England boss Thomas Tuchel has been told by Three Lions legend Alan Shearer that he should keep an eye on Liverpool youngster Curtis Jones.

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Tuchel set to take charge of England in 2025 Shearer suggests Tuchel shouldn't ignore Jones Jones in top form for Arne Slot's LiverpoolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel signed an 18-month contract to take over the England national team from the start of 2025 as England look to mount a challenge for the 2026 World Cup. Lee Carsley is set to maintain his interim charge of the side until the end of this year as Tuchel enjoys his time off and recuperates before beginning his reign as the Three Lions boss.

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Tuchel is likely going to keep an eye on England players over the next few months as he will look to pick his perfect side right from the outset. Former England legend Shearer has now put forward Liverpool's Jones as one of the players Tuchel shouldn't 'ignore' when he begins his reign despite the midfielder not having been capped by either Gareth Southgate or Carsley.

Getty ImagesWHAT SHEARER SAID

Speaking to Betfair, Shearer said: "Curtis Jones was sensational in Liverpool’s game with Chelsea, and the real standout player. He should absolutely be considered for Thomas Tuchel’s England if he continues the form we saw last Sunday.

"When you consider he hasn't been a regular in that Liverpool team and it was Liverpool's first real test of the season, which we said that if they could get through it, then people will start taking them seriously in terms of them really challenging for the title, then Curtis’ performance was even more special.

"Liverpool v Chelsea was a wonderful game of football, which both teams contributed to; Chelsea more than played their part in the game, but there's no doubt that the standout performer was Curtis Jones and if he can stay in the team and perform like that, then he can't be ignored by Thomas Tuchel in the future."

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WHAT NEXT FOR JONES?

Jones was not a set starter for Arne Slot at the start of the season as he was not given starts until the start of October. However, since then the 23-year-old has started both of Liverpool's Premier League clashes and will likely be in the playing eleven when they take on Arsenal on Sunday, October 27.

Matthijs de Ligt was left bloodied and Erik ten Hag left furious as Brentford scored from a corner while the centre-back was kept off the pitch.

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• De Ligt suffered a serious head injury
• Collided with Kevin Schade's knee
• Brentford took the lead as defender was forced off

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The incident occurred just 10 minutes into the first half when Brentford forward Kevin Schade controlled a loose ball near the edge of United’s penalty area. De Ligt, attempting to clear the danger, arrived late with a diving header but collided headfirst into Schade’s knee instead of the ball. The impact left the Dutch international with a deep, bleeding wound on his head, causing a lengthy pause in play as medical staff rushed to attend to him.

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  United's medical staff did their best to stop the blood flow, but despite repeated treatments, the wound continued to trouble him even deep into first-half stoppage time. While De Ligt was receiving treatment for the third time on the sidelines, Brentford earned a corner and scored through Ethan Pinnock.

• TEN HAG & NISTELROOY FUME AT OFFICIALS

  After the Red Devils conceded the first goal, assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy was visibly furious, storming towards the fourth official, Gavin Ward, to express his frustration. Ten Hag also appeared to be livid with the officials for allowing Brentford to gain a decisive advantage and in the process got himself booked.

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  Although Ten Hag instructed Victor Lindelof to warm up, the manager stuck to De Ligt as the defender deemed himself fit to continue. He continued to keep his spot beside Lisandro Martinez after the half-time break as United made a comeback with Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmund Hojlund finding the net.

تحدث علاء نبيل، المدير الفني لاتحاد الكرة المصري، كواليس اختيار حلمي طولان، مديرًا فنيًا لمنتخب مصر “الثاني” الذي شارك في بطولة كأس العرب.

وكان منتخب مصر، ودع منافسات بطولة كأس العرب المقامة في قطر خلال الفترة الحالية، من دور المجموعات، بعد احتلاله المركز الثالث في مجموعته برصيد نقطتين من تعادلين وخسارة.

وقال نبيل خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت” لبرنامج “ملعب أون”: “اختيار حملي طولان لقيادة منتخب مصر، جاء من المهندس هاني أبو ريدة”.

وأضاف: “كان يوجد اجتماع للجنة الفنية، محسن صالح ومحمد عمر وعلي أبو جريشة وأحمد حسن كانوا موجودين، حيث تمت مناقشة فكرة أن يُكلف الكابتن حلمي طولان بتدريب منتخب مصر الثاني في بطولة كأس العرب، لكنه لم يوافق في البداية، ثم بعد يومين حضر هاني أبو ريدة وقال لحلمي “إنت هتمسك المنتخب”، فوافق حلمي طولان بعد عرض هاني أبو ريدة”.

وأضاف: “خلال الفترة الأخيرة، تم تداول العديد من التصريحات على لساني، لكنني أؤكد أنني لم أصرح ولم أتحدث إطلاقًا، أنتظر أن أري الموقف كاملًا، (أنا ضحية تصريحات)”.

طالع | عصام الحضري: ما حدث في كأس العرب لا يليق بنا.. ونعتذر للشعب المصري

وتابع: “حديث أحمد حسن مدير المنتخب وعضو اللجنة الفنية، أن اختيار الكابتن حلمي طولان من ترشيحي، أنا أكن كل احترام للكابتن حلمي وهو تاريخ كبير، ولكن الاختيار تم من قبل المهندس هاني أبو ريدة رئيس الاتحاد المصري والكل وافق في الاجتماع”.

وأضاف: “هاني أبو ريدة هو رأس المنظومة، رأيه هو الأساس واللجنة الفنية كلها توافق على قراراته، أنا أجلس في اجتماع اللجنة الفنية بحكم وظيفتي كمدير فني لاتحاد الكرة”.

وبسؤاله، هل كنت موافقًا على تعيين حلمي طولان، أوضح: “كنت موافقًا مع الجميع وليس رأيي فقط، الرأي في اتحاد الكرة يعود لهاني أبو ريدة فقط، والكل يوافق وهذا الواقع”.

وأكمل: “اختصاصات المدير الفني للاتحاد، ليس له علاقة باختيار المدير الفني للمنتخب الأول، (ماليش أي علاقة باختيارات المنتخب الأول تمامًا)، ولم أحضر أي تدريب سواء في فترات الانتصارات أو الإخفاقات وبالمناسبة، تشكيل المنتخب الثاني لبطولة كأس العرب يعد هو المنتخب الأول، وحلمي طولان وأحمد حسن كانا يجتمعان ويتواصلان مع هاني أبو ريدة مباشرة”.

وواصل: “كابتن حلمي طولان كان حريصًا ألا يدخل في أي احتكاك مع حسام حسن”.

وعن تواصل هاني أبو ريدة مع مدير فني أجنبي بدلًا منه في اتحاد الكرة، رد نبيل: “لم يتم إبلاغي بشكل رسمي ولا أي أحد تواصل معي من مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة بخصوص رحيلي أو قدوم مدرب أجنبي لتولي منصب مدير فني لاتحاد الكرة مكاني”.

وأتم: “أنا لم اتحدث ومستمر في عملي، التسريبات الإعلامية هي التي تحزنني فقط، من واجب واحترام مسؤولي اتحاد الكرة أن يتم الجلوس معي لتوضيح الأمر، لست باقيًا على المكان ولست متمسكًا به، أنا عملت ولدي كشف حساب خلال فترتي”.

A new era has dawned at Chelsea, and while there have been a few over the past few years, the appointment of Enzo Maresca in the dugout has the feel of something that might just last.

The Blues might have failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second year running but a second-half-of-season purple patch salvaged a route back into European competition; it didn't save Mauricio Pochettinio's job, but optimism has now taken root at Stamford Bridge.

Tosin Adarabioyo has been signed on a free transfer to bolster the backline, while a host of youngsters continue to be welcomed, but there's no doubt that Chelsea need to add some firepower up front.

Latest Chelsea transfer news

According to numerous sources, including Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are in contact with Newcastle United as they hope to sign Alexander Isak, but the Magpies' £100m asking price is simply too high.

As such, alternatives are being considered, with Stamford Bridge insider Si Phillips revealing that internal discussions have been held regarding the transfer of 19-year-old Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel, as they eye a swoop for the starlet.

Chelsea have emphasised a youth-focused recruitment strategy under Todd Boehly and Co, but Tel would head straight into the first team, such is his prodigious quality, if they can complete a deal for him.

Why Chelsea should sign Mathys Tel

Signing the mercurial youngster would not be easy but Chelsea have the financial means and savvy approach to engineer a deal, no doubt. He only signed a new contract at the Allianz Arena in March but this does not make a transfer impossible.

Only a teenager, but already having garnered such a glittering reputation as one of Europe's foremost talents. Tel has scored 16 goals and supplied six assists across 69 senior appearances for Bayern, joining the club from French team Stade Rennais in 2022.

Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic once said the then-17-year-old was "one of the biggest talents in Europe" after completing the deal, and indeed, the young Frenchman has proved himself over his first two campaigns in Germany, currently ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and assists, the top 9% for pass completion and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Isak might be the no. 1 target in west London but Tel may well shape into a forward of superior quality, with his efforts thus far suggesting that he can become one of the game's deadliest attacking stars.

Last season, the young forward scored ten goals and added six assists across 41 matches for Thomas Tuchel's side, despite only starting ten games across all competitions.

The season before? His first garbed in Bayern red, playing most of the campaign before his 18th birthday? Tel notched five goals in the Bundesliga, starting a grand total of one fixture.

If he continues on this precocious road, there's every chance that Tel could surpass Isak, who is 24, down the line, actually cementing a place at the apex of the attacking game. Isak, in fairness, is a stunning striker, scoring 21 goals from 30 Premier League appearances last season despite only missing 21 big chances.

The Frenchman, while performing from a shallower statistical pool, has missed six big chances in the German top flight across his two seasons, scoring 12 goals.

It's frightening to think about how he could develop over the coming years, with analyst Ben Mattinson already hailing him as an "elite-level goalscorer" and a "two-footed ball-striking machine".

Centre-forward

26

5

1

Left winger

26

7

4

Right winger

13

4

1

Therefore, while Isak is unquestionably more polished and refined at present, capable of leading Chelsea's line toward glory, the £100m figure is simply too exorbitant to realistically consider, especially in this PSR-dictated age.

With Nicolas Jackson scoring 17 goals across all competitions for Chelsea last season, Tel could be the perfect complementary, capable of growing into his world-class potential over the next few years.

Chelsea could seal bigger coup than Isak by signing £102m striker

The star may align for Todd Boehly and Co with this player’s club eager to cash in.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 30, 2024

Of course, it would be a gamble as it is just potential at this time but the upside could be huge with his terrific finishing ability at such a young promising that he could be even better than Isak in the future.

“All I can really control is how I go about it in my preparation,” said the 22-year-old

Reuters14-Nov-2020Few young Australian cricketers have generated as much excitement as Will Pucovski in recent years but he is ignoring the hype as he bangs on the door for selection ahead of the Test series against India.The 22-year-old was named among five uncapped players in a 17-man squad on Thursday after piling up 495 runs in two Sheffield Shield matches when opening the batting for Victoria.He will have another chance to impress selectors when he faces India’s bowlers in a tour match in Sydney from December 6.ALSO READ: Test squad talking points – Burns v Pucovski, Carey still No. 2 and caution over GreenThe Australia A game has been seen as an unofficial “bat-off” with incumbent opener Joe Burns, who has hit a lean patch for Queensland in recent Shield games.But Pucovski has little interest in giving oxygen to the speculation and has switched off his social media accounts to be free of distractions.Will Pucovski plays through the off side•Getty Images

“I think it’s a bit of a media build-up to be honest, the big bat-off thing,” he told reporters on Friday. “I think all I can really control is how I go about it in my preparation and then obviously in the game so I feel like my batting’s in a really good place.”I’m off a lot of social media, so that makes it a lot easier. You can’t get tagged on Twitter and stuff if you don’t have the app, so that’s been a pretty easy one for me.”Australian cricket rarely fails to produce wunderkinds but experts have already marked Pucovski as a once-in-a-generation talent in the mould of Ricky Ponting or Steve Smith.”It would be ridiculous to say he’s not ready,” former Australia captain Ian Chappell told the Nine Network. “What the hell is he going to prove by playing more Shield cricket?”The pressure of playing Test cricket on home soil is at an entirely different level, though, and selectors may be wary of throwing Pucovski into the cauldron of a hugely anticipated series against Virat Kohli’s team.Pucovski has a history of battling mental health issues and has taken time off from the game twice when on the cusp of test selection.Replacing Burns, whose solid opening partnership with David Warner helped Australia whitewash Pakistan and New Zealand in the last home summer, would also be a bitter pill for the incumbent.”He’s been amazing, hasn’t he?” Australia coach Justin Langer said. “That said … we loved the combination of Joe Burns and David Warner. At this point, I’d say that will remain the same.”Pucovski has also struggled with a series of concussion injuries dating back to a serious head-knock suffered in school football. He believes the concussion problems may have contributed to his mental health struggles.”Obviously getting hit in the head a lot is not ideal from a physical or mental perspective,” he said. “But I’ve done a lot of work in that space to try and make sure my process is in a really good place.”

Head coach Simon Katich adds that the team ‘ran out of steam’

Saurabh Somani06-Nov-20204:11

‘We ran out of steam with the bat’ – Katich

Royal Challengers Bangalore ended their IPL 2020 season with a six-wicket loss in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday. It was a campaign that began promisingly but fizzled out towards the end. The Royal Challengers had won seven of their first ten games, but then lost five in a row. They batted first in each of those five games, but crossed 160 only once, a fact that captain Virat Kohli put down nerves in the batting group.”Maybe a bit of nerves, a bit of hesitation,” Kohli told host broadcaster Star Sports after the Eliminator. “As I said, we need to be more expressive with the bat. We didn’t probably have any phases in the game where we got away from the opposition. We just allowed bowlers to bowl in the areas they wanted to and didn’t put them under enough pressure I believe. If you look at our last three-four games, we’ve hit a lot of fielders as well. A lot of good shots going to the fielders. It’s been a strange kind of phase of four-five games for us. Tonight, just didn’t have enough on the board.”The Royal Challengers made 131 for 7 after being asked to bat by the Sunrisers on a slow pitch with turn. The expected dew didn’t set in until late in Abu Dhabi, which brought the Royal Challengers’ spinners into greater play, but the Sunrisers got the win with two balls to spare, Kane Williamson (50*) and Jason Holder (24*) guiding the chase. The one opportunity they had to dismiss Williamson was a difficult one, when Devdutt Padikkal at the deep square leg boundary parried the ball back into play in the 18th over before stepping over the rope, but couldn’t come back inside in time to catch it.”I don’t think we had enough on the board,” Kohli said. “We made one hell of a game out of it in the second half, and the position we got ourselves into in the second half – probably with a better execution… it’s a game of margins and if Kane is taken there it’s a different game altogether. But they put us under a lot of pressure in the first innings. A few soft dismissals, a few fortunate ones for them as well.”AB de Villiers – feeling the weight of single-handedly carrying RCB?•BCCIHead coach Simon Katich felt that the batting ‘ran out of steam’ after the strong start.”We felt like we were on track at the 10-games mark, and then heading into the last four games… looking back on it now, it feels like we probably ran out of a bit steam,” Katich said at the post-match press conference. “Particularly with the bat. That’s probably the one area that faded a bit after a really good start to the tournament. Credit to the Sunrisers today, I thought they squeezed us beautifully. They took early wickets and then we were always under pressure trying to play catch up. We always felt if we can get 150 on the board we would be in the game, particularly with the two leggies (Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa) in the team and seeing the wicket. It was slow and offering a little bit of turn. To stack our batting today and only get 130 was disappointing. Sunrisers thoroughly deserved to go through.”The Royal Challengers maintained a stable opening combination for most of the tournament, starting with Aaron Finch and Padikkal at the top and then replacing an out of form Finch with Josh Philippe, but for the Eliminator, it was Kohli who came out to open with Padikkal.”Yeah look it was settled,” Katich said of the opening combination. “Aaron Finch didn’t get dropped till the 11th game. In terms of a settled combination, we did that for the first ten games. Unfortunately, Finchy didn’t make as many runs as he would have liked. We made the change, Josh Philippe came in, got an opportunity. But when it came to the playoffs, we made a decision that Virat was going to open today. Unfortunately it didn’t work, but realistically, we didn’t chop and change too much compared to the past. It was pretty consistent for the bulk of the tournament. Just ended up being a forced change due to form.”While acknowledging disappointment at not progressing further in the tournament, Katich stressed that it was far from doom and gloom for the Royal Challengers.”While we fell away to the back end of the tournament, I think throughout, we felt like we made some strides on the previous couple of years,” he said. “Plenty of positives in the tournament, certainly not all doom and gloom. We’ve got to make sure that we’ve learned from this experience. Tonight’s a great lesson for our younger guys, to experience the pressure cooker of the playoffs. Obviously didn’t go to plan tonight, hopefully that lesson and experience will hold them in good stead in years to come.”

Hosts England and six other top-ranked teams on the ICC women’s T20I rankings will gain automatic qualification for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. April 1, 2021 is the cut-off date for the rankings.The final team taking part in the eight-team event will be decided via a Qualifier, for which the format and details are yet to be finalised. The deadline for the Qualifier is January 31, 2022.If West Indies finish among the automatic qualifiers, the Caribbean nation that takes part in the games will be the winner of the 2021 T20 Blaze domestic competition.”Cricket at the Commonwealth Games is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to grow the women’s game globally,” Manu Sawhney, the ICC’s chief executive, said while announcing the qualifying pathway on Wednesday. “We are committed to accelerating this growth and maintaining the momentum we have created over the past few years, which most recently saw 86,174 fans packed into the MCG for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.”I thank the Commonwealth Games Federation for their support and for making this possible. We share with them the vision of greater equality, fairness and opportunity in sport and I am sure Birmingham 2022 will go a long way towards us achieving our common objectives.”The Commonwealth Games, which are set to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8, 2022, will include women’s cricket for the first time, and cricket for only the second time after a men’s 50-over event at the 1998 CWG in Kuala Lumpur. South Africa, captained by Shaun Pollock, took home gold by beating the Steve-Waugh-led Australia in the final.”We are absolutely delighted to have women’s T20 cricket debut at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games,” said Dame Louise Martin, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president. “Cricket has always been one of the Commonwealth’s most popular sports and it is so special to have it back at our Games for the first time since the men’s competition at Kuala Lumpur 1998, where true greats of the game including Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar were on show.”Now is the turn of the women and I can’t wait to see the next generation of stars like Heather Knight, Harmanpreet Kaur and Meg Lanning take centre stage.”Birmingham 2022 will be a fantastic showcase for the women’s game and the unveiling of the qualification criteria today is an exciting and important milestone as we head towards what will be a spectacular competition at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium.”

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing a "great talent" who Zlatan Ibrahimovic admires, with a swap deal involving a current Magpies player possible.

Newcastle transfer news

Eddie Howe will be well aware that reinforcements are required this summer, but Newcastle have to tread carefully when it comes to adhering to the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, ensuring they avoid punishments further down the line.

There are enough transfer rumours doing the rounds to suggest that the Magpies will conduct some impressive business this summer, with Georges Mikautadze linked with a move to St James' Park as his impressive Euro 2024 campaign with Georgia continues. Monaco are reportedly leading the race to sign him, though he is considered an upgrade on Callum Wilson, whose future is still up in the air.

Newcastle are also believed to have made contact with AC Milan centre-back Malick Thiaw over a possible summer move, with his teammate Fikayo Tomori also being looked at as an option to bolster Howe's backline. Centre-back additions are clearly needed, with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles both long-term injury victims.

West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen has matured into a top-level player in recent years, becoming a regular member of England's squad, and he is another individual who has been backed to secure a switch to St James' before the start of next season. The 27-year-old scored 16 goals in the Premier League in 2023/24, outlining the level of end product he is capable of producing.

Newcastle want to sign "great talent"

According to The Daily Mail, Newcastle are keen on signing Nottingham Forest attacker Anthony Elanga in the current window, with a swap deal involving Elliot Anderson potentially on the cards.

The Magpies are believed to be "in talks" with the former Manchester United player, and while he only moved to the City Ground last summer, he was "on Newcastle's scouting radar prior to his move from Old Trafford".

Elanga may ultimately not have fully made the grade at United, but there is an argument to say that they allowed him to leave too soon, especially with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony struggling for form last season.

The 22-year-old thrived during his first year in a Forest shirt, scoring five times and registering nine assists in the league, which were impressive numbers for a team fighting relegation throughout the campaign. There is also the small matter of Ibrahimovic being a fan, with the legendary former striker saying of his compatriot:

"A great talent, we are proud and happy that he comes from Sweden. That he can represent Sweden now makes it even bigger. He has all the future ahead of him, and if he continues just as he has done, it looks positive. It’s just fighting, never being happy, striving for more. It depends on him, how far he can develop."

Anthony Elanga's international stats

Caps

Goals

Sweden

17

3

Sweden Under-21s

8

7

Sweden Under-17s

6

2

Sweden Under-16s

2

0

At 22, there is still so much improvement for the £25,000-a-week Elanga to make, but he is already delivering impressive statistics in the Premier League and could thrive even more alongside superior players at Newcastle.

Recent reports have claimed that Elliot Anderson is indeed close to a Forest switch, with no mention of Elanga's involvement in the deal. However, it remains to be seen if this will affect the chances of any transfer for the Swede, with the Reds still required to ensure they comply with the PSR rules themselves.

A £52 million forward has been in contact with Arsenal via his agents, as the player's representatives reach out for talks over potentially doing a deal for him.

Edu and Arteta attempting to sign new forward for Arsenal

The north Londoners have been heavily linked with a new wide player and alternative to star man Bukayo Saka in the last few weeks.

Related "Big talent" wants to join Arsenal with talks ongoing and bid submitted

He’s got his sights set on a north London move.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 13, 2024

Arsenal are monitoring Lille winger Edon Zhegrova, and more marquee options like Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, with the Gunners looking to bring in more strength and depth out wide ahead of another Premier League title challenge.

Saka scored 20 goals and registered a further 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions last season, but manager Mikel Arteta is rumoured to be keen on a like-for-like stand in for the England star in the event he becomes unavailable for injured.

Arsenal's top scorers in all competitions last season

Player

Goals

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

BBC Sport

Gabriel Martinelli also suffered a dip in form towards the back end of last campaign, with a new winger firmly on the cards at London Colney this summer. While Bilbao star Williams, who has starred for Spain at Euro 2024, is a rumoured target for Arsenal – there are doubts over whether the operation is affordable.

"Arsenal are admirers of the 21-year-old, but so are plenty of other of the top clubs across Europe and that interest is only going to increase as the tournament goes on,” said journalist Charles Watts.

“On paper, the release clause of around £50million for Williams looks a very appealing one, but as far as I’m aware it’s not as simple as that. You have to remember that release clauses in Spain have to be paid in full and that makes deals very expensive as clubs can’t spread the transfer fee out over the length of the contract like they usually do.

“But in Williams’ case, the wages are also understood to be a pretty significant issue. Athletic Club are big payers. They have to be to ensure they keep their team together given the unique way the club operates.

“So Williams is on good money and the word is that interested clubs have been surprised by the wages he would want to move this summer."

A brilliant alternative to Williams could be fellow Spain star Dani Olmo, who has scored in each of their Euro 2024 knockout games against Georgia, Germany and France.

Olmo offered to Arsenal as agents reach out for talks

Much like Williams, the 26-year-old's deal includes a release clause, and his comes in at around £52 million.

The RB Leipzig star's clause is only available for a limited time, though, as it is set to expire on July 20. Olmo's agents have reached for talks with Arsenal over signing him this summer, according to HITC, with the Premier League looking likely to be his next destination as things stand.

Barring his heroics at the Euros, Olmo managed eight goals and five assists in 25 appearances across all competitions last season for Leipzig.

As debut seasons go, Ange Postecoglou did rather well in charge of Tottenham Hotspur last season.

His team may have fallen from the Champions League places into the Europa League spot, but given the number of injuries he had to deal with, that shouldn't be knocked.

However, now that the Australian has got to grips with life in North London, he has to take the team back up the table next season and to do that, he needs the right players.

So, it's unsurprising that the latest star touted for a move to the club is an incredibly exciting attacker who could be the perfect Richarlison upgrade.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are one of several sides interested in Genoa attacker Albert Gudmundsson this summer, and have contacted the Serie A club for more information on the player.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims that West Ham United, Inter Milan, and teams from Saudi Arabia are also keen to land the Icelandic international. Unfortunately for the North Londoners, the Nerazzurri are currently leading the race.

That said, with his supposed €35m price tag, which converts to just £30m, there is no reason Daniel Levy and Co couldn't flex their financial muscle and take the initiative off the Italian side.

It could be a complicated deal to complete, but given the price and the player's impressive form last season, it seems worth pursuing.

How Gudmundsson compares to Richarlison

So, should Levy and Co get their man and bring him to the white side of North London this summer, he'd likely move from the second striker position he played last season into a more traditional nine role due to Postecoglou's lack of reliable out-and-out goalscorers.

This, in turn, would put Gudmundsson in direct competition with Richarlison for the starting berth in the lineup, and based on how they stack up to one another, he'd likely come out on top.

For example, in 37 appearances last season, the "devastating" Icelandic star, as described by teammate Kevin Strootman, scored 16 goals and provided five assists.

The campaign prior, he returned a haul of 14 goals and five assists in 38, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.76 and two games, respectively.

In contrast, Spurs' Brazilian marksman scored 12 goals and provided four assists in 31 appearances last season while only managing three goals and four assists in 35 matches in 2022/23, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.9 and five games, respectively.

It's not just goals that the Serie A star has over the former Everton man; it's also availability, which is, of course, the best ability.

In the last four years, he has missed just five games for club and country through injury, whereas the Nova Venécia-born marksman has missed 36 and counting.

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Jack Salveson Holmes

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Ultimately, with Postecoglou needing a goalscorer he can rely on and the price appearing to be quite reasonable, Spurs must do what they can to get ahead of Inter and bring Gudmundsson to N17 this summer, even if that costs Richarlison his place in the side.