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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has tipped Manchester City to make a move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane in the summer transfer window.

With Sergio Aguero’s contract up at the end of the season, Pep Guardiola could find himself in the market looking for a new No.9.

Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland is one name Manchester City are currently being linked with, with the MailOnline claiming that the Citizens are leading the race for the 20-year-old.

It is a transfer that Hendrie can imagine happening; however, the ex-Aston Villa star can also see the Premier League favourites targeting Kane, rated at £108m by Transfermarkt.

“I feel that Man City will certainly go for… I personally think a Haaland or a Kane in my eyes,” Hendrie told FFC. “And I think if they do, they’re not far off being the complete and utter Premier League side. I think they would dominate.”

As well as Haaland, Manchester City are also said to have Southampton’s Danny Ings on their shortlist as they weigh up potential successors to Aguero.

Ings, who has scored eight goals in the Premier League this season, will be a free agent next summer, meaning the Saints may have to consider cashing in on their talisman in the upcoming transfer window.

Meanwhile, Aguero is being linked with a move to Chelsea, with Barcelona also said to be interested in bringing the Argentina international back to Spain.

Speaking to Football Insider, talkSPORT regular Gabriel Agbonlahor has been wowed by Jarrod Bowen and has admitted he fully deserves a pay rise in reaction to claims from The Athletic over an increase to his salary – going on to say is it is a ‘great bit of business for West Ham’. 

Bowen has been a mainstay for David Moyes since arriving in 2020, starting 16 Premier League games in total this campaign alone, and reliable journalist David Ornstein claims the attacker has received a significant increase in salary after passing 30 appearances in all competitions for the Irons.

Agbonlahor hails Bowen business

In reaction to this development, Agbonlahor has heaped praise on the ‘great bit of business’ for West Ham with Bowen whilst claiming he will be a ‘star’.

“For me, he’s a quality player,” explained the talkSPORT regular to Football Insider. 

“The pay rise he’s got he deserves because he’s been outstanding this season.

“I’m sure now he just wants to get a few more goals and assists now to back up these great performances because he’s definitely going to be a star.

“It’s a great bit of business for West Ham.”

Transfer Tavern take

Given Bowen’s contribution for the Hammers this season, scoring four times and grabbing two assists (Whoscored), it’s hard to argue with the former Premier League striker’s assessment – and he is fully deserving of his reward.

Time will tell whether he does become a star for Moyes, but you wouldn’t bet against it based off this season.

In other news: West Ham fans reacted to these ‘unbelievable’ links, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United footballer Steve Howey has been singing the praises of Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, having averaged an impressive 7.24 rating for his performances, with four goals and four assists to his name in 18 appearances.

This ranks him as the Saints’ second-best performer in the top-flight, in what has been a promising start to the season from Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, with European football certainly looking a possibility for next season if they maintain their current level of performances.

Ward-Prowse, in particular, has been getting a lot of praise, with Glenn Hoddle suggesting that his old club Tottenham Hotspur should sign the England international this month.

Indeed, Howey has suggested that it is something of a surprise that the Southampton academy graduate is still with his boyhood club, considering his excellent performances for the South Coast club in recent seasons.

Here’s what Howey had to say about Ward-Prowse when speaking exclusively to FFC:

“[Ralph Hasenhuttl] has got some very very good players. I’m still surprised that someone like James Ward-Prowse is still there. What a player he is. They’ve got some very good players that will cause problems for any team.”

Certainly, if Ward-Prowse’s excellent form continues this season, and Southampton don’t achieve European football, then it would not be a surprise if a top-six club from the Premier League club came knocking for the midfielder in the summer.

Fortunately for Hasenhuttl and the South Coast club, the Englishman’s £45,000-a-week contract runs until 2025, so it would have to be a substantial offer if Southampton were to sell him in the future.

Hopefully, the midfielder can help the Saints achieve European football of their own because it would be a massive loss if he were to leave the club in the near future.

And, in other news… “I can’t see him going” – Exclusive: Pundit makes claim on key Southampton man’s future amid exit rumours

The Athletic journalist James Pearce has reacted to comments made by former Arsenal star Paul Merson on Liverpool target Ozan Kabak.

Pearce fires back

Now a Sky Sports pundit, the ex-Gunners icon cast doubts over the 20-year-old due to how the Gelsenkirchen club are performing this season in the Bundesliga – bottom of the table with one win.

Kabak has reportedly passed a medical in line with a move to Anfield on an initial £1m loan move, with an £18m option to buy, via Paul Joyce.

Merson told Sky Sports, via Football Daily, that the mentality shift coming from a side that is losing to one that is expected to win, will be a challenge for the Turkey international.

But in response to this, Pearce highlighted three players who came from similar backgrounds have gone on to be a success on Merseyside.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Pearce is absolutely spot on here. Manager Jurgen Klopp is well known for prioritising player development, nurturing talent and elevating individuals to the next level.

All of the aforementioned stars are now Champions League and Premier League winners, with Wijnaldum and Shaqiri scoring some memorable goals on the way.

Time will tell whether Klopp can have a similar impact on Kabak, and if he can possibly cement a place in the starting line-up which has remained relatively unchanged in recent years.

In other news, Club owner provides “Rolls Royce” review of Liverpool transfer target.

Celtic must make a ruthless decision on Odsonne Edouard’s long-term future at the club and sell him in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports over the summer suggested that Premier League sides like Arsenal were interested in signing him, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Since then, Neil Lennon’s side have been unable to tie down Edouard to a new contract to stay at Celtic Park, and now Football Insider have revealed that the Frenchman has “switched agents in a development that is set to have a massive bearing on his Celtic future”.

Celtic must sell

With 11 goals in 23 games this season, Edouard certainly hasn’t been awful at all for the Hoops, but there’s been a drop-off in his performances.

Former Scotland international, Alan Hutton, said earlier last month: “We had all the talks about Edouard at the start of season wanting to leave – has his head been on it? Has he been the same player that he was last year? No.

“Whether he’s got someone in his ear saying: ‘Play your way, do your thing up until January or the summer and then we’ll move you on,’ I don’t know if those conversations have happened. He’s a massive asset, he will be worth a lot of money but it looks like he wants to move on.”

The longer Edouard stays at Celtic without his long-term future being resolved, the bigger the headache becomes for Lennon. Is the £13.5m-rated Frenchman someone the Bhoys can rely upon going forward? Or will he be looking for a quick exit the moment an offer comes in?

That uncertainty is bound to have an impact on how he plays on the pitch, no matter how good someone is at blocking out the outside noise. Celtic could move on for the better by calling time on Edouard’s stay at the club.

When it comes to the January transfer window, there is unlikely a period of time that Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta despise so much.

In the last two years it has been full of crushed excitement. In January 2019, a deal had all been wrapped up to sign Daniel James from Swansea. The electrifying winger was pictured at Elland Road and even signed the contract before the Swans failed to pick up the phone and sanction the move.

The following year, Leeds signed Jean-Kevin Augustin on loan from RB Leipzig. What followed was just 48 minutes of action, an obligation to buy that wasn’t fulfilled and a legal battle.

Consequently, it will take some very special circumstances for Leeds to do anything this January. Fortunately, those conditions may be met in Riqui Puig.

The Barcelona youngster’s contract is up at the end of the season and Leeds were first linked with the player towards the start of the month. However, they are now facing competition from Arsenal for his signature in what will be a hotly contested battle.

The £18m-rated midfielder is a highly promising individual and possesses all the characteristics needed to thrive in Bielsa’s system.

Writing about Puig on The Athletic in December 2018, journalist Kevin Williams said: “Puig plays on that weird tightrope like Iniesta, even as we should shun any and all comparisons. When he has the ball, he moves, makes the ball move as though they both have somewhere to go: Forward. Puig rarely plays a pass that isn’t forward.”

This is a glistening review of a youngster who has only got better in the last two years. In fact, he’s pretty similar to a Leeds player of days gone by – Samu Saiz. Of course, Puig’s potential is far higher but Orta could finally replace the diminutive Saiz with the Barca starlet.

Why is this? Well, they are both creative dynamos with the ability to burst forward with their technical ability.

Let’s focus on Saiz’s final campaign at Leeds here. He amassed 1.5 dribbles per game in the Championship, being fouled 1.8 times and providing the same number of key passes a match.

Now, if we analyse Puig’s 2019/20 season, you’ll see the almighty parallels. The 21-year-old registered 1.1 dribbles at a higher level and provided 1.7 key passes in the Champions League.

It’s clear to see why Leeds need to beat Arsenal to his signature. Puig is a wonderful ball carrier.

AND in other news, Leeds ace who played in “cruise control” was Bielsa’s true hero v WBA…

Short, but sweet. Henderson’s return to first-team training will no doubt boost his teammates, with an important game tomorrow lunchtime away to Brighton, to who well-respected journalist Henry Winter described him as the club’s “beacon of hope” (via the club’s official website).

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This will delight Liverpool fans. He is a player that they could have done with on Wednesday and will be welcomed back with open arms.

With Thiago Alcantara still not fully match fit and Fabinho looking like he will drop back to centre-back, Henderson will be key in the midfield.

Despite the quick turnaround, Liverpool will be wanting to right the wrong from their midweek woes and get back to winning ways in the Premier League.

And in other news, Liverpool fans react jubilantly to official statement concerning Jurgen Klopp’s key assets.

When all is said and done in Pablo Hernandez’s career he may well go down as one of Leeds United’s greatest ever players.

At the end of last season, the Spaniard became the first player in the club’s history to win three Player of the Year awards, and even at the age of 35, he’s one of the club’s most important stars.

Unfortunately, father time remains undefeated, and years of playing at the top-level is taking a toll on Hernandez’s body.

The Spaniard has missed the majority of the season so far due to an injury problem, and his absence has given us a preview of what life at Elland Road will be like once he retires.

Strangely, despite Hernandez being one of United’s best players, they’ve been absolutely fine without him.

Hernandez has played just 68 minutes in the league this season, meaning that the Whites have played 298 minutes without him, and the team have been absolutely fine during that period.

They’ve won seven points from their first four games, and they’ve had a great mix of youth and experience in Hernandez’s position, being able to call upon both Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo to play in his number 10 role.

Of course, Leeds will likely be a better side with Hernandez back in the fold, Pep Clotet quipped last season: “Leeds with Pablo are a different team than without Pablo. Both fantastic but one better than the other.”

But at least now they know they can hold their own in the Premier League without their star man.

Hernandez’s age will eventually get the better of him, but his football IQ still makes him a valuable commodity at the age of 35, with one of his closest friends Xabi Galvan describing him as “very intelligent”, and while that sort of genius will be tough to replace, it seemingly won’t be a massive blow.

Wolves’ midfield is a fine engine room indeed – you’ve got the brawn of Leander Dendoncker, the control of Ruben Neves and some finesse from Joao Mourinho, though it is still lacking in one department.

Creativity.

And it appears that they missed the perfect solution this summer.

What was the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon last January, the Midlands outfit were “desperate” to sign then-Birmingham City wonderkid Jude Bellingham, but they faced competition from Manchester United as well as teams from within Europe’s top divisions.

The 17-year-old eventually opted for Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in July, joining them in a record-breaking £25m deal and following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho.

Speaking about the move, BVB sporting director, Michael Zorc, said: “He has enormous potential that we want to develop with him in the coming years. He already has a surprising amount of quality in his own possession as well as against the ball, and on top of that, the player also has a strong mentality.”

One that got away?

The decision to not push for a player that Nuno Santo seemingly was keen to sign has already proven to be a costly mistake.

This week, Bellingham was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for games against Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland. He’s still only 17.

Bukayo Saka claimed that his new Three Lions teammate was “doing amazing things” whilst Tyrone Mings believes he looks like a “fantastic talent” from training alone.

It’s no wonder that this amount of faith has been put in him, as he’s been performing substantially well in Germany since his mega-money switch.

The Dortmund sensation has scored one goal and provided two assists in all competitions whilst also averaging a passing success rate of 88.3%.

In the Bundesliga alone, Bellingham has averaged two tackles, 1.2 shots, 1.2 dribbles and one key pass per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, none of the aforementioned Old Gold trio have contributed to a goal in the Premier League this season and only Neves surpasses the young England teen for key passes per game.

Bellingham has even been compared to Steven Gerrard in the past – Jermaine Pennant told talkSPORT (via Bundesliga.com): “He reminds me of a young Steven Gerrard. He throws himself about, he can get up and down the pitch, he can score goals and assist goals, he’s got trickery. He’s a fantastic young player.”

You can’t help but feel that Jeff Shi has missed out big time here, especially when one of his key philosophies revolves around bringing such fantastic potential to Molineux.

AND in other news, Shi dodged a huge £23.5m bullet in “fearless” Wolves target once dubbed a “nightmare”…

Tottenham Hotspur supporters should be worried by the latest name to be linked with the club in January, though he’s seemingly been a long-term target for several seasons…

What’s the word?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, the north London outfit are the front-runners to sign Leicester City outcast Demarai Gray as the 24-year-old is set to be left go for free in the summer.

It’s claimed that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho sees the English winger as potentially having the same sort of impact as that of Erik Lamela or Lucas Moura in the squad.

Earlier this summer, Football Insider reported that the Portuguese boss enquired over his services whilst also suggesting that Spurs bid for him in 2017 prior to signing a long-term extension in the Midlands.

Impact on Bergwijn?

You can’t help but feel that another winger is the least of Spurs’ concerns right now. If there is any position on the pitch that they are blessed with options, then it is certainly out wide.

As Konur states, Gray could well be a replacement for either Lamela or Moura though what of the impact to Steven Bergwijn, who has failed to impress much this season.

The Dutch international has failed to score or assist in the Premier League whilst only providing one assist in the Europa League group stages. He was one of the four players dragged off at half-time by Mourinho against Royal Antwerp in October too.

But it’s not as if Gray is better than any of the Spurs players already mentioned. He has struggled big-time at the King Power Stadium, delivering only 13 goals and 17 assists in 168 appearances for the Foxes, per Transfermarkt.

The former England U21 international has seen his value plummet to £10.8m despite once being lauded as a “big talent” who “can do everything” by Brendan Rodgers.

Whilst teammate Christian Fuchs believes Gray’s failure to deliver on his potential is down to “a lack of confidence” despite always looking “unbelievable” in training, as per an interview with Goal.

The likes of chief scout Steven Hitchen and Mourinho may be a fan of Gray’s but chairman Daniel Levy must avoid him at all costs – he’s no better than what they’ve got nor do they need anymore attacking additions.

AND in other news, Exclusive: £100k-p/w Spurs star tipped to leave next month…