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After missing out on Champions League qualification last season, Ange Postecoglou has reportedly given the green light for Tottenham Hotspur to sanction the exit of one of last season's regular features.

Tottenham transfer news

The Premier League saw plenty of glimpses of promise from Spurs and Postecoglou last season, especially at the start of the season, but their drop-off in form at the end of the campaign exposed their lack of depth for all to see. When the likes of Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven suffered injuries, the lack of quality beyond Spurs' starting side was instantly apparent, as the likes of Emerson Royal failed to step up.

Tottenham and Levy make first move for "confident" £30m player at Euro 2024

The Lilywhites have held talks.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 16, 2024

Perhaps aware of that, the Lilywhites could be in for a busy summer transfer window. Already, they've been linked with Eberechi Eze and Takefusa Kubo. Two attacking players, it seems as though Heung-min Son could finally get the attacking talent around him that Spurs have arguably lacked since Harry Kane's exit last summer.

Eze, called up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024 this summer, would especially add the creative spark to get the best out of Son and the rest of Spurs' attack. But it's not just incomings that look to be on the cards this summer.

According to The Daily Star via Football London, Postecoglou has given the green light for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to leave Tottenham this summer, with Jose Mourinho eyeing a reunion with the midfielder at Fenerbahce. Reportedly valued at £20m by Spurs, the Dane has been linked with Juventus, Napoli, Fulham and now Fenerbahce, as a crucial career decision awaits.

Hojbjerg struggled for a consistent starting role in Postecoglou's debut campaign but did feature regularly off the bench, and with just one year left on his current contract, Spurs look set cash in this summer to avoid eventually losing the midfielder for free.

"Professional" Hojbjerg needs Tottenham exit

After starting just eight Premier League games last season, Hojbjerg must take this summer as an opportunity to move on with a number of impressive interested parties in his signature. What's more, his exit would also be a win for Spurs if they managed to receive their £20m asking price and clear Hojbjerg's reported £100k-a-week wage, before reinvesting that in a younger, more suitable option for Postecoglou.

Despite green-lighting a move this summer though, the Spurs boss was full of praise for Hojbjerg at the start of last season, saying via The Independent: “With Pierre, he is a professional and very determined to win a spot in the team. He presents himself well every day and over a 38-game season all of these guys will get an opportunity at some point. What they do with that is up to them.

“In the meantime, what is important is if they want to keep getting opportunities, they have to train well and when they do play, whether they start or not, they contribute to the team.”

Of course, eight months later and it's clear that whatever opportunity that the Australian gave Hojbjerg, it was not enough with both parties seemingly on course to part ways this summer.

Curtis Jones and Tino Livramento have been added to Lee Carsley's England squad after Harry Kane and Jack Grealish missed group training on Wednesday.

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Kane and Grealish miss trainingLivramento and Jones join squadEngland face Greece on ThursdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool midfielder Jones and Newcastle's Livramento joined up with the squad at St. George's Park late on Tuesday ahead of England's upcoming fixtures against Greece and Finland. Their presence made up for the absence of Kane and Grealish, who missed Wednesday's team training session.

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Kane missed out as he continued his individualised programme at England's training base. There are concerns that the 31-year-old isn't fully fit after he was forced off in Bayern Munich's most recent Bundesliga fixture, before missing England training on Tuesday. Grealish, meanwhile, has a minor knock and sat out of training as a precaution.

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Carsley has already been dealt a blow with Kobbie Mainoo, Ezra Konsa and Morgan Gibbs-White all withdrawing from the squad through injury. Gibbs-White's inclusion had already upset some England fans who felt that Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers deserved a chance in the senior team.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

Carsley's audition for the England job will continue with games against Greece and Finland on Wednesday and Sunday respectively. The Three Lions won both of last month's UEFA Nations League ties and will hope to continue their perfect start to the 2024-25 campaign this week.

Ireland performance director expresses “great regret” over postponement

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2020Scotland women’s series against Ireland in Spain has been postponed at late notice amid continued concerns about the prevalence of Covid-19.The teams had been due to play their first international cricket in 14 months at the La Manga resort, with two 50-over matches and three T20Is scheduled in what was believed to be the first-ever international cricket to be staged in Europe in November.But Cricket Scotland informed Cricket Ireland on Tuesday that following “specialist advice received in the last 24 hours on the risks to the player” and with “concerns at the continuing and evolving high levels of the virus in Scotland”, they had pulled out of the tour.Gus Mackay, Cricket Scotland’s CEO, said that the board’s priority was the safety of its players and that they had a responsibility to react to a change in circumstances.”Organising this series was always going to be a challenge within the current environment,” Mackay said. “We would like to thank Cricket Ireland and La Manga for their co-operation and understanding and we look forward to playing the series when it is safe to do so. We very much appreciate the hard work put into planning the trip and are very sorry it has ultimately not been practical at our end to go ahead.”Richard Holdsworth, Cricket Ireland’s performance director, said: “It was with great regret that we had to inform our players and support staff that Scotland has withdrawn from the tour on the eve of departure. Despite significant work and planning by all parties to mitigate risks in regard to Covid-19, it is regrettable that we are where we are. We are all disappointed for our squad as we know how hard they have been preparing for this series.”The tour was important to start building the players’ loads as preparation for next year’s World Cup Qualifier, particularly given the lack of international playing time for the squad this year. We shall take stock of the situation, and look to re-engineer our plans as soon as possible.”

Neymar claims to have “suffered every day” during his 12-month injury nightmare, with the Brazil international breaking down in tears.

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Damaged knee ligaments in 2023Has taken in long road to recoveryDetermined to entertain fans againFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 32-year-old playmaker has been reflecting on his latest spell stuck on the sidelines as he prepares to make a long-awaited return to action with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal. Neymar has, after stepping back into full training, been included in their squad for an AFC Champions League trip to Al-Ain.

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Neymar has not figured for club or country since suffering knee ligament damage while on 2026 World Cup qualifying duty in October 2023. Questions have been asked of his future while on the treatment table, with there suggestions that his time in the Middle East could be cut short, but Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer is ready to silence any doubters.

WHAT NEYMAR SAID

Discussing his epic journey back to full fitness with the YouTube channel, a tearful Neymar said: “I felt a huge pain. In that moment I already knew it was serious. What I want most in life is to play football. I have suffered every day I've been away from the pitch. This is what hurts me the most. I am focused on the most important people in my life, my family and friends, and football. I have risen every time I have been injured. But I don't return halfway.”

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Neymar has been restricted to just five appearances for Al-Hilal since completing a big-money transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. His contract is only due to run until the summer of 2025, but there is an extension option within those terms that could keep him in Riyadh for another year.

Arsenal and sporting director Edu Gaspar are expected to launch their opening bid for an in-demand £42 million star, coming after a pretty quiet transfer window so far.

Arteta looking at signing new defenders for Arsenal

The north Londoners finished 2023/2024 with the best defensive record out of any Premier League side, conceding the fewest goals over a campaign where they fell just short of their first title in 20 years.

Edu prepared to make Arsenal bid for £102m star as cut-price move possible

The Gunners think he’s ideal.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 2, 2024

Despite this, it is believed Mikel Arteta is pursuing more strength in depth for his back line. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have shone at the heart of Arsenal's defence for nearly two years, but a prolonged absence for either player would surely spell trouble for Arteta.

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Ben White have featured more predominantly as full-back options for Arsenal, meaning the Gunners could be after a different star centre-half option who can provide back up for Saliba and Gabriel.

Arsenal

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Man City

34

Liverpool

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Everton

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Man United/Crystal Palace

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Arsenal are considering talks to sign Guehi from Crystal Palace as one target, but have also been linked with Barcelona star Jules Kounde and Bologna sensation Riccardo Calafiori as well.

The latter has emerged as one of Europe's most sought-after defenders, following a brilliant Serie A campaign at Bologna and promising showings for Italy at Euro 2024. Calafiori, who made 30 league appearances and impressed under former boss Thiago Motta, is also wanted by his ex-manager at Juventus.

Calafiori is open to joining Juve, according to Fabrizio Romano, and some reports have even claimed that Carlo Ancelotti is a fan as well. Real Madrid are apparently targeting Calafiori among the plethora of sides taking an interest, with Bologna director Giovanni Sartori recently admitting that he's likely to move abroad over Turin.

“We only signed Calafiori 12 months ago, so we’ll see what happens, but in our minds we want to keep him,” he told reporters at a recent event (via TEAMtalk).

“There has been talk of Juventus, but also many other clubs. If we were to receive big offers, we’d have to think about it. I don’t think he will go to Juventus, it will probably be abroad, but I repeat we will try to keep him.”

Edu expected to launch opening Arsenal bid for Calafiori

TEAMtalk have an update on Arsenal's pursuit of the former FC Basel starlet this week. It is believed that Edu is expected to submit an opening Arsenal bid for Calafiori soon, but face competition from rivals abroad and domestically in the Premier League.

A key attraction in terms of moving for the Italian is his versatility. The left-sided centre-back can also feature at left-back, meaning Arteta could kill two birds with one stone and sign cover for two areas of his defence.

However, given the 50 per cent sell-on clause Basel agreed to sell Calafiori to Bologna, the Serie A side could demand a premium. Some reports suggest this could be as high as £42 million.

Moeen Ali returns to team hotel after aborted attempt to relocate him to Galle after Covid result

George Dobell06-Jan-2021England’s tour of Sri Lanka will continue – for now, at least – after the latest round of Covid-19 tests showed no new positive results.The squad will hold their first training session of the tour in Hambantota on Wednesday afternoon, where Moeen Ali has now returned to stay in separate accommodation, after an aborted plan to relocate him to Galle following his positive Covid test.There had been anxiety over the future of the tour after Ali’s test result upon arrival in Sri Lanka. Chris Woakes, who travelled from Birmingham to Heathrow airport in the same car as Ali, was also put in quarantine as he was considered a close contact and there were concerns that the virus may have spread through more of the tour party.News that the rest of the squad – including Woakes – tested negative after a new round of testing on Tuesday will be a significant relief both to the England camp and Sri Lankan authorities nervous over the prevalence of the virus in the UK.While it would be wrong to think the threat to the tour has passed completely – the entire tour party will be tested again on Thursday in the understanding that the virus sometimes takes several days to manifest itself – the news revives the prospect of the series getting underway as scheduled in Galle on January 14.Not all has gone smoothly, however. Although Ali was on Tuesday transferred to a hotel in Galle booked for just such an eventuality, upon arrival it was concluded by the ECB’s chief medical officer, Nick Peirce, that building work rendered it unsuitable.Related

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James Anderson: Sri Lanka have 'slight advantage' heading into England series

Moeen Ali tests positive for Covid-19 as England arrive in Sri Lanka

England touring party in Sri Lanka faces anxious wait on Covid-19 test results

As a result, he was transferred back to Hambantota – a round trip of over 250 kilometres – and, after an alternative option in the town was also rejected as “not up to standard as per the protocols” in the words of a team spokesperson, is now isolating in a separate wing of the team hotel. Woakes, too, remains in isolation but should be able to join the tour party next week if he continues to return negative tests.To round off a tough day for Ali, he is now experiencing mild symptoms of Covid-19. While nothing is confirmed at this stage, it is increasingly hard to see him playing in either of the Tests on the Sri Lankan leg of this tour, with some doubt as to his availability for the start of the series in India.

Ruben Amorim insisted he only wanted Manchester United after leaving Sporting CP despite being contacted by multiple other clubs with higher wages.

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Amorim will replace Erik ten Hag at Man UtdSet to take charge from November 11Was earlier linked with move to LiverpoolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United confirmed Amorim as their new head coach on Friday, setting the stage for the 39-year-old Portuguese manager to take over from Erik ten Hag on November 11. Although linked to a potential role at Liverpool, where he was rumoured to replace Jurgen Klopp in the summer, talks between Amorim and the Merseyside club fell through, with the Reds ultimately opting for Arne Slot.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT AMORIM SAID

Amorim has been transparent about his reasons for choosing United, explaining that his decision was motivated by his vision for the team rather than financial incentives. In a press conference after Friday's 5-1 league victory over Estrela, he revealed he had received multiple offers, including one that would have tripled his earnings, but none matched his aspirations as well as the opportunity at Old Trafford.

"I've had other opportunities – the president and [director of football] Hugo Viana can confirm this. It's not the first or the second time that I have been requested by another team and I don't want another team," said Amorim.

"After Sporting I wanted that one, Manchester, and I want that context because that context allows me to do things my way and the club believes me that way. There's a time when I have to take a step forward in my career. That's what happened. It was harder for me than for any Sporting fan, believe me, but I had to do this. People say 'it's about the money', but there was another team that wanted to hire me before and they paid three times more than Manchester."

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Amorim has two significant matches ahead before he heads towards the English shores, including a Champions League face-off against Manchester City and a league encounter with Braga, where he hopes to leave the club in a strong position before his departure.

Emphasising the pride he has taken in his time at Sporting, he added: "It was the best phase of my life. Everyone at Sporting knows. I understand the disappointment of the fans but today is not the farewell. We still have two important games against Manchester City [in the Champions League] and Braga [in the league] to maintain the lead. For three days I said I wanted to stay until the end of the season, but then I was told it was not possible. Now I go home happier because I have explained."

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Amorim’s contract, which extends until June 2027, marks him as the sixth full-time manager at United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. His appointment is a testament to his achievements with Sporting as he guided the Lisbon-based club to two Portuguese league titles, including their first in nearly two decades.

Arsenal are considering a move for one highly-regarded attacker with 148 career goals in total, coming as a squad member becomes open to leaving this summer.

Edu and Arteta identify forward targets for Arsenal

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, assisted by the club's recruitment team and high-ranking transfer chief Edu Gaspar, has identified several rumoured forward targets as Arsenal look to upgrade their ranks ahead of next season.

Arsenal have submitted opening bid for ex-player who "works his socks off"

Edu and the recruitment team have gone in with their first bid.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 11, 2024

The likes of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz played a crucial role with their attacking impetus last season – racking up a brilliant 51 goals and a further 23 assists between them in all competitions – but Arteta is believed to want another option.

Indeed, Arsenal's manager is keen on a young striking partner for Havertz, leading to their interest in signing RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko earlier this window. Unfortunately, the Slovenia international decided to remain at Leipzig – even putting pen to paper on a new contract despite an offer from Arsenal and other elite Premier League sides.

Luckily, Edu and co have earmarked opposing targets for the 21-year-old. One example is Arsenal displaying a rumoured interest in Ajax striker Brian Brobbey recently, as Arteta seeks an alternative option to Gabriel Jesus going forward.

Arsenal have also been linked with both Sporting Lisbon sensation Viktor Gyokeres and Napoli star Victor Osimhen since the window opened, but both strikers could become very costly operations for interested sides.

Player

Goals

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

BBC Sport

Gyokeres' contract includes a seismic £86 million release clause, while it is believed Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is holding firm on Osimhen's £110 million exit clause as well.

A much cheaper and attainable choice, especially considering he has just one year left on his contract, is Lille talisman Jonathan David. The Canada international, who's racked up 148 career goals for both club and country, could be available for just £20 million.

Arsenal ponder Jonathan David signing as Eddie Nketiah considers exit

CaughtOffside have an update this week concerning Arsenal, David and Eddie Nketiah.

According to their information, Arsenal are pondering a move for David as Nketiah considers leaving the club. The latter, who scored five league goals in 27 appearances last season, is attracting serious interest from Ligue 1 giants Marseille and Arsenal could sell the 25-year-old.

Marseille are said to be preparing a bid for the £100,000-per-week Nketiah, and if the Englishman were to be sold, then Arteta would need a prolific replacement. David is being considered for that role after another prolific season in France, where he managed 26 goals 47 across appearances in all competitions last season.

Bruno Fernandes has offered a ringing endorsement of Manchester United's new boss Ruben Amorim ahead of his arrival at Old Trafford.

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Fernandes praises AmorimUnited draw 1-1 with ChelseaNew boss comes in November 11Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The United midfielder offered a positive insight into the impact that Amorim could have on the atmosphere at Old Trafford when he arrives as the new head coach. Fernandes, who played for Sporting CP before his switch to England, explained he still follows his former side and has been impressed with Amorim's spell at the club. He pointed how Amorim helped heal a fracture within the club and then led the club to two Primeira Liga titles.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT FERNANDES SAID

Speaking to , Fernandes said: "I am a big fan of Sporting and watch a lot of their games. Ruben Amorim brought the excitement back to the club – it was a little bit split when he came [to Sporting]. He transformed everything and brought everyone together."

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United have had a tough start to the season and only managed a point against Chelsea at home on Sunday as they played out a 1-1 draw. The Red Devils sit in 13th position in the Premier League and are in desperate need of revitalisation following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. Amorim has a mighty task on his hands as United look set to undergo yet another rebuild in the post-Alex Ferguson era.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

With Amorim set to join only on 11 November, United will have to face PAOK and Leicester with Ruud van Nistelrooy in the dugout. Fernandes and United will be buoyed by the arrival of the Portuguese manager who will face Ipswich in his first game in charge.

His weak impact as a leader and batsman featured prominently in franchise’s 2020 season review, ESPNcricinfo understands

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Jan-2021Rajasthan Royals are likely to release their captain and premier batsman Steven Smith ahead of the 2021 IPL auction. The Royals will take a final call shortly, before submitting the final list of retained players, the deadline for which the IPL has told franchises is January 20.ESPNcricinfo understands one of the key reasons behind considering releasing Smith is his middling form in the 2020 IPL, where the Royals finished last in the eight-team league. Smith’s weak impact as a leader and batsman featured prominently in the 2020 season review conducted by the franchise. Smith played all the 14 league matches, scoring 311 runs at a strike rate of 131, including three half-centuries.Related

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It is understood the franchise management was keen for the Royals to be more consistent in contention for the playoffs. Having won the IPL in the inaugural season in 2008, the Royals made the playoffs in 2013, 2015 and then in 2018. Smith’s lack of impact remained a talking point throughout IPL 2020 as he changed his batting position more than once: he started as an opener before moving to the middle-order.Ahead of the 2018 auction, Smith was the only player to be retained by the Royals, for INR 12.5 crore (about USD 1.953 million then). In 2018 the Royals started afresh returning from a two-year suspension and appointed Smith as the captain. However, Smith stepped down from the position in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa ahead of the IPL.But in 2019, after a faltering start to the IPL campaign, the franchise handed the captaincy back to Smith saying it was looking for a “fresh approach” while sacking Ajinkya Rahane, who had lead the franchise to the playoffs in 2018.The Royals would need to appoint a new captain in case Smith is released. One clear frontrunner within the existing squad is Indian batsman-wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, one of the impact players for the franchise in IPL 2020. On Monday, Samson led Kerala in their first match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Samson, who was recently part of white-ball leg of the Australian tour, was bought by the Royals in the 2018 auction for INR 8 crore (about USD 1.25 million then). The key reason for Samson getting picked for the Australian tour was his success in the IPL where he was the Royals’ highest run-scorer, making 375 runs at a strike rate of nearly 159, with three fifties. Samson was also part of the Royals leadership group comprising Smith, head coach Andrew McDonald, Jos Buttler, and Ben Stokes.It is understood that despite both Buttler and Stokes having more weightage in terms of experience and impact, the franchise is not keen on the English pair taking charge as a captain, keeping their availability through the upcoming IPL season in mind. In the past, England players have arrived later or left early to and from the IPL, which usually clashes with the beginning of the English summer.