Jannik Sinner is 23, and Alcaraz 21. That is a lot of years to concede when your opponents are as good as they are.

But Grand Slam titles have regularly been won by great players in their mid-thirties over the past decade, and Edberg has played his part.

The Swede was part of Roger Federer's coaching team in 2014 and 2015, and is sure Djokovic's fire still burns brightly.

"These guys have a lot of people around them and they just love being out there. Especially with Novak chasing a lot of records, I think that's motivation enough," he said.

"He's still extremely fit, so that's going to give him at least a chance, even if it's going to be really difficult this time round."

What is clear when speaking to Edberg is how the top players now feel no psychological barrier to winning in their thirties. While the length of the season remains brutal, he says smarter scheduling helps.

"If I look back on my own career, I think what in many ways burnt me out was playing Davis Cup," he explained.

"We went to six Davis Cup finals in a row - it meant playing until December and then starting the season again.

"That really shortened my career when I look back at it. Physically, I could have played for another five years.

"At the time I was playing, the chance of winning Slams at 30 or 31 was very, very poor. That has changed now."

Edberg retired in December 1996 aged 30, after yet another appearance in a Davis Cup final.

Former England scrum-half Danny Care says he will remain with Harlequins next season for his 20th campaign with the club.

Care, 38, has made a club record 386 appearances for the London outfit, including 11 so far this season.

"I will be at Harlequins next season, I ain't leaving - I love it too much, I can't give it up yet," he told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

"Hopefully a few Quins fans will be happy with that.

"That game [the 'Big Game' 34-34 Premiership draw against Leicester in December] probably reminded me again just how lucky I am, fortunate, to still play this game we love and to still play for the club that I love.

"I'm not going to give it up while I enjoy it."

Brown made 74 appearances for Dragons and scored five tries.

"I've been lucky enough to spend my entire playing career with the Dragons, something I've truly cherished and am incredibly proud of," said Brown.

"I'd like to send a massive shout out to my team-mates - both past and present - and to the loyal Dragons fans for your continued, unwavering support.

"Everyone's help and support over the years has not gone unnoticed by my family or I, and we will be forever grateful.

"Finally there is a huge thank you to the Dragons for sticking by me and supporting me while I tried my best to get this neck to play ball."

Dragons interim head coach Filo Tiatia said: "We're all disappointed Leon is retiring, but fully understand the decision he has now taken.

"I have enjoyed working with Leon. He's left no stone unturned, with his dedication and professionalism, and developed as a leader in my time with him."

Some NHL awards races are actual races. There are leaders, but ones that are looking over their shoulders at a pack of candidates closing in fast.

Other NHL awards races currently look at lot like when Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt would race: Everyone is just going to have to be content with second place because their leads are that insurmountable.

Again, the operative word is "currently." This is the NHL Awards Watch for January. We have a lot of season to go.

We've polled a wide selection of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters anonymously to get a sense of where the wind is blowing for the current leaders. We've made sure it's a cross-section from the entire league, trying to gain as many perspectives as possible.

Bear in mind that the PHWA votes for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Lady Byng finalists; broadcasters vote for the Jack Adams; and general managers handle the Vezina.

All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

Jump ahead:
Ross | Richard | Hart
Norris | Selke | Vezina
Calder | Byng | Adams

Art Ross Trophy (points leader)

Click here for the updated point-scoring standings.

Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy

Click here for the updated goal-scoring standings.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Leader: Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Finalists: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers; Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

A couple of things happened since the last NHL Awards Watch.

After leading the MVP race last month, Kaprizov's lower-body injury put him out of the Wild lineup. Through Sunday, he had missed six of Minnesota's 40 games this season. His stats remain stellar -- 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points -- but other Hart contenders haven't spent that kind of time off the ice.

The other significant happening was the entirety of Nathan MacKinnon's December. The Avalanche star had seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points in 13 games, helping Colorado go 10-3-0 while being named the NHL's first star for the month. Through 40 games, MacKinnon led the NHL with 65 points and 51 assists and led the Avalanche in scoring by eight points over Mikko Rantanen.

MacKinnon won the Hart last season. The NHL hasn't had back-to-back MVPs since Alex Ovechkin won the award in 2007-08 and 2008-09. The way MacKinnon's going, it could happen again.

And yet, Kirill Kaprizov still got the majority of the first-place votes from those canvassed this month.

"In the true spirit of the award, there is just no way Minnesota is anywhere close to the unexpectedly good team they are this year without Kaprizov," a voter said.

But the MVP race behind the Wild star has changed dramatically. Last month, Kaprizov finished atop the Hart straw poll with 88% of the vote. This month, he earned only 37% of the first-place votes. MacKinnon is right behind him. So are the other players who received first-place votes this month: Draisaitl, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner. All of them have compelling MVP cases.

"It's getting crowded at the top, but Kaprizov is still producing more at even strength than any other player," a Kaprizov voter declared. "MacKinnon has Rantanen, Draisaitl has McDavid, Kucherov is too power-play dependent."

"I'm picking Kirill Kaprizov," another noted. "But if Colorado gets their stuff sorted for good and takes off, MacKinnon might run away with it. Central Division is where it's at."

MacKinnon won the Hart last year with 51 goals and 140 points. He's nowhere near that goal pace, but his points-per-game pace (1.63) isn't far off from his pace in his MVP season (1.71). He was the clear second choice with 26% of the first-place votes. MacKinnon was in the top three in the November Awards Watch, didn't receive a first-place vote in December and has come roaring back this month.

"MacKinnon's surge and Kaprizov's injury changed the face of that Hart race," a voter concluded.

"He not only leads the NHL in scoring but kept the Avalanche afloat long enough for them to swap out both goalies and look more like a serious contender," another explained.

Draisaitl was third in the voting (16%), right ahead of Eichel (11%). The Oilers star led the NHL in goals through Sunday with 29 tallies, well ahead of the five players tied with 23 goals. His 59 points were second to MacKinnon for the NHL lead. According to Evolving Hockey, Draisaitl leads the NHL with 22.6 expected goals above replacement.

Draisaitl helped keep the Oilers on point as teammate Connor McDavid dealt with an injury. But McDavid has played only three fewer games than Draisaitl -- and trailed him by only five points for the team lead. The season Draisaitl won his only Hart Trophy (the COVID-shortened 2019-20), he played seven more games than McDavid and tallied 13 more points.

Eichel's having the best regular season of his career. Through Sunday, the 28-year-old center led the Golden Knights with 52 points in 39 games -- nearly 20 points clear of the second-highest scorer, Mark Stone (33 points).

That Eichel had played 14 more games than Stone is exactly the point: As Vegas has had more guys out of action than a casino where the house always wins, Eichel has been the constant, playing every game and playing extremely well. His career high for points is 82 in 2018-19 with Buffalo. He's on pace for over 109 points this season.

"He's the best player on the best team, but most impressive is how Eichel has emerged as a defensive force," one Jack backer explained.

They're right about his defense, which has been improving each season since his 200-foot game earned accolades during the 2023 Stanley Cup run. Internally, Vegas has talked about Eichel getting a Selke push this season. The Knights give up just 2.16 goals-against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Eichel on the ice. It should be noted, however, that Kaprizov has him bested in goals-against per 60 (1.88) and expected goals against per 60 (2.05) this season.

Kucherov, who won the Hart in 2018-19, has led the Lightning in scoring all season. Through 35 games he had 55 points, 10 points better than the team's second-leading scorer Brayden Point.

Marner received a first-place vote for holding down the fort while Auston Matthews was out with an injury. Marner has 56 points in 41 games, 13 more than the Leafs' second-leading scorer William Nylander, while continuing to be an exceptional defensive forward, too. It's a heck of a case he's making in a contract year.

Marner has never finished in the top 10 for the Hart. Quinn Hughes was seventh for the award last season, when he won his first Norris Trophy. So he's on the radar in the MVP race and pulled in one first-place vote.

In a tumultuous season for the Canucks -- from infighting to injuries -- Hughes has easily been their best player: 42 points in 34 games, including 34 assists. He's not leading all defensemen in points nor ice time, but he's leading the Canucks in both. Hughes leads Conor Garland (29 points) by 13 points for the team lead.

So it's a very crowded field and could become even more crowded if Connor Hellebuyck starts getting the credit for the Winnipeg Jets' outstanding season. The NHL hasn't had a goalie win MVP since Montreal's Carey Price in 2014-15.

"I was this close to putting Hellebuyck down for MVP," said a voter who ultimately broke for Kaprizov instead.

While he didn't earn a first-place vote, it would be foolish to discount McDavid from the race. He's won NHL MVP three times and been a finalist for the award six times in 10 seasons. With 54 points in 36 games -- his 1.50 points per game average is fourth in the NHL -- he's just a stride behind the rest of these players.

Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

Leader: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Finalists: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks; Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

No major changes in the Norris race order, which we're sure will go over well in Vancouver.

Makar's lead has narrowed from earning 75% of the first-place votes to 58% from our panelists this month. His 49 points in 40 games led all defensemen through Sunday's games. That's impressive, but not nearly the total Makar's incredible start (24 points in 15 games) seemed to portend. He's a plus-13, skating more on average (25:31) than Hughes (25:08) but less than Werenski (26:28).

After getting dinged for his defense in last season's Norris voting, Makar's underlying numbers are strong: The Avalanche are giving up 2.04 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 when he's on the ice and have an expected goals-against of 2.14. Makar won the Norris in 2021-22 and finished third in the next two seasons.

One Makar voter anticipated some backlash for their choice. "Blah, blah, blah, you only pick points. But the dude is unreal and controls the game from the blue line. A total freak show," they quipped.

"He leads all blueliners in goals and assists," another Makar voter noted. "Quinn Hughes' injury may prove the difference in what was shaping to be a tight race."

Hughes, last season's Norris winner, missed four games after Christmas with an undisclosed injury. His return is imminent, which is good news for a Vancouver team whose offense struggled to score just seven goals in his absence. Hughes (42 points in 34 games) had a razor-thin points-per-game lead (1.24) on Makar (1.23) entering Monday's games.

Another factor for Hughes: He's second in the NHL in expected goals above replacement (18.5) and has added three wins to the Canucks, per Evolving Hockey. Makar (13.7 xGAR, 2.3 WAR) was a distant fifth in both categories.

Hughes garnered 26% of the votes.

"The Canucks' performance without the injured Hughes over the past few games underscores his importance to the team and gives him a slight edge over Cale Makar this time around," a Hughes voter noted.

"It's hard to argue with a plus-18 goal differential at 5-on-5," another added.

Hughes play a ton at 5-on-5 (21:12) -- more than Makar, in fact (19:34). He doesn't play much at all on the penalty kill (11 seconds per game), while Makar does (2:12).

Werenski also plays in all three situations for the Blue Jackets. In fact, he plays more than any other skater in the NHL, at 26:28 per game on average. Werenski has 12 goals and 33 assists in 40 games. He entered Monday second to Makar in goals and points on the season.

"More people should be talking about Zach Werenski," a Makar voter declared.

"The thing that stuck out to me the most [since December's Awards Watch] was how much better the Blue Jackets are with Zach Werenski on the ice," a Werenski voter said. "His impact is noticeable on both ends of the ice -- the way he drives play, his defensive ability -- and that is how he manages to be a plus-player on that bad of a team. He should be rewarded for that."

"The Columbus Blue Jackets sit nowhere near sniffing-distance of a playoff spot if Werenski isn't averaging 1.13 points per game while logging almost 27 minutes every night," another Werenski voter pointed out.

These three defensemen dominated our voters' ballots. The only other two names mentioned were Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, who was seventh for the Norris last season after finishing fifth one year earlier; and Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson, who continues to thrive under head coach Spencer Carbery. He was second for the Norris in 2019-20.

Calder Trophy (top rookie)

Leader: Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks
Finalists: Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens; Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers

Last month, we likened Macklin Celebrini to a marauding T-Rex chasing a Jurassic Park jeep, as Matvei Michkov frantically glanced in his side mirror to discover that objects may be closer than they appear.

In other words, it was only a matter of time before the San Jose Sharks rookie had the body of work voters needed to put him over the Philadelphia Flyers rookie in the Calder race, and here we are.

"Sometimes, the obvious answer is the correct answer," a Celebrini voter concluded.

After finishing second to Michkov in the December NHL Awards Watch, Celebrini pulled nearly 90% of the first-place votes from our panelists to take control of the rookie of the year race.

"A must-watch player already," a Macklin backer said. "He's absolutely electric despite having little help around him."

Entering Monday's action, Celebrini (28 points) trailed Michkov (29 points) by one point despite playing eight fewer games thanks to an early-season injury. Celebrini's 0.93 points-per-game average was tops among all rookies. He also led all rookies with 13 goals, one more than Michkov.

"Matvei Michkov had the head start, but the wonder kid in San Jose has made up for lost ground," a voter said.

Celebrini is seeing significantly more ice time (19:48) than the Flyers rookie (16:31) on average. In fact, Celebrini is second only to Hutson, a defenseman, in average ice time for rookie skaters.

"Not many rookie forwards skate almost 20 minutes per game," a voter declared.

"I lean Macklin over Michkov because of the two-way skill and effort he regularly shows on a lesser team," another added.

Michkov still has a strong case and could end up sweeping the goals and points titles among rookies, both of which have been harbingers for forwards winning the Calder. He's feasted on the power play for the Flyers, with five goals and 12 points, which led all rookies. While Celebrini has managed to keep up with Michkov as far as highlight-reel moments, Michkov has thrived under -- or despite? -- the "tough love" of John Tortorella's coaching.

"Michkov has restructured a broken power play with ease. He's reminded us the extent of impact one majestic player like him can truly have on a team's complexion," a voter explained. "I anticipate changing this to Celebrini by the end of the year, but I'm also anticipating an extremely close call."

Michkov is the only other player to earn first place votes for the Calder. Based on the number of mentions he received on voters' ballots, we're comfortable putting Hutson in that third spot just ahead of Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf.

Hutson has 27 points in 39 games while skating 22:34 per game for the Canadiens. To put into perspective how much Hutson has lapped the field among rookie defensemen: The next highest scoring rookie defenseman, Nolan Allen of Chicago, is 21 points behind.

The Canadiens defenseman is a minus-8, fourth worst on the Habs for players with at least 15 games played. That's with Montreal having sheltered him with 63% of this zone starts coming in the offensive zone.

Wolf, who was third overall last month, is 12-6-2 in 20 games, with a .913 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average, to go along with two shutouts. Those are easily the best numbers for any rookie goalie with at least 10 appearances. With the Flames in the thick of the wild-card race, he should not be counted out for Calder consideration.

But right now, it's just "consideration." It remains Celebrini vs. Michkov, with Celebrini clearly ahead in the race.

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

Note: The NHL's general managers vote for this award

Leader: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Finalists: Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils; Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals

This is Connor Hellebuyck's Vezina to lose, but our voters didn't make it unanimous.

Hellebuyck is 24-6-2 for the dominant Jets, with a .926 save percentage, a 2.09 save percentage and five shutouts -- leading the NHL on all of those categories for goaltenders with at least 20 appearances.

He won his second Vezina Trophy last season and looks very much poised to win a third. Since 1981 -- when the NHL changed the criteria of the Vezina Trophy to no longer just honor the goalie who played the most games on the team that gave up the fewest goals -- only three goalies won the Vezina more than twice: Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy. All legends and all Hockey Hall of Famers.

"It is 'Helle-back?' Perhaps 'Helle-back-to-back?'" a voter quipped.

"Five shutouts and the season isn't half over. He'll be on Hart ballots, too," another voter predicted.

There was another goalie that snagged a first-place vote and it was a surprise: Thompson, the Capitals netminder who came over from Vegas in the offseason.

The Capitals have been one of season's best teams and Thompson has been a big reason why. In 20 games, he's an incredible 16-2-2, with a .916 save percentage and a 2.39 goals-against average. Compare those numbers to what Washington's other netminder Charlie Lindgren has posted (10-8-1, .900 and 2.70) and the contrast is stark.

"Thompson has been so incredibly efficient. Sixteen of his 20 appearances qualify as quality starts (80%)," the Thompson voter noted. "When the goals dried up for the Capitals following their hot start -- and Alex Ovechkin was injured -- Thompson kept them on track."

The other Vezina spot could go to Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, who was in the top three in last month's NHL Awards Watch. He certainly has the numbers: 18-6-3 in 27 games, with a .926 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average. He also leads the NHL with 13.5 goals saved above expected per Stathletes.

But the goalie with the highest down-ballot mentions was Markstrom. He's 19-8-2 with a .911 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average. He hasn't been perfect, and has just 3.1 goals saved above expected this season, but a handful of voters believe he belongs in the Vezina conversation, such as it is.

"This is not a conversation by any stretch of the imagination," a Hellebuyck voter opined.

Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)

Leader: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Finalists: Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils; Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs

Barkov earned 42% of the first-place votes, which slightly down from his total last month (50%) but puts him in position to win back-to-back Selke trophies and his third Selke in five seasons.

The Panthers have a 2.06 goals-against and a 1.87 expected goals-against per 60 minutes with Barkov on the ice. The Panthers get 60% of the high-dander chances. He's also winning an exceptional 61% of his faceoffs this season while putting in work on the penalty kill as well.

"Aleksander Barkov is still the guy," a voter concluded.

While Barkov remains on top of the Selke leaderboard, the finalists from the December Awards Watch have changed. Out are Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers; in come Hischier and Marner.

Hischier was second in the Selke voting in 2022-23. He wins 55.8% of his faceoffs and leads the fifth best penalty kill in the NHL, as the forward with the most short-handed ice time on average for New Jersey. His underlying numbers aren't stellar from a defensive standpoint, although he wins a good amount of puck battles. But he's a player that certainly passes the eye test as a defensive force for New Jersey.

The same goes for Marner, a winger whose speed and tenacity make him a terrific defensive player. He leads the NHL in turnovers created (8.67) and steals per 60 (2.18) for players with at least 700 minutes of ice time, per Stathletes. He's the ice time leader for the eighth best penalty kill in the NHL.

It's here we note that a non-center hasn't won the Selke Trophy since 2002-03, when Dallas Stars winger Jere Lehtinen captured the award for the third time.

Reinhart was one of five other players to receive a first-place vote, is listed as a center although he plays on Barkov's wing. He has slightly better defensive metrics than his center, and also plays on the penalty kill.

Cirelli also received a first-place vote. He wins 51.7% of his faceoffs and he's an outstanding penalty killer, with two goals and two assists shorthanded. His underlying numbers (3.51 expected goals against per 60 minutes) don't mount a strong argument at the moment. Keep in mind that Cirelli was selected for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off as a defensive specialist, and that certainly raises his profile.

Anze Kopitar won the Selke in 2015-16 and 2017-18. He's having an outstanding season for what might be the best defensive team in the NHL. The Kings have a 1.66 goals-against per 60 minutes when Kopitar is on the ice.

Jordan Staal has been searching for his first Selke win for 15 years, and finished second for the award last season. He's once again the linchpin at forward defensively for the Hurricanes, who have a 1.69 goals-against average per 60 minutes when the center is on the ice.

The other player to receive a first-place Selke vote was Jack Eichel. As mentioned earlier, the Golden Knights believe his name should be in the hat for this award. Vegas gives up 2.16 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Eichel on the ice, and he's an effective penalty killer, too.

Barkov leads, but this is certainly still a competitive race.

Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play)

This is the part where I mention that the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play should be voted on by the league's on-ice officials or by the NHL Players' Association instead of the PHWA.

Traditionally, this award goes to a player with a top 20 point total and the lowest penalty minutes among those players. Brayden Point is 16th overall in scoring with 45 points, and had only two penalty minutes through 33 games. But keep an eye out for Anze Kopitar, who won the award in 2015-16 and 2022-23. He's 34th in scoring (39 points in 38 games) and also has just two penalty minutes. What a race!

Jack Adams Award (best coach)

Note: The NHL Broadcasters' Association votes on this award.

Leader: Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals
Finalists: Dean Evason, Columbus Blue Jackets; John Hynes, Minnesota Wild

Alex Ovechkin has 19 goals in 23 games this season. When he fractured his leg in November, there wasn't just concern about the state of his NHL all-time goals record chase. There was concern that it might derail what had been a stellar start for the Capitals, who went 13-4-1 with Ovechkin in the lineup through Nov. 18.

In between his injury and Ovechkin's triumphant return to the lineup on Dec. 28? The Capitals went 13-6-2, thanks in no small part to the steady leadership and strong fundamental systems of Spencer Carbery.

The second-year coach had Washington with the Eastern Conference's top points percentage heading into Monday's games. They were the top scoring team in the league (3.72 goals per game) and sixth in goals against (2.64).

Perhaps that's why Carbery was the only unanimous choice in any category in this month's NHL Awards Watch.

"He's going to run away with this, and for justifiable reasons," a voter declared.

While Evason and Hynes didn't get any first-place votes, they both received a lot of love down the ballot from our voters.

Hynes coached the Wild through some injury adversity to get near the top of the Central Division, with strong underlying defensive numbers.

"Hynes deserves a little love here," a voter argued.

Evason, in his first season with the Blue Jackets, has Columbus right at the Eastern Conference wild-card bubble after 40 games. He also has something that other candidates don't have: an emotional backstory, as Evason helped lead this Blue Jackets team through its grief following the tragic death of star forward Johnny Gaudreau before the season.

"The job Dean Evason is doing in Columbus, given everything that franchise has endured, is remarkable. To have them remotely close to a playoff spot is a huge feather in his cap," a voter explained. "If Columbus gets in, he may beat Carbery and Hynes, but those two have their teams playing consistently solid hockey."

Other coaches mentioned by our voters include Los Angeles Kings first-year coach Jim Hiller, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. The Winnipeg Jets' Scott Arniel, who was in the top three last month, did not receive a mention.

"Steven Stamkos is gone, Mikhail Sergachev was traded and they're one of the highest scoring teams in the league, one of the top in goal-differential, and radically turned their 5-on-5 play around," a Cooper backer noted.

"Considering injury list and goaltending woes, though, Jared Bednar should get more love in this category," another voter said.

Other coaches will get love. But it's hard to imagine any one of them breaking through the infatuation with Carbery this season.

Tottenham Hotspur have taken up their option to extend Son Heung-Min's contract by a further year to 2026, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old's existing agreement was due to expire at the end of the season but Spurs were always relaxed about the situation given they could exercise a clause inserted into the deal he signed in 2021.

Son has made 431 appearances for Tottenham and was named club captain by Ange Postecoglou shortly after he became head coach in August 2023.

Tottenham's decision puts an end to any speculation over Son's immediate future, but sources have told ESPN that the South Korea international was hopeful of a fresh, longer-term agreement.

However, no talks took place and Spurs simply decided to exercise the option they already had.

"The main ambition is to make sure he finishes his career here with some silverware," Postegoglou said ahead of Tottenham's Carabao Cup semifinal against Liverpool.

Son will mark 10 years at the club this summer but some supporters have been critical of a dip in his performances of late, even though his legendary status at the club is already secure.

The forward has scored 169 goals for Spurs -- the fourth-highest tally in the club's history -- but is yet to win a trophy given Tottenham's wait for silverware dates back to 2008.

Postecoglou face Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has said he does not focus on what is being said about the club online after forward Mohamed Salah sparked further speculation about his future with a cryptic social media post.

The photo, shared on Monday, shows Salah standing over a free-kick alongside teammates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. All three players are out of contract at Anfield at the end of the season and have been the subject of intense media scrutiny in recent months.

Asked whether he pays attention to the external noise surrounding his players, Slot said: "I talk to my players so if there is anything that worries them, they share with me. That has not happened until now.

"What I do with the players is show them what we could have done better against [Manchester] United, what we've done well against United, because I think especially in the first half, we created some very good chances. And the mentality we showed when we were 1-0 down, that is something every fan likes to see, and every manager likes to see.

"That's what we are focused on. I'm not focused on social media posts or what is being said about us. If you do that as Liverpool manager, then you have no life because this is one of the biggest clubs in the world and every day people talk about us."

Alexander-Arnold, in particular, has been under scrutiny following his lacklustre display in Sunday's 2-2 draw with United. Last week, the right-back was the subject of transfer interest from Real Madrid, though their approach was quickly rejected by Liverpool.

Reflecting on Alexander-Arnold's performance against Ruben Amorim's side, Slot said: "I think we were all disappointed by the way we played, not only Trent. First of all, about the result.

"Parts of the game we could be quite satisfied with. Other parts of our game we weren't totally satisfied with. That was not only Trent. There were more things in the game that we could have done better.

"Trent did not play his best game, I've said that already, but that's not for the first time in his life. He's played many games so, so well for this club, now this wasn't his best, like for some others. We just pick it up and start training again today."

Liverpool are six points clear at the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand, and are top of the Champions League table. Slot's side are also through to the semifinals of the Carabao Cup and will face Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg on Wednesday night.

Asked whether Liverpool will look to bolster their ranks in the January transfer window, Slot said: "It would be a bit weird if I'd said during the summer break we are really happy with the team to tell you something different now. But we always look at the market.

"This club has always looked at the market. We did this with the goalkeeper we don't even have at the moment [Giorgi Mamardashvili]. If there's a chance in the market, this club always tries to bring that chance in. The team is in a good place.

"Unfortunately, Joe Gomez's injury means we go from four centre-backs to three. But he will be back in a few weeks, and I am very happy with the team. I think they deserve that trust from the club and from me if you look at the performances they've brought in the last half a season."

The January transfer window is open and almost every club on the planet is in need of something. The problem? No one can afford to make any deals, seemingly.

Barcelona? So strapped for cash they're embroiled in a legal battle to register their existing players. Manchester United? They're operating on a shoestring budget, with manager Ruben Amorim effectively told to make do with what he's got. Chelsea? Real Madrid? Aston Villa? All reported to be under their own financial pressure.

In all but Barcelona's case, the woes are likely being overstated; it's a ploy for market position. For example, Newcastle United are, reportedly, simultaneously under severe pressure to comply with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) but also had 60 million to offer Crystal Palace for Marc Guéhi at the end of last summer. Still, now more than ever is the right time to get creative with transfer work, and one of the savviest things you can do is engineer swap deals.

Historically they've been incredibly difficult to pull off, with very few examples across the years, but in the last 18 months have risen to prominence as clubs try and meet financial targets.

Here, we've thought hard about five genuinely realistic swap deals that would make sense for all parties this month, allowing clubs and players to refresh their circumstances without straying over the line.

FW Randal Kolo Muani to Chelsea
MF/FW Christopher Nkunku to Paris Saint-Germain

Kolo Muani has been very publicly placed on the transfer list at PSG despite the fact that just 18 months ago, they spent an entire summer trying to sign him and ended up paying an eye-watering 80m to do so.

Admittedly, things haven't gone to plan for the striker in the French capital, but he remains an excellent player and one that many other striker-needy clubs should be delighted to acquire. His fee may prove a stumbling block, so perhaps a swap is the way to get the deal done with PSG here.

Enter: Chelsea. And enter: Nkunku. The PSG academy product (whom they would no doubt be delighted to welcome back, based on their recent focus on a Paris born-and-bred identity) barely plays for the Blues and rarely gets onto the pitch for any significant moments. It's a role that does not befit his talent.

Stylistically, Kolo Muani and Nicolas Jackson are much closer than Nkunku and Jackson, so in this swap Chelsea would acquire a player who suits Enzo Maresca's squad a lot better and could step into the system more easily.

MF Davide Frattesi to AS Roma
MF Lorenzo Pellegrini to Internazionale

This one has actually been mooted by the parties in question, and it makes our list because it does actually make sense (a lot of mooted swap deals really, really, really do not.)

Frattesi has been a solid squad player for Inter Milan since joining in 2023 -- solid, but never crucial. By the looks of things, that has led to some frustrations on his part. Pellegrini has been the epitome of crucial to Roma for a long time but his status has recently diminished in the team and he is no doubt just as frustrated as the fanbase with the club's decline, given he is a Romanisti through and through himself. Perhaps his goal in the Derby della Capitale will be a springboard for the rest of the season, or perhaps it's the perfect goodbye?

Could a swap reignite the careers of these two Italy internationals? Pellegrini could challenge for titles with Inter and slot into Simone Inzaghi's shape neatly; Frattesi could become a key man for one of football's traditional giants, helping them to brighter prospects.

MF Douglas Luiz to Manchester United
FW Joshua Zirkzee to Juventus

Both players made high-profile summer moves, and both have had disastrous opening months at their new clubs.

Zirkzee was booed off at Old Trafford when he was substituted after 33 minutes with Manchester United 2-0 down to Newcastle last month, capping a miserable opening stint in the Premier League. Luiz hasn't fared any better in Turin, making just two league starts and giving away more penalties than he has provided goal contributions.

Of course, there is time for both to turn things around, but they'd also be the perfect makeweight for each other: Luiz proved at Aston Villa that he's an excellent deep-lying midfielder who could drastically improve United in that position, while Zirkzee could return to a happy hunting ground in Serie A and perhaps help the Old Lady score goals.

DF Milan Skriniar to Real Madrid
MF/FW Dani Ceballos to Paris Saint-Germain

Real Madrid have been patching up their defensive line for well over a year due to injuries: centre-back. David Alaba is about to return but he's been out for 13 months so it might be wise to take it easy with him, while Éder Militão has sustained the second ACL injury of his career.

All that has led to a revolving door next to Antonio Rüdiger at centre-back, with midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni deputising at times and 21-year-old academy star Raúl Asencio rising to the call too. It has thrown everything off, and if Madrid are to achieve their aims in the second half of the season, they need to find a solution.

Škriniar, a hugely experienced centre-back who has won titles with Inter Milan and PSG, is perfect. The 29-year-old is well down the pecking order in Paris and is the sort of player who wouldn't be fazed by the pressure of playing for Los Blancos.

In return, Madrid could offer Ceballos. Try as he might, he has not been able to imprint himself on the Madrid midfield but would thrive under Luis Enrique at PSG and give them the depth and flexibility to move on Fabián Ruiz, as has often been suggested since he starred at Euro 2024.

DF Rayan Aït-Nouri to Manchester United
DF Tyrell Malacia (plus cash) to Wolverhampton Wanderers

We've saved our most outlandish for last.

Despite playing for a poor, embattled side, Aït-Nouri has been a standout at left wing-back for Wolves for a long time. He is exactly the type of marauding, energetic, attacking presence that Amorim is crying out for at Man United, as for now he's largely making do with Diogo Dalot playing on the wrong side.

You might think Wolves would be mad to let go of such a key player in the midst of a relegation dogfight, but then again, there's been no stop to the talent drain out of the club over the last 18 months; from Rúben Neves and Matheus Nunes to Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, they've moved on most of their top talent, leading fans to call for new ownership who are willing to invest in the squad.

United likely can't afford to sign Aït-Nouri outright (at around 60m) but could lower the fee by offering players in exchange. Malacia, who had a torrid time with injury in 2024 and could use a full reset, would slot straight in on the left and ensure Wolves aren't left short in that area.