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Speaking to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source believes that chairman Daniel Levy is now closing in on a new manager, with an appointment possible as soon as next week and announcement expected soon after today.

The Lowdown: Spurs still in the manager hunt

Levy has been on the hunt for a new manager since he relieved Jose Mourinho of his duties last month, with a plethora of coaches linked with the vacant position since then as the saga goes on.

Tottenham are now reportedly edging closer to getting their man, with Football Insider sharing some potentially big news.

The Latest: Lilywhites source makes major manager claim

Speaking to the outlet, a ‘Spurs source’ has explained that Tottenham are now confident of appointing a new manager as soon as next week after narrowing their shortlist to just three candidates.

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While this managerial trio isn’t named, the club source claimed that Spurs are ‘expected to be in a position’ to announce their appointment soon after today.

Many contenders for the role were chalked off for various reasons, with several candidates appearing to be either unavailable or simply unsuitable.

The Verdict: Exciting times…

After more than a month of searching, this news could come as music to the ears of Spurs supporters.

Tottenham were hopeful of making an announcement before the end of the current campaign, but complications in their search may have severely delayed matters.

Julian Nagelsmann was once their top target but Levy suffered a blow when the German was confirmed to be taking over at Bayern Munich. Brendan Rodgers, another manager admired by Spurs, also publicly dismissed the links to north London.

It’s been a long time coming, but news of Tottenham making a possible announcement soon comes as brilliant news, with the only worry being whether Levy makes the right managerial choice.

In other news: Spurs could now be offered this ‘phenomenal player’ for Kane, find out more here.

Liverpool potentially have another Michael Owen within their ranks.

17-year-old Oakley Cannonier has been on fire for Liverpool’s U18 side this season, having surpassed the 40-goal mark this campaign.

Cannonier has been firing all season which has earned him mass plaudits from U18’s manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson as he told The Athletic:

“Oakley is really bright. He’s a good little footballer. His instincts for the game are very natural. It’s something we have to make sure he retains.”

Cannonier previously earned acclaim for his alertness as a ball-boy – giving Trent Alexander-Arnold the ball for the right-back’s quickly-taken corner which created the winner for Divock Origi in the Reds’ sensational Champions League comeback against Barcelona.

It was this act that bagged him an invitation to train with the Liverpool first-team, with Klopp telling the youngster: “I just need to thank you for what you did!”

Cannonier, who trained with the first team solely on merit, impressed Klopp during those sessions, with the German keeping tabs on his development with the U18’s ever since.

His goalscoring touch has earned him comparisons to Roberto Firmino, with many believing he is the future of Liverpool’s front line.

Whilst the latter is highly likely if he can keep up this form, his presence as a feared out-and-out forward is more reminiscent of Michael Owen, who also enjoyed a rise to fame via the Liverpool youth system.

Cannonier bagged his 39th and 40th goals of the season during Liverpool U18’s 5-1 victory over Wolves, which will have felt sweet for the lifelong Liverpool fan who told The Athletic: “I just always wanted to play for Liverpool. It was a no-brainer.”

The young Englishman’s rise to success is gaining traction and with the 17-year-old tipped to be moving up to the Liverpool U23s next season, we could well see the new Michael Owen donning the Liverpool shirt come next season.

AND in other news: Liverpool now plot £67m bid for “sensational” £76k-p/w “winner”, imagine him and Salah

Rangers will be looking to continue their unbeaten run in the Premiership as they take on St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday evening, with Steven Gerrard’s side now just four games away from an invincible league season.

The Light Blues are fresh from success in the Old Firm derby after winning 2-0 at Ibrox at the weekend and will be in a confident mood ahead of the first of two games against Callum Davidson’s side this week.

So far this season, Rangers have recorded comfortable victories against the Saints, winning 3-0 twice in 2020 before a 1-0 triumph at Ibrox back in February. However, Davidson’s side have won four of their last five games and will undoubtedly be eyeing an upset on Wednesday night.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Gerrard to line up at McDiarmid Park, with two changes from the side which started the Old Firm derby on Sunday…

After another superb display in the Old Firm derby at the weekend, in which he saved a penalty from Odsonne Edouard, McGregor keeps his place in goal.

There is one change in defence as, despite another excellent performance against the Hoops, Nathan Patterson is dropped to the bench, with captain James Tavernier – hailed as “fantastic” by former Ibrox ace Graham Roberts – making his return from injury at right-back.

Joe Aribo reverts to midfield alongside Glen Kamara and Steven Davis, with Scott Arfield dropping to the bench as Gerrard goes with a more attacking line-up than last time out.

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This allows Ianis Hagi to start on the right wing, where Aribo had featured on Sunday, and the Romanian supports Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos in attack for this one.

In other news… Allen masterclass: “Terrific” Rangers beast’s value has risen 275% since joining 

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Matheus Pereira would be a suitable replacement for Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace.

Back in May, in an interview with The Face, Zaha made it clear that he would jump at the opportunity to play at another top side again following his previous stint with Manchester United.

As for Pereira, who will also undoubtedly be open to a move after West Brom’s relegation to the Championship, he has been linked with Zaha’s current team.

According to The Athletic, the 25-year-old’s name has been discussed at Palace and Palmer believes he could be a good option for the club, especially if they do go on to lose Zaha this summer.

When asked by TT if Pereira was the kind of signing that could bring some excitement to Selhurst Park, the ex-West Brom player said:

“Yeah, he is, especially if you’re going to lose Zaha, but we still don’t know what’s going to happen with him. Obviously Palace will be desperate to keep him, but he’s always intimated that he wants a move away.

“So somebody like that coming into the club would be a suitable replacement for Zaha if he goes and maybe that might be in their thinking.”

Tottenham and Everton are two teams who are said to be interested in Zaha, but nothing is yet to materialise.

Paul Stewart fears Tottenham Hotspur could be dragged into a relegation scrap if they sell Harry Kane and fail to replace him.

The England captain has publicly confirmed he is looking to leave Spurs this summer as he aims to boost his chances of winning silverware.

It has led to interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, with both sides believing Kane could boost their chances of clinching the Premier League title in the upcoming campaign.

The Sun reported Kane is poised to join Pep Guardiola’s City for £160million after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy agreed to allow his star striker to depart, although it does not appear a deal is so close to being completed as City have refuted the claims.

Kane finished last season as the Premier League’s Golden Boot winner and also registered the most assists in the division.

As a result, Spurs would be left with a huge gap to fill if Kane gets his wish and Stewart believes Nuno Espirito Santo’s side could be in trouble.

The former Spurs man exclusively told Football FanCast: “I’m just a bit concerned about what Spurs are going to do moving forward.

“If they sell Kane and don’t get any money for the transfer budget, I’d be concerned that they may be battling relegation next season and not fighting for the top four.”

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that West Ham should be all over Sam Johnstone this summer.

The former Manchester United youngster has been one of the standout goalkeepers in the Premier League this season, although his excellent form is unlikely to save West Brom from relegation.

Providing the Baggies don’t make a great escape in the coming weeks, the £32,500-a-week England shotstopper, who was recently rewarded with his first call-up by Gareth Southgate, is likely to leave the club.

Reports believe that Johnstone will be available for just £10million, although the Hammers could face stiff competition from London rivals Tottenham, who might also need a new goalkeeper.

Number one Lukasz Fabianski recently extended his deal with the Hammers, but mistakes have been creeping into the Pole’s game this term, none more so than in the defeat at Newcastle earlier this month.

And McAvennie told Football FanCast that Johnstone would be an ideal replacement:

“I think it would be really good business.

“When you’re playing for West Brom you’re not short of action, he’s probably made more saves than most of the keepers put together, and that’s no disrespect to them but without him they wouldn’t have as many points as they have got.

“For £10million, I can’t believe I’m saying it, but it’s nothing in this game. That’s the nature of the beast now, and it’s right up West Ham’s street that kind of money.”

Alan Hutton has dropped a transfer claim on George Edmundson and his future at Rangers after developments of bids from south of the border.

The Lowdown: Bids in

According to Football Insider, the Light Blues have rejected a number of bids from clubs in England for Edmundson, and a source from the Glasgow outfit has shared that they are keen on taking advantage of him slipping down the pecking order at Ibrox.

Edmundson only played in two matches under Steven Gerrard in the 2020/21 season before being shipped out on loan to Derby County in the January window (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Hutton on Edmundson situation

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton, who is now a pundit after playing as a right-back for both the Gers and Scotland, has claimed that they are in a strong position when it comes to Edmundson’s situation, and added that Rangers could still keep him if the right offer does not come in:

“They’re in a very strong position.

“Ultimately, there are two years left (on his contract) so they don’t have to sell him. He’s gone down to Derby and done really well. He got his name out there and his performances warrant the interest from other clubs.

“If you don’t get the money they’re looking for, whatever that may be, he can stay and try force his way back into Rangers.

“I know it’s not quite worked out to this point but this is the start of a new season. Everybody starts from fresh again so there’s an opportunity there.

“Rangers are very strong at the moment, they’ll be happy to hold on to him. However, if somebody comes in with the right offer, they have got cover at centre-half.”

The Verdict: Sell

Even though Edmundson did fairly well when he was on loan at the Rams in the EFL Championship, winning no fewer than 6.1 of his duels a game, while also averaging 3.5 clearances and 1.4 tackles per match (Sofascore), it is unclear whether he would have forced his way into Gerrard’s plans.

At 23 years of age, the Gers could also demand a decent fee for him, which could then be reinvested back into the squad.

Nonetheless, with the other central defenders available to Gerrard at Ibrox, Edmundson should be looking to further his footballing career elsewhere.

In other news, find out what Rangers transfer update has been dropped on this ‘outstanding’ Euro 2020 ace here!

An update has emerged on Leeds transfer target Lewis O’Brien regarding his contract at Championship club Huddersfield.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the 22-year-old has a release clause in the contract that he signed in September at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The report claimed that Leeds failed to land O’Brien in the summer transfer window, with the Terriers then pinning him down to a fresh deal. However, as part of that agreement, the midfielder now has a £10m release clause which the Whites could activate in January.

Excitement

This update will surely leave Leeds fans excited at the prospect of the club being able to sign O’Brien in the January transfer window. The Whites are said to have made a £13m bid during the summer, which suggests that £10m is an affordable price that Victor Orta is willing to shell out on the midfielder.

Supporters would likely be buzzing with the arrival of O’Brien as he is a promising young player who seems to suit Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play and could be ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85 in the Championship for Huddersfield this term, whilst averaging an eye-catching 2.5 tackles per game. This comes after he averaged the same rating across 42 league outings last season, making three tackles and interceptions per game.

In terms of him possibly suiting Bielsa’s style, former Huddersfield goalkeeper Matt Glennon once lauded O’Brien’s work rate, saying: “He closes down until the 95th, 96th minute, still running to the corners, stopping defenders, he’s got unlimited energy.

“Lewis O’Brien wants to put the hard yards in and wants to be at the very top of where he can get to. He’s one of those lads who works ridiculously hard which, for me, is your minimum in any league, but he’s got that quality, the drop of a shoulder, that strength to keep people off him, a low centre of gravity to glide past people, arm aloft when they try to knock him off the ball.”

A player with “unlimited energy” in a press-orientated Bielsa side? It sounds like a match made in heaven and that is why Leeds fans will surely be excited by the news that O’Brien has a release clause in his Huddersfield contract, as it increases the chances of him arriving at Elland Road.

Without a clause in his contract, the Terriers would be well within their rights to reject any offers and that could have led to Leeds looking elsewhere. Instead, Orta could swoop in to secure a £10m January deal.

In other news: Reliable journalist drops Leeds United transfer claim which could leave Bielsa fuming

Since Jurgen Klopp took over as manager of Liverpool back in 2015, the Merseyside club have managed to win their first Premier League title in 30 years and the sixth Champions League trophy in the club’s history.

One player that has been a massive part of the club’s success in recent years is right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £180k-per-week according to Spotrac, the same figure as Roberto Firmino and Fabinho.

The 23-year-old, who is a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, made his senior debut for the Reds back in October 2016 in a Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Since then, the Englishman, who has been described as a “stunning” player by former Reds striker Michael Owen, has gone on to make a total of 185 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions in which he has managed to score ten goals and provide a mind-boggling 47 assists along the way.

In terms of his market value, it was listed at just £450k according to Transfermarkt in February 2017 after being signed as a boy on a free transfer. Since then, Alexander-Arnold’s rise has been so meteoric that his value now stands at a massive £67.5m.

For the 2019/20 Premier League season that saw Liverpool secure the Premier League title, Alexander-Arnold massively played his part by appearing in all of their 38 games in the campaign and managing to score four goals and provide 13 assists in the process, which is mightily impressive for a full-back.

Back in July, Alexander-Arnold put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at Liverpool, which goes to show just how important he is to the club and how much they want him to stay on for the foreseeable future.

In our view, since making his senior debut for Klopp’s side, Alexander-Arnold has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top players and a firm Liverpool favourite among the fans and everyone associated with the club. He is an elite full-back, someone who has helped to redefine the role of a full-back.

Moving forward, given how the defender is still relatively young, we see no reason why his market value cannot increase even further if he continues to play regularly for the team and keep racking up goals and assists along the way.

In other news: Klopp could finally replace Wijnaldum at Liverpool by signing £27m-rated beast – opinion

A crucial update has emerged regarding Sunderland’s hopes of signing Dion Sanderson this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Wolves have decided that they want to keep the Black Cats transfer target and are hopeful that he will put pen to paper on a contract extension at Molineux. The report claims that the Premier League club are in talks with the centre-back over a new deal and are then planning to loan him out to a club in the Championship, which would come as a further blow to the Wearsiders.

Football Insider reported earlier this summer that Sunderland are open to bringing Sanderson back to the northeast either on a temporary or permanent basis next season.

Fans will be gutted

Sunderland fans will surely be gutted by this news as it seemingly rules out any chance of Sanderson returning to the Stadium of Light for a second spell, but ultimately there is nothing Kristjaan Speakman can do in the negotiations if Wolves are unwilling to sell him.

The Midlands club are two divisions above the Black Cats and have the greater financial muscle due to being in the Premier League, which means that Sunderland appear to have no way of tempting them to change their mind in the coming weeks.

Black Cats manager Lee Johnson has made it clear that he is a fan of the centre-back, with effusive praise of his performances last season in League One. Earlier this year, the former Bristol City coach claimed that the 21-year-old has a bright future in the game and highlighted his leadership skills on the pitch.

Johnson told The Chronicle: “He’s a good personality and a great kid first and foremost, but the bit that most impressed me was how he stepped up in the leadership and communications skills areas, which shows he has a bright future.”

This shows why supporters will be disappointed as the League One club are set to miss out on what could have been a terrific signing. Sanderson averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 starts as a centre-back in the third tier last term on loan at the Stadium of Light.

The 21-year-old stood out for Sunderland and, along with Johnson’s quotes about his personality, that shows why he could have been a superb signing to bolster their squad this summer ahead of the new campaign.

Therefore, this is a hammer blow to Speakman and Johnson’s plans and they will now need to look elsewhere in the market for defensive reinforcements. Sunderland cannot afford to wait around for Wolves to potentially change their mind on Sanderson as it could lead to them missing out on other targets throughout the summer, so they need to move on swiftly from this disappointment.

AND in other news, Speakman could strike gold for Sunderland as 6ft 1 beast agrees to join The Black Cats…