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• Kane has no limits, says former Tottenham team-mate Soldado

  Harry Kane has no limits to what he can do and is still yet to reach his peak, according to former Tottenham team-mate Roberto Soldado.

  Soldado joined Spurs from Valencia in 2013 but the striker – a regular scorer in LaLiga – found life tough in England, managing just seven goals in 52 league appearances over the course of two seasons before leaving for Villarreal.

  However, Soldado believes he was not helped by the emergence of Kane, who quickly impressed his fellow frontman during their time working together in England.

  "I always say that if there is one period of my career I'm not happy with, it's my time at Tottenham," Soldado, now at Granada, said in an interview with The Guardian.

  "I also had Harry Kane's boom to contend with, I understood perfectly because you could see it from the start.

  "I saw his level in training and it was amazing. I don't think there's a limit to what he can do; we still haven't seen the best of Harry Kane.

  "When we did shooting drills… pfff. With both feet, he was prolific. He plays so well back to goal, gives assists, is intelligent, thinks quicker than before.

  "Maybe he had struggled this season because the team wasn't having the best time, but he's continually improving."

  Soldado came through the ranks at Real Madrid and believes Kane would fit right in at the Spanish club, adding: "I'd like to see it."

  The 34-year-old has watched from afar as Tottenham have struggled this season, leading to the departure of Mauricio Pochettino.

  Jose Mourinho has since taken charge, with Soldado confident the Portuguese will "get them competing" after a sticky start.

  "I don't know [what went wrong for Pochettino]," Soldado said on the current situation. "I still talk to Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen, but about personal stuff. You could see it wasn't working. 

  "[Mauricio] Pochettino had a very clear idea; he worked us very hard tactically and physically, which I think we needed after Tim Sherwood. From the start, he connected with the dressing room and every year it got better.

  "The level Pochettino got from the players was higher than anyone could have expected. [But] they lost consistency and maybe Spurs needed a change.

  "Now one of the best coaches has arrived and he’ll get them competing. Kane will always be grateful to Pochettino, I’m sure: his big change came with him. But he’ll trust José Mourinho because he’s a great coach."

• Salzburg confirm Haaland transfer talks with Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig

  Erling Haaland has visited both Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig to discuss a potential transfer, Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund has confirmed.

  Haaland has been in sensational form for Salzburg this season, including scoring eight goals in six games in the Champions League group stage.

  The 19-year-old has been linked with a number of Europe's biggest clubs, including Manchester United and Liverpool, who Salzburg faced in the Champions League, with Haaland scoring at Anfield.

  However, it appears the Bundesliga could be his next destination after Freund revealed Haaland had travelled to meet with two German clubs.

  "We are involved in all discussions," Freund told a news conference on Thursday. "Of course, we also knew that Haaland was in Leipzig and Dortmund [on Wednesday].

  "Everyone in Salzburg wants the best for him."

  Earlier on Thursday, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc had refused to be drawn on reports – subsequently confirmed by Freund later on – that Haaland had visited the club.

  Haaland, the son of former Leeds United and Manchester City player Alf-Inge, won the Golden Boot at this year's FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

  The Norway striker may not be the only Salzburg star to leave the club in the January transfer window; Freund has also confirmed Liverpool are in talks to sign Takumi Minamino.

• Cole: Messi, Ronaldo still top Ballon d'Or contenders

  Ashley Cole hopes the day will come when a defender wins the Ballon d'Or again but admits it is hard to envisage in the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

  Messi this year won a record sixth Ballon d'Or – edging him ahead of the five awards Ronaldo holds – when he saw off competition from Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

  Dutchman Van Dijk has been inspirational for the Reds since he joined from Southampton midway through 2017-18, and he played a key role in their Champions League success last season.

  Former England left-back Cole would have liked to see a fellow defender win the coveted trophy - awarded to the world's top player - for the first time since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.

  However, he believes Barcelona's Messi and Juventus forward Ronaldo remain clearly the best players in world football.

  "It's tough," Cole told Omnisport. "You want different positions maybe being credited with how good they've played in that season, but to be honest I don't think you can look outside of Messi and Ronaldo.

  "What Messi does week in, week out is not normal. Again, the same with Ronaldo. It wasn't a surprise that Messi won it but one day, yeah, we probably would like a defender to win it."

  One left-back who has impressed Cole in the Premier League this season is Ben Chilwell, who has been in fine form for high-flying Leicester City.

  "I think, for me, him and [Liverpool's Andy] Robertson are the best two left-backs in the Premier League at the minute," Cole said, speaking on behalf of Nissan.

  Chilwell looks set to become the regular starter for England heading into Euro 2020.

  "He's playing in a good Leicester team, suiting his game at the minute where he can attack and he's got protection behind him," Cole said.

  "Whether he starts for England? That's probably a question for Gareth [Southgate]. I'd like to see him start because I think when he has played for England he's played very well.

  "He looks accomplished there. I'd like to see him start but that's down to the manager."

  Nissan are proud partners of the UEFA Champions League. UEFA ambassador Ashley Cole was at the Chelsea FC v LOSC Lille match on Tuesday 10th December, along with the UEFA Champions League Trophy, which is being driven around the UK by the next generation Nissan Juke.