Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action as they look to get a foothold back on the race for the top four.

On Monday night, a stunning equaliser from Everton defender Michael Keane meant the Lilywhites were condemned to fifth place, heading into this afternoon's encounter with Brighton and Hove Albion.

The north Londoners have home comforts on their side but caretaker manager Cristian Stellini is dealing with a whole host of injury concerns, so what sort of side could we see at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Here's what Football FanCast are predicting…

How will Spurs line up against Brighton?

Between the sticks, club captain Hugo Lloris is set to resume no.1 duties after making a successful comeback from injury at Goodison Park earlier in the week. Perhaps it's unfair on Fraser Forster, who deputised amicably, but the Frenchman is the first choice.

Without stars such as Ben Davies, Ryan Sessegnon and Emerson Royal due to injury, the wing-backs select themselves, meaning Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic keep their place on either flank, though there could be a change to the back three, with second-half substitute Davinson Sanchez a candidate to replace Clement Lenglet in the starting XI.

The £21.5m-rated Colombian would then join Eric Dier and Cristian Romero in the backline.

In midfield, there are more injuries, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma long-term absentees. Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr are battling for that spot alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, though it's likely that the homegrown talent gets the nod once again.

Spurs have looked fruitless in attack in recent outings and whilst Harry Kane will still be the first name on the teamsheet, he could be joined by January arrival Arnaut Danjuma in what would be a very rare start. It would be the second and final alteration to Stellini's 11.

Heung-min Son has struggled for form, so the introduction of the £28m-rated Villarreal loanee – who is a "nightmare for defenders" according to pundit Kevin Phillips – could give a new lift to their floundering frontline, also joining Dejan Kulusevski as Lucas Moura begins a three-game suspension after his red card on Monday night.

Predicted Tottenham Hotspur XI (3-4-3): Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Romero; Perisic, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Porro; Danjuma, Kulusevski; Kane

There is no denying that Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is an unpopular figure among the club's support, with the much-maligned businessman having overseen a period of instability at Goodison Park, resulting in the current scrap for Premier League survival.

Despite having splashed out around £700m on new recruits during his time at the helm, the 67-year-old has failed to spark on-field success for the Merseyside outfit, with the club having been plunged into financial turmoil in recent times.

Described as the "worst-run club in the country" by Sky Sports pundit and ex-Liverpool man, Jamie Carragher, the Toffees have rarely carried out astute business over the years, with it having seemingly been a case of mistake after mistake, particularly in the transfer market.

That being said, however, one rare success story that Moshiri and co have enjoyed is the sale of Henry Onyekuru back in 2019, with the Nigeria international have seen a decline in his value since that move to Monaco.

Where is Henry Onyekuru now?

In truth, the 25-year-old's time at Everton remains rather bizarre, with the once-promising gem having been snapped up from Belgian side KAS Eupen on a £7m deal back in 2017, only to go on to fail to make an appearance for the Premier League side due to issues over a work permit.

The Lagos native had caught the eye initially after bagging 30 goals and laying on 11 assists in just 60 games for the Pro League outfit, with such red-hot form having even seen the then-teenager linked with a move to Arsenal.

While it was Ronald Koeman and co who ultimately won the race for the winger's signature, Onyekuru would go on to spend the next two seasons out on loan at Anderlecht and Galatasaray respectively, notably scoring 16 goals in all competitions during the 2018/19 campaign with the Turkish giants.

That standout form may well have led to disappointment among those on Goodison when the 5 foot 9 dynamo was evidently moved on for a fee of around £12m in the summer of 2019, although the 16-cap wide man has hardly pulled up any trees in the years since.

Having made just eight appearances during his brief stint at Stade Louis II, Onyekuru spent much of his time with the Ligue 1 outfit out on loan at Galatasaray once again, joining the Super Lig side in January 2020 and then again a year later.

A subsequent permanent move to Greek outfit Olympiakos failed to bare fruit as the forward scored just once in 27 appearances during the 2021/22 campaign, while he has since netted six times in 22 league outings for Adana Demirspor, after returning to Turkey yet again on another loan switch last summer.

While that is a respectable goal tally, the once-coveted asset has hardly left those on Merseyside ruing their decision to sell, particularly when considering he is now said to be worth as little as £4m, according to Football Transfers – £8m less than what Everton sold him for just under four years ago.

That may be a rather small victory in an otherwise grim period for the Toffees, although it shows that not all of their transfer dealings have been a complete disaster in recent times.

Alex McLeish’s spell as manager of Glasgow Rangers must go down in the history books as one of the finest in the previous 50 years, especially considering the vast financial constraints he had to work with.

He won seven major honours during his four and a half seasons at the helm, including a marvellous treble in 2002/03 and claiming an unlikely title in 2004/05, stunning Celtic who were defeated by Motherwell on the final day.

The former Aberdeen defender had to resort to signing players either on loan or snapping them up for free with the odd signing such as Thomas Buffel or Barry Ferguson.

The summer of 2004 was arguably his most difficult in charge of the club, having lost the league title by a 17-point margin and the onus was on the Ibrox side to improve massively to prevent Celtic from dominating Scottish football.

McLeish signed Dado Prso on a free transfer while he also added French centre-back Jean-Alain Boumsong to his ranks after he signed a pre-contract agreement with the Glasgow giants back in December 2003, and it proved to be one of his finest signings as manager.

How much did Rangers sell Jean-Alain Boumsong for?

Having made 174 appearances for Auxerre and winning seven caps for France before arriving at the club in 2004, his move was certainly deemed a major coup, and he was looked upon as a player who could become the mainstay at the heart of the defence for a few years.

He shone during the first half of his debut season, playing 26 times for the Gers, and keeping them within touching distance of Celtic, even defeating them twice before Christmas and the move appeared to be a wise one.

In January 2005, however, Premier League outfit Newcastle United came calling with an £8m bid and the offer was clearly too good to turn down, especially considering he arrived for nothing just six months prior.

Over the next few months, it was evident that McLeish had struck gold on the 6 foot 3 colossus by allowing him to move to the English top-flight, as he couldn’t quite live up to his price tag South of the border.

He eventually made just 59 appearances for the Magpies and was even listed as the 17th worst player to ever play in the Premier League, quite a feat.

Rangers made a massive profit on the Frenchman, and it allowed McLeish to sign Buffel and Ferguson that same transfer window which spearheaded their title challenge, though it was quickly clear Boumsong wasn’t cut out for Premier League football.

Chelsea are still in the race to sign Brighton and Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister this summer, according to a new transfer report.

Could Mac Allister leave this summer?

The Seagulls star has become something of a household name in recent times, having arrived at the Amex Stadium back in 2019 as more of an unknown. While he impressed last season, he has gone up another level this time around, proving to be one of his side's most important players.

Making up a strong midfield with the likes of Moises Caicedo and Pascal Gross, Mac Allister has started 25 of Brighton's Premier League games and scored eight goals along the way, as well as chipping in with one assist. Not only that, but he has also become a World Cup winner after Argentina's memorable success in Qatar late last year, in which he was an influential player, starting six of his country's seven matches.

Various recent rumours have suggested that Mac Allister could depart the Seagulls at the end of the season, however, a new challenge at a bigger club potentially appealing to him. Chelsea have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, although they are far from alone in expressing an interest.

Are Chelsea still in the mix?

According to Football Insider, the Blues are "ready to rival" Liverpool and Manchester United for the signing of Mac Allister in the summer transfer window. It is believed that Brighton would consider accepting a £60m offer, with a potential "bidding war" in the offing.

The Argentine could be a really astute summer signing by Chelsea, at a time when they could do with freshening up their midfield, considering N'Golo Kante turns 32 later this year, while Mateo Kovacic turns 29. He could be an ideal foil for those around him, proving to be a strong link between midfield and attack, having often taken up more of a No.10 role for the Seagulls this season.

Mac Allister has scored eight times in the Premier League, highlighting his ability to contribute end product from the middle of the park, while Sergio Aguero has described him as "very intelligent" player. The fact that he was named the 47th best player in the world in a list compiled by The Guardian earlier this year further speaks volumes about his quality and Chelsea signing him over their rivals could prove to be a real coup for whoever is manager next season.

For all the potential frustration surrounding Liverpool's potential lack of recruitment of late – particularly with regard to the midfield ranks – the Merseyside outfit have seemingly remained astute operators when it comes to moving players on, having recouped a tidy sum with player sales last summer.

Jurgen Klopp and co notably sold Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich for a fee of around £35m – despite the Senegalese forward having had just a year left on his deal – while also raking in around £16m with the departure of academy graduate Neco Williams to Nottingham Forest.

In hindsight, it also looks as if the Anfield hierarchy struck gold with the sale of Japan international, Takumi Minamino, with the 28-year-old having seen his stock plummet since joining Ligue 1 side Monaco on a £15.4m deal last June.

How much is Minamino worth now?

The Premier League giants had originally snapped up the dynamic forward for what appeared to be a bargain price of just £7.25m back in December 2019, with the 5 foot 8 ace having previously shone during his time at Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg, scoring 64 goals and registering 43 assists for the club in 199 games across all fronts.

Hailed as a "wonderful signing" at the time of his arrival in England by Klopp, Minamino was rarely afforded a real chance to prove his worth in the side on a consistent basis, having been unable to dislodge the starting trio of Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in attack.

As it proved, the one-time Gamba Osaka man would go on to score 14 times in 55 games in all competitions during his time with the Reds, albeit with only four of those coming for the club in the top flight.

Despite having been lauded as a "machine" and described as someone who "defends like a Devil" by Klopp, the 47-cap menace was restricted to a sporadic, impact role at Anfield, having also spent the tail-end of the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Southampton.

After making just 11 league appearances last season, the diminutive playmaker was ultimately allowed to depart for Stade Louis II ahead of the current campaign, with Liverpool raking in almost double what they had originally paid for the player just a few years earlier.

That sale now looks even more impressive due to the decrease in Minamino's valuation, with CIES Football Observatory noting that the forward is now worth as little as £7m, despite still having just over three years left to run on his existing deal.

It has proven a difficult debut campaign in France, in truth, for the £78k-per-week man as he has been restricted to just seven league starts to date, chipping in with one goal and three assists in that time.

Those woes even ensured that the struggling figure was branded the biggest 'flop' of the season earlier in the campaign by French outlet, Quotidien Du Sport, while that claim was also backed up by journalist Nabil Djellit who claimed he was a "flop player".

As such, it truly looks as if Klopp and co pulled off a real coup by managing to sell the player for a handsome profit.

أثار لاعب فريق سيريس السويدي، وسام أبو علي، التكهنات حول مستقبله مع ناديه، في ظل ارتباطه بإمكانية الانتقال إلى صفوف الأهلي المصري مطلع العام الجديد.

ويبحث النادي الأهلي عن تعزيز مركز الهجوم في موسم الانتقالات الشتوي، مطلع عام 2024.

وذكرت تقارير مختلفة أن الأهلي لديه رغبة في الحصول على خدمات المهاجم وسام أبو علي، الدنماركي، ذو الأصول الفلسطينية.

ويدرك وسام أبو علي اهتمام الأهلي بضمه، إلى جانب أندية أخرى، وهو ما أوضحه في تصريحاته التي نشرتها شبكة “nordjyske” الدنماركية.

وقال وسام أبو علي: “لقد تحدثنا بالطبع مع سيريس حول الوضع، ليس سرًا أنني أريد الرحيل إذا جاء العرض المناسب، إذا لم يظهر العرض المناسب، أود أيضًا الاستمرار في اللعب مع فريقي، لأنني ممتن جدًا للطريقة التي عاملني بها النادي منذ انتقالي من فيندسيسيل هذا الصيف”.

وأضاف اللاعب صاحب الـ24 عامًا: “لقد كان أفضل قرار اتخذته على الإطلاق هو انتقالي إلى نادي سيريس”.

وواصل: “في البداية، أنظر فيما إذا كان العرض هو الخطوة الرياضية المناسبة لي، هل هناك تحد مثير وفرصة بالنسبة لي للتطور؟ لن أكذب وأقول إن الجانب المالي لا يلعب دورًا، إنه عامل كذلك”.

وأردف: “قد أكون قادرًا على اللعب حتى عمر 34-35 عامًا، وإذا تمكنت من إحداث تغيير يؤمن لي ولعائلتي من الناحية المادية، فبالطبع هذا أيضًا شيء يلعب دورًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سيريس السويدي يوضح لـ”بطولات” شروطه لرحيل وسام أبو علي إلى الأهلي

واستمر: “إنه تناقض صارخ تمامًا مع حقيقة أنني كنت مستعدًا منذ عام ونصف لإيقاف مسيرتي أو العثور على نادٍ في مستوى أدنى، يجب أن أشكر مسؤولي فيندسيسيل كثيرًا، لم أكن لأقف هنا اليوم لولا وجود أشخاص مثل هنريك بيدرسن (مدرب فيندسيسيل)”.

وتابع: “أوافق على أنه كلاعب كرة قدم يجب علي أولاً وقبل كل شيء الخروج والأداء على أرض الملعب، لكن وكيلي كروجر كان شخصًا مهمًا جدًا بالنسبة لي منذ أن حصلت عليه”.

وتابع: “لا أعتقد أن أيًا منا توقع أن نكون في هذا الموقف في هذا الوقت عندما دخلنا في موقف الشراكة، لكنه لعب أيضًا دورًا كبيرًا في وصولي إلى هذه النقطة، هو يجيد إرشادي ثم يجعلني أمضي قدمًا”.

وأوضح مجددًا: “ليس من الضروري أن أكون ذكيًا في هذا الأمر، لكني مستعد (للرحيل) إذا سنحت الفرصة، الآن أنا أستمتع بقضاء بعض الوقت مع عائلتي في المنزل في ألبورج”.

واختتم: “ثم علينا أن نرى ما إذا كان العرض المناسب سيظهر، أشعر بأنني مستعد لخوض مغامرة جديدة إذا سنحت لي الفرصة”.

Tottenham are waiting for their new manager before green-lighting a bid to sign Leicester City star James Maddison, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Could Spurs sign Maddison this summer?

Various reports linking the 26-year-old to Spurs have been circulating in the past fortnight with some sources even suggesting that he looks certain to join them over Newcastle.

However, other claims have also stated that Maddison to Spurs isn't as advanced as some might say, and there appears to be consistently differing bits of news on the matter.

One thing that seems certain is the Premier League top four hopefuls are interested in his signing this summer, coming amid their search for a new manager.

Antonio Conte's departure has left the door open for chairman Daniel Levy to hire a permanent replacement while Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason take interim charge in the meantime.

Whoever comes in, whether it be the heavily linked Vincent Kompany or even a sensational return for Mauricio Pochettino, will be tasked with shaping the Spurs team in their own image – having a say on who Tottenham sign in the transfer market.

As such, reliable journalist Romano, writing in his CaughtOffside column, has shared an update on the club's efforts to sign Maddison. Indeed, the transfer reporter says Spurs definitely have the England international in their sights – but are waiting for their potential new boss to give the green light before bidding.

He explained:

“Tottenham are monitoring James Maddison for sure, also Newcastle have his name on their list since last August as he’s always been appreciated.

“We have to understand who’s going to be the new Tottenham boss to see if they will bid for Maddison, as at the moment it’s on standby.”

Should Spurs splash the cash on Maddison?

Regardless of who succeeds Conte, we believe the Lilywhites quite simply must move for Maddison.

Spurs have arguably been without a central creative presence since Christian Eriksen's departure in 2020, which makes the need for one all the more pressing.

As per WhoScored, Maddison certainly has the quality to succeed at Tottenham – having stood out as Leicester's shining light and best-performing player in an otherwise dismal campaign.

Racking up 15 goal contributions, the former Norwich City star also tops Leicester's charts in terms of shots at goal and key passes made per 90 in the final third (WhoScored).

Called 'elite' by members of the media, Maddison could certainly provide that spark of attacking threat through the middle of the park.

Glasgow Rangers’ Premiership Title hopes will either still be intact come this time tomorrow, or the gap will simply be too much for the Ibrox side to claw back.

Celtic are nine points ahead in the race for the title and only a win in the Old Firm derby this afternoon will keep the club in (slim) contention for the biggest prize in Scottish football.

Michael Beale must change the way his team approach matches against their biggest rivals, with the recent Scottish League Cup final defeat showing what a poor start can do against this relentless team.

Plenty of changes will be made today compared to that cup final line-up as the Englishman seeks his first win in an Old Firm match.

We at Football FanCast predict the Rangers starting XI that will take to the Parkhead pitch this afternoon.

How could Rangers line up against Celtic?

Allan McGregor will make his 501st appearance for the Light Blues, having entered the 500-club following his start against Dundee United last week, and he will be hoping for yet another victory in the derby.

The back four will remain unchanged following a clean sheet last week. James Tavernier and Borna Barisic will once again be deployed on the right- and left-hand side of the defence while Connor Goldson and Ben Davies will continue their partnership.

The duo lost possession just nine times against United, while also combining to win seven aerial duels, and they will need to be in this sort of form today.

Beale has stated that Nicolas Raskin is fit, and he will operate alongside Ryan Jack in a midfield axis in which the manager will hope can break up the Celtic attacks and circulate the ball well to create plenty of chances. This means John Lundstram will drop to the bench.

Todd Cantwell will once again start on the right wing.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo who has “god-given” talent – as lauded by his former coach Gary Cockaday – will be looking to continue his embryonic partnership with Malik Tillman, who will be unleashed from the start just behind the striker.

On the left wing, Ryan Kent will be aiming to score his second goal against Celtic this season, having netted in the New Year draw at Ibrox.

Alfredo Morelos will be buoyed by his goal in the cup final back in February, and he has scored seven goals and registered 6 assists since the Englishman arrived back in November. If he can perform at his best, the Colombian will be integral to success.

Predicted Rangers XI (4-2-3-1): McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Barisic; Raskin, Jack; Cantwell, Tillman, Kent; Morelos

اعترف المهاجم الكونغولي الشاب بنادي لوبومباشي سبورت، ليز نتومبا، بأنه يحلم بالانتقال إلى الأهلي في المستقبل إذا لم يحترف في أوروبا.

ويعد نتومبا أحد هدافين دوري الكونغو الديمقراطية حيث سجل 11 هدفًا في الموسم الحالي، وساهم في تواجد فريقه بالوصافة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: الأهلي يقدم عرضًا لضم مهاجم ذو أصول عربية من الدوري السويدي

وتحدث نتومبا مع موقع “FootRDC” الكونغولي، وقال: “أتمنى أن ألعب أولًا مع لوبومباشي في بطولات إفريقيا للأندية قبل الرحيل”.

وتابع: “على المستوى الفردي، أريد أن أحسم لقب هداف الدوري قبل الاحتراف في أوروبا، إذا لم يحدث ذلك أتمنى أن ألعب في أعلى الأندية الإفريقية”.

وتابع: “حلمي هو الانتقال إلى الأهلي في مصر أو فيتا كلوب أو حتى سانت إيلوا لوبوبو، فأنا أعمل بجد من أجل تحقيق هذا الحلم”.

وعن سبب رغبته في الرحيل: “نحن نلعب كرة القدم من أجل جني الأموال، لذلك فأنا أعمل من أجل الحصول على عقد جيد في نادٍ كبير”.

Whether or not Everton are to remain in the Premier League this season, amid their current scrap for survival, it is likely that manager Sean Dyche will be keen to spark something of a squad overhaul, in order to revive the struggling outfit.

With the Toffees currently having a host of players who are out of contract this summer, that potential mass clearout could be made somewhat easier, albeit with it yet to be seen how the club's financial woes will inhibit the ability to acquire suitable replacements for those outgoing assets.

Such uncertainty over the possible available budget may ensure that the Goodison outfit need to take a greater focus on promoting from the academy set-up in order to find potential stars of the future, with teenage sensation Charlie Whitaker one such gem who could be deserving of a shot in the first-team.

Who is Charlie Whitaker?

While the 19-year-old is still waiting to make his senior debut, the promising Englishman was in "excellent form" in the early part of the season, in the words of journalist Joe Thomas, having scored four goals and provided five assists in just 14 games in all competitions.

The playmaking gem – who typically operates in an attacking midfield role or on the left flank – saw that standout form rewarded with a new three-year deal earlier in the campaign, with director of football Kevin Thelwell remarking at the time that the youngster is an "undoubted talent".

The versatile and creative starlet was previously lauded by former youth coach David Unsworth back in 2021, with the ex-Toffees defender describing the precocious talent as "sensational", while also praising his quality in the final third:

"He does the hardest thing in the game, which is score goals, and he makes it look really easy. For the size of him, he is good in the air, he is brave, we just need him to link play and the future is bright for him.

"I'm not getting over-excited, because you can't, it is too early. But the signs are very, very good."

For Dyche to potentially have another attacking weapon to call upon would be hugely attractive, indeed, with the Merseysiders currently struggling to fire having scored just 23 times in the top flight this season.

With 14 goals and eight assists to his name in just 37 appearances for Everton's U21 side to date, Whitaker is clearly an asset who can provide that killer pass or moment of magic in the final third, having also proven that quality with one goal and one assist from his three EFL trophy outings earlier this season.

That competition saw the sparkling dynamo average an impressive record of 2.3 key passes per game to illustrate his creative flair, while the £1.4k-per-week ace also showed the other side to his game after averaging 2.7 tackles and one interception per game.

To have such an all-rounder on their hands is a truly exciting prospect as far as the relegation strugglers are concerned, with the hope being that Whitaker can get his chance to shine sooner rather than later.

As journalist Amr Fekry noted back in October, the academy star is seemingly a "guaranteed future success" and a player who could be a "great revelation" for the club, with it looking as if he truly could save Everton millions in the years to come.