Category Uncategorized

da pixbet： Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in the Premier League last weekend after dispatching impressive Crystal Palace at home, scoring three late goals to turn the game on its head.

da bwin： Ange Postecoglou will feel that there is plenty of work to be done as the crucial closing stage of the campaign draws near, five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with 12 matches to play (albeit with a game in hand), but there has been much improvement after last year's struggle.

Despite Harry Kane's sale to Bayern Munich back in August, Tottenham have made steady progress this season and now look like a team with promise and potential after such dismal hopes in the late stage of the 2022/23 campaign, the club's regression utterly bewildering after Mauricio Pochettino created a talented team.

Shrewd recruitment has been integral in building the club back up over the past months, with Postecoglou's vision matched by the suitability of the additions, players such as Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison all flourishing in the capital.

The latter has been the elite creative conduit needed to revive the togetherness and fluidity, with Tottenham now, at their best, an outfit of great panache.

James Maddison's season in numbers

Maddison had been courted by Newcastle United for several years and while the Magpies might have enjoyed an unexpected top-four finish last season, it was Tottenham – no European football to offer – who prevailed in the race for the playmaker, signing him for £40m in June.

While Maddison had been at the heart of a Leicester City side that suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, he can be apportioned blame after an excellent individual effort, scoring ten goals and adding nine assists from 28 matches.

Tottenham welcomed him to the fold and did so with the knowledge that they had secured a shrewd deal for one of the division's best.

As per FBref, the England international ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for passes attempted and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90.

That's a roundabout way of saying that he is an elite creative midfielder, with his pre-injury performances for Tottenham simply breathtaking, winning August's Premier League Player of the Month award to underline his influence.

Since returning to competitive action in January, Maddison has not quite reached the same level of synergy with his Lilywhites teammates but that's certainly not to say that he hasn't been impressive.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old has posted three goals and seven assists across 16 outings in the top flight this season, completing 86% of his passes and averaging 2.7 key passes, 5.9 successful duels and 1.5 tackles per game.

Maddison, among other recent signings, marks a new wave of talent and promise in north London and bespeaks Postecoglou's strength in the dugout, shaping the squad ahead of a desired pursuit of silverware in the seasons to come.

Indeed, with chairman Daniel Levy seemingly conducting transfer activity more astutely, moves such as the deal to land Ivan Perisic in 2022 can be learned from, with the veteran Croatia international, unfortunately, going down as a poor piece of business.

Why Spurs signed Ivan Perisic

Tottenham signed Perisic on a free transfer in June 2022 after the dynamic ace's contract with Inter Milan came to an end, with Perisic reuniting with his former manager Antonio Conte at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

33 years old at the time, Perisic had a wealth of experience and offered a skill set fit for purpose in London, an immense playmaker and set-piece specialist with a glittering trophy cabinet including Serie A triumph with Inter, Bundesliga success with both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich and a part in Die Roten's Champions League-winning campaign of 2019/20.

And in fairness, while his signature ended up bleeding Tottenham more than its value on the pitch, Perisic did manage to chalk up 14 assists from 50 appearances for the Lilywhites, notably earning eight assists from 23 starting appearances in the Premier League last season and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, as per Sofascore.

However, chipping in with just 1.2 tackles and clearances and 2.9 successful duels per game added to the defensive woes that knocked Tottenham's campaign off-kilter.

Moreover, reporters such as George Sessions were of the belief that while he was endowed with innate creativity, it was not harnessed properly, with the journalist saying: "Perisic has offered very little from the left and his delivery has again been poor, in keeping with recent weeks."

Tottenham: 2023 Player Wages

Player

Salary

Heung-min Son

£197k-per-week

Ivan Perisic

£180k-per-week

Cristian Romero

£175k-per-week

Richarlison

£175k-per-week

James Maddison

£170k-per-week

Stats via Salary Sport

Couple that with the staggering salary that the Croatian was on and it can only go down as an unsuccessful deal for a player who, ultimately, was caught in the centre of a seasonal crisis.

Ivan Perisic earned more than Maddison does

Technically, Perisic is still on Tottenham's books but he is out of contract in the summer and has re-joined his homeland side Hadjuk Split on loan until the end of the season.

It's unclear if Tottenham are continuing to pay Perisic's wages until the end of the campaign, or whether his €1m wage in Croatia has been agreed upon to facilitate the move, but even if Spurs severed Perisic from their wage bill in January he would have cost them £15m in total salary.

This is a large outlay for a player midway into their thirties across just 50 appearances – working out to £300,000 per fixture – and given that he actually started the 2023/24 campaign with higher earnings than Maddison it's pretty difficult to put forth a case that securing his services was worth the hassle.

Ultimately, with Perisic now gone and Tottenham continuing to shape their side with genuine quality, Postecoglou's project only strengthens in its bid for prominence on the continent.

Tottenham are said to have their eyes on a "big-name" forward wanted by a number of their Premier League rivals, with his club now prepared to gift a potential £30 million discount.

Spurs linked with signing striker despite fine Richarlison form

There have been many success stories at Spurs in recent weeks, from their brilliant January transfer window to usurping Chelsea as London's richest club, but one perhaps all supporters have been crying out for is the resurgence of Richarlison.

"Quality" player who Ange loves is now preparing to leave Tottenham

Another club is attempting to sign the player, and he’s very keen.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 8, 2024

The Brazilian, signed by Spurs in the summer of 2022, endured a regrettable debut campaign under former Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte and was subject to widespread criticism throughout his first year at N17.

Richarlison even sought "psychological help" in a bid to get his north London career up and running, but fast-forward to now, and the 26-year-old is fresh off the back of nine goals in his last eight league games.

The ex-Watford ace has now taken club-record goalscorer Harry Kane's mantle with real aplomb, coming after the latter sealed a multi-million-pound move to Bayern Munich last summer.

Tottenham 4-1 Newcastle

8.85

Everton 2-2 Tottenham

8.22

Tottenham 3-1 Bournemouth

7.91

Man United 2-2 Tottenham

7.80

Nottingham Forest 0-2 Tottenham

7.67

However, despite Richarlison's phenomenal transformation, there are still rumours that Tottenham want to sign a new striker as Kane's long-term replacement.

Indeed, the likes of Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez, Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke and even Brentford star Ivan Toney have been linked in the last few months.

The latter man will most likely be central to one of the summer transfer window's most gripping sagas, with Fabrizio Romano claiming he is one of the "big names" to watch out for.

"Ivan Toney will be one of the big names to follow during the summer transfer window," wrote Romano for 888sport.

"The England striker is expected to leave Brentford as manager Thomas Frank also confirmed in the last hours, the plan is clear: after difficult months with recent ban, Toney was open to stay at Brentford until the end of the season to return in good conditions, back to business with goals and excellent performances. But then, in the summer it will be time to look for new opportunity."

Despite facing stiff competition, Spurs have not been entirely ruled out of the race for Toney just yet, with HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey sharing an update on their interest.

Tottenham want Toney as Brentford gift hefty discount

According to their information, Tottenham are interested in signing Toney and Brentford have slashed his asking price from £80 million to £50-60 million.

The in-form number nine, though, is also wanted by a host of other top-flight sides – including Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle.

Toney, who's back scoring goals after his ban for gambling breaches, has been called a "playmaker" striker by Arsenal star Declan Rice.

"He's kind of like Harry Kane in a way where he's not only an out-and-out striker, he's a playmaker as well – his left and right-footed passing, the way he picks out his teammates is a special technique to have." said Rice to talkSPORT.

West Ham United need some respite from what has been a shocking start to 2024, with the chastening 6-0 home defeat against Arsenal leaving a pall of black smoke in east London.

It's a peculiar position; West Ham are outside of European contention in the Premier League only on goal difference, topped their Europa League group back in December and won the Europa Conference League last summer.

David Moyes is under fire and it would have been a bitter pill to swallow that it was Declan Rice, sold to Arsenal for £105m in the summer, who produced last weekend's talismanic performance at his old stomping ground.

It wouldn't be a bad move for Moyes to revisit his past success and promote a talented academy star to the first team, following in Rice's footsteps, with George Earthy producing some high-class performances this term.

West Ham's next Declan Rice

At the start of the 2023/24 campaign, homegrown talent Earthy penned a long-term contract with the Irons, clearly viewed by the club's powers that be as a future star in the first team.

A creative and attack-focused midfielder – who is also capable on the right flank – Earthy has been a prolific figure throughout his United youth career and has posted 37 goals and 25 assists across 102 matches, lauded for his "brilliant" displays by club insider ExWHUemployee.

This season, he has been in emphatic form, scoring nine goals and supplying six assists across 19 matches in all competitions and notably thriving in the EFL Trophy against senior opposition.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, the 19-year-old's three goal and one assist return from five matches in the EFL Trophy is an attractive tally but does not tell the full story of a remarkably rounded skill set, having completed 90% of his passes and averaged 1.4 goals and three ball recoveries per game.

He will definitely need to improve the defensive side of his game, making just 0.2 tackles and winning two duels each outing, but there is no questioning the thrilling quality woven into his core.

Indeed Rice was once at that stage, before going on to enjoy such glittering success rising through the ranks to the apex of Moyes' reign, completing 245 appearances, winning the club's past two Player of the Season awards and bringing riches – both monetarily and from a footballing standpoint – to the fore.

Having crashed out of the FA Cup against Championship outfit Bristol City last month and still seeking a maiden victory of the calendar year, Moyes needs to fashion some renewed positivity from somewhere and unleashing a talented academy member might be the perfect way to sway the fans back on his side.

Lucas Paqueta remains convalescent on the sidelines and will not return to action for several weeks, so a playmaker of Earthy's precocity could be the perfect tool to rekindle the feel-good factor that was so prominent at the London Stadium only a matter of months ago.

Bayern Munich's honorary president Uli Hoeness has appeared confirm that Nicolas Jackson won't join the German champions permanently next summer. Jackson completed his move on deadline day after Bayern agreed a deal with the Blues for the Senegalese striker to join on an initial season-long loan with an obligation to buy next year for £56 million (€64.5m/$76m).

Bayern chief confirms Jackson unlikely to join Bayern permanentlySigned for Bayern on loan on deadline dayFell out of favour at ChelseaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Jackson, who fell out of favour at Chelsea under Enzo Maresca, was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge throughout the summer. Towards the end of the window, a deal was finally agreed where he would sign for Bayern on a loan deal. The move, however, was on the verge of a collapse as the Blues told Bayern they could not proceed with the transfer after Liam Delap's hamstring injury. The striker and his agent had already reached Munich, but were ordered to return to London. In the end, though, the transfer materialised as the Premier League giants recalled Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland. 

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While many believed that Jackson's association with Chelsea was over following his switch to Bayern, the German club's honorary president Hoeness has cited one clause in the deal that could prevent the striker's permanent transfer next summer, as it is unlikely to be fulfilled. 

WHAT HOENESS SAID

Speaking to , the Bayern chief said: "The player and his agent contribute for €3m, so we pay €13.5m loan fee. There will definitely not be a permanent contract. That only happens if he plays 40 games from the start, it will never happen."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JACKSON?

For now, Jackson remains focused on impressing Bayern boss Vincent Kompany in a bid to revive his career. The Senegal international could make his debut for Bayern on September 13 as they take on Hamburger SV in a Bundesliga clash.

Ben Duckett carries the visitors hopes after they were set 387 to record a first win of the season

Paul Edwards at Scarborough20-Aug-2019

Ben Duckett reverse-sweeps•Getty Images

Perhaps it is to be expected that thalassophiles should also be drawn to cricket. The movement and direction of the oceans are obvious yet their currents and depths repay contemplation. The North Sea was metallic under grey cloud at dawn on Tuesday yet by breakfast time it was a softer velvety blue as Scarborough’s microclimate brought brightness from the east. Patterns moved on the surface of the water. Cricket’s colours and tides are no less complex; no less addictive either.Nottinghamshire are losing this game. So much is plain. They ended this day on 135 for 4 with Ben Duckett unbeaten on 47 and they still need 252 runs to achieve their first victory of a dreadful season in the County Championship. They have no frontline batsmen to come although Tom Moores can be counted upon in any fight. Should Nottinghamshire lose, their relegation becomes almost certain; should Yorkshire win, their pursuit of Essex and thereby the title is maintained.Yet what might all this mean for these 22 players, their confidence, their contracts, their coaches? Marketing men in designer suits issue tedious calls for cricket to be fast and furious yet one of its attractions is its gentle pace interspersed with savage action. There is time for self-doubt to compete with assurance, just as it did, perhaps, during the third afternoon when Nottinghamshire’s top-order batsmen went to the wicket at North Marine Road knowing hardly any of them were in decent nick. Still waters ran deep and perhaps they also churned.Nottinghamshire’s target was 387, rather less than it might have been had Yorkshire’s batsmen shown a little more aggression earlier in the day. Yet that target would still be the largest score they have made since these two sides met in blithe April. One did not expect them to make a good start, which is neither here nor there; but one has the impression the Nottinghamshire openers do not expect to survive long, which matters very much indeed and explains why both were gone inside 14 overs.Ben Slater was the more culpable; his poke at a wide ball from Duanne Olivier merely gave a catch to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip. Jake Libby, by contrast, played a forward defensive you could show to your housemaster but was defeated by Steve Patterson’s late movement and Swiss accuracy.Six overs later Joe Clarke played forward to a well-flighted delivery from Keshav Maharaj but still did not get to the pitch of the ball and nicked it to Jonny Tattersall. Clarke has scored 175 runs in 17 innings since he made 112 and 97 not out against Yorkshire in early April. Some of his problems have been self-inflicted and merit no pardon. But there comes a time when every man has the rest of his life to live. How does Clarke see his career unfolding? T20 will probably help.Nottinghamshire were 51 for 3 when Clarke was out and brief respite was provided by a 52-run partnership between the stand-in skipper, Chris Nash, and Duckett, who twice lifted Maharaj for sixes onto the Popular Bank. Duckett hardly knows any other way of playing than to take the fight to the bowlers. Whether his career now prospers after a mediocre season will depend on him acquiring a little more judgement to go with his ability.Nash, of course, has that judgement and his dismissal, leg before to Maharaj for 30, was a grievous blow. The captain departed shaking his head and replays suggested the ball had hit him a slice of New York pastrami outside off stump. There will be replays in the bar this evening. Liam Patterson-White joined Duckett and the pair took the visitors to the close in poor light. Patterson-White is playing his third first-class match and has been preferred to Samit Patel. What might the incomparable game have in store for him?And all this followed a quiet first hour of the day, one in which Yorkshire built their lead for the loss of Patterson and Gary Ballance. Both wickets had particular significance: Patterson was Paul Coughlin’s maiden first-class wicket for Nottinghamshire but this is only his third game in two seasons all but lost to serious injuries. Ballance departed when he hooked Luke Wood and Louis Bhabra, Nottinghamshire’s substitute fielder, tumbled forward at long leg to take a catch he seemed to have misjudged. It was a lovely moment for the 18-year-old and who knows what it might contribute to his future? A slight sense of belonging, mayhap. At least one hopes his mates at Papplewick and Linby were bucked for him.Ballance’s replacement, Harry Brook, hit the first four of the morning at 12.15pm when he cover drove Wood as pleasantly as one could wish and was so pleased with his effort that he repeated the stroke four balls later. But having hit two boundaries that would have graced any field Brook tried to pull a shortish ball from Patterson-White but only skied a catch to Jake Ball at mid-on.Yorkshire showed more a little aggression after lunch; Kohler-Cadmore’s three fine fours in a Luke Fletcher over were a prime example. But our cricket this afternoon was dominated in a different way by the huge frame of Fletcher who bowled a superb 11-over spell with the new ball, one in which he took 4 for 41 and finished with 5 for 67. Fletcher is a skilful workhorse whose allegiance to Nottinghamshire runs very deep. He is Boxer in . Such devotion is always reciprocated at Trent Bridge and so the travelling fans will have rejoiced in Fletcher’s successes. He played at Papplewick and Linby, too.The North Bay is darker in the evening but the ruffled waves are as beguiling as ever. Across England this week first-class cricket has been played near the sea. At Colwyn Bay, Lancashire have all but sealed promotion. At blessed Hove Sussex have revived their chances. And at Scarborough tomorrow the 133rd festival will end after a match which will decide nothing but clarify much. Cricketers have long been aware they cannot turn back the tide but that chilly truth has never stopped them wondering if it might be so.

da casino： Tottenham Hotspur have endured a mixed campaign so far as their form has been up and down with various injury and suspension issues to deal with throughout the season so far.

da betsson： Ange Postecoglou was brought in from Scottish giants Celtic last summer and enjoyed a terrific start to life in England with eight wins and two draws from his first ten Premier League matches.

However, they then lost the likes of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to injury and failed to win any of their next five league matches – including four losses and one draw.

Since then, Spurs have won four of their last five Premier League games and appear to be back on the right track ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The January transfer window opened at the start of last week and it has provided Postecoglou with an opportunity to add further depth and quality to his squad.

Spurs transfer news – Hayden Hackney

Tottenham have already been busy in the market this month and have now been linked with interest in Middlesbrough central midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The Standard claim that Spurs are lining up a move to land the Championship midfielder, who is also being eyed by other Premier League sides, as they prepare to join the race for his services.

Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United are all said to be interested in a deal to sign the impressive young dynamo following his superb form under Michael Carrick in the second tier.

The report adds that Boro are braced for offers for his services in the summer and have told teams that it will take a 'sensational' offer to convince them to part ways with him this month.

However, The Standard do not mention what sort of fee would constitute as sensational, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not a move is realistic for Spurs this month.

The outlet goes on to mention that Tottenham are particularly keen on a deal for the England U21 international as another homegrown player would help them to meet the quota for UEFA competitions, should they secure a place in the Champions League, Europa League, or Europa Conference League.

Spurs got a glimpse of his quality against Premier League opposition when he faced Chelsea in the first-leg of the League Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.

Hackney, as you can watch in the video above, scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory for Middlesbrough, whilst he also created one chance and made two tackles throughout the 90 minutes.

His performance showed that he does have the quality to make an impact against the top-flight sides, which is why Spurs should take a gamble on him this month.

He is a progressive central midfielder who could help Postecoglou to unlock the best of Timo Werner, who recently joined on loan from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Timo Werner's goal record

The Germany international is set to be at Tottenham until the end of the current campaign and they have an option to make it permanent for €17m (£14.6m).

Spurs will be hoping to get him back to his best after a difficult first half of the season in his home country, which ended with two goals and zero assists in 14 appearances in all competitions.

Last season, Werner plundered a respectable 16 goals and six assists in 40 matches for Leipzig – including nine goals and four assists in 29 Bundesliga outings.

His second spell at Leipzig came after a two-year stint in England with Chelsea. The German forward produced 23 goals and 21 assists in 89 games and helped the Blues to win the Champions League in 2021.

Werner's best goalscoring form, however, came during the 2019/20 campaign for Leipzig, which led to his transfer to England in the summer of 2020.

Werner's career goal record by position (via Transfermarkt)

Position

Appearances

Goals

Centre-forward

292

133

Left winger

74

16

Right winger

25

Seven

Second striker

22

13

The now-27-year-old marksman racked up a staggering 34 goals and 13 assists in 45 games in all competitions – including 28 goals in 34 Bundesliga matches.

It is now up to Spurs and Postecoglou to unlock Werner's top form between now and the end of the season, which the signing of Hackney could help with.

The statistics that show why Spurs should sign Hackney

The Boro star is all-round central midfielder who can make an impact in and out of possession but his qualities on the ball are why he could help the German striker.

Hackney, firstly, is a solid contributor off the ball. He has made 2.2 tackles and interceptions combined and 7.7 ball recoveries per match across 16 Championship outings this season.

Meanwhile, Pape Matar Sarr (5.1) and Yves Bissouma (4.8) have not retrieved possession as frequently each game in the Premier League as the English dynamo.

This suggests that the potential is there for the Boro ace to create more opportunities for Spurs to attack by recovering the ball more often than Postecoglou's current options, if he can translate his form to the top-flight.

His presence in the middle of the park could, therefore, provide the team with more chances to counter and make the most of Werner's impressive pace and movement in transition.

Hackney, who was described as a "sensational" young midfielder by journalist Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers podcast, also has the progressive passing to consistently find Werner, and other attackers, in dangerous positions.

Hackney vs midfielders (via FBref)

23/24 Championship (per 90)

Percentile rank

Shot-creating actions (3.50)

Top 18%

Progressive passes (8.19)

Top 1%

Progressive carries (2.25)

Top 19%

Passes attempted (77.37)

Top 5%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old starlet is an exceptional passer who constantly looks to progress play through passes or carries to push his team into advanced positions in the opposition third.

Bissouma, as a point of reference, has averaged 6.56 progressive passes and 2.31 shot-creating actions from 78.74 attempted passes in the Premier League this season.

This suggests that, if Postecoglou can help Hackney to translate his current performances over to the top-flight, the 5 foot 10 dynamo could enhance the quality of Tottenham's build-up play.

This would, in turn, lead to more opportunities for Werner to use his pace and direct play to make things happen at the top end of the pitch, which is why this potential signing could help to unlock the German whiz.

MatériaMais Notícias

da leao： Os jogos válidos pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Qatar acabaram ajudando algumas equipes brasileiras, que terão tempo para treinar, já que a CBF adiou algumas partidas do Brasileirão por conta das seleções. Mas essa pausa pode ser benéfica até que ponto? O colunista Luiz Fernando Gomes analisa o cenário. ASSISTA NO VÍDEO ACIMA.

RelacionadasPalmeirasEm meio à folga do elenco do Palmeiras, Dudu treina na Academia de FutebolPalmeiras31/08/2021FlamengoFlamengo mira premiações e passaporte para finais em setembroFlamengo31/08/2021SantosSantos foi clube que mais lucrou com vendas no Brasil nos últimos dez anos, mostra siteSantos01/09/2021

According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to secure the signing of West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone during the upcoming transfer window.

The Lowdown: Spurs no longer facing competition

The 29-year-old first joined the Baggies in a £6.5m move from Manchester United in 2018, but his current contract is set to expire at the end of the season and it’s expected that the Albion hierarchy will allow him to leave.

The three-time England international has already received plenty of interest from multiple Premier League clubs, including the Red Devils, who were rumoured to have considered bringing Johnstone back to Old Trafford. However, it now appears that the Lilywhites are in pole position to win the race for his signature.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Spurs leading the race for Johnstone

In a new report published by The Mirror, it’s claimed that Antonio Conte’s outfit are now ‘favourites’ to land the £18k-per-week goalkeeper and look set to ‘win the race’ for his services as a result of United deciding ‘not to press ahead’ with their pursuit.

The source added that Johnstone is a very ‘attractive’ prospect to Daniel Levy and the Tottenham recruitment team, who are said to view the shot-stopper as ‘genuine competition’ and a ‘solid alternative’ to Spurs’ current number one Hugo Lloris.

The Verdict: An absolute bargain

The Preston-born talent has a very impressive record between the sticks, having kept a staggering 102 clean sheets in 319 senior club appearances since the start of his playing career.

Johnstone, who was once dubbed a “sensational” player by Match of the Day host Gary Lineker, will become a free agent in the summer due to the expiry of his West Brom contract, which would make him an absolute bargain for any potential suitors.

Should Spurs be successful in bringing the 29-year-old through the door in north London in the coming months, he would be able to keep Lloris on his toes and certainly has the potential to go on and take the number one spot from the France veteran further down the line.

In other news… a source has confirmed that Tottenham are eyeing up a potential move for this defender

Memphis Depay hit out at criticism over his new look as he claimed his girlfriend adores his appearance.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Depay hits out at criticsSporting a new look on the fieldNetherlands beat Iceland 4-0WHAT HAPPENED?

The former Manchester United and Barcelona forward played an important role in the Netherlands' 4-0 win over Iceland in their final international friendly on Monday ahead of Euro 2024. Depay had found the back of the net in the game but his goal was ruled out due to a handball.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 30-year-old's new on-field look, where he was seen sporting a headband, has been a subject of criticism among a section of fans in the Netherlands. On Monday, however, he defended his new appearance while speaking to the press after the game.

WHAT MEMPHIS DEPAY SAID

Speaking to reporters, Depay said: "The previous match I made twenty minutes of time for the press in the mixed zone. And I haven't had any questions about it. Who cares? Who cares? It looks great on me and helps me sweat.

"My girlfriend likes that sweatband. Amazing, right? It's a new look and I feel good about it. I'm already thinking about what colour I'm going to wear in Germany."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR NETHERLANDS?

After registering back-to-back thumping wins over Canada and Iceland respectively, Ronald Koeman's side will begin their Euro 2024 journey in Germany on Sunday against Poland.

Casemiro has revealed how Carlo Ancelotti's emotional response to the news that he was joining Manchester United almost made him back out of the move.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Casemiro completed United move in 2022
• Ancelotti's reaction created some doubts
• Initially made big impact but form has dropped off

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Casemiro moved to United in summer 2022 and instantly bolstered Ten Hag's midfield, but he recently revealed that there was a moment where he doubted his decision to switch allegiances. Speaking to Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones, Casemiro has opened up about how Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti's emotional reaction to his departure had a big impact.

Advertisement

• WHAT CASEMIRO SAID

  "I only doubted my move to Manchester once," Casemiro said. "I went to speak with Ancelotti. I went into his office and he already knew. I opened the door and when I turned [towards him], Ancelotti was crying. I told him: 'You can't be crying. Anyone but you.' He told me: 'Case, I don't know why I'm crying, but I'm very fond of you and I don't want you to leave.' That was the moment [I doubted]… I realised how many people loved me there. But I had already given my word, and my word is more important than anything else."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Casemiro bossed Madrid's midfield for almost a decade, so it's no surprise that moving away was such a big deal. So far, his time in Manchester has been mixed; he played a pivotal role in securing Champions League qualification and a League Cup win in 2022/23, but his form during the 2023/24 campaign has been poor and there has been speculation about a potential move to Saudi Arabia.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

  Last weekend, Casemiro attracted plenty of criticism for his performance in United's 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, with former Red Devils goalkeeper Ben Foster calling his display a "disgrace". It's the latest in a long line of disappointing showings that have led many people to think that United should cut their losses on the Brazilian this summer.