As the Premier League campaign draws near and they continue their summer business, reports are now claiming that Tottenham Hotspur have launched an approach to sign a Barcelona midfielder.
Palhinha reveals delight at Premier League return
After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White, who opted to sign a new contract at Nottingham Forest instead of joining up with Thomas Frank’s side, a new midfielder always seemed on the Tottenham agenda. And whilst Joao Palhinha is a different type of player to Gibbs-White, he will offer the Lilywhites the reinforcement that they’ve been craving.
Delighted to be back in the Premier League following a tough year at Bayern Munich, Palhinha – on paper – is the perfect midfielder for Frank’s hard-working, combative midfield.
It wouldn’t even be absurd to suggest that the ex-Fulham man could be the Dane’s new version of Christian Norgaard, who thrived under his management at Brentford before leaving for Arsenal this summer.
Bayern Munich's Joao Palhinha in action against Bayer Leverksen.
That said, Palhinha isn’t the only midfield name to find himself on Tottenham’s radar following their Gibbs-White disappointment earlier in the summer transfer window.
Tottenham make first Casado approach
As reported by Sport in Spain, and relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham made an approach to sign Marc Casado from Barcelona before they secured Palhinha’s signature.
The 21-year-old is free to leave the La Liga giants for around €30m (£26m) this summer and, although he reportedly turned down the chance to complete a move the first time around, it will be interesting to see whether Spurs come calling with a second attempt to secure his arrival this month.
Praised for his “superb attitude” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Barcelona’s loss could quickly become Tottenham’s gain if they managed to convince Casado into a move this summer. Whilst Palhinha’s arrival does ease their desperation for another midfielder, the chance to sign a La Masia graduate is not one that the Lilywhites should turn down.
Barcelona's Marc Casado against Benfica.
At just 21 years old, the Spaniard would be the long-term option that Palhinha – at 30 years old – can’t guarantee Frank’s side, especially given that they have no obligation to buy the latter after his loan spell next summer.
Tottenham Hotspur are “pushing to sign” an “unbelievable finisher”, and an offer has now been made, reliable reporter Ben Jacobs has revealed.
Tottenham keen on new attacker despite dominant opening day victory
Tottenham kicked off their 2025-25 Premier League campaign in perfect fashion, securing a 3-0 victory at home against newly-promoted Burnley, and new signing Mohammed Kudus certainly caught the eye with his performance.
The Ghanaian winger chipped in with two assists on his league debut for Spurs, with Richarlison bagging a brace and Brennan Johnson also getting on the scoresheet, underlining the quality Thomas Frank has at his disposal in attacking areas.
However, given that Son Heung-min has now departed for LAFC, and James Maddison is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an ACL injury, it will be important for Frank to bolster his options in attack further ahead of the September 1st deadline.
It has been clear that Tottenham have wanted an attacking midfielder for quite some time, having missed out on Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White earlier this summer, but they now appear to be closing in on a deal to sign a different England international.
Indeed, according to an update from Jacobs on X, Tottenham have now made an offer in the region of £55m – £60m for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who could complete a move to north London as soon as next week.
The structure of the deal is still under discussion, but it is now looking increasingly likely Eze will move across the capital, given that Spurs are “pushing to sign” the Palace star, and he “wants to join”.
Eze is expected to start for Palace against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, though.
"Unbelievable" Eze could be statement signing for Spurs
Tottenham will have been very frustrated to have missed out on Gibbs-White earlier this summer, but the Palace star would arguably be an even better signing, having outperformed his England teammate in terms of attacking contributions last season.
Player
Appearances (all comps)
Combined G/A
Eberechi Eze
43
25
Morgan Gibbs-White
38
17
Oliver Glasner was also left impressed by his talisman’s performances in the 2024-25 campaign, saying: “He’s always dangerous because he has the quality and ability at 1-1, he’s such an unbelievable finisher, in some situations he can improve, he’s a guy who can always score and he’s someone who everyone likes.”
Frank identifies third £60m top Tottenham target with Eze and Savinho
The Spurs boss personally wants him.
ByEmilio Galantini Aug 17, 2025
With Maddison set to miss the majority of the campaign due to injury, it is imperative that Tottenham bring in at least one more attacking midfielder this summer, and having already proven himself in the Premier League, Eze would be the ideal addition to Frank’s squad.
Tottenham Hotspur are widely reported to be in talks over a deal for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, but he isn’t their only playmaking target, as chairman Daniel Levy assesses alternative options too.
A dramatic late move for Eze would seriously help to put a pretty miserable recent few weeks behind Spurs.
In the space of a few days in early August, Thomas Frank was forced to both wave an emotional goodbye to club legend Son Heung-min and find a way to cope without the creative influence of James Maddison.
Since Son’s departure, Cristian Romero has replaced the South Korean as captain of the Lilywhites, but Frank is still attempting to fill the gaping void left by Maddison’s serious injury.
Hearts were in mouths when the 28-year-old collapsed to the turf and was stretched off against Newcastle in Seoul, and it has since been confirmed that Maddison will miss most of the 2025/2026 season after suffering an ACL rupture.
Before losing Son and Maddison in different respects, Tottenham missed out on a £60m deal for Morgan Gibbs-White in the most bizarre fashion imaginable.
The original plan was to complement Maddison with Gibbs-White’s arrival, but in a sorry state of affairs, Frank heads into the new season with neither – despite going as far as to book a medical for the latter last month.
Tottenham Hotspur manager ThomasFrankreacts after the match
Dejan Kulusevski’s lengthy lay-off with an injury compounds Tottenham’s troubles, but their newly-opened talks for Eze have sparked some hope that the north Londoners can back Frank with a much-needed new creator before the summer deadline.
Spurs are in negotiations to sign both Eze and Man City winger Savinho in separate deals right now, but as we’ve seen from their transfer window so far, Tottenham’s business is rarely so straightforward.
If a deal cannot be done for Eze, the club do have fallback targets, and one of them is Como sensation Nico Paz.
Tottenham weighing up Como starlet Nico Paz after alleged rejected bid
Last week, Sky Italia reporter Gianluca Di Marzio reported that Tottenham had a £35 million offer rejected for Paz, but his colleague Michael Bridge now states that Frank’s side are still there for the Argentine.
According to Bridge, in a fresh Sky Sports update, it is believed that Tottenham are still weighing up Paz as an option in their search for a number 10, but it could be a very difficult deal to do.
“The main players Spurs want are a No 10, a defender and a winger,” reported Bridge in a Q&A.
“Eberechi Eze is a player who’s been on their radar for some time. But before now, it’s never gone beyond someone they’ve got an interest in.
“Now the Crystal Palace midfielder can be considered among their top targets. They are also assessing other targets, including Como’s Nico Paz – but that is looking like a difficult deal to do.”
Cesc Fabregas’ Como have set a valuation of around £60 million for the 20-year-old, which is a similar price to Eze, and could arguably be viewed as much more of a gamble.
Paz has just one full season of regular football under his belt, with Spurs in need of a more proven playmaker right now, despite some praise from footballing icon Lionel Messi.
“Nico has many qualities and understands the game perfectly,” said Messi.
“He has an impressive mind and is working with a coach who is my friend (Cesc Fabregas) who will help him grow even more.”
Leeds United are pushing to complete some late deals in the window and could now be set to up the ante in pursuit of an exciting attacker who has been made available by his club, according to a report.
Leeds United looking to complete one or two more deals
Daniel Farke hasn’t been shy about emphasising that his side need to improve their squad to stand a chance of staying in the Premier League, and the German coach has let slip that there could be one or two more incomings at Elland Road before the close of play.
Speaking before his side take on Newcastle United, he stated when asked about further additions and outgoings: “I can confirm Largie (Ramazani) and Isaac (Schmidt) have been allowed to travel to talk with other clubs. Not confirmed yet but we expect this to happen.
Leeds United's Daniel James, manager DanielFarkeand Mateo Joseph
“It makes no sense to give you a percentage right now (on the amount of potential new arrivals), if one or two, we will see.”
With Kalvin Phillips potentially rejoining Leeds United, cover in midfield may now be on the horizon following injuries to Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu.
Vowing to find ‘solutions’ rather than wallowing over missing individuals, Getafe star Christantus Uche is also on the Whites’ radar after his move to Wolverhampton Wanderers stalled.
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One victory in the top-flight coupled with a heavy defeat to Arsenal has left supporters feeling there is work still to be done, hammered home again by Leeds’ midweek EFL Cup exit to Sheffield Wednesday on penalties.
Nevertheless, help could be on the way in the next few days if reports are to be believed, which suggest that Farke could be presented with a golden chance to land a talented attacker.
Leeds United could look to secure Emiliano Buendia
According to Football Insider, Leeds are keen on Aston Villa star Emiliano Buendia after he was put up for sale to help the Villans balance their books in light of recent PSR concerns.
Pete O’Rourke stated on his situation: “Aston Villa would be willing to let [Buendia] move on, just to help their cash flow and balance the books.
Five similar players to Emiliano Buendia (FBRef)
Facundo Buonanotte
Brighton & Hove Albion
Kamory Doumbia
Brest
Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool
Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid
Ernest Nuamah
Lyon
“Let’s wait and see – Leeds United are in the market for a number 10, and Buendia would tick a lot of boxes. There’s also been interest from Stuttgart in Germany, and there will be a number of clubs looking at Buendia as a potential signing right up to the deadline.”
Intriguingly, Buendia and Leeds target Facundo Buonanotte, who now looks to be heading to Chelsea, are cited for their similarities as players. Both rank in the 99th percentile for wingers across Europe’s top five leagues in tackles per 90, suggesting Farke is keen to get a playmaker who can lead his press from the front.
Last term, the Argentina international spent time on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and registered two goals in 14 appearances, albeit he didn’t manage to produce his best form.
Labelled “fantastic” by Rio Ferdinand, Buendia, who earns £75,000 per week at Aston Villa, is someone who has shown his quality in the top-flight before and could provide the creative fusion needed to spice up Farke’s attacking areas.
Jadon Sancho to Aston Villa looks to be a matter of when and not if, with the Englishman following Marcus Rashford in moving to the Midlands side from Old Trafford.
It has not been made clear whether there will be an option or obligation to buy the winger at the end of the season, but he will spend 2025/26 in the West Midlands.
He might not be the only creative player who joins Villa before the window slams shut at 7pm today, either.
Aston Villa exploring another deal alongside Sancho
With the deal to sign Sancho on loan all but confirmed, Villa will move on to their next target. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the Villans are now closing in on a move for Harvey Elliot to join Unai Emery’s ranks.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Liverpool star is set to sign on a season-long loan deal, although it would include an obligation to buy as part of that initial temporary switch. According to Ornstein, the Reds are looking for a fee in the region of £35m, should such a clause be included.
Why Elliot would be a good signing
Described as a “diamond” by football scout Antonio Mango, England under-21 international Elliot has impressed for Liverpool. However, with the quality they have in creative areas, such as Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz, it is hard for him to break into the side.
However, his quality is undeniable. He has made 149 appearances for the Reds, with 15 goals and 21 assists to his name. His best campaign came in 2023/24, which was Jurgen Klopp’s final season. Elliot scored three goals and assisted nine in 33 Premier League games.
The former Fulham player shone in the recent under-21 European Championships, too. He was a pivotal part of England retaining their title, scoring five goals in six games and even skippering the side in their final group stage clash.
It is easy to see how Elliot could become the second coming of Morgan Rogers at Villa Park. The newly-crowned PFA Young Player of the Year winner has been sensational under Emery since his move to the West Midlands.
In 73 appearances so far, he’s found the back of the net on 17 occasions and has also chalked up the same number of assists.
Last season in the Premier League, he scored eight times and created 11 goals for his teammates.
It is easy to draw comparisons between the two players. Both are young English talents who excel at operating between the lines and creating chances.
On top of that, they’ve each played for huge clubs, with Rogers coming through the Manchester City academy, and Elliot, of course, at Liverpool.
Liverpool's HarveyElliottcelebrates
Statistically, you can compare the players and see the similarities. In the last two Premier League campaigns, Elliot has averaged 2.46 key passes and 2.83 progressive carries per 90 minutes.
As for Rogers, he’s played an average of 1.44 key passes and completed 3.26 progressive carries on average each game.
Goals and assists
0.63
0.53
Key passes
2.46
1.44
Progressive passes
9.01
3.62
Progressive carries
2.83
3.26
Ball recoveries
4.87
3.6
Signing Elliot could be a huge addition for Villa. He is certainly similar to Rogers, given the playmaking ability he possesses in the final third. For a fee of around £40m, this could be a bargain for Emery and for Monchi on deadline day.
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Aston Villa are still searching for new attackers, even amid Jadon Sancho’s impending move to the Midlands
Manchester United were swept aside by their neighbours in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
There’s no sugarcoating it: Ruben Amorim has some serious issues to overcome, and the whispers of yet another managerial change at Old Trafford are getting louder.
The Etihad Stadium is a tough ground for any club across the globe, and United have a good record on their rivals’ patch, but the manner of the 3-0 defeat to keep Amorim shackled to the lower levels of the Premier League has increased the pressure and then some. Chelsea, you will need no reminder, travel to the Theatre next weekend.
Benjamin Sesko blanked, but the blame cannot be placed solely upon the new striker, devoid of service and limited to seven touches. Sofascore record the Slovenian’s heat map to actually be rather deep, evidence of struggles within a barren final third.
But INEOS spent big on the 23-year-old goalscorer this summer, and the fact that thus far Amorim is failing to get a tune out of him and indeed the wider United system is hugely concerning.
Benjamin Sesko's performance vs City
Amorim doubled down post-match on his plan to maintain the tactical set-up which has proved such a troubling talking point over the turbulent duration of the Portuguese’s reign.
While Sesko was completely anonymous against Pep Guardiola’s outfit, he was indeed starved of support. Hemmed in United were not, but they were inefficient on the counter and struggled for purchase in the final third.
This was a tough maiden starting berth in the Premier League for a young and talented striker, one who opted for Old Trafford in spite of the vested interests of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United last month.
Sesko wasn’t blameless. The former RB Leipzig man made a couple of heavy touches and should have made more of his chance against Gigi Donnarumma, chipping tamely toward the debutant goalkeeper.
Bought over from Germany for a £74m fee this summer to replace Rasmus Hojlund, there are perhaps concerns from some on the red side of Manchester that INEOS have just repeated the same mistake.
But it’s early days yet. And, in fact, there was another starting star on Sunday who might actually be shaping into Amorim’s next version of the Denmark centre-forward, who joined Napoli on loan before the transfer deadline several weeks back.
Amorim's new Hojlund at Man United
Without a doubt, Hojlund fell by the wayside at Manchester United. It was only two years ago that Erik ten Hag welcomed the young forward to England, signing him from Atalanta on a £72m deal.
The 22-year-old’s first term was solid if unspectacular, but he fell to a new low last year, ridiculed for his anonymity at number nine, scoring just four Premier League goals all season.
Sesko will be directly tied to his predecessor all year long, but it’s actually Patrick Dorgu who might be shaping into the new Hojlund.
Dorgu, 20, has been spun into a wing-back role in Amorim’s 3-5-2-1 formation, and it’s not working. For one, his crosses leave plenty to be desired, and he is proving ineffective despite operating within the exact tactical parameters Amorim demands of him.
To put that another way, the Danish wideman might not be the solution, which is rather damning given Amorim championed the £25m signing of the Lecce talent last January to help define the system he so firmly stresses will shape United for the duration of his tenure.
It wasn’t all bad in the derby; Dorgu was right in the thick of the action, but his crossing was woeful, and the Manchester Evening News branded him with a 4/10 match rating.
Patrick Dorgu
Man City
12
Bryan Mbeumo
Burnley
9
Joshua Zirkzee
Burnley
9
Bryan Mbeumo
Man City
9
Amad Diallo
Burnley
7
According to data platform Sofascore, Dorgu won 11 duels, created three key passes and won four tackles against Man City, but this wasn’t enough to disguise a pitiful attempt to inject creativity into Amorim’s ranks, with analyst Dharnish Iqbal remarking that he “hasn’t provided the crosses” despite being funnelled the ball with regularity.
Dorgu, let’s be clear, is a talented young player with the potential to succeed in the Premier League. Hojlund was the same, both arriving from Italian shores. But he seems to have taken on a talismanic role in Amorim’s system that he is unfit for, and so the Portuguese tactician falls ever closer toward the exit.
Given the seeming importance of Dorgu’s role – much like Hojlund’s limp displays last season came to the direct detriment of United’s wider system – it’s rather concerning that he doesn’t appear fit for the role, only completing one of five attempted dribbles against the Citizens as a further underscoring of that argument.
Sesko will often be scapegoated; this is the life of a forward. However, he’s a tall striker and won three aerial battles against City. Even so, Dorgu struggled to provide accurate crosses having been played into space, and that is an issue.
Hojlund, similarly, suffered more criticism than most last term, but he didn’t miss that many big chances, and United were culpable of a dried well of support toward the young man.
Dorgu has already shown this season an aptitude for the attacking side of the game, but so too has he proven himself unworthy of a nailed-on starting berth, and that is exactly what Amorim has entrusted him with, with this being the Dane’s third full 90 of the Premier League campaign already.
Might Amorim need to make an alteration? Wing-backs are instrumental in the manager’s machine working at full capacity, and so his reliance on Dorgu is understandable.
But it doesn’t appear to be working well enough, and if that is the case, and Amorim is unwilling to change, as has been his own declaration, then where do the Red Devils go from here?
Man Utd have two players to blame for Sesko's nightmare first start
Benjamin Sesko was an isolated figure during his first start for Manchester United.
When Alexander Isak left Newcastle United in the summer to join the Premier League champions Liverpool, they replaced him with the signings of Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, but neither replacement has really settled into the departing Swede’s role just yet.
Wissa is yet to make his debut following an injury on international duty, and Woltemade has been handled delicately by Eddie Howe. The Newcastle boss faced questions after the Barcelona game about why Woltemade didn’t receive more minutes: “It’s hard enough for him to come into a new league – and you could see the physical effects he felt with Wolves and then the quick turnaround again.”
There have already been reports that Newcastle are looking to bring in a third striker, with links to a loan move for Real Madrid’s Endrick. However, it now looks like the Magpies are looking further ahead and considering bringing in another permanent new face.
Newcastle ready to pounce if Juventus can't agree new Vlahović deal
Another striker Newcastle could bring in next summer is Juventus’ Dušan Vlahović. Although Juve were willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old in the summer, they would like to keep him if the two parties can settle the disparity between the wages the club wants to provide and what Vlahović wants to receive, which currently sit at around £373,000-a-week.
However, TeamTalk have reported that if a new contract is not agreed by January, then Newcastle will be free to enter negotiations with Vlahović about bringing him to St James’ Park in the summer. It looks like Juventus will attempt one last push as the report indicates that “serious talks over his future are expected before the end of the year” and that Vlahović will weigh up his options in January.
Vlahović is reportedly willing to test himself with a move to the Premier League, and although there have previously been other English suitors, Newcastle may not face domestic competition for him. Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United have all previously shown interest but have all since brought in expensive strikers of their own. West Ham also reportedly explored the deal but will likely be priced out of it.
Talented Vlahović could saturate striker spot
Serie A legend Christian Vieri has previously described Vlahović as a “top striker” and “one of the best young talents in the world”. Since these quotes, Vlahović has been impressive, but it looks like this season he is taking his game to the next level.
So far this season, the Serbia star has registered seven goal involvements in eight appearances. If he plays 41 games like he did last season, then he is on track to end the campaign with 35 goals + assists, 15 more than last year.
Vlahović would likely be a good player in the Premier League, but the difficulty for Eddie Howe would be balancing the expectations for minutes between him, Wissa and Woltemade, especially the latter, who is a similarly imposing figure and in need of development.
If Newcastle can secure their place as a team that regularly qualifies for the Champions League and goes deep in the competition, then there will be more games available to help satisfy the desire for minutes.
It wouldn’t be hyperbole to suggest West Ham United are already in something of a crisis this season.
The fans staged a sizable and understandable protest outside the ground on Saturday afternoon, and the team are in freefall.
Graham Potter has overseen six games so far, losing five and winning just one, which has left them out of the League Cup and near the bottom of the Premier League.
In short, the club need to find a replacement for the manager, and fortunately, it looks like they have someone who could be perfect for Lucas Paqueta.
West Ham target Potter upgrade
With how badly they have been performing, it’s not been a surprise to see West Ham linked with a host of managers in recent weeks.
Manager Focus
One of the less inspiring names touted for the role has been Gary O’Neil, who has been out of work since being fired by Wolverhampton Wanderers last year.
Likewise, former Everton manager Sean Dyche, who has also been out of work for a while, has been linked with the club.
However, there is yet another free manager who has been linked with the job, someone who now looks to be one of the frontrunners.
At least that is according to a recent report by journalist Jacob Steinberg, who claims West Ham are still interested in Slaven Bilic.
In fact, he goes further, revealing that those near to David Sullivan are urging him to hire the Croatian and that.
However, Steinberg also makes it clear that the club’s former manager would only join on an interim basis as Nuno Espírito Santo remains their primary target.
In all, while some might be underwhelmed, we believe this would be a great short-term hire and a move that could unlock more from attacking players like Paqueta.
Why Bilic would be good for West Ham and Paqueta
So, the first thing to say is that even if some would be unimpressed by this appointment, Bilic would undoubtedly be an improvement on Potter.
After all, the Croatian’s record of 1.43 points per game when he was in charge of the club is far better than the Englishman’s current average of just 0.92 points per game.
However, when we dig a little deeper, we can see some of the other reasons he would be better than the former Chelsea boss, such as the attacking output of the club.
Games
109
25
Wins
42
6
Draws
30
5
Losses
37
14
Points per Game
1.43
0.92
Goals Scored
160
30
Goals Conceded
167
41
During his tenure in East London, the Croatian coach’s squad scored 160 goals in 109 games, which averages out to 1.46 goals per game.
For comparison’s sake, Potter’s side have scored just 30 goals in 25 games, which is a far less impressive average of 1.2 per game.
In other words, the “absolutely immense” Split-born manager, as dubbed by former professional Lee Hendrie, set up to entertain as well as win, and in the process, supercharged the offensive players in his side, notably, Dimitri Payet.
During his time in the capital, the Frenchman scored 15 goals and provided 22 assists in 60 games, working out to a goal involvement every 1.62 games.
Yet, it wasn’t just the output with the dynamic ace, as his overall play was a sight to behold, and even earned him a Ballon d’Or nomination in 2017.
Now, we are not saying Paqueta would reach quite those levels, but he’s clearly not playing at his best under Potter, and as the former Hammers boss’s side was so much more entertaining, there is every chance the Brazilian would step it up a level under him.
Ultimately, West Ham need to make a change fast, and while he wouldn’t be a great long-term choice, Bilic would be a brilliant interim hire to steady the ship this season.
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The vastly experienced manager would be a massive upgrade on Potter and is just what West Ham need.
Looking ahead to 2026, Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign a former Real Madrid defender alongside a number of Premier League rivals.
David Moyed "thrilled" with Crystal Palace win
Without a win in four games in all competitions and heading into the Hill Dickinson to host a Crystal Palace side without a defeat in 19 games, Everton looked destined for an uphill battle on Sunday. The Eagles had just defeated the Premier League champions in Liverpool and were after another Merseyside scalp – taking the lead through Daniel Munoz.
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From there, it seemed as though Everton were set to hand Palace the 20-game unbeaten run that they were after, only for the Hill Dickinson to get its most dramatic moment yet.
After equalising through Iliman Ndiaye in the final 15 minutes, the stage was set for someone to become a hero and that someone was Jack Grealish. The Manchester City loanee was perfectly placed to benefit from Munoz’s clearance and simply deflected home to hand his side a 93rd-minute winner.
David Moyes, like every Everton fan inside the Hill Dickinson, was left “thrilled” by his side’s dramatic comeback – telling reporters: “I’m thrilled with the three points, thrilled with the result.
“Mixed emotions on the performance. Not very good at all in the first half and could have been three down, but kept defending, kept stuck at it, showed a bit of resilience.
“I’ve been waiting on a late goal here. Aston Villa was 0-0, we couldn’t quite get the winner against West Ham, so I was hoping we’d get one of them. Thankfully, we got it today.”
Having sealed the three points, Moyes’ side now sit as high as eighth in the Premier League and providing an early marker to become shock contenders for a European place – something that should boost their transfer ambitions.
Everton join race to sign Mario Gila
According to The Boot Room, Everton have joined the race to sign Mario Gila from Lazio in 2026. The former Real Madrid defender has attracted interest from all around the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth all joining Everton in the battle to secure his signature.
It’s no real surprise that interest is rising in the 25-year-old, who has been one of few bright sparks in Maurizio Sarri’s struggling Lazio side.
Former Lazio sporting director Igli Tare was also full of praise for the Spanish defender after signing him from Real Madrid, saying: “He is fast, intelligent and never puts a foot wrong. He can become one of the top 3-4 defenders in the world and it wouldn’t surprise me if Real wanted him back.”
Considering concerns that Jarrad Branthwaite could still leave Everton, Gila wouldn’t exactly be a bad signing to welcome in 2026. The Spaniard is at the peak of his powers and already has impressive experience under his belt.
It would be yet another ambitious move from The Friedkin Group, who’d be signing a former Real Madrid gem ahead of their rivals.
Tottenham Hotspur swooped to appoint Thomas Frank as their new head coach ahead of the summer transfer window after they opted to remove Ange Postecoglou from his post.
The Australian manager won the Europa League at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, beating Manchester United in the final, but that was not enough for him to save his job.
Daniel Levy, who has since moved on from his role as chairman, parted ways with Postecoglou and snapped Frank up from Brentford, where he had won promotion to the Premier League and established the Bees in the division.
Four wins, two draws, and one defeat in the first seven matches of the top-flight campaign suggest that Spurs made a good decision when they changed managers this summer.
In his unveiling, the club’s official website noted that one of the reasons why Frank landed the job was that he has a proven track record in developing players.
Tottenham will now be hoping that he can work wonders with the plethora of talented young players at his disposal in North London, as he did with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Kevin Schade, and Yoane Wissa at Brentford.
Ranking Tottenham's most valuable U21 players
Whilst Frank could develop players of any age, the powers that be at Spurs may hope that he can develop the U21 players at the club to help them grow in value.
Tottenham have a rich history of developing and selling players. Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, both sold to Real Madrid, are notable examples, whilst Harry Kane came through the youth ranks before moving on to Bayern Munich in 2023 as the club’s all-time record goalscorer.
The Lilywhites may not have their next Kane in the making at the club at the moment, but they do have several impressive young stars who could have bright futures under an outstanding coach like Frank.
Spurs have four players aged 21 or under in their squad who are currently valued at £17m or more by Transfermarkt, which shows that several impressive young talents are waiting to explode in North London.
Lucas Bergvall
19
£33m
Archie Gray
19
£33m
Mathys Tel
20
£30m
Wilson Odobert
20
£17m
Kota Takai
21
£2m
Dane Scarlett
21
£2m
As you can see in the table above, Lucas Bergvall is the joint-most valuable U21 player in the squad, and he has emerged as an early favourite under Frank.
The Sweden international has started four of his six appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist, which shows that the manager has taken a liking to him.
Spurs will be hoping that Bergvall benefits from this exposure to regular starts in the top-flight to emerge as a star for Frank in the middle of the park.
Archie Gray is currently valued at £33m, the same as the Swedish starlet, but he has only made two appearances and started once in the Premier League so far this season.
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Whilst Bergvall is seemingly Frank’s favourite U21 player at the club at the moment, the England U21 international has the potential to develop into a Bukayo Saka-esque talent for Tottenham if he gets more game time in his favoured position.
How Archie Gray can become Tottenham's Bukayo Saka
At the start of Saka’s Arsenal career, Mikel Arteta played the English star at left-back 21 times, in central midfield five times, and at left midfield 29 times, per Transfermarkt.
This shows that the left-footed youngster had to play in several roles before nailing down a regular spot in his favoured position on the right flank, where he has scored 47 goals and provided 40 assists in 137 starts.
Gray has suffered through his versatility throughout his senior career to date. 30 of his 49 starts for Leeds came at right-back. 34 of his appearances for Spurs have come at right-back, centre-back, or left-back. Meanwhile, he has started just 13 matches as a central midfielder, his favoured role, in that time, per Transfermarkt.
13 starts as a central midfielder, the position he grew up playing at academy level, in more than two years as a first-team player for Leeds and Spurs shows that he has not had many opportunities to develop in his long-term position.
Gray finally had the chance to play in central midfield for England’s U21s against Moldova last week and caught the eye with an impressive and well-rounded display in the middle of the park.
Minutes
90
Pass accuracy
94%
Long pass accuracy
100% (3/3)
Dribble success rate
100% (3/3)
Ball recoveries
5
Ground duels won
3/4
Aerial duels won
1/1
As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old star put in a sublime performance in and out of possession, as he was effective as a passer and a dribbler, whilst also being almost perfect defensively.
This shows that he has the potential to deliver quality displays as a midfielder, despite playing so many other positions ahead of his best one at senior level to date.
Gray, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed was “born to play football”, could realise his potential at Tottenham if Frank plays him in his best role for an extended run of matches.
Analyst Ben Mattinson once claimed that the England U21 international is a “future £100m CM”, and it is not a crazy prediction when you consider that he is currently valued at £33m, having barely played in his natural position.
Gray has 30 matches of Premier League experience under his belt and has won the Europa League with Spurs, but the next step is for him to nail down a regular spot in the XI in the middle of the park.
Frank could, then, unearth his own Saka-type player as the former Leeds starlet could follow in the Arsenal superstar’s footsteps by transitioning from playing out of position at full-back to being a star in his natural position.
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