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Following a Premier League campaign of ups and downs last season, Tottenham Hotspur have a massive year ahead of them.

Ange Postecoglou did reasonably well in his first season with the club, although given the investment over the summer, there is an expectation from fans and pundits alike that he should lead the North Londoners back into the Champions League places come May.

Unfortunately, with just four points from a possible nine so far, things haven't started as well as they could've and while there is plenty of time to recover over the next nine months or so, the North London Derby on Sunday represents a massive challenge.

The Australian is going to need his star players to be on top form, including James Maddison, who had a middling debut campaign with the club, and was actually outperformed by a former Spurs player last season.

Maddison's 23/24

The North Londoners paid Leicester City £40m to secure the services of Maddison last summer, and it would probably be fair to say that over the course of the campaign, fans saw the best and worst of him.

For example, in his first ten league games, the Coventry-born dynamo scored three goals and provided five assists, meaning that right off the bat, he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.25 games.

In fact, his performances were so impressive and impactful on the team's overall game that he was already being touted as the signing of the summer by some, including former professional Alan Stubbs.

However, at home to Chelsea in early November, he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of action until late January.

Upon his return, he looked considerably less dangerous, returning just one goal and four assists in 17 games, eventually ending the season with a somewhat underwhelming tally of four goals and nine assists in 30 games.

Now, while he couldn't maintain his electric form from the start of the campaign, Maddison still showed enough to keep his place in Spurs' best XI this year, although he'll need to up his game, and if he does that, it's unlikely that the former Tottenham youngster who outperformed him last season will do so again.

Marcus Edwards' 23/24

Yes, the former Spurs youngster in question is Marcus Edwards, who was an exciting prospect at the club in the late 2010s but left in 2019 to join Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães on a free and with only one Tottenham appearance under his belt.

While he wasn't anywhere near the first team at the time, it was seen as something of a blow, especially as Mauricio Pochettino had previously compared him to Lionel Messi of all people, saying: "His qualities, it's only looks, his body and the way that he plays, remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi."

The Englishman's first season in Portugal was a roaring success as he scored nine goals and provided seven assists in just 36 games, and while he could only muster up three goals and three assists in 36 games the following season, he had done enough to earn a £6.5m move to Liga Nos giants Sporting CP that February, although he wouldn't leave Vitoria until the summer.

The Enfield-born gem set the league alight in his first season with the Leões, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists in 51 matches, although a slight reduction in minutes last season saw his output come down slightly.

However, he still scored six goals and provided nine assists for the Portuguese giants, showing in glimpses the sort of form that earned him his move in 2022, while outscoring Maddison in the process.

With all that said, if Spurs fans were asked to choose between the two, they'd almost certainly pick the former Foxes ace, but Edwards is still a talented attacker, and who knows how good he could have become if he'd stayed in North London.

Spurs had a "monster" talent who left for £0, now he's outscoring Kulusevski

The Lilywhites had a howler when they decided to part ways with the young gem.

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By
Dan Emery

Sep 8, 2024

Chelsea's Ben Chilwell won't be selected for the FA Cup tie against Morecambe despite Enzo Maresca's heavy rotation plans.

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• Chilwell has played just 45 minutes this season
• Defender is on the verge of Chelsea exit
• Maresca will leave him out of the matchday squad

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international, who has played only 45 minutes this season, is being kept out of action to avoid the possibility of being cup-tied or risk a potential injury as he explores options for a potential January transfer. Chilwell isn’t the only Chelsea player expected to sit out the match against League Two side Morecambe as Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka, both of whom have struggled to break into the Premier League squad, are also absent from Maresca’s plans.

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  WHAT MARESCA SAID

  “Chilwell is thinking he’s going to leave, it’s better to avoid using him to avoid injury,” Maresca told reporters.

  “Cesare will not be in the squad, same situation as Chilwell. It’s best in this moment not to allow him to play in case there’s opportunity for him to leave.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Maresca is focused on squad rotation, Chelsea continue to grapple with injury setbacks in defence. Wesley Fofana’s hamstring issue is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the season, while Benoit Badiashile, another key defensive option, is also unavailable until February due to injury. However, the Blues have received some positive news, with Reece James and Romeo Lavia fit and potentially set to feature against Morecambe.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHILWELL?

  Reports have surfaced linking Chilwell with a move to West Ham. Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who was recently appointed as West Ham’s head coach, is reportedly eager to bring the left-back to the London Stadium. Potter’s interest could provide an escape route for the left-back, who has struggled to secure regular playing time under Maresca.

Leeds United have experienced many transfer near misses in recent years, with the Whites unable to get a deal over the line for many a top star to join their club, before they then went on to excel at the lucky club that won their services.

Amazingly, around the same time the Whites would eventually land a deal to win Joel Piroe from Swansea City, the West Yorkshire outfit were also reportedly keen on Coventry City sharpshooter Victor Gyokeres to improve their attacking positions, but ultimately stumbled in their advances to pick him up.

Many potentially spectacular deals were also nipped in the bud by ex-Whites chairman Massimo Cellino when he was the controversial owner of the club, including one move that would’ve seen Sheffield Wednesday star Fernando Forestieri join the ranks in 2015, before he went on to become an iconic player for the Owls.

When Leeds tried to sign Forestieri

It’s fair to say that business in and out of the door at Leeds during the eventful ownership period of Cellino was scattergun, with the Whites prone to splashing the cash on many a dud.

The 2015/16 summer window was no exception, with Leeds snapping up some forgettable personnel such as central midfielder Toumani Diagouraga and former Chelsea goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, among other purchases.

Cellino could have entered into his side’s good books, however, with the statement buy of Forestieri, who would go on to score some unbelievable strikes for Wednesday like the outrageous goal above, away from ever joining Leeds.

The entertaining attacker was very close to joining the Whites during that same underwhelming window, having set the Championship alight with Watford during the 2014/15 campaign, with five goals and six assists registered from 24 league contests.

But, a deal would never get over the line in the end – despite originally agreeing an undisclosed fee – as Leeds’ loss was Wednesday’s major gain, with Cellino intervening by stating that the mercurial South American forward didn’t possess the ‘right mentality’ to be a success at Elland Road.

Instead, right at the death, Leeds opted to sign Jordan Botaka, in a switch that would end up being a failure to further add salt to the gaping Forestieri wound.

Botaka's time at Leeds

Billed as being an equally exciting forward player in the mould of the 5 foot 8 attacker, having netted 12 goals for Excelsior Rotterdam before heading to England, Botaka would be a huge letdown.

The now 31-year-old winger would never even score a goal when playing in West Yorkshire, with only one assist also coming his way from 14 Leeds appearances, before he was allowed to leave for Sint-Truidense in Belgium in 2017 for free.

Whilst Botaka would seriously struggle for his new employers, Forestieri would undoubtedly shine at Hillsborough, with an unbelievable 15 goals and eight assists notched up by the explosive Argentinian during his debut season at the Owls, helping his side reach the play-offs.

Garry Monk would even go on to label the former Watford man as “devastating” when he was at the helm of the Owls as manager, with Forestieri still recognised as a modern-day great in Wednesday quarters today.

Whereas, most Leeds fans would have wiped Botaka’s dreadful spell from their memory and just put it down as another error typical of the comical Cellino era.

Fast forwarding to now, supporters will pray that the likes of Largie Ramazani and the other new signings made by Farke settle in well to their new environment, away from falling victim to any more costly mistakes in the transfer market.

Cost £12.8m: Leeds could now lose “immense” star for nothing

Leeds United will not want to lose this gem for nothing.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 16, 2024

Harry Kane joked he was unsure what Eric Dier was doing before setting up the Bayern Munich striker in their 2-1 win at Freiburg.

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• Dier assists Kane in Bayern win
• Kane pokes fun at team-mate
• English duo make history

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Tottenham team-mates Dier and Kane combined to great effect as the latter put Bayern 1-0 up with a smart turn and finish in the 15th minute. As a result, they became the first English duo to combine for a goal in the Bundesliga as the German giants extended their lead at the top of the table on Saturday. England captain Kane quipped he was surprised to see defender Dier so far up the pitch for his assist, while also praising the 31-year-old.

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  WHAT HARRY KANE SAID

  On Dier's assist for him, he said: "I'm not quite sure what he was doing in that position in the first place [laughs]. Me and Eric are really good friends and it's good to see him on the pitch; he's not played a lot this season but whenever he's come in he's done really well. Eric was rock solid again [against Freiburg]. I'm delighted for him that he picked up an assist and it was nice that it fell to me."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the Freiburg victory, Kane scored his first league goal from open play since November, Dier – who got a rare start in place of the injured Dayot Upamecano – impressed in the backline as Bayern went six points clear of Bayer Leverkusen after Xabi Alonso's team drew to RB Leipzig.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Kane will look to be on the scoresheet again when Bayern host Slovan Bratislava in their final Champions League group phase game on Wednesday.

After coming away with just a point from their Champions League opener against Atalanta last month, there was a feeling that Arsenal had to go a step further and claim all three at home to Paris Saint-Gerrmain last night.

Not only did Mikel Arteta’s men do precisely that, but they did so with relative ease, and despite potentially having less of the ball than they would have ideally liked in the second half, they looked comfortably superior to the French champions all game.

There were plenty of excellent performances from the Spaniard’s side, but two stood out: Kai Havertz and one of his more experienced teammates, who put in what might have been his best display of the season so far.

Havertz performance vs PSG

Arteta opted for an unchanged XI last night, which meant that Havertz made his seventh start of the season, and as he has done in practically every one of those games, he put in an excellent performance at the sharp end of the pitch.

The former Chelsea ace was a constant thorn in the Parisian’s side throughout the game and opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a perfectly timed run and header into the bottom corner.

The German could, and probably should, have picked up an assist in the second half as well, but Gabriell Martinelli got on the end of his perfectly weighted pass and rifled the ball straight down Gianluigi Donnarumma’s throat.

It was an almost faultless display from the Gunners’ number 29, and while that might sound hyperbolic, it’s an opinion shared by the Sun’s Jordan Davies, who awarded him a 9/10 on the night, writing that he was ‘brave and brilliant’ for his first goal and is now a ‘top-class centre-forward.’

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On top of all of that, Havertz also produced some brilliant individual statistics on the night. In his 94 minutes of football, he took two shots on target, scored one goal from an expected goals figure of 0.30, produced an expected assists figure of 0.17, took 48 touches, was successful in 100% of his duels, played one key pass, won four of seven aerial duels, and even made one interception and three tackles.

Overall, the 25-year-old was easily one of Arsenal’s best players last night, but one of his older teammates deserves just as much praise.

Thomas Partey's performance vs PSG

Yes, the more experienced teammate in question is Ghanaian international Thomas Partey, who has rolled back the years so far this season, although last night may well be his best performance so far in 24/25.

The 31-year-old was tasked with starting his eighth game of the season against the French giants, but right up until he was taken off in the 64th minute, he looked ready and raring for the midfield battle, which, alongside his teammates, he bossed.

In fact, respected analyst Ben Mattinson was so impressed with the former Atlético Madrid ace that he described it as one of his “best games this season.”

Likewise, Davies, who awarded him an 8/10 on the night, wrote that he ‘made some crucial interceptions and showed real composure playing out from deep.’

Unsurprisingly, then, the Odumase Krobo-born maestro also produced some stellar statistics on the night. In his 64 minutes of action, he took 34 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 93%, won 100% of his duels, lost the ball just twice, made three interceptions, wasn’t dribbled past even once, and made one tackle.

Ultimately, Havertz continued to show why he is the striker to take Arsenal forward last night, and at the same time, Partey reminded everyone that he is still an incredibly gifted footballer who could once again become an integral cog in the Gunners’ midfield if he can remain fit this season.

Arsenal teen who was causing more excitement than Nwaneri has already left

The sensational youngster looks set for an incredible career.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 30, 2024

Tottenham are reportedly aiming to hijack Wolves' deal for Lens centre-back Kevin Danso after Fikayo Tomori turned down a move to north London.

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• Wolves and Spurs to fight for Danso
• The defender was set for a medical at Molineux
• However, Spurs seem to be the frontrunners now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wolves had been on the verge of completing a deal for the 26-year-old Austrian international, with agreements in place and a medical scheduled for Sunday. However, in a late twist, Danso’s representatives informed Wolves on Saturday night that the move was off, citing Tottenham’s interest as a key reason for the change of plans, according to

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The centre-back, who had a brief spell in the Premier League with Southampton in 2019-20, has been a regular fixture for Lens, making 128 appearances across four seasons. His solid performances in Ligue 1 had attracted attention from multiple clubs, but it now appears that Spurs are leading the race for his signature.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Initially, Spurs attempted to bring in Fikayo Tomori from AC Milan, but the English defender rejected the move, forcing the club to explore alternative options. They had also expressed interest in Chelsea’s Axel Disasi, but their focus now appears to have shifted entirely to securing Danso.

  For Wolves, losing out on Danso presents a major setback. Strengthening their defensive ranks has been a priority following the summer departure of Maximilian Kilman to West Ham United and the long-term ACL injury suffered by Yerson Mosquera, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

  With the deadline fast approaching, Spurs will need to move quickly to finalize a deal for Danso. They have been actively searching for reinforcements throughout the January transfer window with key players like Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin, and Destiny Udogie all injured.

Charlotte have officially launched their new away jersey for the 2025 season

• Charlotte FC have named their new away kit Fortress
• Set to be their away kit for the 2025 season
• CFC play Seattle Sounders in their MLS opener on Feb 22

Shop kits at the MLS Store nowBuy here

• WHAT HAPPENED

  Charlotte FC officially unveiled their "Fortress" away kit, following a teaser involving new signing Wilfried Zaha. The Ivorian, settling into his new city, had earlier exchanged jerseys with Charlotte Hornets' Brandon Miller, sparking speculation about the new design. Despite fan curiosity, the club remained tight-lipped until this official launch, putting an end to the rumors and showcasing their bold new look for the upcoming season.

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• WHAT THE CAMERA SPOTTED

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The new design, created by Adidas, is a V-neck jersey with black, white and blue accents across the shirt. It has a predominantly dark base, combined with silver for all logos and the three Stripes on the shoulders. Lighter blue accents add a little bit of definition with a picture of a fortress on the back of the neck and a shield on the bottom right on the front. The club’s main sponsor, Ally, features prominently on the front while their secondary sponsor, Rugs.com, features on the right hand sleeve.

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  WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR CHARLOTTE FC?

  Charlotte FC finished fifth in the Eastern Conference at the end of the 2024 season but saw their hopes of a first MLS Cup dashed by Orlando City SC in Round One. However, it was their first appearance in the playoffs and fans are hoping for a better showing especially given their performances in preseason. They’ve only lost once so far, beating LA Galaxy and Sporting KC in the process and have had a good offseason, signing Wilfried Zaha and a few other stars. It has many excited for their MLS opening game against Seattle Sounders on Feb. 22.

Juventus have reportedly adjusted their sights to focus on another Everton ace having decided against chasing the signature of Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the January transfer window.

Everton transfer news

Three games without defeat in the Premier League and new owners on the way, it’s fair to say that things are looking up for Everton. The Toffees will now be desperate to continue that form after the international break when they square off against Ipswich Town in a must-win early relegation six-pointer.

Everton wasted time on Rafa flop who earned more than Branthwaite & McNeil

Everton wasted lots of money on his Rafa Benitez flop.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 16, 2024

Secure all three points against Kieran McKenna’s side and any concerns that those in Merseyside are destined for a place in the Championship will become significantly eased, with Sean Dyche’s side instead on their way towards the comforts of mid-table. Suffer defeat, meanwhile, and their recent progress will come to an undeniable halt and rumours over Dyche’s job security will only increase.

Ever since the pending takeover of the Friedkin Group, the former Burnley boss has seemingly been a man under pressure amid reports that the new owners have turned their attention towards the likes of Maurizio Sarri and even Jose Mourinho. But Dyche may not be the only one heading for the exit door.

As per recent reports, Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be on his way out of Goodison Park, with his contract set to expire next summer, but that exit is now unlikely to come courtesy of one European giant.

According to GiveMeSport, Juventus have now ditched their interest in Calvert-Lewin in favour of signing Beto from Everton as early as the January transfer window. The forward only arrived in Merseyside in the summer of 2023, but has failed to make his mark ever since and may now be heading for the exit door in a shock move to one of Italy’s biggest clubs. Falling upwards, Beto’s exit would suit all parties at this stage.

Everton should show Beto the door

Having started none of Everton’s first seven games, if any player needs a move away from Goodison Park it is Beto. The former Udinese striker has simply never looked like taking the reigns from Calvert-Lewin to lead Dyche’s frontline, with just six goals in 43 appearances representing a transfer flop rather than star signing.

Amid such struggles, Juventus’ reported interest has certainly come as a surprise. It must be said that if Beto does manage to seal a move to the Serie A giants after failing to steal the headlines at Everton, it should be seen as his best possible move and one that would see the 26-year-old defy the odds to fail upwards.

The rumours also create further question marks over Calvert-Lewin’s future. The Everton academy graduate, compared to Beto, has the quality to make such a move, yet those in Italy seemingly prefer his deputy rather than signing Dyche’s main man himself.

Whether that twist keeps Calvert-Lewin at Everton remains to be seen, however, as his current contract continues to tick down and the rumours surrounding his future persist ahead of 2025.

Manchester United have been in talks with Ruben Amorim to become their new manager this week, but they have also made an approach for a “fantastic” manager, according to a new report.

The Red Devils have begun their search for an eighth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013, and INEOS will hope they can find the perfect fit this time, as they try desperately to get the club back fighting for the top honours in football.

Not Ruud: Man Utd face Solskjaer 2.0 by hiring "bland" Ten Hag successor

Ruud van Nistelrooy will only be in temporary charge of Man Utd

By
Joe Nuttall

Oct 29, 2024

Man Utd manager latest

Since United announced the departure of Erik ten Hag on Monday morning, there have been several names linked with the vacancy, as there were even before the Dutchman had left his post.

Spanish great Xavi Hernández was a name that emerged recently, as it was reported that Omar Berrada held meetings with the now unemployed manager in Barcelona. However, that looks to be a non-starter, as Xavi is keen to take a year away and then start a new project in the summer. Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann also emerged as an option on Monday for the Red Devils, but as of yet, that is as far as it’s gone.

The frontrunner and the man who looks set to land the Man United job is Sporting CP manager Amorim, as he’s agreed in principle to take the United job. United are now working on completing a deal with the Portuguese side and are ready to pay his 10 million euros (£8m+) release clause in order to bring him to the club.

However, it doesn’t stop there for United, as a report from a top Spanish reporter overnight revealed there is another name in the frame for the managerial role.

Man Utd have approached "fantastic" Fulham manager

According to Guillem Balague, Manchester United have made an approach to Fulham manager Marco Silva. Amorim looks to be the favourite to secure the job still, but he could opt to wait for the Manchester City opening instead, revealed the reporter late on Monday evening.

Balague adds that United are pushing to complete a deal for the 39-year-old Amorim despite his apparent interest in succeeding Pep Guardiola. But even though that is the case, United have made an approach to Silva, who has been described as doing “fantastic work” at Craven Cottage by West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui.

Silva, another Portuguese manager, has been at Fulham since July 2021 and has taken charge of over 150 games for the club. The 47-year-old guided the Cottagers to Championship promotion in his first season and has since helped establish the club as a solid midtable to top half Premier League team.

Javier Mascherano has confirmed Inter Miami requested to postpone their MLS opener against New York City, but the league refused.

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• Inter Miami played in -8 temperatures on Wednesday
• Mascherano wanted to delay MLS opener
• League refused request

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Miami played in minus-eight temperatures in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup against Sporting Kansas City in midweek, with key players involved in alien conditions. They had to play New York City in their first MLS match of the season just three days later and the league refused to reschedule, despite the tough turnaround.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Miami fought hard to secure a 2-2 draw at home to NYCFC on Saturday night, despite Tomas Aviles receiving a red card in the 23rd minute. Lionel Messi came up with two assists, including for Telasco Segovia's dramatic 100th-minute equaliser.

• WHAT MASCHERANO SAID

  As reported by Lizzy Becherano, head coach Mascherano claimed post-match that MLS turned down a request to have the game moved to Sunday instead. Their already hectic scheduling at the start of the season has supposedly contributed to Fafa Picault and Marcelo Weigandt's injuries.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  Miami are desperate to get their hands on a first MLS Cup, particularly considering Messi is in the last year of his contract and could leave at the end of the season. Their focus now turns to Sporting Kansas City in the reverse leg of the Champions Cup tie on Tuesday.