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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth has been speaking to Sky Sports about head coach Jose Mourinho’s approach since he arrived at the club earlier this month, and it shows why he is such a genius.

What’s the word?

Well, the 56-year-old may have been sacked from his previous jobs with Chelsea and Manchester United, but he has proven during his managerial career to date that he is a proven winner, and that he knows what he is doing.

Two wins from two since replacing Mauricio Pochettino is a record that speaks for itself and one many will not be surprised by, and Foyth has offered some interesting insight into what the Portuguese said to the players when he was appointed in north London.

The 21-year-old, who is yet to feature on the pitch under Mourinho, told Sky Sports: “When he arrived, he said we have to go slow. We must not change everything quick. We have to get his idea slow and I think to me and to all the players he tried to give us confidence and see us all happy.

“From the first day he arrived he started to talk with all the players individually and with the squad, and I think that helps.”

Genius

Given what he has achieved and his experience, it would have been easy for someone with the ego of ‘the Special One’ to turn up at Tottenham and completely turn things upside-down and have a serious shake-up following a disappointing end to Pochettino’s reign.

However, as explained by Foyth he has instead taken a more calculated approach, and realised that he has a good squad of players who are perhaps lacking confidence given some of their performances and results this term.

It appears as though the arm around the shoulder and let’s take things slowly method is the one Mourinho has chosen to go with, and it is paying dividends so far even if plenty of work is still needed on the defensive aspect of their game.

Getting everyone in a positive frame of mind and slowly introducing his ideas to the squad is a sensible tactic, and will hopefully lead to more positive scorelines.

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to a tweet showing some of Salomon Rondon’s best moments on Tyneside, and it’s fair to say they are missing the Venezuela international.

Players going on loan can often be a difficult and tiring process, as it is hard to relate with a fan base when you’re only at the club for one season.

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Every now and again though a player just ‘gets it’, leading to a unique relationship with fans that even the permanent players may not be entitled to, and that’s exactly what happened with Rondon under Rafael Benitez at Newcastle.

The colossal number nine bagged 12 goals and provided seven assists in his lone season as a Magpie, proving to be one of the smartest loan signings the club has ever made.

Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, he worked tirelessly, scored Alan Shearer-esque headers and also linked up well with his teammates, and fans have been drooling over a compilation of his time at the club.

Check out the video and some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where one member of the Toon Army called it “heartbreaking”…

Steve Harmison is the latest to weigh in on the takeover talks…

It’s fair to say Sami Hyypia will go down in Liverpool history as one of the finest and most decorated defenders to ever play for the club.

The former Finland international arrived on the red half of Merseyside back in 1999 from Dutch outfit Willem II, and enjoyed a stellar spell at Anfield, lifting numerous trophies and forming a formidable partnership with fellow Reds icon Jamie Carragher at centre-back.

All in all, Hyypia won the Champions League, two FA Cups, two League Cups, one UEFA Cup and four UEFA Super Cups – quite the trophy cabinet for the man who played a whopping 464 times for the club.

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Now, The Athletic journalist Simon Hughes has suggested Hyypia should go down as “one of the best” and spoke about how he represented superb value for money.

And after hearing about Hughes’ comments, Liverpool fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on his verdict.

One fan meanwhile pointed to his class and professionalism when the captaincy was handed to Steven Gerrard, and how his response “showed the measure of the man”.

There certainly won’t be too many Liverpool fans arguing against Hughes’ verdict on Hyypia.

The Finnish man was a brick wall at the back for the Reds in his time at the club, and is rightfully seen as a Liverpool stalwart.

The Merseyside club have some truly iconic defenders littered throughout their history, and for his achievements, Hyypia certainly ranks among them too.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans react to James Pearce’s article about this midfielder.

It’s fair to say Tanguy Ndombele has been one of the big talking points at Tottenham this season.

After getting his Spurs career off to a cracking start with a superb goal on his debut against Aston Villa, the Frenchman has struggled for fitness and form, making just 27 appearances across all competitions.

Reports in recent weeks have claimed Spanish giants Barcelona are interested in making a move for the midfielder, with suggestions that they had offered Spurs the chance to sign Samuel Umtiti and Nelson Semedo in exchange.

Now, Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has revealed that Jose Mourinho is not ready to give up on Ndombele just yet, and that he and the coaching staff still believe they have someone who can go on to become a key part of the first-team – however, it’s suggested that there is a belief that those around the midfielder are trying to push him to leave the club.

After hearing about the latest report on the Frenchman, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One Spurs fan simply insisted it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Ndombele wanted out, and labelled the whole thing a “disaster”.

It would certainly be a crying shame if Spurs cashed in on Ndombele just a season after his arrival at the club.

Players from abroad need their time to adjust to the pace and intensity of English football, and after spending big-money on him to bring him from Lyon, a bit of patience is surely needed.

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It’s why it’s refreshing to hear that Mourinho still has hope Ndombele can deliver for the north London side.

Tottenham Hotspur have opened up discussions with Paris Saint-German over signing Hubert Mbuyi-Muamba this summer, according to RMC Sport via @RickSpur. 

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has identified Mbuyi-Muamba as one for the future and is keen to bring the youngster to North London ahead of a busy transfer window.

Football reporter Loic Tanzi tweeted the news, which was in turn shared by Ricky Sacks on social media.

The French outlet reports FC Porto are also interested in the 17-year-old, despite the fact he is yet to make his senior debut for Thomas Tuchel’s men,  although PSG are unwilling to let the teenager leave as he has bags of potential.

Mourinho has already made it clear he is willing to give young prospects a chance, after he handed Japhet Tanganga his first appearance in the Premier League against Liverpool earlier this season.

Spurs veterans Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are arguably entering the twilight of their careers, and the latter is set to move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when his contract expires in June, and this might give other youngsters plenty of opportunities in the years ahead.

The Portuguese is no doubt well aware he will be severely restricted by a tight budget, which means he could be forced to rely on loan signings and talent from the Lilywhites academy next season.

Although it is unlikely Mbuyi-Muamba will be thrown in at the deep end if he moves to England, he may be able to quickly force his way into the senior squad if he impresses Wayne Burnett at the Hotspur Way training ground.

Tottenham fans, do you think Hubert Mbuyi-Muamba would be a shrewd investment for the future? Let us know down below!

According to Sky Sports, Serie A side Udinese have offered Matty Longstaff a lucrative contract ahead of potentially signing him this summer.

What’s the word?

The Newcastle starlet’s future has been up in the air all season, with reports claiming that he had turned down a £15k-a-week offer from the Magpies earlier in the campaign.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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Now, Sky Sports have revealed that the 20-year-old has been offered a five-year deal by Udinese, and that it is “around double the amount of salary offered by the Magpies, along with a bumper signing-on fee”.

The report adds however that whilst Longstaff is “desperate to stay at boyhood club Newcastle”, the offer from the Italian side has left him with a decision to make, with the Tyneside club only standing to make around £400k in compensation due to his age.

The future

As Newcastle look set to head into a new era once this takeover finally goes through, keeping hold of players who are homegrown and represent the Toon Army faithful is what will keep the connection between the club and the fans.

New big-money signings are all well and good, but it’s players like Matty and Sean Longstaff who will truly understand what it is to play for Newcastle, and keeping hold of that spirit will be vital.

Even putting aside the absolute pittance that they would get for Longstaff if he leaves on a free this summer, it’s more about the statement that it would send out that ‘one of their own’ is left to walk away.

The Saudi consortium would kick-start their Magpies revolution with a massive kick in the teeth, and rather than getting started on the right foot, they will be left to pick up the pieces of one of the club’s hometown heroes leaving through the exit door.

Referees aren’t just the guys in the middle of the pitch making sure the rules are being followed anymore, now they’re almost just as talked about as the players themselves.

Nine times out of ten they’re making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Whether it’s a dodgy penalty, missed handball, a goal kick given instead of a corner, and more recently, VAR and goalline technology mishaps, referees all around the world are now well-known names amongst the fans.

As a result, many are accused of favouring certain clubs over others and some have built reputations for being either no-nonsense or just a soft touch. Whether it’s Mike Dean or Michael Oliver, fans will have their opinions on them, mostly without much substantiation other than the fact they made one or two mad decisions that went against their team once upon a time.

Judging referees is a football fans’ favourite pastime in modern football, but do the stats back up the opinions? Well, TOFFS have recently completed a very interesting referee report that will completely change some fans’ opinions on the most recognised referees in the Premier League.

Click through the gallery to see what clubs are favoured more by certain referees, and those who should always dread having a specific man in the middle the next time they play…

Arsenal

Over the last decade, Mike Jones is the referee who has overseen the highest Arsenal win percentage (80%) when refereeing games involving the Gunners, while Michael Oliver has the lowest win percentage (22.22%).

As for cards, Stuart Attwell has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Arsenal matches in the Premier League with 2.67, although Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Arsenal players than anyone else.

Aston Villa

Lee Probert is Aston Villa’s luckiest referee over the last 10 years with a win percentage 42.86%, while Phil Dowd only ever refereed one Aston Villa victory during his career in the middle!

Mark Clattenburg has shown more cards to Villa players in the Premier League than any other referee, while Neil Swarbrick’s average of 2.13 cards-per-game is the highest ratio where Villa matches are concerned.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth fans will be hoping to see more of Kevin Friend in the near future, with the referee officially being the Cherries’ luckiest referee.

That said, Friend also loves to show Bournemouth players cards!

Bournemouth’s unluckiest referee is Lee Mason, who has only overseen one Bournemouth victory from the 12 games involving the club in which he has refereed.

Brighton

John Moss is the referee Brighton fans will not want to see in the middle of their matches in future as the referee has never been involved in a Seagulls victory from six Premier League matches.

But Craig Pawson is Brighton’s luckiest, ref, with a 50% win percentage!

John Moss also holds the record for the highest cards-per-game average for Brighton with 2.67 while Chris Kavanagh is the referee who has shown Brighton the most cards in the Premier League – 20!

Burnley

Martin Atkinson dominates the rankings here for Burnley.

He’s not only Burnley’s luckiest ref with a win percentage of 55% from 20 matches involving the Clarets, but he’s also the man who has shown more cards to their players than any other referee over the last 10 years in the top-flight – 45 yellows and 1 red, averaging 2.3 cards-per-game.

Burnley will dread seeing Michael Oliver appear in the middle of the park for their matches in future, as the ref has only see Burnley win once from 12 games he’s been involved in.

Chelsea

Over the last decade in the Premier League, Neil Swarbrick has been Chelsea’s luckiest referee with a win percentage of 83.33% from 12 games.

While Kevin Friend is the ref who has the lowest win percentage for Chelsea – 45%.

Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Chelsea players over the last 10 years (88), while Anthony Taylor has the highest cards-per-game average with 2.23.

Crystal Palace

Lee Mason is Crystal Palace’s luckiest referee with a 50% win percentage from the 12 Eagles matches he’s refereed. Kevin Friend is their unluckiest, having been in charge of one Crystal Palace victory in 13.

John Moss is the man who seems to love showing Palace players cards, having dished out 52 to Eagles stars with an average of 2.26 per-match.

Everton

Everton’s favourite referee over the last 10 years is Paul Tierney, who has a win percentage of 60%. Then man in the middle they’ll dread seeing in future is Craig Pawson, who has reffed three Toffees victories out of a possible 15!

Michael Oliver has dished out the most cards to Everton players over the last decade with 53, but Bobby Madley has the highest cards-per-game average with 2.2.

Leicester City

Anthony Taylor has overseen the highest win percentage for Leicester City over the last decade, with 53.33%. Martin Atkinson is the Foxes’ unluckiest ref with a win percentage of just under 19%.

Mike Dean is the man who loves showing Leicester players a card the most, with 37 cards shown in 21 games, but Chris Kavanagh is the most card happy where Foxes players are concerned – he averages 2.27 cards-per-game.

Liverpool

Liverpool’s luckiest referee over the last 10 years is Lee Probert, who has reffed a Reds victory in almost 77% of the 13 games he’s been involved in.

Howard Webb is Liverpool’s unluckiest referee, so Reds fans will be delighted that he’s no retired.

Martin Atkinson is the man in the middle who loves giving Liverpool players cards the most – he’s handed Reds players a whopping 71 cards in the 44 games he’s been involved in.

Manchester City

Over the last decade, Neil Swarbrick is the referee who has overseen the highest Man City win percentage (90%) when refereeing games involving City, while Mark Clattenburg has the lowest win percentage (39.29%).

As for cards, Chris Foy has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Man City matches in the Premier League with 2.12, although Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Man City players than anyone else.

Manchester United

Over the last decade, Lee Probert is the referee who has overseen the highest Manchester United win percentage (75%) when refereeing games involving the Red Devils, while Michael Oliver has the lowest win percentage (39.29%).

As for cards, Mike Dean leads way for cards in Man United matches. He’s dished out 96 cards at an average of 2.34 cards-per-game – more than any other referee over the last 10 years.

Newcastle United

Over the last decade, Chris Foy is the referee who has overseen the highest Newcastle win percentage (47.37%) when refereeing games involving the Magpies, while Mike Jones has the lowest win percentage (16.67%).

As for cards, Howard Webb has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Newcastle matches in the Premier League with 2.34, although Andre Marriner has dished out more cards to Newcastle players than anyone else.

Norwich City

Over the last decade, Howard Webb is the referee who has overseen the highest Norwich win percentage (55.56%) when refereeing games involving the Canaries, while Mike Jones has the lowest win percentage (0%).

As for cards, Kevin Friend leads way for cards in Norwich matches. He’s dished out 29 cards at an average of 2.23 cards-per-game – more than any other referee over the last 10 years.

Sheffield United

Andrew Madley, Jon Moss, Peter Bankes and Robert Jones have all refereed a Sheffield United win in the one and only game they’ve overseen involving Chris Wilder’s side.

Lee Mason, Mike Dean and Simon Hooper are all among the most card-happy referees in games involving the Blades.

Southampton

Over the last decade, Martin Atkinson is the referee who has overseen the highest Southampton win percentage (57.14%) when refereeing games involving the Saints, while Lee Probert has the lowest win percentage (0%).

As for cards, Bobby Madley has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Southampton matches in the Premier League with 2.3, although John Moss has dished out more cards to Saints players than anyone else.

Tottenham

Over the last decade, Neil Swarbrick is the referee who has overseen the highest Tottenham win percentage (81.82%) when refereeing games involving Spurs, while Lee Probert has the lowest win percentage (25%).

As for cards, Craig Pawson has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Tottenham matches in the Premier League with 2.4, although Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Spurs players than anyone else.

Watford

Over the last decade, Roger East is the referee who has overseen the highest Watford win percentage (50%) when refereeing games involving the Hornets, while Martin Atkinson has the lowest win percentage (16.67%).

As for cards, Mike Dean has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Watford matches in the Premier League with 2.64, although Anthony Taylor has dished out more cards to Watford players than anyone else.

West Ham United

Over the last decade, Martin Atkinson is the referee who has overseen the highest West Ham win percentage (41.94%) when refereeing games involving the Hammers, while Phil Dowd has the lowest win percentage (7.14%).

As for cards, Neil Swarbrick has the highest cards-per-game ratio for West Ham matches in the Premier League with 2.21, although Martin Atkinson has dished out more cards to Hammers players than anyone else – 65!

Wolves

Over the last decade, Phil Dowd is the referee who has overseen the highest Wolves win percentage (50%) when refereeing games involving the Molineux club, while Peter Walton has the lowest win percentage (11.11%).

As for cards, Stuart Attwell leads way for cards in Wolves matches. He’s dished out 38 cards at an average of 2.92 cards-per-game – more than any other referee over the last 10 years.

Many Aston Villa fans have reacted to an article by Birmingham LIVE writer Ashley Preece, who commended boss Dean Smith after the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Sunday afternoon’s game at Anfield saw the Premier League champions face 18th placed Villa as the visitors desperately needed a result, continuing to sit in the bottom three.

The Villans held the Reds at bay until well into the second half. Sadio Mane’s opening goal, however, set the tone for Jurgen Klopp’s side, before young academy talent Curtis Jones settled things with a strike after coming on as a second half substitute.

Following the game, Preece gave his thoughts on Villa’s performance and despite not seeing the Claret and Blue outfit pick up a win since the restart of the Premier League, the much experienced journalist wrote:

“Since Restart began in mid-June, (Dean) Smith’s clearly got his act together in terms of defensive shape and limiting the opposition to very few chances.”

Sharing the article via his official Twitter, Preece jokingly added ‘*grabs tin hat*’, seemingly knowing how Villa fans would react.

It is fair to say that many Villa fans remain unimpressed with Smith however, despite Preece’s comments. Indeed they argue that they are still not winning games – they have failed to win any of their last nine in the league – and remain in real danger of relegation.

Here is what some had to say…

Do you think Dean Smith is the right man to continue as Villa boss? Let us know in the comments section below…

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to sign Beijing Guoan defender Kim Min-jae this summer, via The Evening Standard. 

Tottenham remain interested in signing Kim as Beijing have now named their price. According to The Evening Standard, as per @Daily_Hotspur, Spurs have been quoted £15m for the defender.

Spurs have been chasing him for several months and he is widely expected to leave the Chinese Super League in the summer.

Recent reports suggested talks between the two clubs are still ongoing, although Tottenham are confident they can get a deal over the line, amid interest from Liverpool.

Jose Mourinho now has a decision to make as he must figure out whether or not to prioritise his pursuit of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg instead.

It is no secret he must fix his defensive problems sooner rather than later, as the Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun over the course of the season so far, as they have conceded more goals than Manchester United and Premier League champions Liverpool this season.

However, Mourinho does not have the luxury of an unlimited budget, as he will have to resort to orchestrating swap deals, signing free agents and hunting for bargains when the transfer windows opens.

Bearing this in mind, it remains to be seen what deals can be made in the weeks ahead.

Jan Vertonghen is set for a ‘shock’ switch to Manchester City, while questions remain over Juan Foyth’s future at north London.

Kim, 23, who is affectionately known as ‘Monster’, has already won 30 caps for his country despite his young age, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in the process, which exempted him from certain military duties (via The Guardian).

The South Korean cuts an imposing figure at the back, as he stands at 1.9m tall, which explains why Mourinho wants to sign him in the summer.

The Portuguese was desperate to sign Harry Maguire during his time in charge of Manchester United, and although he didn’t get his wishes the first time round, the South Korean international is of a similar build.

As it stands, Spurs seem set to spring a surprise on their closest rivals as they have moved one step nearer to signing Kim, who would make a welcome addition to the squad.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Kim in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

AC Milan have entered negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Serge Aurier this summer, reports say.

Recent reports revealed AS Monaco have entered the race to sign the Spurs defender, although Aurier could become a concrete target for Stefano Pioli’s side if Milan sell Davide Calabria or Andrea Conti.

Now Italian transfer gurus Fabrizio Romano and Gianluca Di Marzio are both reporting, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, that the Serie A giants are holding talks with Tottenham to sort out a deal in the summer. Romano has even gone so far as to suggest that he is their “main target.”

Milan have identified the 60-cap Ivory Coast international as their number one priority for the right-back position and hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Di Marzio claims that the Rossoneri value the 27-year-old at somewhere in the region of €12-15m, which could prove to be a stumbling block, as Daniel Levy will surely want to recoup significantly more than that for the full-back.

The Spurs chairman spent £23m to prise Aurier away from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017, and it is likely Milan have fallen short of the mark.

The Ivory Coast captain nearly left the Lilywhites last year after finding himself out of favour with former boss Mauricio Pochettino, before establishing himself as Jose Mourinho’s first-choice this season. He played 33 games in the Premier League, made 2.8 tackles per game, averaged 1.4 interceptions and completed 2.5 clearances on average (via WhoScored).

However, the board have grown tired of Aurier’s antics on-and-off the pitch, and Mourinho is now racing to find a replacement in the summer, with Norwich City’s Max Aarons at the top of the list.

It seems like there is genuine interest in Aurier,and it may be the perfect time for Levy to cut his losses, although fans will have to wait and see if a deal can be completed before the start of next season.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sell Aurier this summer? Let us know down below!