that Gelhardt could join the Whites’ stricken group ahead of Saturday’s six-pointer against Watford is sure to have left the 48-year-old gutted.

Indeed, with Bamford out of the season, should the 19-year-old be unavailable for selection this weekend, the American manager will have no fit centre-forwards in his first-team squad – something that could well lead to Marsch fielding Daniel James in a central attacking role once again.

However, with the winger having failed to impress when deployed through the middle so far this season – bagging just three goals over 17 appearances at centre-forward this season, as well as averaging an extremely disappointing WhoScored match rating of just 6.56 – it is clear to see that the absence of Gelhardt would come as a huge blow to Leeds’ chances of securing all three points at Vicarage Road.

And, with just eight points separating the 18th place Hornets and 16th place Leeds, a loss on Saturday could well see the Whites slip back into a fight for survival over the run-in of the Premier League campaign – an eventuality no one involved with the club will want to occur.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”

When it rains, it pours.

Leeds United have suffered yet another injury blow this week…

What’s the latest?

As relayed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, it appears as if young striker Sam Greenwood is the latest name to have picked up an issue following the Yorkshiremen’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham United in the FA Cup at the weekend.

“This is beyond ridiculous,” the ever-reliable journalist said in response to a screenshot of the 19-year-old starlet confirming an injury to social media.

Another cruel blow

This is just another in a long string of problems for manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Regularly throughout the season, he has had to endure the loss of key players and backup options, seemingly every week there is a new concern and that will surely leave him furious as he cannot get any sort of consistency going on the pitch.

What makes this Greenwood blow even worse is the fact that Patrick Bamford’s recovery has been dealt a setback, whilst alternatives in Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts and Joe Gelhardt are also on the treatment table, leaving him light on strikers heading into another clash with the Irons.

The two sides will go head to head once again on Sunday but this time in the Premier League, where the Whites will need to keep ticking over, having gone eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Their chances of righting the result in the cup are seriously hampered by not having a single striker available.

Elsewhere, Bielsa was also missing skipper Liam Cooper and key cog Kalvin Phillips in the defeat, whilst against Arsenal last month, the Argentinian head coach was missing as many as 11 players – something that could repeat itself this weekend.

Indeed, just as Hay outlines, it is getting rather “ridiculous” at Thorp Arch, where there are surely more injured first-team players than ones available. You have to feel sorry for the manager.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Meslier: Leeds lightweight who lost 86% duels badly let Bielsa down…

Loads of Liverpool fans have been left furious on Twitter as reports claim a number of Reds superstars could miss as many as eight games due to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been in simply blistering form so far this season, as the former became the first Reds player in history to score in nine consecutive matches thanks to his brace in Madrid on Tuesday.

The Egypt international has now bagged 12 times and added four assists in all competitions this term, while Mane has been no slouch either, chipping in with six goals.

Of course, fears have been prevalent amongst the Liverpool fan base about how many matches the pair could miss this winter, along with Naby Keita, and now The Athletic are reporting that number could be as many as eight.

According to the report from Adam Leventhal, AFCON participants will leave their Premier League clubs soon after the final whistle blows on the Boxing Day fixtures due to FIFA rules, and may not return until the second week of February.

With Harvey Elliott injured, this will leave Jurgen Klopp with few options in attack during the hectic winter fixture period, likely having to rely on the likes of Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino to deputise through January.

Reds fans erupt at AFCON update

Unsurprisingly, these Liverpool fans had plenty to say about the news as it was shared on Twitter by James Pearce, with one supporter calling it an ‘absolute joke’…

“2 games they said? Whats this 8 games rubbish, AFCON is a disgrace playing during normal leagues,every year”

Credit: @jaymgs12

“If it’s actually 8 games you might as well throw the season away”

Credit: @youraverag1

“So Salah and Mane likely to miss 6 PL games! Just concentrate on the Champions League then i guess. No way we’re coping without Salah especially for that long”

Credit: @AKayani07

“In a season where Mo is the best player in the planet and Mane isn’t far behind, them two leaving for the afcon will have the biggest negative impact on our title challenge, ever. We don’t have enough depth to lose both for over a month. But what alternative do we have ?”

Credit: @guycalledting

“What an absolute joke this is. Makes it even worse we didn’t bring in an attacker in the summer. Why on earth is this taking place in the middle of a league season”

Credit: @LFJFT96

“our season is finished we aren’t winning anything this season and will finish 4th”

Credit: @lfcd25

In other news, you won’t believe who the referee is for Liverpool vs Man United this weekend…

Aston Villa will reportedly listen to offers this summer for striker Wesley Moraes.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claim that a permanent Villa Park exit is possible, with manager Dean Smith not convinced by the Brazilian before his devastating ACL injury last year.

A potential loan deal is also a possibility, which would then reportedly allow Villa to bolster their attack in the summer window.

Wesley’s £1m-per game Villa record

Wesley, on £35,000-a-week, has been out of action since New Year’s Day 2020 following the serious injury he picked up at Burnley, although he has returned to training in recent weeks.

He’s made 22 appearances for the club since his £22.5m move from Club Brugge back in 2019, costing the club just over £1m-per match so far.

Transfer Tavern take

With Smith not convinced prior to his long-term absence, it seems as if a summer exit could be a smart decision for all involved.

Whether that’s on a temporary basis or a full-time deal remains to be seen, but Villa, in our view, would do well to recoup the £22.5m they paid for the Brazilian due to the time he’s been on the injury table.

In other news: Villa fans hit out at transfer update on 2020 target Milot Rashica, find out more here. 

Southampton have been linked with a move for Levante winger Jorge de Frutos in recent weeks but it looks as if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have been handed a significant blow in their hopes of bringing him to St Mary’s, as Real Madrid have now reportedly registered their interest in him.

According to Spanish news outlet Marca, Los Blancos have picked out the Levante star as the man they want to replace Lucas Vazquez at the Bernabeu in the summer, as his contract is set to expire.

The European giants also reportedly own 50% of the player’s rights, having only sold him to Levante during the summer, which surely puts them in the driving seat and, unfortunately, ahead of Southampton in the race to sign him.

Another report from Spain suggests that the winger has a €30 million release clause (£25.8 million) and that Levante are desperate to raise funds as they seek to balance the financial books.

The 24-year-old has enjoyed an excellent debut season with Les Granotas, having contributed three goals and seven assists in 27 La Liga appearances, of which just 12 have been starts.

His 10 goal contributions in the league puts him ahead of every Southampton winger/false 10 in Hasenhuttl’s side, with Stuart Armstrong coming the closest with just seven goal contributions in the Premier League this season (three goals, four assists).

The lack of goal threat in wide areas has been a serious area of concern for the Austrian manager this season, which has left him reliant on Danny Ings, Che Adams and James Ward-Prowse for goals, so adding someone such as De Frutos could have given Saints something different on the wing.

Therefore, it comes as a huge blow for Hasenhuttl that Real Madrid are seemingly now leading the race for the Levante star, as he would arguably be an excellent addition to the Austrian’s side at Southampton, and their chances of signing him now appear slim.

And, in other news… 100% duels won: £9m-rated Saints beast produced a stellar display; Ralph surely buzzing

Rangers find themselves with an excellent group of academy players coming through the ranks at Ibrox at the minute, with Alex Lowry and Charlie McCann really showing their promise.

One of the most talked-about youth prospects is centre-back Leon King, who at just 18 years old, has featured on the Premiership sides bench a few times already this season and could be ready for a step-up next season.

King signed a new long-term deal in January which will take him up to May 2024, with Ross Wilson explaining that he was “delighted” the young defender will continue his journey at Rangers.

The move to offer him a new deal was a smart one, as his performances in the B team haven’t gone unnoticed, he was linked with a move to both Manchester United and Newcastle United before pledging his future to the Gers.

Steven Gerrard was the first to offer hints that King could be a key part of the Ibrox side’s future when the then 16-year-old was included in the first-team squad for their trip to Belgium to face Standard Liege in the Europa League in October 2020.

Since then, he went on to make his official debut against Falkirk in a League Cup tie before featuring for the Gers in league duty against Livingston in May 2021, long after the side had won the Premiership title.

This led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to promote him to the first-team squad in January and this experience will surely stand him in good stead.

The player has all the attributes to become the side’s next Richard Gough, a stalwart at the heart of defence who eventually went on to make over 300 appearances in Rangers blue. With former coach Gerrard labelling him as “superb” then the sky really is the limit for the talented defender.

Van Bronckhorst could save millions by utilising him in the next few seasons in what is an exciting time for the youngster.

AND in other news, Body blow: Van Bronckhorst now set for huge Rangers disaster over £27k-p/w “rock”…

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with coverage from the BBC’s Sportscene programme following their victory in the Premiership on Wednesday.

The Gers defeated Hibernian 1-0 thanks to a goal from Alfredo Morelos. All in all, it was a convincing performance from the Ibrox outfit, who dominated possession and had more opportunities than their opponents (SofaScore). The win sees them remain 23 points clear at the top of the table with just 12 games left to play (BBC).

However, the coverage from Sportscene was far from fair towards the 54-time Scottish champions according to their supporters. They believe the pundits were more complimentary to Hibs despite the Gers being the better side.

This view was initially shared by Rangers TV commentator Tom Miller (@TomCommentator) on Twitter, and the fans let their feelings be known as they responded in droves, which you can see below.

What did Gers fans say about the coverage?

“Of course they did, bitter biased disgrace of a channel.”

Credit: @Zander82

“Just the usual from that disgusting organisation Tom no matter who we play… marvellous knowing the pain they’re in…”

Credit: @ian_barrie

“Bewildering. It really needs sorted out. As does Crockers pursuit of Alfredo.”

Credit: @VaticanRSC

“Best not to bother watching it. BBC Scotland is guilty of anti Rangers bias and everyone knows it.”

Credit: @BrianAuld3

“Hardly surprised Tom. It’s the official haters of Rangers channel after all.”

Credit: @johnmasonrtid

“The agendas, excuses and hate is building now it’s virtually in the bag. But that means we are back on top so let them carry on”

Credit: @petera1872

In other news, Rangers fans slam this SFA decision.

Everton finished 10th in the Premier League after a 5-0 final day drubbing at the hands of champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus gave City command of the game early on. Phil Foden added a third shortly after half-time and then Sergio Aguero came off the bench to score a brace.

The Toffees went into the last round of fixtures with a chance of qualifying for Europe, but they miss out despite gaining 10 points on their 2019/20 tally. They won just four of their last 12 matches, leaving them 13th in the form table during that period.

Digne urges togetherness at Everton

Everton left-back Lucas Digne took to Instagram to send a message to fans, admitting that ‘we didn’t finish like we want’.

Although the Toffees missed out on their ‘goal’ of qualifying for Europe, the Frenchman emphasised the importance of ‘staying together’. He finished off by thanking the fans for their support.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed Digne’s comments, which went down well with many supporters. Some felt that he was one of the team’s best performers in 2020/21 – a view which is justified going by WhoScored performance statistics – while others appreciated how he “says it how it is” after Everton’s tame finish to the season.

Everton fans praise Digne after tough end to the season

“Only one I can’t criticise this season tbh”

Credit: @ElliottB1878

“The only one who comes out and says it how it is”

Credit: @IanLR

“About one of the only players to put a shift in yesterday”

Credit: @PeterLaing74

“Give 100% all the time”

Credit: @Jesudian15

“Only guy who gives his 100% and create something”

Credit: @Charliebabbit1

“I adore you, my French king”

Credit: @Reservoirfrogs_

In other news, Paddy Kenny dropped a transfer warning about one of Digne’s fellow Everton defenders.

Southampton’s former vice-chairman Les Reed has revealed the reason behind Wesley Hoedt’s failure at the club in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Saints paid £15m to sign Hoedt from Serie A club Lazio in 2017, with the Netherlands international signing a five-year contract at St Mary’s.

At the time, Reed said that the defender was “one of the most promising young defenders in Europe” but he struggled to make a real impact on the south coast.

Hoedt made 45 appearances for Saints in total, making 23 appearances under Mark Hughes and 22 under Mauricio Pellegrino.

He never played a single minute under the management of Ralph Hasenhuttl and he is now back in Serie A, playing for Lazio on loan, the club from whom he joined the Saints.

Reed felt that the deal was a good one when he arrived at the club, but that a mistake early in his Saints spell ultimately destroyed his confidence.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “Wesley was on our radar in Ronald’s reign, although we bought him in Puel’s reign because Ronald wanted a left-sided centre-half and we didn’t have one. And he was playing for Lazio in the Champions League and was in the Dutch national team.

“At the day of purchase, he was a good buy.

“But having got in the building, Claude, who wanted a left-sided centre-half because of the way he wanted to play, he did make an incredible error that led to a defeat, and that was it, wiped off. Destroyed the player’s confidence and then it gets very difficult to pull that back.”