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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has given his thoughts on how his old side can improve.

Under manager Marcelo Bielsa, the Whites have impressed this season in the Premier League following their promotion from the Championship.

Leeds look all but safe, sitting on 35 points with 12 games to play, while they also boast a strong record in front of goal. In the 26 matches they have played so far, Bielsa’s men have managed to find the back of the net on 43 occasions.

To go that one step further, though, Palmer believes work needs to be done in the next transfer window. He exclusively told FFC:

“The players at Leeds United have done extremely well. But, you know, say if you want to be in the top six next season, it’s a big jump in spend to get to that next level of quality, paying salaries and transfer fees. So that’s the difference.”

If Leeds are to be ambitious next season and try to aim for a European place, then moving for some quality players in the summer is something the club will likely need to consider.

Competition for European qualification has been fierce this campaign, with the likes of West Ham, Everton and Aston Villa all entering the conversation. Should attempting to do battle with these clubs and the rest of the division’s more stronger outfits be something Bielsa has in mind for next term, then dipping into the transfer market will probably be necessary.

Former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood has urged Declan Rice to stay at the London Stadium in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, questioning why the 22-year-old would want to leave in the first place.

Rice attracted significant interest from London rivals Chelsea last summer when Frank Lampard was still manager and is now said to be a target for Manchester United.

West Ham boss David Moyes values Rice at “more than £100m”, but Harewood is not keen on the holding midfielder being sold.

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Speaking exclusively to FFC about Rice, he said:

“You’ve seen players of that calibre go for a lot of money and it’s hard to justify the price tag, but Declan’s been absolutely fantastic this year. The mannerisms, how he is around the club. You’re not just buying him as a player, you’re buying him as a person as well, and he’s just well-mannered, down to earth. He’d complement whatever club he goes to.

“Hopefully he’ll stay at West Ham, that’s his fit, captain. Why would you want to leave when you’re just about to finish finding the formula? The team’s finding a formula, hopefully to be in the top four, top six, Europe.”

When it comes to interest from other Premier League clubs in Rice, who is actually valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, West Ham are in a strong position. The east London club tied the England international down to a new five-year contract at the end of 2018, meaning there is still some time to go before they have to worry about losing their star player on a free transfer.

As things stand, the Hammers are also on course to secure at least a place in next season’s Europa League. European football at the London Stadium, especially if it comes on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, could help Moyes and West Ham convince Rice to stay at the club.

Daniel Levy must cash in on forgotten Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth this summer amid latest claims from his loan club, Villarreal…

What’s the word?

Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, Villarreal boss Unai Emery revealed that he would like to sign the 23-year-old permanently following a successful spell thus far, he said:

“If I would keep [him]? The truth is that it is something that we must wait, but if it were up to me, yes, I would keep [him] with us.”

Although it is claimed that the La Liga outfit may not be able to afford the €15m (£13m) option to buy, so they will have to negotiate with the Spurs chairman in order to keep hold of him past the current season.

Get rid

The report goes onto suggest that Foyth has been one of Emery’s most utilised players, featuring 23 times in all competitions, which is one fewer appearance than what he’s managed for Spurs since the start of the 2018/19 season.

Indeed, the versatile Argentinian has struggled to break into the first-team in north London and the fact that Jose Mourinho was willing to ship him out despite losing the vastly-experienced Jan Vertonghen speaks volumes.

It’s hard to envisage him ever coming back and making an impact at this stage, especially as the Spurs boss is lusting for a ‘transformative’ signing at the back that can echo the rewards of Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool, and Ruben Dias at Man City.

Finances will be tight once again, so it would be wise to now cash in on Foyth to get the money rolling ahead of the summer.

The £9m-rated defender, who earns a reported £36k-per-week in N17, will merely be stealing a wage if he returns to Spurs at the end of the season as he’s surely a fourth or fifth choice behind the likes of Eric Dier, Toby Aldweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon.

If Mourinho gets his wishes, then he’ll only slip further down the pecking order.

In the past, Mauricio Pochettino has lauded the “clever” centre-back someone with “a lot of potential” and “quality” but we’ve never really seen it – last season in the Premier League, he averaged a 6.03 WhoScored rating, which would see him sit comfortably as their worst player this season.

Villarreal want to keep hold of him, so Levy may not get a better time to offload the 2017 signing. It’s time to get rid.

AND in other news, 22 y/o gem could be a perfect replacement for Matt Doherty…

According to a report by Foot Mercato, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and Lilywhites defender Serge Aurier have been in contact over the possibility of a move to Paris-Saint Germain – with the Ligue 1 giants keen to strengthen at right-back.

Aurier, who has been a regular for Tottenham this season, starting more matches in the Premier League than summer signing Matt Doherty (WhoScored), has just one year left on his current deal – prompting PSG to take note.

Jose could lose Aurier

Foot Mercato even claim that former Spurs favourite Pochettino has been in contact with Aurier over a potential return to the Ligue 1 giants, coming after the 28-year-old openly admitted he would like to end his career at the Parc des Princes.

Tottenham have now even set his asking price, with Daniel Levy demanding around €12 million (£10.2m) if a deal is to be done.

Jose Mourinho, as a result, faces losing Aurier if these contacts evolve into more concrete negotiations – possibly leaving the Portuguese with few right-back options unless Tottenham take to the transfer market.

Transfer Tavern take

Indeed, Pochettino is allegedly keen on signing Aurier for the Parisiens, but it’s clear that the defender could still do a job for Tottenham when called upon.

During his resurgence earlier this season, the Ivorian received widespread media praise, with pundit Kevin Campbell calling him ‘top class’ and insisting Mourinho will be ‘over the moon’ with his form (Football Insider).

Time will tell what comes of this report, but Aurier has an admirer in Pochettino ahead of the summer window.

In other news: Tottenham have been offered a chance to sign this ‘extraordinary’ star, find out more here.

Given Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive issues over the course of the season, it is a surprise to have not seen summer signing Joe Rodon more often.The 23-year-old has struggled for game time since his £11m move from Championship outfit Swansea City, but against Aston Villa on Sunday evening, he delivered a major statement over his credentials – right in front of Jose Mourinho.Indeed, the Welsh international has been restricted to just 11 appearances in all competitions, of which only five have been starts in the Premier League, via Transfermarkt.Rodon was also left out of their Europa League squad registration, so he really has been playing third or fourth choice at times to the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld.Individual errors at the back have been persistent, with the former two often the frequent protagonists – as ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara angrily told talkSPORT last month, the pairing of Dier and Sanchez is “one of the worst” in the English top-flight and even went as far as suggesting to “get rid” of them.Thursday night’s embarrassment, which saw the duo alongside each other again, was evidently the last straw. Having leaked three goals, the Englishman was axed for the rarely-seen colossus. And he certainly made a point.With plenty to prove, Rodon was amongst Spurs’ best performers, as he helped contribute towards a clean sheet. In fact, SofaScore graded him as the best defender on the pitch with a 7.5 rating – only ‘Man of the Match’ Lucas Moura (7.9), Tanguy Ndombele (7.7) and the goalscoring Harry Kane (7.6) were rated higher.[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-spurs-news-mourinho-levy-gossip” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, rumours and more!”]The 6 foot 4 monster was immensely strong in his duels, winning 75% of them, both in the air and on the ground. Only Ndombele had a better return in that sense, as per SofaScore.In addition to that, Rodon made three clearances, two interceptions, one block and one tackle – this pretty much shows how solid he was defensive. The clearances and interceptions prove he knew what to do at the right time, and could read the opposition’s gameplan well enough to thwart it, whilst the block and the tackle show he wasn’t afraid to get stuck in to stop it from happening, too.

Dan Kilpatrick at the Evening Standard was left in awe by his display, he wrote in his post-match ratings column: ‘In the right place to clear Trezeguet’s shot from danger during a good Villa spell and looked composed on his first appearance since January.’

“Composed.”

That is never normally a word you’d associate with either Dier or Sanchez, so that’s a vast improvement in itself.

It’s not the first time he’s been described that way either, Roy Keane said it on Sky Sports (via Wales Online) following his debut, whilst he has previously been lauded as a “leader.”

That only really raises further question marks as to why he’s not been playing, as the evidence above surely makes him seem like a dream for the Spurs boss right now.

Rodon couldn’t have really done much more to prove his worth to Mourinho, but he has not made that crucial statement to suggest he is the answer right now.

Unfortunately, the international break probably comes at the worst time for him, but after that dominating and resolute display, it would be a farce to see him dropped for their trip to Newcastle in two weeks time.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: £110k-p/w Spurs dynamo who had 85 touches stole the show vs Villa…

In a recent interview, former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson discussed the future of Spurs midfielder Dele Alli.

So far this season, Alli has found game-time extremely hard to come by under Jose Mourinho, with the 24-year-old starting just two Premier League fixtures for Tottenham, while only making a further seven appearances from the bench.

As a result, the future of the £100,000-per-week midfielder has been the subject of much discussion over the course of the season, with Paris Saint-Germain thought to still be keen on a move for the England international in the upcoming summer market, having shown significant interest in the midfielder last summer and in January.

Speaking recently to Football Insider, Robinson claimed that the situation of Alli will pose something of a dilemma for Daniel Levy at the end of the season.

He said: “Alli’s future is a huge dilemma for Spurs. It has been a very strange season for Alli and he deserves credit for the way he has handled himself because he is always ready and always fit to perform when called upon. We have heard no noises from him.

“He played in Zagreb and again he was a victim and was dropped at Villa, but he was at least on the bench. He is still very young and if he feels he can develop his relationship with Mourinho then I still think there is a future for him at Spurs. It is really strange from the outside looking in.”

Transfer Tavern Take

While Robinson does seem to indicate that Alli could still have a future at Tottenham if his relationship with Mourinho improves, this does not appear very likely to occur. Despite the Spurs manager suggesting that he and the 24-year-old had cleared the air towards the start of February, the midfielder has still not started a league game for the club in the time since.

With Football Insider also reporting that sources have revealed there is now a “feeling” within the Spurs hierarchy that Alli should be sold this summer, it would very much seem as if everything is pointing towards the departure of the England midfielder come the end of the season.

In other news: Mourinho has been backed to seal this £21.5m summer swoop for Tottenham backroom favourite – find out more here!

According to a report by Anfield Central, West Ham United have contacted Liverpool with an approach to sign midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – despite the fact he has been out for the majority of the season through injury.

The 27-year-old, who has no shortage of experience on the biggest stage, amassing 35 caps for England at international level, has barely been used by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp since recovering from a lengthy layoff.

West Ham make contact for Oxlade-Chamberlain

He missed 113 days for the Reds due to his injury, but Klopp has only called upon Oxlade-Chamberlain twice for a starting role and 10 times off the bench since his return.

Now, Anfield Central report that he is enticing West Ham, who may be looking to poach the midfielder.

Apparently, David Moyes and co are looking to capitalise on their fine form by strengthening with key players for the 2021/2022 season – especially considering they could be in Europe.

Transfer Tavern take

The Reds allegedly wish to keep hold of Oxlade-Chamberlain amid West Ham’s interest, but it will all come down to whether he is ready to settle for less playing time.

Klopp recently heralded him as an ‘outstanding player’ back when he was nearing a return from injury, but whether or not this is a deal the Irons should prioritise is debatable.

Currently on a reported £120,000-per-week at Liverpool, while he holds experience at the top level, GSB may wish for him to take a significant pay cut for this move to be possible.

In other news: Sky pundit blown away by player West Ham are reportedly targeting, find out more here.

Leeds should look at a summer move for Harry Winks after Paul Robinson claimed he would be a “great signing” for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

What’s the story?

The £25m-rated England international has struggled for game-time in the Premier League this season with Spurs, making just ten appearances in the top flight.

Robinson has suggested that Bielsa’s side could be an ideal destination for Winks to rejuvenate his career, and insisted that he remains a “great player”.

The former Whites goalkeeper said: “Harry Winks would be a great signing, I’d love him to come to Leeds. He’s a great player, I rate him really highly. He’s been unlucky at Spurs not to get more game time because I think he could get in any of the top-six sides. He’s a great player.

“If he came to Leeds it would be a real coup. Harry Winks and Ben White would be a great start to the summer and I expect Leeds to spend big again.”

Midfield technician for Bielsa

The £50,000-a-week earning Winks has fallen off the radar somewhat in recent seasons, having been a firmly established player at both club and international level when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge at Spurs.

The former Lilywhites boss made it clear just how much he rated the 25-year-old, saying back in September 2018: “The characteristics are perfect to play football. When we talk about midfielders – because you like to use Spanish midfielders like Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta – he’s like this type of player, this capacity but please he needs to take in a very positive way my words.”

While that Xavi comparison certainly seems far-fetched given how the Spurs midfielder’s career has stalled, Winks still hasn’t lost his calmness in possession and has averaged a superb career passing accuracy of 90.2% – far better than any Leeds player who has played more than 90 minutes this season.

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Being able to retain possession and keep things ticking over in the middle of the park would give Bielsa’s side a bit more control in the engine room and help them build out from the back to feed the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison further forward.

Victor Orta could strike gold in the Spurs gem this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a real upgrade on Patrick Bamford in this star…

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to Jurgen Klopp’s hint regarding his potential starting lineup against Real Madrid.

The Reds have an enormous game to look forward to on Tuesday evening, as they make the trip to Spain to take on Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Klopp will know the importance of scoring an away goal in the first leg, taking some of the pressure off at Anfield in the return fixture.

It promises to be a fascinating night, as Liverpool look to go one step closer to winning a seventh European Cup in May.

At long last, Klopp actually has a few selection headaches to contend with, with his injury crisis easing on the whole, despite some key figures still missing.

In attack, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota are all available, meaning the Liverpool manager may have to pick three from four to start proceedings.

There is the option of playing the quartet in a 4-2-3-1 formation and leaving out a midfielder, however, and Klopp failed to rule that out in Monday’s press conference:

Liverpool fans call for Klopp to start four attackers

These Liverpool supporters are fully behind the idea of all four starting, providing their thoughts on Twitter.

“Aw give me that Jurgen”

Credit: @foberto_rirmino

“So it’s really coming…”

Credit: @Mwaulanga

“Yaassss Jurgen”

Credit: @ThisMerv

“Please”

Credit: @Meg16960

“Best form of defense is attack. Go right at them”

Credit: @PeterOwens87

“Hoping to see that”

Credit: @kevwe_0

“Release the Kraken!!”

Credit: @Himanshu_ahujaa

“Unleash them JK. Real Madrid haven’t been all that, but annoyingly Zidane finds a way to win. Still confident, though”Credit: @agaffar09In other news, a former England international has talked up Liverpool’s chances of signing one world-renowned player this summer. Read more about it here.

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Alex McLeish is worried after the latest injury update on midfielder Ryan Jack.

McLeish worried about Jack

Ahead of the Gers’ clash with Hibernian, Steven Gerrard revealed that the £2.7m-valued 29-year-old has seen a specialist to determine how bad his injury is (Glasgow Times).

Speaking to Ibrox News, McLeish has shared his worry. He said:

“It’s never good to be behind in pre-season.

“We’ve all got our different traits and levels of fitness, and he’s been a terrific player. You see the contribution he has made for Rangers for Scotland.

“It’s such a pity. He’s seeing a specialist and that will be for one particular injury, and he will have certain expertise. When you hear those words, you fear the worst.

“He’s in the best hands.”

Continual problems

Injuries have been a persistent problem for Jack ever since he moved to Ibrox from Aberdeen in 2017. So far, the most Premiership games he has managed in a single campaign is 30 – in every other campaign, he has failed to break the 20-match barrier (Transfermarkt).

While he has been an important player when he has managed to get on to the field, it is impossible for Gerrard and the Gers to rely on a player who will likely spend a considerable part of the season on the sidelines. Unfortunately, at his age it is unlikely to be a problem that will be solved, either. The 55-time Scottish champions do at least have plenty of other options in the middle of the park.

In other news, many Rangers fans are delighted by this Old Firm news.