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After a topsy-turvy Premier League campaign that saw them ultimately qualify for the Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur must get their recruitment right this summer to help Ange Postecoglou realise his ambitions in North London.

The Australian had the Lilywhites playing some scintillating football at points last year.

Still, a cavalcade of injuries and loss of form towards the end turned what could have been a frankly unbelievable season into a promising one.

Fortunately, reports suggest Daniel Levy and Co have been hard at work in recent weeks looking for the right players to come in and help the club take the next step, and the latest name touted for a move to N17 could do precisely that – oh, and he'd been compared to Bukayo Saka.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from SportMediaset via Calcio Napoli 24, Tottenham target Federico Chiesa will join the club this summer.

The report has claimed that while there was plenty of interest in the talented winger in his homeland this summer, he has opted to move to England and is now "close to Tottenham for 30-35 million euros."

This fee converts to between £25m and £29m, which seems like value for money for a player of Chiesa's quality.

Moreover, while the Spurs' faithful might not be his biggest fans for rivalry reasons, the fact that he has been compared to Saka in the past is certainly not a bad thing.

Why Chiesa would be a great signing and his comparison to Saka

So, before we look at the main reasons why Chiesa would be an excellent signing for Spurs, let's look at his comparison to the talisman of their North London rivals, Saka.

While there are obviously some positional similarities between the two internationals, this comparison stems from FBref, which compared players in similar positions at Euro 2024, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and concluded that the Englishman was the ninth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Italian at the tournament.

This was not based on the eye test but more so on how closely the pair ranked for several underlying numbers, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, live passes, completed long passes, touches and touches in the attacking third, and ball recoveries, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.15

0.12

Progressive Carries

4.83

4.43

Live Passes

34.5

36.0

Completed Long Passes

1.72

1.43

Touches

47.6

47.6

Touches in the Attacking Third

26.9

25.1

Ball Recoveries

3.10

3.14

However, this comparison to the England international isn't the only impressive thing about the "unstoppable" wideman, as dubbed by Giorgio Chiellini.

For example, in just 37 appearances last season, the 26-year-old dynamo scored ten goals and provided three assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games and would've made him the fourth most productive Spurs player last season.

Ultimately, for the money being reported, this deal for Chiesa seems like a total no-brainer for Levy and Co, and the comparisons to the Arsenal ace reaffirm that fact.

Spurs hit gold on "masterclass signing" who's worth way more than Eze

The Lilywhites already have a left-sided player worth a king’s ransom.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 25, 2024

West Ham United could turn their attention to a “scary” free agent after securing a deal to sign Wolves defender Max Kilman.

Kilman to become latest West Ham signing

So far this summer, the Irons have been active in the transfer market ahead of Julen Lopetegui’s first season in charge, with technical director Tim Steidten making multiple additions.

First to sign was winger Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras in a £25m+ deal and experienced goalkeeper Wes Foderingham also joined on a free transfer after his contract expired at Sheffield United. Speaking after those two deals at Lopetegui’s first official press conference as West Ham manager on Monday, Steidten said:

“I can’t tell you specifics, but it will be a busy summer for us for sure. The owner and the board have done a really good job over recent years, so we’re in good shape financially. We’re trying to build up the squad. We’re not limiting ourselves to one position – we’re looking at all areas.”

The next addition to link up for pre-season with the Irons will be long-term target Kilman, who will reunite with Lopetegui at the London Stadium.

A £40m deal has been agreed with those at Molineux, with Fabrizio Romano posting to X on Thursday:

Kilman may not be the last addition of the window, though, with attention seemingly turning back to further attacking reinforcements after Guilherme.

Corinthians winger Wesley Gassova has been one of the latest names to be linked with the Hammers, but a forward with Premier League experience is also on the club’s agenda.

West Ham eyeing Kelechi Iheanacho move

According to GiveMeSport, West Ham and Wolves, following their negotiations for Kilman, are preparing to go toe-to-toe to sign Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian is now a free agent after leaving Leicester City upon the expiration of his contract ‘and there is a possibility of discussions over a move being opened as plans are made for the fast-approaching new campaign’.

The 27-year-old spent seven years at the King Power Stadium after joining from Manchester City and was hailed by former manager Brendan Rodgers, who said: “Since he has come into the team he has just been fantastic. I am delighted for him because he is such a conscientious guy, such an honest guy, and as you can see now, a very talented player.

"I know when I came here that there were probably times when there were grumbles if he was playing but he has very quickly won over people. That is just through hard work, resilience and talent. What you are seeing is a young player at the top of his game."

Also once described as a "scary" finisher by ESPN's Colin Udoh, Iheanacho has scored 42 goals in 196 games in the Premier League, and it looks as if he could add to that in the 2024/25 campaign, possibly with West Ham.

Smashing in a scrappy goal in stoppage-time, Haji Wright and Coventry celebrated as the American finalized their thrilling second half comeback.

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• Coventry defeats Luton Town 3-2
• Club completes brilliant three-goal comeback
• USMNT's Wright scores last-gasp winner

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  USMNT winger Haji Wright was the hero for Coventry City Saturday afternoon, with the winger scoring a crucial winner in second half stoppage-time to defeat Luton Town 3-2. The strike, a scrappy tap-in, helped complete their stunning three-goal comeback after going down 2-0 to start the match.

  His fifth goal of the season, Wright found the back of the net for the second-straight match, after bagging a goal on Oct. 22 in a 1-1 draw with QPR.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Speaking after the match with Sky Sports Football, Wright was thrilled with the goal, despite the sloppy nature of it. "I don't really care as long as they go in. It was an important goal for us, you know, we were working throughout the 90 minutes to get a result like this, and for it to happen this way is amazing."

  Asked if he felt a momentum shift in the second half, the U.S. international replied "Yeah, 100 percent," while adding "Even our play in the first half gave us a bit of confidence, we knew we were creating chances and it was just a matter of time before we took one."

  With Saturday's victory, Coventry climbed out of the relegation zone in the championship after a poor start to the season, a campaign that Wright deemed "frustrating."

  "We still have loads of new players and our team's quite young, so, we're still trying to find that gel, to find that perfect tempo to play at and we're still finding our feet a bit, but today was a great result."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In every single match Wright has scored in this season, Coventry have claimed a result. Saturday was also the 26-year-old's second stoppage-time winner of the year, with his first coming on Aug. 16 against Oxford United.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WRIGHT, COVENTRY?

  and Wright are back in action on Nov. 2 against Middlesbrough in Championship action. They'll be searching for the second-straight victory after Saturday's heroic comeback.

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.”

The Premier League season only just came to an end, and the European Championships are right around the corner, but there's no time to sit back and take it in at Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta, Edu Gaspar, and the entire recruitment team have a few months to try and close the gap to Manchester City.

The most commonly held opinion is that the North Londoners need to bring in a new number nine this summer, and while that's probably true, they really ought to sign someone to provide Bukayo Saka with some genuine competition on the right.

Luckily, Edu and Co seem to agree with this sentiment, and the latest player touted for a move to N5 might be able to do precisely that while also winning comparisons to last year's surprise signing, Kai Havertz.

Arsenal transfer news

According to reports from Spain, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Girona's star winger, Viktor Tsyhankov, who is valued at around €30m – £26m.

The story has claimed that the Gunners and AC Milan have approached the Spanish side over the player, while North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.

While the interest of these other parties is far from ideal, the Premier League runners-up have an advantage, as the report has also revealed that he likes the idea of working under Arteta and believes he'd fit in with the team brilliantly.

With the price tag seeming reasonable enough and the player himself apparently wanting to join the club, Arsenal must get this deal done, as signing a player to challenge Saka next season could be incredibly beneficial.

How Tsyhankov compares to Saka and Havertz

Now, the first thing to clear up is that there are very few players in world football that Arteta would drop Saka for. So, if he does bring Tsyhankov to the club this summer, it'll likely be under the pretence that his role in the team is to challenge the Englishman and allow him to be substituted more often or rest in the less important games overall.

With that said, though, how do the pair stack up with each other? Well, when it comes to pure output, it's the Hale End superstar who unsurprisingly comes out on top, with his 34 goals and assists in 47 games far better than the Ukranian's still impressive 15 goals and assists in just 34 games.

However, things look a little closer than most might expect when looking at the pair's underlying numbers from the league season.

Tsyhankov vs Saka
Stats per 90	Tsyhankov	Saka
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists	0.53	0.65
Assists	0.31	0.28
Non-Penalty Goals	0.35	0.31
Progressive Passes	3.90	3.89
Progressive Carries	2.85	4.78
Progressive Passes Received	9.91	15.7
Shots	1.93	3.14
Goals per Shot	0.18	0.10
Passing Accuracy	78.9%	75.6%
Shot-Creating Actions	3.21	5.80
Successful Take-Ons	0.96	1.51
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

For example, while the Englishman still comes out on top overall, he's second best in several key metrics, such as passing accuracy, goals per shot, progressive passes, assists, and non-penalty goals, all per 90.

So, while the former Dynamo Kyiv star would likely remain a bench option in North London, he might be able to force his way into the team more often than people think.

With that said, where have the comparisons to Havertz come from? Well, that comes from FBref, which looks at all players in Europe's top five leagues and creates a list of the ten most similar players.

For the Girona ace, the German is considered the 8th most similar player when the pair play in midfield.

Tsyhankov & Havertz
Stats per 90	Tsyhankov	Havertz
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists	0.53	0.54
Non-Penalty Goals	0.35	0.41
Progressive Passes	3.90	3.38
Goals per Shot	0.18	0.18
Passing Accuracy	78.9%	80.0%
Tackles + Interceptions	1.80	1.88
Blocks	0.79	0.89
Goal-Creating Actions	0.57	0.75
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

This similarity can be seen through several of their underlying numbers, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, progressive passes, goals per shot, passing accuracy, tackles and interceptions, blocks, goal-creating actions and non-penalty goals, all per 90.

Ultimately, with the price looking quite reasonable, his impressive numbers relative to Saka, and his similarity to Havertz, signing Tsyhankov this summer looks like a brilliant idea, and therefore, Edu and Co must do all they can to get this deal done.

Arsenal could finally banish Zinchenko by signing £85m sensation

The incredible youngster could play for the club for more than a decade.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 5, 2024

Manchester United have been dealt a blow as it has emerged that a player they were keen to keep is in fact on the verge of leaving Old Trafford this summer.

Red Devils expecting major overhaul

It is set to be a summer of change under the new Sir Jim Ratcliffe ownership at Manchester United. Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial have already confirmed their departures when their contracts run out at the end of the season, while Sofyan Amrabat's loan spell will also end at that point, leaving Manchester United with a decision to make over his future.

It has previously been reported that just about every Manchester United player is up for sale this summer, including the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, as the club look to rebuild after a disappointing eighth place finish in the Premier League.

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It still remains unclear who will lead that rebuild, with Erik ten Hag remaining manager after his FA Cup win over Manchester City but talks ongoing over potential successors, which suggests that a decision is yet to be made on the Dutchman.

Just three players are considered "off limits" this summer, in the shape of young trio Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund, but otherwise there is a desire to bring down the average age of the squad and the wage bill, while placing their trust in younger players and continuing their proud tradition of using academy players. However, they have been dealt a blow in their bid to do so.

Forson agrees to leave

That comes as young talent Omari Forson is set to make the switch to Serie A side Monza this summer, according to the reliable Fabrizio Romano. The teenager made his Manchester United debut in the FA Cup in January, and went onto make seven appearances across the course of the season, grabbing an assist in the process.

He has been hailed as having an "exceptional resilience" as he helped the Red Devils win the FA Youth Cup in 2022, where he featured alongside Garnacho and Mainoo but was an unused substitute for the final.

“On the pitch he was part of our successful FA Youth Cup-winning squad in 2022", academy director Nick Cox explained. “Interestingly, Omari didn’t feature heavily in the cup run but showed exceptional resilience, and that’s a reminder that the journey isn’t always smooth and straightforward."

And he is someone that the Red Devils would like to keep, with reports claiming that the club have offered "competitive contracts" to the youngster in the "hope he will sign a new deal", with his current contract set to expire this summer.

However, that now seems unlikely, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that the winger is on the verge of joining Serie A side Monza, where he will be hoping for more regular opportunities to showcase his abilities than he was afforded at Old Trafford.

He is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Italian side, which will rob Manchester United of any significant transfer fee, though they will be afforded compensation for his departure.

With Amad Diallo waiting in the wings, his departure will not be too sorely felt, but it will feel like a missed opportunity to once again utilise the famed Manchester United academy.

England’s highest wicket-taker may have a novel way of confounding batsmen with his wrist position

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2020

James Anderson shatters Sachin Tendulkar’s stumps•Getty Images

Fast bowlers are widely known to use three different methods to get the ball to swerve through the air: conventional swing, contrast swing, reverse swing. James Anderson, however, can lay claim to a fourth method: reverse reverse swing.What’s that?According to no less an authority than Sachin Tendulkar, who faced him in 14 Test matches and was dismissed by him a record nine times, Anderson has a way of confounding batsmen with his wrist position while delivering the outswinger with the reverse-swinging ball.The conventionally swinging ball swings towards the rough side, and the reverse-swinging ball towards the shiny side. The ball’s orientation for the conventional inswinger, therefore, is the same as the one for the reverse outswinger. The two deliveries usually involve different wrist positions, but Anderson, Tendulkar noted in a chat with Brian Lara on the app, had the ability to deliver a reverse outswinger with the wrist position of a conventional inswinger. “With reverse swing, Jimmy Anderson was possibly the first bowler who bowled reverse swing also reverse,” he said. “What I experienced, over a period of time, [is] that he would hold the ball as if he was bowling [a reverse] outswinger, but [at] the release point, he would try and bring the ball back in, and [a] number of batters would look at the wrist position, and what he has actually done, he’s shown you that he’s bowling inswing, but the imbalance between both sides of the ball would take the ball away from you.”What he has done is, he’s got you to commit to play, for an [inswinger], and the ball, after covering almost three-fourths of the length of the pitch, starts leaving you. But you had already committed [to play], because you’ve seen that inswing position, and that is something which was new to me. Nobody had done that.”Now, [a] number of guys, you see their shine, and what they’re trying to do – I spotted even Stuart Broad trying to do that at some stage, but Anderson started this [a] long time ago. So I rate him very very highly. One of the best exponents of reverse swing.”One of Anderson’s best spells in reverse-swinging conditions came in Kolkata in 2012, when he took three wickets in each innings to help England take a 2-1 series lead. Anderson had Tendulkar caught behind for 76 in the first innings with a reverse outswinger, but it’s unclear whether that ball was a reverse-reverse outswinger.Nonetheless, if other bowlers can master Anderson’s seeming ability to deliver reverse reverse swing, it gives batsmen one more thing to worry about, particularly when the ball is at that stage of its lifespan when it’s transitioning from swinging conventionally to reversing.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are pushing to agree an early deal to sign their "top target", according to a new update.

Ratcliffe making moves

It has been a busy start to 2024 at Old Trafford, with new co-owner Ratcliffe looking to make his mark in Manchester. He has already agreed to bring in chief executive Omar Berrada from Manchester City, whereas Jason Wilcox is also arriving from Southampton as technical director, with the pair knowing each other from their time at the Etihad.

Fabrizio Romano shares update on “amazing” boss Ratcliffe wants at Man Utd

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ByHenry Jackson Apr 22, 2024

Meanwhile, Dan Ashworth is on course to come in as sporting director, although the Red Devils are still looking to strike an early deal with Newcastle United.

A new ‘Wembley of the North’ has also been mooted by Ratcliffe to replace Old Trafford, and in the dugout, a managerial change has been rumoured. Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel and another former Chelsea manager, Graham Potter, have both been heavily linked to replace Erik ten Hag.

In regards to transfer targets, Ratcliffe and co have identified Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as their “top target”, with a new update now coming to light.

Man Utd making early Jarrad Branthwaite move

According to Football Insider, Man Utd are pushing ahead to agree an early deal with Everton for Branthwaite and are ready to make him the first signing of the Ratcliffe and INEOS era.

The “top target” is seen as the “long-term answer” to United’s defensive problems, with previous reports suggesting Everton will be demanding £80m for his services.

You can see why centre-back is a priority area for the Red Devils this summer, especially after Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City. Injuries to multiple defenders meant that Casemiro had to partner Harry Maguire at the back, with the Englishman admitting after that he too was also playing through the pain.

Branthwaite had been identified as the priority replacement for Raphael Varane who is expected to leave Old Trafford this summer, and by the looks of things, he’d be an upgrade on the Frenchman based off this season's stats.

Appearances

30

21

Sofascore rating

7.01

6.92

Ground duel success rate

69%

58%

Ball recoveries per game

5.6

3.1

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.5

1.6

He came in for praise from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher recently, with the former Liverpool defender calling Branthwaite “outstanding” and “special”.

"Branthwaite has been outstanding. I think this lad is pretty special. He's a big part of why Everton in my eyes have a good chance of staying up, him and his partnership with [James] Tarkowski."

Still just 21 years of age, the Englishman could prove to be a shrewd signing by Ratcliffe and co, both in te short and long term, and by the looks of things, United are trying to get ahead of the game with an early agreement.

نجح الأهلي السعودي، في خطف فوز مستحق على نظيره العين الإماراتي بهدفين مقابل هدف، بالمباراة التي انتهت منذ قليل وجمعت بينهما ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.

وحل الأهلي ضيفاً على العين، في استاد طحنون بن محمد، في خامس جولات مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة.

وتقدم إيفان توني بالهدف الأول للأهلي في الدقيقة 70 من عمر الشوط الثاني، بعد ركلة حرة مباشرة تم تنفيذها بعرضية من رياض محرز داخل منطقة الجزاء قابلها توني برأسية سكنت الشباك.

طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل النصر أمام الغرافة في دوري أبطال آسيا.. موقف رونالدو

وأضاف إيفان توني الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 74، بعد عرضية أيضاً من رياض محرز قابلها توني برأسية متقنة سكنت المرمى.

وقلص فريق العين الفارق وأضاف هدفه الأول في الدقيقة 90+3 عن طريق أليخاندرو روميرو كاكو، بعد كرة ارتدت من الدفاع ثم وصلت إليه ليطلق تصويبة صاروخية سكنت المرمى مباشرة. 

بهذا الفوز، يحتل الأهلي صدارة جدول ترتيب دوري الغرب لدوري أبطال آسيا برصيد 15 نقطة من 5 مباريات، فيما يأتي فريق العين بالمركز الثاني عشر والأخير، ولديه نقطة وحيدة. أهداف مباراة الأهلي والعين في دوري أبطال آسيا

Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli have reportedly joined the race to sign Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman.

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• Coman repeatedly linked with Bayern exit
• Man City & Barcelona credited with interest
• Al-Ahli pushing to sign French winger

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Reports suggest that Manchester City and Barcelona have been keeping tabs on the French international, amid Bayern trying to offload players before they can bring in new faces. Now, Saudi newspaper claims Al-Alhi want to sign him after Allan Saint-Maximin left them to join Fenerbahce on loan.

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  Coman has reportedly been keen on a Premier League move for months now and with honorary president Uli Hoeness admitting the club "want to sell players", this may be the right time for the 28-year-old to leave. A loan exit may be easier to sort as the former Juventus man still has three years left on his Bayern contract and he is unlikely to be sold on the cheap.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Former Paris Saint-Germain ace Coman has scored 63 goals and bagged 66 assists in 294 appearances for Bayern. He initially spent two seasons on loan there from Juventus in 2015-17 before signing permanently seven years ago.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Amid the transfer speculation surrounding Coman's future, his Bayern side will lock horns with Tottenham on Saturday evening in their penultimate pre-season friendly, before hosting WSG Trol three days later.