Aston Villa are among the front-runners in the race for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips’ signature.
What’s the word?
That is according to Football Insider sources, who claim that Gerrard’s side, along with Newcastle United are leading the race for the England international with uncertainty surrounding his future amidst Leeds’ battle with relegation.
Talks over a new contract with their star midfielder have stalled, and according to the report, both Villa and Newcastle have made him a top target – with both believed to be carrying out the groundwork for a potential deal.
As pointed out by Football Insider via BBC Leeds’ reporter Jonathan Buchan, Phillips was reportedly pictured taking in the surroundings at Elland Road for what could perhaps be his final time as a Leeds player.
Big Boost for Gerrard
The latest report will come as a big boost for Gerrard and co, who look as though they will miss out on another one of their holding midfielder targets in Boubacar Kamara.
As such, bearing in mind his desire to strengthen the defensive midfield area, Phillips will be a desirable option – especially with Leeds United’s very real relegation prospects, which could make for a cut-price deal.
In fact, Phillips, who Patrick Bamford said brings “something special” to England, has an average number of pressures in the attacking third that surpasses Aston Villa’s possession won in the final third metric of 3.5.
Indeed, £25m Phillips, who has interestingly been described as a “lifeboat” by Paul Hayward for his efforts in consoling England teammate Bukayo Saka, would massively bolster the Aston Villa engine room, bringing metrics such as 3.73 tackles per 90 and match average of 4.77 pressures in the attacking third to a side who are statistically the worst for winning possession high up the pitch.
Having emerged as joint front-runners along with Newcastle, Villa will need to close the deal as soon as possible in order to bag themselves an elite holding midfielder.
With his match average of 22.32 touches in the defensive third, it’s clear that the 26-year-old offers a lot at both ends of the pitch, with his ability to drop deep and sweep up loose balls yet another bonus for Gerrard who would no doubt be ecstatic to get a deal across the line.
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They have admitted that it is currently not up to scratch for a team in the Premier League, especially with the ambitions that the new owners hold, and so they want to upgrade it with new state-of-the-art facilities.
The Latest: Dinnery reacts
Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery, who is also an injury expert who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis, has claimed that their current facilities are ‘shocking’, and that the improvements could give the players a ‘massive’ lift:
“There are two facets to this.
“Away from injury rates, you need to upgrade the facilities to take recruitment to the next level.
“The time you spend at the stadium is a very small fraction of how you spend your time. It’s what happens on a day-to-day basis that will really impact your well-being and state of mind.
“These things all help on the training ground. Psychologically, it can give your players a massive lift.
“If Newcastle want to be among the elite, they need to provide an elite level of rehab and recovery facilities that match the standard of players they want to bring in.
“We have seen players dunked in wheelie bins full of ice as part of their post-match recovery at Newcastle. It’s shocking, and they recognise that. Some of these players are on six-figure per week salaries.
“Sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got, and a cryotherapy chamber isn’t 100 per cent essential. But it’s about creating a level of elitism.”
The Verdict: Needed
The training complex needed to be upgraded anyway, but it does even more so now if the Magpies have the ambition of becoming one of the top clubs in the Premier League, and indeed in Europe.
It will boost their chances of attracting big names to St. James’ Park in future transfer windows if they can show off the kind of facilities that they have on offer, and also improve the current squad in terms of fitness and recovery, something which was a major issue earlier this season.
Nonetheless, this is a smart move by the new ownership, and one that will surely be welcomed by the Toon Army.
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Manchester City currently boast the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, having conceded just 21 goals in 34 games.
The Manchester club’s four main senior centre-backs of John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte have all played a part in this impressive feat throughout this campaign.
While the Citizens still have a handful of massive games ahead of them that could see Pep Guardiola’s side end the season potentially with the Premier League and Champions League, it seems as though the club already have their eye on the upcoming summer transfer window.
What’s the news?
According to journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano in his latest podcast (via City Xtra), City are scouting Villarreal defender Pau Torres, who apparently has a €55m – €60m (£46.3m – £50.5m) release clause in his current contract.
It has also been reported in the past that the La Liga club would look for a fee of £43m to sell their defensive gem.
As a product of Villarreal’s youth system, the centre-back has gone on to make a total of 129 senior appearances for the Spanish club across all competitions.
In those appearances, the Spaniard has chipped in with ten goals and four assists along the way.
Guardiola’s dream player
From a defensive point of view, the 25-year-old has the second-highest number of interceptions and clearances to his name at Villarreal in La Liga this season.
Furthermore, no other defender in Unai Emery’s side has been able to complete as many passes as Torres has in this campaign, showing just how capable he is on the ball as well as off it.
This makes it easy to see why a team like City with a manager such as Guardiola would have their eyes on the player.
Looking at this Premier League season, three of the top five passers in the league are City defenders, which highlights just how much talent is needed in terms of being in possession and moving the ball around the pitch to be a defender in this side.
Labelled as a player that has a “tremendous ease of playing passes through the lines [and] always finding the free player,” by Miguel Alvarez, Torres has shown he has what it takes to fit this sort of profile that the City boss demands from his defenders.
This, therefore, could make the Villarreal star a dream player for Guardiola should the Manchester club end up signing him.
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Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Wolves can succeed in their pursuit of Valencia forward Goncalo Guedes given their behind the scenes connections.
What’s the story?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke said: “Obviously, the good connections might help facilitate this deal.
“With the player being Portuguese and the Jorge Mendes link, Bruno Lage will know all about Guedes from having seen him on several occasions and the Portuguese connections.”
Mendes is the agent of numerous figures at Molineux and has been a key factor in luring some of the Golden Boys’ top Portuguese talents.
The Telegraph reported earlier this week that Wolves will prioritise signing a striker this summer with interest in Guedes, who will no doubt be subject to interest from other potential suitors.
Therefore, the West Midlands club’s links off the pitch could give them a major advantage.
Wolves must sign Guedes
It’s no secret that it is an absolute must that Wolves add to their front line this summer with goals at a worryingly low output.
Only Watford and relegated Norwich City have scored fewer goals than Lage’s side’s 33 in 34 Premier League matches with their excellent defensive efforts the sole reason why they are still in the top half of the table.
Raul Jimenez hasn’t been his usual self this season having returned from a horrific skull fracture, scoring just six goals this season, although that does amount to a pretty sizeable 18% of Wolves’ league strikes.
The Mexican was in top form prior to his injury, scoring a whopping 27 goals in 55 matches, as well as ten assists, across all competitions in the 2019/20 campaign.
However, it appears as though former-player Diogo Jota still hasn’t been replaced, almost two years on since his move to Liverpool.
With 16 goals and six assists in 48 appearances, the 2019/20 season also saw the Portuguese forward bear fruit alongside Jimenez. He is certainly being missed, especially now the 25-year-old is excelling at Liverpool.
The Molineux outfit signed Hee-Chan Hwang from RB Leipzig last summer, with the South Korean able to play at striker, whilst Fabio Silva arrived in the same window that Jota left in.
Although, neither have reached similar standards set by the Portuguese, scoring five and zero goals respectively this season.
Guedes would certainly be a worthwhile addition and could be exactly what Wolves need to add goals to the side.
The 25-year-old, who can play at striker or on either flank, has netted 13 goals and registered six assists in 38 appearances this term, numbers that no Wolves player has gone close to this season.
Therefore, the Mendes client, labelled as a “special talent” by analytics site Breaking The Lines, could be the ideal partner for Jimenez and could also be the man to add goals to Lage’s side.
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Gabby Agbonlahor has given his reaction to some early Glasgow Rangers team news that has now emerged before their UEFA Europa League clash.
The Lowdown: No Morelos or Roofe
Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has now confirmed that both Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe will not be available for the semi-final first leg against RB Leipzig through injury.
It means that the Dutch manager will have to look for an alternative solution up top, with Fashion Sakala filling in there in the 3-1 win away at Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend.
The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts
Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England international striker Agbonlahor, who is also a pundit for Sky Sports and talkSPORT, has claimed that it is a ‘big blow’ for the Teddy Bears to be without both Morelos and Roofe:
“It’s looking very tough for Rangers.
“Without Morelos and now without Roofe, that’s a big blow. It’s going to be very difficult without an out-and-out striker.
“Their best bet is to try and park the bus in that first leg. Try and get out of there alive. Even a 1-0 defeat is not the worst result, they can’t come out of that game with a 3-0, 4-0 loss.
“They can’t go in open because it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere at Leipzig are a top team. The tactics have got to be spot on, try and frustrate Leipzig and get the game back to Ibrox.
“When you’re at Ibrox, that atmosphere with a chance of getting to the final, anything can happen.
“They’ve really got to be on it in the first leg though.”
The Verdict: Worrying
Of course, being without both strikers for the game will be worrying for the club and its supporters.
They are the top two scorers in the squad, with no fewer than 35 goals between them in total over all competitions so far this season, and the Light Blues may need a few goals to get through the tie given Leipzig’s firepower.
Christopher Nkunku is the main threat, with a whopping 30 goals from midfield in all competitions, and so players like Sakala will now have to step up in order to overcome the Bundesliga side.
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Long gone are the days when Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah would tear the Premier League to shreds at Liverpool.
Staggeringly, from 197 games together at Anfield, the long-feared trio would combine for a devastating 338 goals, with Virgil Van Dijk once describing them together in action as a “scary” prospect to defend against.
Now, it’s very much a work in progress in attack for Arne Slot’s men, with both Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz remaining goalless in Premier League action since joining.
On top of that, fellow summer recruit Hugo Ekitike has largely blown hot and cold on Merseyside, with no league strikes next to his name from his last five clashes.
Last summer also saw a lot of change in attack in outgoings, with the wasteful Darwin Nunez finally put out of his Anfield misery. But, away from the heavily scapegoated South American, the Reds also waved goodbye to loyal servant Luis Diaz, who is now excelling at Bayern Munich, to Liverpool’s ongoing distaste.
Diaz's electric form at Bayern
Next to the memorable frustrations regularly served up by Nunez, Diaz’s starring role at Liverpool when he was still there could be viewed as slipping under the radar, somewhat.
Yet, Diaz was still labelled as a “very special” talent at Anfield by Jurgen Klopp for good reason, with the one-time Premier League title winner collecting a standout 41 goals and 23 assists from 148 appearances at Anfield.
Before he was moved on to the Bundesliga, he also chipped in with his most fruitful top-flight season in England, tallying up 13 goals.
That same clinical edge has clearly followed him to Bavaria, with Diaz already up to a bumper 11 goals and five assists in his new shade of red from just 17 clashes.
Worryingly, Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike only have 11 goal contributions between them back in England, with the Colombian winger proving to be a stroke of genius signing for Vincent Kompany’s men at the £65.5m range.
To add insult to injury, all three of those Liverpool underperformers mentioned cost far more to obtain, with the 28-year-old already being hailed as a star who “delivers week in, week out” by his new manager.
Thankfully, Slot and Co could be brewing a homegrown iteration of their former attacker.
Liverpool's homegrown Luis Diaz
One of Diaz’s strong points when still situated at Anfield was his ability to line up all along the forward positions, with the malleable Colombian managing to bag eight strikes from 16 appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, away from regularly completing his duties as a left winger.
The Reds have plenty of exciting young stars in their academy right now, chiefly fellow winger Rio Ngumoha but he’s not the focus this time around.
Liverpool star Rio Ngumoha
Indeed, another teenager by the name of Keyrol Figueroa is now beginning to make a strong impression on the youth staff.
Like Diaz, he has interchanged between wing and striker duties for Liverpool U21s this season effortlessly, with his “instinctive” nature in front of goal – as it was described by Liverpool academy reporter Lewis Bower – also seeing him score goals and pick up assists aplenty.
CF
20
8 + 3
RW
6
3 + 2
LW
2
1 + 0
RM
1
0
While he has predominantly found most of his joy on youth pitches comes from leading the line, with a clinical eight goals powered home from 20 games in that role, Figueroa has also not looked out of place whatsoever on either flank, much like Diaz in his Anfield prime. To put those numbers into perspective, it’s more goals than Ngumoha has bagged at the same level, having beaten the goalkeeper on just two occasions in nine U21 fixtures.
He will also want to give a disappointing Isak a run for his money down the line, with a deadly hat-trick bagged against Everton U21s last month no doubt making him an even more popular figure in youth circles in the red half of Merseyside, away from being an adaptable figure.
It would be wild to throw Figueroa into the first team imminently, considering he is just 19 years of age and is only used to the comforts of youth football.
But, if he continues as he is now, it will surely only be a matter of time before he is unleashed, having also been described as a “ruthless” finisher of chances by his U21 boss in Rob Page.
Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp also hailed Diaz as having a similarly impressive “eye for goal” during his Liverpool playing days, as Slot and Co now hope Figueroa can be as lively in the first team picture as the Colombian down the line.
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There is no hiding away from the fact that Glasgow Rangers have had a horrendous start to the 2025/26 campaign, domestically and in Europe, under Russell Martin.
The Light Blues swooped to appoint the former Scotland international, who had been out of work since being sacked by Southampton last season, but he has failed to win the supporters over yet.
It has been the worst start for the club in the Scottish Premiership in 47 years, with four draws and one loss in five games, after the 2-0 loss to Hearts on Saturday.
Lawrence Shankland, who was a reported target for Rangers last year, scored both of the goals for the Jam Tarts, as the Light Blues failed to offer a threat of their own at the other end of the pitch.
The Ibrox giants made 14 additions to their first-team squad during the summer transfer window, which means that there does need to be a degree of patience with some individuals as they get up to speed in a difficult environment, created by the team’s performances.
Rangers have seen it plenty of times in recent years when a player has a slow start to life at Ibrox before exploding into life. Malik Tillman is one notable example of that.
Rangers hit the jackpot with Malik Tillman
The Light Blues swooped to sign the USA international from German giants Bayern Munich on a season-long loan in the summer of 2022 to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
At the time of the announcement, Giovanni van Bronckhorst said: “He is an exciting young talent who will further add to our attacking options and myself and the coaching staff are looking forward to working with him.”
The Dutch head coach made it clear that he was a ‘young talent’ whom the coaching staff would work with, which is why it was not a surprise when he had a fairly slow start to life at Ibrox.
Tillman managed two goals and one assist in his first 12 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, as he struggled for consistency early on in his Glasgow career, per Sofascore.
However, the German-born star went on to end the campaign with 12 goals and five assists in 43 outings for the Scottish giants, which shows that he improved his output at the top end of the pitch as the season went on.
xG
6.35
Top 9%
xG on target
6.59
Top 8%
Goals
10
Top 6%
xA
4.60
Top 15%
Assists
4
Top 33%
Chances created
46
Top 9%
Successful dribbles
43
Top 9%
As you can see in the table above, Tillman ended up being one of the most impressive attacking midfielders in the Premiership in the 2022/23 campaign, as he ranked highly as a scorer, a creator, and as a dribbler.
This shows that the Gers hit the jackpot with the USMNT talent because they were willing to be patient with him as a loan player, which is something to keep in mind when judging the current squad.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Whilst you may jump to Thelo Aasgaard as a direct comparison to Tillman, given that he is also an attacking midfielder and has failed to deliver a goal or an assist in his first three outings in the Premiership.
However, Martin is brewing the club’s next version of Tillman at Ibrox in a different underperforming Light Blues attacking signing – Mikey Moore.
Why Mikey Moore is the next Malik Tillman for Rangers
Unlike Aasgaard, Moore is similar to the former Rangers star in the sense that he is also a loan player from a big European club, Tottenham Hotspur instead of Bayern Munich, and is a young and inexperienced player.
Whereas Aasgaard is 23 and played 163 first-team matches for Wigan, as well as 17 for Luton Town, before his permanent move to Ibrox during the summer transfer window.
Moore arrived in Glasgow this summer with just three league starts in first-team football under his belt during his time with Spurs, as this is his first loan move away from the Europa League champions.
This is why it should not be a surprise to anyone that the 18-year-old talent has had a slow start at Rangers, despite his claim that he would like to be one of the best players in the world.
Moore has delivered no goals and one assist in five appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues so far this season, per Transfermarkt, assisting Nedim Bajrami for the opener in the 4-2 win over Alloa Athletic in the League Cup.
All of the teenage talent’s appearances for the Light Blues so far this season have come on the left wing, per Transfermarkt, but his career statistics suggest that he should be used more centrally.
Left wing (18)
4
6
Attacking midfield (8)
6
4
Centre-forward (7)
11
4
Right wing (6)
1
0
Left midfield (3)
0
1
As you can see in the table above, Moore has scored 17 goals and delivered eight assists in 15 outings as an attacking midfielder or striker, compared to five goals and seven assists in 27 games as a winger, on the right and left combined.
These statistics suggest that the English whiz, who was described as “fearless” by teammate James Maddison, would be far more effective for the Gers if Martin utilised him as an attacking midfielder or perhaps as a second striker behind Bojan Miovski or Youssef Chermiti.
Moore has looked a little lost on the left wing in the Premiership, completing 17% of his attempted dribbles this season per Sofascore, and playing him centrally could help to simplify his game and allow him to concentrate on making an impact in the box, rather than trying to beat three or four players with the ball.
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Therefore, there needs to be a degree of patience with Moore whilst he finds his feet at Ibrox and Martin finds out how best to utilise his talent within the team, because his statistics in central positions suggest that he has the potential to explode in the same way that Tillman did.
Arsenal’s summer transfer window once again blended big-money investment with their long-standing faith in youth.
After finishing second in the Premier League last season, and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, the club doubled down on its squad rebuild.
Major arrivals included Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Departures such as Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Reiss Nelson cleared space in the squad, while Arsenal also leaned heavily on their Hale End academy graduates.
Ethan Nwaneri, now 18, continues to develop after becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever debutant in 2022.
Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakout season, and Max Dowman, still only 15, made his senior bow against Leeds.
That commitment to the academy has become a central pillar of Arsenal’s squad-building philosophy under Mikel Arteta.
Yet while several young prospects have been integrated, others have slipped away.
The balance between spending heavily and nurturing talent is once again at the heart of Arsenal’s defensive planning.
Who is Piero Hincapié, and Why Did Arsenal Sign Him?
When Arsenal announced the arrival of Piero Hincapié from Bayer Leverkusen on loan with a £45m option to buy, it was framed as a major upgrade on the left side of their defence.
At 23, the Ecuadorian international already brings European pedigree, with 32 Bundesliga appearances last season, contributing two goals and two assists.
Piero Hincapie in action for Bayer Leverkusen
Hincapié has been on Arsenal’s radar for years, valued for his ability to operate at both left centre-back and left-back.
With Gabriel undergoing hamstring surgery at the end of last season and Riccardo Calafiori struggling with fitness, versatility is essential.
Sporting Director Andrea Berta emphasised Hincapié’s tactical flexibility, and Arteta believes he is not simply cover but a genuine competitor for a starting role. His statistical profile backs up the excitement.
Matches Played
32
Progressive Carries
52
Progressive Passes
152
Tackles
52
Blocks
40
Aerials Won
65
Compared to positional peers, Hincapié ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries (1.69 per 90), underlining his comfort driving forward with the ball.
He also sat in the 86th percentile for progressive passes (4.94 per 90) and an eye-catching 94th percentile for key passes (0.54 per 90) – numbers that show how he can help Arsenal’s build-up from deep.
Defensively, he impressed in the 89th percentile for tackles won (1.29 per 90) and the 86th percentile for passes blocked (0.72 per 90).
This blend of defensive solidity and forward-thinking distribution makes him a natural fit for Arteta’s system, where centre-backs are expected to initiate attacks as much as they are to shut them down.
His arrival represents a continuation of Arsenal’s recent strategy: recruit players with multi-positional value while retaining the ability to progress possession.
Ayden Heaven could have been Hincapie 2.0
As Arsenal commit to potentially spending £45m next summer to make Hincapié’s move permanent, questions linger over whether they let a homegrown option slip through their fingers.
Ayden Heaven, once considered one of the Hale End academy’s brightest defensive prospects, departed for Manchester United in February for a fee of just £1m.
Ayden Heaven for Arsenal.
His departure came after limited opportunities at the Emirates despite being highly rated within the club. Analyst Ben Mattinson once described Heaven as “highly unique,” and he has quickly shown why.
Drafted into United’s first-team picture earlier than expected after Lisandro Martínez’s season-ending injury, the 18-year-old has already made eight appearances for the Red Devils.
He has looked composed in possession, comfortable carrying the ball out from defence, and tactically assured despite his age.
United moved quickly to secure him on a long-term deal running until 2029, amid reported interest from Barcelona, Frankfurt and Marseille.
Heaven’s profile, a left-footed defender who is confident on the ball, is precisely the type of player Arsenal are now looking to integrate through Hincapié.
The irony is hard to miss.
Where Hincapié ranks among Europe’s best for progressive actions, Heaven has showcased similar traits in his early United outings.
His poise on the ball and ability to step into midfield mirrors the qualities Arteta demands from his defenders.
For a club that has prided itself on giving opportunities to youth, losing Heaven for such a modest fee may come to be seen as a misstep.
The comparison is not to suggest Hincapié is the wrong signing – his experience and proven metrics make him a high-level addition.
But for a side that has successfully nurtured Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, the case of Heaven highlights the fine margins of squad planning.
Arsenal could soon pay £45m for a defender to fill the very role that a Hale End graduate, now at a Premier League rival, may have slotted into seamlessly.
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Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy, following the club’s historic Europa League celebrations, now has some key decisions to make ahead of the summer transfer window, discounting the obvious debate surrounding Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham celebrate first major trophy in 17 years after Europa League triumph
Amid a dismal domestic campaign, where Spurs have recorded 21 Premier League defeats and counting, Postecoglou finally gave supporters something to smile about on Wednesday evening.
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After a tense battle with Man United, the Australian and his team ended Tottenham’s 17-year wait for a piece of major silverware, with Brennan Johnson’s scrappy winning goal proving the decider on a historic night in Bilbao.
Postecoglou did wonders to transform the narrative surrounding the club’s ‘Spursy’ tag, having long suffered from a reputation of being the ‘nearly team’, and he’s given Levy something to seriously think about in terms of a potential dismissal.
Player
Rating
Guglielmo Vicario
7.7
Yves Bissouma
7.6
Cristian Romero
7.4
Bruno Fernandes
7.4
Destiny Udogie
7.2
While David Ornstein suggests that Tottenham are still leaning in the direction of sacking Postecoglou, the emotion of such a momentous occasion, and the promise of Champions League football next season, makes you wonder whether the 59-year-old should be given a third season.
Injury problems took their toll on a ravaged Spurs squad, and it would be interesting to see if Postecoglou could have better luck next term, especially after a summer transfer window boosted by their place in Europe’s most prestigious competition for 2025/26.
“As much as you try to understand what a trophy would mean to these people, seeing them out there today, is why we do what we do,” said Postecoglou in a rousing speech during their Europa League trophy parade.
“That’s the priceless bit, for this feeling. I’m super pleased that these boys could deliver. All good things come through hard work, toil, perseverance and belief. This group have that in spades, and I’m so pleased that we could crack that stone and now everyone can enjoy it.
“We had to dig deep, for sure, but what the history books will say is that we’re the Europa Cup winners, and it doesn’t say how we did it, just that we did it.”
Cristian Romero informs Daniel Levy of decision to leave Tottenham
Beyond Postecoglou’s long-term future in the dugout, Levy also has some key calls to think about when it comes to £165,000-per-week defender Cristian Romero.
He was crowned the Europa League’s Player of the Season and put in a match-winning performance against United earlier this week, proving integral to Spurs’ trophy glory, but it is believed Atlético Madrid are seriously pursuing a summer move for the Argentinian.
There are even some suggestions that Diego Simeone is personally pushing for Atletico to sign Romero, with Spanish newspaper Marca sharing another update on his future.
The outlet reports that Romero has informed Levy of his desire to leave Tottenham and join Atlético, and this stance hasn’t changed, despite their victory at the Estadio de San Mamés.
As has been the theme of this developing story, there is still a gap in valuation for the player. Spurs ideally want nearly £60 million for Romero, and will categorically refuse to go lower than £44 million. Atlético’s wish is to “significantly” lower Romero’s asking price, but Simeone’s side still need to invest a lot in his signature.
“Underrated? Cristian Romero. Top, top centre-back,” said teammate James Maddison on TikTok when asked about Spurs’ most underrated player.
“For some reason in England, I feel like he has the perception of being a hot head who gets a lot of red cards and isn’t disciplined, but it’s the opposite, he’s a World Cup winner and he’s a top player.”
Chelsea have now held talks over a deal for the “new Erling Haaland”, but a deal will not be cheap, with his current employers set to hold out for a fee of £71m, according to a report.
Blues set sights on Haaland-esque striker
Crystal Palace’s shock FA Cup final victory on Saturday ensured that Haaland is set for his first trophyless season since arriving at Manchester City, with Eberechi Eze scoring the only goal in a game that had no shortage of controversy.
The decision not to show Dean Henderson a red card for handling the ball outside the box has raised eyebrows, while there was also bemusement over the fact that Haaland opted to let Omar Marmoush take his side’s penalty, which was saved.
That said, the Norwegian’s goal record since arriving at the Etihad Stadium remains stellar, having reached the 30-goal mark in all competitions for the third season on the spin.
Season
Appearances
Goals (all competitions)
2022-23
53
52
2023-24
45
38
2024-25
42
30
As such, almost any club from across Europe would be interested in signing a striker capable of emulating the 24-year-old, and Chelsea may now have found one, with a report from Spain revealing they are locked in a thrilling battle to sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
The Blues are fighting it out for Sesko with Premier League rivals Liverpool, but a deal will not be cheap, with the German side set to hold out for a fee of €84m (£71m), which could be a potential stumbling block, as neither English club are willing to fork out a fee in that ballpark.
The report also states that negotiations have not been easy up to this point, which suggests that talks have already been held, but it remains to be seen whether the two parties are able to come to an agreement.
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ByDominic Lund May 18, 2025 Sesko could be the "new Erling Haaland"
Such is the 21-year-old’s potential, there have been suggestions that he could progress in a similar way to the Man City star, with scout Jacek Kulig claiming he may be the “new Erling Haaland.”
While the Slovenian is yet to be as prolific as Haaland once was in the Bundesliga, he enjoyed a solid 2024-25 campaign with Leipzig, picking up 13 goals and five assists in 33 league appearances, while also impressing in the 2023-24 season.
At the moment, Chelsea seem to be some way off striking an agreement for Sesko, but should the German side be willing to lower their asking price, there are plenty of signs he could be a fantastic long-term addition for Enzo Maresca.