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Tottenham Hotspur managed to pick up a much-needed and hard-fought win in the Europa League on Thursday night, but any hope of an uptick in form was quickly squashed on Sunday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou’s side played out a dismal 2-1 defeat to the relegation-threatened Leicester City in the Premier League, and it’s starting to look like the club could genuinely be pulled into a relegation battle.

In the manager’s defence, he has been forced to play a makeshift backline consisting of a young midfielder in Archie Gray, an ageing full-back in Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin, who is now clearly below the standard required to even be a backup for the Lilywhites.

Fortunately, recent reports have touted a far more accomplished centre-back for a move to the club, a centre-back who could send the Romanian international packing.

Tottenham target defensive titan

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are one of several teams to have registered their interest in Feyenoord star David Hancko.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that fellow Premier League side Chelsea have also asked the Dutch side for information on the Slovakian, while Juventus and Atlético Madrid are also mooted as potential suitors.

However, the report explains that the Eredivisie outfit are adamant that their defender is not for sale this month but is expected to have an asking price of around €50m for him in the summer, which is about £42m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given how well Hancko has played in recent seasons and the dismal form of Dragusin, it’s one well worth pursuing.

How Hancko compares to Dragusin

So, the first thing to say is that, when fit, the starting centre-back pairing for Tottenham next season will almost certainly still be Cristan Romero and Micky van de Ven, as the nous and leadership of the former and the breathtaking speed and athleticism of the latter make them a truly formidable partnership.

However, with both of them being somewhat injury-prone and playing an incredibly intense style of football under Postecoglou, the need for a reliable and skilful backup who does not drop the level too much is a necessity, and we have seen over the last year or so that Dragusin is most certainly not that.

Therefore, should Daniel Levy and Co sanction the signing of Hancko in the summer, he’d initially come in to challenge and hopefully usurp the Romanian as that first-choice backup, but how do the two centre-backs stack up when we take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers?

Unsurprisingly, it’s the Feyenoord star who comes out victorious and, unfortunately for the Spurs man, it’s not even close.

For example, the Slovakian titan comes out ahead in almost every metric, including, but not limited to, actual and expected non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy, key passes, passes into the penalty area and final third, shot and goal-creating actions, tackles won, interceptions, clearances and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.20

0.03

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.19

0.03

Progressive Passes

5.71

2.53

Progressive Carries

1.71

0.37

Passing Accuracy

86.9%

85.8%

Key Passes

0.57

0.21

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.43

0.16

Passes into the Final Third

4.14

3.26

Live Passes

51.9

57.3

Shot-Creating Actions

1.43

0.53

Goal-Creating Actions

0.14

0.05

Tackles Won

0.94

0.41

Interceptions

1.06

1.01

Clearances

5.14

4.16

Blocks

1.43

1.79

Errors Leading to a shot

0.00

0.32

Successful Take-Ons

0.57

0.05

Ball Recoveries

2.71

3.47

Aerial Duels Won

0.71

2.21

Moreover, while the 27-year-old has the height to be a central defender, coming in at 6 foot 2, he’s no slouch with the ball at his feet, with respected analyst Ben Mattinson describing him as a “freak technician” who’s no stranger to “carrying the ball from deep,” “interchanging with midfielders,” and “driving into the box,” which makes him sound like the perfect player for Postecoglou.

Finally, he has worn the captain’s armband a number of times for Feyenoord this season, and with 48 senior caps to his name as well, he’s no stranger to the biggest stages.

Ultimately, while Dragusin has put in some reasonable performances for Spurs over the last year, they have been far and few between, and if the club want to progress, they’ll need stronger options at the back.

Therefore, while it would represent a significant investment, Levy and Co should do what they can to sign Hancko this year.

Better than Solanke in 23/24: Spurs move close to signing £25m "powerhouse"

The international striker might be just what Spurs need this season.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 27, 2025

Pierre de Bruyn, Albie Morkel and Morne Morkel part of the team’s support staff for the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2022Gerhard Erasmus has been retained as Namibia’s captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, having led them into the Super 12s of 2021 tournament in the UAE. The 16-member squad also features T20 globetrotter David Wiese and left-arm seamer Ruben Trumpelmann who earned a gig with Desert Vipers for the upcoming International League T20 in the UAE.Trumpelmann had grabbed eyeballs at the last T20 World Cup, when he struck three times in the first over against Scotand in Abu Dhabi.The squad also included wicketkeeper-batter Lohan Louwrens, batter Divan la Cock and seamer Tangeni Lungameni, who will all be playing their first World Cup.ESPNcricinfo LtdNambia’s coaching group has a rich South African flavour in the form of Pierre de Bruyn (head coach), Albie Morkel (assistant coach) and Morne Morkel (bowling consultant). Both de Bruyn and Albie were part of Namibia’s impressive World Cup campaign last year.Former South Africa allrounder Wiese, who is currently playing for St Lucia Kings in CPL 2022, will once again be central to Namibia’s chances at the tournament. Wiese has also had stints in the PSL, IPL and more recently with Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.Jan Nicol Lofie-Eaton who has also had exposure outside Namibia – he had recently trained with Lahore Qalandars, the current PSL champions, in Pakistan – is in the mix too.In the opening round of the T20 World Cup, Namibia will take on Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka, Netherlands and UAE in Geelong.

England stars Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp made their long awaited returns from injury after coming off the bench for Manchester City.

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Greenwood & Hemp had long-term injuriesBoth return for Manchester CityBig boost for England ahead of EurosFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

City captain Greenwood and forward Hemp came off the bench in their side's 1-0 win at Leicester City on Sunday in the Women's Super League, with the latter setting up Jess Park's decisive goal. After months out with respective knee injuries, the pair managed to come through this encounter unscathed.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

City have badly missed the talismanic duo in recent months but now they are back this is a relief for the WSL side and a big boost for England as they prepare for this summer's European Championships.

DID YOU KNOW?

Greenwood, 31, was stretchered off in City's Champions League victory over St Polten in December and underwent surgery on her medial collateral ligament (MCL) as a result. While Hemp, 24, underwent knee surgery in November and is only back playing this week.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Greenwood and Hemp will hope to feature again when City take on rivals Manchester United in the WSL next Sunday.

On paper, Sri Lanka have the better spinners, but they will need some stars to align if they are to upset the hosts

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Oct-20221:12

Marsh: ‘Our backs are against the wall and we know what’s in front of us now’

Big pictureIs it possible? Are Sri Lanka in a better place going into this match than defending champions Australia?You could make a case, but not really. It’s complicated. Australia were beaten so profoundly by New Zealand in their tournament opener, their NRR has plummeted to a truly appalling -4.45. Sri Lanka, having thrashed Ireland first up, have a NRR of 2.467.NRRs only come into play if teams are on equal points ahead of the semi-finals. But you’re aiming to be the two best sides in a six-team group. Competition is fierce. And NRRs will weigh on teams’ minds. Sides as far back as Australia, who ordinarily are expected to beat Sri Lanka on home tracks, have that little extra inkling of pressure upon them. They don’t just want to beat Sri Lanka; they want to win big.Sri Lanka will be content with just winning. In Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Dhananjaya de Silva, they have better spinners than Australia. But on paper, Sri Lanka don’t win a lot of battles. They don’t have a pace attack of the quality of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. And while Kusal Mendis looks as if he is working himself up to serious form, Sri Lanka’s middle order did not put up serious numbers in the qualifiers. They are heavily dependent on those 8-12 overs of spin.If an upset is to happen here, some stars will need to align. The likes of Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa may have to produce the kinds of innings they did in the recent Asia Cup, which Sri Lanka won. Sri Lanka’s inexperienced seamers will need to perform beyond expectation also.Related

Spinners, Kusal Mendis star in Sri Lanka's comfortable win

Marsh bowling boost for chastened Australia with World Cup already on the line

Finch: Australia's 'fate out of our own hands to a point'

Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)Australia LLLWWSri Lanka WWWLWIn the spotlightAustralia’s openers are their top-scorers this year, which isn’t particularly surprising. However, they have hurt Sri Lanka many times before, and will be confident of taking down the opposition’s novice seam attack. Aaron Finch has three fifties and strikes at 136 against Sri Lanka. David Warner has monstered Sri Lanka in the past, hitting six fifties and a hundred. His 642 runs against them is his highest against any opposition, and he has scored those runs at a strike rate of 141. Sri Lanka will probably need them out early to make a game of this.Although Wanindu Hasaranga gets a lot of headlines, Maheesh Theekshana has been building himself quite the record too. After 28 T20Is, he has 29 wickets, and an impressive economy rate of 6.42 when you consider he often bowls at least one over in the powerplay. In the absence of Sri Lanka’s go-to death bowler in Dushmantha Chameera, Theekshana will likely have to bowl towards the end of an innings too. So far, he’s done the job nicely. He’s got seven wickets, and maintained an economy rate of 5.86 so far in this tournament.Australia’s opening defeat to New Zealand has left their NRR at an appalling -4.45•ICC/Getty ImagesPitch and conditionsThere is a small chance of rain in Perth, but it’s unlikely to impact the cricket hugely. Not a lot is known about how the Perth stadium pitch will behave, because it is not only a new stadium, it also saw little cricket over the pandemic. But it tends to be a boundary-hitting ground.Team newsSri Lanka are likely to slot Pathum Nissanka back in the XI, and perhaps put seamer Pramod Madushan back into play too, with both seeming to have recovered from niggles. This means Ashen Bandara, and perhaps Lahiru Kumara, go out.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Pramod Madushan, 11 Binura Fernando/Lahiru KumaraAustralia are likely to be unchanged despite their big loss.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt.), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodStats and triviaAustralia have won eight of the T20s they’ve played against Sri Lanka at home, to Sri Lanka’s seven. One of those wins was a Super Over victory. Dasun Shanaka has had an outstanding 2022, in which he’s hit 456 runs, at a strike rate of 142. But he’s had a modest World Cup so far, with scores of 29, 0, and 8 in his three innings. The three most-prolific T20I batters against Sri Lanka are Australia batters. Warner is No. 1 and, Finch No. 3, with 446 career runs against them. Glenn Maxwell, at No. 2 on this list, has the most impressive stats – he’s hit 459 at a strike rate of 175.

Leeds United are marching on in their bid for promotion from the Championship but the latest update has brought some cause for concern on the injury front.

Leeds prepare for hectic fixture run

While the Whites find themselves five points clear, cautious optimism among supporters will remain stoic as the Yorkshire giants look to put the seal on promotion to the Premier League at the second attempt. This weekend, Leeds take on Millwall in a much-anticipated FA Cup tie at Elland Road between two sides with no love lost. However, league action is the priority for Daniel Farke, which may see the German boss rotate his squad for the Lions’ visit on Saturday.

Completing a short turnaround, they then make the trip to face Watford on Tuesday evening. Speaking ahead of the Whites’ latest clash Farke confirmed Patrick Bamford is the only notable absentee to face Millwall: “At the moment the only player who is not in team training is Patrick [Bamford], and for that, that’s the first step for him to return back to team training.

“It will happen at some point next week, we will see, it depends on the final stages of his rehab. Definitely not in the mix for Saturday, but all the others are available and for that all have a chance to be involved in the matchday squad.”

However, just because he he has a near clean bill of health to choose from, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t players struggling through the pain barrier to ensure they are fit and available to fight for promotion to the top-flight.

Joe Rodon's dedication to the Leeds United cause

Speaking on LUTV, commentator Bryn Law revealed that a family member revealed at half-time during Leeds United’s 2-0 victory over Coventry City that Joe Rodon has been playing with a broken hand, which has been an ongoing issue for the Wales international.

He stated on the live broadcast: “Broken hand he has, I was reliably informed by a member of the Rodon family at half-time. He has had the issue for quite a while, hence the fact that bandage has been there for quite a while.”

Now valued at just £300k: Orta struck gold by selling £7m Leeds star

Leeds United made the right call in offloading one player given his decline in value.

1 ByEthan Lamb Feb 6, 2025

Putting his body on the line through incredible dedication, the Swansea-born central defender has been a standout in his 33 appearances for Leeds this campaign.

Previously hailed as ‘perfect role model of a modern-day defender’ by Farke, Rodon’s presence on the field could be the difference between his side being able to claim their place back in the limelight of the top flight.

Joe Rodon’s excellent Leeds United season in numbers (Fotmob)

Duels won

119

Pass accuracy

92.6%

Aerial duels won

71

Recoveries

125

Earning his stripes after moving to Yorkshire from Tottenham Hotspur, you get the impression that there is plenty more to come from the 27-year-old as the season reaches it’s business end.

Whether he can stay fit is another question, but the fact he has been able to play through a fairly painful injury suggests he has the robust qualities needed to satisfy the demand of a heavy domestic fixture schedule bestowed on Farke’s men.

Already setting their sights on some bargain deals, Rangers are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a Championship gem ahead of Crystal Palace when the summer transfer window arrives.

Rangers transfer news

Fresh from a shock cup exit at the hands of Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park, the Gers will be desperate to find some fresh positives as the pressure continues to increase on Philippe Clement. Reports have even gone as far as to suggest that the Belgian could lose his job if Rangers are knocked out of the Europa League last 16.

Off the pitch, meanwhile, what far from helped Clement is the fact that Rangers managed to welcome just one reinforcement in the January transfer window, which came in the form of Rafael Fernandes on loan from LOSC Lille.

The central defender has already made two appearances and made his first start in an unfortunate full debut to forget against Queen’s Park. Whether Fernandes proves to be a great success or not, however, it’s clear that those at Ibrox must and Clement a number of summer reinforcements.

Rangers must sack Clement and hire "kamikaze" replacement

Rangers should move on from Philippe Clement by pursuing a deal for this manager.

ByDan Emery Feb 12, 2025

According to Football Insider, Rangers are now plotting a summer move to sign Zaid Betteka ahead of Norwich City and Crystal Palace. The Birmingham City teenager is yet to sign a new deal at the League One club and will, therefore, be free to leave this summer as things stand.

A bargain deal, Rangers should have no financial concerns over a deal for the young winger, who is set to have quite the decision to make when the summer arrives. Whilst Selhurst Park would be hard to turn down, the prospect of game time at Ibrox may well play a large part in Betteka’s choice.

Betteka has major decision to make

Having already made his senior debut for Birmingham, the pathway certainly seems there for Betteka to take at his boyhood club. Whether he takes it is another story, however. Interest from both Rangers and Crystal Palace hands him a crucial choice to make at just 18 years old. Given how he’s performed at U21 level so far this season too, Betteka is undoubtedly ready for more first-team action.

Amid Oscar Cortes’ consistent injury struggles too, Rangers may well need to consider signing another attacking spark sooner rather than later and Betteka can provide exactly that.

When the summer arrives, the Gers must simply act – whether that means signing the Birmingham youngster or shifting their attention to other options. When the window arrives, meanwhile, it may be too little too late to save Clement’s job.

A world away in the Scottish Premiership title race and out of the Scottish Cup in shock fashion, those at Ibrox have plenty of important decisions to make in the coming months.

991 players put their names forward, but Dwayne Bravo is not part of it

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Dec-2022Sam Curran, who was player of the final and the tournament at the 2022 World Cup, is among 21 men who have listed the maximum reserve price of INR 2 crore (approx US$ 246,000) for the 2023 IPL auction.Not a single Indian player is listed in the 2 crore bracket which includes marquee names like England Test captain Ben Stokes, Australian allrounder Cameron Green, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and Nicholas Pooran who stepped down recently as West Indies white-ball captain.Related

Curran, Stokes and Green to be in second set at IPL 2023 auction

Bravo retires from IPL, takes over as Chennai Super Kings' bowling coach

Pollard, Williamson, Bravo, Mayank released: How the IPL teams stack up ahead of the 2023 player auction

A maximum of 87 players can be bought at the auction (squad strength of 25 each) of which 30 can be overseas names. The auction is scheduled on December 23 in Kochi.A total of 991 players (714 Indian and 277 overseas) are part of the initial long list which the IPL shared with the 10 franchises on Thursday. The IPL will prune this down based on input from the franchises, who have until December 9 to get back to the tournament authorities.A break down of the IPL 2023 auction long list•ESPNcricinfo LtdAgarwal, Rahane part of Indian group
In what is a first, not one Indian player is listed in the highest reserve price band of 2 crore. The list of 19 capped Indians mainly comprises discarded national players including Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Mayank Agarwal.Rahane was released by Kolkata Knight Riders having bought him for 1 crore in the last auction. His base price this time is 50 lakh. Ishant, who had gone unsold in 2022, is asking for 75 lakh.Agarwal was the first player to be retained ahead of the mega auction last year by Punjab Kings and was also handed captaincy of the team. However, a below par season, both for the player and the franchise, forced Kings to release Agarwal, who had been paid 14 crore last season.Agarwal has listed his base price at 1 crore. Left-arm fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat, who has been among the highest-paid players at IPL auctions, has listed his base price at 50 lakh. Unadkat, who has been in stellar form having led Saurashtra to the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, where he is the leading wicket-taker, was released by Mumbai Indians, who had bought him for 1.3 crore in 2022.Focus on Curran, Stokes, Green
The most keenly awaited part of an IPL auction – mega or mini – has been the order in which a player’s name comes out for bidding. And usually franchises pay a lot of attention, and money to the marquee names*. It is fair to assume that Curran, Stokes, Williamson and Pooran will be part of this set along with probably Agarwal.Overseas allrouders have always been a mega hit at mini auctions and the in-form trio of Curran, Stokes and Green will fancy a fat pay cheque as an early Christmas present on December 23. While Green has never featured in IPL, the England duo have significant experience.Currran last played in the tournament in 2021 for Chennai Super Kings before a stress fracture in his lower back forced him to miss a lot of cricket. The Super Kings had bought Curran for 5.5 crore and will once again aim to buy him though rival franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, who go in with the two biggest purses, will have a better chance of landing the England allrounder who is a proven match-winner both with ball and bat.The year 2021 was also the last time Stokes played the IPL. Representing Rajastthan Royals, Stokes left the season at the halfway stage due to an injury. Royals had bought Stokes for 12.5. crore in 2018 and had retained him for the next three years. In 2022, Stokes opted out of the IPL.As for Green, he recently said despite the massive workload confronting Australian players leading to, and immediately after, IPL 2023, he was excited to participate in the tournament. Green turned a lot of heads during Australia’s white-ball series in India just before the T20 World Cup where he scored 118 runs at a strike rate of 214.54 while opening the batting. Coupled with his bowling the 23-year old could prove to be a big asset in T20 cricket.Notable misses
Dwayne Bravo looks to have said goodbye to the IPL (at least as a player). Having been released by the Super Kings ahead of the auction, his name was not among the 991 put forward in the long list.Bravo is a three-time IPL winner and the tournament’s highest wicket-taker (183). MS Dhoni’s team had brought him on in 2011 and had kept faith in him through to 2022. But at 39 years of age and battling injuries, it is likely that the West Indian will now shift to a backroom role much like his great friend Kieron Pollard has at Mumbai Indians.Among the 14 overseas countries, Australia with 57 players have the most in the auction. But two of their very best – Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – are missing from the list. Although given how neither of them had any takers last year, and are likely to be heavily involved in Ashes preparation with the series starting June 16, it may not be too much of a surprise that they’ve chosen to skip the IPL. Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has pulled out as well.The 2 crore band: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Jamie Overton, Craig Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Kane Williamson, Rilee Rossouw, Rassie van der Dussen, Angelo Mathews, Nicholas Pooran, Jason HolderThe 1.5 crore band: Sean Abbott, Riley Meredith, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa, Shakib Al Hasan, Harry Brook, Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Sherfane RutherfordThe 1 crore band: Mayank Agarwal, Kedar Jadhav, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Moises Henriques, Andrew Tye, Joe Root, Luke Wood, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Heinrich Klaasen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kusal Perera, Roston Chase, Rakheem Cornwall, Shai Hope, Akeal Hossein, David Wiese

Luis Enrique has sent a clear message to his PSG players, warning them that Arsenal, trailing by one goal, have "nothing to lose" in the second leg.

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PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in UCL semi-final first legLuis Enrique wary of wounded Gunners Warned his players they have 'nothing to lose'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique reflected on his side's narrow 1-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, claiming that he was happy to come away with a positive result. He did, however, warn that the Gunners have "nothing to lose" in the second leg, expecting Mikel Arteta's men to come out all guns blazing at Parc des Princes next week.

AdvertisementGettyHOW DID THE FIRST LEG UNFOLD?

PSG gained a valuable early lead in the fourth minute through Ousmane Dembele. The visitors dominated the proceedings for the first 25 minutes, before a momentum shift saw Arsenal having more possession of the ball and creating chaos in and around's PSG's box.

In the second half, Mikel Merino found the back of the net but his goal was ruled out for offside. It required a disciplined defensive performance, and some magical saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma, for Les Parisiens to come away unscathed, despite their superiority for large portions of the game. Indeed, they will be annoyed they didn't score twice, with Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos both wasting huge late opportunities.

Given that Arsenal had no problems creating chances, Luis Enrique expects the north Londoners to be a dangerous proposition in the return meeting.

WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

Speaking to the press after the game, Luis Enrique said (h/t Get French Football News): "We’ve reached our first objective with tonight’s result, which could have been a draw or a 2-0 win – but nobody can change the result now. The objective now is to win the next match, and we can’t take any chances, because with one goal suddenly the tie could be level again.

"We lost at home and then we went to Anfield and got the win – now we’re ahead, but Arsenal could score themselves in Paris. They have nothing to lose, they’re behind in the tie. It’s going to be a fascinating match for football fans, but a bit tougher on the managers."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PSG AND ARSENAL?

Both Arsenal and PSG are yet to lift the Champions League. The Gunners reached the final in 2006, which they lost to Barcelona, while PSG made their only appearance in 2020, losing to Bayern Munich. The winner of this tie will have a realistic chance of winning Europe's premier club competition, with either Inter or Barca their opponents in the final. Before then, though, Mikel Arteta's men face Bournemouth in the Premier League on May 3, while the French side take on Strasbourg, having already wrapped up the league title.

Football is a brutal business, and while he still has his supporters, Ange Postecoglou’s time as Tottenham Hotspur manager could be coming to an end.

The Australian has transformed the Lilywhites from a dismally dull team into one of the most entertaining ones to watch in English football.

However, his ultra-attacking brand of football and horrendous luck with injuries has seen his side fall to 14th place in the Premier League and be knocked out of both domestic cup competitions this season.

While he might be able to steady the ship when his players start to return, he may not have the chance, as recent reports have suggested that he might be just a game away from the sack, which could see the club bring in a manager who’d be perfect for Mathys Tel and the other youngsters in the squad.

Tottenham's manager search

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Tottenham board are set to decide on Postecoglou’s future following the game against Manchester United on the weekend, which looks like it could be a tough test for the weary Lilywhites side.

In worse news for the Australian, the report has revealed that the club has recently identified two potential replacements already plying their trade in the Premier League: Brentford boss Thomas Frank and Bournemouth’s Adoni Iraola.

However, it seems incredibly unlikely that either of them will leave their current sides mid-way through the campaign, which could mean Daniel Levy and Co turn their attention to a European manager who’s currently out of a job and was quite heavily linked with Spurs last month: Edin Terzić.

Games

96

80

Wins

55

39

Draws

20

11

Losses

21

30

Points per game

1.93

1.60

The former Borussia Dortmund boss has been out of work since leaving the German behemoths in June last year, and while appointing him as the new Spurs boss could raise a few eyebrows, there are some reasons why it could be a brilliant idea.

Why appointing Terzić would be a great idea

There are two main reasons why Terzić could be the perfect manager to replace Postecoglou at Spurs, and the first is how he develops young stars.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It would be fair to say one of the few positives to come out of this season for Spurs is the emergence of Mikey Moore from the academy and how well Archie Gray, Lucas Bergval, and now even Tel have adapted to the first-team.

Therefore, it would make sense to bring in a head coach with a proven track record of developing talent, and thanks to his time with Dortmund, the German certainly has that.

For example, while the talent has always been there, he was able to platform Jude Bellingham in a way that took him from a prospect to a Galactico in the space of a few years.

He helped Erling Haaland continue his development as well, and in an interview with the Bundesliga website, the Norwegian superstar was more than happy to praise his then-manager, saying, “Edin and I have a good relationship ever since I came here and we’ve been talking a lot about different things.”

1. Marco Reus

104

25

2. Donyell Malen

73

25

3. Erling Haaland

27

24

4. Julian Brandt

115

23

5. Jude Bellingham

71

17

6. Youssoufa Moukoko

72

16

7. Jadon Sancho

44

16

So, if he has been able to help incredible prospects reach world-class status in the past, why wouldn’t he be able to do the same with someone like Tel, who produced 16 goal involvements in just 1406 minutes of first-team football last season?

The second reason hiring the “incredible” 42-year-old, as dubbed by former Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, would be a good idea is that he led Dortmund to German Cup glory in 2021, came painfully close to winning the league and Champions League, and has a better record in his last stint with the team than Postecoglou has with Spurs.

For example, in 96 games, he oversaw 55 wins, 20 draws, 21 defeats and an average of 1.93 points per game, while the Australian has taken charge of 80 games since getting the job in 2023 and overseen 39 wins, 11 draws, 30 losses and an average of just 1.60 points per game.

Ultimately, if Spurs are going to get rid of Ange in the middle of the season, then signing Terzic might be their best option, not only because he did well with Dortmund but also because he has a proven track record of getting the most out of young talents, which could be perfect for the likes of Moore, Gray and Tel.

Instead of signing Tel: Spurs could unleash sensational Hotspur Way talent

The exciting youngster could be a star for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 10, 2025

Lionel Messi has been credited with turning Inter Miami into the “Real Madrid of MLS”, with Josef Martinez detailing a stunning raising of standards.

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Argentine moved to Florida in 2023Made immediate impact on & off the fieldEveryone else forced to raise their gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Venezuelan frontman Martinez was already in South Florida when eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi arrived in the summer of 2023. He made an immediate impact with the Herons, as Leagues Cup success was savoured within weeks of his arrival.

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The most decorated player of all-time has brought several familiar faces along with him – including Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets – helping to make the Herons more competitive while attracting greater interest from a global audience.

WHAT JOSEF MARTINEZ SAID

Martinez has told the podcast: “When I joined Inter Miami, it was El Combate [The Combat] FC. When it became official (Messi’s signing), it went from being the worst team in MLS to the Real Madrid of MLS.

“Before Messi’s first training session, not even people on Instagram knew us, not even the club’s own journalists came. That was the first time I met my godfather, and people who didn’t even know I existed were writing to me. Outside, there were 1,000 journalists – when before, we had seen maybe one. And there were 50,000 people at the first training session. It changed overnight.”

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Martinez added on Messi: “He had already won everything, and yet he was there and was the first to arrive. He might be the most disciplined, but with us – or at least with me – he was great. That made you feel like you had to match his level. Before, there were players who couldn’t even complete a pass.

“[Robert] Taylor couldn’t score on God himself. Messi arrived, and he became the team’s top scorer. Everyone’s level rose. From being a team nobody watched, to being the biggest spotlight in the league – you couldn’t afford to fail.”