While they certainly didn’t help themselves, the biggest problem for Tottenham Hotspur last season was injuries.

Ange Postecoglou had to make do with a cobbled-together squad for much of the campaign, and when he did have his players back, they won the Europa League.

Arguably, the biggest miss for the Lilywhites was Cristian Romero, who missed 27 games before playing a pivotal role in the club’s first trophy triumph in 17 years.

The World Cup winner will undoubtedly be one of Thomas Frank’s most important players this season, and so fans should be delighted about reports linking the club to an international who has been compared to him, as well as Gabriel Magalhães.

Spurs target Romero and Gabriel hybrid

It’s been an interesting summer for Spurs so far regarding transfers, as while their pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White hasn’t borne any fruit, they’ve bought in several other potential game-changers.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, while he wasn’t cheap, Mohammed Kudus could help turn the Lilywhites into a far more dangerous side, while Joao Palhinha has the ability to make them a far tougher side to break down.

Moreover, the North Londoners appear keen on adding at least one more player to their ranks before the window slams shut, a player who has been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sebastien Vidal, who claims that Spurs are very interested in Ronald Araujo, who is valued at £43m.

In fact, the journalist goes further, revealing that the Lilywhites are “expected” to make their first official approach for the Barcelona star as soon as “next week.”

It could be a complicated and relatively costly transfer to get done, but Araujo has proven he’d be worth it, especially as he’s been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

How Araujo compares to Romero & Gabriel

Now, there are several quite surface-level similarities you can point to between Araujo, Gabriel and Romero, such as them all being South American defenders who play for their nations, the fact they all play for top sides in one of Europe’s top five leagues, or that none of them are the kind of defender who gets bullied off the ball easily.

However, thanks to FBref, we know that there are also some undeniable statistical similarities between them as they looked at all centre-backs across the top five leagues and, over the last 365 days, the Arsenal star comes in as the third most similar to the Barça ace, while the Spurs titan ranks as the ninth most similar.

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Uruguayan ranked closely to the two Premier League monsters.

Araujo & Gabriel
Statistics per 90	Araujo	Gabriel
Non-Penalty Expected Goals	0.11	0.10
Passing Accuracy	91.9%	90.2%
Key Passes	0.48	0.49
Passes into the Penalty Area	0.36	0.30
Goal-Creating Actions	0.24	0.23
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Campaign

Interestingly, when it comes to the Gunners’ ace, the Rivera-born star doesn’t actually rank all that closely in the defensive metrics, and instead shares plenty of the Brazilian’s offensive qualities, from non-penalty expected goals to key passes and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

However, when it comes to the Lilywhites ace, the metrics include offensive and defensive statistics, such as interceptions, percentage of aerial duels won, tackles in the middle third, key passes and more, all per 90.

Araujo & Romero
Statistics per 90	Araujo	Romero
Non-Penalty Expected Goals	0.11	0.10
Interceptions	1.07	1.34
Aerial Duels Won %	62.3%	60.3%
Tackles in the Middle Third	0.60	0.51
Key Passes	0.48	0.45
Progressive Carries	0.71	0.76
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Campaign

With all that said, while comparisons to two of the best defenders in the world’s toughest league are certainly encouraging, there are other arguments for why the North Londoners should be all over a deal for the former Boston River star, such as his experience.

For example, despite still being just 26 years old, and therefore a year out from hitting his peak, according to research from The Athletic, the “athletic monster,” as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, has made 175 appearances for Barcelona, of which 141 have been starts, and he’s racked up a pretty good tally of ten goals and seven assists in those games.

On top of that, he has also helped the Spanish giants win two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Super Cups, which makes it easy to understand why legendary centre-back Carles Puyol once described him as “one of the best defenders in the world.”

Ultimately, even though it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, Spurs should be doing what they can to secure Araujo’s services, especially as he’s something of a hybrid between Romero and Gabriel.

Spurs prepared to pay £40m to sign "special" James Maddison replacement

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly not concerned by the price tag of a star who could be a dream replacement for James Maddison.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 11, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League return could not have been scripted better, with Lucas Bergvall delivering a standout debut under the lights and earning plaudits from legends of the game. Ange Postecoglou’s groundwork from last season is now paying dividends, with the teenager stepping up on Europe’s biggest stage under new boss Thomas Frank.

• AFP
  

  Bergvall helps Spurs to UCL win on debut

  Bergvall was handed his first Champions League start by Frank in Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Villarreal. The teenager made an immediate impact, forcing an early own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior. Spurs rode that breakthrough to secure three points in their opening league phase match.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bergvall's performance holds Postecoglou's handprint

  While Frank is the man steering Spurs now, much of the credit for Bergvall’s maturity is being directed towards Postecoglou. The Australian gave Bergvall crucial minutes last season, helping him adapt to Premier League demands. That faith laid the foundation for Tuesday’s dream debut, with Bergvall himself saying: “A dream come true. First Champions League game, at home in front of you and a win. Something I've dreamed of since I was a kid.”

  Additionally, he also said on Tottenham's official channels: “Yeah, [playing in the Champions League] has been a dream since I was a young kid to play here and in front of the supporters at home, and a win could not be better.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ronney praises 'fantastic' Bergvall

  Wayne Rooney was among those to heap praise on the Swedish midfielder after his performance. The Manchester United legend told Amazon Prime Video: "Sometimes you forget how young he is because he played a lot of games last season, and the maturity with which he plays is fantastic."

  He continued: "So he shows different sides to his game this season, last season he played a bit deeper, and to play as a number ten is not easy, it's not easy to get on the ball and be in the right positions, but I thought today he showed the different side to his game, which will only improve him in the future."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Bergvall the shining star for Spurs' future

  Tottenham will look to build momentum from their winning start as they continue their Champions League journey. Frank will hope Bergvall’s form adds creativity to his squad while keeping him grounded in a long season. With the foundation laid by Postecoglou and the guidance of Frank, Spurs may finally have a star ready to shine on Europe’s grand stage.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras tem uma pendência a resolver fora de campo no próximo mês. Isso porque o clube foi notificado pela Fifa por conta de processo movido pelo Peñarol-URU, que cobra uma dívida relacionada a uma das parcelas da transferência de Piquerez ao Verdão. O valor devido aos uruguaios é de 1,1 milhão de dólares (R$ 5,4 milhões na cotação atual) e precisa ser pago dentro de 45 dias, caso contrário haverá sanções. A informação foi divulgada primeiramente pelo Nosso Palestra e confirmada pelo LANCE!.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras x Bragantino: onde assistir, prováveis escalações e desfalques do jogo pelo BrasileirãoPalmeiras12/05/2023PalmeirasVÍDEO: Assista aos bastidores da goleada do Palmeiras sobre o Grêmio no BrasileirãoPalmeiras12/05/2023PalmeirasVÍDEO: Dois minutos e 35 toques na bola: veja a construção do gol de Mayke na goleada do Palmeiras sobre o GrêmioPalmeiras12/05/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

A quantia total é referente a dois fatores: o valor da parcela, que é de 1 milhão de dólares (R$ 4,9 milhões), e uma penalização de 100 mil dólares (R$ 492 mil). Embora o Alviverde tenha procurado um acordo com o Penãrol para evitar a ida da questão para a Fifa, o clube uruguaio optou pelo processo na entidade máxima do futebol mundial, o qual venceu e agora receberá o o montante em pouco mais de um mês.

Ciente de que pode sofrer sanções até mesmo em relação à inscrição e contratação de novos jogadores, o Palmeiras pagará a dívida dentro do prazo estabelecido pela entidade. A intenção palmeirense era resolver a situação já no início deste ano, mas com a vontade do Peñarol em entrar com o processo, não houve mais insistência pelo acordo e será respeitada a decisão da Fifa. Apesar de parecer uma quantia relativamente baixa para um clube da magnitude do Verdão, a alegação foi de problema com fluxo de caixa

continua após a publicidade

Piquerez foi contratado em meados de 2021 junto ao clube uruguaio por 3,8 milhões de dólares (R$ 19,77 milhões na cotação da época). O acerto foi feito por meio de parcelas anuais que terminariam de ser pagas em 2025, quando se encerra também o contrato do atleta com o Alviverde.

+ Palmeiras x Bragantino: onde assistir, prováveis escalações e desfalques

O lateral-esquerdo está há quase dois anos no Palmeiras, período no qual disputou 88 jogos e marcou dois gols. Além disso, conquistou seis títulos pelo clube: uma Libertadores (2021), um Brasileirão (2022), dois Paulistas (2022 e 2023), uma Recopa (2022) e uma Supercopa (2023).

continua após a publicidade

Sunderland are reportedly among the “best placed” clubs to complete the signing of an “unbelievable” player in the summer transfer window.

It has been a summer to remember for the Black Cats, with as many as 11 permanent signings coming in, bolstering Regis Le Bris’ squad significantly. Now, a new rumour has claimed that Sunderland have submitted an offer for Leicester City attacker Abdu Fatawu, who is viewed as a primary transfer target in the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window.

While the £27m bid has reportedly been rejected, there is still hope that the Black Cats could still complete a move for Fatawu in the coming weeks.

It promises to be a busy period for Sunderland, who will also hope to continue their promising start to the Premier League season, and now another key update has emerged regarding a separate transfer target.

Habib Diarra

Strasbourg

£27.1m

Simon Adingra

Brighton

£21m

Enzo Le Fee

Roma

£19.8m

Chemsdine Talbi

Club Brugge

£17.2m

Noah Sadiki

Union SG

£14.6m

Granit Xhaka

Bayer Leverkusen

£12.9m

Nordi Mukiele

Paris Saint-Germain

£10.3m

Omar Alderete

Getafe

£9.8m

Robin Roefs

NEC Nijmegen

£9m

Reinildo Mandava

Atletico Madrid

free transfer

Arthur Masuaku

Besiktas

free transfer

Sunderland in pole to beat Leeds to Uche signing

According to AS [via Sport Witness], Sunderland are one of the “best placed” clubs to sign Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche this summer. He is available for a cut-price amount of £17.2m, despite having a £21.5m release clause. Leeds United are also in the mix to sign the 22-year-old, while Getafe president Jose Bordalas has offered further encouragement by admitting that certain players may need to be sold.

“We’ll have to release some so we can register all or almost all of them. I wouldn’t like Uche or anyone to leave, but we have to accept the offers we have, and there are several.”

Uche has the potential to be another strong addition for Sunderland before the window closes, as scout Jacek Kulig lauded him as “unbelievable” earlier this year, and if they could pip Premier League rivals Leeds to his signature, it would feel even sweeter.

An Adingra repeat: Sunderland submit huge bid to sign "unplayable" star

Sunderland aren’t done just yet with their excessive summer spending.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 19, 2025

The fact that Getafe could be forced to sell the two-cap Nigeria international is an extra bonus for the Black Cats, and he will hopefully like what is going on at the Stadium of Light currently, not least the amount of ambitious transfer business.

Capable of playing as a number 8, 10 or even up front, Uche would add quality and youth to Sunderland’s midfield, with his versatility increasing the depth at the manager’s disposal.

England have little to show aside from Nat Sciver-Brunt’s fifty on day one of pink-ball Test

Alex Malcolm30-Jan-2025Not for the first time in this series, Alana King put on a masterclass of legspin bowling in front of the Shane Warne Stand to bamboozle England and hand Australia full control on the opening day of the pink-ball Test at the MCG.Just as she did across town at the Junction Oval during the ODI series, where a smaller, quainter Shane Warne Stand casts a shadow at the southern end, King put on a clinic bowling 23 overs unchanged from the start of the second session to claim career-best Test figures of 4 for 45 and help bowl England out for 170. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 51 was the lone shining light for England on another bleak afternoon, but she should have been out twice to King whose spell even outshone the bizarre pop-up rock concert Australian artist G-Flip performed during the dinner break.The bowling performance was soured however by a hip injury to Ellyse Perry. She landed heavily after diving to knock back a ball on the rope during the middle session. She left the field shortly after and did not return for the last two hours of Australia’s bowling innings. Australia’s team management confirmed she would not bat on the first evening and would be reassessed in the morning.Annabel Sutherland instead walked in at No. 3 and saw Australia through to stumps alongside Phoebe Litchfield, cruising to 56 for 1 after the loss of Georgia Voll who opened on Test debut.Australia would have been delighted with the bowling performance after winning the toss and electing to field on an MCG surface featuring 9mm of grass. But they could have bowled England out even sooner.King should have had more, with four chances missed off her bowling alone as Australia were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field. Beth Mooney missed a stumping and a caught behind off King and dropped another off Annabel Sutherland diving to her right. Alyssa Healy failed to take a simple catch cleanly at slip, again off King, clutching at the ball awkwardly and grounding it while it was in the end of her fingers. King dropped a caught-and-bowled chance, while Voll grassed a straightforward chance at slip off Darcie Brown.None of the misses were costly though as England capitulated again. King’s hard-spun legbreaks were the stuff of dreams for a legspinner but will only create further nightmares for England’s batters after haunting them all tour.England were getting a foothold in the day at 97 for 3 when King deceived Sophia Dunkley with late drop to force a simple chipped return catch after Mooney had early missed a difficult stumping chance.King then went to work on Danni Wyatt-Hodge, fizzing three huge legbreaks past her outside edge in one over. Sciver-Brunt, who had held England’s innings together, was also beaten multiple times in similar fashion.King finally kissed Sciver-Brunt’s outside edge with another perfect legbreak only for a poorly set-up Healy at slip to grass the rare catch without gloves on. Her injured foot meant she was not keeping and posting up at slip to limit her running. But she was set up too high, with her hands on her knees, and was unable to pouch the ankle-high chance cleanly.Litchfield had no such problems at silly mid-off, taking at outstanding catch diving low to her right after Wyatt-Hodge presented the leading edge to another fizzing legbreak.England may have regretted leaving out Charlie Dean and selecting three seamers as their lone spinner Sophie Ecclestone chipped King to cover to hand her a third scalp.Sciver-Brunt was then bowled for the fifth consecutive innings in the series, and for the third time against legspin, trying to a pull a good-length legbreak that hit the stumps well under bail height.Amongst King’s carnage, Amy Jones was bowled playing back to spin for the second time in the series, missing a full delivery from Ash Gardner and losing her off stump.King missed out on a maiden Test five-for as Mooney dropped an edge off Ryana MacDonald-Gay and then clanged a sharp return catch offered by Lauren Filer. Brown claimed Filer instead before Lauren Bell was run out tamely to end the innings.Brown and Kim Garth had earlier laid the groundwork for King’s wizardry with an excellent opening burst that saw England slump to 47 for 3. Maia Bouchier’s miserable tour continued, nicking Garth behind for 2 to go with scores of 13, 0, 0, 17 and 9 in the white-ball series.Tammy Beaumont was trapped plumb lbw for 8 by an excellent delivery from Brown that nipped back off the seam to leave England 23 for 2.Skipper Heather Knight’s innings was anything but assured. She survived a similar lbw shout off Brown and a subsequent review that showed it was umpire’s call on clipping leg stump. She edged Sutherland behind but Mooney could not take the one-handed offer. Garth then followed Brown and nipped another back into Knight’s front pad and the appeal was rewarded with a raised finger.

Jay Shah, the ICC chair and ex-secretary of the BCCI, has joined a new Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) advisory board, which will replace the club’s world cricket committee.Shah was a notable absentee when MCC staged the inaugural World Cricket Connects forum last year, which saw over 100 leading voices gather at Lord’s to discuss the state of the global game. But he is among 13 founding members of the new World Cricket Connects advisory board, which will be chaired by former MCC president Kumar Sangakkara.MCC announced on Thursday that the second World Cricket Connects forum will be staged on June 7 and 8, before Lord’s hosts the World Test Championship final. MCC chair Mark Nicholas said: “We are looking forward to welcoming many of the game’s most influential figures to debate the most important topics that dominate global cricket.”The new advisory board replaces the world cricket committee, which formed in 2006 and met for the final time last summer. Other founding members include Sourav Ganguly, Graeme Smith and Andrew Strauss, as well as England women’s captain Heather Knight and JioStar’s CEO (Sports), Sanjog Gupta.”An important step has been made in the forming of the World Cricket Connects Advisory Board,” Nicholas said. “We have assembled an impressive group of the best minds in cricket across several different areas relevant to our sport. I am delighted to be working with this experienced group and excited about what we can collectively achieve for the benefit of the global game.”The world cricket committee was an independent body which did not hold any formal power, but its recommendations have often been adopted by the ICC. These have included calls for a Decision Review System, the formation of a World Test Championship, the introduction of day-night Test cricket, and the use of a shot clock to improve slow over-rates,The new advisory board will meet virtually throughout the year, and in person after the symposium at Lord’s. MCC said: “This independent group will shape the annual World Cricket Connects agenda, help facilitate the event’s discussions and in turn maximise the opportunity for genuine impact on the health of the game.”World Cricket Connects advisory board members: Kumar Sangakkara (chair), Anurag Dahiya (ICC chief commercial officer), Chris Dehring (CWI CEO), Sourav Ganguly, Sanjog Gupta (JioStar CEO – Sports), Mel Jones, Heather Knight, Trudy Lindblade (Cricket Scotland CEO), Heath Mills (World Cricketers’ Association chair), Imtiaz Patel (Former SuperSport chair), Jay Shah, Graeme Smith, Andrew Strauss.

Everton have started the Premier League season poorly after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Leeds following a controversial penalty decision for a handball by James Tarkowski. This defeat comes after spending over £75 million in the transfer window and bringing in Manchester City’s Jack Grealish on loan.

One area in particular that has been a focus for Everton in the transfer market is attacking midfield – David Moyes’ side lacked depth in this area. So far this window, they’ve brought in Kieran Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea and Carlos Alcaraz from Southampton on a permanent deal after he spent the back half of last season on loan at Everton.

Moyes is now looking further back in his midfield ranks, as the club is considering a move for a Premier League-proven midfielder in order to ensure defeats like this don’t become a habit.

Everton considering move for Tottenham midfielder

Everton are considering a move for Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma. The 28-year-old has made 191 Premier League appearances and joined Spurs on a £55,000-per-week contract in 2022. Reports from Tottenham insider Paul O’Keefe have revealed how much Daniel Levy would charge Everton for Bissouma.

This fee is less than half the £30 million they paid Brighton for the midfielder in 2022, but if Spurs don’t sell Bissouma this year or extend his contract in the next 12 months, then he will be allowed to leave for free next summer.

Everton’s interest is thought to currently be in the preliminary stages, with O’Keefe saying: “I understand Everton are considering him, but not really concrete enough to say they’re going to make a move.”

West Ham were also previously interested in the Europa League winner, but that deal has not developed as of yet. On the player’s side of the move, it is believed to be his desire to remain in England for at least one more year, as he would become eligible for UK citizenship.

Bissouma is a gamble, but he may be worth it for the price

Given the “peanuts” that they would be paying, a gamble on Bissouma may be worth it. Whilst he lacks versatility, what he is good at, he excels at, with the only major red flags being his attitude towards training and his on-field disciplinary record.

Last season, Bissouma ranked among the top 17% of Premier League midfielders for his tackle success rate. He was also reliable on the ball with a pass completion rate of 89%. Where Bissouma struggled was going forward; in 100 matches for Tottenham, Bissouma has only registered two goals and no assists.

As a midfielder who is constantly making challenges, Bissouma often finds himself in the referee’s book. Last season, he averaged a booking almost once every 180 minutes of play, but he did avoid seeing red in the League. One contributing factor to his poor disciplinary record last season may have been Ange Postecoglou’s style of play, as it saw his team playing high up the pitch and often needing to take drastic measures to avoid being caught on the counterattack.

What Postecoglou can’t be blamed for is Bissouma’s training tardiness. The Mali international was left out of Tottenham’s squad for the European Super Cup, and Frank explained his absence: “Bissouma isn’t here because of disciplinary reasons. He has been late several times, the latest one too many.”

Moyes and the Everton board will have to decide whether or not they think Bissouma’s strengths outweighs these issues. For less than £14 million, he may be worth the gamble.

تسود حالة من الغموض حول موقف اللاعب هيثم حسن، نجم نادي ريال أوفييدو الإسباني، بشأن انضمامه إلى صفوف منتخب مصر الأول خلال الفترة المقبلة، في ظل رغبة اتحاد الكرة في حسم هذا الملف بشكل نهائي.

وأكدت مصادر داخل الاتحاد لـ بطولات، أن اللاعب لم يبدِ حتى الآن موقفاً واضحاً من تمثيل المنتخب المصري، رغم التواصل المستمر معه من قبل مسؤولي الاتحاد خلال الأيام الماضية.

ويُنتظر أن هيثم حسن سيحسم قراره خلال الفترة القريبة القادمة، سواء بالموافقة على تمثيل مصر أو الاعتذار بشكل رسمي.

طلع أيضًا | أشرف صبحي: منتخب مصر قادر على التأهل لـ كأس العالم.. ونسعى لعدم تكرار خطأ تصفيات 2022

من جانبه، أبدى المدير الفني للمنتخب الوطني حسام حسن رغبة قوية في استدعاء هيثم حسن ضمن قائمة معسكر نوفمبر المقبل، بعد متابعة مستوياته المميزة مع فريقه في الدوري الإسباني الدرجة الثانية، حيث يرى فيه إضافة فنية مميزة للمنتخب خلال المرحلة الجديدة.

وطالب اتحاد الكرة اللاعب بسرعة إرسال الأوراق والمستندات الرسمية التي تثبت جنسيته المصرية، من أجل إتمام الإجراءات القانونية اللازمة لتسجيله كلاعب دولي مصري، تمهيداً لضمه إلى المعسكر المقبل حال موافقته النهائية.

ويأتي اهتمام حسام حسن بضم لاعبين شباب مثل هيثم حسن في إطار خطته لخفض معدل أعمار المنتخب الوطني وتجديد دمائه بعناصر واعدة، استعداداً للاستحقاقات القارية المقبلة وعلى رأسها التصفيات المؤهلة لكأس العالم وكأس الأمم الإفريقية.

Leeds United’s Championship hoodoo is finally over.

After slipping up in the second-tier playoff final to Southampton at the close of the 2023/24 season, the Whites had to dust themselves down and go again, and they did just that, with 100 points successfully accumulated last campaign as the Championship title came to Elland Road.

The best possible start to life back in the big time has also just greeted Daniel Farke’s men, with new recruit Lukas Nmecha the difference maker from the penalty spot to hand Leeds a narrow 1-0 win over Everton.

There will be no resting on their laurels, however, as the Premier League newcomers look to add even more exciting signings while the busy transfer window remains open.

Leeds lead race for £43m sensation

After all, the dust has barely settled on that Monday night success, and yet Leeds are very near to completing signing number nine of a full-on summer.

As reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, via X, Leeds are set to announce the signing of AC Milan winger Noah Okafor for a fee around the £18m ballpark.

This capture really should boost a Leeds attack that did manage to register 21 shots on goal against the Toffees, only to be thankfully bailed out by Nmecha’s calm approach from the penalty spot.

A new striker addition could also be on the cards in the form of FC Nantes ace Matthis Albine, with Caught Offside revealing that Leeds are among the frontrunners for the Frenchman’s services, having already held talks with the 22-year-old, who is also keen on moving to West Yorkshire.

Despite stealing a vast majority of headlines after the Everton game, Nmecha could well find he’s been upgraded on if the €50m (£43m) striker does seal a switch to England shortly, on top of Joel Piroe also feeling less secure about his first-team minutes moving forward.

How Abline compares to Piroe & Nmecha

It might well feel cut-throat to insinuate that Piroe and Nmecha will fade into the background if Abline were to arrive at Elland Road imminently.

Indeed, the German has just got Leeds up and running in the unforgiving terrain of the Premier League, while his Dutch counterpart collected the Championship golden boot accolade last campaign when firing home a clinical 19 strikes.

However, both do display some worrying deficiencies in their attacking games that could hold them back from being the lethal heroes Leeds need to help survival be reached, compared to their new French target, who scored stunning strikes like this last season in Ligue 1 with ease.

Despite powering home those 19 strikes, Piroe would still manage to squander 13 big chances in the Championship – as per Sofascore – which could prove to be costly in a fight against the drop. He’s already shown signs of rust at the intimidating level, too, with an unmemorable 27 touches of the ball registered against Everton, before being taken off by Farke.

Moreover, Nmecha is just fresh off a season that was riddled with injuries at Wolfsburg, culminating in just three efforts being powered home when he was fit enough to line up for 19 Bundesliga clashes.

Away from Piroe and Nmecha displaying many downsides, however, Abline will be raring for the challenge of the Premier League if a pricey move gets off the ground before September’s deadline, having fired home a career-best total across the 2024/25 campaign for Nantes.

Abline – 24/25 Ligue 1 stats
Stat (*per game)	Record
Games	34
Goals	9
Big chances missed	6
Assists	2
Big chances created	6
Key passes*	0.8
via Sofascore

Last campaign saw Abline fire home a large chunk of his overall 16 goals for Nantes, with 11 strikes tallied up as Luis Castro’s men survived comfortably in the French top-flight in 13th spot.

The “unstoppable” forward – as he has been hailed by journalist Andres Onrubia Ramos – could well grow into even more of a lethal attacker performing for the relegation-threatened Whites, therefore, knowing now what it takes to be a dependable hero in a battle against relegation.

Throwing Abline into the mix would give Farke plenty of options in attack, with the “instinctive” finisher – as he has also been lauded by analyst Ben Mattinson – no doubt craving the tag of being Leeds’ main man week in week out, at the expense of both Piroe and Nmecha.

Based on all the evidence noted, he will certainly have a persuasive case on his side to be the Whites’ starter up top.

"Deal to be finalised soon" – £17m league winner has decided to join Leeds

The Whites are set to sign a “magnificent” player.

1

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 19, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have already splashed just shy of £150m on new transfers throughout the summer window, with Thomas Frank being backed in his quest for success in North London.

The Dane took the reins during the off-season, already making an excellent start to life in the role – beating Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad in recent weeks.

However, his side have been further bolstered in the last couple of days, landing the signature of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in a huge €60m (£52m) transfer.

The Dutchman looked set for a move to Chelsea during this window, but the Lilywhites completed their own hijack after missing out on the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

With a couple of days left in the transfer window, Frank could yet land further reinforcements to his first-team squad, with numerous other options emerging on their radar.

Spurs’ hunt for new additions after signing Simons

After bolstering the midfield department, the Spurs frontline now looks to be the next focus of the recruitment team – with Manchester United star Jadon Sancho a player they’re considering.

It was reported in recent days that the winger has been offered to the Lilywhites, but it’s unclear if any deal for the Englishman would be a temporary or permanent one.

However, another Premier League forward in the form of Brentford star Yoane Wissa has also been touted with a switch to North London, according to Football Insider.

Their report claims that Frank is considering a late move for his former striker, after previously having an excellent relationship with the DR Congo international at the GTEC.

It also states the player is also subject to interest from Newcastle United, looking almost certain to leave before Monday’s deadline, given his reluctance to feature for the Bees – with a £60m transfer fee mooted.

Why Spurs’ £60m target would be Frank’s answer to Isak

Alexander Isak is a talent who has constantly tormented countless backlines in the Premier League, with Spurs being just one of the clubs who have felt the wrath of the Swedish striker.

In his five appearances against the Lilywhites throughout his career, the 25-year-old has scored six times – the joint-most of any side – resulting in the Magpies claiming an 80% win rate against the club since his arrival in England.

However, he looks almost certain to depart St James’ Park this window, after refusing to play under Eddie Howe so far this season – amid huge transfer links to Liverpool.

Undoubtedly, his current employers don’t want to lose the Swede, after he netted 20+ top-flight goals in each of the last two campaigns – cementing himself as one of the most threatening talents in the division.

He and Wissa both share similarities given their respective situations at their current clubs, subsequently both wanting to depart to pursue new challenges in 2025/26 and beyond.

However, they also possess matching qualities, as they’ve been labelled as similar players by FBref, with the Brentford star managing to outperform Isak in key areas throughout 2024/25.

Wissa, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one content creator, posted a better goal per shot on target rate, whilst also getting more of his efforts on target – arguably being a more clinical option in attacking areas.

How Wissa & Isak compared in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Wissa

Isak

Games played

35

34

Goals & assists

23

29

Shot on target accuracy

46%

43%

Goals per shot on target

0.5

0.4

Pass accuracy

77%

75%

Passes into the final third

1.4

1.1

Progressive carries

2.9

2.7

Fouls won

1.6

0.4

Aerials won

46%

32%

Stats via FBref

He also completed more of the passes he attempted, whilst making more passes into the final third per 90 – offering a perfect ball-playing option – something which made him such a success in Frank’s system last campaign.

Despite his smaller frame, Wissa also managed to win more of the aerials he entered in 2024/25, potentially being the perfect all-round option for the Lilywhites in their quest for added success.

£60m for the DR Congo star’s signature may seem hefty, but when Isak is currently being valued at £150m, the move for Wissa could actually be a superb deal for Frank and his team.

If he can replicate such levels in North London, he would add a new dimension to the frontline, subsequently boosting the club’s chances of Premier League success in the years ahead.

Related A Kudus repeat: "Incredible" £70m ace now wants to join Spurs after Simons

Tottenham Hotspur could now complete another deal after landing Xavi Simons earlier today.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Aug 29, 2025