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Tottenham are ready to raid Jose Mourinho’s old club Real Madrid for Lucas Vazquez in the summer.

Vazquez, who moved to Madrid from Espanyol, finds himself below the likes of Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale and Isco in the Bernabeu pecking order.

The former Spanish international has only played 18 games for Los Blancos this season, although he has made more than 200 appearances in total, and has now entered the final year of his contract.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Spurs are keen to sign Vazquez this summer, and such a move may ultimately benefit Son Heung-min.

Although the Spaniard has struggled for consistency this season, as he has registered just two goals and one assist so far, it is worth pointing out that he has won the Champions League three times and lifted the La Liga trophy.

Vazquez has been beset by multiple setbacks in recent years, including a recurring calf problem, and the 28-year-old is working on his recovery from injury.

Real Madrid have held talks with his representatives over an extension but both sides are at a stalemate, which Daniel Levy is eager to exploit.

Meanwhile, Son is Spurs’ second-highest scorer with only two goals separating himself from Harry Kane this season, while he has supplied more assists than the England international.

The South Korean has scored nine goals and created eight assists in the Premier League, taking three shots per game, averaging more than one key pass and completing at least two dribbles per match on average (via WhoScored).

Mourinho previously wanted Vazquez at his old club Manchester United and Tottenham are willing to spend £15m on the right winger, although the Galacticos value him at £23m.

The Spurs manager has been plagued by injuries to his wide options throughout the season so far. Son and Steven Bergwijn have only recently recovered from long-term injury problems, their returns set to boost the Londonders as they had slumped to several poor results in their absence.

Taking this into consideration, Vazquez could provide cover for the wide men as he would share the workload with the 27-year-old Korean to reduce the risk of injury. As his track record shows, he has bags of experience at the top levels of the game, and he has recently revealed he wants to move to England.

However, Spurs have not met Madrid’s asking price, which could prove to be a major sticking point.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Lucas Vazquez in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Everton fans have been reacting to the latest claims that Carlo Ancelotti is seeking out his former defender Kalidou Koulibaly this summer.

According to Calciomercato, the Napoli centre-back is ready to leave the Serie A club with the Toffees boss wanting to spark a reunion at Goodison Park. The source claims that the Italian has a ‘special’ relationship with the 28-year-old but other teams such as Newcastle, Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also keen.

Did he really play for us?! No Everton fan has managed to name all of these obscure Toffees players….

Aurelio De Laurentiis is after €100m (£87.6m) for the Senegalese international’s services, although he could budge for something less.

And fans in Merseyside appear to be torn by the prospects of signing Koulibaly, some citing the fee and others his age whilst a few believe he’d be a fantastic upgrade to the central defensive position.

The Napoli colossus has played 21 times this campaign, including twice against local rivals Liverpool in the Champions League, helping his side keep a clean sheet in their group opener back in September.

Here’s how the Toffees faithful have been reacting to the news…

AND in other news, Everton fans hope the club steers clear of this loan flop…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has been chatting to The Evening Standard about his plans for the south London-based club, and his words are certainly full of hope, determination and vision.

Parish embarked on a three-year plan back in the summer, a blueprint that will hopefully see a new Main Stand be built at Selhurst Park, as well as a £20m revamp of the academy with the intention of securing category one status.

The 54-year-old certainly has big plans for the Eagles, and aims to make Palace a “shining beacon of positivity” around south London and something for the community to be proud of.

Additionally, one particular snippet from his comments suggests that he has learned some lessons during his time in the Premier League.

What did he say?

When speaking about the academy in particular, Parish said: “We know that the academy is such a powerful thing, in terms of what it means to everybody, but also financially it benefits the club.

“We’ve got to put the finances in place and, at the same time, make sure that we do well in the Premier League. We have to bring through more Wilfrieds [Zaha] and Aarons.

“If you get the process right, then success follows. If you set short-term goals, you’ll do short-term things. I think we’ve probably been guilty of that in the past.”

11-word extract suggests lessons are being learned

The final 11-word sentence of Parish’s comments, in which he says “I think we’ve probably been guilty of that in the past”, suggest the Eagles chief is learning from previous errors.

Since achieving promotion back in 2013, Palace have had seven permanent managers – averaging roughly one boss per each campaign.

Additionally, some of the playing staff that has been recruited since promotion has reeked of short-termism – there are only four players in the Palace squad under the age of 28, with one of them being the on-loan Victor Camarasa.

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To further emphasise the point of unsustainable, short-term recruitment, only two players have been moved on for significant fees in that seven-year period – Yannick Bolasie moved to Everton for £25m, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka went to Manchester United for £50m.

Fair play to Parish. It really has felt as if the south Londoners have been making it up as they’ve gone along since earning promotion, riding their luck while being bailed out by survival experts. However, the chairman’s comments suggest that he has learned from the error of his ways, and is actively trying to guide the club onto a new pathway.

In other news, Patrick van Aanholt’s place may finally be under threat…

Liverpool fans have suggested that right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold should become one of Jurgen Klopp’s reserve ‘keepers.

The England international was the subject of controversy after his side’s 3-1 victory against Manchester City on Sunday.

The 21-year-old was said to have handled Bernardo Silva’s flick in the sixth minute of the game, but referee Michael Oliver did not agree. As a result, the Reds went on the counter-attack and Fabinho scored a 25-yard strike that deceived Claudio Bravo at his near post to give the hosts an early lead.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane ensured that Liverpool went eight points clear at the top of the Premier League and nine clear of City.

It isn’t the first time that appeals of handling the ball have come Alexander-Arnold’s way. Protests were waved away during the Champions League semi-final against Roma where the Englishman appeared to have handled, and the same happened at St James’ Park last season during their 3-2 win. All three were not given and went Liverpool’s way.

Supporters joked about the prospect of the youngster becoming backup to Alisson Becker and made their feelings clear on social media.

Here you will find some of the best responses from Liverpool fans, with one supporter giving a shout-out to former Red Stephane Henchoz after his infamous handball in the 2001 FA Cup final:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Philippe Coutinho’s career hasn’t really gone in the direction he probably envisioned after he decided to leave Liverpool.

While the Reds went on to conquer Europe and make punters using their free bets very happy, the Brazilian flopped at Barcelona and was quickly shipped off to Bayern Munich on a loan deal. Of course, the Bavarians have an option to incorporate Coutinho permanently at the end of that spell for a reported sum of €120m (£102.6m).

But seeing how things for the 27-year-old quickly took a turn for the worse after an initial honeymoon phase, maybe his journey across Europe has not yet been completed.

This does, however, bring us to Tottenham Hotspur and their efforts to secure his transfer back in the summer of 2019.

According to the Sun’s recent report, Mauricio Pochettino is apparently a big fan of the Brazilian and is still fuming at the board for letting him slip through their fingers and into Bayern Munich’s embrace.

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Still, there might be a silver lining in this story for Spurs as we don’t know for sure that the German giants will activate their £102.6m purchase option, especially since Coutinho is currently far from his brilliant best.

But a move to London would actually make more sense for him than staying put in the Bundesliga.

After all, Tottenham Hotspur’s relationship with Christian Eriksen is very much deteriorating and the great Danish playmaker has already experienced a slight dip in both form and game time as he has failed to start three of the north London outfit’s previous five fixtures in all competitions.

Not to mention that his contract is due to expire next summer and all of that combined make his transfer away from Spurs in the near future more than just a distant thought.

And who better to replace an elite playmaker than another one who offers roughly the same skill set, already has Premier League experience and is familiar and trusted by the coach?

Both players are currently far from their best but they still offer similar outputs: Eriksen has registered 1.5 shots and 1.4 key passes per game with one goal and one assist while Coutinho tallied 1.9 shots and 1.5 key passes per game with two goals and three assists.

They are also both attacking-minded midfielders who are good technically and offer a threat from range, which is also evident from their tallies above.

For Spurs, this would almost be a like-for-like replacement for such a big figure as Eriksen and for Coutinho, who can thrive in a system that relies on him and is centred around him, it would be a perfect opportunity to reinvigorate his career.

Before the full emergence of the Salah – Mane – Firmino trident, it was Coutinho who was Jurgen Klopp’s main man as the Brazilian bagged 12 goals and eight assists in his last campaign at Anfield.

Maybe he could do the same for Pochettino if he were to return to England.

On paper, it really does look like a win-win scenario.

And what of Barcelona? In theory, he could also try and reverse his misfortune at the Camp Nou but it’s more likely that the Catalans just leave the European giants to fight for their outcast while rubbing their hands with glee.

Only time will tell.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to a seventh straight game this afternoon, but a local rival stands in their way.

Nuno Santo’s side welcome Aston Villa to Molineux just a couple of weeks after they defeated them in the Carabao Cup, so maybe there is some revenge at stake too.

Michael Kightly reveals the truth about his exit from Wolves in the video below…

Last time out, the west Midlanders needed a second-half goal from Raul Jimenez to clinch a point against Arsenal, but there were encouragements for the future.

None more so than the performance from Ruben Neves, who finally was utilised in an advanced position – and it paid off.

On the Chalkboard

Football FanCast have previously highlighted the need for the Portuguese midfielder to play further forward to draw the best out of him.

He is known for the odd screamer, after all.

In fact, he’s not scored a goal from inside the area (aside from a penalty) in an old gold shirt, per Understat – remarkably at one stage, Neves had more long-range goals than touches inside the penalty box.

Playing next to his fellow countryman Joao Moutinho in a 3-4-3 formation, the 22-year-old was allowed to venture into the final third – 42 of his 45 passes were between the mid and final phases of the pitch.

Neves also managed to fire off four shots at goal, all from considerable range – the most in one game since Burnley at the end of August – which only goes to show that he’s been given a bit more freedom.

This is most emphasised when taking a look at his heatmap from a game like Manchester City, where he was deployed in a very defensive role and this game against Arsenal.

The City victory (left) shows just how deep Neves was, while the Arsenal draw (right) displays him much closer to the opposition’s penalty area with more intensity in their half too.

Wolves may have beaten the reigning champions, but that was down to a moment of brilliance from Adama Traore as he netted a late brace, so that can be discounted in terms of Neves’ own personal performance – he had a far greater impact against the Gunners.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And that is something that needs to continue going forward if Nuno wants his side to score more goals, which should in theory lead to more victories.

Wolves have just drawn too many matches as they sit 12th in the league despite losing the same amount of games as City and fewer matches than Tottenham Hotspur.

The £45m-valued (Transfermarkt) midfielder holds all the keys to unlocking future success.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has stated that Manchester City are still the favourites for the Premier League title, despite Liverpool sitting top and six points clear.

What did he say?

City are battling with the Reds once again, having just pipped them by a point to the league title last year. However, the European champions have continued their breathtaking form from last season and remain the only unbeaten side in the division.

Although, despite proving to be the dominant force so far, Merson still believes the champions are the favourites to keep the trophy. He told Sky Sports (as cited by the Daily Express): “It was a big result against Tottenham having also come back against Man Utd to draw 1-1.

“They were also behind against Tottenham and on their day and when they’ve got all their players fit, Spurs are a good team, but Liverpool came back there again.

“That’s four points they’ve won from behind in two hard games so they’re ticking the boxes of champions at the moment.

“But it’s still in Man City’s hands because if they beat Liverpool twice, they’ll win the league and that’s how good this Man City team is as well.

“For me, if I was Liverpool and drew at home to Man City in a few weeks, I’d be doing cartwheels.

“That means then that Liverpool would have to lose three or four games until the end of the season not to win the league because Man City are going to lose one or two and if they do, that means Liverpool can lose another couple on top of that.

“So it’s a massive game coming up in a couple of weeks.”

History on their side

It is tough to disagree with Merson when you consider the events that unfolded last year. Liverpool opened up a five-point lead over City after 24 games last season. However, a handful of draws after the turn of the year combined with a defeat against City themselves eventually clawed Pep Guardiola’s men back to the top.

Despite finishing on 97 points, the Reds fell short after looking like clinching their first Premier League title, similar to what happened in 2013-14. Back then, Brendan Rogers’ men led by three points with three games to go and looked certain to win the title. However, the infamous Steven Gerrard slip and the disastrous 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace ensured City once again pipped Liverpool to the title.

Regardless, things do look different this time around, and the showdown between the two on November 10th is going to be something special.

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…

Barcelona have recently acquired the services of another 16-year-old prodigy as they look to build more than just a solid foundation for the future.

After the recent emergence of Ansu Fati, their other 16-year-old super talent, Pedri of Las Palmas, is the next one in line to become a world-class player.

The Blaugrana tied him down with a contract not that long ago but the youngster is going to stay with his current club until June next year, as officially confirmed by the Catalan giants.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And Pedri mustered an incredible display for Las Palmas against Deportivo La Coruna down in the Segunda division on Sunday, bagging two assists to help his team to a 3-0 victory.

But that performance highlighted everything Barcelona will like about the young talent as the whole array of his skills were on display.

Pedri recorded a total of four key passes, created three big chances, two of which ended up in a goal, completed 100% of his dribbles and also managed the game-highest 9.2 match rating.

By all standards, this was a stand out performance from the 16-year-old who looks likely to conquer the world in the not so distant future.

Of course, it is still too early for such huge predictions but even the Guardian listed him in their Top 60 best young talents in world football – alongside the aforementioned Fati.

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

With those two locked down and destined to work together in the years to come, Blaugrana’s foundation for the future looks set already.

And the best thing is, this is only the beginning. If Sunday’s performance is any indication, there’s a lot more where that came from for young Pedri.

Before the game vs Deportivo La Coruna, he had played nine games for Las Palmas and managed to score three goals and assist one.

Let’s see if the trend continues in the future.

Lots of Liverpool fans have been reacting to the announcement of a new coach, as former Porto man Vitor Matos has joined the club.

Matos’ new title is ‘elite development coach’, the Reds confirmed on their official website on Tuesday.

The 31 year-old was previously an assistant coach for Porto’s B team, who play in Portugal’s second tier, and before that he was a scout for the club.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The role is designed primarily to smooth the path from the academy to Melwood, making it easier for young players to break into the first-team setup.

This is presumably fantastic news for young players like Harvey Elliott, as Matos has worked with some impressive young talents, like Ruben Neves and Diogo Dalot.

Fans are excited by the addition, though we suspect there is a hint of sarcasm in the tweets below.

One member of the Anfield faithful hailed Matos as “the best elite development coach in the world” while another simply celebrated with a gif of Jurgen Klopp manically reacting to a goal.

Take a look at some of the best reactions down below, where a couple of Reds even suspect it will help them land a certain Portuguese playmaker…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

And just as Barcelona feared, Ousmane Dembele has been officially charged with a two-game ban after insulting and arguing with the referee, Mateu Lahoz, in the clash against Sevilla last weekend. But not all is grim for the Catalans, however, since they still have their 16-year-old talisman who could get his big El Clasico debut at the end of the month.

On the chalkboard

Even though Barcelona have confirmed that they will indeed appeal both red cards handed out by Lahoz last Sunday – Ronald Araujo was also sent off – at the moment it seems that Dembele is sure to miss the clash against Real Madrid.

Blaugrana will travel to Eibar first after the international break and then, at the end of the month, will host Los Blancos at the Camp Nou for this season’s first El Clasico.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And as things stand, Dembele’s two-game suspension would see him miss the big game in Catalonia.

But even if that happens, Fati will be there to embrace that opportunity with both hands.

History in the making

By this point, everyone knows who Barcelona’s 16-year-old prodigy is and how he has shattered multiple long-standing records in the first couple of outings he has had with the Catalan giants.

But making his El Clasico debut and potentially marking it with an excellent performance would surely be the cherry on the cake.

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

And the stars seem to be fully aligned for Fati to actually participate in the clash, at the very least.

Recently, he wasn’t called up for Spain’s U17 squad, which means he will be available for Ernesto Valverde to pick if he so chooses.

But with Dembele potentially out of the picture due to that aforementioned suspension, Fati getting that call seems more than just likely and we’ve seen already that the coach is not afraid to throw the youngster into the fire when necessary.

He has, thus far, made five La Liga appearances, scoring twice and providing one assist.

And Fati himself seems ready to take on another challenge.

These are exciting times for both the teenager and Barca’s fans.