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Tottenham Hotspur slumped to their first defeat in five matches when they were beaten 2-1 by Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The result damages Spurs’ title chances, as both Liverpool and Manchester United will now have a chance to pull further ahead of the north London club. Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed to have seen his side beaten in such a fashion. 

Spurs’ defensive performance left plenty to be desired, as they struggled to deal with the aerial prowess and physicality of the Clarets’ forwards. Young centre-back Juan Foyth and 26-year-old right wing-back Serge Aurier were particularly poor.

Aurier’s experience and physical attributes ought to have made him well suited for this fixture, but his lack of focus and poor positional awareness saw him fail to effectively challenge the Burnley attackers. It was certainly a game to forget for the 48-cap Ivory Coast international.

After the match, plenty of Spurs fans took to Twitter to criticise Aurier’s display…

Everton centre-back Yerry Mina is getting closer to returning from injury, injury analyst Ben Dinnery reports. 

The lowdown

Mina hasn’t played since the 3-1 defeat at Newcastle on 8 February – Frank Lampard’s first Premier League game in charge.

The thigh injury he sustained at Goodison Park has kept him out for the last six Premier League matches, as well as two FA Cup games.

Everton resume their bid to survive on Sunday afternoon when they travel to seventh-place West Ham United.

And aside from Mina, Lampard is without Allan (suspended), Tom Davies (knee) and Andros Townsend, who suffered an ACL injury last time out against Crystal Palace.

The latest

Dinnery tweeted on Monday morning that Mina ‘will step up his recovery at Finch Farm this week’.

Meanwhile, Fabian Delph has been ‘involved with the group’ of players who have remained on Merseyside during the international break.

‘Lampard is hopeful’ that he’ll be back in ‘contention’ for the trip to the London Stadium.

The verdict

When could Mina actually be back in action?

Well, according to Dinnery’s Premier Injuries site, he’s scheduled to return on 20 April, when Everton host Leicester City. That would mean a further three-game absence, including a vital clash with relegation rivals Burnley on 6 April.

When Mina completes 90 minutes (as he’s done on six occasions this season), The Blues concede an average of 1.33 goals per game, but when he doesn’t, that climbs to an alarming 1.86.

You could argue, then, that the Colombian’s predominant lack of availability has been a significant factor in their struggles this season, and that getting him fit for the run-in could be key.

In other news, read this transfer insider’s claim on Anthony Gordon.

Dropping news on Tottenham Hotspur’s January plans as they attempt to finalise a move for Wolves star Adama Traore, reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has shared what he knows.

The Lowdown: Conte eyeing new additions…

Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte is said to be eyeing multiple new additions in north London with Gold previously lifting the lid on his four main priorities.

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As explained, the Italian wants a right-wing-back, left-sided centre-half, a new midfielder and striker (football.london) – with AC Milan’s Franck Kessie and Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic among those rumoured to be on the radar.

In an update, Gold has explained what Conte is now planning to do ‘on top of trying to wrap up the Traore deal’.

The Latest: Gold shares update…

According to his information, transfer chief Fabio Paratici could well be set for a ‘busy end’ to the winter window as Conte makes an updated personal transfer demand.

The 52-year-old has apparently ‘asked’ to bring in a central midfielder and another striker while Paratici is also tasked to move players on.

It is believed that Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele, Matt Doherty, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon may well be up for grabs before January 31.

The Verdict: Interesting times ahead…

Arguably one of the best coaches in world football going by his glittering CV, it will certainly be interesting to see if Tottenham and Paratici can grant Conte’s wishes and provide significant backing.

Spurs are somehow back in contention to finish in a top four place following the regrettable but brief Nuno Espirito Santo era and their capture of Conte could be seen as their biggest coup of 2021/2022 – no matter which players come through the door.

Other reports have also claimed that chairman Daniel Levy could back the former Inter Milan boss with multiple new signings before the end of this month (The Sun), and Spurs fans will certainly be hoping that is the case.

In other news: Spurs ‘edging closer’ to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Fabio Carvalho to the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who confirmed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that, following earlier reports suggesting that West Ham are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Fulham attacking midfielder ahead of a potential move, the 19-year-old is indeed a player that David Moyes is interested in.

The Hammers insider went on to state that, with the England youth international’s current contract at Craven Cottage set to expire at the end of the season, the 58-year-old manager could make an early move to sign the teenager in the coming months.

Speaking about West Ham’s interest in Carvalho, Ex said: “We are looking at Championship players. Carvalho at Fulham – he is someone we like. He’s out of contract in the summer, a move for him might be on the cards in the summer. He’s not a priority position [but] we could move early for him.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of impressive attacking midfield options Moyes currently possesses at the London Stadium, with the likes of Said Benrahma, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Nikola Vlasic all capable of operating in the number 10 role, the further addition of a player as exciting as Carvalho is sure to be a prospect that will have West Ham fans buzzing.

Indeed, the £3.15m-rated youngster has highly impressed over his 15 Championship appearances this season, having already scored five goals, provided one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £650-per-week forward average a SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Marco Silva’s 14th-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it is clear to see that the attacking midfielder is a player who possesses an extremely bright future in the game, leading us to believe that, should Moyes be able to beat the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea – all of whom have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old – to Carvalho’s signature this summer, it would be a major coup for the Champions League hopefuls.

In other news: Sheth reveals West Ham are “looking at” £17m beast, he’d be an “exemplary” signing

Dean Jones has revealed some big Transfer Deadline Day news involving Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Busy day

It has certainly been a busy day at St James’ Park so far, with both Dan Burn and Matt Targett currently undergoing medicals ahead of moves from Brighton and Aston Villa respectively.

Hugo Ekitike also looked like he was on his way to the northeast, but that deal now looks to be off as things stand.

One other name who has popped up fairly recently is Jesse Lingard, and that would potentially make three new arrivals on Tyneside today.

The Latest: Five deals?!

As per journalist and transfer insider Jones, Newcastle are ‘pushing’ to sign as many as five players today, although he did not confirm who they were.

The reporter tweeted: “Newcastle pushing for 5 players on deadline day should be fun!”

The Verdict: More than expected?

Assuming that Burn and Targett pass their medicals, that would be two new arrivals on deadline day, and Lingard could potentially be a third.

There could still be a dramatic twist with Ekitike in the final few hours, but that still only makes four players. Who the fifth one could be is anyone’s guess, with links to the likes of Yannick Carrasco today as well.

Nonetheless, if Newcastle can bring in five fresh faces before the 11pm deadline, it would certainly be a big statement in terms of increasing their chances of staying in the Premier League.

In other news, find out what Keith Downie has said about NUFC’s pursuit of Jesse Lingard

As per a fresh claim from the paper edition of Sport, via Sport Witness, it appears that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has personally set his sights on signing Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye defensive options…

As Conte and managing director Fabio Paratici prepare for their first January transfer window at Tottenham, it is believed that defence is one major position which could be bolstered.

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Football Insider have even claimed that they are eyeing a sensational double move for Netherlands duo Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt from Serie A, while The Athletic reported that Conte also wants to strengthen at right-wing back for his 3-4-1-2 formation.

As per an update from Spain, it appears that the Italian has set his sights on La Liga as well.

The Latest: Conte ‘wants’ Lenglet…

According to Sport’s information, via Sport Witness, Conte has personally set his sights on signing Lenglet for Spurs and ‘wants him in his team’.

Additionally, as Barca look to trim their wage bill, they ‘do not rule out’ selling the Frenchman despite his recent resurgence under new manager Xavi.

The Verdict: Get it done?

An adept ball-playing centre-half, the 26-year-old has averaged an impressive 90.5% pass accuracy out from the back over his La Liga cameos for the Catalan giants this season, a higher figure than anyone in the Tottenham squad by comparison (WhoScored).

Still yet to reach his prime, Lenglet could also provide a degree of composure in this regard for many more seasons, while France boss Didier Deschamps has also called him a ‘top player’.

His reported valuation of around €25m (£21m) could be a bone of contention, but it remains to be seen whether Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy will grant Conte his wish and bring the player to north London.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Statement’…Tottenham pundit thrilled as Paratici lines up talks for ‘big signing’, find out more here.

Antonio Conte was given a shock over just how much work he still has to do at Tottenham Hotspur after they lost 2-1 away at NS Mura on Thursday evening.

The Slovenians, who are the lowest-ranked team in the Europa Conference League, took an early lead after a fine curling strike from Tomi Horvat, before Ryan Sessegnon found himself sent off after being given two yellow cards by the referee.

Harry Kane levelled the match in the second half with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper, before a Ben Davies slip proved costly as Amadej Marosa raced through in the last minute of the game to put his shot past Pierluigi Gollini in the Tottenham net.

There were some truly abysmal performances from a lot of Spurs players on the night, and The Transfer Tavern has used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who were the three worst to have played at least 45 minutes:

Dele Alli (6.4)

Admittedly tied with second place with the same SofaScore rating (6.4), Alli sneaks into third given that he had less time on the pitch after being substituted off for Son Heung-Min in the 54th minute.

It was yet another frustrating evening for the Englishman, summed up by getting himself booked for having an argument with a Mura player just before he came off.

Alli lost out on five of his duels and failed to record a single shot or key pass, while only managing 29 touches of the ball in total as he struggled to make any real impact.

Japhet Tanganga (6.4)

Tanganga also received a 6.4 rating from SofaScore after being part of a defence which was nothing short of shambolic at times.

The centre-back lost out on three duels and failed to make a clearance or block any shots on his goal, while he was also guilty of losing possession seven times.

Pierluigi Gollini (6.1)

Perhaps inevitably, Gollini was given a bad rating (6.1) by SofaScore after letting in two goals, and with the second he would have especially felt as if he could have done much better.

The goalkeeper resisted from trying to play out from the back on multiple occasions, yielding just 25 touches of the ball, while he made no saves at all in the entire match.

Sessegnon received a 5.1 rating after getting sent off, but of course played less than 45 minutes after getting sent off just after the half-hour mark.

In other news, Spurs are ‘preparing’ a bid for this ‘monster’

Leeds United are ‘very likely’ to sign Brenden Aaronson this summer, with the Whites readying a £25m offer.

The Lowdown: January bids for Aaronson

The 21-year-old emerged as a key transfer target for Leeds in January, with the club making two offers for the attacking midfielder.

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The second was thought to be worth £20m, but as we know, Aaronson remained with Red Bull Salzburg, which left Leeds with no senior signings in January.

However, it looks as if he is still a key target and could reunite with fellow countryman Jesse Marsch over the summer, having made 25 appearances under the 48-year-old during the Leeds manager’s time in Austria.

The Latest: Twitter claim on Aaronson

Leeds Radar, a Whites news feed, made a claim regarding Aaronson on Twitter. They suggested that the 21-year-old is ‘very likely’ to make the move to Elland Road, with a £25m bid to RB Salzburg now ready.

Aaronson already shares the same agent as six Leeds players – one of whom is Adam Forshaw, who penned a new deal in January – so you’d expect that they will already know Andrea Radrizzani well.

The Verdict: Aaronson is needed

Providing that Marsch steers Leeds to safety, the club need midfield reinforcements, and Aaronson appears to be a smart target.

He starred under the 48-year-old in Austria, contributing to 12 goals in 25 games and can also play in a deeper role or on the left. Aaronson ranks in the top 1% of players in terms of distance covered, so should slot right into Marsch’s pressing system and attempts to catch opponents on the break.

A £25m move would make him the club’s third most expensive sighing of all time, but this season has shown that Leeds could do with more numbers and quality in midfield, especially with Kalvin Philips sidelined for large periods of the campaign.

In other news – 5 key passes, 1 goal: Leeds target produces stunning midweek display as Orta eyes move

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traoré is expected to travel with the squad for their upcoming Premier League fixture at Brentford, despite heavy interest from top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the latest?

Wolves manager Bruno Lage has revealed the latest information on Traoré’s future amid speculation of a move to north London, confirming: “My attention and focus is every time on the next game and I don’t think about if Adama stays with us or not. For now, he’s with us so I’m preparing the game with him.”

The Portuguese added: “We have a top player with us, a lovely guy. Sometimes it’s about business. I remember how much Tottenham protected Harry Kane at the beginning of the season.

“And we will protect our player because we believe a lot in Adama. That is business. It’s not my concern. But I will protect my players. The way they work, the value for me is very high.

“I don’t see any difference in his behaviour, his mentality, the way he works. So I’m happy with him. He continues to be the same player.

“He just has one more year left. The club talk with him and he talks with them and they will decide the future. I’m happy with him, it’s the only thing I can say. He’s focused, he’s ready.”

Wolves fans will be buzzing

Adama Traoré can be a Jekyll and Hyde at times but, ultimately, is a player Wolves should aim to keep this window. Granted, the Spaniard has previously been subject to criticism, notably being labelled “the worst five-a-side player you’ve ever seen” by former manager Tim Sherwood, but there is a reason a club as big as Tottenham are interested in the 25-year-old.

Traoré’s unique combination of significant pace and physicality makes him a nightmare to defend against, a major weapon in Wolves’ arsenal, particularly to introduce late in a game that is hanging in the balance.

Moreover, quality from out wide has been lacking at times for the West Midlands outfit this season. Lage’s side are the Premier League’s third-lowest scorers, despite sitting comfortably in eighth, with 17 goals in 20 games; the strength of their defence has proven to be a major contribution.

However, the balance of getting results through rarely scoring but keeping plenty of clean sheets surely can’t be sustainable and the Portuguese manager will have to find a solution for their goal-scoring woes, meaning that keeping all of his offensive players for the remainder of the season is a must.

Although the Spaniard has just one league goal so far this season, it is one more than fellow right-wingers Daniel Podence and Francisco Trincāo.

Furthermore, that league goal came last time out against Southampton, which could potentially act as a catalyst for a run of good form which would certainly make the Black Country club reluctant to sell Traoré this window.

It’s exactly why Lage’s update on Traore is sure to have Wolves fans buzzing.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist drops Wolves transfer update live on air, Lage will be delighted

Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece thinks Steven Gerrard may swoop for Liverpool forward Divock Origi in January.

The Lowdown: Origi’s Liverpool career

Origi has been at Anfield since 2014 and is out of contract in the summer at this moment in time.

The 31-cap Belgium international has made 167 appearances for the Reds, 10 of which have come this season. He’s netted 40 goals in total, with his most recent strikes earning Jurgen Klopp’s side wins at Wolves and AC Milan.

The 26-year-old was linked with a move to Villa Park last year, and Preece feels Johan Lange and co could be back in for Origi over the coming weeks.

The Latest: Preece’s comments

Preece ran a Q&A on Birmingham Live on Wednesday, answering all things Villa-related.

One of the questions was on Origi, with a fan asking Preece if Villa should launch a loan move for the forward in January.

Here’s what the journalist had to say in reply, seemingly backing Gerrard to look at a loan-to-buy deal for the ‘fabulous’ striker, should Keinan Davis depart in the New Year.

“It’s one that Premier League clubs – and Villa – will be closely monitoring given his recent form. Still just 26 and happy to play second fiddle but will no doubt back himself to become a regular starter away from Anfield. It all depends on what he does from now until January but I expect Origi to be available and, should Keinan Davis move out, Origi would make perfect sense. A fabulous finisher. Loan to buy sounds ideal, for me.”

The Verdict: Needed?

Gerrard’s main New Year priorities are thought to be a new centre-back and defensive midfielder.

Villa already have experienced forwards Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings on the books, so perhaps a move for Origi isn’t needed at this moment in time.

If Villa are to make an attacking addition, it could be wise to look at another marquee wide addition. That’s because Gerrard is thought to be open to moving on two senior wingers in January, whereas Leon Bailey is out injured one again.

It’ll be interesting to see if Villa move for Origi, though, especially after Preece’s latest claim.

In other news: ‘Massive’ – Sky Sports pundit reacts as Lange weighs up Aston Villa swoop for £85k-p/w speedster.