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Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be interested in replacing Antonio Conte with Julian Nagelsmann – but the German is not expected to make a decision until the summer.

Is Nagelsmann Tottenham's first choice?

Having been released by Bayern Munich last week, it is reported Nagelsmann has emerged as one of the front-runners on the north London club's radar.

But he is not the only one with the director of football, Fabio Paratici, believed to have drawn up a shortlist of potential options for Daniel Levy to choose from.

Following the Italian's departure, Cristian Stellini – along with Ryan Mason – is expected to see out the campaign in the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And the notion of potentially bringing in Nagelsmann over the coming days has been shut down by journalist Valentina Maceri speaking on Sky Sports:

"As far as we know, Nagelsmann has no interest to join a club right now because he wants to take his time to reconsider everything that he experienced at Bayern Munich.

"He wants to reanalyse everything he did with Bayern Munich. So he wants to take his time to breathe, to take a break and to rethink about what he has achieved so far as a very, very young coach."

Should Spurs look beyond Nagelsmann?

A big decision awaits the north London side over the coming days, with the prospect of seeing out the remaining 10 games with Stellini and Mason when there is Champions League football to play for.

Whatever Spurs do, it does feel as if recent results have put them in a position where Champions League football is going to be a big challenge with their injury issues in mind.

The draw against Southampton saw Spurs miss the opportunity to go four points clear of Newcastle United with 10 games remaining.

And the issue now lies in the Magpies having two games in hand over the Lilywhites with the gap reduced down to two points.

This will put huge pressure on the shoulders of whoever is the manager for the remainder of the campaign.

If it is to be Stellini, then he certainly has some massive tests ahead of him with away trips to Liverpool and Newcastle as well as home games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United within the next month.

But there would remain some uncertainty as to whether a new face could provide a big enough boost at this stage in the season to get them over the lines.

And with Nagelsmann seemingly off the cards, it does reduce the number of realistic appointments, with only Luis Enrique and Mauricio Pochettino currently out of a job.

There is a lot of uncertainty around Spurs with the futures of Harry Kane and Fabio Paratici remaining unresolved as yet, so perhaps it is best for a potential new manager to wait until the summer to assess his options.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal sensation Folarin Balogun should be patient over his international future, after he was pictured near the USA men's national team training base.

What's going on with Balogun?

The striker, who has excelled on loan at Stade de Reims this season, is currently eligible to declare for either England or the United States as his national team, and recently pulled out of the England Under-21 squad with injury.

He was later pictured in Orlando, causing potential excitement that he could declare for the USA, the country of his birth, but Watts has urged him to be patient over his decision.

The 21-year-old has scored 18 goals in his loan spell this season, and there are now big decisions to be made over his future at club and international level.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts claimed Balogun could be the natural successor to Harry Kane for England if he continues in his current form and that he should wait before declaring for either nation.

He said: "I think he'd be mad to make a decision now on his international future.

"I just don't think there is any rush for him to do that. I can understand the temptation of picking the US now, because they're throwing everything at him, they're making him feel really, really wanted.

"I'm imagining they're going to be offering him to be basically the poster boy at the World Cup in the build-up to the World Cup in four years' time. They desperately need a striker – he is that striker, he's very exciting, he's young.

"He could be the poster boy for the US, and that must be a very tempting prospect, and I'm sure there'd be lots of commercial opportunities with that as well.

"But that's not going to go away. And I just feel that the World Cup's still four years away, there's an awful lot of time yet left for him to make a decision.

"If he does harbour any sort of hope of playing for England, which you'd think he probably does, because he would have chosen the US by now if not, then why not just wait a little bit until the end of next season?"

What should Balogun do next?

Despite his incredible form on loan this season, he still has a decision to make over his future at Arsenal, as he is far from guaranteed game time due to the presence of Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard up front.

The £32k-per-week wonderkid could embark on a loan spell in the Premier League to earn regular minutes and try to force his way into the Arsenal side, and we feel his future at club level could impact his future on the international stage.

If he ends up becoming a regular striker at Arsenal and continues to improve, it would surely only be a matter of time before he came into consideration for England. However, if he leaves Arsenal or his form dips, he may lose that chance.

If he declares for either England or the USA now, he runs the risk of jeopardising his international future whilst uncertainty reigns over his long-term future at club level.

Leeds United's struggling form has seen them slip into the relegation zone in recent weeks, as results for their fellow strugglers have started to pick up.

The likes of Everton and Bournemouth earning unexpected victories does little to offset their albeit impressive point gained against the high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion, as they still fall further behind.

There are numerous factors that are contributing to their abysmal season, with Javi Gracia desperately scrambling to find solutions to all of them in time to save them from a return to the Championship.

Although they are already set to be without Tyler Adams today due to injury, perhaps the Spaniard could look to completely refresh his midfield in favour of some youthful exuberance. Whilst the American has shone and his absence will be missed, to remove Marc Roca as well would hardly change much given how he has underperformed of late.

Brought in from Bayern Munich in the summer, his experience was expected to be invaluable in the engine room as a metronomic presence that would allow them to dictate the play. That has not been the case, and soon he must lose his place because of these consistently poor displays.

Who will play in midfield for Leeds?

Journalist Phil Hay offered a glimpse into what Gracia might be thinking for this clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, as he relayed the following information on Twitter:

"Gracia says Darko Gyabi and Archie Gray are midfielders he'll think about using while Adams is out."

Whilst this could at face value be seen as a sole replacement for their one absentee, given none of Roca's past five displays has surpassed a 6.8 rating, he too could be in the firing line.

In fact, his performance in that aforementioned draw with the Seagulls was particularly abhorrent, as he earned a 6.1 rating underpinned by just one duel won all game as he touched the ball just 42 times (via Sofascore).

Only in January had journalist Beren Cross slammed the £50k-per-week dud too, as he spoke on the LeedsLive Facebook stream after their FA Cup exit:

"Roca, I felt faded. I thought he had a pretty good first half, Marc Roca. Certainly not as refined in his tackling as [Tyler] Adams. But he got about the pitch well, put his foot in, was a disrupter to Brentford when they were trying to build attacks.

“But in the second half, he started to look quite leggy and tired and made some quite tired challenges which left Leeds in the lurch at times."

This was a sentiment journalist Jonny Buchan echoed, who lambasted the set piece takers, namely Jack Harrison and the Spaniard, for their "unforgivable" poor deliveries, when speaking on BBC Radio Leeds [28 February 2023, 25min].

With the media clearly clocking on to his consistently poor showings, surely Gracia will be too. It might be a bold move, but there is no point relying on experience when the quality is so clearly lacking.

Graham Potter has seen his Chelsea side pick up three consecutive victories recently and the former Brighton boss looks set for a long-term project at Stamford Bridge.

After some serious investment in the summer and in January, the Englishman will have to consider carefully how to best manage his squad at the end of the season, with some names surely likely to depart.

If the Blues have aspirations of challenging at the top end of the Premier League once again, then Potter must consider getting rid of 23-year-old academy graduate, Trevoh Chalobah.

What is Chalobah's record at Chelsea?

Chalobah, who is the younger brother of Nathaniel, has been with Chelsea since he was nine and has progressed through the academy and into the first team.

The centre-back would enjoy loan spells with the likes of Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and FC Lorient before breaking into Chelsea's senior side last season, featuring 29 times under Thomas Tuchel in all competitions.

He has gone on to make another 22 appearances so far this campaign to take his tally to 51 outings in a Chelsea shirt but his form so far suggests that he cannot be considered a viable long-term option in Potter's squad.

In 15 Premier League appearances, the young defender has averaged a disappointing 6.48 rating from WhoScored, which ranks him as the 23rd-best performer in Potter's inflated squad.

Chelsea's upturn in form has coincided with Chalobah being returned to the bench, with the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile all earning higher average ratings from WhoScored than the academy graduate so far this campaign.

Despite his role as a defender, the English defender ranks 21st for tackles, ninth for interceptions and eighth for aerials won per game in the top flight throughout 2022/23, which suggests that Potter has far better options at his disposal.

Although he still has plenty of time to develop, the age of 23 cannot be considered that young in football anymore, especially when you consider that the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are widely regarded as two of the best strikers on the planet at 22 and 24 respectively.

Wesley Fofana and Badiashile are both younger than Chalobah yet are arguably more established talents, while the Blues also have the exciting Levi Colwill out on loan at Brighton.

Chelsea did hand the 23-year-old defender a new £50k-per-week contract recently, as he followed in the footsteps of the new signings by agreeing to a long-term deal until 2028.

However, his performances this season indicate that this could have been a mistake by the Blues, as Potter arguably has better and younger centre-backs in his squad.

After some disappointing performances so far this campaign, the 47-year-old boss should ruthlessly bring an end to Chalobah's 14-year stay at Stamford Bridge and cash in on the defender while his stock is still high.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for Napoli and Mexico winger Hirving Lozano this summer.

The Lowdown: Attackers wanted

Newcastle are in the market for new attackers in the summer, having recently been linked with the likes of Liverpool winger Diogo Jota and Reims striker Folarin Balogun, who is on loan from Arsenal.

Despite sitting in sixth place in the Premier League table, they are only the 10th highest scorers, and with their defensive record so good, the forward line is the area that they will likely want to strengthen first come the next transfer window.

The Latest: Lozano interest

As per Italian news outlet Il Mattino, the St. James’ Park outfit are one of a number of clubs ‘interested’ in signing Lozano this summer, with both Arsenal and Chelsea also thought to be in the mix.

The Mexico international would ‘accept’ a move to the Premier League, should Napoli sanction his sale.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Lozano boasts plenty of high-level experience at the age of just 27, as he has played 372 games at club level and also boasts 63 senior caps for his country (Transfermarkt).

In those matches, he has managed an impressive 129 goals, mainly operating from the wings.

Hailed as a player with ‘unique quality’ by his Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti, Lozano would add a different dynamic to the Magpies’ attack for next season, and it would be a real coup to sign him ahead of high-flying Arsenal and ‘big six’ club Chelsea.

Manchester United can book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with victory over West Ham United at Old Trafford this evening, with the Red Devils hoping to maintain their rampant recent momentum, following the wins over both Barcelona and Newcastle United in the Europa League and Carabao Cup, respectively, last week.

The latter triumph saw manager Erik ten Hag claim his first piece of silverware as United boss, with the Dutchman seeing his side run out 2-0 winners in what was a rather comfortable Wembley outing on Sunday.

Despite the euphoria of ending the club’s almost six-year trophy drought, the celebrations for both players and staff have been cut short amid the quick turnaround ahead of the visit of the Hammers, with Ten Hag unlikely to condone any complacency from his side.

That being said, the 53-year-old may be inclined to shuffle his pack amid what has been a hectic run of fixtures of late, with doubts also emerging regarding the fitness of both Fred and Luke Shaw following the weekend win, while Anthony Martial is also not yet ready to return.

How will Man United line up against West Ham?

With that team news in mind, Football FanCast predicts that there will be seven changes from the side that were victorious against the Magpies, with tonight’s meeting handing the chance for a handful of fringe assets to impress…

4-3-3 – (GK) Heaton; (RB) Wan-Bissaka, (CB) Maguire, (CB) Martinez, (LB) Malacia; (CDM) Casemiro, (CM) Sabitzer, (CM) Iqbal; (RW) Antony, (ST) Weghorst, (LW) Sancho

The most notable changes could lie in the backline with backup ‘keeper Tom Heaton likely to come into the side, while Lisandro Martinez could be the only survivor from the weekend win, partnering club captain Harry Maguire – whose deteriorating performances have been branded “woeful” in the past by journalist Tom McDermott – at centre-back.

As for the midfield ranks, the influential Casemiro could be joined by January arrival Marcel Sabitzer and teenager, Zidane Iqbal, with the 19-year-old’s inclusion allowing Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes the chance to earn a well-earned rest.

The 28-year-old may not be the only key figure to drop to the bench with leading scorer Marcus Rashford another who could benefit from a break from the action, with the Englishman having been a doubt prior to facing Eddie Howe’s men.

The forward’s place in the side could then be taken by compatriot Jadon Sancho, with the former Borussia Dortmund gem set to line up alongside both Wout Weghorst and Antony in the forward line.

Fabrizio Romano has claimedFabrizio Romano has claimed that discussions over image rights are what’s stalling Alejandro Garnacho from signing a new Manchester United deal.

The Lowdown: A new deal is deserved

Garnacho has certainly burst onto the scene this season with the young winger being handed 27 appearances across all competitions by Erik ten Hag and he’s rewarded the Dutch boss for his faith by registering nine goal involvements.

The young winger is certainly not anywhere near being a first-team starter on a regular basis with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho likely ahead of him given their experience at this level.

However, it’s very exciting that Garnacho is able to perform when called upon – as shown by his midweek goal in the FA Cup – because he’s still not out of his teens and is clearly good enough for the Red Devils.

The Latest: Garnacho edging closer to a new contract

Romano has revealed that both parties are now ever close to agreeing on a new contract for Garnacho, although the player’s image rights and who will own them is seemingly the only stumbling block in these discussions.

He said: (3:15) “One of the decisions for Man United is now to accelerate on the new deal for Alejandro Garnacho.

“Man United and Garnacho’s representatives are really in advanced talks to extend the contract, the part missing is about the image rights but everything is almost ready.

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“It’s a five-year deal and it’s an important salary for Alejandro Garnacho who is a fantastic talent born in July 2004 and he’s already performing at an incredible level.”

The Verdict: New contract works for everyone involved

Given that Garnacho is still seemingly on a low wage because he’d never started a first-team game prior to this season, a bump to reportedly around £50,000 per week will be good for the player and not disrupt Man United’s wage bill too much.

As it stands, Garnacho has a contract that runs until the summer of 2024, so getting one thrashed out as soon as possible is one less thing for Man United and Ten Hag to worry about because allowing a talent such as Garnacho to run down his deal would be a nightmare.

Also, for Garnacho to be getting a decent amount of first-team minutes at such a tender age and with a club that’s clearly on the up is pretty much everything he needed to be convinced why he should stay at Old Trafford.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has been on the list of Premier League clubs ahead of the summer following reported interest from Leeds United.

Could Postecolgou leave Celtic?

It was heavily reported over recent weeks that the Australian was one of the names believed to be on Leeds’ list to replace Jesse Marsch earlier in the year.

However, it seemed apparent the Celtic boss was not looking to leave Parkhead in the middle of a season when there were trophies there to be won for the Scottish champions.

And that proved to be a wise decision as he led the Bhoys to victory in the Scottish League Cup over the weekend against their bitter rivals.

But speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has mooted interest from south of the border which could potentially prise him away in the future:

(13:40) “The manager is fantastic, for example, he’s one of the names who was mentioned internally at Leeds, but he was not going to leave Celtic job during the season. So we will see in the future.

“But he’s always been on the list of important clubs in the Premier League because he’s doing very well and also the atmosphere he created in the dressing room and also with the fans is something really special.”

Who could Postecoglou leave for?

As mentioned, it is believed Leeds were interested in the 57-year-old earlier in the year as a potential option to replace Marsch but they are not the only Premier League side to have been credited with an interest.

Reports in recent months have suggested there have been a host of top-flight English sides who have held an interest in the 57-year-old.

The likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton and Southampton have all been said to be interested parties but the Australian seems to be off the market – at least until the summer.

And it will be interesting to see whether Postecoglou feels as if the summer will provide him with an opportunity to tackle a new challenge.

The Scottish League Cup is already under his belt for the season and it seems as if the Bhoys are going to cruise to the Scottish title for the second season in a row under Postecoglou.

With that, it begs the question of whether the 57-year-old feels as if he may be close to doing all he can with Celtic with very little else to achieve at the club.

What Postecoglou has done at Parkhead is impressive and he will have the security and support of the club going forward if he does choose to stay.

But there is potentially an interest in managing south of the border which would bring its own risks given the cut-throat nature of sacking managers in the Premier League.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a potential ‘huge’ deal to bring Nikola Krstovic to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: Krstovic profiled

The striker is enjoying an impressive season at Dunajska Streda in Slovakia, where he has scored 19 goals and supplied a further four assists in just 26 games across all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).

He has also been capped five times by Montenegro by the age of 22, providing one assist for his country (Transfermarkt), and he could attract plenty of interest this summer, with his club turning down enquiries for him in the January transfer window.

The Latest: Would take a ‘huge outlay’

As per Football Insider, Rangers will ‘struggle’ to sign Krstovic this summer, as it would take a ‘huge outlay’ to sign him, while also involving selling one of the Light Blues’ current options.

His club are looking for a fee of between £4m and £5m to sell him, with his contract not set to expire until 2025, and they are expected to knock back further bids for him in the summer transfer window.

Krstovic is seen as a potential replacement at Ibrox for Alfredo Morelos, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

The Verdict: Worth the risk?

Signing Krstovic for up to £5m would certainly feel like a risk for Rangers, as he would rank highly among their record signings over the years.

However, signing a striker is imperative should Morelos leave Ibrox, as his goals (121 for the club) will not be easy to replace.

Krstovic has already shown this season that he knows where the back of the net is, but there may be question marks over whether he can replicate that form in the Premiership.

Nonetheless, the 6 foot 1 forward is only 22, so he should have the potential to improve drastically under Michael Beale, should the Light Blues decide to splash the cash on him.

Tottenham Hotspur will look to revisit Antonio Conte’s former club for another signing this summer after edging closer to signing Ivan Perisic this week…

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Pasquale Guarro of Calciomercato, the north London outfit will push to sign Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni after the defender received a personal call from manager Antonio Conte.

“There is not only #Perisic in the aims of #Tottenham , the “Spurs” push for #Bastoni and in recent days the defender has received the call of #Conte,” he tweeted.

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The Italy international has been linked with a move frequently since the climax of the 2021/22 campaign, with The Athletic revealing that Conte is a big admirer, though the Serie A giants will not be pushed to sell him, given his talent and potential.

They could request a fee in the region of £50m.

Conte’s summer dream

Bastoni would be something of a dream signing for the 52-year-old at Hotspur Way as he looks to bolster his playing squad with a much-needed addition.

After arriving in N17 back in November, Conte quickly adapted Spurs’ system to a three-man defence but he did so without a solid left-sided central defender.

Full-back Ben Davies has been the man to play alongside Eric Dier and Atalanta loanee Cristian Romero and whilst he has done a very decent job, he’s not a natural middle man, whereas Conte’s former starlet is.

On Inter’s way to their first Scudetto in 2021/22, the 23-year-old started 33 matches and he has continued to impress under Simeone Inzaghi, managing 44 appearances across in all competitions.

As a player compared to both Leonardo Bonucci and Alessandro Nesta, it’s no surprise that his ball-playing ability is something that stands out amongst the rest of his qualities and it’s no wonder Conte is super keen to sign him for Tottenham.

According to The Athletic in April 2022, the Inter centre-back ranked inside the top five of all Serie A defenders for attempted passes per 90, whilst also ranking in the top 6% for intensity and top 14% for ball retention.

Bastoni, described as a “phenomenon” by Italian football expert Conor Clancy to Football FanCast recently, would be a superb arrival this off-season.

The £54m-rated colossus is evidently the manager’s no.1 defensive target, so sporting director Fabio Paratici and co must do all they can do seal his signature. It would be £50m well invested.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops major Conte update at Spurs…