Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy holds high hopes for a player who Thomas Frank’s side are now reportedly in talks for, with the Lilywhites chief harboring an interesting theory about his quality behind-the-scenes.

Tottenham leading race for near-£70m player, he'd "welcome" a move there

The Europa League champions are favourites for him.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

Spurs are braced for their first campaign under Ange Postecoglou’s replacement, and this summer transfer window will be absolutely vital when it comes Frank’s chances of competing on multiple fronts.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The north Londoners will be in next season’s Champions League draw after their triumph in the Europa League final, but with uncertainty surrounding the futures of key first-team players like Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero, their squad could look pretty different by their opening game of 2025/2026.

If the aforementioned pair do end up departing, amid rumoured interest from Atlético Madrid and the Saudi Pro League respectively, Levy will need to ensure that Frank has the necessary quality at his disposal to get his Spurs career off to the finest possible start.

Tottenham are reliably believed to be in the market for a quality new attacking midfielder/winger, and it is no coincidence these links come amid reports that Son could depart for Saudi.

In the last few days, following widespread claims that Spurs are top contenders to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, Frank’s side have now opened talks over a move for West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus instead.

The Ghanaian has an £85 million release clause in his contract, active for the first 10 days of this month, but West Ham could let him leave for a fee closer to £60 million, according to The Guardian.

Amid discussions to make Kudus their third potential signing of the summer after Mathys Tel and Japanese starlet Kota Takai, journalist Graeme Bailey has shared what Levy personally thinks of the former Ajax star, who West Ham signed for just £38 million.

What Daniel Levy thinks about Mohammed Kudus as Tottenham open talks

Writing for TBR Football, Bailey revealed information about Levy’s belief that Frank could make Kudus into another Bryan Mbeumo – and Spurs’ chairman is believed to be a real fan of the 24-year-old.

As of now, Tottenham have held the “most advanced” talks in the race for Kudus’ signature, according to Bailey, with Levy’s close advisor, Fabio Paratici, also emerging as an admirer of the Hammers forward.

He didn’t exactly enjoy his best campaign at the London Stadium over the season just gone, at least in comparison to his debut year at West Ham, but Kudus still managed to register more successful take-ons per 90 on average than any other Premier League player bar Man City’s Jeremy Doku (WhoScored).

The former Eredivisie sensation can be truly devastating in one-v-one situations, and he’d be quite an exciting replacement for Son if the 32-year-old does wave goodbye to N17 after a memorable 10-year stay.

“It is important to give players freedom – that’s what I believe in – and not have a relationship of a head coach and a player”

S Sudarshanan22-Jul-20240:38

Gambhir: ‘Our responsibility to have Bumrah fresh for important games’

India made significant gains during the two-and-a-half-year period where Rahul Dravid was their head coach, making the finals of a world event in each of the three formats and winning the T20 crown. Now the focus is on building on those gains and the man leading them forward will be Gautam Gambhir, their new head coach, who understands he has “big shoes to fill”.Speaking to reporters for the first time in his new role, Gambhir touched on the way he wants to work with India’s players and what they can expect from him. “It is very simple,” he said on Monday in Mumbai. “It is important to give players freedom – that’s what I believe in – and not have a relationship of a head coach and a player.”The best relationship is one built on trust. The most important thing is they’ll always have my backing. I don’t complicate too many things. I am taking over a very, very successful team – India are T20 world champions, have been runners-up in the World Test Championship and the 50-overs World Cup.”Related

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Gambhir’s tenure begins on July 27 with India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. This is his first time as head coach of a team, although he has served as a mentor in the IPL, with both Lucknow Super Giants and the reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders. In his playing days, he was an excellent opening batter with an international career that spanned 13 years and peaked with World Cup wins in 2007 and 2011.”My learning has been simple – it has been all about winning,” he said. “I don’t deviate from something. We are in a profession where there can be only one winner. We try and play fair, we try and play hard, and try and come back in a winning dressing room and a happy dressing room.”A happy dressing room is a winning dressing room. Ultimately it is the players’ team, the support staff is there to try and get the maximum out of their potential. Sometimes international cricket can be tough, it can be insecure as well because only 15 can be picked. It is the job of support staff to keep them happy.”For the tour of Sri Lanka, Gambhir will have Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches and Sairaj Bahutule as the bowling coach. T Dilip, so far, is the only one to reprise his role from the previous regime. He will be the fielding coach. The other support staff members, Gambhir said, will be finalised after the Sri Lanka tour.In the past, Gambhir has not been an advocate of players picking and choosing matches. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both have been selected for the ODIs against Sri Lanka, with the former set to lead. This is one of only two ODI series India are slated to play ahead of the Champions Trophy early next year.Gambhir said that workload management is important for fast bowlers but batters need to play all games if they are fit and available.”Workload management for someone like Jasprit Bumrah is important,” Gambhir said. “For batters, if they can play consistently and if they are in good form, [they] might as well play all the games. With Rohit and Virat now not playing T20 cricket, they only have two formats to look after. So they are going to be available for most of the games.”For Bumrah, because he is one rare kind of a bowler who anyone would want [in their team], so it’s our responsibility to try and have him fresh for most of the important games. So, workload management for, not just Bumrah, but fast bowlers becomes very, very important.”

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has recommended a highly-rated attacker to the Lilywhites hierarchy, and he could come in to replace a forward who’s not in the Dane’s long-term plans.

Frank holds Tottenham talks over signing £300k-p/w ace who's open to joining

The Spurs boss has been discussing him with Lilywhites hierarchy.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 18, 2025

Spurs have many incomings and outgoings to address over the coming months, as chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange reshape the squad to best prepare Frank for his first ever campaign as a Champions League manager.

Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil are almost certain to be leaving N17 this summer, having just spent 2024/2025 on loan at Leeds United and Girona respectively, with the latter confirming his intention to leave in a recent interview.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

“That’s something my agent will tell me where things are going, but they [Spurs] told me, and I told them, that the best thing is for us not to continue being linked to Tottenham,” Gil told Estadio Deportivo in April.

“They bet on me when I was young, and they’ve treated me fairly well, but if I have to go back there, I’ll focus on giving my best as always. I’m calm because no one can have a bad word to say about me not being professional. Without playing, I’ve always trained well, I’ve done what I had to do, so whatever has to happen, will happen. We’ll see where we are next year.”

Solomon’s sale would count as pure profit in the eyes of PSR, considering he signed as a free agent in the summer of 2023, so it is likely that Spurs will sell the Israel international unless Frank or Levy decide otherwise.

Uncertainty surrounds the futures of Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero as well, amid repeated links to Saudi Arabia for the former and Atletico Madrid for the latter, with reports from Italy now claiming Wilson Odobert has been put on the transfer list as well.

Thomas Frank green-lights Gustan Isaksen move at Tottenham

That is according to Lalaziosiamonoi.it, who report that Frank doesn’t fancy Odobert, and he will be allowed to leave N17 this summer.

They add that the 51-year-old personally has his eyes on a replacement for Spurs’ exit-bound winger – Lazio star Gustan Isaksen.

The Denmark international racked up 49 appearances for Lazio in all competitions last term, registering 12 goal contributions in that time (six goals and six assists), and Frank is believed to be “crazy” about his compatriot.

Lalaziosiamonoi.it state that Frank has recommended Isaksen to the Tottenham hierarchy and would “welcome” a move for the 24-year-old. Isaksen would also be available for around £25 million, meaning he wouldn’t exactly break the bank from Spurs’ perspective.

The right-winger, who scored against European champions Spain and Switzerland during Denmark’s UEFA Nations League campaign, could be a bargain heir to Son or Odobert, if either men do call time on their Tottenham careers before deadline day.

“He has started to become decisive,” said ex-Lazio boss Marco Baroni about his former star winger. “I have always felt that he has been ready to explode on the big stage.”

Chelsea are now through to the Club World Cup final after brushing aside Fluminense with ease 2-0 in New Jersey.

After just about getting the better of Brazilian outfit Palmeiras 2-1 in the last round, Enzo Maresca’s Blues managed to progress through to the final stage by beating yet another South American side, as either Real Madrid or Paris St. Germain now await the West Londoners for a chance at pre-season glory.

João Pedro would steal most of the headlines from the straightforward win by popping up with both of Chelsea’s goals on the day, as the brand-new attacker looks to instantly settle into his new environment after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion behind.

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Posts ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025 Joao Pedro's performance in numbers

After clearly impressing Maresca with a lively 26-minute run-out against Palmeiras, the Italian would hand the exciting 23-year-old attacker the first-team reins as Chelsea’s main man up top against Fluminense.

It was an inspired decision from the former Leicester City boss to axe Liam Delap in favour of starting the fresh number 20, with Pedro only needing an hour to score a brace to hand his new employers an uncomplicated passage through to the Club World Cup final.

It was a confident and assured performance from a star who will want to make that sole striker spot his own ahead of the new Premier League season getting underway, with Pedro firing home a clinical 30 goals across his last two seasons at the Seagulls, before Chelsea came calling.

Based on Nicolas Jackson’s selfish miss in the second half, which sent Cole Palmer into a frenzy, he could well make that up-for-grabs position on the pitch his own very soon.

But, he wasn’t the only standout performer as Chelsea’s Brazilian opponents were dealt with comfortably, with this fellow attacker for the Blues sticking out once more, as some now even herald him as Chelsea’s finest player of the entire Club World Cup tournament.

The 8/10 star turning into Maresca's "best player"

Of course, those with connections to Stamford Bridge will be rightly enthused by Pedro’s flashes of excellence.

But, there have been other key individuals for Chelsea across the whole span of the tournament who have stood out even more than the much-talked-about South American, with Pedro Neto definitely fitting into this bracket.

Across his five games in the United States heat, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers winger has tallied up a crucial three goals, with his goal against LAFC in the middle of last month getting Maresca’s men up and running in the competition.

Whilst he didn’t collect another memorable strike against Fluminense, it wasn’t through lack of trying, with the tireless attacker seeing his only effort of the game be blocked, away from just shining as a vibrant and slick option down the Blues’ left flank when running forward with pace to burn.

Neto’s performance in numbers vs Fluminense

Stat

Neto

Minutes played

68

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Shots

1

Touches

34

Accurate passes

18/18 (100%)

Successful dribbles

4/6

Total duels won

5/8

Stats by Sofascore

Amazingly, Neto would complete four successful dribbles across his standout 68-minute spell, with his surges up the field constantly allowing for openings to happen, with Neto also accurately completing every single pass that came his way when feeding the likes of Pedro to shine.

Whilst the former Brighton striker did snatch most of the plaudits come the full-time whistle, Neto wasn’t short of admirers himself either, with journalist Zach Lowy taking to X to declare the Portuguese entertainer as Chelsea’s “best attacker” this tournament and “arguably their best player” full stop.

That is quite the call to make, but it was backed up by The Standard’s Sam Tabuteau post-match, who also declared him ‘Chelsea’s best performer’ in America, amidst a high 8/10 rating for his efforts against Fluminense.

It will be intriguing to see if Neto can kick on after all this pre-season praise when Premier League football returns to West London, with the Club World Cup trophy also perhaps making the trip back to England very soon if all goes to plan.

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Posts ByBen Gray Jul 8, 2025

The uncertainty around the future of Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam as well as the fate of the selection committee lingers as head coach Gary Kirsten and selector Wahab Riaz submitted their tour reports to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi following Pakistan’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. Pakistan were dumped out of the tournament after just three games, with defeats to the USA and India proving terminal to their campaign.The end of Pakistan’s World Cup was followed by a fierce – and a somewhat frenzied – backlash in the country. The selection committee of seven, widely viewed as being de facto headed by Wahab, was one of its central targets, while a perceived tactical ineptitude and culture of conservatism under the captaincy of Babar has also come under scrutiny. There remain unanswered questions about the selection of the squad itself, particularly around the continued non-selection of specialist legspinner Abrar Ahmed despite Shadab Khan’s indifferent form.Related

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However, as ESPNcricinfo reported last month, the PCB has chosen to take its time before launching into any major decisions. Pakistan do not have a white-ball engagement until November, allowing the PCB to wait till Kirsten and Wahab – who was also the senior team manager for the tournament – handed in their reports.It is understood the PCB remains open to a change of captaincy, though sticking with Babar has also not been conclusively ruled out. This partly stems from a lack of obvious candidates to replace him; when Naqvi decided to sack Shaheen Shah Afridi, he ultimately returned to Babar – who had only been replaced a few weeks earlier. That was following yet another poor showing at an ICC event – the ODI World Cup in India in 2023.Now that Kirsten and Wahab have submitted their reports, any decisions regarding the “surgery” Naqvi had reportedly been prepared to conduct do theoretically move closer. However, the PCB has consistently refused to put a timeline on any action, insisting they wish to make a considered decision rather than a quick one.

Andy Umeed continues prolific form but hosts recover from wobble to seal chase

ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2024Toby Albert dominated Somerset to strike a brilliant 96 not out and give Hampshire a second win from two outings in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Homegrown Albert arrived after a top-order wobble but took ownership of the chase of 243 with his highest List A score – with a 100-run alliance with Felix Organ getting his side over the line.Andy Umeed had backed up his opening match century with an effective 84, but Somerset’s 242 always looked below par on a good pitch – and so it proved with last year’s losing finalists reaching the target with 23 balls to spare.Umeed and Josh Thomas set a strong platform after Somerset had chosen to bat, with the openers comfortably notching 85 in the first 19 overs.Umeed scored 613 runs in last year’s One-Day Cup – with only Warwickshire’s Ed Barnard scoring more – and began the 2024 edition with a classy unbeaten 114.He was equally in control at Utilita Bowl – other than an early life when he was dropped at first slip on 5. His blueprint was clear; using the leg side for easy singles and the off side for his five fours and one of his two sixes.Thomas was also serene on his promotion to the top of the order, in place of his ill brother George. But the partnership was ended by Dom Kelly and a juggling Joe Eckland at deep fine leg, and started an unsure and spluttering spell for the visitors against middle-overs spin.Lewis Goldsworthy never settled and chipped to mid-off, James Rew was lbw attempting a paddle, and Umeed – after a 74-ball fifty – slapped a Nick Gubbins drag down to midwicket.Archie Vaughan was bowled to give Tom Prest his second, Sean Dickson – after a pacy 19 – looked back to find his middle stump had taken a trip, Kasey Aldridge diverted a full toss to short third and Alfie Ogborne and Jack Leach had their off stumps upended.But Ned Leonard gave the back end of the innings impetus and entertainment, a straight six was the pinnacle but his 16-ball 28 was vital in getting his side to 242, before he was the last man out in the final over.Hampshire’s reply stuttered in the gloves of Rew, as they found themselves 20 for 3 and then 61 for 3. Gubbins slashed at Leonard to edge behind to the wicketkeeper for a golden duck before Prest followed in identical fashion swishing off Ogborne.Rew made it a trio of top-order catches when spinner Goldsworthy’s introduction coerced Ben Brown to attack and sky for his opposite man to take on the dive.Having put on 41 with Brown, Middleton then strode forward with Albert and to his seventh List A half-century in 62 balls but fell four balls later when he picked out deep extra cover – ending a 40-run stand.The run of partnerships reaching 40 before ending continued when Eckland was well caught at short midwicket after 42 with Albert.Albert had been constantly proactive in his innings and reached a third 50-over fifty in 43 balls, but it was the smart running and putting away of bad balls with Organ that put Hampshire in complete control.They shattered the 40s curse with an unbroken 100 stand as they simply ticked off each run, each clapped passionately by the crowd.The only anxiety of the latter stages was whether Albert could get to three figures – ruined by Aldridge bowling a no-ball with three needed and Organ on strike – which left him on 96, and Organ on 46.

Sri Lanka are back playing a Test at The Oval for the first time since 1998

Alan Gardner05-Sep-20240:35

Ollie Pope excited to see ‘massive’ Josh Hull debut for England

Big picture: Sri Lanka return to scene of 1998 triumphTo The Oval, traditional venue for the final Test of the English summer – although not, by any means, the final international commitment for England’s men, who go straight into eight white-ball fixtures against Australia off the back of Sri Lanka’s visit (the first T20I takes place 24 hours after the scheduled fifth day of the Test).For now, the focus remains on Test cricket – even if Brendon McCullum’s mind may start to wander following news he will soon take charge of England’s white-ball fortunes as well – and the aim of completing a first summer sweep since 2004. Twenty years ago, Michael Vaughan’s team dispatched New Zealand and West Indies for a 7-0 scoreline, providing momentum that fueled them into the following year’s Ashes campaign; McCullum and Ben Stokes, currently watching on from the sidelines as he recuperates from a torn hamstring, will hope something similar can play out ahead of marque series against India (at home) and Australia (away) in 2025.England’s reboot, having lost 4-1 in India at the start of the year, has gone smoothly thus far, despite the limited challenge provided by West Indies and Sri Lanka. Gus Atkinson has emerged as the star of a post-Broaderson attack, with 33 wickets in five appearances – to go with a maiden hundred at Lord’s last week – while Jamie Smith has nailed down the wicketkeeper’s spot. With the Sri Lanka series secured, McCullum has decided to throw in another promising tyro, with 6ft 7in Leicestershire left-armer Josh Hull emerging from left-field for an unexpected debut.Related

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6ft 7in Hull handed England Test debut

Hull, England's left-armer from left-field, prepares for shock Test debut

All this may well be with the 2025-26 Ashes in mind – and who wouldn’t want a giant southpaw who can hit 90mph to bowl down under? – but Hull has already had success against Sri Lanka, taking five wickets for England Lions during the series warm-up, and England have once again reasoned that raw first-class statistics (16 wickets at 62.75) only tell part of the story.The final Test of the home season is also a final chance for Ollie Pope to improve his average as Test captain – that is assuming Stokes is fit to take the reins again in Pakistan next month. Pope has so far managed 30 runs in four innings, with his dismissals ranging from eyebrow-raising to hair-raising. Leading England to three wins from three would certainly tick a box, but runs under the belt might have more long-term significance.For Sri Lanka, a first multi-match Test tour at the height of the English summer has not lived up to expectations – although the same might be said of the English summer, with the weather again likely to be underwhelming in London this week. There were flashes of resistance at Lord’s, Asitha Fernando and Kamindu Mendis once again showing their promise while the senior trio of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva held up England with fourth-innings fifties.They would certainly have hoped for more than to be fighting for pride at this stage, but two first-innings collapses have left them with too much to do – while Dhananjaya’s decision to bowl at Lord’s threw an inexperienced bowling attack under the bus. A return to south London for their first Test since famously winning at The Oval in 1998 should help raise spirits. If further motivation is needed, Sri Lanka have played four previous three-Test series in England and never been whitewashed.Ollie Pope will continue to deputise for Ben Stokes•Getty ImagesForm guideEngland WWWWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWWWIn the spotlight: Josh Hull and Asitha FernandoHe might be blotting out the spotlight, so tall is Josh Hull. The 20-year-old only emerged on the county scene last summer, notably bowling the final over as Leicestershire sealed the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a two-run win over Hampshire, and his rise this term has been meteoric. A couple of outings in the Hundred showed he had put on pace, nudging the speed gun up to 89mph, while success in the Lions game counted for more with England than a County Championship record of two wickets at 182.50. He is set to become only the second left-arm seamer to play Tests for England since Ryan Sidebottom in 2010.Despite Atkinson’s stellar performances and England’s dominance generally, the leading wicket-taker in the series is Sri Lankan. Asitha Fernando has 14 scalps at 20.14, already second only to Muthiah Muralidaran for Sri Lanka in England, and his lion-hearted efforts have kept the home batters honest. Asitha got himself on the honours board with a five-for at Lord’s – matching Rumesh Ratnayake’s effort from 1991 – but would no doubt love to help his team end the tour on a winning note. With Sri Lanka banking on pace at The Oval, his skills with conventional and reverse-swing will be vital if can post a score.Team news: Hull to debut, SL go all paceEngland announced on Wednesday that Hull would debut, coming into the XI for Matthew Potts. The Oval Test will likely be Dan Lawrence’s final opportunity to impress as stand-in opener ahead of the return of Zak Crawley.England: 1 Dan Lawrence, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Olly Stone, 10 Shoaib Bashir, 11 Josh HullSri Lanka warm up – literally and figuratively – at The Oval•PA Photos/Getty ImagesSri Lanka have opted for a rare four-man pace attack, given what they expect from the pitch (see below), meaning Prabath Jayasuriya makes way. They have also rejigged the top order (again), with Kusal Mendis back in the side at No. 3, Pathum Nissanka opening and Nishan Madushka sitting out. Angelo Mathews has only bowled a handful of times in Tests since 2017 but was going through his paces in the nets at The Oval, with a view to making up Jayasuriya’s overs alongside Dhananjaya and Kamindu.Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Milan Rathnayake, 9 Lahiru Kumara, 10 Vishwa Fernando, 11 Asitha FernandoPitch and conditions: Autumn weather sets inThe Oval has not been the place to bowl spin this season, with only 26 wickets falling to slow bowlers in six County Championship matches – compared to 173 taken by pace, where Surrey’s seam-and-swing merchant Dan Worrall leads the way. With wet weather in the build-up and a forecast for showers throughout – Monday looks particularly bleak – the conditions will be a long way from those in which Murali’s Sri Lanka dominated England 26 years ago.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have a 100% win rate in Tests at The Oval, having beaten England emphatically on their only previous visit – Sanath Jayasuriya’s 213 helping the visitors comfortably overhaul a total of 445 before Muralidaran took 9 for 65 to set up a 10-wicket win. Joe Root overtook Alastair Cook’s Test centuries record for England at Lord’s, and is now only 95 runs behind overall. He needs 24 runs to pass Kumar Sangakkara in sixth on the all-time list, with Cook next in his sights. Root also took his 200th catch in the field and can close in on the top two, Mahela Jayawardene (205) and Rahul Dravid (210). Atkinson will break the record for most wickets by an England seamer in a home summer – currently jointly held by SF Barnes, Alec Bedser and James Anderson – if he takes seven in the match. Karunaratne overtook Jayasuriya at Lord’s to become Sri Lanka’s fourth-highest Test run-scorer; he needs 10 more runs to reach 7000 in the format.Quotes”Six foot heaps, bowls left-arm, ranges in pace from 80 to 90 miles an hour. Swings it, not too dissimilar to the likes of Jimmy Anderson. He’s 20 years of age, good farming stock. It’s not a huge gamble, is it?”
Brendon McCullum on England’s latest surprise selection“We need to score big runs and that’s the biggest fault that we had in the first two Tests. Most of our batters who had got starts didn’t convert. Joe Root is a good example, he converted the starts into hundreds. Others batted around him. One of us need to do that and if that happens we need to get 320 mark in the first innings.”
Dhananjaya de Silva on how his side can improve

تحدث لامين يامال، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة عن نصائح مدربه الألماني هانز فليك قبل المباريات من خلال حوار أجراه مع صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية.

وتألق اللاعب صاحب الـ 18 عامًا مع برشلونة الموسم الماضي وكان عاملًا مؤثرًا ومهمًا في تتويج برشلونة بالثلاثية المحلية “الدوري وكأس الملك والسوبر” مع الصعود إلى نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا لأول مرة منذ عام 2019.

وقال لامين حول النصائح التي يقولها له فليك بشكل دائم في المباريات: “أتحدث مع فليك كثيرًا، إنه يمنحني ثقة كبيرة ويشجعني على الاستمتاع بوقتي، والتحلي بالشجاعة، وعدم التراجع عن المستوى الذي أنا فيه وهذا ما يجعلني سعيدًا”.

وعن شخصيته القوية التي يتمتع بها، أكمل: “أعتقد أنها مهمة في كرة القدم الاحترافية، من المهم جدًا أن تؤمن بنفسك وأن تتمتع بشخصية قوية، دائمًا تواضع ولكن مع العلم أن وجودك هنا يعني أنك تمتلك القدرة على المنافسة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | برشلونة يتلقى دفعة معنوية كبيرة قبل لقاء نيوكاسل في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وعن اعتماده على أخصائي نفسي رياضي بجانب موهبته، أضاف: “الحقيقة هي أنني أعمل في كلا الاتجاهين، في لا ماسيا لطالما علمونا الاستعداد الذهني، ولديّ أيضًا متخصصين يساعدونني، إنه أمر أساسي”.

وفيما يتعلق بالفوز بالكرة الذهبية، أردف: “سيكون حلمًا بالطبع، جائزة الكرة الذهبية من أعظم الجوائز التي يمكن أن يحصل عليها لاعب كرة قدم”.

وعما سيفعله إذا فاز بها، أوضح: “ربما سأحتفل بهذه المناسبة مع عائلتي وأصدقائي، الذين كانوا بجانبي طوال الوقت”.

واستطرد: “بالتأكيد الفوز بالكرة الذهبية في سن الثامنة عشرة سيكون أمرًا رائعًا ولكن إن لم يحدث الآن فسأواصل العمل على تحسين أدائي يومًا بعد يوم، هكذا هو الحال”.

وعن هدفه بالموسم الجديد أتم: “أريد أن أستمر في التطور ومساعدة الفريق بتسجيل الأهداف وتقديم التمريرات الحاسمة والمنافسة على كل لقب نتنافس عليه”.

Chelsea have the chance to seal their second trophy under Enzo Maresca when they face PSG in the Club World Cup final.

It will be a tough task, as the French side are arguably the best side on the planet, evidenced by their 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

Enzo Fernandez will be crucial as the Argentine will be tasked with trying to keep possession for the Blues, while also aiming to stop PSG from mounting attack after attack in the final third.

That being said, despite Maresca signing plenty of attacking players this summer, might the former Benfica starlet be growing worried amid the club’s latest transfer link?

Chelsea enquire over Barcelona midfielder

The list of attacking players linked with the Blues is lengthy, but Maresca now looks like he could be set to add a midfielder or two to his squad.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to Caught Offside, Chelsea, along with Arsenal, have enquired about the availability of Barcelona star Marc Casado this summer.

The Catalan giants are demanding €50m (£43m) should any club wish to make an official bid for the Spaniard.

He does have a release clause worth €100m (£86m), but due to their financial situation, Barcelona may be forced to accept a lower offer. If Maresca does sign the player, it could be bad news for Fernandez.

Why Chelsea must sign Marc Casado

Last season in the Premier League, Fernandez played alongside Moises Caicedo in the heart of the Chelsea midfield.

He registered 13 goal contributions in the top flight, while also creating 13 big chances and averaging 2.3 key passes per game for the Blues. The Argentine may be a more effective player going forward, but defensively, Casado has the upper hand.

Indeed, last season, the Barcelona starlet tackled a higher percentage of dribblers (48.8% vs 36.9%) per 90, along with committing fewer fouls (26 vs 52) and making more interceptions (22 vs 13) in their respective domestic leagues.

Marc Casado’s La Liga statistics last season for Barcelona

Accurate passes per game

53

Goals

1

Assists

3

Total duels won per game

4

Big chances created

3

Tackles per game

1.9

Via Sofascore

Furthermore, Casado also won more total duels per game (53% vs 47%) and lost possession fewer times per game (7.7 vs 12.8) than the current Blues midfielder.

With the club signing a plethora of attacking players this summer, shoring up the midfield now appears to be Maresca’s priority.

A move for Casado could have Fernandez fearing for his place in the starting XI next season, that’s for sure, with Caicedo seemingly a shoo-in to start, having been described by Maresca as “one of the best, if not the best, defensive midfielder in the world”.

Following Spain’s victory over Switzerland last November, Casado was showered with praise by teammate Bryan Zaragoza, who said: “He’s an animal. I don’t even know what to say about how he played. He’s barbaric.”

This sort of player is exactly the type of midfielder that Maresca would love to have available to him.

Aged just 21, Casado is only going to get better with age, especially by playing in the Premier League and Champions League for the Blues.

If the Stamford Bridge side can secure his signature for a decent fee, it might turn out to be one of their best signings of the summer, with Casado representing a perfect partner to Caicedo in the centre of the park.

For Fernandez, however, it could well be bad news in the long run.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 11, 2025

Following a slow start to the transfer window, in which they appeared to be doing very little, Arsenal have burst into life this week.

Mikel Arteta’s side might still be some way away from signing their marquee striker, but based on reports from the last few days, they appear incredibly close to securing the services of Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga – and the deal for Martin Zubimendi looks as assured as ever.

Interestingly, several links to the incredibly talented Eberechi Eze have also been emerging in recent days, who would be an exceptionally exciting addition to the Gunners’ squad.

Yet, if more recent stories are to be believed, Andrea Berta and Co may be looking at another English talent, someone who’d be an even better signing than the Crystal Palace star.

Arsenal chase England stars

While there was plenty that went wrong for them this season, Arsenal’s biggest issue was their lack of cutting edge, and at times, creativity.

Transfer Focus

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

So, with that clearly in mind, the club have been linked with a host of brilliant attack minded players inrecent weeks, a number of whom also happen to be England internationals, like Anthony Gordon and Eze.

The former reportedly has a price tag of around £80m, and while he didn’t have his best campaign to date this year, he was still reasonablly effective, racking up 16 goal involvements in 42 games – including three against the Gunners.

Eze, on the other hand, has a release clause in his current deal worth around £68m, and would therefore be little easier to bring to the Emirates.

However, as talented and exciting a player the 26-year-old is, it looks like the North Londoners could now be looking at yet another Three Lions star as an alternative, if not an outright upgrade.

At least that’s according to a recent report from the Express, which claims that Arsenal are very much interested in Morgan Rogers.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that after making initial contact over a month ago, the Gunners remain in talks with the 22-year-old’s camp over a potential deal.

However, given his importance to the Claret and Blue, the report claims it will take an offer of around £70m from the North Londoners, if they want to get their man.

It would be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line then, but given Rogers’ immense ability and potential, it’s one Arsenal shoud be pursuing, especially as he’d be a serious upgrade on Eze.

How Rogers compares to Eze

So, with their price tag being nearly the same, why should Arsenal be looking to sign Rogers over Eze this summer?

Well, the first reason why relates to their output in the Premier League this season, as the Villa dynamo was able to score eight goals and provide 11 assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.

In contrast, the former QPR gem scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 34 appearances, which comes out as a still good, but less impressive, average of 2.12 goal involvements per game.

The second reason for picking the Halesowen-born gem is that his advantage over the Palace ace extends to their underlying numbers as well.

For example, he performs significantly better in most relevant metrics, such as progressive passes and carries, as well as goal-creating actions, which helps demonstrate his creative potential, whether off the wing or in midfield.

Rogers vs Eze
Statistics	Rogers	Eze
Non-Penalty G+As	0.52	0.52
Progressive Passes	3.55	3.37
Progressive Passes Received	5.43	5.31
Progressive Carries	3.29	2.40
Passing Accuracy	73.2%	74.2%
Passes into the Penalty Area	1.62	1.35
Passes into the Final Third	2.11	1.70
Shot-Creating Actions	3.04	4.69
Goal-Creating Actions	0.46	0.35
Successful Take-Ons	1.91	2.33
Carries into the Final Third	1.97	1.67
Carries into the Penalty Area	0.95	0.76
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

Finally, the former Manchester City prospect is four years younger than the 26-year-old Eagles star and already has experience playing in the Champions League and fighting for places near the top of the Premier League, so the transition to title challenger should be easier for him.

Ultimately, both players would be incredible signings for Arsenal this summer, but thanks to his better output, underlying numbers, experience and the fact he’s far younger, Arsenal should be looking to sign Rogers over Eze.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 27, 2025