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The Reds have already signed Cody Gakpo from PSV, but who could follow him through the door at Anfield?

It looks as if the January transfer window is going to be a busy one for Liverpool.

With the Cody Gakpo deal done, the Reds’ business is well underway as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his squad for what looks like being a tense race for Champions League qualification.

Liverpool currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, but will be hoping to see their form pick up considerably in the second half of the campaign, and the arrival of some new faces in January could aid that process considerably.

But who might be on the agenda? GOAL takes a look at some potential targets for Klopp’s side…

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  Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

  It is no secret that Liverpool are desperate to convince England’s latest young superstar to come to Anfield, and it is understood that they, along with Real Madrid and Manchester City, are among the most serious contenders for Bellingham’s signature.

  Nobody within the club is playing down the Reds’ interest, with Klopp speaking publicly about the Borussia Dortmund midfielder prior to Liverpool’s game with Aston Villa. “Just exceptional,” was his verdict.

  A January move, to Liverpool or anywhere else, looks unlikely, with Dortmund still in the Champions League and Bellingham keen to leave the club on good terms, but a summer switch is undoubtedly on the cards.

  As reported by GOAL, Madrid appear to be at the front of the queue, with the England international interested in a switch to the Bernabeu, but Liverpool still hold out hope that they can convince him to join them instead.

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  Enzo Fernandez (Benfica)

  Another midfielder heavily linked has been Fernandez, who was one of the stars of Argentina’s World Cup triumph.

  The 21-year-old only joined Benfica last summer, but reports in Portugal suggest he is already ready to make the next step, with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea – who have been reportedly already offered over £106 million ($128m) – all credited with an interest.

  Liverpool sources have, unlike with Bellingham, dismissed suggestions they are close to agreeing a deal, and have even played down the club’s interest, but it looks likely that Fernandez will be on the move before too long.

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  Moises Caicedo (Brighton)

  It’s all about midfielders as far as Liverpool are concerned, with their defence well stocked and Gakpo’s arrival significantly boosting their attacking options.

  Caicedo is one that has caught the eye, the Brighton and Ecuador star emerging as one of the up-and-coming players of the Premier League over the past 12 months.

  Liverpool scouts have been suitably impressed, and Brighton’s policy of developing players to sell on – see also; Ben White, Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella – means they would be confident of getting him out of the Amex Stadium.

  The fee, however, could be a stumbling block, with Brighton likely to demand more than £50 million ($60m) for the talented 21-year-old.

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  Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)

  The links with World Cup stars keep on coming, with Morocco’s Amrabat another to be heavily tipped for a move to Merseyside.

  Amrabat, a specialist midfield destroyer as opposed to some of the all-rounders on this list, plays in Italy with Fiorentina and is valued at around £35m ($42m). At 26, he is approaching his prime and may feel the time has come to make a big move.

  Whether Liverpool will be in the market, however, is another matter. With Fabinho very much established as their first-choice No.6, and with teenager Stefan Bajcetic emerging as a player with serious potential, their need for a player of Amrabat’s talents is less than it is for, say, a Bellingham or a Caicedo.

Mike Ashley has long wanted to get out of Newcastle United and with every potential buyer coming from outside of the region, Barry Fry is surprised nobody from the North East has tried to buy the club.

The closes that people linked to the region have come to buying out Ashley was with the latest takeover backed by PIF as the Reuben Brothers were set to have a 10% stake in the club and despite residing out of the area, they own several properties as well as the racecourse in Newcastle.

After The Times revealed that their wealth had increased by £5 billion in the last 12 months despite there being a global pandemic, people questioned why they won’t buy Newcastle United by themselves.

It would be a great day for Newcastle fans if the Reuben Brothers or anyone bought out Ashley and Fry admits he is surprised nobody closer to the club has tried to take it off the current owner’s hands as he exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“It’s been up for sale two or three years now and nobody has touched it. So what I can’t understand, because the Geordies are so passionate and committed about their club, I just can’t understand if they’ve got wealth in their city, so to speak, why somebody doesn’t buy the club.

“The fanbase is amazing and if you’re a businessman, then the fans will buy shirts, even when they’re skint, they will buy everything because they just live for Newcastle. So I am very surprised that the wealthy people in and around the North East haven’t come in and tried to buy it off Mike.”

Steve Bruce and the fans will be hoping a takeover goes through sooner rather than later because the club will not be able to keep out of the relegation zone if they only have £10 million to spend every season, something Bruce will have to deal with this year.

Having just £10 million to spend may have put a stop to Bruce’s plans to sign Joe Willock from Arsenal on a permanent basis with the Gunners looking for a bid minimum of £20 million.

Mohamed Salah was among those on target as Jurgen Klopp's side finished their Dubai Super Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over AC Milan

Darwin Nunez made a goalscoring return to action as Liverpool finished their Dubai Super Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over AC Milan.

The Uruguay international netted twice after replacing Roberto Firmino for the final half hour at the Al-Maktoum Stadium, on a night when both Mohamed Salah and Thiago Alcantara were also on target.

Salah gave the Reds a fifth-minute lead, finishing off after fine work from Joel Matip, but Alexis Saelemaekers' low strike drew the Serie A champions level.

Thiago restored Liverpool's advantage before half-time, arrowing a fine effort into the bottom corner from 25 yards, and Jurgen Klopp's side continued to dominate despite a raft of second-half changes.

One of them was Nunez, and he wrapped up the game in the final eight minutes, first converting coolly after a brilliant pass from fellow sub Bobby Clark, and then finishing from close range after good play from another teenage starlet, Ben Doak.

The game won, Liverpool then missed the chance to add a bonus point to their tally as they were beaten 4-3 in a penalty shootout, with Kostas Tsimikas and Naby Keita both denied from the spot.

Here, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from the Reds' final warm-up game before the season resumes…

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  The Winners

  Thiago Alcantara:

  In full flow, there are few footballers more pleasing on the eye than Thiago, and the Spaniard gave something of a masterclass here, displaying his full array of talent in front of a drooling audience.

  The game was less than four minutes old when he picked up possession in his own half, flicked the ball up and speared a volleyed pass out to Andy Robertson. Soon after, he was spraying it to James Milner on the opposite flank. Fifty yards, pinpoint.

  Just before half time, he was on the scoresheet, controlling the ball 25 yards out and firing an unstoppable low half-volley into the far corner. Technique personified, that one.

  Stefan Bajcetic:

  Liverpool's midfield may be in need of an overhaul, but this lad certainly looks like he's ready to be part of its future.

  At 18, Bajcetic has already begun to establish himself as part of Jurgen Klopp's first-team squad, and his showing here suggests there will be plenty more to come.

  Pep Lijnders believes the Spanish U19 international has "all the attributes needed" to be a top-class No.6 for the Reds, and it is noticeable just how comfortable the former Celta Vigo prospect looks in a position which demands a lot in terms of concentration, maturity and discipline.

  Bajcetic's positional play, his anticipation and ability to hoover up second balls, is already at a very high level, and he plays with a confidence, composure and awareness which is way beyond his tender years.

  His physicality will improve, and will need to, as he gets older, and he must still overcome big hurdles if he is to become a permanent fixture in a side which will hope to be challenging for the biggest prizes in the coming years.

  But so far, so very promising.

  Darwin Nunez:

  Welcome back, Darwin! After disappointment in Qatar came a promising return to action in Dubai, as Nunez wasted no time at all in picking up where he left off for Liverpool prior to the World Cup.

  The Uruguay international needed only half an hour to make his mark here, scoring twice to put the seal on a good victory for his side, and offering good omens for his manager ahead of the big restart.

  Nunez had already stung the palms of Antonio Mirante, the veteran Milan goalkeeper, by the time he found himself on the end of a quite wonderful pass from youngster Bobby Clark. He stayed calm, slotting home low inside the near post to make it 3-1.

  Then came a simple second, converted from close range after a driving run and selfless cross from Ben Doak, a 17-year-old whose early first-team forays suggest will have a big future in the game.

  Nunez capped his promising cameo by scoring, somehow, from the spot in the penalty shootout, and with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota both sidelined until well into the New Year, Liverpool need their £64m man to keep up this kind of form.

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  The Losers

  Andy Robertson:

  Milan's equaliser is not a goal Robertson will want to see again.

  Having initially been unlucky to be caught just underneath the crossfield pass from left to right, the Scotland captain simply had to do more, one-v-one against Alexis Saelemaekers.

  Instead, he allowed the Belgian international, who narrowly missed out on a place at the World Cup, to work his way into the box, where he was able to fire a low, left-footed strike past Caoimhin Kelleher into the corner.

  Robertson had his hands up apologising soon after, as a wayward pass led to another Milan chance, and he will know he can play far better generally than he did here.

  Mind you, best to get them out the way before the real stuff starts back up.

  Joe Gomez:

  We already know who the centre-backs will be when Liverpool take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup next week.

  With Virgil van Dijk not due back until Monday, and with Ibrahima Konate currently preparing for the World Cup final, it will be Gomez and Joel Matip, surely, who line up at the Etihad.

  Klopp, then, will have wanted to see them look assured against strong opposition here, but while Matip looked the part, defending sharply and setting up the opening goal for Mohamed Salah, Gomez's afternoon was a little more concerning.

  Where was he going, 90 seconds in, when Liverpool's defence was cut open by the most straightforward of passes through the middle of the field? Marko Lazetic let him off the hook with a poor finish, but Erling Haaland won't be quite so generous, one suspects.

  Gomez has not had a great season so far – although he saved his best performance for City's visit to Anfield in October – and you'd have to say he's fourth-choice at present, with Van Dijk, Konate and Matip all offering greater stability and consistency.

  Curtis Jones:

  Liverpool's home-grown midfielder was nowhere to be seen here, as his season of frustration continues.

  Jones has managed only six appearances, and only two starts, since being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his tibia following the Community Shield in July, and though he was part of the 33-man squad which travelled to Dubai, he has not been able to train fully and therefore played no part in either of the Reds' fixtures.

  Sources have told GOAL that the club are simply being cautious with the 21-year-old – "managing his load," as one put it – but with midfield options already thin on the ground, and games coming thick and fast once the season restarts next week, Jones once more finds himself playing catch-up.

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  Liverpool Ratings: Defence

  Caoimhin Kelleher (6/10):

  Helpless with the goal. Otherwise untroubled. Distribution was good.

  James Milner (7/10):

  Showed all his class and experience at full-back, where he defended with poise and attacked with regularity.

  Joel Matip (7/10):

  Marauding Matip is back! Great burst forward to create the opening goal for Salah. Defended well on the front foot.

  Joe Gomez (5/10):

  Still doesn't look entirely comfortable. Caught out by a straight pass inside two minutes, and his distribution was scratchy.

  Andy Robertson (5/10):

  Caught out for the Milan equaliser and delivered a few loose passes. Can play better.

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  Midfield

  Stefan Bajcetic (7/10):

  Positionally good, won lots of second balls and played with composure and confidence. A proper talent.

  Thiago Alcantara (8/10):

  A joy to watch at times with his passing and technique. Beautiful goal to make it 2-1.

  Harvey Elliott (7/10):

  Always bright, and rarely wasteful. Liverpool's best stuff came when he got involved.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton has agreed to join Manchester United this summer, according to John Cross of The Mirror.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been sharing their thoughts towards the news on social media.

Cross claims that United have held talks with the 35-year-old in recent weeks and a deal now looks to be agreed and finalised.

Heaton hasn’t featured for Villa since suffering a serious injury on New Year’s Day 2020. He returned to the bench towards the end of 2020, however, he’s failed to get a look in due to Emiliano Martinez’s impressive first season at Villa Park.

The Englishman’s contract in the Midlands expires in a matter of weeks, and it now seems as if he’ll be returning to Old Trafford ahead of the 2021/22 season to provide backup to Dean Henderson and David de Gea.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the update from Cross on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply…

“Oh no anyway”

Credit: @josh_priv3

“um anyways”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“Bye Heaton”

Credit: @makeyourdayadtr

“Thought he’d have more ambition than settling to be a bench warmer. Shame.”

Credit: @JayVtid

“ambitious bench to bench move”

Credit: @joshkentx

“Shame a great player I hope he stays fit & gets some games for them UTV”

Credit: @richard00761191

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to Tammy Abraham tweet, find out more here. 

The Liverpool forward will be keen to inspire his side to a place in the last four during Sunday's clash against their North African rivals

Egypt and Morocco clash in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals and GOAL looks at how coach Carlos Queiroz could line up his troops for the North African derby at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde.

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  Goalkeeper – Mohamed Gabal 

  The Zamalek SC goalkeeper replaced his injured Al Ahly counterpart Mohamed El Shenawy in the 88th minute during their Round of 16 game against Ivory Coast.

  He denied Eric Bailly from the penalty spot during the shootout and should be strongly considered for a start, which will be his first in the tournament.

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  Right-back – Omar Kamal

  Kamal has been a consistent figure in the Egyptian starting team and should keep his place as they seek a win against their North African rivals.

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  Left-back – Ahmed Abou El Fotouh

  The 23-year-old fullback has shown solidity along his flank and the Morocco game should be another chance to showcase his top talent should he be drafted into the starting XI.

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  Centre-back – Ahmed Hegazi

  Hegazi withstood the pressure and consistent attacks by the Ivorian strikers to help the 2010 champions record a clean sheet at full-time and in extra time.

  His aerial prowess and experience were key as the Pharaohs went on to earn the quarter-final slot against star-studded opponents and the same is expected of him on Sunday.

Southampton picked up a rare three points as they secured a comeback win against Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening, although there will still some poor performances on show from Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, with Liverpool loanee Takumi Minamino particularly disappointing.

As per SofaScore, the Japan international would earn a less than impressive 6.4/10 rating for his performance, with only Jan Bednarek (6.2), who was substituted at half-time, earning lower of any player who started the game.

Since signing on loan from Jurgen Klopp’s side in the winter transfer window, the former RB Salzburg man has flattered to deceive, contributing two goals early on but struggling to have any real impact since then, and it was another below-par performance from the 26-year-old on Tuesday evening.

During the game, Minamino would complete just 24/38 of his passes, resulting in a less than impressive 63% pass success rate, which is lower than the 70.1% he has averaged during his time at Southampton.

Despite having the fewest touches of any Southampton midfielder, he still was clearly the weak link, as he lost possession a remarkable 22 times during the game, which was the most of any player who featured in the game.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-southampton-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=“Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more!“]

He also failed to contribute a single successful dribble, cross or shot on target during the 90 minutes, and he was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch considering the options Hasenhuttl had on the bench.

Of the 10 ground duels he was involved in during the game, he would also win just three, so it was no surprise that Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach was critical of him in his player ratings following the game, saying:

“Minamino really struggled, back in the side. He looked weak and seemed to concede possession more than he turned it into anything creative.”

Given that Southampton are now completely safe from relegation, you could argue that Minamino should never play under Hasenhuttl again, as his performances since joining have been poor, and this time of the season is the ideal time for youngsters such as Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Tella to get more regular game time under their belt.

Given how poor he’s beenin recent weeks, Minamino should not be a player who Southampton look to sign on a permanent deal, so there’s no reason to pick him again between now and the end of the season.

And, in other news… Semmens disaster: Southampton missed out on “perfect” 18 G/A gem

Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard were key in their side's emphatic 5-1 win at Cardiff on Saturday

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  Ben Foster | Watford

  Foster made seven saves and kept a clean sheet in Watford's 2-0 away win at West Ham – more saves than any other keeper made in matchday 18.

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  ​Ricardo Pereira | Leicester City

  Pereira made more tackles (6), clearances (11) and interceptions than any Leicester player in the Foxes 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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  Alfie Mawson | Fulham

  Mawson made two blocks in Fulham's 0-0 draw away to Newcastle, helping the Cottagers keep their first clean sheet of the season.

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  Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool

  The Dutchman scored his first Premier League goal as Liverpool defeated Wolves 3-1 at Molineux on Friday. 

After the controversy surrounding Real Madrid's win over Juventus, Goal takes a look at the teams with the most spot-kicks in Europe

Real Madrid face Bayern Munich this week after a controversial win over Juventus in the Champions League.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted a last-minute penalty to give Real an aggregate victory, and Goal has taken a look at the teams with the most penalty kicks to their name in the Champions League, since the 2003-04 season.

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  15AS Roma

  Penalties taken: 10 | Penalties scored: 5

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  14Atletico Madrid

  Penalties taken: 10 | Penalties scored: 6

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  13Sevilla

  Penalties taken: 11 | Penalties scored: 7

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  12AC Milan

  Penalties taken: 11 | Penalties scored: 10

Danny Mills has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United as an update emerged involving Mike Ashley.

The Lowdown: Ashley releases statement

The Guardian have recently reported that Ashley released a powerful statement this week after HMRC quietly discontinued a long-running investigation into the tax affairs of the St James’ Park club.

As per the Shields Gazette, Newcastle and its chief executive have also accused the Premier League of what they believe to be anti-competitive behaviour in their decision-making process on the proposed deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

They are looking to take the Premier League to court over the matter and have also taken on an anti-competition case given to them by the Newcastle Consortium Supporters Limited (NCSL), with the EPL given fresh legal papers as Ashley looks to force them to wave through the bid.

The Latest: Mills reacts to Ashley activity

Mills, who is now a pundit after playing for the likes of Leeds United and Manchester City in his career, has since given his thoughts to Football Insider on Ashley’s latest activity, and his view on the potential takeover on Tyneside:

“It’s a case of Mike Ashley being desperate to sell and doing everything he can to get his money.

“But I think he’s right, it does need to be investigated as to why.

“There is the golf super league with Saudi Arabia, we’ve seen all the boxing going on over there as well and other sports.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a reason why they weren’t allowed to take over.

“There’s no better time with all the issues surrounding the so-called ‘big six’ and those smaller clubs can say ‘Hang on a minute, how can you allow this to happen to these other clubs and let them spend what they want but you’re not letting us compete?’

“It isn’t really fair. It’s almost like it’s a monopoly on who can do what they want and spend what they want.”

The Verdict: Ashley seems desperate

Given that there is already an arbitration hearing to take place between Newcastle and the Premier League, it seems as if Ashley is already starting to feel desperate by taking them to another legal battle to try and claim damages.

What the result of the arbitration case would be remains unclear, but the report that the businessman is trying to at least get some compensation from the failed takeover bid suggests that he may not be confident about getting a positive outcome from the saga.

In other news, find out what big claim another pundit has made on the potential takeover!

It was a rough year for several veteran American players around the world, but proved to be a breakout campaign for a number of promising youngsters

It was a bittersweet year for American soccer players plying their trade in leagues outside of the United States. Along with managing the hangover left by missing out on the World Cup, it was a year that saw several veterans endure rough campaigns, while some talented youngsters took big steps forward in their careers. 

Geoff Cameron endured a nightmare season at Stoke City, with the Potters being relegated in a campaign that saw him lose his long-standing hold as a regular starter. Omar Gonzalez also endured a roller-coaster year that saw him go from playing in the Club World Cup in December to not even dressing for Pachuca for much of the Clausura season.

Bobby Wood has also had a season to forget, with his Hamburg side on the verge of relegation from the Bundesliga. John Brooks and Fabian Johnson weren't a part of the national team last October, but they were members of last year's Americans Abroad Best XI. Both have endured injury-riddled club seasons in Germany.

Ethan Horvath was another American who has struggled to get playing time in 2018, stuck on the bench at Club Brugge since losing his role as a starter last October. But who did make Goal's Americans Abroad Best XI?

• Guillermo Arias
  

  William Yarbrough | Club Leon

  A repeat selection, William Yarbrough had a strong year with Club Leon, but he is also the only American goalkeeper to spend the past year as a regular starter abroad. Ethan Horvath's benching at Brugge eliminated Yarbrough's toughest competition for this spot, with Bill Hamid's move to FC Midtjylland yielding just three appearances to date.

  Yarbrough was consistent in net for Club Leon, helping the team reach the Apertura play-offs. The Clausura campaign was an overall disappointment, with Leon finishing in 13th place. Landon Donovan's surprising arrival grabbed the attention, but it was Yarbrough who finished the season as one of his team's better players.

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• Tim Ream | Fulham

  Tim Ream is in the final stages of what has been a standout season at Fulham, which he has helped guide to the brink of promotion to the Premier League. The Cottagers fell just short of automatic promotion, and now face a promotion play-off clash with Derby County.

  The 30-year-old has been instrumental in Fulham's success, serving as his team's most dependable defender. Ream's next match will help him set a new personal record for games played in a season.

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  Matt Miazga | Vitesse Arnhem

  Miazga is another repeat Best XI selection, delivering a second strong season on loan with Dutch club Vitesse. The 22-year-old center-back set a new personal best for matches in a season, and he has developed into a threat on set pieces as well, scoring three goals this season. Miazga's confidence on the ball grew as well, as he posted nearly twice as many completed passes this season as last season, converting at an 84 per cent rate.

  A much more well-rounded player than he was when he first left the New York Red Bulls, Miazga will be expected to rejoin Chelsea and contend for a place on the Blues squad next season.

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  Cameron Carter-Vickers | Ipswich Town

  It isn't often that a player as young as Cameron Carter-Vickers becomes a starter for two different teams in the same season, but he successfully made the transition from his loan stint with Sheffield United to his loan with Ipswich Town. His play improved in the second half of the season, and he finished strong despite logging more minutes than ever before.

  The 20-year-old central defender played a combined 34 matches, settling in as the right center-back in a three-man system. That experience should help him make a case for a role with Tottenham next season.