Erik ten Hag has revealed that people had advised him not to join Manchester United in 2022 owing to their dwindling conditions.
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Arsenal have been backed to win the title if they can buy a 20-goal-a-season striker, with doubts raised over forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
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Arsenal aiming for Premier League titleTold Havertz and Jesus not clinical enoughCan win the league with 20-goal strikerWHAT HAPPENED?
For the past two seasons, Arsenal have been pipped to the post by Manchester City – who won a record fourth-straight Premier League title last season. Now, former Gunners defender William Gallas has backed his old team to top the pile in 2024-25 – but only if they sign someone in the mould of the prolific Erling Haaland, as Havertz and Jesus aren't clinical enough.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT WILLIAM GALLAS SAID
The ex-France international told Genting Casino: "I’m sticking by my prediction of Arsenal winning the title but they still need a top-class striker that can go and score them 20 goals in the Premier League. The only issue is that they haven’t signed that striker yet, despite coming so close to being champions last season. They got that close without having a striker who could score 20 goals, Manchester City won it because they have Erling Haaland. You have to have a player like that. With Gabriel Jesus, he has injuries and isn’t consistent enough. I’m also not convinced by Kai Havertz, he scored goals but many were penalties, they need to buy a striker."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Havertz and Jesus scored 22 goals between them in all competitions last season but Haaland fired in 38 on his own – and 27 of those were in the Premier League. But signing a 20-goal striker is not easy to do, with those sorts of players costing tens of millions of pounds. With a few weeks left of the transfer window, it remains to be seen if they will bring in a new forward.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have two more pre-season friendlies left, the first of which is against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday evening and then Lyon on Sunday. They kickstart their Premier League campaign on August 17 at home to Wolves.
قال سامي قمصان المدرب المساعد للنادي الأهلي، إن التتويج ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري بعد الفوز على الزمالك، هو أكبر رد وتضحية للجماهير بعد خسارة لقب السوبر الإفريقي.
ونجح النادي الأهلي في الفوز ببطولة السوبر المصري للمرة الـ 15 في تاريخه، بالفوز على الزمالك بركلات الترجيح 7-6 بعد انتهاء المباراة في وقتها الأصلي والإضافي بالتعادل السلبي.
وأضاف قمصان خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أبو ظبي”: “كان مهم أن لا نفرط هذه البطولة خصوصًا بعد الإخفاق في السوبر الإفريقي هذا أكبر رد وتضحية منا وتقدير للجماهير الحاضرة في المباراة”.
وتابع: “الشوط الاول قدمنا أداء جيد جدًا وسيطرنا عليه وأهدرنا فرصا كثيرة وإذا تم استغلال هذه الفرص، المباراة كانت ستكون أفضل من الجانب الفني”.
طالع | إمام عاشور: أشعر أنني نيجيري ولست مصريًا.. ويتحدث عن أزمة ثلاثي الزمالك
وواصل: “محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي تحدث معنا كجهاز فني ولاعبين وأن لديه ثقة كبيرة بنا، وقال لنا: نمتلك أفضل لاعبين في مصر وإفريقيا والعرب، الجمهور يحتاج منكم الكثير، وثقة جماهيركم أنكم تكملوا وحققتم أشياء كثيرة في تاريخ الأهلي، واللاعبين استطاعو أن يثبتوا أنهم من الأجيال المحترمة”.
واستطرد: “الزمالك لديهم لاعبين خبرات ومهارية في وسط الملعب واستطعنا أن نغلق عليهم مفاتيح لعبهم، وهذا أعطانا أفضلية، قدمنا أداء مميزًا جدًا، كولر تحدث أننا يجب أن نسجل مبكرًا، لأن الزمالك لا يمتلك حلول كثيرة على دكة البدلاء، وإذا سجلنا مبكر سيكون لنا أفضلية والزمالك سيندفع”.
وأتم: “انتهينا من البطولة وأمامنا تحد كبير أمام بطل آسيا وفريق يمتلك إمكانيات كبيرة وإن شاء الله نحقق نتيجة إيجابية وسط جماهيرنا”.
Tom Cooper’s unbeaten half-century ensured the chase was completed with plenty of breathing space
Alex Malcolm26-Sep-2019
Kane Richardson made early inroads•Getty Images
Incisive opening spells from Kane Richardson and Joe Mennie helped South Australia to a bonus-point five-wicket win over New South Wales at Allan Border Field.The new-ball duo made the most of the helpful bowling conditions early after captain Jake Lehmann won the toss, taking three wickets each to dismantle the New South Wales top order.They slumped to 5 for 27 in the seventh over and could only manage to post 173. South Australia veteran Tom Cooper steered the chase with a patient, unbeaten half-century to ensure they never lost wickets in clumps. They won with 11 overs to spare to secure the bonus point and leave New South Wales winless after two matches.The toss was vital given the overhead conditions and the ball duly darted around in the first hour of play and made life difficult for the batsmen. But four of the first five players dismissed were guilty of pushing with hard hands well in front of their front pads.Jack Edwards and Daniel Hughes both inside-edged booming drives, Moises Henriques was pinned lbw by a hooping inswinger, Kurtis Patterson nicked a peach from Mennie and Nick Bertus chopped on defending off the back foot.Peter Nevill and Daniel Sams were forced to rebuild and produced 54-run stand, but scoring with fluency was difficult. Arjun Nair and Sean Abbott provided handy contributions down the order however New South Wales were bowled out inside 39 overs.The chase was not as simple as it appeared as the sideways movement gave way to some variable pace and bounce.Callum Ferguson got away to a brisk start striking four boundaries in 22 before edging Abbott to slip. Alex Carey, promoted to open in the absence of the injured Jake Weatherald, looked in complete control cruising to 36 before feathering an under edge flailing at a wide delivery.Lehmann and Cooper broke the back of the chase from there before Lehmann was undone by some extra bounce from Nair to be caught behind for 37. There were some late wobbles with miscues from Harry Nielsen and Alex Ross keeping, but Cooper closed out the contest by reaching his second straight half-century.
Denmark pipped Slovenia to second place in Group C at Euro 2024 after the teams finished level on points and goal difference.
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England top group with five pointsSlovenia & Denmark next on threeDanes grab second place due to better disciplinary recordWHAT HAPPENED?
Denmark have beaten Slovenia to second place in Group C, behind England, despite the two teams finishing level on points and goal difference at Euro 2024. Both Denmark and Slovenia ended the group stage with three points and identical records after achieving three draws, with two goals scored and two conceded. The two teams also played out a 1-1 draw when they met, meaning there was nothing to separate the two sides at the competition.
AdvertisementGetty THE EXPLANATION
Denmark eventually ended up finishing second as it was left to discipline to determine which team finished ahead of the other. Both nations also received the same number of yellow cards on their respective playing squads, but UEFA have now confirmed that Denmark finished second because of a booking given to Slovenia assistant coach Novakovic Milivoje.
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Slovenia's third-placed finish is still enough to go through, with the team into the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time ever.
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GettyWHAT NEXT AT EURO 2024
Denmark may have gone through in second place but are now set to face hosts Germany in the last 16, while Slovenia will also face a tricky draw and could come up against Portugal or the winners of Group E. England are set to play on Sunday but must wait to discover their next opponents.
Will the Chahar brothers play together? Will West Indies bat Hetmyer higher up? As such, the match is a dead rubber
Varun Shetty05-Aug-20195:58
Dasgupta: India can afford to rest both Rohit, Kohli
Big PictureWith lightning scares, and the possibility of any series result other than India’s win out of the way, the teams move to Guyana, in the northern mainland of South America for the third and final T20I. Neither team looked keen on making changes during the second match on Sunday, but that will likely change.While next year’s World Cup – 14 months away – is probably still not the focus, West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite did hint towards long-term planning, and as such may be looking to bring even more young talent into the fray before they move to the next series. West Indies have made one change to their squad going into this third match, with the big-hitting Fabian Allen replacing left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Khary Pierre.* There is also a five-match losing streak to snap for West Indies.For India, there is the chance to reward some of IPL’s most consistent players in what is essentially a dead rubber. In a system brimming with competition for places, they will not find a more convenient time.Form guideWest Indies LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWLLLIn the spotlightShimron Hetmyer batted at No. 5 for a duck in the first game, and came in at No. 6 before the players went off in the second. At home in Guyana, West Indies could look to push him higher up the order and have the kind of impact he had in the limited-overs leg of the India tour last year. They’ve had two different No. 4s in the first two games, so it is not out of the question.India will be impressed by Krunal Pandya’s integration into the senior team. The last four series he’s played in have all been in different countries and he’s produced notable performances in each of those. However, even within that small sample size, he’s shown the tendency to follow up good performances with middling ones. With the form he showed with both bat and ball on Sunday, he has the opportunity to close out the series on a high.Team newsWest Indies will be fairly happy with their bowling performances over the two matches, and the batting improved vastly from the sub-100 effort in the first match. They’ll be tempted to name a few changes in the top order to build on that.West Indies (probable): 1 John Campbell/Evin Lewis, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Nicholas Pooran/Anthony Bramble (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Carlos Brathwaite (capt), 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane ThomasIndia could bring all four of their benched players in and still put out a competitive squad. They are yet to play Rahul Chahar, the only wristspinner in the squad, and Shreyas Iyer, who has long been knocking on the doors.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan/KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Manish Pandey/Shreyas Iyer, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja/Washington Sundar, 8 Deepak Chahar/Navdeep Saini, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Rahul ChaharPitch and conditions
Thunderstorms are forecast in Georgetown, Guyana just before start of play. So not much changes in terms of potential sluggishness in the pitch – they got it in Florida, and they could get it again on Tuesday.Stats and trivia Having won five of their first seven completed T20I matches against India, West Indies have failed to win in the last five – dating back to July 2017Rishabh Pant hasn’t made a limited-overs fifty for India across formats in his last six innings
MatériaMais Notícias
Ainda em busca do controle da pandemia de coronavírus, a vacinação na cidade de São Paulo segue acontecendo em diversos postos. Um deles é a Neo Química Arena, em Itaquera. Nesta segunda-feira, a campanha de imunização continua no estádio corintiano para pessoas idosas com 68 anos ou mais.
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> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2021 clicando aqui
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> Veja 25 casos de atletas que aprontaram na quarentena
No último sábado, a Casa do Povo atingiu a marca de 8.720 doses aplicadas por meio de drive-thru instalado noEstacionamento Leste – Portal E4 da Arena. Naquele dia, 285 pessoas receberam a vacina contra a Covid-19.
A campanha teve uma pausa de rotina no domingo de Páscoa, mas já foi retomada nesta segunda-feira desde as 8h e irá até as 17h.A vacinação é promovida pela Coordenadoria Regional de Saúde – Leste.
Speaking to Football FanCast on behalf of NetBet Online Casino, Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has shared his thoughts on the club's January transfer window, and says sporting director Edu could look to seal a loan striker signing rather than spend big money.
Arteta linked with Jesus and Nketiah alternative
Since far before the winter window even opened for business, there have been widespread reports that manager Mikel Arteta wishes to bring in a new centre-forward.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024
The Spaniard is attempting to guide Arsenal to their first Premier League title in nearly 20 years, but has just Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus to choose from as his natural number nine options. Jesus has sporadically succumbed to injury at points this campaign, while Nketiah has been linked with a move away from Arsenal.
Arsenal have been struggling in front of goal over the last few games as well, with Arteta's side wasting a host of glorious chances during their 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium earlier this month.
The Gunners' issues going forward could go some way to being solved through the signing of a proven, goalscoring striker. Arsenal are reported admirers of Brentford star Ivan Toney, but Bees boss Thomas Frank has already stated that it would take an "unbelievable" price to tempt him away before February 1.
Edu has other rumoured options, though, like Getafe striker Borja Mayoral among others. Reports suggest Arsenal made a rejected £22 million bid for Mayoral in the last fortnight, with the north Londoners seemingly looking at cheaper Toney alternatives.
Ivan Toney
17th January
Serhou Guirassy
19th December
Dominic Solanke
16th January
Boulaye Dia
16th December
Kylian Mbappe
15th December
Dusan Vlahovic
12th January
Borja Mayoral
12th January
After spending north of £200 million in the summer transfer window, Arsenal appear to have a slightly more limited January budget and may have to be careful when it comes to FFP regulations.
Parlour backs Arsenal to sign striker on loan
We sat down with ex-Gunners fan favourite Parlour to discuss Arsenal's window and whether they could indeed bring in a new striker, despite the roadblocks facing Edu.
Parlour says Arsenal could sign a striker on loan as the solution to this, and he thinks the likes of Toney will be too far out of reach this month.
"It will be very difficult for Arsenal to sign the striker they want in January as Toney could well be the number 1 target, but he will likely cost £80 million which I don’t believe Arsenal can spend right now," Parlour told FFC, in partnership with NetBet Online Casino.
"Brentford need him to ensure they don’t get relegated, so it’s an issue here regarding the transfer fee. Osimhen from Napoli signed a new deal, so he will be too expensive as could Calvert Lewin who Arsenal were rumoured to be interested in.
"I do think Arsenal need to strengthen up front as we had four top strikers in my day with Bergkamp, Henry, Wiltord, Kanu and also Jeffers would pop up with a few goals. Arsenal have two main recognised strikers in Jesus and Nketiah. It’s very tough in January to get the striker you want, so I trust Edu and Mikel to get it right and maybe a loan could happen."
Tottenham Hotspur are in a pretty good position heading into the January transfer window, with Ange Postecoglou's squad fighting for top four despite damaging injuries to key players across the past few months.
Fourth in the Premier League after 18 matches – and only four points behind table-topping neighbours Arsenal – Spurs have wiped away the stains of the 2022/23 season, which saw Antonio Conte's dismissal precede a dismal end to the year that resulted in an eighth-placed finish.
With European football out of reach, Harry Kane decided to draw the curtain on his career-long journey with the north London club, signing for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in a move totalling £100m.
Spurs monitoring "predatory" £50m Arsenal target who could hinder Richarlison
Ange Postecoglou might just have identified the talisman to succeed Harry Kane.
ByAngus Sinclair Dec 26, 2023
Interestingly, Postecoglou opted not to directly replace the man who had scored 278 goals from 430 appearances, instead spreading the transfer activity across the pitch.
But now, despite Heung-min Son's triumph in moving to centre-forward, Spurs will be considering the options available to make a swoop in 2024, with Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez among the contenders.
Spurs transfer targets – Santiago Gimenez
On Christmas Eve, the Guardian's Ed Aarons compiled a list of transfer targets for Premier League teams ahead of the winter window, with Gimenez noted as a target for multiple clubs.
Indeed, the Mexico international has been listed as an option for Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Fulham after proving himself as one of Europe's most prolific marksmen in the Netherlands, though the Eredivisie champions are expected to demand £60m for his signature.
Several La Liga clubs are also interested, and while it would not be the easiest deal to pull off, Gimenez would offer a natural presence as a dominant striker, something that Spurs have not quite wielded this term.
Santiago Gimenez's style of play
While Tottenham will prioritise the signing of a new central defender in January, this does not mean that Postecoglou's efforts will be exclusive to the backline, rather, a concerted approach to strengthen across various departments would be the best way to continue the push for Champions League football.
And while Gimenez would be an expensive player to add to the ranks, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting centre-forwards on the scene right now, having been remarked to be "on fire" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his free-scoring feats last season.
Indeed, Gimenez plundered 28 goals across all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign as Feyenoord marched toward the league title, leading journalist Antonio Mango to herald his "insane" escapades.
If De club aan de Maas were pleased with their forward's efforts last year, he has eclipsed expectations with his ridiculous rate of scoring this season, posting 20 goals and four assists from just 22 matches across all competitions, with Kulig effusively declaring him the "Mexican machine".
In the league, second-placed Feyenoord might be ten points behind PSV Eindhoven, who are in ridiculous form and have won all 16 matches thus far, but Gimenez has certainly offered all within his power.
As per Sofascore, the 24-cap international has scored 18 times from just 16 outings in the Dutch top-flight, taking 3.9 shots and creating 1.1 key passes per game, also supplying four assists to confirm his status as an elite centre-forward.
In fact, as per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 1% of forwards across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie over the past year for goals scored, the top 2% for shots taken and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
This stunning rate of success would be a frightening addition to the Tottenham squad, who could offer supreme support from the likes of Son, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, with the latter perhaps benefitting immensely from Gimenez's prospective signing.
Imagine Santiago Gimenez & Dejan Kulusevski
Tottenham signed Maddison from Leicester City for £40m in the summer, with Postecoglou adding one of the Premier League's exceptional playmakers as he crafted his side and system.
The England international has been sidelined since early November following an ankle injury sustained against Chelsea, and in his absence, Kulusevski appears to have stepped up as the creative star in the side.
And what an impact the 23-year-old has made over recent fixtures, posting two goals and two assists apiece from a central role in the attacking midfield across recent weeks, having typically been used out on the right wing.
Having scored five goals and supplied two assists across 18 total appearances in the Premier League this season, Kulusevski has completed 84% of his passes and averaged 2.3 key passes and 4.4 ball recoveries per game, highlighting his inventive style and relentlessness in his craft.
Sky Sports' Jamie Weir is among those to have been wowed by his feats of late, saying: "Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart."
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Player
Club
1
Bukayo Saka
Arsenal
2
Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
3
Hirving Lozano
PSV Eindhoven
*Sourced via Football Transfers
Kulusevski has been brilliant and is probably one of the most underrated players in the division, but he has only supplied two assists despite his excellent key pass creation, and with a striker such as Gimenez ahead of him, he could rise to new heights.
Of Spurs players who have averaged more than three 90s this season, only Maddison (8.16) has averaged more shot-creating actions per 90 than Kulusevski (4.51), and that's with the dynamo offering more of a goalscoring threat.
Quite simply, he is indispensable and still has so much growth ahead of him; with Gimenez counterbalancing the more fluid striking threat of Son, who has shifted back to his natural left wing role to accommodate Richarlison across recent games, a dream partnership could be born in the future.
Postecoglou has to throw the kitchen sink at this deal, especially with vested attention from rival outfits across the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur will only play once in the Premier League until the end of January, with the FA Cup third round taking control of English domestic football this weekend.
Granted, that league fixture comes at Old Trafford to face Manchester United, and while the Red Devils have endured a poor campaign thus far, Ange Postecoglou's side will need their wits about them to continue the recent purple patch.
Manchester City eyeing "super" Spurs star in repeat of Kyle Walker transfer
City only sold him in 2022.
ByDavid Comerford Jan 5, 2024
Having enjoyed a stunning start to the season and taking top spot in the early title race, injuries and absences to key players laid waste to the resurgence and a five-match winless run indeed threatened the very fight for Champions League football – with last year's eighth-place finish keeping the football on the domestic front this term.
While the London club have impressed of late and will further emboldened by the imminent returns of multiple absent stars, it's clear that a defender is needed, with Postecoglou even admitting that signing a centre-half is his "priority" this month.
Spurs transfer targets – January
Spurs technical director Johan Lange has scoured the market for possible additions for the backline over the past several months, with OGC Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo of much attention before transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed discussions had collapsed as Spurs desire a swift solution.
Genoa's Radu Dragusin was the new contender for a starring role in the rearguard, and while it has been understood that a deal has inched closer to completion over the past several days, Serie A champions Napoli have rocked the boat with their newly-kindled interest for the £25m-valued defender.
Should Spurs fail to sign the Romanian, advancing their intrigue in Ko Itakura might offer the perfect solution, with Spurs – alongside Liverpool – known to be suitors for the Borussia Monchengladbach star, who is enticed by the thought of moving to the Premier League – according to Caught Offside.
Ko Itakura's style of play
Itakura, aged 26, has been a mainstay in Gladbach's defence since signing from Premier League giants Manchester City for €5m (£4m) in 2022, having spent multiple years out on loan and never broke into the first-team for Pep Guardiola's side.
During his time on City's books – during a loan spell in the Netherlands with Groningen – he was hailed as "one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie" by pundit Hans Kraay, who also noted his "incredibly fast" pace.
But since finding a permanent home in the German Bundesliga, the £31k-per-week ace has proven himself to be one of the division's most reliable and dynamic defenders, completing 91% of his passes, winning 62% of his duels and averaging 3.8 clearances per game in the league last season, as per Sofascore.
This season, the 22-cap international sustained an ankle injury in October after scoring twice from seven outings, and while he has yet to feature since, he was named in Japan's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, hinting that a return to fitness is just around the corner.
To showcase his expansive skill set, the Japan international ranks among the top 12% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 15% for goals scored and the top 7% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
Such a style would only be welcomed under Postecoglou's guidance, with the Australian displaying a certain proclivity for fluidity in expression in his team.
In 2022, Itakura received praise for his dominant performance for Japan against Brazil's Neymar Jr. in a friendly overture to the World Cup, and while the now Al-Hilal forward scored the only goal in the game from the penalty spot, he was subdued against the lively Itakura, whose manager said: "His contribution was a big part of the reason why the team was able to fight without collapsing.”
He's also established and is at ease on both sides of the central defence, meaning that he could confidently stand in for the left-footed Micky van de Ven when called upon.
Why Spurs should sign Ko Itakura
Waxing lyrical over the 6 foot 1 defender's protean approach to his play, Gladach sporting director Roland Virkus said: "Ko covers an unbelievable amount of ground and is a tactically disciplined player who can operate in different positions in defence, including as a No.6."
Given his goalscoring instinct, ball-playing ability and robustness, Itakura could be the perfect alternative to the titan that is Cristian Romero, who is one of English football's finest defenders but has been available too infrequently of late, with injuries and suspensions hindering his campaign.
Cristian Romero: Key Characteristics
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Discipline
Tackling
Dribbling
*Sourced via WhoScored
In the Premier League this season, Romero has scored three goals from 15 appearances, completing 92% of his passes, averaging 5.9 ball recoveries and 3.4 clearances per game and succeeding with a noteworthy 70% of his duels.
Moreover, he ranks among the top 13% of positional peers for goals, the top 5% for tackles, the top 14% for blocks and the top 17% for pass completion and passes attempted per 90.
Speaking of Spurs' revival this season, The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare attributed much of the newfound solidity to the Argentine's leadership, saying: "He makes them (the rest of the back 5 who had never or barely played in the PL) feel like they belong and that they can flourish. He's an outstanding defender, someone you want in your team. Ridiculous bravery."
Much like the Lilywhites centrepiece, Itakura has established himself as a key cog in the Gladbach machine and was hailed a "leading figure" by erstwhile boss Daniel Farke last season.
With Eric Dier attracting attention from Bayern Munich, signing a centre-back makes perfect sense for Tottenham, and Itakura would be the astute addition to really make a difference for this ambitious set of players.