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An “incredible” midfielder is now “set to join” Leeds United alongside their move for Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X.

Leeds closing in on two new midfielders

Leeds have been targeting Longstaff for quite some time, and the deal is now finally edging closer to completion, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing the midfielder is set to undergo a medical ahead of a move.

Daniel Farke will be relieved to finally get a new central midfielder through the door, having missed out on Habib Diarra to Premier League rivals Sunderland, but the manager remains keen on securing the signature of another player.

It was recently revealed the Whites have agreed personal terms with Hoffenheim midfielder Anton Stach, who is valued at £17m by the German club, and there has now been a major new update on their pursuit of the 26-year-old.

In a recent update from Plettenberg on X, it was revealed that “new talks” over a deal for Stach took place on Wednesday, with Leeds stepping up their pursuit of the Hoffenheim star, amid rival interest from Bundesliga side Stuttgart.

Major blow for 49ers as £30m+ Leeds target now pushing other clubs to bid

Leeds have a fight on their hands to secure one of their top targets of the summer transfer window.

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By
Brett Worthington

Jul 16, 2025

Stuttgart have also held talks over a deal for the German, but Hoffenheim are yet to strike an agreement with either club, although the feeling is that he is now “set to join Leeds”, which will come as welcome news for Farke.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Premier League side are willing to match the aforementioned asking price of around £17m plus bonuses.

Stach could be "incredible" addition to Farke's squad

The Hoffenheim maestro has received praise from former teammate Dominik Kohr, who lauded him for his “incredible” shooting ability, while he also excels in a number of other key areas, most often catching the eye from a defensive point of view.

The two-time Germany international is particularly impressive at winning back possession, as showcased by the number of interceptions he has averaged per 90 over the past year, while the defensive midfielder’s 6-foot-4 frame means he is also impressive in the air.

Leeds will need to be defensively solid if they are to stand a chance of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship, and Stach’s displays for Hoffenheim prove he could be a fantastic signing, so it is exciting news that the move has progressed in recent days.

Graeme Smith announced his return to form in typically ebullient manner and, if he is consistent, Rajasthan are bound for the final four

Karna S05-May-2009Rajasthan got what they wanted from this game. The team has spoken about the need for consistency in the batting; Graeme Smith, who averaged 13 before this game, got among the runs today and his new opening partner Naman Ojha looked pretty solid too. Smith had not been himself for a while; he had a quiet last three games against Australia in the ODI series and flopped in the first seven here in the IPL. Today, he announced his return to form – good news for South Africa as much as Rajasthan – in typically ebullient manner.Watching Smith bat is not the most joyful act. There is nothing graceful about his batsmanship but it almost mirrors his steely mind that is so evident and celebrated in his captaincy. A tough and hard captain doesn’t usually conjure up visuals of lyrical batting; as Allan Border grew into his captaincy, he seemed to get more crab-like in the crease. It was almost a fight within himself. Smith can be a power hitter but he is not your flowing Yuvraj or Gilchrist. Everything about him suggests force; muscle over wrist, batsman over bowler, mind over matter.It begins with his stance, and how he tries to bring the bat down – a deliberate, almost very conscious, move to get it straight down, as if he is almost willing himself to get it right. It doesn’t seem to be a natural movement. More often than not, the straight drive goes to mid-on. He has a mean flick shot but even there he has turned that graceful movement to something hauled off the assembly line. Young boys are not going to fall in love with the game after seeing him bat but his peers will admire his guts and want to play as tough as him.Today offered more evidence of his tough and calculating mind. He was about to take first strike but once he saw it was the offspinner Ramesh Powar who had the ball, he asked Naman Ojha, the right hander, to do so and go after the bowler. With Ojha getting off to a flier, Smith didn’t have to worry about runs or preserving his wicket. He was not in great form when he started off, the ball meeting the edge more than the middle, but he fought on.The field setting for him was perfect, Mahela Jayawardene stationed at short mid-on to catch the error from the bottom-hand powered drive down the ground. And it almost worked: Smith hit one hard and Jayawardene almost pulled off a blinder to his right. Once let off, though, Smith broke away. He hit four fours in the next eight balls, which included his favourite flick and a slap past point, and charged along to unfurl powerful sweeps and carved drives before he holed out to long-on. The pitch helped him; it was faster, the ball came on nicely to the bat and he prospered.Later, Jeremy Snape and Darren Berry spoke about how delighted they were with Smith and Ojha’s partnership. “They played proper cricketing shots. Smith has been very professional in his preparation and it was just matter of time before the runs came. This was the strip on which he played the Test against Australia and was feeling good ahead of the game.” The strong-willed Smith is back and, if he is consistent, Rajasthan are bound for the final four.

It was a joyful and poignant moment when Heung-min Son made his homecoming before Tottenham Hotspur defeated Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

He implored Spurs supporters not to forget him, and that’s not something that’s likely to happen after the club legend crowned many years of thrilling service with a European trophy before the summer.

But Son’s return emphasised this new era down N17. Son plays in the United States with Los Angeles, and fellow talisman of the past, Harry Kane, is fighting for glory and maybe the Ballon d’Or over in Germany with Bayern Munich.

Tottenham have had to refashion themselves, especially with Thomas Frank now pulling the strings in Ange Postecoglou’s old seat.

There have been ups and downs so far this season, but recent results suggest that things are coming together in his post-Son world. Indeed, Frank is unearthing new leading figures.

The biggest winners under Frank so far

He hasn’t been perfect, but Richarlison has undoubtedly made a solid start to the season, having scored seven goals and supplied two assists in all competitions this season. The Brazil international has filled a hole left by Son’s departure and Dominic Solanke’s frustrating injury problems.

However, Richarlison hasn’t been the standout forward in the Londoners’ squad. Mohammed Kudus, for example, has stood out since completing a £55m transfer from West Ham United during the summer. His pace and playmaking have been shining lights throughout a difficult start to the season for the club as a creative front.

Xavi Simons now has two goals in two games. In the Premier League last weekend, he was immense, converting against Brentford after a spectacular solo run and finish.

The 21-year-old has endured a tough start to life in England, but he’s really coming into his own now, looking every bit the £50m-plus player that ENIC Group paid for. Who knows, he might even play himself into a more affluent ballpark down the line.

He’s not the only one, though. One of Tottenham’s most promising youngsters has really settled into this new Spurs system, making headway after a season under Ange’s wing that left him exposed and under the cosh.

Spurs' "future £100m" superstar

Tottenham have a long-term project which promises so much. Plenty of polish still needs to be applied, but the likes of Lucas Bergvall and out-on-loan stars Mikey Moore and Luka Vuskovic are stars of the future, for sure.

However, Tottenham also have an up-and-coming English talent who could shape into Frank’s own version of Arsenal centrepiece Declan Rice in Archie Gray, who has already chalked up 57 senior appearances for the Lilywhites for about £30m in July 2024. He was 18 years old and a product of the Championship.

Not only has Gray established himself in Spurs’ first team despite more than his share of adversity, but he has been noted as a “future £100m centre-midfielder” by analyst Ben Mattinson, gifted technically and combative and cultured beyond his years.

His performance against Slavia Prague on Tuesday drew plenty of plaudits and served as a reminder to those of a Spurs persuasion that they have a prospect with the potential to be as good as any of his English countrymen.

Rice burst onto the scene with West Ham, led David Moyes’ side to their golden era, lifted the Conference League title before leaving.

Now plying his trade for Arsenal, Rice is gunning for the Premier League title. He is one of the best midfielders in the world, having completed his move to the Emirates for a £105m fee.

Could we see Gray hit the same high notes? There’s certainly a weight of expectation around the 19-year-old’s skillset, and now that he is playing most of his football in midfield, his natural area, he is shining, making progress.

Postecoglou’s injury troubles last year led Gray to be shoehorned into central or wide defensive roles. This came at the expense of fluency and progress on an individual level.

He’s making headway now, alright, with content creator AliceTalksFooty even noting that, “Archie Gray has really impressed me every time I have seen him play under Thomas Frank.”

Keep an eye on this one; he might just be shaping into the new Rice.

Spurs have a "freak" teen talent who's a bigger star than Williams-Barnett

Tottenham Hotspur have already struck gold one player who is setting Europe alight in 2025/26.

By
Ethan Lamb

2 days ago

The reason for Jurgen Klopp’s absence from Salzburg’s heavy friendly defeat to Bayern Munich has been revealed, with a new role taken on at Red Bull.

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• Left Anfield in summer of 2024
• Has stepped away from management
• Taking on new role with Red Bull

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund boss brought his distinguished coaching career to a close, at least for now, when bidding farewell to Anfield in the summer of 2024. Klopp has since been appointed as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Klopp is now officially working in that capacity, but his presentation is not due to take place until January 14. With that in mind, the 57-year-old is reluctant to provide any kind of distraction to those that are charged with the task of delivering positive results on the field.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Salzburg suffered a 6-0 defeat to Bundesliga giants Bayern in a friendly contest intended to help ready both teams for the resumption of competitive action after mid-season winter breaks. According to , Klopp did not attend that fixture as he “does not want to attract media attention and does not want to distract attention from the sporting aspect”.

• WHAT NEXT?

  Klopp is ready to get to work, though, having enjoyed a post-Liverpool break with his family and will be charged with the task of shaping Red Bull’s strategy in football circles – with it his responsibility to manage international networks and identify potential coaches.

Durham quick says he has been told to “be aggressive, use my pace, use my bouncer”

Matt Roller20-Jun-2022The French footballer Claude Makélélé was a player so influential that a position was named after him: the deepest member of a midfield three plays in “the Makélélé role”. English cricket has its own equivalent: a fast bowler hitting the pitch hard in the middle overs of an ODI operates in “the Plunkett role”.The hole left by Liam Plunkett’s unceremonious exit from the England set-up has been vast since the 2019 World Cup, when he was the unsung hero of England’s triumph with an all-star list of vital scalps in the middle overs – not least the wicket of Kane Williamson as he took 3 for 42 in the final. He was no longer a genuine quick bowler by that tournament but had developed a method to succeed, generally bowling cross-seam and looking to hit the top of the stumps or the splice of the bat.England’s decision to move on from Plunkett immediately after the final was brutal, but has ultimately proved justified: injuries limited him to 13 all-format appearances across the next two years and he is now in the United States, preparing to play his part in the launch of Major League Cricket.But with ODI series few and far between – England have played only 20 games in the format since that World Cup, and many of those with a weakened squad – they have struggled to find a replacement for Plunkett: no England fast bowler has taken more than five middle-overs wickets in the last three years. Various seamers including Saqib Mahmood and Mark Wood have been tried in his mould but with moderate success at best.Step forward, Brydon Carse, the South African-born fast bowler who is the latest man off the Durham production line. First capped during last year’s ODI series against Pakistan when a second-string squad came together at short notice after a Covid outbreak, Carse has been used exclusively as a second-change bowler and has impressed, regularly hitting 90mph/145kph and bowling aggressive, “hard” lengths to keep batters on the back foot.Related

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Against the Netherlands on Sunday, he replaced Sam Curran in the England side and bowled with hostility. He pinned Tom Cooper lbw with his second ball and cranked up the pace in his first spell, taking 1 for 14 from his first four overs without conceding a boundary and finding extra bounce to lift one short ball past Scott Edwards’ grille.He was less successful at the death, finishing with 1 for 36 from his seven overs, but is clearly learning on the job: Sunday was his fourth ODI appearance but only the 11th List A game of his career. England have picked him on potential. “It’s great to see him hit the series with plenty of energy, plenty of pace and offer something different,” Eoin Morgan said.”[Morgan] has been very clear with me,” Carse said. “He said I am going to come on first or second change and look to bowl through the middle, be aggressive, use my pace, use my bouncer and just make it difficult. I want to come on and be aggressive.”I want to make an impact in the game. That might not necessarily be taking wickets, but creating opportunities from the other end.” Plunkett, Carse added, is someone he is “striving to be like… he had a very good England career and if I can fulfil that role going forward, it’s a big positive.”Carse hit a top speed of 91mph/146kph on Sunday, and said that he hoped his pace could “add a different dimension”. “Obviously when things are clicking, it’s good to bowl quick,” he said. “If I can be bowling in and around that 90mph mark then I’m sure it will create opportunities for me in any side in which I am playing.”Sunday’s ODI was Carse’s first England game under Morgan, having made his debut when Ben Stokes stood in as captain last summer. Stokes has been a prominent advocate of Carse’s ability and with several fast bowlers injured, it seems like a matter of time before Carse is named in a Test squad.But for his own knee injury, which he suffered on the Lions tour to Australia last winter, Carse might well have pushed his case in time for the ongoing New Zealand series, but Jamie Overton moved ahead of him in the pecking order after impressing at the start of the County Championship season while Carse was sidelined.He has a close relationship with Matthew Potts, his county team-mate, who has impressed in his first Tests for England, and said that it had been inspiring to see him succeed at Test level. “Matthew really has come a long way in the last 18 months as a bowler,” Carse said. “He works hard on and off the field and he thoroughly deserves where he’s at the moment.”[A Test cap] is something definitely in the back of my mind,” he added. “I want to play red and white-ball cricket, and I want to play Test cricket for England.” But in the short term, Carse’s focus is on filling the Plunkett role: if he can do so on a regular basis, it would be invaluable for England.

On Thursday, the opener will face Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first time since leaving the franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2022David Warner has emphasised the need for the top three to contribute big runs as Delhi Capitals look to escape the lower half of the table and secure a playoffs spot in IPL 2022. Capitals are currently seventh among the ten teams with eight points from nine matches, but could move up as far as fourth, potentially, if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.Given the sheer number of teams still in contention to finish among the top four, Warner believes Capitals may have to win all their remaining games to qualify.”Moving forward from where we are, we’ve obviously got to win every game to make it to the finals,” Warner said in an official Delhi Capitals release. “There’s strong competition, two teams we have got to come up against – Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are pretty much similar points to us.”We could get that upper hand if we beat Sunrisers. We then go into the top four, but obviously, we need RCB [Royal Challengers Bangalore, who face Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday night] to start losing as well. It’s quite a congested table, but exciting for the rest of the tournament.”Warner is Capitals’ highest run-getter this season, with 264 runs at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 156.21. His opening partner Prithvi Shaw is just behind him, with 259 runs at 28.77 and 159.87. Both fell for single-digit scores in Capitals’ last match, a narrow defeat to Lucknow Super Giants.”We’ve got off to a good start,” Warner said of his partnership with Shaw. “In the last match, we’ve fallen cheaply, both of us, and that can happen in this game because we have to play that high-level brand of cricket in the power play.”He emphasised, however, that he, Shaw and No. 3 Mitchell Marsh would need to make big scores and win games for Capitals.”I think the most important thing is myself or him [Shaw] or Mitch scoring an 80 or 90 or even a hundred if we can, to post good totals or chase down big totals, and that’s the key,” Warner said. “I think that’s the focus for every other team. The teams who are doing well are scoring big runs at the top of the order. And, two players are actually scoring big in the games, they are the ones that you really need to shine to win these games.”Thursday’s match will be Warner’s first against Sunrisers since leaving the franchise at the end of a difficult 2021 season. Warner remains Sunrisers’ highest run-getter in the IPL, with 4014 runs in 95 matches at 49.55 and 142.59, with two hundreds and a whopping 40 fifties.”My thoughts are like every other game,” Warner said, “just keep going through your processes till you have to do it, training and just get ready for the game.”

Manchester City are in danger of losing several players to Real Madrid if Pep Guardiola leaves in the summer of 2025, according to a fresh transfer update from Spain.

Guardiola may leave Man City next year

City once again clinched Premier League glory last season, making it four league titles on the spin, and the early indications this time around suggest that Guardiola's men are again very much the team to beat.

It could be that this is their legendary manager's final season at the Etihad, however, with the Spaniard failing to rule out the idea of moving on in 2025. He may feel that he has taken his team as far as he can, as was the case with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool earlier this year, having been in charge since 2016.

Should Guardiola move on, he will leave City as one of the most influential figures in the club's history, not only nurturing many of the best players ever to appear in the blue shirt but also winning countless trophies, not least the holy grail of the Champions League in 2023.

The supporters will hope that the former Barcelona hero still has many years left in him in charge, but at this point, it would arguably be a surprise if he was still manager this time next year given the silence around a new contract. Now, it looks as though a hugely important City player could now leave alongside him next year.

Man City could lose another "huge" star in 2025

According to a report from Spain, Manchester City could lose Erling Haaland to Real Madrid at the end of this season, with the reigning Champions League winners keen on snapping him up and capable of paying his current £19.5m-a-year salary.

The update states that Florentino Pérez is personally a massive fan of the player, and has made him one of their most coveted targets for next summer. It is also claimed that Haaland "has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the Premier League at a reasonable price," while the uncertainty surrounding Guardiola and the 115 charges is also thought to be playing its part.

This comes after Madrid have already been lurking around midfielder and potential Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, with City desperately trying to extend the Spain international's contract to fend off that interest.

The idea of City losing Pep, Haaland and Rodri – all at the peak of their powers – will terrify City supporters, with the 24-year-old in particular a simply unbelievable talent whose goalscoring statistics are off the chart. Incredibly, he already has seven league goals in three games this season, and 97 in 102 appearances overall.

Guardiola treasures the Norwegian, describing him as "huge", and he feels like the difference-maker in this season's Premier League title race, with his ability to find the net at a freakish rate potentially giving the Cityzens the edge over Arsenal and Liverpool.

Every Premier League club's record transfer sale

Which Premier League clubs are the best sellers?

By
Stephan Georgiou

1 day ago

The lure of Madrid is great, however, especially with Kylian Mbappe now joining the likes of Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham there, so it is easy to see Haaland's head still being turned by a move to arguably the biggest club in the world.

Keeping him on beyond this season has to be one of City's biggest aims, though, during which time they will hope he continues to smash record after record.

It has been claimed that a star free agent opened talks to join Arsenal over the weekend, all while Mikel Arteta was preparing for the North London derby.

Arteta praises Arsenal after 1-0 win away to Tottenham

Derby bragging rights returned to the Emirates Stadium once again on Sunday, with Arsenal sealing a 1-0 victory away to Tottenham courtesy of defender Gabriel Magalhaes’ only goal of the game.

After Sterling: Arsenal looking to sign another £325k-p/w ex-Man City star

He could be set for a reunion with some of his former teammates at Arsenal.

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By
Ben Browning

Sep 16, 2024

The home side dominated possession and created a fair few openings, but Ange Postecoglou’s men were ultimately fruitless in their attempts to break down a resolute Arsenal team who were without Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko for the encounter.

Arsenal then exploited Spurs’ weakness in dealing with set pieces on 64 minutes, as Gabriel leaped the highest to head in a corner from close range, leaving the helpless Guglielmo Vicario stranded just outside his six-yard box.

It was a crucial, hard-fought Premier League victory for the Gunners – who were forced to showcase resolute defending on a pretty tight afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Arsenal also broke a record with their win over Spurs, having sealed three consecutive victories away to their rivals for the first time in 35 years.

“Loving the game means that you are able to do things regardless of context,” said a delighted Arteta on Arsenal’s win at Tottenham.

“Jorginho, he loves the game. He doesn’t play it, but he loves winning. I mean, when he’s not playing, he’s training like an animal at his age, after winning everything. So when you ask him to play 90 minutes, like he hasn’t played probably for the last five months, he’s able, even cramping everywhere, managed to do it.

“The same with Jurrien, he’s been a year out, he hasn’t played 90 minutes at all, and he was struggling today, but he managed to do it for the team. And like, all these guys, I don’t know without a pre-season, I don’t know how many minutes he’s played. And he was unbelievable, all of them, but that’s the spirit and the characters that we have, that I love.”

According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, while Arsenal were preparing for the clash, they were approached by ex-Juventus and PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot over joining them on a free deal.

Adrien Rabiot held talks to join Arsenal in the last few days

According to their information, Rabiot opened talks to join Arsenal over the weekend, via his representatives. Arteta’s side were apparently contacted and offered the chance to strike a Bosman deal for Rabiot, but the France international has now joined Ligue 1 giants Marseille instead, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side agreeing a move.

Rabiot has agreed a £162,000-per-week contract with Marseille, according to reports, with the 29-year-old finally securing a new home after leaving Juve at the end of his contract. Time will tell whether sporting director Edu Gaspar and the club’s recruitment team regret passing up the chance to sign Rabiot, but those costly wages would’ve immediately put him among Arsenal’s top ten highest-paid players.

Fans took to social media to mock Wayne Rooney after Plymouth Argyle parted ways with the Manchester United legend on Tuesday.

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• Plymouth sacked Rooney on Tuesday
• Fans urge Rooney to quit coaching
• Plymouth winless in their last nine matches

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On the final day of the year, Plymouth finally decided to sack manager Rooney after a series of poor results in the Championship in the 2024-25 campaign. The Pilgrims won just four of their first 23 matches in the Championship under the Manchester United legend and currently find themselves at the bottom of the league table. The final blow came last weekend when Plymouth lost to Oxford United 2-0, after which they decided to end their association with the 39-year-old.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Fans were quick to react to the ex-England captain's sacking as they mocked his coaching journey so far. Birmingham fans also reminded Plymouth that they had warned them about Rooney's track record as a head coach.

  An X handle named Sample wrote: "This man should just retire and return his coaching licence."

  A fan named Dean wrote: "That’s Rooney's last job in football who ever appointed him deserves the sack as well."

  James Hamilton advised Rooney to quit football management as he said: "If I was him I would call it a day in management and become a regular on the overlap."

  A handle named Voodoo said in a message to the Plymouth board: "You had all the warnings and ignored them. Then you delayed this by at least a month, so we're literally 24 hours away from the transfer window without a coach. Absolute cluster-F."

  A Birmingham fan mocked Plymouth by writing: "Why would you even give him the job to begin with? We all warned you. You seen it for yourself too?"

  An X handle named AJ added: "If he ever gets a job in coaching ever again serious questions need to be asked."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Red Devils forward has endured a frustrating journey as a manager. He first took charge of Derby County in the 2020-21 season and by the summer of 2022, the club faced relegation from the Championship. His second stint at D.C. United lasted two seasons and in his final year at the club, the team finished at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference. He then moved back to the Championship and took over at Birmingham City but that spell lasted just 83 days, and the Blues were eventually relegated to League One in the 2023-24 campaign.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PLYMOUTH?

  Plymouth, who are winless in their last nine outings, will be next seen in action on January 1 as they face Bristol City, with first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell and club captain Joe Edwards set to lead the squad in that crucial fixture as the hunt for Rooney's permanent successor gets underway.

Tottenham Hotspur were never expected to be active on transfer deadline day with the Lilywhites satisfied that they have everything they need after the big £65m addition of Dominic Solanke.

The striker is already injured and looks set to miss matchweek four of the Premier League but is an exciting signing, alongside the likes of promising Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert.

There may well be a concern that Spurs haven't done enough to improve their starting XI but Ange Postecoglou certainly has an exciting crop of youngsters at his disposal.

So, despite their lack of late activity in the window, they have still been active in some sort of way.

Tottenham's activity on transfer deadline day

There isn't much to report from a Spurs perspective but they have been working behind the scenes on a couple of things

Giovani Lo Celso's exit has finally happened with the midfielder heading back to Spain where he will join former loan side Real Betis.

It's hardly exciting news, but there has been an element of fun attached to the deal. That's because Spurs have sealed a deal that gives them an option to buy Betis star Jhonny Cardoso in the future.

That's according to Fabrizio Romano who provided the information in post on X this Friday evening.

Spurs' answer to Declan Rice

A midfielder, Cardoso is someone who has an exciting future in the game and if Spurs do eventually exercise that option to buy the player, they could well unearth their answer to Arsenal sensation Declan Rice.

The £105m man has been sensational since signing for the Gunners and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for last season. Thus, Spurs surely wouldn't turn their noses at signing a player in a similar mould.

Cardoso, aged just 22, has similar qualities. Those are outlined by analyst Ben Mattinson who once hailed the player, suggesting he is "great at winning aerial duels and progressing play from deep." That certainly sounds like Rice.

The numbers will help us do the talking too. According to FBRef, the Betis star ranks in the top 6% of positionally similar players in Europe for tackles per 90 and the best 1% for interceptions. He's also in the top 4% for aerials won, suggesting his reading of the game – like Rice – is first-class.

Here's how he stacks up when we compare some of those statistics to Arsenal's club-record signing.

So, while Rice evidently contributes more in the final third, there is a layer of similarities to be seen in the defensive phases of play. They are successful with a similar number of tackles and blocks and while Cardoso reigns supreme in the air, they are both highly competent in physical duels.

You've also got a similar number of take-ons there, suggesting they manoeuvre the ball past players at a similar rate.

Spurs wanted to sign a midfielder this summer and although Cardoso isn't one for now, in 2025 they could see their own Rice walking through the halls of the training ground.

"Now that is ambition" – Spurs podcaster loves Romano's deadline day update

The Lilywhites have made their move ahead of time…

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 30, 2024