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Kevin Phillips has revealed that he “can see” Tottenham Hotspur making a move for Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira ahead of his contract expiring next summer (via Football Insider).

The 2014 World Cup winner recently admitted that he is an admirer of both Jose Mourinho and the Premier League. He has previously worked under the Portuguese manager during their time at Real Madrid together. Indeed, the Spurs boss is equally as fond of the 33-year-old and praised him for being the best in his position back in 2012.

In 2019, Shaka Hislop said Khedira’s “legs are gone”, and while he would cost nothing but his handsome £184,000 per week wages, it would be a mistake to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Why Spurs should snub move for Khedira

Despite the attraction of the holding midfielder becoming available on a free contract and Mourinho already knowing him well, signing him would only complicate matters in the Spurs engine room.

As it stands, the north Londoners already have a situation on their hands as Harry Winks is said to be considering an exit from the club. Since the arrival of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the England international has been elbowed out of the starting lineup. Winks has played just four Premier League fixtures this season, with his most recent one coming in the form of a 17 minute cameo appearance. He has since been completely left out of Mourinho’s squad on the last three occasions (via Transfermarkt).

The 24-year-old still has a lot to give to Spurs and will provide healthy competition for Hojbjerg as well as crucial backup for any midfield injuries. He is also a lot younger than Khedira, who hasn’t featured at all for Juventus this season. Last term he missed a total of 31 matches for the Serie A giants through injury and has a running history of knee problems, which could further hinder his career whilst trying to adhere to the physicality of the Premier League.

So whilst the lure of signing a World Cup and Champions League winner for free may be appealing to the club, Tottenham will only add to their defensive midfield conundrum if they move for Khedira in January.

In other news, Exclusive: Marlon Harewood highlights Chelsea star as ideal Tottenham signing…

For the first time in Nuno Santo’s Wolves tenure, he moved to a four-man defence against Southampton a few weeks ago.

He then continued that theme when they travelled to Arsenal, sweeping aside the Gunners 2-1.

In 166 of his 166 matches prior to the clash against the Saints, he had gone with three at the back but Nuno is now unbeaten since changing things up.

However, with a match against Premier League champions Liverpool to come, they would arguably be taking a risk by not setting up with a more familiar system.

Thus, we’re tipping the manager to go back to his three-man defence, with the following XI predicted: Patricio, Semedo, Boly, Coady, Kilman, Marcal, Neves, Moutinho, Neto, Traore, Silva.

We think that Nuno will go back to the formation in order to give his side a bit more cover against a free-flowing Liverpool attack.

The man sacrificed to make this work is Daniel Podence. He scored against Arsenal but with no number 10 needed, unfortunately drops out on Sunday.

Ruben Neves missed out last weekend but comes back in for Leander Dendoncker to offer an extra layer of security on the ball in the middle of the park.

The final change we think could occur is at the back where Max Kilman comes in to play as the left centre-back.

Raul Jimenez is ruled out after fracturing his skull. He was involved in a nasty collision with David Luiz and thus, will miss an extended period of time.

Therefore, Fabio Silva faces his first run in the side.

Wolves’ big-money signing is yet to start in the Premier League so this will be a real test for the young Portuguese.

Having cost the club £35.6m, these are the occasions where he has to show up.

In other news, Wolves are interested in signing a player with enormous physicality… 

Liverpool travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday for the early kick-off and Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to key in the Reds’ chances of taking away all three points.

The England international returned from injury recently and helped the Reds move back top of the table with a 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

However, he is in for another tough game on Saturday, as he likely be up against Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha on the left-wing, with the former Manchester United man’s recent performances certainly catching the eye.

The 28-year-old has seven goals and two assists in 11 appearances in the top-flight so far this season, which has seen him average a superb 7.10 rating.

This means that he has already beaten his goal tally of four from the whole of last season, with the winger having seemingly added goals to his already dangerous all-round play for Roy Hodgson’s side.

It is clear that he is extremely important to the way the Eagles play, with 45% of their attacks coming down the left-hand side, which is the most of any team in the Premier League.

Therefore, Alexander-Arnold will have to be at his best if he wants to keep Zaha quiet on Sunday but if he can, he will give Klopp’s side an excellent chance of picking up maximum points, which would see them remain top of the Premier League table at Christmas.

The 22-year-old has been impressive at times this season, although has enjoyed a lot more success in the Champions League, where he has averaged a 7.10 rating, compared to his arguably disappointing 6.68 average in the Premier League.

However, there is no doubting his extraordinary talent, with fellow superstar Kylian Mbappe lauding the youngster after he was asked about Alexander-Arnold mimicking his celebration after scoring in a win against Leicester City last season, saying:

“Yeah, I saw! I’m proud. This guy is amazing.”

So, if the Liverpool academy graduate can perform to the best of his ability, from both an attacking and defensive point of view, he will give the Reds a good chance of winning the game at Selhurst Park, especially if he is able to limit Zaha’s influence on the game.

And, in other news… The emergence of “extraordinary” talent at LFC could spell trouble for injury-prone liability

Roy Hodgson will be furious with Patrick van Aanholt after the left-back failed to deal with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane as Liverpool put Crystal Palace to the sword at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.

Van Aanholt was handed his eighth consecutive start and ninth appearance of the campaign overall after the Palace boss recently revealed that Tyrick Mitchell’s absence from the team sheet is a result of their strength in depth.

Mitchell has been left as an unused substitute on the bench, with Palace winning one and drawing their past two games prior to the Premier League clash with Liverpool.

But the Eagles manager may live to regret his decision, as Van Aanholt endured a frustrating afternoon against Jurgen Klopp’s side, having lost possession a staggering 21 times, while losing 60% of his five duels in total, as per SofaScore.

In fairness, Hodgson found himself without several first-team regulars ranging from Mamadou Sakho to Christian Benteke after the Belgian striker served a one-match ban for being sent off in the midweek draw with West Ham.

However, this doesn’t excuse the shocking display by those who were trusted with a start instead, least of all by the Dutchman, who was caught napping on multiple occasions throughout the game.

SofaScore graded him as one of the worst players on the pitch with a miserable 6.2 rating – he failed to win a single aerial duel, couldn’t provide a single accurate long ball from four attempts and committed one foul.

Van Aanholt, who currently earns wages worth £55,000-per-week, took 67 touches of the ball, but didn’t offer much going forwards, as he only managed one shot off target, while he failed to register a single key pass in the entire game, despite playing the full 90′ minutes, which just goes to show that he was a total liability.

Not only was he lethargic, but he was also lacklustre as well as Alexander-Arnold and Mane ran rings around him all afternoon.

The 30-year-old must surely be playing on borrowed time with Mitchell chomping at the bit for minutes and reports emerging that talks have broken down over a new contract with Van Aanholt linked with the Selhurst Park exit, so he will no doubt face a nervous wait before Hodgson names his team to face Aston Villa in a week’s time after such an abject performance.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can’t afford to lose Christian Benteke amid interest from Club Brugge…

Celtic must look to sell Olivier Ntcham in the January transfer window amid interest from Premier League side West Brom.

What’s the story?

The Frenchman has yet to complete the full 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership this season for Neil Lennon’s side, and has scored just the one goal too.

Now, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has claimed that West Brom have made “initial contact” over Ntcham, and that a number of clubs in France are also keen on signing the midfielder.

Celtic must sell

Rumours of an Ntcham exit has been a long-running saga now, but it’s surely the perfect time for the Hoops to finally cut their losses on the £3.6m-rated ace.

His performances this season have shown nothing to suggest that the Bhoys will really miss him in a way they might have done a couple of seasons ago when he was really showcasing his potential – a record of just one goal and two assists in 23 games is testament to that.

It’s a far cry from August 2019 when Lennon said: “Olivier Ntcham is an excellent player and it’s really up to him to keep that consistency. When he is in the mood, he’s fantastic. If we can just get that consistent level from him, we’ll have one hell of a player on our hands – as we already do.”

Sadly for both Ntcham and Celtic, things just haven’t quite gone the way they would have hoped. It’s about time they move on from this saga and look to the future.

Rodrigo De Paul to Leeds United was one rumour that lingered throughout the summer transfer window, but it appears cold water has already been poured on the potential of that happening this month…

What’s the word?

Marcelo Bielsa and his side were beaten 3-0 by Spurs over the weekend as they struggled to break down the north London outfit, which left many supporters pondering whether they would reignite their interest in the Udinese midfielder.

In his post-match Q&A, The Athletic’s Phil Hay was asked about the potential of the Yorkshire giants making a move for De Paul once again, to which he replied:

“They took a good look at De Paul but were a long way short of his asking price. I don’t think they’d mind if this window passed off quietly. The summer is where they’ll do more concerted business.”

It’s thought that he would cost around €40m (£36m).

A familiar feeling?

This is an interesting development as it probably solidifies their intentions to merely remain in the Premier League this term, before giving it a proper go next season.

Indeed, the Whites are sitting comfortably in 12th place, some 12 points clear of the relegation zone, so perhaps they should put such plans in motion sooner rather than later – especially as they are only two wins outside of the top seven.

De Paul could provide the boost they need to start unlocking some of the top teams in this division.

The 26-year-old Argentine has continued to impress in Serie A this term, contributing to five goals from midfield, whilst also averaging 3.4 dribbles, 2.5 key passes and 2.2 shots per game, via WhoScored.

For comparison, this is nearly triple what Helder Costa is managing for dribbles and eclipses every single player in the Leeds squad for key passes. That’s undoubtedly an instant upgrade right there.

Ex-Leeds stopper Paul Robinson urged United to sign De Paul in the summer, dubbing the maestro a “clever player” who “can see a pass going forward,” which was echoed by Smarterscout’s Dan Altman, who said: “he seems like a great fit for Bielsa’s Leeds.”

Failure to land him this window could leave Bielsa reeling. The Yorkshiremen sat back and watched Emi Buendia join Norwich City from their partnered club Cultural Leonesa in 2018.

Also born in Argentina, the Canaries playmaker went onto rank fourth behind the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold for chances created in the 2019/20 campaign despite being relegated.

Imagine if De Paul is claimed by someone else? After all, he’s not short of suitors as Italian giants Juventus were also linked with his signature. That would be unforgivable.

AND in other news, LUFC must offload rarely-seen dud costing £500k-per-game since 2019/20…

According to Okay Yokuslu’s agent Batur Altiparmak, West Bromwich Albion have entered talks to sign the Turkey international on loan this month.

Baggies eye Yokuslu

The Baggies have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old midfielder (The Daily Mail), and it now seems they have stepped up their pursuit of the former Trabzonspor man.

Altiparmak has told AS that the Hawthorns outfit are in talks to sign Yokuslu on loan until the end of the season.

Matic-like midfielder

Yokuslu has been somewhat of a bit-part player for Celta Vigo, his current club, so far this campaign – he has played just 410 minutes in La Liga (Transfermarkt). However, with 28 caps for Turkey, he clearly has plenty of experience, and could therefore be an interesting option for Sam Allardyce.

Upon his transfer from Trabzonspor to Vigo in 2018, £3.6m-valued Yokuslu (Transfermarkt) compared himself to Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic (Fotomac via Stretty News). Indeed, when comparing the two on WhoScored, their stats are rather similar. Throughout his career, Yokuslu has averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.9 interceptions, while Matic’s numbers stand at 2.4 and 1.7 respectively.

The latter has won four league titles – three Premier Leagues with Chelsea and one title with Benfica in Portugal. Were Yokuslu to have anything like the impact Matic has had in the English top flight, West Brom would be signing a top player.

In other news, Baggies enter talks to sign this striker.

Tottenham Hotspur look to have been handed a potential boost in their hopes of keeping left-back Sergio Reguilon for the long-term after it was revealed that Bayern Munich defender David Alaba is set to join Real Madrid in the summer.

Spurs signed the Spanish international from Madrid during the summer transfer window, but it was suggested at the time that Los Blancos hold the option to sign him back for just £27.5 million.

Zinedine Zidane might not favour the 24-year-old, having preferred Marcelo and Ferland Mendy during Reguilon’s time with the club, which led to him joining Sevilla on loan, but there was perhaps concern that he could be signed back the La Liga side if he impresses with Spurs, especially with Marcelo turning 33 this year.

However, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Real Madrid will sign Alaba on a free transfer in the summer, which only adds to Zidane’s options at left-back, with the Austrian having featured there regularly for the Bundesliga side before his switch to centre-back.

This can only be good news for Jose Mourinho’s side, given how quickly Reguilon has adapted to life with the North London club.

In 13 top-flight appearances for the Lilywhites, the Spanish defender has averaged a strong 6.87 rating, with three assists to his name in the top-flight, which sees him rated as Spurs’ eighth-best performer in the Premier League so far this season.

The £48,000-a-week former Sevilla loanee has emphasised his excellent crossing ability in that time too, with his cross for Harry Kane’s header against Fulham recently another sumptuous delivery which will surely have delighted Mourinho.

After helping Sevilla to Europa League success last season, manager Julen Lopetegui had this to say:

“Reguilon’s development has been monstrous. He is a far more complete player than when he arrived.”

Therefore, if the Spanish international can continue to develop in his time with Spurs, it only seems a matter of time before he establishes himself as a top left-back, so Mourinho will no doubt be delighted that Zidane is adding more cover at left-back in his Madrid side, as it could definitely increase the chances of Reguilon staying in North London for the long-term.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Vinicius: Levy can find Kane’s partner at Spurs with swoop for “outstanding” £18m gem

Glasgow Rangers winger Brandon Barker may well have played his last game for Steven Gerrard’s side, according to ex-Ger Alan Hutton.

What’s the word?

Despite his best efforts, Barker has found himself playing very little football this season and started just four times for the 54-time Scottish champions before being shipped out on loan to Oxford United for the rest of the season.

Hutton recently said that the 24-year-old has been given “more than enough chances” ahead of some of the club’s youngsters and doesn’t expect him to play for Rangers ever again.

Indeed, Oxford boss Karl Robinson struggled to contain his delight after landing his top target, and the U’s could therefore emerge as a legitimate contender to acquire his services for good when the transfer market reopens in the summer.

End of the road

It looks like Rangers could finally rid themselves of a player who has caused more problems than what he is worth.

His lack of physicality, work rate and technique has been a major source of criticism from supporters, whilst Gerrard has preferred the likes of Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi on the left wing, per Transfermarkt.

When Barker arrived on the scene on the Govan side of Glasgow after his arrival from Manchester City in 2019, the Ibrox boss billed him as “the type of player we’ve been looking for” following a successful loan spell with Preston North End.

However, despite scoring his first goal for the club in his league debut at Ibrox against Livingston, he has struggled to make much of an impression. In 26 games for the Gers, he’s managed a measly total of three goals, and hasn’t even provided a single assist – a woeful return for someone who plays in an attacking role.

Barker was named the Academy Players’ Player of the Year in the 2013–14 season and later signed his first professional contract with Manchester City that same year. But it’s been quite a dramatic fall from grace for the English left-winger, who currently earns around £8,500-per-week at Ibrox.

If Rangers can get him off the wage bill for good, that would free up funds for Gerrard to reinvest into other areas of his squad. Ross Wilson must be ruthless with the 24-year-old come the summer, and try and salvage some sense of pride from the disaster of his signing.

The fact Barker already finds himself out on loan after the Gers boss’ lofty praise that he was what they were looking for, just speaks volumes of how badly his move has gone. His time is up, and this summer should be his last as a Rangers player.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard should unleash Rangers defender Calvin Bassey against Hamilton Academical…

Marcel Brands should seal a Carlo Ancelotti reunion for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot amid claims of a possible summer transfer to Everton.

What’s the word?

According to France Football, via Sport Witness, Ancelotti is willing the Toffees to meet Juve’s €30m (£26m) asking price to acquire the services of the French midfielder.

The Blues boss handed Rabiot his Paris Saint-Germain debut whilst in charge at Les Parc des Princes in 2012, and appears keen on reuniting with his former charge at Goodison Park.

Reports from France follow claims in Italy from over the weekend, which suggested the Juve hierarchy were considering an offer from an English side thought to have been Everton.

The Toffees were also linked with Rabiot during the January transfer window, when it was suggested that negotiations were underway regarding a potential loan-to-buy deal, while claims last summer suggested Goodison Park was his most likely destination.

Rabiot is currently not said to be a non-transferable player in Turin despite finding a home in Andrea Pirlo’s plans, and would be allowed to leave the Allianz Stadium for €30m.

The £176,000-per-week maestro has drifted in and out of the Old Lady’s starting line-up this term but opened Pirlo’s last two Serie A fixtures, taking his record to 12 starts in 18 outings.

He has also started and played all but 16 minutes of Juventus’ Coppa Italia campaign so far, in which Pirlo’s side eliminated league title rivals Inter Milan while recording his only assist of the season in a 4-0 win over SPAL.

Should Everton sign Rabiot?

Everton signing Rabiot could prove to be a rumour that endlessly rumbles on and the arrival of Ancelotti has only given more fuel to the speculation, given their prior connection at PSG.

But the Blues’ Director of Football Brands should pursue the idea of bringing Rabiot to Goodison Park, as the 11-cap international could be the next player from Ancelotti’s past to move to Merseyside and thrive after Allan’s successful switch from SSC Napoli last summer.

While a hamstring injury has kept Allan out of action for the past two months, the Brazilian continues to rank first at Everton for ground duels won having come out on top in 6.58 duels a game – Tom Davies, who has stood in as the holding midfielder of late, offers 3.14, per SofaScore.

Allan also ranks first for average successful tackles a game among those to have featured more than once with 3.42, while Abdoulaye Doucoure registers 1.71, Andre Gomes 1.47 and Davies 1.14 among Ancelotti’s other regular engine room options.

Based on his efforts in the Serie A this season, Rabiot would slot in above Davies for ground duels won with success in 3.8 or 60% of his contests, while eclipsing Doucoure for tackles with 2.0 a game.

If Ancelotti is able to unlock even more from the 25-year-old, Everton would not go all that wrong by reuniting Rabiot with the Italian tactician. And with the Blues eying European football, another experienced head may come in handy next season.

AND in other news, Everton must offload an £80k-p/w dud Carlo Ancelotti admits he’s “frustrated” by…