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Ralph Hasenhuttl is facing a headache at Southampton following the international break, with Nathan Redmond’s superb performance against Bournemouth at the weekend highlighting his potential as a striker in the Austrian’s 4-2-2-2 system.

The former Norwich City man, who reportedly earns £60k per week at Southampton, has endured a poor campaign that has seen him manage just one goal and one assist in 20 Premier League appearances, resulting in a less than impressive 6.45 average rating.

However, despite having not found the net in any competition since the 3-0 win against Sheffield United in December, the 27-year-old looked full of confidence at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday and contributed two goals and one assist in the 3-0 win.

This could give Hasenhuttl a very difficult decision to make following the international break, with Southampton set to face Burnley at St Mary’s in their first game back on April 4th.

Danny Ings is currently sidelined through injury but it is expected that he could make his return against his old side following the international break, so it will be interesting to see whether or not Hasenhuttl throws him straight back in.

There is also the added competition of young Nathan Tella, who has impressed in recent weeks in a striker role, particularly in the 2-0 win against Sheffield United recently.

Che Adams has also found his feet again after a poor run of form that saw him fail to find the net in January and February, before breaking his duck with a screamer at Bramall Lane, which he then followed up with goals against Manchester City and Brighton.

He was also unfortunate not to make it four goals in four in the 3-0 win at Bournemouth, as his fierce strike from 25 yards was ruled out for a tight offside.

Redmond was undoubtedly the star of the show though, as he played in Moussa Djenepo for the opening goal with a perfectly-timed pass and then making it 2-0 before half-time with a superb run and finish, before completing his brace by finding the bottom corner after Stuart Armstrong’s effort came back off the post.

Therefore, Hasenhuttl arguably has three in-form strikers to choose from right now, whilst Ings will surely demand a place in the starting eleven when he returns from injury, which gives the Austrian a huge decision to make following the international break.

And, in other news… Southampton could sign their next Mane with £8.5m swoop for 18-goal beast

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood urged his former club West Ham to go all out for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham in the summer, believing he would complement Michail Antonio in attack nicely.

Following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea manager, Abraham has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge. The 23-year-old has not been included in any of his side’s last three fixtures, including the recent 2-0 win over Everton, putting his future in west London in doubt.

And, according to The Telegraph, West Ham are just one club who are said to be interested in £36m-rated Abraham should he become available at the end of the season.

For Harewood, who knows all about leading the line for the Hammers, bringing the England international to the London Stadium is a no-brainer. Speaking exclusively to FFC on the subject, the former West Ham striker said:

“That’s where West Ham should be looking, and I think Moysie [David Moyes] is that sort of person that he will be looking for a striker of that calibre, young, he’s ready to go, he’s been in the Premier League quite a while now. 

“I think he needs a chance, just like [Jesse] Lingard coming from Manchester United obviously not playing coming into the club, got a lot to show, and Tammy is one of them, got a lot to show [too] and would complement Antonio very well.”

Despite barely featuring of late, Abraham is still Chelsea’s top goalscorer in all competitions this season, managing to find the back of the net on 12 occasions.

This comes after a campaign where he was also the team’s most prolific player having scored 18 times last term. Bearing all of that in mind, Abraham could, indeed, end up being a good alternative or partner to Antonio at the London Stadium.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Marlon Harewood revealed he has not been surprised by the impact Dominic Calvert-Lewin has made at Everton this season.

The 23-year-old has been spearheading the Toffees’ push for Champions League football, scoring an impressive 13 goals in English football’s top flight so far.

Not always being a regular at Goodison Park, Calvert-Lewin’s explosion may have come as a surprise to some. That, however, has not been the case for Harewood, who shared his long-time admiration for the player.

On £40.5m-rated Calvert-Lewin, the former West Ham and Aston Villa centre-forward told FFC:

“I haven’t been surprised because I’ve followed him, obviously strikers follow strikers, and he’s been a very top-class striker for many years. It’s just he hasn’t really had the time to shine. Since the new manager’s come in, he’s put a lot of faith in him and helped him along the way because he’s worked with a lot of top-class strikers.

“[He’s] showing him what he needs to concentrate on and once you get that understanding of ‘I want you to score goals, I want you to get into the box, I want you to look at videos, I want you to react to things, I don’t want you coming out of that area’, it just shows really. He’s been in those positions where he’s been threatening on goal and it’s just worked out for him.”

Last season was hardly a terrible a campaign for the England international either, where he also managed to reach double figures in the Premier League.

He scored 13 goals, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all clubs succumbing to the No.9’s finishing prowess, showing that he is also the man for the big occasion.

Calvert-Lewin has been making a name for himself on the international stage, too, scoring on his England debut against Wales before netting versus the Republic of Ireland.

The Everton man will now be hoping to get the call-up when England’s squad for the European Championships this summer is announced.

Julian Nagelsmann will be Tottenham Hotspur’s top option to replace Jose Mourinho should fortunes not soon change in north London, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

The Telegraph’s Matt Law has claimed that the Portuguese boss is facing a pivotal 12-day period in which his job could be under serious threat past the current campaign.

Spurs have lost five of their last six in the Premier League but do still have a place in the Carabao Cup final and likely the last 16 of the Europa League too.

The RB Leipzig manager, thought to be one of the most exciting up-and-coming coaches in the game, is said to be Daniel Levy’s first choice should he be forced to sack Mourinho.

He’ll make Spurs ‘mean’

Whilst it is still too early to say whether or not Mourinho should face the axe – after all, he’s one game away from clinching their first piece of silverware since 2008 – it wouldn’t hurt to consider alternatives just as long as they are genuine upgrades.

And that’s where Nagelsmann is an intriguing candidate.

The 33-year-old has been tipped to reach the heights of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, arguably two of the best managers in the Premier League right now, whilst he has drawn inspiration from the latter.

Perhaps more interestingly, it is comparisons to legendary arch-rival Arsene Wenger that could signal a new direction at Hotspur Way.

Nagelsmann has been noted to be a fan of the former Arsenal man’s work with current Gunners winger Reiss Nelson outlining the similarities between the two in an interview with Bundesliga.com.

During a loan spell under him at Hoffenheim, he was asked if there was a connection, and he replied:

“Yeah, 100 per cent. They give youth a chance like Arsenal do, bringing young talents through like Jack Wilshere. It’s the same with the boss here. He gives opportunities to young players and he has belief in them.”

But it is not only the faith in emerging prospects that makes the German so appealing. He’d certainly help alleviate one of Tottenham’s biggest problems – that leaky backline.

The revolutionary record-breaker has developed Leipzig into one of the meanest defences in the Bundesliga – indeed, no other side has conceded fewer (18) this season. Not even league leaders Bayern Munich (31), who have subsequently splashed €42.5m (£36.5m) on RB colossus Dayot Upamecano.

Known for his innovation in an attacking sense, the German outfit always remain compact defensively and have never spent over €16m (£14m) on a central defender, which will be music to Levy’s ears as it shows he can develop what he has – or at the very least, not spend bucket loads.

They are the fourth-most successful side in the Bundesliga for pressing, though they top the charts for total number of pressures per 90 (50.7), as per FBRef, which makes their impressive goals against tally all that more impressive as despite the constant work-rate, they aren’t letting the opposition into potential gaps and spaces.

This is because Leipzig are compact in the middle of the pitch, leaving the opposition with a lot of long balls to play instead, and that’s also nullified as all of their central defenders tower above 6-foot, whilst they top the division for successful aerial duels won per 90 (59.4%), via FBRef.

No side has faced fewer shots (56) across this season either, so clearly, Nagelsmann is a bit of a defensive genius too. Wenger’s invincibles had a pretty impressive and resolute defence too.

Spurs’ problems at the back are well documented. Only one other top-seven team leaked more goals last term, while this season, Mourinho has chopped and changed his options with every passing week.

Clearly isn’t able to coach the likes of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez into being better central options, so this is where Nagelsmann could make an immediate impact, as evident above.

“I see [Nagelsmann] as a great coaching talent in all the relevant areas that a coach has to fulfil: leadership, dealing with the players and their tactical development,” said Ralph Rangnick to SPORT1, via Bundesliga.com.

Quite rightly, the Leipzig gem must be atop Levy’s shortlist should Mourinho depart in the near future. They’d be getting their very own Wenger-like leader, one capable of resolving the biggest nightmare.

AND in other news, Three Spurs stars who must buck up their ideas ahead of summer window

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Dean Windass praised former Hull City winger Jarrod Bowen for his performances in the Premier League.

Bowen has been an ever-present when fit for West Ham United and is a crucial cog in David Moyes’ well-oiled machine.

During his final season and a half for Hull, Bowen registered 38 goals and 10 assists in 75 games which was making a lot of Premier League clubs interested.

After a deadline day fight, Moyes got his man and is proving his worth both on and off the ball registering five goals and three assists in the league so far.

The winger has carried the ball the second furthest out of anyone at West ham (40892 yards) only behind Declan Rice with 6549 yards.

Bowen’s willingness to run himself into the ground for the side is extremely valuable to how Moyes has got the Hammers playing this season.

Windass admits he was wrong to question Bowen’s ability after he departed Hull.

He told Football FanCast: “I’ve questioned Jarrod Bowen before. I questioned Jarrod when he left Hull. Was he good enough to play in the Premier League?

“He’s proved me wrong and he’s probably proved himself wrong the kid. He’s a lovely kid.”

Bowen’s form has also forced Moyes into some tough choices into who misses out in the starting line-up which has often been Said Benrahma, which Windass spoke about.

“You bring in Benrahma who’s been in and out. I think if they wouldn’t have gotten Jesse Lingard, Benrahma would have played a lot more games.”

The 24-year old is improving every game and thriving in a team that is full of energy and confidence and looking to breach the top four.

If West Ham are to earn a spot in the Champions League, Bowen’s energy and willingness to sacrifice personal achievements for the team will have to remain at the highest level.

Ex-referee Mark Halsey was not impressed by Celtic striker Albian Ajeti for diving during his side’s 4-0 win against Kilmarnock on Tuesday night.

Halsey not impressed

It was a much-needed win for the Bhoys in what has been a largely forgettable season for the reigning Scottish champions, inspired by Scott Brown returning to the side following his recent suspension.

The skipper got the opening goal before the interval, which was followed by a second-half brace from Odsonne Edouard and Ajeti found the net with four minutes of normal time to play.

However, the 23-year-old has attracted some controversy in the build-up to the second goal as he won the penalty for Celtic. As the challenge came in from Killie goalkeeper Colin Doyle, Ajeti appeared to go down without any contact, putting his feet together to simulate contact from the challenge.

When asked whether he thought it was a dive from Ajeti, Halsey told The Transfer Tavern: “Oh absolutely, absolutely it was.

“When I saw it I didn’t think the goalkeeper touched him. He’s deceived the referee – there’s no qualms about that. It’ll be interesting to see if the Scottish FA take retrospective action.

“I didn’t think it was a penalty, you could tell from the goalkeeper straight away, he probably knew he was never touched and he just went down.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

We have to agree with Halsey here. While it was great for Celtic to react in the right way after their defeat to St Mirren at the end of January, Ajeti’s simulation definitely had an impact on the game.

Both sides had the same amount of shots on goal in the end, and while Celtic were of course much more clinical, Killie would not have been out of the match at 1-0.

But Neil Lennon will certainly not be phased by it and will just be relieved to get three point, as the Hoops now move on to face Motherwell on Saturday.

In other news, Pundit slams Celtic following Dominic McKay’s appointment as CEO for key reason.

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Wednesday night, as they take on Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola’s side cruised through to the FA Cup fourth round after a comfortable 3-0 win against Birmingham City at the weekend and the Spanish manager was able to rest some of his key players ahead of the game against Graham Potter’s side.

City are also beginning to welcome back some of the individuals that tested positive for the current viral outbreak but the likes of Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte are injured, whilst Sergio Aguero is self-isolating.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against Brighton on Wednesday evening, with five changes from the starting team that beat Birmingham…

Ederson reclaims his place in between the sticks, although Zack Steffen showed himself to be a reliable back up in his recent appearances for the Citizens.

There are two changes in defence, as Kyle Walker moves back out to right-back, having started at centre-back at the weekend, with Joao Cancelo moving to left-back, as we saw regularly earlier in the season.

John Stones gets the start alongside Ruben Dias at centre-back, with the duo rapidly becoming the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League on current form.

Ilkay Gundogan returns in midfield, with the German international having been rested against Birmingham.

In order to accommodate the former Borussia Dortmund man, Kevin De Bruyne pushes forward into the false nine role, which he played so effectively in, in the 3-1 win against Chelsea recently, with Gabriel Jesus dropping to the bench as a result.

The Brazilian, who earns £90k per week at City, once again failed to find the back of the net at the weekend and considering this is a must-win game for the Citizens, they cannot afford to be wasteful in front of goal.

There’s one change on the wing as Raheem Sterling replaces Riyad Mahrez, with the English international missing the game at the weekend due to a lack of match fitness but he should be fine to feature against the Seagulls, whilst Bernardo Silva keeps his place after his impressive brace against Aitor Karanka’s side.

Three points against Brighton keeps the pressure on those at the top of the league, so Guardiola must select a strong lineup to ensure his side secures the win against a struggling Brighton side.

And, in other news, Guardiola must swoop for “unbelievable” £90m-rated beast; he can break Aguero’s Man City record…

Bongani Zungu is a doubt for Glasgow Rangers’ Scottish Premiership clash with Aberdeen FC after suffering a knee injury whilst away on international duty with South Africa, according to The Daily Record.

Steven Gerrard has since confirmed the South Africa international will await further assessment before being declared fit to face the Dons at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon, having played twice for the Bafana-Bafana during the international break.

The Ibrox boss is hopeful that Zungu will be able to feature this weekend but will wait for further confirmation whilst Steven Davis is also a doubt after withdrawing from the Northern Ireland squad last week, citing “personal reasons.”

Rangers signed Zungu from French Ligue 1 side Amiens on an initial loan deal on deadline day with the option to buy but the South African has had to bide his time at Ibrox so far this season, having been handed his first-team debut in the 8-0 win over Hamilton Academical this month.

The “special” former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder received a solid rating of 6.7 from SofaScore for his performance, after he took 40 touches of the ball, made 35 out of 38 passes (92%), and produced three out of four attempted long balls, but failed to win a single ground duel all game, lost possession four times and committed one foul.

His injury blow could give the ever-reliable Ryan Jack the time to shine to preserve and protect his Ibrox career amid competition for places in the starting line-up.

Jack started the Hamilton thrashing before the unsung hero was replaced by Zungu as Gerrard rang several changes at half-time, having played an important role as the Gers put the Accies to the sword, with the 28-year-old providing more key passes (2), winning more ground duels (1) and taking more touches of the ball (53) than his clubmate plus one tackle and four interceptions, per SofaScore.

The former Aberdeen midfielder, who was signed by Gerrard’s predecessor Pedro Caixinha on a free transfer in the summer of 2017, received praise from the Ibrox boss earlier this week, with Gerrard admitting he is confident that the Scotland international can take his game to the next level, saying: “His consistency has been fantastic to see and it’s no surprise with the way he goes about his daily routine and business.

“He does everything right at the gym, he eats well and he trains and prepares every single day for the game at the weekend or midweek.

“So it’s no surprise that Ryan finds that level of consistency because he does everything right.”

It’s fair to say that his career has been plagued by persistent injury problems, with the Scotsman sustaining a calf injury during the game against Dundee United, which forced him to miss five games this season so far. His issues have meant that Jack, who reportedly receives wages worth £12,000-per-week, has missed 46 games for the Gers in all competitions in total.

A consistent, injury-free spell in the starting line-up could remove any potential concerns over his fitness levels, and allow him to preserve his place in the starting line-up, whilst he has been subject to interest from clubs across Europe in the past, including Premier League clubs south of the border.

AND in other news, Filip Helander and Ianis Hagi start, Balogun benched: Glasgow Rangers predicted XI vs Aberdeen…

Liverpool’s transfer pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion defender, Ben White, seemingly edged closer last night with reports that the Seagulls have identified three possible replacements for the 23-year-old.

Jurgen Klopp is in need of defensive reinforcements, following Virgil van Dijk season-ending injury, and has made White a transfer priority ahead of the January window although it will cost the Reds in the region of £50m to secure his services.

Despite being ever-present in Graham Potter side this season, sources close to Football FanCast have revealed that Brighton are already identifying contingencies should they sell Ben White and are keeping close tabs on Middlesbrough’s defensive duo, Dael Fry and Anfernee Dijksteel – as well as Blackburn Rovers’ Darragh Lenihan.

Dael Fry has come through the Middlesbrough Academy and has represented England at every level up to the U21s; however, is out of contract at the end of the season and therefore Boro may look to cash in. His defensive teammate, Anfernee Dijksteel, has been a mainstay in the side since his £2m move from Charlton back in 2019 and has impressed for Neil Warnock’s side this season in what has been a strong start to their Championship

campaign.

Darragh Lenihan, who has previously been linked with a move to Sheffield United is a Republic of Ireland international defender and vice-Captain at Blackburn Rovers. Currently sidelined with a knee injury, the 26-year-old is highly thought of at Ewood Park and Tony Mowbray wouldn’t want to lose a key cog in his pursuit to get Rovers back into the Premier League.

AND in other news, Liverpool handed major transfer boost in potential David Alaba deal…

Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a move for Braga striker Paulinho, according to 90min.

Jose Mourinho’s side are in the market for a new striker in the summer as they look to provide support to Harry Kane.

Mourinho admitted earlier this week that he hopes to sign a forward before the transfer deadline in October.

And it appears that Paulinho has been targeted as a possible acquisition.

90min reports that the forward, who scored 25 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions last season, would cost less than £30m and is viewed as an attainable target.

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Wolves were previously linked with a move for Paulinho but opted against it, instead signing Fabio Silva from Porto.

And that may have opened the door for Spurs to swoop as they look to finally bolster their forward line.

Spurs had opted against bids for both Callum Wilson and Ollie Watkins, the report states, and they instead joined Newcastle and Aston Villa respectively.

A bid could be forthcoming for Paulinho, though, especially after Mourinho addressed the situation in public earlier this week.

New blood is needed; the wait cannot go on.