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After a disappointing season in 2024/25, Manchester City will be desperate to bounce back next term. Pep Guardiola’s side have been active in the summer transfer window, as they look to improve on their third-place finish and Champions League play-off elimination to Real Madrid.

There have already been six new faces through the door at the Etihad Stadium this summer. Rayan Cherki, his namesake Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders all joined before the Club World Cup, a competition City were dumped out of at the quarter-final stage. They’ve also added young talent Sverre Nypan, and goalkeepers James Trafford and Marcus Betinelli.

With two shot-stoppers already signed this summer, it seems that Guardiola wants to bring in a third.

Manchester City’s next summer target

It seems like it will be all change for City this summer between the posts. Two new faces are already signed, and Ederson could leave, with reports at the start of the month suggesting Galatasaray could pursue a move.

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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Well, City are lining up a move for another new goalkeeper, with Football Insider claiming they ‘are entering the race’ to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Gianluigi Donnarumma.

They have recently ‘expressed an interest’ in signing the Italian and Hugo Viana’s transfer team are now ‘exploring a move’ for the goalkeeper.

However, this will not be a straightforward deal to do. City are set to face competition from arch-rivals Manchester United, who are also interested in a move for the Euro 2020 winner. As for the fee, it was reported that as much as £43m would be enough to seal the deal for City in the coming weeks.

Why Donnaraumma would be a good signing

One of the heroes of PSG’s Champions League victory last season, Italian shot-stopper Donnarumma, is about to enter his peak years.

He is just 26 years of age, having first broken through for AC Milan back in 2015/16. Back then, he was described as a “phenom” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Last term, that ability shone through as PSG lifted their first Champions League title. He conceded just 43 goals in 47 games for the French giants, keeping 17 clean sheets in that time.

It is saves like that one against Leandro Trossard which led him to be nominated for the Yashin Trophy. Indeed, Donnarumma’s stats from the 2024/25 Champions League campaign are superb.

In 15 matches, he conceded 14 goals and had a save percentage of 72%.

Donnarumma key stats from 2024/25 UCL

Stat

Per 90 mins

Total

Clean sheets

0.4

6

Goals conceded

0.9

14

Expected goals conceded

1xGC

15.7xGC

Saves

2.3

36

Save percentage

72%

72%

Accurate long balls

3.6

55

Goals prevented

0.11

1.69

Stats from Sofascore

Interestingly, too, there could certainly be similarities drawn between Donnarumma and former City maverick Mario Balotelli. The journeyman centre-forward was once described as a “crazy” character but “one of the nicest guys ever” by former teammate at the Etihad Stadium, Micah Richards.

Away from some of the controversy that followed the former Italy striker, he was an important player for City, helping them to win the Premier League in 2011/12.

That season, he bagged 13 goals in 23 top-flight games, and ended his career in East Manchester with 30 strikes in 80 appearances.

Already, the similarities are there to see. Two Italian superstars who have both been in the spotlight for a number of years. In fact, the word “crazy” was also used to describe Donnarumma, who said himself back in 2017 that he is “the most crazy one in the team”.

Of course, let’s not forget, Balotelli is also a former Milan player, just like the Italy goalkeeper. That further increases the similarities between the pair, with their careers potentially crossing over in many ways.

It is easy to see how Donnarumma could be the second coming of Balotelli. Both are strong characters who have dealt with the pressure of the spotlight and know a thing or two about winning.

City fans would surely love to have a character as big as Donnarumma in the dressing room, in what could be seen as a real throwback to Balotelli’s time at the club.

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“It could be a tactic, I’m not sure,” says Ben Stokes after confirming his return to side

Matt Roller14-Oct-2024

Industrial fans have been used to dry the Multan pitch•PA Images via Getty Images

The England camp were taken aback when they first heard of Pakistan’s plan to stage the second Test in Multan on the same strip as the first. The ploy has been designed to bring Pakistan’s spinners into play, but among its unintended consequences is that it has enabled Ben Stokes to return from his injury earlier than he might have been able to.It is rare for the same venue to stage back-to-back Tests, and using the same pitch twice in a row is believed to be unprecedented. James Anderson, England’s fast-bowling consultant, thought it would be outlawed by the ICC, but their regulations only stipulate that the host board and ground authority must prepare the “best possible pitch”.Stokes was one of six England players to train on Sunday, and has put himself through “quite a lot of high-intensity stuff” in the past two days as he prepares to return from his torn hamstring. The pitch was heavily watered after the first Test and has since been dried out by a combination of two industrial-sized fans and the harsh Multan sun.Related

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“I’ve never seen a used pitch before, used in back-to-back games – and I’ve never seen fans that big standing as umpires,” Stokes joked on Monday. “You’d like to think it’s going to offer the spinners a bit more than it did last week with it being used and hot. It’s a slightly drier square, so you might see a little more reverse-swing to bring seamers into the game… Hopefully, we win the toss and bat.”Pakistan have endured a turbulent few days even by their own standards, after their innings loss last week extended their streak of consecutive Test defeats to six. They have revamped their selection panel and made five changes to a 16-man squad which included the omissions of perhaps their three most high-profile players in Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.Around 90 minutes after Stokes spoke on Monday, Pakistan announced a team featuring three frontline spinners – despite the fact Abrar Ahmed, their first-choice legspinner, is in hospital with dengue fever – and only one seam option, in the allrounder Aamer Jamal. Azhar Mahmood, their assistant coach, said they had decided this was the best way to take 20 wickets.”We thought about how we’re going to take those,” Mahmood said. “We thought that if we use that pitch [again], the thinking was, ‘How do we take 20 wickets against England?’ And we thought spin was the way to do it… We want the ball to turn. We felt we could have the home advantage. Let’s see if it works to our advantage or not. Time will tell.”England have named two frontline spinners to Pakistan’s three, with Jack Leach partnering Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root offering a part-time option. But the expectation that the used surface will favour spin has enabled Stokes to make his comeback: he pledged to be “sensible” with his bowling workload but revealed he would not have played as a specialist batter.”Playing on a used wicket made the decision a little bit easier,” Stokes said. “I’m available to bowl and when I sense the time is right for me to come on and make an impact, there won’t be any doubts in my mind that I can come on and bowl. You’d like to think it might be a bit more in favour of the spin, hence playing on a used pitch made the decision a little bit easier.”Stokes’ knee injury limited him to five overs across England’s 4-1 series defeat in India at the start of this year, when they only selected four frontline bowling options per Test. He conceded that he could not work out a way of playing as a batter in Pakistan without compromising England’s attack: “I’d written a few teams down with me not bowling, and it just didn’t work.”While Stokes was evidently surprised that Pakistan had decided to use the same pitch again, he encouraged his team to “play what’s in front of us”. Root, meanwhile, said the surface was “clearly not going to produce the same kind of game” and that it was “very likely” to offer more assistance for bowlers: “It can’t be any flatter than it was last week.”And Stokes suggested that Pakistan’s ploy was a legitimate use of home advantage. “If we went 1-0 down at home, we would probably be going to our groundsman at the second Test [venue] saying, ‘Can we have a bit more of this, bit more of that?’ to use our home advantage in our favour,” he said.”If you look at the way that first Test played out, if another wicket like that was produced, maybe that gives us more of an advantage, just because of the way that we take the game on. Using a used pitch brings a lot more into the game for both teams, actually – so if it does spin more, if it does reverse more, there’s more options there for both teams. It could be a tactic. I’m not sure.”

Sunderland might well have been slapped in the face recently with Armand Lauriente’s move to the club falling through at the last minute, but it’s still been a largely successful transfer window to date, truth be told.

Indeed, the Black Cats of yesteryear, who were marooned in League One, could only dream of the millions now being splashed to upgrade the side all over the pitch, with Habib Diarra the main standout purchase at a club-record £30m fee.

Excited Sunderland supporters had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Diarra in action against Sevilla last Saturday, alongside fellow fresh recruits in the form of Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra, as the Wearside outfit continue to gain more valuable minutes ahead of the brand new Premier League season starting.

However, even with the new signing count coming in at six, it doesn’t look as if Regis Le Bris and Co are done and dusted with all their summer activity just yet, as more rumours are relentlessly churned out.

Sunderland continue negotiations with £22m star

The newly promoted side would love nothing more than to bounce back with another statement deal shortly, off the back of Lauriente’s deal collapsing.

Le Bris could soon welcome in some new defensive bodies to his ever-expanding camp, with ex-Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos reportedly taking up some space on the Premier League side’s rumoured shopping list, alongside Igor Julio being touted to potentially copy Adingra by leaving Brighton and Hove Albion behind for Wearside.

Yet, they aren’t completely done in the attacking positions, either, as journalist Loïc Tanzi now reveals via X that the ambitious Black Cats are locked in negotiations with wantaway Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss over a summer switch.

It’s stated that Sunderland want a cheaper deal than the £22.5m one on the table, which is the Moroccan ace’s release clause, with Nottingham Forest and Villa also named as being in the intense race to land the 21-year-old’s services, alongside admirers from France in the form of AS Monaco.

Once noted as being on Arsenal’s list of targets, too, it’s clear that the Foxes youngster has a bright future in the game away from Leicester’s recent relegation mess, with the 5-foot-11 star ready to take the Premier League by storm under Le Bris’ wing, alongside an equally silky Adingra.

Why El Khannouss could be a dream for Adingra

Much like El Khannouss now being eyed up, Adingra would have been purchased knowing he has what it takes to become an exceptional talent in the Premier League in the long run, having shown significant flashes of his excellence for the Seagulls over his two seasons at the elite level.

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Despite only being gifted 12 Premier League starts last campaign under Fabian Hurzeler, the electric Ivorian would still prove his worth with two goals and two assists coming his way.

His debut season in England also saw him labelled as an “explosive” talent by analyst Ben Mattinson – menace up top from limited opportunities, as seen in his six-goal tally in league action, despite only amassing an xG of 4.31.

Games played

32

Goals scored

2

Assists

3

Touches per game

42.5

Accurate passes per game

42.5 (80%)

Key passes per game

1.3

Big chances created

8

He might well be able to reach these same impressive heights again when partnered next to El Khannouss at the Stadium of Light, therefore, with the Moroccan playmaker going down as a standout creative menace for the Foxes even as they depressingly succumbed to relegation, resulting in El Khannouss coming out of the bleak season with his head held high after creating a hefty eight big chances.

This follows on from the 21-year-old’s mighty haul of 21 big chances being created in total for ex-side Genk in Jupiler Pro League action, with this same flair perhaps coming to the forefront once more if he excels in another relegation-threatened environment at Sunderland.

Adingra would love to latch onto some killer through balls, such as the superb assist he managed above when donning Genk blue, as the pair prepare to terrorise Premier League defences together.

Further lauded as a “sensational prospect” by the aforementioned Mattinson, Le Bris will hope he can get the very best out of El Khannouss as well as Adingra, with any relegation concerns hopefully pushed to one side with ease as a result.

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Tottenham Hotspur have their sights set on clinching more silverware in 2025/26, with Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou in the dugout after the latter won the Europa League.

Of course, that doesn’t paint the full picture by half: Postecoglou’s chaotic tactics led to his demise, for his Spurs side finished 17th in the Premier League and endured miserable fortunes throughout the campaign.

However, Tottenham exhibited incredible resilience and togetherness to pick themselves up from the wayside and end 17 years of barrenness on the trophy front.

The players did so well, and so did Ange, who has departed a hero, immortalised in the club’s sweeping history.

And with a place in next year’s Champions League secured, Tottenham must now accelerate their summer transfer plans and bring in some impactful additions to kickstart the Frank era.

The latest on Spurs' search for wingers

Tottenham were left bruised after Bryan Mbeumo intimated that he would only leave Brentford this summer to sign for Manchester United, ignoring intrigue from Spurs and Newcastle United, both of whom will play in the Champions League; the Red Devils will not.

Now, fears are rising concerning West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus too. The Ghanaian winger has been the subject of a rejected £55m bid from Spurs but is now of increasing interest to Chelsea.

Frank clearly wants to strengthen his attacking ranks with athletic and potent wingers capable of dynamising his frontline.

If Tottenham fail to sign Mbeumo (which certainly seems the case), Frank will still expect to see a goalscoring winger added to his ranks, easing the goalscoring workload of Dominic Solanke in the middle.

And Daniel Levy may well have found a shrewd solution.

Spurs learn conditions for new winger

According to Football Insider, Tottenham have been informed by Celtic that they will have to pay something in the region of £25m if they wish to sign Daizen Maeda this summer.

The free-scoring Japan forward is one of the dominant Scottish champions’ prized assets, and with Brentford, West Ham and Fenerbahce overseas all interested too, there’s every chance the valuation will balloon over the coming weeks.

Celtic’s stance might appear absolute, but there is a gulf in finances between the English and Scottish footballing border, and given Frank needs such a profile in north London, there’s every chance an affordable deal could be struck.

What Daizen Maeda would bring to Spurs

While Maeda is principally a left-sided forward, Heung-min Son’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is in the air, and thus, he could be the perfect addition given that Timo Werner has departed after his two-year loan spell.

It was Postecoglou who signed Maeda on loan from Yokohama F Marinos back in January 2022, before the transfer was made permanent that summer.

While he’s perhaps struggled for consistency at times in Scotland, who could argue against the 27-year-old’s prolific ability after the recent season? Indeed, Maeda scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists for his teammates across 51 outings.

His goalscoring aptitude suggests Frank could fashion him into his new version of Mbeumo.

League Stats 24/25 – Daizen Maeda & Bryan Mbeumo

Stats (* per game)

Maeda

Mbeumo

Matches (starts)

34 (30)

38 (38)

Goals

16

20

Assists

10

7

Shots (on target)*

1.7 (0.8)

2.2 (1.1)

Big chances missed

17

9

Pass completion

82%

74%

Big chances created

10

17

Key passes*

1.3

1.8

Dribbles*

0.7

1.4

Ball recoveries*

2.1

4.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

1.7

Duels won*

3.1

4.7

Data via Sofascore

As we can tell from the data above, Maeda isn’t quite on the level of Mbeumo, for the Cameroonian forward is so complete in his performances, blending everything together to become “unplayable” when on his A-game, as has been said in the past by Frank.

However, Maeda’s certainly no joke, with Celtic’s dominance in the Scottish Premiership perhaps precluding the usage of his athletic attributes that he does possess. Indeed, his former coach at Yokohama F Marinos, John Hutchinson, has described him as a “physical beast”.

Furthermore, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has claimed that the Japan international is one of the best pace-setters on the globe, doubting that “there’s anyone better in world football” at leading the charge and dictating tempo.

With such machine-like stamina, you’d think he might even be tailor-made for a role in a Frank system, emulating Mbeumo and maybe seeing his game go from strength to strength as he adapts to the rigorous nature of the Premier League, something that seems well within his powers.

He’s also proven his capacity to succeed on the biggest stage, scoring for the Hoops against Bayern Munich in last year’s Champions League group phase.

If Maeda wishes to reach his full potential, you’d think he might want to pursue a career in the Premier League, where he could dovetail right into a new Tottenham set-up which promises so much: stability, fluency, dynamism.

Mbeumo has reaped the rewards of plying his trade for the Lilywhites’ Danish manager, only outscored in the English top flight last term by Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak.

You can see why Spurs are so keen on securing the right-sided forward’s signature. Saying that, given that Brentford are in for Maeda, one could surmise that the Bees are also keen on bagging themselves a similar profile to their soon-to-depart talisman, thus strengthening Tottenham’s case to forge ahead with a move.

Described as an “absolute nuisance” of a forward by pundit Rio Ferdinand, Maeda has all the tools to succeed in the Premier League, and for just £25m, Tottenham could hit the jackpot by reeling him in.

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As their search to sign a striker continues, Manchester United are now reportedly being pushed by their scouts to sign a fresh option who even outscored Matheus Cunha last season.

Man Utd still on the hunt for a striker

Whilst Manchester United can celebrate that they’ve already signed Cunha and are reportedly closing in on Bryan Mbeumo, they haven’t had the same transfer luck when attempting to sign an out-and-out No.9. Instead, they’ve faced a flurry of rejection.

After missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, the Red Devils seemed to turn their attention towards Viktor Gyokeres in an attempt to form a reunion between the Swede and Ruben Amorim. Reports have since emerged that the Sporting Club star prefers a move to Arsenal over Old Trafford, however, to potentially leave Manchester United back at square one.

Without European football to offer, those at Old Trafford are seemingly struggling to convince all of their top targets to join. Even if it’s not Gyokeres or Delap, though, Manchester United simply must sign a striker this summer.

Having already added Cunha and with Mbeumo reportedly on his way, a fresh face to lead the line would complete United’s attacking transformation. From the struggling Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, Amorim could have true quality to choose from next season and that would be vital to his chances of turning things around in Manchester.

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With that said, United’s search is still ongoing and scouts have now even reportedly had their say, pushing the Red Devils to sign an unexpected name in the coming months.

Scouts pushing Man Utd to sign Arokodare

As reported by Graeme Bailey, scouts are now pushing Manchester United to sign Tolu Arokodare from KRC Genk this summer. The forward is now also reportedly on the radar of club chief Jason Wilcox, who could yet solve Amorim’s striker problems by signing last season’s Belgium Pro League Golden Boot winner.

Bailey told United in Focus when speaking about the Red Devils’ interest in Arokodare: “Ruben Amorim knows what he wants, he wants that target man – we know the club are moving on from Rasmus Hojlund.

“Victor Osimhen and Victor Gyokeres, these are targets for a reason, but their first choice was Liam Delap – we know that – but we also know he [Amorim] wasn’t that keen. So could Arokodare emerge as a target? It’s not impossible – he is a huge talent, in every way.”

Starts

28

29

Goals

17

15

Assists

5

6

Expected Goals

22.7

8.6

A player who outscored Cunha last season, Arokodare could reportedly be available for just £20m this summer in a deal that Manchester United should take full advantage of.

Manchester United have been in contact to sign a “standout” £10m midfielder this summer ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.

Fernandes hints he could leave Man Utd after Europa League final

The nail in the Red Devils’ coffin for the season was hammered in by Spurs on Wednesday night, with Ange Postecoglou getting the better of Ruben Amorim in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

A 1-0 win for Tottenham ensured they’d win their first trophy in 17 years and qualify for the Champions League, whereas United will now have to make do with no European football and one of their worst seasons for more than 50 years.

Bruno Fernandes captained Man Utd in Bilbao but failed to take his side to glory, and with a summer of uncertainty at Old Trafford incoming, spoke about his future in Manchester.

“I will be here until the club tells me it is time to leave. I am available to make the club have great days again.

“The day the club thinks I am too much, or it is time to leave, football is like that and you never know. If the club thinks it is time to leave, because they want to make some money, that is what it is and football is like that sometimes.”

The Portuguese star is wanted in Saudi Arabia by Al-Hilal, and with the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen also ageing and on big money, a new midfield gem could be on the to-do list for the Red Devils and Sir Jim Ratcliffe ahead of his first summer transfer window as co-owner.

Man Utd in contact to sign £10m midfielder ahead of Spurs

According to TBR Football, Man Utd are one of numerous clubs who have been in contact with Motherwell over a deal to sign midfielder Lennon Miller.

The 18-year-old is emerging as one of Scotland’s most exciting talents and has had approaches from the Red Devils, Spurs, Arsenal, Brighton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham.

Games

39

Goals

4

Assists

8

Minutes played

3,398

Atalanta, Bologna and Como in Italy are all keen on Miller, as are French side Strasbourg and Scottish champions Celtic, with reports earlier this year claiming Motherwell would want £10m for the teenage gem.

Set to turn 19 in August, Miller has already made more than 75 senior appearances for Motherwell, even captaining them between November and December last year.

Talking during that time, Barry Ferguson called Miller a “standout” performer for Motherwell and said “he has the potential to play at the highest level”.

The Red Devils have already shown they are looking at the future with recent deals for Patrick Dorgu, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi-Martin, and by the looks of things, Miller could be the next if they manage to win the huge race for his services.

Manchester City are said to be in talks over completing the signing of a 17-year-old starlet this summer, according to a fresh transfer report.

Man City already eyeing summer signings

The reigning Premier League champions continue to be linked with potential new signings ahead of the summer transfer window, with a change in goal not out of the question, following arguably Ederson’s most disappointing season for the club.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has emerged as a strong target for City, with the club thought to be readying a £17m offer for his services.

Meanwhile, Benfica left-back Alvaro Carreras has also been linked with a summer move to the Etihad. He spent two years in Manchester United’s youth team between 2020 and 2022 but has thrived since moving to Portugal, and could allow Josko Gvardiol to shift into a left-sided centre-back role.

City could also look to bolster their attack, in order to take some pressure off Erling Haaland, and Juventus striker Kenan Yildiz has been mentioned as a £75m option. The 19-year-old has scored six goals and registered two assists in Serie A this season, also bagging one apiece in the Champions League.

Man City in talks to sign 17 y/o attacker

According to a new update from The Boot Room, Manchester City are in talks to sign Crystal Palace teenager Jesse Derry, with the 17-year-old rejecting a new deal at Selhurst Park.

Guardiola’s side are far from the only team showing an interest, with Aston Villa also in talks, and the likes of Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, PSG, Monaco, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Celtic and Rangers all making contact, too.

Derry is a player with so much promise, so the idea of him joining City over a host of other clubs is exciting, with their youth team so impressive, helping the likes of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis become first-team stars.

His father, Shaun, was playing for Queens Park Rangers when Sergio Aguero scored the memorable title-winning goal after 93 minutes and 20 seconds back in 2011/12.

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Derry has been compared to Jack Grealish as a player, possessing silky attacking quality, and he has scored 20 goals in just 27 appearances for Palace’s Under-18s. He has also been capped across three different age groups for England, winning 16 caps and netting six times.

England Under-19s

3

0

England Under-18s

8

2

England Under-17s

5

4

City may have fallen below their usual standards this season, but there is every chance that they will be back next term, especially with Rodri fit again and new signings made.

For that reason, Derry may love the idea of moving to the Etihad, feeling that he can play alongside some world-class superstars there, not to mention working with Guardiola.

Tottenham Hotspur picked up a much-needed win on the weekend, just their 11th in the Premier League, but it’s done little to boost morale.

This season has been an unmitigated disaster for the North Londoners, as while there is still a chance they could win the Europa League, they look destined to finish in the bottom half of the league table, with more losses than wins.

Now, there are a few reasons for this dramatic collapse in form from Ange Postecoglou’s men, but perhaps the most significant has been the near-endless stream of defensive injuries they’ve had to deal with.

For example, neither Micky van de Ven nor Cristian Romero has made even 20 appearances this year, and now it looks like they may lose the latter for good in the summer. Still, they might also already have the perfect replacement in a youngster out on loan.

Romero's unsure future

Romero moved to Spurs on a loan deal with an option to buy back in the summer of 2021 and, since then, has become an essential part of the squad and first team.

In all, the World Cup winner has made 117 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals, providing one assist, and becoming one of the co-vice captains under Postecoglou’s tenure.

However, this rapid rise and impressive form for the team – alongside his international exploits – has seen other major teams from the continent take notice.

For example, earlier this year, it was widely reported that Real Madrid were keen on signing the former Juventus ace in the summer, while more reports from the last few weeks have revealed that Atlético Madrid are now just as interested.

In fact, just last week, it was reported that Diego Simeone had personally contacted the player and that, due to a mutual interest in making the transfer happen, he might be able to leave N17 for around £67m.

There is no doubt that losing a defender of Romero’s calibre would be a blow for Spurs, but it might not all be doom and gloom, as the club might already have the perfect replacement in an exceptionally exciting youngster.

The Spurs youngster who could replace Romero

So, if Romero does leave in the summer, the board will likely replace him with the fee he earns them, but there might already be a perfect replacement in the squad by then: Luka Vušković.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Yes, he might not be a name that everyone is familiar with yet, but based on his performances this season and the way those in the know speak about him, he most certainly will be.

The North Londoners signed the Croatian wonderkid in September 2023, but being just 16 at the time, post-Brexit rules around registering foreign players under 18 mean he cannot officially join the team until this summer.

So, with him unable to move to England this season, the “freak talent,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, joined Belgian outfit KVC Waterloo last July, and to say he’s enjoying a good season would be an understatement.

Despite only turning 18 in February, he has made 29 first-team appearances so far, in which he’s helped to keep five clean sheets. More impressive than that, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists.

This level of output for such a young defender suggests he’d be able to at least match the attacking threat Romero has, and with him already being 6 foot 4, there is no way he’d be bullied by opposition players.

Appearances

29

Clean Sheets

5

Goals

7

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.31

Finally, he’s no slouch when it comes to the defensive side of the game either, with FOTmob revealing that he wins 6.09 duels and 4.05 aerial duels per 90 while also making 5.74 recoveries.

For comparison, Romero wins 5.46 duels and just 2.45 aerial duels per 90 while also making slightly fewer recoveries at 5.39 per 90.

Ultimately, we are not saying that Vušković will be able to immediately replicate what Romero can do next season.

However, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting defensive prospects around, and with the right coaching, he could reach that level sooner than people expect, which would soften the Argentine’s departure.

He's a £101m star in the making: Spurs hit gold on "monster" Nuno signing

The incredible talent has a bright future at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 7, 2025

Bangladesh’s 2-0 win in Pakistan is their third overseas series triumph, and their most significant one

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Sep-20243 Test series wins for Bangladesh away from home, including the 2-0 victory in Pakistan. Their previous overseas triumphs were a 2-0 win in West Indies in 2009 and a one-off Test victory in Zimbabwe in 2021.10 Consecutive Test matches at home without a win for Pakistan. This has happened only once before to Pakistan, when they went 11 home Tests without a win between 1969 and 1975.Only two other teams have had longer winless streaks at home in the last 25 years: Zimbabwe haven’t won any of their 14 home Tests since 2013, while Bangladesh were winless in 27 Tests at home between 2005 and 2014 and also did not win any of their first 15 home Tests between 2000 and 2004.1 Previous instances of Pakistan losing all matches in a home Test series, when England won 3-0 in December 2022.4 Instances of Pakistan losing a Test at home despite taking a first-innings lead batting first, including the second Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh where they took a 12-run lead. The previous time this happened was in 2000, when they lost to England in Karachi despite a 17-run lead in the first innings.10 Wickets that fell to pace in Pakistan’s second innings, the first time that Bangladesh’s fast bowlers took all ten wickets in a Test innings.Bangladesh’s quicks took 14 wickets in the second Test, equalling the most by their fast bowlers in a Test match. Bangladesh pacers had also taken 14 wickets against Afghanistan in Mirpur last year.21 Runs scored by Bangladesh’s top six in the first innings – the second-lowest aggregate by a team’s top six in their first innings of a Test that they went on to win. The lowest is 17 by England’s top six in the first innings against Australia in 1887.5 Pakistan have lost all five Test matches under Shan Masood’s captaincy so far – the worst start for a Pakistan captain. Masood is one of eight captains to lose their first five Tests. Four of the previous seven were from Bangladesh – Khaled Mashud (12), Khaled Mahmud (9), Mohammad Ashraful (8) and Naimur Rahman (5), while Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer (6), New Zealand’s Ken Rutherford (5) and West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite (5) are the other three.

A look ahead to the IPL mini-auction

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2022In the latest episode of , Nagraj Gollapudi and Raunak Kapoor join Karthik Iyer to make their auction predictions for the IPL 2023. Who will be the most expensive – Sam Curran or Ben Stokes? What do teams need? Who are the uncapped Indians they are eyeing? Also, allrounders ftw!