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Newcastle United are now in pole position to sign an impressive central defender ahead of Serie A giants Juventus, according to recent reports.

Newcastle "playing the atmosphere" vs Sunderland, says Howe

It doesn’t get bigger than the Tyne-Wear derby this weekend. Newcastle are set to travel to face Sunderland in the Premier League for the first time since 2016 and they’ll be looking to ground the high-flying Black Cats in statement fashion.

The goals have finally returned for Eddie Howe’s side in recent weeks, but they’ve remained fragile in the other direction – conceding a late equaliser against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek. In any derby, however, form goes out the window. Instead, Howe admitted that his side will be “playing the atmosphere”.

As if the Magpies needed any extra motivation, they have the chance to move above Sunderland and potentially into the top six if they secure victory and other results go their way. It could be the perfect turning point for their Premier League campaign.

Defeat, meanwhile, would once again expose just how much work Newcastle have got to do in the January transfer window, whether it’s welcoming a midfield star or turning towards Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic.

Newcastle leading race to sign Tarik Muharemovic

According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are now in pole position to sign Muharemovic ahead of Juventus in 2026. The central defender has consistently impressed in Italy this season and has been closely monitored by scouts from both St James’ Park and the San Siro, courtesy of Inter Milan.

Standing at 6’2, Muharemovic could provide Howe with a replacement for the injury-prone Sven Botman alongside Malick Thiaw, who has thrived since arriving in the summer.

Minutes

990

993

Progressive Passes

36

50

Tackles Won

8

10

Ball Recoveries

35

45

At 22 years old, the Sassuolo star is yet to reach the peak of his powers and Newcastle have the chance to swoop in early to land what would be an impressive addition.

Dubbed an “excellent left-footed centre-back” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Muharemovic seems to have the world at his feet ahead of 2026. Both Juventus and Inter are chasing his signature, but the Premier League could be awaiting.

Fewer touches than Ramsdale: Howe must drop Newcastle man who won 2 duels

Eddie Howe must now drop this Newcastle United star ahead of this weekend’s hotly anticipated Tyne-Wear Derby.

1 ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

Following the success of Thiaw, it’s also no surprise that Newcastle decided to send their scouts back to Serie A and towards the Sassuolo man in an attempt to repeat their transfer genius.

Howe's "diamond" looks like another Guimaraes in the making at Newcastle

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is slated to miss his team's series-opening game Monday against the New York Mets according to a report Sunday from ESPN and the . His absence is for a good reason though, as his daughter, Camila, is graduating from Boston College.

The Red Sox are in the midst of a 10-game home stand that continues with their three-game series against the National League East-leading New York Mets starting Monday. Ahead of Boston's rubber match with the Atlanta Braves Sunday, Cora opened up about the special day for his family.

"It's going to be a very special day—one that I'm not going to miss," Cora said pregame Sunday via ESPN and the . "I 100% will miss the game for that. I will do that any given day. It's going to be a very special day for us."

The Red Sox are coming off a thrilling win over the Braves Saturday night thanks to a walk-off home run from Rafael Devers—the first of his career. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Boston.

Without Cora Monday, bench coach Ramón Vázquez will serve as manager according to .

Manchester United are monitoring AZ Alkmaar sensation Kees Smit as they look to finally address their long-standing midfield issues, but face rival interest from within the Premier League. The 19-year-old Dutch international is attracting interest from multiple elite clubs, with AZ prepared to demand around £25 million for their prized academy graduate.

• Man Utd interested in making move for Kees Smit

  Manchester United have identified Smit as a potential solution to their midfield rebuild, as per CentreDevils, with sources confirming that scouts have been closely monitoring the AZ Alkmaar starlet's development this season. Director of Recruitment Christopher Vivell has already discussed the teenager internally, signalling that United consider him one of the most promising young midfield profiles available on the market. His age, tactical intelligence and technical quality make him an attractive long-term investment for a club beginning to reshape its spine.

  AZ are understood to value the player at roughly £25 million ($33m), a figure widely regarded as modest given his projection and growing international pedigree. The Red Devils are far from alone in their admiration; however, with several clubs across Europe already making enquiries, and domestic rivals in the Premier League expected to intensify their efforts in the coming weeks. Newcastle are pushing hardest alongside United in the race, with their interest described as "gathering serious momentum".

  Despite United's growing desire to strengthen early, a January move looks unlikely at this stage. Instead, the 20-time Premier League champions could position themselves for a summer approach, allowing time for negotiations and squad adjustments. Smit is open to a step up and views a transition to a bigger European club as his natural next step.

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  Man Utd looking to rebuild midfield amid complex issues

  United's midfield issues have been evident for several seasons, arising from a blend of ageing personnel and uneven squad construction. Casemiro will turn 34 next year and has begun to show physical decline, occasionally leaving the defence exposed. Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes has often been forced into unfamiliar roles as cover inside the double pivot.

  Kobbie Mainoo remains the club's most exciting midfield talent, but his limited minutes this campaign underline United's need to protect young players rather than rely on them to paper over structural gaps. With Mainoo potentially heading out on loan for developmental reasons, the squad risks a further drop in depth. The lack of a true, specialist holding midfielder continues to prevent the side from asserting control in big games under Ruben Amorim's philosophy.

  The ambition within the club is clear: evolve the midfield from reactive chaos to proactive dominance. The Red Devils want a player capable of anchoring possession, dictating transitions, and restoring balance between their attacking aggression and defensive stability. Smit fits the ideal profile – and the recruitment team sees him as a long-term cornerstone rather than a short-term patch.

• Smit's meteoric rise at AZ

  Smit is widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders to emerge from AZ's academy, a system that has consistently produced intelligent, technically excellent talents. The Netherlands youth international has captained teams above his age group and earned senior football experience early through Jong AZ in the Eerste Divisie. At just 19, he already demonstrates a level of composure and decision-making beyond many established professionals.

  Operating primarily as a deep-lying midfielder, Smit excels in reading play, shielding the back line and dictating tempo with exceptional passing range. His ability to play both short and progressive long balls makes him the central hub for AZ's build-up phases. Because of this, comparisons have been drawn with fellow Dutch orchestrators such as Frenkie de Jong – though Smit boasts a more naturally defensive instinct.

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  Smit will likely only leave AZ in the summer of 2026

  Manchester United must decide whether to advance negotiations quickly or risk a rival outmanoeuvring them. With Newcastle already stepping up their approach and big European clubs circling, hesitation could prove costly. A summer move currently appears the most realistic scenario, giving United time to free up squad space, resolve outgoing uncertainties and refine their long-term midfield blueprint.

  For Smit, the upcoming months are crucial as he weighs his next destination and prepares for a potential leap into a major league. AZ will hold firm on their valuation, knowing demand continues to rise with every standout performance. Whether he ultimately lands at Old Trafford or elsewhere, the race to secure one of the Netherlands' brightest midfield prospects is only just heating up.

Southampton are currently on the search for their next permanent head coach after they made the decision to part ways with Will Still earlier this month.

The former Lens boss only won two Championship matches during his time at St. Mary’s, and the club must, simply, find a manager who can bring a winning mentality back to Hampshire.

Southampton, as shown in the graphic above, have had a run of less-than-successful head coach appointments, which may not fill supporters with too much hope for the next one.

The latest on Southampton's managerial search

The Telegraph reports that former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil is in pole position to land the job, having left Wolves last year.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It states that he is the leading contender for the role at this moment in time, but that it is still early on in the process and there are other managers are in the frame.

The Telegraph adds that Michael Carrick, who is also out of a job, is a head coach who is being considered and could come into the running to replace Still in the coming days.

The former Middlesbrough boss, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been a free agent since the end of last season, and could be a dream alternative to O’Neil.

Why Southampton should hire Carrick over O'Neil

Parking any concerns about O’Neil’s Portsmouth ties to the side, given that he previously stated a desire to manage Pompey, the former Wolves boss has yet to show that he can coach a team to dominate and win games consistently.

As shown in the graphic in the post above, his Bournemouth and Wolves teams consistently conceded more chances than they created, and both clubs improved statistically after he left.

There should, therefore, be concerns about whether or not he is the right profile of coach to lead Southampton to promotion back to the Premier League as a side that needs to win consistently to gain promotion.

Carrick, meanwhile, has a proven track record of coaching a dominant team in the Championship, as well as taking over in a similar situation to the one that Saints find themselves in.

The English boss joined Boro after they had won two of their first 11 league games in the 2022/23 campaign and led them to a fourth-place finish, per Transfermarkt, whilst Southampton have won three of their 14 league matches this term.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, Carrick also coached expected play-off finishes in his two full seasons at Middlesbrough, but his squad did not deliver results that matched the performances.

Some may point to the fact that Boro are currently third in the Championship after his departure, but they are sixth for xPTS and have failed to win any of their last three games, per FotMob, which suggests that their fast start is slowing down to match their performance level.

Overall, Carrick could be a dream alternative to O’Neil because he does not have links to Portsmouth, he does have relevant Championship experience, and he has achieved a play-off finish after taking over a club in a similar position.

Whereas, O’Neil has never managed in the Championship and has lost 52 of his 100 games as a manager, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has yet to prove himself as a coach who can deliver winning football.

Southampton manager update now shared on Tonda Eckert and full-time move

He’ll be in the St Mary’s dugout against Sheffield Wednesday.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 7, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras está muito perto de concretizar a contratação de Aníbal Moreno, do Racing-ARG, para a temporada 2024. No entanto, ela não deve ser a única que o clube buscará pensando no próximo ano. O planejamento é fechar com três ou quatro reforços abrangendo, principalmente, meio e ataque.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras busca alternativas para abater dívida de R$ 50 milhões contraída na gestão BelluzzoPalmeiras16/10/2023Futebol NacionalEstevão marca, Palmeiras vence o Corinthians e avança à final do Brasileirão Sub-17Futebol Nacional15/10/2023PalmeirasArtilheiro, garçom, quem mais jogou… Confira um balanço do elenco do Palmeiras em 2023Palmeiras15/10/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

+ Próximo desafio! Aposte R$100 e ganhe R$450 em Brasil x Uruguai pelas Eliminatórias

+ Calando os críticos? Aposte R$100 e ganhe R$700 com Neymar e o Brasil nas Eliminatórias

Moreno chega para a carência de um volante “camisa 5”, com o qual o elenco não conta desde a saída de Danilo para o Nottingham Forest-ING. O Verdão buscou opções para a função nas duas janelas de transferências de 2023, mas não encontrou uma possível. O próprio argentino chegou a ficar próximo, mas o Racing foi irredutível na pedida.

+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

Outra posição que será priorizada é a de um ponta. O movimento se dá pela lesão de Dudu, que voltará a jogar somente em meados de 2024. O desejo da direção palmeirense é Bruno Henrique, do Flamengo, mas o negócio é complicado. Apesar de sua renovação com os cariocas estar travada, a tendência é que ele fique por lá. Mesmo assim, o Alviverde não desiste e já mostrou interesse prometendo um grande proposta.

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+ Palmeiras se acerta com Aníbal Moreno e fica perto de contratar seu primeiro reforço para 2024

A função de centroavante também será observada com carinho no mercado para 2024. Depois de apostas frustradas como Flaco López e Merentiel, além da iminente saída de Endrick em julho, fazem com que a posição se torne carente. Como essa busca já foi complicada em 2022, a jornada também não deve ser fácil nesta próxima janela.

Não está descartada também uma investida em um meia, pois com a saída de Scarpa, Veiga acabou ficando sobrecarregado na função, sem deixar alternativas. Uma “sombra” para o camisa 23 também é julgada como importante a fim de não deixar o time tão dependente dele. Por se tratar de uma posição com exemplares raros e caros, é esperada dificuldade nessa busca.

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+ Artilheiro, garçom, quem mais jogou… Confira um balanço do elenco do Palmeiras em 2023

Caso Marcos Rocha, que tem contrato somente até dezembro de 2023, não prorrogue sua permanência, o Palmeiras deve ir ao mercado para contratar um lateral-direito.

Neste ano, o Verdão contratou apenas dois jogadores: Richard Ríos, do Guarani, e Artur, do Bragantino. Ao mesmo tempo, dez jogadores deixaram o clube ao longo da temporada.

Tudo sobre

Palmeiras

Celtic’s miserable season continues. On Sunday, Brendan Rodgers’ side suffered their first Premiership defeat of the campaign, losing 2-0 at Dens Park against Dundee, both goals coming in the first half, the second of which was an unfortunate Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal.

This was the Hoops’ first defeat at Dens since 1988, leaving them five points adrift league leaders Hearts, who they face at Tynecastle in a mouthwatering contest next Sunday.

Before then, the Celts are under pressure to get off the mark in the Europa League too, having yielded just one point from their first two matches, welcoming Austrian champions Sturm Graz to Parkhead on Thursday.

Ahead of these two massive fixtures, which Celtic summer signing should be concerned about losing his place in the starting lineup? Well, Yang is certainly one of them.

Why Yang was hooked at half time at Dundee

Among many players who offered very little on Sunday was Yang Hyun-Jun.

With Daizen Maeda sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Yang came into attack, chosen over James Forrest and summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

Well, the Korea Republic international touched the ball 25 times in the first half, attempting zero dribbles, so Chris Sutton, speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage at half time, asserted “just get him off”, adding that he’d offered absolutely nothing.

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Well, Rodgers must’ve been listening, because Forrest replaced Yang during the interval, bringing to an end his first Premiership start since 23 August.

Meantime, at the other end of the pitch, Liam Scales endured a nightmare afternoon, turned inside and out by Dundee forwards Simon Murray, Cameron Congreve and Joe Westley, who caused the Celtic back-line problems all afternoon.

However, it is neither Scales nor Yang who should be most worried about their starting spot following this catastrophic defeat to Steven Pressley’s side who, lest we forget, were pre-season favourites for relegation.

Celtic star Rodgers must drop

As has been well documented, at the moment the transfer window slammed shut, Celtic did not have a senior centre-forward in their squad, following the sale of Adam Idah to Swansea City.

Thus, Kelechi Iheanacho arrived as a free agent, making a decent start to life in Glasgow in fairness to him, converting penalties against both Kilmarnock and Motherwell, as well as netting against Crvena zvezda in the Europa League.

However, as the table below documents, the Nigerian was completely anonymous in Dundee on Sunday.

Shots on target

1

1st

Shots off target

3

1st

Big chances missed

1

1st

Hit woodwork

1

1st

Big chances created

1

4th

Key passes

1

8th

Duels won

1

25th

Touches

20

23rd

Iheanacho did rank highly for shots, mustering four in total, the most of any player, but this didn’t yield anything, thwacking the woodwork once as well as missing one Opta-defined big chance.

He also won only 50% of his duels while, most concerningly, he touched the ball just 20 times, the same number as Balikwisha, who was introduced in the 64th minute and 15 fewer than ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Considering Iheanacho played only around 1,300 minutes last season for Middlesbrough and Sevilla, he was always going to need time to get up to speed, and that was certainly apparent at the weekend.

Had Maeda been fit, he would surely have dropped out of the team on Thursday, although youngster Johnny Kenny, who came on at half-time, is talented enough to displace Iheanacho, so may feel he deserves an opportunity.

Thus, with huge games against Sturm Graz, Hearts, Midtjylland and Rangers to come in the next fortnight, the Celts’ may stand a better chance of winning these matches with the Nigerian left in reserve, utilised as an option off the bench.

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It is always nice to see an academy player make their breakthrough and impress at first-team level, at any club, and that is why Colby Donovan’s recent emergence at Celtic has been enjoyable.

Injuries to Alistair Johnston and Anthony Ralston left Brendan Rodgers in a difficult position, facing the possibility of playing a player out of position to cover in that position.

Instead of going with a makeshift right-back, the Hoops boss dipped into the academy to provide 19-year-old Donovan with a chance to impress in the first-team in recent weeks.

The Scottish youngster made his first three appearances for the first-team in games against Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle, and Red Star Belgrade, starting all three matches, before being an unused substitute against Hibernian last weekend.

Donovan did not look out of place in those senior outings for the Scottish giants, winning five of his six ground duels without being dribbled past a single time against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League, per Sofascore.

The teenage full-back will now be hoping to kick on and establish himself in the senior side, as his fellow full-back Kieran Tierney once did when he first broke through.

Celtic's best Scottish talents since Kieran Tierney

The Scotland international first broke through into the first-team in the 2014/15 campaign, having come up through the academy ranks, and he went on to play 170 matches for the club in all competitions.

Tierney, as shown in the graphic above, enjoyed a terrific first spell with Celtic before his £25m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2019, winning five Scottish Premiership titles in the process.

Unfortunately, quality Scottish academy talents have been few and far between since the left-back’s initial emergence in the first-team for Celtic over a decade ago.

Most valuable former Celtic academy stars (at least 1 first-team start)
Player	Market value
Kieran Tierney	£7.8m
Callum McGregor	£4.3m
Mikey Johnston	£2.6m
Jack Hendry	£2.1m
Liam Henderson	£1.7m
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Tierney is still the most valuable former academy star to have made at least one start for the club, whilst Callum McGregor, who came through before the defender, is the only other one who is worth more than £3m.

Ben Doak is valued at £14m, per Transfermarkt, but he only played 25 minutes as a substitute for the Hoops before his move to Liverpool, which meant that the Scottish giants did not get to experience much of his talent on the pitch.

To say that Mikey Johnston, a Glasgow-born player who has 17 caps for Ireland, is the most valuable academy graduate since Tierney at just £2.6m is slightly concerning.

Whilst Donovan will be hoping to kick on and be worth way more than Johnston, Celtic may have their biggest Scottish and academy talent since Tierney in a star who is out on loan.

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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Jude Bonnar is currently on loan in the Championship with Ayr United until the end of the season, gaining vital development and experience that he could bring to the first-team at Parkhead next term.

Why Bonnar may be the best Scottish talent at Celtic since Tierney

As aforementioned, Celtic have not had much success with Scottish talents coming through their academy system to emerge as regular starters in the first-team since Tierney, but Bonnar has the potential to change that.

The Hamilton-born starlet made his senior debut for Celtic in a 5-1 win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership in February of this year, completing 100% (4/4) of his passes in a ten-minute cameo, per Sofascore.

His impressive performances as an attack-minded central midfielder for the B team earned him a chance in the senior side, after a return of ten goals in 55 Lowland League matches in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined, per Transfermarkt.

The teenage whiz, who was described as a “dangerous” player by writer John McGinley, also came back from his loan spell with Ayr to score and grab an assist in a Challenge Cup game against Alloa Athletic for the B team last month.

That performance and his overall form at youth level for Celtic show that he has developed a reputation for being a technical and attack-minded midfielder throughout his development in Glasgow.

However, the 19-year-old star’s loan move to the Championship with Ayr United has provided him with an opportunity to show that there is more to his game in the middle of the park.

Rodgers wants well-rounded midfielders who can provide physicality off the ball as well as technical quality in possession, as shown by the types of midfielders who play regularly for him at the moment: Benjamin Nygren, Reo Hatate, and Callum McGregor.

Bonnar’s last two outings in the Scottish Championship for Ayr United show that the versatile star, who can play in midfield or out on the flank, has added bite to his performances in the middle of the park.

Jude Bonnar (Championship)	Vs Queen’s Park	Vs Ross County
Minutes	28	72
Ground duels won	2/3	4/8
Aerial duels won	1/1	2/4
Clearances	2	1
Dribbled past	0x	0x
Possession	1x	10x
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the teenage prospect has won six of his 11 ground duels and three of his five aerial duels, without being dribbled past a single time, in the last two matches.

Bonnar is currently being managed by Celtic legend Scott Brown, who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a number eight for the Hoops, and he appears to be already developing the physical side of his game under the former Scotland international.

It looks as though sending him out on loan to the Championship to be managed by the ex-Celtic captain was a brilliant decision by the club, because the Scotland U21 international is adding physicality to go with his technical quality.

This is why Bonnar, who has delivered one goal and one assist for Ayr United so far this season, could go on to be the club’s biggest and most valuable Scottish talent since Tierney.

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The teenage talent already has the technical skills, as shown by his goal record for the B team, but his loan spell shows that he is becoming a complete central midfielder, which could make him an option for Rodgers to integrate into the senior team next season.

It will then be down to Bonnar to produce consistent performances in midfield to show that he is the biggest talent to come through the academy since Tierney.

Do Arsenal go into Sunday’s Premier League blockbuster against Manchester City as favourites?

Between November 2017 and April 2023, the Gunners faced the Citizens 16 times, losing 15 of them, their sole victory coming in an FA Cup semi-final behind-closed-doors, en route to lifting the trophy in 2020.

Now though, Mikel Arteta is unbeaten in five meetings with Pep Guardiola, seeking a third successive home win over Man City, something Arsenal last achieved in 2009, following February’s 5-1 humbling of Erling Braut Håland and friends.

If the Gunners are to prevail again on Sunday, thereby asserting themselves as the primary challengers to champions Liverpool, Arteta must be bold and start his young talent “better than Phil Foden”.

Mikel Merino's role in the Arsenal team

Few Arsenal players in recent times have been quite so difficult to figure out as Mikel Merino.

The media-driven narrative following Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Anfield last month, in which Merino started alongside Martín Zubimendi and Declan Rice, was that Arteta had started three defensive midfielders against Liverpool.

Well, this idea was proven to be total nonsense during the subsequent week, as Merino scored four goals in two games for Spain, heading home a Lamine Yamal corner against Bulgaria in Sofia, before bagging a hat-trick as the European champions demolished Türkiye 6-0 in Konya.

As a result, Merino started the win over Nottingham Forest, Rice given a rest, with Arteta stating that this was because his compatriot was in “a really high emotional state and I want to use that when a player is in that moment”.

He was excellent in the left-eight position, which is probably his best role in this team, before deputising for the injured Martin Ødegaard against Athletic Club Bilbao on Tuesday, looking less comfortable on the opposite side, it has to be said.

Arguably, the 29-year-old’s best performances for Arsenal have come as an emergency striker, starting pretty much every game there from Valentine’s Day onwards last season, scoring seven goals, notably netting against Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea and others.

This weekend, if Merino’s name is on the team sheet, it’ll be as a right-sided attacking midfielder once again, given that is continuing to Ødegaard nurse his shoulder injury, but Arteta clearly has an option more suited for this role.

The Arsenal youngster who's been better than Phil Foden

On both Merseyside last month and in the Basque Country in mid-week, the travelling Arsenal supporters were pretty much universally disappointed not to see the name Ethan Nwaneri in the starting line-up.

In the summer, despite some speculation that Chelsea were interested, the teenager signed a new five-year contract with the club, stating “signing this contract means everything to me… I’m so excited for what I can bring… I want to help us win as much as possible”.

This is an obvious show of faith from the club, so it is now time for Arteta to prove he trusts him too.

Last season, Nwaneri scored nine goals across all competitions, eight of which came before his 18th birthday in March, a record only Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney can better in the Premier League-era.

However, this season, he is yet to start a match, an unused substitute in all three away games, albeit he’s seen a significant amount of playing time against both Leeds and Nottingham Forest, introduced during the first half of both due to injuries suffered by Ødegaard.

Even in matches they are winning and scoring goals, Arteta’s team are struggling to create a high volume of open-play changes, something Nwaneri could surely help to address, so let’s compare him to the current occupant of that midfield position Merino.

Nwaneri vs Merino 2024/25

Stat

Nwaneri

Merino

Appearances

37

44

Minutes

1,378

2,635

Goals

9

9

Assists

2

5

Goals – xG

+4.1

+2

Shots on target %

46.5%

36.7%

Progressive carries

56

16

Take-ons completed

40

9

Take-on success %

68%

47%

Shot-creating actions per 90

2.65

2.36

Chances created per 90

1.3

0.8

Touches per 90

58.2

47.8

Average Sofascore rating

7.11

7.10

via FBref, Squawka and Sofascore

As the table documents, despite playing around half as many minutes, Nwaneri scored as many goals as Merino last season, while all of the Englishman’s underlying statistics are more impressive.

The 18-year-old registered more than three times as many progressive carries, also accumulating more chances created, as well as around ten more touches per game, underlining their stylistic differences.

One of the highlights of Nwaneri’s breakout campaign came during the aforementioned mauling of Manchester City in February, scoring the stunner to complete the 5-1 rout.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled Nwaneri an “incredible talent”, while former Watford striker Troy Deeney compared him to Jack Wilshere, adding that “he’s been better than Phil Foden”, a player he’ll come directly up against on Sunday.

So, if Arteta is to be bold and take the game to a vulnerable Man City side, one that has already been beaten by Spurs and Brighton this season, Nwaneri has to be unleashed come Sunday afternoon.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 20, 2025

يلتقي منتخب المغرب تحت 20 عامًا نظيره الأرجنتين في نهائي بطولة كأس العالم للشباب 2025، والتي تقام في دولة تشيلي، وذلك في الساعات الأولى من صباح يوم الإثنين.

وتأهل “أشبال الأطلس” إلى نهائي بطولة كأس العالم للشباب، بعد الفوز على فرنسا بركلات الترجيح في دور نصف النهائي.

فيما تأهل منتخب الأرجنتين إلى النهائي بعد الفوز على كولومبيا بهدف دون رد، ضمن منافسات نصف النهائي.

منتخب المغرب كان قد تأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي، بعدما تصدر مجموعته برصيد 6 نقاط متفوقًا بذلك على البرازيل وإسبانيا والمكسيك.

وتعتبر هذه هي المرة الأولى التي يتأهل فيها المنتخب المغربي للشباب إلى نهائي كأس العالم في التاريخ.

اقرأ أيضًا | القنوات الناقلة لمباراة المغرب والأرجنتين اليوم في نهائي كأس العالم للشباب

ويسعى منتخب المغرب إلى تحقيق إنجاز تاريخي بالفوز على الأرجنتين وتحقيق لقب بطولة كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًا. موعد مباراة المغرب والأرجنتين اليوم في كأس العالم للشباب

وتقام مباراة المغرب والأرجنتين فجر الإثنين، 20 أكتوبر الجاري، في تمام الساعة الثانية صباحًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، والثانية عشر بتوقيت المغرب.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Tottenham Hotspur has been the home to numerous top-level talents over recent years, with the hierarchy nailing the club’s recruitment strategy.

Big money has undoubtedly been splashed to improve their squad as of late, but many of their additions have been worthwhile and have improved the options already in North London.

Eyebrows were raised when Brennan Johnson joined the Lilywhites, with the board forking out £47.5m to secure his services from fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest.

His early days were tricky to say the least, leading to abuse from sections of the fanbase, but he’s endured a magnificent rise that saw him end last season as the club’s top-scorer, even netting the winner in the Europa League final.

At just 24, he has bags of time to build on his impressive start to life in North London, potentially following in the footsteps of one of his compatriots at the club.

Gareth Bale’s time at Tottenham Hotspur

Winger Gareth Bale will go down as one of Spurs’ best-ever players after his impact during his time in the first team, starring for the Lilywhites on two separate occasions.

The Welsh international originally featured at left-back, before his hat-trick against Inter Milan in the Champions League catapulted him into a forward role – one that would change his career trajectory massively.

He registered 71 goals during his two stints in North London, with 26 of his efforts coming in the 2012/13 season, leading to his eventual £85m move to European giants Real Madrid.

However, he returned in the 2020/21 campaign on loan from the LaLiga side, scoring 16 times in his 34 appearances – being one of three players to register double figures that campaign.

The Welshman became renowned for his ability to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, often creating a moment of magic that allowed supporters to get off their seats.

Current boss Thomas Frank must wish he had a player of his quality currently at his disposal, potentially having just that had former chairman Daniel Levy kept hold of one talent.

The former Spurs player who could’ve been Frank’s own Bale

As previously mentioned, Spurs have shifted their attention to recruiting younger talents in recent months – a strategy that allows the club to have players to make an immediate and long-term impact in North London.

Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, the Lilywhites first-team squad currently has an average age of 25.1 – the fourth youngest in the division – with Frank able to develop the players into the side he desires.

Their starting eleven against Bournemouth last weekend contained just one player over the age of 29, which hugely highlights the current recruitment operation in North London.

Such a focus has been evident in the past, when the hierarchy decided to fork out £25m for the signature of 18-year-old Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham back in 2019.

Despite his tender age, he racked up over 100 appearances for the Cottagers, scoring 25 times, leading to his big-money move to North London – similar to that of Bale from Southampton in 2007.

Both possessed a similar style of play, subsequently able to operate in any position down the left-hand side or even able to feature in any attacking position on the opposite flank.

Such a move generated huge excitement within the fanbase, but it’s safe to say that the move was slightly unsuccessful, with injuries massively plaguing his time at the club.

Games played

16

Goals & assists

6

Pass accuracy

82%

Chances created

1.9

Cross success

31%

Successful dribbles

1.3

Tackles won

2.1

Duels won

7.3

Sessegnon, who was labelled an “incredible” talent by Jacek Kulig, only made 57 appearances over a five-year spell at the Lilywhites, with numerous hamstring issues preventing him from making an impact.

The 25-year-old racked up three goals during such a time period, but was let go at the end of his contract in 2024, rejoining former side Fulham on a free transfer last summer.

Whilst there’s no denying he didn’t possess the same talent as Bale, his playstyle was similar to that of the Lilywhites legend – but ultimately struggled to demonstrate that on a regular basis.

It’s a shame such a move failed to work out, but Frank missed out on the opportunity to try and work with the Englishman, with Sessegnon forever remaining a case of what could’ve been in North London.

Sold for £28m: Levy hit gold axing Spurs flop now worth less than Bissouma

Tottenham Hotspur made the right call by allowing one player to leave the club in recent years.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 5, 2025