All posts by h79snht.top

Regardless of what happens in the Europa League and with Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur need a massive summer in the transfer market.

From defence to attack, the North Londoners need to dramatically improve their squad to avoid having another domestic season as bad as this one next year.

Fortunately, Daniel Levy and Co seem to agree with this sentiment, as, on top of the near-constant rumours around the manager’s position, we are starting to see stories linking the club to some brilliant players.

In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, the Lilywhites have now set their sights on one of the most exciting strikers in the Premier League, someone who’d be an enormous upgrade on Richarlison, who looks like he could be on the way out as well.

Spurs' striker search

So, before we get to the forward in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other strikers Spurs are supposedly interested in from outside the Premier League, like Jonathan David and Tim Kleindienst.

Transfer Focus

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

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The former is set to be available for free this summer, and with a sensational tally of 25 goals and 12 assists in 47 games this season, the Canadian international would be an incredible addition to the North Londoners squad.

Kleindienst, on the other hand, could cost around £30m this summer, and while that isn’t chump change, it would still represent fair value, as the German international has scored 16 goals and provided ten assists in 32 games this year.

Yet, Levy and Co might prefer to shop closer to home and sign a more Premier League-proven marksman like Liam Delap.

Yes, according to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Spurs are one of several teams incredibly interested in the Ipswich Town goalscorer.

In fact, while the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton and West Ham United are all also keen, the report has revealed that the Lilywhites are now ‘planning to make an offer’ for the Englishman, who now has a £30m release clause in his contract.

It might be a complicated transfer to get done with how many interested parties there are, but it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be an incredible Richarlison upgrade.

How Delap compares to Richarlison

So, if Spurs are able to get ahead of the chasing pack and bring Delap to N17 in the summer, it’s almost certain that, to begin with at least, he’d play second-fiddle to club-record signing Dominic Solanke.

Therefore, he’d either be in direct competition with Richarlison or be his replacement should he be moved on, so how does he stack up to the Brazilian?

Well, the most important metric for a centre-forward is their raw output; in this case, the Englishman comes out comfortably on top.

For example, despite playing for a relegated side, the 22-year-old “wrecking-ball,” as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones, has managed to score 12 goals and provide two assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.64 games.

In contrast, the former Everton star has scored five goals and provided two assists in 20 appearances this season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.85 games.

Delap vs Richarlison

Players

Delap

Richarlison

Appearances

37

20

Goals

12

5

Assists

2

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.37

0.35

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, besides being the more dangerous forward and five years younger, the former Manchester City gem has one other massive advantage over the Nova Venécia-born ace: his fitness.

For example, across his career, the Winchester-born monster has missed just 16 games, and that was down to a single knee injury he suffered last season, which has since not resurfaced.

In stark contrast, the 48-capped Brazilian has missed a whopping 78 games for club and country across his career and suffered from 20 injuries.

Ultimately, while he’s still somewhat raw, it’s abundantly clear that Delap would be a massive upgrade on Richarlison in almost every way, so Spurs should do what they can to sign him this summer.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 7, 2025

Celtic romped to a 5-1 win over Aberdeen in their final away match of the Scottish Premiership campaign on Wednesday night, despite playing a much-changed side.

Brendan Rodgers opted to hand opportunities to several players in the comprehensive victory for the Hoops, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo, Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Maik Nawrocki, among others.

Nawrocki made just his third appearance in the Premiership this season and scored the opening goal in the match with a fine header, and he made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions.

Rodgers was also quick to point out how well the Polish colossus performed in possession, as the boss said: “I thought he (Nawrocki) played through the lines really, really well, defended well, and obviously, he was very dangerous in the box.”

The former Legia Warsaw central defender was not the only rarely-seen star who caught the eye for the Northern Irish head coach, though, as Irish striker Johnny Kenny made his first senior start for the club and impressed against the Dons.

Why Johnny Kenny could be a future star for Celtic

The Celtic manager was “pleased” for the 21-year-old centre-forward after the reserve striker scored his first goal for the club with a fine header in the second half.

Rodgers said: “Johnny, we’re also pleased for because he works so hard, he is a natural goalscorer. I think when you see his movement for the goal, it’s so, so good and everyone was delighted for him.”

The young attacker did brilliantly to get across his man to redirect the header into the opposite corner from Luke McCowan’s cross to make it 4-1 on the night.

That was one of the five shots that Kenny managed against Aberdeen, which shows that he provided a constant threat in front of the opposition goal, whilst it was one of two shots on target for the forward.

The Celtic striker, who had only made six substitute appearances in the league prior to that game, had not made a single first-team appearance for the club prior to his return from Shamrock Rovers in January.

Kenny did, however, showcase his potential whilst on loan in his home country, with a return of 26 goals and eight assists in 76 matches for Shamrock Rovers in all competitions.

24/25 Conference League

Johnny Kenny

Appearances

6

xG

3.78

Goals

5

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

1

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman caught the eye in the Conference League during the first half of this season, scoring five goals in six matches, before his return to Celtic at the turn of the year.

Kenny is a young talent who has shown potential to shine in the future for the Hoops, given his performance against Aberdeen and his goalscoring record in Ireland, but he is also 22 this summer and potentially at a crossroads in his career, where he will have to decide whether it is worth fighting for a spot at Parkhead or going elsewhere to be guaranteed regular game time.

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

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Meanwhile, Celtic could unearth an even bigger talent than the 21-year-old Irishman by continuing to integrate 17-year-old Sean McArdle into the first-team.

Why Sean McArdle could be an even bigger talent than Johnny Kenny

It took Kenny until the age of 21 to make his senior bow for the Hoops. McArdle, on the other hand, has made his Scottish Premiership debut before turning 18.

The teenage talent has come off the bench in the last two matches, since the club were confirmed as champions of the division, as Rodgers has decided that he is ready to play in the first-team.

McArdle made his debut against Hibernian at Parkhead last week before coming on for the final nine minutes against Aberdeen away from home on Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old Scottish ace was praised by Rodgers after his debut, as the head coach said: “I like him, he’s got decent legs, he’s got a nice football brain, left-sided, he’s got culture when he plays, and now he’s got the best role models you can have in some of the players that we have here, like Callum and these guys, to learn from.”

Vs Aberdeen

Sean McArdle

Minutes

9

Passes completed

11/12

Shots

1

Shots on target

1

Chances created

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

Duels won

1/1

Possession lost

1x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, McArdle followed up on that praise by delivering an impressive cameo off the bench against Aberdeen, completing 92% of his chances and showing a few nice touches, creating one chance in the process.

After that display, Rodgers praised the teenager once again: “Yes, I liked him when he came on. I like the young players, and any player that you play for Celtic, you have to have personality. And you could see at 17, he comes into the game, he takes the ball, he passes the ball. He’s got a wee edge to him as well that I like.”

The manager was not the only person impressed by McArdle, though, as teammate and experienced midfielder McCowan described him as a “great” player.

This shows that he has gained respect from the manager and at least one of the senior players in the first-team with his performances in training and in Premiership matches, despite being just 17.

McArdle, who scored five goals in 25 Lowland League games this season, could, therefore, be an even bigger talent than Kenny because he has already made more progress than the Irishman did at his age.

Kenny is five years older than the Scottish midfielder and only made his Premiership debut for Celtic at the start of this year, whilst the teenager has played twice in the division already and could establish himself as a regular in the coming years, potentially before he gets to the age the Irish striker is at now.

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Posts ByDan Emery May 14, 2025

To make his breakthrough at such a young age, whilst earning plaudits from Rodgers and McCowan, speaks to his potential and suggests that he could be a future star for the Hoops for many years to come if he continues his progression.

Since winning the Premier League a few weeks ago, Liverpool have either been working aggressively behind the scenes to sign new players or quite literally, they have been on the beach, enjoying the party life in Ibiza and Dubai.

Well, set to enter that part over the summer is Jeremie Frimpong, who is due to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold as Arne Slot’s new right-back.

They could also welcome Bayer Leverkusen Florian Wirtz to Anfield with the German being headhunted by some of Europe’s heavyweights.

Valued at over £100m, Wirtz has attracted the interest of Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

Bayern love signing domestic players while Man City are on the hunt to find a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.

So, with such a hotly contested race, perhaps FSG will turn their attention elsewhere.

Liverpool big admirers of Florian Wirtz alternative

According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are currently working on a list of creative targets.

Transfer Focus

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

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While Wirtz is on that list, the Reds have carried out background checks on RB Leipzig’s Dutch midfielder, Xabi Simons, while if Morgan Gibbs-White is made available by Nottingham Forest, he is another player they could pursue.

Also name-checked is Aston Villa sensation, Morgan Rogers. The report states that Liverpool are big admirers’ of the playmaker but it will be difficult to prise him away from Villa Park.

Rogers signed last year for a tiny fee of just £8m, and as some reports claim, he is now valued at around £90m by the Villans.

Given Villa’s PSR situation, it’s unlikely they’d turn down a bid in that region.

Why Rogers would be such an exciting signing

The meteoric rise of Rogers in the last year has been quite extraordinary. In January 2024, he traded Middlesbrough for the Midlands and has only gone from strength to strength since.

During 2024/25, the creative midfielder has become a full England international, scored a hat-trick in the Champions League against Celtic and helped himself to 29 goal involvements (14 goals & 15 assists).

It feels like Liverpool have been trying to add a player of his profile for a while. They famously missed out on Jude Bellingham before he went to Real Madrid and instead signed Hungarian Dominik Szoboszlai.

The attacking midfielder has impressed, but ultimately hasn’t been too great a goal threat, netting just seven times in all competitions this term.

That explains links to players like Rogers and Wirtz who beat the goalkeeper with greater regularity.

Similarities between the Villa midfielder and the aforementioned Bellingham are also eye-catching. Indeed, speaking back in August, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp acknowledged that “there are parts of what Jude Bellingham does” in Rogers’ game.

That comparison stems from not just the way they carry the ball – an “electric” trait of Rogers’ in the words of European football expert Zach Lowy – but primarily their final actions in the final third of the pitch.

Rogers vs Bellingham in 2024/25 – league only

Stat (per 90 mins)

Rogers

Bellingham

Goals

0.24

0.30

Assists

0.30

0.30

Key passes

1.51

1.54

Progressive passes

3.62

7.11

Shot-creating actions

3.12

3.87

Successful take-ons

1.93

1.47

Progressive carries

3.38

2.71

Ball recoveries

3.41

3.50

Stats via FBRef.

Considering the former Borussia Dortmund star’s elite status, it’s interesting to note that of the metrics selected here, there aren’t too many differences between the two.

Villa’s star man doesn’t register as many progressive passes, but he is in the lead for progressive carrying, a particular highlight of the duo’s game.

It’s when it comes to creating chances and scoring goals where they are most similar, and if Liverpool are to miss out on Wirtz, Rogers would be a superb alternative.

What makes this comparison even more noteworthy is that the two are actually childhood friends, with Bellingham taking Rogers under his wing during his first training sessions with the Three Lions.

‌

So, while Liverpool fans might not be too keen on Bellingham right, good friends with Trent of course, they would love a player of his ilk in the squad.

There are not many in the game who perform quite as highly as the Madrid star does, but Rogers is well on the way to cementing himself as one of the most exciting English players about.

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Posts ByMatt Dawson May 18, 2025

Nottingham Forest have now registered their interest in signing a forward from a Champions League club, and contact may have already been made over a deal, according to a report.

Nottingham Forest eyeing new winger amid interest in Hudson-Odoi and Elanga

While Forest were ultimately unable to go all the way and seal a place in next season’s Champions League, there is still a lot to be proud of from the 2024-25 season, and much of their success can be put down to the performances of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga.

Elanga was particularly impressive throughout the campaign, providing six goals and 11 assists in 38 appearances for the Tricky Trees, helping his side secure a seventh-place finish.

However, there could be interest in both the Swedish forward and Hudson-Odoi in the summer transfer window, with Chelsea being named as potential suitors for Elanga last month, while Manchester United are thought to be plotting a swoop for the Englishman.

Perhaps due to concerns about losing one of their star players, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side now appear to be stepping up their pursuit of a new winger, having submitted an enquiry over a potential summer deal for SC Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan earlier this week.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Nottingham Forest have also registered their interest in signing Paris Saint-Germain winger Lee Kang-In, amid doubts over the South Korean’s future at the Parc des Princes.

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Posts ByDominic Lund May 26, 2025

The Tricky Trees may have already made contact over a deal for the forward, but there will be competition for his signature, with Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in the race.

Manchester United have also made a move for the 24-year-old, with talks over a new deal to remain at PSG stalling, and previous reports have stated the French club could hold out for £51m.

Lee Kang-In could be "outstanding" for Nottingham Forest

PSG are, of course, set to compete in the Champions League final against Inter Milan this weekend, while they also won the Ligue 1 title by 19 points, and the South Korea international featured regularly throughout the league campaign.

Indeed, the Incheon-born forward picked up six goals and six assists in 30 Ligue 1 outings, putting in some impressive performances for PSG for the second season on the spin, having also received high praise for his contributions in the 2023/24 campaign.

The report makes it clear that Lee Kang-In wants to start playing regular first-team football, however, so a move to the City Ground this summer could appeal, especially considering European football will be on offer next season.

Chelsea can officially start to make moves during the summer transfer window after it opened for business on Sunday, and that includes exits as well as incomings.

Towards the end of last month, the Daily Mail reported that Crystal Palace could make a move to bring Trevoh Chalobah back to Selhurst Park, after they qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Blues would be willing to part ways with the academy graduate, whom they recalled in January, but they were willing to send him out on loan to Palace last summer.

Chalobah started the Conference League final against Real Betis, but was also an unused substitute in the last two Premier League games as Chelsea chased a top-five finish.

Chelsea eyeing deal for new centre-back

The 25-year-old defender, whose sale would represent pure profit for the Blues as a homegrown player, could find himself on his way out of Stamford Bridge amid talk that the club are interested in bringing another centre-back to the club.

He is already behind Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and Wesley Fofana, when available, which suggests that the addition of another player in that position could send him too far down the pecking order.

Transfer Focus

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

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With a move for Liam Delap all but sewn up, now according to The Guardian, Chelsea are ‘considering’ a swoop to sign England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Blues are eyeing up a deal for the English centre-back, who is ‘widely expected’ to move on from Selhurst Park ahead of next season.

The Guardian recently reported that Palace value Guehi at a fee of around £65m, although it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea would be willing to pay that much for their former defender.

Why Chelsea should sign Marc Guehi

The Conference League champions should swoop to sign the £65m-rated England international this summer because he would arrive as a big upgrade on Trevoh Chalobah, due to the defensive qualities that the former Cobham star can bring to the side.

Guehi, who has previously been hailed as “unbelievable” by podcast host Aaron Moniz, is a proven Premier League performer who has been there and done it and could hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge.

As a former academy graduate, he would also not need much time to adapt to life at Cobham and with some of the players with whom he would already be familiar, like the captain Reece James, which could work in his favour.

24/25 Premier League

Marc Guehi

Trevoh Chalobah

Appearances

34

25

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

2.4

Clearances per game

4.6

4.2

Blocks per game

0.2

0.1

Duels won per game

4.9

4.2

Duel success rate

59%

59%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Guehi’s performances in the Premier League this season also suggest that he would be a big upgrade on Chalobah as an out-and-out defender.

Whilst the individual statistics may not show a big difference, with only 0.4 more clearances per game or 0.2 more tackles and interceptions per game, it is the fact that he is ahead of the Chelsea defender in every category that stands out.

This means that Guehi could come in and offer more to Enzo Maresca’s side as a centre-back in every aspect of defending, from winning duels, to making blocks, to being in the right place at the right time to make vital clearances.

He is also less prone to making mistakes. Chalobah made two errors that led to goals in the Premier League, whilst Guehi did not make a single error that led directly to a goal, which suggests that the Palace star would be more reliable at the heart of the defence.

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Therefore, Chelsea should press ahead with a deal to sign the £65m-rated English star this summer because he could come in as a big upgrade on Chalobah to improve Maresca’s defence next season.

Arsenal are making serious moves in the summer transfer market and have already held numerous talks over targets, but Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta are now resigned to losing out on an “exciting” target with a deal agreed for him to join Man City.

Berta is already poised to seal deals for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi and Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, with Berta keen to reinforce Arsenal’s attack as well.

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Arsenal have all the details of Zubimendi’s signing agreed, according to both David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, with AS also reporting this week that the delay in his arrival is a result of Sociedad wanting to finalise his exit as part of the next financial year, which commences in July.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Kepa, meanwhile, is currently attempting to complete a £5 million move from Stamford Bridge to the Emirates Stadium, with the Spaniard looking set to come in as David Raya’s new understudy following Neto’s return to Bournemouth.

Following Zubimendi and Kepa, they are believed to be in the market for a new winger as well, with Real Madrid star Rodrygo standing out as a “dream” target for Arsenal, even if it is unlikely to materialise as things stand (Fabrizio Romano).

Obviously, Arsenal’s pursuit of a striker has dominated headlines over the last few weeks, and two names in Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko have stood out in particular.

Arsenal have held concrete talks over a deal for Sesko in recent weeks, with some reports in Portugal now claiming that an opening offer for Gyokeres has landed from north London as well (Record).

As per the BBC recently, Arsenal groundwork has been laid over moves for both Sesko and Gyokeres, so Berta could be testing the waters for either man right now ahead of deciding which one to fully prioritise.

Unfortunately for the club’s new transfer chief, he doesn’t have that same luxury when it comes to attacking midfield target Sverre Nypan, who’s now set to join City.

Arsenal in disbelief after missing out on Sverre Nypan deal

The Norwegian wonderkid has now sealed a switch to Eastlands, and will join City in a near-£13 million move from Rosenborg despite Arsenal’s serious interest.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to The Boot Room, Arsenal chiefs are in disbelief they’ve missed out on signing Nypan, and were convinced they’d land him before news emerged of the 18-year-old’s pending switch to Manchester.

“It’s weird. Arsenal thought they got him,” said Bailey.

“It was actually Aston Villa who came on (strongest). Arsenal are a little bit shocked that City have ended up getting him. They (Arsenal) thought City were out of it and felt they had beaten him to him.”

Nypan has drawn comparisons to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard whilst being hailed as an “extremely exciting” talent by Norwegian media.

The teenager bagged eight goals and 10 assists in all competitions during the 2024 season, piqueing interest from Arsenal, but the Rosenborg sensation has elected to link up with Pep Guardiola instead.

It may not come as a surprise to learn that Leeds United were the most creative team in the Championship last season.

The 2024/25 winners, who gained promotion back to the Premier League with over 100 points, were a standout side across all areas of the game, particularly when it came to their creative numbers.

According to FBref, they topped the metric for the most key passes overall, with 562, and the most key passes per 90 minutes, averaging an impressive 12.2. Daniel Farke turned his side into a creative force, channelling the innovation of club legends like Pablo Hernandez.

It seems the Elland Road side are about to become even more deadly in the final third, if recent transfer reports are anything to go by.

Leeds enter race to sign attacking midfielder

It has already been a busy transfer window for the Whites. They have signed defender Jakob Bijol from Udinese and striker Lukas Nmecha from Wolfsburg on a free transfer. Next, it seems, Farke’s side will move onto attacking midfield.

Transfer Focus

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

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That is according to a recent report from talkSPORT. Journalist Alex Crook has reported that Leeds are one of two sides who ‘hold an interest’ in signing young Anderlecht midfielder Mario Stroeykens this summer.

It will not be a straightforward deal to do for the Yorkshire outfit. West Ham United are also one of the teams showing a keen interest in the Belgian, as he fits their transfer policy of ‘targeting young up-and-coming players’.

Whichever side manages to sign the 20-year-old, the fee is already made clear; Stroeykens is valued at £17m by the Belgian giants.

Why Stroeykens would be a good signing

If Leeds do manage to sign the young attacking midfielder this summer, he would join an exciting crop of talent in the final third and add to the creativity already at Farke’s disposal. He has made an impressive start to his Anderlecht career.

Despite being just 20 years of age, Stroeykens has already notched up 132 appearances for Anderlecht, whose academy he graduated from. In that time, he’s managed to score 16 goals and register 15 assists, playing mainly as a number 10, but also on both flanks and as a striker.

The attacking midfielder, who was born in Zellik just outside of Brussels, impressed in the 2024/25 campaign. In 39 appearances, he bagged five goals and created seven chances, which included nine goal involvements in 13 league games to start the season. As football scout Antonio Mango said, he has an “elite profile” which is on show with those numbers

How Leeds would love for Stroeykens to have the same impact on the club as Hernandez had. A club legend, the Spaniard donned that famous White shirt for five seasons, helping the club return to the Premier League with promotion in 2019/20.

Altogether, Hernandez made 175 appearances for the Elland Road club, finding the back of the net 36 times and grabbing 41 assists.

In four Championship seasons, he assisted eight goals once, nine goals twice and an incredible 12 goals in 2018/19. As the numbers show, he was a creative genius, described as a “wizard” by Leeds’ official account on X.

Some of the underlying numbers on FBref behind Stroeykens’ good form last season are impressive. Indeed, they certainly suggest he has the talent to replicate what Hernandez did at Elland Road.

For example, compared to midfielders in the 14 leagues most similar to the Belgian top flight, he averaged 1.53 key passes and 0.77 goal-creating actions, which rank him in the top 16% and 1% respectively. Those numbers show just how creative he is, and the fact that he is constantly involved in his side’s goals, even if indirectly.

Stroeykens key stats from 2024/25 season vs. midfielders

Stat (per 90)

Stroeykens number

Percentile

Key passes

1.53

84th

Progressive passes

6.61

83rd

Expected assists

0.2xA

94th

Shot-creating actions

4.01

92nd

Goal-creating actions

0.77

99th

Take-ons completed

1.12

90th

Stats from FBref

They are certainly encouraging numbers from the 20-year-old. He would have a lot to do if he wants to become as good as Hernadez was at Leeds, but there is no doubt that the talent and data to back it up are already in place for Stroeykens.

For just £17m, this could be a bargain for Farke, and someone who will further increase the creativity and attacking threat of his side, which is much needed in the Premier League.

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Posts 1 ByDan Emery Jun 25, 2025

While Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi could be Afghanistan’s trump cards, India could counter them with Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube

Alagappan Muthu19-Jun-20241:19

How can India fit Kuldeep Yadav into the XI?

Match detailsAfghanistan vs India
Bridgetown, 10.30am local, 8.00pm IST, 2.30pm GMTBig picture – India vs Rashid KhanThis January, these two teams produced one of the greatest T20Is ever – one that needed two Super Overs to produce a result – and that was when they were playing less-than-full-strength teams after the series had been decided. The stakes are a lot higher now. So perhaps Afghanistan and India’s meeting in the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup 2024 will be a little less spectacle and a little more surgical.Afghanistan possess a bowling attack capable of asking questions every over, which works out well because they have to find a way past the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli early to level the playing field. With those two out of the picture, anything can happen. That’ll be Fazalhaq Farooqi’s job. His left-arm angle coupled with the ability to swing the new ball are threats to batters of even the highest quality.Related

Trott: Day games suit Afghanistan better

Hayden expects short-of-runs Kohli to 'work out what to do' in WI

Six-hitter Dube awaits his moment to unleash

Farooqi: 'Whatever I am doing with the new ball, that is my skill'

If that happens – and it’s a big if – India will come under scoreboard pressure, which is best friends with Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan captain has walked into plenty of situations where the opposition has just started to wobble, and he finishes them off.It takes a genius to beat a genius, and India are lucky to have Suryakumar Yadav, who has dominated Rashid in T20s, scoring 86 runs in 58 balls at a strike rate of 148 without being dismissed. Shivam Dube goes at a higher strike rate (155) over a smaller sample size (18 balls), but that brings into picture the other advantage that India have: left-hand batters. Rashid has not done as well against them in T20s lately. He kept them down to a strike rate of 109 in 2022 and 2023. This year, it’s up at 141.Afghanistan’s bowling is their best strength, but India have them covered. So that means one of Afghanistan’s batters will have to have a field day.Form guideAfghanistan: LWWWW
India: WWWWWAxar Patel’s batting gives India the confidence to hit out from ball one•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight – Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Axar PatelScoring quickly against high-quality bowling requires both skill and bravery, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz has both in abundance. He scored 80 off 56 balls in a match where only two of his team-mates reached double-digits and the opposition – New Zealand – were bowled out for 75. Gurbaz hits pace at a strike rate of 150 and spin at 145 in T20 cricket, and that may very well be a function of how he doesn’t mind taking risks. Batters like that are hard to stop when it’s their day.So much of the focus in this game will be on mystery spin. But underneath all that, happily flying under the radar, giving both tangible and intangible results is Axar Patel. His left-arm spin is all about containment, but he does that by attacking the stumps, while his batting at No. 8 gives India the confidence to hit out from ball one. Axar should also enjoy the fact that Afghanistan should have only two left-hand batters in their top eight.Team newsIndia don’t have any need to tinker with their XI. And despite the loss to West Indies, Afghanistan might not either.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Gulbadin Naib, 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiIndia (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rishabh Pant (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep Singh1:34

Bishop: Hard to name someone with Farooqi’s skillset

Pitch and conditionsBridgetown has offered decent batting conditions, having hosted one of the three 200-plus scores seen in this tournament. The weather shouldn’t be a problem.Stats and trivia Afghanistan have played India in 13 games across formats, but are yet to win one Gurbaz (167) and Farooqi (12) are currently the highest scorer and the highest wicket-taker, respectively, in the T20 World Cup 2024 India have not faced Rashid a lot in T20Is, but in two games, they have scored 69 runs in eight overs without losing a single wicket to him Rohit and Kohli are tied on 4042 T20I runs, with only Babar Azam (4145) ahead of themQuotes”I always thought that during the most difficult phase of T20, like between [overs] 7 to 14, 7 to 16 – I had thought about that a lot before making my debut for India – if I do well here, if I bat with a good strike rate, then I can be a game-changer on that day. And when I kept doing it repeatedly, I felt that this is my game plan going forward.”

Scotland opener finds the humour in run-rate rumpus ahead of Australia showdown

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2024

Michael Jones has been in good form at the top of Scotland’s order•Getty Images

Michael Jones has given an indication of Scotland’s relaxed state of mind as they prepare for their crucial Group B showdown in Antigua on Sunday, as he welcomed Josh Hazlewood’s suggestion that Australia might go easy on his team in a bid to engineer an early elimination for their arch-rivals England.Speaking after Australia’s emphatic victory over Namibia on Tuesday – a result that secured their progression to the Super Eights – Hazlewood had indicated that his team might be willing to “drag it out” if they got into a winning position against Scotland, in order to preserve their opponents’ net run-rate – albeit such a tactic could run the risk of a suspension for their captain, Mitchell Marsh, if Australia were deemed to have contravened Article 2.11 of the ICC’s code of conduct.Matthew Mott, England’s coach, subsequently dismissed Hazlewood’s suggestion as an example of his “very good sense of humour”, and Jones also saw the funny side of the remarks, as he joked he’d like to see David Warner open the bowling at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday.”I was watching it live actually, laughing to myself,” Jones told the Press Association, adding that he had also enjoyed the view of Tim Paine, Australia’s former Test captain, who told ESPNcricinfo’s Around The Wicket show that Australia’s players should “go on holiday … and England can pack their bags”.”I watched that interview and I watched Tim Paine when he was saying they should field half a side. I’m not particularly close to them, I don’t know any of the Australian players, but it would be good if we could have a little word and sort something out.”The rivalry between England and Australia is massive. If they want to play that way then happy days. We won’t be complaining. If they want to let David Warner open the bowling or something like that it would be pretty funny.”More realistically, however, Jones is braced for the full Australia experience when the two teams meet on Sunday, and after two impressive victories over Oman and Namibia, to go alongside a spirited display in the washout against England, he admitted he and his team-mates were relishing the prospect of testing themselves against one of the best sides in the tournament.Related

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“At the end of the day our team wants the best result we can get, but on a personal level you want to challenge yourself against the best,” he said.”To have the opportunity to bat against Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, then Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, that’s the best in the world. Those are the opportunities we crave as Scotland teams. You want to challenge yourself and see how far you go against those guys.”The Australians are renowned for being extremely diligent and extremely professional. I’m absolutely certain they will come out all guns blazing like they do for every game at every tournament.”I almost hope they do go full strength on Saturday and we can show the cricket world we’re up to the challenge. I’m absolutely certain they will come out all guns blazing like they do for every game at every tournament.”

Tottenham Hotspur are seen as favourites to sign a marquee player this summer, giving new manager Thomas Frank a potential boost as the north Londoners seek to build upon their trophy-winning 2024/2025 campaign.

Related Tottenham ready to pay asking price for £100k-a-week star, he wants the move

Spurs could make him their latest marquee signing.

Posts 8 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 27, 2025

Frank has considerable shoes to fill after Ange Postecoglou ended the club’s long wait for a piece of major silverware.

Spurs’ historic 1-0 win against Man United in the Europa League final will live long in the memory, and while the Australian led Spurs to a torrid domestic campaign, breaking their record for most Premier League defeats in a single season (22), Postecoglou will go down in Lilywhites folklore as the manager who won their first European trophy since 1984.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Postecoglou was also a popular figure among the players, with James Maddison, Pedro Porro and Lucas Bergvall among the squad members to speak out in public defence of their former manager.

Nevertheless, with the 59-year-old now gone, and linked with a surprise MLS move to Los Angeles FC, Frank must now steady the ship and regalvanize his new squad ahead of a vital campaign where they’ll be back in the Champions League.

Chairman Daniel Levy reportedly has every intention of backing his preferred candidate to replace Postecoglou, and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is widely rumoured to be one of their top attacking targets.

The England international’s 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season tell just half the story of Eze’s undoubted quality. The 26-year-old was a vocal point under Oliver Glasner throughout 2024/2025, bagging the winner against Man City in their 1-0 FA Cup final win over Pep Guardiola’s side – a result which ended Palace’s history-long wait for a major trophy.

It is little wonder there are suggestions that Tottenham are ready to pay Eze’s £68 million release clause, especially considering 2024/2025 may have been Son Heung-min’s last season at Spurs, as clubs in Saudi Arabia consider poaching the club legend after 10 years in N17.

Tottenham favourites to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace

The major worry for Levy is Arsenal’s concrete interest in Eze, and there is apparently every possibility that Mikel Arteta’s side could hijack Spurs’ pursuit of the former QPR sensation.

However, despite the stiff competition for his signature, journalist Graeme Bailey has told TBR Football that Tottenham are currently leading the race for Eze, and are the “most advanced” of every team in pursuit of the “wonderful player”.

“Eberechi Eze is expecting to leave Crystal Palace this summer, that is no secret,” said Bailey.

“He has a release clause and Steve Parish is open to taking installments to a certain degree but any agreement will need to be reached with Palace. Eze himself has made it clear he is open to options, and a host of Premier League clubs have made contact.

“As we have reported, the most advanced are Tottenham, and we are told the player would welcome a move.

“But Arsenal have indeed made enquiries as they see him as a potential option on their left – but same with Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle and Aston Villa – they have all made enquiries to some extent this year.”