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Tottenham Hotspur have made an approach to sign a £54 million attacker who Ligue 1 giants Lyon are already in talks for, with the Lilywhites prepared to compete for his signing and potentially hijack their discussions.

Spurs targeting new forwards for Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou’s side are fresh off the back of a 2-1 win over Premier League champions Man City, which knocked Pep Guardiola and co out of the Carabao Cup, but there are still many issues to address after a mixed start to the campaign.

£120k-per-week Tottenham ace now seriously considering exit to La Liga side

He could be on the way out very soon.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 31, 2024

Spurs’ loss to lowly Crystal Palace handed Oliver Glasner his first win of the season last weekend, and the north Londoners slumped to a disappointing 3-2 defeat at Brighton after throwing away a two-goal advantage just before the international break.

Postecoglou has also been criticised for his tactics lately, and there have even been some suggestions from many supporters that the Australian could be facing a precarious situation in regards to his job if things don’t turn around on a consistent basis (Football Insider).

The January transfer window could represent an opportunity for the club’s recruitment team to shore up glaring holes in Postecoglou’s squad, in an effort to assist the 58-year-old’s chase for a first piece of major silverware in 16 years.

It is believed Spurs are monitoring Javi Puado of Espanyol ahead of a potential January swoop, with the Spaniard impressing alongside loanee Alejo Veliz in La Liga. He could be available on a very cheap deal, considering his contract expires in the summer, or Daniel Levy could elect to sign the player on a pre-contract ahead of next summer.

Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo is a transfer target for Spurs as well, according to some reports, with the north Londoners prepared to pay as much as £50 million to seal a deal for the Ghanaian.

“He’s a lovely footballer to watch”, said Jamie Redknapp on Semenyo to Premier League productions.

“The manager’s taken him to another level, he obviously has that capability because you saw it with Solanke. I’m just seeing him elevate his game right now, we’ll talk about why does that happen, a lot of it is purely on confidence.

“He looks like he’s enjoying his football, his shoulders are back, he’s relaxed, every time he gets it, he plays with a bit of a swagger. He’s actually a joy to watch right now.”

Tottenham make approach for Rayan and prepared to hijack Lyon talks

According to South American news outlet Vascaino, Vasco de Gama forward Rayan is on Tottenham’s agenda, and they’ve made an approach to seek information about the player’s availability.

They face stiff competition from Lyon, though, who are apparently already in talks to sign the 18-year-old. However, Vascaino goes on to suggest that Tottenham are willing to compete with Lyom to sign Rayan, potentially hijacking their discussions for the highly-rated teenager.

Rayan’s deal includes a release clause set at around £54 million, but his club are willing to sell for a bit less than that in a boost for Levy and Postecoglou.

Vincent Kompany issued a brutal warning to his players ahead of Bayern Munich's Champions League last-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen.

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• Kompany sends warning to Bayern stars
• Coach eager to win trophies
• Bayern face Leverkusen in UCL on Wednesday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kompany took charge of Bayern Munich last summer following a trophyless season under Thomas Tuchel at Allianz Arena. The Belgian manager was entrusted with the task of bringing back the glory days at the Bavarian club. The Bavarian giants are currently eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, into the last 16 of the Champions League but have been knocked out of DFB Pokal.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As Bayern prepare to take on league rivals Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League knockout stage, Kompany has sent out a brutal warning towards his players. It has to be noted that Kompany's side have already been knocked out of cup competition this season after losing to Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal Cup.

• WHAT VINCENT KOMPANY SAID

  Speaking to FIFA media, Kompany said: "Be hungry – or go somewhere else. It's that simple. I can identify with many of the players I see here. There is no big difference to the groups I knew from Manchester City. That is definitely an advantage. I know what motivates them. I know what ambitions they have and what their simple worries are."

  He added: "I am lucky to have a very good group of players who enjoy spending time together. I also know how important it is to protect this dynamic. I've always been at clubs with high standards. Anderlecht had some of the best youth teams in Europe in the 1980s and 1990s. We could beat any big European team. We always had that pressure, from the age of six: to win, to play well, to behave in a certain way. When I got to top-level football, that was already a big part of me.

  "That of course continued at Manchester City. When I then became coach of FC Bayern, it was something very familiar to me. I didn't come into an environment that I didn't know, but into an environment that I grew up in."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  After their clash in Europe this Wednesday, Bayern will be back in action in the Bundesliga on March 8 as they take on VFL Bochum.

Xavi Hernandez said he was too emotionally connected to Barcelona to deliver sustained success during his time at the club.

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• Midfield maestro returned to boyhood club as manager in 2021
• He led the Blaugrana to a title in his first full season
• Xavi: "I am open to offers"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Xavi, who made 767 appearances for the club, took over as Barcelona manager during the 2021 season. While he led Barca to a La Liga title during his first full season, he was sacked last summer after failing to collect any silverware. The former Spain international acknowledged mistakes he made in his final season, but he doesn't regret giving younger players a chance.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  His dismissal came amidst a tumultuous period behind the scenes. During his tenure, several key players, including Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez left as the club continued to grapple with its financial situation. The loss of Busquets was particularly difficult for Xavi, as he admitted he made 'mistakes' in rethinking Barca's style without their playmaker.

• WHAT XAVI SAID

  In an interview with France Football, Xavi said: "Expectations were extremely high in comparison to my history in coaching at the time. At times, my deep emotional connection to the club may have worked against me.

  "I was more emotional than I should have been in certain moments, but this experience has been a valuable lesson in learning for me."

  "I chose to play with a midfield that included three attacking players, but it wasn't always the best option.

  "Beyond trophies, I feel proud that I trusted a new generation of players: Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde… These players represent the future of the club."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR XAVI?

  Xavi said he planned to take a sabbatical after leaving Barca, but he is now ready to listen to offers, including from other clubs in Spain. "I have nothing concrete on the table," he said. "I am open [to offers]. Why not coach another team in La Liga? I am looking for an exciting project."

Ipswich Town have finally picked up their first Premier League win of the season, but nobody would have anticipated it would come away at Tottenham Hotspur, who had just toppled Aston Villa 4-1 prior to this showdown with the winless Tractor Boys.

Yet, complacency must have seeped in from the hosts and the Suffolk side took advantage, with Kieran McKenna labelling the victory as a “special” one after the dust had settled on the important win, as his team now have three points next to their name at the 11th attempt.

Both Liam Delap and Sammie Szmodics were crucial up top for the visitors in hunting down this unexpected win, as the electric attacking pair traded goals to be the main heroes on the day.

Delap & Szmodics' important goals

Delap’s strike away at Spurs on Sunday means the former Manchester City striker is up to six goals for the season now from 11 Premier League contests, with his instinctive finish in North London making it 2-0 on the day.

Whilst the 21-year-old was in the right place at the right time, Szmodics’ opener was far more stylish than showing off his pouncer-like ability under pressure, as the ex-Blackburn Rovers man acrobatically gave his side the lead with an overhead kick after Delap had headed into his path.

Ipswich did then have to ride it out, as Ange Postecoglou’s side threatened a comeback courtesy of a second half strike from Rodrigo Bentancur, but the Tractor Boys defence just about managed to stand firm and a first coveted win became a reality.

Amazingly, between the two of them, Delap and Szmodics only amassed a slender 51 touches, but their crucial contributions ensured the three points would be travelling back to Portman Road.

But, there were other standout performers in the attacking positions away from just the goalscorers, as Omari Hutchinson constantly drove his rejuvenated team forward.

Hutchinson's performance in numbers

Struggling in patches this season playing in a central attacking midfield role, the ex-Chelsea forward shone from this problem area in North London, with the Spurs defenders finding it hard to keep tabs on him.

Across the course of the 90 minutes, Hutchinson attempted a staggering eight dribbles in a bid to always create an opening for his team, with five of those being successfully completed.

Going in for a mammoth 23 duels across the clash too, with 12 of them seeing Hutchinson come out on top, the 21-year-old very much operated as a lively presence for McKenna’s men all afternoon, keeping up the energy levels to ensure a much-needed win was forthcoming.

Spurs supporters would have been glad to see the back of the ex-Chelsea attacker come full-time no doubt, with Hutchinson winning himself four fouls as a tenacious figure for the visitors.

Rewarded with the Man of the Match honour and an 9/10 rating post-match by East Anglian Daily Times journalist Alex Jones, the tireless Tractor Boys number 20 will hope he has made that number ten role his own now after such a sharp showing, despite the majority of his heroics last campaign in the Championship coming from down the flanks.

Still, McKenna has clear faith in Hutchinson from this position and it more than paid off on Sunday, as the 21-year-old played a starring role in Ipswich’s jubilant first win of the top-flight campaign.

Ipswich wanted to sign "extraordinary" PL flop, they got Delap instead

The struggling striker would have been a dreadful signing for Ipswich.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 8, 2024

Ruben Amorim made a surprising "I don't know if I'll be here" claim when looking ahead to Manchester United finally reviving former glories.

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• United were dumped out of the FA Cup by Fulham
• Struggling to break into the top half of the PL standings
• Amorim raised questions about his future amid dismal form

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amorim's comments came in the aftermath of United’s FA Cup exit as they suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Fulham in the fifth round. The result added to an already difficult season for United, who, despite still being in contention for Europa League success, are enduring a dismal domestic campaign as the Red Devils currently sit 14th in the Premier League, a far cry from their past glories.

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  WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking to Amorim said: "I don’t know if I’m going to be here, but the way we are thinking, we are going to return, and we are going to win in the future. But then it’s the risk. We are doing a lot of things, we are not winning games, and when you don’t win games sometimes you have to change people, and we know that.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite signing a contract that runs until 2027, with an option for an additional year, Amorim knows that time is not always a luxury in football. The club has placed its trust in him to lead a major rebuild, but with United’s current form, patience among fans and the board may begin to wear thin.

  “As a club, I think we are doing a lot of things that are hard to do,” Amorim said. “A lot of people in the staff are paying that price, but we are doing the things that we should do to win in the future.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM & MANCHESTER UNITED?

  While Amorim remains committed to transforming United, his path forward is filled with challenges. They must bury the ghosts of the FA Cup defeat as quickly as possible and refocus before they face Real Sociedad in a Europa League last-16 first leg clash on Thursday.

  Following that, United will return to Premier League action against title contenders Arsenal, a match that will further test their resilience. A positive result against Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Gunners could help restore some confidence within the squad, while another setback would only intensify the scrutiny on Amorim.

Everton had to sell a few players during the summer transfer window in order to comply with the Premier League’s financial fair play regulations.

This saw the likes of Amadou Onana, Lewis Dobbin and Ben Godfrey all leave Goodison Park, allowing Sean Dyche to balance the books.

Onana in particular has been a big miss, particularly with the Belgian beginning to showcase his talents for Aston Villa over the first few months of the season.

Amadou Onana's stats after leaving Everton

The Belgian has played 14 games for his new club, scoring three goals already, becoming a key member of Unai Emery’s starting XI.

Onana has notably been a shining light in the Champions League, starring on the biggest continental stage of all. As well as scoring once, he has averaged a pass success rate of 95%, winning 65% of his total duels per game and completing 100% of his dribble attempts.

His transition from the Premier League to Europe has been seamless and, despite securing a fee of around £50m, Dyche will regret letting him leave.

That said, he isn’t the only former Toffee at Villa Park who the Merseyside outfit should regret seeing leave through the exit door.

The Premier League defender Everton must regret selling

The club must also rue selling a defender under Rafa Benitez who is now undergoing a resurgence in recent months – Lucas Digne.

The Frenchman joined the Toffees in 2018, arriving from Barcelona, and over the next three and half seasons, he would go on to make 127 appearances for the club in the process.

In January 2022, however, Benitez was looking to raise some funds for future signings, which meant a player or two had to be sold.

Just days before the manager was sacked, Villa duly spent £25m to sign the French defender nearly three years ago, rescuing him from Benitez. Now, this season, the former Barcelona star has undergone somewhat of a resurgence.

In the Premier League this term for the Midlands side, Digne has not only scored twice but has also created eight big chances, averaging 1.3 key passes per game and averaged 0.5 shots per game, proving his worth going forward.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Having a left-back Emery can trust has made a huge difference to the Frenchman’s confidence, which has seen his performances improve from those of last term.

He was even called up to the France squad for the latest Nations League matches, playing a starring role against Italy.

The former Everton defender played the entire 90 minutes as he registered two assists, made four tackles, made two key passes and even hit the woodwork during the 3-1 victory over the Italians.

This led to praise from Villa journalist John Townley, who said: “When Unai Emery joined Aston Villa two years ago, he wanted “more in everything” from Digne. Now he’s probably in the form of his life.”

While £25m at the time was a reasonable fee for Digne, Everton must now rue selling the defender who has been excellent for club and country this season.

10 duels lost: Everton's 20-touch star had a shocker for his country

Everton players have performed well during international duty, aside from one…

By
Ross Kilvington

Nov 16, 2024

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has made a big Cole Palmer selection call ahead of the club's upcoming Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Cardiff City in midweek. In what has been an injury-hit 2025-26 campaign for the Blues and England playmaker, Palmer opened the scoring in Maresca’s side's 2-0 victory over Everton last weekend in the Premier League.

• Is Palmer full fit despite injury comeback?

  While Palmer returned to the Blues' starting lineup against the Toffees and also scored the opening goal, the English playmaker is still not a hundred per cent fit and the player does not want to rush his recovery from injury. After starring for Chelsea, Palmer had told reporters: "I didn’t want to rush back too soon and then get injured again, and I’m still managing it, so it’s just about getting better each day. I enjoyed being back out there, and I’m still nowhere near 100 per cent in terms of fitness and sharpness, but I’m getting there and hopefully I’ll be there soon. I don’t want to do too much too soon but I’m getting there.

  "I’ve been out for a while, probably the longest I’ve ever been out, so I was itching to get back out there with the team. To start and score was a nice feeling. We’ve obviously had a difficult few games, and it’s harder than people think, a game every three days. It’s a lot of travel and it’s difficult, so to get the win is great."

  Palmer later told : "I wouldn’t say I’m at my best yet. I’m still dealing with an injury. Hopefully, it gets better and better but there’s still a bit to go. It is getting better. The stuff I’ve been doing with the physios at the club. It’s just a matter of not doing too much too soon. Literally, it’s just a day-by-day thing. Hopefully it gets better."

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  Will Palmer play in Carabao Cup?

  Speaking about his squad selection ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final, Maresca said: "I’ve already said many times in plenty of press conferences that we have a number of players that need to be protected. The target is to protect them and manage them. Cole is one of the players who deserves to be protected right now. In this moment, he’s not available to play two games in three days. So he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game, but should be fine for the weekend. We're going to make some changes. We'll see how many, but for sure we have players that in the last 12, 13 days, they've played five games. So they need to probably recover energy."

• Maresca cautious ahead of facing Cardiff

  Maresca remained cautious ahead of facing League One side Cardiff, as he added: "Yes, he (Brian Barry-Murphy) is doing a great job at Cardiff. They are top of the league, playing nice football and winning games. I know Brian and know he is doing a good job. I was the Under-23 coach [at Man City] and when I left, he took over from me. He came to see us in sessions and games and I think he’s doing a fantastic job at Cardiff. This will be a dangerous game for us and we need to pay attention and be careful tomorrow. We have the opportunity to achieve something important, which is to reach the semi-final of this competition."

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  Tuchel's eye on Palmer's recovery

  Palmer's full recovery is not just crucial for Chelsea for the remainder of the 2025-26 season as England boss Thomas Tuchel is also keeping a close eye on the attacking midfielder's fitness. With only a few months left before the 2026 World Cup in North America, the Three Lions will want their star player to become fully fit and regain his best form.

  While Palmer will miss the cup competition on Tuesday, he is expected to be back for the club's next Premier League clash against Newcastle United on December 20.

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing a “special” £20 million+ creative player, according to a new report.

The Reds are back in Premier League action this weekend, as they travel to London to face Arsenal, looking to bounce back from their defeat to Newcastle United last time out.

Nottingham Forest want £41m "wizard" who could be their own Vini Jr

Forest want to add another Brazilian to their ranks

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 19, 2024

Nottingham Forest transfer news

The January transfer window will open in over a month and a bit, but given how Forest have started the new season, Nuno Espirito Santo may not be planning to do a lot of business. However, the transfer window opening allows them to do it if an opportunity crops up, and it seems there are one or two players on their radar.

It emerged earlier this week that Forest are keeping a close eye on Flamengo’s Lorran. The 18-year-old is highly rated in Brazil, and his performances have alerted several teams in Europe, with Manchester United also mentioned as a possible destination in the past. Forest are keeping an eye on developments, and were they to make a move, it could cost them £41 million, as that is how much his release clause is.

As well as Lorran, the Forest are also interested in signing Marwan Al-Sahafi from Al-Ittihad. The attacker is currently on loan at Belgian side Beerschot and has been catching the eye with his performances, so much so that Forest and Real Sociedad are watching him closely. These are not the only players on their radar, as they are keen on landing a creative player who knows one of their own players very well already.

Nottingham Forest interested in signing "special" £20m+ creative player

According to Caught Offside, Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Manchester City’s James McAtee. The 22-year-old, who has been dubbed “special” by Pep Guardiola in the past, came through the academy at City, but he is yet to nail down a regular starting spot, with the Reds now monitoring his situation.

McAtee, who is more comfortable operating as a creative midfielder but can also play out wide, has had two separate loan spells at Sheffield United in recent years, as former Blades player Morgan Gibbs-White played a part in telling Paul Heckingbottom about McAtee, as the pair played together for the England under-21s.

Gibbs-White and McAtee could be about to reunite once again, as Forest are among the teams interested in signing the midfielder. The report adds that as well as Forest, Celtic, Lens, Lille, Southampton, Fulham, West Ham, Leicester City, Feyenoord, VfB Stuttgart, and Girona are all keeping an eye on McAtee’s developments.

McAtee could be allowed to leave for a fee in excess of £20 million, as while he is held in high regard at the Etihad, City are open to a transfer given the player’s need for regular football and for them to meet financial fair play requirements. The Blues have had their injury problems this season, but that hasn’t changed McAtee’s situation, as he’s played just six times so far.

Chris Wood, who has been in red-hot form for Nottingham Forest this season, collected a bizarre booking while on international duty with New Zealand.

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• Has hit 18 Premier League goals this season
• Recorded another hat-trick for his country
• Cautioned for mingling with supporters

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 33-year-old frontman, with a career-best 18 Premier League goals to his name in 2024-25, is a talismanic presence for his country. Another three goals have been added to his record-breaking tally there, taking him to 44 through 81 appearances.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wood netted a hat-trick for New Zealand – all with his head – as they crushed Fiji 7-0 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. Victory over New Caledonia on Monday, who are ranked 152nd by FIFA, will secure the All Whites tickets to next summer’s global showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wood’s spirits were high after claiming another match ball, but he saw his mood sourced somewhat by a remarkable yellow card that was flashed in his direction for signing autographs in the crowd after being replaced midway through the second half of New Zealand’s latest win.

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  WHAT CHRIS WOOD SAID

  The experienced forward told reporters afterwards, with there nothing that could take the smile off his face: "If that's the rules, that's the rules. Just doing something nice and trying to sign for the fans." Wood was able to laugh off the incident as he faces no suspension threat.

Nottingham Forest are planning on making a January bid for an “amazing” striker who could cost £60 million, according to a new report. The Reds have been one of the surprise packages of this campaign so far, as they find themselves in the European places after 13 league games and nowhere near the bottom three.

Nottingham Forest hit gold selling £15m star who's now worth less than Boly

Nottingham Forest made the right call in offloading the ace despite him being a crucial player.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 28, 2024

Nottingham Forest transfer news

The January transfer window is now under a month away from opening, and Forest could have their eye on one or two fresh additions, as Nuno Espirito Santo will want to keep up this pursuit of an unexpected European spot for next season.

It has been reported that Forest have made Anderlecht defender Moussa Ndiaye their priority target for January. The 22-year-old is being looked at by a host of teams across Europe, one of which is Forest, who are looking to strengthen their squad in January and have made him a top target for the New Year.

Signing a striker could also be high on the Reds list for January, as they have placed Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin on their radar. Nuno’s side are among the Premier League clubs looking to sign the striker, as he refuses to sign a new Everton contract, which means they could be forced to sell in January before he leaves for free in the summer. But Calvert-Lewin is not the only forward being considered, with cover for the excellent Chris Wood required.

Nottingham Forest planning January swoop for £60m striker

According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are planning on making a January bid for Evan Ferguson of Brighton & Hove Albion. The young striker has been with the Seagulls since January 2021, after making the move from Irish football.

Ferguson, who was described as “amazing” by former teammates, has been a breath of fresh air since joining Brighton. The forward scored six goals in 19 Premier League games in his first full season, and he then followed that up by scoring another six last season.

However, so far in this 2024/25 season, Ferguson has struggled for regular game time, playing just eight times in the league, and only one has come as a start. This report states that Forest are keen on signing Ferguson but on a permanent basis, as it’s been claimed that he could be available for a loan deal.

Several Premier League teams are interested in a loan switch, and Forest are hoping to beat them to the signing as they plan on making a permanent offer. But it could be a costly arrival for the Reds, as it’s been claimed that the Republic of Ireland international has a £60 million price tag on his head.