Tottenham face one of the most important run of fixtures of the season in the coming weeks.

The third international break of the season has finally ended, and Tottenham will welcome high-flying Chelsea to Wembley at the weekend. Following the fixture against the Blues, Mauricio Pochettino’s men face a must-win Champions League tie against Inter Milan before the first north London derby against Arsenal in December.

Pochettino didn’t spend a penny in the summer transfer window, but the former Southampton boss would be wise to strengthen his squad in January. All of Spurs’ Premier League rivals have bolstered their ranks, and Tottenham are in danger of being left behind.

One man who Pochettino should be keeping tabs on is Real Madrid superstar – James Rodriguez. Valued at £72m by Transfermarkt, the Colombia international was poached from Monaco following a sensational 2014 World Cup campaign but struggled to make an impact in Madrid. He was loaned to Bayern Munich for two years, but reports suggest that the Bavarians will not make his temporary stay permanent. With Rodriguez out of favour with Los Blancos, a move to the Premier League could be on the cards.

The 27-year-old is approaching the prime of his career and remains one of the world’s best playmakers. The Colombian has the quality to unlock any defence and would flourish alongside Christian Eriksen in the engine room. With world-class options like Harry Kane in the attack, Rodriguez’s creative output would lead to even more goals for Spurs. Rodriguez also has an eye for goal – finding the back of the net three times in just five Bundesliga appearances so far this season.

Landing a player of Rodriguez’s calibre would be a massive statement of intent to Tottenham’s Premier League rivals. There could be no better signing to open their new stadium.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

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West Bromwich Albion’s main ambition for the season is to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The Baggies were dumped into the Championship following a dismal top-flight campaign.

At the moment, Darren Moore’s side remain on course to earn promotion as they currently sit fifth in the standings, five points adrift of top spot.

The Baggies experienced a recent winless spell, which dropped them out of contention for the time being, but before the international break, they managed to bounce back with a 4-1 victory over Leeds United.

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One of the main reasons why they remain in contention for promotion is because of the form of Dwight Gayle, rated at £9m by Transfermarkt.

The 29-year-old moved to The Hawthorns from Newcastle United in the summer on a season-long loan deal.

There have been no indications that an option to buy has been included, but it is safe to say that West Brom would benefit from having the striker within their ranks regardless of how their season ends.

So far this season, Gayle has scored nine goals and registered one assist in 15 outings in all competitions.

A lot may depend on how West Brom’s campaign ends, but do they have a chance of signing the attacker on a permanent basis?

Let us know by voting below.

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Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba has admitted that the La Liga giants are yet to commence contract renewal talks with him, despite his current deal only having 18 months left to run on it, as reported by ESPN. 

What’s the word

As per the aforementioned report, the 29-year-old has conceded that the current situation is “strange” as his present contract doesn’t have long left to run. However, he has reaffirmed his desire to remain at the Camp Nou for as long as he is wanted there.

However, if the Blaugrana have decided they would prefer to seek an upgrade on the 67-cap Spain international, then Alba would have little choice but to seek pastures new.

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Plenty of Premier League clubs would be interested in signing the decorated defender in the summer, but Arsenal in particular ought to be priming themselves to capitalise upon any opportunity to land the full-back that may arise.

Of the required calibre

With current first-choice left-back Nacho Monreal ageing, and his back-up, Sead Kolasinac, largely failing to deliver for the Gunners, Unai Emery will likely be in the market for a new left-back by the end of the season.

Four-time La Liga winner Alba is a player of the calibre Arsenal require if they’re to achieve their ambition of restoring their standing as Premier League title-contenders and one of the elite outfits in European football.

What do you think, Arsenal fans, should Barcelona opt to let Alba go, would you like to see him at the Emirates Stadium next season?

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West Ham have now won two consecutive league matches for the first time since January 2017, and the resurgence of Robert Snodgrass is a major reason why.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side breezed past Cardiff on Tuesday night courtesy of a brace from summer signing Lucas Perez.

Perez now joins the likes of Issa Diop and Felipe Anderson in making a real positive influence since joining in the summer, but it’s not one of Pellegrini’s signings that has really been the star of the show this week.

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Snodgrass grabbed two assists in the 3-1 win over Cardiff, just three days after setting up one of Javier Hernandez’s goals at St. James’ Park with a delicious cross.

The Scottish international has taken plenty of stick since he joined the Hammers under Slaven Bilic, but his creativity from the wing has been crucial to the recent wins.

The 31 year-old was very alert to provide a cheeky assist for Perez’s opener on Tuesday, and his corner delivery made it easy for Michail Antonio to glance home the third.

As well as his two assists, he whipping in a remarkable ten crosses and also provided six key passes. To put those numbers in perspective, no other player on the pitch had more than four crosses or three key passes.

Snodgrass’ ability to constantly whip balls into the box from the right wing poses a dangerous threat, especially when the unpredictable Felipe Anderson is tearing defenders apart on the opposite wing.

While Andriy Yarmolenko’s injury was a huge setback, it has opened the door for Snodgrass, and the contrast between he and Anderson is creating a dangerous duo that defences simply can’t deal with.

The constant threat of Snodgrass cutting inside and finding open men in the box is opening up more space for Anderson, allowing the Brazilian to unleash his devilish bag of tricks on a more consistent basis.

So, West Ham fans, are you happy with Snodgrass’ recent form? Does he have a future at the club? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Leeds United could be forced to change their January plans as Andrea Radrizzani’s Eleven Sports hits serious issues, just four months into its UK life.

The online platform, dubbed the ‘Netflix of sport’, has the exclusive rights to show La Liga and Serie A matches in the UK, and was set to take over BT Sport’s role as the sole-British provider of UFC in 2019.

The UFC have, however, taken the decision to pull its contract with Eleven Sports and will remain on BT Sport after the digital broadcaster failed to arrange a TV slot for their channel.

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Eleven Sports, which is owned by Radrizzani, operates across Europe, but is considering ditching its UK division after failing to secure distribution on Sky, Virgin Media or BT’s platforms.

As it is run as an entirely separate entity to Leeds United, any decision should not interfere with how the club operates. But should Radrizzani need to invest in the platform to ensure it has a future in the UK, the club may not take priority.

At present, the Championship contenders are suffering an injury crisis, with captain Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas both ruled out of action, adding to the absences of Gaetano Berardi, Luke Ayling, and Tom Pearce.

January recruits could help alleviate any depth concerns Marcelo Bielsa may carry, but that option is potentially no longer on the table.

Naturally, the Eleven Sports drama has Leeds fans talking…

Im sad, leeds are owned by eleven sports. Will we have to sell to compensate. The season was going so well ?

— Eoin O Carroll (@eoinocarrol) December 12, 2018

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Loads of Tottenham fans have been having their say on the week’s big transfer story, and 73 per cent of polled fans want to make up for their slow summer by signing Real Madrid wonderkid Marco Asensio.

According to Marca (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are looking to reinforce their squad in the January transfer market, and Pochettino is a big fan of Asensio.

The North Londoners of course did not make a single signing in the summer transfer window, and fans are desperate for a big welcoming gift to go alongside their new stadium.

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Asensio would cost Daniel Levy a club-record transfer fee, but the chairman needs to keep his manager happy amidst links to Manchester United and Real Madrid, and the report claims Pochettino loves Asensio.

The 22 year-old, valued at a whopping £81m by Transfermarkt, has 36 goals and 38 assists in his club career, and is versatile enough to play anywhere across Pochettino’s attack.

A move for the Spaniard could potentially see Christian Eriksen move the opposite direction, as the Danish International has been linked with a move to Madrid on several occasions.

You can view the full poll results down below, where 73 per cent of fans are backing a huge move….

According to Calcio Mercato, Cesc Fabregas could be on his way to AC Milan. His contract expires at the end of the season, and it’s certainly fair to say that it hasn’t been the best season for the Spanish midfielder.

He’s lost his place in the team to Jorginho, and given the fine form of the Maurizio Sarri favourite, it’s looking unlikely that he will regain his spot.

So, moving him on makes sense, but that does pose a problem for Chelsea. Fabregas still serves an important role as a rotational option in the squad, and so he’ll have to be replaced. It would be a surprise for Chelsea not to spend big bringing in a new player to replace him, but that might not be the best move for the Blues.

Indeed, perhaps they should turn to one of the younger players in the Chelsea squad instead.

Ethan Aampadu has seen his Chelsea career stall somewhat under Maurizio Sarri, and it’s tough to see why. Whenever the Welshman has turned out in a blue shirt at Stamford Bridge he’s looked good. He’s confident, comfortable on the ball and clearly unbelievably talented, and it would be a shame for all of that to go to waste.

He’s a natural defender, but he’s played centrally for Chelsea a number of times in the past, and he’d be an excellent fit. Like Fabregas, he’s got a fantastic range of passing, and so he’d be more than capable of playing the deep-lying playmaker role that the Spaniard has made his name in.

Ampadu’s confidence on the ball allows him to remain cool under pressure, and given the role that Jorginho plays – with a focus on moving the ball on quickly and simply – that’s a vital trait.

The Welshman is also very strong defensively, and so he’d be a fantastic asset in that regard for the Blues. It makes no sense for the club to spend big on a foreign target – as he could do the job perfectly.

Ampadu could prove to be Chelsea’s secret weapon in the absence of Cesc Fabregas. Few really know of his talents, particularly in midfield – maybe even including Maurizio Sarri – and the Blues would really be onto a winner if they gave him the chance he deserves.

Thoughts?

Manchester United will enter the January transfer window managed by club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Norwegian icon was announced as the temporary Manchester United boss following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho last week. The 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield make the Portuguese’s position as manager untenable. As well as his rocky relationship with key players at the club, Mourinho oversaw the club’s worst start to a season since 1991 which proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

The former Chelsea boss was desperate to bolster his defence during the summer window, and the Red Devils will be eager to address their woes at the back in January. Reports suggest that the club will look to sign both a centre-back and a right winger to ease Solksjaer’s transition into the Old Trafford dugout.

High on their list of targets would be Juventus superstar – Douglas Costa. Valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, the Brazilian has enjoyed a wonderful career across Europe after making his name in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk. His skilful showings earned him a move to Bayern Munich in 2015 before eventually completing a permanent move to Juventus. The 28-year-old was crucial to their title bid last season, scoring four and assisting 12 in the Serie A.

Costa is blessed with electric pace, combined with his ridiculous dribbling ability; he is one of the most feared wingers on the planet. With an eye for a pass and fantastic crossing, the Brazilian is the perfect player to get the goals flowing from Romelu Lukaku once again. His arrival at the Theatre of Dreams would also bring some much-needed entertainment back to the English giants following the dismal Mourinho era.

Following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, his role has been reduced – a move to Manchester would suit him to a tee.

Manchester United fans, thoughts?

Tottenham should use their big-money flop Vincent Janssen as a makeweight in order to wrap up a deal for £20m-rated Hull City forward Jarrod Bowen, who has been in scintillating form for the Tigers this season and is viewed as a cheaper alternative to Jack Grealish.

What’s the word, then?

Well, since arriving in north London from AZ Alkmaar back in 2016 for around £17m, Janssen has scored just two Premier League goals for the club and only six in total.

The Dutch international, obviously, could never oust Harry Kane from the starting line-up, but even when the England international was injured or rested, Janssen never proved that he was good enough for this level.

He was consequently loaned out to Fenerbahce for the entirety of the 2017/18 season, where he managed to score five goals for the Turkish giants before a foot injury saw him return back to Spurs prematurely.

He has, in fact, only just recovered from the injury which required the 24-year-old to undergo an operation, but he appears to have no future at Spurs – as a result, he should be used as a bargaining chip.

Would Hull accept a player-plus-cash deal?

There is no reason why Janssen cannot still be a success in England when he regains full fitness, especially if he were to drop down a level into the Championship.

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He is still only 24, and has shown in Spurs’ cup games in the past that he can be a threat against lower level opposition, so the second tier could be perfect for him.

Hull are said to want around £20m for Bowen, who has scored seven goals in his last seven games for the Tigers, but that may be a bit too much for Spurs whose transfer budget has presumably taken a hit given the cost of the new stadium.

However, if they were to offer Janssen and £10m, there could potentially be a breakthrough in negotiations.

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Celtic recently confirmed the signing of West Brom winger Oliver Burke on a loan deal until the end of the season. However, if the Hoops are to hold off the challenge of Steven Gerrard’s Rangers and sustain their charge to an eighth successive Scottish league title crown, then Brendan Rodgers must bolster and revitalise his attacking contingent further.

What’s the word?

The likes of Scott Sinclair and Leigh Griffiths have stagnated this season and the Bhoys are in need of a boost.

The arrival of Burke is a good start, but the Glasgow giants need more, especially if they’re to go far in the Europa League this season. Rodgers should therefore still be seeking to bring further attacking additions to Celtic Park this month.

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With that in mind, Celtic ought to seriously consider making a surprise swoop for Sunderland No.10 George Honeyman.

Potential for a swap deal?

The attacking-midfielder is a Black Cats academy product and loves the Wearside club who he has been with since the age of ten. However, the 24-year-old is a far better player than the League One standard he is currently plying his trade at and at this stage in his career he really needs to make the step up that his talent deserves.

Honeyman has been in fine form for Jack Ross’ side so far this season and is ready for a greater challenge. 

What’s more, Sunderland’s interest in signing Celtic winger Lewis Morgan on loan – as reported by the Daily Star – could potentially open the door to the two clubs agreeing a swap deal of sorts, with Honeyman heading north of the border and Morgan joining the English outfit.

What do you think, Celtic fans, would Honeyman be a good signing?