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Sheffield Wednesday boss Tony Pulis is eyeing key reinforcements ahead of the January transfer window as he looks to defy the odds and stave off the threat of relegation.

Maybe it is time to revisit someone available for free…

What was the word?

According to The Sun on Sunday back in October (4th, page 59), the Owls were considering a move for out-of-work winger Andre Green, who is still without a club.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has since provided an update on the former Aston Villa graduate, he told fans in a recent mailbag:

“It’s a case of waiting for the right club. Green has been a little unfortunate with previous loan spells that haven’t quite worked out for him. He’s had a couple of injuries that knocked him off track, too.

“He would also likely need to take a significant pay cut to drop into the Championship or League One, particularly given the COVID-19 situation means clubs are tightening their belts.”

So should Pulis be eyeing him up?

Squad depth option

It is thought that the 62-year-old is wanting at least four new faces in at Hillsborough before the end of January, and there are certainly plenty of gaps to plug – none more so than upfront.

Only Jordan Rhodes is an out-and-out centre-forward.

But Pulis ought to consider his squad depth on the wings too, as it is only really Kadeem Harris and Adam Reach capable of producing regularly.

In reality, loan star Jacob Murphy was never replaced by Garry Monk in the summer, and now they’re being made to pay for it. One injury to either of the aforementioned pair would spell serious trouble.

Green may have been out of the game for a while, as well as not doing himself any favours at Preston last season, but could be well worth the punt as it won’t cost Dejphon Chansiri a penny – a good thing given the situation regarding players being paid on time.

He’s racked up 55 appearances in the Championship, where he has delivered four goals and two assists, via Transfermarkt.

During a spell at Charlton Athletic at the end of last term, Green’s striking partner Lyle Taylor lauded the forward as a “real handful.”

It could be well worth taking a bargain punt on the free-agent ahead of January.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit reveals what Josh Windass has told him about Tony Pulis’ squad…

Celtic must finally complete a move for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, with reports claiming Neil Lennon’s side are in an intense battle to sign him in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports over the summer suggested that the Hoops were considering signing Davies as a potential replacement for Kristoffer Ajer, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline, with the Norway international ending up staying at Celtic Park.

Now, Football Insider claim that Celtic are battling Genk for both Davies and Philadelphia Union centre-back Mark McKenzie.

The report adds that with the former’s contract at Preston coming to an end this season, the Deepdale side “will consider bids in the region of £5m this January as the club come to terms with the possibility of losing the defender for nothing in the summer”.

Bye-bye Shane Duffy

When Celtic snapped up Brighton’s Shane Duffy on a season-long loan back in the summer, Lennon couldn’t hide his excitement at bringing in the Premier League veteran.

He said: “He is leader and a warrior – someone with real ability and who will also give us that great physical presence.” Sadly for the Hoops, the 29-year-old just hasn’t been the answer at centre-back, and it’s been telling that he’s started just once in the past seven Scottish Premiership games.

In Davies, Celtic could snap up an absolute bargain, and someone who would offer them the kind of centre-back option suited to the modern game.

His manager at Preston, Alex Neill said: “Once I had looked at Ben, assessed the whole squad and seen him for a couple of weeks I thought to myself that we have a really good player on our hands.

“Ben has got a good left foot and he should really have more confidence in it than he actually has. He is better with it than he gives himself credit for. The lad has really good pace, which for a centre-back is rare. He reads the game well and has the determination to get better.”

Left-footed and with a bit of pace? Peter Lawwell surely has to dip into his pockets and find that £5m to sign him.

If there was one player that typified what Marcelo Bielsa has done at Leeds United, it would be Kalvin Phillips.

When the Argentine first walked through the door, Phillips was nothing more than a shy prospect. However, he is now a regimented leader of men, ushering the responsibility of the whole squad.

He has become one of the first names on the team sheet and is now in Gareth Southgate’s plans ahead of the Euros this summer.

In such a short space of time, Phillips defines this club and has very quickly become a leader of men.

Thus, what would happen if they signed another defensive midfielder? Because of how impressive the 25-year-old has been since establishing himself in the Leeds side, there hasn’t been a need to invest there.

Yet, if reports in Italy are to be believed, they’re aiming to sign Toulouse midfielder Kouadio Kone, someone who could become Phillips’ long-term successor at the club.

Of course, the Leeds stalwart is still a young player but Kone possesses some very similar qualities. The 19-year-old, who has been described as someone with “long levers”, won 2.7 tackles a game in the French top-flight last term.

This season, Phillips has won 2.9 tackles per match. Similarly, the Leeds general is just 0.2 interceptions ahead of Kone if you compare their seasonally form.

One of the England international’s most impressive aspects is the way he looks after the ball, using his vision to complete over 86% of his passes. The Leeds target is a little behind on 81.1% but it still demonstrates that he’s careful in possession.

In terms of their ball carrying, they are also pretty identical. Kone managed 0.8 dribbles per match in 2019/20, whereas Phillips has managed 0.6 this term.

At such a tender young age, the Toulouse battering ram is already doing all the right things. He has put himself in the shop window and at a price of just €15m (£13m), it would be a bargain.

Victor Orta must get this move done swiftly.

AND in other news, 33.3% duels won: Leeds star who was “bullied” all game massively betrayed Bielsa…

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a new name this week…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Spurs are interested in signing Inter Milan hotshot Nicolo Barella, though they reportedly face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool.

The Serie A outfit broke a club-record to sign him for €49m (£44m) only 18 months ago but clearly, his form has caught the attention of Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp alike.

Christian Eriksen replacement

Barella has emerged as one of the stars of the season so over in Italy, he’s contributed towards seven goals in just 15 league starts, via WhoScored.

And just this week, The Athletic’s James Horncastle waxed lyrical over his commanding display against defending champions Juventus as he proved to be a major creative outlet for Antonio Conte’s side. Indeed, this is a role that he’s thrived in throughout the campaign.

Per WhoScored, the 23-year-old Italian international has averaged 1.4 key passes per game, which ranks him above Christian Eriksen and only just behind Alexis Sanchez.

Whilst if you were to compare that to the Spurs squad, Barella would only be behind Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, who Mourinho has a major reliance on for goals right now.

Only one other Spurs player has scored more than two times in the Premier League this season, that being Tanguy Ndombele, so you could say that the north London outfit are still feeling the void left behind by the aforementioned Eriksen.

Interestingly, the Dane has been linked with a return to N17, but perhaps it is his teammate that Spurs should be eyeing up.

Ndombele has now contributed towards 13 goals in 53 appearances, whilst Giovani Lo Celso has managed seven goals and four assists in 56 appearances. It means a total of 24 goals in 99 matches have had the influence of either 2019 summer signing, which isn’t actually that good when you consider the impact Eriksen once had at the club.

In six straight seasons, the playmaker managed to find the net at least six times, whilst in four of six Premier League seasons, he delivered at least 11 assists, via Transfermarkt.

Lo Celso and Ndombele contribute a goal once every four matches in the top-flight, but Eriksen managed a goal contribution once every 1.9 games.

That cannot be understated and shows that both Ndombele or Lo Celso have a long way to go to hit similar numbers.

Which is why Spurs chairman Daniel Levy could finally find his perfect Eriksen replacement in Barella, who clearly is closer to being that kind go creative threat from, midfield more so than either of the above duo.

The 18-cap star, who is currently valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, is managing a goal contribution once every 2.75 matches for Inter, which only reinforces such a perspective.

Cagliari coach Rolando Maran once dubbed Barella “extraordinary” whilst he’s even drawn comparison to both Steven Gerrard and Xavi in the past too.

Evidently, the young midfield maestro is likely the closest thing Spurs could possibly get to a prime Eriksen and given that Son and Kane have contributed towards 73% of all their goals scored in the league, a new dimension may be needed in attack.

Barella, whilst costly, would be an ideal addition this January.

AND in other news, Worse than Dier: £1o0k-p/w “liability” was shocking against the Blades…

Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld has found himself out of the team as of late, and now he’s been linked with a summer exit…

What’s the word?

According to Voetbal24, Belgian and Europa League outfit Club Brugge are eyeing up a move for the 31-year-old at the end of the season in an attempt to bring him back to his home country.

Alderweireld has also been mooted with a return to the Eredivisie after De Telegraaf noted interest from PSV Eindhoven. However, that would be hard to believe given his ties to former club Ajax, one of their arch-rivals.

The £18m-rated centre-back only signed a new contract 13 months ago, thought to be worth around £85k-per-week, committing to the north London side until 2023.

Dembele fallout

Whilst it remains to be seen what the future holds for Alderweireld and Jose Mourinho’s plans for Spurs in the long run, it would be a disastrous decision to let the veteran leave anytime soon.

Yes, he’s fallen out of the starting XI in recent weeks being usurped by Joe Rodon for their fixtures against lowly Fulham and Sheffield United, but a heavy fixture list is on the horizon as the Europa League knockout stages are set to return he still has a key role to play.

Spurs only have to use Mousa Dembele as inspiration here.

In January 2019, the fellow Belgian swapped N17 for China as he joined Beijing Guoan in an £11m deal. He had entered the final six months of his contract, unlike Alderweireld, but it could be argued that the club should’ve tied him down to new terms.

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It took a whole 18 months to finally replace the gaping hole left behind by the 33-year-old, when in reality he still had so much to give in the Premier League – his final full season in 2017/18 saw him as industrious as ever, averaging 1.3 tackles and 2.4 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

But for Daniel Levy’s masterstroke in signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer, Spurs would still be looking for his long-term successor.

That scenario could well repeat itself if they were to let Alderweireld leave in the summer.

He has only started 11 of their 18 league outings this season but has still emerged as one of their most reliable players, averaging a rating of 6.97 – the best of any other centre-back, per WhoScored.

Indeed, no other Spurs defender is managing as many clearances (5.2 per game), meaning he’s quick to avert the danger, while it is only Davinson Sanchez (2) that has averaged more tackles per game than the Belgian colossus (1.8), via WhoScored.

But that’s not necessarily a good thing as a quiet centre-back is still a good one, at the end of the day.

Alderweireld has been a big part of why Spurs have the second-best defensive record in the Premier League. That includes clean sheets against Arsenal, City and Chelsea, so without him, they would be in a tricky spot – even more so as Mourinho feels they still need another centre-back.

As ex-Spurs man Paul Robinson told Football Insider, the 6 foot 2 beast is a crucial member of the squad, he said:

“I have always said that Alderweireld is the best defender at the club and he should play every week. Over the past three games, he has proved that. He is a leader on the pitch, and he should start every game between now and the end of the season.”

Whilst Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge dubbed him “outstanding” for Spurs back in November – at the time he picked up a small injury.

Getting rid of Alderweireld merely spells disaster in the immediate future.

AND in other news, £36m “complete midfielder” can be Spurs’ ideal Dele Alli replacement…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to a tweet from Matt Woosnam after he spoke to manager Roy Hodgson about his future at the South London side.

Hodgson’s contract was due to run out at the end of last season, but the club extended it by a further year. Now, with only a few months left until that deal expires, his future has been getting discussed a lot in the media.

Woosnam, reporting for The Athletic, tweeted: “Roy Hodgson says he has no desire to provoke the conversation over his contract with the club. He says he is happy to wait until the summer and to wait and see what the future brings.”

The 73 year-old has been at the club since September 2017 and has taken charge of 145 matches (Transfermarkt). In these games, he has managed 1.24 points per game and has kept the South London side comfortably in the division. Clearly many have respected his time at the club, with one calling him a ‘class act’.

However, the Eagles’ form recently has been far from impressive. A Hodgson side is typically known for its stern defence, but this campaign they have only managed four clean sheets. They have also only won three games in the last twelve and this emphasises that the manager has struggled this season.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the news:

“Very short sighted. If we are getting a new manager in, which I believe we should, the work starts now planning for season 21/22 in terms of identifying players available on free transfers. Also, who is making the decisions on what players who are out of contract soon? Bizarre.”

Credit: @Gordon_Reid1982

“If he’s waiting till the summer i think that’s him gone”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

“I think he will go in the summer by mutual consent”

Credit: @lorrain6781447

“He needs to retire and rest I don’t know he does it too stressful for a guy his age”

Credit: @2010MOE_18

“Roy is a total Gent and a class act. I may not agree with his all of his decisions, tactics and subs etc but his manner is an example to other managers.”

Credit: @PeterHoward01

“I think the writing is on the wall, and Parish better be doing his work on a new manager search. Time to be thorough and get the right guy that can bring this club to the next level.”

Credit: @UbikWintermute

In other news, CPFC fans were fuming at one-star during a recent loss. Have a read who it was here!

Che Adams’ form has dipped significantly in recent weeks for Southampton, which has seemingly been a big factor in their poor run of form, and Ralph Hasenhuttl should now consider dropping the striker from his starting XI.

Adams, who joined from Birmingham City in the summer of 2019, endured a difficult first few months with the Saints last season, before finding his feet after project restart, starting with his impressive goal in the 1-0 win against Manchester City.

The 24-year-old striker continued that form into the new season and started superbly, with four goals and four assists for the Saints in the opening 13 Premier League fixtures.

However, he has now failed to contribute a single goal or assist in his last 10 appearances, with his lack of confidence in front of goal summed up when he missed an open goal in the Saints 2-0 win against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup recently.

Whilst he is unlucky not to have been on the scoresheet against Manchester United earlier this month, when his goal was ruled out by VAR for a ‘clear and obvious’ offside, his recent form has been far from good enough.

Hasenhuttl, therefore, should consider promoting someone such as Daniel N’Lundulu instead of Adams, to make it clear that the Englishman is not guaranteed a starting spot in this team.

Certainly, Adams’ partnership with Danny Ings in the Saints attack has not been evident in recent fixtures and considering N’Lundulu scored on his first start in the win against Shrewsbury, it is perhaps time he replaced Adams in the starting side for more Premier League fixtures.

Last season, Hasenhuttl described Adams as a “hero” after his upturn in form, and he clearly has faith in the striker, considering he sent experienced back-up forward Shane Long on loan to Bournemouth in the winter transfer window, but if Adams’ form doesn’t drastically improve in the near future, he is surely due some time on the bench.

And, in other news… Southampton missed out on signing international beast who could’ve challenged KWP

Newcastle United lost 3-1 to Manchester United on the weekend, however, there were two potential penalty incidents that resulted in two very difficult outcomes and former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has given his verdict on the decisions.

Halsey discusses penalty incidents

During the match Marcus Rashford was adjudged to have been fouled in the box by Joe Willock, and the referee gave Man United a penalty. However, much earlier on in the game, Harry Maguire took out Jamal Lascelles in the box and nothing was given.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern about these incidents, Halsey said: “There was minimal contact (on Rashford) but if that’s a penalty, then Newcastle’s, where Harry Maguire takes out Jamaal Lascelles, is 100% a penalty, no shadow of a doubt. You know, if he’s giving that to Man United, then he’s got to give that one to Newcastle for consistency.

“All you ask for is consistency for 90 minutes. So if you’re giving that as a penalty (to Man United), which I’m not complaining about as there was a slight contact and he’s gone down, well, there was more contact on Lascelles from Maguire at the other end after four minutes, that should have penalised. You know, the Newcastle penalty is far more of a penalty than the Man United one. One was given and one wasn’t but in my opinion, both should have been given”

Newcastle should have had a penalty

When you look back at the Maguire challenge, it seems like he isn’t even looking at the ball and is instead focused more on obstructing Lascelles. Newcastle should feel like they were unlucky to not get a decision and will once again be upset with the standard of officiating in the division.

Consistency is all supporters want, and currently, even with VAR involved, fans are not getting it.

It feels as if VAR is now causing more issues and the standard of officiating has dropped and this should be a big worry for fans of all clubs in the top-flight.

In other news, find out what relegation claim has been dropped by the NCSL on the potential takeover here!

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur paid an agent a multi-million-pound fee for the transfer of one of the club’s summer signings.

The report by Football Insider claimed that a ‘recruitment source’ has revealed, as part of Tottenham’s deal to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers right-back Matt Doherty last summer, that Daniel Levy and the Spurs board paid super-agent Jorge Mendes a £6m fee.

As a result, it is reported that only around £10m of the figure Tottenham paid for the £18m-rated defender actually went to the selling club, with the remainder going directly to Mendes.

Transfer Tavern Take

While it is questionable whether Doherty has been worth the £15.12m with which Jose Mourinho’s side parted in order secure his signing last summer – as the 29-year-old has featured in just 12 Premier League games so far this season, over which he has averaged a rather disappointing WhoScored match rating of 6.65 – from Tottenham’s point of view, to whom exactly the Doherty transfer money went is not likely to be a great cause for concern.

The issue would appear to be more of a relevant point for Wolves, who, if Football Insider are to be believed, saw around a third of the transfer fee received for the sale of their fifth-best player in the league last season pocketed by Mendes.

In other Tottenham news, this Spurs transfer admission lifted the lid on a failed Daniel Levy coup with Pochettino – find out more here!

Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, ex-West Brom player Carlton Palmer has suggested that his old side could end up regretting their decision to sack former manager Slaven Bilic.

Bilic was relieved of his duties before the start of the new year, with the Baggies managing to take just seven points from their first 13 Premier League matches.

Sam Allardyce, who has never seen relegation from English football’s top division, has since been brought in. And while Palmer is convinced the 66-year-old can still lead the Midlands club to survival, the dismissal of Bilic has left a sour taste in the mouth.

In an exclusive interview with FFC, Palmer said:

“I’m a little bit of a believer. I’ve always believed in fate and I’ll always believe a little bit in karma. I wonder if the fact of how they’ve treated Bilic might come back and haunt them because I thought it was a very unfair dismissal.”

It is not hard to see why the removal of Bilic from the Hawthorns dugout has not gone down well everywhere.

At that stage there was, of course, still a large chunk of the season left, giving the Croatian time to try and turn things around. As well as that, West Brom had shown some signs of being a capable team under Bilic.

In his last game, the Baggies managed to earn a point from a 1-1 draw with Premier League leaders Manchester City. They were also close to claiming all three points against Chelsea at the start of the season, only to be denied by a Tammy Abraham equaliser at the death in a highly entertaining 3-3 draw.