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West Ham United and technical director Tim Steidten are not stopping after their latest deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and are now keen on signing a £17m+ international midfielder.

West Ham’s summer business so far – all ins and outs

The Hammers have already brought in seven new players this summer ahead of Julen Lopetegui’s first season in charge at the London Stadium, with Wan-Bissaka the latest addition. The right-back arrives in a deal worth £15m, with Manchester United bringing in Bayern Munich full-back Noussair Mazraoui as his replacement.

There have also been a number of departures, but by the looks of it, there could still be more to join and leave the club before the August 30 deadline. The Irons seemingly want another new centre-back after Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo to replace Kurt Zouma, with the Hammers hoping to move the Frenchman on before the end of the month.

West Ham summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Max Kilman

Wolves

€47.5m

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United

€29.3m

Niclas Fullkrug

Borussia Dortmund

€27m

Luis Guilherme

Palmeiras

€23m

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

€18m

Wes Foderingham

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Free transfer

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

Loan transfer

West Ham summer departures

To

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Flynn Downes

Southampton

€17.85m

Said Benrahma

Lyon

€14.4m

Thilo Kehrer

Monaco

€11m

Nathan Trott

FC Copenhagen

€1.5m

Ben Johnson

Ipswich Town

Free transfer

Joseph Anang

St. Patrick's Athletic

Free transfer

Nantes defender Nathan Zeze appears to be one player West Ham have identified to come in, however, another central midfielder after Guido Rodriguez is also of interest to West Ham as Steidten searches for a ninth addition.

West Ham keen on PSG midfielder Carlos Soler

According to reports abroad, relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham want to accelerate their effort to sign Carlos Soler from Paris Saint-Germain. However, Real Sociedad are also interested in signing the midfielder to possibly replace Mikel Merino, who has been linked with Arsenal.

Any club wanting to sign Soler would need €20m (£17.1m), and that asking price isn’t an issue for the Hammers, the update adds.

Soler is 27 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play on the right or in an attacking midfield role if required. A 14-cap Spain international, the midfielder has been with PSG since 2022 and is under contract for a further three years. During his time in France, he has made 63 appearances, scored eight goals and registered eight assists.

Related More assists than Bowen: West Ham could land dream signing in PL "warrior"

Julen Lopetegui is showing no signs of slowing down with regards signing players

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 11, 2024

Prior to PSG, Soler spent his entire career with Valencia where he made 226 appearances. Now, a move to England with West Ham could be on the cards, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

كشف معتز البطاوي، المشرف العام على الكرة بنادي سيراميكا كليوباترا، عن اقترابهم من ضم لاعب الأهلي.

وقال البطاوي، في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “سيراميكا كليوباترا لا يحتاج إلى تدعيمات كبيرة خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية”.

طالع.. الحضري يدعم الشناوي في أزمته مع الجماهير.. وينتقد إمام عاشور بشأن احتفاله بهدفه الأخير

وتابع: “سنعقد جلسة مع أيمن الرمادي، المدير الفني للفريق، لمعرفة متطلباته، والإدارة لا تتأخر عن تلبية أي طلبات”.

وأكمل: “لم ننهي الاتفاق مع الأهلي بشأن شراء أحمد قندوسي، ولكن نحن في المراحل الأخيرة للحصول على خدمات اللاعب بشكل نهائي، والمفاوضات تسير بشكل جيد”.

وأضاف: “أحمد قندوسي من اللاعبين المميزين، وملتزم مع الجهاز الفني، ويقدم مستوى جيدًا منذ الموسم الماضي، الاستقرار الفني شيء مهم جدًا في النادي، وما كان ينقصنا أن النتائج لم تكن على مستوى الأداء الجيد الذي نقدمه”.

وأتم: “زلاكا لاعبنا، وانضمامه لمنتخب مصر منحه خبرة إضافية، هو لاعب صاحب إمكانات كبيرة، ولن نفرط فيه حتى نهاية الموسم، كما أنه لا يوجد بند في عقد استعارته من بيراميدز يمنح أحقية الشراء نهائيًا”.

Rangers lost out on both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup to their closest rivals, so this summer could prove vital in their quest to return to the summit of Scottish football.

Rangers look to close the gap with rivals this summer

The latest rumours out of Ibrox point towards Rangers being in the market for attacking reinforcements. Theo Bair is a name that has been linked with Rangers as of recent, however, they will have to battle it out with rivals Celtic for the signature of Motherwell's top scorer.

Top 95% for dribbling: Rangers could sign dream Diomande partner for £1m

Philippe Clement will be keen to strengthen his midfield this summer…

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 24, 2024

Other recent reports suggest that Rangers are among a host of clubs who want to sign Middlesbrough striker Ajay Matthews. At just 18, the youngster scored 16 goals in 17 starts for Boro's youth side last season. Joining Matthews on Philipe Clement's wishlist is Coventry star Callum O'Hare who is available on a free this summer.

With Rangers looking towards the English Championship for their transfer inspiration this summer, it now appears that another of the league's stars is being targeted by the Glasgow outfit.

Rangers target move for McLean

As first reported by The Daily Record, Rangers want to make a summer move for Scotland and Norwich City star Kenny McLean. The outlet states that the higher-ups at Ibrox have been watching McLean for some time and Clement and his recruitment team have placed McLean on their list of summer targets.

The 32-year-old has just returned home from a Euro 2024 campaign which saw Scotland exit the competition at the group stage. McLean featured in all three of his nation's games at the tournament, but all of those appearances were from off the bench.

Despite struggling for game time on the international stage, McLean shone at club level last season, featuring in all 46 of Norwich's league games as they lost to Leeds United in the Championship playoff semi-final. It was his exploits for the Canaries that earned McLean the accolade of Norwich's player of the season.

The midfielder also earned the praise of his former boss David Wagner over the course of the last campaign. Speaking to the local media the German sang McLean's praises telling the press:

"He has been in this football club quite a while. Maybe he improved. I can only judge from the time I've been here with him, but what I can say is that he's an outstanding athlete, a top trainer, and super competitive."

"He is one of, if not the, most reliable players we have. He is a good person as well."

McLean has two years left on his existing deal with Norwich which also includes an option for a further year. Whilst the Canaries may be unlikely to sell, the 32-year-old's links with Rangers may prove to tip the scales in favour of the Ibrox side.

Speaking to The Athletic back in 2021 McLean spoke about what it would mean to play for his boyhood club, telling the outlet that "for me and my family, it would be pretty special."

The three-match series will be staged in the UAE in January, clashing with the BBL

Matt Roller17-Nov-2020

Getty Images

Several BBL clubs are facing a headache over the availability of their overseas players after Afghanistan confirmed that their three-match ODI series against Ireland will go ahead as planned in January, as part of the ODI Super League.Three regular Afghanistan internationals – Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Brisbane Heat) and Mohammad Nabi (Melbourne Renegades) – have signed deals for the whole of the BBL, while Melbourne Stars are set to announce Zahir Khan as their third overseas signing this week.The three-match series between Afghanistan and Ireland will be staged in Abu Dhabi. The exact venues for each fixture are unconfirmed at this stage, but matches will take place on January 18, 21 and 23.With a mandatory 14-day quarantine period on arrival in Australia currently in place for overseas travellers from anywhere other than New Zealand, it is highly unlikely that players will be able to take part in the series and return for the BBL playoffs from January 29-February 6.While Zahir Khan has only played one ODI in his career to date, Mujeeb, Nabi and Rashid are all key players for Afghanistan in 50-over cricket. It is possible that they could ask to opt out of the series, but such a move is made less likely with World Cup qualification points on the line through the ODI Super League.ALSO READ – Noor Ahmad: ‘I’m feeling like the luckiest cricketer in the world’A fifth Afghan player, Noor Ahmad, has signed for the Renegades for the start of the competition only, so his availability is unlikely to be affected. He is yet to make his international debut.For Ireland, confirmation that the series will take place comes as a significant boost. Since the Covid-19 lockdown, their men’s team has played only three matches – against England in July and August – with their whole home summer wiped out due to the pandemic.Negotiations are ongoing about a possible series in the UAE in December, initially planned to involve the hosts and Scotland in a tri-series. Cricket Ireland is understood to be keen to ensure that tour goes ahead, with centrally-contracted players back in training.Afghanistan v Ireland fixtures:January 18 – First ODI
January 21 – Second ODI
January 23 – Third ODI

Wasim Khan also says bilateral India-Pakistan series can’t happen in the foreseeable future

PTI19-Oct-2020The Pakistan Cricket Board wants the ICC to assure visas for its players and officials for the T20 World Cup 2021, scheduled in India for October next year. Wasim Khan, the PCB’s chief executive, said his board expects a response by January 2021 at the latest.Khan also confirmed that there was little likelihood of an India-Pakistan bilateral series taking place in the “foreseeable future”, and neither would any such series be part of the fresh Future Tours Programme (FTP) that starts in 2023.Relations between the two neighbours have been tense, which is why the PCB has sought assurance that the visa process of their players and support staff will be dealt with by the ICC.”This is an ICC matter. We have discussed our concerns,” Khan told . “There is a ‘Host Agreement’ that states very clearly that the host nation (India, in this case) will have to provide visas and accommodation for teams that are due to participate in the T20 World Cup, and Pakistan is one of them,.”We have sought assurances from the ICC that our players will receive visas and ICC is now taking this up with the BCCI because that directive and confirmation will clearly need to come from their government.”Khan also said that if there was a problem with getting visas, then the PCB expected the ICC to take that up directly with the Indian government through the BCCI.”We have asked for a deadline till December-January, which we believe is the right thing,” he said. “We expect a response from the ICC on whether our players and officials will receive visas to participate in the tournament.”If it (visa) isn’t (there), then like any nation would expect, we would also expect ICC to take that up directly with India and the Indian government through the BCCI to resolve this matter.”The participation of Pakistani athletes in global events held in India has historically been a contentious matter. Last year, Pakistan’s shooters could not get visas for a World Cup in Delhi. The fraught relations between the two countries has also made bilateral series almost impossible, a fact that Khan acknowledged.”I think we have to be realistic about India and Pakistan bilateral series,” Khan said. “BCCI needs to get permission before they can play Pakistan in any bilateral series, home, away or even on neutral venues.”I think on both sides, there is plenty of cricket to be played against other countries, but sadly for fans and players in both countries, it does not look like that India and Pakistan will be playing bilateral series in the foreseeable future. So there is no current planning that we can factor into the next FTP (2023-31) unless circumstances and viewpoints of the Indian government change.”

The summer transfer window has officially opened for business, though Wolverhampton Wanderers have already completed their first signing, welcoming 20-year-old winger Rodrigo Gomes from Braga for about £13m.

Gary O'Neil's side expect to sell Pedro Neto this summer, who is valued at £60m, and could look to spread the recouped funds across the squad to strengthen and build on last term's 14th-place Premier League finish.

Robins pundit Tom Sandy recently claimed that the Championship outfit should be looking at the ballpark of £5m, while he's out of contract next summer.

Southampton's Che Adams – who is out of contract this month – has been heavily linked with a move to Molineux but recent reports suggest that a Saudi Pro League advance could scupper Old Gold plans. Enter Conway?

Tommy Conway's style of play

Profiling the 21-year-old following his surprise inclusion in Steve Clarke's Scotland squad for the European Championship, The Scotsman has written that he possesses speed and energy 'akin to a Duracell Bunny'.

Having scored 24 goals and placed five assists over the past two campaigns, Conway has proven himself to bear the mark of a true finisher, with such skill on show when City defeated West Ham United in the FA Cup back in January.

Statman Dave hailed his "clinical" performances across two fixtures, Conway scoring in the third-round draw before repeating the trick one week later to net the winning strike in the replay.

Tommy Conway: FA Cup Stats vs West Ham

Stats

Third round (1-1)

Third-round replay (1-0)

Minutes played

81'

61'

Goals

1

1

Shots taken

1

1

Touches

18

13

Accurate passes

6/10

7/7

Key passes

0

1

Dribble attempts

0/0

1/3

All stats via Sofascore

Said to be 'the next Jamie Vardy' by former Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson, Conway's pace and deceptive power could indeed lead him to flower into Wolves' very own version of the iconic Leicester City sharpshooter.

Vardy, the spearhead of Leicester's incredible Premier League title triumph in 2015/16, has scored 190 goals and added 66 assists across 464 matches for the club, with his remarkable movement and prolific shooting skills the best marker of his elite-level talent.

Conway might have a long way to go but he could emulate the former England international in rising from the Championship to make a real impact at a middling Premier League side like Wolves, hoping that the gears will shift into place and advancements will be made toward the upper end.

He's also immensely technical and boasts some of the crispest distribution around, ranking among the top 1% of forwards across divisions similar to the Championship for pass completion, as per FBref, having been dubbed a "gifted boy" by Rotherham's Steve Evans.

With Cunha hopefully staying put and Hwang Hee-chan coming off the back of a 12-goal Premier League campaign from only 25 starting appearances, Conway could enter the fray with the security of depth – allowing O'Neil and co to forget all about their pursuit of Adams.

After settling in, there's no reason why the promising Scotland international can't forge a successful career for himself at Molineux. After all, Vardy and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins are just two demonstrations of the riches that can be found in digging into the second division.

Related How Wolves' starting XI could look after £83m summer spending spree

The Old Gold might not boast the deep pockets of other teams but some exciting arrivals could be welcomed this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jun 9, 2024

Spinner bowls unchanged as Sussex reach 155 for 6 on shortened day

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2020

Simon Harmer appeals for a wicket•Getty Images

Simon Harmer produced another impressive performance for champions Essex on a rain-affected second day against Sussex in the Bob Willis Trophy at Hove.The South African offspinner bowled 16 overs unchanged to pick up two more wickets to add to the 20 he has already taken in Essex’s previous matches against Kent and Surrey.He sent down nine maidens and removed skipper Ben Brown and Delray Rawlins with Sussex 155 for 6 from 61 overs when rain drove the players off just before lunch.The rain eventually gave way to bright sunshine but after a second inspection at 5pm umpires Ian Gould and Mark Newell decided there would be no further play because of a wet outfield with the run-ups a particular concern. Just 31 overs had been possible.With two days left it is difficult to see how south group leaders Essex can chisel out a third victory out of three, although while they have Harmer there is always a chance.The 31-year-old’s 16 overs cost just 21 runs and although only the occasional delivery turned off the straight, Sussex’s batsmen – most of whom were encountering Harmer for the first time in red-ball cricket – could do little more than survive because of his consistent line and length.Sussex skipper Brown looked to attack and came down the pitch to deposit him beyond mid-on in the 41st over after Harmer for once dropped slightly short. But Brown departed in his next over when attempting to hit over the top again only to offer an easy catch to Simon Walter at mid-on.Rawlins was similarly determined not to get tied down but he misjudged a sweep, the ball looping up off his glove to Alastair Cook at slip for 7.There wasn’t much respite at the other end for Sussex who had resumed on 93 for 2 under overcast skies and with the floodlights quickly in use. A slow outfield didn’t always give batsmen full value for their shots either.Jamie Porter, who removed both Sussex openers on a rain-affected first day, was as effective as Harmer in drying up the runs.He picked up his third wicket of the innings in the third over of the day when Harry Finch edged to slip attempting a forcing shot off the back foot. Porter sent down six overs in his pre-lunch spell at a cost of just seven runs with three maidens.Teenager Tom Clark took 30 balls before he got off mark with a thick edge off Porter to the third man boundary but the 19-year-old, who made his maiden first-class half-century against Kent last week, looked the most secure of the Sussex batsmen, defending solidly against Harmer and looking for scoring opportunities against the seam bowlers.But having survived for 97 minutes and reached 21 from 82 balls, the 19-year-old left-hander was superbly caught low down at backward point by substitute fielder Feroze Khushi for 21 to give Aaron Beard his first wicket.Aaron Thomason, the former Warwickshire allrounder playing only his fourth first-class match, resisted for nearly an hour for 14 while George Garton was unbeaten on 8, but it was somewhat ironic that while his team-mates struggled, Laurie Evans made 65 during his second game on loan for Surrey against Hampshire a few miles away at Arundel.

كشف بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي، عن أخبار سيئة قبل مباراة السبت المرتقبة ضد كريستال بالاس في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويحل مانشستر سيتي ضيفًا على خصمه كريستال بالاس، مساء السبت، في الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2024/25.

وعاد مانشستر سيتي إلى سكة الانتصارات بعدما فاز على نوتينجهام فورست، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد يوم الأربعاء الماضي.

وكشف جوارديولا المزيد من الغيابات عن مانشستر سيتي نتيجة الإصابة، حسبما صرّح في مؤتمره اليوم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مجموعة مانشستر سيتي في كأس العالم للأندية 2025

وغاب فيل فودين عن الفوز على نوتينجهام فورست بسبب المرض، بينما تم استبدال ناثان آكي في وقت متأخر من تلك المباراة.

وقال جوارديولا، في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للنادي: “فودين ليس جاهزًا، لا يوجد جدول زمني بشأن عودته”.

وأضاف: “ناثان آكي لن يشارك، لن يتواجد في تشكيل مباراتنا غدًا، أكانجي؟ سنرى ما سيحدث معه”.

وتم استبدال أكانجي في الشوط الأول ضد فورست وسيتم تقييم المدافع السويسري قبل المباراة حسب تصريحات جوارديولا.

وأكد الإسباني أيضًا أن جون ستونز وماتيو كوفاسيتش لن يكونا ضمن المتواجدين في مباراة السبت، بالإضافة إلى الغائبين لفترة طويلة مثل أوسكار بوب ورودري.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement has shown a willingness to offer opportunities to young players at Ibrox since his arrival in October.

The Belgian boss has provided Ross McCausland, Leon King, and Cole McKinnon with chances to catch the eye, whilst Zak Lovelace had emerged as a first-team option prior to getting injured shortly before the former Monaco chief's appointment.

Those players will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor, who went on to be icons at Ibrox, along with gems like Nathan Ferguson and Billy Gilmour, who were sold after showing potential in their early days in Glasgow.

However, not every talented young player gets the opportunity to make a breakthrough in the first-team, and that was the case with former academy starlet Malcolm Ebiowei – who was let go before progressing to the next stage of his development.

The now-20-year-old starlet was sold by Rangers back in 2021 and he has now gone on to be worth more than current academy graduate Ross McCausland in the present day, which shows that the club had a howler with him.

Malcolm Ebiowei's Rangers story

The talented winger started his youth career with Chelsea and made the cross-London switch to their rivals Arsenal in 2015, where he spent almost five years.

Rangers then snapped him up from the Gunners on a free transfer in February 2020. The forward then lasted around 18 months or so at Ibrox before his eventual departure.

Ebiowei played for the Light Blues at U18 level but there is no data available on his performances for the club's youth teams, as he did not play above the U18s.

When he joined the Gers in 2020, the then-teenager claimed that he was looking to work hard to break into the first-team, due to the chances Steven Gerrard gave to young players at the time.

Unfortunately, however, that first-team opportunity never came and Derby County swooped in to sign him for an undisclosed fee in September 2021.

It remains unknown as to exactly why it did not work out for Ebiowei in Glasgow. Perhaps the young talent did not settle into life in Scotland, did not impress the coaches at Rangers, or simply wanted to return back to his home country to get a chance to play in the Premier League further down the line.

On paper, however, it was a howler from them to allow the electric winger to move on from Ibrox as he has since developed into an exciting gem, who is now worth more than McCausland.

Ross McCausland's current market value

At the time of writing (21/04/2024), Transfermarkt currently values the Northern Ireland international at €1m (£863k), which is the highest valuation of his career to date.

McCausland came up through the youth ranks at Ibrox and caught the eye whilst playing for the B team, with nine goals and five assists in 41 matches – along with five goals in nine Youth League outings.

He made his first-team debut under Giovanni van Bronckhorst as a substitute against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership in May 2022, and assisted McKinnon for the third goal in a 3-1 win for the Gers.

This season has been his first year of regular senior football, though, under Clement. He has made 33 appearances for the first-team in all competitions this term to date.

24 of those games have come in the top-flight of Scottish football but the forward has failed to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

24

Starts

13

Goals

1

Assists

2

Big chances created

2

As you can see in the table above, McCausland has only been directly involved in three goals in 24 matches in the Premiership this season, which is an average of one every eight games.

This shows that the Northern Irish youngster has not been a reliable option for Clement when it comes to winning matches in the final third by scoring or creating goals.

That is to be expected, of course, at the age of 20 as the talented gem still has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and improve his final pass or shot.

Rangers, though, fumbled an academy talent who has now gone on to be worth more than McCausland at the same age, having thrived elsewhere.

Malcolm Ebiowei's current market value

At the time of writing (21/04/2024), Transfermarkt values Ebiowei at €2.5m (£2.15m) and that is €1.5m (£1.29m) more than the current Rangers gem is worth at his moment in time.

The exciting whiz, who was hailed as "special" by talent scout Antonio Mango, joined Derby from the Light Blues and hit the ground running with seven goals in seven U18 matches for the Rams.

Wayne Rooney then handed the teenager an opportunity to impress in the Championship and the forward provided one goal and two assists in 16 matches.

His form as an 18-year-old in the second tier convinced Premier League side Crystal Palace to swoop in to secure his services after Derby were relegated to League One in 2022.

He has made five appearances for the Eagles at first-team level since his move to Selhurst Park, and racked up three outings in the Premier League.

Ebiowei was sent out on loan to RWD Molenbeek during the recent January transfer window, and he has produced one assist in five league games so far, having started one of those matches.

At the age of 20, the England U20 international has already made his Premier League debut and showcased his quality in the Championship in England, which has helped his market value to soar to €2.5m.

Meanwhile, McCausland, who turns 21 next month, has yet to prove himself as a quality option at first-team level for Rangers, and his €1m market valuation reflects that.

This shows that the Gers, and Gerrard, had a howler with Ebiowei as they did not do enough to show him that there was a first-team pathway for him at Ibrox.

He has now gone on to showcase his potential in the top-flight in England and could go on to have a successful career with Palace, or elsewhere, instead of emerging as a future star for Rangers from their academy.

Few would argue that Tottenham Hotspur haven't made progress under Ange Postecoglou's management, but there's no doubt that this talented team has so much room for growth.

While Tottenham are a work in progress and have seen an exciting first campaign under new management marred by inconsistencies, a return to European competition (in some format) looks like a formality at this late stage of the year.

So, what serves as an accurate measure of success down at N17? Maybe it's a return to Europe's elite, currently six points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the Premier League with two games in hand.

But stifling title-chasing arch-rivals Arsenal in the North London Derby this afternoon would likely go down a treat for the supporters, who would revel more in the demise of their nemesis than the knowledge that the distance to Villa had been halved – this is, honestly, fair enough.

Arsenal have been sensational under Mikel Arteta this season but any slip-up in the closing weeks of the campaign could be fatal with Manchester City looming inches behind, and Tottenham will indeed relish the chance to swipe from points away from their neighbours.

Spurs team news

Destiny Udogie will not feature again this season after having surgery on an unspecified injury earlier this week. The 21-year-old left-back is also expected to miss Italy's Euro 2024 campaign.

With Pedro Porro and Richarlison both set to play a part, however, the hosts boast a near-full-strength squad to face the Gunners, with just Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon and Fraser Forster remaining long-term absentees.

Struggling to hit a vein of consistency in recent months, Tottenham have shuffled the pack multiple times and while he hasn't started the past three Premier League fixtures, Dejan Kulusevski will be crucial against the Gunners

Why Spurs must unleash Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski has been described as Tottenham's "unsung hero" by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare in the past and has served a crucial role in Postecoglou's first-season project, scoring six goals and supplying three assists across 30 Premier League appearances, starting 26 times.

As per Sofascore, the Sweden international has complemented that direct return with some crisp metrics, completing 82% of his passes, creating 12 big chances and averaging1.9 key passes, 1.6 dribbles, 4.2 duels, 3.9 ball recoveries and 1.8 tackles per game.

Moreover, the 23-year-old ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 13% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

This only serves to further emphasise the dynamism and depth that Kulusevski brings down the right channel, and given that Arsenal turn over possession and barrel forward with frightening fluency, it would be a good thing to bring him back into the starting mix.

Richarlison will likely start from the bench, so Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson will tussle it out for a starting berth on the left flank – which is probably necessary given the loss of pace that Udogie's injury has beset the Lilywhites with.

Kulusevski needs to start on the alternate flank, though his success marauding the touchline could come down to Porro – who could be the linchpin for Tottenham's success.

Pedro Porro could be key vs Arsenal

Porro's first foray into English football was marked by inconsistency following his initial loan move from Sporting Lisbon in January 2023 – made permanent for £39m last summer – but he has now established himself as one of Postecoglou's most important players.

This season, in all competitions, the 24-year-old has chalked up 31 fixtures for the Lilywhites and has scored twice and added seven assists, with his strike against Burnley in the FA Cup back in January speaking of the invaluable extra dimension he brings to the field.

So robust in his performances, tough in the tackle and boasting immense attacking qualities, the Spaniard ranks among the top 17% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 3% for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for passes attempted, the top 11% for tackles and the top 2% for blocks per 90.

With elite playmaking abilities and an inborn aggression, Arsenal's chances of succeeding down N17 will be more than just diminished, providing the Spurs backline with both the steel and style to score a momentous result this afternoon.

1.

Tyrick Mitchell

Crystal Palace

96

1.

Emerson Palmieri

West Ham United

96

3.

Antonee Robinson

Fulham

83

4.

Pedro Porro

Tottenham Hotspur

82

5.

Diogo Dalot

Manchester United

72

The £85k-per-week Porro has posted one goal and seven assists across 29 top-flight outings this season, as per Sofascore, creating ten big chances, averaging 1.6 key passes, 2.8 tackles and 5.7 ball recoveries per game.

Moreover, he's been hailed for his "titanic" performances by Eccleshare and has the fire in his belly to rise to the occasion against a slick side in Arsenal.

Speaking of Kulusevski's qualities and how this could be used to spark technical success down the right flank is all well and good but without the sturdy, multi-faceted base that Porro would provide, there is no hope that the home team will find the fizz and cohesion needed.

While Porro has been recovering from a hamstring strain since losing to Newcastle two weeks back, his return might just hold the key to sending the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into ecstasy against Arsenal.

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