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Tottenham have held "positive contacts" with Feyenoord coach Arne Slot who could beat other managers to the job, explains Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

Spurs are ever so slowly whittling down their long list of managerial candidates from the last fortnight, with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann out of contention among others.

The likes of Vincent Kompany (Burnley) and Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso were also of interest to chairman Daniel Levy, but both managers have recently committed their long term futures.

The Lilywhites are rumoured to be targeting Sporting Lisbon's head coach Ruben Amorim, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Slot as a result – with Celtic's Ange Postecoglou also under real consideration.

Levy is reportedly stepping up his chase for a new manager with key meetings scheduled in the coming days, and as the summer transfer window approaches, this could be good news for Spurs supporters.

Going back to Slot, there has been an update on Spurs' strong links to the Dutchman courtesy of Sky reporter Di Marzio, who shared news on his personal website.

The transfer journalist claims "positive contacts" have been held with Feyenoord's coach, fresh off his first ever Eredivisie title win, and he's now a "serious candidate" who "could eventually beat the competition from the other profiles".

Not much is said after this revelation, but Di Marzio's update will be promising for sections of the Spurs fanbase who wish to see Slot succeed Antonio Conte.

Who is Arne Slot?

The Dutchman has been very impressive for Feyenoord, not only guiding them to a title win this season, but also nearly clinching a UEFA Europa Conference League title last year.

Slot narrowly lost out to Jose Mourinho's Roma but all the signs of an exciting, young and hungry tactician are certainly there.

Media members from his homeland, like Netherlands football journalist Marcel van der Kraan, are in no doubt over Slot's huge potential and attacking style.

The 44-year-old has drawn comparisons to Man City manager Pep Guardiola, with van der Kraan claiming to talkSPORT he imposes a similar style.

“He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time."

“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

Van der Kraan also branded Slot the "most exciting" manager he's seen in the last 10 years.

Another match, another rout. At least for Pakistan they can leave this one knowing home is not too far away. It has been a tour to forget

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford07-Jul-2016
ScorecardLauren Winfield top-scored for England with 63 off 40 balls•Getty ImagesAnother match, another rout. At least for Pakistan they can leave this one knowing home is not too far away. It has been a tour to forget: a sizeable 6-0 blemish on the last six months that saw them turn over India, in India, at the World T20. From their inability to counter England’s top-order assaults, to their oversized playing kit, which billowed with every misfield and misguided hack across the line – this tour has shown they have much more work to do.A fifth won toss in six and Heather Knight had no qualms batting first: England had won all 11 previous matches at Chelmsford and, with that in mind, Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield ensured a 12th was sewn up early with an opening stand of 108.Across the six matches, the first England wicket has been worth 801 – more than half of their team’s runs. When Pakistan do return to their own beds, a few of their bowlers might want to check under them to ensure Beaumont and Winfield are nowhere to be seen. Both their half-centuries were typical of their play over the last month: Winfield willing and on the front foot, Beaumont wristy and devastating.The familiarity spread right through to the game’s conclusion. Pakistan were run ragged in the field and, facing a total they had no intention of chasing – Danni Wyatt pilfered 11 from the first four balls of the final over to help England set 170 – it was just a matter or whether they would be bowled out in the allotted time. In the end, they finished seven wickets down and 57 short.England rang changes with the ball, the most noticeable being left-armer Tash Farrant coming in for Katherine Brunt. Having made her debut at the age of 17, Farrant spent two years on the sidelines from January 2014 to February 2016, when Mark Robinson gave her a run out in England’s final T20I before the World T20.Hers is an example he was keen to address: a player picked young yet too young to cope with being dropped and overlooked for a prolonged period. Now 20, she looked at ease, cycling through her variations and even nabbing the wicket of opener Nahida Khan with a slower ball that was flat-batted back to her. There were first international wickets, too, for Alex Hartley.Talking about how easy you find things is one of cricket’s great taboos, but even Heather Knight, a measured individual who seems to cringe at her own success, might wonder what all the fuss of captaining your country is about.From the early part of Robinson’s tenure as head coach, it was evident that both he and Knight were on the same page. In one of their first coach-player interactions, Knight said she wanted to move away from feeling like the onus is on her to bat for as long as possible. She wanted freedom.As captain, she has been able to afford that to the rest of her team. All this while questions were being asked of whether life after Charlotte Edwards would really be so rosy. Those answers will not be able to be given just yet, but Knight was understandably punchy in the press conference.”There was a lot of noise around the squad before the series and the girls have responded. The cricket we have played has been really entertaining to watch. Everyone is feeding off the success of each other and it’s been a really nice place to be.”That last point is key. Perhaps one of the most noticeable elements of this England side is how much more open they seem. And while players young and experienced have commented on how Robinson has created a relaxed atmosphere, it has been particularly clear to former players no longer in the system.Caroline Atkins, who represented England between 2001 and 2011, was taken aback at how at ease the players were when she was around the team at Taunton as they prepared for the third ODI. It was not an atmosphere she was used to. Isa Guha and Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent have also presented caps to debutants during this tour, something that has rarely happened in English women’s cricket. Rainford-Brent, who  presented Hartley with her T20 cap before this match, was even invited into the team huddle – a ringed haven usually reserved for squad members.There are of course elements that still need work. On a personnel level, Kate Cross’ return to international cricket, after an impressive pre-season tour of Sri Lanka with the England Academy, was disappointing, as she took 1 for 56 from the 11 overs she bowled across the first two ODIs. Cross will spend the next few weeks up to the inaugural Women’s Super League fine-tuning some technical aspects of her game, such as her front arm, before leading the Lancashire Thunder in what is hoped to be a testing fortnight of high-level cricket. She will hope her name will be added to the long list of seamers Robinson has healed.Long term, it will be interesting to see whether the confidence gained from these six matches can carry through into something more sustainable. This is not a team that likes to blow their own trumpet. But after six matches of runs, wickets and outright dominance, and given the manner in which they are looking to play their cricket, they might have to get used to it.

Glasgow Rangers have endured one of their worst seasons in recent memory.

The Ibrox outfit will end the campaign trophyless while they have also sacked a manager and even managed to secure the record for the worst ever Champions League group stage performance, losing all six matches and scoring just twice.

Michael Beale will be aiming to put 2022/2023 firmly in the rearview mirror once their finally match has been played and turn his attention to the summer transfer window, with the squad badly needing to be overhauled.

It could be the Gers busiest transfer window in recent memory, especially with seven first team players out of contract and the Englishman will be eyeing up a fair few arrivals too.

Could the 42-year-old turn to the academy to save the club some money?

With plenty of young talent impressing for both the B team and U18s, next season could have a very different feel to it.

One player that Beale may consider giving more opportunities to is defender Lewis MacKinnon and the Ibrox side could certainly their repeat their Leon King masterclass.

Who is Lewis MacKinnon?

The 20-year-old centre-back plays in the same position as King, and he could follow in his footsteps by making the leap to the first team next term.

King is a stunning prospect, making his debut for the club under Steven Gerrard in 2020 aged just 16, he has since gone on to feature for the Light Blues on 28 occasions, gaining valuable Champions League experience along the way.

MacKinnon may not have made his senior bow yet, but there is no doubt the ability is there and with the club having nothing to play for across the final five matches of the season, there may be an opportunity to impress.

He offers a rare attacking threat from central defence having scored three times this term while the Northern Irishman has even stated that he aims to be “solid” in his own box, also admitting that he has improved while speaking to the media earlier this season, saying:

"The Lowland League has been more of a physical test, but when we play these top European teams you’re coming across a different challenge, it’s probably more technical playing against these teams. Ultimately, it will help us improve as a player, everyone’s enjoying it.

“If you look at the boys who got a start against Queen of the South, it just shows you that the pathway is there, and you just have to keep striving each day."

King has proven that there is indeed a clear pathway from academy to the senior side, and Beale could well unleash him either in the final few matches of this season, or bring him into the first team squad ahead of 2023/2024.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst has slammed Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford following his 'Ineffectual" display in the club's recent defeat.

What's the latest on Marcus Rashford and Man United?

The Red Devils took on Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon with both teams pushing for a spot in the Champions League places.

Man United's ambitious took a major blow, however, as they lost 2-0 at at St James' Park, which means they now slip two fourth while their opponents leapfrog them into third thanks to superior goal difference.

After a well-fought first half, Joe Willock eventually broke the deadlock after 65 minutes and then Callum Wilson sealed the deserved win late on with a header.

It was clearly a bad day for all involved from the Red Devils' point of view but it seems as though one man stood out for Luckhurst.

In his player ratings for the Manchester Evening News, he gave Rashford and 3/10 for his efforts.

He explained why, writing: "Struggled to get going so much he swapped wings with Antony and had no joy against the more cumbersome [Dan] Burn. Ineffectual."

Is Marcus Rashford fit?

Journalist Michael Plant of Manchester World seemed to concur as he went even harsher and handed Rashford a 2/10 for his performance.

His player rating read: "Another who failed to have much of an impact on the game. Rashford didn’t have enough touches and was poor when in possession."

When you look at the player's stats on SofaScore, it doesn't make for pretty reading either. Indeed, his 6.1 score was the worst on the field for either team.

What's more, he lost the ball 10 times, won 0/4 duels, completed 74% passing, didn't have a single shot at goal (on or off target), failed with two dribble attempts, and managed just 29 touches in 90 minutes.

To put that in perspective, even Wout Weghorst at least managed to get one shot at goal (albeit off target), and fellow winger Anthony completed two dribbles and won five duels.

To be fair, Rashford – who makes £200k-p/w – had actually pulled out of the England squad during the international break and he was an injury doubt coming into this game.

On the evidence of his latest display, it's probably safe to assume he wasn't 100 per cent (much like his passing). Even so, his manager wouldn't have played him if he wasn't ready to make an impact, so there really is no excuse to be quite as poor as he was.

Newcastle United have come a long way from the days when Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley owned the club and in just over one year the club has been transformed from relegation battlers to top-four contenders.

The Magpies reached their first domestic cup final since 1999 and are currently just two points off a Champions League qualifying spot inside the top four with 12 games remaining this season – a far cry from the bitter memories Ashley left behind.

Indeed, the St James' Park faithful will have only a handful of positive moments to reflect on over the unpopular owner's 14-year reign, but just like a broken clock always right twice a day – he did have some rare success when it came to transfer business during his tenure.

Ashley made some controversial decisions during his time in the northeast, particularly with certain players' futures under the reign of Kevin Keegan and Rafa Benitez, but from an individual standpoint, he made a pretty profit on some to done the famous jersey.

One of the exits he had no choice but to sanction was the sale of Ayoze Perez in 2019 when the Spaniard who had been signed for £1.5m was sold for £30m to Leicester City after the Foxes triggered a release clause in the player's contract – a technicality that Ashley claimed to regret.

Where is Ayoze Perez now?

There is no doubt that the sale of Perez was met with fury from supporters after tallying up 195 appearances, 48 goals and 17 assists, becoming one of Newcastle's shining lights in a difficult time for the Magpies.

However, since making his £30m move to the Midlands, Perez has been unable to deliver the same output for Leicester with only 15 goals and 12 assists registered over 115 appearances – although did collect himself silverware in the form of an FA Cup back in 2021.

In more recent times, the 29-year-old – once dubbed "impressive" by Alan Shearer – found his game-time dwindling under Brendan Rodgers having often been played out of his position of a number 10 or second striker which he was so successful in at Newcastle.

Having never reached the heights once seen in the North East and running out of opportunities to convince the Leicester boss that he is worthy of a spot in his attacking threat – Perez made the move to Real Betis in January this year to get some first-team football away from the Premier League.

Over nine appearances, the Spanish forward has scored one goal and delivered one assist, hitting the back of the net against Manchester United in the Europa League but inevitably being knocked out of the European competition by the Red Devils.

With that being said, hindsight is a wonderful thing and had he stayed at St James' Park things may have been very different for Perez, however, there is no doubt that a £28.5m profit on the player who has not been in better form since is a great sale.

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.

David Moyes is a man under serious pressure at West Ham, with Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brighton a clear reminder that the Hammers are in a relegation battle this season.

Should Moyes be sacked by West Ham?

The Scottish manager has perhaps survived due to his successes in previous seasons at the London Stadium, with the Hammers reaching the Europa League semi-final last season, as well as a top-eight finish in the Premier League.

However, this domestic season has been something of a disaster for the east London outfit, as they find themselves battling at the bottom of the league, with just six wins to their name from their 25 league fixtures.

It was suggested ahead of West Ham’s 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest that a bad result could see Moyes lose his job, which he managed to avoid, but after successive losses to Manchester United and Brighton, it is surely only a matter of time until the 59-year-old is given the boot.

Incidentally, the man who was on the end of that 4-0 thrashing at the London Stadium could be the ideal successor to Moyes at the London Stadium.

Should West Ham hire Steve Cooper?

According to the Daily Mail, a number of Premier League sides have shown interest in Steve Cooper as a result of his impressive work at Nottingham Forest, with West Ham one side name-checked as a potential destination for the 43-year-old.

The Welshman first rose to prominence as manager of England U17s, with whom he won the World Cup back in 2017, helping to establish senior England players such as Phil Foden, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi.

He would then take over at Swansea City, where he led the Welsh outfit to successive Championship playoff campaigns, averaging an impressive 1.61 points per game and narrowly missing out on promotion back to the Premier League.

A third playoff campaign would follow with Nottingham Forest, as he produced an incredible turnaround with the Midlands club before steering them back to the Premier League.

The Reds started slowly but have given themselves a real chance of staying up in the top flight, and Cooper was rewarded with a new contract in 2022, despite them slipping to the bottom of the table at the time.

That faith has been rewarded by some impressive recent performances by Forest, and it is no surprise that several Premier League sides are keeping a close eye on him ahead of the summer.

Speaking live on BBC 606, pundit Chris Sutton praised Cooper following their win against Leeds, saying: “It’s sort of outrageous, the amount of players that Nottingham Forest has signed, isn’t it?

“But the end justifies the means and Steve Cooper has done an amazing job gelling all these players together.”

Considering Cooper has averaged 1.69 points per game in his time at the City Ground, compared to Moyes’ 1.52 points per game at West Ham, despite having a poorer squad on paper, the Hammers should definitely consider bringing the Welshman to the London Stadium.

Indeed, he could well be a big upgrade should their current manager be sacked.

Liverpool are considering a move to bring Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski to the Premier League this summer, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

The Lowdown: Zielinski’s PL dream

The Reds have four central players out of contract at the end of the season so have already been linked with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Matheus Nunes as replacements, but the 28-year-old Zielinski has also emerged as a candidate.

The Poland international has entered the final 18 months of his deal in Serie A so could be available for a cut-price having not committed to extending his stay in Italy.

The Napoli star reportedly dreams of playing in the top flight, which will be music to the ears of Jurgen Klopp, who appears to be watching him like a hawk.

The Latest: Galetti’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Galetti name-checked Zielinski as a player Liverpool are monitoring, alongside Sofyan Amrabat and Mikel Merino.

“As well as Amrabat, who was courted by Barcelona in this winter transfer season, [Liverpool are also looking at] Merino of Real Sociedad and Zielinski, whose contract will expire in June 2024 and will most likely leave Napoli at the end of the season.”

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The Verdict: Splash the cash

Zielinski has been dubbed a ‘baller’ by journalist Patrick Boyland and Liverpool should absolutely splash the cash to secure his services this summer.

The Nike-sponsored ace has eight assists and six goals to his name across all competitions so far this season and is currently averaging two key passes per league game.

Napoli’s maestro also offers excellent versatility having operated in seven different positions throughout his career, not to mention that he’s capable of playing with both feet.

Zielinski has all the qualities that Klopp looks for in his new recruits and it would be a massive coup should FSG be able to get a deal over the line ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Tottenham are already ‘set’ for a ‘bargain’ summer transfer tussle over France striker Marcus Thuram, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Kane future uncertain…

Spurs star Harry Kane’s future at the club is uncertain as things stand with the England international now well into the final 18 months of his contract.

The 29-year-old’s deal expires in 2024, and while there has been noise of a potential renewal, nothing has been signed as things stand.

Tottenham may need to ponder replacements for Kane, or at the very least a back-up if they wish to keep chase with Premier League football’s most elite sides.

The Latest: Spurs ‘set’ for ‘bargain’ Thuram tussle…

According to a report by AS, via Sport Witness, the Lilywhites are ‘set’ for transfer tussle to sign Borussia Monchengladbach star Thuram this summer.

Alongside Spurs, Liverpool, Atletico and Arsenal are displaying an interest in the 25-year-old who is available on a free deal as things stand.

Thuram’s contract expires later this year, making him ‘one of the bargains of the summer’, as per this update.

The Verdict: Fantastic player…

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse forward has been exceptional for Gladbach over 2022/2023, prompting his inclusion in France’s 2022 World Cup squad for Qatar.

Thuram has already hit double figures for goals in the Bundesliga, scoring 10 with a further three assists domestically.

As per WhoScored, the Frenchman has also averaged Gladbach’s highest rate of attempts at goal per 90 and sits just behind teammate Manu Kone in terms of completed dribbles.

Not only is he a physical presence going by his towering height, but it’s clear by the numbers that Thuram is a constant and ever-present threat for the German side.

Vfl Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer heaped praise on Thuram, even after his season-long injury ruled him out for the majority of 2021/2022 – calling him ‘world class’.

The attacker has proved that tag and we believe Spurs would indeed secure a bargain by signing him for free – if they can beat the competition.

West Bromwich Albion are back in action tonight as they face the replay of their FA Cup third-round clash against Chesterfield.

The Baggies are looking to translate their blistering Championship form into a prolonged cup run, with relegation no longer a serious threat. Carlos Corberan has made sure of that, leading his side to nine wins in their last ten league games as they now sit in a play-off spot, which is miraculous given their trajectory under Steve Bruce.

However, their winning run was surprisingly halted in the original third-round clash, as the plucky National League side put up quite the fight earlier this month.

Despite taking an early lead, West Brom were pegged back within five minutes before they surged in front again during a frenetic opening 17 minutes. Then, in a crazy turn of events, Chesterfield hit back to take a 3-2 lead themselves, which they held until a last-gasp equaliser from Brandon Thomas-Asante forced tonight’s replay.

However, in the run-up to that goal, the 24-year-old has since been retrospectively suspended for three matches due to ‘violent conduct’. Corberan admitted that he “cannot argue” with the decision, and as such the ex-Salford man will certainly not start against the team that he terrorised with two goals.

There was another key player in the Baggies’ comeback against Chesterfield, with Karlan Grant scoring one goal, setting up another and earning an 8.1 Sofascore rating for his display. This was narrowly shy of the Baggies’ best performer, the aforementioned and now suspended Thomas-Asante.

Despite Daryl Dike also impressing since his return from injury, with two goals in his last two league games, it is likely still too early to be subjecting the American to the full effect of the taxing fixture schedule.

Although this has been a poor season for the former Huddersfield Town man, with just three Championship goals to his name, he retains the quality which has made him a consistent threat in that division.

It was only last season that he netted 18 times in the second tier, while he scored 19 in his final campaign for the Terriers in 2019/20. This led former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips to suggest that Grant could soon be regarded as a “hero” at The Hawthorns, should he maintain such goalscoring form.

The 25-year-old is a consistent striker for this level, albeit one who is desperately scrambling for confidence. These cup matches against lower-league opposition could be instrumental in reigniting that spark and getting him firing again.

Grant has already terrorised Chesterfield with his goal against them ten days ago, and having not featured against Luton at the weekend, Corberan must recall him once again tonight.