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Arsenal legend Paul Merson says manager Mikel Arteta has a real headache to deal with ahead of his side’s looming clash against Premier League title rivals Man City at the Etihad Stadium, in what is arguably their biggest game of the season so far.

Arsenal dealt selection dilemmas with key men unavailable

The north Londoners will be unable to call upon a host of key players for their trip to the Etihad Stadium, with captain Martin Odegaard, midfielder Mikel Merino, defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, left-back Kieran Tierney and Ukraine international Oleksandr Zinchenko all sidelined lately.

Arteta handed possible Odegaard injury boost after initial Arsenal fears

The Norway captain has suffered significant ankle ligament damage.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 21, 2024

Odegaard will be out for weeks after sustaining ankle ligament damage on international duty with Norway, while summer signing Mikel Merino is out with a shoulder fracture and won’t be back till late next month at the earliest.

Tomiyasu’s knee injury means he won’t potentially be back until their home game against Leicester City next weekend, with Zinchenko missing their last two games after picking up a calf problem.

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Tierney’s estimated return date is unknown, but a certainty is that he won’t be donning Arsenal red when Arteta’s side travel to Manchester today. Their shortage of midfielders means both Thomas Partey and Jorginho have been absolutely crucial, so sporting director Edu Gaspar will be relieved that he didn’t try and sell either man in the summer window.

The latter started Arsenal’s 1-0 derby win over Tottenham last weekend, playing a key role in thwarting the home side’s attack whilst providing balance in midfield next to Partey.

However, Declan Rice’s return to the fold against Atalanta saw the £110,000-per-week star dropped for their draw in Bergamo on Thursday.

Paul Merson says Arteta has a real problem over Jorginho

Writing in his column for sportskeeda, pundit Merson believes that Jorginho presents a real problem for Arteta to solve in the form of a selection dilemma.

“It won’t be as comfortable as the game against Tottenham,” wrote Merson. “I have a strong feeling Jorginho will play this game, despite Declan Rice returning from his suspension.

“With Kai Havertz in midfield the other day, it really helped both Thomas Partey and Jorginho. One thing Jorginho does really well is, he keeps the ball. During the 1-0 win at Emirates last season, City could not touch him, he was just too good.

“It’s a real headache for Arteta now. He must decide whether he should play Jorginho or not. A quick word on William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as well, they are the best centre-back pair in the league. But I feel sometimes the work that happens in front of them goes unnoticed. Partey and Rice are both very disciplined and provide a lot of cover for the centre-backs.

“I like John Stones and Ruben Dias together, but they don’t play with each other consistently enough like the Arsenal duo.”

Chelsea chiefs are already planning a January exit for their “absolute dream” of a summer signing, despite the fact he’s only just made the move to Stamford Bridge.

How Chelsea's summer signings are playing

Todd Boehly, BlueCo and Behdad Eghbali – who have the final say on all major decisions at Chelsea – gave the green light for co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley to spend around £200 million of the club’s funds on 13 summer signings before deadline day last month.

Chelsea have promised £63m Jackson alternative they will try to sign him

The Blues are already in contact.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 26, 2024

Joao Felix, Mike Penders, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga, Estevao Willian, Filip Jorgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Omari Kellyman, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho all put pen to paper on moves to Chelsea, and a few of them are making quite an impression already.

Felix scored on his second debut for Chelsea in a 6-2 demolition of Wolves at Molineux, featuring over four Premier League games in total so far, though he is yet to start under new head coach Enzo Maresca.

Neto – signed from Wolves for around £54 million – bagged his first goal in Chelsea blue against Barrow in the EFL Cup earlier this week, with the Portugal international also notching an assist against his former club in the top flight.

Brighton (home)

September 28

Nottingham Forest (home)

October 6

Liverpool (away)

October 20

Newcastle (home)

October 27

Man United (away)

November 3

Dewsbury-Hall is a regular in Maresca’s starting elevens, despite missing out on some minutes due to illness recently, while Sancho is impressing after making the move to Chelsea on loan from Man United. The latter set up Christopher Nkunku for a dramatic late winner during Chelsea’s 1-0 win away to Bournemouth and added to his tally of assists when Maresca’s side smashed West Ham 3-0 at the London Stadium last weekend.

However, one summer acquisition who hasn’t quite had the same luck is former Aston Villa star Omari Kellyman. The midfielder, who agreed to join Chelsea in a deal worth £19 million, has been forced to watch on from the sidelines after Kellyman suffered a hamstring injury.

Kellyman is set to be out until November at the earliest, with the 19-year-old picking up the problem in Cobham training right at the start of this month.

Chelsea planning January exit for Omari Kellyman

According to football.london, the Englishman is unlikely to gain many Chelsea chances this season.

Indeed, it is believed Chelsea are planning a January exit for Kellyman, as they seek to send him out on loan to further his development. The teenager, regardless of his potential and reputation, played just 35 minutes in the Premier League for Villa last term and is yet to make his Chelsea debut because of his injury – so perhaps a temporary spell is exactly what is needed for him.

“Omari always had his place in the group,” said Derby County’s Lead Foundation coach, Josh Butler, to The Athletic on Kellyman.

“There were other players who were a bit louder but he was the chilled one. I’ve known him for 12 years and he’s always been the same; low maintenance, no dramas. The extent of his success will be circumstantial because it won’t be down to talent or attitude. His greatest strength is that you can’t not like him. He’s an absolute dream for a football club.”

Tottenham have handed a member of their first team a late transfer ultimatum as they look to trim their squad further in the final days of transfer windows around the globe.

Tottenham's summer transfers – trimming the fat

There was plenty of activity in north London over the summer, with Ange Postecoglou's side seeing several players leave and breaking their transfer record as they look to improve on their fifth placed Premier League finish from last season.

Four new first team players arrived, headlined by Dominic Solanke, who made the switch from Bournemouth to Tottenham in a deal worth £65m, a club record deal for the Lilywhites and a record sale for Bournemouth.

They also shelled out £60m on Championship pair Archie Gray (20-years-old) and Wilson Odobert (19-years-old), while Lucas Bergvall joined as part of an agreement completed in January, setting the club back a further £8.5m. But there were plenty of exits too. Midfielder Oliver Skipp left to join Leicester City, while Emerson Royal joined AC Milan and Joe Rodon completed a permanent move to Leeds United.

Giovani Lo Celso also completed a late move to Real Betis and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg swapped Tottenham for Marseille. Elsewhere, all of Japhet Tanganga, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon and Tanguy N'dombele were released and Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil both left on loan.

It followed a clear plan of removing deadwood, with few of those let go having featured heavily for Postecoglou during his first season in charge.

Starts under Ange by Tottenham's 2024 summer exits

Player

Starts (all competitions)

Oliver Skipp

7

Emerson Royal

13

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

10

Giovanni Lo Celso

6

Manor Solomon

3

Ivan Perisic

1

Bryan Gil

2

Other

0

Defender given Turkey transfer ultimatum

Now, The Sunday People [via Football Insider] report that Sergio Reguilon has been given a transfer ultimatum by Spurs in recent days not dissimilar to Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell's. Both left-backs are out of favour at their current sides and need to complete a move away, with Turkey the only nation whose transfer window remains open (it closes on Friday September 13th).

The Spaniard is down to the final year of his £53,000 per week deal and Ange Postecoglou has deemed him surplus to requirements, leaving him out of the club's UEFA Europa League squad for the first half of the season.

Ange could unearth his next Bentancur in "top" Spurs academy teen

The Lilywhites talent looks like a promising young player for Ange Postecoglou to work with.

ByDan Emery Sep 9, 2024

He spent last season out on loan with Manchester United and then Brentford, with his performances for the Red Devils coming in for plenty of praise.

"Reguilon’s done fantastic getting forward. He’s a good athlete with his forward runs. He’s been up and down [the flank]," Owen Hargreaves explained on TNT sport after Manchester United's 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

However, he is now facing months without first team football should he stay in north London, with Spurs having tried to sell him "throughout the summer" and now turning to Turkey as a last resort. With Chilwell also eyeing a move to Turkey, a late deal could be a tricky one to strike, but it is the Spaniard's last chance at regular football in the prime of his career.

Chelsea signed a grand total of 12 players during the summer transfer window as Enzo Maresca aimed to assert his own stamp on the team.

Todd Boehly continued to spend his millions, but it remains to be seen whether the Italian manager can get a tune out of his bloated squad over the next few months.

Despite the busy summer, the Blues still managed to miss out on several players in the transfer window, most notably Victor Osimhen.

Chelsea's pursuit of Victor Osimhen

It was a transfer saga that had been ongoing for months, but the Blues finally admitted defeat in signing the Nigerian centre-forward, despite making a late bid to lure him to London.

According to the Daily Mail, the Stamford Bridge side had sent representatives to Naples to try and secure a last-minute deal, but nothing was ever finalised.

Player

Club signed from

Jadon Sancho

Man United

Marc Guiu

Barcelona

João Félix

Atlético Madrid

Pedro Neto

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Kieran Dewsbury-Hall

Leicester City

Filip Jorgensen

Villarreal

Omari Kellyman

Aston Villa

Mike Penders

Genk

Aaron Anselmino

Boca Juniors

Caleb Wiley

Atalanta

Tosin Adarabioyo

Fulham

Renato Veiga

Basel

He will likely remain with Napoli, until January at least, when there will be plenty of teams vying to secure his signature once again.

Having scored 76 goals in 133 appearances for the Serie A side, Osimhen has been one of the deadliest strikers in Europe over the previous few seasons, hence the interest from all over the continent and from the Middle East.

Could Maresca forget all about the former Lille man by unleashing one of his summer signings instead? One that has an abundance of talent.

Chelsea's ready-made Osimhen alternative

The Blues announced the signing of Marc Guiu at the start of July, securing the youngster on a five-year deal from Barcelona.

He came through the youth system at the Catalan club, making his senior competitive debut last October against Athletic Bilbao, coming on with 11 minutes to go and scoring what turned out to be the winner.

Chelsea obviously saw his vast potential and the Spaniard isn’t just a player to watch for the future, Guiu is here to make waves right now.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed the youngster in November last year, describing him as "an incredibly dangerous player in the penalty area", who "has goals in his veins".

The youngster has already made three appearances for the Blues, starting in both of their games against Servette in the Europa Conference League qualifiers.

Guiu has been limited to just a single substitute appearance in the Premier League, however, coming off the bench to feature against Manchester City.

While signing Osimhen would have been a perfect end to the window for Maresca, he might already have a talent who can reach this level in the young Spanish gem, with patience needed to nurture his prodigious talents.

The main thing now will be for him to continue impressing whenever he is given a start in the first team and surely it won't be long before he scores his first Chelsea goal.

It could be a breakout season in the English top flight for Guiu. If he hits the ground running, it will prove to be a wise investment by the Blues.

Chelsea have struck gold on amazing star who's worth far more than Sancho

Enzo Maresca could hit the jackpot on a winger he has recently signed

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 31, 2024

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly still in the race for Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott, as Julen Lopetegui looks to rebuild his side this summer.

The Spaniard has begun the task of a well-needed clear out, in which the Old Gold have made almost £80m in sales so far.

Next, the former Real Madrid boss is expected to focus on introducing players that could become part of a new era at Molineux, with youngster Alex Scott still named as a talent that is wanted in the Midlands.

Links between the teenager and Wolves span back to March, where Dean Jones, via GIVEMESPORT, predicted a ‘summer bidding war’ for the thriving English midfielder.

Amidst Wolves’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) battles, suspicion regarding the club’s interest in the £25m-rated starlet disappeared, however news this week reinstated the belief that the Englishman could arrive at Molineux.

According to The Athletic, the 19-year-old is still ‘very much on Wolves’ radar’, and now that sales, there is hope that the Midlands side ‘could bend the rules’ in the bid to secure the talent.

How good is Alex Scott?

Lauded as “terrific” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Bristol City gem was named the Championship’s Young Player of the Year for the 2022/23 campaign.

The teenager burst onto the scene the season prior, securing himself as a firm starter for the Robins, making 38 appearances and contributing to six goals and assists in his first senior term, via Transfermarkt.

Scott’s battery is yet to run out, as he carried the form of his debut campaign to last season, in which he made 42 Championship appearances as the club’s star man.

The central midfielder hit a high in the FA Cup, where he shone against treble winners Manchester City during his side’s 3-0 defeat to the European champions.

Following the game, the teen was praised as being “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola, in a game that earned him a 7.0 match rating for a blistering 90-minute display against the best of the best, via Sofascore.

His performance on that day suggested that the teenager is ready for the jump to the top tier.

Against City, the Guernsey-born starlet won nine ground duels and two aerial duels up against a midfield including Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.

The youngster could be a revelation in Lopetegui’s new-look side and an asset in midfield alongside other talents in the ranks at Molineux.

Joao Gomes arrived at the club in January from Flamengo and has impressed so far, giving Wolves fans a glimpse of what he could offer in his first full season.

Should Lopetegui secure the signing of Scott, the Old Gold could have a midfield partnership that many would envy, in two young talents capable of dictating play in the engine room.

Both players are innate tacklers, as highlighted by their averages across their respective seasons based on their minutes played.

As per FBref, Gomes averaged a monstrous four tackles per 90 in his half-season at Molineux, as well as averaging 2.62 progressive passes per 90 to show his ability in dispatching the ball to advanced areas.

Similar numbers were hit by Scott, who over 3381 minutes in the Championship averaged 2.05 tackles per game, as well as 1.41 blocks showing the tenacious nature of the Englishman’s playing style.

Like Gomes, the 19-year-old exercised his abilities in advanced areas, averaging 2.34 progressive carries per 90 to show how rounded his talents in the middle of the park are.

Lopetegui could unearth a powerful duo by signing Scott, however, the club must act fast in their pursuit of the in-demand starlet.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Brendan Rodgers has already secured his Celtic first signing ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Odin Thiago Holm has joined on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Norwegian side Valerenga and he may not be the last player to come through the door at Parkhead before the deadline.

Rodgers, who replaced Australian manager Ange Postecoglou after the 57-year-old completed a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, could carry on his predecessor's work in the Asian market to bolster his squad in the coming weeks.

Indeed, the Daily Record recently reported that the Hoops are scouting Gwangju winger Eom Ji-sung, with a view to a possible swoop this summer.

Who is Eom Ji-sung?

Celtic already have Portuguese dynamo Jota as their first-choice option on the left wing and the South Korea U22 international, who is a right-footed forward, must be brought in by the manager to come in as an excellent alternative.

With the club competing in all three domestic competitions and in Europe, Rodgers needs squad depth and Eom could provide competition in the wide areas.

Jota enjoyed a phenomenal 2022/23 campaign and dropping him from the starting XI seems unlikely at this point in time. The ex-Benfica man averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.45 across 33 Scottish Premiership outings and chipped in with an outstanding 11 goals and 11 assists from the left flank.

He also racked up ten goals and ten assists in 29 league appearances in the previous season with these statistics showing that the Hoops star is a proven performer in Scotland, someone who is capable of delivering goals and assists on a regular basis.

Eom, on the other hand, is a winger who has showcased his ability in front of goal but is not quite as creative as the Portuguese hotshot. In 2022, the 21-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 23 K League 2 matches and contributed with nine goals and one assist for his side.

The South Korean ace, who was hailed as an "exciting" prospect by journalist Jason Lee, only missed four 'big chances' in the division, indicating that the talented gem is not wasteful in front of goal, racked up a strike almost once every other match.

Therefore, the "underrated" Gwangju star – dubbed "underrated" by scout Ali Can Kutlu – could be a huge goal threat for out wide and provide Rodgers with an excellent option to rotate Jota with. Eom could slot in on the left for cup matches or midweek matches in order to avoid burnout for the first-choice winger.

Such an intriguing transfer is a tantalising prospect and would no doubt leave the Hoops with two exciting and young forwards to choose from on that side of the pitch.

Manchester United will not be involved in a potential summer transfer war for the Napoli striker Victor Osimhen amid their ongoing hunt for a new forward.

How much will Victor Osimhen cost?

United made a solid start to life under Erik ten Hag over the course of the 2022/23 campaign, but there is clearly still room for improvement.

The Red Devils secured their spot in the Champions League or the upcoming campaign as well as getting their hands on the Carabao Cup.

But it was apparent the Premier League giants were lacking a key figure up front to lead their attack.

Marcus Rashford ended the campaign with 30 goals across all competitions, however, only 17 of those came in the Premier League.

This has seen the likes of Harry Kane heavily linked with a potential move to the Theatre of Dreams over the course of the coming months.

However, recent reports have suggested this is no longer a possibility for United as they expect Tottenham Hotspur's asking price for them to be far too high.

And there has even been some links to the Napoli talisman, Osimhen, who has endured a stunning campaign which has the Serie A champions reportedly valuing him at around £128m.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano said: "Mentioning strikers, let me clarify one thing on Victor Osimhen."

"For Victor Osimhen, on Manchester United's side they feel is too expensive at current conditions €150 million – this is what Napoli want for Victor Osimhen.

"And so, at the moment, Man United are not entering into any bidding war for Victor Osimhen because €150 million is considered too much."

Which striker will Man United sign?

It is apparent the Red Devils are not overly keen on the notion of paying big money for a striker this summer.

Kane and Osimhen offer United with an opportunity to make a huge statement in the market ahead of what will likely be another competitive Premier League campaign.

However, it seems the Red Devils – for whatever reason – will be delving into the market for a potentially cheaper alternative.

According to some reports, Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund is believed to be on the radar of those at Old Trafford this summer.

“It's a huge club, so I must have done something right if it says they want me. My goal is to reach the top shelf, and you can say that Manchester United is. So it will be huge,” he told a Danish outlet amid the links to the Red Devils.

However, it does seem as if the 20-year-old could potentially also come at a big asking price this summer with some reports suggesting Atalanta have an £86m valuation of the youngster.

Arsenal are one of the Premier League teams that hold an interest in a top European talent but will have to battle for his services…

What's the latest on Nico Williams to Arsenal?

That's according to 90min, who note that Aston Villa have opened up talks over a move for Athletic Bilbao attacker Nico Williams.

Whilst the allure of Unai Emery is sure to play a role in this potential move, should the Gunners get involved, Mikel Arteta could pose just as attractive a proposition for the young Spaniard.

After all, the report goes on to note that he is well appreciated by the north London outfit, who are keeping tabs on the situation.

His €50m (£43m) price tag could even put the league's runners-up in the driving seat though, given their bolstered finances after returning to the Champions League.

With Fabrizio Romano also detailing their interest in Kai Havertz, this could provide an impressive double swoop to bolster their attack and bridge the gap towards the treble-winning Manchester City.

How good would Nico Williams and Kai Havertz be?

In acquiring this 20-year-old Spanish international who has starred on both wings, immediately he would offer ample competition for both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Whilst perhaps not as technically proficient as the latter, his blistering speed and immense dribbling capacity would make him a frightening asset for all opposition full-backs, surely creating space and chances for Havertz.

After all, journalist Shina Oludare branded him a "sensation" just last year, pleading with him to declare for Ghana over Spain.

Although his time at Chelsea has been tough amidst their ever-changing manager scenario, he has still notched nine goals this season from various positions.

Also, when compared to other forwards across Europe, he sits in the top 6% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes received and the top 9% for progressive passes all per 90, via FBref.

The German will happily accept the ball on the turn and then has the quality to then pick out a teammate.

Should he then seek out Williams, who ranks in the top 5% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90 when compared to the wingers across the continent, the two could pose a deadly combination.

This kind of electricity on the ball even saw him describe himself as "a dribbler, like Neymar, [Ousmane] Dembele and Kylian Mbappe."

With the latter dropping deep to supply the other, who has scored six goals and assisted a further five in La Liga most recently, they could be that added bit of quality needed to push them on even further in their race for the title.

Chelsea will hold a meeting with Inter Milan at some stage this month to discuss the possibility of acquiring Andre Onana over the summer window.

How much is Andre Onana worth?

A hugely underwhelming 2022/23 campaign for the west London side is expected to see a lot of change happen at Stamford Bridge over the summer.

The main change – which has already been confirmed – is the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout following the sacking of Graham Potter.

And despite the Blues having spent huge sums of money since the arrival of Todd Boehly, there is no shortage of transfer speculation surround the Bridge already.

Indeed, it is believed the Blues will be looking to add a new goalkeeper to their squad this summer despite the Londoners ending the campaign with an impressive defensive record.

One name who is being heavily linked with a potential move to the Bridge is the Inter Milan shot-stopper, Onana, who has recently played in the Champions League final.

According to reports in Italy (via Inter1908), the Serie A giants would be looking for a fee in the region of €50m (£42.8m) this summer for the Cameroonian goalkeeper.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the two clubs are set to hold a meeting later this month where he expects the 27-year-old to be mentioned heavily:

"And we know about the Chelsea interest, in particular, from what I'm told, there is one specific director in the Chelsea board who is a big fan of Andre Onana."

"What we can say is that in the next days, and this is going to happen in June, Chelsea and Inter will speak. They will have a direct talk they will discuss Romelu Lukaku because, formally, Romelu Lukaku will return to Chelsea now. They will discuss also the situation and this appreciation from Chelsea for Andre Onana."

How much does Andre Onana earn?

The Cameroonian has had a turbulent couple of seasons which even included a lengthy ban following an investigation into banned substance usage.

On top of that, he was recently sent home from the winter World Cup after a disagreement with his manager and has since quit the national side.

However, this is a goalkeeper who has had an impressive campaign for the Serie A giants despite Simone Inzaghi's men not quite being at their best.

Indeed, over his 13 appearances in the Champions League this season, the 27-year-old was able to keep a stunning eight clean sheets.

It is reported the shot-stopper earns in the region of £63k-per-week at Inter which is less than half of what Kepa is believed to be on in west London.

Chelsea are said not to be the only club who could potentially make a move for the 27-year-old this summer with Tottenham Hotspur also linked with Onana.

However, considering they hold a potential trump card with Romelu Lukaku, it will be intriguing to see how a potential deal could pan out for the Cameroonian.

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie "has offers" from the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur named and being "better positioned" than a rival to move, according to reports.

Who will Spurs sign this summer?

The Lilywhites, after finally ending their long and drawn out search for a new manager with the appointment of Ange Postecoglou, are now set to turn their attention to the transfer market.

Spurs announced Postecoglou's hire on Tuesday morning, with chairman Daniel Levy expressing exactly why he elected to move for the Austrailian over other standout candidates like Luis Enrique.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," explained Levy on Spurs' official website.

"He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

Now, the north Londoners will be identifying transfer targets for the looming summer window, with Leicester City star James Maddison, Man United defender Harry Maguire and Brenford's David Raya all linked in the last few days.

Another name Spurs supporters will be familiar with is Kessie, who former managing director Fabio Paratici apparently tried to sign for Antonio Conte.

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Tottenham have reignited their interest in the Ivory Coast international, and the midfielder "has offers" from England.

Spurs and Liverpool are named as the clubs offering Kessie a way out of Barca while Inter Milan are currently failing in their attempts to negotiate a part-exchange.

Italian clubs apparently don't have that much money to spend this summer, leading to Inter exploring swap deal proposals as a solution as they attempt to move for Kessie.

They're set to revisit it after the Champions League final against Man City, but if they can't get it done, Tottenham and Jurgen Klopp are there. Spurs, according to this report, are apparently "better positioned" than rivals Liverpool to sign him.

Who is Franck Kessie?

Joining Barca from AC Milan on a free deal in the summer of 2022, Kessie has gone on to make 28 La Liga appearances under Xavi, but the vast majority of them have been substitute appearances.

The African had to wait patiently for a chance to impress but got his opportunity late in the campaign – with members of the press explaining how he had an "impeccable" 2023.

If Kessie were to potentially take a pay cut on his £199,000-per-week wages, he could be a good signing for Spurs, especially given some of his past numbers for Milan.

As per WhoScored, the 26-year-old scored an impressive 13 goals and four assists over 36 Serie A starts for the Rossoneri over 2020/2021. If he were to rediscover this form at Spurs, it would certainly benefit Postecoglou.

Called an "amazing player" by former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson, perhaps Kessie needs another opportunity.