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Just days after completing his permanent move to the club, Helder Costa showed exactly why Leeds spending around £16m on him may be great business both for now and for the future.

The former Wolves winger looked in imperious form against Stoke on Thursday, and in a thrilling team performance that saw the Whites thrash their opponents 5-0, it was arguably Costa who well and truly stood out from the pack.

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Pablo Hernandez’s introduction at half-time gave Leeds some extra impetus no doubt (Marcelo Bielsa’s side scored four of their goals in the second half), but it was Costa who tormented Stoke’s back-line all game.

It was no surprise that as per Sofascore, his 8.7 match rating was the highest of any player on the pitch.

After helping to win the penalty for Leeds’ opener, Costa scored and later assisted for the Whites too, but his impact was more than just that.

He completed two of his three dribbles, provided a team-high four key passes, and lost possession just six times over the course of the 90 minutes – to put that in perspective, Hernandez, who came on at the break, conceded the ball on 14 separate occasions.

And speaking after the game, Leeds boss Bielsa waxed lyrical about Costa’s performance, saying: “He was balanced. He made a difference. He unbalanced individually. That makes the reach of the attack of one team.”

With just a few games left, and automatic promotion edging over close, having an in-form attacker in Costa may just be the final little push that Leeds need to get over the finishing line in the next couple of weeks.

Ex-Spur Michael Brown insists it is “unbelievable” that Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is still trying to figure out his best starting lineup. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs star believes tactical changes and a busy schedule have prevented Mourinho from working out his favourite starting XI.

The Portuguese once again defended his team selections and queried why other managers like Frank Lampard, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are not questioned on their choices after Tottenham beat Newcastle 3-1 in the Premier League to mark the first time he has won at St James’ Park.

Spurs slumped to a shock 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United, but have begun to turn things around, and they are now on a four-game unbeaten run.

Brown told assistant editor Russell Edge “Mourinho’s come out this week and said about his team selection, why journalists don’t ask other people – it was a good win to ease the pressure but he’s still trying to find his team, isn’t he?

“I just can’t find out what their settled side is and I keep saying the same thing. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? I don’t know if he is closer to finding out. I think sometimes it’s tactical, I think sometimes it’s the run of games, the loading.

“It’s changing people’s opinions, you’re getting judged against different teams. I don’t think you’ve got much choice so I don’t think you’re getting a true reflection of who he wants. The thing you can say is the likes of Alderweireld, Vertonghen – why weren’t they playing?”

It is hard to argue with Brown on this one, as several factors have played their part in Mourinho’s team selection in recent weeks.

Questions remain over Tanguy Ndombele’s future as the club’s record signing has been in and out of the starting lineup lately, and he has now been ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury.

Mourinho has messed around with his preferred formation since the Premier League restart, kicking off proceedings with a 4-2-3-1 system, before alternating between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-1-1 structure.

In fairness, matters have been taken out of his hands, as Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Juan Foyth have all missed matches for one reason or another.

Dier, who has established himself as part of Mourinho’s first choice pairing, has been missing for the past three games as a result of the four-match ban the FA imposed on him for his actions after the Norwich FA Cup defeat back in March.

Meanwhile, Alli was suspended for one game over a post on social media about coronavirus, before suffering a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the last four games.

Tottenham find themselves in the mix for a Europa League place after picking up three points against the Magpies, with both Wolves and Sheffield United also in contention with only two games remaining.

The Lilywhites next welcome Leicester City to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, knowing they need to win both games to qualify for the competition next season.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho has been forced to tinker with his team selection? Let us know down below!

David Moyes is on a lookout for potential reinforcements this summer and if the latest reports coming from The Telegraph are to be believed, he has cast his gaze on Queens Park Rangers’ Ryan Manning.

The same outlet says West Ham United would be interested in securing the transfer early in the window. That way, it would seem, he could fend off potential rivals and get his man in as soon as possible.

Of course, it all depends on Manning’s availability, especially since QPR recently activated their option to extend the full-back’s contract, albeit only for an additional year. Otherwise, he’d be gone on a free.

Still, Moyes seems to believe signing Manning would be a low-risk deal seeing how the player in question has been improving year after year. But this also means the Hammers might not be the only club looking to acquire his services in the ongoing summer transfer window.

West Ham will have to be swift and decisive if they want to get this deal over the line. Of course, we also know Manning is not the only QPR player Moyes is eyeing and is also interested in Eberechi Eze.

Can they really make a swoop for both players or is Moyes potentially being a bit too ambitious in his attempts? We will simply have to wait and see for that one.

Verdict

The 24-year-old left-back seems like a reliable man to boost West Ham’s full-back options and should he indeed be available this summer, it’s fairly easy to see why they might be interested in bringing him in.

Throughout 2019/20, Manning has played all but five Championship games and has pretty much cemented his place as a hard-working and secure wide defender for QPR.

Even though they have recently extended his contract, now he has only one year left on that deal and his asking price could therefore drop, giving the Hammers a chance to swoop in and seal the deal.

Craig Hope has revealed some insight into Mike Ashley amid the Bellagraph Nova (BN) Group’s bid to take over Newcastle United.

As per the journalist’s tweet, he claimed:

“I’m told Mike Ashley will only negotiate with proposed buyers once his lawyers inform him they are genuine, meaning no contact yet with Singapore group who submitted £280 million offer. I’ve seen docs of bid, but there is caution given it’s also easy publicity.”

Indeed, as Hope confirms, the chief executive of Sports Direct will only negotiate with the consortium, which consists of the businesswoman Evangeline Shen as well as the Singaporean cousins Terence and Nelson Loh, once his own lawyers inform them that they are genuinely looking to buy the Tyneside club.

He also wrote a piece on it for the Daily Mail, the London-based Denton, who are representing Ashley, are acting as a filter for all of those expressing an interest in buying the Magpies, including the BN Group, who have lodged their own £280 million bid.

However, the current owner of the Toon and his trusted right-hand man Justin Barnes will only get involved if Dentons advise that their bid is serious and that the BN Group have the financial backing to complete a possible deal.

Ashley has not yet had any contact with the Singapore group after they submitted their offer, and this may well continue unless his lawyers deem it right to intervene.

However, the offer falls short of the £300 million that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) consortium offered to him originally, and so Ashley would likely reject the bid anyway.

Nevertheless, Hope has given some pretty important details within the deal, and for it to develop it may well be that the buying side will have to up their bid in order for them to be taken seriously by the lawyers.

Geordies, should the BN Group be taken seriously? Comment below!

Sunderland have missed out on the chance of signing Charlie Goode after the former Northampton Town defender completed a switch to Championship side Brentford.

Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson will address a number of areas that need improvement in his squad this summer and the 52-year-old coach has already completed the signings of two players in Bailey Wright and Aiden O’Brien.

Following those deals, interest in Goode emerged last month after the defender had an impressive season with Northampton Town.

The former Cobblers captain led his team to promotion from League Two last month via the play-off final and those performances prompted transfer interest from a whole host of Championship and League One clubs.

However, Sunderland boss Parkinson has now missed out on the chance to sign the £1m-valued defender after news emerged about his move to Brentford.

BBC Sport confirm that the 25-year-old defender has completed an undisclosed switch to the Championship outfit.

The defender has agreed a four-year contract with the Bees and the transfer fee is reported to be a club record sale for Northampton.

“He is an aggressive defender and a big aerial threat in both boxes,” head coach Thomas Frank said on Brentford’s official website.

“He has good quality on the ball which we feel we can develop further within our style of play. We are sure he will grow with us over the coming years.”

Sunderland were never going to contend with the likes of Brentford for the signature of Goode, after all the Bees were Championship play-off finalists last season and will be amongst the favourites for promotion to the Premier League in 2020/21.

With the salary cap and financial restraints causing problems on Wearside, it remains to be seen just who Phil Parkinson can lure to the club.

Do you think Goode can become a consistent performer in the Championship? Let us know in the comments section below…

In football they say ‘never go back’.

Players or managers having underwhelming second spells at clubs where they’re beloved by fans has been a consistent trend throughout history.

Kenny Dalglish’s second spell as Liverpool manager was unsuccessful, Robbie Fowler was a shell of his former self when he came back to Anfield in the mid-2000s, while Joe Cole’s second spell at West Ham was incredibly unremarkable.

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However, for some reason or another, Tottenham Hotspur have consistently been able to buck this trend.

Jermain Defoe left Spurs for Portsmouth in 2008, but within a season he was back, and he netted more times during his second spell than he did in his first.

Jurgen Klinsmann came back to Tottenham on loan after his incredible first spell, netting nine in 15, saving the club from relegation, while Robbie Keane also had a decent second spell with the club after re-joining from Liverpool.

Spurs are once again about to bring a former player back into the fold, with Gareth Bale’s loan move from Real Madrid being finalised, and once again the idea that footballers should never return to their former clubs has been discussed.

The London club have profited from bringing former players back in the past, and there’s no reason why that can’t happen again, especially with a player of Bale’s calibre.

Ok, the Welshman hasn’t looked the most committed footballer in the world over the past 12 months, pretending to fall asleep on Real Madrid’s bench a few months ago, but his treatment by Zinedine Zidane seems to have sucked all of the motivation out of his game.

There’s no reason why he can’t rediscover his love for the game at Spurs, he’s still putting on blockbuster showings for Wales, and if there is any club that will get his will to win back it’s the club that helped him become the superstar he is today.

West Ham United continue to look at defensive additions before the transfer window slams shut next month but the latest name linked with a move to the London Stadium reeks of being a bit of a panic buy…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable David Ornstein at The Athletic, the Irons are considering a move for Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri with David Moyes wanting additions in the role this summer.

It is not mentioned whether it would be a permanent or temporary switch with the 26-year-old currently valued at just under £22m by Transfermarkt. He’s also thought to be on wages of around £75k-per-week at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard has reportedly put a £26m price tag on the Italian’s head with him surplus to requirements.

Panic buy?

However, this is not particularly a move that Moyes needs to make as the Blues outcast isn’t going to be a player that drastically improves that left flank.

In 15 top-flight appearances last season, Emerson averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.3 key passes, 1.2 interceptions and 0.9 crosses per game, via WhoScored.

These aren’t numbers that scream ‘sign me up,’ although some in east London will be tempted after his masterclass display against the Hammers back in 2019.

Emerson recorded two tackles, one interception, one clearance and managed an 88% passing success rate, keeping Marco Arnautovic quiet in the process during Chelsea’s 2-0 win. His only shot was blocked whilst he also lost give duels and gave away possession ten times, per SofaScore.

Antonio Conte labelled the Brazil-born defender as a “really good prospect” for Chelsea two years ago, but clearly with the addition of Ben Chilwell, his time at the club is wearing thin.

Whilst Sky Sports describe him as a player with “excellent speed, balance and dribbling skills” and despite admiring Lampard, he’s just not proven his abilities in the Premier League after only six goal contributions in 55 appearances.

Moyes must steer well clear of Emerson this summer.

AND in other news, West Ham flatter to deceive with interest in “absolute animal”…

Liverpool fell at the hands of Arsenal yet again through a penalty shootout, this time in the Carabao Cup.

A 0-0 draw after regular time forced the two Premier League sides into another tense decider. Despite Adrian saving Mohamed Elneny’s shot, two fluffed strikes from Divock Origi and Harry Wilson redeemed the error and assisted the Gunners into the next round.

With just three days between their Cup clash and their visit to Villa Park on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp opted for a mostly youthful side. Aside from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s starting XI consisted of all fringe players, with James Milner filling in at left-back.

Harry Wilson vs Arsenal

Not only did Wilson miss his penalty in the shootout, he had a quiet game overall. The elusive winger started in midfield alongside Marko Grujic and Curtis Jones, potentially holding a golden chance to redeem his place at the club.

The 23-year-old lost possession of the ball 13 times against Arsenal and was dribbled past twice. The Welshman was also only able to complete four of his attempted 12 duels (via Sofascore), meaning he was unsuccessful with 66% of those attempted.

Wilson will undoubtedly be frustrated with this, having squandered only his second ever senior match for Liverpool. This appearance comes after his debut all the way back in 2017 (via Transfermarkt). He has since be shipped out on loan four times, but a permanent move could be on the cards this time.

A potential Anfield exit for Wilson

As it stands, the Reds could be looking to cash in on the Wales international. According to Goal, his name is amongst two others to be looking at possible Anfield exits. The report states that Michael Edwards is determined to bank a healthy £50million through the sale of Wilson, Grujic and Rhian Brewster.

With an exit already being mulled over in Klopp’s head, any further errors could only encourage the boss to confirm his departure. Additionally, new signing Diogo Jota could have also edged out Wilson’s chances of breaking into the first team. Even Xherdan Shaqiri appears to be ahead in the pecking order.

If the right offer comes along, it’s unlikely Liverpool will second guess the decision to bid farewell to their former academy starlet.

In other news, Liverpool could wound Man United with swoop for Ousmane Dembele…

Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell has dropped a huge hint regarding his future after being heavily linked with a move to Leeds United recently.

With the domestic transfer window still open, clubs have until Friday to get any possible deals over the line, Leeds have been strongly linked with a move to bring Cantwell to Elland Road.

Norwich suffered relegation to the Championship from the Premier League last season but the form of Cantwell was not to be underestimated, as the youngster impressed with six goals and two assists in his 37 top-flight appearances.

Such form has made Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa keen to bring in the midfielder, although reports on Saturday suggested that a deal seemed unlikely.

Todd Cantwell’s latest Instagram post may disappoint Leeds fans

Norwich are seemingly desperate to hold on to Cantwell, with Football Insider claiming the Canaries were doing all they can to keep him at Carrow Road after receiving two bids from Leeds.

Despite Norwich’s desire to hang on to the midfielder, it was reported that Cantwell, who is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, is keen on a move to Elland Road.

However, that claim now seems to have been quashed with the player taking to Instagram to share a goal celebration with the words ‘I love my club’ and ‘We rise together’.

Have Leeds missed the boat with Todd Cantwell?

Having missed out on Michael Cuisance last week, Bielsa is seemingly keen to bring in a new midfielder before the domestic window comes to a close in five days’ time. Such a move for Cantwell now seems increasingly unlikely unless the Argentine can convince Norwich to accept an offer for the 22-year-old.

Leeds have started the season in promising form, which may suggest that they could manage just fine without Cantwell, despite his obvious talents as displayed last season.

However, if Norwich aren’t in the hunt for promotion this season, the Whites may fancy their chances of luring him to Elland Road in the January transfer window instead.

Do you think Cantwell will join Leeds before the domestic window closes? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

This season has the potential to be a defining moment in the history of Scottish football, not just because Celtic are gunning for a record-breaking tenth league title in a row.Their chances of doing so have just taken a major dent having tasted an embarrassing defeat in the first Old Firm derby of the season and even though it’s just one fixture of 38, there were telling signs that should pose a much greater threat to everything that’s been created at Parkhead in this current legacy.Rangers are closing the gap on Celtic, and rapidly.The Light Blues currently occupy top spot with a four-point cushion to the Hoops and for the second time in as many seasons, they have looked the completely better outfit at Celtic Park.Outfought and outmuscled – could this be the year that the Gers finally break that duck? Quite possibly.You can lambast Neil Lennon for his team selection – he certainly got one or two calls wrong on the day – but his hands were somewhat tied due to injuries and the virus practically decimating a number of his key stars.But the performance was perhaps a real sign that the Bhoys’ Glaswegian rivals have finally caught up after so many years.Steven Gerrard’s men looked better in every single aspect – that much was evident in the fact that the home side failed to register a single attempt on target all game.And that is what serious investment has got them in the past few seasons – Ryan Kent (£7m), Kemar Roofe (£4.5m), Filip Helander (£3.5m) and Conor Goldson (£3m) to name just a few.It can’t be denied that Rangers have spent well and it’s now starting to come together.In that time, Celtic have lost several key players and perhaps haven’t brought in the right replacements, even potentially resting on their laurels in a complacent way.Which is why chief executive Peter Lawwell should be put in the firing line, after all, he’s putting his legacy on the line here too.If you want to blame the manager for this, then it only comes back to the top of the hierarchy as he was the man to appoint him in the first place following the departure of Brendan Rodgers, who made a serious statement during his time in charge.Former Hoops midfielder Alan Thompson copped a lot of flak on Twitter on Saturday evening with this tweet:

But maybe he’s right.

It was only a little over a year ago that fans unveiled a damning banner display following a similarly embarrassing defeat to Cluj in the Champions League, it read:

“This is how it feels to be Celtic, downsizing again as you know. The Celtic board are gambling on ten in a row.”

Yet here we are – same manager, same situation. No Champions League football, and now chasing their arch-rivals in the league.

Their transfer strategy has hardly improved since then, and you only have to look at Rangers’ rapid rise to see that.

You can take fire at Lennon, but the buck must be passed onto Lawwell too.

AND in other news, one BAD decision embarrassingly cost Celtic in Old Firm defeat…