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Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has apparently been blown away by one player at N17 who he’s barely selected as some interesting news emerges.

The Lowdown: No room in Spurs’ defence…

It appears the likes of Eric Dier, Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies are all ahead of one man in the pecking order with centre-back Joe Rodon unable to get a look-in this season.

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Even Dier’s spell on the sidelines didn’t result in more game time for Rodon despite Conte previously stating that he is seen as a deputy to the England international.

The Welshman has made no Premier League starts this season, playing just 78 minutes in that time, with the vast majority of his minutes coming in the Europa Conference League.

The Latest: Conte now blown away…

Now, according to Wales boss Robert Page, it appears Conte has now been blown away by Rodon’s exploits on international duty.

The 47-year-old claims that Conte was ‘very complimentary’ about the defender’s performance last week during Wales’ 2-1 win over Austria.

“I know Antonio Conte was watching last Thursday,” Page explained (via The Sun).

“He was very complimentary about Joe’s performance, and rightly so. I thought he was outstanding.

“To come in off the back of not playing at club level, Joe deserves an enormous amount of credit for that level of performance.

“It shows he has looked after himself.

“If you are going to be a Tottenham player you have to be fit at this moment in time. I know that for a fact.”

The Verdict: Second chance?

As Rodon looks to battle his way into Conte’s plans, he wouldn’t have done his chances any harm.

The 24-year-old could be a real asset for Spurs at club level going by his exploits for Wales and former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has made no secret of what he believes.

Mourinho called Rodon a ‘perfect’ player during his time at the club and it will be interesting to see whether Conte turns to Rodon more over the final stretch of 2021/2022.

In other news: Conte eyeing £25.2m-rated ‘game-changer’ who Spurs once agreed personal terms for! Find out more here.

Journalist James Pearce has explained Harvey Elliott’s recent omissions from Liverpool senior matchday squads, having spoken to Jurgen Klopp about the situation.

The Lowdown: Elliott axed for City clash

The Reds drew 2-2 away to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon as another thrilling Premier League clash between the pair took place at the Etihad Stadium.

Elliott wasn’t part of the occasion, though, with the 19-year-old left out of the squad entirely, despite being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Ian Wright after his goalscoring return to action in February.

It isn’t the first time that the teenager has been snubbed by Klopp in recent weeks – his last appearance came against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup last month, while he hasn’t been in a league matchday squad since 12 March – and even though the midfielder has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Anfield, this omission may still have raised some eyebrows.

The Latest: Pearce explains Elliott situation

Writing in a Q&A for The Athletic before Sunday’s game, Pearce provided his thoughts on the situation, playing down any kind of potential issue between player and manager:

“I asked Klopp recently and he said it was just down to the sheer competition for places. Origi and Minamino not on the bench either.

“Plus, quite common for someone coming back from a bad injury to have a lively initial period back, adrenaline pumping etc, but then experience a lull. Elliott still has a big future at LFC.”

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The Verdict: Completely understandable

There is no need for this to be made into a bigger deal than it is, with Liverpool having no current injuries and therefore arguably the most impressive squad in the club’s history.

It is simply a case of Elliott not quite being deemed good enough to get into the matchday squad for a huge encounter – the same applies to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi, for example – which is no great surprise, given his inexperience.

As Pearce has referenced, the teenager also suffered a dislocated ankle earlier this season and needs to be managed carefully, so there should be no concern over his future at the club whatsoever.

In other news, Liverpool are ‘convinced’ they should sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Kyle Lafferty has had a bit of a tough time on his return to Ibrox this season. The 31-year-old striker had bagged just four goals before yesterday, with his most recent goal coming against Cowdenbeath in the Scottish Cup in January, and before that his most recent Scottish Premier League goal coming all the way back in late September.

There has been no doubting that Alfredo Morelos is Steven Gerrard’s number one choice up front, and the January signing of Jermain Defoe has only pished Lafferty further down the pecking order. However, when the Northern Irishman came on and scored yesterday it would have given him the much-needed confidence boost that he’s been needing for a while.

The Bluenoses will hope he can put together some kind of run of form now and if he can kick on and grab some goals between now and the end of the season then it will be a welcomed bonus that would relieve some of the goalscoring burden that is so often put on Morelos. However, it won’t be easy to string together goalscoring form, and if it is to happen then the big man will need more than cameo appearances from the bench.

You can read the Gers’ reaction to Lafferty’s strike here:

The Bluenoses loved seeing their big man score and will hope there are few more to come from Lafferty this season.

Reliable journalist Tim Spiers believes Wolves youngster Theo Corbeanu has a big future in the game, following some impressive loan spells away from Molineux.

The Lowdown: Corbeanu shining on loan

The 19-year-old is a highly thought-of figure at Wolves but he has been shipped out on loan in recent seasons, in order to enjoy more minutes elsewhere.

Corbeanu did well at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the campaign, chipping in with two goals and assists apiece in six League One starts, before heading off to MK Dons.

He has also scored once in his first five games there, not to mention netting twice in six caps for Canada.

The Latest: Spiers excited about youngster

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Spiers waxed lyrical over Corbeanu, as he plugged an article written for The Athletic:

“They’re singing his name in the stands and waving Canada flags. Promotion with MK Dons and a World Cup with his country? Things are happening for Theo Corbeanu.”

The Verdict: One for the future

It is great to see Corbeanu thriving so much elsewhere, as he looks to eventually reach his potential and become a key figure for Wolves.

At 19, he is already showing he can produce end product in a tough, physical League One, and he has been hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Under-23s manager James Collins.

A move back to Wolves this summer could make sense, although if Bruno Lage feels another loan move would be beneficial for his development, that would be a more shrewd decision.

Staying put at Molineux and getting no minutes is of no benefit to anyone.

In other news, Spiers has also made a fresh claim regarding two Wolves players. Find out who they are here.

Everton have found themselves in a Premier League relegation battle this season with Frank Lampard desperately trying to save them from a drop into the Championship next season, but he could be heading for disaster if reports are to be believed on Michael Keane’s future at the club.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Paul Brown, Everton will keep hold of Keane this summer due to a potential lack of interest in the player and a contract that runs until 2025.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT;

“Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey are both under contract until 2025, so I can’t see that either of those two will be moved.

“There probably wouldn’t be much of a market for Keane anyway; he’s not playing well this season.”

Major Everton nightmare

It is no secret that the Everton centre-back has had an abysmal season, with a number of serious blunders in his performances that have ultimately cost the team crucial points in their pursuit for safety in top flight football.

Keane tops the list for Premier League own goals this season with two instances where the defender has opened up the scoring for his opponents, with one goal scored against Norwich City at Carrow Road in a 2-1 defeat, and then scoring the first goal again a few weeks later for Tottenham Hotspur in the 5-0 thrashing.

The £65k-p/w centre-back, who was dubbed a “liability” by Trevor Sinclair, then proceeded to get red carded against West Ham United which saw Everton concede another defeat, proving that the player has let his team down time and time again this season with extremely poor decision making in the last few months during the most vulnerable time for the club.

If Lampard manages to secure safety for Everton this season there is no doubt that he will need to strengthen his team to ensure that they don’t find themselves in a similar position next season, and with Keane’s aforementioned mistakes hindering the team’s progress, the manager could be sleepwalking into a major nightmare by not encouraging the club to move him on this summer.

With that being said, the former Chelsea boss must do everything he can to either demote the defender to a squad player by signing a replacement or put Keane on the transfer market in an effort to sell ahead of next season as improving the squad should be the top priority this summer.

In other news: Lampard can unearth the new Terry as Everton plot bid for 19 y/o heading for “the top”

Everton are another side who are interested in Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Toffees have been name-checked with a late interest in the Brazilian by Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol (January 28th), relayed by HITC, which has caught the attention of a number of Villa fans on social media.

Luiz has been a player in demand during the final days of the January window, with both Arsenal and Tottenham keen on the 23-year-old’s services.

Villa are poised to open talks with Luiz over a new contract, though, with the central midfielder having 18 months remaining on his current deal.

According to Solhekol on Sky Sports’ live Transfer Show, Everton have shown an interest in Luiz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tanguy Ndombele, with the Toffees hunting midfielders after injuries to Fabian Delph and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

However, since that update, they now look set to sign Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek on loan, so it remains to be seen where that leaves their interest in the Villa man.

Villa fans react

Total Villa relayed the links regarding Everton and Luiz on Twitter. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many surprised at the rumour.

“Luiz to Everton!? If this had been last summer per Carlo going to Madrid I could have understood it. Not now.”

Credit: @TalkTrinity

“Imagine leaving Villa for that at the minute”

Credit: @DaveHin55518309

“I guess he’s missing El-Ghazi”

Credit: @Jelly31807434

“EVERTON HAHAHAHAHAHA”

Credit: @KishinJay

“We’d be nuts to let him go”

Credit: @chrisw333

“Everton couldn’t afford Luiz & why would he want a relegation scrap”

Credit: @Villaste1

In other news: Villa now keen on ‘special’ centre-back after Calum Chambers; he can also play in midfield. 

Alasdair Gold has shared some bad news for Tottenham Hotspur supporters involving midfielder and homegrown sensation Oliver Skipp amid his recent injury woes.

The Lowdown: Skipp setbacks…

The 21-year-old, who recently put pen to paper on fresh terms with the club, hasn’t been able to contribute for manager Antonio Conte since late January due to ongoing fitness issues.

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Skipp’s last minutes for Spurs came during a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in the first month of 2022 with his pelvic injury keeping him sidelined.

The Englishman has suffered setbacks in his return to action since, coming as a source of real frustration for Conte, who has remained in the dark over his starlet’s recovery timeframe.

After the Lilywhites confirmed brilliant news of his new contract, Gold has now shared a damning update on Skipp and his injury, coming as the player himself admits it’s been a real problem.

The Latest: Gold shares Skipp update…

The reliable football.london correspondent, taking to Twitter, says that he’s still no closer to returning to Conte’s starting eleven.

Sharing an update on his recovery, in response to Skipp’s official reaction to signing fresh terms, Gold explained:

“Understand he’s not closer to a return yet.”

The Verdict: Bad news…

The promising youngster’s continued availability delay will come as bad news for both Conte and supporters as Spurs fight to finish in the Premier League top four.

Currently locked in a fierce battle for Champions League qualification with north London rivals Arsenal, Tottenham will need any quality at their disposal to come out on top.

According to WhoScored, no Spurs starter has averaged a higher pass accuracy than Skipp (90.1%) in the top flight this season, backing his real composure and assurance in Conte’s midfield.

Tipped as a future club captain, those inside and outside N17 will be hoping he can return to the grass as soon as possible.

In other news: Big name source: Tottenham in pole position to sign ‘unreal’ 6 ft 3 powerhouse for Conte! Find out more here.

A big Sunderland update has emerged in their search for a new manager, regarding out-of-work coach Grant McCann.

What’s the talk?

The Sun journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that the former Hull City boss is poised to meet with the club over a potential deal to replace Lee Johnson.

He Tweeted: “Grant McCann will have talks soon. Won’t be only one. But no compo and experience of League One.”

Elation

Sunderland fans will surely be elated by this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that the club are making swift moves to bring in a replacement. They are not biding their time and dallying over what their next step will be and are, instead, looking to speak to potential appointments as quickly as possible.

Fans could love this as Sunderland do not have time to waste. They are third in the League One table and straight back into action on Saturday at the Stadium of Light against Doncaster, which is why they need a coach in sooner rather than later to avoid potentially missing out on crucial points.

The Black Cats faithful may also be elated with this update as McCann could be an excellent appointment. He has proven that he knows how to get a side out of the third tier as he led Hull to promotion last season, winning the division and racking up 89 points – averaging 1.93 points per game.

Johnson, meanwhile, picked up 53 points – 1.66 per game – in League One for Sunderland during the same campaign. The ex-Bristol City boss was relieved of his duties after the 6-0 defeat to Bolton left him averaging 1.86 points per game this term.

This suggests that McCann could be an improvement on the 40-year-old as he has shown that he has what it takes to get a team promoted from this division. He also has 73 Championship matches managed under his belt, which could come in handy if he ends up joining the club and taking them up to the second tier.

Supporters will surely be pleased to read that the club are attempting to bring a coach in who has experience of managing in League One and doing so successfully on top of that. Kristjaan Speakman will now need to assess whether he is the right fit for the squad the club currently have available, with the next few days potentially being an exciting time for the fans as they wait to see who the new manager will be.

AND in other news, Journo claims exciting SAFC manager news could emerge by “Saturday”, fans will love it…

Kevin de Bruyne will be a ‘massive miss’ for Manchester City in their FA Cup semifinal meeting with Liverpool on Saturday, Danny Mills has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

De Bruyne was forced off in City’s goalless draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg after hurting his ankle.

And right-back Kyle Walker was also unable to complete the game at the Wanda Metropolitano after sustaining a similar injury.

Manager Pep Guardiola said after the match that the injuries had left his side in ‘big trouble’.

And in a fresh update in his Friday press conference, he revealed that neither De Bruyne nor Walker had trained on the eve of the game.

Liverpool are due to meet City for the second week in succession, with their semifinal pencilled in for 15.30 on Saturday. The winner will then play Chelsea or Crystal Palace in the May showpiece.

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The latest

Mills, who played for City between 2004 and 2009, is confident that they’ll be able to cope with the absence of Walker.

But he fears that update on De Bruyne could potentially tip the scales in Liverpool’s favour.

“Kevin De Bruyne is a massive miss,” the Sky Sports pundit told FI. “Kyle Walker, they can probably deal with.

“[Joao] Cancelo slots across and [Oleksandr] Zinchenko comes in. You’re a touch weaker but they can deal with that.

The verdict

There’s no denying that De Bruyne is a huge loss for City. This is a player who was named the official ‘King of the Match’ in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw after opening the scoring.

But perhaps Mills shouldn’t downplay the absence of Walker.

Another pundit, Paul Robinson, has warned that Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane, Liverpool’s left wing options, will be ‘licking their lips’ if Walker is absent.

The Englishman was named the fastest player in the Premier League in 2020 and that pace can help him neutralise opposition wingers.

Diaz’s acceleration has been described as ‘incredible’ by Marko Grujic, so is he now primed to hurt City if he gets a start?

In other news, Liverpool are keen on this Real Madrid midfielder.

According to an update by reliable journalist Alan Nixon of The Sun, there has been a development in West Ham United’s search for a striker involving Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Lowdown: West Ham in forward hunt…

Coming a year after West Ham sold club-record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax, David Moyes is still yet to see a confirmed replacement come through the door at Rush Green.

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That isn’t for lack of trying, as the Hammers and recruitment chief Rob Newman draw up a list of targets, with offers having already been made according to reports.

Sky Sports reported that West Ham made a loan-to-buy bid for Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, news which has since been backed by the player’s own representative, while the Irons are also weighing a move for Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton Diaz.

In a surprise update, Moyes and co have now set their sights on an England international.

The Latest: West Ham on Calvert-Lewin alert…

Writing for The Sun, reliable reporter Nixon claimed that Moyes has been ‘alerted’ to the possible availability of Toffees forward Calvert-Lewin, but it will cost them an eye-watering £60m.

The Hammers boss would apparently ‘really push the boat out’ to sign him but Everton’s valuation is currently too high.

Refusing to rule out a move, Nixon believes that West Ham will be right at ‘the head of the queue’ if that aspect of the story changes.

The Verdict: Big claim…

There is little doubt that Calvert-Lewin would be the ultimate centre-forward signing if West Ham decide to make a move, even despite his injury-ridden 2021/22 campaign.

Called ‘sensational’ by former West Ham favourite Tony Cottee, the £100,000-per-week striker scored 16 goals in 32 Premier League starts last term, whilst also averaging more attempts at goal per 90 than any Everton player (WhoScored).

At 24 years of age, Calvert-Lewin also comes with real potential for sell-on value, and his homegrown status comes as another incentive.

However, given that West Ham may have to break their transfer record again to land him, this is a move on which Moyes and Newman will have to deliberate carefully.

In other news: ExWHUemployee claims West Ham are eyeing ‘absolutely incredible’ ace with loan-to-buy move in discussion, find out more here.