All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Athletic’s Dominic Fifield posted a transfer report outlining the club’s plans for the January window.The former Guardian journalist revealed that moves are ‘afoot’ in the winter window to amend for a quiet summer of business, in which the Eagles spent less than £5m and failed to replace last term’s Player of the Season Aaron Wan-Bissaka, as well as loan star Michy Batshuayi.

Fifield revealed that progress is believed to have been made over three additions based in England and abroad, and that there is optimism that the signings can be made.

“They have received encouraging noises, and there is optimism the additions can be made. Now comes the difficult bit: negotiations over the finer details of deals with clubs and prospective signings.”

Roy Hodgson’s side are the second-lowest scorers in the Premier League with ten goals in 12 games, and had just a single shot on target last time out against Chelsea – the south Londoners are looking devoid of any creativity.

Furthermore, the Eagles’ only senior right-back – Joel Ward – went off injured against the Blues, which shone the spotlight on the fact that Wan-Bissaka wasn’t replaced even more.

Fifield’s report, at the very least, should offer supporters some optimism that signings will be made.

Let’s see how the Palace fans on Twitter reacted to Fifield’s update…

Manchester United might be going through a challenging period on the pitch at the moment, but over the last 24 years, they have been blessed with some truly great players.

The likes of Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ruud van Nistelrooy are all icons of the game and helped the club to utterly dominate the Premier League in the 2000s, but while they have all hung up their boots, there is one more legend still powering on.

The player is, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, who came to prominence at Old Trafford before moving to Real Madrid, where he somehow reached yet another level.

While the club were never quite able to replace the Portuguese superstar, there was a player they signed almost a decade ago who was compared to him, although things wouldn’t quite work out the same way.

Ronaldo's first United spell

Ronaldo joined United for a fee of £12.4m in the summer of 2003, and while he was sometimes seen as a frustrating figure in his first season with the club, he quickly developed into a world-beater.

During his first stint with the Red Devils, the Funchal-born star made 292 appearances, scored 118 goals, provided 59 assists, and won everything there was to win in the club game.

In the space of six years, he would lift two League Cups, one FA Cup, three Premier Leagues, a Club World Cup and both his first Champions League and Ballon d’Or, before then sealing a world record £80m move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.

Appearances

292

Goals

118

Assists

59

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

While the fee United received for their former number seven was massive for the time, there was still a desire to replace him.

Though they consistently failed over the years, there was a belief that they might have found their man six years later, only to be proven very, very wrong.

Memphis Depay's United career

Yes, the player in question is former Dutch international Memphis Depay, but before the pitchforks come out, we are not the ones making the comparison to Ronaldo.

That comes courtesy of journalist Paul Parker, who wrote in May 2015, that the new United signing was ‘probably a better footballer than Cristiano Ronaldo was at 21’ and former teammate Leroy Fer who also believed he had it in him to do what the Portuguese legend did in England.

Now, that does sound ridiculous in retrospect, but in their defence, the Moordrecht-born dynamo was electric before moving to Old Trafford for £31m that summer.

For example, in just 124 appearances for PSV Eindhoven, he scored 50 goals and provided 29 assists, which is seriously impressive.

This record, combined with the fact that he would be working with his old national team boss, Louis van Gaal, at the Theatre of Dreams, let imaginations run wild about how good this promising young winger could be.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for it to become apparent that United did not, in fact, have their next Ronaldo, and after being ‘labelled the worst buy in the Premier League in 2015’ – something reiterated by Ruud Gullit – he left the club to join Ligue 1 side Lyon just two seasons later, with seven goals and five assists in 53 appearances to his name.

Things did improve for the then-22-year-old after that, as he would produce 131 goals and assists in 178 games for the French side before joining Barcelona in 2021, where he would produce 16 in 42 appearances and secure his final move in European football to Atlético Madrid in January 2023.

In the Spanish capital, the former United flop continued his middling to decent form and produced 15 goals and assists in 40 games. However, he left as a free agent in the summer and, after spending a few months without a club, joined Brazilian outfit Corinthians at just 30 years old. His actual market value sits around the £8m mark, a figure even lower than another flop in the shape of Antony. His value is about £20m.

Ultimately, while Depay was able to forge a decent career for himself in France and Spain after leaving England, it would be fair to say that he never got remotely close to becoming United’s next Ronaldo.

Alongside Rashford: 109-touch "monster" may have revived his Man Utd career

The experienced veteran was superb for 90 minutes.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 18, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur didn’t complete the most frenetic of finishes to the summer transfer window, but this is a product of the smooth dealing under Ange Postecoglou.

Gone are the days of scattergun spending. Spending for spending’s sake. Spending vast sums of money on footballers who quickly fall by the wayside.

Giovani Lo Celso’s £3m deadline-day sale to Real Betis personifies this, for the Argentinian midfielder joined for a fee totalling £43m in 2020, having initially arrived on loan.

One out, one in? Not quite, but Tottenham have taken a rather unusual route toward signing Johnny Cardoso from Betis, enabled by yesterday’s transaction.

What's going on with Johnny Cardoso

Rivals might titter over Tottenham’s interminable trophy drought, but such a din is drowned out down at N17 by the exciting project that Postecoglou is crafting, brick by brick.

Daniel Levy ensured that a clause was inserted in Lo Celso’s transfer, that Spurs would have priority when the United States native leaves the La Liga outfit next year or later still.

It’s a prudent move. The north Londoners can observe Cardoso’s continuing rise and move down the line if his development aligns with the rise of Postecoglou’s Tottenham. A tough-tackling midfielder, analyst Ben Mattinson has noted that “he’s great at winning aerial duels and progressing play from deep.”

Tackles

3.25

Top 6%

Interceptions

2.17

Top 1%

Blocks

1.36

Top 23%

Clearances

2.10

Top 9%

Aerial duels

2.58

Top 7%

The fixed fee is €30m (£25m), which is no small sum, and provides Postecoglou with ample time to assess his options, namely Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur in the nub of midfield, and move if it all makes sense.

However, Cardoso would arrive at an area of midfield stocked with plenty of talented youth. Any deal must not affect the growth of Archie Gray, who has the skills to conquer the Premier League with Tottenham.

Why Archie Gray is Spurs' biggest talent

Tottenham moved with all the speed of a blustering gale to sign Gray for £30m this summer, fighting tooth and nail to hijack Brentford’s deal with Leeds United.

Gray is a teenage midfielder with the world at his feet, and his instant role in Postecoglou’s plans makes a telling comment on the view in which he is held by the Australian, who knows a top talent when he sees one.

Leeds quickly established that they had a homegrown starlet of significant potential last season. The Whites’ relegation from the Premier League proved to be a good thing for Gray’s progress, who ended up with 40 starts in the Championship and claimed the Young Player of the Year award.

Interchangeable, he darted from deep-lying midfield to right-back with impressive measures of success, finishing the campaign with 2.1 tackles and 4.5 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore, completing 89% of his passes and winning 57% of his ground duels.

His pre-season form has carried into the early days of the 2024/25 campaign, featuring off the bench in both of Tottenham’s opening matches, all composure and aptness on the Premier League pitch.

Still only 18. What a talent. Gray will only continue to grow into his skin and has even been said to be “a future £100m” midfielder by earlier-mentioned analyst Mattinson.

His technique and confidence have seen him operate dynamically through the maiden days of his career, and with a tenacious bite and breezy passing with both feet, he might just be the real deal.

Cardoso is more of a steely no. 6, crunchier with his challenges, but few would argue against Gray having the higher ceiling. Tottenham’s decision to view Cardoso’s development through the lens of a non-obligatory future deal errs on the side of caution, gives them time to reach a decision.

Gone are the frustrating days of old. Hello Tottenham 2.0; it’s a brand new world.

Spurs could unleash their new Kane, Son & Dele in exciting young trio

The North London side have plenty of young talent to call upon this season

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 31, 2024

Chelsea were busy yet again in the transfer market this summer, spending around £200m on ten new players, plus bringing Jadon Sancho in on loan on deadline day.

However, one area of focus was the striking department for the Blues this summer, something they failed to address. This leaves Chelsea with Nicolas Jackson, and new signing, 18-year-old Marc Guiu, as the only out-and-out number nines.

Jackson made 44 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last season, scoring 17 goals, providing six assists, and totalling 3,534 minutes played.

He's full of life and full of potential, but he's no Victor Osimhen…

Osimhen's failed move to Stamford Bridge

Fabrizio Romano broke the news that Osimhen's potential move to Chelsea had collapsed on deadline day, only for the Nigerian striker to agree a loan move to Galatasaray days later.

In the process, he agreed to a deal with Napoli that saw his release clause lowered to around £63m. So, perhaps a move could be revived for the striking sensation in the future?

Osimhen made 32 appearances for Napoli in all competitions last season, scoring 17 times and supplying four assists across 2,476 minutes played.

Non-Penalty Goals

0.50

Shots Total

3.47

Assists

0.12

Shot-Creating Actions

2.52

Progressive Carries

1.53

Touches (Att Pen)

6.48

Aerials Won

1.78

The Nigerian talisman could have offered everything the Blues are looking for, with an abundance of box presence, a clinical nature in front of goal, and an outstanding aerial threat.

Perhaps an option lies in the academy?

Chelsea flop who left in 2024 is about to have his career saved by Osimhen

Osimhen’s new teammate enduring nightmare start for new club

ByConnor Holden Sep 3, 2024 Chelsea's in-house Osimhen solution

Chelsea could have a world-class striker talent in their ranks already, with scout Jacek Kulig even calling him "one of the most talented CFs of his generation". We are, of course, talking about Shumaira Mheuka.

The 16-year-old striker scored 10 goals in 17 appearances for the Chelsea U18 side last season, also providing two assists. That form has already earned Mhueka a spot in the U21 team this campaign, starting two of the three PL2 games so far, despite only being 16 years old.

Mheuka is blessed with an abundance of pace and power, just like Osimhen, which he uses extremely well when using his body to carve out shooting opportunities for himself, and getting away from opposition players.

The teenager is an incredibly instinctive finisher, who makes clever box movements to find himself pockets of space, before manipulating the ball to find half a yard and release the trigger.

Being so young, there is still plenty of time for Mheuka to develop traits, but one negative, as stated by the aforementioned Kulig, is his usage of his frame in aerial duels, to offer a significant aerial threat, something that Osimhen would give Chelsea.

The instinctive finishing of Mheuka is something Jackson is often criticised for, and would therefore offer a much-needed boost in that department. The Blues forward has performed at a -0.09 Goals- xG per 90 for the last 365 days, further proof of his wasted chances in front of goal.

As Mheuka progresses through the Chelsea academy ranks and continues to develop both his quality and physicality, he could pose a serious threat to Jackson later down the line, adding extra composure, box threat, and striking instincts.

And who knows, if he develops into a bigger frame, he could even pose the same aerial threat as an Osimhen, making even a move for him, less important.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Arsenal's deal for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is "almost there", with talks progressing on payment terms and the structure of the deal, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Declan Rice signing for Arsenal?

With Manchester City dropping out of the race for Rice earlier this week, Arsenal seemingly have a clear run at the West Ham captain, and they have finalised an agreement in principle over a move totalling £105m, including add-ons.

However, the intricacies of the deal still need to be sorted out, with West Ham eager to receive the initial £100m lump sum before 2025, while the Gunners would prefer to stagger the payments over a period of five years.

The same report details that personal terms have already been agreed, meaning the last remaining hurdle is agreeing on a payment structure with the Hammers, and a new update from Romano appears to indicate progress has been made in that regard.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer expert has now claimed the deal is "almost there", with Arsenal and West Ham "progressing in talks" to agree on payment terms and the structure of the move.

"Talks will continue" to get the deal done, however, it is now "close", with a £105m package having already been agreed.

"Declan Rice deal, almost there! Arsenal and West Ham are progressing in talks to agree on payment terms/structure of the deal — it’s really, finally close now. Talks will continue to get it done… and then, here we go. £105m package/fee agreed two days ago."

Is Declan Rice a defensive midfielder?

The 24-year-old has most commonly been deployed in a defensive midfield role throughout his career, but he has also been utilised at centre-back on 52 occasions, displaying his versatility.

It is clear the England international is most comfortable in a deeper role, ranking in the 95th percentile for interceptions per 90, and in the 83rd for clearances over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

However, the central midfielder, dubbed "fantastic" in the media, does also manage to get on the scoresheet from time to time, netting five goals in all competitions last season, including a brilliant solo goal in the Europa Conference League quarter-final against Gent.

That said, if the Englishman is to fulfill his £105m price tag at Arsenal truly, then he probably does need to add a few more goals to his game, and there are indications he will be able to do so, having previously been hailed as West Ham's "best finisher" by Jack Wilshere.

It is exciting news that Arsenal's deal for Rice is edging closer to completion, as he could play a huge role in helping Mikel Arteta's side bridge the gap to Man City next season.

Leeds United have offered Adam Forshaw the chance to extend his stay at Elland Road, according to reports.

Is Adam Forshaw out of contract?

The Whites’ central midfielder has been a long-time servant in LS11 having first arrived from Middlesbrough back in 2018, but with the 31-year-old not getting any younger and suffering several long-term injuries, he’s started to fall out of favour.

The Elland Road veteran was handed just five starts in the Premier League last season across the reigns of Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce, so he’s significantly low down in the pecking order.

The Liverpool-born talent’s contract is currenlty going to expire tomorrow and he was all set to depart upon it’s conclusion having been named on the released list alongside Joel Robles, Will Brook & Stuart McKinstry, but it seems that club chiefs have had a late change of heart regarding his future in Yorkshire.

Have Leeds offered Forshaw fresh terms?

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds have “offered a new contract” to Forshaw in what they describe as a "U-turn". The Whites have “invited” the midfielder to link up with the squad for pre-season training and the two parties are “in talks” about the possibility of staying on the books ahead of the new season in the Championship.

The 49ers’ fresh offer has been tabled on “reduced terms” and it’s stated that he is now “weighing up his options” because he has “several other clubs” monitoring him.

Should the 49ers keep or sell Forshaw?

Leeds will know that Forshaw doesn’t contribute in the final third having posted zero goals or assists across all competitions last season, and whilst he won’t be a regular starter moving forward, he’s still a valuable asset to keep in the building should unforeseen circumstances occur.

The Wasserman client loves to get stuck in having won nine out of his 12 tackles during the previous campaign, not to mention he also recorded an 84.2% pass success rate which was higher than any other of his first-team peers.

Hailed a maestro that causes “all sorts of problems” with his pass selection by journalist Josh Bunting, the £20k-per-week earner provides the manager in charge with wonderful versatility with his ability to operate in all five positions in the centre of the park which is a great quality to possess.

Finally, Forshaw knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the required level having been part of the squad that achieved promotion back in 2019/20, so his experience will be vital to retain to help try and get out of the second tier at the first time of asking.

Burnley are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to retain their Premier League status in their first season back in the top flight.

The Clarets earned promotion in style last season, going up with triple digits in terms of points, but impressive head coach Vincent Kompany is not resting on his laurels.

Kompany's side have been linked with new players in every position since the Championship campaign came to a close last month, including in the heart of defence.

Indeed, French outlet L'Equipe reports that Burnley are in advanced talks to bring in teenage centre-back Soumaila Coulibaly from Borussia Dortmund.

Who is Soumaila Coulibaly?

The 19-year-old came through Paris Saint-Germain's academy before making the move to Dortmund, where he spent a year in the reserve side prior to making his first-team debut last season.

Coulibaly made two appearances for BVB, both from the bench, including an 18-minute cameo in a Champions League group draw away at Copenhagen.

Despite being highly regarded at the Westfalenstadion, it is reported that Dortmund are happy to let the France U17 international find his feet elsewhere on an initial loan basis.

Where would Soumaila Coulibaly fit in at Burnley?

Coulibaly hails from Ile de France, which is the same region that Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba originate. Coulibaly may play in a different position to those two, but he will hope to rise to the very top in the same way as those global superstars.

Mbappe made his senior debut with Monaco at 16 years and 347 days, whereas Coulibaly has just a couple of appearances under his belt for Dortmund at the age of 19.

But that is not to say the Frenchman cannot make a name for himself, with this proposed move to Burnley providing a chance to do just that in the Premier League.

The £23k-per-week youngster may be young but you would not know that by looking at him, measuring as he does at 6 foot 2. Indeed, his stature and ability on the ball has earned him comparisons with Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano.

The youngster previously revealed he looks up to Presnel Kimpembe, whom he worked with at PSG, given they are both left-footed centre-backs. For that reason, Coulibaly would be a perfect replacement for Taylor Harwood-Bellis at Burnley.

Harwood-Bellis started 31 of Burnley's 46 Championship matches last season, but he has now returned to parent club Manchester City. Jordan Beyer's loan from Borussia Monchengladbach has been made permanent, however, making him a natural partner for Coulibaly in a back four.

Coulibaly may only have played a couple of games at senior level, but it is clear to see he is a defender who has an eye for a pass. Indeed, his 12.9 progressive passes per 90 minutes last season – completed passes of at least ten yards, as per FBref – is more than any Burnley player managed.

For comparison, Harwood-Bellis registered 5.77 per 90 minutes last term. Coulibaly also completed 96.7% of his passes, which was better than that of Harwood-Bellis' 85% success rate.

It must be factored in that Coulibaly's figures are over a far smaller sample period, and it remains to be seen if he can have the same impact as Harwood-Bellis – let alone a career even half as special as compatriot Mbappe.

But the initial signs are promising, and Kompany has shown during his time as Burnley boss that he knows a talent when he sees one.

Leeds United are still on the search for a manager to lead their Championship campaign next season and now a new update has emerged on a promising candidate.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Daniel Farke?

According to The Telegraph, Daniel Farke is now on the shortlist to become the next manager at Elland Road.

As per the report, the club's hierarchy intend to finalise their search next week after they have spoken to all of the contenders in the coming days and Farke has joined Scott Parker and Carlos Corberan on the shortlist.

Is Daniel Farke the right man for the Leeds job?

The German coach has amassed a wealth of experience over his career so far and especially excelled in the Championship during his four-year tenure at Norwich City.

Farke managed the squad at Carrow Road from July 2017 to November 2021 masterminding promotion to the Premier League twice and averaging 1.50 points per game over 208 fixtures, but was ultimately sacked after failing to continue the success and provide consistency in performances in the top flight.

Despite being axed in the end, Canaries legend Chris Sutton was massively impressed with the brand of football that was being played under Farke's guidance, telling BBC Radio 5 Live back in 2019:

"I have been shocked in a pleasant way with Norwich City this season, I think their brand of football has been absolutely incredible, I really, really do,"

"They have got up playing a brilliant, exciting, attacking brand of football with good players and what they’ve gone back to is the days when i was there and they were developing from within."

Norwich scored 294 goals and won 83 games during Farke's reign – with the side scoring a whopping 93 goals in his first season to win the Championship and 75 goals to finish top of the second tier table in the 2020/2021 season too, demonstrating the formidable attacking force that the coach had curated at Carrow Road.

More recently, the 46-year-old returned to his native Germany to manage Borussia Mönchengladbach leading them to a tenth-place finish and securing victories over Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich during his short spell at the Bundesliga outfit, but after just one season in charge mutually parted company with the club.

Leeds could massively benefit from Farke's Championship experience and proven success with the 49ers surely keen to get the West Yorkshire club back in the Premier League as soon as possible.

Farke has been the recipient of high praise of his peers in the past, with his compatriot and former Dortmund colleague Thomas Tuchel complimenting the manager's attributes when Chelsea faced Norwich in the top flight:

"I like him a lot, first of all as a person. He is a very nice and humble person."

"He is a very good manager in terms of also people management. I would have liked to be a player under him because I can imagine he gives you a lot of confidence and a lot of trust."

Tuchel's comments about Farke's 'people management' highlights a great attribute that would be massively beneficial to the Leeds squad, who will be currently feeling dejected and low on confidence as a result of their relegation troubles.

With that being said, there is no reason why Farke wouldn't be a good fit for Leeds in their pursuit for promotion, however, he could be a short-term solution for the 49ers if they do return to the Premier League as the manager has failed to prove he can keep up with the demands of the top flight.

Glasgow Rangers are in full-on transfer mode this month as they attempt to improve their squad after failing to secure a single trophy in the 2022/23 campaign.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was dismissed from his duties during the break for the 2022 World Cup and his replacement, Michael Beale, was unable to claw back the Scottish Premiership or win either of the domestic cups.

The English head coach is now hard at work to recruit new players for his team and has already wrapped up deals for Kieran Dowell and Dujon Sterling, who will join at the start of next month from Norwich and Chelsea respectively.

A recent report from the Daily Record claimed that the Light Blues remain keen on a deal to sign Swansea attacker Morgan Whittaker to bolster their attacking options, having previously seen three bids rejected for the youngster in January – the last of which totalled around £2m.

Should Rangers sign Morgan Whittaker?

Beale must secure a swoop to sign the versatile attacker, who can play out wide on the right or through the middle as a centre-forward, as he could form an exciting partnership with current Rangers ace Todd Cantwell in the final third.

Whittaker only started two games in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign for Swansea but the ace was able to showcase his potential on loan at Plymouth Argyle during the first half of the season.

The 22-year-old winger, who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as "flamboyant", averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 across 19 starts in League One and contributed with nine goals and seven assists from out wide.

He offered a goalscoring threat and consistently provided his teammates with service as the magician created seven 'big chances' and made 1.3 key passes per match for the English side.

These statistics suggest that the dynamo, who plundered a staggering 31 goals and 13 assists in 53 U18 games for Derby County, has the quality to make a huge impact in the final third by scoring and creating goals for his side, although the club would still be gambling on him being able to adjust to Scottish football.

This could make him an exciting player to watch alongside Cantwell in the number ten position for the Gers. The English playmaker averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 and chipped in with six goals and four assists in 15 Premiership starts for the club after joining from Norwich in January.

He created five 'big chances' for his teammates and registered 1.3 key passes per game and this shows that, like Whittaker, the 25-year-old is a game-changer as part of the frontline as the magician can be a match-winner with his ability to punish opposition teams with his finishing and passing abilities.

Therefore, Cantwell and Whittaker could be a dream pairing as part of the attacking trident behind the starting centre-forward, as they could create for each other and finish off the chances that come their way, and that is why Beale must swoop for the Swansea whiz.

Tottenham Hotspur may be set for a hitch in their efforts to try and sign Manor Solomon as Fulham are keen to keep him at Craven Cottage, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Manor Solomon?

As per The Athletic, Tottenham are keen on signing Solomon this summer and he would be available for nothing due to the fact that he suspended his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk last year due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The report states that FIFA have ruled that he is free to move for nothing in the off-season and clubs around Europe have been put on alert by this development as he intends to suspend his deal by a further year.

Of course, Solomon is on loan at Fulham and enjoyed a productive campaign at Craven Cottage, netting five times in 24 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

According to The Sun, Fulham also want to sign the Israel international on a permanent basis and will endeavour to secure his signature despite protestations from Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin, who stated in a recent interview: "The over-reaching measures applied by Fifa led to massive loss of player transfer income and a depletion of essential Club revenues. We believe the extension of Annex 7 continues to place clubs like FC Shakhtar in Ukraine in a seriously disadvantaged position with zero protection and threatens our very existence."

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Fulham would be very keen to sign the £20k-a-week earner this summer, potentially derailing Spurs' plans to swoop for his services.

Jones told FFC: "The interest in Manor Solomon is interesting, I know that Fulham anticipate him staying and have been hopeful that they would be able to extend his time at Craven Cottage. It's obviously quite complicated because of the manner of this transfer and how he ended up signing for Fulham in the first place."

Would Tottenham Hotspur suffer a blow by missing out on Manor Solomon?

Given his availability on a free transfer and his promising start to life in English football, it would be a miss for Tottenham if they were to be stumped in their efforts to land Solomon by Fulham.

As per WhoScored, the 23-year-old has managed to complete around one dribble per match in the Premier League this term, illustrating that the Israeli does have the propensity to beat his marker with regularity.

FBRef also show that Solomon is an extremely hardworking player to have in the ranks and he has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of tackling, successfully winning 3.15 challenges per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.

Solomon has a lot to give and can still improve in the coming years and it would be a shame for Spurs if they were to miss out on signing a talented star in the ilk of the Fulham ace, especially when their squad is devoid of offensive depth.