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Hugo Lloris’ future at Spurs has been a hot topic of discussion for fans and pundits alike in recent months, especially in January when the 34-year-old was reportedly attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

The French shot-stopper has admitted in the past that he won’t finish his career with Spurs, and with his current contract set to run out at the end of next season, it seems as if Daniel Levy will soon have to begin the search for his successor.

However, he may already have the ideal man to replace Lloris at Spurs in academy graduate Alfie Whiteman, with the Englishman having established himself as Spurs’ third-choice goalkeeper this season.

The 22-year-old is a product of Spurs’ youth academy and made his first team debut for the club earlier in the season when he came on as a late substitute for Joe Hart in a Europa League fixture against Ludogorets.

Mourinho clearly has faith in the youngster, as he was more than willing to send Paulo Gazzaniga out on loan during the winter transfer window, despite the Argentinian featuring a lot last season when Lloris was sidelined through injury.

Hart was perhaps only brought in to increase Spurs’ homegrown quota, and considering he will turn 34 next month, it surely won’t be long until we see Whiteman move ahead of him in the pecking order with the north London club.

The young shot-stopper has been a regular with Spurs’ academy sides in recent years and signed a new contract with the club in 2019, which will keep him there until 2022 at least. He also comes endorsed by ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robison, who told Football Insider last autumn that he has “been impressed with” what he has seen of Whiteman at under-23 level.

Therefore, if Lloris – who reportedly earns £100,000 per week at Spurs – does leave the north London club in the near future, then perhaps it is time the Lilywhites put their faith in Whiteman to step up as his replacement.

After all, he wouldn’t be in and around the first team squad if Mourinho didn’t believe in his ability, so hopefully we will see the youngster get more regular first team opportunities soon, as there seems no reason why he can’t be the man to ultimately replace Lloris at Spurs.

And, in other news… 12 duels won: Spurs beast was superb vs Zagreb; Jose has a big call to make

With less than a week left until the January transfer window closes, Leeds United reportedly find themselves in the mix for several new signings. The Championship titleholders are said to be on the hunt for some new defensive options to give them a boost in the second half of the Premier League season.

According to French outlet Foot01, Victor Orta has identified Jordan Amavi as a potential candidate to join Leeds. Aston Villa are also keeping tabs on the left-back, who is into the last six months of his contract with Marseille.

Would Amavi be a good signing for Leeds?

Marcelo Bielsa is currently struggling with defensive frailties as he waits anxiously for summer signing Robin Koch to return from injury. Fellow new recruit Diego Llorente is also out of action and has made just the one appearance for his new club since joining.

Because of this, the Argentinian has been fielding Luke Ayling in the centre of his backline, with Stuart Dallas filling in at right-back. This leaves just Ezgjan Alioski and lesser-seen Leif Davis as Bielsa’s only options on the left-hand side.

The latter still has a lot of time to grow into a potential first team starter, but Leeds signing Amavi could cause seriously problems for Alioski.

The North Macedonia international could easily be elbowed out of the picture if Orta brings the 26-year-old to Elland Road. There will be some tough competition between the two, but if Radrizzani spends upwards of his £9million Transfermarkt value on Amavi, he will likely be expecting to see the new recruit start the majority of games.

This isn’t to say that Alioski will be shipped out of the team, but he will more than likely slip down the pecking order. This would mean that Bielsa finally has some substantial depth to his squad though, which is greatly important in the Premier League.

In other news, Leeds made right decision not to sign Michael Cuisance…

The Red Devils risk falling behind their rivals this summer after failing to sign or sell a single player while the takeover saga rumbles on

It feels as if the season only ended yesterday, but Manchester United players are due back at work next Monday to begin getting in shape for the next campaign. The players who did not take part in any international matches after the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City – including Lisandro Martinez and Donny van de Beek – will be the first to report back at Carrington on July 3, while those who did play for their national teams will return from July 10.

Then the serious work begins: the first pre-season friendly against Leeds United on July 12 in Oslo followed by a fixture against Lyon in Glasgow on July 19. The club will then embark on an exhausting tour of the United States to face Arsenal, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Wrexham, before a final tune-up game against Athletic Club in Dublin one week before the Premier League season starts.

The returning players will be placed on a ruthless training regime to get back in shape for the campaign. But while Erik ten Hag's men are subjected to a military-style programme, from the outside the club resembles an unorganised mess.

There is little sign of progress on transfers and even fewer prospects of enacting the player clearout that is needed to build on the progress made last season. And in the background, there is still no indication of who will own the club in the long term. Pre-season is usually associated with hope and excitement, but at United, not for the first time, there is a feeling of trepidation and unease.

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  Transfer targets go elsewhere

  The transfer window is open for another two months yet, but given what their rivals have been up to, United fans would be entitled to feel concerned about the lack of business they have done. The only tangible movement so far has been three bids for Mason Mount, none of which have managed to convince Chelsea to let go of their midfielder, even as he enters the final year of his contract.

  Meanwhile, the club have apparently ended their pursuit of Harry Kane, who was believed to be their top target just a month ago, with Bayern Munich instead leading the race to sign England's captain. Bayern also look set to beat United to another transfer target in South Korea defender Kim Min-jae.

  And despite longstanding interest in Declan Rice, United made no bid for the West Ham midfielder, who is set to join Arsenal in a British-record £105 million deal. Interest has been shown in Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana and Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, meanwhile, but no formal bid has been made for either player.

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  Rivals making swift and smart moves

  Meanwhile, United's rivals are wasting little time in improving their own squads. Chelsea have already signed Christopher Nkunku for £53 million, finally landing the top-level striker they were badly missing last season; treble-winning Manchester City have made their peace with Ilkay Gundogan leaving for Barcelona and have snapped up Mateo Kovacic; and Liverpool have done some early business by signing Alexis Mac Allister, another player who was on United's radar.

  Arsenal, meanwhile, have been the busiest of the Premier League's big clubs. They announced the signing of Chelsea forward Kai Havertz on Wednesday, while in addition to closing in on Rice, they have made steps towards a move for former United target Jurrien Timber. Signing all three players would take their summer spending to a total of £200m ($252m) already.

  Even Tottenham and Newcastle, who will hope to be battling for places in the top four, have made moves. Spurs have signed James Maddison from Leicester City, while the Magpies have agreed a deal to bring AC Milan star Sandro Tonali to the north east.

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  Deja-vu over 'one player at a time'

  United, meanwhile, have been criticised in the past for focusing on one transfer at a time rather than simultaneously pursuing a number of targets. The club spent much of last summer trying to land Frenkie de Jong, for example. Barcelona were desperate to sell the Dutch maestro, who developed into a world star under Ten Hag's guidance at Ajax, but the player wanted to prove himself at Camp Nou and was unwilling to swap his idyllic lifestyle in Catalunya.

  Rather than pursue alternatives, United wasted valuable weeks trying to lure De Jong, and once they finally conceded defeat, they had very little time left in the transfer window to sign an alternative while the season had already begun. It led to a desperate scramble for Adrien Rabiot and finally the move for Casemiro, an excellent signing but a costly, short-term deal at £70 million for a then 30-year-old.

  The club appear to be adopting a similar strategy with Mount, however. It emerged in late May that United were trying to sign the Chelsea midfielder. They made their first bid for £40m in mid-June and have made two subsequent offers, of £50m and £55m, both of which have been knocked back by the Blues.

  United's continued interest in a player who has just had a desperately disappointing season with Chelsea has raised eyebrows among plenty of fans, particularly given that midfield is not the most important area of the squad they need to address. Signing a world-class striker remains the club's number one priority, as Ten Hag has previously admitted, so it is baffling that there has been so little news of a serious bid for a centre-forward at this stage.

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  The De Gea saga

  United will also need to make a move for a goalkeeper after withdrawing their offer of a new contract for David de Gea. Most fans will agree that the club need to look beyond the Spaniard after a season beset by high-profile errors, but the U-turn makes the Red Devils look unprofessional as well as indecisive – even if it is ultimately the right call.

  It looks as if the club offered De Gea a new contract despite their reservations about his form because it would be too costly to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper in the summer, only to change their mind after his unconvincing end to the season.

  Their dilly-dallying is not only a slap in the face to the club's longest-ever serving goalkeeper and record clean sheet holder, it means they have wasted valuable time in signing a new No.1 too. Their terrible handling of the situation could well put off prospective new players from joining the club.

Here's where you can watch Austin vs San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS on TV or stream it live.

With the sting of their midweek US Open Cup defeat still in the air, San Jose Earthquakes travel to the Q2 Stadium to face Austin FC in a Major League Soccer clash on Saturday.

Josh Wolff's team will head into the weekend seeking to end their losing streak and get their season back on track after failing to win any of their previous five games.

▶ Watch every MLS match, including the playoffs, here

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Austin FC were defeated 2-0 by Los Angeles Galaxy last Saturday at the Dignity Health Sports Park, failing to arrest their dwindling form.

Since March's 2-0 win over Violette in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 exit, Austin has gone five games without a win, losing three and drawing two.

Wolff's men, on the other hand, return to the Q2 Stadium, where they are unbeaten in four games, with two draws and two wins since their 3-2 setback to St Louis City in the league opener on February 26.

Austin's slow start to the season could be linked to their struggles in attack, where they have scored just one goal in their last five outings, while already conceding 12 at the opposite end of the pitch this season.

San Jose Earthquakes, on the other hand, were knocked out of the US Open Cup in the third round by USL Championship club Monterey Bay FC on Wednesday.

San Jose Earthquakes will now return to Major League Soccer, where they were defeated 3-1 by Real Salt Lake at America First Field on Sunday, ending their three-match unbeaten streak.

Despite their poor results, San Jose Earthquakes are still fifth in the Western Conference standings, sitting equal on 14 points with fourth-placed Dallas and five points behind first-placed St Louis City.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch the game on TV and how to stream it online.

• Austin vs San Jose Earthquakes date & kick-off time

  Game:	Austin vs San Jose Earthquakes
  Date:	April 29, 2023
  Kick-off time:	8:30 pm ET
  Venue:	Q2 Stadium

  Austin and San Jose Earthquakes face off at the Q2 Stadium on April 29. The kickoff for the game is set for 8:30 pm Eastern Time (ET).

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• Where to watch Austin vs San Jose Earthquakes on TV & how to stream it

  Fans in the United States & across the world can watch MLS with Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	N/A	Apple TV

  • Check out GOAL's soccer on U.S. TV guide

• Team news & squads

  Austin FC team news and squad

  Austin has Julio Cascante, Ethan Finlay and Zan Kolmanic unavailable for selection. Diego Fagundez is doubtful for the clash as he is yet to receive the medical green light. Left-back Jon Gallagher has been Austin's top scorer as they have struggled to find form up front.

  Austin FC possible XI: Stuver; Gallagher, Ring, Vaisanen, Lima; Wolff, Pereira; Rigoni, Driussi, Finlay; Urruti

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Stuver, Bersano
  Defenders	Lima, Vaisanen, Kolmanic, Keller, Jimenez, Tarek, Gallagher, Lundqvist
  Midfielders	Driussi, Valencia, Ring, Wolff, Djeffal, Asensio
  Forwards	Rigoni, Zardes, Urruti, Bruin, Ocampo-Chavez

  San Jose Earthquakes team news and squad

  The long-term absentees Judson, Nathan Cardoso and Niko Tsakiris are the only players absent for the game.

  San Jose Earthquakes possible XI: Marcinkowski; Akapo, Mensah, Rodrigues, Marie; Yueill, Gruezo, Monteiro; Espinoza, Ebobisse, Cowell

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Marcinkowski, Ochoa
  Defenders	Mensah, Marie, Cardoso, Beason, Trauco, Thompson, Aegren, Munie, Akapo
  Midfielders	Gruezo, Espinoza, Judson, Richmond, Monteiro, Yueill, Tsakiris
  Forwards	Bouda, Ebobisse, Kikanovic, Skahan

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According to The Bournemouth Echo, Glasgow Rangers are closing in on the signing of Nnamdi Ofoborh.

What’s the word?

The 21-year-old midfielder has been a bit-part player for Bournemouth this season, playing just five games across all competitions for the Cherries, but has shone on those rare appearances so far.

The Bournemouth Echo claims he has been locked in negotiations with Rangers over a pre-contract agreement ahead of a possible move to Ibrox in the summer.

And now, Bournemouth boss Jason Tindall has confirmed he is “close to agreeing things” with Rangers.

Steven Davis 2.0?

Rangers are pretty well-stocked in their midfield options following the capture of Bongani Zungu during the extended summer transfer window.

Zungu, though, has struggled to make a big impact, as he is yet to start in the Scottish Premiership so far. It might seem harsh but the Bafana-Bafana midfielder will need to do a lot more to firmly establish himself in Steven Gerrard’s plans.

Steven Davis and Ryan Jack have been Gerrard’s go-to options to complement Glen Kamara in his preferred three-man midfield. Whilst Davis has been in exceptional form so far this season, there are still question marks over Jack’s fitness after an injury-stricken campaign.

Suffice to say, Rangers need a quality midfielder to reduce the workload of the likes of Davis and Jack, and signing Ofoborh could be a wise investment for the future.

He may have only made three appearances in the Championship this season but Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is a big admirer of his talents after he made waves with his impressive performances for Wycombe Wanderers.

“Yo Nnamdi, what’s up man? It’s your boy PP,” he said following the Chairboys’ promotion to the Championship. “I heard about you, I just wanted to congratulate you on your promotion to the Championship. I heard about your long journey, in football and outside football. For sure, it’s not easy, it’s difficult what you did.”

“I just want to wish you the best – carry on, keep it up, keep doing what you’re doing man. I’m going to be looking after you, and looking at what you’re doing until you get to the Premier League. Keep it up my G, be together, peace man.”

Like Davis, Ofoborh is predominantly a right-footed player, and the comparisons don’t stop there, either. Last season, the Englishman, described as “reliable”, averaged 1.1 tackles per game, just shy of Davis’ 1.1 per 90 in the Premiership this season so far, via WhoScored.

Whilst he is still at the early stages of his career, his eye-catching performances for Gareth Ainsworth’s side suggest that he has the potential to play at a high level. Given his age, he may not be a regular starter for Rangers, but he’d add depth as a backup option in the midfield.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers dealt Wigan Athletic striker Kyle Joseph transfer blow…

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According to Sky Sports, bitter north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both monitoring Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Matthias Ginter.

What’s the story?

Both sides are scouting the 25-year-old defender, with Spurs apparently holding a long-standing interest in his services dating back to 2017.

Ginter has been a regular for the Bundesliga outfit so far this season, playing practically every minute of the campaign to date, aside from a spell on the sidelines with injury throughout December. 

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

The 23-cap Germany international has developed tremendously as a defender in recent seasons, improving on the ball and demonstrating greater consistency with his focus and positioning. He is also able to put his 6’2” frame to dominant use in the air.

Premier League interest in his services is understandable, and the Gunners must do all they can to win the race to his signature.

Backing the manager

Arsenal’s need for a new centre-back is becoming increasingly desperate. 33-year-old Laurent Koscielny is coming to the end of his time at the top of the game, whilst Ginter’s compatriot, 26-year-old Shkodran Mustafi, is simply not good enough.

This season, Mustafi has repeatedly proven himself to be an absolute liability at the back and an upgrade is needed at the Emirates Stadium this summer. If Unai Emery isn’t given the funds he needs to build a capable defence then he cannot be expected to bring success to the Gunners.

The signing of Ginter would be the perfect way to replace Mustafi and would also show that the club are willing to support Emery. If Arsenal are serious about becoming Champions League mainstays and Premier League title contenders once more, these are the kind of deals that they must be capable of beating their rivals to.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts has dropped a big hint as to whether Harry Kane will be fit to feature in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley this afternoon.

The England skipper limped off during the 2-2 draw at Everton last week, and was absent from the squad for the 2-1 victory against Southampton on Wednesday night.

Interim manager Ryan Mason confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the 27-year-old hadn’t trained on Friday ahead of the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men, and it remains to be seen whether he featured on Saturday, or has had long enough to be named either in the squad, or in the starting XI, in north London on Sunday.

After sacking Jose Mourinho this week, Spurs are going in search of their first piece of silverware since their 2008 victory in the same competition, and it will certainly be a harder task without their talisman up top against the likes Ruben Dias and John Stones at the back for City.

However, Roberts told FFC that he thinks Kane will be fit to face to the soon-to-be Premier League champions, saying:

“My heart and my fingers are crossed, but I think he’ll be playing on Sunday.”

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder believes Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic is very similar to Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Kalajdzic has been a revelation in the Bundesliga this season, ranking among the top scorers in the division.

The 6 ft 7 forward is now being linked with a move to the Premier League, with Everton just one club said to be interested in his services.

According to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, the Toffees and Newcastle United are both keen on the player, while Juventus are his admirers from Italy.

For Pinder, Kalajdzic is an individual who could bring a lot to Goodison Park and shares some similarities with Calvert-Lewin.

When asked whether the two could play alongside each other, the editor-in-chief at Get German Football News told FFC:

“I think they’re quite similar in terms of goal threat, but Kalajdzic can drop deep and play as a central attacking midfielder or as a false nine, so he can offer a lot to Everton.”

As well as Everton and Newcastle, West Ham are also said to be interested in the Austria international’s signature.

It means the Merseyside club could have a real battle on their hands should Kalajdzic decide he wants to move to England, especially if West Ham manage to qualify for the Champions League.

Celtic’s pursuit of a new manager is set to take an almighty twist at Parkhead.

That’s because a new name has emerged as a candidate to replace Neil Lennon as manager of the Bhoys.

What’s the word?

We’ve seen a number of names linked with the job including Eddie Howe, Roy Keane and Lucien Favre.

However, none are as stand out or have as much star quality as the latest name to do the rounds.

According to The Sun, Jose Mourinho has entered the race to become the new Celtic boss with the Portuguese ‘ready to go again’.

Mourinho lost his job with Tottenham this week and as a result, is now a free agent.

Whether or not the Hoops would be able to afford his wages is one thing but he’d certainly be an eye-catching appointment.

The 58-year-old is past his best but is one of the most iconic football managers on the planet.

Amazing news

Mourinho has become a modern meme but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a great capture for Celtic.

In fact, it would be one of the most landmark moments for the Bhoys in recent history.

The former Spurs boss has been sacked from his previous three roles with Chelsea, Manchester United and the Lilywhites in rather sad fashion but let us not forget just what this man has achieved.

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He has a win rate of over 63% in his career and has taken home two Champions League trophies and eight league titles across Europe; namely three Premier League triumphs.

Mourinho has been named Manager of the Season in England’s top-flight on three occasions while he was also awarded the gong for FIFA’s best Manager of the Year in 2010.

This is a coach, who despite his recent frailties, has been there and done it all. If you sample some of the best managers to lead a team, he would undoubtedly make the list.

Meanwhile, if there was any coach who can turn around a rather shambolic Celtic, it’s a man dubbed the ‘Special One.’

Forget Howe, forget Keane and Favre; Mourinho is the man the Hoops need.

AND in other news, Worse than Kenny: Celtic star who made just 15 passes should be finished at Paradise…

Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has urged the club to join the bidding for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, telling Football FanCast that he is worried about the potential ramifications of Manchester City signing the star.

Haaland has become one of the best strikers in world football during his time at Dortmund.

The Norway international has scored 33 goals in 31 games in all competitions this season and is set to be at the centre of a transfer tug of war this summer.

Reports claim that City are interested in snapping the 20-year-old up, as are Real Madrid, but Gillespie believes that United need to flex their muscles and attempt to snaffle him away from the German club.

Indeed, he believes City signing him would almost guarantee them next season’s Premier League title.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Gillespie said: “City are so far ahead at the minute, get Haaland, he’s the hottest property probably in world football at the minute, his stats are incredible.

“I’ve seen him playing for Norway at Windsor Park against Northern Ireland and the two finishes he had were just out of this world. You would break the bank to get somebody like that because if Man City get him, you’ve absolutely no chance of competing to win the league.”

Gillespie believes that Haaland will become available – if he does not go this summer, a clause in his contract activates that means he will be available for £66.6m in 2022, per The Athletic – and that he would be perfect for either Manchester club, sending a message to Ed Woodward to act if the opportunity arises.

He added: “He’s a natural finisher, he’s young as well, and he’s going to come into that Man City team and score a lot of goals because of the players he’d have around him, so I think it’s important that United compete with Man City should he become available.

“I think he will become available with whatever clause he has in his contract but I suppose money talks and whatever’s offered, Dortmund might cash in.

“Certainly, they need to be showing that they are interested in a player like him, and obviously there’s been talk about Haaland before with Man United, that he is one that is on their radar.”