Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action this evening as they make the trip to the Etihad Stadium to face second-place Manchester City.

Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte is tasked with sparking a reaction from his side after they put in a woeful display against arch-rivals Arsenal at the weekend, a game in which they were outfought and outplayed for the most part.

It also poses a big decision on whether to stick or twist with his starting lineup as mistakes against the defending champions will almost certainly be punished.

Several of his key players have returned from injury and Spurs do hold a very impressive record against the Citizens in recent times, so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of XI he deploys.

Here’s what we are predicting…

There could be as many as four changes to the side that tasted defeat to the Gunners, starting with the long-awaited return of Rodrigo Bentancur.

Missing since his World Cup exploits, the Uruguayan’s absence has been a frustrating one for the team but Conte revealed in his pre-game press conference that he would be available for selection at long last. Given the importance of a result, he should start alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Despite an error that gifted Arsenal their opener, skipper Hugo Lloris will remain between the sticks but we could see the “reliable” Ben Davies return to the back three, replacing Clement Lenglet on the left-hand side. Meanwhile, out wide, there could be a further two changes with Emerson Royal and Ivan Perisic returning to the starting XI.

They’ll replace Ryan Sessegnon, after the £25m “big talent” – as once dubbed by former teammate Stefan Johansen – was handed a torrid afternoon on Sunday, and Matt Doherty.

Further up the pitch, Conte is likely to keep the faith with Heung-min Son despite his ongoing form struggles, along with Harry Kane, who must improve in front of goal if he’s to find the net against Pep Guardiola’s men.

Dejan Kulusevski should also retain his place after returning from injury last time out, though Bryan Gil is pushing for another start after impressive in what little opportunity he had in the Swede’s absence.

AND in other news, Levy could repeat his big Bruno Fernandes blunder at Spurs with £40m “special talent”…

Aston Villa forward Emiliano Buendia won’t be ‘heading out the exit door’ in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The Premier League winger has started both of Unai Emery’s top flight matches in charge so far, but having fallen out of favour previously under Steven Gerrard, missed out on booking his place at the World Cup.

The Argentine has therefore been surrounded by question marks regarding his future at the club. Following a fresh update, it sounds like he won’t be going anywhere, in the winter market at least.

The Latest: Jones’ update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones revealed that Buendia isn’t likely to leave in the New Year and is instead determined to stay and fight for his place.

“Buendia, he figured pretty strongly, to be fair, for Villa in the month leading into the World Cup. I’m told he’s still very motivated to produce, particularly under Emery, so I don’t think he’ll be heading out the exit door.”

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The Verdict: Don’t let him go

Whilst Buendia hasn’t been making a significant impact of late, he’s still been dubbed a ‘fantastic player’ by journalist Josh Bunting and it’s pretty easy to see why.

The Mar Del Plata native has posted 12 goal contributions during his time in the Midlands and is a versatile option to have in the squad with the ability to operate in four different positions (Transfermarkt).

Emery’s arrival can be seen as a clean slate for all players, and upon the return of domestic action from this weekend, Buendia will be hoping to force his way back into the fold.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed there is ‘real confidence’ at Leeds United over a new contract for winger Jack Harrison.

The Lowdown: Contract talks

Harrison is set to enter the final 18 months of his current Elland Road deal in January and is still of interest to Newcastle United heading into the New Year.

Reports have suggested that the Whites have opened preliminary discussions over fresh terms in what would see the 26-year-old receive a pay rise.

The wide man started in a friendly against Elche on Thursday as Leeds ramped up their preparations for the Premier League restart with a 2-1 win.

The Latest: Bailey’s comments

Bailey was talking to TEAMtalk to share what he knows about Harrison’s situation. The journalist said that ‘the good news is there is a real confidence’ the Leeds man will extend his stay ‘sooner rather than later’.

“I understand a new deal is firmly on Victor Orta’s agenda. The good news is there is a real confidence that Harrison will put pen to paper sooner rather than later.”

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The Verdict: Promising

It seems as if a new contract for Harrison is likely, and these comments from Bailey are extremely promising.

The club may well be looking to get a deal over the line before the January window opens, which could result in Newcastle taking a step back in their pursuit of Harrison.

Hopefully, a fresh contract will also help the winger get back to his early season form, with the Leeds man without a goal or an assist since August.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly one of the clubs interested in signing Ajax star Mohammed Kudus. 

The Lowdown: Previous PL interest in Kudus

The 22-year-old was linked with a move to the Premier League during the previous summer transfer window, only for Everton to have a £15m bid for him rejected by Ajax.

Having stayed at the Dutch club, the midfielder now finds himself in Qatar representing Ghana at the World Cup. Now though, it appears that Spurs are the latest club to show an interest in signing the player.

The Latest: Spurs in the race to sign Kudus

According to a recent report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Spurs are one of the clubs, alongside Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and AC Milan, that are interested in signing Kudus.

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The report also adds that the midfielder’s price tag could increase significantly if he were to find himself impressing for Ghana during the World Cup.

The Verdict: An exciting signing for Spurs?

Across the 68 appearances Kudus has made for Ajax across their senior and youth sides, the midfielder has scored 20 goals and delivered six assists along the way.

10 of those goals have come in the 21 appearances he’s made for the club this season across all competitions including the Eredivisie and the Champions League whilst predominantly playing in the centre-forward role.

Having had 33 attempts at goal across all competitions this season, 14 of them have been on target, leaving Kudus with a goal-per-shot ratio of 0.27, the third-highest at the club.

Hailed for a “ridiculous” pass he made in a game earlier this season by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, the Ajax star has been touted by ex-Ajax defender Keje Molenaar to be worth up to €70m (£60m), which could make a potential transfer move for him quite an expensive investment.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that given the attacking talent he has shown at club level this season, securing a transfer deal for Kudus could be a very exciting move for Tottenham to make.

Leeds United failed to make it three wins on the bounce in their Carabao Cup meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday evening, with Jesse Marsch’s side falling to a 1-0 defeat at Molineux.

Indeed, despite the Whites enjoying more possession of the ball, hitting the target with more shots and completing more passes than the hosts, Adama Traore’s thumping finish in the 85th minute proved to be the difference between the sides on the night.

And, while there were a number of bright performances from the youngsters selected in the starting XI, with Sonny Perkins, Mateo Joseph, Drako Gyabi and Leo Hjelde all impressing, some of Marsch’s first-team regulars very much let the side down.

Indeed, as has now been the case for a matter of months, Jack Harrison once again offered the Whites extremely little going forwards, with Wednesday marking the 11th game without a goal or assist for the 25-year-old.

Over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £23m-rated winger failed to make any real impact in the final third, finding his man with just one of his eight attempted crosses, being successful with just two of his 11 attempted dribbles and completing just 24 of his 30 attempted passes – at a success rate of 80%.

The £60k-per-week attacker was also beaten by an opponent twice, lost possession of the ball on 26 separate occasions and won just six of his 20 duels – a success rate of a mere 30%.

These returns saw the player who the Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth claimed endured “one of those games” earn an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.0 – ranking the former England U21 international as the worst player to feature in the fixture.

As such, considering the quite frankly shocking form that Harrison has been in over recent weeks, the 25-year-old’s display against Wolves must surely have convinced Marsch that the winger simply must be dropped for the meeting with Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, as the Englishman is quickly becoming a liability in the Leeds attack.

Aston Villa are set to offer former Liverpool coach Pako Ayestaran the chance to become Unai Emery’s assistant at Villa Park.

The Lowdown: Arias in?

Emery is set to take charge of his first game as Villa manager against Manchester United next month. However, before then, Villa will be looking to add to his backroom staff, with reports from Spain suggesting that young coach Jaime Arias has already signed for Villa.

Arias won’t be the only arrival, though, and it looks as if NSWE are working on another off-field move in Ayestaran.

The Latest: Another Villa move?

Dominic King and Tom Collomosse revealed for The Daily Mail in the last 48 hours that Emery has offered Ayestaran the chance to be his Aston Villa No 2 in a move considered both important and shrewd.

King shared the news on Twitter, labelling it as ‘a significant move by Emery’, while Collomosse also took to social media to praise the coach’s experience.

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The Verdict: Good news?

Ayestaran has previous experience in the Premier League with Liverpool where he worked under Rafael Benitez, helping the Reds win four trophies in three years.

The 59-year-old also has plenty of experience as a manager, so a move to work alongside Emery could prove to be a coup in the long run.

We saw first hand with Steven Gerrard how important backroom staff can be, with Michael Beale’s departure over the summer coinciding with Villa’s form plummeting during the current campaign, so hopefully, Ayestaran will have a positive impact.

Liverpool parted ways with the recruitment genius behind Jurgen Klopp’s talented squad at Anfield as Michael Edwards left the club this summer after masterminding years of both incoming and outgoing transfers behind the scenes.

In the last six years, the Reds have celebrated some of their biggest successes at the hands of meticulous attention to detail and smart recruitment choices made by the former sporting director including the first Premier League title back in 2020.

There have been many players that have come and gone on the red side of Merseyside but rarely do players have a better career when they make the move away from Liverpool.

Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Luis Suarez and Suso are a handful of the players who went on to succeed beyond their days wearing the famous red shirt.

In most cases, Edwards sanctioned moves away for various players for a very good reason and one player he certainly had a masterclass with was Jordon Ibe.

Ibe was sold to Bournemouth for a club record transfer fee of £15m back in 2016 after making 58 appearances, scoring just four goals and delivering seven assists over his time in the Liverpool team.

The quick-footed winger was tipped for big things when he first joined the club, being dubbed “the next Raheem Sterling” in some circles, while some even suggested he could usurp the current England international.

One such claim was courtesy of Jamie Redknapp, who speaking in July 2016 said:

“I think he has more natural ability than Raheem Sterling. Anything Raheem Sterling struggles with, Jordon Ibe can do. I would hate to play against him with his pace and power.”

Unfortunately, the attacker never lived up to that potential, enduring a rather sorry time with Bournemouth.

After four years, 92 appearances, a stint in rehab and just five goals scored for the Cherries, the winger was then moved on to Derby County on a free transfer in 2020, putting his nightmare tenure on the south coast behind him.

Sadly, Ibe was unable to make his presence known at the Rams either, making just 25 appearances and within one year was released from his contract by mutual consent following a struggle with depression.

In January 2022, the 26-year-old forward made his return to football following a legal dispute with Bournemouth over image rights payments, joining Turkish second division Adanaspor where he penned a three-and-a-half-year deal. Aptly, he is yet to make an appearance.

It’s safe to say that Ibe has had a rough ride since he left Merseyside six years ago with the player frequently speaking out about suffering from mental health issues over his career so far, but he may now have the chance to brighten his future in football whilst over in Turkey.

With that being said, selling the player for £15m was a great piece of business from Edwards when you consider how his career has regressed on the pitch after leaving Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the most recognisable clubs in the world, but do you know which celebrities and sportsmen you’re likely to spot at 3pm on a Saturday in this particular part of north London?

Spurs have got off to a fantastic start to the 2022/23 Premier League season under the guidance of manager Antonio Conte and managing director Fabio Paratici. After seven matches, the Lilywhites sit third in the league table with 17 points, trailing Manchester City only on goal difference.

The international break gives Tottenham the chance to recharge as they look to maintain their strong start to the season, in which they are yet to lose in the top flight.

Fans will be hoping to see their favourite stars, the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, fit and firing when club football returns with the highly-anticipated north London derby on October 1 – a difficult test against the Premier League leaders.

In the meantime, why not put your Tottenham knowledge to the test? It’s simple! All you have to do is tell us which celebrities are really Spurs fans in the quiz below!

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a surprise move for Daniel James this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Spurs have targeted the Leeds United and Wales winger heading into the final week of the summer transfer window.

“Spurs shock interest in Dan James,” he tweeted.

At this early stage, it remains to be seen exactly how much the 24-year-old would command or if the Yorkshire side would even be open to a sale, having paid around £25m for him only last August.

Alasdair Gold of football.london has also revealed that Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici is a fan of the Leeds star and that he would not be considered as a homegrown player.

Paratici’s first disaster

You have to wonder what the Italian supremo has been watching since his arrival in England because James hasn’t been good enough since his step-up to Premier League football and subsequently, the former Manchester United flop would be something of a disaster for Spurs too.

Indeed, the Welsh international has provided only ten goals and 12 assists across 84 top-flight appearances, which works out to be one contribution every 265 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

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By comparison, Dejan Kulusveski – who is likely to cost Spurs just £4.2m more than what James cost Leeds – has averaged a goal or assist every 110 minutes despite only playing 23 games in England since his arrival in January.

The diminutive 5 foot 7 winger has appeared lightweight coming up against many a Premier League defence, having won just 39% of his duels per game last season, whilst former striker Darren Bent once dubbed him “headless” in his decision-making.

Whilst his international teammate and current Spurs star Ben Davies might be a fan of his, once dubbing him a “top player” and a “really grounded kid,” it seems unlikely that this move would be beneficial to manager Antonio Conte.

James has really struggled in the big time and his arrival would not help their homegrown quota whatsoever, so there seems little point in taking the risk on the £50k-per-week dud.

When compared to other wingers in Europe, the Leeds man ranks outside the top 45% of players for every key attacking metric, ranging from passes attempted, where he’s in the lowest 1%, to total shots and successful dribbles, via FBref.

Those disastrous returns should really put Paratici off a move, otherwise, he would be making one of his first big mistakes in north London.

Tottenham could do far better than James and as such, the Italian must not take their shock interest any further.

AND in other news, Paratici could end Spurs’ summer with a bang in £50m swoop for “extraordinary talent”…

Nottingham Forest will turn their attention to another Premier League star, after completing two huge deals…

 What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Everton have actively made a move to sign Southampton striker Che Adams.

However, they will have to battle it out with Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest, who are all also interested in the £52k-per-week ace.

With the Tricky Trees closing in on deals for both Emmanuel Dennis and Remo Freuler, this could be their final signing to finish bolstering their incredibly deep squad.

Imagine him & Dennis

The signing of the 24-year-old Watford star Dennis – who impressed in his debut season in the Premier League last time out – will certainly excite fans around the City Ground. However, signing Adams – a proven talent in the league over numerous seasons – could be even more important in transforming the Reds’ squad into one capable of survival.

The 26-year-old scored seven and assisted three last year for a Saints side that slumped to 15th, suggesting that he can perform for a team that are at the lower end of the table.

This, combined with ten goals and six assists from the Nigerian, will give Steve Cooper a solid foundation of goals to hopefully prop them up in the league.

Dennis also ranked in the top 5% for aerials won, and with the “relentless” Adams used to playing off another striker and picking up the pieces of knockdowns from the likes of Armando Broja, the two could form a fine partnership with blistering speed and an aerial threat.

The Scottish international has proven that he can score when given the chance, however, his 0.9 key passes per game and six big chances created last term suggest that, alongside a more prolific forward like Dennis, his creative numbers could explode.

His 6.85 average SofaScore rating outlines him as one of the top six performers for an underwhelming Southampton team, and his consistency will be a useful asset for a side who could be battling at the bottom of the table for most of the campaign.

Adams and Dennis, whilst both regarded as fine if unspectacular Premier League strikers, could combine to see both of their numbers increase exponentially. They could bring the best out of one another, and in the process steer Forest well clear of the drop.