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Writing for the Daily Express, journalist Gareth Bicknell has touted available manager Rafael Benitez as a potential option for Tottenham Hotspur if current coach Jose Mourinho is sacked – with the Spaniard standing out among four other possible candidates.

Benitez touted as potential option for Tottenham

Alongside the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Brendan Rodgers, Eddie Howe and Max Allegri, Benitez is touted by the Express as one man chairman Daniel Levy could turn to given his availability after leaving Chinese Super League side Dalian Pro.

Indeed, Bicknell believes that the 60-year-old would surely relish the chance to manage in the Premier League again, with Tottenham a potential destination should Levy opt to part ways with Mourinho.

Having won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, fondly remembered among the Reds fanbase, has has also clinched the Europa League at London rivals Chelsea.

Most recently, he guided Newcastle United back into the Premier League but left following a dispute with Magpies owner Mike Ashley.

Transfer Tavern take

Given his availability, Benitez could indeed be a fruitful outside option amid the consistent links to Rodgers and Nagelsmann – with the ex-Inter Milan boss having earned special praise from Paul Gascoigne.

In a candid interview with the BBC, the former Tottenham star heralded him as an ‘unbelievable manager’ – and it’s hard to argue with his assessment given Benitez’ silverware collection.

Time will tell whether Spurs could turn to him as an option, but that possibility has now been touted by the media.

In other news: Tottenham are eyeing this ‘elite’ boss, find out more here.

When Bjorn Engels joined Aston Villa in the summer of 2019, Dean Smith would no doubt have been hoping that the 6 foot 4 giant would help create a formidable back-line for the club at Premier League level.

Signed for a reported £9m from French side Reims, Engels was among a clutch of signings spearheaded by the influence of then sporting director, Suso.

Speaking after confirmation of his arrival at Villa Park, Smith said: “Björn is a player that I’ve been watching for the past 18 months. We’re very happy to have secured his services and look forward to working with him.”

But, sadly for both Engels and Villa, things just haven’t quite worked out for either party.

Injuries have played a considerable part in his lack of game-time for the club, but it’s been quite telling that even despite recovering from a couple of different problems this season, he’s still yet to make a single competitive appearance this campaign – the Belgian has either been an unnamed substitute or just completely out of the match-day squad.

And, earlier this calendar year, former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor urged the club to get rid of him, saying: “It’s time for him to move on. The problem with the Premier League now is you have to have pace in defence.

“Unless you’re an unbelievable defender and you can read the game unbelievably you need to have the pace at the back. That’s what Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause allow you. If they make a mistake they’ve got the pace to make up for it. If they’re left one-on-one they’ve got the pace to stop the attacker. The problem with Engels is that if he’s left one-on-one he hasn’t got that pace so he’s going to get found out a bit.”

 Now, CIES have him valued at just £1.7m, a real statement of just how far his stock has fallen during his time at Villa Park, and perhaps throwing even further weight behind why the club should simply cut their losses on him.

With Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings fully established as the club’s main centre-back partnership, there’s simply no room for Engels. While £9m may not sound like too much in the modern market, it’s still surely a transfer blunder that Villa regret making.

Meanwhile, this Villa man was shocking in the defeat to Spurs…

It’s still very much the curious case of Dele Alli at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Despite all of Spurs’ recent struggles, Jose Mourinho has still rarely turned to the out-of-favour midfielder and now his future in north London is surely hanging by a thread.

An exit in January was blocked late on by Daniel Levy but with the 25-year-old only featuring for a grand total of 984 minutes in all competitions, the chairman could look to cash in on the £26m-rated dynamo this time round.

If he does indeed go through with sanctioning his departure, it could well be a decision he regrets in the long run.

Mourinho has a sorry history when it comes to giving young talent a chance, and whilst it feels like Alli has been around forever, the 37-time England international is far from reaching his peak years.

Alli, aside from Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, has been one of Spurs’ best players in recent years.

It was only in the 2016/17 season that he bagged a whopping 18 goals from midfield, whilst he has also clinched back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards – the first player to achieve that feat since Wayne Rooney in 2005, and the third-ever to do so.

That year, Spurs legend Darren Anderton waxed lyrical about Alli, comparing him to both Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, going onto call him a “freak of a talent” and a “real joy to watch” (quotes sourced via Goal).

You simply cannot afford to leave out a player as talented as Alli all season, and ultimately it’s cost Spurs dearly.

Mourinho has a poor history in this regard too, writing off the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah at Chelsea, going on to sell them to Wolfsburg and Fiorentina, respectively.

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No one needs reminding of how their careers have panned out since then, but as a Premier League and Champions League winner, Salah is perhaps the Portuguese’s worst mistake.

The Egyptian’s rise has been astronomical but the signs of that potential were staring Mourinho right in the face, as former Blues teammate Felipe Luis told the Guardian, Salah was like Lionel Messi in training.

“I suffered Salah in training,” claimed the Brazilian defender. “When he went Fiorentina, I said: ‘Why are you going, Momo? This is Chelsea.’ And he said: ‘I need to play.’ I thought: ‘This kid’s good.’ He never went for money or to win more; he went to show he could play. In training, he was like Messi. Really, like Messi. Ask anyone.”

Now Alli may not go onto repeat the impressive exploits of Salah, but there’s every chance he could given it is Paris Saint-Germain are interested in his services and they made the UCL final last year, and are consistently winning Ligue 1.

The difference between the Englishman at Spurs now, and both Salah and De Bruyne at Chelsea then, is that he’s already delivered and proven his worth over several seasons. And that will make this error even more glaring, in a shorter time frame, too.

Mourino cannot afford to repeat this blunder this summer.

AND in other news, “Excellent player” – Exclusive: Pundit hails rarely-seen Spurs youngster Jose called “fantastic”

Tottenham will be looking to continue their run in the Europa League with a positive result against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday evening, although Jose Mourinho may have one eye on Sunday’s North London derby when he selects his team for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs progressed comfortably past Wolfsberger in the last round, whilst Dinamo Zagreb made it through to the Round of 16 after beating Russian side Krasnodar 4-2 on aggregate.

Whilst it won’t be an easy game for Spurs, the Portuguese manager should make the most of his squad depth and make plenty of changes for the visit of the Croatian side, with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son perhaps deserving a rest.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Mourinho to set his side up against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, with 10 changes from the side that started against Crystal Palace on Sunday…

Joe Hart is likely to continue his role as the usual starter in the Europa League, coming in for Hugo Lloris.

There are three changes in defence, as Serge Aurier comes in for Matt Doherty at right-back, and Ben Davies replaces Sergio Reguilon on the left.

Toby Alderweireld is rested, with Eric Dier partnering Davinson Sanchez at centre-back, with the Colombian the only man to keep his place.

Mourinho has already confirmed that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will be rested, and after sitting out against Palace, Tanguy Ndombele is likely to come back in, with Moussa Sissoko the man to partner him in midfield.

Dele Alli’s recent impressive form sees him come back in, whilst Erik Lamela and Steven Bergwijn start in place of Gareth Bale and Son, who reportedly earns £175k per week at Spurs, on the wings.

Finally, Carlos Vinicius will be looking to continue his decent record in the Europa League, with Kane rested, although it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Englishman feature if Spurs are struggling to make the breakthrough on Thursday.

And, in other news… Mourinho masterclass: Jose has revitalised £110k-p/w gem at Spurs with one simple change

With the transfer window ticking ever closer to completion, Neil Lennon and Nick Hammond desperately need to bring a few more bodies to Celtic.

That being said, not even new signings would bridge the colossal gap between Rangers and the Hoops at the top of the SPFL.

What’s the word?

Lennon admitted this week that Celtic were near to signing two new players in the concluding days of the window.

He didn’t open up on who those faces will be but according to the French press, it could be Congolese midfielder Giannelli Imbula.

Le Parisien reports that the midfielder has been offered to the Bhoys who are now weighing up a potential move. Imbula is out of contract after leaving Russian club Sochi and thus, could move to Parkhead on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old was linked with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal earlier in his career in a move that could have cost in the region of £25m according to La Provence (via The Express). His displays, however, has fallen off since that.

Brown’s successor?

Imbula’s career has been a rocky road. Signed by Stoke for £18.3m in 2016, he played just 28 times in four years. Spells with Toulouse, Rayo Vallecano and Lecce followed but unfortunately, he’s not been able to live up to the dizzy heights expected of him when he was younger.

When the midfield general first signed for Stoke, Xherdan Shaqiri suggested that Imbula had unbelievable technique, even comparing him to a certain Patrick Vieira.

With qualities like that, it’s easy to see where he’d fit in. Celtic have preferred Scott Brown for the vast majority of this season but his place in the side has come under considerable threat from Ismaila Soro. The diminutive midfielder has been superb since signing for the club and has made that holding role his own.

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However, with the arrival of Imbula, it could finally give Lennon the ammunition to axe Brown once and for all. The Scotland international is a tenacious individual but at the age of 35 is clearly coming towards the end of his career.

Some of his performance this term would certainly suggest that his displays are dropping off and consequently, moving away from his tired and timid nature would be good news for everyone at Celtic.

He has been at fault time and time again this season, with the latest of his woeful errors coming when he was sent off against Livingston last week.

With the Hoops stuck in such a rut, it’s time for fresh faces in Glasgow. Brown has done it all at Celtic but Imbula’s potential arrival must be the end of the road.

After all, he is a tough-tackling midfielder too. He won 2.4 tackles per game for Marseille during the 2014/15 campaign when he was being touted with big-money moves.

Of course, those types of displays have been few and far between over the last few years but he’s certainly in the mould of Brown. On a free transfer, it would be smart work in the transfer market from Celtic.

AND in other news, Celtic struck genius deal with £10k-p/w titan who’s “grabbing the bull by the horns”…

According to reports, Leicester City are interested in signing Leeds United starlet Pascal Struijk.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old has firmly established himself as a key part of Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team plans in the Premier League this season, making 16 appearances in the top-flight, including playing the full 90 minutes in ten out of the last 11 games.

Now, De Telegraaf (via Sport Witness) claim that both the Foxes and Serie A giants Napoli are interested in the young Dutchman and that they have already inquired about potentially signing him.

Orta must intervene

At just 21, Struijk has got the best years ahead of him, and given how Bielsa seems to trust him with the number of opportunities and game-time he’s afforded him this season in the Premier League, it seems foolish to cash in on him now.

Not only has he been a regular starter over these past few months, but Bielsa has placed his faith in him by turning to him as Kalvin Phillips’ replacement whenever the England international has been out injured.

Able to play at both centre-back and in holding midfield too, Struijk was handed his debut by Bielsa against Hull, and hailed him as someone who “gives everything but asks for nothing in return”.

Former Leeds man, Dominic Matteo, is seemingly a big fan of him, saying: “He reads the game a lot better than he’s credited for. He’ll get even better too. Struijk is one to look out for.

“There’s plenty of work to be done but, with the size of him, his physicality, his passing, he’s got it all and can step into midfield. He looks very calm on the ball, players who are a bit erratic are not for me but he looks comfortable in possession.”

The £6m-rated (CIES) beast is only at the beginning of his career, and Victor Orta must block any chance of him leaving anytime soon. It’s clear that Bielsa adores him as someone who fits the mould of putting the team first, being versatile and carrying out his manager’s instructions.

Letting him go, whether to a Premier League rival or abroad, would be a major mistake.

David Moyes should be happy to pay the £21.5m fee that West Ham United could have to pay in order to sign VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Kicker, via Sport Witness, Stuttgart are setting the market for Kalajdzic at €20m to €25m (£17-21.5m) as his name starts to hit transfer shortlists all around Europe.

The Bundesliga outfit are open to the fact they will have to sell some of their star players at the end of the season to fund arrivals, as Sporting Director Sven Mislintat strives to take the Mercedes-Benz Arena natives to the next level.

Kalajdzic has been in sensational form under head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo this term, netting 13 goals in 24 Bundesliga games – including eight in his last seven outings – to help fire Stuttgart to eighth in the table during their first year back in Germany’s top-flight.

His efforts are said to have put West Ham’s scouts on alert whilst Moyes strives to discover the eventual heir to Sebastien Haller, having opted against replacing the Ivory Coast forward during the winter market following his £20m move to AFC Ajax.

Other unnamed Premier League clubs are also keen on Kalajdzic, who has admirers at RB Leipzig and Serie A outfit AS Roma, but the 23-year-old is refusing to be drawn on speculation on his future.

“I am not concerned with this. I can well imagine an extension of the contract,” he told Kicker.

Kalajdzic is currently not scheduled to become a free agent until the summer of 2023, with his £7,500-per-week terms still having two more years to run.

Should West Ham sign Kalajdzic?

West Ham certainly appear to be emerging as a potential landing spot for Kalajdzic should the striker prove to be one option Stuttgart cash in on this summer, after recent reports claimed he was viewed as a cheaper alternative to Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and Slavia Prague’s Abdallah Sima.

A potential £21.5m asking price would not be overtly cheap, given the Irons passed up on paying Stade de Reims €15m (£13m) for Boulaye Dia in January, yet Kalajdzic should not be scrubbed from thinking at the London Stadium.

The Stuttgart star has been setting Germany’s top-flight alight during his first year in the Bundesliga and struck two of his recent goals against Bayer Leverkusen despite losing 5-2 away to the Champions League qualifying hopefuls.

He also netted against Eintracht Frankfurt to put a dent in the Deutsche Bank Park natives’ top-four hopes and struck the equalising effort in a 1-1 draw with Leverkusen in October, as he lives up to the billing of being “important offensively” in the eyes of Mislintat.

Dia was rightfully overlooked in the winter market despite having 12 goals in 17 Ligue 1 games to his name by January 9th, as the 24-year-old has since failed to find the back of the net in any of his subsequent 10 French top-flight outings.

After scoring on the first day of the campaign away to title-hopefuls Monaco, Dia has also failed to fire home against a top side, instead, he’s been bullying the middle of the table and bottom-half clubs.

Kalajdzic may be just as unproven in England as Dia, but he is proving in Germany that he is worth taking a punt on once the transfer market re-opens for business this summer.

AND in other news, West Ham in four-way Premier League battle for 13-goal striker who is “annoying to the defender”…

With the transfer window now in full swing, there probably hasn’t been a better excuse for Leeds to go out and sign someone.

Having lost 3-0 to League Two Crawley Town on Sunday, it’s clear that a number of their fringe and academy stars simply aren’t good enough.

What’s the word?

One player who Leeds are targeting this month is Fredrik André Bjørkan, a left-back currently plying his trade for Bodo/Glimt.

The 22-year-old is a rising star of Norwegian football and has been capped 12 times by their U21 side.

According to La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), the Whites are set to battle Italian side Sampdoria for his signature. There is also further interest from England with Newcastle and Norwich seemingly eyeing a move for the young defender.

Via Transfermarkt, Bjorkan is only rated at a measly £1.08m so wouldn’t cost much if Leeds wanted to invest.

Bye-bye Alioski

Bjorkan’s reputation is rather small at the moment but his stature within the game is growing all the time. He’s a player that’s been on Leeds’ radar for a while and considering they only have two viable left-backs to choose from – Gjanni Alioski and Leif Davis – Victor Orta needs to find someone else.

In the 22-year-old, they’d have an ideal remedy, one who has already played Europa League football and stood out against AC Milan.

Glimt won the 2020 Norwegian top-flight and a big part of that was down to Bjorkan, someone who was ever-present on his way to assisting four goals in 30 outings. That shows that he’s adept going forward but what’s most impressive are the 1.7 tackles a game he won for his side.

To put that into context, Alioski has won the same number for Leeds this term. That’s in a team who are having to do far more defending too.

Though, the most encouraging detail yet comes courtesy of Frank Amundsen, an expert on all things Leeds and Glimt: “Truly believe Bjørkan will fit Bielsa’s style of play pretty well,” he stated towards the end of last year.

This wouldn’t be a marquee deal but given the potential Bjorkan has at the age of just 22, it would be great business.

He’d also surely be an upgrade on the inconsistent Alioski.

AND in other news, £3m per goal: Bielsa will be raging with woeful Leeds ace who offered “nothing” on Sun…

Everton’s troublesome league form continued this evening as they recorded their fourth defeat in five at the hands of Leeds United at Goodison Park.

It was a hugely entertaining affair, so much so that it would’ve been criminal to see the match end 0-0 but unfortunately for the Toffees, it was the visitors who finally broke the deadlock in the second half.

Carlo Ancelotti’s backline handed Raphinha too much time and space on the ball and with none of his teammates free, he tested Jordan Pickford with a surprising shot which found it’s way in from just outside the penalty box.

The Italian was without two key members of his defence with both Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne, who were both ruled out through injury. In their absence, Alex Iwobi and Tom Davies were deployed as wing-backs in a shock move.

And it’s fair to suggest that only half the experiment worked as the Englishman outplayed the winger-by-trade substantially.

Davies brought home a 7.2 rating by SofaScore having recorded three interceptions, two tackles, one key pass and one cross in 61 minutes of action.

On the contrary, Iwobi managed fewer tackles, interceptions and dribbles.

The €40m-rated (£36m) wide man also won just one duel, lost possession nine times and even made fewer passes than both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jordan Pickford.

Iwobi is yet to truly prove his price tag in Merseyside having arrived from Arsenal in a £34m deal in the summer of 2019.

In reality, that fee is looking like daylight robbery as the former Gunners graduate has delivered only one goal and one assist from 34 Premier League appearances for the Toffees, via Transfermarkt.

During the summer, the Nigerian winger was linked with an exit – according to the Mirror, he was one of several players free to leave should they receive a suitable offer.

With that in mind, the clock must be ticking over his long-term future at the club,

After displays like that, maybe Ancelotti should be looking to axe him permanently, especially when you consider that neither Niels Nkounkou nor Jonjoe Kenny were even named in the matchday squad tonight.

They are far better options to play in defence and it’s not like Iwobi is going to knock either Richarlison or James Rodriguez off their perches anytime soon.

AND in other news, Everton dodged a £15m bullet this summer, Neville described target’s defending as “madness”…

Leeds United have been tipped to sign a striker from one of their Premier League rivals this week…

What’s the word?

Speaking to Football Insider, former top-flight goalscorer Kevin Phillips has claimed Elland Road is a “potential destination” for snubbed Liverpool forward Divock Origi in the upcoming window.

He said:

“I would imagine Origi will leave in January but if not it will definitely be the summer.

“It has been a tough year for him so far. He has not been used so much and when he has got his opportunities he looks rusty. He has not played enough football.

“I would not be surprised if he moves on in January and Leeds is definitely a potential destination.”

Another striker disaster

The Yorkshire giants do not have a good history when it comes to signing strikers under Victor Orta, that much was seen last term when neither Eddie Nketiah nor Jean-Kevin Augustin could do enough to convince Marcelo Bielsa.

Origi, while a Champions League cult hero at the Reds, would appear certain to follow suit.

In 92 Premier League appearances, he has only scored 19 times – that’s just shy of one goal every five games, which just isn’t good enough.

The Belgian striker has received plenty of glowing endorsements in the past, ranging from former City colossus Vincent Kompany dubbing him a “monster” to ex-Wolfsburg sporting director Olaf Rebbe lauding him as “dangerous.”

Even Phil Neville believes the 25-year-old has a “taste for the big games” but aside from that match against Barcelona, we’ve never seen him deliver in the top-flight.

With reported wages of £60k-per-week, it would be one almighty gamble for Victor Orta to make. In fact, it could be another Augustin-like disasterclass as there is no way any new striker is surpassing the goalscoring exploits of Patrick Bamford right now.

United should steer well clear of the £10m flop, even if Jurgen Klopp is willing to listen to offers for him. He’ll only be Nketiah 2.0 or even worse, another Augustin.

AND in other news, Leeds should look to cash in on “struggling” £47k-p/w flop…