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This time last year, Tottenham were quickly sinking under the management of Nuno Santo.

The Portuguese had won the manager of the month for August at the beginning of the campaign but that’s as good as it got for the former goalkeeper at Spurs.

He looked out of his depth and would eventually be given the boot, with Antonio Conte taking over.

The Italian has been in the dug out for nearly a year now and there is clear improvement. Tottenham’s start to the 2022/23 season is the best they’ve had in a single top-flight term, but they are still below rivals Arsenal.

The Gunners are on a non-stop train to success at the moment and a large part of that has been down to William Saliba.

The young French defender was signed under Unai Emery but would endure three loan spells in his homeland with Saint Etienne, Nice and Marseille.

It was at OM where he was named Ligue 1’s Young Player of the Year and his time across the channel has proven game-changing.

The young brute of a centre-back is now one of the first names on the team sheet having matured a great deal out on loan.

The French top-flight appears to be a productive one in terms of loan spells right now, with fellow Arsenal man Folarin Balogun scoring six goals in 11 outings at Reims.

Of course, Saliba wasn’t quite that prolific but he was extraordinarily good from a defensive point of view, having played a combined 50 matches in the top flight over the last two seasons.

Since coming back to London, the 21-year-old has been a breath of fresh air to Mikel Arteta’s defensive ranks with the youngster displaying a remarkable sense of composure and positioning.

He isn’t fazed by anything and is rather happy to just sit there and defend, even if he has already found the net twice.

His monstrous displays in defence would do enough to make any team in the division jealous, but Spurs could well find their own version in Welsh defender Joe Rodon.

The 24-year-old has barely had a look in since making the move to London from Swansea and has featured on just 24 occasions for the Lilywhites.

Even with the error-stricken Davinson Sanchez in their ranks, he couldn’t earn a place in the team and it seems as though Antonio Conte doesn’t rate him either.

Like Saliba, the young centre-back has been forced out on loan to Ligue 1 this term where he’s completing a season-long temporary spell with Rennes.

With Arsenal’s imperious centre-half we have already seen the benefits of learning your trade and progressing south of the channel, with Spurs potentially hoping they could unearth their own version of the ever-impressive Frenchman.

The one trouble is, that no matter how well Rodon performs this year, Tottenham could lose him.

The terms of the loan stipulate that Rennes have an option to buy of €20m (£17.3m) if they wish to keep him permanently.

Conte is unlikely to mind too much at the moment but if he does begin to develop like the aforementioned Saliba, they may rue selling him for so cheap.

It’s not just that French connection that is similar, however, with Rodon also sitting in the aggressive ball-playing category.

He has completed a whopping 89.2% of his passes across nine Ligue 1 outings this campaign, but also has an element of brute force to his game, winning 2.8 aerial duels per match.

When it comes to composed passing, Saliba is perhaps one of the best around with his completion rate of 92.6% marking him as one of the elite defenders in possession.

Rodon might not be on that level yet but a year in France could do his confidence and development the world of good.

Described as a “perfect” player who “works very hard” by Jose Mourinho, there is no doubting that he’s ready to put in the hard yards to improve.

Should he continue that mantra, he may well live up to John Hartson’s prophecy, with the defender’s countryman suggesting he is a “potential superstar”. Only time will tell in that case.

Arsenal are a side who currently boast a wealth of exciting youth talent, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Marquinhos and William Saliba already being regular fixtures in Mikel Arteta’s first team squad, while youngsters such as Charles Sagoe Jr, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Amario Cozier-Duberry have been lighting it up for the Gunners U21s.

However, one player who has found himself somewhat stuck between the boundaries of youth and professional football this season is Khayon Edwards, the 19-year-old centre-forward who has been in incredible form in the Arsenal academy over recent years, although is yet to make his first-team debut for Arteta’s senior side.

Indeed, over his 41 appearances for the club’s U18 side, Edwards returned astonishing numbers in the final third, hitting the back of the net on 23 separate occasions, as well as providing his teammates with a further nine assists – averaging a direct goal contribution every 98 minutes of football played for the U18 Premier League outfit.

It has been a similar story for the London-born hitman over his ten outings since making the step up to Mehmet Ali’s U21 side, bagging three goals and registering two assists – with two of these goals and one assist coming over his four Premier League 2 appearances in the 2022/23 campaign.

It is this level of form that saw the Gunners’ “wonderkid” called up to travel with Arteta’s squad to face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League last week, however, with the Premier League side edging out a narrow 1-0 win over the Norwegian outfit, Edwards remained an unused substitute in the Arctic Circle.

However, with Arteta having clearly taken notice of the “prolific” centre-forward – who is also capable of operating from attacking midfield and on either flank – it would not appear long before the £140-per-week talent does make his first team debut – something that could see him overtake Folarin Balogun and perhaps even Eddie Nketiah in Arteta’s attacking pecking order.

Indeed, with it is true that Balogun is impressing out on loan with Stade de Reims – scoring six goals over 11 Ligue 1 appearances for the French side – while Nketiah has been catching the eye in the Europa League – bagging two goals over his three appearances in the competition – Edwards may just have the highest ceiling of the attacking trio.

This would look to be an opinion backed up in the transfer market, with both Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion reported to have been extremely keen on signing the 19-year-old before he put to paper on a new deal at The Emirates this summer, suggesting that both clubs are extremely encouraged by the striker’s potential for future development.

As such, should Edwards continue to force his way into Arteta’s senior side as the 2022/23 campaign progresses, by the end of the season, the teenage diamond may well be the Spaniard’s preferred backup option to Gabriel Jesus up top – something that, considering his undoubted ability and prolific nature, will certainly be an extremely exciting prospect for supporters of the Gunners.

Sunderland are unbeaten in their last three games in the Championship, but as a result of their draw with Preston North End yesterday, the Black Cats have now fallen to seventh in the very tight league table.

Tony Mowbray’s team are now eight points adrift from Sheffield United at the top of the table, and if Sunderland want to compete for a chance at promotion, winning games is an absolute must.

Despite having the majority of possession (63%), twice as many shots at goal (16 v eight) and far more accurate passes (81% v 68%), the hosts were unable to find a goal to take all three points from the game.

It seems like the striker injury crisis is finally taking its toll on the Black Cats, as, in the first half, they had six shots on goal but only one of those was on target. In fact, it was much the same in the second half, with 10 shots on goal and only one shot on target again.

It’s clear Sunderland are starting to feel the lack of creativity and absence of Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms, but there was one player in particular who failed Mowbray over the course of the game and could’ve caused a lot more trouble.

Corry Evans struggled to dominate the centre of the pitch throughout his performance and even had fewer touches of the ball than Anthony Patterson (36 v 39).

Before being hooked back to the bench by Mowbray in the 60th minute, the 32-year-old midfielder lost 75% of his duels, made no attempts to dribble the ball and lost possession every five touches, further proving that Evans lacked resilience and failed to deliver any creativity in his position.

Sunderland will need to quickly recover as they are set to take on Blackpool at the Stadium of Light again on Tuesday night, and they will be even more desperate to take all three points in their attempts to close the gap between themselves and the top spots in the table.

With that being said, Mowbray will be hoping his injury problems become a thing of the past sooner rather than later, as there is still a huge chunk of the Championship season left and many points to pick up – with Sunderland undoubtedly hoping they have a chance of competing for back to back promotions come the end of the season.

Nottingham Forest spent over £150m during the transfer window acquiring the services of 22 players including Serge Aurier who has become the most recent player to join the squad at The City Ground.

Despite their ambitious transfer window, Forest aren’t having the best start to their Premier League campaign currently 19th in the table after conceding 11 goals in their last three fixtures as well as a humiliating defeat to Bournemouth that saw the side go from 2-0 up at halftime to 3-2 down by the final whistle.

Luckily for Steve Cooper, there is plenty of time to repair the problems and inconsistencies in the team and plenty of players to choose from to help him achieve that over the next 32 league games left, although they did miss out on one player who could’ve been game-changing for the Reds.

Amadou Onana made the move to Everton after Forest battled for his signature this summer, and following his performances in the Premier League with the Toffees not securing his services could be something Cooper regrets over the season ahead.

Indeed, Forest attempted to sign the Belgian midfielder but were knocked back by the player in their advances.

The 21-year-old central player who was dubbed a “sensational talent” by one source, has been impressive over his five appearances for Everton making 2.8 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.6 clearances per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels (51%) so far.

In fact, he would’ve been a much better option than Cheikhou Kouyate who signed for Forest on a free transfer from Crystal Palace this summer as he is not only more than a decade younger than him but offers a higher quality output.

When you compare the two players over their performances last season Onana had a better pass completion rate (83.8% v 83.3%), had more shot-creating actions per 90 (2.05 v 0.78) and a better success rate for pressures (31.9% v 29.3%).

Meanwhile, this term, Kouyate’s stats are rather poor compared to the player Forest could have signed, with the former Palace man making just 0.3 interceptions and 0.8 tackles per game.

Whilst Kouyate is a competent defensive midfielder and cost nothing to sign, he is a short-term solution for the Reds whereas Onana could’ve been a prospect and investment worthy of development in Cooper’s team who could deliver at a higher level for much longer.

With that being said, Forest may well regret their decision not to sign the talented 6 foot 4 midfielder, especially if they fail to retain their Premier League status by this time next year.

The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that ‘progress’ has been made in Newcastle United’s pursuit of Joao Pedro.

The Lowdown: Final proposal

It has been reported that the St James’ Park outfit have made a ‘final proposal’ for the 20-year-old after having two bids turned down by Watford.

The latest offer is said to be worth £25m plus an extra £5m in add-ons, and it will now be up to the Championship club over whether or not to accept it.

The Latest: ‘Progress’ made

Taking to Twitter, Hope has revealed that ‘progress’ has been made over the weekend in terms of bringing Pedro to Tyneside, and that ‘sources’ close to the deal are ‘more confident’ then they were last week about getting a deal done.

The reporter tweeted: “Newcastle remain in talks with Watford over a deal for Joao Pedro. There is a feeling progress has been made over weekend but no agreement in place (yet). Sources close to deal sound more confident than last week, however.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It is certainly exciting for the Toon Army to hear of progress being made in the Pedro deal after having two bids rejected for the striker.

Hailed as an ‘exciting‘ player by his former Watford manager Xisco Munoz, the 20-year-old is already off the mark for this season, and has a total of 14 goals for his club over the last three campaigns.

The Brazilian is still very young, so Newcastle would be buying into his potential as well as his talent, so this looks like a deal from which they could benefit hugely in the future.

West Ham United have been given a boost in their hopes of signing Bordeaux striker Hwang Ui-jo, with the South Korea international set to depart the French outfit this summer.

What’s the word?

The 29-year-old recently revealed that he had received an offer from the Hammers regarding a move away from his current side, albeit with Nantes also believed to be firmly in the running for his signature.

All interested parties have now been given the green light to move for the attacking menace after Bordeaux boss David Guion revealed that the forward is “likely to leave” the club in the current window, as per Girondins4Ever, amid the financial difficulties surrounding the Ligue 2 side.

Previous reports have suggested that the 6 foot 1 marksman – who has just a year remaining on his existing deal – could be available for a fee of around €8m (£7m).

Key for West Ham

Dubbed the “key to the success” of his national team by commentator Han Joon-hee following their Asian Games triumph in 2018, Hwang could well also become a key figure for the London Stadium outfit, were he to be snapped up in the coming weeks.

The “wonderful” talent – as described by one source – has been in sparkling form in recent seasons despite Les Girondins’ decline of late, notably netting 11 goals and providing two assists in 32 games in the French top-flight last season amid his side’s subsequent relegation.

The £6.3m-rated man had scored 12 league goals the year prior in what was just his second campaign in European football, as he began to showcase the impressive goalscoring form that he had produced so regularly in Japan.

At former club Gamba Osaka – whom he left in 2019 – the £25k-per-week hotshot netted 30 goals and provided seven assists in just 70 appearances in all competitions, having previously chipped in with 55 goal contributions in 163 games at Seongnam FC.

Not just a goalscoring threat through the middle, the 47-cap ace would also offer David Moyes immense flexibility such is his ability to play on either flank, with it seemingly set to prove a real bargain if the Premier League side can secure him for such a nominal fee this summer.

While the arrival of Gianluca Scamacca will undoubtedly dominate the headlines, it could be Hwang who proves to be the key addition for West Ham if a deal can be struck by Rob Newman, such has been his reliable goal record and his impressive versatility throughout his career.

AND in other news, Moyes can now form “unreal” duo as West Ham given green light for “limitless” £13m signing…

Everton are eager to sign Middlesbrough’s Marcus Tavernier, according to 90min’s Graeme Bailey. 

The lowdown

The Toffees have only made one signing so far this summer, recruiting centre-back James Tarkowski, but Frank Lampard may see the need for midfield reinforcements after Fabian Delph left Goodison Park at the end of his contract.

Tavernier came through the youth ranks at Middlesbrough and has played 155 games for the club at senior level. The 23-year-old has been deployed in a variety of positions, featuring on both flanks, and as a number 6, 8 and 10.

The latest

Bailey shared the news that Middlesbrough have already rejected bids from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for Tavernier, but he claimed the newly-promoted duo could go back in for the player, on whom Everton are also keen.

He tweeted: “Middlesbrough reject bids from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for Marcus Tavernier. They will be back whilst others such as Leicester and Everton are also keen. Boro now battling to keep one of their star performers from last season.”

In the corresponding 90min article, Bailey revealed that ‘Boro are holding out for £15m after rebuffing offers ‘worth around £10million’.

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The verdict

What would Tavernier bring to Everton?

He can score and create goals from his midfield berth, registering five goals and five assists in his 43 Championship appearances last season and 15 of each throughout his senior league career so far.

He is also adept at winning possession for his team, averaging 2.2 tackles per game – more than all but three Everton players in 21/22.

Sports journalist Josh Bunting feels that the 23-year-old ticks all the important boxes, dubbing him ‘the complete footballer’.

Combined with Everton’s pursuit of former Sheffield United loanee Morgan Gibbs-White, this suggests that Lampard and co view the Championship as a representative proving ground for identifying Goodison Park transfer targets.

West Ham United are reportedly plotting a move for Sassuolo striker Giacomo Raspadori, as David Moyes looks to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Hammers have made contact with the Serie A side regarding a potential deal for the 22-year-old – as well as teammate Gianluca Scamacca – with a new centre-forward addition firmly on the agenda.

The east London side have already wrapped up the summer arrival of centre-back Nayef Aguerd, although additional transfers are seemingly in the offing, amid reports that Moyes and co are seeking a further six new signings.

As per this latest report, a new striker is a ‘priority’ this summer, with the club looking to ease the burden on current number nine Michail Antonio, with the 32-year-old currently the only recognised centre-forward in the first-team squad.

Di Canio 2.0

That reported interest in the €35m (£30m) Raspadori comes following what was another impressive campaign for the Italy international, as he netted ten league goals and provided a further six assists in 36 league outings.

The £25.2m-rated gem had burst onto the scene the year prior after scoring six times in 27 league appearances, with that form seeing him thrust into Roberto Mancini’s squad at Euro 2020, where the Azzurri ultimately ran out winners.

Such standout form of late has also seen him receive glowing praise from Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali, who said of the £3.2k-per-week starlet: “Raspadori has one quality that makes him stand out among the others: intelligence.

“Giacomo doesn’t have the intelligence of a champion, he has the intelligence of a super champion. This virtue, combined with a special technical talent, makes him absolutely explosive.”

That high praise will no doubt pique the interest of those at the London Stadium, with the hope being that he can emulate another gifted – and at times ‘explosive’ – Italian to have pulled on the claret and blue jersey, Paolo Di Canio.

The fiery maverick was fond of the odd controversial moment or two, although as with most unique talents that came hand in hand with his undoubted genius, with few having stolen the limelight quite so often.

On the pitch, Di Canio was simply a rare gem and arguably the finest player to have been associated with the club in the Premier League era, netting 47 top-flight goals during a stunning four-and-a-half-year spell and developing into a true, club icon in that time.

Of course, he also netted one of the greatest goals that the competition has ever seen with that scissor-kick volley against Wimbledon in March 2000, although that was just the tip of the iceberg as to what the talismanic forward could produce.

He may have been one of a kind, although West Ham could well find a notable heir to his crown in the form of compatriot, Raspadori.

AND in other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

West Ham United released a number of senior players recently, including the likes of Mark Noble, Ryan Fredericks and David Martin.

One other man who waved goodbye to the east London club is Andriy Yarmolenko.

Signed from Borussia Dortmund for £17.5m in the summer of 2018, the winger went on to score 13 goals and deliver seven assists in 86 appearances for the Hammers.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, this will give David Moyes the chance to potentially bring in a suitable replacement for the Ukraine international.

One player with whom the Hammers have been linked and who could fit this particular bill is Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter.

At the age of 21, the Englishman would be a decent replacement for Yarmolenko in terms of being a potential long-term feature for West Ham given his young age.

A product of Hull’s youth system, the winger has already made 121 senior appearances for the club, showing just how highly rated he is there. In that time, he has scored 30 goals and delivered 12 assists along the way, highlighting just how much of a goal threat he can pose.

To further highlight his impressive and consistent attacking prowess, the youngster had more than twice as many shots at goal (103) in the Championship this season as any other Hull player, also delivering 129 crosses (third-highest in the squad).

Labelled a “special talent” by his former manager Grant McCann, Lewis-Potter reportedly has a price tag of £18m, which is rather close to the fee that the Hammers shelled out for Yarmolenko four years ago.

Also, with West Ham no strangers to signing players from the Championship – such as Jarrod Bowen, who also came from Hull – securing a deal for the current Tigers attacker could be a great piece of business for them once again.

Should Moyes feel the need to add another attacking figure to his squad this summer, the Hull prodigy could be his dream heir for the exiting Yarmolenko and potentially give West Ham their new long-term attacking star if he is able to make the step up to the Premier League.

In other news: Moyes can seal dream West Ham transfer with £50m “work-force”, imagine him & Bowen

West Ham have been heavily linked with Leeds United talisman Kalvin Phillips in recent months, with the Hammers targeting a midfield partner for Declan Rice.

However, their chances of signing him took a hit when the Yorkshire side maintained their Premier League status on the final day and it would seemingly take a huge bid to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.

While fans might have been hoping to see Rice and Phillips play together, as they did so successfully for England at the European Championships last summer, it seems unlikely that the Hammers will be able to keep Rice at the club for his whole career.

The 23-year-old recently rejected an eight-year contract from the club and has been widely tipped to return to Chelsea in the near future, having spent much of his youth career at Stamford Bridge.

Fortunately for David Moyes, the club may already have a ready-made replacement for Rice in Conor Coventry.

The academy graduate has captained various West Ham youth sides and has experience out on loan with Peterborough in the Championship and MK Dons and Lincoln City in League One.

Last season was his most successful loan yet, as the 22-year-old helped MK Dons earn a spot in the playoff positions, making 22 appearances for Liam Manning’s side, in which he contributed one goal and one assist, averaging an impressive 6.8 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas was full of praise for Coventry in 2020, saying:

“Conor Coventry’s an exciting talent. He’s definitely someone Moyes is aware of.”

After a strong spell in League One last season, another year of regular football in the Championship could be exactly what Coventry needs before he can start to establish himself in Moyes’ first-team squad.

Although the club would receive a significant amount if Rice were to leave and fans might expect a big-money signing as his replacement, Coventry stood out in a strong MK Dons side next season as one of their best tacklers, dribblers and passers, which suggests that he has the attributes to replace Rice in the future, so he deserves a chance to show what he can do.

And, in other news… West Ham should seal move for PL gem, Moyes needs him