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Jermaine Jenas criticised Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero during the club’s UEFA Champions League second leg with AC Milan on Wednesday. 

The Lowdown: Champions League exit

Antonio Conte returned to the dugout for the first time following gallbladder surgery last month but failed to guide his side through to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Spurs failed to get going in front of their home supporters and couldn’t overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, with Romero having an evening to forget on a personal note after receiving a red card due to two separate bookings.

The Latest: Jenas reacts

Jenas was on co-commentary duty for BT Sport on Wednesday evening and was quick to give his comments on Romero after he picked up his first yellow card for a foul on Rafael Leao in the 17th minute.

The former Spurs midfielder said that it is a ‘huge flaw in his game’ and feels that he ‘puts himself under unnecessary pressure every single game’ by getting an early booking. Romero was then shown a second yellow following a rash tackle on Theo Hernandez in the 77th minute.

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The Verdict: Shocker

Romero was making his 24th appearance in all competitions this season and seventh in the Champions League, starting alongside Ben Davies and Clement Lenglet in a back three.

However, the Argentine struggled and ended with a SofaScore rating of 6.2/10 – considerably worse than both Davies and Lenglet. Romero lost possession 11 times, was second-best in six of his nine duels and failed to make a successful tackle all evening.

The 24-year-old was also unsuccessful in all of his attempted long balls, so overall, had an evening to forget, with Jenas’ comments early on proving to be spot on.

Newcastle United are believed to be interested in signing Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota during the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Frustrating season for Jota

The Portuguese star has been an impressive player for the Reds, scoring 34 goals in 99 appearances overall, but this has been a frustrating season for him.

Jota suffered an injury against Manchester City midway through the campaign that ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup and he has struggled for rhythm since returning recently.

In fact, the 26-year-old hasn’t scored for Liverpool since their 2-2 draw away to City last April.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing up move

According to Football Transfers, Newcastle ‘admire’ Jota and are considering making a move for him this summer, with his versatility appealing to Eddie Howe.

Liverpool are reluctant to let the forward leave, but an offer in the region of £60million could apparently sway them.

The Verdict: Keep hold of him

Jota’s goalscoring touch may have deserted him for the time being but the Reds must keep hold of him this summer, having been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Jurgen Klopp.

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The £140,000-a-week forward is someone who is a vital part of Liverpool’s attack, whether it be his eye for goal, his pressing from the front or his ability to play across the attack.

Granted, there is huge competition for minutes now that Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo have arrived, but rotation is key and Jota has to be considered a key member of the Reds’ future.

Seeing him join a fellow top-four rival makes little sense, especially as he is still only 26 years of age and could have the prime years of his career ahead of him.

Journalist Scott Barrie has urged Rangers to sign loanee Malik Tillman on a permanent transfer this summer "at all costs".

What's the latest on Malik Tillman and Rangers?

Ahead of this current season, the Ibrox outfit negotiated a deal with Bayern Munich to bring the 20-year-old to Scotland for 12 months, with an option to then make the move permanent.

During his time with the club so far, the youngster has managed to make himself a regular, showing his importance to the team already with 38 appearances so far in his debut campaign.

As per BILD journalist Christian Falk, Rangers can buy Tillman for the pre-agreed price tag of €7m (roughly £6m) but it remains to be seen what is planned for the American.

While talking about it all on the Rangers Review podcast, Barrie insisted that the club simply have to work out a way to get the loan turned permanent in the summer.

He said (17:24): "I think it's pretty obvious that I'd been in the buy Tillman at all costs camp. And I don't think there's much debate around that.

"I don't think Rangers are going to get a player of his ability, but also potential at 20 now, 21 next season.

"Still in his first professional season, you've got to remember that. You've got to imagine every player will be better in their second professional season."

Will Tillman want to join Rangers this summer?

Before arriving in Scotland, Tillman had actually made seven senior appearances for the Bayern Munich senior team, so it's clear just what a talent he is.

However, that was for a combined total of just 164 minutes and he may feel as though the path to regular first-team action in Germany will be quite difficult.

With that in mind, seeing as Rangers have offered him 2564 minutes of action in all competitions this season – and he has proved ten goals and five assists in this time – it could perhaps suit all parties if some agreement could be found.

At a price of around £6m, he would likely take up a reasonable chunk of the summer budget – especially when compared to the club's record transfers – but with so much potential still, that fee could perhaps one day prove to be a bargain if Tillman continues his upward trajectory in a Teddy Bears shirt.

Chelsea look as if they could have another gem on their hands in Ian Maatsen, as the 21-year-old left-back is helping inspire Burnley to promotion from the Championship.

Although Graham Potter already has Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella available to him at left-back, the Dutchman's fantastic performances so far this season suggest that he could be an excellent heir to the Englishman as a starter at Stamford Bridge.

Who is Ian Maatsen?

Chelsea would sign Maatsen from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2018 after scouting him for the Eredivisie side and with the U16 Netherlands national team.

After impressing with the Blues' academy sides, the young defender would sign his first professional contract in March 2019 and later made his senior debut when he was just 17, featuring in Chelsea's 7-1 win against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup.

He has since enjoyed loan spells with Charlton Athletic in League One and Coventry City in the Championship, before returning to the second tier again last summer to sign for Vincent Kompany's Burnley.

During his time at Coventry, the Chelsea youngster would earn a huge amount of praise from teammate Simon Moore, in his interview with The Athletic.

He said:

"In Maats’ case, the good certainly outweighs any bad. It says a lot about how good he is that even a slightly off day stands out as exceptional. It is not normal.

“The kid is bright, he’s hugely talented, he wants to learn, and he never gives up."

He has certainly proven himself as ready to play in the Premier League with his displays at Burnley this season, as the Dutch defender boasts four goals and six assists in 31 league appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a strong 7.04 rating for his performances in the second tier.

With Kompany's side almost nailed on to win the title, it would not be a surprise to see them try to sign Maatsen permanently in the summer but Potter must ensure that he remains at Stamford Bridge, as his performances suggest that he could be the ideal long-term heir to Chilwell.

Could Maatsen replace Chilwell at Chelsea?

The former Leicester City man has struggled with injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge but is enjoying a strong run of form with the Blues at the moment, with two goals and two assists to his name in 15 appearances.

However, he has been linked with a Stamford Bridge exit in recent weeks and Cucurella's disappointing performances since joining from Brighton suggest that the Spaniard might not be the ideal replacement in Potter's squad.

Therefore, with Maatsen showcasing his attacking qualities with the likely Championship title-winners, Potter should look to integrate him into Chelsea's first team in the summer, ahead of what will hopefully be a much-improved 2023/24 campaign for the Blues.

Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo is expected to leave the club at the end of the season if they are relegated from the Premier League, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Wolves battling for survival

The international break is currently in full swing, prior to domestic action returning next weekend ahead of the business end of the 2022/23 season.

For Wolves, it looks set to be a critical period for them between now and May, as they desperately battle for their Premier League survival along with a host of other clubs.

Wanderers have battled to jump to 13th place in the table, as things stand, giving them a three-point cushion above the relegation zone, but there is still a huge amount of work to be done.

Another poor run of form could easily see Julen Lopetegui’s side back in deep trouble and their 4-2 loss at home to Leeds United last time around was a terrible result.

Should Wolves suffer relegation to the Championship in May, it could lead to an exodus of top players, with the likes of Ruben Neves and Adama Traore constantly linked with a move away.

Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding the future of another Wanderers hero.

The Latest: Semedo could leave

According to Football Insider, Semedo will quit if Wolves go down this season, even though they will reportedly trigger the two-year extension on his current deal that expires in the summer.

The reason to extend his deal is in order to ‘protect’ his price tag, should a bid arrive during the summer transfer window.

It is even stated that Wolves will ‘sound out interest’ in Semedo in the result of relegation, with ‘top European sides’ potentially keen on signing him.

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

The hope is that relegation is avoided and Semedo continues as a Wolves player for another few years, having been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by journalist Tim Spiers back in 2021.

Wanderers taking this stance makes perfect sense, however, putting them in a strong bargaining position and ensuring they don’t lose the 24-cap Portugal international on a free transfer.

Semedo has continued to be an important player this season, starting 21 and appearing in 26 league matches and averaging 2.1 tackles per game in the competition.

The 29-year-old’s experience will be vital in these remaining weeks of the season, and come August, he will hopefully still be in an Old Gold shirt and playing in the Premier League.

Tottenham are believed to be interested in signing Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh report.

Could De Gea make Man United exit?

The future of the 32-year-old has been up in the air for some time now, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season and no extension signed yet. He has been a true legend of the Premier League era for United, making 529 appearances for the club and arguably proving to be as good as Peter Schmeichel at times.

There have been question marks over whether he is ideally suited to Erik ten Hag's style of play, however, in terms of his use of the ball with his feet and ability to play out of tight areas. For that reason, he could potentially move on this summer, although recent reports have also suggested that he could yet extend his stay at Old Trafford.

Should De Gea decide to enjoy a fresh challenge when the current campaign reaches its conclusion, he won't be without suitors at that point.

Could Spurs pip Bayern?

According to a report from Spain [via Caught Offside], both Tottenham and Bayern are interested in acquiring De Gea's signature at the end of the season. They see him as a replacement for Hugo Lloris, who could depart north London in the summer after an 11-year spell there.

It could be that a move to a club of Bayern's stature has more chance of developing, although Manuel Neuer remains a formidable presence at the Bundesliga giants.

In many ways, De Gea, who Martin Keown called 'excellent', could be a great signing by Spurs – undoubtedly acting as an upgrade on Lloris at this point in their respective careers, with the latter making too many mistakes this season. The Spaniard is enjoying a largely strong season for United, starting 26 Premier League games and winning one Man of the Match award from WhoScored, also being described as "unbelievable" by teammate Marcus Rashford.

That being said, De Gea is still relatively old-school in his style of play, in terms of his aforementioned limitations in playing the ball out from the back, so that is something that could work against him joining, especially if a ball-playing manager comes into replace the departed Antonio Conte. At 32, the £375,000-per-week star is also arguably not quite at the absolute peak of his powers anymore, so a younger alternative could be wise when looking at the longer-term picture.

Todd Boehly has hired Frank Lampard to take over as Chelsea boss until the end of the current season on an interim basis, just over two years since the club sacked him.

It represents another key moment in their campaign which has been riddled with poor results and Lampard is now the club's third manager this term.

Boehly will still be on the lookout for a permanent manager ahead of 2023/24 and with Julian Nagelsmann and Zinedine Zidane being potential Graham Potter replacements, it could be an exciting few weeks ahead.

Another name who is being looked at – and apparently Boehly has already made his move – is former Barcelona and Spanish national team boss Luis Enrique, who Fabrizio Romano claims is “100% keen on Chelsea job” and is currently a free agent.

Chelsea need a manager who can bring the best out of their big-money signings, as Potter failed to get the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk, despite spending nearly £200m on the pair combined.

Enrique could be the ideal man to give the players a lift, especially Mudryk and he could be the catalyst for the winger to finally showcase his incredible talents at Stamford Bridge.

Could Luis Enrique rejuvenate Mykhaylo Mudryk at Chelsea?

Before moving to the Premier League in January, Mudryk registered 18 goal contributions for Shakhtar Donetsk, becoming of the most highly regarded wingers on the continent.

His performances led journalist Josh Bunting to hail him “frightening” while Sacha Pisani lauded him as a “baller” and his Champions League displays certainly merited this high praise, scoring three times in the competition.

The 22-year-old's form at the Blues however is alarming to say the least. He has an average Sofascore rating of just 6.34/10, grabbing just one assist and making only 0.4 key passes per game, and it’s clear he needs to be rejuvenated if Chelsea want to improve.

Enrique could be the perfect remedy.

The 52-year-old manager – who was branded “top-level” by RFEF president Luis Manuel Rubiales – coached Barcelona between 2014 and 2017, winning the club's second treble in his first season in charge and utilising a 4-3-3 formation with an attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez to devastating effect.

Indeed, across just 181 matches in charge of the La Liga side, they scored a staggering 519 goals, suggesting his penchant for attacking football could bring Mudryk out of his shell and lead him to become much more effective in front of goal.

If Enrique could bring his tactical nous he displayed at Barcelona to Stamford Bridge, he may get the team firing on all cylinders, and with players such as Mudryk, Fernandez and Havertz, it could be a frightening prospect.

Tottenham Hotspur have a squad inundated with players that need offloading, with almost the whole of English football aware of that.

However, it seems that the man who has allowed such mediocrity to fester, Daniel Levy, is the only one oblivious to such a fact.

For someone so frugal and seemingly petrified of spending big, the 61-year-old has certainly invested heavily in recent years in a desperate pursuit of silverware; a search that continues to go amiss.

Whilst there are plenty of depreciating duds that do need selling, perhaps the savvy CEO could first seek to capitalise on the few who have seen their value rise in preparation for the transfer war chest he will have to promise to the new boss.

One such name that springs to mind is Japhet Tanganga, who truly burst onto the scene during the 2019/20 season under Jose Mourinho.

The legendary manager saw immense potential in the 24-year-old, claiming after his first league start came against Liverpool: “I thought he did well. I think the kid has reason to be happy with his level.”

However, injuries and a sharp loss of form would see his reputation plummet, with the academy graduate falling way down in the pecking order. Therefore, he must be one of the first to go.

How much is Japhet Tanganga worth now?

Across his first six Premier League appearances, Tanganga maintained a 6.95 average rating that encouraged many. Journalist Charlie Eccleshare even branded him a “great prospect for the future."

Having burst onto the scene as a physical yet classy presence all across the back line, this figure would unfortunately decrease with each passing season.

With just three appearances to his name this campaign and a 6.3 rating to show for them, his downfall is truly exacerbated.

Pundit Jamie O’Hara even took to talkSPORT (5:38 pm, February 11, 2023) earlier this year to claim: “Tanganga, how he is still playing for Tottenham, I don’t know. It looks like he has got ice skates on him every time he is defending. It’s embarrassing.”

However, with increased prominence in and around the senior squad, no matter how poor the form, the £25k-per-week dud has still seen a valuation increase.

Transfermarkt has overseen this rise, suggesting that in September 2019 he was worth just €800k (£702k). However, despite the aforementioned underperformance, that has grown to €9m (£7.9m) as of November 2022. This marks a 1,025% rise across a three-year period.

With numerous poor performers culminating in what is set to be another year without a trophy, Tanganga could be an unfortunate but wholly necessary casualty of the impending revolution this summer should bring.

Chelsea's reported summer target Alexis Mac Allister is expected to leave Brighton & Hove Albion over the coming months in search of a move to a top side.

Will Mac Allister move in the summer?

The Argentine has enjoyed the season of his career this term with impressive performances for the Seagulls nothing in comparison to his World Cup triumph with Argentina.

It certainly has been a season which the 24-year-old will not forget having netted eight goals and provided one assist in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

But his efforts on the international stage are what will see him receive his biggest plaudits having played a massive role in Argentina's World Cup campaign.

The Brighton man was not there simply to make up the numbers and started in all of their games following their defeat in the opener against Saudi Arabia (via Transfermarkt).

Having scored and even provided an assist in the final, it is believed the £50k-per-week ace has attracted interest from some of the Premier League's biggest clubs.

Indeed, the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool have both been credited with interest ahead of the summer as they look to bolster their squads for the 2023/24 campaign.

And speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the expectation is for the midfielder to leave the south coast with a move to a top club on his radar:

(19:00) "I can tell you some things. The expectation is for both, [Moises] Caicedo and Mac Allister to get a top club move in the summer, then we have to see how the negotiation will go."

"For Mac Allister there is a lot of interest it's not just Liverpool. There are many clubs monitoring him. At the moment, there is still nothing advanced. So it's just Mac Allister's side speaking to clubs to understand what's the concrete interest as his father mentioned a few weeks ago, they will take their time so nothing is imminent."

Should Mac Allister join Chelsea?

The Blues have spent big this season and a lot of the money has gone on attacking options with a number of big-money players coming through the doors.

The likes of Joao Felix has joined the Londoners on loan until the end of the season, however, there is a belief that he could be signed permanently over the summer.

Mac Allister can play across a number of positions with central midfield and attacking midfield the two main positions he's been used as at Brighton this season (via Transfermarkt).

However, with the likes of Enzo Fernandez having also signed for big money this season and reports suggesting Chelsea could make a move for the likes of Moises Caicedo, you have to question where he could potentially fit in.

Perhaps a move for the Argentine could be a possibility if Chelsea fail to land Felix permanently over the summer, but perhaps they should be prioritising the Brighton man.

Mac Allister has been hailed as "magic" earlier in the season, and he has certainly impressed having provided a much higher successful take-on rate to Felix this season (via FBref).

Todd Boehly has shown no hesitation in splashing out on players he likes, however, perhaps Mac Allister could find more certain game time elsewhere over the summer.

Manchester United are planning to bid for Harry Kane this summer, having now launched initial moves to sign the striker, according to a recent report from the Telegraph.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

Man United legend Gary Neville recently claimed Erik ten Hag will need to strengthen a number of areas this summer, with a new goalkeeper, right-back, centre-back and striker all needed, and they are already looking at a number of different options.

The Red Devils have sent a scout to watch FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, indicating David De Gea could be replaced, while they are all in pole position to sign Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, who could cost between £40m – £50m.

In terms of centre-backs, Axel Disasi and Kim Min-jae could be targeted, while United are said to have made an approach for Rasmus Hojlund to bolster their attack, with Victor Osimhen also of interest.

According to a report from the Telegraph, Man United have now started work on signing Kane, having begun their due diligence on how to handle negotiations with Daniel Levy, the Tottenham Hotspur chairman.

The Red Devils plan to bid for Kane, who could cost Premier League sides as much as £100m, as there is now little chance of the striker signing a new contract to commit his future to Spurs this summer.

Bayern Munich are also in the race for the England captain, however United hold a key advantage as he would rather stay in England, in order to continue to chase Alan Shearer's Premier League goal record.

Should Man United sign Harry Kane?

If the 29-year-old decides he wants to leave Spurs this summer, Ten Hag should undoubtedly make him his priority summer signing, as he is capable of taking United to the next level.

With 207 Premier League goals to his name, the Englishman is well on course to break Shearer's record of 260, and he has been hailed as "world-class" by teammate Eric Dier.

United have taken massive strides this season, having already won the EFL Cup, while recently booking their place in the FA Cup final, but they are lacking in the striker department, with Anthony Martial scoring just four league goals this season, having struggled with injuries.

As such, a new forward will undoubtedly be required this summer, and there is no better option than Kane, given that he has already proven himself as a top Premier League striker over a number of seasons.