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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Bayern Munich will have to pay £25.5m if they want to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

The German club are, per the report, keen to bring in the Argentine after sacking Niko Kovac.

Hansi Flick is currently the club’s interim coach and Football Insider makes it clear that arrangement could continue until the end of the season.

Pochettino, is seen as a potential candidate to take over in the summer, though they could face competition from Manchester United.

That is despite Spurs struggling this season; they currently lie 14th, 11 points off the top four.

Don’t sack him

The report states that Pochettino will have three years remaining on his contract come the end of the season and that he currently earns £8.5m-per-year, which equates to a compensation fee of £25.5m.

It financial makes sense, then, for chairman Daniel Levy to keep faith in the Argentine, even it is for cynical reasons.

One has to believe that the club have a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the Champions League this season – they have not won any of their last five league games – but they would be missing out on a potentially mammoth fee if they were to hand Pochettino his P45.

Football FanCast understands that RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is the club’s first-choice to replace Pochettino but he has a contract that runs until 2023.

If they keep the Argentine around and Bayern come in with an offer, Spurs can bank over £25m which  could be used to bring in Pochettino’s successor.

It remains to be seen, of course, if their hand will be forced, particularly if Spurs remain in midtable after the hectic Christmas period but, at this stage, it makes sense for him to remain in the north London dugout.

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…

Everton boss Marco Silva has praised his men for their newly found form against Southampton before the international break.

What did he say?

The Toffees have shown a slight revival in their season over the past few weeks, drawing against Tottenham Hotspur and beating Southampton to edge six points clear of the relegation zone.

In light of their recent form, the Blues boss has reminded critics of how he stated his side would react to the defeat against Burnley.

Now, with three wins in five games, it seems the Portuguese has done just that.

Silva told evertonfc.com: “It is turning – and that is what we wanted.

“Before the [October] international break, when we lost how we did at Burnley, I told people we would react, for sure and we reacted.

“It is good to see our players getting more mature and being stronger in their personalities.

“We played five games… and we could possibly be talking here about four wins and one draw. This is the reality.

“We could be talking about how the team reacted so strongly and showed the capacity we have.

“We know why in the previous [away] game [at Brighton] we did not win and we could be in a completely different position in the table.”

A sudden change

Everton have had a bit of a turn around in their form across the pitch. The likes of Tom Davies have seemingly come into their own lately, with a goal and commanding display against Southampton.

Plus, key players such as Richarlison now have five goals and two assists across the board and are flourishing at the moment. Elsewhere, Cenk Tosun has added to the positivity with his late goal against Spurs before starting in the victory at St Mary’s.

Then there is the fantastic form of Mason Holgate, who has pushed the struggling Michael Keane out of the side. Holgate has two assists and a goal, plus a clean sheet in the EFL Cup over the past month.

It seems there has been a rather sudden change in form for Everton and the signs are certainly positive right now.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Barcelona and Neymar are by now a truly old love story.

Throughout the summer we kept hearing about the Brazilian’s potential return to the Camp Nou but Paris Saint-Germain resisted all the Catalan attacks, as per Sport, and the superstar ended up staying at Parc des Princes.

However, the same report has stated that the Blaugrana are still contemplating the Brazilian’s return and will possibly try again in the near future.

Of course, the operation won’t be cheap but recent developments may have given Barcelona a surprising boost and it actually arrived in the form of Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund’s young star.

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The Express reported that Paris Saint-Germain are looking to hijack the Englishman from Manchester United’s grip, as the Red Devils were also keeping a close eye on the young talent, amidst uncertainties over Neymar’s future at the French capital.

This can only mean one thing: they are preparing for the Brazilian’s departure and as things currently stand, only Barcelona are the real contenders for his signature.

It may have not worked out last summer but with a potential sale of Philippe Coutinho that could give them additional funds, seeing how the former Liverpool man is currently on loan with an option to buy for around €120m (£102.6m), the Catalans may succeed this time around.

But the key may very well lie in Paris Saint-Germain’s efforts to lure Sancho away from Manchester United and into their grip.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are in dire need of reinforcements as their season is not really going according to plan.

The problem is that The Express claim Liverpool, Real Madrid and Juventus are also keeping tabs on the young forward, which could make the situation more complicated for both PSG and Manchester United.

In this instance, however, Barcelona will most likely be rooting for the French rivals because them securing Sancho’s signature may open the door to Neymar’s return to Catalonia.

And at the end of the day, that still seems like the ultimate goal.

The 2015/16 season for Aston Villa, much like this current one, was miserable.

Back then, the Villans were relegated to the second tier, managing to pick up only a paltry 17 points as they finished rock bottom. They spent a considerable sum back then, too – £59.9m, to be exact, although not quite the £100m+ they parted with last summer – yet it did little to help their bid for survival.

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Jordan Amavi was one of those who made the switch to the Midlands prior to the start of the term and he, like many others, will not have enjoyed his time at Villa Park. Now, though, he is flourishing back in France, with Marseille.

Here, we take a look at how he is getting on.

Time at Villa

It was at OGC Nice where Amavi made his name in French football. He came through the youth system there, and would end up playing 60 times for them, scoring four goals – two more than he has managed anywhere else. That convinced Villa to make their move, and they decided to pay £9.9m for his services, as per Transfermarkt.

He actually made just 10 appearances during that fateful season, but he was one of the better performers. He picked up a WhoScored rating of 7.48 and, had it not been for a cruciate ligament rupture in November, he would have likely played an awful lot more.

When he returned though, he failed to make the same impression in the Championship. Under Steve Bruce, he started 26 matches, but managed an average rating of just 6.79. That would prove to be his last campaign for the club – he moved on loan to Marseille in 2017.

Where is he now?

Moving back to his homeland has done him the world of good. He made 27 Ligue 1 appearances during his first campaign with L’OM, managing six assists along the way. He also impressed in the Europa League – he played 11 matches, managing an average rating of 7.14 as Marseille made the final. Although they lost to Atletico Madrid 3-0, it was still a promising season.

That convinced Marseille to sign him permanently, and they parted with £9m for his services, as per Transfermarkt – that meant Villa made a small loss. He played regularly once more in the league, featuring 28 times as Marseille finished fifth in the table.

This season, both himself and Marseille are really enjoying themselves. He has started 26 out of the 28 league matches they have played to date under former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, as the side from the south of France currently sit in second position in the table behind PSG. When football finally resumes, they will be in prime position to qualify for next year’s Champions League.

Now valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, he was rather unfortunate at Villa, but now he is reaping the rewards his talent deserves.

At 26, it will be interesting to see how far he can go.

Leeds United reporter for The Athletic Phil Hay has revealed on his podcast that there is little expectation that matches will be played in front of crowds when football returns.

What did he say?

The football season has been suspended since early March, with Leeds sat top of the Championship table nine games from the end of the campaign.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have a seven-point buffer to Fulham in third place, but Hay said that it is unlikely fans will be able to attend matches when the season restarts.

According to The Guardian, plans are underway to start playing matches again in June in order to complete the season, although Hay told his podcast that these matches are likely to be played behind closed doors.

“I obviously keep in touch with Leeds regularly about this and there is literally no expectation on their part that if and when the games start, that they’ll be anything other than behind-closed-doors fixtures,” he said.

“There’s simply no expectation at all at the moment that you’ll be able to have crowds in the stadium, certainly to begin with.”

Disappointment

While fans will likely be relieved to hear that the league intends to get the season underway eventually, the prospect of Leeds securing promotion to the Premier League behind closed doors is a depressing one.

Leeds last played in England’s top-flight back in 2004 and just missed out on promotion last season, so fans will have been desperate to be there for the final games of this season and witness the long-awaited return to the Premier League.

Former Leeds United attacker Noel Whelan has revealed his concern over the reported interest in the club from Qatari Sport Investment group, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

Majority shareholder Andrea Radrizzani, who owns 88% of Leeds, told an interview with Gianluca Di Marzio last week that he was open to QSI investing in the club.

QSI are currently the owners of French side Paris Saint-Germain, who have won six of the last seven Ligue 1 titles.

However, Whelan argued that the addition of another shareholder could result in complications for the club.

He told Football Insider: “My problem is how this is going to work when there are three voices around the table? Three big personalities and three big companies behind one team. If they can make that work – fantastic.

“Personally, I would prefer it to be the one person looking after the club, making the decisions with the manager and the board. Keep it nice and simple. Let’s not complicate things.

“I love the investment but do you really need three chefs in the kitchen?”

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Worth the risk?

The allure of QSI investment is obvious, with the Qatari group’s investment allowing PSG to enjoy unprecedented dominance in French domestic football.

Leeds have been absent from the Premier League for 16 years now, and with the club on the brink of a return, the added financial boost could prove attractive.

However, these deals are never simple and it is worth the club and its ownership giving this serious consideration before any decision is made.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has called on Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho to change Juan Foyth’s role.

What did he say?

The Argentine has struggled to get much first-team action this season, making just seven appearances across all competitions – all in all, he had played just 65 minutes of Premier League football before the top-flight was postponed.

Foyth has predominantly been used as a centre-back in his time in north London, although has had stints at right-back too. However, Gold has called on current Spurs boss Mourinho to use the 22-year-old as a holding midfielder.

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After being asked whether Mourinho would consider using Foyth in such a role, Gold said: “I’ve pushed for that switch for a long time. I even asked Foyth about it last year and he admitted he played in the role briefly after having been an attacking midfielder as a youngster in Estudiantes’ academy.

“For one reason or another Pochettino and Mourinho didn’t/don’t see him in the role but I feel that with his technical ability he’d suit it down to the ground. Whether he goes comes down to whether the young Argentine is going to get game time. He wants it and if he isn’t then he’ll look to move on.”

Last chance

A tactical switch may be exactly what Foyth needs to try and revive his flailing career at Spurs.

The defender has hardly had a look-in at the club this season under either Mauricio Pochettino or Mourinho, and so changing up his position and role could be the key to giving himself a shot at forcing his way back into the north London side’s first-team plans.

As Mikel Arteta heads into his first summer transfer window in charge at the Emirates, all eyes will be on what kind of players he will manage to bring in to continue his revolution in north London.The Spaniard was named the permanent successor to Unai Emery back in December, and picked up some notable results before all of football was postponed, including a 2-0 home victory over Premier League rivals Manchester United.

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Now, according to French publication Le10Sport, Arsenal are dreaming of bringing in Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho back to English football, and that they have even “made their arrangements to start the first discussions with his agent,ÂKia Joorabchian”.

After hearing about the links to the Brazilian play-maker, fans of the north London side flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts about their rumoured transfer target.

Like a few Gunners fans have suggested, there may be a concern that the north London side are relying a bit too heavily on super-agents and contacts to sign new players.

Coutinho’s qualities are undoubted given that he is played for the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in recent years, but simply bringing in him because his agent has a good relationship with the hierarchy would not be a move with the right intentions.

Arsenal central midfield player Emile Smith-Rowe has revealed to The National UAE that he looks up to Mesut Ozil above everyone else at the north London club.

The 19-year old touched on many other subjects, such as trying to break through into the first-team, his time on loan in the EFL Championship with Huddersfield Town, where his favourite position on the pitch is, who he watched from the Gunners growing up, how he likes to model his game on Manchester City attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and what the future holds for him at the Emirates Stadium.

However, perhaps the most interesting part of the interview was what he revealed about his fellow teammate Ozil:

“At Arsenal, I look up to Mesut Ozil a lot,” Smith-Rowe said.

“I watch him in training and the movement he has and the little touches he does. For me to train with him every day, I can’t think of anything better.”

Indeed, this is arguably not a surprise given the fact that the pair play in relatively similar positions, however, Ozil has not exactly set the world alight in the 2019/20 season based off of his stats.

The 31-year old has only scored one goal and made three assists in 23 appearances in all competitions so far in this campaign, according to Transfermarkt.

However, the German has been a faithful servant and his numbers across the whole of his career at AFC are rather impressive, netting 44 times and providing 77 assists in 254 games in all competitions, as per the website.

On the other hand, Smith-Rowe will be looking to add to the 12 senior matches that he has played in across the last two terms, in which he has produced three strikes (via Transfermarkt).

Only time will tell how well the Englishman will do in the future.

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When Manchester United signed Diogo Dalot from Porto back in the summer of 2018, it was seen as a major coup by the club, especially by then manager Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese man waxed lyrical about the youngster’s ability and potential, saying: “In his age group, he is the best full-back in Europe. He is an extremely talented young defender with all the qualities to quickly become a great player for this club.

“He has all the attributes that a full-back needs: physicality, tactical intelligence and technical quality, combined with a Porto academy mentality which prepares players for the maturity they need at the professional level.”

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Fast forward a couple of years though, and Dalot’s career at Old Trafford has somewhat stalled, with the big-money signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer putting him further behind in the pecking order.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has played the now 21-year-old just 28 times since he took over the job as United boss from Mourinho, although it must be said that Dalot’s injuries (particularly this season) have surely played its part too.

But against Norwich in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday afternoon, the Portugal youth international showed exactly why he could still go on to prove Mourinho right over these coming years.

Replacing Wan-Bissaka in that right-back role, Dalot was one of the stand-out performers in a United team that weren’t exactly at their best. As per Sofascore, his 7.6 match rating was only bettered by Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes, and when looking at his numbers, it’s clear to see why.

He completed both of his attempted dribbles, made five successful long balls out of five, had an incredible 97% pass accuracy, and won every single duel on the ground (5/5).

He showed just how effective a presence he can be, particularly going forward, and it’s telling that he has one more goal, and the same number of assists, in two fewer games than Wan-Bissaka.

If Solskjaer continues to rotate his squad from now until the end of the season, then Dalot must seize his chance to finally prove to both the Norwegian and his former manager, Mourinho, that he can deliver on his promise.