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According to The Sun, Tottenham are interested in luring Norwich defender Ben Godfrey to north London this summer.

What’s the word?

Jose Mourinho’s side have had a difficult season this year, particularly defensively, with 44 goals conceded in just 32 Premier League matches.

And with the long-term futures of both Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth up in the air, it’s no surprise to hear the Lilywhites are interested in reinforcing their defence.

As per The Sun, along with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, Spurs have set their sights on Canaries centre-back Godfrey, who is currently valued around the £25m mark.

Shades of Ledley

Despite only being 22, and playing for a side rooted towards the bottom of the Premier League table for the entire season, Godfrey has shown his leadership qualities week-in and week-out, even taking on the captain’s armband for the clashes against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

Spurs of course know all about young and promising centre-backs who can carry a dressing room, with Ledley King taking on the skipper’s role full-time back in 2005, at the age of just 25.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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The 6 foot Godfrey has himself previously admitted to embracing the idea of being a leader, after being named captain of England’s U21s. He said: “Being made under-21s captain was such an honour. I do see myself as a leader. I don’t know why. I enjoy being captain of the team and, with or without the armband, I’d be the same but it’s such a good feeling to lead out your country.”

With Spurs struggling to keep things tight defensively, and on the verge of losing an experienced character in Vertonghen, bringing in someone like Godfrey who seems like such a natural fit to the role, makes a lot of sense. And with the Canaries likely to go down, Daniel Levy has the perfect chance to take advantage and sign him up.

Mourinho could very well find his next leader a la John Terry in Godfrey.

With just two games to go in the Championship season, Leeds United need just one point to clinch their return to the Premier League after years of hurt and suffering.

Marcelo Bielsa has been the chief orchestrator behind the Whites’ impressive campaign, and after a hard-fought, grind-it-out victory against Barnsley on Thursday, English football’s top-flight has never looked closer than it has now.

And whilst the plaudits will ring out for the likes of Ben White, Kalvin Phillips and Spanish magician Pablo Hernandez, Leeds fans mustn’t forget the contributions of Illan Meslier.

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

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The 6 foot 6 goalkeeper has been an ever-present for Bielsa’s side since Kiko Casilla’s ban, and for a side chasing promotion, losing your number one shot-stopper would surely have left some people fearing the worst.

Instead, Meslier has been nothing short of assured and composed in between the sticks, and it’s a sentiment echoed by both his manager and teammates as well.

Bielsa said earlier this year after a win over Hull: “Calm, confident, he took risks, good in the aerial play, gave us feeling he is confident”.

And Tyler Roberts added:  “He was confident, he tried things and he’s definitely got the ability so it will be good for him to show it in this run of games. He is trying what the manager wants him to try, he’s not backing out of things, he’s being confident and he’s commanding so I think it’s good for the defenders to have him behind them as well.”

Since his introduction into the first-team, Meslier has looked imperious. The man earning a reported £1.5k-a-week hasn’t made a single error leading to a shot or goal, and has a very impressive save percentage of 80%.

And with Bielsa looking to keep things on the deck, and playing out from the back, the Frenchman has looked as comfortable as anyone, averaging a 72% pass accuracy.

So whilst players like Hernandez who have been in and amongst the goals in recent weeks may steal all the headlines, Meslier has been that under-rated performer who Leeds can absolutely rely upon in their promotion hunt.

Tottenham Hotspur are close to completing a deal for Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, according to reports.Â

According to Fabrizio Romano, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, theÂ33-cap Denmark international is now ‘one step away’ from leaving St Mary’s for Spurs.

Romano revealed that the two clubs have to sort out the last few details but claimed that a deal is almost done.

Once both sides have reached an agreement, Hojbjerg will be able to complete his transfer to north London. Spurs have agreed to spend £15m for the Danish midfielder, who has one year remaining on his current contract.

The Lilywhites have been leading the race to sign Jose Mourinho’s top target for several months and it appears that the manager is close to getting his wish in the transfer window after The Telegraph revealed that progress has been made in talks between the two clubs.

Southampton received a bid from Everton but the ex-Bayern Munich ace made it clear that he would prefer a move to Spurs for the opportunity to work with head coach Mourinho.

Personal terms are not expected to be a problem and he is set to sign a new deal with the north London club in the coming days.

Inter Milan are still interested in signing Tanguy Ndombele despite Daniel Levy’s insistence that the club’s record signing is not for sale and they are believed to be working behind the scenes to try to sort out a deal.

However, everything hangs in the balance as whether or not Inter will make an official bid depends entirely on Antonio Conte’s future at the San Siro.

Hojbjerg’s imminent arrival is bound to cause upheaval as Spurs could see a changing of the guard, with Kyle Walker-Peters poised to head in the opposite direction, and Harry Winks seemingly set for a shock exit.

The Dane should be an upgrade on the midfield options available to Mourinho at the moment, as he received a higher WhoScored rating than Winks last term. Furthermore, he will cost a fraction of the price for which the Saints were originally asking, so this looks like quite a coup from Tottenham.

Tottenham fans, do you think Hojbjerg will be a good coup if the deal is completed? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett has given the reasons behind his decision to axe Ben Close from the club’s play-off run.

After missing out on the automatic promotion places in the League One table, Pompey lost on penalties to Oxford United in the play-off semi-finals, their second successive failure at that stage following a similar disappointment in 2019.

Close, who appeared 29 times in League One for Portsmouth, was dropped for the play-offs, with Jackett opting to select Bryn Morris and Cameron McGeehan in the central midfield places, and the latter missed the fateful spot-kick which ended their promotion hopes.

The young Portsmouth-born midfielder is an academy graduate at Fratton Park and has gone on to make a total of 162 first team appearances for the club.

Speaking on Close’s omission from the starting XI in the games against Oxford, boss Jackett told The News: ‘We had one central-midfield player on the bench in Tom Naylor for the play-offs, then I selected other players in other positions.

‘Ben would have been disappointed to have been left out and every player would want to play. We had a fully-fit squad at that particular time, but numbers are fewer now.‘Ben has come back and trained very well during the first week or so.‘He’s capable of fighting back and, if you’re looking at his games over the past few years, there have been a high amount for him.‘That’s been good and he’ll want to continue that and keep improving.‘As he’s getting into his mid-twenties, he’s just coming into the best time of his career.‘It wasn’t as much as about leaving Ben out of the play-off games. It was that I thought McGeehan and Morris were the right players or the players in form at that particular time.‘It wasn’t just about leaving Ben out, but it was selecting other people.’Close, who is valued at £68,000 by Transfermarkt, has a contract at Fratton Park which runs until next summer, although the option to extend that by another year remains.

It seems a strange decision from Jackett not to include Close for the play-offs, especially given his history with the club and consistent selection during the regular League One season.

The midfielder will be hoping to play a bigger part next year and help the club achieve automatic promotion.

Do you think Kenny Jackett should have played Ben Close in the play-offs? Let us know in the comments section below…

The Scottish Premier League is full of exciting young talents and it seems that the clubs from the English top-flight are looking to dip their toes into their market in the ongoing summer transfer window.

One such incredible young player is Dundee United’s Lewis Neilson and even though the prodigy might be only 17 years of age, Courier Sport revealed in their exclusive new report that a total of four Premier League clubs are already interested in him.

Among them, they say, are both Everton and Leeds United and it seems that Carlo Ancelotti and Marcelo Bielsa could indeed lock horns to secure the youngster’s signature.

Neilson is a Dundee United product through and through, having progressed through their academy and developed into a versatile ace on the pitch. Naturally a centre-back, the 17-year-old can also play at full-back but has the ability, the pace and the physique to compete in other areas and on a much higher level at this point in his career already.

The same source states, however, that it would indeed take a seven-figure offer to persuade Dundee United to part with their crown jewel so the Toffees would have to roll up their sleeves if they are really to make this transfer happen.

But, seeing the talent and the potential of this lad, it could very well be worth it in the end.

Let’s see if Ancelotti decides to act now and jump on this opportunity.

Verdict

A defender is certainly on Everton’s radar for the ongoing summer transfer window and buying one so young and so versatile could solve multiple issues at the same time.

Of course, at 17 years of age, dominating the Premier League opposition would probably be too much to ask of Neilson but from the looks of it, he is more than ready for a tough challenge and is bound to improve rapidly as well.

Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson has been handed a boost for the upcoming League One tie with Oxford United, who reportedly have seven first team players unavailable.

The opening weekend did not prove to be a good one for the Black Cats, struggling to a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at the Stadium of Light.

Chris Maguire was on the scoresheet for the Wearsiders in the final 10 minutes to earn the home side a point but George Dobson was sent off in added time to hand Parkinson much to ponder as his team approach Saturday’s game with Oxford.

Oxford, who narrowly missed out on promotion last term, lost their opening League One game of the season 2-0 to Lincoln City.

Manager Karl Robinson has been hit with a major setback heading into Saturday’s game against Sunderland, with seven players said to be unavailable.

Matty Taylor, Josh Ruffels, Sam Winnall and Mark Sykes are all on Robinson’s injury list, whilst Alex Gorrin and Jamie Hanson are unavailable. A seventh player in Robert Atkinson is also ruled out after being sent off against Lincoln at the weekend.

With such injury problems at Oxford and their defeat to Lincoln last weekend, that should hand Sunderland a substantial boost in their quest for their first league win of the new season against depleted and potentially demoralised opponents.

However, predicting Sunderland’s results at the moment is a guessing game, considering that the late salvage mission against Bristol Rovers came just four days after an 8-1 thumping of Aston Villa’s under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

Do you think Sunderland can secure all three points this weekend? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below…

As per the Herald and Times Sport, Glasgow Rangers target Jacob Murphy is keen to make a loan move to Ibrox this summer.

The 25-year-old is on the radar of the 54-time Scottish champions, with a loan deal on the cards.

Now, it is said that he is keen to move to Scotland – but his current club, Newcastle, want him to stay at St. James’ Park to fight for a place in Steve Bruce’s squad.

£3.15m-valued Murphy – as per Transfermarkt – has failed to make the grade so far with the Magpies – as it stands, he has scored just one goal in 41 appearances for the club. The Toon’s business in the transfer window, as well, does not indicate that the former Norwich City man has a big future in the north east, with Ryan Fraser joining on a free transfer.

As such, a loan move could be the best thing for him, although it is not clear as to whether the same can be said for the Gers. Given his track record, it is hard to see how he would be a massive boost to the side considering how Ryan Kent, with four goals in his first seven matches, has performed so far this campaign.

Whilst Steven Gerrard may be looking for some more squad depth, it still feels as though Murphy isn’t the man for them.

Let us know what you think below!

Everton made easy work of coming away with victory against Fleetwood Town last night in the Carabao Cup.

The Toffees emerged with a 5-2 win thanks to goals from Richarlison, Alex Iwobi, Bernard and Moise Kean. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have now won all four of their matches so far this season and will be hoping to continue this fine form in their upcoming game against Crystal Palace.

However, not all of Everton’s players involved in the Fleetwood fixture have received praise. Defender Jonjoe Kenny has come under fire from many supporters on Twitter after his performance last night. Despite putting five past the League One side, the Blues conceded two goals and Kenny in particular has been blamed for some defensive errors.

According to Sofascore, the 23-year-old right-back lost possession of the ball a worrying 15 times and was unsuccessful in any of his attempted dribbles or crosses.

Some Evertionians have slammed Kenny for his seemingly weak performance in the defence. One fan in particular has taken aim at the defender, claiming he is ‘woeful’ and ‘nowhere near good enough’.

Read more replies from the Twitter selection here:

Do you think Jonjoe Kenny has a future with Everton? Have your say in the comments below…

Manchester United may have signed several players in the summer but this shouldn’t stop them from promoting players from the academy.

Last season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave eight academy players their first-team debuts for the Red Devils, equalling a club record set by Sir Matt Busby.

Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba have established themselves as regular starters in recent years whilst fellow academy graduates Brandon Williams, Jesse Lingard, Scott McTominay and Tahith Chong have also made appearances.

And that’s without even mentioning Axel Tuanzebe, Ethan Laird and Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

It’s fair to say Solskjaer has shown that he is willing to put his faith in the club’s homegrown players.

Could young centre-back Teden Mengi be give a chance to shine?

Man United were apparently in the market for a new centre-back before the transfer window closed – but to no avail.

Solskjaer’s side then suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at home in part due to an error-strewn defensive performance from Harry Maguire.

However, the club captain can’t be the only one to blame, as Eric Bailly was also poor in that game too and Mengi could be the answer to all of United’s problems at the back.

The 18-year-old has been promoted to the senior squad, although he is yet to make an appearance for the first team this term.

He has been a standout performer for United’s U18s, and made several appearances for the U23s as well, receiving praise from Neil Wood in the process.

“He came up to us quite early on in the season and, a bit like Brandon [Williams] in a sense, he came from the U18s and took his chance,” Wood told The Manchester Evening News.

“He played really well and he kept his place in the team.

“And when he dropped back down at the end of the season to lead the Youth Cup team, he put in some excellent performances there.

“We’ll be looking to work with him next season and he’s one we want to ‘do a Brandon’ with, push him on and the goal is to try and get him pushed up into that first team if we can.”

Mengi made his United debut in the 2-1 win over LASK in the Europa League last season, winning 100% of his ground duels, whilst registering one tackle, one interception and a pass accuracy rating of 83%, as per SofaScore.

There have even been reports suggesting that the club did not sign a new centre-back not just because they couldn’t sell Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones but because of “how much Solskjaer rates Mengi.”

So, in Mengi, United may have the next Rio Ferdinand on their hands.

Although he wasn’t an academy product, Ferdinand himself was fast-tracked through the football system, earning his first Premier League start with West Ham United at the age of 17 after he came on as a substitute for Tony Cottee.

Standing at 1.83m tall, Mengi is cut from a similar cloth to Ferdinand, who was known for his technical ability and confidence on the ball.

When he arrived at Old Trafford from Leeds United, he became Britain’s most expensive player, costing Sir Alex Ferguson’s side £30m, which was a British record at the time.

Whether Mengi can even come lose to emulating a club legend like Rio remains to be seen but there are some obvious similarities.

AND in other news, Man United could live to regret their decision to sign Edinson Cavani…

Marcelo Bielsa faces one of the biggest selection dilemmas he’s had since becoming Leeds manager ahead of Friday’s game against Aston Villa.

The Argentine has to pick his XI without Kalvin Phillips in it after the midfielder was ruled out for six weeks due to a shoulder injury he picked up against Wolves on Monday.

Usually, an injury wouldn’t be such a big issue for Bielsa after United’s near-£100m spend this summer left Leeds with a bloated squad, but despite spending so much, they still don’t have a recognised defensive midfielder who can come in to replace Phillips.

Adam Forshaw would be the most logical replacement, but he still isn’t fit after over a year out of action, so how will Bielsa cope with this selection headache?

We’ve had a go at predicting how Leeds will line-up against Aston Villa.

Despite losing to Wolves on Monday, we don’t expect Bielsa to make too many changes on Friday.

The backline is slightly different as Liam Cooper slots in alongside Pascal Struijk, but that is all dependant on how serious the groin injury he picked up prior to the Wolves game is, so don’t be too surprised if we see someone else at the back.

Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling continue at full-back, and we expect Robin Koch to move into the Kalvin Phillips role as the £15.3m-rated defender has played as a defensive midfielder 58 times in his career, so he seems to be the most qualified player in the squad.

However, if Cooper’s injury does keep him out, we expect Koch to drop back into the defence and Jamie Shackleton to take up Phillips’ defensive midfield duties.

The midfield ahead of Koch is pretty much what you’d expect as Mateusz Klich, Rodrigo, Jack Harrison and Helder Costa retain their spots.

This one may be a little too early for Raphinha to get his first start, but don’t be surprised to see him come off the bench.

Up top, Patrick Bamford starts once again.