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Tottenham Hotspur have ‘extra’ cash to spend in January thanks to their last 16 Champions League qualification, says ‘expert’ John Wenham.

The Lowdown: Spurs sail through…

Over what was a dramatic Champions League group campaign for Antonio Conte’s side, Spurs sealed top spot of Group D on the very last matchday to the delight of Lilywhites supporters.

The north Londoners sealed a dramatic comeback against Ligue 1 side Marseille after going 1-0 down in France, courtesy of a Chancel Mbemba goal on the stroke of half time.

Tottenham’s resolve was tested but Clement Lenglet’s strike on 54 minutes handed the Premier League side some second-half momentum to grab a winner. Five minutes into added time, mainstay midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg nicked Tottenham’s victory-clinching goal with the last kick of the game – sending Spurs’ dugout into raptures.

The 2-1 victory at Marseille will gift sporting director Fabio Paratici a financial windfall as the Italian draws up his transfer plans ahead of January.

The Latest: Paratici set for ‘£8.2 million’ Spurs boost…

The exact fee, as shared by Spurs ‘expert’ Wenham, could potentially provide a small assist for Spurs and Paratici in the transfer market.

Conte arguably needs some mid-winter additions given their wave of injury problems and an ever-congested fixture schedule, largely due to the World Cup.

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“The game against Marseille was so important,” explained Wenham to Football Insider.

“The fact we have two league games before the World Cup in Liverpool and Leeds at home, to me, Marseille was the bigger game.

“Not only does it give us something to build upon and look forward to in the second half of this season, let’s call it a restart.

“It also gives us impetus in the January transfer window when we go to make new signings. We can offer Champions League football to whoever we want to sign.

“We will have an extra £8.2million, I understand that is the figure we earned for qualifying. So we have put ourselves in a really good position to grow as a club.“

The Verdict: Crucial game for Spurs…

Tottenham’s heroics have indeed put the club in a ‘really good position’, not least for the extra pulling power, £8.2m financial windfall and the potential to earn even more revenue in the knockout rounds.

Conte will also want to stay in charge of a Champions League regular, so their win in Europe could potentially be looked back on as one of their most important of the calendar year.

Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz has been criticised by journalist Ben Jacobs for his display in the west London club’s 1-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Premier League. 

The Lowdown: Another league defeat for Chelsea

Last weekend saw Graham Potter’s side lose 4-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion away from home.

Their latest league outing has seen the Stamford Bridge outfit lose 1-0 to their London rivals, Arsenal, as a second-half goal from Gabriel Magalhaes was enough to see Mikel Arteta’s side get all three points.

Now that Chelsea have fallen to another defeat, it appears that Havertz, who started the game, has been on the end of some criticism for his efforts in the match.

The Latest: Criticism for Havertz

As the Gunners took the lead by Gabriel turning the ball in past Edouard Mendy from a corner struck by Bukayo Saka, Jacobs had this to say about Havertz’s role in the goal and his overall display.

In a Twitter post, Jacobs had this to say.

He said: “Arsenal have a deserved lead. Gabriel turns in Saka’s enticing corner. Havertz, who has been poor, will be disappointed not to have cleared it at the near post.”

The Verdict: A poor showing from Havertz

With 64 minutes under his belt, the German had 35 touches of the ball in total, which is fewer than Mendy had in goal (42).

The £150k-per-week attacker also gave possession away 13 times for his side before being replaced by Conor Gallagher, as well as giving two fouls away.

The Evening Standard also picked up on Havertz’s poor performance by giving him a match rating of 4/10 and highlighting how “wasteful” he was throughout the game.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that the Chelsea attacker had a rather poor outing against Arsenal and barely helped his side out in terms of helping them score goals and avoiding conceding them.

Everton are preparing to make an offer to sign Udinese defender Rodrigo Becao, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Exit on the horizon?

The Brazilian has just over 18 months remaining on his deal at the Dacia Arena, but after refusing to sign an extension with the Serie A outfit, an exit could be on the cards in 2023.

The centre-back is currently sidelined due to a flexor injury, and whilst he will be available for selection again after the World Cup break, his contract situation has seen him being linked with a move to the Premier League.

The Latest: Everton eyeing Becao

According to Tutto Udinese (via Sport Witness), Everton are ‘willing to put up’ €15m (£13m) to land Becao in January after registering their interest over the summer.

The Toffees ‘decided not to push forward’ with a move following the arrivals of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, but the report states that they still ‘remain in the picture’.

Udinese owner Gino Pozzo ‘knows that he will have to sanction a sale’ if contract negotiations reach a roadblock, which Frank Lampard’s side will be ‘hoping for’.

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The Verdict: Absolute bargain

The Everton target has been dubbed an ‘insurmountable’ player by journalist Bruno Queiroz, and Becao offers a threat at both ends of the pitch, so being able to secure his services for £13m would be a bargain.

The 6 foot 3 colossus averages three clearances and 2.1 successful aerial duels per game, and also has a goal and assist to his name in just nine appearances this season (WhoScored).

Those returns would see him rank highly among Lampard’s squad for both metrics, which indicates that he could be an upgrade on many players at Everton.

Whether Becao would be a guaranteed starter given the partnership created between Coady and Tarkowski remains to be seen, but he would certainly appear to be a fantastic prospective addition at Goodison Park.

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold has dropped an update regarding Clement Lenglet’s future at the north London club. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ swoop for Lenglet

The Lilywhites signed the defender on a season-long loan deal from Barcelona during the previous summer transfer window.

Since then, the Frenchman has made 14 appearances for Antonio Conte’s side across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and one assist.

Now that domestic football has taken a back seat to make way for the World Cup in Qatar, it seems that the topic of Lenglet’s long-term future has come to the forefront.

The Latest: Gold’s update on Lenglet

In a recent online Q&A on the Football.London website, Gold was asked whether or not Spurs had an option to buy Lenglet once his loan spell comes to an end.

He said: “No there isn’t and the Frenchman told me during pre-season that Spurs had not mentioned a permanent move down the line when he signed but he said that ‘we’ll speak more later’ if he adapts to the Premier League as he hopes. Spurs will have to negotiate a deal as the season progresses if they are impressed with his contribution.

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“It’s a strange one not to negotiate an option in the first place because if he does impress then his value shoots up. It points towards it being a temporary move which will look odd if Lenglet does become a big success.”

The Verdict: A decision for Conte

Across the eight league games he’s played in for Spurs this season, the 27-year-old, who club expert John Wenham thinks deserves “huge” credit for his performances, has shown how much of a useful defensive figure he can be.

For example, in addition to making 12 clearances and a combined total of 14 tackles and interceptions, Lenglet has also racked up the joint third-highest passing accuracy percentage (88%) and percentage of aerial duels won (66.7%) at the club.

Despite not always being at the top of the pecking order for Conte, the £145k-per-week on-loan defender has shown what he can offer the team and what his strengths are.

With that in mind, if Lenglet can take any opportunity that comes his way when the season starts again, he could give the manager and the club a big question to ask themselves over whether or not they feel a permanent transfer for the defender would be a suitable move.

Former footballer and now journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft has made a claim on Jude Bellingham’s future, again hinting that Jurgen Klopp’s influence at Liverpool could be key.

The Lowdown: Bellingham superb for England

The 19-year-old made a dream start in his first-ever World Cup appearance on Monday, producing a magnificent performance in England’s 6-2 win over Iran.

Bellingham headed home brilliantly to give the Three Lions the lead and he was a silky presence in midfield throughout, completing 96% of his passes.

It was the latest show of excellent from the prodigiously talented teenager, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool so often in recent times.

The Latest: Fjortoft’s claim

Taking to Twitter, Fjortoft gave an update on Bellingham’s next move after Borussia Dortmund, mentioning Klopp as a potential factor when it comes to Dortmund selling.

“Re: Jude Bellingham My take: Dortmund- boss Watzke doesn’t want to sell him to ‘those kind of clubs’. Meaning ‘state-clubs’. His mate Klopp is at Liverpool. But Team Bellingham will make their own analysis.”

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The Verdict: Game-changing signing

Bellingham really does look like a generational talent who could become one of the world’s best players, already performing with so much class and influence.

If Liverpool managed to snap him up, he could genuinely transform their midfield and be a mainstay of it for a decade, being capable of thriving as No.6, No.8 or even a No.10.

The Reds surely have to qualify for the Champions League to have any chance of getting Bellingham, though, but he seems like a player who won’t just go somewhere for the money, and Dortmund’s relationship with Klopp could be an advantage.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has been touted to be dropped from Argentina’s starting XI ahead of their next World Cup clash against Mexico. 

The Lowdown: Romero’s World Cup disappointment

Romero started in Argentina’s opening game of the tournament which saw the South Americans fall to a surprising 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia.

Despite starting the game, the Spurs defender didn’t complete the full 90 minutes as he made way for Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez after 59 minutes.

With Argentina set to take on Mexico in their next group game, it seems that Romero could find himself out of the starting XI this time around.

The Latest: Romero set for substitute role

According to a recent report from Clarin, relayed by Sports Witness, Argentina manager, Lionel Scaloni will look to make some changes to his side following the disappointing defeat to Saudi Arabia.

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The report names Romero as one player likely to be taken out of the starting XI due to a mixture of his poor performance in the first game and some concerns about his fitness.

The Verdict: Disappointment for Romero

To highlight how disappointing the 24-year-old was for Argentina, The Independent said that he was ‘deservedly substituted just before the hour mark’, adding that Romero had a ‘poor performance from a normally solid player’.

Having not played a game heading into the tournament for almost a month, it’s easy to see why he may not have been in the best condition to take on Saudi Arabia.

With all of that in mind, unless he’s fully fit and ready to put things right for his country, it would probably be the smart decision for Scaloni to put Romero on the bench for Saturday’s crucial game against Mexico.

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Ben Brereton Diaz in the January transfer window and the Blackburn Rovers star could be the Eagles’ next Glenn Murray at Selhurst Park.

According to 90min, Palace are one of several Premier League sides to have scouted the 23-year-old frontman ahead of the winter transfer window, after his superb performances for club and country in recent years.

Last season saw the former Nottingham Forest man notch 22 goals in the Championship for the Ewood Park outfit as they narrowly missed out on the playoffs, and he looks to be aiming for automatic promotion with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s high-fliers this time around, having already hit nine league goals this term.

While it may be tough to prise Brereton Diaz away from the Lancashire club, as they currently sit third in the second tier ahead of its resumption this weekend, his contract situation could force Blackburn’s hand.

The Chile international is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning that foreign clubs are free to approach him on a pre-contract deal in January, so Blackburn may well be tempted to cash in on him to a Premier League side in January.

Other than Wilfried Zaha, Patrick Vieira lacks a consistent goalscorer at Selhurst Park, so it is easy to see why he would want to bring the “extraordinary” Brereton Diaz to the Premier League next month, given his goalscoring record in recent campaigns.

His ability in front of goal suggests that he could emulate Palace legend Glenn Murray should he join Vieira’s side in the January window.

Murray signed for the Eagles from rivals Brighton in 2011 and after hitting just seven goals in his first campaign, he exploded in the 2012/13 campaign and helped fire Palace to promotion to the Premier League, scoring a record-breaking 30 goals in the Championship.

That record would stand until 2021 when it was eclipsed by Ivan Toney, which emphasises just how impressive Murray was at Selhurst Park, and his 47 total goals for the Eagles means he will always be fondly remembered by fans.

Like Murray, Brereton-Diaz is known for his clinical finishing in front of goal, so there seems no reason why he can’t create a similar legacy to the Englishman at Selhurst Park should he join from Blackburn Rovers in the new year.

Newcastle United have had their hopes of signing Inter Milan’s defensive powerhouse Milan Skriniar slashed in Fabrizio Romano’s latest Daily Briefing report. 

The Lowdown: Prime time

At 27 years of age, Skriniar is now in and around his prime years in the game, and you can see this in his approach as a ball playing defender. 

The Slovakian, dubbed a ‘monster’ by broadcaster Carlo Garganese, has added around ten more passes to his game in comparison to last season on a per 90 basis, averaging 65 accurate passes per match, and it’s clear he’d fit in any ball-playing side in world football.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, plenty of sides are sniffing around as his contract ticks down to its expiry next summer.

This includes Newcastle, who allegedly bid for the dominant defender in the summer and have been named as ‘top candidates’ in a report from Italy this week.

The Latest: Romano dulls hopes

Writing in his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, the transfer guru covered Skriniar’s recent links to Tyneside. 

Currently, the Italian is not aware of any talks with the Magpies, despite what recent reports have suggested.

Taking to his exclusive column, Romano said:  “Despite what you may have read elsewhere, Milan Skriniar is not in negotiations to join Newcastle as of now.

“Chelsea were considering him last summer, PSG have always been leading the race, but Inter are still pushing to extend his contract.

“A new deal and the captain’s armband have been offered – it’s now up to Skriniar; he has to decide.”

The Verdict: “As of now…”

The “as of now” part of Romano’s update bodes well for the side long term. 

Whilst discussions between Skriniar and Newcastle have not commenced as of yet, that does not mean that talks will not occur later down the line, especially if he does not extend his deal.

Sure, competition with the likes of Chelsea and PSG sniffing around serves as somewhat of a January transfer blow for the side. But, the PIF-led project at Newcastle is an exciting one, especially with the side’s occupancy of an illustrious Champions League qualification place at current. 

As such, while talks are not underway, a move for the £70million star is not off the table just yet.

Newcastle United have had a phenomenal start to their Premier League campaign, and Eddie Howe could be set to strengthen his squad even further in the January transfer window with a new potential transfer target emerging.

What’s the latest?

According to TEAMtalk, the Magpies are readying an offer to sign Birmingham City youngster Jobe Bellingham.

As per the report, unlike his brother Jude, the attacking midfielder is set to remain in England to continue his development and hone his craft, with a number of clubs including Middlesbrough and Sunderland named as potential suitors alongside Newcastle.

Imagine him & Bruno

There is no doubt that Howe must be delighted with how his current squad at St James’ Park have been performing since he took over from Steve Bruce just over 12 months ago.

In 44 games in charge of the Magpies, Howe has registered 23 wins, 10 draws and only 11 defeats in all competitions, with a points average of 1.8 per game, and this season in the Premier League, the manager has taken the club to heights not seen in many a year on Tyneside.

Not even the most optimistic Newcastle supporter could have predicted in the summer that their team would be third in the table nearly halfway through the campaign with just one defeat over their first 15 league outings.

Indeed, the project at St James’ Park is a long-term venture for the Public Investment Fund, who bought the club from Mike Ashley last year, and the prospective signing of Jobe Bellingham could be a huge prospect for the future.

The talented 17-year-old – who was dubbed an “exciting talent” by Paul Robinson – has only just broken into the Birmingham City first team but is already following in the footsteps of his Borussia Dortmund based brother with a number of elite clubs linked to the player.

In 11 Championship appearances this season, averaging just 16 minutes per game as he has mainly featured off the bench, Bellingham has tallied an 81% pass accuracy and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles.

The England U18 ace has also made 25 appearances within the Birmingham U18 and U21 teams, scoring five goals and registering one assist, with Lee Bowyer already holding the young talent in high regard.

The Birmingham manager was impressed with Bellingham’s performance when giving the teenager his debut senior start in the FA Cup last January, saying: “Young Jobe coming on looked so comfortable.

“He’s earned that, he’s been training with us for two, three, four weeks now, you can just see him growing and improving every day.”

If Newcastle were to sign Bellingham, it could be a great opportunity to build a midfield partnership for the future between the rising English star and Bruno Guimaraes, as the defensive Brazil midfielder could be the perfect influence to work alongside the attack-minded teenager.

With that in mind, the signing of Bellingham would be a great opportunity for Howe to polish another diamond in the heart of his team and could nail down a midfield partnership at St James’ Park for many years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has now given a mandate to Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target midfielder

Tottenham have held an interest in a number of different options midfield options for January, with Sofyan Amrabat recently being linked, though it seems as if Liverpool are leading the race to sign the Moroccan.

The likes of Ruslan Malinovskyi and Enzo Fernandez have also emerged as potential midfield signings, with a bid even being lodged for the former, but there has been no confirmed new arrivals at Hotspur Way as of yet.

Now, Conte has turned his attention to another World Cup star, with Mac Allister being targeted for a transfer switch in the coming weeks…

The Latest: Conte’s demand

According to CalcioMercato, Conte had held an interest long before the international break, and he has now taken that one step further by giving club chiefs a ‘mandate’ to sign the Argentinian ace, with the hopes of accelerating talks before other English clubs can sign him.

Given the 23-year-old’s impressive form with his national side in Qatar, his price is now expected to have risen to around £30m, and Spurs want the transfer to be wrapped up in January.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as a ‘golden boy’ by journalist Ryan Adsett for his performances at the World Cup, the midfielder had an important role to play in Argentina’s triumph, assisting the second goal in the final, while weighing in with the third-highest SofaScore rating of any player on his team.

This performance showcased the ability possessed by the former Boca Juniors man on the front foot, supplementing five goals in 14 games for Brighton in the Premier League this season, already matching the tally he managed across the entirety of the last campaign.

With an average of 2.8 tackles per 90 minutes over the past year, Mac Allister also has a strong defensive side to his game, with this placing him in the 85th percentile compared to his positional peers, and he could be a fantastic all-rounder for Conte in the middle of the park.