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Tottenham Hotspur star Ivan Perisic has been criticised after his ‘poor game’ in their 0-0 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

The Lowdown: Spurs share spoils…

The Premier League side were forced to share their spoils after 90 minutes of struggling to find any sort of breakthrough.

Chances weren’t exactly hard to come by, but on a night of mis-firing, the likes of Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Richarlison couldn’t quite find the finishing touch.

Indeed, Antonio Conte’s side racked up 11 attempts at goal in total but only two of them were on target (SofaScore), summing up the away side’s lack of cutting edge in the final third.

As such, Spurs remain level on points with Frankfurt in Group D but currently sit second due to their superior goal difference.

The Latest: Perisic criticised…

Taking to social media, football writer Andrew Gaffney has criticised summer signing Perisic for his ‘poor game’ against the German side on Tuesday evening.

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He explained:

“I thought Sess did well when he came on as Perisic had a very poor game.”

The Verdict: Off-day…

The Croatia international was withdrawn for Ryan Sessegnon with just under 20 minutes remaining, being the first of Conte’s array of subs in an effort to change the game (SofaScore).

That tactical change from the Spurs boss perhaps sums up an off-night for Perisic, who lost possession 16 times in total and found success with just one out of five crosses from out wide (SofaScore).

It appears the 33-year-old, who has been a brilliant acquisition for Spurs overall since joining from Inter Milan, was lacking that bit of ruthlessness as well as Kane, Son and Richarlison.

Arsenal would be foolish to not make a move for Moises Caicedo before Thursday’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

The Brighton and Hove Albion powerhouse has been linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium in recent weeks and Express journalist Ryan Taylor has urged the Gunners to make a swoop.

“I think they’d be silly not to because of the high level of his performances in such a short space of time since making his debut,” he told GIVEMESPORT.

“I think one of his first games was away at Tottenham last year and that was only at the back-end of last season. Then he destroyed Manchester United in that 4-0 win, scoring, and the same happened on the opening day of the season.”

He cost the Seagulls just £4.5m during the winter transfer window’s deadline day and he is now thought to be worth in the region of €20m (£17m), as per CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis.

Shades of Vieira

The north London giants once had an aggressive and hugely competitive box-to-box midfielder by the name of Patrick Vieira. He captained the side for three years and became a legend, not just at Arsenal but in the Premier League overall, too.

Now the club could find a player very much in that mould with Caicedo.

The 20-year-old gem has set the league alight with his form for Brighton.

From just eight outings in 2021/22, Caicedo ranked as Graham Potter’s best-performing player with an average WhoScored rating of 7.07. He won tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game and contributed further up the pitch with 1.3 shots and 0.9 dribbles per game.

It’s perhaps no surprise to have seen him likened to N’Golo Kante, who only last week Vieira namedropped when asked about players similar to him.

“He is a terrific athlete who makes football look easy. A box-to-box midfielder,” claimed South American football expert Tim Vickery to talkSPORT. “A year ago he was saying that Kante of Chelsea is his role model but he is already more than that. He already offers more in the final third.

“That kind of box-to-box midfielder that’s very much in the tradition of the England game. Strong, quick, intelligent and cool. He really does look like the genuine article.”

Based on that endorsement alone, Caicedo could really become a Vieira-like beast in the Premier League over the next few years, so Gunners technical director Edu Gaspar must ensure it’s in the red and white colours of Islington, rather than the blue and white tones from the south coast.

Ecuadorian football historian and statistician Enrico Castro-Montes has added further weight to that comparison, claiming that the Ecuador international was “a cross between Kante and Pogba.”

In his own country, he is really seen as the crown jewel of a new generation,” he told Het Niuewsblad (via Sport Witness).

“Caicedo really has everything to become the best Ecuadorian footballer of all time. I think that off the ball, he is indeed somewhat reminiscent of Kante, but on the ball, he resembles Paul Pogba with his flair and his technique.”

With nearly less than 48 hours to go in the transfer window, Edu and co must look to lure Caicedo to the Emirates as he could well discover Arsenal’s next Vieira in the 20-year-old, who was also lauded as a “machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

He’d be an extraordinary signing to end a busy and exciting summer of business for the Gunners.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Jesus: Arsenal could form a dream duo by signing “magical” £21m ace…

Nottingham Forest made Morgan Gibbs-White a transfer target this summer, and a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Wolverhampton Wanderers reporter Steve Madeley, the Reds have had another bid rejected for the midfielder.

As per Madeley’s report for The Athletic, Forest have been knocked back yet again by Wolves, who claim that the player is not for sale and are preparing themselves for another bid to be submitted worth around £30m.

Evangelos Marinakis has intervened in negotiations and held discussions with senior figures at Molineux, and it is reported that the young talent is the number one target for Forest, who will continue to pursue the player over the transfer window.

Cooper must act fast

There is no doubt that the new knockback in their efforts to secure a deal for Gibbs-White will be frustrating for the powerbrokers at the City Ground, but it is clear from Madeley’s update that Forest have no intentions of cooling their interest in the player.

The 22-year-old has been going from strength to strength in his career, and most recently caught the eye with his impressive loan spell at Sheffield United last season in the Championship.

Gibbs-White scored 11 goals, delivered nine assists and created 16 big chances, making 1.6 key passes and 0.7 tackles and winning 4.9 duels per game over 35 appearances for the Blades, and his impact on the team led to the young talent being named Player of the Year at Bramall Lane.

The 22-year-old’s performances did not go unnoticed, especially by those who came up against him in the Championship last term.

Barnsley head coach Poya Asbaghi hailed Gibbs-White following the Tykes’ defeat at Sheffield United last season, saying: “He’s a really good player. I think Sheffield United have a lot of good players, but he is the most outstanding one.”

Steve Cooper, who has worked with Gibbs-White in the England under-17s and at Swansea City, has the experience with the player to get the very best out of him; and if the midfielder can emulate his form of last season in the Premier League, the Reds could strike gold in their pursuit to retain their top-flight status.

As a result, the Forest manager must act fast to negotiate a deal for the talented midfielder, as Wolves could find themselves even more reluctant to sell Gibbs-White if he puts in an impressive performance in the Premier League should he be selected to play this weekend.

Celtic not only managed to end their previous season with the Scottish Premiership title in their hands, but they also managed to rack up the best defensive record in the division.

With 38 games played, the Hoops only conceded 22 goals in total, which is nine fewer than their Old Firm rivals Rangers conceded.

One player that had a massive part in this aspect of the Hoops’ impressive campaign was Cameron Carter-Vickers.

After joining on a season-long loan deal from Tottenham Hotspur in the 2021 summer transfer window, the centre-back went on to make 46 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions, with 33 of them coming in the league.

Having now secured the American on a permanent basis, this proves just how impressive he was last year and how eager the Parkhead club were to bring him back.

Even though the Hoops have also signed Moritz Jenz to help strengthen their squad, the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window could see the Bhoys add some extra depth and quality to their backline.

One player that has been mentioned with a move to Glasgow that could also be an upgrade on Carter-Vickers is KAA Gent defender Joseph Okumu.

Last season saw the 25-year-old make 49 appearances for the Belgian club after joining from IF Elfsborg in the previous summer window.

To compare his debut season in the Belgian league with Carter-Vickers’ efforts in the SPFL last year, the Gent star racked up more interceptions and successful tackles than the Celtic defender, despite making six fewer appearances than him.

Okumu also committed fewer fouls than the former Spurs figure, showing that he isn’t as much of a potential liability as the Celtic defender.

Hailed as a “tremendous” player by Dan Egner, the Gent star would definitely be a useful addition to Ange Postecoglou’s squad at the back, especially if Christopher Jullien ends up leaving, and could even rival Carter-Vickers for a place in the team.

Moving forward, with Jullien and Stephen Welsh being linked with moves away from Parkhead, should either of them do so, launching a move for Okumu should be at the top of Celtic’s priority list for the remainder of the transfer window.

AND in other news: “On the radar”: Journo drops behind-scenes transfer claim Celtic supporters will love

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has been blown away by the ‘brutal’ scenes in the team’s pre-season training sessions.

The Lowdown: Pre-season in South Korea

Antonio Conte and the Spurs squad hopped on the plane and made the journey to South Korea on Saturday as they kicked off their pre-season tour ahead of the new Premier League season.

On arrival at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the players were made to complete an intense two-hour training session in the soaring temperatures, which included multiple drills, game situations and two-touch and multi-touch matches.

That wasn’t the end of it though, as the boss unveiled a challenge of his own, making his team do 42 pitch-long runs with limited breaks to see who could push themselves to the brink.

The Latest: Gold’s ‘brutal’ reaction

Taking to Twitter, Gold, who’s travelled to Korea and is watching the action from the sidelines, reacted to the vigorous routines he’d seen the Tottenham players involved in. He wrote:

“You know it was brutal when you’ve even got the England captain being sick by the side of the pitch. Without doubt the most gruelling training session I’ve seen in the flesh, especially for those who have just joined up with the squad after their holidays.”

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The Verdict: Positive in the long term

Whilst these training regimes will be unimaginably tough and difficult to deal with in the short term, it’s this kind of work that will set Spurs up for a successful campaign ahead.

Conte has already made five summer signings in Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Clement Lenglet, and with this calibre of players, he clearly has high ambitions in terms of what he wants to achieve next term.

The obvious aim for the boss will be to maintain a top-four place in the Premier League at the very least, but also to get his hands on some silverware as the team prepare for a return to the Champions League, where the mid-week games and packed schedule will require an immense level of fitness.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has now shared the latest news on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Leeds winger Raphinha.

The Lowdown: Busy window

Spurs have wasted no time in the transfer market this window, with Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici having already secured the North London club’s first three signings of the summer.

The first two arrivals at Hotspur Way came in the shape of free transfers, with Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic and Southampton’s Fraser Forster joining the club upon the expiry of their current contracts.

Paratici’s latest purchase was Brighton star Yves Bissouma, who joined Antonio Conte’s side after the two clubs came to an agreement on a £25m fee plus £10m worth of add-ons.

However, Tottenham are expected to pursue a total of six new signings, with a number of star arrivals still looking likely ahead of next season.

The Latest: Romano’s news

Romano has now shared the latest transfer news regarding Raphinha, who has heavily been linked with a move to La Liga giants Barcelona.

Taking to Twitter in the last 48 hours, the journalist said: “Raphinha situation. Barcelona agreed personal terms with Raphinha, but no agreement on fee with Leeds.

“Arsenal are in direct negotiations with Leeds, interested since March. Both Chelsea & Tottenham have been in contact too.

“Fee could be around 65/75m.”

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The Verdict: Great signing

While we all know about his incredible ability on the ball – BBC’s Garth Crooks said he’s ‘a throwback to the Rivaldos and Ronaldinhos of yesteryear’ and ‘elegant and delightful’  – the 25-year-old’s underlying statistics also suggest he has a variety of qualities that would suit Conte’s play-style.

Compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the Brazil international ranks in the 90th percentile for progressive passes, as expected, whereas he also surprisingly ranks in the 91st percentile for blocks made (via FB Ref), suggesting he has the tenacity required to fulfil Conte’s expectations.

With the manager’s direct set-up down the flanks, the Brazilian’s athletic qualities would suit Tottenham’s style of football – he even played right-wing-back under Jesse Marsch at times last season.

We feel this would be an excellent move if Conte can convince the tricky winger to choose N17 over their London counterparts.

In other news: Paul Robinson urges Spurs to sign another striker…

Manchester United look set to lose another promising player this summer, with Dean Henderson reportedly set to join newly-promoted Nottingham Forest on a loan deal with an option to buy.

What’s the word?

Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano posted on Twitter: “Nottingham Forest have opened talks with Manchester United to sign Dean Henderson on loan with option to buy [around £20m]. Negotiations ongoing – Nottingham Forest want Henderson and it’s now a possibility also considered by the player. Talks on.”

Steve Cooper’s side are in need of a new goalkeeper after last season’s first-choice Brice Samba made it clear that he wants to leave, and Forest have acted quickly to move for Henderson.

The Englishman had limited first-team opportunities at United last season due to the form of David de Gea, so it is no surprise to see him linked with a move away from Old Trafford, although you would have hoped that Erik ten Hag would have been able to assess him before the club sanctioned any departure.

United supporters will be fuming

Although De Gea was impressive at times last season, United fans will still perhaps have been hoping that Henderson would have been the long-term heir to the 31-year-old Spaniard, especially after he came through the academy at United.

The 25-year-old has made just 29 senior appearances for the Red Devils during his time at the club, but he won a lot of plaudits after impressive loan spells with Shrewsbury Town and Sheffield United. Indeed, the shot-stopper was a key part of the Blades’ Championship promotion in 2019 and subsequent season in the Premier League, starting all but two league matches across those two campaigns.

Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge was full of praise for Henderson during his loan spell at Bramall Lane, saying: “He’s insane. I’ve never been with such a good goalkeeper. One thing in matches, he is almost a defence alone at times, and you feel so secure with him.

“But people have to see him at training. It’s crazy. He saves balls from one yard. Sometimes I am completely speechless by how good he is. It’s like having two goalkeepers in goal with him. He’s awesome.

“He’s so confident. He knows he is good and he exploits that too. He is exceptional.”

At 25, Henderson is still very young for a goalkeeper, while Berge’s comments would suggest that he has a lot of potential. Therefore, United supporters will surely be gutted to hear this update from Romano; and if the ‘keeper proves himself to be a bargain signing for Forest next season, then this feels like another transfer that those at Old Trafford will come to regret.

In other news… United now ready to pay £35m to sign Premier League flop, he’s even worse than Matic

According to French outlet Telefoot, Tottenham Hotspur are now in negotiations with an unnamed Spanish club over a deal for Tanguy Ndombele, who looks highly likely to leave the Premier League giants this summer.

The Lowdown: Ndombele’s Lyon return

The midfielder first arrived in N17 back in 2019 from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon, for what was at the time a club-record fee of £63m. Aafter a disappointing start to the 2021/22 campaign with the Lilywhites, the 25-year-old rejoined his former club in January for the remainder of the season.

Included as part of that deal was an option to buy, but Peter Bosz’s side have made the decision not to take the offer up, meaning that the maestro has returned to Spurs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he will be staying put.

Before making the switch back to his home nation, it was reported by L’Equipe that whilst Roma and Napoli were interested in the starlet, a move to Spain could well be next on the agenda, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid being viewed as potential future destinations.

The Latest: Unnamed club in negotiations

In a new article published by French outlet Telefoot (via The Mirror), it’s claimed that an ‘unnamed’ Spanish club are ‘already in negotiations’ with Spurs over a possible deal for Ndombele, with a departure from north London seeming ‘imminent’.

The source goes on to state that it is yet ‘unclear’ whether the seven-cap international would be allowed to leave Tottenham on a temporary basis again.

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The Verdict: Time to sell

During his recent short stint with Lyon, Ndombele made 11 appearances in Ligue 1 and provided two assists, as per Transfermarkt, but all in all, it was a disappointing season for the French giants, who only managed to secure an eighth-place finish.

The 5 foot 11 creative, who was once dubbed a “phenomenal” player by former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho, has majorly fallen down the pecking order since Antonio Conte arrived in the capital, having only played 287 minutes of football across all competitions before his loan move, so it comes as no surprise to see that he is likely to leave the club during the upcoming transfer window.

The Italian has already started his summer squad revamp with free transfer moves for Ivan Perisic and presumably soon Fraser Forster, but eventually he’s going to need to splash some cash, and the club must surely be prioritising a permanent deal to get some funds back for Ndombele.

In other news… Conte is reportedly now ready to cash in on a 25 y/o first-team star this summer.

Leeds United assistant manager Franz Schiemer is unlikely to remain at Elland Road ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, Joe Donnohue reports.

The Lowdown: Schiemer and Marsch

Marsch arrived at Leeds at the end of February, replacing Marcelo Bielsa with the aim of keeping the Whites in the Premier League.

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The American brought in both Cameron Toshack and Schiemer, with the latter previously working with Marsch for 94 games at RB Salzburg.

Leeds have picked up on the pitch under the new-look coaching team, taking 11 points from a possible 24, however, they are still in real danger of dropping down to the Championship with just four games remaining.

The Latest: Donnohue’s post

Leeds journalist Donnohue took to Twitter on Wednesday evening, sharing a story for The Yorkshire Evening Post, stating that it is ‘unlikely’ Schiemer will stay in Yorkshire beyond this season.

Donnohue added that Schiemer is set to return to Austria this summer, with his family not expected to make a permanent move to England.

The Verdict: Another?

It looks as if Marsch will lose star man Raphinha this summer, with the winger reportedly closing in on a move to Barcelona.

Exits may well not stop there on the pitch, with Kalvin Phillips also a man in demand, so this latest update on Schiemer isn’t ideal for the Leeds boss – the last thing he needs is a huge overhaul on and off the pitch.

Marsch even previously credited Schiemer with overseeing set-piece drills, an area where Leeds have improved in recent months.

Unfortunately, it looks as if the Austrian’s stay in Yorkshire will be a short-lived one, which could leave Marsch on the search for a new number two this summer.

In other news: Leeds want to sign ‘X-factor’ attacker despite possible relegation.

Dismissals of Moeen Ali and James Vince epitomise a team that can’t help but look for the aggressive option

George Dobell at Headingley21-Jun-2019England were 170 for 5. They required 63 more runs to win and they had five wickets and 70 deliveries in hand. Their remaining batsmen had 12 Test and 54 first-class centuries between them. They had one foot in the semi-finals.But then Moeen Ali took a chance. He must have seen the fielder on the long-off fence, but he backed himself to clear him. Instead his lofted drive was well taken by Isuru Udana and Sri Lanka were thrown a lifeline. It was a dismissal that precipitated a slide in which four wickets fell for the addition of 16 runs. Suddenly something relatively simple was almost impossible.We have to be a bit careful criticising England’s limited-overs batting. You don’t set the records they have – the total of 481, the 17 sixes in an individual innings, the 46-ball hundred – without taking a certain amount of risk. It would be unfair to praise that bold approach one day and decry it the next. It is absolutely inevitable they will fail sometimes.But this was a run-chase. And a relatively small one at that. So there was no need for the high-risk strokes. Simple rotation of strike and calm heads would have sufficed. And, as admirable as England’s bravery and aggression has been, you do wish it was combined with a bit of common sense just a little more often. Adapting to surfaces and situations is key to success across formats and this was Moeen’s 100th ODI. With all that talent and all that experience, it really does seem fair to expect a bit better than this. It was, in its own way, just a little reminiscent of Kevin Pietersen’s dismissal in the second innings of the Perth Test of 2013. And we all remember how that was received. One hopes Moeen did not whistle at any point afterwards.Watch on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of Sri Lanka’s remarkable victory over EnglandMoeen might claim, with some justification, that the wicket was challenging. So he might claim, with some justification, that if he could smash a quick 20 or so more runs, he could have put the game beyond doubt. But that’s the logic of the get-rich-quick scheme; the mentality of the gambler. There was a simple single on offer here and Moeen, who had hit a six the previous delivery, showed a lack of composure in not taking it. It was a key moment in a defeat that puts England’s World Cup progress in jeopardy.To be fair, Jofra Archer’s dismissal – caught at long-on – was every bit as grim as Moeen’s. But he is a 24-year-old playing his ninth ODI. And he is batting at No. 10. Moeen is 32 now and playing in his second World Cup. More is expected of him.Moeen Ali leaves the field after holing out•Getty ImagesWas it relevant that, the previous day, Moeen had spoken of the internal – and good-natured – competition within the England dressing room over who could hit the most and biggest sixes? It seemed a light-hearted chat at the time. And Moeen is no doubt right when he talks of the importance of keeping the environment light and positive. But just because you don’t want them to over-think situations doesn’t mean you don’t want to think at all. And the balance here was more towards reckless than responsible.It would be simplistic to single out one man for England’s defeat, though. Just as it would be wrong not to acknowledge the fine performance of Sri Lanka. Angelo Mathews’ innings raised some eyebrows while it was in progress – he had made 34 from 80 balls at one stage – but in retrospect it appears an intelligent contribution from a man who adapted to the conditions better than most on the home team. He gave his bowlers a chance and, with Lasith Malinga nailing every yorker and his team-mates providing decent support, it was a chance they grasped. This upset was every bit a result of Sri Lanka playing well as it was England playing poorly.READ MORE: The monster they call MaliBut that doesn’t mean England didn’t play poorly. Or bat poorly, at least. It doesn’t mean that Jonny Bairstow didn’t play round a straight one or that Jos Buttler didn’t waste a review having done the same. And if Joe Root – who was batting masterfully well – was a bit unfortunate to be caught down the leg side, the best sides don’t trust to luck. They make sure.And then there’s James Vince. He did receive a decent ball that left him a little while inviting the drive. But it was an invitation he could have declined. Or at least an invitation he could have accepted with his foot to the pitch of the ball. As it was, that foot barely moved. It was a dismissal as soft as it was familiar.What do England do with Vince? He continues to look a million dollars. But increasingly he appears to be the sports-car which spends more time with its bonnet up than its roof down; the beautiful partner who can’t stop straying; the cigarette you’ll regret in the morning. He promises pearls and delivers pewter.He has now batted 10 times in ODI cricket with a top score of 51 (which came the first time he batted, back in July 2016) and 40 times in international cricket without making a century. And while it is true he has rarely enjoyed a run in the side – he has always been looking over his shoulder and never quite able to relax – that is the nature of much of professional sport. Jason Roy, by comparison, has passed 50 five times in his last six ODI innings. Suffice to say, his return cannot come soon enough for England. One wonders, too, if there is any part of the England management pining for a replacement opener with six ODI centuries. They have made their bed with Alex Hales, however, and must lie in it.This defeat does not ruin England’s World Cup hopes. Their fate is still very much in their own hands. Two victories from their final three games should ensure their progression; one might even be enough.But it does make life much more tense than it might have been. And it might well compromise their chances of resting key players – especially the fast bowlers – ahead of the semi-finals. Their opposition in those next three games – Australia, India and New Zealand – are fine sides who will sense blood. England really have made life much more difficult for themselves.Most of all, this result will do nothing to decrease the nerves in the England camp. And judging by the performances against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, those nerves are quite a factor.