Rumour Has It: Nagelsmann open to Tottenham talks

By Sports Desk March 25, 2023

Julian Nagelsmann was sensationally sacked as Bayern Munich boss on Friday and replaced almost immediately by Thomas Tuchel.

The 35-year-old German had guided the Bavarians to last season's Bundesliga title.

And Bayern have looked good in reaching the Champions League quarter-finals this term.

Nagelsmann previously led RB Leipzig, guiding the side to the Champions League and the 2021 DFB-Pokal final, before moving to Bayern in 2021.


TOP STORY – SPURS MAKE MOVE FOR NAGELSMANN

Sky Sports claims Julian Nagelsmann is open to Tottenham's advances as they seek talks following his dismissal as Bayern Munich boss.

Spurs may be in the market for a new manager with uncertainty over Antonio Conte's future. Football Insider claims Nagelsmann is Spurs' number one priority if Conte departs.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was also considering Nagelsmann in 2019 when he replaced Mauricio Pochettino with Jose Mourinho.


ROUND UP

- Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are all circling for PSV midfielder Ibrahima Sangare, reports 90min. According to the report, the player's representatives have spoken to several Premier League clubs and he could be available for around £32million.

- Manchester United have joined the race for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic , who is being courted by Manchester City and Liverpool, according to Football.London.

- 90min claims Newcastle United have held talks with Marcus Thuram's representatives about a free agent move from Borussia Monchengladbach in the offseason. Thuram has already declared he will leave Gladbach when he contract expires at the end of the season, with Inter among a host of clubs interested.

- Chelsea are interested in signing ex-Leeds United man Raphinha from Barcelona, claims journalist Simon Phillips. The Blaugrana may be forced to sell players due to financial fair play regulations.

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  • Silva concedes Man City 'in a dark place' as Guardiola vows 'I'm not giving up' Silva concedes Man City 'in a dark place' as Guardiola vows 'I'm not giving up'

    Bernardo Silva acknowledged Manchester City are "in a dark place right now" following their disappointing 4-1 defeat at Sporting CP.

    Viktor Gyokeres' hat-trick inspired the Primeira Liga leaders to a commanding victory at Estadio Jose Alvalade, where Ruben Amorim was overseeing his final home game before taking over the reins at Manchester United on November 11.

    Injury-hit City, who were without the likes of Rodri, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and John Stones, have now suffered three successive defeats in a season for the first time since April 2018.

    Having been knocked out of the EFL Cup by Tottenham, the Citizens also saw their 32-match unbeaten run in the Premier League ended by a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth on Saturday.

    And Silva knows he and his team-mates must address the slump quickly.

    "At the beginning of the second half, we just gave them too many opportunities to be there and to score goals," the City winger said.

    "[It's] disappointing because we're a bit in a dark place right now, and everything looks to be going the wrong way - even when we play well.

    "Definitely, we need to look inside, check what we're not doing well and start being better very quickly. Otherwise, it will be difficult to come back from these losses.

    "It's football, it's difficult to find reasons for what's happening right now to us.

    "Obviously, we need to do better. Our injured players need to come back because we need them. It's just not good enough at the minute."

    Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola insists he is "not giving up" with the Spaniard relishing the opportunity to put things right.

    "It is a tough challenge, but I am here," the head coach added. "It will be a tough season - we knew that from the start. But this is what it is. I like it, I love it, I want to face it and lift my players.

    "I have to try and find an explanation. Sometimes, it is just football. We have to accept it. Life is that, sport is that. Sometimes, we have bad moments, but we face the reality.

    "Everyone has to try to be better. We are still alive in all competitions, and we continue. I am not giving up."

  • 'Belief' and 'relief' create momentum for Southampton ahead of six-pointer 'Belief' and 'relief' create momentum for Southampton ahead of six-pointer

    After gaining “belief” from Southampton’s narrow defeat at Manchester City, Russell Martin will hope to build on his side’s subsequent first win of the season against fellow relegation candidates Wolves.

    Martin’s side secured a first win and first clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 victory over Everton last time out, lifting them above this weekend’s opponents in the league.

    Wolves, on the other hand, remain one of just two teams in the league, along with Ipswich Town, yet to register a win having drawn 2-2 with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

    Southampton are riding a wave of momentum that started with a narrow defeat to the defending champions as the Saints gave City a scare at the Etihad 10 days ago.

    "Today has given me even more belief. But we have a massive two weeks ahead, starting on Tuesday,” Martin said on Saturday.

    While the hosts remain favourites against Martin’s newly promoted side, Southampton will now travel to Molineux with their self-belief reinforced.

    "It's a big relief, I have happiness, pride and gratitude with the players, the staff, owners and the board. It's been a tough period,” Martin confessed following their first victory.

    "The guys stuck with it, the way they work, the way they train, they're an amazing group, I love being here and I want to drag it out for as long as I can.

    "It's huge for us as a team, as a group, as a club, and the clean sheet as well. We played some beautiful football, some brilliant football and had to dig in at times.”

    If there is a winner in the West Midlands, that side will end the weekend off the foot of the table, with Wolves having just three points to their name after squandering a 2-1 lead against Palace.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Wolves – Rayan Ait-Nouri

    Ait-Nouri currently boasts the second-most goals in the Wolves squad (three) and the joint-most assists (two), being level with Nelson Semedo for the latter.

    But his services in defence will be equally crucial if the hosts are to get a result. Wolves have now conceded at least twice in nine of their 10 Premier League games this season, including each of the last seven in a row.

    It’s their longest run of conceding multiple goals in consecutive league games since a run of nine between February and April 2012, when they went on to finish bottom.

    Southampton – Jan Bednarek

    As the visitors have not proved prolific in attack so far this season, they will need a fine showing in defence if they are to take points away from the West Midlands, having earned just one clean sheet so far this term.

    Bednarek leads the Southampton squad for clearances (56), blocks (14), and interceptions (15) so far this season.

    Having featured in all 10 of the Saints’ games, he has also provided a crucial aerial presence in the defensive third, having won the most aerial duels in the squad (12).

    MATCH PREDICTION: WOLVES WIN

    Wolves have won each of their last five Premier League games against Southampton, their longest winning run against any opponent in the competition.

    Despite keeping a clean sheet in their first-ever Premier League meeting with Wolves in September 2003 (2-0), Southampton have now conceded in each of their last 11 against them in the competition.

    Yet momentum is possibly on the visitors’ side. Southampton’s 1-0 victory over Everton last time out ended a run of 22 Premier League games without a win, and a run of 21 without a clean sheet in the competition.

    They last won consecutive top-flight games in February 2022, the first of which came against Everton.

    Wolves, meanwhile, remain winless in their 10 Premier League games so far this season (D3 L7) – only in 1983-84 have they ever had a longer run without a win from the start of a league campaign (14), going on to finish bottom of the top flight that season.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Wolves – 54.3%

    Draw – 23.5%

    Southampton – 22.2%

  • 'It's not good enough', says Everton's Lindstrom 'It's not good enough', says Everton's Lindstrom

    Jesper Lindstrom delivered a blunt assessment of Everton's performance against Southampton, as Sean Dyche's team prepare for a crunch fixture against West Ham.

    Everton suffered a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, as the Saints claimed their first Premier League win of the season.

    That defeat snapped a five-game unbeaten run in the league, albeit Everton are still only on nine points after 10 games.

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    And Lindstrom, who joined Everton on loan from Napoli in July, said there are few excuses for the Toffees.

    "We want to win games, we want to win points, we want to win games like this. It's not good enough," he said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

    "Overall we have to demand more of each other. We have to train hard, we have to keep going.

    "The first half especially was not good enough, was not what we expected. We are a much better team than we showed.

    "The second half was better we were running more, fighting more, creating chances. I think we deserved at least a point with all the chances but on the other hand I don't think we deserved it because I know we can play much better than we did.

    "In the first half, we were too far from each other. From my perspective, my touches were not great.

    "It was better in the second half. We created good chances of receiving the ball high but didn’t have the last part, the shot."

    West Ham lost 3-0 to in-form Nottingham Forest last time out.

    After that match, Jarrod Bowen told Premier League Productions: "We've been on the receiving end of a lot of defeats by a lot of goals, so we need to look at ourselves as players. I think that's a given, but I think we've got to accept this feeling, accept it today, move on and in the last game before the international break we have to put it right."

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    West Ham - Jarrod Bowen

    Bowen has scored in his last two Premier League home games for West Ham, last scoring in three in a row at the London Stadium in February 2022.

    The England forward has also had a hand in five goals in his last six league games against Everton (three goals, two assists).

    Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin

    All three of Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League goals against West Ham have come at the London Stadium, with the last two coming in 1-0 wins for Everton.

    Only against Newcastle United (five) has he scored more away goals in the competition than he has at West Ham.

    MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN

    West Ham have conceded 15 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games so far in 2024, the most such goals any side have conceded in a single calendar year in the competition. Five of those have come so far this season, a joint-league high, along with Ipswich Town.

    However, having lost their first three Premier League home games this season, West Ham have now won their last two at London Stadium. They last won three in a row in May/August 2023, while they last did so in the same campaign in October 2022.

    Everton, meanwhile, have lost their last three Premier League away games against London sides by an aggregate score of 12-1. They last lost four in a row in the capital between January and September 2018.

    West Ham have won five of their last eight Premier League games against Everton (L3), as many as they had in their previous 30 against them (D9 L16).

    However, the Toffees - who won the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season - have taken more Premier League games in total (29) and away from home (13) against West Ham than they have against any other opponent.

    Dyche's team have lost their first four Premier League games this season, conceding 13 goals in the process. However, they have lost just one of their subsequent six (W2 D3), with their four goals conceded the fewest of any side in that time.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    West Ham - 50.2%

    Everton - 24.6%

    Draw - 25.2%

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