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Giovani Lo Celso has excelled in his new role at Tottenham Hotspur ever since the Premier League restarted last month.

After Jose Mourinho decided to give Harry Winks another chance, Lo Celso was deployed further forward, and he was let loose against the Everton defence.

While it may not have been pretty, he played an instrumental part in breaking the deadlock, as Michael Keane deflected his strike into the back of his own net.

Paul Robinson insists he would not swap the Tottenham ace for Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs star claims Lo Celso has been “outstanding” for Mourinho’s side.

Last month, Fernandes revealed Spurs came close to signing him before Sporting Lisbon blocked the deal, via Sky Sports.

Mourinho dismissed his compatriot’s comments and said he would rather have Lo Celso anyway.

After being asked by Dylan Childs if he would swap the Argentine for Fernandes, Robinson admitted he would like to have both of them, but would choose Lo Celso if he was forced to pick between the two.

He told Football Insider “I would like to have them both! Two top-quality players.

“Lo Celso has shown a side to his game that not many people, including myself, knew that he had. He is not afraid to do the hard yards and play as a holding midfielder as well as an attacking midfielder.”

“I certainly would not swap him for Bruno Fernandes. Two outstanding players but Lo Celso has become key to what Spurs do. He’s settled and adapted to life in the Premier League very easily and very quickly.

“He looks to be a very astute signing along with Bergwijn. They are the type of signings that Spurs need. They have changed the team.

“Fernandes is a top player but I would not swap him for Lo Celso.”

It is hard to argue with Robinson here, as Lo Celso pulled all the strings in the 1-0 win over the Toffees.

The midfield maestro was widely touted as Christian Eriksen’s successor but ended up playing in a deeper role alongside Winks before the break. This didn’t stop him from being one of the club’s best players prior to the nationwide lockdown in March.

However, the 24-year-old has burst into life since the restart, as his performances have continued to get better and better with each passing week. Indeed, he earned a solid SofaScore rating of 6.8 in the draw with Manchester United, but bounced back with impressive displays against West Ham and Everton.

While Bruno Fernandes has been in electric form ever since he arrived at Old Trafford in January, the statistics don’t paint the full picture.

Lo Celso only has two goals this season, but these numbers can be attributed to the fact that it has taken him until 2020 to get his shot in central midfield.

Mourinho has let him off the leash over the past week or so, which has given him the freedom to move further forward, and he was unlucky not to score his first Premier League goal after his effort ricocheted off Keane.

It is difficult to believe it will be too far away if the Portuguese sticks with his new system as Lo Celso continues to take new strides in the final third.

That isn’t to say Fernandes wouldn’t make an immediate impact, as the evidence is there for all to see, the fact remains Lo Celso is arguably a better fit for where Spurs are at right now.

It is highly likely he will stick around for the foreseeable future, whereas Fernandes will no doubt be attracting attention from Barcelona and Real Madrid, which could unsettle the United squad.

Mourinho’s side are currently eighth in the table, eleven points behind fourth-placed Leicester, tied with Sheffield United on 48 points.

All hope of claiming silverware this season is basically over at this point and he will be looking to plan ahead for next season instead.

Tottenham fans, who would you choose? Let us know down below!

Tottenham Hotspur have their sights set on young English talent Eberechi Eze this summer after Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold confirmed their interest in a recent Q&A over the weekend.

Back in March, The Sun claimed that Spurs were front-runners to land the QPR star after their top scout Brian Carey witnessed the player in action, and this has seemingly been backed up by Gold, who suggests the north Londoners have looked at the 21-year-old all campaign.

They also state that it could cost Daniel Levy around £20m.

Here’s what Gold said:

“[Is Eze from QPR someone we are looking at?] Yes, he is. He’s a very talented player and Tottenham have scouted him during the season.

They also have a really good relationship with QPR and that will help with any potential negotiations. On top of that he’s a Base client and Spurs have good links with that agency.

“The main hurdles for me are that Tottenham are packed with attacking midfield options right now and there will be competition for Eze.

“The 21-year-old will want to continue playing regular first-team football and it might be that Spurs would have to pay the money and then loan him straight out.

“Would that be something they could afford to do this year with all of the financial issues surrounding football and the huge gate receipt losses taken even with the season resuming.

“Spurs have to decide whether, like Steven Bergwijn, he’s too good a young player to pass up on or whether this year it’s just not doable.”

Eze has been QPR’s standout player this season having found the net 12 times whilst also providing eight assists, via Transfermarkt.

His form has seen him pick up two caps for the England U21 squad.

The difficult conundrum would be finding a place for the versatile attacking midfielder given Jose Mourinho’s riches through the middle and out wide.

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They must also ensure that he doesn’t become a Jack Clarke 2.0, who is actually on loan at the Rs.

Gold hints that they could sign him and the loan him back out to continue to get valuable game time, but there’s also another hurdle on whether or not they could actually afford him given the pandemic crisis.

AND in other news, Spurs fans hammer Daniel Levy over major stadium update…

Having conceded 40 goals in the Premier League this season – the joint-most of anyone in the top ten – it’s no surprise to hear Tottenham being interested in making some defensive reinforcements this summer.

The latest player to be linked with a switch to north London? Hellas Verona’s Marash Kumbulla.

According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Spurs have earmarked the centre-back as a potential option to replace Belgium international Jan Vertonghen, who reports claim is set to leave on a free transfer when his contract comes to an end.

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The report adds that Spurs could face intense competition from Premier League rivals Everton, and Serie A giants Inter.

After hearing about the links to the 20-year-old, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their rumoured transfer target.

One Spurs fan in particular however, raised some concerns about potentially signing Kumbulla, wondering whether he could be another Vlad Chiriches.

At just 20-years-old, Kumbulla could well be the future of Spurs’ defence.

If Vertonghen does indeed leave north London this summer, then going after someone who is considerably younger may be the way to go, particularly with the financial impact of the current situation set to take effect for the next couple of seasons at least.

Kumbulla may be the answer for Spurs.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to this PL star’s admission.

Manchester United flop Alexis Sanchez could be forced to take a pay cut if he wants to stay at Inter Milan, reports say. 

Recent reports revealed the Red Devils are ready to sell Sanchez this summer after he agreed personal terms with Antonio Conte’s side.

The Chile international, who is now valued at £14.4m, has only scored five goals in 45 games for Man United and has been a persistent thorn in Ed Woodward’s side ever since he arrived at Old Trafford from Arsenal in January 2018.

Try as he might, the executive vice-chairman has been unable to get rid of him for good so far.

However, that may be about to change, as Inter have reportedly expressed interest in signing the Chilean permanently, so he will have to significantly reduce his salary demands with his wages worth £400,000-a-week at the Theatre of Dreams.

According to ESPN’s Rob Dawson, Sanchez is not part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans and United are open to another long-term loan but would prefer to sell even if they have to take a substantial loss.

Solskjaer may face his toughest challenge in the transfer market, as he will have a hard task finding suitable buyers for the deadwood because clubs are struggling to cope with the financial pressures of these unprecedented circumstances.

Conte seems to have made his life a whole lot easier as Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed the Nerazzurri want Sanchez to stay at the San Siro.

The Chilean is considered surplus to requirements by Solskjaer and could be shipped out the door as soon as possible.

United fans, should Woodward sell Sanchez ASAP? Let us know down below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Sheffield Wednesday return to Championship action this weekend when they face a trip to the Hawthorns to face league leaders West Bromwich Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Garry Monk’s men have mostly enjoyed a two-week break from the league as they look to recharge their batteries ahead of a hectic festive period, although how much their off the field predicament will affect them on the pitch remains to be seen.

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They’ll be buoyed by the fact that the Baggies will be without two players that have started every single game for them this campaign as Romaine Sawyers and skipper Jake Livermore endure a one-match suspension.

While the 40-year-old will be able to call upon some of the players that have been on international duty, such as Atdhe Nuhiu and Liam Palmer, although the latter’s latest showing left plenty to be desired.

The Wednesday right-back played his third straight 90 minutes in a Scotland shirt as they defeated Cyprus 2-1 in a pretty meaningless Euro 2020 qualifying match.

Per SofaScore, Palmer lost possession 17 times, which was the second-most in the team, failed to provide any key passes or accurate crosses, and recorded a poor passing accuracy of 65%.

Overall, it was a pretty shocking afternoon for the 28-year-old, however, Monk must stick with him going into this weekend’s fixture.

Even if there are calls for Moses Odubajo to make a return.

Palmer offers more defensive stability – recording more interceptions and clearances, as well as fewer fouls, via WhoScored – than the Steve Bruce signing.

Albion pose a huge attacking threat with their attacking midfield options. Grady Diangana, Matty Phillips, and Matheus Pereira have combined for 82% of their 29 league goals this season, and the Owls stalwart is the best option to counteract their danger.

The right-back situation can be revisited after Saturday’s game, although there’s a tough run of fixtures ahead.

Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to drool over Marcus Rashford, after the forward scored yet another goal with a fine finish for England in the 4-0 win over Kosovo.

The 22-year-old entered the pitch in the 59th minute as a replacement for Callum Hudson-Odoi, and managed to make a significant impact with a fantastic curled effort into the bottom right corner in the 83rd minute.

Impressively, it was Rashford’s ninth goal in his last ten games across all competitions for club and country, while he has also grabbed an assist during that time period to make it an eye-catching ten goal involvements in as many appearances.

As well as his goal, Rashford – valued at £72m by Transfermarkt – completed three dribbles, recorded one key pass and drew one foul from the opposition – he is definitely looking comfortable in that role on the left.

Let’s take a look at what the United fans on Twitter have been saying…

Sunderland have taken a turn for the worse over the past week and following an embarrassing mid-week defeat to Scunthorpe, fans are keen for the clash against Gillingham to be forfeited.

The Black Cats are due to play the FA Cup replay next week, but Phil Parkinson suggested the game could be postponed due to players being away on international duty.

That news isn’t what supporters want to hear, as another fixture against Burton the following Tuesday could make scheduling difficult, and therefore some fans would be more than happy to see the Mackems withdraw from the competition.

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At the very least, others feel it is not worth delaying and clogging up the fixture list, and instead offer an alternative – for the youngsters to play.

After all, given Sunderland’s form under Parkinson – two wins in eight games – some of the fanbase probably feel they could do no worse than the first-team.

Here is some of the reaction to the manager’s comments and the calls for their team to lose against the Gills.

Liverpool face Brighton on Saturday as they look to maintain their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

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The Reds come into the match off the back of a 1-1 draw against Napoli in the Champions League at Anfield. As such, they will be looking to return to winning ways.

With so many games to play over the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see what team Jurgen Klopp puts out against the Seagulls. Here, we try to predict his starting XI.

As Alisson did not pick up an injury against the Italian team in midweek, there is no need for him to drop out of the side. Therefore, he will start between the sticks.

Check out footballers’ biggest fashion disasters in the video below…

Andrew Robertson came through the European fixture unscathed, and should therefore keep his place in the side for the visit of Graham Potter’s men. In the middle, Virgil van Dijk is unlikely to be removed, but Joe Gomez could come in alongside him. He struggled at right-back on Wednesday, but he could be included in the middle of the back four here. On the right, Trent Alexander-Arnold should return after being dropped to the bench for the last fixture.

Fabinho will be out of action until next year, so someone will need to take his place in defensive midfield. Naby Keita may be a long-term alternative, but an illness over the past week or so may mean it is too soon for him to start. As such, Georginio Wijnaldum could drop back into the deeper role, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain taking his place further forward. Expect Jordan Henderson to join the 26-year-old in central midfield.

Unless there are any last-minute injuries, expect all three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to stay in those three positions up front. With 18 goals between them already in this Premier League campaign, much of the Merseyside team’s success will rely on them in the coming months.

In other news, one Liverpool star says he could have joined Napoli before moving to Anfield.

Liverpool picked up another win against Spurs but some fans remain unsatisfied with Jurgen Klopp’s continued faith in Jordan Henderson despite the fact he scored.

Many fans are still determined to see Naby Keita, 24, given more of an opportunity, with some arguing that he is the club’s second-best midfielder, and offers more creativity than the skipper.

The Guinea international is yet to start a league game this term having spent time out injured, and the Reds boss instead has stuck with a preferred trio of Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum.

Henderson has featured in 30 games or more in three out of four seasons that the German has been in charge, even being named captain by him, which shows the high regard in which Klopp holds the midfielder.

However, there are numerous fans who are running out of patience with the England international, and that is creating frustration for some that Keita continues to be overlooked.

Here are some of their reactions to the former RB Leipzig man being left out once again against Tottenham…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Barcelona thumped Sevilla 4-0 on Sunday but things could’ve been a lot different had Ernesto Valverde not included a surprise player in the starting lineup.

Snapshot

On paper, the Blaugrana truly dismantled Sevilla on the night.

After all, that’s what many would probably assume seeing the 4-0 scoreline. But results can often be rather and Sevilla stood their ground throughout the game, registering 16 shots on goal as opposed to Barcelona’s 15.

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But they weren’t clinical enough and despite some good efforts, Barca managed to turn the game on its head in a couple of swift moves.

One of the players that was on the scoresheet was Arturo Vidal, and just like in the game against Inter last week, the Chilean was crucial to the club’s triumph.

A hidden gem

It’s safe to say that Vidal hasn’t seen as much game time this season as he probably would’ve wished for.

After all, out of the eight games Barcelona played in the ongoing 2019/20 La Liga campaign, the 32-year-old only participated in five of them, missing out on the opening day clash entirely, while he was left on the bench in the other two.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

That start against Sevilla was actually his first one of the season and it seems that Valverde hit the bullseye with his surprise inclusion.

Not only did Vidal score a goal on the night but he also registered one key pass, 91.1% passing accuracy and 59 touches.

But that’s not all either as he was a true box to box midfielder, helping out at both ends of the pitch.

Defensively, he recorded a total of seven tackles on the night, more than any other player in the game, both sides included, and added one interception and one clearance to that tally as well.

By all accounts, he was one of the most influential players for the Blaugrana and warranted an 8.27 rating, according to Whoscored.

And who knows, maybe he will soon be included in the starting XI.