According to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move to sign Manchester United flop Chris Smalling this summer following a string of impressive performances on loan to Roma this campaign.

What’s the word?

It’s believed that the north Londoners have already spoken to the 30-year-old’s agent as well as his parent club as they aim to beat Everton to his signature ahead of next season.

Utd’s executive vice-chairman and de facto chief executive Ed Woodward has reportedly set his price tag at €20m (£16.6m).

It is also claimed that Spurs can offer a considerably better financial packet than Roma, but Smalling would ideally like to remain in Italy if possible.

History at United

This would be quite the dubious raid if Daniel Levy and co can pull it off considering the history between the centre-back and current Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

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Smalling was publicly questioned by the Portuguese manager during his two-year stint at Old Trafford, essentially criticising him for an apparent unwillingness to play through the pain barrier.

“It’s not just about them. It’s about the philosophy and mentality around them,” he said about Smalling and Jones in April 2017 and after being asked to elaborate, he added: “cautious, cautious, cautious.”

Mourinho then argued that Smalling needed to “be brave – to [take a] risk – because for the team you have to do everything.”

Within a month of these comments, the Englishman responded and vowed to prove his manager wrong, and after the 57-year-old was sacked, Smalling launched a small dig at Mourinho as he claimed that confidence had dropped under his stewardship whereas Ole Gunnar Solksjaer had brought back a feel-good factor, as per an interview with the Times.

Therefore, a move for the centre-back would ultimately be a strange one given their past, although it could possibly hint towards a change in attitude from the new Spurs boss.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

Smalling played 100 times under Mourinho, more than any other manager, so you’d imagine there’s no one that knows him better.

And in other news, Spurs have this UNLIKELY HERO to thank for his influence in Steven BERGWIJN’s arrival…

Something needs to change at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls have won just one of their previous 11 league matches, and things don’t get much easier for them this weekend.

Indeed, the Yorkshire club face off against Birmingham City, who are unbeaten in their last 10 games.

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If Garry Monk is to get the better of his former side he will need to make sure his team are playing better than they were last week in their 3-0 loss to Reading.

If the former Leeds boss is going to get something here then he’ll have to make a few changes.

Here’s how we expect Sheffield Wednesday to line up on Saturday.

Cameron Dawson remains between the sticks after Keiren Westwood’s tweet earlier this week indicated that he still isn’t any closer to working his way back into the starting XI.

There is an enforced change in defence after Osaze Urhoghide’s red card against the Royals last weekend.

Dominic Iorfa moves to right-back and Tom Lees comes in at centre-half to fill the gap alongside Julian Borner.

Liam Palmer retains his spot on the left. There’s also a change in midfield as Barry Bannan comes in for Joey Pelupessy to play alongside Kieran Lee.

Jacob Murphy replaces Alessio Da Cruz on the left-wing, while Kadeem Harris retains his spot on the opposite side.

Fernando Forestieri plays just behind the striker and Atdhe Nuhiu starts up top.

In other news, one man is repaying the faith Sheffield Wednesday have shown in him.

What do Everton see when they look in the mirror? What Farhad Moshiri desires and what actually greets his eyes in reality are two totally different things altogether.The club he took over in 2016 have spent money with a regularity that is synonymous with Champions League standard clubs, yet familiar demons continue to haunt the Toffees.Sunday afternoon’s clash at the Emirates Stadium merely provided another example – as if any more were needed – of the existential problems Carlo Ancelotti needs to dissect, address and resolve if he wishes to break the status quo on the blue half of Merseyside.Given Everton’s dismal record away at the top six clubs, historically speaking the fixture was straightforward to predict: away win or draw. On the flip side, trends are there to be broken.It’s a numbers games after all: if you apply for enough jobs, eventually you’ll get an interview, if you send enough fan mail to your favourite celebrity, eventually you’ll be humoured with a response (not an official guarantee) and if you visit the Premier League’s established top six clubs on enough occasions, eventually you’ll take three points.Or so the theory goes.

Everton, however, are seemingly making it their primary objective to become the antithesis of this theory. Defeat at the Emirates Stadium leaves them without a win away at the Gunners since 1996. Since their last victory they have conceded four or more goals on six separate occasions and were even trounced 7-0 in 2005 as Robin van Persie, Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira all got on the scoresheet.

No manager has been able to lead Everton to victory over one of the top six since 2013 when a Bryan Oviedo strike clinched the points against Man United at Old Trafford. You have to trace back to 2010 to find their last win away at Man City, 2008 for a win at Spurs and 1994 for three points away at Chelsea.

A win away at local-rivals Liverpool? Not a single one since the turn of the millennium.

If the Toffees’ aggressive spending strategy and appointment of Carlo Ancelotti are anything to go by, these are the sides Moshiri wants to rub shoulders with, to compete with and emulate, to usurp and dethrone. From one perspective they are already doing that. According to Spotrac, Everton’s wage bill is the third highest in the division, with only the two Manchester clubs spending more money on wages per season.

Yet, for all their investment, they are stuck in a recurring, Groundhog Day style nightmare which carries an unnerving sense of inevitability about it.

They seem entrenched in a rut, and no wonder when one of the most expensive signings in their history, Gylfi Sigurdsson, represents an individual embodiment of Everton’s perennial struggle to book a place at England’s top table.

It would be an understatement to say the Iceland international was far from his best at the weekend but, from a statistical perspective, he made some sort of stamp on proceedings, registering three key passes, three tackles and a pass success rate of 78% in a well-rounded showing, per Sofascore.

Yet it still wasn’t enough. There was style without substance, promise in the absence of a meaningful contribution.

Sigurdsson is a player who, in fleeting moments of unadulterated class, has threatened to blossom into a Champions League standard footballer. His permanent move to Spurs in 2012, however, culminated with a return to Swansea City before Everton provided him with an opportunity to spearhead the club’s revolution when he moved to Merseyside in a deal worth £45m.

And yet here he remains stuck in the cycle of mediocrity that his move was surely intended to break. Just like Everton, he has been on the cusp of the elite for as long as most can remember. Those stunning long range strikes and the ability to find elusive pockets of space from which to hurt the opposition always pointed towards a more prosperous future.

The statistical disparity, in terms of goal contributions at least, between 2018/19 Siguardsson and 2019/20 Sigurdsson is akin to Everton’s collective struggle to become a major player in the English game.

While his passing is as reliable, if not more so, than last season, the goal contribution tally leaves plenty to be desired. Just when the 30-year-old appeared to be reaching his peak and stood on the precipice of the top brass he tumbled back into mediocrity this season, leaving one journalist questioning what Carlo Ancelotti must think of the club’s decision to part with such an extortionate fee to secure his signature following his display against Arsenal.

The biggest challenge Ancelotti faces at Everton does not concern tactics or a transfer window overhaul.

The Italian legend must simultaneously change the identity and breed a culture of perpetual improvement. Like Everton, Sigurdsson has moved sideways during his club career and failed to climb to the heights his talent perhaps merited.

Addressing that issue will not be swift, but finding the solution to Everton’s existential crisis is the first step towards progress.

Tuesday night saw Liverpool’s third loss in as many weeks.

Considering they had lost just twice all season before that, this can certainly be classified as their first real blip of the campaign. Of course, to get to February having been on the losing end on just two occasions is certainly nothing to be embarrassed about, but the fact that two of these losses have now come in two cup competitions suggests they are beginning to struggle at the wrong time.

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It was Chelsea who inflicted the latest defeat of Jurgen Klopp’s men, with the Blues prevailing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. This was still a relatively strong Liverpool side even with a few first-team regulars missing – Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Andrew Robertson were all named in the starting XI.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was one of those given the night off, though, with 19-year-old Neco Williams coming in to replace him.

The Welsh teenager has caught the eye this term, with it being suggested that his displays would see him receive a new contract.

In an underwhelming showing from the whole side, Williams was one of those to particularly struggle. Even facing Pedro, who has just one goal and two assists in 12 starts in all competitions this term, he struggled to prove his credentials.

The 18-year-old managed only one tackle and one interception, and won just four of 11 duels. In possession, the teenager wasn’t much better either, losing possession 29 times and failing to land a single one of his 10 attempted cross.

Alexander-Arnold is arguably the best right-back on the planet – being named as number one in his position in ESPN FC’s top 100. He has been the Reds’ creative force this term too, leading the way with 14 assists in all competitions – but the lack of options behind him has not been good news for Klopp.

Williams was tipped as the man to be his back-up option, but based on this performance, that is something he will struggle to do. He may still be 18, but perhaps the Reds could still do with dipping in to the transfer market for an alternative to the England international – there is still progress to be made by the Anfield outfit.

Meanwhile, Liverpool need this man’s leadership in Henderson’s absence.

Tottenham Hotspur’s dreams of qualifying for Europe next season took a massive dent earlier this afternoon after they were defeated at home in a five-goal thriller.

And it has left fans blasting midfielder Eric Dier for his performance.

The north Londoners succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who leapfrogged them into fifth place, meaning they are now five points behind the top four.

Jose Mourinho’s men twice led at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Raul Jimenez netted the winner in the 73rd minute.

Dier played the whole game in defence and supporters weren’t happy with his display.

Here’s what has been said…

There were plenty of superlatives used to describe the 26-year-old’s showing, including “stinker,” “disaster” and “embarrassment.”

While one supporter went as far as calling him a “headless chicken” which is a worrying sign considering he either plays as a centre-back or central defender.

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Per SofaScore, Dier won just 50% of his aerial duels while just 14% of his long balls were accurate as well as losing possession seven times and five tackles.

A couple of fans claimed that the Englishman was at best a Championship standard player.

It has led to fans calling for him to get out of the club, either dropped or sold.

There was even a comparison made to former Spurs centre-back William Gallas, who effectively did the ‘reverse Sol Campbell’ after joining from Arsenal in 2010 before going on to end his career in Australia three years later.

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

And in other news, Gary Lineker tweets his thoughts after Spurs vs Wolves…

A home game against Brighton offered Wolves the perfect opportunity to keep pace with those looking to clinch a Champions League spot for next season.

After all, the Seagulls had conceded 40 goals in 28 Premier League games prior to the weekend, and were hovering just above the relegation zone.

Instead, what looked like it could potentially be a routine victory for the hosts, ended up being a draw, and damaging 0-0 draw. And one man who looked well short of his usual standards, was Raul Jimenez.

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The Mexico international has been a revelation once again this season, striking the back of the net 22 times across all competitions. But sadly for both him and Wolves, his shooting boots were not on against Brighton, and his disappointing display overall proved to be the death knell for his side’s chances of victory.

As per Sofascore, his 6.6 match rating was the joint-worst of any Wolves player on the pitch, and when looking at his underlying numbers, it is easy to see why. Out of the four total attempts he had on goal, three of them were off target, whilst he also missed one big chance too.

And his lack of luck in front of goal perhaps affected his confidence when it came to other areas of his game. As per Whoscored, the 28-year-old has averaged 0.6 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 2.2 aerial duels won per game in the top-flight. But this defensive work-rate and physical approach was not on display against Brighton.

He made no tackles or interceptions whatsoever, losing ten of his 17 total duels (including losing half in the air). He was also far too easily bullied, conceding possession a staggering 24 times over the course of the game – by far the most of any Wolves player.

His usually tigerish self deserted him, and it would have left Nuno flummoxed as to why. Wolves had the perfect chance to get all three points, but failed to do so because the man who they have relied upon all season to get them their goals, let them down so much. The Molineux side’s boss will hope that it was just a bad day at the office, and nothing more.

Meanwhile, Nuno can work his magic again by transforming this ace like he did with Conor Coady.

Real Madrid have made Liverpool’s talismanic winger Sadio Mane their biggest transfer priority ahead of the summer window, according to The Mirror.

The Reds will be keen to hold onto the Senegal international due to how influential he is for the team, but it is said that Los Blancos feel £130-140m would be enough to force Liverpool’s hand to sell him.

Madrid are confident that they will be able to tempt Mane, but the question remains about whether selling him would be good business for Liverpool.

FFC writers have given their verdicts on whether this hefty price should be enough for them to let Mane leave.

James Beavis

“If the offer does arrive, Michael Edwards shouldn’t even hesitate, take the money and buy Jadon Sancho – a reported target.

“Sadio Mane has been nothing short of unbelievable for Liverpool during his time at Anfield with 77 goals and 34 assists in 161 appearances in all competitions, but he is 28 next month and you have to wonder whether he can get any better than he already is right now.

“In those terms, £130-£140m is a lot of money for a player, especially when you consider that Sancho could be available for around £100m this summer.

“That means Liverpool could, in theory, sell Mane, buy Sancho and still have money left over to strengthen another position in the squad.

“Sancho is 19 and already has eight more assists than the Senegal international has for the Reds in 71 fewer senior appearances for Borussia Dortmund, showing the quality and potential he has for the future.

“It could be one of the hardest decisions Jurgen Klopp ever has to make, but it would be the right one.”

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Jack Saville

“Michael Edwards will be drooling at the prospect of making such a huge profit on a player Liverpool signed for just £34m in June 2016, but he shouldn’t let business instinct cloud his judgement in regard to Mane’s future.

“The Senegal international is a contender for the club’s Player of the Season award and has consistently been an outstanding performer both domestically and in Europe, so it’s little surprise Real Madrid are eyeing his signature.

“Even in today’s grossly inflated transfer market £140m represents an incredible sum of money, but Liverpool need to strengthen the foundations they’ve meticulously built under Jurgen Klopp if they wish to continue challenging Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League.

“Selling Mane would be a big mistake from the Reds.”

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Jonathan Radcliffe

“There has been plenty of talk about one of Liverpool’s potential front three leaving, but it shouldn’t be Sadio Mane who should depart. If anyone, it has to be Mohamed Salah. There are accusations that Salah is selfish, whilst Mane comes across far more humble – we saw that as he received the African Player of the Year award.

“With 18 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, the Senegal international has been stupendous – that is not to say Salah hasn’t, but you get the feeling that the Reds would miss the former Southampton man more. Michael Edwards must be strong and resist the temptation to sell – he is just too good.”

Danny Lewis

“Liverpool had what felt like a veil of invincibility earlier in the season, while their unbeaten run in the Premier League was still going. However, a loss against Watford and two at the hands of Atletico Madrid means that has well and truly slipped for now.

“With this in mind, seeing the club lose one of their most feared assets would surely mean that Klopp’s side would be seen as one that can be more realistically beaten – even if he is replaced by a high-profile signing.

“Getting to the top is difficult, as Liverpool have discovered from years of being patient, but staying there can be even harder. Allowing your best players to flee the nest for other European giants is not the way to ensure the men in red are on top of the Premier League and Europe next term and it would act as a massive blow.”

Meanwhile, FFC writers gave their verdict on whether one Liverpool man is in danger of fading into the background.

What is life at Leeds going to look like after Marcelo Bielsa has packed his bags and left?

It’s a prospect that many won’t want to think about, but we can’t shy away from the fact that the Argentine is turning 65 soon, and he won’t be at Elland Road forever.

Luckily, Leeds do seem to have a contingency plan for life without the Argentine, and they already have a successor in their sights who Phil Hay says they’re ‘very keen’ on.

That man is Lee Bowyer.

Appointing a man who is currently in the midst of a Championship relegation battle to replace someone once touted as the best coach in the world seems rather ridiculous, but a more in-depth look at it shows that they could do a lot worse.

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The first thing to note is that Bowyer won’t have any trouble commanding respect from the players or the fans.

The midfielder is a bona fide Leeds legend, playing 246 games for the club through one of their most successful periods ever.

Indeed, Bowyer was there for United’s historic Champion’s League run, and he provided Elland Road with one of its most memorable moments when he scored the winner against AC Milan in that year’s competition.

Alongside that fact, he’s quite a handy manager as well.

Ok, Charlton aren’t flying high this term, but truth be told it’s a ragtag squad thrown together on a shoestring budget. Transfermarkt state that Charlton only own one player worth over £1m – Lyle Taylor – and he’s likely to leave this summer when his contract is up.

Realistically, it’s a miracle that Bowyer has even been able to fight against relegation so strongly this term, and if he had a stronger squad he could go on to do bigger and better things.

Despite a season of struggling in the Championship, Bowyer still maintains a very healthy 42% win ratio, and to put that into some perspective, Bielsa’s at Athletic Bilbao was just 38% yet that was considered a very successful spell as he took them to a Europa League final.

Would Bowyer improve on Bielsa’s tenure? It’s very hard to say yes considering what the Argentine has done, but there are certainly worse avenues to explore once El Loco calls it a day at Leeds.

In other news, this 2001 signing has to be considered amongst Leeds’ worst ever.

Marcelo Bielsa finally sent his Leeds United star’s home from training amidst the ongoing global pandemic, but it hasn’t stopped them from working hard ahead of a potential return to action.

As seen by Jack Harrison’s latest post on Instagram as he has uploaded a video of an intense workout from the confines of what appears to be his living room or some other tight-knit space in his house.

Originally, the Whites were training during this crisis, but that has now changed on government advice, although that clearly won’t stop Bielsa and his stringent demands…

Some of Harrison’s current teammates responded to the post, including Tyler Roberts, who issued one ponderous-looking emoji and Luke Ayling, who threw a joke at him in regards to the training regime they have been given.

There was even a reply from ex-City centre-back Joleon Lescott, who is a loan liaison agent for the Premier League champions, the very club the 23-year-old is contracted to.

This video will clearly please Bielsa, so the winger is doing himself all the favours in the world ahead of a potential permanent move to Elland Road this summer.

>A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

And in other news, Leeds could sign £13.6m talent on loan if promoted… 

An innings of quality from Mahela Jayawardene has put the Sri Lankans into a commanding position against Middlesex at Shenley. With one day to go, the tourists lead by 193 runs with six wickets in hand. This was after the county side had been bowled out for 274 for a first innings lead of 88.Middlesex had started the day on 178 for six, but they lost Ed Joyce when the Irishman was in sight of his third first-class century. When he had 93 he fell lbw to Charitha Buddika Fernando who then took the wicket of David Alleyne almost immediately to claim his fourth wicket of the innings.Despite an undefeated 39 from Aaron Laraman, the rest of the innings did not detain the Sri Lankan bowlers for too long and the stage was left for Jayawardene and Hashan Tillekeratne to share an unbroken partnership of 179 for the fifth wicket. This was only after four of the top-order batsmen had again spurned the opportunity for batting practice in advance of the first Test by giving their wickets away far too easily.However, Sri Lanka manager Chandra Shaffter pledged that it will be a different story at Lord’s. “There will be a different atmosphere, a whole different ball game and the attitude of the players will be different,” he said.”Although some of the batting has in a sense been disappointing, I’m not unhappy with the situation because everybody has shown what they can do since we arrived in England.”Virtually all the batsmen have had a good score and shown they can perform well at some stage.”But he was forced to concede: “Fewer boundaries and more runs might have been better. Weweren’t taking the ones and twos we should. They have been making the big hits but not the singles.”He added: “Overall, I’m satisfied. I am certainly in no way despondent. I’m sure we will be a different team when the Test comes along.”The manager will not want a different performance from the two not out batsmen. So far, Jayawardene has scored 125 and Tillekeratne 71, and the manager will be hoping they can go on to set up a morale-boosting victory on the final day of this game before the team head a few miles south to the venue of the first Test.