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Tottenham Hotspur have seen many players come and go through their promising academy set-up but did they miss a trick with one player back in 2010?

The likes of Harry Kane and Harry Winks have gone onto become first-team regulars in north London but that’s not always the case as seen with Tom Carroll, Steven Caulker and many more.

Over 13 years ago, Spurs poached young defender Yuri Berchiche from Athletic Bilbao, but it now seems like the La Liga outfit have had the last laugh.

The Basque international failed to make a single senior appearance during four years in north London and was forced out on loan to Cheltenham Town and Vallodolid before returning to Spain permanently.

Where is Berchiche now?

Via a title-winning campaign with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2017/18, Berchiche finds himself back at the San Mames Stadium where he has become solid option in the Spanish top-flight.

He re-joined his childhood club in a €20m (£18m) deal, signing a mega-contract until the summer of 2022. It contains a whopping €100m (£90m) release clause.

The 30-year-old has racked up a total of 79 appearances since the move two years ago, and his record of eight goals and six assists is pretty impressive considering he’s a left-back by trade.

Berchiche has started all three of Bilbao’s league games this term, where he has averaged 1.3 tackles, 1.3 clearances, one key pass, one shot and one dribble per game, via WhoScored.

Whilst it is unlikely that anyone activates that sort of clause for someone entering the twilight years of their career, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy must surely regret not keeping hold of the Spaniard considering the fees he’s commanded over the years.

We know the tough-negotiator likes to make a bit of money from time to time.

If only Harry Redknapp gave him that opportunity a decade ago, things could have been very different now. Berchiche has clearly thrived in some of Europe’s top leagues, so it was certainly a regrettable mistake on Spurs’ part.

AND in other news, Jose Mourinho must make cut-throat Spurs decision on £36m-rated ace…

Tottenham Hotspur are continuing to heavily pursue a deal for Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer. 

The Lilywhites are looking to steal a march on Everton as they prepare to launch an official bid for the former Saints captain.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham have been in constant contact with Southampton as they pursue Hojbjerg.

A source close to the situation told the outlet that Spurs have been calling his representatives “every day” to convince him to switch the South Coast for north London.

Jose Mourinho has identified Hojbjerg as the holding midfielder he needs to revamp Spurs’ midfield.

The Dane has played 32 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist, taking 1.4 shots, winning 2.5 tackles and completing 1.5 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

Tottenham have stepped up their attempts to seal the deal as their battle with Everton intensifies.

Recent reports have suggested that Spurs are confident of completing a deal, although they are yet to submit a formal bid for the ex-Bayern Munich ace.

Ralph Hasenhuttl stripped the 24-year-old of the captain’s armband after he refused to sign a new deal and was left out of the squad altogether, before playing the whole game against Brighton at full-back.

While the Toffees have gone for a heavy-handed approach, Spurs have been feverishly working behind the scenes to try to tempt him to move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer.

Southampton had initially slapped a £25m asking price on his head in January, but £20m should be more than enough to seal the deal.

Tottenham should be able to meet their valuation comfortably, as Daniel Levy spent £53.8m on Tanguy Ndombele last year.

However, questions could be raised about the club record signing’s future at Spurs if Hojbjerg joins the club in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know down below!

There is a lot going on at Glasgow Rangers at the moment, especially in attack as Jermain Defoe is injured, two new strikers have recently signed and Alfredo Morelos is being linked with a move away.

The reshuffle that looks to be happening upfront seems to be nearly completed, but despite the Colombian being rumoured to leave soon, Steven Gerrard still decided to start the forward in their first game of the Scottish Premiership 2020/21 season. The Gers managed to come away with the 1-0 victory against Aberdeen, with Ryan Kent scoring the only goal.

Alan Hutton has been speaking about Morelos following the match to Football Insider, and the former Scottish International said: “He didn’t look himself to me if I’m honest. I’ve always said it does take you a couple of games to get into it, it was a very short pre-season. 

“He still looks a little bit heavy for me, he looks big, so look, he’s going to have to work hard. Look, I listened to Steven Gerrard after the game and he must be sick to his back teeth with what he hears about him.

“I totally understand but the thing is it’s not going to go away, the rumours are always going to circulate but I think at the moment he really needs to knuckle down and get his head on that he’s a Rangers player at the moment.”

This is perhaps a little harsh from the ex-Aston Villa right-back. Despite the fact that Morelos did not score, he did pick up a 7.9 rating, per SofaScore, which saw him receive the second-best rating out of anyone who featured in the match.

He picked up an assist for the goal, whilst also completing three of his five attempted dribbles, and made three key passes, per SofaScore, so he clearly was a menace for the Aberdeen defence.

Obviously the rumours will be on his mind, but for his first competitive fixture in around four months, the Colombian definitely put in a good shift, and it shows how good he is that in such a performance, people believe he was not at his best.

Glasgow Rangers fans, what are your thoughts on Morelos? Comment below!

Everton supporters have delivered their honest verdicts on former centre-back Ashley Williams on social media this week after one account asked them to describe him using one word.

The 35-year-old is now in the Championship plying his trade with Bristol City but was at Goodison Park for three years after being signed by Ronald Koeman in 2016 for £12m.

Williams played 73 times for the Toffees and clearly he failed to leave that much of a positive mark on the fanbase with some lambasting him for being a “liability” as well as a “carthorse.”

The Welshman even occasionally donned the captain’s armband during the 2017/18 season with the Merseyside outfit competing in Europe too.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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Another ex-boss, Marco Silva, released Williams during the summer following his loan spell at Stoke City, also in the Championship.

Not many fans had anything good to say about him at all, here’s what has been said…

AND in other news,Everton plot £27m swoop for Serie A star…

Sheffield United appear to be scouting players from the Championship and this has seen them become interested in Kyle Joseph from Wigan Athletic.

Wigan appeared to have survived relegation from the Championship as they managed to get 50 points this season, but they were dealt a huge blow as they went into administration and were deducted 12 points which will be given to them at the end of the season if they are not in the relegation zone, or next season if they finish in the bottom three.

This has seen them look to sell some of their players and one of these might be Kyle Joseph, according to The Sun, as both Sheffield United and Leicester City are interested in the player. The two Premier League sides feel like they can get the forward for a cut-price fee as Wigan desperately need some money.

The 18-year-old has impressed at youth level for  Wigan, as he has played six games in the FA Youth Cup this campaign and scored twice, per Transfermarkt. His performances in the academy have clearly not gone unnoticed as he has been selected by the Scotland under-18s and under-19s and his six appearances in the latter grade have seen him score one goal.

The fact that the Blades and Leicester are both interested highlights that potential in the forward has been spotted and there wouldn’t be much risk signing the player as he will be expected to stay in the youth ranks before being integrated into the senior squad when he is deemed ready.

With Billy Sharp 34 and David McGoldrick 32, per WhoScored, Chris Wilder needs to be looking towards the future in attack to support Oliver McBurnie and Lys Mousset, and teenage talent Joseph could be the ideal option as a long-term successor to the veteran duo.

Blades fans, what are your thoughts on Joseph possibly moving to Sheffield United? Comment below with your views!

According to Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold, after activating an extra-year option in Japhet Tanganga’s contract a couple of months ago, Tottenham are keen to tie him down to a new longer-term deal.

What’s the word?

The defender’s original deal with the club was set to expire this summer, and there may have been some major concern at the prospect of losing him on a free transfer.

The 21-year-old had enjoyed a real break-through campaign in north London prior to the Premier League being postponed, making 11 appearances in the first-team.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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And now, Gold has delivered a promising update on his future with the Lilywhites, claiming that once football returns to normal, Spurs are keen to give him a new long-term contract, with Jose Mourinho “believing he will be an important player going forward for the north London outfit”.

Encouraging sign

Amidst all the uncertainty over the futures of the likes of Harry Kane and Jan Vertonghen, this nugget of news from Gold is an encouraging sign that Spurs are still trying to be on the front foot with some of their first-team players.

Tanganga – rated at £7.2m by Transfermarkt – has been one of the big bright sparks of what has otherwise been a tumultuous season for Spurs, which really kick-started with Mauricio Pochettino’s departure.

The versatile defender has played all across the back-four, and has performed admirably, with Mourinho himself lauding the youngster for his performance against Liverpool, suggesting the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane knew who he was now.

And now, it seems rather than losing one of their best prospects on a free transfer, they could conceivably build their entire defence around him for the years to come.

Meanwhile, Alasdair Gold has revealed Spurs are keen on this centre-back.

Leeds United fans have been discussing the future of their goalkeeper position this week after fresh reports emerged linking them with a new shot-stopper.

Marcelo Bielsa began the season opting for Kiko Casilla between the sticks until he picked up an eight-game ban for racial abuse, which has handed an opportunity to Lorient loanee Illan Meslier, who impressed in his only appearances beforehand – an FA Cup outing against Arsenal.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

It’s thought that the club are willing to splash £5m to make the temporary switch permanent, but that hasn’t stopped new speculation over the number one spot.

According to Football Insider, former Man City keeper Joe Hart would be willing to take a pay cut to join the west Yorkshire outfit in the top-flight.

The 33-year-old’s £70k-per-week contract at Burnley expires at the end of the season, so he will be available on a free transfer this summer.

However, it is Meslier who many at Elland Road are demanding – not Hart, not Casilla.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Phil Hay issues update on how Championship could end for Leeds…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Matty Longstaff has had a bright start to his senior career and attention in him is beginning to grow across Europe, according to The Chronicle.

What’s the word?

The 20-year-old capped off a brilliant debut against Manchester United with a goal that won him the October Goal of the Month award, as well as also appearing in matches against Chelsea and Wolves.

His performances in those games earned him a call-up to the England U20s squad for the first time, and the game against Portugal was watched by scouts from clubs across several different European countries, including Spain and France.

Interest in him is likely to be considerable as he could be available for a small compensation fee of £400,000 when his current youth development contract expires.

The Magpies need to get him tied down to a new deal that is rumoured to be in the offing, with Bruce apparently keen to have him as a part of his plans, but until they do so the interest in him will likely persist.

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Head could be turned

Longstaff may be a Geordie but he has stated previously that his main focus is to play as many matches as possible, and if he doesn’t envisage a pathway into regular football under Bruce then he could consider leaving.

There may be no fixed interest in him as yet, but if he continues to impress when he gets the chance it is likely that suitors will come knocking. If they offer a brighter alternative that could enhance his development, it could be difficult for Newcastle to persuade him to stay.

His manager has so far handled his situation well, and eased him into the first-team carefully, which was a big factor in him hitting the ground running.

The fact his brother has also got chances to play and him being Newcastle born-and-bred gives the club an advantage when it comes to keeping him, and as long as his current involvement is continued he should be more likely to put pen to paper.

It is vital to the Magpies that a new contract is agreed, as it not only means he won’t leave at the end of the season, but it also ensures that even if the player is eager to join a new team in the future, they should get a decent fee for him if or when he departs.

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…

Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur earlier last week and was very quickly replaced by Jose Mourinho.

This mammoth news is bound to send shockwaves through English football, and this move could directly affect Leeds United.

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Of course, we’re talking about the possibility that Jack Clarke could be recalled in January.

There has been plenty of speculation around the winger in recent months, and Phil Hay has outright stated that he expects him to return to Spurs once the winter window opens. Even though it was already likely, the chances of that happening may have just skyrocketed.

It was made very clear that Pochettino simply didn’t want Clarke as a part of his squad this season, and that his signing this summer was ultimately Daniel Levy’s call.

However, the new manager may fancy having a closer look at Clarke, and when you consider that his recall was already looking likely, the sacking of Pochettino may have been the final straw for the teenager’s Leeds United career.

Reports suggest that Levy never even wanted to loan the teenager back to Leeds this summer, and it’s clear that the chairman is an admirer of the youngster.

It’s unknown whether or not Mourinho has ever even seen Clarke play, but he may want to take a look at him in more detail by recalling him, especially if Levy gives him a glowing review.

The new Spurs boss has already said he’s excited about getting to work with Tottenham’s academy players and given Clarke is only 18, this might speed up his potential return to north London.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Back in the summer, funds were tight at The Valley – presumably, they still are.

So much so that Charlton boss Lee Bowyer sold Dutch right-back Anfernee Dijksteel in order to fund a move for Peterborough striker Ivan Toney.

“The Anfernee money was going to go on Toney. But that didn’t come off.

“We were always trying to keep Lyle [Taylor]. The plan was to play Toney alongside Lyle. That’s why we sold Anfernee [to spend the money in other areas of the pitch].”

Sadly for the Addicks, the League One side rejected all of their bids, and one would assume that Bowyer will be kicking himself that a move for the forward never materialised given Toney’s stunning start to the campaign.

After scoring an eye-catching 23 goals across all competitions in 2018/19, the former Newcastle man has begun the 2019/20 campaign on fire.

The 23-year-old has been smashing the goals in like it’s nothing, finding the back of the net ten times in just 12 League One appearances this season.

Form like that will presumably not go unnoticed by other clubs – Barnsley and another unnamed Championship side were also interested back in the summer – and one assumes that Charlton might regret missing out on Toney.

For one, competition for his signature may potentially increase following his quite ridiculous start to the season, while Toney’s price tag may also rise due to his added importance to Peterborough and his young age – there is definitely room for improvement on what is already an outstanding footballer.

The Addicks haven’t struggled too much without Toney in their ranks as they currently sit just five points off the top of the table, but there could be cause for concern in the near future.

Their main man up top, Lyle Taylor, has scored five goals in six games, but he is still yet to sign a new contract with his current deal set to expire in the summer, and Toney could have become the ideal replacement.

Macauley Bonne is the only other Addicks forward to score a decent amount of goals with four in seven appearances, while Chuks Aneke has just one goal to his name – Tomer Hemed is still yet to score.

Given the lack of firepower behind Taylor, missing out on the deal for Toney could become quite the blunder if the club’s talisman elects not to extend his stay at The Valley, and Bowyer will surely be kicking himself if he ends up with just Bonne, Aneke and Hemed to fire in the goals.