Tottenham mooted to move for "lion" striker behind-scenes

Tottenham Hotspur could pull of a surprise deal to bring in one of the most prolific strikers that the Premier League has to offer; nevertheless, they may have to 'wait' to get their man, according to journalist Paul Brown.

How have Tottenham Hotspur fared in the transfer market?

Spurs have enjoyed a busy summer in the transfer market under Ange Postecoglou, with Alejo Veliz, Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Ashley Phillips and James Maddison all arriving on permanent deals in N17, as per Transfermarkt.

Of course, Tottenham have also been rocked by the departure of club icon Harry Kane to Bayern Munich for an initial £86 million and trying to identify his replacement will be a priority between now and the end of the window, as per BBC Sport.

Kane has given his reasoning behind choosing to going German giants Bayern Munich, stating in a recent interview: "I didn't want to get to the end of my career with regrets at not experiencing different leagues and cultures. I spent my whole career in England and the Premier League, so it may take a bit of adapting to get used to a new league."

According to Football Insider, Gent striker Gift Orban has emerged as a 'major target' to succeed Kane after Tottenham scouts were 'blown away' by his exploits in Belgium and 'huge potential' to develop into an elite striker.

Nottingham Forest striker Brennan Johnson is another alternative to Kane and is valued at around £50 million amid interest from several other Premier League clubs, as per The Daily Mail.

What has Paul Brown said about Ivan Toney?

Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who has been hailed as a "lion", has been earmarked as a target for Tottenham despite currently being banned from playing football due to breaching gambling rules, as per FootballTransfers.

Last term, the England international was in magnificent form for the Bees, registering 21 goals and five assists in 35 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Brown thinks that £46k-a-week earner Toney could be the 'perfect' solution to lead the line for Spurs moving forward.

Brown stated: “I can’t really see Brennan Johnson operating as a like-for-like replacement for Harry Kane, he’s not that sort of player and I suspect he would cost quite a lot of money as well.

“Ivan Toney is the more interesting one I hear a lot of people around the game say that they think he would perfect for Spurs. But would Brentford sell right now when he’s not available and won’t be around for a few months?

“It is possible they would consider a deal if the money is right I think, so that is one to watch. He obviously wouldn’t be able to play straightaway for Spurs, so they’d have to wait for him.”

Who else could Tottenham Hotspur target this summer?

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport via The Daily Express, Tottenham are keen on a shock move for Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku, who would cost in the region of £38.7 million.

Lukaku also has interest in his services to consider from Serie A and the Saudi Pro League, though he reportedly isn't keen to move to the Gulf region.

In a separate report from La Gazzetta dello Sport via The Daily Mail, Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is being weighed up by Tottenham; nevertheless, it seems extremely unlikely that the USA international would cross the north London divide.

Dusan Vlahovic may be available due to financial irregularities at Juventus and could become an individual Postecoglou chooses to pursue to replace Kane, as per Football Insider.

Tottenham: Ange Has "Major Doubts" Over Spurs Star

Tottenham Hotspur and manager Ange Postecoglou are thought to have "major question marks" over Richarlison as they seek new forward options, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Who could leave Spurs this summer?

As Spurs become linked with making summer signings for Postecoglou, as they seek to fight their way back into European qualification, the north Londoners must also shift deadwood.

There are many squad members, both already there and coming back from loans, who could depart N17 by the beginning of the 2022/2023 Premier League season.

Chairman Daniel Levy has it all to do in terms of balancing the books, with Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks facing uncertain futures (The Telegraph).

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, despite being a Spurs mainstay since joining from Southampton in 2020, could also leave as Postecoglou reportedly holds certain reservations over the Dane.

Richarlison, after a disappointing debut season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, has now been linked with a possible exit as well.

O'Rourke, writing for Football Insider, claims Postecoglou has "major question marks" over the Brazil international – specifically his goal output and general fitness.

This has prompted Spurs to look at options in the summer transfer market as Postecoglou seeks to add more potency to his forward line.

While they won't be signing Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal, with the forward apparently joining Chelsea, it is believed Tottenham are chasing alternatives.

How many goals has Richarlison scored for Spurs?

The former Everton star, after signing from Goodison Park in a £60 million deal in 2022, he arguably hasn't quite lived up to that price tag yet despite being called "very underrated" by journalist Josh Bunting.

He has starred for Brazil at international level, but for his club, he could do slightly more.

Richarlison enjoyed a few brilliant years on Merseyside, having managed at least 10 goal league contributions each campaign he was at Everton (WhoScored).

However, for Spurs, he hit just three goals and four assists across 35 outings in all competitions for the entire 2022-23 campaign.

Speaking to Football Insider last season, former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor hit out at Richarlison and his form.

"Richarlison has got to wake up," said the pundit.

“He wasn’t great against West Ham or Chelsea – and that’s been a theme of his season.

“When you watch him, you struggle to see what he’s good at. He’s got no standout attributes.

“He’s not quick, he’s not a great finisher, he can’t hold the ball up, he can’t pass that well.

“I feel that he could be someone that Spurs look to move on. He’s not showing himself to be good enough for where they want to go.”

Rangers: Beale Must Now Sell "Terrible" £21k-p/w Liability

Glasgow Rangers have made seven summer signings under Michael Beale, however, the summer overhaul could now see a few players departing the Ibrox side during the transfer window and Glen Kamara appears to be attracting interest.

Will Glen Kamara be a Rangers' player next season?

Transfer insider Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that “it does look like he will finally leave” amid the growing interest in Kamara from teams such as Southampton, Sheffield United, Stade Rennais and OGC Nice.

With the Gers reportedly slapping a £5m price tag on him ahead of any potential departure, according to Christopher Jack of The Herald, Beale stands to make millions on the midfielder who arrived at the Light Blues for a fee of just £50k back in January 2019, turning an impressive profit on the player.

According to Turkish outlet Sozcu, Besiktas are in the chase for the 27-year-old midfielder and the report claims that Kamara has asked to travel to Istanbul in order to thrash out a deal with the club.

Judging by the sheer volume of clubs who are interested in him, it certainly appears that he will finally depart the Gers after four and a half seasons at Ibrox.

What happened to Glen Kamara at Rangers?

The former Arsenal youngster was seen as one of Steven Gerrard’s finest signings when he arrived for the aforementioned £50k four and a half years ago from Dundee, adding some steel into the midfield at a bargain price.

After 18 months of bedding into the side, he became a key member of the team that went on to secure the 2020/21 Premiership title in record-breaking fashion, going the entire season unbeaten and conceding just 13 goals in 38 matches.

Although Kamara was impressive domestically, he took his game to the next level when appearing in Europe, and during the 2021/22 campaign, he was excellent in the stunning run to the Europa League final, ranking in the top ten across the squad for accurate passes per game, interceptions per game and key passes per game.

His form was already slipping domestically towards the end of that season, however, with Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie having dubbed him as “terrible” and he struggled again during 2022/23.

He made just 11 Premiership starts all season, falling out of favour with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and then the returning Beale, whilst his Champions League performances were a major disappointment given how solid he had been on the road to Seville.

Kamara was the worst player in the squad in Europe’s premier club competition with regard to overall Sofascore rating (5.9) and also ranked 15th for accurate passes per game, seventh for interceptions per game and key passes per game, clearly proving he was out of his depth at this level.

Glen Kamara

The £21k-per-week liability must now make the move away from Ibrox in order to get a fresh start to his career elsewhere. The talent is certainly there, displaying it across his first three years at the club, however, he doesn’t quite fit Beale’s tactical system.

Generating £5m for the midfielder would allow Beale to pursue other targets and significantly boost his squad for the challenges ahead next term.

Man Utd: Romano Issues Big Mason Mount Transfer Update

Manchester United are confident that they can agree personal terms with Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount as Erik Ten Hag endeavours to bring the England international to Old Trafford.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have rejected an offer of £40 million from Manchester United for Mount as a gap in valuation still continues to linger between the two clubs.

The report states that Manchester United know the limit of what they would be willing to pay internally; however, they are also prepared to abandon negotiations if they are quoted a price above their valuation of the £80k-a-week ace.

As per The Evening Standard, the Red Devils are set to return with an improved offer for Mount at some point, though Chelsea are holding out for a fee in the region of £70 million.

Due to his contract expiring in 2024, Chelsea would be willing to let Mount go to avoid losing him on a free transfer following months of deadlock in negotiations over fresh terms between player and club.

talkSPORT claimed earlier this month that Mount had agreed personal terms with Manchester United; nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the proposed move will be affected by a difference of opinion in value between the two clubs.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has detailed that Mount is very keen to move to Manchester United this summer.

Romano said: "Man United want the player. Man United are convinced that the agreement with the player is something that'll be easy to reach because Mount wants this Manchester United move, so it's on the clubs now."

Will Manchester United be able to land Mason Mount?

Chelsea seem pretty insistent on recouping a significant fee for their academy product. However, they will also be aware of the reticence prospective suitors may have with regard to bidding over the odds for a player like Mount that only has one year left on his deal.

In 2022/23, Mount made 35 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, registering three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

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As per The Athletic, Liverpool did hold an interest in trying to sign Mount this summer earlier this year, though his excessive price tag put them off and they will now instead focus on alternative targets.

The Sun claim that Leicester City star James Maddison has been earmarked as a 'second option' if Mount proves to be unattainable this off-season, making it anyone's guess as to whether Manchester United will be able to land Mount this summer.

Pochettino Must Sign £60m Star To Avoid 1st Chelsea Howler

Chelsea's need for a new goalkeeper has been apparent for a while now, with Kepa Arrizabalaga's ability constantly being questioned pretty much from the day he arrived from Athletic Bilbao in a mammoth £72m deal five years ago.

Edouard Mendy appeared to be the solution to Chelsea's problems, but he struggled for consistency and is now on the verge of joining Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.

Are Chelsea going to sign a new goalkeeper?

Chelsea have been linked with their fair share of goalkeepers this summer, including the likes of Leeds United's Illan Meslier, Andre Onana of Inter Milan and Porto stopper Diogo Costa.

AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan is another who has been mentioned, with Matt Law detailing in a report for The Telegraph that he remains 'under consideration'.

Is Mike Maignan an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga?

Whether it is Onana, Maignan or any other high-profile goalkeeper, bringing in a new number one this summer has to be high on the list of Pochettino's priorities.

Kepa had an upturn in form midway through last season, but he otherwise underwhelmed – again – and came in for criticism from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp following Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Everton in March.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga

"The keeper is so poor [for Ellis Simms' goal]. He doesn't make nearly enough saves… The keeper should do better."

Redknapp is not alone in questioning Kepa, with Gary Neville previously stating Chelsea "will not win a league with a goalkeeper that is letting goals in from outside the box and doesn't dominate his area."

That is not quite as strong as what former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot said in 2020 when labelling the Spain international "a liability". All this for the most expensive goalkeeper in history, too.

Kepa conceded at a rate of 1.17 goals per 90 minutes across 39 matches in all competitions last season, as per FBref, which compares to 0.92 for Maignan in 32 games for Milan.

That can be down to factors out of Kepa's control, of course, such as a poor defence – which would not be wrong in Chelsea's instance – but he is also outperformed in a number of other metrics.

For example, Maignan kept a clean sheet in 34.4% of matches last season, compared to 30.8% for Kepa. Maignan also saved two of the six penalties he faced, including one from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in Milan's Champions League quarter-final win against Napoli, whereas Kepa saved none of the three he faced.

Kepa is often praised for his shot-saving ability, though even that is pretty much on a par with Maignan – 73.8% of shots saved for the Spaniard compared to 73.7% for his potential future rival.

Perhaps more tellingly, Maignan is also better with the ball at his feet, completing 30.7% of his passes to Kepa's 28.5%.

Signing a player of Maignan's quality will not come cheap, with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera suggesting any possible move will cost around €70m (£60m), but Chelsea must surely now end the Kepa experiment if they are to re-establish themselves as one of the Premier League's elite.

Newcastle Interested In Signing "Unusual" £47m Maestro

Newcastle United are now interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Jesper Lindstrom, but they will have to battle the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal for his signature, according to recent reports from Denmark.

What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?

There have been suggestions that Newcastle have made contact with Galatasaray over a move for Nicolo Zaniolo, as a result of the "excellent impact" he made for the Turkish club after arriving in January, but they have no interest in selling him this summer.

That has not deterred the Magpies, however, as they are expected to make an official offer this week, with Zaniolo emerging as one of their key midfield targets, but they do have a few other options in mind, including Flamengo youngster Victor Hugo.

Eddie Howe's side have "decided" to make a bid of around €24m (£21m) for the 19-year-old, having closely monitored him for some time now, and the Brazilian club will have to be prepared for an "astronomical proposal" this summer.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

There are no other clubs named as potential suitors for Hugo, but Newcastle are set to face a lot of competition in their pursuit of Lindstrom, with Ekstra Bladet, via Sport Witness, recently detailing that a whole host of clubs are vying for the Frankfurt star's signature.

Alongside the Magpies, Tottenham Hotspur, RB Leipzig, Inter Milan and Napoli are all interested in the 23-year-old, who could be on the move this summer, with his current club said to be planning for a sale.

Frankfurt would find it hard to say no to a good offer, and if an auction breaks out, the fee could rise as high as €55m (£47m), although he is valued at around €35m – €40m (£30m – £34m). At the moment, Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus are the clubs that have taken the most concrete steps, having "already been in contact" with the Bundesliga club to discuss a deal.

How good is Jesper Lindstrom?

Football writer Seb Stafford-Bloor has praised the attacking midfielder on a number of occasions, describing him as "fun to watch", before recently adding:

"Jesper Lindstrom is a fascinating player. Really talented and unusual, but also hard to define."

Having arrived in the Bundesliga from Brondby ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, it was always going to take the Dane some time to adapt, but teammate Kevin Trapp believes he has already come on leaps and bounds since his arrival:

"Jesper is very young and came from a different league. The Bundesliga is a tougher league than the Danish league, you have to get used to it. It’s normal, and everyone in the club and the team knows that. Jesper has already made significant steps forward… you can see that he's an outstanding footballer and has very good technique."

Denmark'sJesperLindstromin action with Australia's Aziz Behich

Of course, a move to the Premier League would be another step up for the maestro, but he has proven he may be up to the task, having scored seven league goals last season, the third-highest amount in the squad. If Newcastle are able to sign Lindstrom for a fee close to his valuation of around £30m, he could be a quality addition, but it may be difficult to win the race for his signature, given the level of interest.

Luke Shaw replacement: Man United could sign Estupinan 2.0

Manchester United are in the market to sign a new defender after news that Luke Shaw could miss months of action, rather than weeks.

The muscle injury has left Erik ten Hag without a senior left-back with Tyrell Malacia also out with his own injury problem.

Who could replace Luke Shaw at Man United?

The Red Devils are thought to be considering three options, as per Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian journalist claims that Marc Cucurella at Chelsea is one possibility on a potential loan deal.

However, Sky Sports suggests it is a different Premier League left-back who is the subject of United's focus before the window closes on Friday evening.

They claimed on Saturday evening that Tottenham's Sergio Reguilon is now an option.

The £13m-rated full-back can leave Spurs before the market shuts, but they face competition from Fulham, who would no doubt be able to offer the player more game time in the long term.

How good is Sergio Reguilon?

Now 26, the Spaniard has endured a rough few years after trading Spanish football for the Premier League.

In the 2019/20 season, he played a pivotal role in Sevilla's Europe League triumph but has found consistency rather hard to come by since.

sergio-reguilon-real-madrid-tottenham-hotspur-emerson-transfer

He hasn't played 30 league games once after moving to Spurs and was forced to move to Atletico Madrid last term on a loan deal in order to play more regularly. That said, he could only manage 11 La Liga outings in another difficult term.

That said, if any coach can extract the best from Reguilon, they would be unearthing a fine flying wing-back.

You only need to head back to that Europe League winning season to understand that.

Indeed, during that campaign he was compared, as per FBref, to former Real Madrid superstar Marcelo, and one of the best left-backs in the Premier League now, Pervis Estupinan.

At the time, Estupinan was playing at Osasuna before bursting onto the scene with Brighton a few years later.

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That term, Reguilon ranked inside the best 3% of full-backs in La Liga for progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the best 8% for shot-creating actions.

Those metrics paint the picture that the now Spurs man is an incredibly offensive asset on his day, one that would certainly help to fill the void that Shaw will leave behind while on the treatment table.

Estupinan, for comparison, sat inside the best 15% for shot-creating actions that same season, the top 6% for successful take-ons and the best 7% for progressive carries to illustrate their impressive range of similarities.

Of course, the Ecuadorian has been a great deal more impressive in the Premier League after he made his own move to English football, notably registering ten assists in 44 games to Reguilon's nine in 67 outings but the evidence is there that the Spaniard could make his mark in equal manner.

He has never really had the manager to extract the best from him at Tottenham. Antonio Conte's style of play, for instance, was too defensive even if he does prefer wing-backs in his system.

Ten Hag, however, could be a game-changer as far as Reguilon is concerned. It's just whether he sees himself achieving regular minutes once Shaw returns.

Leeds Could Appoint ‘Confusing’ Marsch Repeat

Leeds United could be set to swoop for a new manager, in an effort to escape the Championship as soon as possible.

That's according to a report in The Times from earlier this week, which confirmed that Sam Allardyce would be leaving his post at Elland Road, having failed in his bid to retain their Premier League status.

With Andrea Radrizzani having also reached an agreement to acquire Sampdoria, yet unwilling to reveal whether he will be leaving Yorkshire too, it could be expected that the Italian will crave an instant promotion so that he can sell for the highest possible price next year.

In a bid to achieve this, the report also states that Steven Gerrard has emerged as the frontrunner for this vacancy. Given his latest spell in management, fans have every reason to be wary of this appointment.

Is Steven Gerrard worse than Jesse Marsch?

Whilst many fans could struggle to think of bosses that were worse than Jesse Marsch, given he arguably was the main factor in their relegation last term, it is perhaps easy to forget just how woeful the former Liverpool midfielder was in the Aston Villa dugout.

His team, which was one laden with quality such as Ollie Watkins, Emi Buendia and Douglas Luiz, had won just twice in 12 Premier League games before his dismissal, having been thumped 3-0 by Fulham to put the final nail in his coffin.

When delving deeper into his tenure at Villa Park, it was arguably as underwhelming as the American's at Elland Road, with the only difference between these huge clubs' respective fates being the timing of their sacking and the choice of successor.

After all, the 43-year-old would win just 13 matches across his 40 games in charge, at a points-per-game average of just 1.18, via Transfermarkt.

Whilst Marsch's dropped to 1.16 per match, having won 11 in 37, the gulf in talent between these two squads is startling.

Not only this, but Gerrard showcased a stubbornness that would simply not adapt well to the Championship. His narrow 4-3-3 formation, which was described as "poor" by Gabby Agbonlahor, often neglected wingers and was a philosophy he relentlessly stuck with despite the poor results.

jesse-marsch-leeds-united

The former RB Salzburg boss would emulate such a headstrong outlook, again retaining his failing formation until his final days.

Such was his underperformance with such a top team, journalist Josh Bunting even wrote an impassioned plea for Villa to dismiss the ex-Rangers manager back in October, claiming:

"Aston Villa need to do what’s right for the football club, can’t keep Steven Gerrard for his name-sake. Tonight again he’s lost in a tactical battle, Villa are so confusing you cannot read them, the attack is clueless when it has the potential to really work. The balance isn’t there."

The disparity between Gerrard and Marsch is almost non-existent, and given how Unai Emery would go on to lead that side to a European spot, the former's work is made all the more embarrassing. At the very least, both Javi Gracia and Allardyce failed to improve Leeds' disappointing squad.

Should Radrizzani remain incensed on appointing this young boss, he may well fall very short of earning that speedy return to the top flight that this great club craves. Indeed, he bares so many negative similarities with their former boss who doomed them to the drop.

AFTV’s Robbie Lyle Slammed For His Mbappe To Arsenal Claim

Arsenal fans finally returned to the Premier League’s top four last season after six years outside of England’s elite. They pulled up the chair to the big table once again under Mikel Arteta, next to some familiar faces and some pulling up a seat for the first time.

That’s where the Gunners are out. And they deserve credit for that. They took Manchester City all the way in the title race, that cannot be disputed. What Arsenal are not, however, is in a position to be negotiating for Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, with all due respect.

One season back in the Champions League pulls up a chair to England’s elite, not Europe’s, where the North London club have never won that specific trophy. That’s without even speaking about the financial ramifications, too.

This hasn’t stopped some Arsenal fans from getting ahead of themselves, however.

What’s the latest on Kylian Mbappe?

Strap yourselves in, because the Mbappe transfer saga is set to go around the rollercoaster of the transfer window yet again this summer, with the Frenchman refusing to sign a new deal at PSG, making him a free agent next summer.

The forward has reiterated his desire to see out his contract at the French club, who would like to cash in on the player they initially splashed out a reported £166m for back in 2017. According to Fabrizio Romano, unless Mbappe signs a new deal, he will be on the market this summer.

Leading the way for his signature, as has always seemingly been the case, is Real Madrid, according to Romano, as the Spanish giants wait and see if they’ll be forced to wait a year for his services, or pick the World Cup winner up for a hefty price in the coming months.

Still, a report by FootballTransfers recently linked the Gunners with what would be an outrageous move for the Frenchman, claiming that Mikel Arteta might look to try and land him for free in 2024. While sporting director Edu Gaspar has even responded to some of the wild claims on Instagram too.

AFTV make outrageous Mbappe claim

Speaking on AFTV main man Robbie Lyle seemed to be reading an awful lot into all these recent rumours too.

Indeed, he said: “Is it too far-fetched to say that Arsenal could make a move for Kylian Mbappe. They’ve got a lot of money, Arsenal, they’ve got the wage bill right down at the club.

“If they have a good run in the Champions League and a good run in the league, they’ll have additional funds, they’ll be more attractive again to a player like Mbappe.

“His number one destination’s always been Real Madrid, but what I’m talking about, could Arsenal be in the conversation for a player like Kylian Mbappe come next season?”

It’s fair to say that Premier League fans have disagreed with the claim, too, taking to Twitter to react:

Man City: Guardiola without John Stones for Arsenal clash

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will be without defender John Stones for their blockbuster Premier League clash against Arsenal this evening.

The Lowdown: City travel to north London…

City travel to north London tonight knowing a win against Mikel Arteta’s side will take them level on points with their fierce title rivals.

The Sky Blues were really losing ground against Arsenal but the latter side’s 1-0 loss to Everton and 1-1 draw at home to Brentford has gifted Guardiola an opportunity to seriously close the gap.

Arsenal still have a game in hand on City but both teams must play each other twice in the league, including tonight’s encounter, before this season ends.

The Latest: City without Stones…

In terms of team news, star striker Erling Haaland is apparently touch and go for the Emirates Stadium bout whilst England international Stones is definitely absent with a thigh problem.

The centre-back remains sidelined for City with Guardiola potentially turning to Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte in the middle.

That being said, Guardiola’s recent line ups indicate we can’t rule out surprises, with Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake also in real contention.

The Verdict: Blow for Pep?

Stones, when available, is clearly favoured by the Blues boss, with only Akanji playing more league minutes in terms of City’s current defensive options (WhoScored).

The 28-year-old is also an elite ball-playing defender, averaging the joint-highest pass accuracy (94.3%) in Guardiola’s squad (WhoScored).

Stones has played a significant role in City’s back line for the past year with his one of his most notable performances coming against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

The former Everton star was heralded for his assured and composed performance against the La Liga giants with members of the media quickly calling him an ‘absolutely magnificent’ defender.

Stones has been a consistent member of Guardiola’s title-winning squads since the Spaniard took charge, and for such a huge game, he will be sorely missed as an option.

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