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Speaking to club media, as shared by The Peterborough Telegraph, Director of Football Barry Fry of Peterborough United has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of defender Benjamin Mensah.

The Lowdown: Spurs make enquiry…

First breaking the news, Sky Sports (13 Jan, 12:46) claimed that Spurs had made an enquiry to sign the 19-year-old amid manager Antonio Conte’s hunt for a right-wing back.

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Alasdair Gold says that the search for a player in that position is among the Italian’s and transfer chief Fabio Paratici top priorities for January with Mensah now attracting interest.

It is believed that the young ace would go straight into Tottenham’s Under-23s set up as the club seemingly look at RWB options for the future also, with Mensah capable of slotting in there as well as in a traditional back four.

The Latest: Fry confirms talks with Spurs…

As per club chief Fry, Spurs do indeed hold an interest and have ‘suggested one or two things’, with the Peterborough chief revealing he has in fact ‘talked to Tottenham’.

“I have talked to Tottenham and they have suggested one or two things to me,” he explained.

“Which I told the manager and the chairman about but they were adamant it was a no. Tottenham are still monitoring the situation.”

The Verdict: Interesting development…

It’s not everyday club officials come out to confirm transfer rumours, so this comes as an interesting development.

In terms of Mensah, he could be a brilliant option for the future with Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson already raving over the teenager after he signed his first professional contract.

The former Manchester United player called his youngster ‘aggressive’ and ‘excellent’ in one-vs-one situations with the English-born Ghanian ace seemingly one to watch out for.

If Tottenham can get him over the line and reach an agreement with The Posh, it’ll be fascinating to see his development at N17.

In other news: ‘This will excite Tottenham fans…’ – Sky Sports drop major live TV transfer claim, find out more here.

Everton are a club at a crossroads at this moment in time, with the departure of former director of football Marcel Brands sparking an intriguing new chapter in their history.

What’s the story?

Under the Dutchman’s watchful eye, the Toffees embarked on a rather haphazard spending spree over the last three years, although he cannot be solely blamed for all of their misfortune.

However, with Brands now out the door, talk has turned to who could replace the 59-year-old in the boardroom.

And The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland has provided an update into the ongoing situation, suggesting the popular head of football operations Dave Harrison could fill the current void.

“There is an expectation the club’s respected head of football operations Dave Harrison will fill part of the void left by Brands as long as the strategic review takes place, ” he wrote alongside colleague Greg O’Keeffe.

“A popular, long-standing member of staff, Harrison is seen as a safe pair of hands and has experience in negotiations and other logistical aspects.”

Everton fans will be buzzing

Brands arrived on Merseyside back in 2018 after cultivating an enviable reputation for himself at PSV Eindhoven after several years worth of good work in his homeland.

Everton’s new owner Farhad Moshiri provided substantial funds for the transfer chief to improve the first-team squad, yet improvements on the pitch scarcely failed to materialise.

The likes of Alex Iwobi, Andre Gomes and Moise Kean all arrived under Brands’ doomed reign for big fees without elevating the Goodison Park outfit’s fortunes, resulting in league finishes of 8th, 12th and 10th during his time at the club.

As a result, large sections of Everton’s fanbase will be delighted to learn of Boyland’s latest behind-the-scenes revelation.

News that a ‘respected’ and ‘popular’ member of staff who already knows the club and understands the direction it wants to go in and what needs to be improved is expected to step into Brands’ shoes will fill them with hope and confidence for the months ahead.

Following a first win since September, it finally looks as though proceedings are moving in the right direction for the Toffees. They should be left buzzing as a result.

And, in other news…Forget Coleman: Rafa must seal EFC move for £25m “warrior” with “outstanding quality” 

As reported by Sky Sports journalist Marc Behrenbeck, relayed by Sky Austria, an update has come to light involving Tottenham Hotspur and Austria international Florian Grillitsch.

The Lowdown: Pochettino keen…

Back in the summer of 2019, former Lilywhites boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino actually had his eye on the Hoffenheim ace who has gone on to become a mainstay in the Bundesliga.

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Indeed, according to Sky Sports, the Argentine was eager to bring Grillitsch to north London during his last year in charge of the club as he searched for an heir to Mousa Dembele in his midfield.

Now, as per the same reliable source, it appears Tottenham are back in contention again.

The Latest: Spurs re-join race…

According to Sky reporter Behrenback, as relayed by SSA, Spurs have joined Roma and another former boss, Jose Mourinho, in the race to sign Grillitsch on a free transfer next summer.

His contract is set to expire in 2022 as things stand with the tough-tackling midfielder seemingly having no shortage of suitors for a transfer at the end of 2021/2022.

The Verdict: Get it d0ne?

The 26-year-old, who can play as a central defender or in a defensive or central midfield role (WhoScored), could come as an absolute bargain who may well fill many gaping holes in manager Antonio Conte’s team.

For free, this certainly seems like a move worth considering, especially since Grillitsch has averaged an impressive rate of 2.5 tackles per 90 in the German top flight so far this season (WhoScored).

Compared to Tottenham’s squad, only Emerson Royal has managed more, and Conte could certainly benefit from another combative presence in his team ahead of his first full season in 2022/2023.

Lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, we strongly advise Tottenham to beat Mourinho to his signature.

In other news: Paratici backed by Levy as he tries to seal Spurs agreement for ‘sensational’ ace, find out more here.

The future of Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore lies away from Molineux.

What’s been said?

That’s according to the Express & Star’s Luke Hatfield, with the journalist stating his belief in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, with the 25-year-old winger being heavily linked with a move away from the club this January, it would appear more than likely that the Spain international secures a move away from the club sooner rather than later.

Speaking about the current situation of the Wolves forward, Hatfield said: “If I was a betting man, I would probably say that his future lies away from Molineux.”

Shi must act

While it is undeniable that Traore has become an integral part of the Wolves side since his £18m move to the club back in 2018, considering just how much of an impact the 25-year-old’s reported contract negotiations are having on his playing time this season, Jeff Shi simply must call time on the Spaniard’s spell at Molineux this winter.

Indeed, the winger scored one goal and provided one assist over his 25 Premier League appearances back in 2018/19, bagged four goals and nine assists over 37 league fixtures in 2019/20 and netted two goals and three assists over 37 top-flight games last season – with his returns playing a key role in reestablishing Wolves as a Premier League side.

Even in the current campaign, despite yet to contribute directly to a goal, the £17m-rated man has impressed over his 11 Premier League appearances, averaging 5.4 successful dribbles per game – the highest amount of any player in the league – while also taking an average of 1.5 shots and making 1.3 key passes per fixture.

These metrics have seen the man who Jurgen Klopp dubbed “unplayable” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Wolves’ second-best performer in the top flight.

However, over the club’s last three league fixtures, the £43k-per-week forward has featured for a grand total of just 36 minutes, with reports suggesting that, while his contract discussions are at a stand-off, Bruno Lage is less inclined to afford the 25-year-old game time ahead of Wolves’ other options out wide.

As such, with no resolution close regarding the contract discussions between him and the club, it would seem a very good idea for Shi and Wolves to cash in on Traore while interest in the winger is high, as the club will more than likely make a very tidy sum on the Spanish international.

In other news: Lage can save Shi millions by unleashing “magnificent” 19 y/o Wolves gem, “he’s ready”

Tottenham Hotspur youth prospect Tobi Omole is in advanced negotiations over a new contract at the north London outfit, according to allnigeriasoccer.com.

The 21-year-old defender joined Spurs from arch-rivals Arsenal in October 2020 following a successful trial and it appears as if he’s already caught the eye of first-team boss Antonio Conte, who recently called the academy starlet up to training.

It was Nuno Santo who first handed Omole a call-up to the first-team squad, naming him amongst the substitutes in games against Stade Rennes, NS Mura and Crystal Palace.

He was even registered as a senior option in their Premier League and Europa Conference League squads, which only goes to show just how highly thought of he is at Hotspur Way.

But who is he?

The young dynamo is a versatile starlet capable of playing at full-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder, and for the U23s this campaign, he has bagged two goals from 14 appearances across the Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.

Standing at 6 foot 1, Omole could be the next youngster to break into the senior set-up, perhaps following in the footsteps of Oliver Skipp, who has become a key starter under Conte this term.

Omole, who has been described as a “top young talent” by Lilywhites insider John Wenham to Football Insider, could provide the Italian with valuable cover in defence, where he has been without Cristian Romero since the November international break.

He is not expected back until January, maybe February, at the earliest, so a player like Omole could be of huge value to Conte in the coming weeks and months, especially with the fixture list piling up this festive period.

It is certainly encouraging to see that Spurs are trying to tie him down to an extension as he is close to entering the final six months of his current deal.

Given his recent involvement in training alongside some of the club’s biggest stars, it could well be Omole who emerges as the ‘next Skipp’ and the latest success story from the academy.

AND in other news, Antonio Conte set for Spurs boost amid fresh contract claims…

Despite managing to keep their unbeaten streak across all competitions so far this season intact, Liverpool’s latest Premier League game saw them drop two points at home against Brighton & Hove Albion after being 2-0 up after 24 minutes thanks to goals from Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane.

Jurgen Klopp described the 2-2 result as one that felt “like a defeat”, and one player that featured in that draw who didn’t have a great game for the Reds was left-back Andy Robertson.

The defender, who started the match and played the full 90 minutes against Graham Potter’s side and failed to do his duties from a defensive point of view.

He didn’t make any tackles, failed to block any shots and won just 25% of the duels he was involved in. That consequently led to him being dribbled past on two occasions and picking up a yellow card for his troubles.

In possession of the ball, the Scot was hardly any better. Robertson misplaced four of the six crosses he attempted and lost possession on 13 occasions, ultimately earning him a fairly underwhelming overall match rating of 6.5/10, making him one of Liverpool’s lowest-rated players on the day according to SofaScore.

Even though this was just one game, it could still be a big worry for Klopp and the Liverpool fans, particularly looking at Robertson’s defensive statistics on this occasion and the fact that the Merseyside club have now conceded eight league goals from ten games.

So far this season, the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £58.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 11 appearances for the Reds across all competitions.

Since joining the Merseyside club from Hull City back in the 2017 summer transfer window for an initial fee of £8m, Robertson has gone on to make a total of 188 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring five goals and racking up 39 assists in the process, proving himself as a vital figure for the team.

Moving forward, with Liverpool set to take on Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday in the Champions League, a team the left-back registered an assist against last time out, everyone at the club will undoubtedly be hoping that the Scotland international will be able to put in a more assured performance than he did against Brighton.

In other news: “They are in talks”: Fabrizio Romano drops exciting LFC update, fans will be buzzing – opinion 

Manchester United manager will have a sizeable gap in his midfield to fill following the international break after Paul Pogba suffered a major injury blow.

What’s the story?

The 28-year-old picked up a serious thigh problem during a training session with France ahead of their World Cup qualification match against Kazakhstan on Saturday.

Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic’s United reporter, provided an update on Pogba’s situation, revealing he could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

He tweeted: “Paul Pogba at risk of being out until next year after French medics diagnose thigh injury as 8-10 weeks on sidelines. #MUFC still to assess Pogba, who is on his way back to England.”

With the influential engine room operator potentially being consigned to the treatment table until the new year, Solskjaer must find a solution to his enforced absence.

Forget Fred

Luckily for the Norwegian tactician, though, he has an array of talents at his disposal, and he may well have the perfect replacement already within his ranks.

Donny van de Beek has been desperate for a run of games to showcase his true potential since arriving from Ajax for £40m in the summer of 2020, but he’s only started four Premier League games since.

The creative talent has seen the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Pogba continuously picked ahead of him with mixed results, adding to his ever-growing frustrations.

Following a tricky maiden campaign on English shores, it was reported that the 24-year-old had bulked up over the summer after missing Euro 2020 through injury, and United teammate Bruno Fernandes lauded Van de Beek’s extra efforts during pre-season.

“As a professional player you always prepare for your season before you come back for training, you always do something before, and I think everyone was doing their jobs at home,” the Portugal star told the official Manchester United website.

“Yes, he’s (Van de Beek) working hard and working hard in the gym. Obviously, he is one of the quality players we know, and now he’s building up,” he added.

Van de Beek has also been dubbed “perfect” by former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

Nevertheless, the £22.5m-rated gem has found opportunities hard to come by at the Theatre of Dreams once again in the current campaign, featuring from the off on just two occasions in all competitions under Solskjaer.

But now, with Pogba believed to be unavailable for at least two months, United’s boss may place his faith in Van de Beek over the more defensively-minded Fred.

The Red Devils are in need of victories and convincing displays as the pressure continues to mount in the red half of Manchester, and the Netherlands international could be the player to release it.

And, in other news…Glazers can get Man Utd firing with 49 y/o boss dubbed “the best manager in the world” 

A number of West Brom supporters are eager for the club to secure the long-term future of rising starlet Reyes Cleary following his latest goalscoring display.

The 17-year-old was on target for the Baggies’ under-23 side as they came from behind to defeat Middlesbrough 2-1 in their Premier League 2 encounter, coming off the bench to net the winning goal after Kenneth Zohore had equalised for Albion.

Cleary now has three goals in his last two matches in the division and has struck twice in each of his four appearances in the Under-18 Premier League (Transfermarkt). His exploits in front of goal have unsurprisingly drawn interest from other clubs, as mentioned by journalist Luke Hatfield in a recent interview with Give Me Sport.

Last month, the Daily Mail reported that Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim are both monitoring the 17-year-old amid his superb form for West Brom’s youth teams.

The teenager has yet to feature in a first team squad under Valerien Ismael at The Hawthorns, but the 46-year-old could well be tempted to give him him senior bow if the young striker continues to score at such an impressive rate.

West Brom fans rave over Cleary

These West Brom fans on Twitter have been singing Cleary’s praises and, in the wake of apparent interest in the “talented” youngster, many are imploring the club to tie him down to a new deal with the Baggies.

“Get Cleary a 10 year contract”

Credit: @AdamHazell3

“Get Cleary in the first team”

Credit: @danwba_

“Just know we’ll lose another talented youngster to either Villa or a big club again”

Credit: @MattS_121098

“Get Reyes Cleary in the first team immediately!”

Credit: @AdKido44

“Get Cleary a contract ASAP”

Credit: @__Hashar9

“We’ve got a baller on our hands here, please don’t let him go”

Credit: @wbaralph

In other news: Another West Brom player has won acclaim from plenty of Baggies fans in recent days

Many Sunderland fans applauded Dan Neil during Tuesday night’s League One clash with Crewe Alexandra. 

Sunderland were looking to make it back-to-back away wins after coming from behind and surviving an Elliot Embleton red card in their 2-1 victory over Gillingham on Saturday.

Second-bottom Crewe, meanwhile, were going in search of just their second league win of the season and their first since they beat Burton Albion 2-0 on 18 September.

Black Cats manager Lee Johnson made one only change for the trip to Gresty Road, and it was enforced. The suspended Embleton made way for Aiden McGeady.

That meant Neil kept his place alongside Luke O’Nien in the 4-2-3-1 system.

Recapping Neil’s performance

Neil’s SofaScore rating of 7.3 was the third-highest in the Sunderland team, bettered only by two-goal striker Ross Stewart and McGeady.

He set-up Stewart’s first goal just after the half-hour mark, completed every pass he attempted and made two tackles.

Sunderland fans issue rave Neil reviews

“Dan Neil can win Connect Four in three moves”

Credit: @Evs_Dubai

“Dan Neil counted to infinity…. Twice”

Credit: @antoneee_x

“Dan Neil once walked into the Heinz factory and every single tin of beans opened up for him.”

Credit: @Laking86

“Dan Neil can slam a revolving door”

Credit: @iandobbers

“Sorry to repeat previous comments but dan Neil is a joy to watch”

Credit: @hayes1956

“Dan Neil masterclass the boy can play”

Credit: @GavLee82

In other news, fans fumed over this development.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski should be fit to play in the club's next game despite his recent injury.

What’s the latest on Lukasz Fabianski's West Ham injury?

The Polish shot-stopper has been out for the past two Premier League games after having to come off early against Nottingham Forest after taking a knock to the head.

In fact, it was such a bad injury that he ended up suffering a fractured cheekbone and eye socket and so was expected to potentially be on the sidelines for some time.

And while he has been out for a little while, it does sound as though he could be ready to start against Southampton if required, when West Ham are next in action after the international break.

In an update on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex outlined the situation, saying: “Fabianski is back in training with his face mask on now and should be fit for the Southampton game.”

What has David Moyes said on Lukasz Fabianski's injury?

David Moyes recently spoke to the press about the player's possible return, noting that Fabianski was "desperate to come back" as soon as possible.

However, the club manager explained that he and the medical team remain a bit "unsure" and "worried" about him starting as he could suffer pretty badly if he was to get hit in the face by a ball.

In full, he said: “He is desperate to come back. He feels like he is ready. Medically we are a little bit unsure as they are worried about him getting a ball in the face.”

He also noted some concerns about how his performance could be impacted by wearing a mask, saying: “I have got no problem with that, but I haven’t got a strong enough opinion on it.

“Sometimes anything on your face means you don’t see other things, if you wear a hat or glasses, so a mask like that may not be great for a goalkeeper.”

By the sounds of it, though, the time off for the international break should hopefully allow Fabianski sufficient time to heal and so when Southampton come to visit at the start of next month, it's likely the 37-year-old will be there to face them.

If not, though, Alphonse Areola will be expected to come in instead, having started the last two league games – albeit failing to win any and shipping five goals in that period.