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A week is a long time in football, and while things aren’t all rosy just yet, Manchester United are in a much better spot than they were this time last week.

Erik ten Hag’s side blew Southampton away 3-0 on Saturday and then utterly dominated Barnsley 7-0 in the League Cup last night in what could have easily been a banana skin fixture for the Premier League outfit.

Now, as the Tykes ply their trade in the third tier of English football, United fans can’t and won’t be getting too carried away with the result, but given how poorly the start of the season has gone, it’s still worth celebrating.

There were a number of good performers on the night who have otherwise been underwhelming so far this season, but with a far more challenging test against Crystal Palace to come on the weekend, Ten Hag must immediately drop one of his goalscorers back to the bench.

Antony's game in numbers

Yes, Brazilian winger Antony should be dropped from the starting lineup ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash, despite looking alright against Barnsley.

The former Ajax ace was brought into the team last night in place of the exciting Amad Diallo, and to his credit, he did make an impact.

In addition to winning and scoring his penalty, the 24-year-old took 90 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 90%, played two key passes, took four shots on target, completed one dribble, and made one interception and tackle to boot.

However, there were still signs of the same frustrating player in his performance to go along with everything he did well, as he lost the ball 13 times, and despite taking so many shots on target, he couldn’t convert any of them in open play, which could help to explain his 6/10 match rating from the Manchester Evening News Samuel Luckhurst.

Moreover, playing well against a team from League One and a team that just gave Manchester City a run for their money in the top flight are two very different things, and the São Paulo-born wideman hasn’t shown enough quality since joining to warrant starting against the Bees.

Antony’s United record
Appearances	84
Minutes	5119′
Goals	12
Assists	5
Goal Involvements per Match	0.20
Minutes per Goal Involvement	301.11′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in his 84 games for the club following his £81m move two years ago, the 16-capped international has scored just 12 times and provided five assists. This means he’s averaged a goal involvement once every 4.94 games, which isn’t good enough, and as such, he should be dropped.

Who should replace Antony

So, for what is already a must-win game against Crystal Palace on the weekend, if United want to keep pace with their top four rivals, Ten Hag should look to bring Marcus Rashford back onto the left wing, move Alejandro Garnacho to the right and start Joshua Zirkzee as the recognised number nine.

Now, starting with the two wingers, and after they both scored last night, they’ve more than earned their place in the lineup and looked far and away United’s most dangerous players on the pitch.

Moreover, while the Argentine wonderkid has looked good from the first game of the season, the Englishman struggled at first, but with three goals in two games, he seems to have found some form. So, the manager should under no circumstances look to take him out of the team and risk derailing what could be the start of a comeback for Rashford.

Zirkzee, on the other hand, has endured a slightly mixed start to life in England.

He scored the winner against Fulham on the opening day but has since failed to add another in his subsequent four appearances.

However, he has had opportunities in each of those games, and the fact that he keeps getting himself into goalscoring positions is encouraging, and with more experience in the first team, the goals should hopefully start to come.

Ultimately, Antony did reasonably well against Barnsley, but he’s shown in the past that he struggles against tougher opposition, so Ten Hag should start Zirkzee up top, Rashford on the left and Garnacho on the right for the game against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Alongside Rashford: 109-touch "monster" may have revived his Man Utd career

The experienced veteran was superb for 90 minutes.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 18, 2024

Manchester United are willing to loan Antony out in January as they bid to finally cut ties with the Brazilian flop.

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Antony signed for £86mHas roundly failed to make an impactUnited ready to cut tiesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per, United are keen to cut ties with Brazilian winger Antony after three years at Old Trafford. Signed for £86 million ($107m) from Ajax, he has just 17 goal involvements in 94 games, and United are willing to let him leave on loan.

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While intermediaries are said to be working on finding the 24-year-old a new club, United have yet to receive a single offer. While new manager Ruben Amorim is said to be a fan of the player's ability, he is happy to move him on. Casemiro has also been placed on the transfer list amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

DID YOU KNOW?

Antony is tied to United until 2027, and it remains to be seen if the Red Devils can find a way to move him on this month. If not, they may have to wait until the summer but it remains unclear if there will be much interest in a player on huge wages.

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United, who are in 14th in the Premier League, play leaders Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has dropped a key update regarding Leeds United’s pursuit of a new striker, as they look to get an important piece of business over the line.

Leeds Championship form & transfer news

The Whites suffered a hugely disappointing day at the office on Saturday lunchtime, as their first game back after the international break ended in defeat. Daniel Farke’s side were beaten 1-0 at home to Burnley, in a match that pitted two of the Championship’s most highly-rated teams, acting as an early blow to their promotion hopes.

It means Leeds are outside the playoffs after five matches, only winning twice to date this season, so there is an element of pressure on Farke, even though results have been more positive than negative.

In terms of the futures of current players, it has been rumoured that left-back Junior Firpo is now open to signing a new deal at Elland Road, joining Wilfried Gnonto after he did the same recently, acting as a huge boost for the club.

While seven goals in five games is far from a bad return for Leeds, it looks as though a new striker is being looked at in the coming months, especially after Georginio Rutter completed a move to Brighton during the summer transfer window.

Journalist gives update on Leeds striker search

According to an exciting new update from Football Insider‘s O’Rourke, Leeds will look to sign a striker in January, with owners 49ers Enterprises set to make the money available to bring in a new marksman.

Sunderland attacker Eliezer Mayenda has been touted as a possible option for the Whites, having already scored and assisted twice apiece in five appearances for the Black Cats this season, but others are also likely to be looked at.

While O’Rourke has stated that it is “unlikely” that Mayenda will complete a move to Elland Road, he is someone who Leeds should continue to track, possibly looking to entice him to the club eventually.

At just 19 years of age, the Sunderland starlet is also impressing in the Championship, as highlighted by his aforementioned goals and assists this season, so he could be both a long-term acquisition and a squad player from the off. His current manager, Regis Le Bris, is believed to admire “his willingness to learn and how quickly he was able to understand the demands being placed on him in terms of his out-of-possession work”.

Admittedly, Mayenda’s age does mean that he is still a raw footballer, however, and not necessarily someone who could come in and lead the line consistently from the off, which Farke could arguably do with in the promotion battle.

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For that reason, looking elsewhere for an older option who is in and around his prime arguably makes more sense, giving Leeds a proven option midway through the season, injecting additional firepower in the final third alongside Mateo Joseph, Joe Piroe and Patrick Bamford.

Tottenham Hotspur have been named as a possible destination for a £25 million player by a foreign club chief, who suggests that a 2025 transfer to north London is indeed possible.

Spurs finish summer transfer window with four signings totaling £113m

Manager Ange Postecoglou, technical director Johan Lange and chairman Daniel Levy and their wider recruitment team strengthened the Spurs squad in a variety of key areas over the summer window, spending a total of around £113 million on four key additions.

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Timo Werner extended his loan deal with the Lilywhites to run through to the end of this Premier League season, with the new temporary agreement including a cheaper buy-option set at around £7.5 million.

After agreeing to keep the German, Spurs moved to sign 18-year-old Archie Gray from Leeds United for around £40 million, strengthening Postecoglou's midfield options with the arrival of an English sensation who starred at Elland Road in the Championship last season.

Their biggest marquee deal, a £65 million (including add-ons) move for striker Dominic Solanke, also provided Postecoglou with a proven Premier League goalscorer to lead the line this campaign – and he's expected to be a highly crucial player for them throughout 2024/2025.

Spurs ended their productive window with the swift and largely silent transfer of Wilson Odobert from Burnley, summing up their transfer business and not counting moves for youngsters Lucas Bergvall and South Korean wonderkid Min-hyeok Yang.

Timo Werner

RB Leipzig (loan)

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth

Archie Gray

Leeds

Wilson Odobert

Burnley

Lucas Bergvall

Djurgarden

Min-hyeok Yang

Gangwon FC

Levy and Lange also offloaded a host of players in that time, including a deadline day exit for midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who completed a permanent switch back to former club Real Betis in La Liga.

Manu Fajardo names Tottenham as 2025 move for Johnny Cardoso

A condition of the agreement was first refusal on a potential future swoop for Betis star Johnny Cardoso. Spurs reportedly have opening rights to sign the 22-year-old USA international for around £25 million, which could be a possibility considering his impressive performances in the Spanish top flight lately.

Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo has publicly confirmed Tottenham's involvement in a potential future move for Cardoso, hinting that a summer move to N17 in 2025 is a possibility for the player.

"He has played an important role in terms of his rights for the future," said Fajardo in a Q&A with Marca this week. "Leaving next summer? It would depend on Tottenham and other offers that come in."

Last season, Cardoso averaged a match rating per 90 of 7.06 according to WhoScored, with the midfielder also bagging two assists and a goal in 17 league outings over 2023/2024.

Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi has defended his 'Jesus loves you' message, written on his Rainbow armband, as one of "love, truth and inclusivity".

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Guehi avoids FA punishment for messageBreaks rules for second-straight matchIpswich's Morsy refuses to wear Rainbow armbandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Palace captain avoided punishment for writing on his Rainbow armband again, despite receiving a Football Association (FA) warning after he wrote "I love Jesus" on it before Saturday's game against Newcastle. Premier League captains were wearing the armbands as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, showing solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in football.

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Not put off by the FA's warning, Guehi appeared with "Jesus loves you" written on his armband in the 1-0 win over Ipswich Town on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has now spoken out about the messages and his reason for writing them.

WHAT GUEHI SAID

"The message was just a message of truth and love and inclusivity to be honest," Guehi told the "I don't think the message was harmful in any way – that's all I can really say about that to be honest."

He added: "I believe 100% in the words that I wrote, even what I've just said now – it's a message of truth and love, and I hope people can understand that my faith is my faith, and I'll stand by it for the rest of my life."

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The Palace centre-back lined up against Ipswich's Sam Morsy on Tuesday, who himself has attracted attention by refusing the wear the Rainbow armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community due to his religious beliefs.

Cricket operations chairman Akram Khan makes claim after Shakib hits out at criticism

Mohammad Isam21-Mar-2021The BCB may reconsider the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for Shakib Al Hasan to play in this year’s IPL, according to Akram Khan, the board’s cricket operations chairman. The news comes less than 24 hours after Shakib had accused the BCB, and particularly Khan, of misrepresenting him about his decision to skip the Tests against Sri Lanka.Khan, who spoke shortly after a meeting at the BCB president Nazmul Hassan’s residence in Dhaka, said that discussions about Shakib’s NOC will be held in the next couple of days, after Shakib had said in an interview on Friday that he never wrote in his letter to the BCB that he didn’t want to play Tests.”I heard that he said that I didn’t read his letter,” Khan said. “Perhaps I misunderstood his letter. He wants to play Tests, from what he has said. In the next couple of days we will discuss about his NOC. If he has interest, he will play Tests in Sri Lanka. We will decide about the rest after hearing the whole interview.”Khan confirmed that he read Shakib’s letter where it was mentioned that he wanted to skip the Sri Lanka series to play in the IPL. “Shakib wrote in the letter that he wants to play the IPL instead of the Test series in Sri Lanka,” he said.Shakib said on Friday that Khan has continued to mention his desire not to play the Test series even though he wrote to the board that he wants to play in the IPL – where he has an Rs 3.2 crore ($438,000 approx) contract with Kolkata Knight Riders – to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.Related

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“Those who keep saying that I don’t want to play Tests, I am sure they didn’t read my letter,” he said. “I didn’t mention anywhere in my letter to the BCB that I don’t want to play Tests. I wrote that I want to play the IPL to prepare myself for the World Cup.”Akram especially has repeatedly said that I don’t want to play Tests. I think he said it again in an interview yesterday. I guess he never read the letter. People should have a clear idea that I wanted to play the IPL even if ODIs were scheduled during this time.”I want to take advantage of playing in the same grounds and against the same players who I will face in the World Cup T20 four months later. I can share the same experience with my Bangladesh team-mates,” Shakib said.Shakib also pointed the finger at the former cricketers who are in the BCB currently, and said that the BCB’s player development process, particularly the high performance programme, hasn’t produced enough good cricketers in the last five years.Naimur Rahman, the high performance programme’s chairman and a former Bangladesh captain, said that Shakib’s comments were surprising.”In the last five years, a number of our Under-19 cricketers have come through the HP to play for the senior team,” Rahman said. “They recently beat Ireland Wolves. So this is a surprising comment. I don’t know if there’s anything behind it.”Rahman added that Shakib’s point about respecting Bangladeshi cricketers was contradictory as he himself isn’t respecting the former cricketers in the board. “He also spoke about respecting players, so did he respect the former cricketers in the board?” he said.

All things considered, Liverpool have passed the pre-season test with flying colours, whatever that actually is. Arne Slot has a herculean task on his hands in succeeding Jurgen Klopp, but his ideology has taken root and there is much promise at his embryonic stage.

Liverpool petered out somewhat at the end of the 2023/24 season but still restored their Champions League status and won the Carabao Cup, with Klopp's 'Liverpool 2.0' up and running.

It's a brand new world, with the club's Dutch boss cherry-picked by FSG given his loose charm, attractive brand of football and track record over in the Netherlands, with AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, latterly winning the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup.

Pre-season results must be taken with a pinch of salt but none can deny that the early signs are promising, despite the Reds having yet to dip their toes into the transfer market.

Liverpool 0-1 Preston

19/07/2024

AXA Training Centre, Kirkby

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

27/07/2024

Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh

Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal

01/08/2024

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Liverpool 3-0 Man United

04/08/2024

Brice Stadium, South Carolina

Indeed the only Premier League club yet to make a signing, supporters are yearning for some added impetus; Slot has inherited a talented squad but it is not without its gaps, with the backline one of the most pressing concerns.

Liverpool's hunt for a defender

According to reports relayed by Sky Sports, Liverpool have joined the race for Marc Guehi, who has recently been the subject of intense interest from Newcastle United.

The Crystal Palace centre-back, who starred for England at Euro 2024, is valued at £75m after a steep rise over the past year, now regarded as one of the Premier League's finest rising defenders.

FSG have likely baulked at such a hefty price tag, but could use Joe Gomez as a makeweight in any potential transfer, as has been reported to be the case during Liverpool's negotiations with the Magpies for Anthony Gordon, earlier in the summer.

Football FanCast's Team of the Tournament for Euro 2024.

Why Marc Guehi would be a great fit for Liverpool

Guehi's composure and inner belief have married into his skilled ability, notable across strength, stamina and technique metrics. His mentality and calming influence could be the perfect fit for Slot's Liverpool, especially when digging deeper into the club's circumstances.

A product of Chelsea's youth academy, Guehi made the decision to move to Selhurst Park after impressing on a string on loan adventures, completing an £18m transfer in 2021 and never looking back.

Palace have ebbed and flowed over the past several years but have always tread water above the dreaded drop zone, with Guehi's steely, commanding defensive displays going a long way toward maintaining such stability.

And of course, the Eagles appear to have hit the jackpot with the appointment of Oliver Glasner back in February, the Austrian coach transforming the side and creating an attack-focused, slick and stylish unit.

Guehi missed much of his football as he nursed a knee injury, but his efforts under Roy Hodgson still earned him a place in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad this summer, where he was arguably England's finest performer.

Matches (starts)

25 (23)

6 (6)

Clean sheets

4

2

Touches*

61.6

82.8

Pass completion

87%

94%

Total duels won*

3.6 (60%)

4.0 (51%)

Tackles

1.1

0.5

Clearances

3.5

2.0

Ball recoveries

4.8

4.7

Be it club or country, he is sturdy without the ball and elegant with it at his feet. He's been described as a "beast" of a player by talent scout Jacek Kulig and it's clear to see why.

His languid style draws comparisons to that of Virgil van Dijk, with the easy defensive game and underrated ball-playing ability perhaps playing to the strengths of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

An exciting partnership with Trent

Guehi proved at the Euros his faculty for passing, thriving with his crisp, error-free displays from the rear. England lacked fluency in Germany but it was certainly no fault of Guehi.

He scarcely got to play with Liverpool's homegrown sensation, but his nature could ensure that Liverpool's playmaking talisman thrives this season, under new management.

Widely regarded as one of the most talented technicians in football, Alexander-Arnold ranks among the top 12% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 5% for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and passes attempted and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, emphasising that very point.

The 25-year-old has long been criticised for an ostensibly weak defensive game, and while it is untrue that he is a poor defender, it's certainly not his strong suit, winning just 45% of his contested duels in the Premier League last season.

Moreover, since he has started to drive into the middle of the park when Liverpool hold possession and are on the attack, he could benefit immensely from a titan like Guehi to offer protection.

Alexander-Arnold's midfield experiment for his country this summer failed, but that's evidence enough that the right system needs to be implemented to ensure such success – Guehi, in Slot's budding Liverpool set-up, could indeed be the missing piece.

The "absolute tank" – as former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik once dubbed him – would provide Liverpool with the kind of defensive fortitude that is needed for success under Slot's wing.

But perhaps more importantly, he would reinforce Liverpool's backline and allow Alexander-Arnold to foray forward and unleash his creative influence with confidence.

If Liverpool let Newcastle snap this talented player up, they might just live to regret it…

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FSG would need to break their record to land this goal machine…

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R Ashwin is now the top-ranked Indian bowler and the only spinner in the top ten

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2020Josh Hazlewood has climbed to the fifth spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings following his astonishing 5 for 8 against India in the second innings of the day-night Test in Adelaide, which Australia won by eight wickets. This is the first time since March 2018 that Hazlewood has been among the top of five Test bowlers in the world.Hazlewood was at No. 9 before the start of the Test. After the Adelaide Test, he jumped four slots to reach 805 points.Related

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Pat Cummins, who picked up seven wickets in the match, continued to head the table with 910 points. His gain of six rating points opened up a 65-point gap between him and second-ranked Stuart Broad (845).For India, R Ashwin took four wickets in the first innings to become India’s top-ranked Test bowler, going past Jasprit Bumrah. Currently at the ninth spot, Ashwin was the only spinner in the top ten.Among batsmen, Marnus Labuschagne’s 47 and 6 helped him achieve his best-ever rating – he was at No. 4 with 839 points. Virat Kohli, who ended the year without an international hundred – for the first time since 2008 – gained two points courtesy his 74 in the first innings. This, and a failure for Steven Smith (1 and 1*) that saw him lose ten rating points, narrowed the gap somewhat between the two at the top. However, Smith still has a lead of 13 points over Kohli, who wouldn’t be playing a part in the rest of the series as he returns home for the birth of his first child.In other significant movements, Tim Paine’s unbeaten 73 lifted him to a career-best 33rd place, while Joe Burns’ unbeaten 51 in the second innings helped him to the 48th spot.

Afghanistan allrounder signing a coup as Northants seek to boost middle order

Matt Roller16-Dec-2020

Mohammad Nabi plays a pull•AFP

Northamptonshire have pulled off a major coup by signing Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi as one of their overseas players for the 2021 T20 Blast.After several seasons of cost-cutting at the club, Northants have signalled their improved financial position in the last two years with several marquee overseas signings: Jason Holder, Temba Bavuma, Faheem Ashraf and Dwaine Pretorius all played at some stage in 2019, while AB de Villiers had held talks that year before eventually signing for Middlesex.Ashraf and Kieron Pollard had signed for last summer’s Blast before having their contracts cancelled due to the pandemic, with Paul Stirling recruited at short notice instead, and the addition of Nabi – ranked the No. 1 T20I allrounder in the world by the ICC – is a statement of intent ahead of next year’s competition.ALSO READ: County ins and outs 2020-21Nabi will turn 36 next month, but remains a highly sought-after player on the global T20 circuit as a powerful middle-order hitter and a wily offspinner who can bowl in the powerplay. Northants will be his third county, after previous seasons at Leicestershire and Kent in 2018 and 2019 respectively.”We’re delighted to welcome such a high-profile T20 player as Mohammad Nabi to the club,” David Ripley, Northants’ director of cricket, said. “He has a wealth of experience from playing in so many global tournaments around the world and can completely turn a game with both bat and ball.”Josh Cobb, the club’s T20 captain, said that they had identified middle-order batting as a problem area after falling away in the second half of the Blast this season.”Nabi was our number one target for that role, so Rips [David Ripley] and the club have done a great job to get him.” Cobb said. “We’ve looked at our middle order as a bit of priority for us, so Nabi was the perfect choice with his power and experience.”Along with bringing in Tom [Taylor] last year we’re now looking pretty strong in that area. They’re both three-dimensional players, so they help balance us up a bit and give us plenty of options on the day.”Nabi was signed by the London Spirit in the inaugural draft for the Hundred, and while his retention is yet to be officially confirmed, a Northants press release said that he would be available for the Blast’s quarter-finals following his involvement in that competition, subject to approval from the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

Tottenham Hotspur took a stride forward last season but Ange Postecoglou is searching for improvements across the board as he looks to take his team further, with patchy form pulling Spurs away from the Premier League's top-four, settling for the Europa League.

Is this a cloaked blessing? Postecoglou has been adamant that the Champions League will not define success as he continues to build, but Europe's elite club competition attracts the finest players, provides the firmest footing.

A defensive midfielder is coveted but, equally, Tottenham are hoping to sign a versatile wide forward to strengthen and dynamise the existing options. The Londoners might have found a big boost in that regard.

Spurs lining up talented forward

According to Tutto Juve, Tottenham are set to tussle with Manchester United and Newcastle United for the signing of Samuel Iling-Junior, who has been transfer-listed by Juventus for €15m (£13m).

The 20-year-old left winger broke into the Serie A side's first team this season but has been deemed expendable as the Old Lady seek to strengthen this summer.

For such a cheap price, it would almost be foolish not to at least lodge an offer and enter formal discussions; Iling-Junior is highly talented and might even have the perfect skill set to partner up with another summer target.

Dream Eberechi Eze partner

Speaking of Iling-Junior's qualities, former Chelsea and Tottenham academy coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst said in 2022: “Samuel brings the full package to the party, he has got everything. He is almost like a street footballer with his skill and balance. He brings almost everything to the table. He can play seven, eleven, a 10 or even in central midfield.”

Iling-Junior featured 27 times across all competitions, scored one goal and added two assists, with his "explosive" ability – as described by analyst Ben Mattinson – making him a tailor-made prospect for an ambitious Premier League outfit, and he could be the perfect partner for fellow Spurs target Eberechi Eze, someone who would no doubt be an exciting acquisition for the Londoners.

The Juve starlet is a maverick, ranking among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for progressive carries and the top 19% for tackles per 90, as per FBref. Pace, power, creativity, and combativeness all feature prominently in Iling-Junior's game.

The former Chelsea youth product, furthermore, has also been praised for his "high energy and work volume as well as dreamy ball skills" by journalist Antonio Mango, suggestingly that he is exactly what Postecoglou needs to add a layer to his left side.

And if Daniel Levy matches Postecoglou's ambition with incisive action and secures Eze's signature this summer, who, as per the Daily Mail, has a £60m release clause in his contract and is attracting interest from Tottenham, then a wonderful new partnership could be born.

Both players favour the left but Eze played regularly as a No. 10, attacking midfielder, last season, scoring the lion's share of his goals when central. Moreover, the Eagles phenomenon averaged 2.6 dribbles and five ball recoveries per top-flight match and thus would bring the energy needed to succeed at Spurs and bounce off the facets of Iling-Junior's game.

With Richarlison among those mooted for a departure this summer and Heung-min Son featuring prominently at centre-forward – which may maintain its regularity even if a new striker is signed – Iling-Junior could find himself earning ample opportunity to impress down the wing, with his playmaking skill leading him to be described as an "assist machine" by journalist Michele Neri.

Attacking midfield

17

8

5

Left winger

8

3

1

Right winger

1

0

0

Left midfield

1

0

0

This would prove especially beneficial in regard to his partnership with Eze, who brings a host of attributes to the table but notably thrives through his goalscoring, actually ranking among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals scored and the top 5% for shots taken per 90.

To nail the point home, the aforementioned Mattinson has even predicted that Iling-Junior, England U21 international, could become a “[Bukayo] Saka rival” for England, offering the kind of snap and style in his athletic play to rival that of the Arsenal star, who scored 20 goals and supplied 14 assists in all competitions last term for Mikel Arteta's elite side.

Saka, while catching the eye with his clinical touch, solidifies his position as one of the Premier League's finest with remarkable underlying numbers, ranking among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shot-creating actions and the top 10% for tackles per 90. It's for this reason that Spurs' transfer target could successfully imitate his countryman.

Tottenham undoubtedly lack an element of pace down the left, and when athletic full-back Destiny Udogie found himself sidelined in the later stretch of the campaign, this was accentuated and then some, with Brennan Johnson pulled away from his favoured right side to try and inject some speed, proving to be less effective however.

With the requisite natural prowess and the ever-improving ability in important moments, Iling-Junior would be a credit to Postecoglou's project and would add the depth and skill needed to impress across multiple fronts next year.

Postecoglou will demand silverware of his players and without signing the likes of Iling-Junior, the Lilywhites simply won't have the firepower to maintain the charge across these different roads of the campaign.

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Spurs will want to give Postecoglou everything he needs to build a successful side this summer.

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