talkSPORT

The Old Firm derby is the biggest rivalry in Britain - all others are miles off the intensity.

Manchester United travel to Liverpool on Sunday in what is often considered the most famous clash in Britain.

But according to talkSPORT host and former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor, Celtic vs Rangers is the biggest and most bruising rivalry, while the north London derby doesn't even make his top five list.

"Biggest derby is Rangers/Celtic," he told talkSPORT back in April 2024. "It is on my bucket list to go and see. When you watch it on the TV, you can feel the adrenaline watching the game.

"You can feel the atmosphere from the fans, you can see the two teams dislike each other. That is a big, big derby. The biggest in Britain by a mile, for me.

"Some of the others… Manchester United vs Manchester City - not really for me.

"Manchester United/Liverpool - yes there is a rivalry but the players are shaking hands nowadays."

No one can deny the rivalry between Rangers and Celtic, that has become deeply embedded in Scottish football culture.

Not for the first time, the rivalry turned ugly on Thursday as Celtic's Arne Engels was hit with a coin thrown by a Rangers fan.

As the two biggest teams in the country with huge fanbases, the pair are often tussling it out for the league and cups, while they can not be separated.

And it should be no surprise that Villa icon Agbonlahor says the Birmingham derby is the biggest game in England.

"There is actual hatred between both fans," he explained.

"We always knew we would beat Birmingham City and we knew how much it meant to the fans.

"Even if you had four or five bad games, you go and beat Birmingham City in the Premier League and it is sort of like, you are forgiven for them poor performances.

"Massive, massive derby. It gets very heated. You see the incident with Jack Grealish [attacked by a fan], you don't really see that in English football. It just shows the hatred between both clubs."

As well as Arsenal and Tottenham's north London derby, the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton and, bizarrely, the M63 derby between Crystal Palace and Brighton are other hotly contested games in England.

"Brighton-Crystal Palace? Isn't there about 100 miles between them? When I see them, I don't understand this," Agbonlahor added.

"I feel like Everton Liverpool, you see Everton fans in the same end as Liverpool fans. That would never happen between Birmingham City and Aston Villa."

But not a single one of them were ranked in Agbonlahor's top five.

Gabby's five biggest rivalries in Britain

"I think [the Old Firm derby] is my no.1 from watching it as a kid. The days of Henrik Larrson [at Celtic] and Brian Laudrup [at Rangers].

"There are obviously other things that I won't go into detail about that game that makes it more aggressive."

"People might say to me 'oh it's because he's from Birmingham' but when I watch these other derbies and I hear about them, they don't compare to Birmingham/Villa.

"I've played in them, you feel that adrenaline, you feel that atmosphere.

"You're on the coach to the game and you're getting stones and rocks thrown at you and the players were hiding under the tables."

"I am probably going to go Manchester United vs Liverpool for number three because of its history.

"Liverpool winning so many leagues, United then taking over, similar amount of league titles."

"I will go with West Ham/Millwall for number four.

"That is a big derby, Millwall are renowned for having that fanbase, the firms. West Ham aren't soft, either."

"Finishing off, I'd say Spurs/Chelsea then. Not Spurs vs Arsenal.

"The reason why is that, to me, the north London derby doesn't seem that big anymore.

"Spurs vs Chelsea looks bigger because of the Battle of the Bridge. But the players will still all be shaking hands."

A cheeky grin from Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes was all it took to rub further salt into Tottenham's gaping wounds.

After Arsenal's dominant 3-1 win over Brentford on Wednesday evening, the Brazilian defender decided to wind down by playing FC 25 on his PlayStation.

Fans were given an insight into Gabriel's gaming session as he was recorded on Instagram live.

One supporter decided they would try their luck and see if they could get Gabriel to bite on a brutal dig aimed at Tottenham.

In the top right corner of the video, the comment read: "Look at camera if Spurs are s***."

Within three seconds of seeing the comment, Gabriel turned to the camera and flashed a smile.

If he wasn't enough of a fan favourite already, Gabriel's brutal trolling of Tottenham will undoubtedly have endeared him even further to Arsenal supporters.

Gabriel's thinly-veiled dig is also the last thing Tottenham fans will have wanted to see given their worrying form this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side have won just once in their last seven league fixtures, with the only victory coming against last-placed Southampton.

In that alarming run, Tottenham have shipped 15 goals, with six of those coming in a brutal defeat against Liverpool.

Tottenham have also developed a worrying trend that has filled supporters with a sense of unease.

The north London outfit became the first team in Premier League history to concede the first goal in 15 games across a single calendar year, pointing to a serious defensive issue.

Postecoglou's second season in charge is also markedly different to his first at Tottenham.

After 18 games last term, Tottenham had 37 points thanks to 11 wins, three draws and just four losses.

At the same point this campaign, Tottenham had seven wins, two draws and nine losses to their name for a total of 23 points.

In Postecoglou's defence, his side has been ravaged by injuries to key players such as Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven to name three.

Making Tottenham's woes even worse is the fact their north London neighbours continue to excel.

Arsenal's win over Brentford helped them leapfrog Nottingham Forest and move up to second in the Premier League as they began 2025 in style.

Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli did the business for Mikel Arteta's side.

Jesus' strike was his sixth in his last four games across all competitions for the Gunners and helped close the gap to six points behind league leaders Liverpool.

Tottenham will not have to wait terribly long to get revenge on Gabriel over his Instagram live gesture as the north London sides collide on January 15.

Arsenal already hold the bragging rights in the north London derby this season, with Gabriel's 64th-minute header proving to be the difference on September 15.

Tottenham and Newcastle are considering a January swoop for defender Fikayo Tomori, talkSPORT understands.

West Ham and Brentford are also keen on the former Chelsea centre-back amid his recent struggles at AC Milan.

Tomori was a regular for the Italian giants after signing in January 2021, initially on loan from the Blues before a permanent move was completed.

However, he has made only six starts in Serie A this season and has made just three substitute appearances since October 6.

In the last ten Serie A matches, Tomori has managed just 13 minutes on the field.

Spurs have experienced major shortages in defence in recent weeks with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven both out injured.

It's meant young midfielder Archie Gray has had to deputise at centre-back in the last five Premier League games which has seen Spurs ship 13 goals.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is also said to be eyeing a move for Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

A move to Spurs would see him compete for a starting spot with Guglielmo Vicario, who's currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

The experienced Fraser Forster has played in his absence, but has conceded 15 goals in seven league outings.

Newcastle have been on the lookout for a new centre-back in recent windows having tried to sign Crystal Palace and England star Marc Guehi in the summer.

The Magpies had their advances rebuffed by Palace despite putting in a club-record £65million bid in for Guehi.

It's also been reported that Newcastle were looking to bring Liverpool's Jarell Quansah to St James' Park in exchange for Anthony Gordon, however talks broke down.

Tomori could represent a more likely for Newcastle, although the player is contracted at Milan until June 2027.

Meanwhile, West Ham and Brentford are in the market to bolster their backline having both conceded 35 goals from their 19 Premier League outings this term.

Tomori rose through the ranks at Chelsea's esteemed Cobham academy and made his senior debut in 2016.

The 27-year-old featured 27 times in total for the west London club before he left for Milan, with whom he won the Serie A title in 2022.

The Canada-born defender has five senior England caps to his name - his last coming in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta in November 2023.

Tottenham will be looking to end their dismal form in the Premier League when they host Newcastle this weekend, live on talkSPORT.

Spurs have only won one of their last seven in the league and following a draw against Wolves last time out, they’re sitting 11th in the table.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are winless in their last five top-flight home games too, which is their longest run since between March and October 2008.

They will be desperate to end that streak and move up the table but there’s hardly a tougher task than facing Newcastle right now.

The Toon have won four straight games without conceding, scoring 13 goals in the process and saw off Manchester United at Old Trafford last time out.

Tottenham vs Newcastle: Alexander the Great

Alexander Isak is closing in on the record of a Newcastle icon.

The Swedish striker just can’t stop scoring, finding the net in six straight Premier League games.

He’s scored eight and assisted two in that time as well, taking his goal tally for the season up to 12 in 17 appearances.

Isak’s form this campaign has seen him become Newcastle’s fourth all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League and he’s now eyeing third.

Toon legend Peter Beardsley scored 46 in the competition and Isak sits on 43, meaning he’s likely to jump above Beardsley in the record books soon.

Callum Wilson is second in the club’s standings with 47, so the 25-year-old looks set to climb up to second in the records for Newcastle.

All-time top scorer Alan Shearer’s tally is uncatchable though, with his 148 goals leaving him in the clear.

Tottenham have won two of their last three Premier League home games against Newcastle (L1), as many as they had in their previous seven (D1 L4).

Newcastle have won four of their last five Premier League games against Tottenham (L1), as many as they had in their previous 15 (D2 L9).

Having achieved a Premier League double over Spurs in just one of 12 campaigns between 2008-09 and 2021-22 (2015-16), Newcastle could now do so in two of the last three (also 2022-23).

Tottenham vs Newcastle: Predicted line-ups

Spurs continue to be dealt injury blows as Destiny Udogie is reportedly set to miss a couple of months of action.

Udogie was substituted against Wolves and looked to have picked up a hamstring problem.

It means he joins Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence and Ben Davies on the sidelines as Spurs’ defence is decimated.

Guglielmo Vicario is out too, so Fraser Forster will continue in goal and in front of a makeshift back four of Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin and Sergio Reguilon.

In midfield, Pape Matar Sarr could replace Yves Bissouma next to Rodrigo Bentancur while James Maddison will be fighting for a start.

Despite being in decent form, Maddison has been benched in the last two games and he may stay there against Newcastle.

Brennan Johnson is likely to be preferred after scoring last time out, while Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son sit in behind Dominic Solanke too.

As for Newcastle, they’re expected to make two changes to their in-form team.

The first will be Valentino Livramento replacing Kieran Trippier as he’s now back fit following an illness over the Christmas period.

Livramento is likely to be at right-back next to Dan Burn and Lewis Hall, while Fabian Schar is suspended.

Schar was booked for the fifth time this season against United and Lloyd Kelly should come in to replace him.

The midfield three of captain Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton have become first-choice and they should keep their places.

Anthony Gordon and Isak remain the key men for the Magpies and they will be looking to keep up their impressive form.

Jacob Murphy has been starring too, but his place is more of a rotation risk, with Harvey Barnes, Joe Willock and Miguel Almiron waiting in the wings.

Tottenham have lost their first league game in two of the last five calendar years (W2 D1), as many times as they had in the previous 16 years combined (W11 D3).

Newcastle have won their first league match in just one of the last 12 calendar years (D3 L8), winning 1-0 at Stoke on New Year’s Day 2018.

Tottenham vs Newcastle: What has been said?

Postecoglou is hoping that his side can turn a corner soon, with Tottenham struggling and dealing with injuries.

“It’s still fairly tight," he said. "I just feel that at some point we’ll get a relatively healthy squad and when we do that, we’ll be able to perform at a high level consistently.

“We’ve already shown this year we can beat anyone. There’s a chance there you can go on a run, but at the moment that’s secondary to the first bit.

“I can see how hard they’re trying and if we were at our sharpest, we would have got that third goal and maybe a fourth [against Wolves].

“I mean we were inches away at times from getting the goal we needed and I think we’re just lacking a little bit of that dynamic movement that we need.

“A lot of these guys, they’re finding some form of energy to still be out there trying, but you know we’re certainly not as sharp as we can be.”

Brennan Johnson is Tottenham’s top scorer in all competitions this season with 11 goals, while the Welshman has also either scored (2) or assisted (2) a goal in each of his last four Premier League home games.

Anthony Gordon has been directly involved in a goal in each of his last four Premier League appearances for Newcastle United (1 goal, 3 assists), assisting in each of his last two away games against Ipswich and Man Utd.

Tottenham vs Newcastle: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, January 4.

Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is scheduled for 12:30pm.

talkSPORT will have EXCLUSIVE live coverage of the game presented by Reshmin Chowdhury.

Commentary will come from Sam Matterface and former England captain Stuart Pearce.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

Marcus Rashford has taken another step forward in his bid to leave Manchester United.

The Red Devils outcast is now firmly on the fringes at Old Trafford after the arrival of new manager Ruben Amorim.

He may have returned to the Portuguese manager's squad in the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle but he remained on the bench after four games out of it entirely.

And now the English forward appears to be moving further towards the exit door.

He has now signed with the CAA Stellar agency as he looks to find a new club.

That's the same agency that helped broker Gareth Bale's move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in 2013.

The legendary Welshman moved for a then-world-record of fee of £85.3 million.

And he went on to win the Champions League five times and LaLiga on three occasions.

However, it's believed Rashford's brother and manager Dwaine Maynard will also get a big cut of any transfer should it happen.

In December 2024, Rashford was open and honest about a potential exit and insisted if he did it would be with no regrets.

Speaking to esteemed journalist Henry Winter, Rashford said: “For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps.

"When I leave it's going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.

"If I know that a situation is already bad I'm not going to make it worse. I've seen how other players have left in the past and I don't want to be that person.

"When I leave I'll make a statement and it will be from me. 100 per cent."

Rashford added: “I’m halfway through my career. I don’t expect my peak to be now.

"I've had nine years so far in the Premier League and that’s taught me a lot, that’s helped me grow as a player and as a person.

"So I don't have any regrets from the last nine years.

"I won’t have any regrets going forward because I take things day by day and sometimes bad things happen, sometimes good things happen. I just try and keep a fine balance."

Speaking to Sky Sports after Rashford's comments, Amorim said: "Of course it is a hard situation.

"But I understand that these kind of players have a lot of people around them, making some choices that is not the first idea from the player.

"So I understand and I can separate things.

"I am always here to help Marcus as another player. I have to do what I have to do.

"They chose to do the interview because it is not just Marcus. I understand that.

"For me, as a coach I just focus on the performance and the way you train.

"The rest, it is better for me and the club to deal with that when the time comes.

"At the moment I focus on improving Marcus - we need a lot in this moment a talented guy like Marcus.

"I forget for now the interview, I just now see what I see on the pitch."

Rashford has been linked with possible moves to Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris-Saint-Germain, Barcelona and clubs in Saudi Arabia.

However, one club who might not be moving for the England forward are Tottenham Hotspur.

After Rashford's comments, Ange Postecoglou was queried about potential interest in the forward - but he quickly shut down any rumours.

"No interest, don't care," said the Australian coach.

"Not interested, he's a Man United player. A very good player. They've got plenty of good players.

"I manage my players, I guess other people will manage their players.

"But in terms of Marcus's situation I have no real desire to examine any further."

Tottenham are looking for reinforcements in the January transfer window - but one player will stop them spending big.

Spurs are reportedly targeting a goalkeeper, a centre-back, and attacking options as they look to save their season.

Ange Postecoglou's side have been devastated by injury problems, particularly in defence.

Right now, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, and Destiny Udogie are all absent with muscle issues.

And even with the former two - Tottenham's first-choice centre-back pairing - nearing a return in mid-January, the club are looking at bringing in new stars.

However, it would be a surprise to see Spurs splash the cash on a permanent signing given they have a talented teenager excelling on loan.

Luka Vuskovic is only 17 but the Croatian centre-back is impressing while on the books at Westerlo in Belgium.

You might think that's because of his aerial prowess or his excellent positioning and well-timed challenges

It could even be thanks to his ability in possession of the ball, with his passing stats suggesting he has what it takes to be a fine young ball-playing defender.

However, it's actually his ability in front of goal that have got fans - and neutrals - talking about his talent.

Vuskovic might be playing at centre-back but over the festive period his incredible bicycle kick in a defeat to Club Brugge went viral.

The 6ft4in teen saw the ball headed back into his path and in the middle of the box - with impeccable technique - powered home acrobatically.

It would have been a highlight reel goal for any footballer, let alone a defender.

And the stats don't lie about his prowess in front of goal either, he is the highest-scoring teenager in Europe's top 10 leagues this season.

His six for the campaign put him one ahead of Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal - not bad company to keep.

But Vuskovic isn't getting ahead of himself and revealed in a interview after he knows he still has to improve - especially if he is going to make it in Postecoglou's team.

He said: "In my game, I am satisfied with everything except one thing – speed. I work on improving it every day."

Meanwhile, on his spell away from Tottenham, he added: "I am happy at Westerlo. I think it is the right step for my career."

And he's keen on making a big impact in 2025 with his impressive ambitions for a 17-year-old.

Asked about his goals, he replied: "To play for the Croatian senior national team and Tottenham.

"I hope to be ready for Tottenham in the summer.

"They haven’t told me the exact plan for the new season yet. They just told me to focus on each upcoming match, which I am doing."

Sadly for Spurs, they couldn't play Vuskovic even if they recalled him due to FIFA rules.

He joined from Hajduk Split in September 2023 for a deal worth up to £12million.

However, following the United Kingdom's EU exit in 2020, players from overseas are not allowed to join until they turn 18.

Tottenham are reportedly monitoring Jack Grealish’s situation as the January transfer window begins.

The 29-year-old has struggled to hold down a starting spot at Manchester City with half of his appearances this season coming from the bench.

Grealish’s output has been affected with the former Aston Villa captain having registered just two assists – both made in September.

The England international is without a goal in over 12 months having registered just three goals during City’s 2023/24 title-winning campaign.

According to the Daily Mail, Grealish could leave City this month, with both Spurs and Newcastle both keeping tabs on his situation.

The report claims that Kyle Walker is also considering his options ahead of a possible exit.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola previously dismissed the notion of player departures in January but the prospect of increased game time could prove too tempting for Grealish, in particular.

It is also reported that any move for Grealish from Spurs is likely to be a short-term loan on the condition that City continue to pay a large portion of his £300,000-a-week wages.

That would see him eclipse Heung-min Son as Tottenham’s highest earner if a move to north London was to materialise.

A link-up with Ange Postecoglou would not come as a surprise to talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney who recently tipped Grealish to move to Spurs in the event of a departure from the Premier League champions.

Asked who Grealish could potentially join if he opted to leave City, Deeney stated: "Spurs, he walks into that team in every position.

"Whether that's as a winger, No.10 or No.8. Arsenal, no, I don't think he works at Arsenal. Liverpool, he doesn't at Liverpool.

"He's obviously not going to go to Manchester United, but he's better than what they've got.

"Anyone outside the top four, he would easily go into and dominate, if he went to Newcastle, it would be considered a massive step down for him.

"But it's a great club with a great fanbase and I think Jack needs to feel that again, feel that he's loved, feel that the fanbase love him, but also he's the man to drive them forward."

Grealish is midway through the six-year contract he signed when joining Manchester City for a British transfer record £100million fee from Aston Villa.

Tottenham’s interest in Grealish dates back to 2018 when they tried to sign him after Aston Villa missed out on promotion back to the Premier League.

Spurs tabled a £25m bid, a whopping £15m below Villa’s valuation of £40m.

Grealish's last appearance for Man City came before Christmas as he played 90 minutes and was booked against his former club.

Since then, he's missed a game through illness and played no part in a long-awaited win over Leicester.

The winger will be hoping to feature in City's next clash which will come against West Ham at the Etihad on January 4.

Should Tottenham make a move for Grealish, the fixtures at the start of 2025 could be he last for the reigning champions.

Tottenham are reportedly monitoring Jack Grealish’s situation ahead of the January transfer window.

The 29-year-old has struggled to hold down a starting spot at Manchester City with half of his appearances this season coming from the bench.

Grealish’s output has been affected with the former Aston Villa captain having registered just two assists – both made in September.

The England international is without a goal in over 12 months having registered just three goals during City’s 2023/24 title-winning campaign.

According to the Daily Mail, Grealish could leave City in January with both Spurs and Newcastle both keeping tabs on his situation.

The report claims that Kyle Walker is also considering his options ahead of a possible exit.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola previously dismissed the notion of player departures in January but the prospect of increased game time could prove too tempting for Grealish, in particular.

It is also reported that any move for Grealish from Spurs is likely to be a short-term loan on the condition that City continue to pay a large portion of his £300,000-a-week wages.

That would see him eclipse Heung-min Son as Tottenham’s highest earner if a move to north London was to materialise.

A link-up with Ange Postecoglou would not come as a surprise to talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney who recently tipped Grealish to move to Spurs in the event of a departure from the Premier League champions.

Asked who Grealish could potentially join if he opted to leave City, Deeney stated: "Spurs, he walks into that team in every position.

"Whether that's as a winger, No.10 or No.8. Arsenal, no, I don't think he works at Arsenal. Liverpool, he doesn't at Liverpool.

"He's obviously not going to go to Manchester United, but he's better than what they've got.

"Anyone outside the top four, he would easily go into and dominate, if he went to Newcastle, it would be considered a massive step down for him.

"But it's a great club with a great fanbase and I think Jack needs to feel that again, feel that he's loved, feel that the fanbase love him, but also he's the man to drive them forward."

Grealish is midway through the six-year contract he signed when joining Manchester City for a British transfer record £100 million fee from Aston Villa.

Tottenham’s interest in Grealish dates back to 2018 when they tried to sign him after Aston Villa missed out on promotion back to the Premier League.

Spurs tabled a £25m bid, a whopping £15m below Villa’s valuation of £40m.

Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham future is likely to hinge on the outcome of next week’s FA Cup third round trip to Aston Villa, talkSPORT understands.

Lopetegui is back under pressure after Sunday’s 5-0 drubbing at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Despite having ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter waiting in the wings for several weeks, Hammers chairman David Sullivan remains reluctant to sack the Spaniard.

However the next two games, away at champions Manchester City on Saturday and the Villa cup tie are seen by many inside London Stadium as key for Lopetegui.

West Ham finished 9th last season and are languishing in the bottom half of the table having won just six of Lopetegui's 19 league games in charge.

Chelsea monitoring Premier League duo

Chelsea are eying both Liam Delap and Evan Ferguson as potential new striker options.

The high-flying Blues are eager to bolster their forward line to ease the goal-scoring burden on Nicolas Jackson.

talkSPORT has been told the Blues retain their long-term interest in Brighton and Republic of Ireland star Ferguson, 20, while Stamford Bridge scouts have watched Ipswich ace Delap on numerous occasions this season.

A deal for either player would be difficult to do in January with Brighton continuing to rate Ferguson in the £80-£100m bracket despite the fact he has only scored one Premier League

goal all season.

Delap meanwhile is seen as key to Ipswich’s hopes of avoiding relegation while old club Manchester City have a buy-back option from his £20m summer move to Portman Road.

Saints on the march

Southampton could have both domestic loan spots available in January with Maxwell Cornet AND Lesley Ugochukwu expected to be recalled by their parent clubs.

Between them Cornet (one) and Ugochukwu (three) have started just four Premier League since joining last summer from West Ham and Chelsea respectively.

The Hammers are planning on terminating Cornet’s loan to try and sell the flop Ivorian permanently.

Chelsea also have reservations about Ugochukwu’s lack of playing time.

The Frenchman cost Chelsea more than £20m, but only moved to St Mary’s as a makeweight in striker Sekou Mara's switch from Saints to the Blues' sister club Strasbourg.

Spurs opt for tried and trusted approach

While Ange Postecoglou was watching his injury-hit Tottenham side drop two more points at home to Wolves on Sunday, it was no coincidence the club’s former transfer guru Fabio Paratici was watching on from the stands at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Paratici was forced to step down as Spurs’ sporting director in March 2023 after being banned from football for 30 months by FIFA for his role in financial irregularities at Juventus.

However, the Italian has continued to advise Spurs on their transfer policy, playing a big part in the signings of goalkeeper Vicario and James Maddison in particular.

With Postecoglou in desperate need of reinforcements, chairman Daniel Levy is expected to tap in to Paratici’s contacts book.

One player Paratici is already believed to have identified as a potential Spurs target is Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci.

James Maddison put a Tottenham fan firmly in his place after he was criticised for being spotted at Ally Pally.

The Spurs star was in attendance for Sunday night's action which included reigning champion Luke Humphries being knocked out by Peter Wright.

Maddison was spotted alongside Spurs teammate Brennan Johnson just hours after the north London side were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw with Wolves.

Taking to Instagram, one Spurs fan was less-than impressed at the midfielder's appearance at Ally Pally.

He said: "You taking the p***? The form we're in and you go the darts? Unacceptable."

But within 12 minutes of being sent the fans' message, Maddison clapped back in typical style.

"Shut up you wally," he wrote, with a laughing emoji to accompany it.

Tottenham's 2-2 draw was just the latest example of Spurs' habit of going behind first in games.

Spurs have become the first team since the inception of the Premier League in 1992 to concede first in 15 home games in a single calendar year.

Spurs have now fallen behind first in seven top-flight home matches this term from their ten fixtures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

From those games, they have won just three times - coming from behind to beat Brentford, West Ham and Aston Villa.

Meanwhile they have gone on to lose on three occasions - against Arsenal, Ipswich and Liverpool - while also drawing once, against Wolves.

In the seven home games that Spurs have gone behind in this term, they forced themselves back on level terms by half-time on three occasions.

Reflecting on the run, manager Ange Postecoglou said: "It hurts me because I'm responsible ultimately. I'm the person in charge. So of course it hurts.

"When I see how hard they are trying, it hurts even more because you want them to get a reward and I think they deserved a reward for their efforts even though they were dipping into their reserves of energy.

"I wanted them to get a reward for their efforts. So of course it hurts. It hurts immensely.

"At the same time it's my responsibility for where we're at right now and it's my responsibility to try to get us out of it."

Tottenham are next in action on January 4 when they host Newcastle United.