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According to the Daily Mirror, Tottenham are set to reignite their interest in Lazio forward Keita Balde Diao, following reports that Marseille are ready to swoop for Vincent Janssen.

What’s the Story?

Following a less than impressive first campaign in the Premier League with Spurs, it appears that Vincent Janssen could be offered an escape route in the form of a bid from Marseille. This has reportedly led to Tottenham reigniting their interest in Lazio forward Keita Balde.

The Senegalese international has just one year left on his current deal with the Italian club and has so far refused to sign a new contract. Valued at £22.6million by Transfermarkt, Keita has not only seen interest from Spurs so far this summer. Everton were reported to be interested in landing the 22-year-old in June although nothing further transpired.

How good was Keita last season?

If Keita arrives at Tottenham in the form that he showed last season, you can guarantee that he will be scoring many more goals than Vincent Janssen did during his debut campaign.

In 35 appearances in all competitions, the youngster bagged an impressive 16 goals for Lazio last season. And when starting as the lone striker, Keita scored an incredible 10 goals in seven games!

Would Keita be a good signing for Tottenham?

Quick, young, technically gifted and with an eye for goal, there a few better options than Keita as a direct replacement for Vincent Janssen. While Harry Kane will always hold his place in the first eleven, Keita would be a more than able deputy and would offer goals but also impressive service into other front men.

Alexis Sanchez’s Arsenal future has been under the microscope for some time, and with the transfer window due to shut on Thursday, it is unclear whether he will move on or stay put.

Club legend Thierry Henry has suggested that he would be baffled if the Chile international chose to remain at the Emirates based on Sunday’s performance against Liverpool.

Arsene Wenger’s men were on the end of a damaging 4-0 defeat at Anfield, in a match where the team failed to get a single shot on target.

The players were ripped apart by pundits and fans after the game, and now Henry has turned his attention to Sanchez’s future.

The 28-year-old is in the final year of his contract, and if Arsenal do not sell him within the next few days, they risk losing the attacking player for nothing at the end of the season.

Sanchez started against the Reds, in what was his first appearance of the campaign, but he failed to make an impact on Merseyside.

During post-match analysis, Henry told Sky Sports:

“Why would he stay after watching this? After this type of performance? That is why [Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain] are not renewing their contracts. There is something wrong with Arsenal at the minute. It was unwatchable, at one point I wanted to leave. I don’t relate to the team and I don’t think a lot of the fans do. That is a problem.”

The arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic last year felt like a seminal moment in the re-emergence of Manchester United after the lull years under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.With Jose Mourinho, Paul Pogba and the Swedish striker all joining the Old Trafford club at the same time, it felt like United were starting to get serious. The club won won two trophies, and even though they may not have been the cups United are usually desperate to win, it was a start. The man known the world over by just his mythical first name, Zlatan, scored 28 goals in all competitions and was a talismanic figure throughout the season.And yet, things changed quite suddenly. A knee injury has kept the Swede out of action since the Europa League quarter-final in April, but that only seems to have smoothed out any difficulties in changing United’s style of play: despite so many goals, Ibrahimovic’s lack of movement was a problem at times last season, leading to a fit of turgid football and an inability to break down stubborn defences, particularly at home.This season, with Romelu Lukaku leading the line and the likes of Marcus Rashford adding pace alongside the Belgian, United have started scoring goals and creating thrilling counter-attacks. Things have been better in an attacking sense so far, and even if that doesn’t come solely from the change of main striker, not having to cater for Ibrahimovic’s particular skillset has surely been of benefit so far.And yet by the end of the summer, Ibrahimovic had signed a new deal with the club as he aimed to get back from injury and onto the pitch. But after a summer of reshuffling, he’s no longer first choice.That doesn’t mean that Ibrahimovic won’t be a very important member of the squad this season. His megalomaniacal behaviour in announcing his return to the club as a player aside, he’s clearly worked incredibly hard this summer to return to fitness, though time will tell if he’s the same player he once was, or if it has effectively forced him into an earlier than expected twilight period. Either way, he can still be an asset.This season so far, there hasn’t really been a need for him. United have blown away all opposition with the exception of Stoke City, but you know that later in the season things will get difficult. The same can be said for Manchester City, who have an identical record in every way with United. But when it comes to the hard winter games against teams who are fighting for every point in their quest for survival, you get the feeling that Ibrahimovic will be as big an asset to United as anything City have at their disposal. To be able to bring a man who would be a starting player for all but a handful of top European clubs this season off the bench to score goals late on in games is quite an astonishing weapon to have.But it’s more than just having him as a weapon. We know he can handle the pressure of the big game. We know that he has experience of scoring goals in all environments, and can be a talismanic figure when things aren’t going his side’s way. And he also has height and power – something which, as we’ve seen so far this season, seems to fit perfectly into the Mourinho mould. Indeed, even if the manager has changed tack this year, focusing on dynamic attackers who can hit teams on the counter, the Swede is still a man who can be valuable in other circumstances.

But we already know all of that. We already know how good Ibrahimovic is and we already know what he brings to the team, as well as his drawbacks. But perhaps under Mourinho there’s a role for Ibrahimovic that seems incongruous for a player of his stature and celebrity, and something we’ve seen before under a previous Manchester United manager.

It was an old Alex Ferguson trick to bring in an old poacher of a striker to keep on the bench and throw on when his side needed a goal. Bookended by younger models like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Javier Hernandez were the likes of Michael Owen and Henrik Larsson, who were brought to Old Trafford by Ferguson with the brief of coming off the bench and scoring when the side needed it most.

Ibrahimovic is in a similar mould this year. He’s the kind of player who won’t expect to start every week given his injury and the fact that the situation has now changed at the club. But he’s also exactly the kind of player Mourinho can use to change a game in which his side are losing or just when they’re failing to break down a defence.

In a very new way, Mourinho seems to be repeating an old Alex Ferguson trick.

Manchester United youngster Axel Tuanzebe has paid tribute to Romelu Lukaku for the Belgian’s influence on the team in the early stages of the 2017-18 campaign.

Lukaku joined United from Everton during the summer, with the Red Devils believed to have paid an initial £75m to sign the 24-year-old from Goodison Park.

Lukaku has scored 11 times in 10 appearances in all competitions for his new club this season, including seven Premier League goals in just seven matches.

Tuanzebe, who is yet to feature for Jose Mourinho’s side this season, has claimed that Lukaku’s influence on the whole club has made him such an important figure at Old Trafford.

Tuanzebe told MUTV:

“For us as a team Romelu has been magnificent. He’s been the standout guy as the big man up top. He’s settled in very well. He can speak about seven languages so he can interact with everyone in the squad.

“He’s been a big inspiration to the team and a good role model. He’s a really good guy and off the pitch he talks to everyone and I think that’s a great attribute to have.”

United currently sit second in the Premier League table on 19 points – only behind rivals Manchester City on goal difference after seven matches of the 2017-18 campaign.

Next up for Mourinho’s unbeaten side is a trip to bitter rivals Liverpool after the international break.

Newcastle United relinquished their lead twice against Southampton at St Mary’s on Sunday, but it was not hugely detrimental.

Rafael Benitez’s men sit ninth in the Premier League table and have recorded three wins, two draws and three defeats so far.

The Magpies have only suffered a loss once in their last six league matches and are unbeaten in two.

On Sunday, the North-East outfit had a handful of opportunities to nab all three points, but a penalty converted by Manolo Gabbiadini resulted in a 2-2 draw on away soil.

Isaac Hayden put Newcastle ahead inside the first 20 minutes of the game when he struck from the edge of the box to send the ball into the bottom corner.

Unfortunately for the midfielder, his goal did not contribute to a victory, but after he tweeted his post-match thoughts, the fans filled his timeline with plaudits.

Next up for Newcastle is a home clash against Crystal Palace at St James’ Park.

Dele Alli has told Tottenham Hotspur that he would reject a move to Manchester City if they ever came calling, according to Don Balon.

What’s the word?

Over the last few years, the midfielder has become a regular member of the Tottenham first team, as well as a fully-fledged England international.

This season, the 21-year-old has taken time to find his best form but there is no denying his ability on the pitch.

Don Balon claims that City manager Pep Guardiola is an admirer of Alli, but after he described Spurs as the “Harry Kane team”, the midfielder has ruled out ever moving to the Etihad Stadium.

The Spanish report states that manager Mauricio Pochettino has been told by the young player that he would not sign for City even if they offered £177m.

Should we take this with a pinch of salt?

If true, then there is no doubt that Alli has plenty of loyalty towards Spurs, and he should given that it has been the ideal platform for him to become a hit in the Premier League.

However, things can change so quickly in football and unfortunately nowadays it is rare to see star players become one-club men.

If Alli continues to progress, he will attract interest from the world’s top clubs, potentially including rival league heavyweights, as well as Spain’s giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

A footballer’s career is short, so a player could not be blamed for wanting to take that next step.

In Alli’s case, he is still very young and will have plenty of opportunities to move on if he continues to perform at an elite level.

Right now, Tottenham is the best place for him.

To celebrate 25 years of the Premier League each week in Football Fancast we’re going to be looking back at a memorable game that took place on the corresponding date. This time out we revisit a tempestuous east Lancs derby laden with goals.

From the moment Wade Elliott’s Play-Off final goal at Wembley in 2009 secured Burnley passage to the Premier League a large tract of Lancashire was thinking of one thing only – the first top flight ‘Cotton Mill derby’ for 43 years. For Blackburn supporters it was the solitary silver lining to an otherwise disastrous development that had seen their nearest and bitterest rivals join them in the highest echelon. For Burnley fans the prospect of going toe-to-toe with neighbours who had lorded a title and riches over them in recent times was the cherry on top of a realised dream.

The fixture list scheduled October 18th to be the date when these two fierce rivals – both founding members of the Football League – would meet which gave Rovers plenty of time to struggle out of the blocks gaining just seven points from their opening seven games. Overly reliant on the midfield dynamism of David Dunn this was anything but a vintage Blackburn side and a pale imitation of the one that challenged at the top during the Jack Walker era. If Sam Allardyce’s men looked to Dunn for their inspiration Owen Coyle’s side turned to the ferocious hothouse of Turf Moor for theirs with four wins from four at home as they experienced the heady thrill of competing as equals against Manchester United and the rest. Away from Turf Moor it was a different story altogether with four straight losses which boded badly for them since this highly anticipated local dust-up was being held at Ewood Park.

Just five minutes in however and the script was tore up. Amidst a feverish atmosphere that had built up a whole hour before kick-off Burnley started the brightest and when Robbie Blake found space out on the left he rampaged forward, cut inside and unleashed a twenty yarder low to Paul Robinson’s right. Cue an explosion of ecstasy from the Darwen End and such furious gnashing of chewing gum from Allardyce – one day away from celebrating his 55th birthday – that the Jack Walker Stand trembled. It was game on.

If this was a workmanlike Blackburn team in comparison to its predecessors there was compensation in its honesty and in Nelson, Samba, Nzonzi, and Andrews – all topped off by the gnarly horribleness of Diouf up front – there was an abundance of players whose attributes very much synced with the demands of a derby. Then there was Dunn who once again came to his hometown’s rescue with an individual equaliser just four minutes after falling behind. Better yet for the home side their talisman went on to influence proceedings for the remainder of a first half that saw two further goals as Blackburn recovered in some style and led 3-1 at the break.

The second period heralded little respite as the game continued to be played at a frenetic pace. It was a wonder there were no more goals until a consolation from Chris Eagles in the 92nd minute. It was a miracle there were no red cards, just a smattering of cautions. As everyone hoped it was a proper, earthy, old-fashioned, nasty and tasty Cotton Mill Derby.

If the narrative of the game has been somewhat whizzed through on this occasion there is a reason. Because a banner displayed in the away end on the final whistle deserves a paragraph all of its own. Unfurled in defeat to remind the victorious home support of their respective league placings the defaced bedsheet read “Burnley FC – Beaten but still above you lot”.

At first glance the banner prompts a chuckle until you consider that it was made before the game itself; before a ball or winger had been kicked. A fatalist harbinger of inevitable doom the banner said everything about the inferiority complex built up over thirty years of not getting one over on their east Lancashire rivals. In that respect Burnley were beaten before they took to the pitch.

What happened next?

Owen Coyle’s shock departure for Bolton in January derailed a club already mired in a relegation fight. They exited the Premier League after one season after giving it – and us – a great deal of drama and excitement.

Blackburn’s mid-table finish perfectly represented a perfectly average side. They won their battles, they drew their war.

At some point in the days ahead the entire nation will be reduced to a simpering, lachrymose mess as this year’s John Lewis advert drops. Grown men you admire for their healthy cynicism will claim to have dust in their eyes while your co-worker Cheryl will buy the cuddly toy version of whichever cute creature is CGIed to look really, really sad until everything turns out swell in the closing scene.

At least one person you know will be more inclined to buy a bedspread or electrical device for loads more than they could get it for at Argos simply because the advert – complete with a pared down version of a classic song – made them forget for a full minute that Donald Trump is about to blow up the world.

That’s how powerful the John Lewis ads have become – they make us feel all smushy and sentimental in the shadow of an apocalypse.

While that is indeed commendable we still think they’re missing a trick this yuletide, though. Frankly, we’re growing bored of the trampolining dogs and blatant rip-offs of Calvin and Hobbes. What about a football version instead to tug at the heartstrings and make Cheryl go through an entire box of Kleenex at her desk whenever it’s brought up in conversation?

Title: Seeing is believing

FADE IN

EXT. The Emirates Stadium on match day.

An old man is standing on the touchline wearing a ridiculously over-sized coat. His expression is inscrutable. In the centre-circle an Arsenal midfielder scythes down an opponent with the ball barely an after-thought. The player leaves a trailing leg there for good measure. A stamp.

CUT TO: A highly charged post-match press conference. Old-fashioned camera bulbs flash maniacally and journalists jostle for attention. One calls out louder than the rest. “Arsene…Arsene, what did you make of the Xhaka booking? Surely that was a straight red?”

CLOSE UP: Wenger pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. We now see the horrendous foul in flashback from his perspective. It is blurry with just random flashes of colour.

“I didn’t see the incident,” the old man states with a weary sigh. Alongside him his assistant Steve Bould grimaces.

Cue gales of laughter erupting from the press pack.

DISSOLVE TO: A montage of the old man. He is walking across a training pitch. He is trying to watch television from across the room but soon gives up and clicks the remote in frustration. He is standing on another touchline, this time in heavy rain, in every shot he looks very sad.

CUT TO: London Colney, Arsenal’s training ground. Jack Wilshere rushes up to his despondent manager with childish excitement.

“Boss, it’s time for secret Santa!”

The news is greeted with a heavy sigh.

CUT TO: The dressing room. Alexis Sanchez rips open his present and high-fives Ozil with clear joy when it’s revealed to be a Manchester City mug. Now it’s the turn of Wenger.

Slowly and methodically he unwraps his gift and stares down at a pair of binoculars. His smile could warm the stoniest of hearts.

Across the dressing room Steve Bould is smiling too. In his hand he crumples up the receipt. He won’t be needing that.

Song: X-Ray Vision (covered by Rag’n’Bone Man)

Title: One man army

EXT: Santa Kane trudges through the crunching snow to a large barn. Behind him stands a small cosy family home with a light shining from the kitchen. Mrs Kane can be seen from the window. She is waving with tears in her eyes.

CUT TO: From on high we see a figure in red with shiny black boots hauling a large sack of presents across the Lapland wasteland of clear white snow. His tracks can be seen for miles.

CLOSE UP: Though he has just begun his arduous annual trek, Kane is already beat. He is breathing heavily from his mouth, though that probably doesn’t signify much. His haunting stare however tells us everything.

A montage follows, showing Kane struggling down chimneys, dragging his sack through the icy streets of the capital, eating a mince pie in a decorated living room more to have a breather than enjoy it.

FADE TO BLACK. ‘Christmas 2018’ appears on the screen.

EXT: Santa Kane races down the stairs in his traditional costume. His wife is swept off her feet as he kisses her passionately, like in a fifties movie. He bids her a cheery farewell and pimp-walks across the snowy yard to his barn.

He opens the barn door and the screen is flooded with bright colours. Inside is a gleaming sleigh with his sack stuffed with the world’s presents tied down with rope. Ahead of the sleigh impatiently wait eight reindeer, their hooves scuffing in excitement. They are bedecked in Real Madrid shirts.

CUT TO: The sleigh zooming into the night sky with the fading boom of Kane shouting ‘Ho ho ho’.

Song: With a Little Help From My Friends (covered by London Grammar)

Title: Ebenezer Moyes and a Christmas Carroll

EXT. A bustling East End street on Christmas Eve.

Walking hurriedly along, scowling at the joyous festivities occurring all around him Ebenezer Moyes is momentarily distracted by a freestyler entertaining a small crowd with his football skills.

“Humbug,” he mutters under his breath, drawing tighter his raggedy scarf around his neck. He enters his ramshackle home.

INT. Moyes’ bedroom

In his nightgown and nightcap Ebenezer is terrified at the appearance of three ghosts who hover at the foot of his bed. They are supporters who expired through the absence of hope with one wearing the red of Manchester United, another the blue and white of Real Sociedad, the third the red and white of Sunderland. They rattle their rattles to grab his full attention before each pointing to the picture-less blank wall with bony fingers.

Flickering as if from an old projector images appear showing Manchester City blasting four past his hapless Reds, Rayo Vallecano celebrating a 1-0 victory, and Mackems players inconsolable in relegation. A banner on the Kop declaring him a ‘football genius’ sears onto the wall until the screen turns sharp white.

CUT TO: Morning. A close up of Moyes’ reptile eyes as they snap ajar. He jumps from the bed and tears apart the threadbare curtains.

EXT. A typical London street. The Bow Bells chime loudly.

A very large boy with a ponytail that went out of vogue in the mid-eighties is walking dopily down the pavement.

“You there!” The boy as big as a turkey. “What day is this?”

“Today gaffer? Why today is May 9th 2013 and you have just agreed to take over at West Ham.”

“They did it all in one night. The ghosts did it all in one night!”

“You will play me won’t you gaffer?”

“Of course I will son. Maybe in midfield though. You can be my Fellaini.”

Song: If I Could Turn Back Time (covered by Olly Murs)

Tottenham Hotspur will only discover in the coming weeks how much Toby Alderweireld’s injury affects their season. The Belgium international will be sidelined until after Christmas in a significant blow to what has been the best defence in the Premier League over the last few years.

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That also begs the question of whether Mauricio Pochettino will have to change the structure of his side. He’s got some backup options at his disposal in Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Juan Foyth, but considering two of those fill other positions as well, it perhaps makes sense to switch to just two centre-backs until Alderweireld is available again in case of further defensive injuries – starting with the north London derby this weekend.

With that in mind we asked Tottenham fans earlier this week whether Pochettino should utilise a back three, a back four or a back five against Arsenal on Saturday and according to our poll, the vast majority think the Spurs boss should stick with a back three.

So, Lilywhites supporters, which three players would you start at centre-back against Arsenal? Let us know by commenting below…

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Arsenal have been dealt a blow if they wanted to sign Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling in the future after the England international admitted he would rather move abroad than to London if he left the Etihad.

What’s the word, then?

Well, according to reports in The Express in September Man City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Gunners wanted Sterling as part of a deal that would take Alexis Sanchez the other way, but a move never materialised as the current Premier League leaders didn’t want to lose the 23-year-old.

Now, speaking to the Daily Mail the wide-man says he would like to try his luck at a foreign club rather than move to the capital and a team like Arsenal.

Sterling told the Daily Mail: “I’m happy at Man City at the moment.

“But nobody knows what the future brings so one day, definitely, it would be nice to play abroad. It would be a great experience.

“Spain’s attractive. Anywhere the weather is nice really! Can’t be in London. I can’t be near my friends. They got to stay down there.”

How has Sterling done this season?

The 23-year-old is in the form of his life right now, and Arsene Wenger may be looking on enviously at the winger’s performances given Sanchez is hardly setting the world alight right now.

The England international has scored 13 goals and provided a further four assists in 21 appearances in all competitions for City this term, including crucial late winners against Southampton and Huddersfield Town in the Premier League and Napoli and Feyenoord in the Champions League.

How much of a blow is this for Arsenal?

It is a pretty big one, yes.

With Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil potentially leaving the club either in January or next summer, and with Theo Walcott another potentially on his way out, the Gunners don’t have the options out wide that they perhaps did before.

Wenger will need to bring in a winger or two if the aforementioned trio leave, and Sterling probably would have been near the top of his list.

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