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Daniel Levy has been told by Simon Jordan a perceived lack of ambition is causing Tottenham fans to turn against him.

The Spurs chairman has been in the role since 2001 but has faced growing calls to step down by supporters in recent years, including this season.

Fan opposition to the 63-year-old comes as their wait for silverware shows little sign of ending while their position of 14th in the Premier League table has made the league season something of a write-off.

Ange Postecoglou's side can only win the Europa League this term to avoid extending their 17-year trophy drought.

Supporters have also called for more transfers to match their trophy ambitions across the Premier League and European competition.

However, Levy issued a response on Monday as he explained that the club must 'make smart purchases' and be 'sustainable' with their spending.

Jordan has now warned that the stance he's taken could mean Levy's 'road is running out'.

The talkSPORT co-host revealed his stance in response to a fan call discussing the club's pledge about their new stadium.

Spurs had earmarked the move to their 62,850-capacity arena in 2019 as a way of becoming more competitive in the hunt for trophies.

Speaking on White & Jordan, the former Crystal Palace chairman explained: "The bottom line is football fans expect ambition from their club, they expect aspiration.

"If Spurs and Daniel Levy aren’t delivering it because his pursuit of sustainability and the model that he wants to work to isn’t going to give them the outcomes that they want, then they have the right to say it.

"I personally think with Daniel that his road is running out in terms of the opportunities he has to defend his position."

Jordan continued: "I defend Daniel against one-sided arguments because I’ve been an owner on the other side of the equation and I can’t help defend owners to some extent because I know what the other side of the conversation is.

"But I also suggest that Tottenham Hotspur cannot go around not achieving things.

"Of course we’ve had COVID since the stadium was built and the opportunities of revenues.

"There were hundreds of millions of pounds lost to football clubs during that period of time that is now being caught up with and Daniel will run that particular argument.

"And he’ll run the argument about covenants and the amount of money they’ve got available to themselves but fans are not interested in that.

"If they’ve been told that the building of a stadium is going to make them more competitive with the opposition and then the argument being run is that they can’t meet the opposition because they’ve got to service debt then you can’t have it both ways."

As well as the new stadium, Levy oversaw Spurs' move to a state-of-the-art new training ground in 2012.

However, the north London side have not lifted any silverware since winning the League Cup in 2008.

Tottenham also look set to miss out on a place in the Champions League for the third season in a row.

Their only realistic route into the competition is by winning the Europa League as they're 15 points adrift of the top four.

Harry Kane has expressed his contentment with life at Bayern Munich, playing down talk of a potential return to the Premier League.

After dominating Premier League scoresheets with Tottenham across 11 seasons, Kane signed for German giants Bayern in August 2023.

The England captain has sustained his world-renowned scoring ability ever since his near-£80million move by netting 77 goals so far.

He hit 100 goal contributions in all competitions during their 3-1 win over St Pauli on Saturday, during which he scored 58th Bundesliga goal.

And Kane appears to be more than happy to stay put at Bayern given his response to a question regarding a rumoured comeback in English football.

When asked by ESPN if he would consider it, he said: "I'm not sure. I've said throughout my whole career, I'm not someone who likes to think too far ahead. I'm extremely happy here.

"I think we have a fantastic team, fantastic coaching staff and I just feel like whilst I feel like I'm in the best condition, I wanna play at the highest level possible, and this is as high as it gets.

"So I know a lot can change in football in a short space of time and things can happen, but ultimately my focus is here.

"I'm not thinking about any other league or any other team. And with football, I like to just go the flow and at the moment the flow is here at Bayern Munich."

Speaking to talkSPORT, European football expert Kevin Hatchard also cast doubt about the possibility of Kane returning to his homeland.

"I can't see it, I really can't, certainly not this summer," Hatchard said. "He's settled down in Germany, he's learning German, they released a video of that the other day, his German is about on par with mine so we're having a good race in that regard.

"If you listen to the way he speaks, he speaks like a leader, he speaks like somebody who's very much ensconced within that group, he speaks as somebody who's very ambitious.

"I think he's realised this is an enormous football club and they are going to challenge for the top trophies.

"Because this is not the best Bayern team and you've got Vincent Kompany, he's gone there as a bit of a surprise, people didn't necessarily think that was going to happen, but he looks as though he might win the league in the first season.

"What's been really interesting about Kompany is that [Jamal] Musiala's signed a new deal, [Alphonso] Davies has signed a new deal, [Joshua] Kimmich signed a new deal, that does not happen probably under Thomas Tuchel, because he ruffled a few feathers.

"I think he's brought back that positivity, and then Kane's really thriving. I just can't see why he would terminate that two years in, and Bayern certainly don't want to let him go this summer."

Despite now being 31 years old, Kane would undoubtedly be a coup for any Premier League side should he decide to return.

He scored 213 goals in 320 Premier League appearances, putting him second in the all-time charts behind Alan Shearer on 260.

Mohamed Salah is the closest active player to him on 184 goals but a potential summer exit from Liverpool may prevent an overtake.

Kane won the Golden Boot in three different campaigns at Spurs, although he was never crowned as the Player of the Season.

The move to Bayern has only strengthened his status as one of best strikers in football.

His 77 goals and 24 assists have come in 83 appearances, which means he averages around 1.2 contributions per match.

All that's left missing on Kane's impressive CV is major silverware, but this looks set to change this season as Bayern battle at the top.

They lead the Bundesliga table by six points over Bayer Leverkusen and are in the Champions League quarter-finals against Inter Milan.

Chelsea will renew hostilities with rivals Tottenham in the final Premier League midweek match this Thursday, live on talkSPORT.

The Blues and Spurs both went into the two-week hiatus off the back of defeats in London derbies against Arsenal and Fulham respectively.

However, both sets of fans have had to wait longer than usual for their teams to return to the pitch in Gameweek 29.

Chelsea fell to a 1-0 defeat to the Gunners before the break to leave the club just one point above Manchester City in fifth place.

Tottenham, meanwhile, slumped to a 15th Premier League defeat of the season at Fulham before the international fixtures.

The Lilywhites are in dire need of a statement win to ease the pressure building on Ange Postecoglou.

Another defeat at Chelsea would see him become the first Tottenham boss to lose his first four league games against the Blues.

Why is Chelsea vs Tottenham on Thursday?

This Premier League derby was moved for live TV coverage when the fixtures were announced on February 28.

Sky Sports had the rights to screen one live top-flight match on Wednesday and Thursday, with TNT broadcasting Nottingham Forest vs Man United on Tuesday, to maximise viewership by avoiding a clash.

The second Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton was given the priority billing, with Chelsea vs Spurs moved to the following day.

While no official reveal was given, it could be linked to a statement on the official Premier League website, which said that fixtures could be moved due to possible participation in European matches.

At the time Sky made their picks, Liverpool were still in the Champions League and among the favourites to go the distance.

Arne Slot's men had topped the league phase of the competition and looked destined to be involved in quarter-final action next week.

However, a shock penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain following a 1-0 loss at Anfield spelled the end of their time in Europe.

Playing Everton on Thursday would have meant the possibility of having three matches in seven days had they eliminated PSG, and a day less rest than would-be opponents Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, both Chelsea and Tottenham's European commitments are already on a Thursday.

Their respective Gameweek 30 fixtures were moved to Sunday, April 6, against Brentford and Southampton, respectively.

Chelsea and Spurs then don't return to action until the following Thursday in the Europa Conference and Europa League.

Chelsea vs Tottenham: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Thursday, April 3.

talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage from Stamford Bridge, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm.

Hugh Woozencroft will be your presenter, while commentary comes from Joe Shennan and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

Listen via the talkSPORT app here, or on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

Visit talkSPORT BET for all the latest odds and bet boosts.

Newcastle updates

After the euphoria of winning the Carabao Cup, it is back to the Premier League for Newcastle United, with the Champions League in their sights.

The Magpies host Brentford tomorrow, and Eddie Howe has provided an injury update on two key players.

Anthony Gordon suffered a hip issue while representing England over the international break, but he's expected to be back in training soon.

He was suspended for tomorrow's match anyway, meaning Harvey Barnes will likely start.

Meanwhile, Howe hopes to have Dutchman Sven Botman back before the end of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference about Gordon, he said: "He has some nasty bruising around his thigh but he's up and running and feeling quite good. He's not trained with the group yet so we anticipate he'll do that within the next few days."

And on Botman: "Sven's not too bad. He's had a very minor operation just to clean out some floating bone that was in his knee and was causing him a problem. The initial diagnosis was between six and eight weeks but I think he's already got through a few of those. Fingers crossed we'll see him in May."

'For Trent'

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has responded to talk of Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving this summer.

talkSPORT understands the England international has agreed a deal to join Real Madrid and Jude Bellingham, and he will leave his boyhood club for nothing this summer.

Ahead of the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, Slot revealed that Alexander-Arnold wouldn't be involved, while he refused to comment on the player's future.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, he said: "His situation is unfortunately that he is injured, otherwise people would have probably spoken about him that he had one or two brilliant performances for the England team. But he's injured and for him that means he is fully focused on his recovery and for us that means we are trying to help him to be back as soon as he can.

"For the rest, of course, for eight months it went a bit up and down maybe, with all kinds of talks about him, Virgil [Van Dijk] or Mo [Mohamed Salah]. But we have never been focused on those talks, we have always been focused on what we have to do.

"For Virgil and Mo that is trying to win the Merseyside derby, and for Trent, that is making sure he is can get fit as soon as he can.

"It's a situation that is there for eight months now and all these three players have performed so well under these circumstances so it doesn't affect me at all.

"I think there was a bit of noise about us losing against Paris St-Germain and us losing against Newcastle as well. I always try to be rational. I was a bit more frustrated about the final, because I think we deserved to lose that one. For the first time, we deserved to lose a football game."

Pressers, pressers, pressers

Okay, the Premier League is back tonight, meaning we have a round of press conferences to get through.

Yesterday, we heard from Mikel Arteta ahead of Arsenal playing Fulham this evening, and today, we will hear from Arne Slot.

The Dutchman is speaking right now and is expected to be asked about Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is set to join Real Madrid this summer.

It is also the small matter of the Merseyside derby at Anfield.

Newcastle United's Eddie Howe is also currently speaking to the press, and he'll no doubt be asked about the club's incredible parade at the weekend.

Pep Guardiola is also set to give his thoughts, and he should have an update on Erling Haaland, who hobbled off at the weekend.

Hey big spenders

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is expecting a big summer of spending to help the club take "the next step" and end their wait for silverware.

Arteta was speaking a day after the Gunners announced their successor to sporting director Edu, with Andrea Berta, formerly of Atletico Madrid, taking up the reins.

Arsenal, whose last trophy was the 2020 FA Cup, have been criticised for not signing a striker in recent windows, and their failure to act has been exposed in the second half of this season with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus both sidelined.

Without a recognised striker, the north London outfit have fallen 12 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League. It leaves them on course to finish runners-up for the third consecutive season.

But speaking ahead of his side's match against Fulham at the Emirates on Tuesday, Arteta said: "It's going to be a big one (summer) and we are very excited about it.

"When you are going to go again, we want to increase the depth of the squad and the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step.

"Every summer is big because it is an opportunity and especially because of the number of players we have in the squad right now that is necessary.

"But it's a big summer for many things because first of all we have to maintain the good foundations that we have and then obviously how can we improve and evolve the team."

Can't blame him

Wayne Rooney says he can understand why a possible move to Spanish giants Real Madrid would be appealing for Liverpool and England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at Anfield this summer. He has reportedly agreed terms on a free transfer to Real.

"If Trent Alexander-Arnold does join Real Madrid this summer, fair play to him. I was once tempted to make a big move to Spain myself," Rooney said, in his BBC Sport column.

"Alexander-Arnold is 26 and out of contract at the end of the season, so he is in a position where he either commits the rest of his career to Liverpool or decides to go to Real - who clearly want him.

"If he was to leave Liverpool for any other club you might wonder why, but, because it is Real we are talking about, I don't think you could question it as a career move."

Rooney said that Real, Barcelona and Chelsea made approaches for him in 2010 when speculation was rife about his Manchester United future, before he agreed a new deal at Old Trafford.

"A deal with Real looked more likely for a couple of days, but it was Barcelona whom I thought about the most, and how I might fit into their side alongside Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets," he added.

"Real are the same now with superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr, so of course it must be appealing to Alexander-Arnold to think about playing alongside them - anyone would feel the same."

Statement

Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed they are having a 'temporary issue' regarding the payment of player salaries in March.

A club statement continued: "This has occurred as a result of significant sums of money owed to the chairman’s businesses which has in turn impacted on the club’s immediate cashflow.

"The chairman is working hard to resolve this situation at the earliest possible opportunity and in the meantime thanks everyone for their patience and understanding."

This is not the first time Wednesday have experienced problems of this nature with chairman Dejphon Chansiri revealing he was concerned the club would be unable to pay players and staff their October 2023 wages on time amid what he described as ‘cashflow issues’.

In a bizarre moment, Chansiri asked fans to stump up £2million within a few days to save their club.

However, all payments were satisfied within 24 hours and their transfer embargo was lifted.

The Owls are currently 12th in the Championship, five points off a play-off spot.

Latest

Erling Haaland is out for an indefinite period after sustaining an ankle injury yesterday.

The forward went off in the second half of Manchester City's FA Cup win at Bournemouth on Sunday having injured his left ankle.

City have now confirmed that following tests on Monday, Haaland will see a specialist to confirm the full extent of the injury.

While the club didn't give an idea on how long he'll be out for but City did say the Norwegian is expected to be back before the end of the season and should be available to play during this summer's Club World Cup.

If Haaland is out for a prolonged period it would be a big blow in City's bid to finish in the top four.

City are currently fifth in the Premier League table, a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea with nine games to go.

In what's been an uncharacteristically sloppy season for Pep Guardiola's side, Haaland has remained consistent having scored 30 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions with 21 of them coming in the Premier League.

'No excuses'

Nuno Espirito Santo won't allow excuses from Nottingham Forest when they face Manchester United after playing extra-time on Saturday.

Forest went the distance against Brighton and won on penalties to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

They may still be feeling the effects of the 120 minutes of football, but head coach Espirito Santo insists this won't get in their way.

"No excuses. Don't give anyone excuses," he said before their home clash against United on Tuesday. "We're going to go.

"We'll assess the players, we'll prepare for the game and we're going to compete. It's very difficult on the players but they are recovering well.

"They are always being positive so we are confident we can perform against a good team.

"These short turnarounds are all about recovering and fortunately the match is in the evening so it will gives us the day to finalise the details, so we will be OK.

"We are delighted that we will play in more matches. We are delighted that we will have more chances to perform and improve and grow as a club and as a squad.

"We are in the final stages of the season and we are delighted to be in this position."

Improvement

Chelsea have announced their financial accounts for the year ending 30 June 2024.

The Blues' profit before taxation has been revealed as £128.4million compared to their loss of £90.1million from the year prior.

A statement read: "The club benefitted from increased profit on disposal of player registrations and repositioning of Chelsea Football Club Women Ltd."

Chelsea also said that revenue had fallen to £468.5million having not participated in the Champions League.

"However, the club’s broadcasting receipts benefitted from an improved sixth-place finish in the Premier League and semi-final and final appearances in the FA Cup and League Cup respectively," they said.

"There was a decrease in operational costs in the year, to offset the fall in revenue resulting in a stable operating loss in comparison to the previous year."

Matchday revenue at Chelsea gas risen to £80.1million, with a growth in commercial revenue taking them to £225.3million.

"Decreased operating expenses, including matchday and non-matchday costs, profits on disposal of player registrations of £152.5million and a profit on disposal of subsidiaries of £198.7million led to the group recording an overall net profit of £129.6million after tax."

Not down just yet

Kieran McKenna has insisted that Ipswich Town are 'still in the fight' to avoid relegation.

Ahead of the season run-in, the Tractor Boys are 18th in the Premier League and nine points away from safety.

Bournemouth are their first opponents back from the international break on Wednesday before tough fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle.

But when speaking in his press conference, manager McKenna was not one to write off their chances of survival.

"It's an important week for us. Of the nine remaining games, we've got two in four days," he said as per the East Anglian Daily Times.

"There's 27 points to play for and nearly a quarter of the season left so we know, from a points perspective, we're certainly still in the fight and we know that things can change really, really quickly this week with one positive result or two positive results.

"So there's still absolutely that belief that we can compete until the end of the season in terms of league positions.

"Irrespective of that, we've got a quarter of our first Premier League season in 22 years left.

"I think whether we were 16th, whether we were one point off the line where we want to be, or we were 24 points off the line of where we want to be.

"I couldn't really understand or legislate for any difference in the mindset here and the difference in how we prepare and the difference in how we go to the games.

"We need to go to every game, give absolutely everything we've got and try to do ourselves and our supporters proud. Hopefully we get good results from that and that'll leave us at the end of the season in a position that we're really, really happy with.

"That's still absolutely the focus and belief and we hope that a good week this week can really contribute to that. I don't see that changing any time soon."

HaCunha Matata

"It means no worries"

And that's the mentality Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has surrounding Matheus Cunha's latest comments.

Cunha says he's ready to fight for titles and take the next step.

Those comments will be concerning for Wolves who are in the Premier League relegation battle and need full squad commitment.

But Pereira has remained calm about the situation and he is planning to keep playing the Brazilian for the rest of the season.

"He knows his potential, he is a top player," the Wolves boss said. "It is normal that he has the ambition to fight for titles, it’s natural.

"It happens with other players. But the most important thing is to be committed and help the team to achieve our targets.

"At the end of the season we will see. Next season I don't know, I don't know if I'm alive tomorrow. It's better to wait. The focus is the next game and the team."

Pereira continued: "If training gives me the confidence to play with Cunha, I will play with him because he has the quality to help us.

"With goals, with assists, in this moment if he has the right mentality to be focused and be with us it’s very easy to manage. If not, I'm here to decide."

Awkward...

A video of Trent Alexander-Arnold greeting some of his Liverpool teammates has gone viral on social media.

It comes after Alexander-Arnold agreed to join Real Madrid on a free at the end of his contract this summer.

The defender walked into the Reds' training centre and shook hands with Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

But fans are pointing out the death-stare he received from Mac Allister and a lack of eye contact from Gakpo.

Of course, there may be nothing to it, but some of the Liverpool squad could be angry with Alexander-Arnold for his decision.

It's certainly been something that has split the fanbase, so something similar may be happening in the changing room...

'Improving'

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has given a new update on striker Chris Wood.

Wood picked up a hip injury over the international break and didn't feature in Forest's FA Cup quarter-final win.

It's left him as a major doubt to face Manchester United and him missing out would be a huge blow considering his form.

Espirito Santo discussed Wood's issue this afternoon, saying: "He's improving. He's getting better day by day.

"We have to assess him day by day, it's all about him being free and getting better."

So, it seems his involved this week remains up in the air and that will leave Fantasy Premier League managers on edge.

Over 45 per cent of managers own Wood on the game and they will be left with a tough decision on whether to stick or sell.

Defending spending

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has responded to calls from fans that the club should be spending more money.

Spurs released their financial results for the last year this afternoon and they have shown a total revenue decrease.

As part of the report, posted on the club's website, Levy gave a statement on the year's numbers.

He discussed the season so far and then seemed to defend himself and Spurs over their transfer approach.

Part of the statement read: “Since opening our new stadium in April 2019, we have invested over £700 million net in player acquisitions.

"Recruitment remains a key focus, and we must ensure that we make smart purchases within our financial means.

"I often read calls for us to spend more, given that we are ranked as the ninth richest club in the world. However, a closer examination of today’s financial figures reveals that such spending must be sustainable in the long term and within our operating revenues.

"Our capacity to generate recurring revenues determines our spending power. We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club.

"Indeed, our off-pitch revenues have significantly supplemented the lower football revenues this year, testament to our diversified income strategy."

The full report can be found below...

Endo the road?

Eintracht Frankfurt have reportedly enquired about taking Liverpool cult hero Wataru Endo back to the Bundesliga.

Signed for just £16million in August 2023, it was common knowledge that the Japan international was not the Reds' first midfield target.

That was following high-profile pursuits of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, both of whom went on to join Chelsea for a combined fee of £173million - with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both leaving a void of experience when heading to Saudi Arabia.

However, the 32-year-old, who still has two years on his deal, proved himself to be a favourite among fans and former manager Jurgen Klopp.

In his first 17 starts at Liverpool, the Merseysiders failed to lose a single game, having won 15 and drawn two - which included a standout role in the 2024 Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley.

Endo has continued in a secondary role under Arne Slot this term, and Sky Sports Germany claim the club's No.3 will be allowed to leave this summer.

The report adds that Frankfurt are informed about the situation, but his transfer is currently not a priority, partly because the overall package is still too expensive.

Case for the defence

Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Manchester United's defensive duo, Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro, are both available to face Nottingham Forest tomorrow.

England international Maguire has been absent with a calf issue since being forced off during the FA Cup defeat by Fulham on March 2.

A week later, Yoro had to be replaced at half-time in the 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal on March 9.

Amorim said: "Luke [Shaw] is not ready yet. We are starting to do some drills with the team but we are building Luke.

"Mason Mount is feeling better but he was on the bench in the last game, Kobbie [Mainoo] is almost ready, Jonny [Evans] is recovering, [Lisandro Martinez] is out.

"[Harry] Maguire is also ready to go to the game and [Leny] Yoro, yes."

On Ayden Heaven, who was stretchered off against Leicester City: "It is not so serious. He is recovering.

"He is not yet ready to play but he will return this season, for sure."

Full fitness

West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug is set to return to action tomorrow for the Hammers' trip to Wolves.

The German, who arrived in the Premier League for £27million last summer, has only made nine appearances.

He's struggled with injuries and his latest, a hamstring issue, was picked up in January and he hasn't played since.

But manager Graham Potter had a positive update to give.

"Fullkrug has been training with the group," Potter revealed.

"He will more than likely be in the squad, we've just got to build his minutes up in terms of what he's able to do.

"He hasn't played competitive football in a while and has had a fairly significant injury.

"He's training well and is building his fitness up so he'll be in the squad."

Rash decision

Former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT host Simon Jordan doesn't think Aston Villa will decide to sign Marcus Rashford.

Rashford has hit form since moving on loan to Villa Park and he netted his first two goals for the club against Preston in the FA Cup quarter-finals yesterday.

There is reported to be a £40million buy clause in his loan contract, but even with his strong performances, will Villa sign him?

Jordan doesn't think so, saying: "I could have bet you any money in the world that Rashford would come alive for Aston Villa.

"Fantastic, but wait until Villa have got to write a cheque out. I think they're too canny and too wise to fall into this trap.

"It's one thing having a player on loan, playing a small percent of his wages so it's a small transaction. You have him for four months, it costs you £5-6million, nothing, nobody cares."

He added: "Everybody knew he was going to lift a leg. I think the system helps as well.

"I just think Villa are too wise for it and first of all, they're not going to want to pay over £300,000 a week and a transfer fee.

"It's too big of a deal."

One in, one out

Bukayo Saka's return will be a major boost for Arsenal, but they've lost a key defender at the same time.

Mikel Arteta revealed this morning: "Calafiori unfortunately picked up a knee injury again with the national team.

"It was really unfortunate how that injury happened but it could have been much worse.

"So hopefully it's going to be a matter of weeks. But we have to see how the injury evolves."

This is now the third knee issue Calafiori has suffered this season and it came after he landed awkwardly playing for Italy.

However, in more positive news, Arteta did confirm that Jurrien Timber is back fit to feature.

"Jurrien has been ill for long but he has felt much better in the last few days, so he is available," he said.

Left in tears

Ander Herrera is not having a good time in Argentina...

The ex-Man United midfielder was left in tears after picking up another injury only five minutes into his return.

Herrera, who spent five years at Old Trafford, now plays for Boca Juniors and has missed six of their 11 games since joining.

He had already been sat out before making a comeback last night, but it didn't last long.

Just after coming on, he pulled up holding his groin and walked off the pitch to sit on the bench.

Herrera was then seen crying on the sidelines as his teammates consoled him in the dugout.

The injury was a recurrence of another issue he had after joining Boca Juniors from Athletic Bilbao.

The Spaniard has only made four appearances for the Argentine side since signing on January 17.

'Shown us all what courage means'

Former Arsenal midfielder Kristoffer Olsson has mutually agreed to terminate his contract at FC Midtjylland.

That comes just over a year after the 29-year-old was diagnosed with an acute brain condition.

Olsson graduated from the Gunners' academy in 2013 spending time at Midtjylland on four different occasions.

Last year, he lost consciousness at his home and was then diagnosed with several small blood clots in his brain.

The midfielder has been rehabilitating from that ever since and now he's said to be joining Swedish side Norrkoping where he will be closer to his family.

Midtjylland deputy football director Kristian Bach Bak said: "It's not just a story about sports, but about human strength when life hits unreasonably hard.

"He has shown us all what courage means in practice."

Tours announced

Arsenal and Spurs have confirmed this morning that they will both be touring Asia this summer.

The North London rivals will compete in their first derby outside of the UK in July as part of their tour.

Managing Director at Arsenal, Richard Garlick said: “Everyone at Arsenal is excited to be visiting Hong Kong in July. It’s great to be back with our men’s first team squad after 13 years, and gives us the opportunity to meet so many of our fantastic supporters in the region again.

“As well as training hard and playing the match, we cannot wait to connect with our Hong Kong supporters in this wonderful part of the world.

“Playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the magnificent new Kai Tak Stadium will be a great experience for both teams and supporters, and will be a very important part of our pre-season preparations ahead of the new season.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool are heading to Japan for the first time while also playing for The Standard Chartered Trophy.

Ben Latty, Liverpool Football Club’s chief commercial officer, said: “We’re extremely excited to be returning to Asia for this summer’s pre-season tour and we’re very grateful to our principal partner, Standard Chartered, for their support in sponsoring the Standard Chartered Trophy against AC Milan, 20 years on from that magical night in Istanbul.

“And it’s a great honour for us to enjoy the award-winning and first-rate hospitality of Japan Airlines, our official airline partner, to fly us in comfort and ensure our pre-season tour starts and ends in the best way possible.

“We look forward to bringing our hundreds of millions of fans in Asia closer to the club they love.”

Daniel Levy has told Tottenham fans the club must spend within its means amid calls for them to spend more in the transfer window.

The Spurs chairman shared a statement with supporters following the club's latest financial results.

For the year ending in June 2024, Tottenham had post-tax losses of £26.2million.

This represented a drop from their £86.8m loss the previous year, despite a £21.4m decrease in revenue.

The drop in revenue was largely caused by Spurs' absence from European competition last season.

Meanwhile, Levy has told fans that the club will continue to be 'sustainable' with their spending and will make 'smart purchases'.

In a statement, he said: "Since opening our new stadium in April 2019, we have invested over £700million net in player acquisitions.

"Recruitment remains a key focus, and we must ensure that we make smart purchases within our financial means.

"I often read calls for us to spend more, given that we are ranked as the ninth richest club in the world.

"However, a closer examination of today’s financial figures reveals that such spending must be sustainable in the long term and within our operating revenues.

"Our capacity to generate recurring revenues determines our spending power.

"We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club – indeed, our off-pitch revenues have significantly supplemented the lower football revenues this year, testament to our diversified income strategy."

Spurs have spent over £140m on new signings this season across the summer and winter transfer windows.

Ange Postecoglou's additions include record signing Dominic Solanke, who joined for £65m, as well as Wilson Odobert (£25m with add-ons) and Lucas Bergvall (£8.5m).

Meanwhile, Spurs are now into their sixth full season playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 62,850-capacity ground has also hosted NFL fixtures, boxing events and music concerts since opening in 2019.

As for Levy, he has been the club's chairman since 2001, overseeing both the new stadium and the move to the current training ground.

Across his 24 years in the role, the 63-year-old has appointed 12 different permanent managers.

Spurs have only won one major trophy in that period, though, the League Cup in 2008.

Despite their lack of silverware, the club have competed in the Champions League six times in the last 15 seasons.

Andoni Iraola hasn't 'done enough' to justify leaving Bournemouth for the manager hotseat at Tottenham.

That's the view of Alan Pardew, who warned that manager situations can change 'quickly' even if they're flying high in the dugout.

Iraola has gained continuous plaudits for his work at Bournemouth having put them in contention to qualify for European football.

The Cherries are tenth in the Premier League and ten points ahead of Spurs, who talkSPORT understands are eyeing the Spanish manager.

Chairman Daniel Levy has Iraola as his top target to replace under-fire Ange Postecoglou should they decide to part company.

Former Premier League boss Pardew admitted he'd take the job if he was in the Spaniard's shoes but doubts whether or not he deserves it.

"His flag's still high up the pole," he told Majestic when appearing on The Final Word for talkSPORT. "He strikes me as a good manager, a competent manager.

"If Spurs come calling and I was him, I would jump at the chance I'm afraid. Big club, and you have to understand where a manager's head is, particularly when you're doing well.

"You can kind of take on anything, you feel like, 'I'll change that situation. Ok, Spurs, there's a lot of managers who have fallen down there, but I'll be the one that can do it.' That's your mindset.

"Because sometimes supporters look at it and go, 'Why would you leave Bournemouth? You've got a great team, you could probably be there for another two, three, four years, Spurs would be a gamble.'

"But actually in your mind, you're not thinking like that, you're thinking, 'I'm going to go to Spurs, turn that around and win them a cup.'"

Pardew added: "I don't think he's done enough by the way, personally, to warrant a move to Spurs.

"Just to clarify that, remember last year we were sitting here, it might have been two years or 18 months ago, [talking] about Gary O'Neil [former Wolves head coach].

"I saw Gary yesterday, Gary's out of work, we were practising our putting because we're both out of work. Well the bottom line of what I'm saying is, sometimes you are flying high and you get linked.

"You're this and you're that. You're the next up and coming thing, and it can change quite quickly."

He further explained: "I think England was potential [for O'Neil], but Gary's a great manager and he'll get back in soon, there's no doubt about that.

"But I'm just trying to say to you about where your flag is as a manager, it can be halfway down the mast. If it's at the top of the mast, that's when the move might happen."

A former right-back for Athletic Bilbao and New York City FC, Iraola started his coaching career with Cypriot side AEK Larnaca in 2018.

He returned to Spain a year later with second-tier side CD Mirandes for the 2019/20 season ahead of a switch to Rayo Vallecano.

Iraola sealed promotion to LaLiga and an appearance in the Copa del Rey semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.

Leeds United made an approach for the former Spanish international in 2023 but this was blocked and he left Rayo that summer.

Bournemouth appointed him as manager and extended his contract until 2026 the following year after an impressive first season.

The Cherries finished 12th and hit their best ever points tally in the Premier League with 48, with their current total standing at 44.

Iraola's side therefore look set to break their record again but return to the league on Wednesday against Ipswich Town after their 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.

Arsenal and Tottenham will head to Hong Kong this summer to play the first north London derby outside the UK.

The fierce rivals will do battle abroad as part of both clubs' pre-season preparations for the 2025/26 campaign.

The match will take place on July, 31 at 11.30am UK time with the contest being staged at the recently opened 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium.

The venue opened earlier this month and is the city’s newest iconic sports and entertainment venue.

Arsenal beat Tottenham on both occasions this season.

The Gunners managed a 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September before clinching a 2-1 victory at the Emirates in January.

Arsenal's managing director, Richard Garlick said: “Everyone at Arsenal is excited to be visiting Hong Kong in July.

"It’s great to be back with our men’s first team squad after 13 years, and gives us the opportunity to meet so many of our fantastic supporters in the region again.

“As well as training hard and playing the match, we cannot wait to connect with our Hong Kong supporters in this wonderful part of the world.

“Playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the magnificent new Kai Tak Stadium will be a great experience for both teams and supporters, and will be a very important part of our pre-season preparations ahead of the new season.”

Tottenham's chief revenue officer, Ryan Norys said: "There are few bigger occasions in English football than a north London derby and to play this fixture in Hong Kong will be a huge occasion for our passionate fanbase across Asia, as well as providing ideal preparation for the team ahead of the new season.

“As is tour tradition, the club will be involved in so much more than the match itself when we visit, supporting charitable causes, celebrating local culture, delivering football clinics for young people and engaging with fans and partners.

"We cannot wait to visit such a beautiful place once again.”

The contest will be among their final pre-season fixtures before the new season gets underway.

The new Premier League season gets underway on the weekend of August 16.

'Shown us all what courage means'

Former Arsenal midfielder Kristoffer Olsson has mutually agreed to terminate his contract at FC Midtjylland.

That comes just over a year after the 29-year-old was diagnosed with an acute brain condition.

Olsson graduated from the Gunners' academy in 2013 spending time at Midtjylland on four different occasions.

Last year, he lost consciousness at his home and was then diagnosed with several small blood clots in his brain.

The midfielder has been rehabilitating from that ever since and now he's said to be joining Swedish side Norrkoping where he will be closer to his family.

Midtjylland deputy football director Kristian Bach Bak said: "It's not just a story about sports, but about human strength when life hits unreasonably hard.

"He has shown us all what courage means in practice."

Tours announced

Arsenal and Spurs have confirmed this morning that they will both be touring Asia this summer.

The North London rivals will compete in their first derby outside of the UK in July as part of their tour.

Managing Director at Arsenal, Richard Garlick said: “Everyone at Arsenal is excited to be visiting Hong Kong in July. It’s great to be back with our men’s first team squad after 13 years, and gives us the opportunity to meet so many of our fantastic supporters in the region again.

“As well as training hard and playing the match, we cannot wait to connect with our Hong Kong supporters in this wonderful part of the world.

“Playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the magnificent new Kai Tak Stadium will be a great experience for both teams and supporters, and will be a very important part of our pre-season preparations ahead of the new season.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool are heading to Japan for the first time while also playing for The Standard Chartered Trophy.

Ben Latty, Liverpool Football Club’s chief commercial officer, said: “We’re extremely excited to be returning to Asia for this summer’s pre-season tour and we’re very grateful to our principal partner, Standard Chartered, for their support in sponsoring the Standard Chartered Trophy against AC Milan, 20 years on from that magical night in Istanbul.

“And it’s a great honour for us to enjoy the award-winning and first-rate hospitality of Japan Airlines, our official airline partner, to fly us in comfort and ensure our pre-season tour starts and ends in the best way possible.

“We look forward to bringing our hundreds of millions of fans in Asia closer to the club they love.”

Haaland latest

Manchester City are into the last four of the FA Cup, but they did lose Erling Haaland to injury.

The striker had a weird afternoon as he saw his penalty saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga before missing a one-on-one.

He then slotted home at the start of the second half before suffering an ankle issue.

After the game, Pep Guardiola was asked to provide an update, and he sort of provided one.

Speaking to ITV, he said: "I don't know. I don't know yet. We will have to see."

Haaland was then seen leaving the stadium in a protective boot, so things don't look too positive for the Norweigan...

Bournemouth 1-1 Man City

Potential problem for Erling Haaland here.

The striker gets in a tangle with Lewis Cook and lands on the concrete just in front of the stands.

He clearly has some issue, and even after some treatment, he sits down.

Haaland can't carry on, and Omar Marmoush is the man to replace him.

There is a bit of nonsense between the two sets of players as Bournemouth refuse to put the ball out of play because it isn't a head injury, so they have every right to carry on.

Bournemouth 1-0 Man City - HALF TIME

That is the end of the first 45 minutes, and Bournemouth are in the lead.

As it stands, they will be going to the FA Cup semi-final and not Manchester City.

However, if the Citizens had taken their chances, it would have been very different.

Erling Haaland has missed two big opportunities and also seen his penalty saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Down the other end, the Cherries have scored through their only real chance as Evanilson converted Justin Kluivert's cross/shot after Haaland was denied from the spot.

FA Cup semi-final draw

And just like that, it is over!

No matter what, we were going to have some intriguing ties, and we've got two crackers.

The winner of Bournemouth and Manchester City takes on Nottingham Forest, which wouldn't be easy for either side.

And in the other tie, Crystal Palace are going to take on Aston Villa.

Again, what a brilliant tie.

Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth or Manchester City

Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama was sent off just 19 minutes into his debut for Scottish club Dunfermline Athletic.

Wanyama came off the bench in the 64th minute as his side were down 2-0 to Ayr in the Scottish Championship, the country’s second division.

But his first match became a disaster, with referee Iain Snedden reaching into his pocket for a red card and sending him off less than 20 minutes later due to a handball.

Ethan Walker later added a third Ayr goal to rub salt into the wounds of Dunfermline.

Wanyama wasn't the only one to have a bad day, it was also the worst possible start for newly-appointed manager Neil Lennon.

Fans of the Championship side were hoping to arrival of the five-time Scottish Premiership winning ex-Celtic manager would be the beginning of something great.

But the 3-0 defeat in his first game in charge sees Dunfermline sit ninth place in a league with only ten teams.

The currently sit in a relegation play-off spot but are only two points from safety.

On Wednesday, Wanyama reunited with his old Celtic manager Lennon, with both signing deals until the end of the season.

To add to the embarrassment of their double debut, Ayr's head coach is non other than Scott Brown - Wanyama's former captain and leader of Lennon's title-winning team.

Bizarrely, all three men also share the same birthday - June 25.

Following his time at Celtic, Kenya international Wanyama moved to the Premier League with Southampton and then signed for Tottenham Hotspur in an £11million deal.

He appeared for the north London Club 97 times in nearly three full seasons, including a 2019/20 Champions League final loss to Liverpool.

In 2020 he moved to Major League Soccer to play for CF Montreal until his contract at the Canadian club expired in January.

Prior to Saturday’s match, the 33-year-old said: “I'm a midfielder, so was the gaffer and I played with Scott Brown.

“Me and the gaffer playing against him, it's just a fairy tale. So, I'm looking forward to it.

“My intention now is to try and help the club, to help them stay in the league. And then after that, we can sit down and discuss again.”

But with five matches remaining this season, it will take a considerable change of form to prevent relegation to the Scottish League One - a league they were promoted from in 2023 after winning the title.

'Utterly incomprehensible'

Bradford City have released a strongly worded statement after damage was caused to a 'sacred' club memorial.

The League Two side condemned the act, which damaged a memorial that honours the 56 Bradford and Lincoln City supporters who lost their lives and those left with life-changing injuries in the Valley Parade disaster in 1985.

"Bradford City AFC is appalled and disgusted by the damage caused to the Valley Parade Fire Memorial at the University of Bradford Stadium this week," the statement on the club's website read.

"To say this act is wholly unacceptable does not go far enough - it is utterly incomprehensible. This memorial is sacred to our club, our supporters and the people of Bradford.

"For someone to deface or damage it in any way is not only an attack on a physical tribute but a disgraceful insult to the memory of those we lost and to the families and community still affected.

"We are reviewing CCTV footage and working closely with local authorities to identify those responsible. We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served."

Staying for Mo

talkSPORT understands that Liverpool are confident of reaching an agreement with Mohamed Salah over a new contract.

Salah's current deal at Anfield runs out at the end of the season and there have been major doubts over his future.

He has been heavily linked to a move to Saudi Arabia, but he has not been in active talks over a transfer to the Middle East.

And it now seems the Reds are closing in on keeping their star man at the club in what is a huge boost.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has made the decision to leave and join Real Madrid when his contract ends this summer.

But Salah looks set to stay if he can agree on the new deal.

If Liverpool do reach an agreement with the Egyptian, captain Virgil van Dijk will be the next to have his future decided.

Jor dropping

talkSPORT's Simon Jordan has revealed his 'maudlin interest' in talks with the Chelsea ownership.

A consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the Blues for £4.25billion in 2022.

Club chairman Boehly shares an equal split of 38.5 per cent ownership with Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter, whilst Clearlake owns the rest.

Behdad Eghbali, a co-founder of the United States-based firm, is said to have been running the day-to-day operations at Chelsea.

talkSPORT reported in September that tensions between him and Boehly have become increasingly strained over how the club is run.

"If they fall out to such a point, he [Boehly] will lose, because Clearlake and Eghbali have got more money than him, and that will find its way to the surface," he said on White and Jordan.

"But whether they have diverging agendas or converging agendas, there's always going to be differences of opinion.

"It's not about having differences of opinion, it's about how you react to them. It's if you become entranced in ideologies or the principle of who is at the front of the queue.

"I don't know the personalities. I spent a bit of time with Todd, I don't know Eghbali, various people I know that are representing Chelsea are working with them and there's opportunities for me to perhaps go and watch Chelsea games and get myself involved in that sort of framework if I wanted to, in terms of having discussions with these sort of guys.

"But I've always believed that the Chelsea project is a very interesting one, it's a very different one."

"Would you be motivated to have a chat with these guys?" Jim White questioned his talkSPORT colleague.

After a slight hesitation, Jordan responded: "Yes and no, just out of maudlin interest.

"In the same way that I was motivated to sit talking to Boehly in Qatar, because these guys are influential people.

"Chelsea's a… whilst I consider it to be a manufactured football club, much to the irritation of Chelsea fans, is a big football club now, in terms of the scale that Roman Abramovich gave it, so it's interesting."

Sak's back

Bukayo Saka has delighted Arsenal fans by confirming his return to Arsenal training with a post on social media.

The England international has been in the treatment room since suffering a severe hamstring injury in late December.

The 23-year-old sustained the issue in the 23rd minute of the 5-1 win at Crystal Palace and was pictured leaving Selhurst Park on crutches.

After undergoing surgery, Saka has missed 19 matches across all competitions as he approaches the 100-day mark injured.

Prior to his injury, Saka had been Arsenal's standout player, with nine goals and 13 assists in all competitions.

In his absence, the Gunners have crashed out of both domestic cup competitions and have all-but conceded the Premier League title.

Their only realistic chance of winning silverware this term is in the Champions League, where Arsenal will face holders Real Madrid.

However, talisman Saka has now handed the north Londoners a huge boost by sharing a picture of him training.

He captioned the post: "Hello again."

Roo the day

Plymouth Argyle chief Andrew Parkinson insists Wayne Rooney’s doomed appointment was not ‘for profile reasons’.

Instead, the Manchester United legend proved himself to be the ‘best candidate’ from what Parkinson claimed was a 30-man list.

Rooney was appointed as the Pilgrims’ manager in May last year, four months after he was sacked as Birmingham City boss following an ill-fated 15-match tenure in which he won just twice.

A 4-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday in his first game in charge set the tone for what was to come as Rooney won just five out of his 25 games in charge.

He was eventually relieved of his duties following a 2-0 defeat against Oxford United on December 29, which was Plymouth’s sixth in their last seven games.

“He was the best candidate we saw when it got down to the interviews,” Parkinson said in an interview with Business of Sport.

“The biggest thing for him is that he really wanted it.

“There’s lots of other things that play into that. We went down from a long list of 30 and the process isn’t a straightforward one.

“People might be at existing clubs and might not want to come, they may have contracts where it will be expensive to get them out of it. Sometimes it is more difficult to get people to come down to Plymouth, let’s face it.

“When we got down to our final candidates, he absolutely wanted to prove himself, wanted to show he could do the job.

“He’d had a couple of difficult experiences at other clubs, but at the time we felt he was the best candidate.

“We didn’t do it for profile reasons at all.”

Lew beauty

Jamie Carragher’s son got himself a prized souvenir from his first-ever international break with Malta.

James, who plays for Wigan Athletic in League One, recently acquired Maltese citizenship through father Jamie’s grandfather and mother.

The 22-year-old then received his first call-up with Malta earlier this month for their World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Poland.

Carragher played the entirety of both games in front of his family, with Jamie recalling the experience on Stick to Football.

“Started both games,” the Liverpool legend revealed. “Wasn’t sure he would, it was his first time he’s been there.

“They played Finland in the first game where he played well, but they lost 0-1. Then they went away to Poland, where they lost 2-0, but it was great to watch him. I wasn’t nervous watching him, but I could see my dad was nervous.

“And what do you do when you’re nervous? You have a drink. But no, it was good. I wanted [Robert] Lewandowski to start, but he came on. He did alright.”

Ian Wright wondered if James was able to get hold of Poland striker Lewandowski’s shirt at full-time, and the defender was successful.

“He did actually,” Carragher confirmed. “He was up against him at the end, in the last 20 minutes.”

'Gibbs-White doesn't have to prove anybody wrong'

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has discussed Morgan Gibbs-White not getting any minutes for England.

He said: "We are proud of all of our players that went on international break. Morgan went and he was in the squad and hopefully, he gets a chance in the future.

"With Morgan, I know him so well and he knows me. We don't need to talk. For me, Morgan is a top, top player with so much talent and quality.

"The level of performance and quality he has been giving to us with and without the ball - I admire Morgan."

On whether Gibbs-White needs to prove Thomas Tuchel wrong: "He doesn't have to prove anybody wrong.

"This is not the state of mind that he should have. He has to compete and play and give his teammates and Nottingham Forest everything he has. Things will come naturally."

'He's been to a specialist'

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that Chris Wood has seen a specialist with his hip injury.

The in-form Forest striker has been on fire this season in the Premier League, but he picked up a knock on international duty.

Espirito Santo has given an update on Wood in his pre-FA Cup quarter-final press conference this afternoon.

And he's confirmed that he will miss the Brighton clash on Saturday.

Nuno said: "He went for a scan today. We are still waiting. He has been to a specialist for a scan. We will wait on the information and see.

"He will not be available for this game. He felt a kick really hard on his hip so there is pain there. We have to wait."

To be Frank

Frank Lampard has been front and centre in Coventry’s revival, and midfielder Matt Grimes gave a glowing tribute to the club manager.

The Sky Blues were 17th in the Championship, 10 points from the play-off spots and only two points above the relegation zone when Chelsea legend Lampard took charge.

However, a run of 13 wins in 23 games has propelled them into the promotion shake-up.

Lampard has overseen Coventry’s best run of form since 1970 and sit fifth in the Championship with eight games to go.

Up next for the Midlands outfit is a trip to fellow promotion chasers Sheffield United on Friday night – live on talkSPORT 2 – and a win at Brammall Lane would further cement Coventry’s playoff credentials.

“As a footballer, you want to learn your trade from the very best, and I don’t think there’s many better to learn from than the gaffer,” January signing Grimes told talkSPORT.

“I’ve only been here a short period of time, but what I can say is since I’ve been here, he’s been an absolute pleasure to work with.

“With the level of detail every day on the training pitch, you’re so engaged because you want to learn from top players and top managers like him.”

Odoi to joy

Callum Hudson-Odoi has shared his belief that he could return to playing for England - if he succeeds in impressing Thomas Tuchel at the second time of asking.

The 24-year-old, who made the last of his three England appearances in 2019, has enjoyed a career revival as a key man for Nottingham Forest this season.

Six years ago, Hudson-Odoi was tipped to be the golden boy of Chelsea's academy stars finding their feet in the first-team/

However, a rupture to his Achilles tendon saw him sidelined for seven months, and numerous setbacks after his comeback continued to hamper his development.

The arrival of Tuchel to Stamford Bridge led to Hudson-Odoi being deployed in an unorthodox wing-back role.

The German gave Hudson-Odoi his most minutes on the pitch of any Chelsea manager he had, but also publicly criticised his attitude and once infamously hauled him off 31 minutes after bringing him on as a substitute.

Fast forward to this season and Hudson-Odoi told BBC Sport: "We had our differences at times and that is normal. Every player and coach has their differences.

"Like [when Tuchel had me] playing wing-back and I am like why am I here?

"But it was to benefit the team and it benefits myself, helping me work on my defensive game.

"It's good that we had that moment and we have talked about it. He is an amazing manager and he knows how to get the best out of players.

"If the possibility and chance [for England] comes – I will have to go there and prove myself all over again.

"I just control what I can control. It's about enjoying my football once again, smiling and being positive."

You for real?

Gary Neville has made the surprising claim that Trent Alexander-Arnold won’t get in the Real Madrid team ahead of Dani Carvajal.

He said on the Stick To Football podcast: “I said that I thought he [Alexander-Arnold] had to get more serious about his defending – I’ve said that constantly – or else it will cause him problems.

“I think it will cause him a problem at Real Madrid because they have Federico Valverde, who is playing right-back currently, and Dani Carvajal when he’s back – he’s going to have some serious competition. They are brilliant players, and he’s going to find it tough there.

“[On whether Valverde and Carvajal are better than Trent] I think Carvajal, from a balance of going forward and back – the problem is that he’s 32 and has had a bad injury – but for me, Carvajal is a better full-back than Trent because of what he gives to the team.

“It’s unbelievable what Valverde is doing for them at the moment, so he’s going to have competition when he goes.

“Coming back to Trent, I said he needs to get more serious about his defending, and that was proven by the fact he couldn’t get in the England team for many years, and he gets subbed for Liverpool a lot. I’ve never known a right-back get subbed so many times in important periods of matches.

“He does have his challenges with the way he plays, but it’s right that Liverpool fans can feel let down about him leaving.

“As a fan, he’s a local kid and fans have a right to feel that way. I also think about it with my David Beckham cap on, thinking about what career he had when he went to Real Madrid, and then Milan, and he had the experiences that have led him to what he’s done since.

“He wouldn’t have had that if he stayed at United, so part of me thinks that since I’ve stopped playing football, I think differently about it. The experience of going to Real Madrid and playing there is incredible for him.”

T-Rent control

Jamie Carragher has spoken for the first time since talkSPORT revealed Trent Alexander-Arnold has chosen to join Real Madrid.

"Where I’m at is that as a local player and a Liverpool fan, Liverpool are in a position where they’re competing for the league and a European Cup every year," he said on the Stick To Football podcast.

"So, if you’re a Liverpool fan and a local player, I’m just disappointed that he doesn’t think that this is it.

"I’m putting myself in his position where I’d be thinking that we could go level with Manchester United in league trophies, I’ve got another seven or eight years at Liverpool and want to get three or four ahead of them, with a couple more European Cups.

"It seems like there’s not one thing people are unhappy with – it’s leaving on a free or that he should have come out and told the club earlier – people are angry for three or four different things,' Carragher added.

"I’m not angry about him going on a free. In an ideal world, Liverpool would get £70m or £80m for him to reinvest, but you can’t have it both ways as a supporter.

"If Liverpool sign someone on a free in the summer, we’d all be delighted, so does that mean that his former club should absolutely hate him?

"Also, when you’re a local player, you don’t cost anything – Trent going on a free is like Virgil van Dijk leaving for £75m, we’d still break even."

Good Apple

Michael Appleton has been appointed Shrewsbury head coach until the end of the season.

Shrewsbury were rocked on Tuesday when Gareth Ainsworth left the club to take over at Gillingham, but the Sky Bet League One outfit moved quickly to bring in Appleton for the final nine matches of the campaign.

Former Blackpool, Portsmouth and Oxford boss Appleton has been out of work since he was dismissed by Charlton at the start of 2024 following only four months at the helm and will be joined at the Shrews by long-serving assistant Richard O'Donnell.

"It's been a difficult seven days, but once Gareth Ainsworth made the decision to leave, it was important we acted quickly to find the right man to guide us through the remainder of the season," Shrewsbury director of football Micky Moore said.

"Michael was my number one target and I'm thrilled that over the last 24 hours we've been able to get a deal over the line.

"I know the past few days have been difficult for supporters. Nobody likes confusion and uncertainty, but hopefully now, by making this quick appointment, we can all get behind Michael and Richard for the remaining nine games of the season."

Bottom-of-the-table Shrewsbury, who are 14 points from safety, begin Appleton's tenure at Birmingham on Saturday.

'Surreal'

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been talking about winning the Carabao Cup with the Toon.

The forward scored the second in the 2-1 win over Liverpool at Wembley earlier in March, and along with his teammates, added his name to Newcastle's history forever.

The moment he connected with Jacob Murphy's header to flash the ball into the net will be replayed over and over again for years by Magpies fans as the club ended it's 70-year domestic trophy drought.

There is an enormous parade planned this weekend, where Isak will join all his teammates and likely hundreds of thousands of people to celebrate the achievement, and after enjoying a fine international break with Sweden, the striker has been speaking about winning the Carabao Cup.

He said: “You cannot describe it, almost every fan I looked up at in Wembley was crying.

“There were so many emotions in my head, it was almost surreal. The best day of my life? From a football perspective I think so.

“The party was incredible – although not too long for me as I was leaving in the morning – and I can’t wait to see what Newcastle is like as a city after that.”

Sensational reunion

Ex-Celtic and Tottenham star Victor Wanyama looks set to join Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic.

According to reports in Scotland, Wanyama is undergoing a medical to make a sensational return to the country.

The Kenyan just spent four years in Canada with CF Montreal, featuring in the MLS and playing over 140 games for the club.

He hadn't found a team since his contract expired on January 1 of this year, but now he's going to reunite with an old manager.

Neil Lennon was in charge of Celtic when Wanyama spent two years there, making 91 appearances in total.

Now, Lennon is manager of Dunfermline, and he's going to bring the 33-year-old midfielder back to Scotland.

Wanyama will be joining a side that are battling for safety in the Scottish second-tier, sitting ninth in a 10-team league.

His introduction will provide a wealth of experience that should help boost their chances of survival.

Stear-ing Swansea to safety

Swansea have announced that caretaker manager Alan Sheehan will be remaining in his role until the end of the season.

Sheehan was given the interim position following Luke Williams' sacking in February, but now he's staying on despite only winning two of his six games in charge.

He has added two new faces to his coaching staff following the announcement and fans will recognise the names.

Ex-Premier League defender Richard Stearman, who made over 200 appearances for Wolves, has left his post as assistant at Solihull Moors to join Swansea.

And former Huddersfield manager Mark Fotheringham has also joined Sheehan's backroom team.

Fotheringham was Terriers boss for four months in 2022/23 before being sacked after only winning five of 21 games in charge.

They will hope to help the club steer clear of the Championship relegation battle, as they sit 16th and six points off the drop zone.

Eyeing Isak

Newcastle are braced for a major assault from Liverpool on their star striker Alexander Isak.

Various sources have told talkSPORT that Isak features prominently on Liverpool’s list of targets, even if Mohamed Salah decides to stay.

While suggestions of a possible swap deal involving Darwin Nunez have been played down, there are other players Liverpool could be willing to bring into negotiations.

Newcastle were close to signing Joe Gomez last summer.

Jarrell Quansah also was touted as a potential makeweight when the Reds were trying to pry Anthony Gordon away from St James Park.

The Magpies plan to hold contract talks with Isak at the end of the season but realise the Swede will be hot property after scoring 50 goals in just 77 Premier League games.

With doubts over Isak’s future and Callum Wilson expected to depart, Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell has registered an interest in soon-to-be free agent Jonathan David.

But the Magpies will have competition for the Canada international, with Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and West Ham among the clubs also linked with an interest.

Early return?

Reports are suggesting that Arsenal could have Bukayo Saka back for their next Premier League game.

The England international has been out of action since December after undergoing hamstring surgery.

However, Arsenal journalist Charles Watts is reporting that Saka might be fit to feature against Fulham next Tuesday.

This would be a huge boost for the Gunners, who have crashed out of both domestic cups and basically lost all hope of winning the Premier League title in his absence.

They are still in the Champions League and face Real Madrid next month, so getting him fully fit for those two matches would be the aim.