In his time in the Premier League, Wolves striker Raul Jimenez has established himself as one of the best in the business in the top-flight.

The Mexico international has been banging in the goals, left, right and centre for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. In 88 total games for the club, he has racked up 39 goals and 18 assists across all competitions, including finding the back of the net 22 times this season alone.

His record quite simply makes him a must-have for a side like Tottenham. According to ESPN, both Spurs and Arsenal are interested in luring the forward away from Molineux, but he is far more necessary for the former.

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Jose Mourinho’s side have looked toothless up front without Harry Kane – they couldn’t manage a single goal over two legs against RB Leipzig for example in the Champions League for example.

Jimenez would prove to be more than just a valuable back-up for the Lilywhites, instead genuinely pushing Kane for that starting number nine role.

And based on how Mourinho himself has described the Wolves star, then this swoop becomes a no-brainer. After seeing Nuno’s team beat Spurs earlier this season, the north London side’s boss remarked: “They have Jimenez yes, fantastic player, and they have that incredible counter attack which is very difficult to stop, especially if you don’t have that mentality they showed.”

With a couple of seasons under his belt in the top-flight, Jimenez would be able to hot the ground running for Spurs. Signing someone from abroad would obviously take some adaptation time, whereas the Mexican wouldn’t.

It’s exactly why Mourinho’s side simply have to be at the the top of the conversation when it comes to clubs competing for the 6 foot 3 striker’s signature.

Meanwhile, this former Spurs ace proved Mauricio Pochettino wrong.

According to Football Insider, Jose Mourinho is more keen on signing more established stars this summer.

What’s the word?

Having been appointed into the first few months of this season, this upcoming transfer window will be Mourinho’s first in terms of it being a summer one.

His predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, appeared to focus more heavily on signing younger, more promising talent, before developing them into first-team stars – Dele Alli of course being the prime example.

But now, according to Football Insider, Mourinho is keen on “recruiting more senior players this summer in a major move away from the Pochettino blueprint”.

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It’s further suggested that agents have already been told that the north London side are looking for players who won’t need long adaptation periods like the signings of Jack Clarke and Ryan Sessegnon last summer.

Destroying an identity

Identities are built over numerous seasons and years, and they’re often the focal point for a club to build around. In his time at the club, Pochettino shaped it in such a way where there was a clearly defined philosophy at Spurs, of having players who were young, hungry and full of intensity – the likes of Alli and Kane in particular symbolising that.

But with Mourinho wishing to tear up the blueprint and start imposing a more calculated, short-term approach, Spurs risk losing the kind of identity that they had worked so hard to build. Whilst of course there were no trophies to show for Pochettino’s work, he certainly established them as a firm part of the Premier League’s ‘big six’, and even taking them to the Champions League final last season.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

Mourinho has never been one to hang around, so if Spurs go down this new route and it doesn’t work out, then not only will they have destroyed their previous work, but they will have also been burned by what the Portuguese man has also done.

Meanwhile, Spurs should consider cashing in on this Pochettino signing.

According to the Daily Mirror, Michael Edwards held a meeting with Jurgen Klopp over the possibility of bringing Philippe Coutinho back to Liverpool last summer after his move to Barcelona in January 2018 didn’t work out. 

While the Reds have moved since selling the Brazilian, bringing in the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker with some of the funds raised, there was an apparent meeting of the aforementioned pair in regard to a potential homecoming. Still, as per the report, the £8m loan fee asked for by those at the Camp Nou put his former charges off.

Though the idea of Liverpool lacking creativity was recently raised again by Jamie Carragher following their loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, it’s hard to suggest not moving for him was a mistake. Indeed, they are 25 points clear in the Premier League and, since Coutinho’s departure, Trent Alexander-Arnold has seen his number of key passes per game double from 1.3 to 2.6 (via WhoScored), suggesting they’ve turned to a different area in order to supply their frontline.

However, despite that and the fact the former Inter Milan youngster was booed following his return to Anfield in the Champions League, a portion of fans online would seemingly have been keen to get him back. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the reaction to the story.

Would you take Coutinho back? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

With no Premier League action to speak of, thoughts are unsurprisingly turning to the summer transfer window. It looks set to be a significant one for Arsenal – it will be Mikel Arteta’s first off-season window at the helm, and that in turn should bring some real changes to the squad.

And it seems that Arsenal fans are keen to see some arrivals at centre-half, despite the already confirmed capture of William Saliba, who will move to the Emirates Stadium for 2020/21 after a deal was agreed last summer that saw him loaned back to St. Etienne.

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One Arsenal fan on Twitter suggested Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake as a potential alternative to Dayot Upamecano, who is reportedly on the Gunners’ hit list for the summer.

That resulted in a number of Arsenal fans either agreeing with the notion or simply praising the Netherlands international in general, with one supporter claiming he’d prefer Ake to Upamecano and another suggesting the former could be a great partner for the aforementioned Saliba.

Back in February, Football Insider linked Ake with a move to Tottenham, insinuating the centre-back could cost around £40m, but it seems these Arsenal fans are keen to see Arteta beat their rivals to the 25-year-old’s signature.

Here’s what’s been said on Twitter…

Meanwhile, Francis Coquelin is having the last laugh over Arsenal.

Loads of Everton fans are raving at an Easter message sent by the Chief Executive Officer of the Toffees Denise Barrett-Baxendale after it was shared on the Merseyside club’s official Twitter page.

The CEO touched upon plenty of subjects as she wished to share her thoughts with Evertonians amidst what is going on in the footballing world at the moment.

She explains that Easter is a time to be together with friends and family but under these unusual circumstances, this is unfortunately not the case for many supporters. In doing so, she referred to a hat-trick scored on Easter Monday by former Blue 4-0 thumping of Manchester United in the Premier League on Easter Sunday of last year.

She also admitted that any thoughts on the beautiful game come secondary to what is going on currently that means that many people are self-isolating and NHS staff are working as hard as they can. ‘Denise’ as she signs the message off with finally thanked everybody who donated to the Blue Family charity in addition to everyone in the Everton community.

You can read the full message on the club’s official website. These fans showed their appreciation for their CEO:

Everton fans, what do you think of your CEO? Comment below!

Freshly relocated, Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja wish to prove that they are no longer the lost boys of Australian batting.Sometime last summer both fell out of their prams – dropped from the Test team – and struggled to cope with the repercussions of demotion when playing for a New South Wales side that was battling to function effectively.Each spent much of the winter in England, where Hughes played for Worcestershire in division one while Khawaja helped Derbyshire to promotion out of division two. They have now returned to Australia and are getting acquainted with new surrounds. Next week they will meet as foes, when Queensland host South Australia at the Gabba.Khawaja had a move to Queensland in his thoughts well before season 2011-12 ended, and Hughes had always admired South Australia’s languid lifestyle and Adelaide Oval’s friendly pitch, even if he did not confirm his departure from Sydney until well after the summer’s end.Both can point to past success at their new home grounds. Khawaja notched his first Sheffield Shield century at the Gabba in early 2009, and added another the following summer. Its pace off the wicket will be a useful ally to his back foot game, while the prospect of early swing and seam does not appear to perturb him.”I scored my first century here, and I scored another century the next year,” Khawaja said in Brisbane. “So I’ve enjoyed the Gabba, it’s a place where it’s tough cricket but you can score runs too if you get in. I enjoy the wicket here, it’s got a bit of pace in it – challenging but also rewarding at the same time.”I came up to Queensland cricket because one I felt like I needed a fresh start, two I wanted to win, and I felt like being here gave me the best chance to enjoy my cricket, start afresh, and hopefully I’m here to help contribute to Queensland cricket winning as many competitions as we can. If I can put my hand up and contribute to the team that will help.”For Hughes, Adelaide’s rhythms are closer to those of his Macksville home in country NSW than Sydney’s hustle and bustle were ever likely to be. The Adelaide Oval pitch is also amenable to his bush technique, as an aggregate of 475 at 118.75 in three matches can attest. If the Oval’s conditions do not force Hughes to answer the questions posed by New Zealand’s Chris Martin on testier surfaces last summer, they should help him gather confidence, a critical element to his early international success in South Africa.”I’ve been here a few times for a week or two here and there, and I love the place,” Hughes said of Adelaide. “I’m originally from the country in NSW, so I’m that down-to-earth type bloke, more laid-back and I think it provides that here, and that’s one thing I looked into as well. The place is a lot quieter than Sydney, it’s a lot easier to get around, as I’ve already found out, and I’m looking forward to it.”I love Adelaide Oval, I’ve played there a few times now and hopefully I can get as many runs as possible, it can be good for batting at times and once you’re in on any wicket you want to make good scores. Hopefully I can do that.”Neither Hughes nor Khawaja won many points for their attitude upon returning to the NSW dressing room last summer, as they pondered what might have been with Australia rather more readily than they contributed to the Blues’ faltering season. Khawaja has the chance to rehabilitate his game and his place in the team room under the tutelage of Darren Lehmann, who helmed a Bulls Shield victory in his first season as coach. The past examples of Ryan Harris and Peter Forrest are helpful.”They did a lot of hard work to be where they are, they didn’t just come here and let it happen, so there’s nothing certain about now that I’ve moved up here my career’s going to go to the next level, the next stage,” Khawaja said. “I’ve got a lot of hard work in front of me and there’s going to be a lot of tough times for me to get through. I’m just here to be honest to enjoy my cricket, have fun and the rest will take care of itself.”Darren’s been great, just like everyone else, they’ve all really made me feel welcome, which is probably the toughest thing coming to a new place. I’ve talked to Darren here and there, been at the Centre of Excellence the last couple of years, and I’ve known him for a good four or five years now, so I know what he’s all about and he’s just a guy who loves his cricket.”Hughes, meanwhile, showed a willingness to open up to new advice in England, working attentively with Worcs’ coach Steve Rhodes where previously he had listened only to the technical advice of his long-time mentor Neil D’Costa, to the exclusion of all others. Darren Berry, the Redbacks’ coach, will hope for a similar level of openness.”Steve was good, he’s a hard working coach, and I found his work ethic was outstanding, and from the day I got there he made me feel very welcome,” Hughes said. “We got to the nets and he was quite simple on a lot of things, for me that’s a good thing, and through the four months he was very supportive of me.”I just want to be the most consistent player I possibly can be in all three forms of the game. It can be tough to juggle all the formats and hopefully through the season I can score as many runs in all the formats that I can.”

Manchester United youngster Daniel James has kept fans up-to-date with his work ethic after the club’s official Twitter account posted a video of him working out during the coronavirus pandemic.

In light of the ongoing global crisis, James is spending time at home after the Red Devils closed Carrington training ground, and supporters will be reassured he is training indoors.

United have been keeping fans in the loop with weekly insights into the first team’s lifestyles on social media.

After arriving at Old Trafford from Championship side Swansea City last summer, the Welshman has scored 3 goals in his first season in the Premier League under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and tops the charts for the most amount of assists in the English top tier for the Norwegian’s side. James has recorded 1.3 shots per game, averaged 1.3 dribbles, and made 0.5 key passes on average according to WhoScored.

With football suspended due to recent events, loads of United fans were delighted to see the Welsh international is using his time off effectively, as he is still exercising to keep himself in shape. One supporter branded him a “speed merchant” and another even suggested he is the “fastest man alive.”

Have a read through some of the best reactions so far…

United fans, are you looking forward to seeing Daniel James back in action when the league resumes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Leeds had to score the latest goal in the club’s history to rescue a point on Saturday, and going into Wednesday’s clash against Swansea there is one major change required in the centre of the park.

Unsurprisingly, Leeds dominated the ball at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, racking up 69 per cent of the possession.

The hosts took the lead through Lewis Wing though, and it wasn’t until the 101st minute that Leeds equalised, with Kalvin Phillips glancing in from close range after a header by Liam Cooper.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Despite the scenes in stoppage time, it will be hugely concerning to Marcelo Bielsa that his side produced just four shots on target for all their control of the game, and it may be time for Mateusz Klich to get a rest.

The Polish international was nothing short of sensational in the first half of the season. After being cast out on loan in the last campaign, he grabbed five goals and five assists by the beginning of November to kick off his 2018-19 season with a bang and become an instant Elland Road favourite.

Since then though, the popular midfielder has scored just twice – a brace at Rotherham – and also provided one assist.

He was ineffectual in the match against Middlesbrough, touching the ball just 37 times, the third-least of any Leeds starter, and registering just one shot, which didn’t hit the target.

Klich is in the team to create and score goals, so failing to muster a single shot on target, successful dribble or key pass is a major concern. Put simply, the 28 year-old appears to be running out of gas having racked up nearly 3,000 minutes of football already this season.

It is perhaps unsurprising then that the Whites’ attacking production has fallen off since the turn of the year, as their best attacking midfielder is not performing to the level he was before.

Bielsa’s side welcome a Swansea side to Elland Road on Wednesday night that haven’t kept an away clean sheet in the league since November, but Klich should watch this one from the side-lines.

كشف أحمد سليمان، عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك السابق، عن معرفته بوجود عروض كبيرة للتعاقد مع كارتيرن المدير الفني للأبيض، منذ فترة.

وقرر الفرنسي كارتيرون فسخ التعاقد مع الزمالك، اليوم، بشكل مفاجي وأوضح أن لديه عرض آخر خارج مصر.. طالع التفاصيل من هنا

وقال سليمان خلال برنامج “البريمو” على قناة “تن”: “كنت أعلم أن هناك عروضًا كبيرة للفرنسي منذ 3 شهور باختلاف العرض الذي جاء إليه في الوقت الحالي”.

وتابع: “كارتيرون قام بتغيير كبير في الفريق، بالثبات على تشكيل معين طوال السنوات الماضية وحقق البطولات خلال توليه المسؤولية باعتماده على تشكيل ثابت وهذه من الأمور الجيدة التي تركها لنا قبل رحيله”.

وأكمل: “الزمالك لن يتأثر برحيل أي مدرب، ورحيل كارتيرون كان متوقعًا بنسبة كبيرة نظرًا للعروض التي تلقاها منذ ثلاث شهور”.

وحصل كارتيرون مع الزمالك على بطولتي السوبر الإفريقي أمام الترجي التونسي، والسوبر المصري من الأهلي، كما تأهل رفقة الأبيض إلى نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

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Stoke City are interested in signing Sam Vokes from Burnley before the transfer deadline, according to Sky Sports News.

The Potters have identified the striker as a potential acquisition but Sean Dyche will not let any player leave unless he can source a replacement.

What’s the word?

Stoke, per Sky Sports, could sell both Peter Crouch and Bojan Krkic before the transfer deadline and are keen to bolster their attacking options.

The club are currently 15th in the Championship, but believe Vokes has the ability to play in both the second-tier and the Premier League.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Vokes has been a key member of Dyche’s side this season, making 28 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

However, he has scored just four goals in all competitions and his last strike for the club came in November 2018, in a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

Per The Mirror, Burnley are interested in Birmingham City’s Che Adams, who could be a replacement for the Welshman.

Soar up the table

Stoke could soar up the table if they manage to sign Vokes.

The 29-year-old has played 113 games in the Premier League and has 198 appearances to his name in the Championship, according to Transfermarkt.

As per the same stats-based website, his goalscoring record is light-years better in the second-tier than the top-flight; he has scored 52 goals in the Championship, compared to 17 in the Premier League.

Stoke bringing him in, particularly to replace the enigmatic Bojan and the ageing Crouch, would do wonders for their hopes of working their way into the top 10 and potentially into the play-offs.

The Potters are currently eight points behind sixth-placed Derby County; Vokes could be just the man to score the goals needed to close that gap.