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A penalty is awarded. Save it and the goalkeeper is a hero, applauded by his fans and mobbed by his teammates. Concede? Well, the odds were never in his favour anyway.

As Tottenham’s Brad Friedel has argued, the scenario really is “a no-lose” situation for the ‘keeper with all of the pressure upon the taker “who is supposed to score.”

But this shouldn’t give goalkeepers a free pass to simply pick a direction to dive and hope for the best.

With the extensive level of statistics available in modern football, coaching staff can compile information on opposing penalty takers to provide to their ‘keepers in the event of a spot kick being awarded.

Famously at the 2006 World Cup, Jens Lehmann read the notes of his goalkeeping coach Andy Kopke in between kicks as Germany went on to defeat Argentina in the shoot out.

But even with this information, the days of goalkeepers diving before the ball is struck should be consigned to the past.

There is an infuriating number of penalties which are scored either straight down the middle or slightly off centre. By committing early as the result of coaching guidance or just guesswork, goalkeepers are guilty of allowing these weak efforts to score. And because of the scenario, they will never be subject to any criticism for it.

Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer demonstrated the approach that goalkeepers should take with his save from Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil in the recent Champions League encounter. Standing up tall, Neuer made his international colleague’s attempts to commit him to a dive look foolish and as a result, he was able to make the save from a poorly struck effort.

Premier League stars such as Eden Hazard and the recently departed Dimitar Berbatov regularly profit from the tactic which Ozil tried but failed to replicate. Displaying an impressive level of composure, they simply wait for the goalkeeper to commit to a side in the run up before simply slotting it home in the other direction.

By diving early, the goalkeepers are falsely assuming that the strike is always going to hit one of the corners. In reality, how many penalties are ever struck that perfectly?

And in the event that they are, is an early dive really going to make the save? When penalty takers such as Steven Gerrard hit the corners with such accuracy and power, there is nothing a goalkeeper can realistically do to prevent the goal.

In this event, the ‘keepers should concede that they are unlikely to make the stop. Rather than attempt to prevent the best, goalkeepers should stand tall and pick off the worst.

Of course, this tactic relies on anticipation and a good reaction speed.

But when so many penalties are struck slightly to either side or ‘dinked’ straight down the middle, goalkeepers should fancy their chances to save the weaker efforts more often than not.

As has already been mentioned, the pressure in this scenario is always upon the taker to deliver. Make him have to beat you rather than beating yourselves by committing too early.

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There are obviously other pointers that goalkeepers should observe to help them make the save. Factors such as the taker’s stance, his approach and his eyes can often reveal his intentions.

Tactics can also be employed to distract the penalty taker and affect the quality of his strike. In the 2008 Champions League Final, Manchester United’s Edwin Van Der Sar pointed to his left as Nicolas Anelka approached the area. The Frenchman subsequently went right and the penalty was saved, handing the Red Devils the trophy.

By standing tall and waiting for the kick, goalkeepers are sacrificing their already minimal chances of saving the best efforts. But in this trade off their chances of saving the weaker and less accurate strikes, of which there are more of, are enhanced massively.

The pressure in a penalty situation is never placed upon the goalkeeper. By reacting to the kick and not diving beforehand, the strain for the taker is even greater. They know that anything other than a confident strike into the corners should be saved.

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A year on from spending £27million on Marouane Fellaini, Manchester United and Louis van Gaal are reluctant to part with a similar ballpark figure to land Arturo Vidal from Juventus.

The Chilean international has been one of two midfielders heavily linked with a move to the club this summer; the other being Angel Di Maria. But Vidal would hold far more importance to United’s restructuring than the Real Madrid winger.

Di Maria has looked destined for the exit door at the Bernabeu for the last year. Ahead of the January window, it appeared that Monaco had stolen a march on their rivals for Di Maria’s signature. That move didn’t materialise, but Florentino Perez’s new-found fancy of James Rodriguez, and the involvement of Gareth Bale and rise of Jese Rodriguez, forces the need for a major sale, much like Mesut Ozil’s following Bale’s signing last summer.

Manchester United don’t need Di Maria in the way they need Vidal. The winger would be a great signing for the club. He’d be an upgrade in more than one position now that Carlo Ancelotti has converted the creative winger into a central midfielder. But United have an abundance of options in personnel, even if they all aren’t natural wide players, as well as a range of tactical options through van Gaal. It’s quite possible the former Netherlands coach will ditch the use of wide players altogether and go with something similar to what he produced with Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie as two centre-forwards.

Even if that isn’t the case, Vidal’s importance can’t be stressed enough – or at least a player fitting the Chilean’s description.

Ander Herrera has been purchased, but the club must be mindful of what made the former Athletic Bilbao midfielder such a success, especially last season. He isn’t a natural defensive player, and although he does have plenty of bite to his game, players like Ander Iturraspe at Bilbao are essential to getting the best out of United’s newest midfield addition.

Not only that, but United are lacking leadership in the middle of the park. Herrera can go some way to offering the imagination now lost through Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs’ retirement, but he isn’t yet the player who can replace their leadership qualities. Vidal, on the other hand, won’t just lead through his vocal capacity, but also in his all-action style.

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Here’s the stumbling block: Vidal does have a recent history of knee problems. The Juventus man went in for surgery in May, with concerns that he wouldn’t be ready for the World Cup. It can be the only problem preventing United making a move for the player, who, at 27 and with a wealth of experience, can’t be considered overpriced at £34 million.

There’s a strong argument to make that Vidal is currently the world’s premier midfielder, able to offer everything from his central position. Those qualities haven’t been lost on clubs like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. If the Chilean does want to leave Turin – and there is never any smoke without fire – it would be negligent for Manchester United to overlook him on the basis of a few million.

Di Maria would have helped to accelerate United’s progression back to the top of the Premier League. After his best season in European football, now is the time to secure the Argentine. But United have a more than capable Juan Mata and an exciting prospect in Adnan Januzaj. Even if the club do need to boost their midfield ranks with a natural winger, there are cheaper options over the fee Real Madrid are demanding, said to be €60 million.

But they don’t come much better than Vidal, and they don’t come as important to United as a player like the 27-year-old. After missing out on Kevin Strootman last summer – not as good as Vidal, but a very good player anyway; and not to suggest Strootman is absolutely out of the question – the club can’t afford another slipup, especially not of this magnitude.

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United must also take into account Antonio Conte’s recent resignation as Juventus manager, possibly forced through the impending sale of either Vidal or Paul Pogba.

United have the funds, now is the time to capitalise and push on from the numerous disasters of last season.

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Manchester United spent a whopping £150million on new recruits this summer in a bid to transform themselves back into genuine Premier League title contenders.

But over a third of that almighty sum was reserved for a single player – once Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria.

Indeed, the Argentina international’s £59.7million arrival smashed the British transfer record, previously set at £50million by infamous Chelsea flop Fernando Torres.

That’s enormous pressure on the 26 year-old’s shoulders, but we at Football FanCast believe he’s more than capable of living up to it – especially following his sensational performance against Germany on Wednesday evening, in which the midfielder claimed one goal and three assists.

In fact, we’re so confident that this will be seen as a fantastic value-for-money buy in a couple of years’ time that we’ve come up with no less than FIVE reasons why.

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GOALS

Angel Di Maria is by no means the most potent of midfielders. In that regard, he’s some way short of the likes of Arjen Robben, Eden Hazard and Franck Ribery, or even Manchester United’s Juan Mata.

His overall return for Real Madrid stands at 36 goals in 191 appearances, which is decent but hardly outstanding – in short, it’s not a defining characteristic of his game.

But the 26 year-old is consistent in his contribution; he’s never scored less than four or more than seven in any of his five La Liga campaigns, which is the level of return Manchester United can expect too.

He also netted this tasty chip (no sauce) against Germany on Wednesday evening:

It’s good news for the Red Devils – especially if Louis van Gaal plans to use Di Maria in central midfield, as he was fielded in his Premier League debut against Burnley last weekend. As viewable below, United’s other centre-mids found just two goals between them last year – half of the Argentina international’s single-handed haul:

Here’s a look at Di Maria’s Top Ten goals:

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ASSISTS

A major factor in Angel Di Maria’s stock going through the roof, re-entering the building at the ground floor and going through the roof once again since he was linked with a move to Tottenham in summer 2013 has been his emergence as one of the top creators in European football.

As viewable below, the transition into central midfield saw him finish up with an incredible 17 assists in La Liga last season:

And that return was significantly greater than the top assisters in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 last season, whilst the 26 year-old lead the way in terms of creating chances too:

And just in case the Argentina international’s credentials as a world-class creator weren’t already confirmed, he provided no less than three set-ups against Argentina on Wednesday evening:

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Versatility and options

Versatility is an important trait for any player, and indeed, in the modern era, most footballers are adaptable and can play in a multitude of positions.

Angel Di Maria is no different – he moved to the Bernabeu as an out-and-out winger, but last season transitioned his role into an almost box-to-box style centre-mid, as shown below:

But for Manchester United, and particularly Louis van Gaal, that versatility could prove vital throughout the coming season. As well-documented and widely debated, the Red Devils have been lining up in a 3-4-1-2 formation this year, imported from LVG’s exploits with the Netherlands at the World Cup:

It’s yet to have the desired effect however, with United still searching for their first competitive win under the Dutchman. There are already calls for LVG to change systems and it remains to be seen if he will.

Di Maria at least gives him the option to do so, being as influential out wide as he is in the middle of the park. Van Gaal’s preferred formation is 4-3-3, used throughout spells with Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, which the Argentina international would fit into with equal – or perhaps even greater – ease.

PACE AND TAKE-ONS

In comparison to its many illustrious forbearers, the current Manchester United’s squad’s most fatal flaw is a lack of prolific pace throughout. Antonio Valencia is a real road-runner but he rarely puts that to good use going forward, whilst Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are rather static for a front two. Even Juan Mata, for a No.10, is incredibly slow.

Well, Angel Di Maria is the perfect remedy. He’s sensationally quick – unquestionably Real Madrid’s fastest player after Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale – and knows how to use it too, regularly attempting to beat his man with trickery and speed.

As viewable below, the Argentina international finished the World Cup as its third most proficient dribbler:

Here’s how he compared to Manchester United’s other attacking options in that regard last season:

And a look at the 26 year-old in action:

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Manchester United haven’t possessed a player capable of marauding past defenders so easily since Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Dawn of a new transfer policy

Angel Di Maria’s £59million arrival marks the dawn of an entirely new transfer policy at Old Trafford.

Before Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement last summer, the Red Devils’ record transfer fee was for Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov, way back in 2008. The £31million deal summarises Ferguson’s attitude in the market perfectly – he’d only pay big fees for players who have already proved themselves at Premier League level. Seven of United’s ten biggest transfers are from other Premiership clubs, two of which (Di Maria and Ander Herrera) arrived this summer.

The Argentina international, on the other hand, cost United nearly twice as much as Berbatov and has never plied his trade in English football before. Attracting such a big name is also a break from recent traditions; over the last few years, the Red Devils have been targeting value-for-money deals and long-term investments, such as Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, over stellar purchases.

It’s already been labelled a move towards Real Madrid’s Galactico model by The Telegraph’s James Wilson, Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp and the BBC, with Di Maria’s record-breaking move followed closely by a lucrative loan deal for Radamel Falcao.

The Colombian will be the name that stands out in that regard due to his enormous wages, but the 26 year-old’s record-breaking arrival is a central pillar of United’s new-found transfer policy too.

It sets a precedent for the coming transfer windows, and Di Maria can be regarded as the first true Galatico of the new era at Old Trafford.

Most football fans and pundits alike thought that Alan Pardew had lost the dressing room, and it’s unsurprising when you consider Newcastle’s recent form in the current calendar year. Before their recent revival, Newcastle had managed just five Premier League victories in 2014. Yet the Magpies have now won three league games on the bounce, including an away trip to Spurs and a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.

This resurgent period for Newcastle has seemingly come out of nowhere. There were no indicators that performances and results would start picking up. As recently as September, Newcastle failed to win any of their three Premier League matches, and the pressure was ever increasing on Pardew’s silver head.

Surely not a single Newcastle fan was willing to stand by Pardew as he seemingly ran out of ideas?! Yet crucially Mike Ashley was prepared to. Many would still claim that it was the wrong decision to keep hold of the ex-West Ham manager, but there’s no denying that the players are still very much on his side and fighting for the cause.

Football clubs don’t go on winning runs in the Premier League when all the playing staff have lost faith in the manager, it can’t happen and it doesn’t happen. Therefore, that’s proof enough that 53-year-old Englishman is doing his job just fine in terms of team morale.

Of course, the manager simply having the players on his/her side is not enough for football supporters, and why would it be, results are everything. Now the results are rolling in for Newcastle and after four straight wins in all competitions the fans are starting to turn. Fittingly on Halloween weekend a sign was displayed by a couple of Newcastle supporters after their victory over Liverpool, which read ‘Pardew – Back from the dead’.

He’s certainly back, and so are Newcastle; the Geordie outfit’s fan base were seemingly beyond the point of no return just a few months ago, and now a few are admitting they are reasonably happy – as long as the good results continue of course.

I suppose that’s the fickle nature of football fans. Regardless of the club stature , if results are positive the supporters are happy. Likewise if the results are not so good then the fans will be flying over an [enter manager name] OUT! banner.

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The team are performing better and the fans are happier – obviously. Pardew should still be given the credit he deserves. Ok, he hasn’t been doing his job very well in general over the past two seasons, but he’s done well enough. For managing to survive an absolute barrage of abuse and pressure, and to now stringing performances and results together Pardew may well be in for the Manager of the Season award if he can keep the momentum going.

The dismal times have left Tyneside – for now – and Alan Pardew is there to see the good times, quite an incredible achievement for Newcastle, even if the supporters have had to put up with an incredibly disappointing 2014.

Manchester United haven’t lost a game in their last 10 Premier League fixtures. Although this is a very good record, the Red Devils have drawn against the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hostpur and most recently Stoke City in that run. Louis Van Gaal will know better than anyone that these draws must be turned into victories if Manchester United are going to mount a serious title challenge.

Further additions to the squad in January will come as no real surprise but it is in the summer where Manchester United are expected to spend big once again. They still have a number of defensive frailties in the squad and the Dutch manager will want to address these issues as soon as he can.

There is also a lack of real pace in the side when Angel Di Maria is absent so there is room for improvement in that particular area as well.

Here are five Manchester United signings that can take them to the next level…

Mats Hummels

Speculation surrounding the World Cup winner’s future at Borussia Dortmund has been in all of the papers since Manchester United and Arsenal were reported to have an interest in the 26-year-old. There is no doubting his talent as he proved at the World Cup that he is a world class centre-back.

He will offer defensive solidarity in the heart of the United back four, his aerial strength and physicality will also make him an ideal fit for the Premier League. Although Hummels started his career at Bayern Munich, he has become a favourite for German side Borussia Dortmund. The German club are currently experiencing a torrid time in the Bundesliga, languishing in 17th place. If there is a time for Hummels to move away from the German club, it could be very soon. If Manchester United do capture Hummels, the club will have eventually sealed a deal to replace the brilliant Nemanja Vidic.

Seamus Coleman

There is no doubt that Seamus Coleman has been one of the most impressive full-backs in the Premier League in recent seasons. His pace, link-up play and occasional goal threat, alongside strong defensive capabilities, mean that he is hot property and his signature could be available for around £20million.

With Shaw at left-back, the addition of Coleman on the other flank would really suit the wing-back formation that Louis Van Gaal is trying to implement at Old Trafford. Coleman will also add a lot of pace in the side and his speed is needed for recovery when he could be playing in a wing-back role. Although the Irishman may not be a galactico-style capture, he would improve the United defence immediately and fit into the manager’s system with no real issues.

Paul Pogba

Since he controversially left Manchester United in 2012, Paul Pogba has developed into a world-class midfielder playing alongside the like of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal for Juventus. Although Sir Alex Ferguson was not a huge fan of the young Frenchman, there is no doubting the 21-year-old’s capability to produce the spectacular.

Pogba may feel that he has unfinished business at Old Trafford and proving a club legend wrong could be enough to tempt his ego away from Turin. A huge bid of around £70million could be enough to tempt Juventus into selling their midfielder and Manchester United would have gained one of the hottest prospects in world football by doing so.

His excellent passing, dribbling and shooting skills will provide a fresh impetus in the heart of the United midfield. If Pogba is available, Manchester United will need to do all they can to sign a player who has already appeared represented the Red Devils three times at senior level.

Pepe

The Portuguese’s contract is running out at the Bernabeu and although Real Madrid will be desperate to keep the 31-year-old centre back, he would prove a shrewd signing if Manchester United manage to capture the defender. He has been at the top of his game for a number of years and his solid approach and excellent positioning means he could be a massive improvement compared Man United’s current defensive quota.

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If Pepe could be persuaded to join Van Gaal’s revolution at Old Trafford, a defender of that calibre will improve United’s title hopes no end. As well as being solid in the tackle, Pepe is an excellent aerial threat and can often play the ball out from defence, something Rio Ferdinand did brilliantly in his time at Old Trafford. It may be difficult to prise Pepe away from the best club side in European football at the moment. However, the prospect of a new challenge and a bumper wage packet under Van Gaal may prove very tempting for the centre-back.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The galactico of all potential galacticos. The world class brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo would be one hell of a signing if he returned to Old Trafford. There is no doubt the 29-year-old will transform an already impressive Manchester United attacking line. However, if there is any possibility of capturing the former United great, Van Gaal will do all he can to get his man.

There have been rumours that Ronaldo’s relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has deteriorated over the years. If this is the case, a return to Premier League football with a club like Manchester United could be a good move for Ronaldo. He’ll add everything to the Manchester United attack as his recent form for Real Madrid has shown that the Portugese magician shows no signs of slowing down.

A fantastic move for Manchester United and the Premier League, Ronaldo’s capture would give Van Gaal all he needs in attack to lead a title charge next season.

After just 73 seconds, Arsenal took the lead at the Emirates against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League thanks to Yaya Sanogo’s first competitive goal for the club.

In truth, ever since then, Arsene Wenger’s side haven’t looked troubled with their recent problems seemingly behind them, and the desire to do nothing but attack curtailed, somewhat.

As always, summer signing Alexis Sanchez has been leading from the front, hustling and harrying the Bundesliga outfit’s defence, chasing lost causes and terrifying the back four of the German’s with his tricky footwork.

Sanchez always looks in the mood for 90 minutes of football, and it was no surprise when the former Barcelona ace bent home an absolute beauty to make it 2-0 to the Gunners and, without jinxing the north Lond0n-based club, looks to have sealed all three points for Arsene Wenger’s side and qualification through to the next round – where they will inevitably be knocked out by Bayern Munich.

Take a look at Sanchez’s beauty below

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Carles Gil is Aston Villa’s first signing of this January transfer window, with Paul Lambert’s side acquiring the attacking midfielder from Valencia. Gil has already made a good start to life in the Midlands, scoring a lovely goal as Villa defeated Bournemouth in the FA Cup last weekend.

Signed on a four-and-a-half-year deal, Lambert will hope Gil can reinvigorate a Villa attack that is currently the most impotent in all of England’s top five leagues.

This has led to an online petition calling for Lambert to go, though the ex-Norwich boss will have faith that his new signing can help to reverse the growing negativity that surrounds Villa Park.

Lambert said of his new signing: “We’ve been on the lookout for a creative player and he will certainly bring that extra element to the side – he has a lot to offer and I know we can get the best out of him.”

So who is Gil and where has he come from?

Gil is a Spanish under-21 international, gaining an assist in a lone appearance for his country, showing his talent is widely recognised. The attacking midfielder is a product of the renowned Valencia youth system, first appearing for their B team in 2009 – impressive considering that Gil was only 17.

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Various loans in the lower Spanish leagues gave him experience, before gaining notoriety for his excellence during a two-year loan to Elche across recent seasons Gil was a crucial player in the Elche said that gained a remarkable double of not only gaining promotion to La Liga in 2012-2013, but defying the odds to stay up the following season.

The new Villa recruit managed just three assists and five goals across 66 appearances, but this is forgiveable given that many of his outings came when shielding the back four. This as opposed to more attacking midfield roles, to which Gil’s came is clearly better suited.

Since returning to Valencia, Gil has struggled for opportunities due to intense competition for places, leading to a move to the Premier League. But with Villa having scored just once in six Premier League games, what can Gil do to change Villa’s dwindling fortunes?

Gil can help Villa to regain some creativity and quality service to help Christian Benteke find more opportunities, and his scoring touch. Currently no Villa player has more than two league assists, a void that the Spaniard’s arrival can help fill.

The Spaniard is versatile, easing tactical problems for Lambert when seeking to accommodate his most capable attackers. The new signing can play on either flank and in the number 10 role, most probably behind Benteke, Villa’s best chance of finding regular goals.

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The midfielder is primarily left-footed, and has evident technical ability, though understandably the question will be whether Gil can handle the physicality of the Premier League. The Spaniard has certainly been thrown in the deep end, with fixtures against current leaders Chelsea, a resurgent Liverpool and a top side in Arsenal all coming up in the next few weeks.

However, with Villa sitting precariously above the relegation zone, Gil appears as good a chance as any other realistic signings Lambert could make to help his side regain their attacking edge.

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Last night Newcastle fans, and the greater footballing world, enjoyed a truly fine moment as Jonas Gutierrez took to the pitch once again in the black and white shirt.

The Argentine was declared clear of testicular cancer at the back end of last year after a long battle and months of chemotherapy, and a 30 minute stint against Manchester United was his first competitive match action for the North East club for 17 months – he did play briefly for Norwich on loan.

Naturally, Gutierrez received a rapturous welcome from the St James’ Park crowd, and captain Fabricio Coloccini’s decision to hand him the armband was a touching gesture. The 31-year-old is not the only player to have endured a long lay-off though, with numerous players down the years having spent large chunks of time on the sidelines with injuries… and here are FIVE of the finest comebacks…

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Henrik Larsson, October 1999

Despite the Larsson incident having occurred back in the last millennium, any football fan who saw the event will still be able to picture the stricken Swede. The silky striker was involved in a tussle with Lyon’s Serge Blanc in UEFA Cup action, and it’s fair to say the Hoops ace came off worse. Images of the incident were graphic to say the least, with Larsson breaking both his tibia and fibula.

Recovery – Thankfully Larsson made a full recovery and went on to become Celtic’s all-time record goalscorer with a tally of 242. Amazingly, he returned before the end of the same season!

Alan Smith, February 2006

Alex Ferguson himself described the injury as one of the worst he’d ever seen, and with the Scot having been in the game a while, those words carry clout. Smith dived in to block a thunderous shot from Liverpool’s John Arne Riise, and the power of the ball allied to the awkward fall saw the once Leeds prodigy both break his left leg and dislocate his ankle.

Recovery – Smith missed seven months of action, and although he returned, his career never truly got going again.

Djibril Cisse, October 2004

The first of two severe leg breaks Cisse suffered came back in 2004, courtesy of an overzealous challenge from Blackburn’s Jay McEveley. The Frenchman’s lower leg appeared to buckle as both his tibia and fibula snapped due, in part, to his studs catching in the turf.

Recovery – Despite the horrible scenes, only a seven month lay-off awaited Cisse.

Eduardo, September 2008

One of the Premier League’s worst leg breaks came in 2008 as Birmingham’s Martin Taylor lunged in recklessly on Eduardo. The Brazilian-born Croatia international was left with a broken left fibula and a dislocated ankle, and prompted Arsene Wenger to call for the offender to be banned for life.

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Recovery – Eduardo spent almost a year out of action and upon his return suffered a hamstring injury!

Petr Cech, October 2006

While the majority of horror injuries in football tend to revolve around the legs, goalkeepers are at risk of a number of other issues. And Cech’s severe head injury in 2006 shows how dangerous it can be to wear the gloves. The stopper came out to claim a loose ball only to be caught on the skull by Reading’s Stephen Hunt’s knee. Cech almost died as a result of the blow.

Recovery – To this day Cech wears a protective skull guard, but he amazingly spent just three months out.

It’s been quite a few weeks for young Raheem Sterling. While many 20-year-old are worrying about, jobs, money and exams, the Liverpool starlet is fighting against a £100,000-per-week salary, calling on thousands of Kopites to sing his name and taking drugs in his living room…

Well, these are the latest rumours, and Brendan Rodgers has responded by claiming that he will sit down with his player to talk about what’s going on. Okay, Sterling has been spotted using Nitrous Oxide – a legal high – in his own home, but as a professional footballer it hardly sends out the right message, and the timing is woeful in light of the headlines he’s attracting anyway.

But let’s step away from the moral debate and look at the ‘banter’ on Twitter. Sterling’s name is pretty popular on social media right now, and it seems that he’s getting quite a hard time from fans poking fun…

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Tottenham’s win at Everton on the final day of the season was a positive end to a somewhat inconsistent campaign that ensured they finished an unlikely fifth place in the Premier League table.

Defeats for both Liverpool and Southampton saw Spurs grab the first Europa League space leaving them just a tantalising six points behind the Champions League spaces and surely with a feeling of what might have been.

It does however reflect a decent first season at White Hart Lane for Mauricio Pochettino, whose young squad have shown plenty of potential while falling just short of the top four.

There’s sure to be plenty of transfer activity over the next few months as the manager looks to strengthen his pack in order to make a proper assault on the Champions League places next term, and they may be able to do just that should they manage to sign the right players.

Central defence is one are Spurs are keen on reinforcing over the summer, and they have already signalled their intention by agreeing a deal with Cologne for Kevin Wimmer.

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But that might not be the only centre-half they sign this summer, with reports suggesting the club have a firm interest in Southampton defender Toby Alderweireld.

There is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the future of the Belgian who has spent the season on-loan at St Mary’s from Atletico Madrid, and given the way he has performed this season; he is a player Tottenham should be going all out to sign.

The 26-year-old has had a superb campaign down on the South Coast and has been an instrumental part of Southampton’s impressive defence record.

The Saints finished the season with 12 clean sheets, and the second least goals against with 33, just one more than champions Chelsea.

And Alderwiereld is one man who can take plenty of credit for that achievement. He’s proved himself to be a top class defender and most importantly has shown he can cut it in the Premier League.

If Spurs can bring him to North London, they will not only be getting a solid defender who is comfortable on the ball, but a versatile one who can play both at right-back and centre half.

And given his history at playing alongside Jan Vertonghen at both Ajax and Belgium, there is certainly the potential for the countrymen to form a great partnership at the heart of the Tottenham defence next season.

Atletico are yet to decide whether they want to keep the defender or not, but with Spurs interested; they could accept as little as £10m. In today’s market and having seen first hand what he can offer; that really is a bargain and a no-brainer for Spurs.

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Unsurprisingly there appears to be a great deal of competition for Alderweireld, with Manchester City, Chelsea and of course Southampton all linked with a move.

But having spoken of his desire to play alongside Vertonghen once again, he has dropped a massive hint that he could favour a switch to Spurs, and is certainly a player that will improve the team and help their push for Champions League qualification.

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