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Tottenham Hotspur were gearing up to welcome Morgan Gibbs-White to Thomas Frank’s early-stage project, with Daniel Levy having overseen a £60m approach for the Nottingham Forest playmaker.

But he has since penned a new deal at the City Ground, with the Tricky Trees claiming Spurs made an illegal approach for the Three Lions star.

He’s now sign a new deal at the City Ground. It’s a bitter pill to swallow after transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had placed his catchline, ‘Here we go”, on the move, signifying a done deal.

However, Spurs must now move forward, and Frank is assessing his options, with sights still set on a new midfield playmaker.

Spurs lining up Gibbs-White alternative

Gibbs-White would have been perfect for the Tottenham project. The succession of recent pre-season draws have illustrated the need for more spark in the midfield, and it’s something Frank is now placing emphasis on, having already signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United for a £55m fee.

Romano has confirmed that, while the Gibbs-White deal is dead, the Lilywhites have already started working on alternatives, saying: “They’re working on it [alternative targets for Gibbs-White. As soon as I know, I will tell you.”

Well, according to reporter Graeme Bailey, internal discussions have begun over the potential signing of Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, who is expected to leave Anfield this summer due to a lack of playing time under Arne Slot.

Elliott, 22, would likely be open to the move, Champions League competitors as Tottenham are, and he would come in at a cheaper price than Gibbs-White, valued at £50m.

Why Spurs should sign Harvey Elliott

Having joined Liverpool from Fulham for a compensation fee of about £4m in 2019, aged only 16, Elliott has since established himself as a fixed part of the wider Reds squad, featuring 147 times and notching 35 goal contributions.

Former Liverpool U18s head coach Neil Critchley said in the past that the England U21 superstar is able to produce “some real bits of magic” on the ball, and his ability to shift between the right flank and attacking midfield even suggests that he could bring shades of Dejan Kulusevski to Frank’s first-team squad.

Kulusevski, 25, played a crucial part in the Ange Postecoglou era, really coming into his own as an all-action central midfielder last season, having previously played out on the right.

He’s injured right now, but there’s no disputing how important he is to this Tottenham team, with Sofascore recording that he scored seven goals and supplied four assists in the Premier League last year, having also averaged 2.1 key passes and 4.1 successful duels per game.

Elliott lacks the Sweden international’s completeness, but he’s a veritable wizard across his areas of expertise, and would certainly add a ball-playing dimension that was targeted through the acquisition of Gibbs-White.

24/25

28

5

3

23/24

53

4

14

22/23

46

5

2

21/22

11

1

0

*20/21

1

0

1

19/20

8

0

1

The left-footer’s ability to score goals and create chances aplenty offers shades of Kulusevski, though the Tottenham man has more of a full-throttle engine about him, Elliott’s technical skill is up there with the very best.

As per FBref, the Liverpool man ranked last season among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for all of goals plus assists, passes attempted and progressive passes, as well as the top 15% for goal-creating actions per 90.

Considering the dimension it would add to Tottenham, Frank must take these internal discussions and push ahead with a formal approach for Liverpool’s talented prospect.

Not only would he be a dream Gibbs-White alternative, but he’d bring a sense of Kulusevski’s flair to the side.

Bad news for Bissouma: Spurs start talks to sign a £30m "monster"

Tottenham are hoping to sign a new centre-midfielder this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 27, 2025

As the Premier League campaign draws near and they continue their summer business, reports are now claiming that Tottenham Hotspur have launched an approach to sign a Barcelona midfielder.

Palhinha reveals delight at Premier League return

After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White, who opted to sign a new contract at Nottingham Forest instead of joining up with Thomas Frank’s side, a new midfielder always seemed on the Tottenham agenda. And whilst Joao Palhinha is a different type of player to Gibbs-White, he will offer the Lilywhites the reinforcement that they’ve been craving.

Delighted to be back in the Premier League following a tough year at Bayern Munich, Palhinha – on paper – is the perfect midfielder for Frank’s hard-working, combative midfield.

It wouldn’t even be absurd to suggest that the ex-Fulham man could be the Dane’s new version of Christian Norgaard, who thrived under his management at Brentford before leaving for Arsenal this summer.

That said, Palhinha isn’t the only midfield name to find himself on Tottenham’s radar following their Gibbs-White disappointment earlier in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham make first Casado approach

As reported by Sport in Spain, and relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham made an approach to sign Marc Casado from Barcelona before they secured Palhinha’s signature.

The 21-year-old is free to leave the La Liga giants for around €30m (£26m) this summer and, although he reportedly turned down the chance to complete a move the first time around, it will be interesting to see whether Spurs come calling with a second attempt to secure his arrival this month.

Praised for his “superb attitude” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Barcelona’s loss could quickly become Tottenham’s gain if they managed to convince Casado into a move this summer. Whilst Palhinha’s arrival does ease their desperation for another midfielder, the chance to sign a La Masia graduate is not one that the Lilywhites should turn down.

At just 21 years old, the Spaniard would be the long-term option that Palhinha – at 30 years old – can’t guarantee Frank’s side, especially given that they have no obligation to buy the latter after his loan spell next summer.

Leeds United have now officially confirmed Anton Stach’s arrival on the scene, with £17.4m forked out on the midfield talent.

Stach joining from Hoffenheim very much continues the trend of the Whites diving into the Bundesliga for summer buys, with Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen a reported target from Daniel Farke’s homeland too.

The newly promoted side has been looking closer to home when attempting to enhance their attacking personnel, however, with Fulham attacker Rodrigo Muniz’s signature still being pursued.

However, he isn’t the only striker catching the Whites’ eye.

Leeds make surprise approach for striker

One of the hurdles continuing to trip Leeds up in their advances for Muniz will surely be his extortionate £50m price tag.

This is a risky amount of money to splurge, considering this signing whirring into motion would then make Muniz Leeds’ most expensive purchase in history, eclipsing Georginio Rutter’s £35.5m valuation.

He does have a healthy 17 Premier League strikes next to his name for the Cottagers, but a far cheaper move might soon be on the cards for the Whites to land a more potent finisher.

Indeed, reports from Italy indicate that Leeds have made an approach to sign wantaway Inter Milan Mehdi Taremi over a surprise move this summer, with the move surely costing the Premier League newcomers less than Muniz’s speculated £50m, owing to the Iranian striker being 33 years of age.

Taremi’s veteran status shouldn’t put Leeds off making the move a reality, though, with the former FC Porto man a feared goal machine when performing at the top of his game, which could make him an even better signing than Muniz entering the ranks.

How Taremi could be a better signing than Muniz

Muniz does have the slight edge of possessing Premier League experience on his side, but his overall numbers across his entire career are blown out of the water by Taremi’s usual Midas touch in front of goal.

The Fulham number nine is only able to boast an unconvincing 40 goals across his career to date – with a large chunk of those coming at Craven Cottage – meaning he could well find the pressures of being Leeds’ leading man during a relegation fight to be too much.

On the contrary, the well-travelled Taremi would likely thrive with the same burden above his head, with Premier League outfit Chelsea already well aware of the magic the 33-year-old can produce when he fired home this acrobatic effort against them in the Champions League.

Wherever he’s been – minus an up-and-down spell in Serie A with Inter – the 6-foot-2 menace has largely been an overwhelming success.

Indeed, he boasts a “ridiculous” goal record, across his extensive playing days in the words of Rio Ferdinand.

Taremi’s career numbers

Stat

Taremi

Games played

445

Goals scored

202

Assists

101

Top goalscorer

5x

Player of the Year

2x

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Indeed, the Iranian regular has a colossal haul of 202 goals and 101 assists from 445 career outings, with a bumper 95 of those strikes coming in Portugal when he led the line for Porto with some confidence.

He has experienced a bump in the road at Inter, but he hasn’t fallen off the wagon completely, with three goals and nine assists coming his way at the San Siro.

Muniz does have age on his side, too, with the potential for the Brazilian to grow into a more threatening, sharp-shooting presence under Farke’s wing.

But, if the Whites are hesitant to shell out that £50m, Taremi is surely their next best bet, as West Yorkshire is then exposed to the 33-year-old’s lethal nature.

Related Better signing than Stach: Leeds contenders to sign "remarkable" £17m star

Leeds United are in contention to land a star who would be an even better addition than Anton Stach.

Posts ByDan Emery Jul 23, 2025

Glasgow Rangers completed their latest signing of the summer transfer window on Tuesday when they confirmed the arrival of Djedi Gassama at Ibrox.

The 21-year-old winger has arrived at Rangers on a four-year deal to bolster Russell Martin’s options on the flanks, after he scored seven goals in 43 games last season.

Gassama will be hoping to provide a threat in the final third on a regular basis for the Scottish Premiership giants next term, and could be in line to make his debut against Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifier later this month.

The French forward may not be the only player to arrive at Ibrox this week, though, as there is another player who wants to make the switch to Glasgow in the coming days.

English star pushing to sign for Rangers

One of Martin’s transfer targets is said to be pushing for a move to Ibrox this week, and it could be an even better signing than Gassama if they can get it over the line.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to the Daily Record, Leicester City central defender wants to complete a transfer to Rangers from the Championship side by the end of this week.

The report claims that the former England international is ready to plead with the Foxes to give him the green light to make the move to Ibrox, in order to be in the squad to face Panathinaikos later this month.

It adds that Martin is a big fan of Coady and that the player wants to join the club to be the ‘linchpin’ of the new defensive set-up at Ibrox next season.

Why Coady would be a better signing than Gassama

At least for next season, the veteran central defender could be an even better signing than Gassama because of the quality and experience that he could use to hit the ground running.

Gassama, at the age of 21, is a young and promising forward who may need time to adapt to Scottish football and to grow as a player, having only managed eight goal contributions in 43 games in the second tier in England last term.

Meanwhile, Coady is 32 and has made 198 appearances in the Premier League. He has proven himself at the very top level in domestic European football, and showcased his in-possession qualities when Leicester were in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign.

Passes completed

84.99

Top 5%

Pass accuracy

93%

Top 1%

Progressive passes

7.20

Top 1%

Passes into the final third

7.20

Top 2%

xAG

0.05

Top 16%

Progressive passing distance

556 yards

Top 3%

Through balls

0.26

Top 2%

As you can see in the table above, the English star is a centre-back who has the quality and mentality to be incredibly progressive with his use of the ball, helping his team to play through the thirds quickly and effectively in a ball-dominant team.

Off the ball, Coady won 64% of his duels that season for the Foxes in their title-winning campaign, which shows that he can also dominate opposition attackers in physical tussles.

The former Wolves captain, who was described as an “infectious” character by Gareth Southgate, is a proven quantity who would be able to arrive at Rangers to provide instant, almost guaranteed, quality on the pitch with his abilities in and out of possession as a centre-back.

There is far less risk attached to signing a proven player like Coady, who was playing in the Premier League last season, than bringing in a 21-year-old from the second division in England.

Raskin repeat: Rangers racing to sign £9m "set-piece specialist" at Ibrox

Rangers are reportedly interested in a deal for a star who could be their next Nicolas Raskin.

ByDan Emery Jul 14, 2025

That is not to say that Gassama will be a bad signing, or that he is not an exciting addition, but Martin also needs instant quality and that is why Coady may be an even better piece of business if they can get it over the line this week.

Glasgow Rangers have now identified a £6.5 million forward as a potential replacement for Hamza Igamane, who looks set to leave Ibrox, according to a new report.

Hamza Igamane closing in on Lille transfer

The Scottish giants signed Igamane from AS FAR Rabat last summer, a transfer that fans were not sure what to expect from. It took a while for the 22-year-old to get going in Scotland, but once he found his feet, he showed his true qualities.

Rangers bid made: 49ers table offer to bring "spectacular" 22 y/o to Ibrox

The Gers want a permanent transfer.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 26, 2025

Igamane scored 12 goals in 33 Scottish Premiership games last season, as well as netting four times in the Europa League. The Moroccan scored two goals in the final four league games, and, unfortunately for Rangers, they could be the final goals he scores for the club.

That is because, according to Sacha Tavolieri, Rangers are now in talks with Lille over the sale of Igamane. The French side have made the Rangers forward their top target to replace Jonathan David, and they have already agreed personal terms with the striker. All that remains is for the two clubs to work on finding an agreement for a transfer fee, with separate reports stating that the Gers would want around £20 million to part ways.

His departure now feels expected, and therefore, Rangers will need to enter the market to find a suitable replacement for Russell Martin as he bids to get the Gers through the early stages of the Champions League, which starts in a few weeks.

Rangers identify £6.5m forward to replace Igamane

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are keen on signing Matija Frigan after identifying him as the player to replace Igamane.

The report states that Rangers are preparing for a summer overhaul of the squad, and they have now accepted the fact that Igamane is set to leave at some point in this transfer window. Frigan is a potential target, as he fits the club’s policy of buying talent at a low price and then potentially selling for a big profit.

The 22-year-old currently plays for Belgian side KVC Westerlo and has done so since 2023. The forward netted nine goals in 29 league games last season, and that has put him on the radar of Rangers, whose recruitment team have been left impressed by his finishing and work rate.

Apps

72

Goals

19

Assists

5

Frigan is valued at £6.5 million, but Rangers believe they could get a deal done for a lower price, with add-ons taking it to that figure.

The Gers have already been handed a boost in their pursuit of the player, as he is set to be ‘enthusiastic’ about joining Rangers, given the history of the club and the fact they can offer European football. Frigan is unknown to English football, but scout Jacek Kulig has likened the forward to Italy striker Ciro Immobile, which shows how promising his career could be.

After closing the 2024/25 campaign with a draw against Crystal Palace, and then lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool boss Arne Slot pledged to invest this summer, albeit without “radical changes”.

Such a pragmatic response is to be expected from an esteemed head coach, one whose businesslike approach has allowed him to fit right in as Jurgen Klopp’s successor on Merseyside.

However, the rumour mill is filled with reinforced claims that Liverpool are moving swiftly to conclude some (pre)summer business: Florian Wirtz is in the process of moving from Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield for a club-record fee, while Werkself teammate Jeremie Frimpong has already completed his medical.

Frimpong is being signed to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose free transfer to Real Madrid is imminent, and in a way, his German peer is too, hailed as “a genius” by Xabi Alonso for his immense creative capacity.

However, the Reds are keen to make further frontal signings to help Mohamed Salah, who has dominated the awards ceremonies after his incredible year, but surely needs a bit more help if he’s to go again, aged 33, next season.

Liverpool's frontline in 24/25

Salah finished the campaign rather timidly, with two goals and one assist from his final nine Premier League fixtures, but then so did the rest of the team, who claimed two points from 12 after the title had been sealed.

Late-season slumps make for a faulty barometer when it comes to assessing Salah’s form, predicting future success. However, the Egyptian King turns 33 in a few weeks, so concerns are understandable.

Actually, are they? Salah has just scored 34 goals across 53 matches in all competitions for Liverpool, playing 23 assists too. He has cemented his status as one of the division’s all-timers, and after penning a new contract on Merseyside, needs 29 top-flight goals from two more terms to replace Harry Kane as the Premier League’s second-highest goalscorer in history.

However, he needs support. Liverpool’s forwards have welled up like the rising tide this season, making gains, but they’ve also ebbed away, with the need for a new number nine evident given Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz’s bouts of inconsistency.

Mohamed Salah

52 (50)

34

23

Cody Gakpo

49 (32)

18

7

Luis Diaz

50 (38)

17

8

Diogo Jota

37 (22)

9

4

Darwin Nunez

47 (17)

7

7

Federico Chiesa

14 (4)

2

2

Salah doesn’t just need a striker, though; he needs more cover. The veteran superstar was backed up by the untrusted Federico Chiesa this year, who has started just once in the league.

While Wirtz will help Salah toward a new season of prolific returns, and while the addition of an out-and-out goalscorer would ease his heavy burden, some support on the right wing, to help Liverpool across numerous different tournaments, wouldn’t go amiss.

Liverpool in the race for Salah rival

According to Spanish paper AS (Wednesday edition, via Sport Witness), Liverpool are interested in signing Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, who has changed his agent ahead of the summer window after his side missed out on European qualification.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

With a €60m (£50m) release clause, the winger wouldn’t come cheap, but Liverpool and Arsenal are believed to be the biggest contenders in the race for his signature after efforts from the Saudi Pro League were rebuffed.

Indeed, the Premier League duo are said to have made contact regarding the move, amid the claim that they are ‘knocking on the door’ of the in-demand talent.

The 23-year-old would play second fiddle to Salah, but with Chiesa’s future uncertain, this could be a shrewd and prudent move. Salah isn’t getting any younger, after all.

Why Liverpool should sign Takefusa Kubo

Liverpool were frustrated when trying to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi last summer, and will be wary of engaging in a protracted and ultimately unsuccessful bid for another top player from the Basque Country this summer.

However, Kubo has changed his agents, and that suggests he’s open to moving this summer. Moreover, having rejected a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, he wants to play at the highest level.

Liverpool can offer just that, offering further enticement through the fact that Salah will be playing at AFCON next season, running from December to January.

It would certainly add some new electricity and athleticism to the right flank, especially when considering Jeremie Frimpong should be in the mix too.

As per FBref, Kubo ranks among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers this term for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, very much bearing the pace of a man some ten years younger than Salah.

More to the point, former Mallorca CEO Maheta Molango has said he has “the ingredients to one day be a superstar”, with Liverpool hero Wataru Endo, Kubo’s Japanese teammate, suggesting the fleet-footed ace could succeed – or “replace” – Salah at Anfield one day.

We can’t dispute that Kubo needs to produce more in front of goal, having only scored seven goals and assisted four more across 52 matches in all competitions this season, but the underlying data suggests he’s indeed a ‘superstar’ in the making.

As per Sofascore, the diminutive winger might have scored only five times in La Liga this year, but he also squandered just two big chances, winning 5.3 duels per game, indicating a combative approach that would serve him well in the Premier League.

He averaged 1.2 shots per game. He needs to do more. But – and it’s a big but – Slot knows his stuff on the tactical front, can develop his confidence in the final third while utilising Kubo’s noteworthy physical metrics to allow him to challenge Salah for a starting berth on the right flank.

Of course, while some of Kubo’s ability would harbour reservations about joining a team like Liverpool only to play as the understudy of another, Kubo will likely recognise the benefits of learning from a master craftsman such as Salah.

He’s got work to do, but the Japan international is young and talented and would be the perfect counterpoint on the right flank, one whose potential suggests he could even replace Salah and make the position his own down the line.

Mac Allister 2.0: Liverpool working on another amazing signing after Wirtz

Liverpool could be about to replicate a deal for Alexis Mac Allister durng the upcoming summer window.

ByEthan Lamb May 28, 2025

It is set to be a busy summer for Manchester City.

On the pitch, the Sky Blues are competing at the FIFA Club World Cup, kicking off their campaign on 18 June in Philadelphia against Wydad Casablanca, before also meeting Al Ain and Juventus.

Meantime, the Citizens are also likely to be busy in the transfer market, as they were in January, spending a reported £180m to recruit Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico González, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah.

There is a clear strategy to make this squad younger, so are the Sky Blues now leading the chase for another highly-rated youngster?

Manchester City preparing a bid for a new full-back

According to reports from Spain, Manchester City are ‘preparing’ a bid to sign Benfica left-back Álvaro Carreras.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

They claim the 21-year-old ‘has caught the attention of Pep Guardiola’, making him a ‘priority option’ as Man City seek to bolster their left-back options.

Carreras actually spent time in Manchester United’s academy, making 42 appearances during a season-long loan spell at Preston North End in the EFL Championship, but he has really taken his game to a new level since joining Benfica for a reported fee of €6m (£5m) in the summer 2024 – after an initial loan move – featuring 61 times for As Águias so far.

Now, could the one-time Real Madrid starlet – who reportedly has a release clause of €50m (£41m) – be making the move to the other side of Manchester, but how well would he fit in at Man City?

How Álvaro Carreras would improve Manchester City

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout describes Carreras as an “excellent left-back”, while Portuguese Football Expert Kevin Fernandes believes he is “one of the best” players in his position on the market this summer, describing him as “defensively solid” having enjoyed a “meteoric” rise since making the move to Lisbon.

The former United man has also been lauded by Kulig for his “amazing engine and quality” at left-back, potentially proving a solution to what has been a problem position for Manchester City all throughout this season.

Right now, Nico O’Reilly, a 20-year-old, inexperienced attacking midfielder, is being deployed there by Guardiola, following a game-changing second-half appearance off the bench during last month’s FA Cup victory at Bournemouth, in which he scored and registered an assist.

At other times, Joško Gvardiol had appeared to be the undisputed first-choice for this role, while Rico Lewis, a versatile full-back, isn’t starting very much on either side, with Matheus Nunes the most common starting right-back in recent months.

So, considering Carreras would probably be usurping Lewis in the full-back pecking order, let’s asses how the two youngsters compare.

Appearances

66

71

Minutes

4,557

4,822

Pass completion %

79.6%

92.1%

Progressive passes

71

226

Progressive carries

34

92

Take on success %

60.5%

46.3%

Shot-creating actions

46

97

Goal-creating actions

4

12

Crosses

135

14

Tackles won

61

49

Interceptions

77

31

Ball recoveries

99

196

% of aerial duels won

54.4%

23.3%

Errors leading to an opposition shot

1

3

The table makes for interesting reading because, based on statistics from the start of last season, Lewis significantly comes out on top when it comes to both possession and chances created metric.

Meantime, Carreras is a vastly superior out-of-possession defender, emphasised by his tackles won, ball recoveries and percentage of aerials duels won, albeit the latter is slightly harsh on Lewis, considering he’s 5 foot 7 in. Even so, the addition of such competition could be bad news for the young England star.

This season, as Manchester City have struggled significantly more, they’ve been tasked with doing a lot more defending, a challenge some of their defenders have not been able to cope with, so Carreras would certainly address this issue and be an excellent addition.

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ByJoe Nuttall Apr 18, 2025

In the wake of a spectacular opening Test in India, Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller, Matt Roller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to look back on the action

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2024Bazball hits a new high in Hyderabad, as England land the first blow in their five-Test tour of India, and in staggeringly unlikely circumstances, from Ollie Pope’s world-class 196 to Tom Hartley’s zero-to-hero seven-for in the fourth innings. In this week’s pod, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller, Matt Roller and Vithushan Ehantharajah, on location in India, to recap a contest that has blown all pre-series conceptions to smithereens. Plus, Carl Crowe gives us the lowdown on Hartley’s rise from obscurity at Lancashire to a place in English spin folklore. The team also ask where India go from here, and cast a glance at West Indies’ stunning victory over Australia at the Gabba. Can such a famous result help change the narrative about the oldest form of the game?