Newcastle United are “keen on signing” a £70 million “tank” this summer as Eddie Howe looks to further strengthen his EFL Cup-winning squad, according to a new report.
Newcastle pushing for Champions League
Newcastle have had quite the season. Wow fans across the Premier League with their relentless, electrifying performances? Check. Turn Alexander Isak into one of the most feared strikers in Europe? Check. Win the EFL Cup – their first major silverware in 70 years? Double check.
Now, it’s time to add the icing on the cake by qualifying for next season’s Champions League. And by the looks of it, Howe and the Magpies are in a good position to do so.
Currently sitting third in the Premier League with just four games to go, the Magpies kept their Champions League destiny firmly in their own hands on Saturday with a resounding 3-0 win over Ipswich Town — a result that also confirmed the Tractor Boys’ immediate return to the Championship after a tough season back in the top flight.
Isak, Dan Burn, and 21-year-old William Osula all got on the scoresheet at St. James’ Park, with Howe particularly pleased for Osula. Speaking after the match, he said: “He is a player of rich potential and hopefully that is a real confidence lift for him.”
Howe also reflected on the race for the top four, adding: “It will go down to the wire. The important thing today was that we bounced back from last week. We have been very consistent and now we have four huge games.”
Newcastle remain keen on signing Marc Guehi
Whether Newcastle make the Champions League or not, Howe is still planning to strengthen his squad this summer — aiming to keep the momentum going rather than risk stagnation.
And among the club’s top transfer targets is, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi — a player they have been chasing for some time now.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehicelebrates after the match
The Magpies had four bids rejected for the England international last summer, the highest being £65 million. However, according to Romano, Newcastle remain “keen” and are ready to go back in for him again when the window opens.
Romano also reports that Tottenham Hotspur, who had a £70 million ($89 million) bid turned down last summer, are still very much interested, while Guehi’s boyhood club Chelsea are also in the race.
Guehi, who has the same agency as Anthony Gordon, has established himself as one of the Premier League’s outstanding defenders over the past three seasons and has shone on the international stage too, making the Team of the Tournament at Euro 2024 as England reached the final.
Josef Bursik, Guehi’s former youth teammate, once described him perfectly.
“He’s an absolute tank,” he said. “It’s like having a brick wall in front of you — he’s massive.”
Consistency is key. No doubt, maintaining a decent baseline across the campaign is something that Arne Slot will have demanded of his Liverpool side at the start of the season, but the squad have surpassed expectations.
Despite only adding Federico Chiesa to the squad last summer and opting against investment in January, the Reds won the Premier League after beating Tottenham Hotspur two weeks ago.
Federico Chiesa in action for Liverpool
Levelling with Manchester United, given that it was Anfield’s 20th top-flight title, has been the icing on the cake.
Focus has now been turned toward making improvements this summer. With Trent Alexander-Arnold expected to sign for Real Madrid and left-back in need of attention, sporting director Richard Hughes has certainly got his work cut out.
However, his most important job is surely sourcing a replacement for Darwin Nunez.
Why Darwin Nunez needs to go
Nunez has been given ample opportunity to prove himself on Merseyside, but sadly, he’s now completed three seasons as a Liverpool player and each term has been a disappointment.
Darwin Nunez for Liverpool
Liverpool’s club-record signing at £85m, the 25-year-old has scored 40 goals across 146 outings for the club, providing 26 assists for his teammates.
However, he’s regressed since Jurgen Klopp left at the end of last season, with his chequered exploits under the German’s wing now something more colourless, at odds with Slot’s meticulous, cool-headed system.
At the end of the day, he’s failed to score in 38 of his 44 matches across all competitions this season, which is terrible for a high-cost striker tasked with providing goals for a team competing at the very height of European football.
Liverpool’s Frontline in 24/25 (all comps)
#
Apps
Goals
Assists
Mohamed Salah
49
33
23
Cody Gakpo
46
17
6
Luis Diaz
47
16
8
Diogo Jota
35
9
4
Darwin Nunez
44
7
7
Federico Chiesa
13
2
2
Data via Transfermarkt
It’s hardly surprising that Liverpool want a new centre-forward to ease Mohamed Salah’s goalscoring load. Fabrizio Romano has actually said that the plan is for the Uruguayan to be offloaded.
Of course, Liverpool will need to bring in an able replacement.
Liverpool lining up new striker
While Alexander Isak is the dream, Newcastle are confident they will be playing Champions League football next year, thus meaning their £150m valuation will stand strong against the waves of suitors. Liverpool would be forgiven for ceding defeat in that one, along with the rest.
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Well, according to Spanish reports, the champions have turned their attention to Julian Alvarez, with FSG hatching a plan to sign Atletico Madrid’s star forward this summer.
While Alvarez only joined the La Liga side from Manchester City for an £81m fee last year, Liverpool view the Argentine as the perfect profile to front Slot’s system and are lining up a move.
The report concludes by suggesting that the Reds have ‘not officially ruled out a move yet’ for the striker.
It goes without saying that facilitating a deal will be no easy task, although Atletico’s interest in Nunez could see Hughes and co play an interesting bargaining chip to sweeten a prospective deal for both parties.
Why Julian Alvarez is perfect for Slot
Off the bat, Alvarez would be a good signing for Liverpool given his experience in English football, accomplished as one of Pep Guardiola’s trophy-winning stars at Manchester City.
The 25-year-old has hit 55 goal contributions across 103 appearances for City, notably winning the treble in 2022/23. However, he’s gone up a gear since moving to Spain.
Indeed, Alvarez has scored 27 goals and added five more assists across 51 fixtures in his debut season for Atletico Madrid, with his exploits leading journalist Roy Nemer to pronounce him “the best centre-forward in the world” for the 2024/25 season.
That praise alone differentiates him far enough from Nunez’s toils to suggest that Liverpool would be wise to make their move, but there’s more to it than that.
His ever-improving prolific sense is great, but FSG’s technicians tend to look beneath the surface when profiling a potential target, and the dynamic attacker ticks a lot of boxes.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90.
He’s good with his feet, both in collecting and calmly distributing the ball in tight spaces or indeed navigating away from danger in such enclosed areas, nimbly darting past opponents before finding room to strike on goal.
Nunez does bear a likeness to the Atletico man; electric-paced and multi-faceted, it’s clear to see why Klopp thought he saw something special when plucking a young Nunez from his clinical career at Benfica, but his temperament and decision-making have ultimately let him down.
Liverpool'sDarwinNunezreacts
Conversely, Alvarez is always attentive to the situation he is in, making the right decisions and putting the right weight on his passes, hitting the ball sweetly when shooting himself. One Real Madrid reporter even conceded recently that the £116k-per-week talent is “such an intelligent football player.”
Nunez’s poor finishing and questionable decision in the build-up have ultimately alienated him from a position of pedigree in Slot’s squad. Since Boxing Day, the international has only started once in the Premier League, which makes a pretty damning indictment on how he is viewed by his head coach.
Darwin Nunez in action for Liverpool
He will depart with Anfield’s gratitude and appreciation following the part he has played in recent years, stabilising the ship after an initial team-wide slump, winning the Carabao Cup last year and indeed contributing toward sealing the Premier League title this year.
But Slot is not prepared to watch his flourishing project stagnate, and will happily enforce Nunez’s sale if it means a player of Alvarez’s ilk could be brought in.
It might make all the difference.
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If there is one thing that has come to define this season for Tottenham Hotspur, it’s injuries.
It’s undeniable that Ange Postecoglou’s side have massively underperformed over the last nine months, but the number and severity of the team’s injuries cannot be ignored.
For example, Archie Gray, an 18-year-old midfielder, has made 19 appearances at centre-back, nine at right-back and five at left-back this season, as there were simply no other options at certain points.
Unfortunately, this rotten luck with injuries has struck the North Londoners once again, and they will be without Dejan Kulusevski for their game this weekend and the Europa League Final next week.
Kulusevski's injury disaster
Likely in a bid to keep him fresh and to try and help rediscover some of his incredible form from earlier this season, Postecoglou opted to start Kulusevski against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
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Unfortunately, it was a decision that quickly came back to bite him, as just 19 minutes into the game, the Swedish international hobbled off the pitch, clearly in some discomfort.
After the game, the manager told the press that it was “just a knock” and that “he should be ok,” although this has since been proven very wrong indeed.
Just yesterday evening, the club announced that the former Juventus star had “suffered an injury to his right patella” against the Eagles and has now “undergone surgery”, which will keep him out of action for the rest of the season.
With James Maddison out for the rest of the campaign as well, it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Tottenham are now in an injury crisis when it comes to the number ten position.
Unfortunately, there are simply no perfect solutions at the moment, but Postecoglou could be bold and start one of his most exciting options there on the weekend, ahead of the final.
The Spurs player who should start for Kulusevski
While some fans will want Postecoglou to play the kids this weekend, it’s probably better that he plays something close to the team that’ll take on Manchester United on Wednesday, at least for the first half.
Doing this should avoid any players getting a little rusty, and it will give the manager a chance to see how Mathys Tel fares in the number ten position.
Now, before the pitchforks come out, we know this is an unorthodox suggestion, but as things stand, there aren’t many other options.
Moreover, while the young Frenchman – who could sign permanently in a £45m deal this summer – is primarily a winger and striker, he has shown himself to be quite a creative attacker, especially with Bayern Munich last season.
For example, FBref placed him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Bundesliga last year for goal-creating actions, the top 2% for goals plus assists and medium pass completion, the top 4% for long pass completion, the top 6% for carries into the penalty area, the top 9% for assists and more, all per 90.
Tel’s 23/24 scout report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Goal-Creating Actions
1.11
Top 1%
Goals + Assists
1.03
Top 2%
Medium Pass Completion
86.5%
Top 2%
Long Pass Completion
72.0%
Top 4%
Shots on Target
1.54
Top 4%
Shots Total
3.69
Top 4%
Carries into the Penalty Area
2.66
Top 6%
Assists
0.43
Top 9%
All Stats via FBref
On top of that, FBref considered Florian Wirtz to be the eighth most similar player to the Sarcells-born gem last season and Jamal Musiala to be the tenth.
So, if he’s statistically similar to two of Germany’s most technically gifted number tens, then there must be something in his game worth exploring this weekend, which, if successful, could see him start there again next week.
Moreover, if Ange plans to start Dominic Solanke up top, then the “generational talent,” as Spurs themselves described him internally, could almost act as a second striker at points, dovetailing with the Englishman and giving the Red Devils’ backline a real headache.
Ultimately, there simply isn’t an ideal solution to Spurs’ current injury crisis, but in Tel, Ange has a promising youngster who at least has the parts to his game that could see him do a job in attacking midfield.
Therefore, the Australian should start the Bayern Loanee there this weekend as a test case for the final next week.
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Everton are far enough away from the top half and the bottom three that their Premier League season is basically said and done, but there’s still something bigger to play for.
This weekend, Goodison Park will sing for the Everton Men’s team one last time. Relegated Southampton make the trip, sure to enter a cauldron of chaos as the Toffees say goodbye to their long-held home ahead of the move to Bramley-Moore Dock this summer.
The change of scenery represents a very real juncture in the club’s history, with David Moyes back at the helm and tasked with a rebuild that will see plenty of ins and outs before the 2025/26 campaign.
Everton manager DavidMoyesbefore the match
While fans are hoping to see a new striker walk through the gates, Everton need a variety of talent, with an exciting midfielder identified already.
Everton chasing new midfielder
According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland’s Dan Neil is on Everton’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window, although a move would likely be dependent on the outcome Black Cats’ Championship play-off final tie against Sheffield United.
That said, Neil’s contract expires at the end of next season and his side would prefer to cash in while they can. This opens a road from which Everton can travel to claim the talented midfielder’s signature.
Due to the player’s contract situation, he may even be available for a cut-price fee of £15m this summer.
What Dan Neil would bring to Everton
Neil, 23, has played a crucial role in Sunderland’s rise from League One. His breakthrough actually came during the promotion-sealing season of 2021/22, and he’s now featured 196 times for his boyhood club, clinching 32 goal contributions.
Hailed as a “joy to watch” on the field by Sunderland reporter Phil Smith and as “phenomenal” by fellow EFL star Luke Molyneux, Neil’s all-round game is something that could really impact the Everton midfield, with his sharp eye for a pass, strong defensive qualities and knack for driving the ball forward and creating space for teammates a particular skill set that Moyes has made good use of in the past.
Indeed, Neil could actually prove to be the manager’s next version of Declan Rice, who might play for Arsenal now but made his name in east London, synonymous with West Ham United’s rise in Moyes’ system, instrumental in winning the Conference League in 2022/23.
League Stats 24/25 – Dan Neil vs Declan Rice
Stats (* per game)
Neil
Rice
Matches (starts)
44 (44)
33 (31)
Goals
2
3
Assists
3
7
Touches*
57.5
57.7
Pass completion
84%
90%
Big chances created
4
16
Key passes*
0.7
1.8
Ball recoveries*
5.7
4.3
Dribbles*
0.9
0.4
Tackles + interceptions*
2.9
2.4
Duels (won)*
4.8 (51%)
3.4 (51%
Stats via Sofascore
Rice is clearly the more creative player, and he’s playing top-flight football besides, but Everton fans aren’t expecting Moyes and the board to conjure up a signing carrying the elite-level status of the Gunners’ main man in the middle.
Rather, they just want to see progress, and that is exactly what Neil would provide if placed in the Everton centre. As you can see, he’s athletic, tenacious in the duel and willing to dribble the ball forward, with a crispness in possession that Moyes will need to help with his transitional play next year.
Moyes’ man management ability is second to none, and after several years of promise in the second tier, Neil is surely ready to step into the big time as an Everton player, where he could thrive as the centrepiece of a growing project.
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This summer simply has to be a seismic one for Tottenham Hotspur.
Ange Postecoglou and his squad turned what could have been an utterly disastrous campaign into an iconic one with their Europa League triumph in Bilbao last week, and now it’s Daniel Levy and Co’s turn to deliver.
With Champions League football secured, the Lilywhites board should be able to push the boat out that bit more in the transfer window and bring in the right stars to ensure their Premier League campaign next year can be just as memorable as their European one this year.
Fortunately, that seems to be happening, as recent reports have linked the North Londoners with one of the most exciting players on the continent and someone who could send Son Heung-min packing.
Tottenham transfer news
Before getting to the young superstar in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other impressive players who have been linked with Spurs in recent weeks and months, such as Marc Guehi and Leroy Sané.
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The former could cost up to £50m, and while that is a lot of money, he’d bring plenty of experience at the domestic and international level while also potentially being the perfect replacement for Cristian Romero should the World Cup finally move on this summer.
Sané, on the other hand, would be completely free thanks to his contract expiring in June, and while he’s nearer to the end than the start of his career, he’d undoubtedly add something to the Lilywhites attack, as in just 45 games this season he has scored 13 goals and provided six assists.
Leroy Sane celebrates for Germany
However, another more exciting major target for Tottenham has now entered the picture: Xavi Simons.
According to a recent report from ESPN, Spurs are interested in the RB Leipzig star, although they are certainly not the only ones.
Other stories from earlier this month have also credited the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United with an interest in the Flying Dutchman, who could cost around £67m.
It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Simons’ incredible ability and potential, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he could be the perfect Son upgrade.
How Simons compares to Son
So, the first thing to say is that one of Simons’ biggest strengths is that he can play off the right or in attacking midfield with relative ease, but considering Brennan Johnson has been in fine form in the former and James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski occupy the latter, it seems likely that he’d come in as a left-wing option.
Xavi Simons celebrates
Therefore, one of his primary competitors for game time, and the man he’d ideally be the long-term heir to, is Son, so who comes out on top when we compare them?
Well, when it comes to their raw output, it’s the former Pairs Saint-Germain gem, with 11 goals and eight assists in just 33 first-team appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games.
Simons vs Son in 24/25
Player
Simons
Son
Appearances
33
46
Goals
11
11
Assists
8
12
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
0.50
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In contrast, the former Bayer Leverkusen star has scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in 46 appearances for the North Londoners this season, which comes out to a goal involvement every other game.
Okay, what about their underlying numbers from this year? Which winger comes out on top when we take a look under the hood?
Unfortunately for the Chuncheon-born icon, this is another battle he loses, as in most relevant metrics, bar a few here and there, the 22-year-old “game-changing signing,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, comes out comfortably ahead.
These metrics include, but are not limited to, non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, goals per shot and shot on target, passes into the final third and penalty area, expected assists, tackles won, interceptions, blocks, clearances, successful take-ons, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.
Simons vs Son
Statistics per 90
Simons
Son
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.67
0.64
Progressive Passes
5.86
4.74
Progressive Carries
3.56
4.10
Shots
2.09
2.35
Shots on Target
0.96
1.02
Goals per Shot
0.20
0.11
Goals per Shot on Target
0.43
0.25
Passing Accuracy
78.6%
78.9%
Expected Assists
0.25
0.22
Passes into the Penalty Area
2.51
2.18
Passes into the Final Third
3.31
1.75
Live Passes
44.4
36.5
Shot-Creating Actions
4.52
4.99
Tackles
1.17
0.73
Tackles Won
0.88
0.38
Blocks
0.79
0.47
Interceptions
0.50
0.21
Clearances
0.79
0.73
Successful Take-Ons
1.38
1.24
Ball Recoveries
5.36
3.63
Aerial Duels Won
0.79
0.26
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season
Finally, the Amsterdam-born “superstar,” as dubbed by Mattinson, is a decade younger than the captain, so there is every chance that he’ll continue to get better and better in the coming campaigns, which is a scary thought indeed.
Ultimately, Son has been an incredible player for Spurs over the years, but Simons looks to be better than him in practically every way, so Levy and Co should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.
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Yet to complete their first move of the summer, Leeds United and the 49ers are now reportedly lining up a deal to sign a relegated Premier League defender for Daniel Farke.
Leeds set to commence summer business
Whilst those at Elland Road are yet to welcome their first summer arrival, it’s not been for the want of trying. Several fresh names have been linked with a move to the Yorkshire club in recent weeks, but it remains to be seen just who arrives. Among those names is Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope, who would be an instant upgrade on Illan Meslier this summer.
The veteran shot-stopper is an England international and the type of arrival that Farke desperately needs if he is to navigate survival at the first time of asking. Pope is not the only one on Leeds’ reported radar, however.
Gustavo Hamer has also found himself in the headlines as of late. The Sheffield United star suffered playoff heartbreak courtesy of Sunderland at the end of the season, but could yet step into the Premier League without the Blades.
Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe had his say on the club’s potential transfer activity this summer when speaking to reporters last month, saying: “I’m not really ready to go into that, but yes, your speculation is probably right.
“It’s going to be a mix of seeing if there are inbounds along with outbounds. And that’s probably, that’s probably accurate, but really not ready to go into more detail than that. But we are looking at maximizing what we can do, and so that involves the whole bag, ins and outs.”
Of course, one market that the Whites could take full advantage of is relegated stars who will be desperate to regain their Premier League place, and that could yet include one impressive defender.
Leeds lining up Dara O'Shea move
According to The Sun, Leeds and the 49ers are now lining up a summer swoop to sign Dara O’Shea from Ipswich Town. The relegated Tractor Boys have already lost Liam Delap, but could still be picked apart even further.
Despite his side’s relegation, O’Shea still impressed at Portman Road and may have done enough to keep hold of his place in the top flight. If that does prove to be the case courtesy of Leeds, then Farke would instantly have impressive defensive depth to choose from in Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and the Ipswich star.
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Kieran McKenna will be desperate to keep hold of the 26-year-old, however, having told reporters earlier in the season: “His character and his nature is always going to be beneficial in times of struggle and challenge because he’s a resilient person, he’s a fighter and he’s got character.
“I haven’t had many conversations with him about his experiences (of relegation) with Burnley and West Brom. But I’m sure those experiences have really helped him with us.”
With former club Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers also reportedly interested in a move to sign O’Shea, Leeds should make their move as soon as possible and get their summer business underway.
Leeds United are reportedly waiting for an “excellent” player to make a decision over his future, as they look to snap him up during the summer transfer window.
Leeds need to be "clever" this summer
The Whites are back in the Premier League after a couple of years away, so supporters will naturally be desperate to see top-quality players head to Elland Road.
Leeds cannot simply spend huge amounts of money and be reckless, however, and journalist Adam Pope has said he expects the club to be “clever” this summer more than anything.
“He has looked at what everybody can spend in the Premier League and he mentioned Leeds might be looking at £100m to spend at the top end. This doesn’t really go that far because they had two years in the Championship so this year of the three-year cycle they can afford to lose £61m.
“You can’t spend wildly so people who are talking about what the owners are putting into Rangers and what they’re not putting into Leeds – there are limits. £100m doesn’t sound a right lot so they have to be cute, they have to be clever.”
Leeds continue to be linked with some exciting players, though, including Udinese centre-back Jaka Bijol, who could make a big difference at the heart of the Whites’ defence. Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has also been linked with a switch to Elland Road, coming in as an upgrade on Illan Meslier.
Leeds ready to move for "excellent" defender
According to The Express, Leeds remain interested in signing Millwall centre-back Japhet Tanganga, but they are waiting for him to make a decision about his future. He has a £1.2m release clause that can be triggered this summer, which they are ‘ready’ to meet once he picks his destination.
The Whites are far from the only club in the mix to sign the 26-year-old, however, with fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Burnley all mentioned as options and also waiting to pounce.
Portsmouth's Colby Bishop in action with Millwall'sJaphetTanganga
Tanganga could be a shrewd acquisition by Leeds ahead of next season, having initially burst onto the scene at Tottenham during his emerging years.
He has since gone on to shine for Millwall, becoming a key figure in defence and 40 starts in the Championship last season, as well as being hailed by Alex Neil for his performances in 2024/25.
“He’s the ultimate professional, Japh. After the game, he’s pretty much nearly always the last to leave. Him and Wes [Harding] go through the ritual that they’ve got in terms of recovery, the minute the game’s ended. He prepares as well as anybody. His performances throughout the games have been excellent. Hence the reason why he’s clean swept the player of the year awards.”
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Tanganga could immediately bolster the squad depth at Daniel Farke’s disposal this summer, and his best years are still ahead of him, meaning he could grow into a real force at Elland Road.
West Bromwich Albion fans will want to see their team break free of their tag of nearly-men in the Championship promotion race this coming season.
The Baggies have now been outside the luxuries of the Premier League for four seasons on the spin, with Carlos Corberan clinching a playoff spot for the West Midlands side during the 2023/24 season, only for a semi-final exit to crush their promotion dreams.
It will be up to rookie manager Ryan Mason to finally guide West Brom back up to the Premier League, with the powers that be at the Hawthorns going down a brave, new route in offering the inexperienced 33-year-old the reins.
He might well look to utilise his former Tottenham Hotspur connections when attempting to land gems in the transfer market, with Mikey Moore one North London prodigy that continues to stick out.
Latest on West Brom's pursuit of Moore
It has been a long-standing rumour at the Hawthorns this summer that West Brom are interested in bringing the 17-year-old sensation to the Championship.
After all, the teenage attacker does boast an astounding return of 19 goals from 24 appearances for Spurs’ U19s, on top of also showing off his class in senior action when powering home his first-ever men’s goal for Thomas Frank’s men last season in the Europa League.
But, it could be argued that West Brom are already strong down both the left wing and right wing – where Moore regularly roams – with Tom Fellows, Jed Wallace, and Mikey Johnston all at Mason’s disposal. Between them last season in the second tier, the entertaining trio would tally up a hefty 27 goal contributions.
Moreover, with experience perhaps preferred when looking for fresh recruits down the wing as ex-Derby forward Tom Lawrence continues to be linked, the Baggies might look to other faces in the Spurs academy to bolster their squad, with a loan return for this striker potentially on the menu as a better pick-up than Moore.
How Mason could seal a better signing than Moore
If there was an area on the pitch that fills West Brom with anxiety, it would be up top in the centre-forward position.
West Brom haven’t been blessed with lady luck in this department, considering Josh Maja found himself out of action from January onwards last campaign when picking up an unfortunate injury, away from Daryl Dike also being a regular member of the Hawthorns treatment room.
West Brom’s striker options last season
Player
Games played
Goals scored
Games missed through injury (overall)
Josh Maja
26
12
44
Karlan Grant
44
7
4
Devante Cole
16
0
0
Daryl Dike
11
1
133
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Therefore, to ensure they don’t leave themselves short on numbers in attack, West Brom could soon welcome back former loan face Will Lankshear to Mason’s camp, with Football London reporting earlier this week that the Baggies want to secure the temporary signature of the 20-year-old once more, alongside other Championship suitors sniffing around.
Lankshear did endure a testing loan stint with the club last season, with zero goals picked up across 11 appearances, but he was shoved into the deep-end arguably, considering he joined the building right in the midst of West Brom’s promotion push falling flat.
He only started four of those league clashes too, and with such a glowing track record in youth circles at Spurs – much like Moore – Mason might well be the perfect manager to get the most out of Lankshear in a senior set-up, having worked with him closely in North London.
Amazingly, the “phenomenal” forward – as he was labelled by journalist John Wenham – has an even sturdier goal tally next to his name for the Spurs U21s than Moore has managed in his age bracket, with a venomous 26 strikes amassed from just 35 contests.
Even if Maja is back to full fitness this coming season, adding in Lankshear wouldn’t hurt, with the 20-year-old hotshot no doubt able to enhance his game bouncing off of such an experienced EFL head.
With their highest average age across the lineup coming in at 28.7 last season, adding in stars of the future, such as the England U20 international, could be a worthwhile move, as Mason attempts to leave his mark on the Baggies to try and push his new employers up the league.
After Nat Phillips: West Brom could sign "sublime" Fellows replacement
If West Bromwich Albion are powerless to Tom Fellows leaving, this sublime star joining the building could be his best possible replacement.
Tom Alsop 81 not out sets up declaration before hosts chip out five Leicestershire wickets
ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024
Sean Hunt made a career-best 65 batting as nightwatcher•Getty Images
Leicestershire 275 and 139 for 5 (Carson 3-38) need a further 325 to beat Sussex 442 and 296 for 6 dec (Alsop 81*, Hunt 65)Sussex took four wickets in the final hour to put themselves in a strong position to beat Leicestershire at Hove and consolidate top place in the Vitality County Championship second division.Offspinner Jack Carson removed Foxes’ skipper Lewis Hill, makeshift opener Ian Holland and Lewis Goldsworthy after slow left-armer James Coles had made the breakthrough when he bowled Rishi Patel. Ollie Robinson also claimed the key wicket of Australian Peter Handscomb as four wickets fell for 30 runs in 12 overs.It left Leicestershire 139 for 5 and still needing 325 in their pursuit of a target of 464 and with the pitch at the 1st Central County Ground showing signs of uneven bounce and occasionally sharp turn for Carson, the hosts will fancy their chances of picking up the five wickets they need on the final day to claim their fourth win of the season.Foxes’ openers Patel and Holland had settled in promisingly with a stand of 51 before Patel upped the tempo by twice hitting Carson over the midwicket boundary. Slow left-armer Coles took over and broke through with his fifth delivery. Patel hit him for a six and four earlier in the over before he was bowled off an inside edge shaping to cut.Carson returned at the sea end and removed skipper Hill with a beauty which turned just enough out of the rough to find the edge and Holland mistimed a reverse sweep, the ball looping off bat-pad to Ollie Carter at short leg.Robinson got the wicket he deserved in his eighth over when Handscomb, who had been off the field earlier in the day with a sore shoulder, fended a short ball outside off stump into Carter’s waiting hands. Just before the close Goldsworthy was caught at midwicket when he mistimed a slog-sweep to leave Leicestershire facing their first defeat of the season.Earlier, nightwatchman Sean Hunt scored his maiden first-class fifty as Sussex scored 230 runs in 54 overs before declaring on 296 for 6.Hunt, who has a career average of just 6.60 and a previous highest score of 22, cashed in after being dropped at slip by Handscomb off Goldsworthy when he’d made just 9. He needed 69 balls to score his first 13 runs but then raced to 50 by smashing 37 off the next 20 deliveries, including two sixes off slow left-armer Goldsworthy over the short leg-side boundary.Goldsworthy had opened the bowling with offspinner Louis Kimber in an effort to improve Leicestershire’s over rate and between them they sent down 21 overs in 55 minutes and 38 in the morning session with Kimber eventually bowling 24 overs unchanged either side of lunch without reward.Goldsworthy did pick up a wicket when Tom Haines, who’d added 64 for the third wicket with Hunt, chipped back a low return catch and there were two wickets for Scott Currie when Leicestershire reverted to seam. Hunt spliced a pull to mid-off for a fine 65 off 118 balls and Coles, after scoring a run-a-ball 45, holed out trying to deposit Currie over long-off.Leicestershire employed nine fielders on the boundary after lunch and Tom Alsop took advantage with an unbeaten 81, including three sixes, before Sussex declared shortly before 3pm and left themselves 40 overs and the final day to take ten wickets. By the close they were halfway there.
Third fifty of this campaign sees her side home by six wickets at Lord’s
ECB Reporters Network06-Jun-2024
Paige Scholfield on her way to fifty•Getty Images
South East Stars 118 for 4 (Scholfield 50*, Grewcock 2-18) beat Sunrisers 116 for 8 (Miller 39*, Jones 2-13, Stonehouse 2-17) by six wicketsPaige Scholfield continued her rich vein of form as South East Stars cantered to a six-wicket win over hosts Sunrisers at Lord’s to remain unbeaten in this season’s Charlotte Edwards Cup.The South African-born allrounder – currently only able to bat because of an ongoing niggle – and who had made two half-centuries already in the campaign, made her third in finishing 50 not out, reaching the landmark with the winning hit, her eighth four.In truth, the chase for 117 was not an arduous one, Sunrisers having earlier been restricted to 116 for 8, Emma Jones with 2 for 13 and Alexa Stonehouse with 2 for 17 the principal wicket takers, while teenage starlet Tilly Corteen-Coleman got a wicket with her first ball of the game for the second time in the tournament. Flo Miller produced the only resistance with 39 not out from 45 balls.Sunrisers were soon in trouble. Shortly after steering the first boundary of the innings through third, skipper Grace Scrivens slashed one from Stonehouse straight to point.Corteen-Coleman bowled Alice Macleod and Sunrisers’ leading scorer in the tournament Jo Gardner then spooned Stonehouse to Sophia Dunkley at cover to depart for only 1.Mady Villiers sparkled briefly with two fours and a five from an overthrow in her 14, but when she chipped Jones to Phoebe Franklin at midwicket the hosts were in disarray at 27 for 4.That they mustered any sort of score was largely down to Miller, who played the only of innings of substance, sending a full toss from Franklin to the fence before later pulling a short one from Jones down to the Tavern boundary.Others came and went. Jodi Grewcock contributing to her own downfall with a sloppy piece of running which saw her run out by Corteen-Coleman’s direct hit, while Jones picked up a second wicket with a caught-and-bowled to see the back of Eva Gray.Dunkley (24) was quickly into stride, caressing one through the covers in the opening over of the Stars’ reply before dancing down the pitch to strike the spin of Villiers back over the top.Skipper Smith, scratchy at first, caught the mood, twice depositing short balls from Gray to the midwicket boundary. However, both departed in the same over from Grewcock, Dunkley stumped by Amara Carr as she again ventured down the wicket, while Smith nicked one through to the keeper.Jones, promoted to four, should have departed in the next over, only for two fielders to collide meaning a simple catch at mid-on was grassed. The Cambridge University student of veterinary surgery failed to profit from the life, holing out in the deep soon afterwards.Stars, though, were ahead of the rate and simply needed a steady hand on the tiller and not for the first time in the campaign that proved to be Schofield, who swept and pulled with authority in another sparkling knock. And while Phoebe Franklin departed before the end, Stars sauntered home.