Manchester United are in the final stages of agreeing a contract extension, it has been revealed, with a deal 90% done.
Red Devils set for summer of change
The arrival of Sir Jim Ratciffe and INEOS has promised plenty of change at Old Trafford this summer, with cuts being made across the board ahead of the new Premier League season. Keen to reduce the wage bill, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial have already left on free transfers, while Casemiro remains a target for Saudi Arabia.
Beyond that, almost all of the squad is up for sale, with reports claiming that only Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo are deemed untouchable, with the trio a young core that the club wish to build around.
They will add to that this summer, with a centre-back, central midfielder, winger and fullback among the positions that they are keen to strengthen ahead of the new season.
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The Man Utd target has been described as a “game-changer.”
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Now, in a bid to secure their own ranks before they venture into the transfer market, the club have moved to tie down a key part of their future with a fresh deal, and talks are progressing.
"Important" deal to be agreed
Now, it has emerged that Erik ten Hag is closing in on a new deal at Old Trafford after a decision was made on his future. Seemingly against all the odds, the Dutchman avoided the sack after last season, despite the club holding talks with several other managers about the position, including the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank, Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel.
Ten Hag's Manchester United record
Games
114
Wins
68
Win %
59.6%
Goals conceded per 90
1.37
Goals scored per 90
1.82
And stranger still, he is set to be handed a new bumper deal at the Theatre of Dreams, with an agreement close over a three year extension to his current deal, as per Fabrizio Romano (via Give Me Sport).
“Ten Hag knows now that he’s staying at Manchester United, and he will be involved in discussions for the future, but now it’s about discussing his contract, and from what I’m hearing a potential new deal until 2027 is really concrete.
“It’s 90% confirmed, both parties want to make it happen, with Ten Hag happy to have a long-term vision together with the owners and directors, and also to avoid potential media problems after the first few games of the season.
“Sometimes a few bad results can lead to reports that a manager’s job is already in danger, and so Man United want to protect Ten Hag as he’s considered a really important part of their project.”
Despite two trophies in two seasons at the club, Ten Hag will have plenty of work to do over the summer to prevent a repeat of last season's disaster, which saw them finish eighth and bottom of their Champions League group.
However, he is set to have less control over transfers and instead focus more on coaching, which United will be hoping will allow him to flourish.
Tottenham Hotspur didn't qualify for the Champions League last season but Ange Postecoglou has planted the seed for a prosperous tenure.
There is plenty of promise about this Spurs side but also plenty to address, and transfer activity must be conducted with a flourish this summer to make further improvements next term.
Eberechi Eze has been at the forefront of transfer rumours in recent days but Postecoglou's side would be wise to line up alternatives with Manchester United also on the hunt.
Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze
It looks like Daniel Levy and Co have done exactly that.
Spurs transfer news
According to Spanish sources earlier this week – via TEAMtalk – Tottenham are eager to sign Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo and have even made an opening offer to the La Liga side, though it has fallen below the Japanese's €60m (£51m) release clause.
Takefusa Kubo
Kubo is a versatile and dynamic wide player who could add to a Tottenham team in need of some added depth, with European football on the cards after spending the 2023/24 campaign confined to domestic duty.
Takefusa Kubo's season in numbers
Kubo signed for Sociedad from Real Madrid on a five-year deal in 2022, having completed a series of loan spells across Spain after joining Los Blancos, never completing an appearance before moving to his current club on a permanent deal.
The 23-year-old might not be the most prolific of wingers – he has only posted 16 goals and 14 assists across 85 outings for Sociedad – but he is electric and enthusiastic and would offer competition for Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski down the Lilywhites' right flank.
Evidencing this: as per FBref, he ranks among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 18% for successful take-ons and the top 17% for shot-creating actions per 90.
Takefusa Kubo: La Liga Stats 23/24
Stats
#
Matches played
30
Matches started
24
Goals
7
Assists
4
Big chances created
10
Pass completion
81%
Key passes per game
2.0
Dribbles per game
1.8
Ball recoveries per game
3.3
Duels won per game
4.8
Stats via Sofascore
Dubbed a "special talent" by journalist John Bunting, Kubo would bring some really impressive qualities to the Tottenham first team, and one can only imagine the partnership that could be forged with James Maddison.
Imagine Kubo & James Maddison
Maddison signed for Spurs from Leicester City in a £40m deal last summer and started life in London with a bang, winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August and leading journalist Henry Winter to dub him a "nightmare for defenders".
Averaging 2.4 key passes per game in the Premier League last season, the 27-year-old's unfortunate ankle injury suffered in November stifled a blistering start, but with some impactful additions welcomed in the months to come, it could be a positive fresh start.
For a speed demon like Kubo to have such string-pulling expertise beside him will only serve Tottenham well, with Maddison ranking among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes and the top 2% for passes attempted per 90.
Spurs are eager to sign a ball-carrying whiz in Eze, but if they fail in that pursuit, Kubo could be the perfect player to strengthen Tottenham's wings.
What Spurs' starting lineup could look like after £201m spending spree
Spurs will want to give Postecoglou everything he needs to build a successful side this summer.
All out for 98 as Timm van der Gugten also picks up three cheap wickets
ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2020After winning their first four games, Northants lost their second successive Blast outing as Glamorgan completed their second win with 29 balls to spare. The visitors were dismissed in 17.2 overs, which did little for their run rate, while Glamorgan produced their best performance to date.Had David Lloyd, their aggressive opening batsman, been available for every game, instead of only the last two, Glamorgan might still have a realistic chance of qualifying.After opting to bat first on a slow pitch, the visitors were soon in trouble, losing their prolific openers after just seven balls. Prem Sisodiya, who has been Glamorgan’s most effective bowler in the competition, trapped Richard Levi leg before with the fourth ball of the innings, then Paul Stirling overbalanced to his first ball from Andrew Salter and was stumped for a single.Worse was to follow for Northants, as two more wickets fell to leave them struggling on 33 for 4 after the Powerplay, although the batsmen failed to help their cause by playing some careless shots instead of attempting to build an innings.Tom Sole, son of the former Scotland rugby captain David, was his team’s top scorer with 25, playing some inventive strokes, and of the ten fours struck in the innings, three came from his bat, including one scoop which almost carried all the way for six.The five Glamorgan bowlers returned satisfactory figures, with Sisodiya and Timm van der Gugten taking three apiece, while Northants’ attack appeared to have surrendered before the second innings began.Needing to score at only five runs an over ,Lloyd, playing in only his second game of the season because of injury, tucked in to Sanderson’s gentle medium pace by hitting him for three fours in his first over that cost fourteen runs, before Nathan Buck was plundered for fifteen in his first.There was little respite for the other bowlers as Selman struck Graeme White’s slow left arm spin into the River Taff at long-on, and Glamorgan’s openers were already half -way to their target-(52 for 0) at the end of the six over power play.The Northants spinners White and Cobb, also bowled accurately, taking a wicket apiece, conceding only thirty nine runs from their combined eight overs.After sharing an opening partnership of 68 in only overs, Lloyd and Selman departed in quick succession. Lloyd, after a sprightly 40 from 29 balls, with a six and four fours, pushed an innocuous delivery back to Cobb, before Selman was stumped off White after scoring 29.With fourteen runs required, Chris Cooke skied Gareth Berg to mid-on, but it made little difference to the outcome as the home team strolled to victory.
Celtic ended their 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign in style on Saturday as they came from behind to beat St Mirren 3-2 at Parkhead on the final day.
The Hoops were then able to lift the top-flight trophy, which they secured with a thumping 5-0 win over Kilmarnock earlier in the week, after the match.
However, the season is not done and dusted yet as the Scottish giants have an SFA Cup final clash with their closest rivals at Hampden Park this weekend.
Brendan Rodgers has the opportunity to win two trophies in his first year back at Paradise and will have his focus on that match, before he can start to think about the upcoming summer transfer window.
One player who will need to be replaced ahead of the 2024/25 campaign is veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart, who is set to retire from football upon the expiry of his contract at Parkhead this summer.
Joe Hart
His pending retirement means that Celtic will need to be in the market for a new number one to play between the sticks in Glasgow next term, and they reportedly have their eye on a player who has just been relegated from the Premier League.
Celtic's interest in Burnley star
According to The Scottish Sun, the Hoops are considering a swoop to sign Burnley shot-stopper Arijanet Muric to bolster their options in goal in the window.
The report claims that Rodgers wants to sign a new first-choice, rather than bringing through a current player to replace Hart, and that the Clarets star has emerged as an option for the club.
However, it does not state how much it would take to snap him up from the soon-to-be-Championship side, who have just been relegated from the English top-flight.
The Scottish Sun also do not reveal whether or not the Kosovo international would be interested in ditching English football to be the number one in Glasgow.
This means that it remains to be seen whether the Hoops can convince him to join up with Rodgers' squad to take over from Hart ahead of next season.
The outlet did, however, add that Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin and Southampton's Alex McCarthy had also been linked with possible moves to Parkhead, which shows that Muric is not the only goalkeeper on the club's radar ahead of the summer transfer window.
If Celtic can land a deal to sign the Burnley colossus, though, then they could secure an exceptional replacement for Hart, who has been a regular starter throughout the current campaign.
Joe Hart's last season at Celtic in numbers
The former England international, who was signed from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021, has been the undisputed first-choice for Rodgers this term.
He has racked up 48 appearances in all competitions, with a 49th to come against Rangers at Hampden Park on Saturday, and played over 4000 minutes in total.
Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The 37-year-old titan started all six of the club's matches in the group stages of the Champions League and failed to step up to the mark in that competition.
Hart ranks within the bottom 1% of goalkeepers in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for percentage of crosses stopped (1.2%) and defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (0.17), which shows how little he commanded his box in Europe.
He also ranks within the bottom 8% for post-shot xG minus goals allowed per 90 (-0.28), which essentially means that the veteran goalkeeper let in too many poor quality efforts on his goal.
23/24 Premiership
Joe Hart
Appearances
37
Save success rate
68%
Goals conceded
29
Clean sheets
14
Pass accuracy
88%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Hart did enjoy a successful season in the Premiership, though, as he only conceded 29 times in 37 appearances in total.
The former Manchester City star ended his final league campaign with 14 clean sheets to his name and, hopefully, supporters will remember that, rather than his struggles in the Champions League earlier in the season.
His poor form in Europe does, however, suggest that there is scope for the Hoops to land an upgrade on him this summer, and that is exactly what Muric could be, based on his form for Burnley.
Why Ari Muric could be an upgrade on Joe Hart
Rodgers could land an exceptional signing to replace Hart by landing the Clarets star, as the £25k-per-week titan is a dominant goalkeeper who is also a fantastic shot-stopper.
Over the last 365 days in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions, Muric ranks within the top 1% of goalkeepers for percentage of crosses stopped (14%), defensive actions outside of his penalty area (3.10), and average distance of his defensive actions (17.2 yards) respectively.
These statistics show that the Burnley giant has been one of the most commanding goalkeepers in Europe over the last year, as he is sublime at coming off his line to clear danger and coming out to collect crosses to alleviate pressure on his defence.
Muric, who journalist Josh Bunting hailed as "exceptional" with his distribution, has also caught the eye with his shot-stopping quality in the top-flight.
Last 365 days per 90
Joe Hart (Champions League)
Ari Muric (Premier League)
Post-shot xG minus goals conceded
-0.28
+0.66
Save percentage
60.5%
80.8%
Touches
44.9
63.40
Percentage of crosses stopped
1.2%
14%
Defensive actions outside the penalty area
0.17
3.10
Average distance of defensive actions
5.9 yards
17.2 yards
As you can see in the table above, the Kosovo international has prevented 0.66 xG per 90 in the Premier League, whereas Hart let in 0.28 more than expected per 90 in the Champions League.
In just ten top-flight appearances for Burnley, Muric prevented a staggering 6.09 xG with his sensational shot-stopping. This meant that he ended the season with the second-best xG prevented tally in the division, second only to Wolves star Jose Sa's 8.45 prevented.
These statistics suggest that Celtic could land a major upgrade on Hart by completing a swoop to sign Vincent Kompany's number one, due to both his shot-stopping ability and his impressively dominant and front-footed command of his box.
With Enzo Maresca now confirmed as Chelsea's new manager, supporters can expect the noise surrounding summer transfers to rise a level.
Todd Boehly and Co have already started to make their moves, closing on the signing of Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer and continuing to scour the market for a new centre-forward, but freeing Stamford Bridge of some of the flotsam remains a notable area of importance.
Despite the cascade of signings that have littered this stuttering new era in west London, the lid has largely been kept on in regard to player wages, but Chelsea will need to assess one or two of the already-existing squad members and whether they should remain at the club with such sizeable salaries.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly
Especially given the success of Cole Palmer, who has taken the Premier League by storm while only earning £75k per week.
Cole Palmer's season in numbers
Chelsea signed Palmer from Manchester City in a £42.5m package after the 22-year-old demanded to leave, disquieted by the prospect of sitting on the fringe of English football's pre-eminent force.
But Palmer always knew that his quality placed him in Europe's upper echelon, and having plundered 25 goals and 15 assists across 45 appearances for Chelsea this season, that steadfast belief has been confirmed.
Pundit Jamie Carragher even remarked that the England international has been "one of the best players in the Premier League this season", so brilliant has he been in what most assumed would be a settling-in season for a talented young prospect.
As per FBref, Palmer ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 8% for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.
Sure, the 6 foot 2 star will be pushing for a bumper new deal after such resounding success, but Chelsea have triumphed in tying him down to a moderate earning initially, providing greater room to negotiate and keep things reasonable.
However, with players like Ben Chilwell eclipsing the prodigy's pay packet, Maresca and the Stamford Bridge bosses might be wise to make some big decisions this summer.
Why Chelsea should sell Ben Chilwell
Chilwell signed for Chelsea from Leicester City for a £50m fee in 2020, with the left-back since completing 106 appearances, scoring nine goals, supplying 12 assists and winning the Champions League.
But the 27-year-old has suffered ruinous luck on the injury front over the past few seasons, starting only 30 Premier League matches over the past three campaigns, and while he has been "unlucky" in that regard, as per journalist Paul Brown, he's surely running out of time to salvage his Blues career, with Marc Cucurella the first choice at left-back.
Sure, he's contracted for another three years but at this point of his career, the England international will surely want to prioritise regular match action. Moreover, given that tuned-in industry sources such as transfer specialist Dean Jones are speculating that Chilwell could be one of the first players out of the door this summer following his omission from Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 provisional England squad, it's not looking too rosy for the ace.
To think that only Raheem Sterling and Reece James earn larger salaries than Chilwell in Mareca's first-team squad is staggering. Romelu Lukaku is the club's joint-highest-paid player, however, Paul Winstanley and Chelsea's transfer team are fighting to cash in on the Belgian this summer, ready to welcome lowball offers of just £35m.
1.
Romelu Lukaku
£325k-per-week
1.
Raheem Sterling
£325k-per-week
3.
Reece James
£250k-per-week
4.
Ben Chilwell
£200k-per-week
4.
Wesley Fofana
£200k-per-week
6.
Christopher Nkunku
£195k-per-week
What's more topical, however, is the fact that Chilwell is earning £125k per week more than Palmer, or, to put it another way, nearly 3x more than his countryman.
Chilwell must surely follow the centre-forward out the door, with his prospects of success under Maresca looking slender and his £200k-per-week salary likely putting him right at the top of possible sales this summer.
No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea
Chelsea are set for a busy summer with plenty of signings expected.
The Orlando Pride clinched the NWSL's regular-season title in a 2-0 win over Washington Spirit
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Pride lift 2024 NWSL Shield
Defeat Spirit 2-0
On-track for undefeated campaign
WHAT HAPPENED?
Brazil legend Marta scored from the penalty spot in the 56th minute, sparking the unbeaten Orlando Pride to both a 2-0 victory over the Washington Spirit Sunday and the 2024 NWSL Shield.
Winning the first trophy of any kind for the NWSL organization, the Pride are unbeaten through 23 games, with three matches still to play. The Pride will look to become the first NWSL side ever to go through a campaign unbeaten.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite the presence of Marta and star scorer Barbra Banda, the Spirit were shorthanded Sunday, missing four key-starters including USWNT superstar Trinity Rodman. The winger has been sidelined with a back injury since mid-September.
Washington trailed the Pride by seven points going into the match, and with a victory, Orlando extended their lead to 10 points with three matches to play, making it mathematically impossible for any team to catch them.
Orlando are just the fifth NWSL franchise to clinch the Shield. In their previous seven seasons, they had only clinched a playoff berth once, making the 2024 Shield all the more special.
Pride coach Seb Hines, who became the league's first permanent Black head coach ahead of 2023, became the first Black head coach to win an NWSL trophy.
WHAT MARTA SAID
Six-time World Player of the Year Marta, 38, was emotional speaking about the victory postgame.
"It means so much," Marta said, holding the Shield on the stage. "We worked so hard from the beginning and — wow. I waited so long for this moment. This team deserves [it] because we showed we can do [it] from the first game this season, then we keep doing [it], and I hope we're going to go for more.
"I've been here for eight years, so I try to find out why I still love to be here, to play for this team, to represent the community in Orlando. Tonight, I had the answers, you know? I think when you believe about something, and then you know you can do that, and you just put me in your mind, like, 'I'm not going to give up.' And then I did that. I stayed here because I want to make history with this team. And then we did tonight, and then we go for more."
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WHAT NEXT FOR THE PRIDE?
The Pride will now look towards the postseason, where they hope to claim the 2024 NWSL Cup.
In 2023, NJ/NY Gotham FC won the cup, while the San Diego Wave clinched the NWSL Shield.
O clima esquentou pelos lados do Grêmio nesta quarta-feira. Em plena Arena, o Tricolor encarou o Flamengo e, mesmo com um jogador a mais, a equipe saiu de campo derrotada por 4 a 0.
Um dos mais experientes do elenco, o lateral Rafinha saiu de campo revoltado e disparou contra os erros do elenco.
‘Vou ser bem sincero, é inexplicável. Fazemos um primeiro tempo maravilhoso, ficamos com um a mais e acabamos cometendo alguns erros infantis, culminando nesse placar. Com o que começamos fazendo no primeiro tempo, não tem como aceitar um placar desse. Triste. Futebol nada é impossível, mas ficou muito mais difícil ainda mais contra uma equipe muito qualificada como o Flamengo. Temos que trabalhar agora, isso não pode mais acontecer’, declarou ao SporTV.
Agora, o Grêmio precisa de um milagre para avançar. No Maracanã, o Tricolor precisa devolver o placar de quatro gols para levar a disputa aos pênaltis ou vencer o Flamengo por cinco gols de diferença.
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A Bayern Munich star would be keen on joining Arsenal this summer, amid his contractual standoff at the Allianz Arena with some uncertainty surrounding the player's future.
Edu and Arteta targeting new defender for Arsenal
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar are thought to be targeting new defensive additions ahead of the summer transfer window's opening on June 14, and many names have already been linked via the press.
£150,000-per-week ace unhappy at Arsenal and could now leave this summer
The Gunners are open to selling.
By
Emilio Galantini
Jun 4, 2024
The likes of Nuno Taveres, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been tipped to potentially leave Arsenal as well, leading to suggestions that the north Londoners could move for a new full-back within the next few months.
Fenerbahce star and Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu has been subject to intense interest from Arsenal in this regard, with some reports even claiming that the 24-year-old is keen on making a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu have been utilised in the full-back areas by Arteta over 2024, while Zinchenko has come under some criticism. It was reported this week that Zinchenko is unhappy at Arsenal and seeking more game time after falling down the pecking order, so this could well be the Ukraine international's final summer in London.
It will be interesting to see if Arsenal chiefs do opt to bring in a new option in that position, and one very interesting name who's been floated this week is Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich.
Kimmich would be interested in joining Arsenal
As per Sky Germany reporter Kerry Hau, speaking on a live broadcast (via Bayern and Germany), Kimmich would be interested in joining Arsenal among other elite clubs – as the 29-year-old is "left hanging" over an extension.
"So far, Bayern have not communicated a clear indication to Joshua Kimmich that they want to extend his contract," said Hau.
"Max Eberl has not told Kimmich clearly: 'We want to extend with you after the Euros' – That's why the player has somewhat been 'left hanging'. In case of a move, Kimmich would only join an absolute ambitious top club. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal would be options for him. But at the moment, there are no talks with any other club."
Given his versatility and experience at the highest level, there is little doubt he'd be a world-class addition. Kimmich has been lavished with praise by high-profile figures in the beautiful game and has won trophies galore in Bavaria.
"The No. 6 role that Joshua is playing for Bayern Munich and for the national team has become like the quarterback role in American Football," said former Bayern, Germany and USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in May 2021.
"Joshua plays that to perfection. He is not only feisty in terms of winning the ball back, he knows right away what to do with the ball and who to connect to. He keeps the tempo of the game in place."
Joshua Kimmich's best Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich last season
Match Rating (via WhoScored)
Monchengladbach 1-2 Bayern
8.77
Bayern 7-0 Bochum
8.57
Bayern 2-0 FC Koln
8.49
Bayern 8-1 FC Mainz
8.40
Darmstadt 2-5 Bayern
8.23
Meanwhile, the £319,000-per-week star has also been subject to real praise from new Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho.
"I see him as a top right-back, left-back, centre-back, No.6, No.8, No.10… he has the qualities to be anything," said Mourinho to DAZN (via GOAL) in 2020.
"I think he looks to me, very intelligent related to football, very intelligent, understands the moments of the games and understands the difference between positions and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there.
"I think he’s phenomenal, an absolutely phenomenal player."
A £25 million attacker, who manager Ange Postecoglou personally identified as a target, has now apparently agreed to join Tottenham this summer.
Spurs expected to go for multiple attackers after Werner deal
The north Londoners agreed their first deal of the summer in pretty quick fashion, sealing a season-long extension on Timo Werner's loan which includes an even cheaper option to buy this time round.
Tottenham consider re-signing "fantastic" ex-forward for just £11 million
The north Londoners could seal a bargain discount.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2024
Spurs were only meant to have Werner from January to the end of 2023/2024, but chairman Daniel Levy re-negotiated with Leipzig to keep the German for the whole of 2024/2025. Tottenhan can now also choose to do a permanent deal next summer for just £8.5 million, coming as an astute piece of business.
However, it is believed that Postecoglou's side are not done there when it comes to signing attacking players. Reports claim Tottenham are targeting a new striker and long-term replacement for Harry Kane, and could also bring in another attacking midfielder.
Levy and co will be targeting more bargain options in this window as part of their summer overhaul, as it is claimed that Postecoglou also wishes to bolster his midfield and defence over the coming weeks.
Tottenham have reportedly considered re-signing Marcus Edwards from Sporting Lisbon as one option, as their 35% clause means they could do a deal for as little as £11 million, according to some reports out of Portugal.
Son Heung-min
7.30
James Maddison
7.17
Pedro Porro
7.05
Cristian Romero
7.04
Dejan Kulusevski
7.03
Another option for Spurs could be Poland international winger Sebastian Szymanski. The Fenerbahce star, who represented his country at Euro 2024, is fresh off the back of an incredible season in the Turkish Super Lig.
He racked up an impressive 13 goals and 19 assists in all competitions for Fenerbahce last season, and there are suggestions he could leave for as little as £25 million.
Sebastian Szymanski.
According to Aslinda this week, Spurs have actually made a low-ball offer for the player, coming in at around £15 million. It was apparently rejected out of hand, but Postecoglou's side are set to try again with another proposal. While club-to-club talks go on, Tottenham are at least said to have the green light on personal terms.
Szymanski agrees to join Tottenham on four-year contract
Aslinda also state that Szymanski has agreed Tottenham personal terms over a four-year contract, and will fly for his medical at Hotspur Way if Fenerbahce and Spurs can find an agreement on price. It's added that Postecoglou personally wants the 25-year-old at his club for next season.
"He is a very productive player when viewed from the perspective of the inside right, number 8.5," said football scout Berat Kunt on his performance against France at the Euros.
"He has high pressing power, is close to scoring, and is effective in playing without the ball. When he increases his responsibility in the game setup, he reaches another level."
West Bromwich Albion supporters would have been mostly pleased with what they saw of their side last season, despite the Baggies crashing out of the Championship play-offs when everything was over and done with.
Although the West Midlands side really struggled in the second leg of their play-off exit against Southampton, as the eventual promotion-winners blew away Carlos Corberan's men 3-1 back on home turf, fans of the Championship side would just be happy with the fact they gave it their best shot.
West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan.
That's the case as the Baggies are still scarred somewhat by Steve Bruce's dire previous regime, with the Spaniard taking over from the unpopular former manager when West Brom were submerged in the relegation spots during the 2022-23 season, to then take them to within touching distance of a Wembley final.
Yet, there will be frustrations all the same if the likes of Alex Mowatt and Cedric Kipre do end up walking away for nothing this summer, but there will be many a relieved face, on the contrary, at the Hawthorns that one of their colleagues is contracted until the end of next campaign, after standing out from the centre of the park last season.
West Brom's contract situation
Both Mowatt and Kipre, unlike midfield star Okay Yokuslu, could soon be leaving the West Midlands club for nothing, despite both players starring for the Baggies last campaign on the way to a top six finish being achieved.
Kipre even scored the consolation strike at St. Mary's in the lottery of the play-offs, despite being an imposing centre-back for the majority of the regular season, whilst Mowatt tried his best to steer his side to a positive outcome in both clashes against the Saints, notching up seven key passes in total across the two nail-biting contests.
Yet, despite being key performers under Corberan, both players still haven't agreed new deals, as the end of the month now comes hurtling into view, with their contracts expiring come the conclusion of June.
There is less worry about Yokuslu's immediate future ahead of the 2024/25 season, however, with the former Trabzonspor man actually forming an intimidating duo with Mowatt from the holding midfield spots, as he aims to impress again in the Championship next campaign, with or without the ex-Leeds United midfielder partnering him.
Okay Yokuslu's numbers for West Brom last season
Yokuslu has been a constant top performer under Corberan over the last two campaigns, with the 2023/24 term in particular seeing the steely defensive midfielder stand out, only missing two second-tier games all season long as a key cog.
Whilst Mowatt operates more as an attack-minded individual in the partnership – picking up five assists last season subsequently – the forceful 30-year-old loves doing the dirty work for the team more so, winning an average of 4.9 duels per game during the regular 2023/24 season, on top of completing 4.9 ball recoveries.
Yokuslu and Mowatt – 2023/24
Stat
Yokuslu
Mowatt
Games played
44
43
Goals scored
1
2
Assists
1
5
Shots total
0.89
0.91
Shot-creating actions
1.12
2.94
Passes attempted
53.68
67.30
Pass completion %
87.1%
86.1%
Progressive passes
3.72
6.57
Progressive carries
0.78
1.52
Tackles
1.84
1.64
Interceptions
1.34
0.86
Aerials won
2.24
0.97
Stats by FBRef
Complementing each other well as a feared duo in the second tier when looking at the table above, it will be gutting for those involved at the Hawthorns if this partnership is no more next campaign, but Yokuslu staying is arguably more important than keeping a firm grip on Mowatt.
Corberan could look to other midfielders such as Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana to offer a similar creative spark to the one that the West Brom number 27 offers, whilst the Baggies would struggle to replace the valiant nature of their number 35 so quickly.
Yokuslu also has a rocket of a shot in his back pocket, away from just being a disruptive holding presence, as was seen with this sublime strike against Huddersfield Town last season.
Therefore, losing the standout 30-year-old would be a far bigger blow arguably, with talk surrounding his Baggies future coming to the forefront in January of this year, when a move back to his native Turkey was on the agenda.
West Brom midfielder Okay Yokuslu.
Those rumours were eventually rubbished, as Yokuslu remained rooted in the West Midlands, but the Baggies number 35 is also worth keeping a hold of based on his increasing transfer value, which could grow even more if he excels again in the second tier next time out..
Yokuslu's transfer value at West Brom
According to Football Transfers, Yokuslu's transfer value now stands at a hefty £3.1m, with the decision by West Brom to gamble on signing the 30-year-old as a free agent back in 2022 continuing to look like a masterstroke, after initially impressing on loan at the Hawthorns.
Yokuslu's valuation now means he is actually worth more than Mowatt and Kipre combined, which might well make the agony of losing both for £0 potentially easier to stomach, with the soon-to-be free agent duo worth £2.9m altogether, at £1.5m and £1.4m respectively.
Yokuslu's fluctuating transfer value since joining West Brom
Date
Transfer value
June 2024
£3.1m
December 2023
£2.9m
December 2022
£4.8m
July 2022
£0
Sourced by Football Transfers
Once worth a staggering £4.8m, just a matter of months into his permanent stay at West Brom, there will be some concerns mounting already that Yokuslu could become their next star to leave for nothing at the end of the forthcoming season, following in the footsteps of both Mowatt and Kipre, who are seeing what other options are out there before committing.
The duo leaving won't completely kill next season for the Baggies, however, with another season competing near the top-end of the Championship potentially on the horizon, especially if Mikey Johnston re-joins permanently, as per recent rumours, and Corberan stays in the managerial hot-seat.
Okay Yokuslu
Yokuslu will strive to become a promotion-winner for his West Midlands outfit ahead of the next campaign, with the Baggies number 35 further cementing his tag as a firm fan's favourite if that did become reality.
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