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According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing up a move for Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa as proven Premier League experience grows as a desirable trait for the club’s next manager.

The Lowdown: New names emerging consistently

In the last two weeks, many names have been throw into the hat as rumours continue to circulate in the press, with the latest previously being Gian Piero Gasperini and Simone Inzaghi from Serie A.

Naturally, with Tottenham aiming to appoint a new boss by the end of this season according to Alasdair Gold, chairman Daniel Levy will have to consider numerous candidates as he attempts to make the right step for Spurs’ future.

The Latest: Bielsa emerges as candidate

In this update, Football Insider bring yet another new name into the fold as Leeds boss Bielsa is mentioned as an option for the club.

Indeed, this is allegedly because Premier League experience and proven results at the top level are becoming more and more desirable traits to Spurs chiefs as the managerial hunt goes on.

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Even though Bielsa has stated his happiness at Elland Road, his knack for only signing one-year deals means his current one is close to expiring.

Tottenham, as a result, are eyeing a move for the Argentine and will sound him out due to his impressive debut campaign in the English top flight.

The Verdict: Get it done Levy…

Perhaps the most exciting name dropped yet alongside former target Julian Nagelsmann, Bielsa is a manager revered throughout the footballing world for his tactical nuance and eccentric personality.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is a known fan of the 65-year-old, having called him ‘unique’ and the coach he admires most in world football (Leeds Live).

If that wasn’t enough, former Lilywhites boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino dubbed Bielsa a ‘genius’ whilst also professing his admiration (France 24).

Regardless of his reported £8 million-per-year salary (£154,000-per-week), we believe this would be an incredible move by Levy.

In other news: Tottenham in pole position to sign this ‘sensational’ powerhouse, find out more here.

Former Rangers star Michael Ball has told Football FanCast that there could be a bidding war this summer for striker Alfredo Morelos.

The forward has scored 11 goals in 25 Scottish Premiership games this season, while also laying on four assists.

Morelos has said that he will be open to considering offers this summer, telling a television station in his native Colombia that he will “analyse” any bids that come in for him at the end of the season.

He has said that he is happy in Scotland, however, but Ball expects there to be a bidding war if offers do land on Rangers’ doorstep.

Morelos has been with the club since 2017 and has scored 93 goals and laid on 42 assists in 179 games in total.

Rangers paid just £1m to sign Morelos from HJK Helsinki and any deal for him to leave would see the club net a tidy profit; he is valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “He’s a key player for Rangers and Rangers won’t let him go cheaply.

“If there’s clubs knocking on the door, there could be a bidding war going on. If Rangers can get that money in and improve other areas, it could be a possibility.”

“Every game is a must-win for South Africa

Marcus Prior01-May-2001″Every game is a must-win for South Africa. Obviously if we lose here and go2-0 down we put added pressure on ourselves, but we’re not thinking aboutthat right now.”South African captain Shaun Pollock may have been stating the obvious,but despite a relaxed net session on Tuesday morning, there is a steelydetermination to level the series when South Africa meet the West Indies inthe second of seven one-day internationals at the Antigua Recreation Ground.The South African selectors have one injury headache before Wednesday’sgame after Neil McKenzie’s hamstring trouble forced him off the field duringthe last-ball defeat at Sabina Park. He is expected to require a few moredays to recover fully, and even though he batted in the nets his place inAntigua at least looks likely to go to the patient Boeta Dippenaar.Dippenaar has spent much of the tour as a spectator, playing only in thewarm-up games and doubling as a stand-in wicket-keeper for Mark Boucher. Hehas done little wrong since a good season at home, where he scored hismaiden Test hundred, but was the unlucky man when Herschelle Gibbs returnedfrom his ban at the beginning of the year.”I haven’t heard anything yet,” Dippenaar said when asked about hispossible inclusion for the Antigua game, “but I’m preparing myself. I justwant to be ready when the chance comes. I’m looking forward to it.”It’s been very frustrating not playing as much as I would like. Whenthere are games to be played you’ve got something which drives you andmotivates you. At times it’s a bit difficult to keep going when it doesn’tlook as though you’re going to get a game.”But you never know, tomorrow might be a chance.”I’m feeling good, and have been hitting the ball well in the nets. Butit’s like with bowlers sometimes – you need to spend a bit of time out inthe middle to get some real confidence going. One game can change it all.”Dippenaar’s wicket-keeping role is not something for which he consideredhimself an obvious candidate.”It’s been different – and very hard work! I’ve discovered muscles inmy body that I never knew I had. Previously I’d only done about half a gamewhen I was 15, so it’s been a new experience for me.”South Africa (probable): Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis,Jonty Rhodes, Boeta Dippenaar, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock,Justin Ontong, Roger Telemachus, Allan Donald.

West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee claimed over the weekend that the London Stadium natives have an interest in Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, which could see David Sullivan gift David Moyes an aggressive colossus by launching a successful move.

Areola is on loan at Craven Cottage from Paris Saint-Germain but his future in the Premier League beyond the current campaign is far from certain, with talks over a permanent move on hold amid Scott Parker’s side’s fight for survival.

Fulham have an option to purchase Areola at the end of the season but the Frenchman is keen to see what division the Cottagers’ will be competing in before deciding if he will stay, while PSG could yet have a role to play.

Areola had sought to accept a summer move to Craven Cottage after struggling for minutes last term, having featured on just nine occasions as the back-up to Thibaut Courtois during a season-long loan with Real Madrid.

He has been a constant fixture of Parker’s plans since making his Premier League debut at Leeds United in September, with the 28-year-old starting 32 of 33 available games while keeping nine clean sheets.

Parker has been widely impressed by Areola’s performances in his first year in English football and backed the shot-stopper to be recalled to the French national side, as it would “nothing short of what he deserves”.

“In this moment physicality, presence, bravery as a keeper in terms of all those attributes was something that me and Rob [Burch, goalkeeping coach] highlighted,” Parker said, via quotes by BT. “And looking at Alphonse and his stature and games he has played, I had no doubt that was what he was.

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“A very aggressive keeper, a front-foot keeper who wants to come and command his box, come and collect. Physically very, very big, agile. They were all the areas we looked at and they were the areas he ticked those boxes, and that was exactly what we need, and we’ve not been shocked in any way by that.”

It remains to be seen if Fulham look to activate their option to buy Areola at the end of the season, which is thought to be worth close to £25m and would likely end West Ham’s interest.

The Irons could also face continental competition for his signature, with Corriere dello Sport via Football-Italia crediting AS Roma and AC Milan as having an interest in the £75,000-per-week shot-stopper due to his PSG contract expiring in 2023.

But Sullivan beating the Serie A sides and capitalising on Fulham potentially having to walk away if they are relegated could be just what West Ham need, with Areola a potentially superb challenger for Lukasz Fabianski.

The Poland international has come in for criticism from some Hammers supporters after an error-strewn display in the Irons’ 3-2 defeat to relegation-threatened Newcastle United on Saturday, and turned 36 on Sunday.

Fabianski has also produced fewer total saves (89) than Areola (102) in the Premier League this term, while the Fulham stopper leads the division for crosses punched (26) with 19 more than West Ham’s current number one, per SofaScore.

Areola has collected marginally more crosses (20) than Fabianski (18) as well, while pulling off 71 of his saves from shots taken inside the area to 46 and has only conceded five more from shots inside the box despite the two side’s vastly contrasting fortunes this season.

It remains to be seen how much PSG would demand to sell Areola, who has a TransferMarkt valuation of £13.5m, but a deal would certainly make sense for West Ham to explore.

AND in other news, West Ham set to land second chance to sign “unbelievable” £18m-rated forward this summer…

Crystal Palace are reportedly eyeing a move for former loan star Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, the Eagles are plotting a swoop for the Chelsea midfielder in the summer and are vying with Premier League rivals Aston Villa for his signature.

Steve Parish must make sure Palace win the battle for the Englishman.

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The Eagles will certainly already be aware of Loftus-Cheek’s talents, with the 25-year-old spending a season on-loan at Selhurst Park throughout the 2017/18 campaign – a period in which he impressed by scoring two goals and providing five assists in all competitions.

Whilst he has not quite been able to display that form over the past couple of years, having scored just one goal for Chelsea and Fulham combined over the past two campaigns, he did enjoy his most productive season upon his return from Palace.

As the Blues lifted the UEFA Europa League under Maurizio Sarri, Loftus-Cheek notched ten goals and provided five assists.

Rated at £18m, his ability has never been in doubt. Despite his lean campaign at Craven Cottage, Fulham manager Scott Parker has been left waxing lyrical about Loftus-Cheek even labelling him as “unplayable”.

It goes without saying that he could certainly be the type of player that Crystal Palace needs.

The Eagles face going into the 2021/22 season with depleted midfield options as James McArthur and James McCarthy continue seeing their Selhurst Park deals tick down towards the end of the season.

Whilst Jesuran Rak-Sakyi is capable, it would possibly be too early to depend on him for the majority of a Premier League campaign with the midfielder just 18 years old.

Loftus-Cheek would, of coursem have no problems in that department having racked up 104 appearances in the competition.

Competing with Aston Villa then, Palace must ensure that they secure their former loan star once again.

AND in more news, take a closer look at how Mamadou Sakho’s time at Palace has been an unmitigated disaster…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting after it emerged that a couple of billboards celebrating the club’s 55th Premiership title have been damaged.

The Gers are still basking in the glory of their latest trophy. It has been a dominant campaign for the Ibrox outfit – they have already won the league with five games remaining and are currently 20 points clear of their closest rivals in the table, Celtic (BBC). It has been a season that Rangers fans will never forget.

To celebrate the success, billboards were erected in Glasgow displaying messaging in support of the Rangers squad. However, photos have now emerged showing those billboards to have been damaged (via Vital Rangers). Clearly, there are some in the city who are far from happy that the Gers have won the title.

The photos of the damaged billboards attracted plenty of attention on Twitter, and these fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter. Indeed, they managed to see a positive side to the vandalism.

Let’s see what these Rangers fans had to say below

“It’s only a game….”

Credit: @fumefox

“superb”

Credit: @ThomasHannigan9

“55 has destroyed them”

Credit: @TheBluezulu2

“That makes them even better”

Credit: @geomac24

“Lovely to see, it means they’re hurting!”

Credit: @BFPO107

“Makes it all the better ,shows how much its hurting them”

Credit: @1873Rickster

In other news, some Rangers fans rage at this official club release.

David Sullivan must block David Moyes from reuniting with Manchester United defender Phil Jones at West Ham this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, Moyes is keeping tabs on Jones’ situation at Old Trafford with a view to signing the centre-back at the end of the season.

The Hammers boss is monitoring the defensive market knowing his London Stadium natives will require additional options next term, should they fulfil a surprise challenge for European qualification.

Manchester United are expected to try and sell Jones in the summer, having been without the former England international for more than a year.

Jones has suffered with a long-standing knee injury since January 2020 and could miss the entirety of the current season after a string of setbacks.

That is apparently not an issue for Moyes though, as the West Ham head coach is seemingly willing to take a chance on the 29-year-old next term.

The Hammers will have to negotiate a fee with Manchester United for the transfer of Jones, who they valued at £12m amid interest from Newcastle last year and have under contract through to 2024.

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Should West Ham sign Man Utd’s Jones?

West Ham have benefited more than most will have imagined through the loan signing of Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, but the likelihood of Moyes enjoying a similar success story with Jones has to be questioned.

Lingard had featured three times this term under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – each in the cups – before moving to the London Stadium, where he has since been involved in more Premier League goals (eight scored, three assisted) than any player since debuting on February 3rd.

What allowed Lingard to hit the ground running in claret and blue was that he arrived in a strong physical state, having never let his lack of game time impact his commitment to training.

It was also Solskjaer’s system rather than Lingard’s talent that saw the England dynamo fall to the fringes at Old Trafford, while Jones may not have any games under his belt for almost 18-months by the time the next transfer window opens.

Jones was hardly operating at his best before his injury, either, having played just eight times last season, while Martin Keown claimed “he looks like he’s on roller-skates” following a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Moyes knows what Jones is capable of having fielded the defender 36 times across all competitions during his year at the Red Devils helm, but it is unlikely that the Scot can rediscover his best form.

Sullivan would instead be expected to eventually regret sanctioning Moyes reuniting with the £75,000-per-week enforcer – who Carlton Palmer claims is “big, strong, athletic” – if West Ham offer Jones a chance to hit the reset button this summer.

AND in other news, West Ham eye 23-year-old talent once backed to become “world-class”…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Frank McAvennie said that he believes Jonjoe Kenny would be a good addition for his former side this summer.

Kenny is a product of Everton’s Academy, but has spent the majority of the previous three seasons out on loan in order to gain valuable experience away from Goodison Park.

His most productive stint came at Schalke last season, although his impressive performances in the Bundesliga led to him making just one Premier League start following his return to Everton last summer.

Kenny’s only other starts came in the EFL Cup, meaning the defender was sent out on loan in January – this time north of the border to Celtic.

Since arriving in Glasgow, the 24-year-old has played every minute of Celtic’s nine Scottish Premiership games, including Sunday’s draw in the Old Firm derby.

“If he would come to Celtic on a permanent basis I would be happy with that signing,” McAvennie told Football FanCast when asked whether Celtic should sign the Everton full-back permanently.

He added: “I like him. I think he’s a decent player. The first two or three games he came in, he was getting past the defenders and whipping the ball into the box. As a former striker, I would have ate them up.

“But the strikers at Celtic don’t. Edouard wasn’t getting in there, he likes everything into his feet. So it was hard. Ajeti and Klimala were getting chances, but weren’t putting them away. I don’t think they’ve had crosses like that for such a long time, they didn’t know what to do with them.”

Kenny has entered the final 18 months of his contract at Everton, and is down the pecking order under Carlo Ancelotti, meaning there’s every chance he’ll be moved on this summer, with Celtic Park up there with his likeliest destinations.

Barcelona have denied reports suggesting they have agreed to sign Gini Wijnaldum this summer as his Liverpool future remains up in the air.

The 30-year-old’s current Reds deal expires at the end of this season following five successful years at Anfield.

Wijnaldum has been a consistently influential player under Jurgen Klopp, proving to be a key presence throughout as Liverpool have clinched Champions League and Premier League glory.

Barcelona have been continually linked with signing the Dutchman on a free transfer this summer, though, and reports over the weekend even suggested that he has agreed to join the La Liga giants.

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Barcelona deny Wijnaldum deal agreed

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], however, Barca have claimed the rumour ‘is not true’, in the latest twist in the saga.

It looks set to be an interesting few months in regards to Wijnaldum’s future, with the Netherlands international seemingly still weighing up his options.

Transfer Tavern take

The hope is that Wijnaldum decides to stay put at Liverpool, signing a new deal and extending his stay on Merseyside for another few years.

He is still at an age where he can remain an important player, as hinted by his 27 league starts this season, and his brilliance would only be truly appreciated if he chose to move on in the summer.

In other news, James Pearce has provided a key injury update on one influential Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United are reportedly planning to revive their interest in Jadon Sancho when the transfer window reopens in the summer and are hopeful of landing the Borussia Dortmund starlet on a cut-price deal.

What’s the word?

Sancho was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer last year, but Dortmund ultimately refused to budge on their €120m (£105m) asking price and as a result he ended up staying in the Bundesliga.

However, it seems the circumstances have now changed, given the severity of the club’s current financial difficulties.

Dortmund have toiled on the field this term which has led to the sacking of Lucien Favre – a chief supporter of Sancho – while the off-field drama has continued to dominate the headlines.

According to Eurosport, Ed Woodward is confident they can strike a deal for the 20-year-old this summer by offering Dortmund a compromise something closer to £50m.

Ed Woodward has his work cut out

While it’s no secret that the £160,ooo-a-week Sancho is United’s No. 1 priority in the transfer market, let us proceed with a note of caution.

While Woodward wants to sign him for less than half their initial price, the recent noises coming out of the Signal Iduna Park suggest that Dortmund are only willing to let the England international leave should a club match their £88m asking price for the right winger which they consider to be a fair valuation given the impact of these unprecedented circumstances.

The Bundesliga giants signed the former Manchester City academy prospect for a fee in the region of £10m in 2017. Looking back, it’s fair to say that that was a total snip, having scored 42 goals and 57 assists in 125 games for Dortmund, per Transfermarkt.

For context, that’s more than Daniel James has managed during his time at Old Trafford, which suggests that Sancho would be a significant upgrade on the former Swansea City winger.

Given that Sancho has attracted interest from practically every club across Europe and at the age of 20 is considered to be one of the best players of his generation, it’s unlikely £50m will be enough to seal the deal.

For many United fans, Woodward’s tactics will no doubt feel rather familiar. Whether they will work is another matter entirely.

AND in other news, Sevilla star Jules Kounde is perfect for Manchester United…