As things stand, Tottenham Hotspur are set to miss out on a place inside the Premier League's top four and subsequent qualification for the Champions League, which has reportedly already seen them turn their attention towards the summer window and a potential game-changer.
Tottenham transfer news
The Lilywhites' budget may not prove to be as extensive as last summer when they were able to use the sale of Harry Kane to fund moves for the likes of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison. But that doesn't mean they'll be without reinforcements in the coming months. Players such as Lloyd Kelly and Tosin Adarabioyo have already reportedly been identified in two free deals come the end of the season, perhaps highlighting how the Lilywhites are aiming to be shrewd with their business.
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Away from his backline, however, Ange Postecoglou could also do with some added firepower in North London, given that Maddison hasn't been without injury problems this season and the Lilywhites struggle to create as impressively in his absence. Alas, it's a problem that Daniel Levy seems to be aware of, with reports suggesting that Spurs are ready to find a solution.
After previous reports suggested that they were ready to submit their bid, according to Fanatik via Sport Witness, Spurs are now planning to make their first offer to sign Sebastian Szymanski from Fenerbahce this summer in a bid worth €20m (£17m). That offer is likely to be rejected, however, with the Turkish club reportedly set to demand at least €25m (£22m) for their attacking midfielder in the forthcoming transfer window.
Spurs transfer target Sebastian Szymanski in action for Fenerbahce.
It's a price that Spurs could be wise to pursue though, there's no doubt about that, after the season that Szymanski has enjoyed in Turkey. It could even be argued that his arrival would bridge the gap in the Premier League's top four once again.
"Superb" Szymanski can partner Maddison
If Postecoglou wants to get his side firing on all cylinders then welcoming the perfect partner for Maddison in midfield is one way to go about ensuring that. And that's where Szymanski could come in. A player who can assist goals as well as score them himself, Szymanski has found the back of the net more times than Richarlison this season, with 12 goals and 17 assists to his name bettering the Brazilian's tally of 11 goals and three assists.
It's no surprise that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig identified the midfielder as a player to watch from the off, either, describing Szymanski as "superb" back in 2021.
Now three years later, Szymanski could get his biggest move yet this summer and step into Postecoglou's side to become the difference-maker they've so desperately lacked at times this season.
Enzo Maresca remains hopeful of a successful season with Chelsea despite their poor pre-season performances.
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Maresca remains hopeful of succeeding with ChelseaWon just once in six pre-season friendliesChelsea held Inter to a 1-1 draw on SundayWHAT HAPPENED?
Chelsea had a nightmare outing during the pre-season having won just one friendly match out of six games including their tour in the United States. On Sunday, the Blues played their final pre-season match before the start of the 2024/25 season against Inter and managed to hold the Serie A champions to a 1-1 draw courtesy of a late strike from Lesley Ugochukwu.
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Despite the series of poor results, manager Maresca chose to focus on the positives that he spotted in his team's matches as he claimed that he saw an improvement in their game against the Nerazzurri. He also remained confident that the Blues would continue to improve with time in the new campaign.
WHAT ENZO MARESCA SAID
Speaking to reporters after the friendly, the manager said, "Absolutely we can see clear results from our work. Today we could see that we tried to keep the ball. Inter are special at defending, but for sure the team is already doing well. It's the most important thing, for sure. With time this team is going to get better and better. We started just one month ago so I can see clearly that the team is improving."
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The West London side will begin their Premier League journey on Sunday against reigning English champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool supporters have been rocked by the recent revelations that Michael Edwards and co expect Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso to stay put this summer, though fears of disaster have been allayed by the club's anticipation of this, mapping out solid alternative plans.
The second-placed Premier League side will see Jurgen Klopp step down from his duties at the end of the campaign, and while Michael Edwards has returned as FSG's new CEO of Football and Richard Hughes has been appointed as Anfield's sporting director, there's much to sort out.
Chiefly, key trio Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, with the latter probably the most likely to depart.
Last summer, Salah was at the centre of a £150m proposal from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, rejected, and aged 31, he might feel that Klopp's exit signals the right time to try something new.
Liverpool's summer transfer targets
Should Salah depart, an eventuality inconceivable in itself, Liverpool would need to identify and secure a worthy successor, with Spanish sources – via Football365 – revealing that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo is on the list.
Actually, the versatile Brazilian has already been the subject of an incredible £68m bid from Liverpool, if the report is to be believed, having previously seen a £51m offer flat-out rejected.
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.
This might seem like an unlikely move on the surface but all the pointers suggest Los Blancos will finally land Kylian Mbappe this summer, with teenage prodigy Endrick also arriving.
Rodrygo, candidly, might not find a place in the project.
Rodrygo's season in numbers
Real Madrid signed Rodrygo when he was just 17 years old for €45m (£40m), the talented teenager joining from Brazilian side Santos, with legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo leaving for Juventus in an £88m deal that same window.
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.
Now aged 23, he's amassed 206 appearances for the La Liga table-toppers, scoring 50 goals and supplying 40 assists, with his dynamic performances leading to praise concerning his striking ability, journalist Sam Tighe remarking earlier in the campaign: "Rodrygo’s finishing levels are straight up terrifyingly good."
He's certainly taken great strides in his development as the years have gone by, now combining his natural fleet-footedness and athleticism with polished and sharpened quality in the final third.
Rodrygo: Real Madrid Stats by Season
Season
Apps
Starts
Goals
Assists
23/24
41
34
13
8
22/23
57
41
19
11
21/22
49
25
9
10
20/21
33
13
2
8
19/20
26
16
7
3
Stats via Transfermarkt
In the Spanish top-flight this season, as per Sofascore, Rodrygo has scored eight goals and added five assists across 24 starting appearances, completing 90% of his passes and averaging 1.3 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game.
He might have suffered a slight regression in output from the dizzying heights of the 2022/23 term, but there's no question that Rodrygo has grown into his skin wonderfully and has everything he needs to succeed in the Premier League at an outfit like Liverpool.
Rodrygo's style of play
While Rodrygo has principally played as a centre-forward for Real Madrid this season, he has found success across both flanks throughout his Spanish career, namely the right.
As per FBref, Rodrygo ranks among the top 15% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for interceptions per 90, with his qualities drawing comparisons to some top-class talents.
Rodrygo: Similar Players
#
Player
Club
1.
Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal
2.
Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid
3.
Cody Gakpo
Liverpool
4.
Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain
5.
Heung-min Son
Tottenham Hotspur
Sourced via FBref
Veteran Real duo Dani Carvajal and Nacho Fernandez heralded Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo as the club's "magical" duo, and given the likeness between the pair it might be worth Liverpool investing in the latter, with Vinicius Jr. considered one of the world's foremost forwards.
Liverpool have actually been linked with Vinicius Jr. on several occasions in the past, with Spanish reports earlier this season suggesting that those aforementioned Salah and Mbappe transfer facets could have come into play, leaving Liverpool keen to swoop in for the Real Madrid maverick.
It didn't happen, of course, and it's unlikely that Madrid's number seven will be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu any time soon despite the incessant racial discrimination he has battled against, taking the bold and admirable stance to tackle it head-on, and not give in.
From a footballing standpoint, the 23-year-old is a revelation, having plundered 63 goals and 49 goals for Real Madrid since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
Similarly versatile to Rodrygo, he ranks among the top 17% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, praised as "the best player in the world" by his manager Carlo Ancelotti.
While the £205k-per-week Rodrygo has never been considered Real's main man, he is undoubtedly a top-class forward and would be a credit to Liverpool's attack, boasting pace and a protean skill set that would make him the perfect foil for a number of players.
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Of course, his arrival would likely mean a player has to leave, but if, for example, Salah has entered the final few months of a sensational career on Merseyside, Rodrygo might just be the perfect player to take the baton and spearhead a new era.
Leeds United will go into Friday night's big clash away at Sheffield Wednesday pumped up to collect another victory in the Championship, with Daniel James' sublime solo strike enough for the Whites to beat a resilient Stoke City side 1-0 last match.
James' spot in the XI looks secure off the back of this vital goal, battling back from injury issues to remind everyone at Elland Road that he's the main starter down the right wing.
This could be bad news for Wilfried Gnonto, who had started to breathe life back into his up-and-down Whites career with James sidelined – the Italian attacker helping himself to four goals in February playing in the spot freed up by the Welshman being out.
Gnonto could even push to leave Elland Road once again if he tumbles down the pecking order, with Daniel Farke keeping an open mind to the possibility of reintroducing this fringe talent into the first-team set-up when he returns from his loan move if the 20-year-old does decide enough is enough.
Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto.
The player to ease Leeds' Gnonto concerns
Ian Poveda has become an instant fan favourite since making the switch from West Yorkshire to South Yorkshire in January, joining Sheffield Wednesday amid a gargantuan attempt to stave off the Championship relegation zone.
Poveda might well only have one assist next to his name from seven Owls games so far, but he's got the hardened masses at Hillsborough purring nonetheless over his technical brilliance.
The skilful 24-year-old winger successfully completed three dribble attempts last match against Plymouth Argyle, twisting and turning defenders for fun with his side winning this big basement battle clash 1-0 courtesy of their new Colombian loanee's unpredictability on the ball.
Poveda's numbers vs Plymouth
Minutes played
76
Touches
50
Successful dribbles
3/6
Shots on goal
3
Duels won
7/14
Big chances created
1
Stats by Sofascore
Even having a goal dubiously ruled out in that clash due to a potential offside, Poveda could well fancy sticking it out permanently in his new surroundings when the loan stint is over.
The South American attacker's contract is up with Leeds at the climax of t he campaign with a high number of potential suitors – alongside the Owls – no doubt wanting to sign Poveda on a free transfer off the back of his bright spell with Wednesday to date.
Still, the door might well not shut completely on Poveda returning to Leeds and dazzling the Elland Road faithful if a new deal can be secured at the final hour. It must be said, however, that one final chance for the winger feels far likelier should the Yorkshire side not secure Premier League promotion.
What Farke thinks about Ian Poveda
Farke has admired Poveda's trickery when commenting on the 24-year-old winger before he made the short journey to South Yorkshire on loan, stating that 5 foot 6 forward possesses a "touch of magic."
Therefore, the German manager could still see him as a useful figure to have in and around his Whites camp to unlock opposition defences with a moment of sublime skill.
Leeds forward Ian Poveda.
Leeds would also be able to breathe easier over the prospect of Gnonto finally upping and leaving the building, freeing up a space for Poveda to come back and feel wanted after being left on the Whites fringes for the majority of his Leeds career to date.
Poveda has shone in spurts for the Championship promotion chasers in the past – helping himself to an assist on just his fourth-ever Leeds appearance back in 2020 – but has never been given the time and patience to truly blossom as a dynamic talent at Elland Road.
For the time being, however, Leeds will just be overjoyed that Poveda is showing off his excellence at Hillsborough after feeling unwanted in Whites quarters.
Back in West Yorkshire, Gnonto will hope he can still have moments in the spotlight to shine himself away from James' reintroduction into Farke's XI.
Paul Pogba may be serving a global football ban, but the World Cup winner will be in attendance for France’s clash with Belgium at Euro 2024.
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Failed doping test in 2023Stung with lengthy suspensionReceived invite from the FFFGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The 30-year-old midfielder has been hit with a four-year suspension for doping offences. In September 2023, Pogba – who remains on the books of Serie A giants Juventus – was found to have elevated levels of testosterone in his system.
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He also failed a B test, leading to the National Anti-Doping Tribunal handing out a lengthy sentence that is preventing Pogba from taking to the field. As things stand, the former Manchester United star will not be cleared to resume his professional career until 2027.
Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?
France are, however, looking to keep Pogba involved in their camp. According to , an invitation from the French Football Federation (FFF) has been extended to a player who has 91 senior caps and 11 goals to his name for his country.
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WHAT NEXT?
Pogba, who maintains his innocence and intends to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), will be among those watching on when France face Belgium in the last 16 of Euro 2024 at Merkur-Speil Arena in Dusseldorf on Monday – despite being banned from figuring in any UEFA-sanctioned contest himself.
The rebuild at Manchester United is well and truly underway, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe attempting to fix the way the club functions.
However, on-the-field additions are yet to occur in what has been a quiet January for the Red Devils who are yet to welcome any new faces to the club.
The attacking department is what Erik ten Hag is keen to address, with his side struggling in the final third.
Man Utd's search for a new attacker
According to reports from Spain, Man United are in the race to sign Brighton sensation Kaoru Mitoma.
That said, they face plenty of competition for his signature with Arsenal said to be favourites to sign the winger after Mikel Arteta personally ordered a move was made. Treble-winners Manchester City also interested in the Japanese forward.
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Mitoma's estimated value as per CIES Football Observatory is £68m, which likely rules out a move occurring this month due to FFP restrictions.
How Mitoma compares to Rashford
Last season, Marcus Rashford was unstoppable, scoring goals, and full of confidence, as he netted 17 times in the Premier League.
However, he has been a shadow of his former self this campaign, scoring just four in 26 total appearances, and the last thing he needs at this current moment is the attention of the media for his off-the-field activities, snapped in a Belfast night club a few days ago.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
Nevertheless, consistency is what United have missed the most this season, and Ten Hag will want his players to perform to a certain standard for the most part. Having said that, Mitoma could just be the player to provide a continuous threat in the United attack, and that serves as bad news to Rashford.
The Japanese attacker entertained the Premier League for the first time last season when he scored seven goals and registered five assists in 24 starts.
This campaign, he's on track to match his previous numbers, as he's currently netted three times and provided four assists in 13 starts, with an ankle injury reducing his matches played.
Nonetheless, let's look at Mitoma's statistics from this season, which prove he would be an excellent signing for United.
Mitoma's 2023/24 PL Stats
Stats (per 90)
Mitoma
PL Percentile
Goals
0.20
Bottom 58%
Assists
0.27
Top 25%
Touches (Att pen)
8.04
Top 9%
Take-ons attempted
5.93
Top 9%
Successful take-ons
2.38
Top 13%
Carries into penalty area
3.82
Top 4%
Progressive passes received
14.38
Top 6%
Stats via FBref
There's nothing that Mitoma cannot do when the ball is at his feet, and based on the statistics, it is no surprise that he did his university thesis on the art of dribbling.
The 26-year-old dazzles opponents with his feints, which enable him to breeze past opponents and carry the ball into dangerous areas.
Ten Hag's side lacks players who can take people on, with only two players in the squad boasting over one successful dribble per game, which often makes United far too easy to face.
Although his goal output is low, that direct dribble into the box often provides him with an opportunity to work half a yard of space to either set up a teammate or slot the ball into the corner with finesse, which has caused Mitoma's former teammate Christian Burgess to say he "finishes like [Thierry] Henry."
However, the main problem for Mitoma is that he is often being marked by two, sometimes three players at times, because there is only going to be one winner in a 1v1 scenario. That said, it has huge benefits for the rest of the team because it allows a numerical advantage to occur elsewhere.
There's not a player in the United squad that can impact a game in the same way that Mitoma can, and therefore, signing the Japan international could be a great piece of business, even if it banishes Rashford from the first-team picture.
India captain calls Edgbaston dimensions ‘bizarre’ and ‘crazy’
Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston30-Jun-2019Virat Kohli has questioned Edgbaston’s short, 59-metre boundary where England openers picked off a substantial percentage of runs against the Indian bowlers. Although Kohli did not blame the shorter boundary for India’s first defeat of the World Cup, he did raise an eyebrow over the dimensions on one side, which he called “bizarre” and “crazy” on a pitch that was flat, and slow.The shorter boundary was a bother for India. On Saturday, as soon India arrived at the ground, the coaching staff comprising Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Bangar and Bharat Arun were seen having word with the head groundsman. As the host of the tournament, the guidelines for pitch and ground conditions are set by the ICC.The shorter boundary was a concern for India only because they have consistently played the two wrist spinners in their first XI this World Cup in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.Watch on Hotstar (India only): Bairstow’s centuryThe England batsman, particularly Jonny Bairstow, who hit an explosive 111, took full advantage of the short boundary. Five out of the six sixes Bairstow hit went over the shorter boundary. Four of those hits were against Chahal and one against Kuldeep. Ben Stokes, too, took advantage by hitting an audacious reverse-swept six against Chahal, who was hit over the boundary half a dozen times on a day when he returned the worst ever figures for an Indian bowler in World Cups with 10-0-88-0.Kohli was seen frequently rushing to Chahal, urging him to stick to bowling on lines that did not allow the batsmen to take advantage of the shorter boundary. In the end Kohli did not hide his frustration.Colour correction: Virat Kohli leads a new-look India team out•Getty Images
“It’s a coincidence that it (the short boundary) just falls under the limitations of the shortest boundary you can have in the tournament,” Kohli told the host broadcaster in the post-match briefing. “So quite bizarre on a flat pitch, it’s the first time we’ve experienced that so it’s crazy that things fall in place like that randomly.”Kohli said the pressure was obviously then on the spinners not to falter, although he did admit that the lines Indian bowlers pitched could have been much better.When Sanjay Manjrekar, who was conducting the post-match briefing, asked whether he had tactically miscalculated by not bringing in part-time off-spinner Kedar Jadhav, Kohli disagreed. “I don’t think so because if batsmen are able to reverse sweep you for a six on a 59-metre boundary then there is not much you can do as a spinner. There is no sort of room to think whether you are going to get out or not and one side was about 82 (metres) or something like that. Yeah, look, they had to be smart with the with lines they bowled, but with one short boundary it was very difficult to contain runs.”
Manchester City are tooling up for another busy transfer window at the Etihad Stadium and are now close to an agreement with a rising young star, according to a report.
Manchester City look to strengthen in January…
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will probably feel one or two key additions are necessary in January as his side look to ramp up their pursuit of a record fourth Premier League title in a row once the mid-season window opens for business.
With the market now teetering on the verge of re-activating, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Sky Blues have already completed one piece of business at academy level in the form of Leeds United youngster Finley Gorman.
Nonetheless, there will be plenty of stories that do the rounds regarding potential incomings in the North West. Romano has also recently confirmed that Girona loanee Savio, who has become something of a breakout star in La Liga, is another name on their radar ,and internal talks have taken place over a potential swoop for the Brazilian attacker.
The 19-year-old is currently on loan from ESTAC Troyes and both his parent and temporary home function under the banner of the City Football Group, which could pave the way for Savio to journey through three affiliated clubs in order to end up at Manchester City.
Now, a similar deal to the one that brought Julian Alvarez to Manchester is in the works in Argentina.
Manchester City close to signing Claudio Echeverri
According to ESPN, Manchester City are close to signing River Plate midfielder Claudio Echeverri after holding formal talks over bringing the 17-year-old to England. Once a deal is completed, it is believed that the Argentina Under-17 international will then be loaned back to his current employers to continue his development in what would be a similar arrangement to the one with Alvarez.
Argentinian journalist Gaston Edul has even gone one step further, saying Echeverri is "about to be sold" to Man City, but also reaffirming the player will stay with River for six or 12 months.
Claudio Echeverri statistics in 2023 – Liga Profesional de Futbol (Sofascore)
Key passes per game
0.5
Accurate passes per game
10.3 (91%)
Duels won per game
2.3 (50%)
Accurate long balls per game
0.8 (100%)
Average match rating
6.6/10
Echeverri's contract at River Plate expires in the winter of 2024 and he has indicated that he will not be signing an extension at the Argentinian giants, with Barcelona also mooted to be keen on his signature.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
In total, the Resistencia-born youngster has managed to make six senior appearances for River Plate in all competitions, registering one assist in the process (Echeverri statistics – Transfermarkt).
Labelled "incredible" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the prodigious talent is one of the world's most heralded young players at the moment following his outstanding performance at the Under-17 World Cup, where he scored five goals, including a hat-trick against Brazil in the quarter-final.