The last few months have been a whirlwind for Tottenham Hotspur supporters, especially considering the topsy-turvy nature of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Lilywhites won the Europa League under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou, with the Aussie delivering on his promise of always winning a trophy in his second season.

However, it was somewhat overshadowed by the 17th-place finish in the Premier League, which ultimately cost the 60-year-old his job in North London.

The responsibility of building on the triumph was handed the way of Thomas Frank, with the Dane joining the club from fellow top-flight club Brentford during the off-season.

Despite his arrival, some players have struggled to match the levels they produced last campaign, which will have no doubt been frustrating to the new manager.

The Spurs players who have struggled in 2025/26

After arguably his best-ever campaign in 2024/25, Brennan Johnson has endured a dismal current campaign and has often failed to deliver when called upon by Frank.

The Welsh international has only netted two league goals in 2025/26 to date, subsequently dropping down the pecking order and only making five starts since the Dane’s arrival.

He was even sent off in the latest Champions League clash against FC Copenhagen, which pretty much sums up the decline he’s endured over the last few months.

Johnson hasn’t been alone in struggling to match the levels he produced last season, with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur another who’s been unable to produce on a consistent basis.

The Uruguayan international has only made eight starts to date, but his numbers from the current campaign showcase his dismal form in North London.

He’s ranked in the 43rd percentile for passes completed and has only been able to make 0.5 interceptions per 90 – often struggling to make an effect in and out of possession.

The Spurs star who needs to be offloaded

The decline of some players has led to the recent additions during the summer, with the hierarchy landing Mohammed Kudus in a £55m deal from West Ham United.

The Ghanaian international has since replaced Johnson on the right-hand side of the attack and has already made an immediate impact for the Lilywhites.

He’s scored once and registered four assists in the Premier League to date, with the latter of the two tallies the joint-highest of any player in England’s top-flight.

Kudus would have been joined in the final third by Dominic Solanke, but the Englishman has massively struggled with injuries and has been out of action since the end of August.

He’s been struggling with an ankle issue over the last couple of months, subsequently restricting him to a total of just 31 Premier League minutes in 2025/26.

As a result, the hierarchy decided to delve back into the transfer market to complete a loan deal for striker Randal Kolo Muani from French side PSG.

The 26-year-old’s move generated huge excitement within the fanbase, but after a couple of months, it’s safe to say that the deal so far has been a disaster for everyone involved.

He’s struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, with the loanee subsequently failing to score in any of his eight outings across all competitions.

His underlying stats also showcase his lack of form since his transfer on Deadline Day, with the former Juventus star undoubtedly struggling to meet expectations in England.

Games played

4

Goals & assists

0

Shots taken

0.47

Touches in opposition box

1.4

Aerials won

0.4

Aerial success rate

37%

Fouls committed

1.6

Passes completed per 90

8.2

He’s only registered a total of 0.47 shots per 90 in England’s top-flight – with such a tally ranking him in the lowest 1% of all other attackers in the division this season.

Kolo Muani, who earns a reported £150k-per-week, has also registered just 1.4 touches in the opposition box and 0.4 aerials won per 90, which place him in the first percentile – further highlighting his lack of positive impact to date.

Such form backs up one content creator’s previous claim about the forward, with the Frenchman previously being dubbed “one of the most overrated players in the world”.

It’s evident that the move to date has been a huge failure, with the club desperately needing to cut ties and allow other players to stake their claim for a starting role.

His loan deal shouldn’t be made permanent in either of the two windows before it expires, but it’s crucial the club do invest big and land a new talisman for Frank.

Spurs star was one of the "best in the world", now he's on borrowed time

One Tottenham Hotspur star could be on borrowed time under Thomas Frank in the coming months.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 21, 2025

England have a 6-2 superior record against South Africa in the tournament

S Sudarshanan02-Oct-20252:05

Sciver-Brunt: WPL experience will benefit us

Big picture: England’s strong record vs SAEngland have been South Africa’s banana peel in the Women’s ODI World Cup. They have a 6-2 superior record in the tournament heading into the clash in Guwahati on Friday. While South Africa beat England in the group stages in 2022, they lost to England in the semi-final. The result was the same in the 2017 semi-final as well.”I feel like we’ve beaten them in the group stages in the past World Cups and then lost to them in the semi-final. So we know as a group, we can beat them, especially in the group stages,” South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said on Thursday. “We have played some good cricket recently. We’ve been batting really well. We’ve been bowling better and better. I think all of us know that if we really stick to our plans and are really clear with what we want to do, we can beat them tomorrow.”South Africa enter the World Cup on the back of a solid run of games. They played a tri-series with India and Sri Lanka, then played Pakistan in Pakistan. They have been in action regularly with the same set of players, high on confidence. While the women made it to successive T20 World Cup finals in 2023 and 2024, the men ended the drought of ICC titles with the World Test Championship win this year.”It’s been amazing to see how the country has supported them and how excited everyone was back at home and united to support them in that trophy,” Wolvaardt said. “Hopefully we have the chance to do something similar to really get the country behind us in this tournament.”England have had a contrasting run in this regard. Their leadership group underwent a change after the Women’s Ashes. Under head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, England played just the two series – winning comfortably against West Indies and losing to India, both at home.Sciver-Brunt, however, was okay with the team’s preparation away from internationals. They had a ten-day camp in Abu Dhabi, where they acclimatised to the conditions they would encounter at the World Cup. Plus, there are eight players in the England squad with WPL experience.”We got some great time out in the middle in really hot, humid conditions where in England it’s not like that,” she said. “So preparing physically in that way was really good. That is going to be a massive part of our tournament, making sure that we are adapting as quickly as we can.”During the India vs Sri Lanka match at the ACA Stadium, spin played a part in the middle overs while it was easier to face pace at the start. That is a template that Sciver-Brunt backed England to follow.”That’s a blueprint that we work with, especially when we’re bowling, making sure the spinners in the middle are doing a really good job for us and making it really hard for people to get away. I think that has been a really good strength of ours for a number of years. We’ve got a brilliant spin attack.”Form guideEngland LWLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWWIn the spotlight: Nat Sciver-Brunt and Marizanne KappIn her first World Cup match as captain, the spotlight will be firmly on Nat Sciver-Brunt. She is England’s leading run-scorer since the 2022 World Cup and only Amy Jones has more than her so far this year. That is in addition to her 20 wickets in the last three years. With a view to manage her workload, she hadn’t bowled since the WPL but resumed duties with the ball at the warm-up games. With Heather Knight returning from a hamstring injury, Sciver-Brunt will draw from her WPL experience to navigate the side at the ACA Stadium, where the track could be slightly two-paced.This will be Nat Sciver-Brunt’s first World Cup as captain•Getty Images

A like-for-like, South Africa allrounder Marizanne Kapp is at the peak of her powers. Give her the new ball, she’ll dry up the runs and pick up wickets. Send her in with South Africa in a spot, she will not just arrest the slide but also transfer the pressure back on the opponents. A WPL regular for Delhi Capitals, Kapp is into her fifth World Cup and would want her team to cross the finish line this time. “The amount of experience that she has is invaluable,” Wolvaardt said on match eve. “She knows every player going around. She’s bowled to basically all of them.”Team newsSciver-Brunt will bowl at the World Cup, which means England could play an extra spinner or an extra seamer. But she said on match eve that she would “like to select seven batters to go into this tournament” which opens the door for Alice Capsey, who also bowls offspin.England (probable): 1 Amy Jones (wk), 2 Tammy Beaumont, 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Charlie Dean, 10. Em Arlott, 11 Lauren BellAyabonga Khaka bowled full-tilt on the eve of the game. She could shoulder duties with fellow seamers Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk and Annerie Dercksen. Karabo Meso had a long batting stint ahead of Sinalo Jafta, who is South Africa’s preferred wicketkeeper.South Africa (probable): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Annerie Dercksen, 6 Chloe Tryon, 7 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Nondumiso Shangase, 10 Nonkululeko Mlaba, 11 Ayabonga Khaka

Pitch and conditionsRain washed out England’s pre-game practice session, while South Africa managed to get theirs done under lights. Showers are expected on Friday as well with IMD issuing thunderstorm alerts. A washout isn’t on the cards, though.A fresh pitch will be used for the game. Expect spin to come into play as the game goes on, as was the case during the India vs Sri Lanka contest.Stats and trivia No opening pair has scored more runs than Laura Wolvaardt-Tazmin Brits in ODIs since January 2023. They have 1536 runs at an average close to 60. The next best is Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal with 1316 South Africa have won only two of their last six ODIs against England Marizanne Kapp has dismissed Heather Knight five times in 15 innings, Nat Sciver-Brunt three times in nine innings and Tammy Beaumont five times in 13 innings Charlie Dean has got Laura Wolvaardt out three times in seven innings for only 65 runs and Sune Luus three times in four innings for just 19 runsQuotes”She obviously has a lot of experience. I think it would be stupid of me not to listen to her. She’s a hugely valuable person in our side, whether it’s with the bat or just that tactical thinking. She’s got a brilliant brain for cricket. So, yeah, I’m encouraging her to be as vocal as she wants to be.”
“The biggest learnings in that series are probably just how to play spin, especially being nice and proactive with the bat against the spinners in that middle phase. We generally get off to good starts, and I think we had really good death overs with the bat in that series in Sri Lanka, but probably could have done a bit more in that middle phase.”

In an instant blow for new manager Vitor Matos, “top clubs” are now reportedly making moves in an attempt to sign Swansea City’s Harlan Perry, who has been the academy’s Player of the Year for four consecutive seasons.

It’s the last thing that Matos needs, with the pressure on to arrive and turn things around in Wales. As things stand, the Jacks sit 20th and only four points above the Championship’s dropzone with the manager’s debut against Derby County up next.

Upon arriving, the former Liverpool coach shared how optimistic he is that Swansea can turn their season around – telling the club’s website: “Swansea, for me, have always had a style. Something that distinguished the club from all the others.

“Somehow we have got a bit far away from what is the DNA of the club. So it will take steps, it will take a bit of time, but I really believe we can take steps in the right direction.

“For that, we will need everyone, the whole club, all the fans and us all to have the same vision. That’s what I want. I see the fans are still behind and pushing the team, we will need them and I see players who want to change the momentum and we need to find the right idea and the right vision to do it.

“That’s the most important thing. It is clear we need to win games and points, but we need to focus on the process and I really believe if we can play to our best then the more chances we will have to win. That’s the direction we need to have.”

It’s a DNA built from the first-team to the academy, but one that Swansea’s best young player may yet miss as contract concerns continue to emerge.

"Top clubs" now moving to sign Harlan Perry

As reported by Rudy Galetti, “top clubs” are now moving to sign Perry from Swansea in what would be a free deal. The 17-year-old has been the academy’s Player of the Year in the last four seasons, but is yet to sign a professional contract – opening the door for a potential exit.

Related Vitor Matos decides to take Swansea City job as release clause cost revealed

A major boost for the Swans.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 20, 2025

The midfielder turns 18 this week – it’s then that clubs will be able to offer him a long-term contract to deal those in Wales a major blow.

Whilst Matos’ first priority should of course be turning results around, he must also ensure that Swansea keep hold of players with impressive potential like Perry, even if it means selling for a larger profit at a later date.

Instant blow for Matos as "one of Swansea's key players" could now leave

Aminul Islam has been re-elected as the BCB president at the board election on Monday. He will serve a four-year term, after having been in the same role for the last four months. Faruque Ahmed, the former president who Aminul had replaced in May, and Shakhawat Hossain, will be the vice-presidents.The day-long election, which included physical votes and e-ballots, was held in a hotel in Dhaka. A total of 23 directors were elected and two government representatives were announced later to form the 25-member body. The election commission said 115 votes were cast out of the 156 eligible voters.The election process is two-fold. The voters, called councillors, elect 23 board directors in three separate categories. Aminul was one of ten directors elected from the first category, which includes only the divisions and districts of the country. The second category is the all-powerful Dhaka clubs who elect the majority of 12 directors. The third category includes representatives from different institutions, former cricketers, captains, and several other organisations.The election commission announced the names of the board directors at 6.30pm, before the new 25-member body held an election among themselves to choose the president and two vice-presidents. Aminul, Faruque and Shakhawat were elected unopposed in these posts.Three former captains are now in the board of directors, including Aminul, Faruque and Khaled Mashud. Former Bangladesh cricketer Abdur Razzak was nominated from the Khulna sub-category unopposed, becoming a board director. He had left his job as a senior men’s selector recently.While the voting was held without major incident on Monday, the election commission representatives made allegations of “intimidations”. The build-up to the election, too, had several controversies. Tamim Iqbal, the former Bangladesh captain, had withdrawn from the race after complaining of interference, when BCB chief Aminul issued a letter asking for fresh nominations for the elections’ first category. The letter was cleared by the country’s courts the day before the elections.After he was confirmed as the new president, Aminul said he wanted to continue in this role after “falling in love with Bangladesh cricket’s development”. When he was elected on May 30, Aminul had said that his short-term role would be like a “quick T20 innings”.Aminul played 13 Tests and 39 ODIs, and led the side during their maiden World Cup appearance in 1999.Category 1 directors: Aminul Islam, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, Asif Akbar, Abdur Razzak, Julfiker Ali Khan, Mukhlesur Rahman, Hasanuzzaman, Rahat Shams, Shakhawat HossainCategory 2 directors: Ishtiaque Sadeque, Adnan Rahman, Fayazur Rahman, Abul Bashar, Amzad Hossain, Shanian Taneem, Mukhsedul Kamal, Nazmul Islam, Faruque Ahmed, Manjur Alam, Mehrab Alam Chowdhury, Iftekhar RahmanCategory 3 director: Khaled MashudGovernment representative directors: M Ishfaq Ahsan, Yasir Mohammad Faisal Ashique

Captain’s poor form with bat typified off-colour display and leaves questions to be answered before Lord’s

Matt Roller06-Jul-20251:46

Harmison: England’s top-order returns a worry

Ben Stokes was surrounded. Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal seemed convinced that he had edged Washington Sundar down the leg side in the over before lunch, and Indian fielders converged on England’s captain. Ravindra Jadeja pointed to Stokes’ thigh pad. Shubman Gill decided against using his final review. Stokes chewed his gum, hand on hip, and glared.One ball later, India’s fielders went up in appeal again. Stokes was dumbfounded when umpire Sharfuddoula raised his finger, and held out his left hand in bemusement before reviewing. But the decision was spot on: DRS confirmed that Washington’s in-drifter had hit his pad before his bat. He shook his head as he walked off, past a fan waving an India flag in Edgbaston’s South Stand.Stokes’ innings was a grimly compelling watch, a public disavowal of his previous stance that he was “not interested” in drawing Test matches as captain. With every high-elbow defence and exaggerated leave off the seamers, he made ever more clear the extent to which his team had been backed into a corner by India. After three years, the option of last resort had finally arrived.Related

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The trouble for Stokes was that Gill knew he could attack him with spin. Stokes never settled in England’s run chase in Leeds, compulsively reverse-sweeping – he played the shot 16 times in 51 balls, the last of which brought about his dismissal. He has always been a stronger player against pace but his numbers against spinners have fallen off a cliff.Here, Stokes put his reverse-sweep away against Jadeja, but was never in control. He shifted his guard, batting across his stumps, and was caught between stools when confronted with a rough patch outside off. He lunged forward to sweep, missing as many as he hit, and gloved one ball just short of Gill at leg slip as he looked to defend.Just briefly, Stokes had started to look like his old self when back-cutting, driving and pulling Mohammed Siraj for boundaries, finally exerting his dominance on a bowler. But his dismissal to Washington felt almost inevitable: 16 of his 25 Test dismissals since the start of last year have been to spinners, and he is averaging 18.43 against spin in that time. It has been a barren run, and it was telling that Gill pushed his fielders back at the end of overs, allowing Stokes singles that would keep him on strike.

“The task today was batting out the 80 overs. The result we always try to push towards and look forward [to] was beyond [us]… It just wasn’t meant to be”

Stokes has had a bad week in Birmingham. He took five wickets in the first Test at Headingley but admitted that bowling 35 overs left him as “a shadow of my normal self”, and after 15 more on day one at Edgbaston, managed only 11 overs thereafter. Uncharacteristically, he seemed to run out of ideas in India’s second innings as the game drifted away from him slowly.His decision to bowl first at the toss backfired, with India enjoying the best batting conditions and grinding England into the ground. “As the game got deeper and deeper, it was pretty obvious that [the pitch] was not playing the way that we thought it was going to,” Stokes said. Brendon McCullum was clearer, saying: “We probably got it slightly wrong.”India’s relentlessness with the bat left England facing an unprecedented situation under Stokes’ captaincy, attempting to bat out the final day to secure a draw with a win off the table. “The task today was batting out the 80 overs,” he said. “The result we always try to push towards and look forward [to] was beyond [us]… It just wasn’t meant to be.”4:11

Stokes: We weren’t able to deliver our skills when needed

His team now faces a quick turnaround to Thursday’s third Test at Lord’s. Stokes does not expect the 336-run margin of defeat to affect their performance next week, but he needs to step up with the bat. Gill, his opposite number, does not look a natural leader in the field, but his runs have bought him scope to make mistakes that Stokes is not giving himself.The opening day of this match marked the two-year anniversary of Stokes’ most recent Test hundred, a rage-fuelled 155 in defeat to Australia at Lord’s, and he has not scored a century in any format of the game since the 2023 World Cup. He declined the opportunity to play for Durham or England Lions ahead of this series to manage his body, but his batting has suffered.Since the start of last year, Stokes has faced only 1280 balls in professional cricket, limited heavily by knee and hamstring injuries; the next fewest among England’s top seven is Zak Crawley with 2414, while Joe Root has faced 4523. If batting is a skill that relies on rhythm and tempo, then Stokes has been dancing to a very different tune.Stokes shrugged off a post-match question about his own form with the bat but his five Test scores this year read 9, 20, 33, 0 and 33, and his career batting average has dipped to its lowest mark (35.31) since the 2019 Ashes. He has been an inspirational and tactically astute captain, but Stokes’ leadership alone cannot mask his struggles with the bat.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was joined by Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Will Smith and Kiké Hernandez as guests on Tuesday night's where they were described as "still moist" from their World Series celebration. The quintet of champions answered some questions while remembering just how awesome that all was for Los Angeles fans—your typical late-night fare.

The highlight was Hernandez revealing that he was under the impression his team had lost the World Series after getting trucked by Andy Pages to end the ninth inning of Game 7.

Hernandez shared the story of how he processed the season-saving play after getting teed up by Roberts.

"Bases loaded ninth inning, ball drops we lose, right" he said. "I get a bad jump because the pitch almost bounced, he kind of put the bat on the ball. I broke half a step in and I'm running. And I'm thinking about my entire life as I'm following this ball and I felt like I ran a 400-meter dash and like as I'm finally about to catch the ball I'm like 'the only thing I've got to worry about is the wall, right?'"

Hernandez assured everyone he was in position to catch the ball before he was blindsided from Pages, who had just entered the game as a defensive replacement.

"Out of nowhere I feel like an NBA player because my teammate posterized me," he said. "I go down and in my head everything is quiet, which should have told me he caught it."

Hernandez said he didn't trust his instincts because he thought his brain was protecting him from heartbreak. And that he only found out the Dodgers had fresh life in extra innings after Pages came over to check on him.

It's an awesome story and an extra bit of lore for an already unbelievable World Series.

The 22-year-old quick took four wickets on debut for Queensland in the day-night game at the Gabba

AAP22-Nov-2025

Queensland quick Sam Geyer withstood an early barrage from Sam Harper to take four wickets on debut in the Sheffield Shield against Victoria.Geyer was the star of the show for Queensland on Saturday, as Victoria hit 318 for 9 declared before the home side were 15 without loss at stumps on day one of the pink-ball fixture.Crucially Matt Renshaw survived a tough final half hour under the Gabba lights to be unbeaten on two, in what could be an audition for the day-night second Ashes Test at the same venue.With questions over Usman Khawaja’s fitness and whether Travis Head will remain opener or go back to No. 5 after his Perth heroics, Renshaw has a big Sunday ahead of him in Brisbane.Saturday night’s 34-ball survival came with chief selector Tony Dodemaide in attendance, with the opener having already scored two centuries this summer.Regardless it will be Geyer who left the Gabba happiest after his 4 for 102 on debut, even if he went at more than six an over. Struck down by stress fractures in his teens, the 22-year-old paceman needed plenty of resilience after Harper took him down early at the Gabba.Harper cut the seamer’s first two balls for four on his way to 88, in a brutal welcome to first-class cricket for Geyer. But the seamer responded shortly after, having Marcus Harris well caught at slip for 18.Geyer also copped some treatment from Matt Short, but recovered to remove Mitchell Perry, Fergus O’Neill and Will Sutherland in the final session.He would have had a five-wicket haul had Tom Straker not put down a catch at fine leg to dismiss Todd Murphy.”He’s very high energy Sammy,” spinner Mitch Swepson said. “Looked like he would run through a brick wall every time I threw the ball to him. He was ready and raring to go.”Outstanding for him to get four wickets, he probably deserved five as well. He bowled brilliantly and was that spark for us.”Swepson also took two crucial wickets, getting Harper and Peter Handscomb in quick succession after the pair added 88 for the third wicket.Harper had been the chief aggressor for Victoria, bringing up his 50 in 55 balls after a series of cuts, late cuts and a big six over mid wicket off Straker.But he fell when he cut Swepson straight to backward point, before Handscomb picked out the midwicket fielder in Swepson’s next over.Veteran Gurinder Sandhu also took 2 for 55, and was arguably Queensland’s best bowler with the pressure he built with the ball.

Crystal Palace are now weighing up a January move for a goal-scoring midfielder, who enjoyed a very impressive 2025 campaign.

Palace join race for new midfielder

Palace have fared very well recruiting young players in recent years, with Adam Wharton one of the best examples, most recently assisting Eddie Nketiah’s opening goal in the 2-1 victory against Fulham, which helped send Oliver Glasner’s side up to fourth in the Premier League table.

However, the Eagles seem to be in a constant battle to retain the services of their star players, with Eberechi Eze joining Arsenal in the summer, while Marc Guehi remains of interest to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Wharton is also attracting interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs, with Manchester United and Liverpool being named as potential suitors, which means Glasner may have to start thinking about bringing in a long-term replacement before too long.

According to a report from Football Insider, Crystal Palace have now set their sights on a new target, with it being revealed they are weighing up a January move for UCD midfielder Adam Brennan, who has enjoyed a fantastic 2025 campaign.

Indeed, Brennan has amassed 13 goal contributions for the League of Ireland First Division side this term, registering nine goals and four assists in 28 outings, meaning a whole host of English clubs are now lining up to secure his signature.

Hull City invited the 18-year-old on trial last month, but the Tigers have now been joined by Birmingham City, Wrexham and the Eagles in the battle for his services.

Brennan could be one for the future

Despite competing in the second-highest division of Irish football, it is still impressive that the teenager managed to find the back of the net so regularly at such a young age during the 2025 campaign, showcasing that he could be a future star.

Crystal Palace could now sign £80k-a-week "warrior" in "good value" January deal

There has been a new update on the Eagles’ pursuit of a defender.

ByDominic Lund Dec 3, 2025

That said, with the Irishman yet to prove himself in the top tier, it could be a while before he is ready to test himself in the Premier League, and Palace should look to hold on to Wharton for as long as possible.

The former Blackburn Rovers man remains under contract until 2029, which means the Eagles should be in a strong negotiating position, and if they manage to keep the core of their squad together, they could make a real success of the current season.

Palace currently find themselves in the Champions League places, and managing to qualify for Europe again could convince Glasner to stay, amid previous interest from the likes of Man United and Tottenham Hotspur.

With the Austrian’s contract up in the summer, Palace retaining their top players could be the best course of action when it comes to keeping hold of their manager, but Brennan could also be a shrewd long-term addition to the squad.

Aston Villa are now considering a January move for a “fantastic” Champions League player, but they will have to shell out a huge fee to get a deal over the line.

Villa looking to boost push for Europe by strengthening in January

Villa have surged up the Premier League table in recent weeks, courtesy of winning seven of their last eight matches, although there have been some suggestions that their current run of form could end soon, given that they have been defying xG.

The Villans’ 16 goals this season have come from an xG of just 11.88 xG, and they have been relying on players scoring from outside the box, with Boubacar Kamara the most recent example, firing home from distance in the 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Regardless of how they’ve managed to win games, Unai Emery’s side have placed themselves very much in contention to qualify for Europe yet again, and they are now looking to strengthen in January to bolster their chances.

That is according to a report from Leonino (via Sport Witness), which states Aston Villa are now considering a January bid for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, but they may have to break the bank, with the Portuguese club demanding his €80m (£70m) release clause is paid in full.

Sporting have been struggling to tie Diomande down to a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in 2027, which could open the door for a move to Villa Park. However, several Premier League clubs are in the race for his signature, including Crystal Palace.

With Sporting unwilling to listen to winter bids, Villa may have to wait until the summer to pursue the centre-back, unless they trigger the release clause, although it is unclear how feasible that would be, given their well-documented PSR issues.

"Fantastic" Diomande could be exciting long-term addition for Villa

The 21-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Harvey Elliott, is at the right age to be a long-term success at Villa Park, and he impressed right across the 2024-25 campaign, as highlighted by scout Jacek Kulig.

A modern defender, the Ivorian, who has made three Champions League appearances this season, is very comfortable in possession of the ball, as showcased by his performance across some key statistics over the past year, while the youngster also has a keen eye for goal.

Ousmane Diomande’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Non-penalty goals

0.09 (88th percentile)

Passes attempted

67.57 (90th percentile)

Pass completion %

92.7% (98th percentile)

That said, Villa have one of the best defences in the Premier League, having conceded just 11 goals, so there is no pressing need to sign a centre-back, and it may be better to wait until next summer to sign Diomande, at which point Sporting’s asking price will hopefully drop.

Tadeo Allende struggled early, but his hot streak has arrived at the perfect time – and Inter Miami may need him more than ever in their push for MLS Cup.

Early in the season, Tadeo Allende kept missing chances – and he got plenty of them. The Argentine attacking midfielder, brought in by Inter Miami on loan from Celta Vigo last winter, was supposed to be the final piece in the Herons’ attack. His job was straightforward: bury the opportunities that would inevitably fall his way.

And there were always going to be plenty. That’s the reality of playing with Lionel Messi. When Messi gets on the ball, opponents tilt, their shape breaks, and gaps appear everywhere. The responsibility then shifts to those around him to exploit those spaces, time their runs and, ultimately, finish. Soccer is more nuanced than that – the rotations, the off-ball movements, the choreographed patterns – but at its core, Allende’s remit boiled down to one thing.

The problem was that he wasn’t finishing often enough. His 15 goals in all competitions looked solid on paper and even exceeded his xG, but Miami created such a high volume of chances that it always felt like there were more out there for him. Too often, he wasn’t getting into the most dangerous spots, and a few big opportunities slipped away.

Now, that has changed. Allende has found his scoring touch – and at the perfect time. Miami are charging toward MLS Cup, with Messi producing at a historic postseason rate, tying the league’s all-time playoff goals record with eight. But Allende has become the razor-sharp edge that completes the picture. And on Saturday, against Vancouver, the version of Allende that shows up may well determine whether Javier Mascherano’s side survives or goes home.

GettyA puzzling acquisition

And now, we have to talk about Inter Miami’s transfer policy. It’s a tiring thing to discuss, all said. Many eagle-eyed onlookers noticed that focused heavily on Argentina-born talent. Their manager, Mascherano, played with Messi. Some dubbed Miami’s moves "Messi’s signings." Leo gets what Leo wants. And there could be an element of truth there. 

One thing is for certain, though, Allende ran counter to a lot of what Miami needed. The Herons, during last year’s playoffs, were undone by a lack of pace in central defense and aging legs in midfield. What they required was a center back capable of stewarding a backline and a rugged, MLS-experienced supporting cast to plug holes in the midfield. 

What they got, instead, were questionable options in defense and a Celta Vigo loanee with no MLS experience. Allende was a strange acquisition, unproven in the Spanish top flight and relatively inexperienced for a mid-table club in the Argentine league before. 

The messaging from the club was that Allende could contribute all over. 

"We're pleased to bring in attacker Tadeo Allende to further strengthen our attack. Tadeo's versatility bolsters our options up front as he can perform in different positions across the pitch. We're excited to bring him on board to help us compete in multiple competitions in 2025," said president of football operations Raúl Sanllehí at the time. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA mixed start

Allende was a mainstay in the side from the first minute, playing, as the club had promised, in a variety of different roles. But his primary task was, like for Messi's Argentina, to put in plenty of legwork and open spaces for when their star man had the ball – and do everything to win it back when they lost it. The early returns were good enough. Allende found the back of the net in four straight, and looked a real threat in the opening stages of the season. 

But the goals soon dried up. After bagging against Charlotte on March 15, Allende went two months without finding the net. In that time, he tallied 15 shots – over two per game – and put just three of them on target. His chances were all pretty good ones, too, shots from close range – often from Messi feeds. In effect, Allende was asked to apply a finishing touch. And he wasn't doing it. 

Still, he was good enough off the ball to justify his inclusion, and the mere fact that he chipped in here and there with a goal made him a worthy addition. He started all but six of Miami's regular season games in all competitions, and scored a crucial goal against Palmeiras in the Club World Cup.

As for Miami, things were a little mixed. probably reached par as a team, losing to a superior side in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, finishing third in the Eastern Conference, and getting bounced from the Club World Cup by Champions League winners PSG. And, to be clear, Allende was not the problem for Defense was a clear issue. But Miami didn't lose a single game in which he scored. 

It couldn't be ignored: when Allende was finding the net, good things were happening.

Getting hot in the playoffs

In the playoffs, though, something has clicked. Somehow, Allende has become lethal. He has scored eight thus far in the postseason and seven in his last three games. He's not missing tap-ins, skewing headers, or making silly mistakes. His hat-trick that carried Miami past NYCFC in the Eastern Conference Finals was a truly wonderful thing, three excellent finishes to cap off a fine performance. 

The third goal simply had Mascherano laughing. Yannick Bright provided the pass in behind. Allende timed his run perfectly, beat the defender for pace, and, with time to think, consider the angles, measure his shot, and contemplate all of the ways he could miss, he unleashed a delightful chip that floated over NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese and into the back of the net. It was the finish of a seasoned striker and a player operating with total confidence in his own abilities.

Mascherano suggested it was all about confidence: 

"There’s nothing stronger in soccer than a player’s conviction. When your players are convinced where to go and which road… tactics don’t exist anymore, nothing else exists. For me, is about joining them in that conviction and make the less mistakes," he said after the win. 

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(C)Getty ImagesA slumping Luis Suarez

Messi, historically, has needed a running mate. These things usually just happen, in truth. At Barcelona, he was surrounded by elite attacking talent everywhere: Neymar, Thierry Henry, Suarez, David Villa – to name a few. At PSG, he had Kylian Mbappe. For Argentina, various superstars have come and gone. 

This isn’t necessarily American sports where a single superstar can be entirely shut down. You can’t ever really guard Messi out of a game. But he does need help. Last year, that was Suarez, who was truly excellent in his maiden MLS campaign. This season, though, his form has dropped. Suarez isn’t ineffective altogether, but his goal return has plummeted, and he, like Allende, was missing chances for fun at times. Miami, then, needed someone to step up at the right time. 

And more broadly, that’s the role that Allende has fulfilled with aplomb. He is the clinical No. 2 at the moment, the reliable guy to make things happen when Messi is otherwise occupied. And perhaps more importantly, he’s the guy that Messi trusts enough to give the ball to. With Suarez slumping, that could be invaluable.