Tottenham Hotspur have now made contact over a deal for a “generational” Premier League midfielder, as they love his versatility, according to a report.

Spurs vying to sign new midfielder amid Bissouma uncertainty

There has been a great deal of speculation surrounding Yves’ Bissouma’s future in north London, with the likes of AC Milan and Fenerbahce being named as potential suitors, although the midfielder has made it clear he is keen to remain in England.

With the central midfielder’s contract set to expire next summer, it would make sense for Spurs to get him off the books this summer, while they can still receive a fee, and they have recently stepped up their pursuit of a potential replacement.

Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha is among the main targets, with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that contact has been made with the Portugal international’s camp, but the Lilywhites also have a Premier League player in mind as an alternative option.

Indeed, according to a report from GiveMeSport, Tottenham have now made contact with Manchester United over a potential deal for Kobbie Mainoo, with his contract situation at Old Trafford still unresolved, potentially opening the door for an exit.

Informal enquiries have been made, in order to assess whether a deal for Mainoo would be possible, with Spurs said to be big fans of the midfielder’s versatility.

The 20-year-old has found it difficult to force his way into Ruben Amorim’s plans, and the north Londoners are hopeful that United will be willing to cash-in this summer, but a deal may be on the expensive side, with the Red Devils reportedly set to hold out for £70m.

"Generational" Mainoo could be better long-term signing than Palhinha

Palhinha was very impressive during his time with Fulham, being lauded as “world-class” by reporter Dom Smith, but the Bayern midfielder is now 30-years-old, making him ten years Mainoo’s senior.

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Not only that, but the Portuguese maestro has failed to kick on since moving to Bayern, making just 17 Bundesliga appearances last term, indicating that he could be better-suited to playing for a smaller club like Fulham.

The United midfielder, on the other hand, has been lauded as a “generational” player by writer Liam Canning, and he has already made 72 first-team appearances for the Red Devils, picking up seven goals and two assists.

The Stockport-born midfielder has also displayed his versatility by regularly featuring in both defensive and attacking roles, but his performances are yet to justify a £70m price tag, and Spurs should try and get a deal done at a lower price.

تحدث جاك جريليش جناح إيفرتون بعد خسارة فريقه لقاء ديربي الميرسيسايد أمام ليفربول بهدفين لهدف واحد على ملعب أنفيلد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال جريليش في تصريحات نشرتها “تلجراف” البريطانية: “لم أرى في حياتي لاعب ينذر لتنفيذه ركلة حرة سريعة كما حدث مع ديوسبري هال”.

وأضاف :”حتى في الوقت بدل الضائع، ثلاث دقائق ودقيقة واحدة، يا للهول، لم أرى مثل هذا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في آخر عامين أو ثلاثة”.

وواصل: “أعلم أنكم تريدون ترك اللعب يمر لكن لا يمكنكم ترك كرة واحدة تمر علينا ثم في الدقيقة التالية يلامس أحد مدافعيهم ويسقط أرضاً”.

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وتابع عن اللعب في ملعب أنفيلد :”كان الأمر كما توقعت، كان اللعب هنا عدائياً وسريعاً، لا أعتقد أننا لعبنا جيداً في الشوط الأول وتحدثنا مع المدرب ثم في الشوط الثاني خسرنا المباراة، كان الأمر محبطًا لأنه لو لعبنا بهذه الطريقة وضغطنا منذ البداية، لكانت المباراة مختلفة، في النهاية لم نتمكن من تسجيل الهدف الأخير”.

وختم جريليش: “عندما شاهدتهم ليفربول هذا الموسم، لعبوا بشكل جيد للغاية ولكن كان هناك مرات قليلة تقدموا فيها بهدفين ثم استقبلوا هدفين، كنا نؤمن بقدراتهم، سجلنا هدفا واحدا، كان إنهاء رائعا من جايي لكننا لم نتمكن من تسجيل هدف آخر”.

After officially unveiling the arrival of Nasser Djiga, Glasgow Rangers are looking to sign yet another Ibrox transfer target, who has already met Russell Martin and passed his medical.

Thelwell "delighted" to sign Djiga for Rangers

As first summers go, Kevin Thelwell has certainly enjoyed an impressive start to life at Ibrox. After hiring Martin to finally end Rangers’ managerial search, the new Gers sporting director instantly turned his attention towards the transfer market and has since welcomed as many as seven fresh faces in Scotland.

With five of the seven new faces arriving from English football, Thelwell’s preference has been made clear very early on in his Rangers tenure.

After welcoming yet another talent from the Premier League in the form of Djiga, the sporting director told Rangers’ official website: “We are delighted to bring Nasser to the club on a season-long loan.

“He is a player with the necessary physical and mental profile to flourish both domestically and in Europe, and we look forward to seeing his development under Russell and his coaching staff.”

The defender, himself, was also delighted to put pen to paper on his loan move to Scotland, saying: “I am very happy to join Rangers, it is one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and in Europe. I will try to give everything, to play every game and I think it is the best team for me. I just want to play and enjoy football with the team.”

Thelwell, the 49ers and Rangers have not stopped there, however. Reports are now suggesting that they want to sign a sixth player from English football after he completed his medical.

Gassama completes Rangers medical but may not seal Ibrox move

As reported by The Star’s Joe Crann, Djeidi Gassama has now completed his Rangers medical and met Martin and the Gers players ahead of joining the Scottish Premiership giants. Whilst he isn’t quite a Rangers player just yet, the Sheffield Wednesday winger has been pictured in the Gers’ training gear and those at Ibrox are just waiting on one final signature after reaching an agreement.

That may not come, though, with updates since saying Gassama’s move to Rangers is now facing collapse with those at Hillsborough ready to pull the plug on a deal.

As analyst John Walker pointed out, Rangers have every reason to be excited by the potential prospect of Gassama’s arrival. The winger scored eight goals and assisted one more in all competitions for Sheffield Wednesday last season to show the potential that Danny Rohl noticed in 2023.

The Owls boss told reporters after handing Gassama his first start: “I think with Gass it was his first start in the XI, and he has so much potential. He has to improve with his load so he can do it for 90 minutes, but that’s a normal process if you don’t play much in the past.

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“But he has a weapon, he’s good one against one, and he’s also quick to make good movements between the lines and in the pockets. I’m happy with him.”

You win the toss, you bat. When it comes to playing a Test in Galle, that is not so much as received wisdom as it as an etched in stone eleventh commandment. While this might on the face of it seem a ploy to get the best of the batting conditions, in actuality, it’s more down to not wanting to get the worst of it.In the first Test, Sri Lanka won the toss and obviously batted, but while the notable turn on day one signified a raging turner from the outset, Sri Lanka still managed to run up 305 in the first innings – even accounting for them losing their last four wickets for just 24 runs.And after that, it was in fact New Zealand’s batters that got to utilise the most batter friendly of conditions across the Test – on day two, when the turn had slowed down and Sri Lanka’s spinners struggled for control. But their innings, too, was hampered by a late collapse, going from a pretty strong 269 for 5 to 340 all out.Related

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But as the Test wore on, particularly on the fourth and fifth day, batting became the chore Galle is more commonly renowned for, with 14 wickets falling on day four and two wickets within 15 minutes on day five to wrap up the game.”The pitch can change quite quickly and we saw that,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead noted on the eve of the second Test. “From being relatively good off the straight areas, to then spinning, quite a bit on that fourth day. The conditions can change very quickly.”So I think every run you get in the first innings is very important. And making sure you can post a as large a total as possible, as that means it’s just less runs you have to score in the second innings.”Stead’s sentiment was something shared by Sri Lanka batting coach Thilina Kandamby, who spoke towards the importance of setting the tone early on, be it with the bat or ball.”Setting the tone is key in Test cricket, even with the ball. In Manchester also, if you remember, we had a really bad day starting with the bowling. Then we recovered really well. That’s the positive part of it, whether it comes to bowling or batting our recovery is really good. But setting the tone is really important, and all the players know that.”Both teams are also acutely aware of the areas in which they need to improve, primarily in pressing home hard-fought advantages. With five wickets in hand, 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s first innings total, and a set pair of Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips at the crease at the start of day three, New Zealand might have been eyeing a hefty first-innings lead – particularly taking into account the confidence with which they had approached their batting the previous day.As it turned out, they would lose their remaining five wickets for 86 runs on the third morning, and in the process relinquish the grip they had on the game. With 63 runs the final margin of defeat it’s pivotal passages such as these, that Stead knows proved the difference in the end.”I actually think we had a really good Test match and for the most part it was very evenly contested. I thought that it was just some small moments that we could have done better,” he explained. “We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in.”And then the second session, I think it was of the third day, where we didn’t take a wicket. [Dinesh] Chandimal and [Dimuth] Karunaratne batted very well, but we maybe were just a little bit slow to adjust and adapt to that situation.””We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in” – Stead•AFP/Getty Images

Kandamby had similar grievances with his own side. Sri Lanka lost five of their top six batters (including Angelo Mathews who retired hurt) inside the first 35 overs of day one, before a century from Kamindu Mendis and a Kusal Mendis fifty revived their innings. In the second innings, having got to 153 for the loss of just one wicket, Sri Lanka stumbled to 178 for 4. And then again went from 286 for 6 to 309 all out.”Mindset will be the same [going into the game], but we have discussed where we went wrong, especially in the batting,” revealed Kandamby. “We had a collapse in the third or fourth day, it had happened a couple of times earlier also. The senior players need to take the responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle. We all knew the wicket would be helpful for spinners.”When we see the stats, I think they swept more than us, which is a concern. We played some good sweep shots as well, but you can’t always trust the defence on a wicket like this. So you’re better always to be in a positive mindset to score runs.”One other area of concern has been the contribution from Sri Lanka’s tail. In terms of batting contributions from those batting at 9, 10 and 11, Sri Lanka know they could be doing better. Across both innings they contributed a total of 13 runs, while Ramesh Mendis batting at eight offered not much more.This has partly been reason for Sri Lanka bringing in Milan Rathnayake – following his impressive showing with the bat in England – in place of Lahiru Kumara, but Kandamby said it was nevertheless an area they were actively looking at improving on.”Yes we’re looking for runs from them [the tail], but more than that it’s about supporting the batter at the other end. It’s only after the recognised batter gets out that we start thinking about how to put the pressure back on the bowlers and get some runs. So honestly if they can get about 30-40 runs, that would be good. Because if you look at it compared the rest of the Test playing nations, our batters at 9, 10, 11, are quite low down.”Whenever we have practice, batting is compulsory for them. And when we’re not playing in a series, they will work the coaches at the HPC (high performance centre) to work on their technical errors.”

If approved, this would be the highest number of retentions allowed in the tournament’s history

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Sep-2024The ten IPL teams will likely be allowed five retentions each as well as the option of using one right-to-match card during the IPL 2025 auction. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the IPL is most likely looking at approving this option as soon as it finalises the retention rules ahead of the mega auction for the 2025 season.It could not yet be confirmed how many Indian players can be part of the set of retained players or whether there will be a cap on retained overseas players. What is also unknown are the retention slabs. The overall purse, it is understood, will be INR 120 crore.Related

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If the IPL governing council, which was expected to meet this weekend in Bengaluru ahead of the BCCI’s annual general meeting on Sunday, approves this 5 + 1 model, it would be highest number of retentions allowed in the tournament’s history.Ahead of the 2017 mega auction to pick squads for IPL 2018, five retentions were allowed, with a combination of up to three direct retentions or three RTM cards, with a cap of three Indian players.The RTM option, which allows the franchise the ability to buy back its player during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise, once the bidding is over, was discarded by IPL ahead of the 2022 mega auction. The eight existing teams were allowed to retain a maximum of four players each, while Gujrat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, the two new franchises, were given the option of selecting three players from the rest of the player pool before the auction. The purse for the 2022 auction was set at INR 90 crore, INR 10 crore more than in 2017.While the IPL is understood to have indicated to the franchises the possibility of the player auction taking place around late November, it has delayed finalising and sharing the retention rules. This despite the IPL telling franchises during a meeting with team owners and representatives in Mumbai on July 31 that retention rules would be finalised and shared by the end of August.Incidentally, the RTM card was one of the key points debated at the July meeting. It is understood that at least three franchises were in favour of having up to eight RTMs, but several other franchises objected to the idea. Among them was Sunrisers Hyderabad, whose owner Kavya Maran said her franchise would favour seven RTMs while adding that there should be no restriction on how overseas or Indian players were retained.Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal said he was not in favour of the IPL retaining the Impact Player rule, which allows teams to field an extra specialist batter or bowler during a match, a factor that has contributed to record totals in the last two seasons.One other significant point, which the IPL informed franchises it was in favour of bringing back, was the rule pertaining to capped Indian players who have retired from international cricket or not played international cricket for five years being categorised as uncapped. The rule had been scrapped by the IPL after the 2021 season. If this rule is brought back, it could allow Chennai Super Kings to potentially retain their talisman and former captain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player, which could allow them to have a strong purse going into the auction. In 2017 the IPL had listed INR 3 crore as the price for an uncapped player retention which was increased to INR 4 crore in 2021.

It’s truly unthinkable where Manchester United would be without Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese international undoubtedly the shining light in the 2024/25 campaign.

The 30-year-old managed to register a total of 37 combined goals and assists throughout the most recent season – by far and away the highest tally of any player in the squad.

The £47m paid for his signature back in 2020 now appears to be a bargain, racking up just shy of 300 appearances for the club and hopefully many more in the club’s quest to return to their former glory.

However, if he is to lead the side to any success during Ruben Amorim’s reign, the hierarchy need to back the 40-year-old in his quest within the transfer market.

Whilst Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have already arrived at Old Trafford, further additions are also expected to help the side rise up the Premier League table.

Man United close in on midfield agreement

Douglas Luiz has been a player on United’s shortlist for a sustained period, but it appears they could be handed a boost in their pursuit of the Juventus star.

The midfielder’s agent has already travelled to England for talks with various sides, with the Red Devils interested along with Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Everton.

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However, he’s not the only midfielder in their sights, with Valencia star Javi Guerra another target during the current window, according to El Chiringuito.

They claim that Amorim’s side are “very close to reaching an agreement” this summer, with a £25m fee mooted for the youngster’s signature.

The report also states that his current side have tried to tie the Spaniard down to a new contract, but he wants a move to a bigger club during the off-season.

Why United’s latest target would take Bruno to the next level

Bruno’s impressive tally of combined goals and assists last season certainly saved United from a disastrous Premier League finish, but upon reflection, his efforts were even more remarkable than they originally appeared.

The Portuguese international often featured in a slightly deeper role, forcing him to operate in a somewhat unnatural position which should’ve restricted his efforts within attacking areas.

There’s no denying that the experienced talent is better in a more attacking role, subsequently able to have more of an impact within the final third – which will improve their goalscoring record.

However, any move for Guerra could enable him to do just that, with the Spaniard able to fill the void in the middle of the park and push Fernandes further forward.

Offering depth is one thing, but he has all the tools to make an impact within Amorim’s side, but also has the potential to improve further in the years ahead, given his tender age.

When delving into his stats from LaLiga last season, the Valencia talent showcased his skillset, potentially being a bargain given his £25m asking price.

Guerra, who’s been labelled “special” by analyst Ben Mattinson, managed to register 4.8 progressive passes and 4.2 passes into the final third per 90 – having the ability to provide Bruno with the added chances he needs in the final third.

Javi Guerra’s stats for Valencia in LaLiga (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

36

Goals & assists

6

Progressive passes

4.8

Passes into final third

4.2

Take-ons attempted

2.7

Carries into final third

1.5

Tackles won

1.7

Stats via FBref

He also attempted 2.7 take-ons per 90, along with 1.5 carries into the final third – showcasing his ability to get the ball into the opposition’s defensive third.

Out of possession, the youngster had also won 1.7 tackles per 90, winning 46% of the tackles he entered, having the ball-winning capability that could make him the perfect deep-lying option.

If the Spaniard can transfer his skillset over to England with him, it would be one of the bargains of the summer window, massively bolstering the options at Amorim’s disposal.

Such an arrival would hand Bruno the licence to build on his success in 2024/25, with his talents subsequently pushing the side up the table next campaign.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Jul 23, 2025

Brook came in for criticism during a relatively lean Test series against Sri Lanka but he has gas left in the tank after a long season

Matt Roller18-Sep-2024It tells you just how serenely Harry Brook’s international career has progressed that he came under scrutiny after averaging 30 in a series win. But by his own admission, Brook finds himself trying to avoid paralysis by overanalysis as he prepares to captain England for the first time at Trent Bridge on Thursday after his approach was questioned during Sri Lanka’s recent victory at The Oval.Brook made 19 and 3 in the final Test of the English season, having made between 32 and 56 in his first four innings of the series against Sri Lanka. If the scores were underwhelming, it was his manner at the crease that drew most attention: he grew visibly frustrated when Sri Lanka bowled wide outside his off stump, to the extent Michael Vaughan accused him of “taking the mick out of the game”.Related

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This has been a long season for Brook, who was England’s only ever-present across both June’s T20 World Cup and their six home Tests. He spent the three weeks between the West Indies and Sri Lanka series captaining Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, and will fly to Pakistan for October’s Test tour only three days after the fifth and final ODI of the Australia series.Brook seemed characteristically relaxed on the eve of his England captaincy debut at Trent Bridge, grinning through his pre-match press conference and laughing off the idea that he had ever craved leadership. He conceded that his Test summer had not quite gone to plan, but played down the suggestion that he was mentally drained after an intense season.”Because I wasn’t scoring the runs I wanted to, I probably was [feeling] a little bit [tired],” Brook said. “But if I’d have gone out and got two hundreds against Sri Lanka then I’d have been like, ‘I’ll just carry on’. But no, not really. I love playing cricket: I want to play as much as I possibly can. I do think breaks are important at certain times, but I was pretty chilled.”Obviously I didn’t do as well as I’d wanted. I want to get a hundred every innings, but it’s not going to happen, is it? Professional sport is not easy… I felt like I batted really well against West Indies and then didn’t play as well as I wanted to against Sri Lanka, but those things happen. You go away and think about it for a little bit, and hopefully come back stronger in Pakistan.”Harry Brook was in good spirits despite a long, busy season•Getty ImagesUntil the Hundred this year – where he oversaw five wins in six completed games – the majority of Brook’s captaincy experience came with England Under-19s, whom he led in 11 Youth ODIs, including five at the 2018 World Cup. Since then, he has played 50-over cricket only sporadically. Half of his 30 List A games have been full ODIs, and his record in them is underwhelming: 407 runs at 29.07, with three half-centuries.He will aim to keep things simple against Australia, batting at No. 4. “I’m just going to go out there and watch the ball as closely as possible,” he said. “If you have a few low scores here and there, you start thinking about different things and your technique and whatever. I’m just going to go out there, watch the ball as closely as I can and play on instinct.”Brook is only standing in as captain for Jos Buttler, who was with the squad on Wednesday as he continues his rehabilitation from a calf injury and will return for November’s Caribbean tour. “I might pick his brains here and there,” Brook said, “but he’s said I’ve got full rein to do whatever I want.”Buttler has challenged Brook to “identify those moments” in the field where he can change the game – something that Buttler himself has struggled with in ODIs. Brook showed signs of that instinct during the Hundred, and said that he would liberate his bowlers to make decisions: “Whatever you feel like doing, just do it. The only bad outcome is you could get hit for a boundary and the next ball could be a dot ball.”This ODI series is one of only three for England before February’s Champions Trophy, and the first since Rob Key announced that Brendon McCullum will take over as limited-overs coach as part of a “strategic restructure” of the senior set-up. The implication is that there will be greater convergence between formats, as evidenced by Ben Duckett’s promotion to open the batting on Thursday.Brook said that he has hardly spoken to McCullum, who has instead delegated responsibility to his Test assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. “It’s all going to merge into one at some point,” Brook predicted. “We want to go out there and entertain the crowd, take the game on, try to take wickets and put the pressure on their bowlers.”And after ending the Test summer on autopilot at The Oval, Brook hopes that this new challenge will prove reinvigorating. “I’ve only been here for two days, but the way the lads have gone about their business in training just seems so chilled at the minute. We’re all looking forward to going out there and having some fun.”