Fulham have reached out and made contact over signing a former Real Madrid player, as Marco Silva’s side begin planning for next season.

Fulham competing for European qualification

Just seven points separate ninth from fourth in this hotly-contested Premier League race for Europe, and Fulham are still in with every chance of competing in the Conference League, Europa League or even the Champions League.

Club "moving" to sign "very important" Fulham star with unique offer planned

Marco Silva’s side could lose him.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 3, 2025

While the latter competition is unlikely, Silva will be looking to end the season as strongly as possible to give Fulham the best chance to see their names in the Europa or Conference draws next season.

Tottenham are looking at Silva as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou, and if they decide he’s the right man for the job, then this could well be the 47-year-old’s final season at Craven Cottage.

Liverpool (home)

April 6th

Bournemouth (away)

April 14th

Chelsea (home)

April 20th

Southampton (away)

April 26th

Aston Villa (away)

May 3rd

The tactician will want to end his Fulham career on a high if he does decide to part company, and what better way than sealing a European qualification place? After they disappointingly crashed out of the FA Cup to Crystal Palace.

Unfortunately for Silva, some very tough tests await his side over this final stretch of the campaign, including Premier League title frontrunners Liverpool, this season’s surprise package Bournemouth and a crunch west London derby against Chelsea.

Qualifying for Europe will also go a long way to attracting the best players possible to Fulham this summer.

Andreas Pereira has been linked with a return to Brazil as well, so the Whites may also need to sign a quality new wide player to replace the former Man United winger.

Fulham make contact over signing Deportivo sensation Yeremay Hernandez

According to TEAMtalk this week, Deportibvo La Coruna sensation Yeremay Hernandez is on their radar. Hernandez’s excellent form for the La Liga 2 side this season has attracted interest from the likes of Chelsea, according to reports in Spain, but it is now believed that Fulham are ready to go toe-to-toe with their cross-town rivals.

The 22-year-old can play on either flank, bagging 11 goals and four assists from out wide, and he is seen by many as a young player with serious potential.

TT report that Fulham have made contact over signing Hernandez already, with the former Real Madrid academy gem also scouted by Arsenal and targeted by Brentford.

However, it is Fulham who’ve made a head start by instigating an approach, and it is believed they’re extremely keen on the £30 million Spaniard. Hernandez, it is claimed, would be seen as a “perfect” option for Silva, who wishes to reinforce his wide options a a top priority.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made contact with an “exciting” manager who’s drawn comparisons with former Spurs favourite Mauricio Pochettino, as chairman Daniel Levy draws up a shortlist of potential Ange Postecoglou replacements.

The managers targeted by Tottenham to replace Ange Postecoglou

It has been a dismal second full season in charge of Spurs for Postecoglou, with his side languishing in 14th after 15 Premier League defeats in total.

Fabrizio Romano: Tottenham eyeing £169k-p/w title-winning coach with Iraola

Spurs are considering an array of interesting managers.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 2, 2025

Amid the mounting pressure surrounding his long-term future, Fabrizio Romano stated earlier this week that Postecoglou is reliant on a good run in the Europa League to save his job at Spurs, and if they fail to impress, then it is highly likely he’ll be replaced.

Chelsea (away)

April 3rd

Southampton (home)

April 6th

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

This echos a previous report from The Athletic, who claim that Postecoglou’s future is in “serious doubt”, so it appears the Australian’s potential dismissal is far more likely than not at this stage.

Taking this into account, Levy is now believed to be making contingency plans in the event Postecoglou is indeed shown his P45.

Tottenham have shortlisted Brentford boss Thomas Frank as a target, according to reports, while it is also believed that Fulham manager Marco Silva is under consideration at Spurs as well.

Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi, who is currently attempting to defend the Nerazzuri’s Scudetto title in a close race with Antonio Conte’s Napoli, also has admirers at N17 (Fabrizio Romano).

However, one name who stands above all the aforementioned candidates is Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.

The 42-year-old has done a very impressive job since joining them from Rayo Vallecano, with the Cherries competing for a European place and maintaining real consistency throughout 2024/2025 despite injury problems.

Iraola is reportedly Tottenham’s top target to replace Postecoglou as a result, and it is believed that Spurs have already made contact with the Spaniard’s close circle (GiveMeSport).

Andoni Iraola an "exciting" manager target for Tottenham

Now, speaking on The Athletic FC podcast, journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke has shared insight on the tactician after this rumoured approach by Tottenham.

Pitt-Brooke claims that Iraola is viewed as the next exciting young manager in football, likening him to former Lilywhites head coach Pochettino, who was a fan favourite for many years and guided them to an unprecedented Champions League final.

“There just seems to be a consensus in football that he is the next new, exciting young manager,” said Pitt-Brooke.

“I think he is at that sweet spot where he’s only 42, so he’s young enough to be original, brave and really convinced about the strength of his ideas, but he’s also experienced enough that his ideas have been tested.

“He did really well in Spain at Rayo Vallecano, and then he came over to Bournemouth and done well, so from a Tottenham point of view, if you’re thinking who reminds us most of Mauricio Pochettino in 2014, then Iraola is the obvious choice.”

It is worth noting that Iraola’s contract, which expires in 2026, also includes a £10-11 million release clause, so Spurs know the price of his appointment.

The main obstacle will lie in Iraola’s willingness to join the north Londoners, considering the excellent job he’s doing at Bournemouth right now.

Aston Villa have now made an offer to sign a “generational talent”, and they have moved ahead of Premier League rivals Manchester City in the race for his signature, according to a report.

Aston Villa gearing up for Paris Saint-Germain clash

Villa are hitting a rich vein of form at the perfect stage of the season, with a 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest last time out boosting their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League considerably.

However, tonight’s game could be the Villans’ toughest of the season so far, as they are faced with the daunting task of travelling to Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Aston Villa’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Paris Saint-Germain (a)

April 9th

Southampton (a)

April 12th

Paris Saint-Germain (h)

April 15th

Newcastle United (h)

April 19th

Manchester City (a)

April 22nd

These kinds of nights are what fans have dreamed about for decades, and Unai Emery will no doubt be fully focused on the task at hand, but the manager has also been stepping up his summer transfer plans as of late.

A new centre-back is of particular interest, and £50m will be enough to seal a deal for Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande, while Emery has also personally requested the signing of Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero.

Defence is not the only area in which Aston Villa are looking to strengthen, however, with a report from GiveMeSport stating they have now made an offer to sign Rosenborg midfielder Sverre Nypan.

Arsenal have also made an approach for the 18-year-old, with signing for the Gunners or the Villans deemed to be more likely than a move to Manchester City, despite interest from Pep Guardiola’s side.

There is also fresh competition for Nypan’s signature from Borussia Dortmund, with the transfer battle now hotting up, and there is a feeling any deal could amount to a fee of around £12.5m.

"Generational talent" Nypan could have "huge future ahead"

The teenager has already established himself as an important player for Rosenborg, displaying his attacking prowess by amassing 14 goals and 11 assists in 62 appearances for the Norwegian club.

Not only that, but the starlet has been hailed as a “generational talent” by a Norwegian scout, while football talent scout Jacek Kulig believes he has a “huge future ahead”.

The Norwegian midfielder’s performances for Rosenborg indicate he could soon be ready to make the step up to the Premier League, so it is exciting news that Aston Villa have now made an opening bid.

Related Aston Villa want to sign £67m star who Man Utd are preparing an offer for

Aston Villa face a Premier League fight to sign a new goalkeeper this summer.

Posts 1 ByBrett Worthington Apr 7, 2025

However, it may be difficult to win the race for Nypan’s signature, given the interest from Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, with the Gunners now in a very strong position to reach the Champions League semi-final after a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid yesterday.

2025 is likely to be the year Manchester City’s squad goes through a major rebuild, work that has already begun.

In January, as outlined by Philip Buckingham of the Athletic, the Sky Blues spent more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined, splashing £180m to recruit Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Nico González and Juma Bah.

Meantime, Kevin De Bruyne announced last week that he will be leaving the club when his contract expires this summer, having spent a decade at the Etihad, during which time he has, so far, made 414 appearances, scored 106 goals, provided 176 assists and hoisted aloft 16 trophies.

However, could the big-money signing of one of the best players in the Premier League push another Man City legend out the exit door?

Manchester City's interest in Morgan Gibbs-White

As reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Manchester City have both Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White ‘among the options [they] will consider’ as potential De Bruyne replacements.

Nottingham Forest signed Gibbs-White from Wolves for a reported fee of £42.5m three years ago, and Transfermarkt believe his market value has doubled since then, hence why Lee Clarke of Nottingham Forest News claims he will cost at least £70m.

Meantime, talkSPORT host Max Scott notes that the England international has been “one of the best players in the Premier League” this season, scoring five goals and racking up nine assists – only two midfielders can boast more goal involvements – firing the Garibaldi Reds to the cusp of the Champions League.

So, Gibbs-White would unquestionably be an excellent signing for Man City, but could his potential arrival be bad news for a sky blue stalwart?

After De Bruyne: Why another Man City legend could leave

As well as De Bruyne, six other key members of Manchester City’s first-team squad are now in their 30s, one of whom is Bernardo Silva.

Zak Garner-Purkis of Forbes writes that Silva ‘has been one of the main malfunctioning components’ at Man City this season, adding that his ‘aging legs’ have been a key factor behind the team’s ‘sudden decline’.

Since arriving from Monaco for £43.6m in 2017, the Portuguese international has made 396 appearances for the Citizens, only nine men have made more in club history, hence why Pep Guardiola labelled him “one of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life”.

Nevertheless, Silva’s powers are on the wane, as the table below outlines.

2017/18

53

9

10

2018/19

51

13

13

2019/20

52

8

10

2020/21

45

5

9

2021/22

50

13

7

2022/23

55

7

7

2023/24

49

11

11

2024/25

41

3

4

As the table showcases, this has been, by some distance, Silva’s least productive season at Man City, coming off the back of the 2023/24 campaign, which was actually his best for five years, getting into double figures for both goals and assists.

So now, let’s analyse how he compares to Gibbs-White this season.

Appearances

27

27

Minutes

2,128

2,216

Goals

2

5

Assists

4

9

Goals – xG

-1

+0.8

Shots on target %

33.3%

34%

Chances created

42

42

Shot-creating actions

76

96

Through-balls

3

15

Passing accuracy %

88.89%

81.17%

Take-on success %

53.19%

47.46%

Ball recoveries

80

108

Touches

1,648

1,406

Across the same number of appearances and a near-identical number of minutes, there are just 88 minutes between the pair, it is Gibbs-White who comes out on top for the vast majority of metrics this season.

For the most part, the duo’s statistics are remarkably similar, underlining their stylistic similarities, but it’s the Englishman who boasts better statistics when it comes to goals, assists, chances created, shooting and ball recoveries.

Despite having racked up over 200 more touches, Silva can only claim to have better passing accuracy and take-on success percentage.

All of this emphasises the point that Gibbs-White would be an excellent signing for Man City, representing a clear Silva upgrade.

Instead of signing Wirtz & Gibbs-White: Man City must unleash teenage star

Manchester City have been linked with moves for Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Apr 9, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur face the very real possibility of losing star defender Cristian Romero this summer, amid interest from La Liga, with chairman Daniel Levy and co already identifying an “interesting” replacement for the World Cup winner.

Cristian Romero's strong links to Atlético Madrid

Romero is almost certainly a target for Atlético Madrid and Diego Simeone this summer, going by the plethora of reports linking Spurs’ defender with a switch to the Wanda Metropolitano.

Related Tottenham plan "surprise" move for Chelsea star as Maresca sanctions exit

The Lilywhites are big fans.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 8, 2025

Broadcast giant Sky Sports have backed Atletico’s serious interest in Romero, while some reports even claim that Simeone has personally reached out to the 26-year-old in an effort to present him with the Spanish side’s project.

Tottenham were hoping to agree a new contract with Romero, but it is now believed that the South American is “pushing” to leave N17 amid interest from Atlético, prompting Levy to postpone all new contract talks (Graeme Bailey).

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

While the former Atalanta star is apparently keen to embark on a new chapter away from the north London side, Spurs won’t be selling him to Atlético or any other interested party on the cheap.

It is believed by some that Tottenham want around £60 million to sell Romero, so Atlético would need to fork out a hefty sum as Levy eyes a profit off his exit. Simeone may also face competition from his cross-town rivals, as it has also been reported that Real Madrid are considering Romero as an option to reinforce their own backline.

The centre-back was a sore miss for Ange Postecoglou before he finally came back from injury, and he’d be a sore miss next season unless Levy can find an adept replacement.

Tottenham identify "interesting" target to replace Cristian Romero

According to reports in Spain, Spurs could actually raid Atalanta again for Romero’s heir. Indeed, it is believed Tottenham have identified Isak Hien as a potentially “interesting” option, and the club are acting “quickly” to draw up their ideal transfer targets for the centre-back position ahead of next season.

Hien, who’s started 22 Serie A matches under Gian Piero Gasperini this season, has averaged an impressive 90% passing accuracy out of the back and Atalanta’s joint-highest number of blocks on average (WhoScored).

The Sweden international would also cost around £26 million for any club interested in his signing this summer, just over a year and a half after Atalanta signed him from Hellas Verona for just £8 million.

Hien’s value has more than tripled in just a season, highlighting how much he’s impressed, and perhaps why Tottenham are thinking of him to fill the potential Romero void.

Nottingham Forest are now chasing the signing of an “elusive” £30m forward, but there could be competition from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Forest pursuing new forwards as Nuno prepares for Europe

Forest’s Champions League aspirations have taken a hit in recent weeks, succumbing to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, although they remain in a strong position to secure a top-five finish.

However, should the Tricky Trees achieve their goal of Champions League qualification, they may have to strengthen their squad in order to be competitive, and they appear to be particularly keen on strengthening in attacking areas.

Nuno’s side are eager to bring in a new striker, with owner Evangelos Marinakis now ready to pay £75m for Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Matheus Cunha, given the Brazilian’s impressive campaign in the Premier League.

Ready to spend: Marinakis link could see Nottingham Forest sign 17-goal ace

He’s scored 17 this season.

2 ByTom Cunningham Apr 11, 2025

There is also a desire to strengthen in wide areas, with Marseille’s Luis Henrique among the main targets, and there has now been a development in Forest’s pursuit of the winger, having made contact with his agents.

Henrique is not the only option, however, with a report from Turkey revealing that Nottingham Forest are now in the picture to sign Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz, who has been a major target for West Ham United for quite some time.

The Hammers made a €25m (£21m) bid for Yilmaz back in January, which was knocked back, with the Turkish club looking to hold out for €35m (£30m), and the Tricky Trees are now positioning themselves to potentially hijack the move.

Napoli are also in the race for the 24-year-old, who is seemingly set to leave Galatasaray at the end of the season, with the report stating he is ‘set to pack his bags’.

"Elusive" Yilmaz impressing in Turkey

The left-winger has established himself as a key player for Galatasaray during their Turkish Süper Lig title push this season, making 28 league appearances and picking up ten goals and three assists.

Not only does the Turkey international have a keen eye for goal, but he has showcased his dribbling, aerial and tackling ability over the past year, ranking in a very high percentile on each metric when compared to others in his position.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

1.97 (88th percentile)

Aerials won

2.89 (99th percentile)

Progressive carries

5.09 (85th percentile)

There are also clear signs the Galatasaray star could be capable of making an instant impact at Premier League level, given that he gave Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk a very tough time in the quarter-final of Euro 2024.

Van Dijk said: “Baris Alper Yilmaz was running constantly. He was running elusive. It was difficult for every defender. He made it very hard for us. He couldn’t score a goal though. If we were to describe him in any way, he is a really important player.”

Yilmaz could be an excellent signing for Forest this summer, and European qualification would surely give them the edge over West Ham in the race for his signature.

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

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

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

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

Manchester City preparing a bid for a new full-back

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

Transfer Focus

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

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

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

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

How Álvaro Carreras would improve Manchester City

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

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

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

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

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

Appearances

66

71

Minutes

4,557

4,822

Pass completion %

79.6%

92.1%

Progressive passes

71

226

Progressive carries

34

92

Take on success %

60.5%

46.3%

Shot-creating actions

46

97

Goal-creating actions

4

12

Crosses

135

14

Tackles won

61

49

Interceptions

77

31

Ball recoveries

99

196

% of aerial duels won

54.4%

23.3%

Errors leading to an opposition shot

1

3

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

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

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

Worth even more than Wirtz: Man City struck gold on "extraordinary" star

Man City have hit the jackpot with one of Pep Guardiola’s star men

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 18, 2025

La Liga giants Barcelona have opened initial talks with the representatives of a Tottenham star as Hansi Flick’s side register a serious interest ahead of the looming summer window.

Tottenham face losing key first-team players this summer

Alongside the uncertain future surrounding their manager, Ange Postecoglou, a few key first-team players could also be on their way out.

Related Tottenham seal "major coup" in "dramatic" shake-up, raises Levy question

It’s been officially confirmed.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 12, 2025

Recently, Atlético Madrid have become increasingly keen on defender Cristian Romero, with reports from Argentina even claiming that Diego Simeone has already reached out to him personally in an attempt to sway him towards the Wanda Metropolitano.

The 26-year-old, for his part, is keen to leave Spurs for pastures new this summer (Graeme Bailey), which has resulted in chairman Daniel Levy postponing talks over a new deal for Romero.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolves (away)

Today

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

As well as Romero, Man City are also posing a real threat when it comes to left-back Destiny Udogie, with Pep Guardiola’s side adding the Italian to their shortlist of potential new left-back signings.

Further upfield, Atlético have also been keeping an eye on mainstay Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who is now attracting interest from Barcelona.

Barcelona open talks with Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur

That is according to a report from The Boy Hotspur, with the outlet claiming that Barca have reached out to Bentancur’s camp for early transfer talks, alongside Simeone’s side.

The Uruguay international is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Spurs, prompting Levy to open talks over an extension for the midfielder, but the European heavyweight duo are threatening to turn Bentancur’s head by making contact.

Keeping him at the club should be considered a top priority for Spurs, as the 27-year-old is a consistent performer when fit and available, not to mention one of the more senior players in a relatively young squad.

Bentancur has been praised for his performances since joining the club from Juventus, with former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson calling him “sensational” (Football Insider), and while the club haven’t put a recent price on Bentancur, some sources in the past have suggested they value him at up to £50 million.

“Him and Kulusevski have been fantastic signings,” said Robinson in 2022.

“Players take different amounts of time to settle into the Premier League. Bentancur was given a berth in the team early and has since made himself undroppable. He is one of the first names on the teamsheet. He has offensive and defensive capabilities.

“Bentancur is a player that goes under the radar, but he’s been sensational. His all-round performance is excellent, it really is.”

The ice beneath Ange Postecoglou has become even thinner, if that were even possible. Indeed, the end is surely nigh as far as his term at Tottenham Hotspur is concerned.

As Spurs lost 4-2 to Wolves on Sunday afternoon, it came as little surprise, truth be told. The errors that dominated the game were of little shock either.

Postecoglou has engineered some brilliant football since arriving at Spurs but the error-stricken performances from his players have been all too frequent now.

The Europa League may well still provide solace for the Aussie and his bunch of players but not even that feels like it will save him from the sack.

Indeed, the display at Wolves just about summed up their season.

An error-riddled display from Spurs (again)

Spurs can score goals; we know that under Ange. They did find the net twice on Sunday, netting through loanee Mathys Tel and substitute Richarlison. However, it was too little too late. The damage had already been done.

It all started early on when Rayan Ait-Nouri’s volley found the net. Guglielmo Vicaro’s punch from a Wolves free-kick didn’t go very far and as a result, was powered home by the left-back.

Vicario had a total nightmare between the sticks for Spurs, notably handed a 2/10 player rating by Football.London’s Alasdair Gold at full-time.

That wasn’t the goalkeeper’s only error. He nearly cost the visitors again just moments later. His pass out from the back didn’t find a teammate and Jorgen Stand Larsen somehow missed from a matter of yards out.

A comedy of errors continued later in the half when Vicario parried the ball into Djed Spence who bundled in an own goal.

The stopper wasn’t the only Spurs player at fault, far from it. Cristian Romero was caught in possession for the third goal, which allowed Ait-Nouri to tee up Stand Larsen. This time he did not miss.

Lucas Bergvall, usually so crisp and composed in possession, was then at fault for the fourth. Caught on the ball by Matheus Cunha, the Brazilian stole it away from him before racing away from Ben Davies and Romero to find the net.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

Despite all of that, there were more underperformers in the Spurs camp.

Spurs have found their new Tanguy Ndombele

In July 2019, Spurs smashed their transfer record to bring £63m man Tanguy Ndombele to the club.

It was a landmark transfer and one that Daniel Levy hoped would take Spurs to new heights. While the Frenchman had his moments, he unfortunately flopped big time in the capital, leaving in June 2024 when his contract was cancelled. It was a huge waste of investment.

Ndombele’s time at Spurs
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2019/20	29	2	4
2020/21	46	6	4
2021/22	16	2	1
Stats via Transfermarkt.

So, what went wrong? Well, speaking to the Athletic, one training ground source encapsulated it perfectly, stating: “Tanguy is the maverick of the team, he can do stuff that nobody else can do. Incredibly talented, incredible ability, just sometimes you just want to be like, ‘Tanguy you’re so good, just do the basics’.”

Perhaps guilty of doing too much, or in fact, being a little lazy, it was unsurprising that it never worked out for him at Spurs.

Now, in a slightly different sense, Postecoglou may have found the new version of Ndombele in Yves Bissouma. We’ll tell you why.

Writing at full-time, the aforementioned Gold handed the Malian midfielder a dismal 4/10 rating, suggesting that ‘sometimes he looks good on the ball, sometimes looks like it’s alien to him.’

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That could easily sum up Ndombele too. So gifted on the ball, there were moments when it looked as though he didn’t know how to kick a ball.

Bissouma didn’t arrive for quite as much as the Frenchman but he did move from Brighton with considerable hype attached to his name, joining in a £35m move.

Sadly, despite a few flashy moments, like Ndombele, it hasn’t quite happened for another big-money midfielder at Tottenham Hotspur.

He has been withdrawn at half-time on three occasions in the Premier League this term and was perhaps fortunate not to have the same fate on Sunday, instead dragged off after just 55 minutes.

Bissouma set the tone early on, booked inside the opening eight minutes of the game. From that moment onwards, he failed to offer Postecoglou’s side the protection they needed against a rampant Wolves.

Bissouma vs Wolves
Minutes played	55
Touches	49
Accurate passes	38/40 (95%)
Key passes	0
Shots on target	1
Shots off target	0
Crosses	0
Duels won	4/8
Possession lost	4x
Fouls	2
Tackles	3
Dribbles past	1
Stats via Sofascore.

He did complete 95% of his passes but only won 50% of his duels, failed to complete a key pass and gave away two fouls.

It was another average display from a man who looks like he should be sold in the summer. Spurs have plenty of exciting young players coming through in a similar area of the pitch, chiefly Bergvall and Archie Gray. They should be prioritising their minutes instead.

For the new Ndombele, his time at Spurs should surely be up in a few months time.

Spurs already have their very own Huijsen in monster 18-year-old defender

The incredibly exciting youngster will be a star for Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 11, 2025

Joining Merseyside rivals Everton, Liverpool are now reportedly racing to sign a young Bundesliga talent who will be worth around £21m when the summer transfer window swings open.

Liverpool set for busy summer despite league title charge

Although many believed that Liverpool were in for a summer of transition when Arne Slot arrived last year, the Dutchman decided to stay put with the current squad in a decision which has since been vindicated. A year on, however, it seems as though the former Feyenoord boss has seen enough to make some ruthless decisions in the coming months even as his side sit top of the Premier League.

An attacking overhaul looks particularly likely and that could yet spell the end for Darwin Nunez in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money striker has had three seasons to find his feet but has never truly hit his best form – instead providing a catalogue of frustrating misses to forget. And with the likes of Alexander Isak thriving elsewhere, the Reds may decide to push on in pursuit of the move of the summer.

Slot has touched on Nunez’s struggles a few times in recent months and was particularly disappointed with his work rate before the international break. The Liverpool boss told reporters after his side drew against Aston Villa and defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers in February: “I helped him by saying you can miss a chance.

“I wasn’t only hard on him. But for the second time in a row I wasn’t happy with his work effort, against Wolves and against Villa. I can’t accept if a player doesn’t give everything. That is clear. I can accept it once, but twice was a bit too much. That’s why I addressed it.”

Liverpool now willing to trigger £50m+ release clause to sign "crazy" star

He could replace Van Dijk…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 8, 2025

Whilst Nunez’s departure would confirm his status as a Liverpool transfer flop this summer, it would more importantly open the door for an attacking addition to arrive and provide the Reds with a creative boost.

Liverpool eyeing "dangerous" Merlin Rohl

According to Sport Bild in Germany as relayed by Sports Witness, Liverpool are now battling to sign Merlin Rohl from SC Freiburg this summer. The Reds are joined in their interest by Premier League rivals Everton and Newcastle United in pursuit of a deal that will reportedly cost €25m (£21m) this summer.

Despite enduring plenty of recent injury struggles – missing as many as 12 Bundesliga games this season – Rohl has found himself at the centre of praise more than once during his time at Freiburg.

Germany’s U21 head coach Antonio Di Salvo has been among those with nothing but positives to say about the young attacking midfielder, telling reporters: “He fought his way into [Freiburg’s] team. That’s not easy. He focused on defensive work and also came into his own offensively. He’s very quick and determined. He’s very dangerous.”

Of course, his injury record should spark some concern, but the fact that Rohl is still just 22 years old should hand the likes of Liverpool plenty of patience over his spells on the sideline before they potentially make their move.