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Harry Winks’ future at Tottenham Hotspur is in doubt, according to the Daily Mirror.

Tottenham have stepped up their attempts to sign Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, with both Spurs and Everton chasing the Saints’ former captain. The Denmark international had the captaincy stripped from him by Ralph Hasenhuttl after he refused to sign a new deal and was dropped from the squad entirely, although he has returned to action in recent weeks.

Jose Mourinho has made it clear that Hojbjerg is the holding midfielder that he needs to rebuild Tottenham’s midfield. The Daily Mirror claimed that, if Mourinho gets his man, it is Winks who is most likely to leave north London in the summer.

Hojbjerg has played 33 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist and averaging 1.4 shots, 2.4 successful tackles and 1.5 clearances per game (via WhoScored). Meanwhile, Winks has made 30 appearances in the English top flight so far this term, with fewer than one shot and one clearance per game, as per WhoScored.

Mourinho is well aware that his transfer budget has been severely restricted by current financial circumstances, while Daniel Levy will have to balance the books to sign his top targets in the summer.

Kyle Walker-Peters, who is currently on loan at St Mary’s, could form part of a deal to take Hojbjerg to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although the Saints have not confirmed whether they want to keep him permanently when his loan expires at the end of the season.

On the other hand, Winks could be sacrificed in order for the ex-Bayern Munich ace to take his place. The Englishman was a firm favourite of former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino but has found himself in and out of the side over the course of the campaign so far, even though he has featured in every game during the Lilywhites’ recent unbeaten run.

As it stands, it seems highly likely that Winks will fall down the pecking order if Hojbjerg arrives in the summer. However, it would be a harsh decision by the board to let him leave, as the England international has become an effective distributor who picks his passes to keep play moving forward.

Indeed, he has played a key role in the supply chain in recent weeks, although it seems he does not get the credit he deserves. His exit could come as quite a shock, as his playing style has enabled Giovani Lo Celso to push further up the pitch.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sell Harry Winks in order to faciliate Hojbjerg’s arrival at Spurs? Let us know in the comments below!

He may not have spent too long at Leeds United, but it’s fair to say Ian Rush fondly remembers his time with the club.The Liverpool icon played 39 times for the Whites, scoring three times, and after seeing them clinch their return to the Premier League, took to Twitter to pass on his congratulations.

It speaks volumes of the kind of affinity players build up with Leeds, that even someone who played less than 40 games for them is still absolutely buzzing to see them do well.

Can you name every one of the Leeds’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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Two of Rush’s former sides in Liverpool and Leeds have both enjoyed historic seasons this year, and the prospect of seeing those two giants of English football face off once more in the Premier League is a mouth-watering prospect.

Despite still having a couple of games to play in the Championship, you can forgive anyone of a Leeds persuasion from looking past that and already eyeing up their first game back in the promised land.

Who’s excited?

Allan Saint-Maximin has been tipped to leave Newcastle United in the summer transfer window as he has drawn focus from Wolverhampton Wanderers, according to the Daily Mail.

As per the outlet, Wolves are not looking to sign too many players, but one man that they are focusing on signing is Saint-Maximin, who the publication have tipped to leave St. James’ Park.

Indeed, given his rather impressive debut season in England, this would not be good news for the Magpies if they lose him, especially to a Premier League rival.

Saint-Maximin scored three goals and made a further four assists in 26 games in the 2019/20 campaign in the top flight, while also averaging 1.8 shots, 1.3 key passes and 4.7 dribbles per game (via Whoscored).

The 23-year played a key part in keeping the Tyneside club in England’s highest division, but being a standout performer, some members of the Toon Army may be wondering at what potential cost.

If the proposed takeover in the North East is not approved by the league, then Saint-Maximin may well look elsewhere to further his ambition, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s team may fit given that they can still possibly qualify for the UEFA Champions League if they win the Europa League.

Former Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United and England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson has previously suggested that the Frenchman could leave if the takeover collapses, so the chances of him staying could be boosted if the £300 million deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group is given the green light.

Nevertheless, surely NUFC will look to keep Saint-Maximin out of the grasp of the likes of WWFC.

Geordies, will ASM leave this summer? Comment below!

Name: Ollie Watkins

Club: Brentford

Date of Birth: 30 December 1995

Position: Centre-forward

OLLIE WATKINS – HIS CAREER SO FAR

Ollie Watkins is a 25-year-old centre-forward currently playing his football over at Brentford in the Championship. He grew up in Newton Abbot and some of his first gigs in the sport that would later on become his life were at Exeter City. He finally joined their academy at U11 level, having previously been rejected when he was only nine years old in 2003. But that stay in the academy would indeed prove to be quite good and Watkins sore through the ranks to land into the first-team after only a year.

He signed his scholarship in 2012 and by 2014, he also penned his first professional contract, winning his first call-ups and appearances for Exeter in the 2013/14 season. And this was a start of something special for the youngster as he would remain at the club for the following couple of years, albeit with a short loan spell at Weston-super-Mare along the way.

The loan happened between 2014 and 2015 and Watkins would record 24 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring ten goals and actually developing quite a bit as well. This was essentially his first big shot at a regular role in a senior team and he embraced it with both hands. And upon return to Exeter, Watkins was adamant on succeeding there as well.

The now 25-year-old forward ended up playing a total of 78 games for them, scoring 26 goals and also adding 17 assists on the side as well. Needless to say, it was quite a return for such a young player and soon afterwards, Brentford came knocking on the door. In the summer of 2017, Watkins joined the Bees on a four-year contract, signing an extension soon after that, in 2019.

Since then, he has scored 49 goals and assisted 17 across 142 games for Brentford, surely cementing his spot as one of the most important players in the squad and one that has gone through tremendous development since his early years at Exeter and beyond that.

Now, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he is a wanted man and could very well be on the move to greener pastures quite soon. He is surely ready for it.

TRANSFER LATEST

With his rise through the ranks, Watkins has become a prime target for many Premier League outfits as of late and many transfer rumours have indeed connected him with a switch to the English top-tier. Some of the latest transfer news, however, suggest the newly-promoted Leeds United might look to secure his signature in an attempt to boost their squad for the upcoming challenge.

The 25-year-old has been tipped to join the Whites in numerous Leeds United transfer news so far and it will be interesting to see how Brentford respond to the rumours.

As it currently stands, the Bees might indeed struggle to keep Watkins around for much longer.

PLAYER PROFILE

Even though he used to be a winger by trade, Watkins has successfully transitioned into the role of a centre-forward. All of his best traits that he possessed as a wide man, however, have been retained and combined with the new skill set he had to adopt with the switch, the 25-year-old comes with an impressive package, to say the least.

He is extremely athletic and can use his clever positioning and off-the-ball movement to confuse the markers and both create and exploit the space behind their backs brilliantly. When necessary, Watkins can also be used to pin back the centre-backs and give more freedom to his teammates that way. With good dribbling abilities as well as knowing when to drop, drift or move away from his position, courtesy of his winger days, the 25-year-old can cause chaos in the final third.

On top of that, he seems to give Brentford a decent aerial threat as well.

Everton, just like every other club in the Premier League and the footballing world as a whole, are in the midst of a really difficult process of revamping for the upcoming 2020/21 season. And Carlo Ancelotti has an unforgiving task ahead of him to decide who stays and who goes as the Toffees sort out their squad.

Now, according to the latest report from the Italian outlet Tuttosport, Moise Kean could be set for a return back to Juventus, just a year after arriving from Turin to Goodison Park.

The youngster has had difficulties adapting to the English top-flight and Everton feel it might be for the best if he returned to Italy to gather some experience and a boost in confidence.

But no matter how you turn it, the 20-year-old joined the Toffees for a fee in the region of £27.5m, which makes him quite an expensive flop. Of course, for that same reason, Ancelotti is not exactly ready to part ways with the player permanently but still wants him to succeed at the club in the future.

Tuttosport also talk about Kean potentially playing for Juventus’ B team before then stepping up to the senior squad to provide competition and support for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.

It has been a rather stressful first year in England for the youngster but maybe going back to Italy for a year could restore some of that confidence in front of goal.

Or so Ancelotti would hope.

Verdict

It would be rather easy to label Kean a flop and cut the losses for Everton but there is no denying the 20-year-old still has the talent and the potential to grow into a successful player.

Of course, modern football doesn’t exactly give young players the time and the opportunity to fail and try again until they get it right but the decision by Ancelotti to ask for patience and give him a shot could still prove to be a great move.

Sunderland have beaten off Premier League competition to sign Josh Hawkes from Hartlepool, according to TEAMtalk.

The League One club have snapped up the 21-year-old, despite rival interest from northern rivals Newcastle United, along with Leeds United and Middlesbrough.

Hawkes is a left winger who can also play in central midfield and at No.10.

The 21-year-old’s contract has expired and he is poised to move to Sunderland on a free transfer.

Hawkes has made 63 appearances for Hartlepool in total, scoring 13 goals and registering one assist.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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He has only played twice in League Two, making the majority of his appearances in the National League, but the interest shown in him speaks to how good he could be.

He is now poised to become a League One player with Sunderland, where he will hope to take the next step in his career.

A separate TEAMtalk report states that both Newcastle and Middlesbrough had watched Hawkes continuously, with their scouts checking on his progress.

They were not able to agree a deal, however, while Sunderland did manage to get the deal over the line.

Chelsea are looking to cash in on midfield talisman N’Golo Kante in order to balance the books in this transfer window.

Frank Lampard has seemingly identified a future without the France international in his squad and is looking for suitors to come in for his services. Inter Milan are highly interested in Kante but Chelsea’s asking price could prove to be too high for them to meet.

That’s according to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), who have also linked Premier League rivals Manchester United with a move for the 29-year-old.

The Blues have firmly stated that a loan move will not be considered and are demanding a fee of €60m (£54.3m) in order to let Kante leave in this window.

With the recent signing of Kai Havertz and the likes of Mason Mount cementing his place in Lampard’s starting XI, the battle for minutes in Chelsea’s midfield is getting tougher.

Despite helping Chelsea to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League, Kante’s time in west London appears to be coming to a close.

The Frenchman made just 22 league appearances last season due to several injuries sidelining him throughout the campaign. Four separate injuries kept him out of the squad at various intervals, with a hamstring problem seeing him miss the final five games of 2019/20 (via Transfermarkt).

Manchester United are reportedly ready to match Kante’s £54.3m price tag and can do so comfortably, according to the report. However, no official moves have been made as of yet.

Do you think Chelsea are right to sell N’Golo Kante? Have your say in the comments below…

Burnley have taken their interest in Harry Wilson to the next level after submitting an official bid of £12million for his services.

However, the Clarets will need to revise their offer if they want to win over Michael Edwards, who reportedly knocked back the bid. The Liverpool sporting director is looking for at least £3million more in order to let the Wales international leave the club this transfer window (via Football Insider).

It’s unclear whether Burnley will revisit with an improved amount, but time is running out and a player like Wilson could help transform Sean Dyche’s side.

How would Harry Wilson benefit Burnley?

After the Clarets finished in a respectable 10th place last season, they will be eyeing up their chance to close the gap on the top six. With 54 points at the end of the term, they were just five points behind Spurs in sixth place, who managed to claw back a solid finish despite their sticky start.

Top scorer Chris Wood would benefit from a playmaker like Wilson operating either in the engine room or on the wing. The 23-year-old has enjoyed three loan spells away from Liverpool and has made himself known as a superb free-kick taker with the ability to net from long-range.

This is a trait that could also transform Burnley’s attack, for matches where they are unable to break down the opposition’s defence.

Harry Wilson stats

Despite only breaking into Liverpool’s first team twice in his career, Wilson has impressed in the youth leagues and also during his loan stints. In 60 appearances for the Reds’ reserve side, the Welshman boasts a superb 32 goals and 14 assists. His first short-term move away was with Hull, where he racked up seven goals and four assists in 14 matches (via Transfermarkt).

His eagle-eyed vision means he has scored eight goals through a direct free-kick, winning the match on one occasion with his frightening accuracy.

Two of those free-kicks came during his time on loan with Bournemouth, which seriously impressed Eddie Howe.

In an interview with the Bournemouth Echo last November, the Cherries boss hailed Wilson as being “hugely impressive” after he notched a total of seven goals and two assists.

If Burnley are serious about bringing the playmaker to Turf Moor, they must rally their funds as fellow Premier League sides Southampton, Leeds and Newcastle are also very interested in his services.

In other news, Michael Edwards shows Liverpool worth amid potential transfer profit

Loads of Everton fans were left fuming over the possible exit of Dominic Calvert-Lewin to play under Ronald Koeman at Barcelona.

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo (via The Toffee Blues), the former Everton manager is interested in reuniting with the 23-year old in Spain.

Incidentally, Calvert-Lewin did not have the best of times playing under Koeman, as he only managed to score four goals and provide three assists in 28 games in all competitions at Goodison Park, as per Transfermarkt.

However, the striker has been much-improved so far this term, scoring no fewer than nine goals in just six matches over all competitions, including scoring a hat-trick in two separate games (per Transfermarkt).

Therefore, it is perhaps not a surprise that Koeman is interested in signing him, and the Dutchman may well make his move in the January transfer window.

Everton fan reaction to possible Calvert-Lewin exit

These Everton supporters on Twitter were raging over the possibility of Calvert-Lewin leaving the Toffees:

Evertonians, would you sell Calvert-Lewin for the right price? Comment below with your views!

Morale in the Southampton camp will be through the roof after they caused a major upset to Premier League leaders Everton on Sunday. The Blues were hoping to return to winning ways after drawing against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, but the Saints had other ideas.

Goals from James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams brushed aside the table-toppers, who were without key players Richarlison and Seamus Coleman. It’ll be back to the drawing board for Carlo Ancelotti, whilst Ralph Hasenhuttl will hope to recreate a similar display against Aston Villa next.

However, one area of concern that the Austrian must address is the progressively weakened performances from Nathan Redmond, described as “important” by his manager back in July. Despite earning Man of the Match by Sky Sports, the England international was definitely more than a little fortunate to get it.

Hasenhuttl must decide what to do with Redmond

The winger found the back of the net eight times in his 2016/17 campaign with the Saints, which was a good return for the club’s eighth place finish. But since then, Redmond has declined and has struggled to contribute from the wing.

This season, the £16.2million-rated forward is still yet to open up his account. He has made five appearances across all competitions so far, but was dropped from the squad completely for Southampton’s game against Spurs and Burnley in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

According to Sofascore, Redmond failed to register a single shot on target against Everton and lost 14 of his 24 attempted duels. Additionally, he was dribbled past an alarming six times and committed three fouls. If the 26-year-old is this clumsy in possession when it comes to facing more attacking teams, he could seriously put his side at risk of conceding.

Redmond’s competition in Moussa Djenepo is currently sidelined due to a thigh injury. If the 22-year-old was fit and firing, there would likely be a lot more doubt over which of the two would start in Hasenhuttl’s lineup. On current performances, Redmond will be dropped to the bench and limited to substitute appearances at most.

However, after four years with the club, it could be time for the boss to move him on whilst he is still young enough to make first team football.

In other news, history came back to hurt Everton after Danny Ings masterclass…