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Part and parcel of being a club in the lower leagues in England, as Sunderland had been for far too long, is that you are constantly at risk of clubs higher up the food chain snatching your best talent.

The Black Cats finished 16th in the Championship at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, falling well short of the play-offs, and it was time for Jack Clarke to make his way up the pyramid without the club.

Ipswich Town swooped to sign the winger in a deal that could rise to £20m, following their promotion to the Premier League, and that meant that Sunderland hit the jackpot with the forward.

How Sunderland struck gold with Jack Clarke

The Black Cats signed the English wizard from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal in 2022, after an initial loan spell on Wearside, and Transfermarkt valued him at £2.9m at the time of the move.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Clarke went on to rack up 24 goals and 16 assists in two seasons in the Championship with Sunderland as an exciting wing wizard, which convinced Ipswich to splash a fee of up to £20m on his services.

This shows that his value soared by just over £17m during his spell at the club, thanks to his performances in the second tier, which shows that the Black Cats struck gold with the winger by providing him with a platform to showcase his talent on a regular basis.

There is now a player in the current squad who is on his way to becoming Jack Clarke 2.0, as Sunderland have already hit the jackpot with Eliezer Mayenda.

How high Eliezer Mayenda's value has soared

The man who got Sunderland back into the game at Wembley with a terrific strike in the play-off final has been a terrific signing for the club.

Mayenda arrived from Sochaux in the summer of 2023, valued at just £252k by Transfermarkt at the time, and he failed to score in eight Championship appearances during the 2023/24 campaign.

Regis Le Bris came through the door last summer, though, and transformed the young starlet, who went on to provide ten goals and five assists in 40 outings in the second tier.

As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old star’s market value has soared by a staggering 3,868% since his initial move to the Stadium of Light, to the point that he is now valued at a whopping £10m.

Mayenda, who was described as a “threat” by Kevin Phillips, has followed in Clarke’s footsteps as a young player who has soared in value as a result of performing brilliantly in the Championship, thanks to the opportunities given to him by Le Bris.

Sunderland could sign "incredible" star who's as exciting as Enzo Le Fee

Sunderland could now go full steam ahead to try and sign this exciting star after sealing promotion.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 26, 2025

This shows that Sunderland have hit the jackpot with the Spain U21 international, because they snapped him up when his value was low and have turned him into an incredibly valuable player and asset ahead of their return to the Premier League.

An “unbelievable” Premier League player is reportedly interested in sealing a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool eyeing attacking reinforcements

The Reds may have won the league title at a canter, but there has been flaws within Arne Slot’s squad throughout the season, not least in attack. Mohamed Salah has carried the troops at times, and while Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo have contributed, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota have struggled and there is feeling Salah needs better running mates.

For that reason, at least one new face is needed in Liverpool’s attack this summer, if not two, with both central and wide options being linked with moves to Anfield alongside a potential move for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Diaz continues to be mentioned as an option for Barcelona before next season, and Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams has been backed to join the Reds, perhaps being seen as a direct replacement for the Colombian, should he depart.

Meanwhile, centre forwards continue to be linked with Liverpool, too, with talks reportedly taking place with Eintracht Frankfurt ace Hugo Ekitike. The 22-year-old could be seen as an alternative to Newcastle United marksman Alexander Isak, who is arguably the dream signing for the Reds, but likely to be out of their price range.

Liverpool boosted in pursuit of £100m winger

According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is on Slot’s “radar” at Liverpool, as the champions weigh up a summer move for him.

A move to Anfield almost happened last year, at which point the England international was said to be “very keen” on a switch, but he stayed at St James’ Park instead. As a boyhood Red he is once again keen on a move though, with the 24-year-old valued at approximately £100m.

It is certainly easy to see Gordon flourishing in a Liverpool shirt, given the pace he possesses out wide, as well as end product, bagging 11 goal contributions (six goals and five assists) in the Premier League this season.

Last term, the Englishman got 21 overall in the competition – 11 goals and 10 assists – so he has proven himself in a top-level player, and Bruno Guimaraes has heaped praise on his teammate.

Newcastle make contact to sign one of the best dribblers in Europe for £21m

The Magpies have stepped up their pursuit of a midfielder ahead of the summer transfer window.

By
Dominic Lund

May 22, 2025

It would only make sense for Liverpool to move for the £150,000-a-week Gordon if Diaz leaves, though, with Slot unlikely to be able to keep three left-sided players happy next season.

West Ham United have now “come knocking” to sign a £44m midfielder, and they stand a good chance of tempting him into a move to the Premier League, according to journalist Christian Falk.

West Ham in need of summer rebuild

The three promoted Championship teams have been way off the pace in the Premier League, which means West Ham are in no danger of relegation, but performances this season indicate a big rebuild could be needed in the summer.

The latest poor display came against already-relegated Southampton on Saturday afternoon, with Niclas Füllkrug launching a scathing attack on his teammates in the wake of the 1-1 draw, and Graham Potter has since admitted he sympathises with the striker.

It remains to be seen whether Potter is given a chance to turn things around next season, but the manager may need to oversee some major changes in the summer transfer window, if his side are going to be competitive.

One area in which the Hammers are looking to strengthen is central midfield, according to BILD reporter Falk, who has recently revealed that Joao Palhinha is of interest, amid doubts over the Portugal international’s Bayern Munich future.

Falk said: “Fulham are among the interested parties. They know what they have, but according to our information, West Ham has also come knocking.

“He (Palhinha) says he’s giving his all for the club, but he doesn’t know what will happen. And, uh, if Bayern say he won’t have better playing time next season, I think he would consider, if an offer comes in, whether it makes sense for him to perhaps return to the British Isles.”

"Iron man" Palhinha could be statement signing

Since arriving at the Allianz Arena for a fee of £44m, the former Fulham man hasn’t exactly set the world alight, having often been benched or utilised as a late substitute, but his previous exploits in the Premier League indicate he could be a top signing for West Ham.

During his time with the Cottagers, the 6 foot 3 maestro was extremely impressive in the defensive side of the game, as underlined by his tackling and intercepting ability.

The Lisbon-born midfielder has always been solid defensively, having been hailed as an “Iron Man who never turned his back on a fight” by former youth coach Luis Nunes, and he ranks in the 97th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year.

The move to Bayern may not have worked out, but Palhinha is clearly a top defensive midfielder, and it is exciting news that West Ham could lure him back to the Premier League this summer.

His loyalty to the game, and to the people who win his respect and friendship, has been remarkable, and his writing has embodied something of that

Sambit Bal24-Feb-2025I was on another call when his name flashed on my phone, and instinct told me what it might be about. I have known Ian Chappell for about 25 years and he rarely calls. He usually emails, or if the matter is immediate, he will text. SMS was replaced by Whatsapp in recent years, but it would take something exceptional for him to call.Of course, it wouldn’t have been like him to not call about something like this. Email or a text just wouldn’t do.Before I called him back, I showed the missed-call notification to a colleague. This could be it, I told him. We had discussed the possibility a few times since Ian retired from broadcasting in 2022, but I nurtured the fond wish that he would carry on with the writing for as long as I was in this job.Related

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The time has come to put down the pen and pack away the computer

Ian Chappell never quit on people.I first interacted with him in the year 2000, when I worked for total-cricket.com, an ambitious digital venture that assembled a galaxy of international broadcasters to work for it. Ian wrote a weekly column for the site on Sundays, and his piece would be in the mailbox every Friday, without a typo, every paragraph neatly marked, the wordcount roughly the same each time, dateline on top, and “ATTENTION: Sambit Bal” just below.The venture ran into trouble after a while and only a skeletal version remained after most of us were relieved of our jobs. I soon moved on to wisden.com, which would become wisdencricinfo.com, and eventually espncricinfo.com. When I sought to enlist Ian to write, he declined politely. He couldn’t abandon the site he was writing for, more so when it was struggling. He remained the last and sole columnist for total-cricket till it wound up.Once he was in your corner, his loyalty was absolute and unflinching. I once interviewed the late Terry Jenner, the Australian legspinner, who played all of his nine Tests under Ian’s captaincy. A decade after his retirement, Jenner was imprisoned upon being convicted for a white-collar crime. The only team-mate to visit him in jail was Ian Chappell. Jenner remembered being embarrassed and overwhelmed.”Ian looked me in the eye,” said Jenner, who mentored Shane Warne, and would go on to become an advisor to the Australian Cricket Academy, “and said, ‘Once captain, always captain.'”Ian finally came on board a few years later, but there was one condition. He had also been approached by Clayton Murzello, the sports editor of , an afternoon paper in Mumbai, so we would have to share the column. We did and that continued for close to 20 years.Chappell in his Sydney home in 2006. “Writing has been a favoured task,” he wrote in his farewell column•Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesWe never spoke money. And till corporate norms mandated it, we didn’t even have a contract. He accepted whatever we could afford to pay then, and whatever we could raise it to in subsequent years. He would introduce me to people as “Boss”, and however much in jest those people might have taken it, it left me utterly embarrassed. Through these 20 years, whenever he was approached by another website for the odd article, he would either decline or seek permission from me, though no exclusivity clause was ever written, or implied, in our agreement.Over the years he also worked in our studios for our video analysis shows, and apart from his sharp insights and exemplary professionalism, what stood out was how he made everyone around him feel. Generous and warm, he tried to make sure he knew, and remembered, people by their first names, made sure he greeted everyone around him, and was always quick with a joke or a story. (And how vividly and with what relish he reeled them off.) The idea of equality wasn’t just a catchphrase but a way of life for him. Our crew looked forward to the days he was around.His writing – punchy, sharp, and anecdotal – stayed consistent to his beliefs and values. Non-partisan and non-parochial, he called it as he saw it. He had strong opinions and the backbone needed to express them without fear of consequences. People knew better than to try to sway him to toe the party line. It was impossible to win an argument with him, but you could disagree with him and retain his respect if he knew you came from an honest place.At the heart of his belief system was a deep love of the game, and he raised his voice to the point of repetition against everything that threatened its welfare in his eyes.As always, he knew when to stop. When I got on that call with him, he told me about a thing he had learnt from Richie Benaud: when it’s time to retire, you just know. Writing lasted the longest of his careers, but 50 years later was a good time to go. I didn’t try to talk him out of it. The game gives to everyone who comes in touch with it, and the most to the players who grace it, but Ian has more than settled his debts.I didn’t watch him play, but the idea of Ian Chappell – fierce competitor, beloved leader, and the very embodiment of Australianism as we knew it – was very much a part of my consciousness. You know what they say about meeting your heroes, but with Ian, there was never a chance of disappointment. As a cricketer and captain, he will always count among the greats, but the man I came to know is extraordinary. It’s been an honour, absolutely.

ESPNcricinfo’s writers on the ground make their predictions for the 2023 men’s Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2023Will Bazball work against Australia’s attack?Vish Ehantharajah: Against Pat Cummins? No. Against Mitchell Starc? Yes. Against Nathan Lyon? Don’t know. Basically, it’s a bit of a lottery given the diversity of the touring attack with regards to how hittable they are. What is for certain is these six weeks will test Bazball’s stamina. Playing without fear when you’re 2-0 down and getting slated by the nonbelievers, former agnostics and part-time punters tuning in because it’s an Ashes? Let’s find out.Alex Malcolm: It definitely will work for periods within Test matches and maybe even for entire Test matches. But it’s hard to picture that style of cricket keeping Australia’s attack under the thumb for all five Tests. The England-South Africa series of 2022 is probably the best guide: Australia’s attack is similar but superior to South Africa’s and South Africa won one of those three Tests by an innings… although they still lost the series.Andrew McGlashan: I mean, does anyone know? “You haven’t done it against Australia,” has been the common view and it is their biggest challenge not least because, unlike against South Africa last year, Australia also have the batting line-up to complement their strength with the ball. It’s difficult to see Australia being skittled too many times.Matt Roller: Even if England are unlikely to score at a run a ball, like they did in Pakistan, they will still put pressure on Australia’s bowlers when circumstances allow – particularly if Stokes’ desire for good pitches comes to pass. I expect England will collapse at least once, and the series will be determined by how they respond to that.Andrew Miller: Pay attention at the back. “Bazball” is not a synonym for witless slogging, it is about taking the field with an uncluttered, fear-free mindset, with licence to find the very best version of yourself, safe in the knowledge that there will be no dressing-room recriminations for failure. It will work better than England’s pathetic efforts in Australia 18 months ago, and for that reason, cricket is already the winner.WTC in the bag, Australia have their eyes set on the Ashes•Getty ImagesWhat will be the defining battle of the series?Ehantharajah: Cameron Green against Joe Root. The former with the ball, the latter with the bat specifically, though the other way around could be fun. But Green looks the absolute business. Should he get his length right, could be the kind of bowler that does not make it on the podium for dismissals in the series, but ends up with all the big names.He had Root twice in 2021-22, and is exactly the kind of medium-fast with surprising bounce the former England captain could nick to anyone in the cordon, either via a defensive edge or a misjudged dab to third man. What makes it all the more intriguing is that Green is probably the one the hosts batters will look to target in a bid to limit the rest period for Cummins and the other frontline quicks. And Root will be one of the main proponents of that aggression.Malcolm: As silly and simple as it sounds, catches win matches. The best fielding side will win. Both sides will bowl well enough to create 20 chances. Both batting line-ups, as talented as they are, will give chances. England’s Bazballers are actively seeking to hit the ball in the air. Travis Head plays the same way. Marnus Labuschagne and Stokes are two of the luckiest cricketers on the planet. If Steven Smith or Root gives a chance, you’d better take it, or you could be dropping the urn.McGlashan: This may seem a cop out, but it’s everything versus everything. Bazball has thrown so many conventions out of the window that’s it’s difficult to know where to start. If you are forced to drill down, let’s say the battle of the two captains: Stokes and Pat Cummins. Not, perhaps, purely from runs and wickets point of view, but how they lead their sides when the going gets tough. And, crucially, whether Stokes can stay on the park for five Tests.Roller: England’s batters against Lyon. Lyon’s Ashes record – 101 wickets at 29.42 – is excellent, but India have shown on consecutive tours to Australia that he can struggle when teams come after him. England’s middle order have often targeted spinners successfully over the past 12 months and will doubtless be lining Lyon up.Miller: It’s tempting to say “England versus Hubris”, but we’re already well past that stage … look, here comes Nemesis already! Australia’s awesome attack is no doubt the biggest challenge to England’s Bazballing batters yet, but with respect to Steve Waugh’s pot-stirring comments last week, Boult and Southee, Bumrah and Shami and Rabada and Nortje weren’t exactly slouches last summer either.Stokes celebrates a direct hit in training•Getty ImagesWhat will the series scoreline be?Ehantharajah: 2-2, with Australia winning the final Test at The Oval after Stokes offers a generous carrot to bring Bazball full circle. It will probably lead to some overly-rogue sort on GB News calling for his excommunication from the game/the island/the world. And those of us who say we love it will secretly hate it too.Malcolm: Who the hell knows? It could be 3-2 England or it could be 4-1 Australia. Splitting the difference would be 3-2 Australia.McGlashan: 3-2, but no idea which way. I can’t see there being a draw unless we lose two full days to rain in a Test, and even then Stokes will try to manufacture something.Roller: This is the strongest Australia side to tour since 2005 but England have not lost a home series of three or more Tests since Kevin Pietersen texted Morne Morkel over a decade ago. I’ll go for a repeat of four years ago: 2-2, with one improbable draw.Miller: If in doubt, go for 3-2 to England. It’s probably been the default prediction scoreline for the past 20 years of home Ashes series, but this time I genuinely believe it. England are allergic to draws, so not even four days of rain can guarantee they won’t engineer (and lose) a preposterous run-chase. But, seeing as Australia haven’t won the Ashes in England for 22 years and counting, this year of all the ultra-positive years doesn’t feel like being the exception.Will Root break his century drought against Australia?•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesWho will be each team’s leading run-scorer?Ehantharajah: Labuschagne for Australia, simply because he has looked in great form for Glamorgan and even just going by his media engagements, a cricketer who craves control of his situation seems to have a better grasp of his game. And England’s Joe Root for England.Malcolm: Smith and Root. Hopefully, there will be some outstanding performances from some younger players but they are the safe and obvious bets given their incredible records.McGlashan: Root. Class and consistency will show through here against what is a very strong Australia attack although he’ll need to be on his guard against Scott Boland who dismissed him four times in 2021-22. And for Australia, Smith. Sorry, I know it’s boring, but he looked in the groove during the World Test Championship final. Matching the 774 runs he made four years ago will be a tall order, but he will want to leave a mark in what is likely his final Ashes tour.Roller: England’s greatest strength has been their middle-order batting and in Harry Brook, they have a generational talent who will put a lean IPL behind him with a prolific series. For Australia, Smith will extend his remarkable Ashes record.Miller: Root, back in the ranks for the first Ashes since 2015, with the Compton-Miller medal winking at him, and all that prep in the Rajasthan nets to fall back on. And Smith, obviously.Scott Boland, David Warner and Pat Cummins wait for their turns at a training session•Getty ImagesWho will be each team’s leading wicket-taker?Ehantharajah: As we saw in the WTC final, Boland is the kind of bowler who will bag loads in these conditions. And he occupies an interesting place in England’s psyche. While the 2021-22 Ashes feels like a million miles away in terms of how far England have come as a group, they were particularly beguiled by Boland’s seam. It supposedly comes out of the hand dead straight – straight enough to cause a bit of confusion, before basically jagging into or away from you. That momentary perplexity is a killer margin at this level, and is unlikely to have been rectified.
Meanwhile, Ollie Robinson is probably going top England’s wicket-taking charts and showing us that life beyond Jimmy and Broady won’t be as bad as we think.Malcolm: Cummins and Stuart Broad. Cummins has been Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the last two Ashes series. He and Lyon are likely to be the only Australian bowlers to play all five Tests and Cummins will probably end up with more scalps. It’s just a hunch, but given his durability and his success against Australia’s left-handers, Broad may play the most Tests of England’s attack and be the leading wicket-taker as a result.McGlashan: Robinson for England, providing he can play at least four of the five Tests which some of the other quicks may not manage. And Cummins for Australia, partly because he’s the mostly likely to play all five games – and he’s a pretty handy operator. Although keep an eye out for Lyon if the summer continues to be dry and warm.Roller: Everything depends on fitness for England, but Robinson should last the distance and is a constant threat, especially at home. Cummins has been Australia’s top wicket-taker for the last three Ashes series, and will make it four in a row this summer.Miller: Cummins and Robinson, not least because they’ll play all five Tests.

All the key numbers from the first day of the England vs India Test at Trent Bridge

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Aug-2021183 England’s total at Trent Bridge, the second-lowest by them in the first innings of a home Test series since 1950. Their lowest in this period came when they began the five-match Test series against West Indies in 2000 with 179 all out at Edgbaston.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Instances of England getting bowled out for 183 or lower after electing to bat first at home since 2000. They posted 85 all out against Ireland at Lord’s in 2019 and 102 all out against Australia at Headingley in 2009.1 England registered their lowest first-innings total in a home Test against India. Their previous lowest total was 198 all out, which was also in Trent Bridge, in 2007.7 All out totals under 200 for England against India in 2021. Only twice have they managed to cross the 200-run mark across nine innings against India this year. India has not dismissed any other opponent more often below 200 in a calendar year.4 Instances of Indian pacers picking up ten wickets in a Test innings in England, including the latest effort. Three of those four occasions came at Trent Bridge, all since 2014.45 Runs added by England after the fall of the fourth wicket on Wednesday. These are the second-fewest runs England have scored for their last six wickets in a home Test innings against India. Their lowest was 43 runs in the first innings of the Lord’s Test in 2007.4 Ducks in England’s first innings, the joint-most for them in a Test innings against India. Four England batters also got dismissed without scoring a run in the Ahmedabad Test earlier this year.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed what he told defender Riccardo Calafiori right before his immediate impact off the bench against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Arsenal cruise to statement win over Bayern Munich

The Gunners enjoyed a night to remember in Europe on Wednesday after putting Vincent Kompany’s side to the sword over what was a phenomenal second-half display.

Heading into the game, Bayern were unbeaten in all competitions and had reigned victorious in every single game bar one, with Arsenal inflicting their first defeat of 2025/2026.

On paper, it was perhaps Arsenal’s toughest test of the season against Europe’s most in-form team, but the north Londoners still found a way to win and extend their own unbeaten run to an incredible 16 matches on the trot.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Bukayo Saka directed a corner towards the near post and Jurrien Timber glanced his header past the flapping Manuel Neuer to open the scoring, but out of nowhere Bayern conjured up an equaliser.

Joshua Kimmich pinged the ball out to former Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who cushioned it first time into the path of Lennart Karl. Cool as you like, the teenager – who became Bayern’s youngest Champions League goalscorer against Brugge last month – did not break stride as he crashed his first-time volley into the roof of the net.

Moments later a Kane pirouette in the area had Arsenal flustered until William Saliba hacked the ball clear at the second attempt.

After the break, Saka, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino all threatened for the hosts before the second goal arrived in the 69th minute.

Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano gave the ball away, substitute Calafiori swung in a low cross and Madueke pounced from six yards out – scoring his first ever goal for Arsenal.

Neuer then suffered a horrible moment as he came out to deal with Eze’s long ball, only for another sub, Gabriel Martinelli, to waltz past him and finish into an empty net.

"Magnificent" – Ally McCoist hails "out of this world" Arsenal star in Bayern Munich win

He was truly exceptional on a night to remember for the Gunners.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2025

‘Are you Tottenham in disguise?’ and ‘Harry, what’s the score?’ were the predictable chants from the home fans as they revelled in their old foe’s misery, all while celebrating a deserved, statement win against the Bundesliga champions.

Declan Rice put on a man of the match display against Bayern, one of his best ever performances since joining the club, but Arteta’s substitutions were inspired and a key part of why they won the blockbuster clash.

Mikel Arteta reveals key Riccardo Calafiori message before Arsenal assist

Just one minute after being introduced by Arteta, left-back Calafiori, who replaced Myles Lewis-Skelly, put the ball on a plate for Madueke after darting in behind to whip in a low cross.

The Italy international played a major role in putting Arsenal back into the ascendancy, with Arteta revealing what he told Calafiori right before his game-changing assist against Bayern.

The £42 million signing from Bologna has further staked his claim as Arsenal’s undisputed number one left-back, and contributions like last night highlight exactly why Lewis-Skelly has struggled for minutes.

In the background, reports suggest that Chelsea are making a bold attempt to convince Lewis-Skelly to join them amid his lack of match action, but the Hale End sensation is determined to battle his way back into the starting eleven.

Unfortunately for him, the teenager might have a hard time doing so with Calafiori proving so instrumental for Arteta right now.

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways on Saturday, defeating Brentford 2-0 courtesy of goals from Xavi Simons and Richarlison.

It was the first time that Thomas Frank’s men have won a game of football since November 4th when they defeated Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League.

Since then, the Lilywhites have been on a dire run of form, notably losing the north London derby 4-1. It’s a sequence of results that has thrown doubts over Frank’s future in the dugout.

What won’t help Spurs is that they’ve now received a series of injury blows following the win over Frank’s former side.

Tottenham dealt injury blows against Brentford

Spurs may well have sealed all three points on Saturday afternoon but the game didn’t come without some bad news for the club.

Indeed, they now have injury concerns over Destiny Udogie and Randal Kolo Muani before they face Slavia Prague in Europe on Wednesday night.

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Udogie missed Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brentford after he sustained a soft tissue injury in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle while PSG loanee Kolo Muani stood out against Brentford but was subbed early and was later seen limping as he left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank was quizzed about those issues after the game, with the Dane asked how long Udogie will be out for.

The manager responded: “Not too long. He got a soft tissue injury, unfortunately, against Newcastle.”

Spurs are already without long-term absentees Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison while Mathys Tel will be missing after not being registered in the club’s Champions League squad.

The north Londoners will now hope they can string a positive sequence of results together with the win against the Bees somewhat easing the pressure on the manager.

Speaking after sealing their first home win in the Premier League since August 16th, the boss stated: “Yeah, that is the standard.

“Sometimes there’s more tight games, as we know, but I like what I saw from the team and that’s what we need to build on and try to become even better.”

As good as Simons: Spurs sensation was looking like Bale 2.0 vs Brentford

One Tottenham Hotspur player managed to catch the eye during this afternoon’s victory.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 6, 2025

As the San Francisco Giants took the field in Los Angeles this afternoon, still reeling from the news that they had executed a blockbuster trade to bring Boston Red Sox DH Rafael Devers aboard, the man at the center of the deal stood at shortstop. 

The biggest transaction of the 2025 season was not really about the four players headed to the Red Sox—converted starting pitcher Jordan Hicks; swingman Kyle Harrison, who was pulled from the bullpen just minutes before his scheduled start against the Dodgers; outfield prospect James Tibbs; or pitching prospect José Bello—or even Devers himself, the top-10 hitter who has twice squabbled with team officials over his position. No, this deal was five years in the making, dating back to the last time the Red Sox made a major trade: the 2020 Mookie Betts trade. 

Back then, just a year removed from the best season in franchise history and the organization’s ninth World Series title, the Boston ownership group considered the most talented player its farm system had produced since Carl Yastrzemski and shrugged. Management, led by principal owner John Henry, decided not to offer Betts an extension; rather than let him walk in free agency for nothing but a draft pick, they ordered then–head of baseball operations Chaim Bloom to trade him.

Bloom scrounged around among an industry that knew he had to move Betts, tacked on the three years and $96 million remaining on lefty David Price’s deal, and ended up with a forgettable package from the Dodgers: outfielder Alex Verdugo and two prospects, shortstop Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong. (The Red Sox traded Verdugo to the Yankees before last season after he publicly feuded with manager Alex Cora, waived Downs after he played in 41 games and have received zero RBIs from Wong in 41 games this season.) 

Betts immediately signed a 12-year, $365 million extension with the Dodgers that will look like a bargain no matter how the last six years go: He has been an All-Star every season and finished No. 2 in MVP voting twice while slotting in easily in right field, at second base and at shortstop, and leading the team to two titles. (He reportedly told friends he would have signed the same deal in Boston.)

A day after being released by the Los Angeles Angels, center fielder, right fielder and pinch hitter Mickey Moniak has reportedly found a new home.

Moniak has agreed to a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies worth $1.25 million, according to a Wednesday evening report from Mark Feinsand and Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The 26-year-old was the first pick of the 2016 MLB draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

In 124 games with the Angels in 2024—the most sustained action of his big-league career—Moniak slashed .219/.266/.380 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs. He hit .280 with 14 home runs in 85 games in 2023, his best season by bWAR.

Moniak's Tuesday release garnered attention because he had actually won an arbitration case against Los Angeles in the winter. He was due to make $2 million in salary, but will receive significantly less from the Angels as salaries won in arbitration cases are not guaranteed.

The Rockies are scheduled to open their season Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays.