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Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts believes that Harry Kane should be the club’s skipper and claims that having the armband would have stopped the prospect of him asking to leave.

Sky Sports have reported that Kane has asked to leave the club this summer amid interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

Manchester United and Manchester City have both been touted with an interest, as have Chelsea.

It remains to be seen, though, if he will leave the club this summer, as any deal to sign him would be hugely expensive because he has three years remaining on his current contract.

Roberts, who lifted the UEFA Cup as captain of Spurs back in the 1980s, believes that Kane should have the armband permanently instead of Hugo Lloris.

And he believes that if he were, he would not have any inclination to push for a move away from the north London club.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Roberts said: “Make him captain next year. He’s captain of England, alright we’ve got Hugo, who’s captain of France, but Harry Kane is captain of England.

“You play in England, so why is he not captain of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club? He’s a homegrown lad, he deserves to be the captain.

“If he’d have been captain now, I don’t think anything would have been said because it’s very hard for a captain to ask for a transfer.”

Tottenham Hotspur will face a Brentford side in the Premier League this evening that doesn’t include Ethan Pinnock, with the centre-back ruled out with a hamstring injury.

What’s the latest?

As quoted by West London Sport, Bees manager Thomas Frank said to the media: “Ethan will, hopefully, be only a couple of weeks, so that means Manchester United is borderline, but let’s see.”

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The 28-year-old limped off in the first half of the west London outfit’s 2-1 win at Watford last Saturday whilst fellow defender Zanka will also be sidelined with Spurs set to face a side with limited resources at the back.

Conte will be buzzing

After last weekend’s slip up against Brighton, Tottenham can no longer afford to make mistakes if they are to secure Champions League football for next season with just six matches left this term.

Spurs have dropped out of the top four temporarily after Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United, although the Lilywhites will return to fourth place with victory at the Brentford Community Stadium.

However, their place is hanging by a thread with goal difference the only factor separating the two sides if Conte’s side are victorious at Brentford.

Therefore, the prospect of playing a side struggling for options at the back is certainly a huge boost for the north London outfit.

The Bees are in inspired form though, winning five of their last six which has ultimately extinguished any nerves regarding an instant return to the Championship.

Moreover, Pinnock has settled into the top flight expertly, playing in 32 of the Bees’ 33 league matches, keeping seven clean sheets in the process.

After Brentford, Spurs face three tricky tasks with Leicester at home as well as a trip to Liverpool whilst a home North London Derby that could ultimately decide who between them and Arsenal take fourth place.

As a result, victory this evening is crucial which means that Brentford’s injury woes will certainly leave Conte buzzing.

And in other news: Conte unleashes “amazing” £58k-p/w gem, “pathetic” £43m flop axed: Spurs predicted XI

Carlo Ancelotti must immediately usher Dominic Calvert-Lewin back into the Everton starting line-up for Friday night’s trip to Arsenal.

The Toffees boss has confirmed that Calvert-Lewin will be available for selection at the Emirates Stadium after recovering from an abductor problem, in a quintuple injury boost.

Calvert-Lewin’s issue had kept the 24-year-old out of his side’s last two Premier League games, as the Goodison Park natives were held to draws with Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur.

Everton are set to be with Yerry Mina at Arsenal, as well, after a similar abductor problem, while Andre Gomes (hamstring), Fabian Delph (tendon) and Bernard are also due to return after spells on the sidelines.

Ancelotti will still be without Abdoulaye Doucoure in north London as the Frenchman continues his recovery from a small fracture on his foot, while Jean-Philippe Gbamin remains out alongside the £20m summer signing due to the knee injury he sustained in training earlier this month.

“We have a lot of players available – almost all the squad, apart from Doucoure and Gbamin who are out,” the Blues boss said on Thursday. “The others are in good condition.

“We are ready to fight for this final part of the season. The squad is now much, much better and I have a lot of options, so I am pleased and confident.”

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Everton travel to Arsenal three points better off than Mikel Arteta’s side in the Premier League table and having played a game less, but are without a win in any of their last five league games.

The Toffees also last beat the Gunners in north London in January 1996, losing 22 of the following 26 encounters across all competitions including each of their last seven visits.

Ancelotti will no doubt be loath to see his side’s torrid record continue having already brought one lengthy drought to an end, by orchestrating Everton’s first win at Anfield since 1999 when they beat Liverpool 2-0 in February’s Merseyside derby.

Clinching a first Everton win at the Emirates would catapult the Blues back into the European conversation, as well, with the Goodison Park natives losing ground in the race for the top-four after three-straight draws.

Everton cannot overtake any side by winning their game in hand, but will move one point behind Tottenham – who have played two games more – and Liverpool by beating Arsenal, while edging to within a win of fifth-placed West Ham United.

Calvert-Lewin represents Everton’s best chance of a rare result away to the Gunners, with the 24-year-old not only their top-scorer with 14 goals in 25 Premier League games but also key to how Ancelotti’s offence operates.

Everton are rarely the same unit going forward without having Calvert-Lewin to target and his off-the-ball runs, which create space for Richarlison to push up the pitch and James Rodriguez to find pockets of space to pick out defence-splitting passes.

Ancelotti, then, must instantly unleash Calvert-Lewin – who Noel Whelan believes has “exceeded every expectation possible” this season – now that he has been declared fit, in a huge boost for the Blues’ European ambitions, let alone being one of five returning players.

AND in other news, Everton have been told to pay £34.5m for a 23-year-old that Carlo Ancelotti would welcome at Goodison Park…

Jordan Campbell has dropped an update on Glasgow Rangers’ bid to bring Danilho Doekhi to Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the journalist revealed that, following the pre-contract signing of John Souttar, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side are also in a strong position to secure a deal for the Vitesse Arnhem centre-back this month, with the Gers manager keen to bolster his numbers in the heart of defence prior to the closure of the transfer market.

In his piece, Campbell wrote: “Rangers are also keen on Vitesse captain Danilho Doekhi and are in a strong position to land the Dutch defender.”

Fans will be buzzing

Doekhi has been impressive in the Netherlands this season, and Van Bronckhorst is in rather desperate need of defensive reinforcements ahead of the restart of the Premiership season given the injuries to Filip Helander and Leon Balogun out, as well as the latter and Connor Goldson being out of contract at the end of the current campaign. Therefore, the news that Gers appear to be closing in on a deal for the 23-year-old is sure to have left the Ibrox faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 14 Eredivisie appearances this term, the £2.7m-rated Vitesse defender has helped his side to keep three clean sheets and scored one goal, as well as making 1.6 interceptions, two tackles, 3.6 clearances and 39.1 passes per game and winning 65% of his duels.

These returns have seen the £3.4k-per-week centre-back average a SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Vitesse’s joint-seventh best performer in the Dutch top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Doekhi would make a fantastic addition to Van Bronckhorst’s current options in the heart of his defence at Ibrox. The prospective arrival of the 23-year-old would undoubtedly provide Rangers’ chances of going on to retain the Premiership title with a considerable boost, an outcome which would delight everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Rangers dealt fresh transfer setback on “crazy” January transfer, Van Bronckhorst will be fuming

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has shared his experience of seeing Keinan Davis up close for the first time in training after returning to Bodymoor Heath.

Davis, a product of Bodymoor Heath, has worked his way into Villa’s first team and has been Dean Smith’s second-choice striker this season.

With Wesley having been unavailable following the serious injury he picked up last term, Davis has been deputising for Ollie Watkins.

And, in that deputy role, the 23-year-old has managed to come up with a couple of important contributions of late, including a goal against West Brom and assist versus Fulham.

For Hendrie, he is a player who has always had talent, talent which Villa supporters are now starting to see.

Speaking exclusively to TT about what he remembers from the first time he had a good look at Davis, the ex-Villa player said:

“I went back, a few years back now, and I went in and just watched. It was actually when Steve Bruce was managing and I watched the training.

“Kevin MacDonald was at the club at the time and he was working with a lot of the younger lads that were certainly pushing for first-team recognition. And Keinan was one of those players.

“I went and watched a game. It was the first time I’d actually seen Keinan and I thought to myself, ‘certainly with lots of coaching and guidance, he’ll be a player. He will be a player.’ “

If Davis’ last few performances are anything to go by, then the 23-year-old is a player who certainly has something to offer.

£20m for Lyon left-back Maxwel Cornet is cheap, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview.

Leeds are in the market for a left-back and have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old.

According to The Sun, the Yorkshire club are keen on Cornet as Marcelo Bielsa looks to strengthen the left side of his defence. However, the same outlet claims there is a reluctance to pay Lyon’s £20m asking price.

For Palmer, though, that is definitely not too much to ask for in this day and age. On Leeds’ reported interest in Cornet, the ex-England international said:

“I think to be honest with you, if you look at the Premier League now, 20 million is cheap, isn’t it? If you look at players moving in the Premier League now, 20 million is considered to be cheap.

“20 million now for a Premier League player would be considered, you know, the norm – quite cheap, really.”

All things considered, £20m for Cornet does not sound like the worst deal. At 24, Cornet already has a lot of experience playing at a high level.

He has been a regular for Lyon in Ligue 1 for years now, has played in the Champions League and is an Ivory Coast international.

Also, as shown on WhoScored, the former Metz man can play in practically every position on the left. Taking all of that into account, his asking price looks more than reasonable.

Everton don’t have a first-team manager in place but it would be foolish of Marcel Brands and co not to devise a list of potential transfer targets.

Their summer plans would have been drafted up a number of months ago but they are now in disarray after Carlo Ancelotti’s departure.

What’s the word?

One player Everton had asked for information about regarding a potential transfer was Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The Japanese centre-back currently plays for Bologna in Italy and has been a target for the Toffees over a number of months.

However, they are now facing staunch competition from another managerless club for his signature.

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham have entered talks with the Italian side in a bid to lure him to the Premier League.

Tomiyasu represents a bargain for a player of his qualities with £17m the asking price this summer.

Ball playing colossus

If Everton can bring in a new manager as quickly as possible, they must try and beat Spurs to the signing of the Japan international.

Tomiyasu is a modern-day centre-back combining a progressive and attractive ball-playing style with some classic ruthless defending.

For a Toffees side who lacked basic defensive nous in the final stages of last season, this could be incredibly beneficial.

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Mason Holgate was poor in the final months of the campaign, with his individual error leading to Ollie Watkins scoring when Aston Villa travelled to Goodison Park before the Englishman made a succession of mistakes in the 5-0 defeat to Manchester City.

A quick look at the stats tells you how Tomiyasu would be an upgrade on what the Toffees already have.

According to FB Ref, the 6 ft 2 defender is extremely competent in one on one duels. Per 90 minutes, Tomiyasu tackled 56.7% of players who attempted to dribble past him. By comparison, Holgate only tackled 40% of dribblers while Michael Keane was even worse at 35.3% per 90.

The Everton target applied more successful pressures of the ball per 90 (35.3%) than any other Toffees centre-back while he made more interceptions over the same metric (1.69).

Speaking about the defender’s potential, former Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said: “He is a complete player and Bologna got a real bargain with Tomiyasu. He’s a good player and was compared to Maya Yoshida, who has been playing in Europe for a decade. He’s got the quality to be a real star.”

At the age of just 22, the centre-back has a bright future in the game. Brands just needs to ensure that’s in Merseyside, rather than north London.

AND in other news, Brands could seal huge Gomes upgrade at Everton by signing “world-class” £30m star…

Everton could sign their ideal heir to James Rodriguez over the coming months after being linked with a move for Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

What’s the story?

The 29-year-old has entered the final year of his current contract with the La Liga giants, meaning a January exit is on the cards.

And according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO), Goodison Park is a potential destination for Isco as he searches for regular game time away from the Bernabeu.

Deportivo’s report states that there are several sides contemplating making a move for the Spaniard’s services over the winter window, although Everton are leading the race for his signature.

“One that is more likely to do so is the Everton of Rafa Benitez. The Liverpool team, which also just let James Rodríguez go to Qatar, could be reinforced this winter with the figure of the Malaga player as long as the player is satisfied with leaving Real Madrid,” the report reads.

“Especially since his contract ends in 2022 and the option to sell him this coming January is the only one of the scenarios in which Real Madrid would receive some money for the transaction.”

Heir to James Rodriguez

Everton manager Rafa Benitez knows Isco’s qualities well, having worked with the creative talent at Madrid when he was manager of the capital club between 2015 and 2016.

And it’s no wonder the 61-year-old tactician is reportedly keen to bring his compatriot to Merseyside in January. Isco has played a pivotal part in Los Blancos’ success over the last few years, scoring 51 goals and providing 56 assists in 366 appearances for the club.

His impressive exploits helped Real Madrid claim four Champions League crowns, two La Liga titles and one Copa del Rey during his time at the club, earning praise from several impressed onlookers, including former international teammate Andres Iniesta.

“He is a fantastic player, with an incredible talent,” Iniesta told reporters back in 2017. “For many years, he has been doing things very well, and he is playing for one of the best teams in the world.

“He is an important player not just in the national team but in his club. He is young and has many years to grow and improve.”

However, Isco has struggled to live up to his early promise in recent years. After starting just 25 league fixtures since the start of 2019/20, the £16.2m-rated gem appears to be surplus to requirements in Madrid, and Everton could offer him an ideal escape route from his ordeal at present.

Famed for his incredible dribbling ability, eye for a pass and outstanding technical ability, Isco could prove to be the perfect replacement for the recently departed Rodriguez, bringing a sense of imagination back into Benitez’s pragmatic setup.

And, in other news…Benitez plots swoop for “scary” £27m-rated magician, Everton fans will be buzzing 

Leeds United have suffered an injury blow as the new Premier League season approaches, with Joe Gelhardt hobbling off in the friendly win over Guiseley.

The Lowdown: Gelhardt impresses for U23s

A first-team debut may have evaded Gelhardt at Elland Road last season, but he caught the eye for the Under-23s, following his move from Wigan Athletic.

The 19-year-old scored 11 goals in just 17 appearances, also chipping in with three assists for good measure.

It may be that now is the time for Gelhardt to make the step up and become part of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans, but he has suffered a setback, in that respect.

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The Latest: Youngster suffers injury blow

As reported by The Yorkshire Evening Post, the Englishman ‘took a knock’ in the second half in the 3-2 win over Guiseley on Tuesday night, and was promptly replaced.

The severity of the problem hasn’t yet been confirmed, but the hope is that it won’t hamper Gelhardt’s preparations for next season too much.

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The Verdict: One to watch

It will be difficult for any young players to force their way into Bielsa’s plans in 2021/22, given the strength of the performances last term, but Gelhardt is definitely one to watch.

Admittedly, he remains completely unproven at senior level, but his performance for the U23s were undoubtedly impressive and he also scored five goals in as many games for Wigan’s Under-18s.

The youngster could potentially mature into a good backup option for Patrick Bamford over time, with former manager Paul Cook once hailing him as a ‘unique talent’, but that path to first-team action looks to be delayed for now.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly keen on making a hugely exciting summer signing. Find out who it is here.

According to reporter Marcelo Bechler, Tottenham are preparing a late offer for Barcelona’s Emerson Royal.

The Lowdown: Not much time left

We are now into the final 48 hours of the summer transfer window, and Spurs may still have some business left in them before the end of Deadline Day.

They have so far brought in four fresh faces (Transfermarkt), and it seems that they may be looking to bring in another new player.

The Latest: Spurs eye Emerson Royal

It seems that Tottenham are looking to capture right-back Emerson from Barcelona.

They are already said to have made an offer of €20m (£17.2m) plus Serge Aurier for the Brazilian (ESPN), but that was rejected. Spurs are preparing a new offer, but the Blaugrana are looking for €30m (£25.7m, TNT Sports).

The Verdict: Late dash

Spurs have made a positive start to the season, with their three 1-0 Premier League wins putting them top of the table (Sky Sports), while they are also through to the group stages of the inaugural Europa Conference League. However, this will be a long season, and Nuno Espirito Santo needs a strong squad to cope with all its demands.

Royal has only made three appearances for Barcelona since signing for them in July, but the Spanish club’s financial problems (Bloomberg) means that any player could be for sale at the right place.  In 79 matches for Real Betis, he scored five goals and provided ten assists, showing his ability to make an impact in the final third.

The 22-year-old could be a real threat for Spurs if they were to capture his services.

In other news, Spurs are also chasing a move for this Premier League midfielder