Jose Mourinho’s first transfer window at Tottenham Hotspur was always going to be an important moment in his reign at White Hart Lane.The Portuguese manager's feeling that he had not been provided with sufficientbacking in the transfer market at Manchester Unitedwas the beginning of the end of Mourinho’s time at Old Trafford.Often quiet in the market under owner Daniel Levy, Spurs know that they will need a significant improvement of their squad if they want to meet expectations this season. The arrival of much-sought after youngster Gedson Fernandes should only be the start.Injuries to Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele have also thinned Spurs’ already bare squad even further – so reinforcements will be required to keep their players...
Anderton was the subject of bids from Manchester United and Blackburn that triggered his £4 million release clause in the summer of 1995.Sir Alex Ferguson called Anderton, then 23, personally to persuade him to replace the outgoing Andrei Kanchelskis.But Sugar, Tottenham’s chairman and future Apprentice host, resorted to desperate measures to prevent Anderton from leaving the club.“I went to the chairman’s house and Sugar wouldn’t let me leave until I’d signed a new contract to take out the clause,” Anderton says in the February 2020 issue of FourFourTwo, a Euro 96 special. “He gave me a ridiculous contract, but I didn’t actually want to go either.“Spurs fans had been good to me, I’d just had the best year of my...
Euro 96 was packed with footballing icons - from Bierhoff to Bergkamp, Stoichkovto Suker - which is one reason why we're celebrating the tournament with a special issue of FourFourTwo magazine this month.But how many of the Three Lions team can you recall?Back then, the make-up of the England squad was radically different. There were some national treasures in the team, some Premier League legends and some squad fodder you haven't heard from in two decades.We've listed the 22-man team - that's three goalkeepers, seven defenders, eight midfielders and four strikers - originally selected by Terry Venables.You have eight minutes to try and name as many of the team as you can - once you're done, feel tweet us your...
After their summer transfer ban prevented them from making any pre-season acquisitions, Chelsea are now able to sign players for the first time in 12 months.Manager Frank Lampard will be looking to bolster his squad as the Blues look to seal a top-four finish in the second-half of the season.One area where the west London club will be looking to strengthen this window is at left-back, with current options Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri unconvincing so far this season under Lampard.Lampard will also be looking to bring in the striker to alleviate the pressure on in-form striker Tammy Abraham, while alternative options Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud are out of favour at the club.Edinson Cavani,Paris Saint-GermainOne striker Chelsea have enquired...
Gradually, attitudes have changed towards the January transfer window. Maybe they even have towards the transfer market as whole, gaudy symbol of football’s decadence that it has become.Suddenly, the yellow ties and the breathless reporting are not only viewed as a bit naff, but also rather tasteless.Locally, it’s particularly jarring. While Britain pokes around in pre-Brexit uncertainty, the Premier League continues to almost celebrate its own inefficiency. With a wink and a smile, vast payments are made to agents and huge sums of money disappear into the ether. The modern game seems to wear those issues as badges of honour, showing almost no appetite for reform.The discourse is beginning to change, though. In fact, any time a head coach is...