Following a January transfer window full of exciting incomings, Aston Villa have now been backed to sell one of Unai Emery’s attacking stars when the summer arrives even after they rejected earlier interest in his signature.

Aston Villa transfer news

Welcoming Andres Garcia, Donyell Malen, Axel Disasi, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, it’s fair to say that Aston Villa were in no mood to let the January transfer window go to waste – especially after selling Jhon Duran for a hefty fee to Al-Nassr. Emery’s side are now reinforced and ready to go all guns blazing towards Champions League qualification once again with a number of big names in tow.

Speaking about completing the move for the first time, Rashford wrote on Instagram: “I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen.

“I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision – I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the manager’s ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started.

“I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”

Related Revealed: Why Aston Villa missed out on £365k-p/w trio before Disasi loan

It was a busy and hectic winter window at Villa Park as they tried for several new signings.

Posts ByBen Browning Feb 4, 2025

Meanwhile, as so much talent arrives, those at Villa Park could yet show the door to one particular attacking ace. In fact, former Premier League scout turned insider Mick Brown has now backed Aston Villa to sell Leon Bailey this summer despite rejecting late interest from Manchester United last month.

The sale would certainly make sense too, given that the Midlands club now have a wealth of attacking options which range from Malen all the way to Rashford, who’s permanent future is still under question.

Bailey "probably looking to move on"

The move itself could be made fairly simply by Bailey’s own desire to leave. Backing Villa to show the winger the door, Brown told Football Insider: “Emery is a manager who knows what he wants from his players.

“He wants somebody who gives him a consistent level of performance every week. The concern about Bailey is that consistency. He can be hit and miss. When he’s a hit, he can be devastating, but he can also go the other way. He’ll have games where he completely fades out of it. That’s not what you need while you’re in the Premier League and trying to compete in Europe.

“But yes is the answer, I think he’ll probably be looking to move on in the summer and I think that’s something Villa would be open to as well. Particularly with the signings they’ve made in January, his place in the team is under question.”

Recently praised by Emery for his “fantastic” work to break his goalscoring drought and find his first Premier League goal of the season, Bailey is undoubtedly in trouble of becoming lost in the face of sudden attacking depth at Villa Park.

Amid injuries to Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen, West Ham United’s search for a striker has reportedly taken them towards a fresh option away from the heavily linked Jhon Duran.

West Ham transfer news

It’s no secret that the Hammers desperately need a striker and arguably have done since the summer even as Fullkrug arrived. The German was never going to be a long-term option at 31 years old and consistent injury problems have since confirmed that. Meanwhile, it’s also a fairly open secret that West Ham are admirers of Aston Villa’s Duran.

January deal "agreed" as Graham Potter closes in on first West Ham signing

The Hammers could be on the verge of their opening January transfer.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 23, 2025

The London club were reportedly interested in his signature in the summer before they decided that his price tag was too steep. Now, months and a number of goals later, they reportedly submitted a bid worth over £30m to sign the rising star earlier this month only to be once again turned down by Aston Villa. At this stage, their Duran dream seems one that is only fading away.

What will not fade away, however, is Graham Potter’s need for a striker and they’ve already seemingly turned their attention to fresh options as a result. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, West Ham have now made contact to sign Santiago Gimenez from Feyenoord this month.

The forward has been heavily linked with a move to AC Milan throughout January, but the Hammers could now swoop in and secure his signature ahead of both the Italian giants and London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The deal will not come cheap though, given that Feyenoord have reportedly slapped a €40m (£34m) price tag on their star striker. Whether West Ham hold Gimenez in the same regard as Duran and, therefore, match that valuation remains to be seen. What seems clear is that whatever they decide to do, they must do it quickly if they want to steal in ahead of Milan.

"Excellent" Gimenez is ready for the Premier League

If there were any concerns that Gimenez would simply be a one-season hit at Feyenoord, then his current form should have put those to bed once and for all. Scoring a sensational 15 goals in 18 games so far this season, the Mexican has been one of the most clinical strikers in European football to deservedly earn the praise of the likes of Jacek Kulig.

The football talent scout took note of Gimenez’s goalscoring exploits in the Champions League which has featured efforts against Manchester City Sparta Prague and Bayern Munich, before praising the “excellent campaign” that he is enjoying.

Still just 23 years old, Feyenoord’s £34m asking price could quickly turn into a bargain that West Ham should take full advantage of. If the Hammers make their move, then they could leave Gimenez with quite the decision to make this month.

Arsenal chiefs have identified a “dream” forward in the form of a marquee star, as manager Mikel Arteta still waits on a potentially crucial striking addition.

Arsenal targeting late January window deal for striker

With this year’s winter window approaching its final days, the Premier League title-chasers are still struggling to land their ideal number nine who can ease the pressure on Kai Havertz’s shoulders.

Arsenal offered £50m attacker who scored 21 goals last term

The Gunners are still searching for a new forward.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 1, 2025

Arsenal fell short with an audacious £60m bid for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins earlier this week, cheekily testing their resolve just before Unai Emery’s side took on Celtic in all-important Champions League clash.

The offer was never likely to be successful, especially considering Jhon Duran’s move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, so it is now up to the Gunners to identify alternative signings with the clock ticking.

According to some reports, Arsenal have been offered Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface, which could be worth Arteta’s consideration when factoring in the Nigerian’s 21-goal haul in all competitions last season.

Meanwhile, other media sources claim that Arsenal are considering a last-gasp bid for Dusan Vlahovic, but Juventus are unlikely to make a transfer straightforward considering Thiago Motta’s men have such little time to source a replacement.

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko – whose capture would be another very difficult deal to pull off – has also been linked throughout the winter window.

Arsenal want Newcastle United star Alexander Isak above all

However, there is one name who Emirates Stadium transfer chiefs want above every other striker: £150m Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.

That is according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, who told Curtis Shaw TV (via TBR) that Isak is Arsenal’s “dream” striker signing – and for obvious reasons when looking at his impressive goal tally this term.

“The most viable top choice for Arsenal, as I’ve said many times, is Benjamin Sesko,” said Jacobs.

“Number two in terms of feasibility is Alexander Isak, but he’s the number one in terms of the dream, even above Sesko. Those two are above [Viktor] Gyokeres at the moment.”

Isak’s 19 goals across 25 appearances in all competitions tell just half the story, with Magpies boss Eddie Howe branding his superstar a “world-class” talent.

“Alex is a world-class talent,” said Howe.

“The way he took his goals, he has that coolness and composure very few have. When you add into the mix his technical skills, I think he’s got it all. He has unique skills, and the challenge is to get him into the game as much as we can. Earlier in the season, we weren’t doing that, but now the team are performing much better.”

In truth, if Isak keeps up these types of performances, it is surely only a matter of time before Real Madrid come knocking – and it looks near-impossible that Arsenal could tempt Newcastle to sell mid-season.

A Thunder statement said Willey and the club had come to a “mutual agreement to terminate his contract”

Andrew McGlashan15-Nov-2022

England allrounder David Willey has withdrawn from this season’s BBL with Sydney Thunder where he had been a platinum signing in the draft.Willey, the left-arm swing bowler and a very useful batter, was rare amount the platinum players in committing fully to the BBL ahead of other leagues and would have been available for the majority of the tournament.However, a Thunder statement said Willey and the club had come to a “mutual agreement to terminate his contract.””David and his management have been tremendous to deal with,” Andrew Gilchrist, head of Sydney Thunder, said. “Sydney Thunder regrets David won’t be playing for us this season, but we wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”Willey was part of England’s T20 World Cup squad but did not feature during the tournament and is also in the ODI group which plays three matches against Australia starting on Thursday in Adelaide.Thunder will be able to bring in a replacement overseas player from anyone who nominated for the draft, although Cricket Australia can also sign off on other names if they are deemed valuable to the competition.Willey’s withdrawal is a blow to the tournament which is fighting to retain the leading overseas players due to the ILT20 and SA20 leagues. A number of the overseas signings, including Alex Hales and Rilee Rossouw at Thunder, will start the BBL before leaving in early January.Liam Livingstone, who was the No. 1 draft pick for Melbourne Renegades, has also had his stint reduced after his call-up to England’s Test squad for Pakistan.And the tournament is unlikely to feature Glenn Maxwell this season after he suffered a fractured leg in an accident at a birthday party on Saturday.However, Thunder will be able to call on David Warner for the latter part of the season after the Tests are completed following his return to the BBL for the first time since 2013. Other Australia Test players will also be available although the frontline quicks are not expected to feature and Steven Smith has yet to accept a deal with Sydney Sixers.Following the Test summer which features West Indies and South Africa there are no home international clashes with the BBL after the ODI series against South Africa was cancelled earlier this year with CSA prioritising the SA20.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool project is built atop the foundation paved by Jurgen Klopp in his last hurrah.

That’s not to say that the Dutch tactician has been riding on his predecessor’s coattails; far from it. Slot has taken a talented Liverpool side and shaped it toward his vision.

He’s done it with aplomb. The Reds are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League and await Newcastle United in next month’s Carabao Cup final. They have been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain for the Champions League’s last 16 too.

And all this having barely touched the transfer market. In fact, Federico Chiesa from Juventus for £12.5m stands as the only first-team addition since the summer 2023 market. Giorgi Mamardashvili signed last summer but has stayed with Valencia on loan.

Much of this boils down to Liverpool’s midfield rebuild. Klopp’s last hurrah, he pieced a malfunctioned engine room back together, with FSG opting for several parts instead of the attractive option named Jude Bellingham.

When Liverpool missed out on Jude Bellingham

There was a point, about two years ago, when Liverpool held onto hopes of bringing Bellingham to Anfield. Spanish sources revealed in December 2022 that Real Madrid were the favourites but that Liverpool held the financial advantage. Fans waited with bated breath.

Bellingham signed for Los Blancos in a deal worth £115m, leaving Borussia Dortmund having established himself as one of the brightest young talents in the business.

Toward the end of the 2023/24 season, Joleon Lescott claimed that the robust midfielder is “the best player in the world.” Whether this is actually true is open to question, but there’s no doubt that Bellingham is in the world-class bracket.

He has lifted La Liga and Champions League titles and has racked up 57 goal contributions from 77 matches. According to CIES Football Observatory’s player valuation model, Bellingham is currently valued at £225m, making him the second-most valuable player in the world, behind only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland at £244m.

Carlo Ancelotti has described Bellingham as “a gift for football” but Liverpool ultimately hit the jackpot in investing in the aggregate. Had the Three Lions superstar been signed and resources have been exhausted, it’s unlikely that Liverpool’s midfield, maybe still comprised of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, would be serving up a title challenge.

Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch are title-chasing Liverpool’s main options, while Wataru Endo surprised a few in helping Klopp’s team toward a resurgent 2023/24 campaign, winning the Carabao Cup too.

However, there’s another Reds midfielder who’s proving himself to be an unsung hero in Slot’s midfield, and he cost absolutely nothing.

Arne Slot's unsung hero at Liverpool

Curtis Jones has always been just outside the limelight.

A dynamic midfielder with a technical gift and selfless intelligence, he’s been a valuable asset to the Merseysiders since emerging from the academy.

His introductory goal against Everton in the 2020 FA Cup third round when he was only 18 to seal passage to the next phase illustrated the latest Merseyside sensation to come through the gates.

His ball-playing style aligns neatly with Slot’s own footballing ideology, but injuries and suspensions have kept him from nailing down a regular starting berth.

In fact, the regularity of suspension and fitness blows across his senior career so far might have proved detrimental to many up-and-comers, but his determination and self-belief have instead seen him go from strength to strength.

Below, you will see how Jones’ technical qualities have been shifted to accommodate Slot’s more control-focused system. This, for sure, serves as an accurate barometer of the nuanced tweaks away from Klopp’s set-up.

Goals

0.08

0.26

Assists

0.08

0.26

Shot-creating actions

2.78

2.33

Touches

70.57

62.96

Pass completion

91.1%

93.9%

Passes attempted

59.85

52.36

Progressive passes

5.71

5.43

Progressive carries

2.39

1.12

Successful take-ons

1.16

0.78

Ball recoveries

5.55

4.39

Tackles + interceptions

2.62

2.41

Under Slot’s wing, Jones is effectively moving around less, touching less of the ball while maintaining his expertise in playing the ball. Speaking warmly of his midfielder in November, the Dutch coach hailed his all-round ability: “He has an incredibly hard work rate and we trust him in defence. He is complete. For him now, it is all about consistency.”

Praised for his “truly special” style of play by one analyst, Jones’ knack for impressing across the different central roles serves as another string to the bow. As per Transfermarkt, he has featured 14 times in an advanced role this year, 11 dead in the centre and has played four matches in a deeper-sat position, making long stroking passes to build the fluency of Slot’s team.

His glue-like quality allows those around him to flourish, and brings the best out of them. In fact, he might even have some intriguing similarities to the aforementioned Bellingham, with FBref recording the Real Madrid Galactico as Jones’ most comparable midfielder when crunching numbers across the past 365 days.

Bellingham ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals and assists, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for touches, and the top 6% for tackles and interceptions made per 90, as per FBref.

He’s the footballing paragon of midfield completeness, transcending the position and becoming a unique talent unto himself. Jones, we have to admit, isn’t operating at the same level, but he does carry a stylistic semblance and this is a treat for a Reds side blessed with such dynamic and balanced midfield proportions.

The Sky Sports pundits see something Bellingham-esque in Jones’ skill set, with Jamie Carragher remarking that he has “a bit of everything” in his game.

Indeed, Jones needs to keep his head down and prove himself worthy among his fellow midfielders. According to Football Transfers, the England international’s transfer value has skyrocketed from about £15m to £44m in just a matter of months, perfectly illustrating his progress under new Liverpool management.

Bellingham’s a showman, yes, but he’s also a warrior and a thoroughbred workhorse. Jones doesn’t quite encapsulate the same sweeping gamut, but he’s a top player in his own right, and so undervalued within this title-charging Liverpool team.

Left in 2015: Liverpool's £4m flop is outscoring Darwin Nunez in 24/25

It highlights the non-clinical edge of Darwin Nunez’s game.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 21, 2025

As they prepare to square off against Leeds United with closing the gap on the Championship leaders in mind, one Sunderland star has taken a key step towards returning from a lengthy absence.

Sunderland injury news

The Black Cats maintained their push for promotion last time out, returning to winning ways by defeating a struggling Luton Town side to stay within five points of Sheffield United in the automatic promotion spot and seven behind leaders Leeds.

That seven point gap makes this weekend’s clash all the more interesting, of course. Win at Elland Road and Regis Le Bris’ side will be just four points behind the Whites with just 14 games remaining in the Championship – setting up an intense race for automatic promotion.

Defeat, meanwhile, could all but end Sunderland’s title hopes and leave them as many as eight points behind automatic promotion, let alone runaway leaders Leeds.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Feb 12, 2025

Ahead of such a crucial tie then, Le Bris will be glad to have been handed a positive update on the injury front. As revealed by Le Bris and relayed by The Northern Echo, Alan Browne has made his return to action with the U21s after missing the last 18 games with a broken leg in what is a key step towards a full comeback.

The summer signing has been out since November, but could finally get the chance to make his mark in the coming weeks alongside Romaine Mundle, who is back in full training.

Le Bris confirmed the news and provided an injury update before Sunderland’s victory over Luton, telling reporters: “Alan is very close, which is good news for us. We need his experience in the dressing room. When a player is missing, you understand how important they are.

“Romaine is training fully with the team, Tommy will need one more week to be in contact training with the team Touch wood, we are very close to having a full squad. Another two or three weeks, we could have a full squad.”

Sunderland returns arriving at perfect time

With just 14 games remaining, Sunderland couldn’t have asked for better news on the injury front as they close in on a full-strength squad at a crucial time. Browne, in particular, will be a welcome return after he missed 18 games through a major injury. Dubbed “important” by Le Bris, the midfielder’s experience could prove to be the key that unlocks promotion.

Meanwhile, the Black Cats still have Jayden Danns to return. The young striker has been injured since arriving with a back injury on loan from Liverpool, but will be desperate to complete his comeback and take full advantage of his opportunity at The Stadium of Light.

As the fixtures come thick and fast, depth will be more important than ever and Sunderland’s returning stars should reflect that. With automatic promotion still out of reach for the Black Cats, it’s set to be 14 games full of drama once again in the Championship.

The South African batter is expected to be available for the first seven matches

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2022Defending champions Perth Scorchers have signed Faf du Plessis as a replacement overseas player for the first part of the BBL to replace Laurie Evans whose deal was terminated after his positive dope test earlier this month.Du Plessis did not get picked up in the original draft where he was a platinum player. Scorchers expect him to be available for the first seven matches of the tournament before he returns home for the SA20Du Plessis, who has 8074 T20 runs, has played one previous BBL match back in 2012 for Melbourne Renegades. Since 2018 he has been especially consistent in the format with an average of 35.45 and strike-rate of 137.47 with three of his four hundreds in that period.Related

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“I think the first thing that jumps to mind is that Perth are four-time champions, which is very impressive,” du Plessis said. “Any player who plays around the world wants to win competitions, so it’s a great franchise to be part of.”I’m also keen to come in and learn. I think it’s important to learn from other people and organisations, and find out why they’re successful. I’m also excited to share my experiences and the things I’ve learned, and hopefully that can be a great combination.”Kade Harvey, Western Australia’s general manager, said: “His record in T20 cricket speaks for itself. He can play in all conditions, bats anywhere in the top six, and has proven himself at the highest level for more than a decade.”Faf has been outstanding when playing for the Proteas in Australia, and he’s no stranger to the sort of pace and bounce that Optus Stadium offers. We believe his versatility, experience and leadership will be really valuable to our squad, and we can’t wait to get him around the group.”Perth Scorchers other overseas signings are England duo Phil Salt and Tymal Mills.Perth Scorchers squad Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Faf du Plessis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Mitchell Marsh, Tymal Mills, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Phil Salt, Ashton Turner (captain), Andrew Tye

Bridget Patterson’s late hitting under pressure powered Adelaide Strikers to a tense six-wicket victory over a sloppy Brisbane Heat and into a second straight WBBL final.The Challenger was a see-saw of a contest with Strikers riding their luck in a nervy chase, with Patterson and Madeline Penna the heroes to spark jubilant scenes at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval.Related

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Heat had their chances but rued four dropped catches as Strikers eye redemption for last season’s final heartbreak when they meet Sydney Sixers on Saturday at North Sydney Oval.Patterson steps up at the death
Strikers gambled and held off taking the power surge until the 18th over with 33 runs still needed. It proved a masterstroke after they scored 24 runs culminating in a huge six over deep square leg from Patterson, who was unruffled by the situation.It meant nine runs were needed off the last over with Heat skipper Jess Jonassen backing legspinner Amelia Kerr with the season on the line. But it was Penna who swatted consecutive boundaries to get Strikers over the line with two balls to spare in redemption for her after enduring heartbreak during last season’s WBBL final against Perth Scorchers.Heat’s poor fielding proves costly
Perhaps they were tired after having to back up from last night’s victory in the Eliminator over Hobart Hurricanes, but Heat had only themselves to blame.After grabbing the early wickets of Katie Mack and skipper Tahlia McGrath, dropped catches in the outfield from Courtney Grace Sippel proved costly.Deandra Dottin, particularly, relished her second chance as she piled more misery on Sippel with a six amid a scoring spree to get Strikers in a decent position at the halfway point.Dottin’s cameo ended when she fell to the spin of Jonassen and was brilliantly caught by wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne. But disaster struck when Redmayne injured her left calf after celebrating the dismissal. She hobbled off the ground and was substituted out of the game, as Heat had to regroup quickly.But their poor fielding, which spilt over from a sloppy effort against Hurricanes, haunted them as they fell agonizingly short.A pumped up Megan Schutt led the way with the ball for Strikers•Getty Images

Strikers crash through Heat’s strong top-order
At the beginning of the do-or-die match, it loomed as a contest between Strikers’ brilliant attack and the dynamic batting of Heat.Opener Danni Wyatt had top-scored with 52 against Hurricanes, but fell in the second over to in-form quick Megan Schutt.Seamer Darcie Brown menaced with inswing to trouble Redmayne, who had looked rusty against Hurricanes in her return from a hamstring injury.Redmayne continued to look a shadow of the player who had dominated earlier in the season, before a confidence boosting boundary through square leg. But she was bowled by Brown on the next delivery attempting the same shot, as Heat slumped to 13 for 2 in the third over.Grace Harris consolidated and hit a beautiful cut to the boundary off legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington, who was looking for a statement after her shock omission from Australia’s T20I tour of India next month.But Grace fell in the eighth over leaving Heat shakily placed at 43-3.Laura Harris provides the fireworks again
After Amelia helped steady the ship, Heat needed a lift from Laura Harris who again obliged with power-hitting.She turned the game against Hurricanes with 44 off 14 balls and almost replicated that here with a 14-ball 33, mixing belligerence with finesse after coming to the crease at 88-4 after 14 overs. She smashed Brown for four boundaries in the 17th over, but her best shot might have been an outrageous switch hit off Schutt that rocketed to the deep third boundary.Schutt exacted revenge on the next ball, but Laura’s pyrotechnics helped lift Heat to a competitive total. But in the end it proved not enough.

Tottenham Hotspur put in a dominant performance away to struggling Ipswich Town to win 4-1 at Portman Road. The Lilywhites were impressive, and took their chances well, with standout performances across the pitch for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

It was a fast start from Spurs, with Brennan Johnson scoring two goals inside the first half an hour of the game. The Welshman was impressive and managed to fire home two passes from captain Son Heung-min.

Ipswich did get themselves a goal back, thanks to former Chelsea and Arsenal academy star Omari Hutchinson. It was poor defending from the Lilywhites, leaving the Tractor Boys’ attacking midfielder unmarked in the box, for a simple finish.

However, with 77 minutes on the clock, the in-form Djed Spence saw his effort deflect home, after some brilliant quick feet from James Maddison. Dejan Kulusevski made it 4-1 with six minutes of the 90 left, with a wonderful strike. After picking up the ball from a flick-on, he went on a marauding run into the Ipswich half, cut inside on his left foot and curled his shot home.

It was an impressive and dominant showing from Postecoglou’s side, with Johnson one of the standout players in East Anglia.

Johnson’s stats vs. Ipswich

23-year-old Johnson has been in excellent form for much of the season in a Spurs shirt. The Nottingham-born winger has nine Premier League goals this season, in 23 games, including his two strikes against Kieran McKenna’s side.

The first goal was a typical poacher’s finish from the winger this season. He got on the end of a low cross from Son at the back post, deflecting the ball into the back of the net. His second was also set up by his captain, but this was a well-directed effort from 12 yards out, into the right-hand corner.

He has now scored more League goals than any other Spurs player this term, an impressive return from the winger. He was given an 8/10 post-match rating from Alasdair Gold, Tottenham Hotspur correspondent for Football.London, who described his first goal as a ‘trademark’ finish.

Johnson’s stats from Sofascore at the end of the game show just how well he played. The winger had 26 crucial touches at Portman Road, completed 15 out of 20 passes and had an expected goals tally of 1.11xG.

As effective as the Spurs winger was against Ipswich, the same cannot be said for a fellow attacker, who struggled to impact the game.

The Spurs player who struggled vs. Ipswich

In a game where so many attacking players in that famous White shirt stood out, it was a disappointing performance from January signing Mathys Tel, who was leading the line today. The Frenchman was substituted with 15 minutes to go.

Performance in Numbers

His performances warranted a 5/10 rating from Gold after full-time, which was the lowest of any Spurs starter. The journalist said it was a ‘tough day at the office’ for Tel, who ‘didn’t do too much’ with the ball when he managed to get possession.

Indeed, Tel did not see much of the ball during the game. The attacker, whose parent club is German side Bayern Munich, had just 17 touches of the ball, fewer even than Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s 36. Tel also won one duel out of six and had a pass accuracy of 63%.

Stat

Number

Touches

17

Pass accuracy

63%

Passes completed

5/8

Ground duels won

1/5

Aerial duels won

0/1

Number of times ball lost

7

That will certainly be a performance that might worry Postecoglou. There is no doubting Tel’s quality; he was once described as a “talented player” by former Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann.

However, perhaps his adaption to the Premier League will take a few games, which is more than understandable. Assuming he joins Spurs permanently, this is an investment for the future as well as the present.

However, for the Lilywhites’ next fixture, a midweek clash with Manchester City in North London, there is every chance Postecoglou takes him out of the starting lineup to give him respite, in what is a must-win game for his side.

He's playing like Bellingham: Ange must regret selling Spurs' £8m "leader"

The exceptional midfielder is enjoying life away from Spurs.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 20, 2025

Leeds United have now “accepted a bid” to sell a defender for an undisclosed fee, according to reliable reporter Joe Donnohue.

Leeds hit Cardiff City for seven

The Whites sent out a warning to their Championship promotion rivals with a 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon, and they are now in a very strong position to achieve automatic promotion, sitting five points clear of third-placed Burnley.

Daniel Farke was full of praise for his side after the emphatic victory, saying: “This league is relentless and you have to become relentless yourself and we showed this today from the first second to the last.

“In the last 20 minutes, when we were 4-0 or 5-0 up, we still had the desire to run back and defend the clean sheet but also the discipline to create more chances – we could have score a few more.

The Whites are in a strong position to seal promotion back to the Premier League after a two-year absence, having been very impressive in both an attacking and defensive sense, shipping the second-fewest number of goals in the second tier.

Farke’s side have kept clean sheets in seven of their last nine league matches, with Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu forming a formidable partnership at the back in recent weeks, so there have been very few opportunities for young players to get minutes.

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Leeds are looking to add attacking firepower

1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 1, 2025

As such, Leeds and the 49ers Enterprises are willing to sanction the departure of Jeremiah Mullen, as reported by reliable journalist Joe Donnohue of The Yorkshire Evening Post, having now accepted a bid from Scottish Championship side Dunfermline after initial talks.

The fee is undisclosed, but Donnohue states it is unlikely to be substantial, given that Mullen’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

The defender is not the only youngster set to make a move north of the border, with fellow young defender Kris Moore recently going on trial at Scottish Premiership side St. Johnstone.

Correct decision to sanction Mullen's departure

It is a shame the centre-back was never able to establish himself in the first team at Elland Road, given that he showed some promising signs as a youngster, receiving praise from former youth coach Mark Jackson.

“Credit to them both [Mullen and Littlewood], last two games I think they’ve been a really strong pairing, both U18s players, both shown in the last two games they can compete at this level.”

However, it is the best decision for all parties for the 20-year-old to move on, given that it is extremely unlikely he is able to force his way into the Leeds starting XI, given how solid they have been defensively this season and in the last few weeks particularly.

The move to Scotland will give Mullen an opportunity to receive more consistent game time and get his senior career up and running, so it is a wise move to let him leave for an undisclosed fee before the transfer deadline on Monday.