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Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has made a pretty big claim about Tanguy Ndombele’s future at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Ndombele remains at Spurs

The 24-year-old has only been at the club for two seasons, following his 2019 move from French side Lyon.

However, the club-record £55.4million move hasn’t worked out the way the midfielder would have liked and he failed to live up to the expectations under Jose Mourinho.

Ndombele hasn’t featured yet under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo and it was claimed he wanted out of the club earlier this summer. However, no deal could be agreed.

The Latest: Campbell on ‘terrible mess’

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell has spoken out about the potential of having an unhappy player in the squad who wants to leave the club.

Calling the situation ‘a terrible mess’, the 51 year-old expressed his thoughts after a Spurs source told the outlet the Frenchman is ‘desperate’ to leave.

“It could prove troublesome.

“The problem with things like that is, if you are the club and you need the player out, you need to do the business.

“They haven’t treated him right as far as I’m concerned, it’s been a terrible mess.

“With Mourinho he was going through difficult times and the new regime don’t like him.

“Let him leave. It’s a matter of trying to get what they want for him. They are running the risk of having a really unhappy player in and around the squad.

“I’m sure they know how to handle things but you just think do the right thing and get rid of him.”

The Verdict: Early struggles for Nuno

Nuno Espirito Santo has been at the club for just over two months and after overcoming the transfer saga with Harry Kane, now faces dealing with Ndombele, hardly an ideal situation behind the scenes after such a wonderful start for the new boss on the pitch.

Previously called ‘magnificent’ by Mourinho, Ndombele’s chance of moving away from N17 never really came to structure over the summer and he must surely now try to prove himself worthy of that praise from his former boss.

If he’s really ‘desperate’ to leave, the best thing he can do for both himself and the club is play himself into the shop window, increasing the interest and potential fee coming Spurs’ way if they do cash in next year.

Aston Villa could sign their new Christian Benteke in Sheffield United starlet Daniel Jebbison.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are one of several Premier League teams interested in signing the 18-year-old from the Blades this summer, with Everton already having a bid rejected for him.

Villa’s new Benteke

In the 101 games that he ended up playing for Villa, Benteke more than showed that he was worth every penny that the club spent on him. He scored a very impressive 49 times and even provided another twelve assists too, and was involved in some spectacular individual and team goals – the back-heel to set up Andreas Weimann’s strike in a 3-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield still lives long in the memory.

Former Villa boss, Paul Lambert, said at the time of his signing: “Christian is only 21 but already he’s an established Belgian international and he’s had a terrific time at Genk. He’s something very different to what we have here and that added dimension will enhance the football club. A young lad he may be, but he’s definitely a handful. He’s tall, powerful, he has pace and we’ll be stronger with him in the side.”

And, just like Benteke, the £900k-rated Jebbison is a real “handful” up front and could give Villa another battering ram-like striker.

The 6 foot 3 ace has certainly got the raw physical frame to pose a problem for opposition defences, and given that he’s still only 18, will surely look to fill out a bit more over the coming years.

The coach who had Jebbison at his academy back in Toronto, Bassam Naim, called him “a force to be reckoned with”, adding: “Athletic, strong. Always creative when he was with us. Lots of energy? He loves to go forward. He loves to take on players.”

As per Whoscored, the teenager averaged one shot per game in the Premier League in the brief amount of time he was on the pitch, while he showcased his ability as a real threat for defenders by also making 1.5 tackles per match and winning 1.3 aerial duels per game too.

That’s exactly the kind of physical presence that Benteke really made a name for at Villa Park, and one Smith will be hoping to bring back to Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Villa are plotting a late swoop for this star…

The teenage striker scored twice off the bench to secure a spot in the quarter-finals

It turns out that Liverpool's youngsters might just be able to play a bit. Another youthful lineup – stripped of Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah – turned in a memorable performance for Jurgen Klopp's men, as Jayden Danns scored twice to mark a 3-0 win over Southampton in the FA Cup.

Sekou Mara had the ball in the net inside 30 seconds for the visitors, but saw his effort ruled out by the offside flag. Liverpool, for their part, created admittedly little in the first half, a group of youngsters looking their age in attack. But they woke up on the stroke of half time, debutant Lewis Koumas' strike deflecting off the heel of a defender and rolling into the bottom corner.

Southampton should have equalised early in the second half, but a timely poke from Ibrahima Konate diverted a cross away from danger when Mara had the goal gaping.

Danns added a crucial second with 15 minutes remaining, chipping the goalkeeper off an angled pass from Harvey Elliott. The teenager completed his brace with a simple finish into an open net – wrapping up a cup win to send Liverpool into the next round of the FA Cup. Klopp's memorable farewell tour might just be special.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Caoimhin Kelleher (7/10):

  Made a couple of important stops early on. Calm with the ball at his feet. Another quality showing.

  Conor Bradley (8/10):

  So assured on the ball and diligent in his pressing in an inverted full-back role. He's really starting to look the part in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

  Jarell Quansah (8/10):

  Impressive once again – especially in his individual duels. Completed 97 per cent of his passes, too.

  Virgil van Dijk (7/10):

  Won his headers, put in some valuable tackles. A planned substitution at the break saw him get some valuable rest.

  Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

  Ate up ground, played some neat passes in the final third. Ate up minutes to give Andy Robertson a valuable night off.

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  Midfield

  Joe Gomez (6/10):

  Tried out as a No.6 after playing in Alexander-Arnold's inverted role on a handful of occasions. A bit mixed throughout, and looked confused when he ventured into the final third.

  James McConnell (6/10):

  Not involved much on the ball, but did enough work off it. Looked leggy when he was taken off – which is understandable given his age.

  Bobby Clark (7/10):

  A composed showing in central midfield. Assisted the first, and was generally tidy on the ball. Good for him to get the whole 90 in.

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  Attack

  Harvey Elliott (8/10):

  Busy in and around the box, always looking for a killer pass. Deserved his assist. He's seized the moment well, given the Reds' lengthy injury list.

  Cody Gakpo (6/10):

  Failed to capitalise on a good chance in the first half. Missed another in the second. Forced it a bit at times.

  Lewis Koumas (7/10):

  Diligent on the left wing. Rather fortunate to score on his debut – given the deflection – but that will take little away from the moment.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ibrahima Konate (7/10):

  Made a vital intervention to prevent a Southampton equaliser early in the second half. Tackled well and looked steady in key moments.

  Alexis Mac Allister (6/10):

  Didn't really have much to do in his 30 minutes on the pitch.

  Jayden Danns (8/10):

  Took his goals wonderfully, and was constantly involved. He looks a real talent.

  Trey Nyoni (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Kaide Gordon (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Jurgen Klopp (8/10):

  Once again forced into a number of changes with a glut of injuries to contend with. His side were poor in the early goings, but really grew into the game, and ended up good value for the win. The FA Cup dream stays alive.

When Slavisa Jokanovic took over the reins at Sheffield United earlier this summer, it was clear that the Blades board had appointed the 53-year-old with the sole aim of securing an immediate return to the Premier League.

However, after three games in charge of the club, the Serbian manager finds his United side in the Championship relegation zone, with the club’s most recent defeat, a 4-0 hammering by Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side, being an extremely worrying result for everyone involved with the club.

Indeed, over the course of the 90 minutes, it never truly looked as if the Blades were going to get something out of the game, with Jack Robinson’s 26th-minute own goal giving the hosts the lead, which Albion stretched further with three quickfire second-half strikes from Dara O’Shea, Alex Mowatt and former Sheffield United forward Callum Robinson.

In terms of individual performances, perhaps unsurprisingly, none of the Blades players had what could be deemed as a good game, with only Chris Basham and Ben Osborn receiving a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

On the other hand, there were a number of disastrous displays, with stand-in goalkeeper Michael Verrips earning a 5.1 SofaScore rating and Jack Robinson receiving a 5.8, however, it was arguably David McGoldrick’s performance that was the most disappointing of the evening.

Indeed, over the 33-year-old’s 57 minutes on the pitch, the £1.35m-rated centre-forward missed both of United’s two big chances, mustered no shots on target, completed a grand total of five passes and touched the ball just 19 times.

The £27k-per-week man also won just two of his 12 duels – a win rate of 16% – lost possession of the ball eight times and conceded one foul – for which he received a yellow card.

These returns saw McGoldrick earn an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 5.5, which, if it were not for Verrips shipping four goals, would have seen the striker rank as Jokanovic’s worst player in the fixture.

As such, it would be a difficult argument to make that the veteran forward did not let his manager and teammates down on Wednesday evening, with the 33-year-old certainly having to up his level of performance going forwards if he and his side are to have any hope of securing promotion this season.

In other news: Bye Ramsdale: Jokanovic must sanction Sheff Utd swoop for “incredible” £14k-p/w beast

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson heaped praise on his match-winning striker Steven Fletcher as the Red Dragons earned a precious win over Notts County.

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• Wrexham beat rivals 1-0
• Fletcher scores decisive goal
• Wrexham promotion hopes get boost

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Parkinson was full of praise for Fletcher who put Wrexham ahead after 20 minutes against their rivals Notts County. The veteran striker led the line with Paul Mullin and powered a shot into the roof of the net to put the Welsh side in the lead. Parkinson's side saw off pressure from Notts County to keep a clean sheet and put an end to a poor run of form.

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  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Speaking after the game to Matt Waters, Parkinson said: "There’s nobody else you want in the box other than Fletcher.

  “When it comes to him he’s such a threat. I’m pleased for him but more importantly, Fletcher and Mullin work for the team really well.

  “When you play a team that has such technical ability it’s that five yards of work and detail of when to press and both Fletcher and Mullin have the nous of how to do that."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Red Dragons' promotion push has been rekindled with victory and puts the side just three points off the top of the league. Wrexham can go second, above Mansfield, and level on points with leaders Stockport with a win in their game in hand over both sides. Wrexham's promotion traits have already been praised but they will have to kick on to prove everyone right.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham travel to MK Dons on Tuesday hoping to add yet another three points in their hunt for promotion. The Red Dragons are dreaming of playing League One football and avoiding any jeopardy of the play-offs will be the aim.

Every team in the Championship would take West Brom target Liam Delap on loan if given the opportunity, claims the Express & Star’s Luke Hatfield.

The Manchester City striker could leave the Etihad for the season in search of more game time and West Brom are one side currently being linked with him.

According to the Express & Star, Delap and Orlando City’s Daryl Dike, who played under Valerien Ismael at Barnsley, are on West Brom’s transfer shortlist as they look to improve their options up front.

Hatfield, though, is expecting a real battle for the 18-year-old should City allow him to leave the club on loan.

“I think he’s a player that pretty much everyone in the Championship wants if I’m being honest with you,” the West Brom journalist told FFC. “Really shone for Man City at youth level.

“He’s a player, like I said, if you offered him to every Championship team, they’d all take him on loan.”

Delap certainly has made an impression at youth level, bagging 24 goals in 22 Premier League 2 appearances.

He also managed to score in City’s Carabao Cup third-round win against Bournemouth last season, so perhaps the English youngster is now ready to go out on loan and make a real impact at senior level.

Lauren James admitted that Chelsea are eyeing Champions League glory to give manager Emma Hayes a perfect send-off.

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• Hayes to leave for the USWNT job in the summer
• UCL trophy missing from her impressive trophy cabinet
• James & Co. adamant about conquering Europe

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hayes will conclude her remarkable 12-year tenure at Chelsea to assume the role of head coach for the United States Women’s national team at the end of the current season. During Hayes' reign, Chelsea has enjoyed unparalleled success, clinching six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups, and two League Cups. But she is yet to conquer Europe and the Blues forward remains determined to achieve continental glory with Hayes before she jets off to the USA.

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• WHAT JAMES SAID

  Speaking to PA news agency, James said: "I think it would be amazing, it’s something that everyone wants and dreams of. It’s something this club have been working towards for a while now. Hopefully, in Emma’s final year, we can get that far.

  “I think (the Champions League) is a good experience, the games have been a bit quicker because you’re playing against different opponents from different countries with different styles of play.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  James, who joined Chelsea in 2021 at the age of 19, has flourished under Hayes' guidance. She recently earned the Barclays Player of the Month award in January after scoring five goals in two games, including a hat-trick against Manchester United. Reflecting on her collaboration with Hayes, James highlighted the mutual respect and understanding they share and added: "It’s good working with Emma, our relationship is close as everyone can probably imagine. I think highly of her and hopefully, we can achieve good things this year together. At that moment I was disappointed and it hit you, but that’s the relationship we have. It’s football and people move on, I’ll just have to focus on Chelsea."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  James' impressive goal-scoring performances have propelled Chelsea to the top of the Women’s Super League standings, where they currently lead by three points ahead of a crucial showdown against Manchester City on Friday. They will return to European action in March when they are slated to face Ajax in the last eight of the UEFA Women's Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe says he has far to go after reaching a "hilarious" 300-goal career milestone, thanks to a hat-trick in France’s 14-0 win over Gibraltar.

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• Mbappe starred in France's win over Gibraltar
• Scored a hat-trick to reach 300 career goals
• Vowed to keep improving for club and country

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 24-year-old striker led from the front with a fine hat-trick as France scored over a dozen past Gibraltar on Saturday night. He started the scoring on the night from the spot on the half-hour mark and went on to add two more in the second half which helped him reach the 300-goal mark. Mbappe naturally found reasons to celebrate as he is gunning to be the best of all time – therefore meaning he harbours lofty ambitions.

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  WHAT MBAPPE SAID

  Speaking after the match to , Mbappe said: "It’s just part of the process, there are some players who scored 800 or 850 goals in their career. 300 is just hilarious! I have to keep going and improve for both club and national team."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Earlier in September, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 850 career goals when he struck against Al-Hazm in a Saudi Pro League fixture. Whereas, Lionel Messi is not far behind as the Argentine boasts 821 goals in 1044 career appearances.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  Mbappe still has a long way to go to match the goalscoring numbers of the two legends of the game. However, with time on his side, nothing is impossible for the prolific PSG striker.

The Three Lions boss has been loyal to his favourites during his tenure, but there's still time for new faces to join the fray ahead of the tournament

Incredibly, we are now in the penultimate international break before Euro 2024 kicks-off. And, in truth, it's got off to a pretty torrid start for Gareth Southgate. Having already seen guaranteed starter John Stones ruled out through injury, he also lost Jude Bellingham, James Maddison and Callum Wilson to knocks before a ball had been kicked. This has led to several uncapped players being handed maiden call-ups.

With only a few games left until the tournament begins, Southgate should really be fine tuning things, as opposed to having to deal with the arrival of several players who have not been involved in the senior set-up before.

While it's frustrating, it also teaches a valuable lesson about international football. As much as you can plan and prepare, things can change very quickly – and not just because of injuries. Poor form can also lead to a squad drastically changing ahead of a tournament, even if Southgate has attempted to fester a club-like atmosphere during his time at the helm.

Thus, it's never too late for someone to come out of nowhere and force their way into the conversation. Below, GOAL takes a look at 10 uncapped players who will be hoping to do exactly that over the next few months…

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  Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)

  There have been calls for Konsa to be included in the England squad for some time. The ex-Charlton man has been a near ever-present for an upwardly-mobile Aston Villa side over the past few seasons, and he recently revealed that he never gave up hope of receiving the nod from Southgate.

  "I knew I had a lot to work on in my game. Only recently now, the last two seasons, we’ve excelled at Villa and that part of it has helped me become the player I am today," he said. "I knew my time would come, but it was just a matter of when. I was patient, and I’m proud and me and my family are really happy."

  Now Konsa is here, he'll take some shifting. Although competition for places is rife, with Marc Guehi, Levi Colwill, Fikayo Tomori and Lewis Dunk among those vying to act as back ups to likely first-choice pairing Harry Maguire and Stones, Konsa has been playing the best football of his career this season, thriving in a leadership role under Unai Emery following an injury to Tyrone Mings.

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  Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)

  Gordon did not enjoy the best start at Newcastle after joining from Everton last January, scoring just once in 16 Premier League games and also falling out with manager Eddie Howe. An impressive showing for the triumphant England team at the Under-21 European Championship over the summer has proved to be the turning point, though.

  Since helping the Young Lions lift the trophy, Gordon has been starting regularly for the Magpies, both domestically and in the Champions League. If he can increase his goal and assist output, there's a genuine chance he can squeeze in the Euro 2024 squad, particularly with Raheem Sterling out of favour and Marcus Rashford badly struggling for form.

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  Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton)

  Everton lost their first two games of the season, which led to Branthwaite being drafted into the side in place of Michael Keane. Since that switch, the Toffees have been defeated in just four of their following 10 matches, moving eight points clear of the relegation spots as a result.

  It's not all down to Branthwaite, but the 21-year-old's rock solid defensive partnership with James Tarkowski has gone a long way to helping Sean Dyche's side surpass expectations in recent weeks.

  "He seemed to be quite an assured character, quite a calm character. I like that in all players, but particularly in centre-halves. His adaptation has been clear to the pace and the detail of Premier League football. He continues to improve, and physically he is a good specimen," Dyche said recently.

  Perhaps Euro 2024 is slightly too early for Branthwaite, but if England are hit with some unfortunate injuries, taking him for some tournament experience would make a great deal of sense as he looks set to earn a shed load of Three Lions caps during his career.

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  Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

  Chelsea's decision to spend big on Palmer last summer was widely dismissed as a misstep by both player and club. But the Manchester City youth graduate has wasted little time proving any doubters wrong, capping off a fine start to the season by netting a decisive penalty to earn the Blues a point against his former club recently.

  Things got even better for Palmer soon after, with those aforementioned injuries to Maddison, Wilson and Bellingham creating enough space in the squad for his maiden Three Lions call-up. The attacker admitted to thinking it was a "blag" at first, but there's a decent chance he's handed minutes against either North Macedonia or Malta as there's nothing but pride on the line.

  In the long-term, he's also firmly in the conversation for the Euros squad. Capable of playing on the wing or in an advanced midfield role, he's a guaranteed starter for the Blues and is showing he has the confidence to shine on the biggest stages.

Tottenham Hotspur have been offered Tammy Abraham in this transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the 23-year-old Chelsea striker has been made available to several clubs, including Spurs, as the Champions League winners look to cash in before committing to a big-money bid for one of their own attacking targets.

The Blues value the England international at £40m and have been linked with Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland, so it is expected that Abraham will depart before next month’s deadline.

Arsenal, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund have also been offered the chance to sign the 6 foot 3 striker.

Forget Ings

It’s believed that new Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo will utilise a two-man attack and is looking for a proven Premier League player to feature alongside Kane.

One name who has been linked as a result of that news, is Southampton star Danny Ings, who has entered the final year of his current contract at St Mary’s; and whilst he is valued at half of Abraham’s asking price, it is the Chelsea outcast who could be the better investment long-term, and not just because of the near six-year age difference.

Abraham has found game-time hard to come by since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Frank Lampard’s successor in January but that didn’t stop him from being Chelsea’s second top goalscorer in the top flight last season, bagging just one fewer goal than penalty taker Jorginho (seven).

Overall, the 23-year-old has scored 30 goals in 82 appearances for the Blues, with 18 of those coming under Lampard during the 2019/20 season. It’s a pretty respectable record for a player who was perhaps unfairly cast off by the new manager, and unlike Ings, he’s never had to persistently deal with injury troubles.

One game under the former England midfielder saw Abraham compared to one of the Premier League’s greatest modern strikers in Didier Drogba.

Speaking during BT Sport coverage of Chelsea’s Champions League win over Lille, pundit Rio Ferdinand waxed lyrical about his ability and said (via Goal): “His hold-up play, coming to the ball, bringing others into play. There were some balls that came into him that were Didier Drogba-esque. I think he’s developing nicely, he’s scoring goals, he’s scoring different types of goals and I think he’s a threat.”

Also lauded as a “goal machine” by former academy teammate Kasey Palmer, the £36m-rated forward ought to be considered over Ings by both Nuno and Fabio Paratici this summer.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Toby: Spurs could swoop for £16m-rated “leader” who bullied Kane at Euro 2020…