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Tottenham Hotspur are set to sanction the departure of promising academy gem Dilan Markanday this week…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, who delivered an update on the situation to fans on Twitter this week.

“#Blackburn are close to agreeing [on] a deal to sign #Tottenham winger Dilan Markanday,” he said. “The context around this is that #Tottenham have wanted Markanday to sign a new contract and go out on loan, but he wants a permanent part of a senior first team and he’s good enough. A string of Championship clubs offering him the chance, including #Blackburn.”

Indeed, this certainly appears to be the case as fellow reporter Michael Bridge delivered his verdict to GIVEMESPORT.

“No confirmation yet, but I understand that Markanday’s contract runs out at the end of the season, so you’d assume it was a permanent deal.”

Terrible news

Spurs now seem set to lose out on one of their most exciting young talents, one that is a boyhood supporter of the club.

Markanday has been in electric form for the U23s this season, scoring 12 goals in only 14 appearances in the Premier League 2 and he has done so playing in a variety of attacking positions – largely, upfront and on the left flank.

A winger by trade, the 20-year-old seems a nice fit for Antonio Conte’s system as he can provide valuable backup to the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

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However, he just hasn’t been trusted to feature under the Italian, whereas players like Dane Scarlett have. Baffling.

The Barnet-born starlet envisaged spending his whole career at the club, as he revealed to the Independent back in November.

“The dream is to play for Tottenham for the next 15 years, playing every game, but obviously I know things might not work out and there are going to be ups and downs. But all I can control is the controllables and things will work out for the best,” he claimed.

Dubbed a “big talent” by broadcaster and Spurs fan Greg Jenner, it seems inexcusable to let a player with Markanday’s talent and attitude leave the club this month, instead of tying him down and plotting out plans for him to become a first-team star.

Just as Jenner is angry, much of the Lilywhites faithful are too – many were left dubbing the youth system a “joke.”

It wouldn’t be the first time that the club has lost a promising talent, either. You only have to look at what Noni Madueke has done in Holland to see why this is a major mistake.

No wonder many are fuming with this news.

AND in other news, “I’ve just had a message”: Duncan Castles drops Spurs transfer bombshell, Conte will be livid…

Now Eddie Howe is through the door at St James’ Park, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are eyeing another major Newcastle United appointment…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, former Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo has emerged as a leading candidate to become the Magpies’ new director of football.

“Newcastle United make Michael Emenalo their top choice for the director of football job following talks in Saudi Arabia. More talks to follow. Would be a huge coup for the new ownership,” he tweeted earlier this week.

It’s thought that the 56-year-old travelled to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with Newcastle’s new owners and has now become their first-choice option for the role.

Talks are expected to accelerate during the international break, whilst Emenalo is said to be a big fan of Howe, having spoken glowingly about him during recent discussions.

Game-changing hire

Whilst the appointment of the former AFC Bournemouth stalwart is huge for the club, especially post-Steve Bruce, the arrival of the Nigerian could be exactly what PIF need to truly revolutionise the northeast sleeping giants.

During Emenalo’s time at Stamford Bridge, he won the Premier League three times, the Champions League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and the League Cup, whilst he played an integral role in appointing those managers that led the Blues to glory and was key to their impressive recruitment.

It was the 56-year-old who spotted and signed talents like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois. He also helped convince Eden Hazard to make the switch from Lille.

Furthermore, he had plenty of influence on their academy, which in recent times has seen players such as Mason Mount, Reece James, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori go on to become first-team regulars, both in west London and elsewhere.

These are all elements that have been lacking from St James’ Park for several years, if not forever, so by appointing the former Monaco man, PIF could genuinely change the Magpies’ fortunes – starting deep behind the scenes.

None of Newcastle’s most-recent starting XI had an academy graduate in it, with Sean Longstaff the only member on the bench, whilst the club’s transfer dealings over the past few seasons only further highlight the need for someone like Emenalo – think club-record £40m signing Joelinton, for example.

So forget Howe, the ex-Chelsea supremo could be the final piece of the puzzle for the Magpies’ new ownership, and it’s a decision that could be game-changing for the club.

On the above evidence, those around Tyneside should be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, David Ornstein drops major Newcastle update that’ll surely leave Eddie Howe gutted…

After completing his loan spell in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers last season, where he managed to score seven goals and provide 11 assists in 42 appearances, Liverpool winger Harvey Elliott broke into Jurgen Klopp’s side at the start of this season, starting three out of their first four league games of the campaign.

Unfortunately for the 18-year-old, he suffered a serious ankle injury during the 3-0 win over Leeds United back in September which has kept him out of action ever since.

Despite this setback, though, it now seems as though there is light at the end of the tunnel for the youngster.

What’s the latest?

On Monday, Elliott completed some exercises on Liverpool’s outside training pitches for the first time since undergoing surgery on his ankle, which will surely leave a lot of Reds fans buzzing.

Given how the Merseysiders have had some other injury issues in recent weeks with the likes of Naby Keita, James Milner and Roberto Firmino, it’s safe to say that this update on the teenager will be a welcome slice of good news for Kopites.

While there may still be a way to go before he recovers fully and is able to get back in matchday action with the rest of his Liverpool teammates, this is still a big step forward for Elliott and his overall recovery given the severity of his injury.

In the four league games he played for Liverpool before sustaining his injury, the teenager – who is currently valued at £13.5m according to Transfermarkt – racked up an average of 1.8 shots and 1.3 key passes per game, proving to be as a real attacking threat for Klopp’s side even though he hadn’t scored or set up a goal.

Moving forward, if Elliott can proceed with the rest of his recovery with success, he has shown that he definitely has what it takes to get himself back in the team and continue being a useful attacking midfield option for the Reds. That could ultimately make him an important part of Liverpool’s push for the Premier League title by the end of the campaign, especially if he can add some goals and assists to his locker.

In other news: Liverpool gem who’s “out of this world” has just shown in 122 touches why he’s Klopp’s hero

Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn is attracting interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by SoccerNews (via Sport Witness), Erik ten Hag suggested that he would be willing to make a move for the 24-year-old forward in the upcoming winter market, as well as revealing that he is currently exploring the possibility of securing a deal for the Netherlands international.

When discussing Ajax’s January transfer business, the 51-year-old said: “I may repeat myself, but we want to improve. If there is an option for that, we will investigate it. Whether we also investigate Bergwijn’s situation? We investigate everything. We are professionals.”

Levy must axe Bergwijn

While it is undeniable that Bergwijn is a player who can produce a moment of magic for Spurs, such as his incredible debut goal against Manchester City, whether or not the forward has proven worth his £27m transfer fee is another – much more debatable – matter entirely.

Indeed, over his 21 Premier League appearances – only 13 of which came as starts – during his first full season in north London, the £26m-rated winger scored just one goal, registered three assists and created no big chances for his teammates, as well as taking just 0.7 shots and making a mere 0.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Nuno Espirito Santo dubbed a “unique” talent earn a disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.56, ranking him as Spurs’ worst performer in the top flight.

Things have not improved much for the £73k-per-week winger this term, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.70 over his six league fixtures, as well as being awarded just three minutes of first-team football since Antonio Conte’s arrival at the club.

Indeed, it has been reported that the Italian is far from the 24-year-old’s biggest fan, with Dutch journalist Mike Verweij even claiming that Conte has spoken just “two words” to Bergwijn during his short time at the club.

As such, with Bergwijn’s resale value still likely to be relatively high, it would seem a wise move for Daniel Levy to cash in on the forward this winter. As it seems unlikely that the Dutchman will become an important part of Conte’s first-team squad at Spurs, his hefty weekly wage could easily be put to better use by the 52-year-old in January.

In other news: Paratici can seal Conte’s dream Spurs signing in 6 ft 1 beast he dubbed “outstanding”

Aston Villa substituted attacking winger Bertrand Traore off against Wolves with what looked to be an injury, and Gregg Evans has provided an update on the player.

The latest on Traore

Traore lasted 83 minutes before being substituted in the 0-0 draw and The Athletic journalist shed some light on the situation on Twitter as he posted the simple five-word update “Traore taken off as a precaution” among other updates on Aston Villa players.

This is good news for Villa

In his first season at Villa Park, the former Chelsea forward is having a decent campaign. The 25-year-old has featured 24 times (seven from the bench) and has picked up five goals and three assists along the way (WhoScored). He has also managed 1.6 shots and 1.2 successful dribbles per game.

Traore has been praised in the past by his former Blues manager Guus Hiddink, who said: “He is open to learn and you can teach him, you can say ‘work on this’ and he is very clever to do so.”

With fixtures coming thick and fast, the last thing Smith and Villa want are further injuries, especially when their star Jack Grealish is still recovering from one himself. Therefore, to hear that Traore was only taken off as a precaution should be a relief, and hopefully it means he can feature against Newcastle on Friday night.

In other news, many Aston Villa fans reacted to Dean Smith’s latest comments about Grealish!

Many Aston Villa fans have flooded to Twitter in reaction to reports around sporting director Johan Lange and the plans he has in the summer.

It was tweeted by @AVFC_News, that Lange is preparing for a massive clearout in the summer, referring to reports from the Birmingham Mail.

It is very interesting to see how Villa execute this reported exodus as only two permanent playing contracts expire at the end of this season. Ahmed Elmohamady and Neil Taylor, who are barely seen on the pitch these days unless there is an injury or suspension, are the duo currently set to leave in the summer.

Ross Barkley’s loan will expire and he would return to Chelsea, but Villa might want to keep him and Dean Smith has a big decision to make on what happens to the 27-year-old as he has lost his place in the starting XI lately.

There are other players in the squad who could be sold and it will be intriguing to see how the summer transfer window goes, especially if Dean Smith’s side manage a top-half finish this season.

These Villa fans on Twitter outlined their wishes in response to the reports about Lange:

Here is how Villa fans reacted to this news:

“We have shown that if we aspirations next season to get into Europe then we need to bring in quality. Get the business done as early as possible so we can hit the ground running.”

Credit: @mickstan63

“Crucial we keep JG, Martinez, Konsa, Mings, Sanson, Cash, Targett and McGinn. Wesley and Hause we should hope to keep along with AEG. The rest, in my view we should sell and seek upgrades if there is. Build on our spine and seek to improve again”

Credit: @strongarm710

“We’ve got some real quality on our books now which means the club has to show ambition to keep them. Exciting times UTV”

 Credit: @MauricioRock666

“No surprises there”

Credit: @denniswhite1114

“What’s important is that every signing Villa make this coming summer, has to be better than a current starter, I envisage 4 or 5 signings again, with a new striker a priority once again.”

Credit: @1966wall

“I hope we keep Dominic Reven. He was outstanding against Liverpool. Big potential.”

Credit: @DarkHorseRex

In other news, Gregg Evans provided an injury update on this Villa ace!

Aston Villa are on course to seal the permanent signing of goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that a source has revealed that Villa are in advanced talks to sign Olsen on a permanent deal from AS Roma – the 32-year-old shot-stopper who has been at the Premier League side on loan since January.

With just over a year left on his Roma contract, Gerrard could secure the services of Olsen on the cheap and he would provide solid cover for Emiliano Martinez next season.

Robin Olsen would provide excellent cover at Villa

During the first half of the campaign, Olsen was plying his trade at Sheffield United in the Championship, turning out 17 times for the Blades whilst only keeping one clean sheet.

This didn’t stop player John Egan from boosting the £13k-per-week keeper’s confidence, stating in the media that the Swede had a “big presence” and that they “were lucky to have him”.

Massive praise for someone who often let in too many goals during his tenure in the Championship. However, his international experience plus his age could well prove to make him a huge coup for Gerrard and Johan Lange.

Despite not making a first-team appearance for the side since his arrival, he has obviously impressed Steven Gerrard and the coaching staff. The Swede does have prior experience in the top flight, however, featuring for Everton on 11 occasions in the 2020-2021 season.

With further progress needed to show the board that he is moving in the right direction; Gerrard will be aiming to utilise his funds carefully and not squander vital cash on poor signings.

European football must be the aim and that is why the board went all out to secure his services from Rangers in November. The former England captain faces a huge summer ahead.

AND in other news: Gerrard now plotting AVFC bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon”, he’s better than Phillips

Promising Glasgow Rangers youngster Josh McPake has arrived at a crossroads in his career.

The Rangers winger, 19, is expected to pen a deal with English League Two side Harrogate Town in the coming days after completing a loan spell with Greenock Morton in the Championship.

In three years at Ibrox, McPake has taken the first steps in his fledgeling career from unknown prospect to highly-regarded prodigy, winning the club’s prestigious Academy Player of the Year award in 2019. He signed a new contract with Steven Gerrard’s Gers in that same year, keeping him at his boyhood club until 2022.

McPake made his first-team debut for the Gers in a Europa League qualifying game against St Joseph’s at Ibrox, coming off the bench to replace  Greg Docherty.

Since then, however, his development somewhat stalled, until he was sent out on loan to Championship club Dundee, only for his brief progress to be brought to an abrupt halt after he suffered an ankle injury.

He subsequently spent the first half of the season on loan at Morton but things didn’t go according to plan after David Hopkin stepped down.

However, the right-winger still managed to supply one assist in ten appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt, which clearly shows that the talent is still there, though he has, so far, failed to find the back of the net this term.

Rangers academy coach Graeme Murty was full of praise for his former young charge, saying: “He’s got lots to his game. He’s got lots of ability and he’s very elusive. I think he’s got an elite level of technique at his particular strength. There’s lots of bits he needs to develop and lots of bits he needs to work on but he’s a threat, he’s an out-and-out threat and you can see that by the amount of close attention, shall we say, that he was paid in the game.”

But the trouble is, the Light Blues are blessed with a plethora of options in his position, namely Kemar Roofe and Ianis Hagi, the latter of whom is only a couple of years older than McPake.

Despite his age, time could be running out for the talented teen to make an impact, as he so far hasn’t reached the same heights of his 2019-20 season. After a definite slump at Dundee, albeit hindered by injuries, he needs to make the most of his opportunities at Harrogate, as he needs to prove to Rangers, and perhaps to himself, that he can play at a competitive level.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must sign former Leicester City starlet Dennis Gyamfi in January…

Many Everton fans have been left to laud a transfer update on Sander Berge after it was reported last week that they are considering making a bid for him.

Now, Sky Sport (via Milan Posts) are reporting that the release clause of the Sheffield United central midfield player has been lowered from £40m to £12m as a result of them being relegated down to the EFL Championship, with several teams from England interested in signing him.

£12m is certainly an affordable price for a 23-year-old who will only get better, and given the added experience that he has gained from playing in the Premier League, it is certainly a deal that the Goodison Park faithful should seriously consider doing to give Carlo Ancelotti another option in the middle of the park come the start of the 2021/22 season.

Everton fans on Berge transfer update

These Toffees lauded the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter by @TheEvertonEnd, with one Blues supporter even going as far as to call the Norway international a ‘Rolls-Royce’, while another labelled it as ‘brilliant’:

“We need 3 midfielders. Snap him up at that price. Wouldn’t lose money on him, that’s for sure! Reckon someone will pay a bit more in the end though.”

Credit: @BufordTJustice

“Should be all over that, especially if we get Europa. Need a much better squad and he certainly improves the squad”

Credit: @Paul_Parr_1989

“£12 million yes please need depth badly if we get Europa”

Credit: @efc87

“Absolute Rolls-Royce of a midfielder on the international stage”

Credit: @blizzardsurf

“Could be another bargain there”

Credit: @MattH1878

“Be brilliant certainly for that price”

Credit: @jamie_byrom

In other news, find out what potential swap deal has been slammed by EFC fans here!

Republic of Ireland legend Ray Houghton enjoyed a glittering international career, with his two greatest moments on that stage coming as he scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 win against England at the 1988 European Championships, before a repeat of the same situation and scoreline against Italy at the 1994 World Cup in America.

The midfielder was also a big part of the famous successful Liverpool team from the late 1980s and early 90s, winning the First Division and the FA Cup twice each between 1988 and 1992, before moving onto Aston Villa and lifting the League Cup in 1994.

Now retired, Houghton is set to swap the hallowed turf for a fishing rod to take part in an exciting new fishing programme called Angling Outlaws, which is to be shown on BT Sport next year.

We spoke exclusively to the football legend about a number of different subjects within the beautiful game…

What are your thoughts on the Celtic managerial situation?

“I think at the moment they’re probably doing their due diligence, which is probably the right thing to do, make sure you get the right person in because Rangers have already won the title. And I think people are getting a little bit panicky, because the Celtic fans want to see big names wanting to come to their club.

“I’m a Celtic fan. I grew up a Celtic fan. I don’t look at it as much as I once did. But yeah, there’s no doubt, you know, with Rangers doing as well as they are and Steven Gerrard, a big name in charge, Celtic feel that they could do likewise. And there’s been quite some names in the frame, Thierry Henry, Roy Keane, you know, amongst others. So, it will be interesting to see who they go for.”

Is Eddie Howe a big enough name?

“Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think in many respects, as I said earlier, it’s about reinventing yourself, it may be a good place for Eddie. Just to go and because your only real opposition is Rangers, you get into Europe and you’ve done well, you know, the fans will enjoy that give a decent run.

“But your main priority is to finish first in the league. And they just need someone to take them forward again, hopefully the owners invest money in the club. I think that’s one of the stipulations that a big manager coming in would have, they’ve got you have the finances to take the club forward.”

Who’s going to replace Jose Mourinho at Tottenham?

“I really don’t know. They’ve had Pochettino who got them to a Champions League Final – the only time they’ve ever been in the Champions League Final. Tottenham is a huge job, it’s a massive club, they’ve got a fantastic stadium, they’ve got training facilities to die for, but I just don’t see them getting the funds and I don’t know if the owner Joe Lewis puts in anywhere near what other clubs do, or he’s prepared to go into debt or get loans to bring in players.

“There’s no doubt Pochettino and Mourinho are massive names, and whether they can have that calibre of manager again if the finances aren’t there, I don’t know. It’ll be interesting to see who Daniel Levy, who looks like he’s the main man at the club when it comes to the appointments, has got in mind. He thought Mourinho with his CV was going to be the game changer as far as bringing trophies to the club, and that didn’t happen.”

Could you see Steven Gerrard becoming the next Tottenham manager?

“Well, I think with Steven he’s learning. Look what happened to Frank Lampard. Frank went to Derby and had a good season. And then suddenly, the Chelsea job came up, and of course, he’s going to jump at it. You know, you might not get that offered that again. Was it too early?

“So, with Steve, he probably feels he’s still got a little bit of work to do in the managerial side. Every year he’s doing work as a manager, he’s learning about players and with all due respect to Rangers and the players that they’ve got, going to Spurs or Liverpool is a whole new level of expectation.”

Would you see David Moyes getting the Spurs job?

“If it was purely just only football that might be the case. But don’t forget David Moyes was at West Ham when they let him go. So, loyalty works two ways. The club weren’t very loyal to him, were they?”

Do Liverpool need to freshen up their front three?

“I think there were rumours of going after Werner before he went to Chelsea, but there are not an awful lot of strikers around. Harry Kane would be great because he’s like your finished article up front. I don’t know what the finances are like, all I know is that over the last few years recruitments been very good.

“Last season it’s really slowed, we brought in the lad from Preston was in for £400,000, we brought we brought in the other centre-back for Germany – that’s not Liverpool’s way. They buy the best. They did that with Salah, Mane, Allison, and Van Dijk.”

Ray Houghton will be joining Paul Parker, Tony Gale and Frank McAvennie on BT Sport’s Angling Outlaws, next summer.

With the help of Outlaw Pro, the four former pros will be trying their hand at fishing, with the quadruplet facing off at the end of the six-part series to see who knows their slide tackles from their tackle boxes.