For two seasons, Spurs have been so close to clinching the Premier League title. Both times they’ve fallen short in the final weeks of the season, something that left many wondering how could they improve their team to go that one step further and win the league?

It’s not an easy question, because Tottenham have, arguably, the best starting eleven in the Premier League. Not many changes can be made except for on the bench, which was one of the problems that people found with Spurs’ squad. Minimal changes are needed from Mauricio Pochettino, but with one or two players expected to leave, their replacements need to be top quality.

Hugo Lloris:
One of the best goalkeepers in the league, Hugo Lloris is the club captain and has built up an incredible relationship with his defence in front of him. He may not be the most physically imposing goalkeeper, but he has the ability to make match-winning saves and has shown that he is a real leader of men.

Lloris is incredibly important to Spurs, and it must be said that without him, they wouldn’t even be near the Premier League title. He signed for what is now a bargain of £12.5M from Lyon a few years ago and that is clearly money well spent. His experience is vital in this side and he will help the young players learn across the season and command his defensive line extremely well. Read More »

Italian club Roma are interested in signing Manchester United forward Anthony Martial on a season-long-loan, according to John Cross in The Mirror.

Roma’s newly appointed Sporting Director Monchi is looking to find a suitable replacement for new Liverpool winger Mo Salah, who was sold by the Romans to help ease pressure from FFP regulations. Now that they have balanced the books, they have now begun enquiring for players across Europe, with Martial’s name being high up on the list.

With Romelu Lukaku joining Manchester United this past week and Ivan Perisic also on the verge of signing for Jose Mourinho’s side, that puts Martial further down the pecking order for a forward position, something Monchi and Roma are looking to capitalize on.

Roma are keen on a loan deal for the former Lyon and Monaco forward, but Manchester United are insistent on a £30M fee, something which may throw a spanner into the works on Roma’s end.

After passing their FFP regulations, they are very unlikely to pay the fee demanded by the English club

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Adrien Silva has told Portuguese paper A Bola that he is unsure whether he will be at the club next season amid serious interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

The London club have already reportedly bid £17M for Silva, but Lisbon are standing firm on their price tag of £30M knowing that Spurs will have the money to fund the move.

The Euro 2016 winner said “I was not in touch with anyone during the Confederations Cup. I preferred to focus completely on the event and finish it in the best way.”

“The best players are in the Premier League and the English league is recognized as one of the best in the world. Let’s just let things run. I have a contract with Sporting, but in football nothing is certain.”

Liverpool have told Paris Saint-Germain that they will have to pay 100M€ for star attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho this summer, according to The Mirror.

The Paris based club are desperate for another creative spark in their midfield and have targeted multiple players such as Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Sergio Aguero and James Rodriguez but now seem keen on the Brazilian Coutinho.

However, with Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp looking to build a new look team potentially centered around Coutinho, PSG will have to pay a pretty penny to pry him away from Anfield.

Barcelona are reportedly still interested in the former Inter Milan man, and a bid from either club could open up a transfer war and could potentially turn Coutinho’s head.

But the 25-year-old recently signed a new deal earlier in the year and said he isn’t looking to move anytime soon.

Tonight, we will see two giants of European football face off in Cardiff for the UEFA Champions League final, something that both Real Madrid and Juventus cherish so much. Both sides could lay claim to being the “best’ in Europe, and this game will show who of the two really are the best, but it will not be that simple. Juve and Madrid have been outstanding this season and it will take a huge effort for one of these sides to win, but how can Real Madrid beat the Italian champions? Will they have a game plan, or will they have to rely on the individual brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo?

As mentioned previously in the piece “How Juventus can beat Real Madrid in the Champions League“, Juve will allow Madrid to keep the ball and put pressure onto them. In previous rounds, this has worked for Juventus as they’ve managed to keep out Barcelona and Monaco this way, but Madrid can manipulate this to their own advantage. Barcelona and Monaco used their key attacking players to dictate play (Messi, Silva), Madrid have their two deep-lying playmakers to do this for them. Ronaldo, Benzema and Isco can roam free in the final third whilst Toni Kroos and Luka Modric sit deep and look to pick the Juve lock.

Kroos and Modric can float around the midfield with the ball and create space for the attacking trio whilst Casemiro sits deep and acts as the enforcer of the midfield. With them two roaming around, Juve’s midfield may find it hard to keep track of them and may let them slip through the cracks, but nevertheless, these two hold the key to the game and can be the match winners without even scoring a goal.

Defensively, Madrid are reasonably resolute with Casemiro occasionally dropping in as a third centre back when Marcelo and Carvajal bomb forward to support the attackers. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane will provide a solid base for Madrid, but they will have to be careful when Dybala is running at them, with Ramos prone to the odd red card every now and again. The central defenders may be a weak link, but the full backs are definitely a strong point in this team, especially Marcelo.

Much like Dani Alves for Juventus, Marcelo will act more like a forward than a defender, providing width to a narrow side. His pace on the counter will prove to be vital in forward moves from Los Blancos, but he will need to be switched on at all times and prevent the opposite full back stealing a march on him when he goes on his forward bursts.

Width is huge in this game but Madrid must not put all their eggs in that basket, especially with the talent they have. Much like the midfield, the forward trio will have enough license to roam free. Isco, Ronaldo and Benzema may be a group that Juve’s defence can deal with, but with fast flowing movement, quick, intricate passing and runs in behind can be what Madrid need to take home the trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo has the ability to change the game at any moment and with Isco in the form of his life and Benzema remaining consistent, Madrid have the attacking players to win anything but will need to be on top, top form to beat this Juventus defence.

This game is almost impossible to predict. These two teams are fantastic and have world class players across the pitch, but both teams can pick the flaws out of one another and will capitalise at any given moment. Kroos and Modric hold the key to success for Madrid, but in a Champions League final, you just never know what Real Madrid can pull out of their bag of tricks.

This evening, Juventus and Real Madrid face off in the UEFA Champions League final in arguably the toughest Champions League final to call in recent memory. Both teams are well drilled with great attacking players who can turn the game on it’s head in an instant, whilst the defence and midfield could hold the key for both Juve and Madrid. No one can be certain as to who is the clear favourite, as the two teams are very capable of leaving Cardiff with the European trophy, but how can the Italian champions defeat this formidable Los Blancos side? Can Max Allegri’s side pull off the final piece of their treble shaped jigsaw, or will they fall at the final hurdle once again?

For Juve, it will certainly be a case of defence is the best form of attack and will need to use their famous back line as a base to work around. If they keep their defensive shape like they did against Barcelona and Monaco, they will be halfway to winning the game. Allegri is likely to set his side up in a 3-5-2, with Georgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci being the three at the back. They will sit deep and allow Madrid to have the ball in front of them, much like they did in the Nou Camp, and will have the help of the two full backs Alex Sandro and Dani Alves, who will be much more disciplined than their Madrid counterparts Marcelo and Dani Carvajal.

When you watch what Juve did against Barcelona and to a lesser extent against sides like Monaco and Napoli, they let them have the ball in the final third, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to break through them, but they would be play a dangerous counter attacking system. The two full backs would fly forward and with Miralem Pjanic on the ball, one of the most underrated midfielders in the world, Juve had someone who could always pick out a pass. His range of passing gives Pjanic the ability to find the full backs or even pick out forwards like Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado, who would then feed the ball into the box for Gonzalo Higuain.

The role of Sami Khedira will also be vital against his former club, as he will be the one tasked with stopping Toni Kroos and Luka Modric dictating play. The Old Lady will know that if you cut off the supply to the likes of Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, you nullify their threat. The majority of Madrid’s play comes through them two, so to cut them out and prevent them from running the game, Juve will have the upper hand immediately.

Of course, you always have the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo and his ability to score at any time, but it isn’t about stopping Ronaldo (because sometimes you simply can’t) it’s about stopping those around him. If you cut off the creators in the Madrid team, something Juventus know they can do, you stifle Madrid and force them to use the flanks, which then brings in the two full backs.

If Juventus defend like they have done all season and expose Madrid on the counter attack by either using Dybala and Higuain down the middle or Alves and Sandro on the wings, they will be in for a treat. They need to stick to their game plan, not try anything dangerous or risky and force Real Madrid to do something incredible to win the game.

This is unlike most finals in recent years. There isn’t a clear favourite, there isn’t an upper hand pre kick off, it’s equal and it’s equal unlike it has been in recent years. Juventus and Madrid are equally matched and will not give one another an ounce of room. If Juventus defend strong, expose Madrid on the flanks and counter attack them with pace, we may be seeing the Old Lady return to the top of European Football.