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Former Tottenham Hotspur hero Graham Roberts believes Julian Nagelsmann was the club’s first choice to replace Jose Mourinho as manager.

Spurs sacked Mourinho earlier this season after falling as low as ninth in the Premier League table.

The Portuguese struggled to give the club the consistency needed to finish in the top four, as they routinely threw away leads and lost to those clubs above them in the Premier League table.

Spurs are yet to appoint a new boss, having given Ryan Mason the job on an interim basis until the end of the season.

Nagelsmann was touted as a top target in the immediate aftermath of Mourinho’s sacking but he has instead opted to join Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig, replacing Hansi Flick, who has agreed to become the manager of the German national team.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Roberts claimed that Spurs initially believed they would appoint the German prior to his move to Bayern.

He said: “I think the Nagelsmann one mucked everything up because they thought they were going to get him.

“With the Bayern Munich manager going, it mucked everything up and put everything on the back foot.”

Jurgen Klopp and Julian Ward could bring a new striker to Liverpool this summer in the shape of Lautaro Martinez.

What’s the word?

That’s according to the latest reports from TuttoMercato, who claim that the 24-year-old has decided that he wants a move to a “big club with many titles” and the Reds have him in their crosshairs as a result.

The Italian outlet suggests that Martinez will not be playing his football for Inter Milan next season, with the Nerazzurri looking to free up some budget.

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The fee will of course depend on the way he ends the season but is reported to be around €80m (£67m).

It is said that Arsenal and Atletico Madrid had made their interest known, though the Argentinian striker was not willing to entertain a move to either side, with his sites set on joining a club that has won “many titles.”

Possible destinations suggested by TuttoMercato are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City or Bayern Munich.

An elite club

Thanks to their historical success and silverware as of recent, Liverpool are in an elite and forthright position to sign the “sensational” £76k-per-week talent.

Klopp would be right to do so, with Martinez notching up some impressive numbers in regards to his goal returns. In 42 appearances this season, the Argentina international has three assists.

Lautaro has demonstrated that he can be more creative, having created 11 assists last season, when Lukaku was the main man in Milan.

Being an out-and-out striker, he would offer a presence up-top that Liverpool have not had since Luis Suarez.

Capable of adapting to the style of Lionel Messi, his teammate in the national team, Martinez could find a new partnership with Mohammed Salah.

Of recent, Salah has established an identity as a top goalscorer, and if he would be willing to collaborate with the 24-year-old in Liverpool’s frontline, we could well see a deadly duo in the Premier League.

This is a transfer that few clubs have the opportunity to pull off, so it would be worth a look at least from the perspective of Jurgen Klopp.

In other news: Julian Ward could now unearth Liverpool’s next Trent in £540k-rated “wonderkid”…

Leeds have been handed a major boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday with the news that Anthony Martial has been ruled out for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

The Frenchman has been out of action since injuring his knee while on international duty back in March, and in some early team news confirmed by the club’s official website, the Red Devils are “still set to be without” him after he didn’t train with the rest of the squad on Thursday.

The news will come as a major relief to Marcelo Bielsa after the way in which the striker terrorised them in the reverse fixture back at Old Trafford, when Manchester United ran riot and put six past Leeds in an absolute demolition job.

While Martial didn’t get on the scoresheet, he picked up two assists and his 9.1 match rating (as per Sofascore) was the second-highest of any player on the pitch that day, only behind two-goal man of the match Scott McTominay.

The 25-year-old was at his electric best playing up front on his own, pulling Leeds centre-backs Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling this way and that with his quick feet and skills.

The Whites just couldn’t live with him at all, with Martial completing a whopping seven of his eight attempted dribbles on the day and earning his team a penalty after being fouled inside the area – to put that into context, the Frenchman has averaged just 1.6 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League this season.

He also created three official big chances, the most of any player, and provided a whopping four key passes, again the most of any player (Sofascore). His directness with the ball at his feet, and his creativity in picking out his teammates made him an absolute menace for Leeds to deal with and they will be happy not to see him on Sunday.

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Knowing that they won’t have to come up against him again will be music to the ears of Bielsa, and could well prove to be a real game-changer in terms of who walks away with the three points this time around.

Meanwhile, Leeds could make an exciting swoop for this Bundesliga ace…

Celtic may well go on to win the Premiership crown this summer, a deserved title for Ange Postecoglou in his first year with the Hoops.

However, he might have some tricky dilemmas to work out as he heads towards a summer transfer window where a lot of work will need to be done behind the scenes at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

Celtic are in danger of losing a few players in the upcoming market with Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers both set to see their loan deal expire.

Talks have begun to keep the latter in Glasgow but the future of Jota, their diminutive and skilful Portuguese sensation, is a lot more unclear.

It’s thought Celtic have a £6.5m option to buy the winger but Postecoglou has been rather coy on whether they’ll look to activate that clause.

Should they opt against it, the Bhoys must revive their chase of Kristijan Lovric.

He’s like Mbappe

Celtic have been interested in the Croat now for a number of years with a bid of £4.5m even believed to have been rejected for his services.

Yet, if they still have the NK Osijek man in their services, they must line up another bid even if he has only just moved in the winter market.

A move to British shores would surely be tempting for the player and if Postecoglou’s recruitment team can stump up the cash, his current side would find it difficult to turn it down given their financial status.

Jota will be an incredibly hard player to replace given his 20 goal contributions this term but in Lovric, they’d have someone who is more than capable.

The 26-year-old found the back of the net on 54 occasions for Gorica and has grown an enviable reputation for being one of the most dangerous players in the Croatian top tier.

Indeed, speaking about Lovric previously, HNTV commentator Damir Petravic said: “He dribbles and scores in the style of Robben, shoots free throws like Pirlo or Pjanic, and knows how to sprint like Mbappe.”

That sounds like an incredibly dangerous attacker, one who judging by his 28 assists, is also capable of creating regular scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Jota has been sublime at points this term but has still had the tendency to run a little hot and cold. In Lovric, however, they may well find a player capable of being more consistent.

It would be a significant deal to complete and a tricky one given his circumstances but it’s evident he’s someone Celtic have admired for some time. This summer could be the perfect chance to head back into the market for him.

AND in other news, Sources: Celtic now in talks over “important” Lennoxtown deal, Ange will be buzzing…

Sunderland are closing in on a deal to bring Daniel Jebbison to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Northern Echo, who claimed that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is in discussions over a season-long loan deal for the Sheffield United centre-forward, who was in attendance for the Black Cats’ 2-1 victory against Hull City on Friday.

The report added that the Blades manager Slavisa Jokanovic does not feel that the 18-year-old is ready for regular first team football at Championship level and is duly prepared to sanction the temporary departure of the highly-rated forward this summer.

Finally, it is claimed a number of clubs are interested in signing the England under-18 international ahead of the new season, but the striker’s presence at the Stadium of Light this week might suggest that Lee Johnson’s side are close to completing a deal.

Louis-Dreyfus masterclass

Sunderland are desperately in need of attacking additions ahead of their upcoming League One campaign, with both Charlie Wyke and Chris Maguire having left the club at the end of last season, so the prospective addition of such an exciting prospect in Jebbison would be something of a transfer masterclass by Louis-Dreyfus.

Indeed, having burst onto the Sheffield United scene by becoming the youngest-ever player to score on their first Premier League start in the Blades’ 1-0 win over Everton last season, interest in the youngster became apparent very quickly, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United and Chelsea all reported to be monitoring the striker.

Pundits were also quick to praise the £900k-rated starlet, with Micah Richard dubbing the forward Sheffield United’s “shining light,” describing his landmark performance against the Toffees as “fantastic.”

In addition to his first team heroics, the 18-year-old has netted six goals in as many appearances for the Blades’ under-18 side in FA Youth Cup action, hinting that he could be a regular scorer for whichever team he represents.

As such, despite his tender age, it would appear to be a rather large coup for Sunderland should they get a deal over the line for Jebbison in the coming days. The centre-forward seems to have the ability to help fire the Mackems to promotion next season – something which would undoubtedly leave fans of the club buzzing.

In other news: Louis-Dreyfus dealt another transfer blow over £540k-rated “threat”, he’d be a big miss for Sunderland

After such an inconsistent campaign, Wolves no longer have anything to play for this season.

Nuno Santo’s team have performed well below par and as they gear up to face Brighton this afternoon, they will do so from 12th in the table.

Ambitions of qualifying for Europe have fallen by the wayside but it’s not been entirely the manager’s fault.

Wolves have suffered from a mind-blowing number of injuries this term with Jonny sustaining two ACL problems and Raul Jimenez fracturing his skull.

Pedro Neto has broken his knee cap while Willy Boly will miss the game on Sunday while he recovers from the after-effects of the ongoing pandemic.

With all this in mind, how will Wolves line up when they welcome Brighton to Molineux this weekend?

We’re tipping Nuno to make three changes to the side that drew with West Brom last time.

There is no place for Willian Jose in the side as Fabio Silva gets an opportunity to build on the goal he netted against the Baggies.

There is one change in the attack where Owen Otasowie drops out after his rare chance last weekend. With that in mind, Daniel Podence comes back into the fray in a wide position.

Vitinha gets another chance as the attacking midfielder after shining so bright at the Hawthorns.

The other change could be an enforced one. Wolves are currently sweating over the fitness of Rayan Ait-Nouri and if he can’t make the game, Max Kilman might come into the team.

The left-back replaced him towards the end of their clash with Albion but the £14k-per-week earner hasn’t actually started for the Old Gold since February 7th.

Boly misses out so it’s a centre-back pairing of Conor Coady and Romain Saiss again.

Joao Moutinho is back to full fitness so he replaces Leander Dendoncker in midfield for the third and final change in this XI. He has been absent for the last two matches with a minor ankle problem.

AND in other news, Wolves beast who became “ridiculous” under Nuno sees his value rise by 180% in 3 years…

Everton are reportedly eyeing up a potential swap deal involving Rafael Leao and James Rodriguez in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Calvert-Lewin back-up needed

The Goodison Park faithful certainly need to sign a reliable back-up striker to Dominic Calvert-Lewin if they have any ambition of qualifying for European competition for next season.

The former Sheffield United ace was the the Merseyside club’s top scorer over all competitions in the 2020/21 term with 21, and while Richarlison scored 13 (Transfermarkt), the Brazil international often plays on the wing to accommodate Calvert-Lewin.

Given that the futures of both Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean are uncertain as well, as they were both sent out on loan over the past year, the Blues really do need to think about signing a brand new centre-forward.

The Latest: Leao and Rodriguez swap?

As per Calciomercato, Jorge Mendes, who is the agent of both Leao and Rodriguez, is exploring the possibility of the two players swapping clubs, so that the former would come to the Toffees as the latter would go and join AC Milan.

Leao also likes the idea of moving to EFC, while Rodriguez has reportedly been linked with a move away.

The Verdict: Swap

While Rodriguez has had his fair share of good moments in an Everton shirt, he was constantly disrupted by various injury problems.

The 29-year-old has also caused controversy among fans and media, as he has not exactly been enthusiastic about staying at Goodison Park since the departure of Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid.

On the other hand, given Leao likes the idea of moving to the Merseyside club, it would be much better for them to keep happy players there.

The striker would also be a shrewd addition, as his added pace and willingness to run in behind would certainly offer the Toffees a different dimension in attack to that with Calvert-Lewin playing up top.

Leao has even been previously likened to both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe in the past, which is high praise indeed, and a deal to see him arrive at the Blues and Rodriguez heading in the other direction would certainly make sense.

In other news, find out what transfer claim ahs been slammed by EFC supporters here!

Luke Edwards has revealed that Newcastle United are now considering both Lucien Favre and Frank Lampard to be their next manager.

The Lowdown: Manager search on

It looks increasingly likely that Steve Bruce will be sacked by the St. James’ Park faithful sooner rather than later following the takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, with Edwards claiming that it is expected to be done ‘in the next 48 hours’.

Thus, they will have to bring a new manager in, with names like Steven Gerrard being mentioned as potential candidates in recent days.

The Latest: Favre and Lampard considered

Writing in his latest piece for The Telegraph, Edwards has revealed that the North East club are now considering one of Favre or Lampard to be their next boss.

It is not clear when the appointment would be made given that Bruce is still in the job, but the likelihood is that a change will be made sooner rather than later as the Tyneside outfit prepare for their game at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Verdict: Wait

There is no rush for the new owners to bring a coach in, as whoever they choose must be the perfect candidate to lead them into a new era.

Lampard would certainly be an odd choice, given that he has not won any trophies in his admittedly short managerial career so far, and trophies are something that the owners will want to bring.

On the other hand, Favre has won a few trophies, but none that really stand out in terms of major honours, while his record transfer in terms of players brought in is Mats Hummels at £27.45m, and so the owners may want a manager who has handled much bigger fees given their ambitions.

He has also reportedly not had the best relationship with Allan Saint-Maximin in the past either, apparently wanting to sell him after one training session while at Nice (Get French Football News).

Nonetheless, bigger and better names will certainly emerge as the January transfer window draws nearer.

In other news, find out what ‘great news’ will have SJP ‘bouncing’ on Sunday here!

Leeds United’s interest in Rangers winger Ryan Kent has reportedly returned, with the Whites eyeing up a summer move for the 24-year-old.

The Lowdown: Kent shines for Rangers

Steven Gerrard’s side cruised to Premiership glory last season and there were a number of players who caught the eye at Ibrox. Kent was undoubtedly one of them, with the former Liverpool man chipping in with eight goals and seven assists for the Gers in the league.

The winger’s form has unsurprisingly seen him tipped to leave Ibrox, with Leeds considered a potential suitor within the past few months.

The Latest: Leeds eye up move

According to The Athletic, the Whites ‘retain an interest’ in Kent this summer, with Marcelo Bielsa seeing him as possible addition out wide.

The report doesn’t state whether any bid has been made for the 24-year-old, but it is a further indication that Rangers may have work to do in keeping hold of the winger.

The Verdict: Gers must keep hold of him

Kent has been integral to the Gers’ success under Gerrard – he has 27 goals in 128 appearances overall – so the thought of losing him is a frightening one for the Light Blues.

The winger is a consistent source of goals and assists, also providing endless running and unpredictability, along with an average of 0.8 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game in the Premiership in 2020/21.

However, Leeds are an exciting proposition under Bielsa, and their attacking nature (62 league goals last season) suggests that Kent could thrive under the Argentine, so Rangers’ work could be cut out if the 1.76m (5 foot 9) winger’s head is turned by a move to Elland Road.

In other news, one Leeds target looks set to join a fellow Premier League club this summer. Find out who it is here.

Alan Hutton has shared his concern with Newcastle United and their transfer business so far.

The Lowdown: No more signings?

As per Luke Edwards, it is ‘unlikely’ that the St. James’ Park faithful will make any more signings before the summer window ends, with Joe Willock being their only permanent addition from Arsenal so far.

The Daily Telegraph journalist explains that someone from the 25-man squad would have to drop out first of all, and they have spent their entire budget on bringing the central midfield player in.

However, he did not rule out the ‘possibility’ that somebody could yet come to the North East on a loan deal.

The Latest: Hutton concern

Speaking to Football Insider, former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton has voiced his concern with the Tyneside club’s transfer business so far, but thinks that they will survive relegation down to the EFL Championship:

“I still think Newcastle have a decent squad.

“But they haven’t added to it and that is a big problem.

“You can never stand still. If you look at all the clubs who are out there spending money year on year, even during the pandemic.

“The worrying thing about it is the results. Two games, two defeats and conceding a lot of goals.

“You always have to be on the front foot and looking to the future.

“I love Steve Bruce to bits; he gets a hard time up there, but it won’t get any better for him if results don’t improve.

“Fans want to see signings and progression, but it just hasn’t happened.

“I think they’ll survive easily enough but to progress, they just need more in the transfer market.”

The Verdict: Worrying

As Hutton points out, it is certainly worrying for Steve Bruce’s team that they have not brought in more players to help out the squad, especially given the start that they have made to the 2021/22 season.

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They may not be as lucky to survive in this campaign if more additions are not brought in, and so the next few days are vital for them.

Nonetheless, time is running out, and more clubs will be reluctant to let players go so late on in the window with them looking to finalise their own squads ahead of the deadline.

In other news, find out which ‘talented’ ace could now leave NUFC here!