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Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Tottenham should take a punt on Brighton manager Graham Potter.

Tottenham’s options to replace Jose Mourinho are narrowing following Julian Nagelsmann’s decision to join Bayern Munich and Erik ten Hag’s contract extension at Ajax.

Meanwhile, Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has also ruled himself out of contention for the vacant Spurs job.

It leaves Daniel Levy and Tottenham needing to look elsewhere, and Hendrie believes Potter could be a viable alternative.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the north London club’s search for a new manager, the retired Premier League footballer said:

“If they were taking a punt on someone, and this is something where I look at, I think that Graham Potter at Brighton, I think he has been so close to having a great season at Brighton. Obviously, he hasn’t because they haven’t scored enough goals. 

“[But] you take Graham Potter and put him into a side that’s capable of playing football and exciting football, and you’ve got a centre-forward you know that’s going to be there, I think Graham Potter would be a certain candidate for me.”

Potter is one name Tottenham are said to be looking at, so perhaps the club could end up moving for him, especially after missing out on the likes of Nagelsmann and seemingly Ten Hag.

The 45-year-old has won plenty of plaudits since taking over at the Amex, including from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who praised his Brighton counterpart earlier this year for the way he has his side playing.

When you think of Everton hero Tim Cahill, plenty of memories immediately spring to mind.

The Australian had a leap so high it could disturb the solar system, a tireless attitude that could give Mo Farah a run for his money and a goal-scoring ability up there with the very best midfielders to grace the game.

Now retired, the 41-year-old was a rock of consistently for the Toffees over a period of eight years and 277 appearances.

He scored 68 times for the Merseyside outfit and has gone down as one of the most iconic players in Premier League history.

His celebration; a knock out blow to the corner flag was trademark and the way he bullied defenders inside the penalty area was truly enthralling.

When it comes to goal scoring midfielders in the top-flight of English football, there are few better.

Another player who has made a living out of running from deep with a tireless attitude to score goals is Aaron Ramsey.

The former Arsenal midfielder is now at Juventus but has been linked with a move away from Italy to Everton.

It’s thought that Italian side could sell him for around €10m-€15m (£9m-£13m) with the Toffees being offered the opportunity to snap him up this summer.

One sticking point could be the Welshman’s wages with the midfielder earning around £300k-per-week at Juve.

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He might not possess the celebration or heading ability that Cahill possessed, but in terms of providing goals from midfield there are few better.

Ramsey netted 16 times in 34 matches during the course of the 2013/14 season and has regularly proven throughout his career that he can ghost into the box unopposed to score. It’s a canny nature, one that plenty of players struggle to replicate.

The 30-year-old has netted 40 goals in 262 Premier League outings but he also has the same boundless energy that Cahill brought to Everton.

Speaking in 2019 before he left Arsenal, Martin Keown said: “He continues to mature as a player and develop. He’s a real leader now in this Arsenal team.”

Keown continued: “Playing in a deeper role, as he did under Arsene Wenger – I think that’s the best role for him. If you want Ozil and him in the same team. He’s so imp to everything to do. It’s the energy – the box to box energy. He’s become an outstanding technician.”

That box to box nature is what could set him apart if he came to the Toffees, just as it did with Cahill during his time at Goodison.

He is also a big game player, popping up with three strikes in the north London derby and scoring against Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. He also popped up with six goals and four assists in just 14 outings versus Everton.

Ramsey’s influence may not be great at Juventus but at Everton, he’d be a real stand out fixture. Carlo Ancelotti should definitely consider a move.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Doucoure: Everton must complete £40m swoop for “exceptional” brute…

Mel Morris is in talks with a number of interested parties regarding the sale of Derby County.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who claimed in a recent post on Twitter that there are a number of live bidders for the Rams, while also suggesting that the club’s impending points deduction may not be as bad as first feared – if new owners are in place upon Derby’s appeal.

Nixon said: “Derby County. Live bidders plural. Top insiders also hinting that points penalty could be less on appeal if new ownership in place down the line.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how much their club has been through this season, having to endure the heartbreak of two failed takeover attempts and seeing their side barely scrape Championship survival after a number of catastrophic performances on the pitch, Nixon’s latest update provides Derby fans with a figurative light at the end of the tunnel.

With Morris appearing to be absolutely desperate to sell the club, the Rams cannot truly begin to move forward under Wayne Rooney with an owner who is not committed, either financially or emotionally.

Furthermore, with Nixon claiming that Derby’s pending points deduction for breaking the EFL’s Financial Fair Play rules will likely be reduced on appeal after the change of owners, there is even more incentive for a sale of the club to be completed as rapidly as possible.

And, it goes without saying that the chances of the Rams’ sale actually going through are dramatically increased by more than one interested party bidding for the club.

As such, the journalist’s update is something that is likely to leave fans of the club buzzing, as once their side have sorted matters off the pitch out, they can begin to plan for next season under Rooney, with the aim of putting on a much more respectable showing in the Championship than last time out.

In other news: Imagine him & Mengi: Rooney must seal Derby deal for £1.8m-rated “leader” this summer – opinion

Dean Windass has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Jesse Lingard is too good for Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old is currently enjoying an impressive spell on loan at West Ham but will return to Manchester United following the conclusion of the 2020-2021 campaign.

Lingard has managed nine goals and four assists in 14 appearances for the Hammers, with his exceptional form catching the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

And with United already looking to adding Jadon Sancho to their squad this summer, Lingard is expected to be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, which means he’ll be available for a transfer.

A host of clubs have already been linked with Lingard, who’s Manchester United future is in serious doubt, and whilst West Ham would appear to hold a slight advantage, Aston Villa have entered the race for his signature, with Dean Smith keen on bolstering his wide department following Trezeguet’s injury blow.

But whilst Villa have been on the cusp of European football for much of this season, although their hopes were ended at Crystal Palace on Sunday, Windass believes that Lingard should be aiming higher than a move to Villa Park this summer.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“I can’t see Villa and those teams. No disrespect to Aston Villa, no disrespect whatsoever, but I think he can do better than that.”

‘Not much will have changed’ at Celtic if Eddie Howe’s appointment isn’t accompanied by structural shifts, according to club legend Charlie Nicholas.

Nicholas issued the warning in his regular Daily Express column, as quoted by the Daily Record.

The lowdown

Howe is finally set to be confirmed as Neil Lennon’s long-term successor this week.

It was almost two months ago that it was reported that those who went to check this website would have got very short odds as Celtic were on the verge of appointing the former Bournemouth boss.

Howe’s desire to bring backroom staff from the Vitality Stadium, who were engaged in a Championship promotion bid, is one of the reasons for the hold-up.

The 43-year-old will face the daunting task of overhauling a 25-point deficit to Celtic’s arch-rivals Rangers.

The latest

Nicholas is excited by the impending appointment, expressing his confidence that Howe will bring ‘hope’ to Glasgow and ‘play in the right way’.

But he also admitted to fears that the ‘dynamics’ at the club may not meaningfully change – he thinks it’s vital that Howe is able to put his own stamp on Celtic.

“It will be good to see Celtic get Eddie Howe over the line so the fans can finally get some vision and clarity,” he said.

“There has been no leadership from the club hierarchy of late. Hopefully this pending appointment will be the start of better things to come.

“What I want to know is, where is the dynamic change we expected at the club? Is the appointment of Eddie the catalyst?

“He will do a very good job for Celtic, he’ll give the club hope and play in the right way.

“But what’s happening with the director of football role and the rest of the plan moving forward?

“If Howe’s bringing in his own men then fair play to him.

“But if the likes of Gordon Strachan and John Kennedy are involved then not much will have changed – with the same old glove puppets reporting back to Dermot Desmond.”

The verdict

As Nicholas suggests, failure to to really address what’s wrong behind the scenes for the Hoops could make the Howe appointment rather meaningless.

The good news however is that, according to the Daily Record, incoming chief executive Dominic McKay may also present a new director of football this week as part of ‘a major restructuring’ – one would suspect that Howe sought assurances of this ‘dynamic change’ before he agreed to take the job.

The coming weeks should hopefully feel the like beginning of a new era at Parkhead.

In other news, a former Scottish international has issued his verdict on a potential Howe transfer target.

Leeds United face a real battle to sign West Brom star Matheus Pereira this summer as a major transfer update emerges.

What’s the story?

Reports from the Daily Express had claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of the clubs interested in signing the Baggies ace his summer, and that they are set to face significant competition from the likes of RB Leipzig and Leicester.

French publication Foot Mercato have now claimed that the Brazilian’s representative has confirmed he has already had contacts with clubs in the Premier League, with Aston Villa and West Ham name-checked.

The report added that there have also been serious advances from clubs in Germany and Italy.

Bielsa will be fuming

Pereira enjoyed a superb Premier League campaign, scoring 11 goals and providing a further six assists in the top flight and almost single-handedly managed to rescue West Brom from the drop – in fact, his last eight games in the competition saw him score six times and set up another three goals.

After a particularly impressive display earlier this year, Match of the Day pundit Jermain Jenas said of the £17m-rated gem: “He’s just silky. When he’s on it, he’s just got that lovely left-foot, (tucked) his penalty away, the delivery into the box for set-pieces was brilliant, and he wanted to showcase his skills.”

Meanwhile, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has backed the Whites to make a swoop for the winger, saying: “It is a mouth-watering prospect. We missed out on certain players last season, and this is a player that excites everybody. I would definitely take him all day long.

“He’s a fantastic player, he’s great on the ball, he can turn people inside out. Pereira’s another option we can use right across that front three and maybe in a number 10 role as well. He’s the right age and he’s the sort of player we should be looking at. Imagine, if you put him alongside Raphinha, Rodrigo, Harrison etc, that’s pretty formidable.”

It’s exactly why Bielsa will likely be fuming at the thought that other clubs, particularly rival Premier League sides, have seemingly stolen a march on the race to sign Pereira.

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He’ll surely want his top targets to be signed pretty early so that he can integrate them into his squad for pre-season, but they news that Leeds could miss out cause they weren’t being proactive will not make the manager happy at all.

Meanwhile, Bielsa has taken the first steps towards signing this star…

Writing on Twitter, French journalist Loic Tanzi has lifted the lid on an emerging transfer development at West Ham United involving promising youngster Pierre Ekwah Elimby.

The Lowdown: Big summer ahead…

Following a 2020/2021 campaign which defied expectation, West Ham are now set to take to the market this summer as manager David Moyes aims to bolster his squad wherever possible.

This includes the acquisition of promising young players who can potentially break through into the senior squad and provide quality for years to come.

The Irons acquired one young starlet recently in the form of defender Frederik Alves, who signed in January, and the Dane has already been pictured training with the first team.

The Latest: Elimby ‘expected to sign with West Ham’

Now, lifting the lid on an emerging development, journalist Tanzi has dropped an enticing claim involving another eye-catching youngster in the form of Elimby.

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Indeed, as explained on social media, the 19-year-old Chelsea man is now ‘expected to sign with West Ham’ after a trial with the Hammers in recent weeks.

The colossal 6 foot 2 teenager, as a result, will join the likes of Alves on a growing list of impressive prodigies at Rush Green.

The Verdict: Coup for the Hammers…

Details of the deal or contract length are unstated by the journalist, but West Ham may be about to acquire someone with real potential.

Over the course of his trial, Elimby has made just two Premier League 2 appearances for the Hammers’ Under-23s side but that has seemingly been enough to turn heads (Transfermarkt).

In that time, the defensive midfielder even managed to notch a goal – with the versatile Frenchman also capable of slotting in at centre-back (Transfermarkt).

While this won’t be the blockbuster transfer West Ham fans want at the London Stadium, this comes as an enticing development given Elimby’s promise.

In other news: West Ham in talks to finalise agreement for 24 y/o after extensive talks, find out more here.

Leeds United’s majority owner Andrea Radrizzani could land a bargain transfer for Marcelo Bielsa by signing Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah this summer.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from Football Insider, the Whites have been offered the opportunity to land the £15,000-a-week striker permanently, with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners ready to listen to offers in order to raise funds for their own transfer plans.

Bielsa could transform him

While he may only have played half a season under Bielsa – he featured just 19 times and scored five goals for the Whites – the £17m-rated forward made a real impression at Elland Road, not least with the manager himself.

Bielsa said: “He’s a specialist great player with a lot of resources and our play is a collective way of playing and one player needs to adapt to this style.

“For this reason when we felt he was part of the team we thought that we were going to feel the same and that he would continue with us. He didn’t take this decision but he is a great player, an excellent professional and he had very good behaviour, he is a gentleman in every sense.”

Given that he only has a year left on his contract, and with Arsenal keen on raising money to fund their own squad rebuild, this could be the perfect chance for Radrizzani to land a real bargain for Leeds.

With his previous experience of playing under Bielsa, and having now had a couple of seasons turning out at Premier League level, he should be expected to hit the ground running at Elland Road and give Patrick Bamford some competition in attack.

At only 22, Nketiah still has plenty of time to develop, and under what better coach to do that than Bielsa? The Leeds manager had nothing but great words to say about the young striker, and the Argentine seems to feel a real connection towards him.

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The Whites’ hierarchy should look to reunite the Arsenal marksman with Bielsa this summer.

Dubbed as a “very dangerous” striker in the mould of a Jermaine Defoe, Nketiah could bring his poacher’s instincts back to Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa must avoid selling this star; it’s not Raphinha…

Tottenham managerial candidate Paulo Fonseca does not have the best record against top teams, warns Forza Italian Football’s editor-in-chief Conor Clancy.

After ending talks with Antonio Conte, Tottenham have turned to Fonseca, with BBC Sport reporting that they are currently in discussions with the 48-year-old to make him their new manager.

Ironically, Fonseca recently left AS Roma and was replaced by Jose Mourinho, who was sacked by Tottenham back in April to leave the north London club needing a new man for the dugout.

It now seems likely that that man will be Fonseca, and Clancy has warned of one major issue the Portuguese coach had at Roma in the 2020/21 season.

“His record against the top teams was abysmal,” the Italian football expert told FFC. “For most of the season, Roma hadn’t lost a game against anyone below them in the league.

“But when they played someone competing for the top four, they lost [most of the] time and that’s quite problematic. But it wasn’t a great team. It’s not like he had the same squad as Milan, Lazio, Napoli, Atalanta, Inter, Juve – very much the sixth or seventh-best squad in the league.”

Against those very teams, under Fonseca, Roma really struggled to find all three points.

Some Spurs fans may view that as a red flag, with England’s top sides like Manchester City and Chelsea, who just competed in a Champions League final, probably much stronger than the likes of Inter Milan and Juventus.

Still, Fonseca did a very good job in the Europa League, taking the Giallorossi to the semi-finals, and at Shakhtar Donetsk, where he won three league titles. So there are certainly some promising signs.

West Ham target Eddie Nketiah is still to agree a new deal with Arsenal, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The lowdown

The Athletic reported last week that Arsenal had presented young striker Nketiah with a contract offer.

He has only 12 months left on his contract, and the Gunners are looking to ‘protect their investment and grant themselves some flexibility’.

The England Under-21 international made 17 Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side last season, but only four of those were starts.

He scored two top-flight goals, adding another three to his tally in the Europa League and one in the League Cup.

The latest

Romano tweeted that ‘there’s still nothing agreed’ between the 22-year-old and the North London outfit.

West Ham are among the clubs named as ‘interested’ parties, and may be taking encouragement from the delays.

Newly-promoted Watford and managerless Crystal Palace are also potential suitors, while Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen have apparently been pushing for a permanent deal for ‘months’.

The verdict

Football Insider report that West Ham are after another striker to provide both cover and competition for Michail Antonio, and Nketiah may be adjudged to fit that bill.

The Hammers were targeting RB Salzburg’s Patson Daka, but the player has apparently rejected their overtures.

Nketiah is admittedly a somewhat underwhelming alternative, but West Ham fans may have to lower their expectations – the most prolific strikers may be reluctant to join if Antonio is to remain the primary no.9, meaning a young player who is happy to play second fiddle while they hone their craft is perhaps the Irons’ best bet right now.

In other news, could this West Ham record-breaker be headed back to his former club?