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Journalist Pete O’Rourke says that Everton are ‘plotting’ a move for West Ham United defender Ben Johnson.

The Lowdown: Gordon money to spend…

Everton now have money to spend after selling Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for a reported £40m, potentially rising to £45m.

However, the Toffees have reportedly offered the same amount to Chelsea to try and sign midfielder Conor Gallagher, so it will be interesting to see how much money they have left in the bank to potentially spend on other signings.

The Latest: Johnson move plotted

Taking to Twitter, O’Rourke says that Everton are also ‘plotting’ a move for Johnson before the transfer window closes tomorrow night.

He tweeted: “Understand Everton are plotting a move to sign West Ham defender Ben Johnson before the close of the transfer window.”

Expanding in his corresponding article for Football Insider, O’Rourke adds that new Toffees manager Sean Dyche has already ‘sanctioned’ the move and is a ‘big admirer’ of Johnson’s versatility and Premier League calibre.

The Verdict: Smart target

Everton need to strengthen in a number of key areas before the transfer deadline, including in attack after the departure of Gordon, but full-back is another area which needs cover.

Johnson is equally as comfortable playing at right-back as at left-back, and Ruben Vinagre is only on loan from Sporting Lisbon, so the Toffees will need long-term competition for Vitaliy Mykolenko on the left flank.

At right-back, Seamus Coleman is not getting any younger at 34, while Nathan Patterson has struggled with injuries ever since making his move from Rangers.

Nonetheless, considering Johnson’s Premier League experience, this would be a smart move for the Toffees, should they be able to get him signed before the deadline.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has slammed Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton after he took a terrible dive to try and win a penalty in the club’s most recent game.

What’s the word?

Things have been going pretty brilliantly for Eddie Howe and his side this season. After all, they currently sit fourth in the Premier League and have a Carabao Cup final to play in the near future.

However, they suffered a slight setback on the weekend as they were held to a 1-0 draw at home against West Ham United as Lucas Paqueta’s 32nd-minute strike was enough to tie the game despite Callum Wilson firing the Magpies into an early lead.

During the game with the scores level an hour nearly played, Joelinton drove into the box and threw himself to the ground when Nayef Aguerd challenged him for the ball.

However, clearly, there was no contact made and the Brazilian was subsequently booked for his theatrics. While speaking about the incident live on BBC 606, Sutton didn’t hold back on his criticism.

He said: “The winner of this week’s simulation game, Joelinton. A double dive from Joelinton.

“No, no, Joelinton. You’re better than that. Newcastle, come on, sort it out. But the award which you don’t want to win, Joelinton has won it. They’ve had a great season. But you are better than that, Joelinton.”

Poor sport

It seems as though Sutton isn’t the only one to have an issue with this terrible attempt to win a penalty with fans online mocking the “absolutely shameful dive” (via Daily Star).

That incident was a notably low point for Joelinton in a game where he and his teammates really struggled to deliver any real moments of quality beyond the early goal they scored.

Indeed, the Brazilian picked up a SofaScore player rating of 6.6 which was the fifth worst of all the Newcastle players who featured in the game.

Still, Howe kept the midfielder on for the full 90 as he finished the match with 86 touches and 81 per cent passing accuracy while giving the ball away 19 times and making four fouls – which includes the dive that he was booked for.

With all that in mind, there’s certainly room for improvement next time out.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane was dubbed “utterly anonymous” by Danish Spurs podcaster Andreas Thau Loftager.

The Lowdown: Spurs nightmare

Spurs were left on the end of a hammering at the hands of Leicester City as the Lilywhites threw away a one goal lead to run out 4-1 losers at the King Power.

Rodrigo Bentancur gave Antonio Conte the best start following his return to the dugout after surgery to remove his gallbladder (BBC), but it went downhill quickly for the Italian’s side as they conceded two in two minutes midway through the first half to see the game completely turn against them.

A win would’ve seen Tottenham leapfrog Newcastle United into the top four of the Premier League but couldn’t take the opportunity.

The Latest: Loftager’s criticism

Host of a Danish Spurs podcast channel called Lyden af White Hart Danes, Loftager ripped in Spurs’ dismal performance on Twitter, singling out players including Spurs new all-time record goal scorer Kane, saying:

“Worst game in a Spurs shirt from Kulusevski. Son is back to his League 2 level. Kane completely and utterly anonymous today; worse than Haaland last weekend. This is abysmal offensively. Don’t even get me started on Perisic, man.

“Conte’s reaction. Absolutely nothing. #LEITOT”

The Verdict: Afternoon to forget

Just six days after becoming Tottenham’s greatest-ever goal scorer, Kane was unable to inject anything to Spurs’ performance for one of the only times this season, with him bagging 17 times in just 22 Premier League games previously.

Spurs saviour in times gone by was unable to show his magic with him having just 24 touches, the same as goalkeeper Fraser Forster as the lowest of the Tottenham starters (via Sofascore), making a messily 12 accurate passes in 90 minutes.

Kane won just five out of nine duels during the game and was caught offside twice as he tried in vain to battle and force Tottenham’s way back into the game, with AC Milan and London derbies against West Ham United and Chelsea to come, he’ll have to snap back to his best soon.

Manchester United’s 13-game winning run at Old Trafford came to an end on Wednesday evening, with the Red Devils forced to fight back from two goals down to secure a point against bitter rivals Leeds United.

In what was a thrilling, end-to-end encounter between the two long-time foes, an early goal from the electric Wilfried Gnonto set the tone for what was to follow, with the Italian speedster netting inside 55 seconds to stun the home crowd.

The managerless visitors then enjoyed another fast start following the break, with Raphael Varane inadvertently turning home Crysencio Summerville’s pullback, leaving Erik ten Hag’s men with a mountain to climb to get something from the game.

To their credit, the in-form hosts soon responded through Marcus Rashford’s well-taken header, before the returning Jadon Sancho curled his effort through the hands of Illan Meslier for what was his first goal since September in all competitions.

Despite having plenty of time to complete that comeback, there was to be no winner for the Red Devils in the end, with the top-four hopefuls potentially left to reflect on what was two points dropped against their relegation-threatened opponents.

On a night of mixed fortunes for United, one clear villain was midfield dud, Fred, with the Brazil international having seemingly suffered without the presence of suspended compatriot, Casemiro, alongside him.

The “erratic” 29-year-old – as described by journalist Rob Blanchette – endured one of those nights where simply little went his way, having regularly sparked groans from those inside the Theatre of Dreams for his slack passing and carelessness in possession.

That was evident as the former Shakhtar Donetsk man lost the ball a staggering 24 times from his 83 touches, ensuring he ended the relentless encounter with a measly pass accuracy rate of just 67%.

Amid what was a “really poor” performance – in the words of Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst – the £120k-per-week man was also less than effective in winning the ball back having won only six of his 16 total duels, while also committing three fouls and being dribbled past on two occasions.

That distinct lack of quality was also apparent in an attacking sense, with Fred having squandered a handful of potential openings late on, notably producing a tame, curling effort that was routinely saved by Meslier.

On what was a ‘regressive night’ for the 5 foot 7 man in which he routinely ‘irked’ the crowd, as per Luckhurst, the struggling asset simply laid bare just how much of a miss Casemiro will be in the forthcoming games.

On the evidence of last night’s showing, the 30-year-old’s return can’t come soon enough…

Everton have now been gifted a double injury boost as Sean Dyche has confirmed that Nathan Patterson and James Garner will play for the U21s on Friday.

The Lowdown: Injury lay-offs

Patterson has seen a knee injury keep him out of action since the beginning of November.

They had made 22 appearances between them previously this season, and so remain a key part of the squad going into the remainder of the campaign.

The Latest: U21 comeback

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match at home to Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, Dyche has confirmed that both Patterson and Garner ‘will play’ for the U21s against Tottenham Hotspur on Friday, as they look to step up their recovery from injury:

“James Garner and Nathan Patterson will play for the U21s tomorrow which I’ll watch. They’re not ready for us yet but they’ve been back with us on the grass.”

The Verdict: Big boost

Having Patterson and Garner return to the pitch, albeit in an U21s game, is a big boost for the Goodison Park outfit, as it suggests that they will return to first-team action soon.

The £58,000-per-week duo have been among their best performers in the Premier League so far, with only Yerry Mina matching Patterson’s average of three tackles per game, while they both rank highly for interceptions and pass success rate (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Toffees supporters will want to see more of Garner especially given that he was a new summer signing, and they will be hoping that they can both return to first-team action soon.

Dean Jones believes Leeds United’s centre-forward situation is ‘ridiculous’ following the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Rodrigo out

Rodrigo has been Leeds’ main source of goals this season, with the Spaniard scoring 12 times in 22 appearances across all competitions.

However, former manager Jesse Marsch decided to bring the 31-year-old on at Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup when Leeds were winning comfortably, with Rodrigo suffering an ankle injury late on.

He faces a two-month spell on the sidelines, leaving Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter as the only senior options.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

GiveMeSport asked Jones about Leeds’ January additions in a story shared following Javi Gracia’s Elland Road appointment. The reporter doesn’t think that the club did enough in the final third after failing to sign an experienced Premier League forward, labelling it as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘too late to fix’.

“In hindsight, no. Even at the time, we knew that they were ideally looking for someone who had a decent goalscoring record in this league, but they didn’t do it. So, there was always a chance they were going to find themselves in a situation where goals were going to be a problem.

“It really is ridiculous that Leeds still find themselves in this situation, where they don’t know what their source of goals is. But it’s a problem that’s too late to fix.”

The Verdict: Rutter a gamble?

Rutter was the man to arrive at Elland Road last month in a club record deal from Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old is still awaiting his first goal for the Whites and is yet to start a Premier League game, failing to make an immediate impact.

There already seems to be some doubt from Yorkshire chiefs regarding the big-money move for the Frenchman, so you could say that Jones is right when he says Leeds should have targeted a proven forward in the Premier League.

The Whites and Gracia will have to make do, though, and hopefully, the new head coach will be able to get Leeds back scoring freely once again after netting just twice in their last five Premier League games.

Arsenal are reportedly battling Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to sign Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio on a free transfer this summer.

The Lowdown: Talks scheduled

It was reported earlier this month that Asensio’s agents were flying to London to feel out interest in the Premier League, with Madrid not wanting to talk about a new deal until March or April.

His contract expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

The Latest: Competition…

As per Football Insider, Tottenham and United are also battling with Arsenal to sign Asensio, providing that he does not sign a contract extension.

They have now been ‘in contact’ over a potential deal which would see him join for free come the summer.

The Verdict: No-brainer

To sign a player of Asensio’s quality and experience for free is a no-brainer for the Gunners.

Hailed as ‘spectacular’ by his former agent Horacio Gaggioli, Asensio has had a great career at the age of 27, winning no fewer than three UEFA Champions League titles with Madrid, along with a host of other major accolades.

The winger has also been capped 35 times by Spain, and at 27, is a player only just about to enter his prime.

Nonetheless, Asensio would still have a sizeable sell-on value as well, if for some reason it did not work out at the Emirates Stadium.

When retiring, most players either go down the coaching route or they go down the punditry route, with a mixed bag of success. Some players take an entirely different, and unpredictable route, however, as they pursue a dream that is somewhat outside of the box.

When it comes to Tottenham Hotspur, most legends in recent history have gone on to have great success in their careers after football. 

The majority of the North London club’s legends can now be seen in punditry or the technical area. Either way, they’re still very much a part of modern-day football. It will certainly be interesting to see what the next batch of Spurs icons decide to do after hanging up their boots, too. Could we see Heung-min Son step into punditry, analysing Harry Kane’s tactics from the technical area? We can’t wait to find out.

With that said, we’ve decided to look into what 10 Tottenham Hotspur legends are doing since retirement.

10) Chris Waddle 

Since retiring, Chris Waddle has taken up punditry and has worked for the likes of TalkSport, Setanta Sports, BBC Radio 5 live, and ESPN.

He is one of many former Premier League players to have had success away from the football pitch, and in the studio as a commentator and pundit. 

He is consistently used by terrestrial television, particularly focusing on analysing games from the FA Cup.

Waddle remains a legend of both Spurs and Newcastle United, and is a fixture on our television screens.

9) Jermain Defoe

Jermain Defoe isn’t actually that long retired, having hung up what were golden boots as little as four months ago.

In that short time frame, he has, admittedly, kept his cards close to his chest. But, having previously spent time as a player/coach at Rangers, we could see the legendary goal scorer attempt to translate his knowledge to current strikers in the future.

Indeed, he is currently working with Spurs, again, as he continues to explore a move into coaching.

The club, clearly, were happy to welcome the ex-England international back into the fold.

8) Rafael van der Vaart 

Remember when we said that some players opt for options considered slightly outside of the box?

Well, with that said, we’d like to introduce Rafael van der Vaart, the darts player for the British Darts Organisation. The midfielder’s accuracy was always impressive with his feet, and, as it turns out, it’s not too bad with his hands, either.

The former Spurs man has also worked as a pundit, and as a coach for Esbjerg fB, however. 

He remains one of the most iconic players to join Spurs, and is often seen in the stands at the stadium.

7) Ledley King 

Going down the coaching route, Ledley King spent a brief time as part of Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff, before new manager Nuno Espírito Santo arrived, and the former captain returned to his ambassador role.

Studying for his coaching badges since then, however, it may not be too long before we see King back in the technical area, maybe even as the head coach this time.

King also works as a Spurs ambassador, representing the club at various events, including things such as the Champions League draw.

When he’s not doing that, he can always be seen at games, watching on and trying to inspire Spurs to more glory.

6) Robbie Keane 

Like others, Robbie Keane has been spotted as both a pundit and coach since retirement.

His coaching career has included spells with both Middlesbrough, and the Ireland national team. Meanwhile, as a pundit, he has been seen on the likes of Sky Sports, often covering former team Tottenham Hotspur.

After last coaching in 2020, it will be interesting to see whether Keane steps back into a similar role.

As it stands, though, it seems like he is mainly focused on his media work.

5) Dimitar Berbatov 

Before we get into what he’s up to nowadays, can we just take a second to appreciate and admire Dimitar Berbatov’s immaculate touch during his playing days?

He could probably pluck a meteor out of the sky. But, what is he up to now?

Well, since retiring, Berbatov has been seen as a pundit for BT Sport, released his own book, and even his own clothing line. It’s fair to say that he’s been a busy man since hanging up his boots.

Clearly, he’s got plenty of time on his hands, as he always seemed to have on the pitch!

4) Teddy Sheringham  

Retiring at the old age of 42, Teddy Sherringham didn’t go straight down the coaching route, instead picking an option slightly out of the box by becoming a top poker player on the world scene, and a successful one at that, too, winning various competitions.

He did eventually turn to coaching, however, with a role at West Ham, before becoming the manager of Stevenage, and, most-recently, Indian Super League side Atletico de Kolkata.

Now, though, he is more regularly seen on television in a pundit role every now and then, covering Spurs.

Of course, he is also available as an ex-Manchester United talking head.

3) Jurgen Klinsmann 

Spending time as a pundit most recently, Jurgen Klinsmann’s main role since retiring has been as a manager, and a successful one at that, too.

Throughout his managerial career, the former Spurs player has taken charge of the German national team, Bayern Munich, USA national team, and Hertha Berlin in an incredibly impressive spell in the technical area.

He was most recently seen in the BBC studio analysing the World Cup in Qatar.

It remains to be seen if Klinsmann will make a move back into coaching in the near future.

2) Glenn Hoddle 

Speaking of players to have taken up management after retiring, Glenn Hoddle has had quite an extensive career in the technical area, taking charge of Swindon Town, Chelsea, England, Southampton, former club Spurs, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as taking up the role of assistant manager at Queen Park Rangers.

Following his time in management, however, he can now be seen as a pundit and commentator on BT Sport.

Hoddle, of course, has also had a health scare, and nearly died after having a heart attack some years ago.

But he has made a swift and full recovery, and was even in the stadium when Spurs beat Ajax 3-2 to reach the Champions League final.

1) Gary Lineker 

The fact that our mind instantly goes to the Match of the Day theme tune when we see the name Gary Lineker tells you all you need to know about just how well the former Spurs man has done.

He is arguably one of the most successful players after retirement, with his work as a host taking him to the next level of fame. That, and being the face of Walkers crisps, of course.

He was also pretty handy as a player, scoring goals at every level, but most impressively on the biggest stages.

He won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, and even earned a giant move to Barcelona during his playing days.

Were there any surprises on our list? Or did you really expect Berbatov to be an incredible darts player? Let us know in the comments. The current crop of Spurs players could be up to similar in the next decade or so. They could even have the next Match of the Day host in their current squad. We certainly can’t wait to find out if that’s the case.

Meanwhile, the current crop of legends will keep at their current roles, and some may even take a step into management. The likes of Defoe and Berbatov still have plenty of time in retirement to pursue a successful coaching career, and they wouldn’t be the first to do so, either.

Ian Abrahams has admitted he’s confident that Arsenal will be able to sign £100 million midfielder Declan Rice.

The Lowdown: Arsenal will look to improve

Considering Arsenal were indeed willing to spend big on Mykhailo Mudryk in January but instead only spent a fraction of that on Leandro Trossard, would suggest that there will be money available in the summer.

Even if Arsenal don’t end up winning the Premier League – which looks rather unlikely now given their lead at the top – they will have Champions League football for the first time since the 2016/17 season, so should be able to attract a higher calibre of player.

Arsenal will know that if they wish to be challenging for the Premier League each and every season then money must be invested this summer and in windows going forward and one area they could look to bolster is midfield given Thomas Partey’s injury woes this season.

The Latest: Rice would cost Arsenal £100 million

While speaking on TalkSPORT, Abrahams admitted he was fairly certain Rice would move to The Emirates this summer, although it will force them to pay a club-record fee for the midfielder.

He said: (0:15) “This is an outstanding player, this is a £100 million footballer who -regardless of what Roy Keane says – his old club would love to sign if Liverpool don’t get Jude Bellingham they’d like to sign.

“I’m pretty certain that clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal, who I think he’ll end up going to, they want to sign as well.”

The Verdict: Huge battle for his signature

It’s no surprise so many clubs are indeed interested in Rice as he is one of the top midfielders in the Premier League and even this term when the Hammers have been poor he ranks inside the top 20 for players tackled across the division, and is also yet to make an error in the league this season which shows how reliable he is (FBRef).

Reports have been swirling around his year about how Rice may well prefer a move to Arsenal, and it’s no surprise given the trajectory they are on under Mikel Arteta, but also because they boast such a young squad, the youngest in the league.

Therefore, Rice would fit in very nicely with what Arenal need for the here and now, but also be able to build around the likes of him and Martin Odegaard in midfield for the future, but his eye-watering price tag is sure to test Arteta and Edu’s resolve when it comes to spending huge as their last big-money signing – Nicolas Pepe – certainly didn’t work out.

Crystal Palace are thought to be interested in a move for Middlesborough forward Chuba Akpom, according to talkSPORT.

The Lowdown: Fine form

Akpom made the move to the Riverside Stadium in 2020 and has been enjoying a fine season in front of goal in the Championship.

The 27-year-old is the top scorer in the second tier, netting 21 goals in 28 games, four more than any other player. Hailed as a ‘fantastic’ striker by former Boro caretaker boss Leo Percovich, Akpom is out of contract in the summer, and it looks as if a move to the Premier League could be on the cards.

The Latest: Palace interest

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook provided an update on Akpom’s future in the last 48 hours.

He stated that Palace, along with Everton and Leeds, are ‘waiting to pounce’ for Akpom if Boro’s promotion push falls short.

The Verdict: Makes sense

Patrick Vieira’s side have struggled for goals this season and are yet to net more than one top-flight goal in a game in 2023. They have bagged just 21 times in 25 league games, fewer than bottom side Bournemouth, so a move for a new forward would make sense.

Akpom has been impressing in the second tier so could be a shrewd target, especially if he becomes a free agent over the coming months.

Palace’s top scorer, Wilfried Zaha,  is also out of contract in the summer, and should he depart for nothing Palace will need to bring in more than one attacker ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.