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While the big two tussled on Sunday evening, Manchester United couldn’t be further from a title challenge, with Erik ten Hag’s side already six points off the summit after only five Premier League games of the new campaign.

After the lows of losing to Liverpool, however, things have begun to pick up in recent weeks, with Saturday’s stalemate away to Crystal Palace seeing United record a third successive clean sheet.

Having notably struck the crossbar twice in what was a dominant first-half showing, the visitors should well have walked away with a win from Selhurst Park, with positive signs emerging in that opening 45, in particular.

That controlled performance was in stark contrast to the chaos of last season, with the influx of Ten Hag’s former Ajax assets, in particular, perhaps set to allow the Dutchman to finally implement his desired style of play.

Among the star performers on the day was one of those familiar faces that the 54-year-old has acquired in recent times, marking himself out as arguably the best of the bench with regard to Ten Hag’s recruitment to date.

Ten Hag's best signings at Man Utd

When reeling off those who have thrived under Ten Hag’s watch since arriving at Old Trafford, it’s not exactly a long list, with it having been a real mixed bag of incomings thus far.

That said, there have been a few notable success stories, with Lisandro Martinez certainly among them, the Argentine warrior previously described as one of the club’s “best signings”in years by Patrice Evra.

At £56.7m, however, the 26-year-old wasn’t exactly a bargain buy, while his struggles with injury in recent seasons represent a small black mark next to his name.

Elsewhere, the purchase of centre-back partner Matthijs de Ligt already looks to be an astute capture, with the towering Dutchman notably scoring in the 3-0 win over Southampton, while another former Ajax man – Andre Onana – has seemingly shaken off his early woes, having produced a big double save at the weekend, after previously saving a penalty against the Saints.

Nods must also be given to last season’s top scorer Rasmus Hojlund – despite his own injury issues and £64m price tag – as well as veteran free agent Jonny Evans, although the pick of the bunch may well be that of new man, Noussair Mazraoui, even if it is still early days.

Mazraoui's market value in 2024

It might be crazy to give such an accolade to a player who has only made six appearances for the club so far, but the Moroccan machine has taken to life in the Premier League with relative ease, following his arrival from Bayern Munich.

In truth, it was a deal of little fanfare, with United splashing out just below £13m to sign the 26-year-old as a replacement for the departing Aaron Wan-Bissaka at full-back.

An attractive target due to his prior work with Ten Hag in Amsterdam – as well as his versatility to feature on either flank – Mazraoui was perhaps expected to be an able squad player this season, although his status already looks enhanced thus far.

As journalist Liam Canning has stated, the 29-cap international looks to be an “absolute bargain”, while the Stretford Paddock’s Ronaldo Brown has even gone as far as to suggest that he “has a shout at being the best player at United” already.

Hyperbole or not, the silky smooth defender has started in fine fashion, with his early displays – coupled with the ‘bargain’ nature of his transfer fee – ensuring he does certainly warrant the tag of being Ten Hag’s best value for money signing.

That is also rubberstamped by the fact that just a matter of months into his time in Manchester, the in-form ace is now said to be worth around £26, as per Transfermarkt, thus marking a rise of 100% in relation to his £13m transfer fee.

On the early evidence, United’s new number three will only see that value soar in the coming months and years, with the club having pulled off a rare steal by getting him in the door on the cheap.

In an era of costly, high-profile signings who have flattered to deceive, Mazraoui could well represent the reverse.

Man Utd star who Carragher totally rinsed has now become undroppable

He has been a key player for Ten Hag

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By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 19, 2024

Leeds United head into the international break with a sour taste in the mouth after a disappointing 2-2 draw away at Sunderland on Friday night.

The Whites appeared to be headed towards a brilliant 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light before an inexplicable error from Illan Meslier in the 97th minute handed the hosts a point.

Daniel Farke’s side had gone 1-0 down in the game during the first half after some sloppy defending allowed Chris Rigg to tap the ball into an empty net from close range.

However, the West Yorkshire outfit rallied brilliantly and found their equaliser through Joel Piroe, who superbly headed in a wonderful cross from Wilfried Gnonto on the flank.

Junior Firpo and Gnonto then linked up in the second half for the former to arrow a left-footed shot into the far bottom corner to put Leeds in front on Wearside.

Their fantastic work to get the game to 2-1 was then undone, though, deep into stoppage time as Meslier allowed a ball to bounce in front of him and then had to watch on as it spun away from his arm and into the back of the net.

It was another mistake from the French goalkeeper during his career at Elland Road, which has not gone from strength to strength as some may have hoped.

Illan Meslier's career with Leeds

In the summer of 2020, after the club’s promotion to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, Victor Orta splashed out a fee of £5m to sign the shot-stopper on a permanent deal from Lorient.

That came after he had kept an eye-catching seven clean sheets in ten matches in the Championship during his initial loan spell, to help the side to the title.

In those ten games, Meslier conceded four goals from a post-shot xG faced of 4.8 and this means that he prevented 0.8 more goals than the average goalkeeper would have been expected to from the quality of shots against his goal.

Unfortunately, the young Frenchman has failed to kick on since that impressive early loan spell and has underperformed as a shot-stopper in all five of his full seasons as the number one at Elland Road.

The 24-year-old did help Leeds to finish inside the top ten in their first season in the Premier League under Bielsa in the 2020/21 campaign and conceded 3.4 more than expected, which is not a dreadful underperformance given it was in the top-flight.

However, the left-footed dud went on to concede 146 goals in the next two seasons in the division, the latter of which ended in relegation for the Whites.

As you can see in the table above, Meslier conceded a whopping 28.6 more goals than expected across those two campaigns, which illustrates just how poorly he performed.

Things could have been so different for Leeds, though, if they had landed one of their other goalkeeping targets in the summer of 2020 – Emiliano Martinez.

Leeds United's interest in Emi Martinez

The Whites had just been promoted from the Championship, winning the title, and were looking at additions to bolster their squad for the upcoming season.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

In July of 2020, The Athletic’s Phil Hay replied to a supporter asking about interest in Manchester United’s Sergio Romero and revealed that the club were interested in Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, likening the two of them as similar fits.

At the time, both players were back-ups at their respective clubs. Although, the Argentine colossus had played nine games in the Premier League during the 2019/20 campaign after an injury to number one Bernd Leno.

Martinez remained at Arsenal in July and August before Aston Villa swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of £17m in September.

This meant that the Gunners giant was available for a transfer and attainable for Leeds had they decided to seriously pursue his services back in July, when Hay confirmed that the club were looking at him.

Ultimately, the West Yorkshire outfit ended that summer transfer window with Meslier as their permanent goalkeeper signing, and Martinez has gone from strength to strength in the midlands.

Emi Martinez's current market value

At the time of writing (06/10/2024), Transfermarkt has his current market value at €28m (£23.3m) and this shows that his value has soared during his time with Villa.

He has played 167 matches for the Villans in all competitions since his £17m move to the club in 2020, and kept 56 clean sheets in that time.

Martinez, who was hailed as “amazing” by Harry Kane after a 1-0 win for Villa over Bayern Munich in the Champions League this month, has been an impressive shot-stopper for the majority of his career with Villa so far.

As you can see in the table above, the former Arsenal titan has conceded fewer goals than expected, based on the post-shot xG of the efforts on his goal, in the Premier League to date – whereas Meslier conceded far, far, more than expected in his three seasons in the top-flight.

Martinez has also caught the eye on the international stage for Argentina, winning the World Cup once and the Copa America twice, and his exploits for his country helped him to win the The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022.

His performances were so good at the World Cup in 2022 that the great Lionel Messi, as you can see in the post above, lauded him as “the best” goalkeeper in the world.

This means that Leeds missed out on signing a player who went on to become the world’s greatest goalkeeper and a World Cup winner, and got Meslier instead.

Not just Meslier: Farke must drop Leeds man who's bottom 3% for duels won

The Whites central defender continues to endure a frustrating season.

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By
Dan Emery

Oct 5, 2024

Neymar is training again for the first time since recently making a sensational return to boyhood club Santos from Al-Hilal.

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• Neymar in training after Santos return
• Brazilian has struggled with injuries
• Aiming to compete at next World Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazil international brought an end to an injury-plagued 18-month spell in Saudi Arabia as Al-Hilal terminated his contract to allow him to return to Santos.

  The ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain is already being put through his paces upon his return to his homeland as he looks to get back to full fitness.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite his lucrative move to the Middle East, Neymar managed just seven appearances in his time at Al-Hilal. This season he played twice, clocking up 42 minutes in total. Considering the 32-year-old's struggles with injuries in recent years, it could take some time before he is back to his best with Santos.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Neymar has his heart set on competing at the 2026 World Cup in Brazil and said he would be willing to play in any position for Santos to help their fight to win trophies in Brazil now that they are back in the top flight.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?

  While Neymar works his way back to full fitness, Santos are in action against Botafogo in the Campeonato Paulista this week.

Ederson makes Premier League history with his assist to Omar Marmoush for Manchester City's first goal against Newcastle on Saturday.

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• Ederson set up Marmoush for City's opener
• Now has six assists in the Premier League
• A new record in the English top-flight

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  His lofted pass to Marmoush for City’s opening goal at the Etihad saw him surpass Paul Robinson’s long-standing record for the most assists by a goalkeeper in England’s top flight. Since joining Manchester City in 2017, Ederson has now registered six assists in Premier League matches, overtaking Robinson, who recorded five assists during his stints with Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers and Burnley.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Brazilian shot-stopper’s creative contribution against Newcastle marked his third assist of the 2024-25 campaign, making him the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to register three assists in a single season. While Ederson is primarily known for his composure for short, precise passes to defenders, he also possesses the vision and technique to launch pinpoint long balls that create goal-scoring opportunities and his latest assist only adds to his reputation as one of the most technically gifted goalkeepers in the modern game.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ederson's tally for City now stands at seven assists across all competitions, with six coming in the Premier League and one in the Champions League. Notably, his assist to Raheem Sterling in the dying moments of a dramatic Champions League last-16 clash against Schalke in the 2018-19 season remains one of his most memorable contributions. His assists have also benefited some of City’s greatest attacking players, including Sergio Aguero, Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland. Interestingly, all six of his Premier League assists have come at home, showcasing his ability to exploit space at the Etihad Stadium and catch opposition defences off guard.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR EDERSON?

  With six Premier League titles and three Golden Gloves to his name, Ederson has already cemented his place as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history. However, he did come under the scanner for his mistakes against Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League playoff but the Brazilian will have the chance to redeem himself on the European stage during the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.

Fulham are already in contact over a potential January addition who could be available for as little as £4m as Marco Silva’s side look to continue their early season momentum.

Fulham start Premier League season strongly

Seven games into the 24/25 Premier League campaign, Fulham are just three points outside the top four after an excellent start to the campaign under Marco Silva. Though they lost Joao Palhinha over the summer, the arrivals of Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Joachim Andersen and Sander Berge have all helped Fulham begin the season in strong form.

The departures of veterans such as Willian and Bobby DeCordova Reid paved the way for a revamp at Craven Cottage, and the squad have bought into the new-look regime. They have lost just twice so far this season, and even in their 3-2 defeat to reigning Premier League champions Manchester City they had excellent chances to beat the Cityzens, with Adama Traore in particular squandering a pair of fine chances.

Their only other defeat has come at Old Trafford on the opening evening of the season, where they were beaten by a late Joshua Zirkzee goal after wasting plenty of good chances of their own, and there is a real feeling of optimism around West London about where the club could finish this season.

That will be put to the test in a favourable run of games ahead, with Fulham facing two sides without a win plus struggling Everton and Brentford in their next five games.

Fulham target international defender

TEAMtalk report that Marco Silva’s side have made contact with the agent of 9-cap Cameroon international defender Joyskim Dawa, who currently plies his trade for Steaua Bucharest. Standing at a massive 195cm tall (6 foot 4) the 28-year-old defender has impressed in the Europa League, something that has caught the attention of several clubs in England.

As per the report, Leeds and Everton are both also keen on signing the defender, but Fulham are the only club to have gone as far as to make contact over a potential move in the winter window. Any transfer would be relatively cheap, with Dawa having a £4m release clause in his contract with the Romanian giants.

Fulham now monitoring "outstanding" £17m Palhinha replacement open to move

He’s struggling for minutes at his current club…

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 10, 2024

A strong defender, he is also handy at the other end, scoring twice in five Champions League qualifiers this season and once in nine appearances in the Romanian top flight.

Fulham signed two new centre-backs over the summer, in the shape of Andersen and Jorge Cuenca, but should Dawa continue to impress they may feel that the £4m release clause is a bargain they cannot afford to miss out on as they look to make a push for European football next season.

Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman is expected to leave the Serie A club this summer following a war of words with manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

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• Lookman misses penalty in Champions League defeat
• Heavily criticised by manager Gasperini
• Forward planning summer exit from club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Atalanta were knocked out of the Champions League by Club Brugge after unexpectedly being beaten 5-2 on aggregate in their play-off tie. Lookman came off the bench to score in the second leg but then missed a penalty, after appearing to take the ball away from first-choice options Charles De Ketelaere and Mateo Retegui, and came in for harsh criticism from manager Gasperini afterwards, who called him "one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lookman had never missed a penalty for Atalanta before seeing his effort saved against Club Brugge and has since responded to his manager's "disrespectful" words. The forward admitted he has been saddened to have been singled out by his coach and said he had been instructed to take the spot-kick. According to Fabrizio Romano, Lookman will try to clarify the situation with Gasperini but will also aim to move on in the summer. The 27-year-old already had plans to leave Atalanta at the end of the season and remains eager to find a new club.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Lookman needed just 34 seconds to score against Club Brugge in the Champions League. His goal is the fastest by a substitute in the second half of a match in the history of the competition.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ATALANTA

  Lookman is an important player for Atalanta and fans will be hoping that he and manager Gasperini can put this unsavoury war of words behind them. The Serie A side are back in action on Sunday against Empoli and remain in the title race in Italy as they sit down in third place in the table, just five points behind leaders Napoli.

West Ham United are now preparing to axe a star of their first eleven, with manager Julen Lopetegui now personally deciding to be “ruthless” in an effort to save his job.

West Ham seal much-needed 2-1 win over Man United

On Sunday, Lopetegui breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing he bought himself some time, with the Hammers sealing a dramatic 2-1 win over Man United at the London Stadium.

West Ham now hold internal talks to sign £37,000-a-week European champion

He would be a statement signing by the Hammers, but could they get it done?

By
Ben Browning

Oct 27, 2024

United spurned many gaping opportunities that afternoon, most notably Diogo Dalot, who was bearing down on an open goal, only to blaze the ball over West Ham’s crossbar for what is surely a contender for miss of the season.

West Ham enjoyed a much better second half compared to the first 45, with Lopetegui making a trio of changes and bringing on Tomas Soucek, Crysencio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo.

The Spaniard’s tactical tweaks paid dividends, as fellow substitute Danny Ings provided an assist for Summerville to open the scoring from close range.

The Red Devils did threaten to spoil West Ham’s resurgence through Casemiro’s equaliser just under 10 minutes from full-time, but Jarrod Bowen’s stoppage-time penalty ensured Lopetegui sealed a much-needed win to ease the pressure on his shoulders.

It was seen as a battle of the managers heading into this contest, and Lopetegui ultimately prevailed, with United’s Erik ten Hag officially leaving his post just one day later as INEOS open talks with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.

West Ham’s head coach was crying out for this result, amid calls for Lopetegui to be sacked and claims that star winger Mohammed Kudus was growing frustrated and eyeing the West Ham exit door.

West Ham preparing to axe Lucas Paqueta as Lopetegui makes "ruthless" decision

One of the players to make way during West Ham’s win over United was star midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who was having little affect on the game and hasn’t exactly been at his best lately, amid an ongoing case over alleged spot-fixing.

Now, GiveMeSport are reporting that Lopetegui has personally decided to become “ruthless”, as the former Spain and Real Madrid boss attempts to maintain his position and turn the club’s fortunes around.

The Brazil international, when at his very best, is easily one of West Ham’s world-class crop alongside the likes of Kudus and Jarrod Bowen. Man City attempted an £80 million deal to sign Paqueta in the summer, but ultimately backed off over his FA allegations.

GMS claim that West Ham are preparing to axe Paqueta from the starting line up, ahead of their clash with Nuno Espirito Santo’s in-form Nottingham Forest, with the £150,000-per-week midfielder enduring a very tough time in east London right now.

Chelsea believe that an astonishing double deal could be just what they need to fix Enzo Maresca’s defence at Stamford Bridge, and are willing to pay a massive amount to get it done, according to a fresh report.

Question marks over Chelsea's defence

Chelsea’s Premier League defeat to Liverpool at Anfield may have been just their second of the season, but it raised plenty of questions about their defence.

First-choice centre-back Wesley Fofana was serving a suspension, which saw Maresca field Tosin Adarabioyo alongside Levi Colwill, with Malo Gusto asked to play at left-back in Marc Cucurella’s absence.

Signed on a free transfer, Tosin did little to inspire confidence in him as he turned in a shaky performance, picking up a yellow card just six minutes in before being substituted after 53 minutes.

Neither Axel Disasi nor Benoit Badiashile have done much to stake a claim for a first-team spot either, which leaves Maresca still seeking truly world-class defenders at Stamford Bridge following the departure of Thiago Silva.

As a result, the Blues are expected to return to the transfer market to add more defenders to their ranks and have been strongly linked with a move to sign RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba, who they are believed to have been scouting.

Now, a fresh report has claimed that the west London side are eyeing up a mammoth double deal.

Chelsea to raid Benfica in £83m move

That is according to reports in Spain, who claim that Chelsea are in the process of preparing a €100m (£83.3m) offer to sign two Benfica defenders.

The pair in question are highly rated duo Antonio Silva and Tomas Araujo, with Chelsea having been strongly linked with the latter recently and even seeing a bid turned down for his services last summer.

It is claimed that Silva is also attracting attention from Arsenal and Manchester United, but that Chelsea are ready to invest heavily in the Portuguese international in order to get a deal done.

Chelsea very keen to sign rising star as Boehly gifted possible £25m price

The west Londoners have taken note of his impressive exploits.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 26, 2024

Araujo, meanwhile, would arrive as a player for the future as much as for the present, in a similar manner to Renato Veiga’s arrival last summer, with the club seeing the Benfica duo as “a key opportunity to rejuvenate and improve their defensive lineup” amid ongoing uncertainty.

The 22-year-old can play at both right-back and centre-back and has started five times in Portugal’s top flight this season, where has partnered with 20-year-old Silva. He could provide cover both on the right side of defence and for injury-prone pair Gusto and Reece James when required.

Their arrivals would be unlikely to happen until the summer at the earliest, with Benfica almost certainly keen not to lose their first-choice defensive pairing in January, while it would probably also require Chelsea to make some major sales to make room for the duo.

With their current crop of defenders all tied to long-term contracts (the earliest expiry being in 2028), that could be far more easily said than done, a fact that could prove a major obstacle for this audacious deal.

Erik ten Hag has been accused of looking for "conflict" with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho during his time at Manchester United.

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• Ten Hag had issues with Ronaldo and Sancho
• Varane says he tried to rule through fear
• Dutchman was sacked earlier this season

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo left the Red Devils under a cloud in November 2022 following an interview in which he criticised the Dutch coach and the club. Meanwhile, Sancho's situation at the club deteriorated after Ten Hag criticised him in public, leading to the England international retaliating on social media and then being banished from the squad before he was eventually loaned to Chelsea this year.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ex-United defender Raphael Varane was also exiled for a period following a "robust discussion" before he left the club as a free agent last summer, and the Frenchman believes Ten Hag tends to seek out trouble with some of his players.

• WHAT VARANE SAID

  Varane told that Ten Hag tried to "gain respect through fear", citing the Ronaldo and Sancho sagas as examples, and added: “He always needed an example of a player who was alone the entire time he was at Manchester. He did that with at least one important player on the team. He was always in conflict with certain leaders of the group. That is his way of managing.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

  Ten Hag was sacked by United back in October after a dismal start to the season and is yet to make a return to the game. Under new coach Ruben Amorim, the Old Trafford club have dropped to 15th in the Premier League ahead of their weekend clash against Everton.

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Johan Lange has been in touch with the representatives of a £100m player ahead of the January transfer window, according to a report.

Tottenham's inconsistent start

Tottenham have made an inconsistent start to their Premier League campaign, with five wins, one draw and four defeats to their name after their opening 10 games, while they will also be disappointed with their 3-2 loss at Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursdsay.

However, Ange Postecoglou has made it clear that he aims to bring a trophy to north London in his second season with the club, which means that he may have to strengthen his squad in the upcoming transfer window.

The Lilywhites are currently the top scorers in the Premier League, but they continue to be linked with moves for attacking reinforcements, including Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers and Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Tottenham make contact with Jack Grealish's agents

Rogers and Hudson-Odoi clearly aren’t the only Premier League players on Spurs’ radar, however, as Football Transfers report that Lange has been in contact with the representatives of Manchester City winger Jack Grealish over a possible move.

The Tottenham sporting director reportedly came close to signing Grealish during the summer transfer window, and he is now back in contact with his agents to sound out a move this winter.

Given that Lange is Villa’s former sporting director, he was instrumental in the winger’s €117.5m (£100m) move to the Etihad Stadium, and the pair have retained a good relationship ever since, which could give the Lilywhites an advantage in negotiations.

The report also makes it clear that Postecoglou wants to bring in competition for Son Heung-min and James Maddison in the January transfer window, and Grealish is seen as a versatile option, capable of strengthening both positions and saving the club money.

Although the 29-year-old has not been a mainstay in City’s starting XI this season, he could well be a good signing for Tottenham at the right price, particularly considering the praise he has received from Pep Guardiola in the past. The Spaniard lauded the England international as “unbelievable” for the part he played in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 campaign, and he also impressed considerably during his time with Aston Villa.

In his final season with the club, the Birmingham-born winger recorded 16 goal contributions in 26 Premier League games, although he is yet to record similar numbers in a City shirt. As a result, a fresh start could be necessary for Grealish, and it should certainly be exciting news that Tottenham appear to be in the race for his signature ahead of the January transfer window.

Of course, Postecoglou already has some great options at his disposal, including Son and Brennan Johnson, with the latter already notching seven goals in all competitions this season. However, with Tottenham looking to compete on all fronts and win their first trophy since 2008, it is important to have strength in depth, so Grealish could be a shrewd acquisition at the right price.