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After a testing start to the Premier League season that saw them draw with Leicester City and lose to Newcastle United and Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur appear to have turned things around.

In the last four matches, Ange Postecoglou’s side have finally added a cutting edge to their impressive build-up play, winning all four games and scoring 11 goals to their opponents’ two.

Granted, two of those games were against Coventry City and Qarabağ FK, but yesterday’s demolition of Manchester United was a real statement win and one that should make the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and the Gunners take notice.

Given the nature of the victory, several starters could claim to be the player of the match, but perhaps the most impressive showed that he could become Spurs’ new Christian Eriksen.

Eriksen's Spurs career

It’s been over a decade since Spurs paid around £11.5m to Ajax for the services of the then-21-year-old Eriksen, and while he was a part of the club’s ill-fated ‘magnificent seven’, he was an undeniable success in North London.

Over the next seven years, the Danish superstar would make 305 appearances for the Lilywhites, in which he scored 69 goals and provided a staggering 88 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.

Unfortunately, the Middelfart-borm maestro was unable to win any trophies with the club, but he was an essential part of the team that reached the Champions League final in 2019 and the League Cup Final in 2015.

Eriksen’s Spurs career

Appearances

305

Points per Game

1.80

Goals

69

Assists

88

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, his sensational playmaking abilities were one of the key reasons, alongside the goals of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, that Spurs were such a potent force in the league under Mauricio Pochettino.

Even at 32, with everything he has been through, he remains a talented international capable of putting on a “masterclass,” as BBC pundit Pat Nevin described his performance against Slovenia at the Euros this summer.

In all, Eriksen has to go down as one of the most creative midfielders in Spurs’ recent history, and while they have struggled to replace him ever since his £16.9m move to Inter Milan in 2020, Postecoglou may have just fashioned his own with another Nordic international.

Spurs' new Eriksen

So, the Spurs player who is starting to remind us of Eriksen is fellow Scandinavian superstar Dejan Kulusevski, who initially joined the North Londoners on an 18-month loan deal from Juventus in January 2022, before the deal was made permanent in June 2023 for around £25m.

For the majority of his time in the capital, the Swedish international has played off the right of a front three, and while he has looked good there, scoring eight goals and providing 14 assists in 59 games, there was a feeling among fans that his technical ability was being slightly wasted out wide, and that when he starts in his second most played position, attacking midfield, he’s far more effective.

This is clearly a perspective shared by Postecoglou, as ten of the 24 starts the Swede has made in this position have come under the Australian, including in the game against United yesterday evening, where the former Juve star put on a creative masterclass.

During his 96 minutes of action, the “special, special player,” as Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir dubbed him, scored a goal, produced an expected assists figure of 0.38, took 61 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 89%, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, played nine key passes, produced three big chances and even chipped in with two clearances and an interception for good measure.

Moreover, according to OptaJoe, he is the first visiting player to create nine chances in a game at Old Trafford.

Ultimately, while it is still early in the season, it appears that Postecoglou has found the perfect position to get the absolute most out of Kulusevski in this team, and if he can keep up the sensational form he has shown thus far, there is no reason why the Swedish international couldn’t become the club’s next Eriksen.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 28, 2024

Glasgow Rangers will need to turn things around swiftly in the Premiership if they hope to undergo a title challenge this season.

After five league matches, Rangers trail both Celtic and Aberdeen by five points already, winning just three of their games.

The Belgian didn’t exactly enjoy the greatest of transfer windows, despite signing a host of new players for the Ibrox side. Several key targets ended up moving elsewhere, while those who were surplus to requirements at the club ended up leaving for less than their market value, or too late in the window to adequately replace them.

He isn’t the first Rangers manager to have missed out on key targets during his spell in charge of the club, as many of his predecessors were linked with more prominent names than the likes of Albion Rrahmani, that’s for sure.

The late Walter Smith had the chance to sign several high-quality stars during his two spells in charge of the club, especially when money appeared to be no object during the 1990s.

Sometimes he was able to get his man, with Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne being prime examples. Other times, however, he was forced to settle for second best, which certainly impacted the performances of the team on the field.

After winning a ninth league title in a row during the 1996/97 campaign, Smith had the perfect opportunity to go for ten in a row and surpass the record Celtic had set in the 1960s and 1970s.

He had to get things spot on in the transfer window, however…

Walter Smith’s signings after winning nine in a row

The Light Blues were still able to call upon players such as Laudrup and Gascoigne heading into the 1997/98 season. With history beckoning, this was a chance the club might not achieve again.

That summer, the manager signed Lorenzo Amoruso, Sergio Porrini, Gennaro Gattuso and Jonas Thern, among others. These four signings had a wealth of experience in Serie A, with Porrini even winning the Champions League with Juventus just a year earlier, showing that Smith meant business.

Walter Smith’s Rangers signings in 1997

Player

Club signed from

Marco Negri

Perugia

Sergio Porrini

Juventus

Gennaro Gattuso

Perugia

Jonas Thern

AS Roma

Lorenzo Amoruso

Fiorentina

Stale Stensaas

Rosenborg

Jonatan Johansson

FC Flora

Antti Niemi

Copenhagen

Luigi Riccio

Perugia

Lee Baxter

Vissel Kobe

Via Transfermarkt

It was another player that joined the squad from the Italian top flight who was somewhat of an unknown quantity, but would demonstrate his talents for the Gers, especially during the first six months of the season – Marco Negri.

Marco Negri’s statistics at Rangers

With the elusive tenth league crown in a row waiting if Rangers won the league, getting off to a good start was imperative.

Negri hit the ground running superbly well at Ibrox. In his first ten league matches, the striker netted an impressive 23 goals as it looked like the club certainly had the perfect heir to an ageing Ally McCoist, who would leave the following summer.

The £3.5m signing from Perugia looked the part, with Smith’s side taking an early lead in the Championship title race thanks to Negri’s goals and some confident performances.

Everything looked rosy until the Italian suffered an eye injury while playing squash in January, limiting his opportunities during the second half of the season as Celtic eventually finished as champions.

There is no doubt the Light Blues would likely have won the title had Negri not suffered the injury. But might Smith have signed a better centre-forward in 1997 rather than the Italian? As Brazilian icon Ronaldo was surprisingly linked with the club.

Rangers' wanted a "phenomenon" in 1997

Having signed various players from the Italian top flight in the summer of 1997, one name stood out above the rest – Ronaldo.

A few years ago, a documentary was released surrounding Ronaldo’s exit from Barcelona in the summer of 1997 and his former agent was on hand to claim that the Light Blues showed a surprising interest in bringing the striker to Ibrox, having even made an offer at the time.

“We had nothing against the renewal of Ronaldo with Barca, but we wanted to avoid image contracts and complicated situations,” said Giovanni Branchini, Ronaldo’s agent.

“While the negotiations remained stalled, we observed the interest shown by Lazio, Inter and Glasgow Rangers.

“The offer from Glasgow Rangers was incredible. They told us he didn’t have to play on a Saturday in the Scottish League.”

Rangers would have been significantly bolstered with the addition of Ronaldo to the side, and they could certainly have progressed far in the Champions League.

Ronaldo moved to Inter Milan instead, establishing himself as one of the finest strikers to have ever played the game.

Ronaldo’s career statistics

Former Chelsea star Gus Poyet hailed the Brazilian as a “phenomenon” as the striker showed his talents in Milan, despite suffering a series of knee injuries which hampered his progress.

After winning the World Cup in 1994 as a 17-year-old, Ronaldo scored eight goals during the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea, redemption for 1998, where he was uncharacteristically quiet in the final against France.

A spell at Real Madrid yielded over 100 goals, before he wound down his career with spells at AC Milan and Corinthians in his homeland.

In what was a remarkable career, Ronaldo scored a total of 298 club career goals in 454 matches. Another 62 goals in 99 appearances for Brazil, which would have been more if not for injuries, and it is evident he is one of the best number nines of all time.

Imagine his presence at Ibrox during the 1997/98 campaign? He would have been the finest signing ever for a Scottish side. Considering how in demand he was due to a stunning spell at Barcelona, perhaps Smith never really stood a chance of bringing him to Ibrox.

To watch Ronaldo in his prime was a joy to behold. The sheer pace, especially before his knee injuries, was absolutely devastating, while his ability to finish from anywhere in the opposition penalty box made him one of the most revered forwards of his generation and perhaps of all time.

Negri was excellent for a brief period, but Rangers may have had the chance to bring a legend of the game to Glasgow.

Related Rangers missed out on £34m star in the making, they signed Bacuna instead

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Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Sep 18, 2024

The Bombay High Court set aside an arbitration order won by the former IPL franchise

Varun Shetty17-Jun-2021The BCCI has been relieved of paying up INR 4816 crore (USD 642 million approx) after the Bombay High Court set aside the arbitration award won by Deccan Chronicle Holdings (DCHL), the promoter of the former IPL franchise Deccan Chargers, on Wednesday.Justice GS Patel ruled that the award had “rewarded the party in unquestionable breach of its contractual obligations” and there wasn’t sufficient evidence that Deccan Chargers weren’t in breach of contract during termination.Deccan Chargers had won the award through an arbitration process initiated by the Bombay High Court after they challenged the termination of their contract in September 2012.Related

Explainer: What is the fight really about?

The termination, according to the BCCI, was on account of the franchise failing to meet a 30-day deadline to clear up player dues and other irregularities in their running.The Chargers also failed a one-month deadline set by the Bombay High Court to put up a INR 100 crore guarantee to stay the termination and the Hyderabad franchise subsequently went to Sun Network, which owns the Sunrisers Hyderabad.The Bombay High Court then appointed retired Supreme Court Judge CK Thakkar as the sole arbitrator. He found the termination of the Chargers contract both illegal and premature, and awarded the damage based on – among other things – a projected loss in profits over the span of the IPL because of the termination.The BCCI, represented by India’s solicitor general Tushar Mehta, challenged the award in court, however, and Justice GS Patel found that “the Award proceeded in places without reasons, in others by ignoring evidence, in yet others by wandering far afield from the contract, and in taking views that were not even possible.””We did not agree with the arbitration penalty and welcome the verdict from the honourable court,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah was quoted as saying in . “This comes on the back of our legal win in the WSG case.”This order is likely going to be challenged by Deccan Chargers.”The high court has set aside the arbitral tribunal’s award which means that the BCCI will not be liable to pay INR 4800 crore,” said Ashish Pyasi, associate partner Dhir & Dhir Associates, who has represented Deccan Chargers in the past. “The order passed is appealable and can be challenged in the division bench (of the Bombay High Court) under section 37.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Sylvinho foi criticado pela torcida do Corinthians na derrota diante do Flamengo, especialmente pelas alterações feitas na etapa final. E uma das “broncas” da Fiel foi em relação ao posicionamento de Vitinho e a não-utilização de Gustavo Mantuan.

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ATUAÇÕES: Mesmo com derrota, Cássio é melhor do Corinthians contra o Fla

O camisa 43 entrou aos 23 minutos da etapa final, no lugar de Jô. Mas ele acabou atuando na faixa esquerda do gramado, empurrando Róger Guedes como o centroavante da equipe naquele momento da partida.

O técnico justificou o posicionamento de Vitinho e complementou a resposta falando sobre a ausência de um “9 clássico” no elenco para ser reserva de Jô.

-O Vitor dá suporte, é um meio-campista que dá um suporte maior pelo lado esquerdo, ajuda o Fábio, que já estava sofrendo em algum momento. E nós temos um único número 9, que é o Jô. Os demais atletas, quando o jogo não tiver condições, ou cansado ou optarmos por uma outra estratégia, obviamente nós teremos de colocar alguém no lugar ali. Foi no começo do campeonato do Luan, pode voltar a ser, já foi Róger Guedes e já foi Renato em menos partidas. E tem uma possibilidade, sim, de Mantuan, que nós estamos buscando e vendo o crescimento do atleta nos treinamentos, no dia a dia – ponderou.

VEJA TABELA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO TIMÃO NO BRASILEIRÃO

Parte da torcida questionou o treinador por não ter utilizado Mantuan como opção no ataque Alvinegro. O técnico relembrou o histórico de lesões do atleta de 20 anos, mas disse que planeja usá-lo no futuro.

– O Mantuan vem de lesões graves e desde a nossa chegada aqui, nós sabíamos do histórico do atleta, não somente das lesões, mas também da qualidade dele. Ele tem treinado muito bem e está se reencontrando como atleta. Mecanicamente, fisicamente e tecnicamente. Um atleta que deslumbramos coisas importantes. Ele está crescendo nos treinamentos e no dia a dia – afirmou.

Sylvinho completou o argumento e disse que Mantuan pode atuar como centroavante improvisado, assim como outros atletas do Corinthians já fizeram ao longo da temporada.

– Nós temos um 9, o dia que não jogarmos com o Jô, alguém vai ter de fazer um 9, sendo que não é 9. O Mantuan é um 8,5. Pode ser sim ser um 9? Exatamente como foi o Róger ou talvez o próprio Renato, mas com características diferentes, pois eles não são 9. A gente vai ter de buscar outras alternativas caso o Jô não jogue – concluiu.

Real Madrid have confirmed that Rodrygo and two other team-mates are 'last-minute' withdrawals ahead of facing Girona.

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Rodrygo missed several games through injuryWinger a last-minute withdrawal vs GironaTwo Real Madrid team-mates also outFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian has missed several games this season with various injuries and ahead of their La Liga clash at Girona on Saturday night, Los Blancos have confirmed Rodrygo, midfielder Chema Andres, and forward Gonzalo Garcia are unavailable. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Ruben Yanez has been promoted to the matchday squad.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT REAL MADRID SAID

A club statement reads: "Real Madrid travelled to Girona to face the 16th round of the League tonight at Montilivi with the last-minute absences of Rodrygo, Gonzalo and Chema. In their place, Yáñez entered the squad."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Madrid face a tough test away to eighth-placed Girona this weekend and not having Rodrygo is a blow for Carlo Ancelotti's men. They sit second in the table, four points behind rivals Barcelona but they do have a game in hand. Los Blancos will hope the 23-year-old and his team-mates are back fit soon.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Madrid will hope Rodyrgo isn't out for long as after the Girona game, they travel to in-form Atalanta on Tuesday in the Champions League – a competition the defending champions have been struggling in this season.

Mickey Arthur reveals mixing with England after Bristol ODI with India series due to start in a week

Matt Roller06-Jul-2021

Sri Lanka’s ODI squad face an anxious wait for the results of their PCR tests on returning home, following a Covid-19 outbreak in the England squad after the final match of their tour in Bristol on Sunday.England’s entire ODI squad and backroom staff were forced into self-isolation after a number of positive Covid tests, with an entirely new 18-man squad called up ahead of the first ODI against Pakistan on Thursday. Sri Lanka’s upcoming ODI series against India starts next week, on July 13, and while they returned negative lateral-flow tests on their arrival in Colombo, they were awaiting the outcome of their PCR tests on Tuesday night.”We had to divert to India because we lost fuel,” Mickey Arthur, Sri Lanka’s head coach, told talkSPORT’s Following On. podcast. “When I landed in India, I switched my phone on and I had a couple of messages from Wayne Bentley [England’s operations manager] who updated on the situation and that was a really nerve-wracking time for all of us.”We arrived here [in Colombo] and we haven’t been allowed to enter our rooms without the result of a rapid antigen test, which luckily, I think most of our squad have got through. We’ve done another PCR where the results come out tomorrow [Wednesday]. At the end of that ODI there was a fair amount of banter between the two teams – quite a lot of chat and quite a lot of talk – so it did bring about some anxious times.”I feel so desperately sorry for that England team because they’re a hell of a good cricket side at the moment. They were on a roll, they were playing really well and they just looked the part. For them to have to go and self-isolate now is really, really tough. And the cheeky part of me said, ‘jeez, why couldn’t we play against the 18 that have just come in?'”Related

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Arthur also hinted that Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka could face long-term suspensions from international cricket pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing, and admitted that the tour to England – in which Sri Lanka lost five games and had one no-result – was “one of the toughest” he had been on as a head coach.”I know there is a disciplinary panel that’s been set up and I think those players will get a severe penalty,” he said. “What that is, I don’t know. I’ve seen one year being mooted and it almost kind of reminds me of Sandpapergate, where you crash to the lowest point and then try to build it up again. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with that [but] we’re obviously keen to get [numbers] one, four and five back as soon as possible with a T20 World Cup in mind.”[It was] one of the toughest tours I’ve been on in my 12 years as an international coach, just in the sense that there was so much going on around the tour. There was obviously still the stand-off between the players and the board around contracts which hasn’t been resolved. Not wanting to make an excuse around that, there was a lot of instability there.”We took a very, very young squad that we wanted to build with for the next couple of years but the three batsmen central to that unfortunately went walkabout in Durham and we lost our number one, four and five. That didn’t help either. It was really tough.”The positives I’d take out of it, I thought Kusal Janith [Perera] led the team very, very well in very trying times and I thought our quick bowling attack was fairly good which was great. We know we’ve got the spinners but to see some of our quicks come through was really, really exciting.”

Former Manchester United star Juan Mata has bought a stake in San Diego FC in MLS, a move that puts him in competition with David Beckham.

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• Mata buys into San Diego FC
• Will go up against Becks' Inter Miami
• Spaniard still playing in Australia

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mata has bought a stake in San Diego FC, and will subsequently go up against the might of Beckham's Inter Miami in MLS competition in the coming seasons; the club will join the Western Conference in 2025. The former Spain international is still playing, for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia, and is the first active player to invest in the league.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  San Diego FC have a remarkable ownership structure that is headed by Egyptian businessman Sir Mohamed Mansour, who also owns the Right To Dream academy and Danish club FC Nordsjaelland, and also includes a Native American tribe by the name of Kumeyaay Nation, who live on a reservation in California. Mata has already expressed his excitement at the opportunity to "build something" in the United States.

• WHAT MATA SAID

  Mata said: "Joining San Diego FC as a partner is an exciting opportunity to help build something truly special in a city and league that are experiencing incredible growth.

  "The commitment of both this Club and Right to Dream (a to community impact, excellence, and a vision for long-term success aligns perfectly with my own values. I look forward to contributing my experience and passion for the game and working alongside everyone here to build a Club that inspires both on and off the pitch."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  San Diego FC are readying themselves for their MLS debut in 2025. They will play their games at the SnapDragon Stadium in California, which hosts 35,000 fans.

Joe Root has hinted that England will opt to field an extra seamer in the first Test of their series in Sri Lanka, rather than adding a third spinner to their attack.Despite playing at Galle, a venue with a long-earned reputation for favouring spin bowling, England are set to select only two specialist spinners in Dom Bess and Jack Leach. They are likely to pick three seamers and turn to the part-time spin of Root and Dan Lawrence as required.Ahead of the tour, it had seemed likely England that would pick three spinners in each Test. Since 2016, spinners have claimed twice as many wickets as seamers in Tests at Galle – the venue for both Tests in this series – and have done so at a lower overall average, strike rate and economy rate.Related

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On England’s last tour to Sri Lanka, in late 2018, spin accounted for 100 wickets – the most ever in a three-Test series – while James Anderson and Stuart Broad claimed only one wicket between them. England used a three-man spin attack comprising Moeen Ali, Jack Leach and Adil Rashid in all three Tests, who claimed 48 wickets between them in a 3-0 win (Root’s offspin accounted for a 49th).But illness and absence have reduced their options. Moeen, England’s joint leading wicket-taker with Leach on the last tour, has been ruled out of contention having contracted Covid-19, while Rashid has limited himself to limited-overs cricket as he comes to terms with a long-term shoulder problem. Other options, such as Liam Dawson, are also unavailable through injury.That leaves England with three choices for third spinner. Although none of Matt Parkinson, Mason Crane and Amar Virdi are officially part of the Test squad at present, they are all part of the tour party as reserves and are considered to be available for selection.Only Crane has previously played Test cricket – he took 1 for 193 in Sydney at the start of 2018 – but he underwhelmed in the warm-up match (he conceded 37 from five overs, though he did dismiss Zak Crawley when he attempted to run a short ball to third man). Virdi didn’t bowl at all in that match, while Parkinson’s last first-class appearance was in September 2019. It is a situation which raises familiar questions about the lack of opportunities provided to developing spinners in the county game.England’s options have been diminished further by the likely absence of two seam-bowling allrounders. Ben Stokes has been rested for this tour, while Chris Woakes was obliged to spend the first week of it in quarantine having been deemed a close contact of Moeen. As a result, Woakes was unable to participate in the warm-up game and may be considered a little short of match fitness in conditions which are expected to be hot and humid.Sam Curran is set to play ahead of Chris Woakes or a third spinner•ECB

Those draining conditions – and the lack of the usual preparation time – might persuade England not to place too many demands on individual bowlers. And with Sri Lanka’s batsmen not always looking comfortable against pace, England are likely to want one of their quicker bowlers – Olly Stone or Mark Wood – alongside the allrounder, Sam Curran, and one of Broad or Anderson.That means Root, who took his Test-best figures of 4 for 122 at Port Elizabeth at the start of 2020, may well be obliged to contribute with the ball, while Lawrence and, to a lesser extent, Dom Sibley provide further part-time options.”I’ve readied myself for it [a role with the ball],” Root said. “I’ve prepared for it in practice and it does seem to be coming out OK at the moment. If it is the case that I need to bowl longer spells than previously and take a bigger workload in this series, then I’m looking forward to that challenge. It’s certainly an option and it will come down to the balance of the side.”As you’d expect in Galle, it’s going to spin. It’s just when in the game it’s going to spin – that’s the question.”But the pitch does look very different here from memory to what it did on previous tours. I don’t think it’s going to be miles away from what you’d expect a Galle wicket to play like, but if there’s weather around in the Test match and there’s a tacky nature to the pitch and it sweats with the covers on that probably brings seam into the game a bit more than it might normally do. Everything is pointing towards it being a bowlers’ game.”While Root will wait for another look at the pitch and the weather conditions before confirming his side – Galle has been hit by unseasonable rain in recent days – he did confirm he will bat at No. 4, with Jonny Bairstow at No. 3. He also said that Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley will open, and has previously confirmed that Jos Buttler will keep wicket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

While he acknowledged that England’s lack of preparation time – they go into the series having played just one day of warm-up cricket – is far from ideal, he knows they have to start well to have a hope of winning the two-match series. The fact that they’ve lost the first Test in five of their last six series is not lost on him.”The preparations and build-up time is not ideal,” Root said. “There’s no point hiding behind the fact: we haven’t had the ideal lead-up to this series. It’s probably the shortest lead-up we’ve ever had going into an away Test match series. But regardless, it is about making sure we start the game well. So many times in these two-match series, it’s imperative you get off to a good start.”It’s something we’re desperate to keep improving on. We’ve started series poorly, as was mentioned last summer, and if we are to keep improving as a team we can’t be behind the eight ball going into the second Test match of every series.”The way we are going to do that is by scoring big first-innings runs and controlling the game. If we can manage to do that I think we’ll have success here.”

On Tuesday morning, the Premier League revealed to the world the comprehensive fixture list for the 2024/25 campaign. Liverpool, naturally, will start their campaign with a 12:30pm kick off away against newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

Jurgen Klopp might have retired from his Merseyside duties but the German will be certain to shake his head when he receives this piece of information. For Arne Slot, Anfield's new head coach, the match is simply the beginning of a thrilling journey in England's top flight, and three points will be the only option.

The club's new boss will have a plethora of high-quality players to pick from but there's no denying Liverpool need to piece it all together during the summer transfer window, strengthening key areas such as central defence and out wide.

That's not to say, however, that Michael Edwards and Co won't bolster other positions if the right opening emerges. well, such an opportunity may well have materialised…

Liverpool transfer news

According to Spanish reports, Liverpool are the 'main candidates' to sign Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz, who is valued at around €30m (£25m) by the Serie A giants.

Yildiz, aged 19, is a highly sought-after figure in Italy after enjoying a thrilling breakout campaign but has been consistently linked with a move away – notably, Arsenal and Manchester United have been credited with an interest in recent months.

While he's not quite the profile that the Reds have been frequently touted with – a right-sided, in cutting wide forward – Yildiz represents a unique market opportunity and Slot could make fine use of the youngster's ever-improving talents.

Kenan Yildiz's 23/24 season in numbers

Speaking of Yildiz's ability back in January, former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said: "There are very few people who can control the ball like a star player. Moreover, he rarely makes wrong decisions, and that's a natural talent. We didn't need to teach him that. I want him to do even more because he has the potential to make a difference."

Despite still perching in the maiden stage of his promising career, the Turkey international – who featured at Euro 2024 yesterday – has established himself as a regular matchday feature for the Old Lady despite playing his football at youth level during the 2022/23 campaign.

This season, principally playing off the centre-forward for Juventus, Yildiz scored six goals and supplied two assists for his team, only starting nine matches in the Italian first division but making quite the impression.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for pass completion, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for tackles per 90.

Electric and bold, Yildiz is a first-class prospect and he could be offer the perfect addition of depth at Liverpool, with his prodigious start to life leading his former coach, Sokyan Baskar, to claim that he's "more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo".

This might be a tiny bit overenthusiastic from Baskar but it does start to paint a picture of how highly regarded this dynamic forward is. Yet to break free from his teenage years, the world lays at his feet.

Ronaldo, it's important to note, scored six goals and added eight assists across 40 matches during the 2003/04 season, when he was the same age as Yildiz is now. The youthful Turk cannot be expected to reach the same jaw-dropping heights as Ronaldo, one of football's all-time greats, but, again, the praise bespeaks his potential to succeed at a team like Liverpool.

How Kenan Yildiz could fit in at Liverpool

There's a good chance that Yildiz's blistering pace and silky footwork will see him bloom into a permanent wide player in the years to come, which could see him cement a spot as Luis Diaz's successor at Anfield.

The Colombian has been heavily linked with a departure in recent weeks – with Barcelona eager admirers – but Cody Gakpo, another of Slot's left wingers, is set to stay and will hope to fight for a prominent role after only starting 17 matches in the Premier League last term.

Among his seasonal appearances, Gakpo was deployed on the left flank 12 times but only scored three goals. While his versatility saw him moved around with regularity, he has faced criticisms for several of his displays, with The Athletic's Gregg Evans claiming that "he looks a bit short of pace and physicality".

Yildiz is certainly not lacking in such departments. He might be limber but the 6 foot 2 star is endowed with deceptive strength and an impressive athletic core. His young age also suggests that he will only keep developing over the coming years, even touted to be a consistent starter for Thiago Motta's Juventus next year by analyst Ben Mattinson, if he ends up staying in Turin.

With a still-improving skill set hinting at the kind of progressive, creative skills to place him in the upper echelon,

If Diaz is sold this summer, Yildiz may well be considered as a shrewd and exciting successor. Gakpo will hope that he has proved himself worthy of a regular starting berth on the left wing but if Yildiz is indeed signed, the Dutchman might just find himself battling a remarkable young player for a place on the wing.

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Anfield could boast quite the team come the end of the transfer window.

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A £120,000-per-week member of Ange Postecoglou's squad is set to leave Tottenham this summer, with Man United targeting him for Erik ten Hag.

Postecoglou plans Spurs overhaul

Postecoglou has publicly stated that "drastic change" is needed at Spurs, and openly suggested that a number of players could be moved on as "not everyone" can be along for the ride.

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There will be club-to-club talks this week.

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Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic all left N17 first, upon the expiry of their contracts with the club, while chairman Daniel Levy also sought to terminate Tanguy Ndombele's deal a year before it was meant to run out.

Wales international defender Joe Rodon soon followed Ndombele out of the door, with technical director Johan Lange and the recruitment team using him as an unofficial makeweight in a move for English sensation Archie Gray.

Rodon joined Leeds United in a £10 million deal, after spending the 2023/2024 season on loan at Elland Road, with Gray heading the opposite direction in a separate £40 million move (Fabrizio Romano).

Attention now turns to who could follow up Rodon and the aforementioned crop. Bryan Gil, Djed Spence, Giovani Lo Celso, Troy Parrott, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Manor Solomon and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are all players who could be sold by Tottenham this summer, with reports suggesting Spurs could be open to offers for all of them.

Tottenham's best-performing players in the Premier League last season

Average match rating (WhoScored)

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.17

Pedro Porro

7.05

Cristian Romero

7.04

Dejan Kulusevski

7.03

AC Milan are currently trying to sign Emerson Royal from Spurs after getting the Brazilian's green-light, while Hojbjerg is keen to leave Tottenham as Borussia Dortmund consider a deal.

There is also uncertainty surrounding the future of left-back Sergio Reguilon, who spent 23/24 on two half-season loan spells at Man United and Brentford.

Reguilon set to leave Tottenham as Man United eye move for ten Hag

The Red Devils have just shown their commitment to ten Hag by agreeing a new contract for the Dutchman, and it appears they're keen to support their manager by bringing Reguilon back to Old Trafford.

That is according to Diario AS, who claim Reguilon is set to pack his bags and leave Tottenham this summer. The 27-year-old, who was signed from Sevilla by Jose Mourinho in 2020, apparently has no future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Alongside United, it is believed another big European club in Juventus are interested, as well as London rivals West Ham. On a reported £120,000-per-week (The Mirror), it would be a long way back for Reguilon under Postecoglou, given the stellar form of left-back Destiny Udogie last season.

The best solution for both parties is to amicably part company, and perhaps United could well facilitate that over the coming weeks.