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According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing up a move for Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa as proven Premier League experience grows as a desirable trait for the club’s next manager.

The Lowdown: New names emerging consistently

In the last two weeks, many names have been throw into the hat as rumours continue to circulate in the press, with the latest previously being Gian Piero Gasperini and Simone Inzaghi from Serie A.

Naturally, with Tottenham aiming to appoint a new boss by the end of this season according to Alasdair Gold, chairman Daniel Levy will have to consider numerous candidates as he attempts to make the right step for Spurs’ future.

The Latest: Bielsa emerges as candidate

In this update, Football Insider bring yet another new name into the fold as Leeds boss Bielsa is mentioned as an option for the club.

Indeed, this is allegedly because Premier League experience and proven results at the top level are becoming more and more desirable traits to Spurs chiefs as the managerial hunt goes on.

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Even though Bielsa has stated his happiness at Elland Road, his knack for only signing one-year deals means his current one is close to expiring.

Tottenham, as a result, are eyeing a move for the Argentine and will sound him out due to his impressive debut campaign in the English top flight.

The Verdict: Get it done Levy…

Perhaps the most exciting name dropped yet alongside former target Julian Nagelsmann, Bielsa is a manager revered throughout the footballing world for his tactical nuance and eccentric personality.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is a known fan of the 65-year-old, having called him ‘unique’ and the coach he admires most in world football (Leeds Live).

If that wasn’t enough, former Lilywhites boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino dubbed Bielsa a ‘genius’ whilst also professing his admiration (France 24).

Regardless of his reported £8 million-per-year salary (£154,000-per-week), we believe this would be an incredible move by Levy.

In other news: Tottenham in pole position to sign this ‘sensational’ powerhouse, find out more here.

The Blues' new era has gotten off to a stuttering start, and negativity surrounding the club threatens to derail the project before it's really begun

Although their form hasn't exactly been ground-breaking since mid-January, Chelsea have gone from regular defeats to one win and three draws in a row. Progress, of sorts.

The raft of January signings bankrolled by Todd Boehly has led to an air of positivity and rejuvenation on the face of things, but the club's unfamiliar league position means that that good feeling is thinly veiling impatience and a desperation for a quick change in fortunes among the fanbase, and perhaps the board.

Despite the £320 million ($390.5m) outlay last month, a new-look Chelsea are understandably struggling to get going – evidenced by disjointed displays in frustrating London derby draws against Fulham and West Ham in their last two outings.

Logic dictates that Graham Potter needs time – even more so than when he took the reins thanks to January's hoard of new arrivals – but there must be a change of outlook off the pitch for him and his players to stand any chance of succeeding.

GOAL runs through the main threats to Chelsea's progress…

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  Potter facing questions already

  Although isn't always easy to know where the truth lies, it has been made abundantly clear by Chelsea's new ownership that Potter will be given time to mould the squad and playing style in his image, in the hope he will be able to emulate the work he did on a shoestring budget at Brighton on a much larger scale.

  Indeed, it was reported once again following the draw with West Ham that Potter will be judged in 'years rather than months'. That should be reassuring for supporters, given the Englishman's obvious ability as a coach and the potential for a hugely exciting, attacking brand of football enacted by their wealth of new talent.

  However, this is a fanbase accustomed to winning and whose impatience has been facilitated and exacerbated by the brazen hiring and firing of the previous regime, under which even the shortest periods of poor form could easily result in a sacking.

  While some are asking tentative questions of Potter's suitability, some have already lost patience altogether, while others have called his mentality into question.

  Granted, he doesn't possess the sneering arrogance of a Jose Mourinho, nor the snarling intensity of a Thomas Tuchel, but Potter is his own man and his nice-guy approach should not become a stick to beat him with. It certainly shouldn't be construed as a lack of desire to win.

  The timing of the hypothetical sacking that some fans seem to be mulling over would also make very little sense. Whether they like it or not – and regardless of the January spend – their hopes of Chelsea finishing in the Champions League places have been all but extinguished, with a 10-point gap to fourth surely unassailable even without the five other teams currently above them.

  It would be far more logical to see what Potter can do in the remaining months of the season as his team starts to take shape, and (hopefully) build on the progress made in 2023-24. Any significant progress in the Champions League would be a bonus.

  Get on board and enjoy the ride.

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  'Transition' undermined by big spending

  Of course, Chelsea's on-field issues and the off-field clamour for immediate success transcend the manager.

  Potter has often spoken of the idea of a 'transition' and a 'project', but those notions were probably undermined by the club's thriftless January spending – which the head coach made quite clear he had little say in.

  Potter's language suggests that he feels he has time on his side and is here to oversee what will be a slow and gradual process. But with no fewer than eight new arrivals in January comes heightened expectation – though realistically it shouldn't be a surprise if it takes a full pre-season for the coach to implement his ideas to the fullest extent.

  He said recently: “We know the situation we’re in, we know the transition period that we’re in, so it’s always going to be a case of managing in challenging circumstances.

  “But I'm certainly not complaining, it's exciting. It'll test me, it’ll test my attributes and my quality, and that’s something to be happy for. You see the profile of the players that we brought in.

  “They're excited, they're excited for the now but also they can improve and get better as the team develops. It’s an investment from both parties. It’s a long-term commitment. So we need some stability. We need some work. We need to progress the team. And that's the challenge.”

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  Cucurella becoming the scapegoat

  The vast majority of the Chelsea squad have been desperately searching for form, but for some reason it is Marc Cucurella's struggles that have drawn the ire of certain sections of the Chelsea support.

  Lumbered with an inflated £62m ($77m) price tag that the Blues willingly paid last summer, the Spaniard has become an easy target for abuse through no fault of his own as he toils to recapture the form that made him a standout performer under Potter at Brighton.

  After having a wobbly game in the the home match with Fulham, Cucurella was shaky again against West Ham and was at fault for their equalising goal – giving the ball away deep in his own half before failing to shut down a cross that led directly to the leveller.

  There were audible intakes of breath and grumbles from the away end whenever he took a touch, and he was actually jeered when his manager finally withdrew him and put Ben Chilwell on in his place to a huge roar.

  It's hard to imagine many things less helpful than being booed by their own fans for a player whose confidence is already shot. Potter did his best to defend Cucurella at full-time, but the fans will need to get behind the players if they want to see them at their best, not turn against them at such an early stage of this process.

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  Mount deserves better, too

  Another surprising recipient of regular bashings from the Chelsea faithful – predominantly online – has been Mason Mount, a man who can still count himself among the match-going fan favourites.

  Like Cucurella and basically every other member of the squad bar Thiago Silva, Mount has not hit the heights we all know he is capable of reaching so far this season, but he makes up for that by carrying the identity of the club with his work rate, aggression and desire.

  It's hard to pinpoint exactly why some sections of the fanbase with shorter memories have turned on him, with many even open to seeing him leave this summer, but perhaps it is because they expect so much more of one of the academy's greatest success stories.

  It seemed inconceivable that Mount would ever leave the club when links to Liverpool emerged last year, but such is the ill feeling towards him in some quarters you absolutely wouldn't blame him for jumping ship.

  With the new hierarchy spending so frivolously on external talent, leaving many in the academy concerned about their own futures, it feels imperative that the club's own are protected and supported. There needs to be demonstrable evidence that the pathway to the first team isn't blocked, and Mount is a shining example of that.

The Ligue 1 side have seen the likes of James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao come and go for big money over the years

Monaco have risen from the verge of disaster to the cusp of glory ever since Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev took over a majority stake in the club in 2011.

The Ligue 1 side have become one of the best in the world when it comes to scouting for extraordinary talents.

In 2013, Monaco were one of the biggest spenders in the transfer market when they splashed big money on players like Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez.

Exactly how much have they spent over the years?

Let's take a look!

Monaco's top 10 most expensive player signings

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  10Geoffrey Kondogbia | €20m | Sevilla | 2013

  After starting his club career at Lens, Geoffrey Kondogbia made his Ligue 1 debut in November 2010, coming on as a late substitute against Lyon.

  After making three Ligue 1 appearances in the 2010-11 season, Kondogbia and Lens were relegated to Ligue 2.

  The Frenchman stayed for one season in the second tier before Sevilla snapped him up in the summer of 2012, but he spent just 12 months in Spain before joining Monaco for €20m.

  In his time at the principality club, Kondogbia helped them finish second in Ligue 1 and return to the Champions League after a decade-long absence.

  In 2015, he moved to Inter and then Valencia before signing for Atletico Madrid in 2020.

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  9Pietro Pellegri | €20.9m | Genoa | 2017

  At the age of 15 years and 280 days, Pietro Pellegri equalled the record as the youngest ever Serie A debutant when he featured for Genoa in 2016.

  He then became the first player born in the 21st century to score in Serie A when he found the net in May 2017.

  Pellegri's performances at Genoa were so good that Monaco agreed to pay €20.9m for his services in January 2018.

  After making just 22 appearances in three years, however, he was loaned to AC Milan with the option to make the deal permanent. However, he made only six appearances for the first team and his loan deal was terminated in January 2022.

  Towards the end of the January window, Torino signed the striker on loan before signing him outright the following summer.

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  8Youri Tielemans | €25m | Anderlecht | 2017

  In 2016, the media were going gaga over an incredible midfield prospect from Anderlecht called Youri Tielemans.

  Tielemans became the youngest Belgian to ever play in the Champions League at 16 years and 148 days when he featured for Anderlecht against Olympiacos in October 2013.

  He was part of the squad which won the 2013-14 Pro League title and also won the Belgian Young Player of the Year award in each of his first two seasons.

  Monaco decided to gamble on Tielemans in May 2017, after he turned 20 and agreed to pay Anderlecht a €25m fee.

  Tielemans was a huge hit at Monaco before he moved to Leicester in January 2019 on loan before making the deal permanent that summer for €45m.

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  7Joao Moutinho | €25m | Porto | 2013

  After spending a total of nine years playing for two of Portugal's biggest clubs in Sporting CP and Porto, Joao Moutinho decided to move to Monaco in the summer of 2013 along with his team-mate at Porto, James Rodriguez.

  Monaco parted ways with €25m for the midfielder and he impressed right from his debut when he set up both of his team's goals in their 2-1 win at Marseille in September.

  Moutinho would later go on to lift Monaco's eighth Ligue 1 trophy in the 2016-17 season and then left a year later when he decided to move to the Premier League with Wolves.

A number of Liverpool fans have been calling for Ben Davies for make his Reds debut against Newcastle United this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp’s men host the Magpies in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime, knowing a win could be significant in the top-four battle.

Victory at Anfield would see Liverpool leapfrog Chelsea and West Ham, taking them fourth in the table, prior to the Blues and the Hammers meeting later in the day.

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The Reds’ centre-back crisis continues to not go away, with Nathaniel Phillips still sidelined with a hamstring injury, having missed Monday’s 1-1 draw away to Leeds United.

He joins Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in the treatment room, meaning Ozan Kabak could partner Fabinho against Newcastle.

There is the option of Klopp giving Davies his debut, however, having arrived from Preston in February, but not yet making a single appearance.

Liverpool fans want to see Davies make his debut

It would be a surprise if the centre-back was handed his Liverpool bow for such an important game, but these Reds supporters talked up the idea on Twitter after the news of Phillips’ continued absence.

“Surely Ben Davies finally gets a game”

Credit: @Rehgqllq

“Give Ben Davies his debut I beg you”

Credit: @ben_mccluskey

“If Ben Davies doesn’t play against Newcastle now I’ll be 100% convinced he doesn’t exist”

Credit: @Jbusuttil96

“Gotta play Davies so Fabs can get back in the middle”

Credit: @PaulBen29353194

“Time for Ben Davies”

Credit: @mokoh001

“It’s Ben Davies timeee”

Credit: @mail19941120

In other news, some Liverpool fans are delighted by the return of one Reds player. Read more here.

Chelsea and Tottenham played out the game of the Premier League season so far as tempers flared on the touchline

Are you not entertained?!

The first Battle of the Bridge between Chelsea and Tottenham was over six years ago now, but these two teams still do not like one another, and that was clear again on Sunday.

Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte almost came to blows on the touchline as their teams played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in west London.

Kalidou Koulibaly gave Chelsea the lead with a stunning first-half volley, but Spurs fought back after the break and equalised through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

That sparked the first touchline row, and Tuchel was soon tearing off down the touchline to rub it in Conte's face when Reece James gave Chelsea the lead again.

But Spurs had the final say as Harry Kane headed in a stoppage-time equaliser, before more arguments at full-time left to both managers being red-carded.

So, who were the biggest winners and losers, and how did the Chelsea players rate? We've had our say…

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  The Winners

  Kalidou Koulibaly:

  Pick that one out! After years of speculation Kalidou Koulibaly is finally a Premier League footballer, and this was some way to announce himself. The ex-Napoli defender's stunning volley left Hugo Lloris rooted to the spot and sent Stamford Bridge into raptures as it arrowed into the top corner midway through the first half. Koulibaly was assured in possession thereafter in what was his second impressive performance in a row to start the campaign.

  Fans of the Barclays:

  'One regular day of Barclays. That's all I ask for. Will never happen.' Antonio Conte is the star of one of the Premier League's most famous memes, and he was at the heart of some absolutely unadulterated Barclays as he literally went toe-to-toe with Thomas Tuchel. Both managers were red carded after full-time amid some scenes that we absolutely love to see, as it put the cherry on the cake of what was the best game of the season so far.

  Todd Boehly:

  On a day where the Chelsea fans celebrated their new owner with a tifo display ahead of kick-off, Boehly must have been thrilled to see two of the signings he bankrolled combine for Chelsea's opening goal, with Koulibaly volleying in Marc Cucurella's corner. The Stamford Bridge faithful certainly seem to have taken the LA Dodgers owner in as one of their own, and more results like this will only help fuel that sentiment.

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  The Losers

  Jorginho:

  Jorginho had a pretty good game for the first three-quarters of the match, but was he thinking in the build-up to Tottenham's equaliser?! The midfielder tried to be too clever when attempting a cheeky clearance, and Spurs capitalised through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jorginho was immediately substituted by Thomas Tuchel.

  Kai Havertz:

  On a weekend where Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner both scored upon their returns to their former clubs and talks of a move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang intensified, Havertz could have done with a goal to show that he can be the man to lead the line for the Blues going forward. And though his all-round game was excellent, the Germany forward missed an absolute sitter in the second half that will lead for more calls for Todd Boehly to bring in a new central striker in the final weeks of the transfer window.

  N'Golo Kante:

  Kante has had no luck with injuries over the past few seasons, and the sight of him limping off with six minutes to go in this one was not one anybody with links to Chelsea wanted to see. If the problem is a serious one, then expect the Blues' to accelerate their efforts to beat Manchester United to sign Frenkie de Jong.

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  Chelsea Ratings: Defence

  Edouard Mendy (6/10):

  A spectator for much of the game, and had no chance with either goal.

  Reece James (9/10):

  Superb at both centre-back and wing-back, and did not deserve to be the man who diverted Kane's header in at the back post in stoppage time.

  Thiago Silva (7/10):

  Assured as ever as he kept Kane relatively quiet until the final seconds.

  Kalidou Koulibaly (8/10):

  Superb volley gave Chelsea the lead and was excellent when in possession.

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  Midfield

  Ruben Loftus-Cheek (8/10):

  A constant threat down the right-hand side as he drifted inside from wing-back to pose problems to the Spurs defence.

  N'Golo Kante (8/10):

  Looked back to his best with a characteristically energetic display while showing quality on the ball. Late injury a concern.

  Jorginho (5/10):

  Decent for the most part, only to spoil it with a poor clearance that led to Tottenham's goal.

  Marc Cucurella (6/10):

  A solid full debut which included an assist for Koulibaly's opener.

Several of the biggest names in football make the list of the goalscorers with the best goals-to-minutes ratio

Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe join some other usual suspects in our round-up of the top 20 scorers by goals-to-minutes ratio in Europe's big five leagues, but neither of the prolific duo can reach the productivity of the player who comes in at number one. Players must have played at least 10 games to qualify for the list. 

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  20Jadon Sancho – Borussia Dortmund

  One goal scored every 129 minutes played.

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  19Patrick Schick – RB Leipzig

  One goal scored every 128.29 minutes played.

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  18Andreas Cornelius – Parma

  One goal scored every 126.13 minutes played. 

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  17Romelu Lukaku – Inter

  One goal scored every 126 minutes played. 

The 2018 World Cup in Russia kicks off in just three months time, but who else has claimed the most famous trophy in world football?

• 20Uruguay | 1930

  Played in front of almost 70,000 spectators, the 1930 World Cup final was contested by the two 1928 Olympic finalists, Uruguay and Argentina, in Montevideo. Despite trailing 2-1 at half time, it would be Uruguay who lifted the Jules Rimet following a 4-2 victory in what remains as one of the most pulsating finals on the world stage.

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• 19Italy | 1934

  Like Uruguay four years earlier, Italy went into the final of the World Cup on home soil and were forced to turn the game around after falling behind. In 1934, Czechoslovakia returned to Rome to lock horns with the hosts having beaten Germany 3-1 in the semi-final in the same ground, the Stadio Nazionale, and took a second-half lead through Antonin Puc. The Italians would strike late in the game, however, and go on to win the game in extra time through an Angelo Schiavio goal.

• 18Italy | 1938

  Reigning champions Italy entered the 1938 France World Cup amongst the favourites to claim the trophy and picked up an opening victory against Norway on their road to the final. They would then dump hosts France out of the competition before beating Brazil in the semi-finals, ahead of their showdown against Hungary in Paris. Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola scored twice each to deliver a second World Cup trophy for Italy under manager Vittorio Pozzo with a 4-2 result.

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• 17Uruguay | 1950

  Unlike previous World Cups, the 1950 winner was determined by a final group stage, with the usual knockout stage replaced by a round-robin format between the four remaining teams. Brazil were one point ahead of Uruguay going into the match in Rio and needed only to avoid defeat to claim the title of world champions, but would go on to lose 2-1. The scorer of the winning goal, Alcides Ghiggia, was the last surviving player from the game, passing away exactly 65 years after the final in 2015 at the age of 88.

With the Scudetto race now effectively decided, Goal selects the 11 best performers from a dramatic 2017-18 campaign…

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  GK: Alisson

  Only promoted to Roma's first-choice goalkeeper after Wojciech Szczesny's switch to Juventus last summer yet Alisson is arguably the most complete goalkeeper in the world right now, one being courted by all of Europe's top clubs.

  The Brazil No.1 not only has wonderful reflexes – his Serie A save percentage is currently 79.26% – he's also excellent on the ball. Indeed, nobody has had more successful sweeper-keeper actions (39) in Italy's top flight this term.

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  RB: Joao Cancelo

  It's fair to say to say that Joao Cancelo's loan move to Inter has been a resounding success, made all the more impressive by the fact that the Valencia-owned right-back suffered ligament damage while on international duty just after the Serie A season had started.

  The Portugal ace understandably took some time to regain his place in the Inter starting line-up but once he did, he established himself as one of the most dependable members of Luciano Spalletti's defence, as well as contributing three assists and one goal to the Nerazzurri cause.

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  CB: Milan Skriniar

  One of the signings of the Serie A season, Inter's Milan Skriniar is now regarded as one of the best young defenders in world football after a stellar debut campaign at San Siro. 

  Indeed, the €20 million summer signing from Sampdoria was being linked with a €65m move to Manchester City by the winter break due to his sensational form and the Nerazzurri undoubtedly face a fight to hold on to a centre-half who does everything well.

  He ranks joint-second among Serie A defenders in terms of tackles won, fifth for duels won, sixth for clearances and eighth for blocks, as well as third in terms of successful passes. Oh, and he's also scored four goals for good measure!

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  CB: Medhi Benatia

  Capital duo Stefan de Vrij and Federico Fazio have both been immense for Lazio and Roma, respectively, but the pivotal moment in Juventus' title triumph was arguably Medhi Benatia's return to the starting line-up, after an injury-interrupted start to the season. 

  The Moroccan defender's recall coincided with a remarkable run of form which saw the suddenly solidified Bianconeri backline concede just once in 11 Serie A games, taking 31 of a maximum 33 points in the process. That streak proved integral to Juve's Scudetto success.

Crystal Palace are back in Premier League action on Saturday afternoon aiming to finally rule themselves out of the relegation picture once and for all.

Roy Hodgson’s Eagles host West Bromwich Albion, with the south Londoners eight points clear of the drop zone following their 4-1 humbling at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

Whilst it looks unlikely that they will be under any real threat of the drop, three points against the Baggies should as good as rubberstamp another season in the top-flight.

What starting XI will Hodgson select then?

Due to the current injury situation at Selhurst Park, there may only be slight tweaks to the side which was swept aside by Spurs.

The back five should stay the same, with goalkeeper Vicente Guaita being shielded by Patrick van Aanholt, Gary Cahill, Cheikhou Koyuate and Joel Ward.

The two alterations to the team could then come further up the park. The midfield duo of Jairo Riedewald and Luka Milivojevic should remain, with the likes of James McArthur and James McCarthy both being ruled out.

Eberechi Eze will start on the right-hand side despite a quiet game at Tottenham, but a major boost to Palace will be the return of Wilfried Zaha.

The Ivorian was introduced from the bench in north London but should be fit enough to start. Considering he is the Eagles’ top scorer so far this season with nine goals, he surely has to play in such a crucial game. Andros Townsend drops out as a result.

One final change is likely to occur in attack. Christian Benteke is almost sure to start after his goal against Spurs but should have a different partner.

Jordan Ayew has not scored since early November so it could be time to give January arrival and £13.5m-rated striker Jean-Philippe Mateta a chance from the start.

AND in more news, have a look at why Steve Howey believes it’s time for Crystal Palace to let Wilfried Zaha finally leave Selhurst Park…

Robby McCrorie has refused to rule out another loan exit away from Glasgow Rangers next season.

McCrorie discusses Gers future

23-year-old McCrorie is currently on loan at Livingston in the Premiership and has played 14 games in the top flight so far this term (Transfermarkt), with boss Gary Holt calling him “excellent” on his league debut (The Scottish Sun).

Speaking ahead of Livingston’s clash with Hibernian this weekend, McCrorie was discussing his Rangers future, and he refused to rule out leaving on a temporary basis once more. He said (via sportsmole.co.uk):

“We have six league games left and hopefully a run in the Scottish Cup but I don’t think I can look too far in terms of the summer.

“It is not really up to me what happens, that is up to the gaffer at Rangers.

“I will go in at pre-season or whatever and try to do my best. It will be a case of looking at it.

“But I love playing football so I would probably be open to going out on loan again but we will see.

“I signed a deal in the summer so I have another two years at Rangers after this season. The most important thing for any young player is to be playing games.

“I will go back at the end of the season, assess what is best for going forward and I have all the support networks to help me get where I need to go.”

Plenty of competition

At 23, McCrorie will have been hoping to have already broken into the Gers side. Unfortunately, he has one of the greatest goalkeepers in the club’s history in front of him in Allan McGregor. The 39-year-old has kept 16 clean sheets in 23 league matches this campaign and has shipped just seven times – he is arguably as good at the moment as he has ever been.

Still, it is clear McGregor is approaching the end of his career. When he does eventually retire, McCrorie could well have a chance to finally establish himself as the Gers’ number one. The youngster just has to be patient and wait for his opportunity.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this Ondrej Kudela footage.