Following reports of an ankle ligament injury for midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, it's now believed another Tottenham star is set to be out till 2024.
Spurs injury list growing and growing
As many as ten Spurs players are currently unavailable, with one suspended and a seismic eight on the treatment table. Cristian Romero is serving a match ban, but the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Ashley Phillips, Pape Matar Sarr and, now, Bentancur are all sidelined through injury.
At the start of November, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou was enjoying a 10-game unbeaten run after winning consecutive Manager of the Month awards. Now, the Australian is fresh off the back of three losses in a row, and a plethora of his squad members are unavailable for selection.
Rodrigo Bentancur
Bentancur's ankle problem will come as an especially sore one to take for supporters and Postecoglou, as the Uruguay midfielder had only just returned from a nine-month injury absence sustained last season.
"It wasn't a great tackle," said Postecoglou on Bentancur after Tottenham's loss to Villa.
"I thought he started the game so well and I think it was the reason we got a real good foothold on the game. He's such a creative player. It's the last thing we needed, another injury. So disappointed to lose him but we're yet to see the extent of it."
The South American could've provided some real steal in the Spurs midfield for looming encounters against league champions Man City and London rivals West Ham, not to mention Champions League qualification rivals Newcastle United.
Solomon now out until 2024
This week, Spurs appeared to be slowly approaching the return of winger Solomon at one point, but now the Isreali will join Bentancur as a sidelined star till 2024. The Standard previously estimated a December return for Tottenham's summer signing, but the same outlet and journalist Nizaar Kinsella have some bad news on that front.
Indeed, they claim Solomon is now expected to miss the rest of 2023 and won't return until the new year. The former Fulham winger has provided two assists over his limited appearances in a Spurs shirt and would've been a wonderful option to call upon in the festive period.
Alas, Postecoglou will have to cope without Solomon's presence for a while longer yet, as the Tottenham boss also ponders how to get the very best out of his limited squad.
The 24-year-old has been praised as a "special" player by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant, but he'll be forced to watch on from the Spurs sidelines until next year.
Being called "among the best" for his one-v-one ability, Postecoglou really could've done with him.
“Manor is a special player; he was excellent at Fulham,” said Grant to Ynet. “I spoke with him, and he’s thrilled to be at Tottenham; he has improved his killer instinct. What sets him apart is his amazing one-on-one ability; he’s among the best. He is a Premier League player in every sense."
The abundance of exciting and eye-catching content around Premier League clubs nowadays is unprecedented, and it makes being a fan much more accessible than ever before. That said, while you can find out anything you want about your club, it can also be somewhat overwhelming at times.
Arsenal are no exception to this, and if anything, the sheer size and success of the club only means that there are even more options to choose from – maybe too many.
So here at Football Fancast, we have put together a cheat sheet of who to follow for all your red and white needs.
Arsenal News Now
If you are looking for the best place to find top-notch journalism about any club, let alone the Gunners, News Now should probably be your first port of call. The website collects headlines from around the world on a vast array of topics and provides you links to all the latest news.
It will even give you a short selection of the most popular stories at any given moment. So you'll know what is worth reading and what isn't, along with always staying in the loop when it comes to Arsenal.
While traditional sports media and recognised journalists are invaluable when it comes to keeping abreast of the latest goings-on at all of our favourite clubs, they can sometimes be a bit sterile and stiff, which is precisely where fan content comes into the equation.
Fan-led YouTube channels, Twitter accounts and podcasts have exploded in recent years, and many of them have Arsenal Fan TV to thank for paving the way. There is no fan channel with more reach or more well-known than AFTV, and no fan creator more respected than Robbie Lyle, AKA Don Robbie.
AFTV has been around for well over a decade, and while the cast of characters has changed over the years, Robbie has remained – as has their place as the number one destination for Arsenal fans on the internet.
With more shows that we can count and several appearances on major broadcasters, if you want to find out what fellow Gooners are talking about at the moment, head to AFTV.
Arsenal Vision Podcast
saka-martinelli-arsenal
AFTV might be the best-known destination for fan-based arsenal content, but they aren't the only one. The Arsenal Vision Podcast is one of the most popular Arsenal-based podcasts going.
Described as 'sometimes funny, sometimes serious, occasionally ridiculous and hopefully always enjoyable' by the hosts themselves, it's a great listen for any Gooner looking for more Arsenal content to consume.
John Cross
Back to traditional media once more, and John Cross is one of the best journalists to follow for Arsenal fans – even if he has, at times, clashed with AFTV. Cross is the Chief Football Writer for the Mirror, and while he might not solely focus on the Gunners in his day-to-day work, he still frequently covers them – especially on his Twitter account.
He also wrote a book about the great Arsene Wenger called Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger – which is good enough for us.
Charles Watts
Sticking with recognised journalists, and Charles Watts is perhaps one of the journalists most associated with Arsenal, and for good reason.
Previously a writer for GOAL and football.london, Watts would focus on the club for these publications and even wrote a book on Mikel Arteta's time with the club called 'Revolution – The Rise of Arteta's Arsenal.'
He now has his own website that focuses specifically on Arsenal, a Twitter account with over 500k followers and a YouTube account with 90k subscribers.
If you're an Arsenal fan, you simply have to follow Watts.
James McNicholas
James McNicholas is one of the most respected journalists in the industry, with more than a decade of experience writing for ESPN, Four Four Two, and Bleacher Report. Oh, and he's also a huge Arsenal fan.
Now primarily writing for The Athletic, McNicholas is one of their Arsenal correspondents, and alongside his work for them, he co-hosts the Arsecast podcast.
He can also be found on Twitter and is well worth a follow.
David Ornstein
Rounding off our list of sports journalists is probably the most famous of all, David Ornstein.
Ornstein has grown in prominence in the footballing world over the last few years, and that's certainly true among Arsenal fans. He has been one of The Athletic's most prominent writers since he joined the company in 2019 after spending over a decade with the BBC and has since gained quite a reputation as a reliable reporter of transfer news, with fans often pitting his reports up against those of transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Outside The Athletic, fans can find him on Twitter, and he's well worth a follow for everything from news, insider scoops and transfer updates.
He doesn't just Tweet about Arsenal, but when he does, it's usually worth taking note.
Afcstuff
As football content continues to be more and more fan-driven, it only makes sense for websites like Twitter – or X if you like – to become even more central to the popular discourse around the game, and Arsenal are no exception.
There are 1000s of Arsenal dedicated Twitter pages on the site, but only some are worth following, and afcstuff chief among them.
After AFTV, afcstuff is the site's most significant fan-run Arsenal page and is a must-follow for Arsenal supporters.
In their own words, you can find the 'latest updates, stats, quotes, team news & transfer news about Arsenal FC' on their page.
Sticking to Twitter for a moment, and another account well worth following if you are after more of the Gunners in your life is Arsenal Buzz.
The page posts constant updates about the team, with quotes from players, managers and pundits.
It's also a great page to follow if you want to stay up to date with the players on international duty, as they post pictures and updates about that as well.
As many are in the industry nowadays, Harry Symeou does a little bit of everything. A broadcaster, commentator, content creator, podcast host and radio contributor, he does it all – and it all links back to Arsenal.
You can find him in several different places on the internet. He's very active on his personal Twitter account, on his podcast's account – The Chronicles of a Gooner – and even on TalkSport, fighting Arsenal's corner.
Following Arsenal Buzz, afcstuff, and Harry Symeou on Twitter should have you covered on fan accounts on the website.
Arseblog
Another site created by fans, but Arseblog is the real deal. Their website has something for everyone, from news articles, tactical breakdowns, features, and opinions- and then there's the podcast.
The Arsecast – the one co-hosted by James McNicholas – is one of the most popular Arsenal-centric podcasts going, with over 550 episodes in the bank and likely many, many more to come.
The podcast crew also put on special live recordings of the podcast that fans can attend, with their last one including a surprise appearance from club legend Ian Wright – what's not to love?
Outside of their own website, you can also find them through their Twitter account.
Love it or hate it, there is simply no getting away from the all-conquering juggernaut that is The Athletic when it comes to sports journalism these days. That said, their coverage of Arsenal is excellent, as are their writers.
While it may lack the charm of a local or even some fan-created outlets, it's hard to knock the quality of the work they produce.
And as one of the country's biggest sides, Arsenal get even more coverage compared to some others in the Premier League.
Football London – Arsenal
One of Reach PLC's many titles football.london could've ended up feeling like a detached and somewhat sterile corporate attempt at covering the clubs local to the capital, but through hiring the right people and focusing on the right things, they have become one of the best websites going when it comes to the London clubs.
Their coverage of Arsenal is no different, with interesting interviews, match reactions, deep dives and features all focused on the North London club.
It would be a bit odd if we didn't end the article with at least a small shoutout to the work we do on the Gunners here at Football Fancast.
Our team of writers cover everything about the club, whether that be transfers, news, match reaction, analysis, features and more.
Keep your eyes on the site to find out the latest The Arsenal.
And there you have it, a list of everyone and every site you should be following to keep up to date with The Arsenal. From traditional journalists to fan channels and even the blending of the two, there is certainly a lot of content out there to get stuck into.
Tottenham Hotspur are weighing a winter move for one "really fast" Premier League defender amid injury concerns surrounding Micky van de Ven.
Van de Ven's hamstring woes
Spurs' 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday was the source of bitter disappointment, but not because of the result.
While manager Ange Postecoglou's early-season unbeaten streak came to an unceremonious end, star centre-back van de Ven handed the Australian his biggest worry by far after being forced off with a hamstring injury.
The Dutchman barely managed to limp off the field, needing assistance by Spurs medical staff in a real concern. Tottenham's summer signing has been imperious so far this season, forming a fantastic partnership with Cristian Romero at the heart of Postecoglou's defence.
Reports in the last two days have now suggested that van de Ven won't need surgery on the issue, which will come as a much-needed boost for Spurs, but it is still unclear exactly how long he'll be out for.
cristian-romero-micky-van-de-ven-spurs-opinion
We'll know more tomorrow when Postecoglou addresses the media before Tottenham's Premier League encounter against Wolves this weekend, but in the mean time, new sporting director Johan Lange has reportedly been considering solutions in the transfer market.
Tottenham considering Godfrey move
The Lilywhites are now looking at alternative options for January, with Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly and Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah among the names linked recently.
According to 90min, sharing a transfer update this week, Spurs could now move for Everton ace Ben Godfrey, who has found game time difficult to come by at Goodison Park.
The Englishman was once becoming a regular under Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, even being included in England's provisional squad for Euro 2021.
Everton's Ben Godfrey
However, he has since fallen down the pecking order, and it is believed he wishes to reignite his faltering career. Everton, for their part, are open to doing business with interested sides as the January window looms.
Alongside Spurs, Newcastle and other Premier League sides are showing an interest in the 25-year-old, who has been revered for his speed by former teammates.
Godfrey's "rapid" speed can replace van de Ven
Jonjoe Kenny, who now plies his trade for Hertha Berlin in Germany, once called Godfrey a "really fast" and "rapid" player.
“Ben Godfrey catches pigeons, simple as," said the former Everton defender in 2021.
“But when Ben gets going he’s rapid so I don’t know if they have a race or would have a race but yeah, it’s close between them two. Dominic is really quick too but I’d say Ben.”
Alongside Kenny, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has previously heralded Godfrey as a player, having called him "really good" in 2020 during the defender's Norwich City days.
“I said in the past that we are looking for a centre-back because we are short there," said Ancelotti on Godfrey to talkSPORT.
"He is a really good centre-back, but he is at this moment playing for Norwich, so I can’t say more."
Given Godfrey's pace, which is crucial for a centre-back in Postecoglou's high line, he could actually be an excellent candidate to come as a van de Ven alternative.
Tottenham Hotspur may end up waving goodbye to another fan-favourite star before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.
At the start of June, The Telegraph reported that club captain Heung-min Son could move on from London after leading the team to the Europa League trophy this season.
Tottenham Hotspur'sSonHeung-minreacts
The outlet claimed that the South Korea international could be sold by Spurs in order to generate funds to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League, amid interest from teams in the Saudi Pro League.
Son has racked up an eye-catching haul of 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 appearances in all competitions for the club since signing from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015.
The experienced forward’s departure this summer would mean that all three of Mauricio Pochettino’s iconic attacking line-up will have moved on, following Dele Alli and Harry Kane’s exits from the club in recent years.
All three stars were key players for the former Spurs head coach at the top end of the pitch, and Alli’s contributions should not be overlooked.
Why Dele Alli was a star for Spurs
The London-based club reportedly splashed out a fee of £5m to sign the attacking midfielder from League One outfit MK Dons in 2015, and Pochettino brought him into the first-team squad for the 2015/16 campaign.
Alli hit the ground running in the Premier League, bypassing the Championship, with a return of ten goals and eight assists in 33 top-flight games in his first season with Spurs.
The England international went on to plunder 67 goals and 59 assists in 269 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham before his move away from the club in 2022.
These statistics show that the former MK Dons talent provided plenty of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Spurs during his time in London, whilst he also offered Pochettino a lot of flexibility in the way that he could be deployed within the starting line-up.
Attacking midfield
158
42
40
Central midfield
48
9
5
Left midfield
36
14
8
Centre-forward
8
2
1
Defensive midfield
2
0
2
As you can see in the table above, Alli was deployed in several different positions for Tottenham, mainly playing as a central or attacking midfielder, or off the left flank.
The 29-year-old midfielder, who now plays for Como in Italy, was a star for Spurs due to both the quality he provided at the top end of the pitch and the versatility he offered the manager.
Spurs may now be about to unearth their next version of Alli, who was a key member of the attack that included Son and Kane under Pochettino, as they are expected to sign a Premier League star.
Spurs expected to sign Premier League midfielder
West Ham United outlet HammersNews reports that the Premier League side expect Aston Villa attacking midfielder Jacob Ramsey to sign for Tottenham this summer.
The Hammers are interested in a deal to sign the former England U21 international to bolster their own squad this summer, but the club believe that the 24-year-old talent is on his way to another team in London.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Speaking to HammersNews, the ‘top spokesman’ for the West Ham owners said: “I think the player (Ramsey) is going to Spurs.”
Spurs were recently linked with an interest in the Villans starlet, who could be on his way out of Villa Park this summer, and this latest update suggests that they are set to win the race for his signature.
Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey
Earlier this year, The Boot Room reported that Manchester City are also interested in the attacking midfielder, who is valued at a fee of around £50m by Aston Villa.
However, it remains to be seen exactly how much Spurs will end up paying for the English talent if they do end up signing him, as West Ham expect.
Why Spurs should sign Jacob Ramsey
The Lilywhites should push ahead with a deal to sign the 24-year-old star in the coming weeks because he could arrive at the club as Thomas Frank’s own version of Dele Alli.
Ramsey may not seem like an obvious signing for Spurs, given that he has only scored two Premier League goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, but his form in the past for Villa suggests that there is a quality player who could be unearthed.
The Villans maestro’s performances in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns suggest that he has the potential to develop into a top performer for Tottenham if Frank can get the best out of him.
Ramsey, who was once dubbed “sensational” by Seb Stafford-Bloor, plundered 12 goals and eight assists in those two seasons, and was particularly impressive in front of goal in the 2022/23 campaign, with six goals and seven assists to his name that term.
Non-penalty xG
0.20
Top 16%
Non-penalty xG
0.17
Top 14%
xAG
0.17
Top 14%
Assists
0.24
Top 6%
Shot-creating actions
2.77
Top 40%
Progressive carries
3.21
Top 9%
As you can see in the table above, the English star caught the eye as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Villans, ranking highly among midfielders in the Premier League in several key attacking metrics.
Like Alli, Ramsey’s top three most played positions are central midfield, attacking midfield, and left midfield, which means that he can offer Frank the same positional flexibility that the former Spurs star did for Pochettino, as a playmaker who can play centrally or come in off the left.
Jacob Ramsey in Premier League action for Aston Villa.
His form in the 2022/23 season also suggests that he has the potential to provide an impressive threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from those three positions, which is exactly what Alli did throughout his time in North London.
Therefore, Frank could unearth his own version of the former England international by securing a deal for Ramsey, before helping him to get back to the kind of form he displayed at the start of his Villa career.
A bigger talent than Eze: Spurs make enquiry for "sensational" £40m star
Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making a move for another Premier League talent.
Aston Villa have recently agreed an off-field deal at Villa Park, with one finance expert labelling it as “excellent timing”.
Aston Villa update – off-field deal agreed
It has been a busy year in the Midlands, with Unai Emery transforming the club’s fortunes on the pitch and leading Villa into the Europa Conference League. As a result, NSWE backed the Spaniard in the transfer market over the summer, with the likes of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres arriving in big-money transfers.
However, Villa have also been busy in recent months and announced a new collaborative partnership with Japanese club, Vissel Kobe. Villa shared the news last week, saying on their official website:
“As part of this exciting step forward for both clubs, Villa and Vissel Kobe will work to create a bilateral development framework for players and staff which will enhance youth development, alongside the cooperative sharing of ideas, techniques and best practice. The partnership will look to further open up pathways for talented Japanese players to play in Europe and, ultimately, at Aston Villa.”
Kieran Maguire has claimed that Aston Villa will want to emulate Brighton & Hove Albion’s success with Kaoru Mitoma going forward, and he has made another claim on the deal. Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider about the off-field agreement and labelled it as “excellent timing for Aston Villa”.
“I think this Vissel Kobe partnership is excellent timing for Aston Villa. They have ambitious owners. They want eventually to be in a position where they can challenge the ‘Big Six’ in terms of qualifying in the Champions League places.
“Therefore in order for them to be able to do that, they need to be able to increase income streams. Having a good tie-up with a senior Asian market such as Japan makes logical sense.
“Combining that with the expansion of Villa Park it makes even more sense. Football is leaning more towards prawn sandwiches, which as a fan you loathe. but as a financier you understand.”
Aston Villa and Vissel Kobe deal
Not only will Villa work with Vissel Kobe ahead of some potential players moving from Japan to England, but the club confirmed that exchanges of “technical knowledge and coaching methodology”, looking to improve areas of “performance, scouting and recruitment, data analysis and overall squad management” will also be on the agenda, so there appears to be an in-depth plan in place.
It could benefit both clubs in years to come, and as Maguire claims, the deal may also help Villa as they look to break into the ‘Big Six’ under Emery with an improved income in Asia both on and off the pitch. It will be interesting to see who the first player could be to make the move from Vissel Kobe to Aston Villa, but with Emery’s side once again flying during the current campaign, additions may well be limited to start with.
A pundit has told Sky Sports that Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has now drilled one Spurs star into working very hard.
Spurs form and results this season
The Lilywhites look transformed by Postecoglou's arrival; winning seven out of a possible nine Premier League games while remaining unbeaten in that period. Victories over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley, Sheffield United, Liverpool, Luton Town and Fulham have helped table-topping Tottenham to their finest start since they clinched a double in the 1960/1961 campaign.
Postecoglou has also broken a record, overseeing the best start made by a new manager in Premier League history. The mood around north London is one of real positivity and jubilation right now, and alongside their popular head coach, supporters have a key players to thank for their meteoric early-season rise. Son Heung-min, who's already scored seven top flight goals this season, has formed a very fruitful partnership with summer signing James Maddison in the forward areas.
Heung-min Son and James Maddison
Indeed, Maddison joined Spurs from Leicester City for £40 million over the last transfer window (BBC) – a fee which now looks like one of the bargains of 2023. His three goals and five assists, not to mention overall performances, have attracted real praise. The midfielder has also dazzled at international level, with England manager Gareth Southgate praising Maddison as a player who brings the "sunshine".
“He is in a really good vein of form," said Southgate at an England press conference.
"A really good character around the group. He connects people well. We have got the more steady, serious guys & we have a lot of guys who bring a lot of sunshine."
Aaron Lennon praises James Maddison
It's one of English football's worst kept secrets that Maddison is a serial creator going forward, having also notched a brilliant 10 goals and nine assists in the Premier League for Leicester last campaign. Now, he's found a new set of fans to entertain with his quality on a weekly basis, and it appears the sky may very well be the limit.
Former Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has lavished Maddison with praise on Sky Sports as well, but it's for an aspect for his game you wouldn't usually associate that often with the star playmaker. Lennon has spotted something different which Postecoglou has drilled into his game – namely that he's now working very hard out of possession.
“Yeah, at the minute he’s on absolute fire," said Lennon to Sky (via Football Daily) after their 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday.
"I was watching him and he completely dictated the game. He was working hard off the ball, I think the new manager has got that into him. He must be a joy to play with, as one of those front players with him behind you, if you make the run he’ll find you. He’s the man of the moment at the minute."
Gets fouled often
Likes to cut inside
Likes to dribble
Plays the ball off the ground often
Likes to do lay-offs
Likes to play long balls
Maddison will next be in action against Crystal Palace on Friday, as Spurs look to maintain their incredible run and remain top of the table.
Tottenham Hotspur waved goodbye to Harry Kane in the summer. "Please don't go", the stadium seemed to cry. The Spurs faithful ululating as their record goalscorer and arguably greatest ever player rode east toward Germany.
The allure of silverware was too great to resist for a 30-year-old striker considered among the finest of his generation but never winning more than individual accolades for club or country.
It was the end of an era that should have been so much more. Promised so much more. The halcyon days of Mauricio Pochettino's guidance took Spurs within an inch of the ultimate vanquishing of a long trophy drought in the 2019 Champions League final, losing 2-0 to Liverpool.
Further, several late-stage entries in the League Cup and some tremendous Premier League campaigns have ultimately bore no fruits, and Kane's decision was perhaps apt at this stage of his career.
Ange Postecoglou's start to life in Tottenham took a big blow when the England international opted to move to Bayern Munich in August, but Heung-min Son has performed admirably in the centre-forward position this season, scoring eight goals from nine league matches up front.
The South Korean star is not the long-term solution, but he's been sensational and been crucial to his side's resurgence since the summer, with unfortunate luck halting Spurs' table-topping position a week before the November international break.
In the long run, Postecoglou would be delighted to replicate the club's past feat in bringing a homegrown talent in Kane to the fore, and he might be able to achieve just that given the prolific exploits of Will Lankshear in Wayne Burnett's development squad.
Will Lankshear's youth statistics
Tottenham signed Lankshear from Sheffield United for around £2m last summer, with Levy and co perhaps being a little more generous than need be with the payment to blow Brentford's chances of sealing his signature out of the water.
Intriguingly, Kane was released by Arsenal's academy when a youngster before nurturing his skills throughout his formative years with Tottenham, and so too was Lankshear given the chop at Hale End Academy in 2021.
Perhaps the stars are aligning for a fortuitous replication, and if Lankshear's displays in the Premier League 2 are anything to go by, then he certainly boasts the cutting edge in front of goal to grow into a first-class striker, emulating Kane in soaring into the ascendancy with Spurs.
This season, the 18-year-old has clinched six goals and an assist from just seven matches in the league, corroborating Spurs expert John Wenham's claims that he is a "phenomenal" prospect and a "complete out-and-out finisher."
He's also been brilliant in the EFL Trophy with the U21s this term, posting two goals and an assist from only two starting appearances against League One & Two opposition, as per Sofascore.
He's been in fine fettle this year, with the strides taken after a promising maiden year only improving his chances of reaching the top, having scored five goals and supplied two assists from 13 fixtures during the 2021/22 campaign, including six direct contributions from only five appearances in the U18 Premier League.
Lankshear's decision to join Tottenham looks to have been perfect for the development of his skills and pursuit of a place in the Premier League, having also been dubbed an "absolute unit" by Wenham.
He will be confident that he can take the next step in the coming year, though he is certainly not without competition for an elusive place among the seniors…
Alejo Veliz's career so far
While Lankshear is one of the most exciting talents of his age bracket, perhaps even the most exciting attacking talent within Tottenham's ranks, he's certainly not the only exciting prodigy pushing for a place in Postecoglou's senior squad.
Jamie Donley and Dane Scarlett are a few talents on the club's books who will be confident of wedging their way into the first-team reckoning over the coming years, but Lankshear will also have to compete with a player of Alejo Veliz's ilk.
The imposing Argentinan talisman was signed from his homeland this summer, joining for a reported £13m from Rosario Central. While he has yet to make his mark at the club, making three substitute appearances in the English top-flight, he would not have been expected to cement a prominent role in the starting 11 straight away.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Aerial duels
Passing
Finishing
Headed attempts
Long shots
*Sourced via WhoScored
Last season, the 20-year-old plundered 11 goals and one assist from 23 matches in the Liga Profesional and has been hailed in the past for having the makings of a "complete" centre-forward by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Dominant in the air, the 6 foot 1 starlet ranks among the top 16% of forwards across divisions similar to the Argentina Liga Profesional over the past year for goals, the top 1% for clearances and the top 12% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.
His former coach, Adrian Dezotti, has been effusive in Veliz's qualities, saying: “Alejo is really intelligent but also very cunning, mischievous. He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, a lot of street smarts. He’s a strategist, a quick thinker."
Rosario Central striker Alejo Veliz.
While such a talent might find himself competing with Lankshear for game time under Postecoglou's wing, the emergence of the pair could actually be a fruitful thing for both, with Veliz's aerial prowess and the former Sheffield United lad's innate finishing skills possibly combining to forge a deadly partnership in the future.
And given that Lankshear is also only 18-years-old, he has several years yet to hone his craft and continue his development to cement a spot in the team with regularity, and based on the current trajectory, he may well be the next thing at Tottenham.
One Celtic player is starting to become a target overseas ahead of the New Year, with another club making an offer for his services.
Celtic transfer update
The Hoops were busy over the summer following Brendan Rodgers’ return to Parkhead, with a number of additions being made in multiple areas of the pitch.
Celtic summer window signings
Fee
Gustaf Lagerbielke (IF Elfsborg)
£3m
Odin Thiago Holm (Valerenga)
£2.5m
Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)
£2m
Hyun-Jun Yang (Gangwon)
£2m
Hyeokkyu Kwon (Busan I-Park)
£1m
Maik Nawrocki (Legia Warsaw)
£4.3m
Tomoki Iwata (Yokohama F. Marinos)
Undisc.
All fees according to Sky Sports
Alongside all the arrivals, there were also some departees, and the club actually made a profit in the summer, mainly due to Jota’s big-money exit to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad. As well as Jota, Celtic also received fees for Carl Starfelt, Albian Ajeti and Conor Hazard, and by the looks of things, the club could soon bring in cash for another player in 2024.
Celtic outcast Yosuke Ideguchi made the move back to Japan earlier this year, joining Avispa Fukuoka back in February. Since then, reports have claimed that the J1 League want to secure his services on a permanent deal.
Yosuke Ideguchi
However, in a new Celtic transfer update from Japan, relayed by The Glasgow Times, the Hoops have already received an offer from Avispa Fukuoka and now fellow Japanese side Vissel Kobe are also said to have made a "formal offer" for the midfielder.
Yosuke Ideguchi's career at Celtic
Ideguchi arrived in Glasgow back in January 2022 and is under contract until 2026, however, things haven’t worked out for the Japan international. He has missed a number of games through injury since putting pen to paper in Scotland and has made just six senior appearances in green and white. His injury issues have continued while on loan at Avispa Fukuoka.
Yosuke Ideguchi injury history
Injury
Games missed
Season
Broken ankle
17
2022/23
Fitness
12
2022/23
Knee
7
2021/22
Unknown
10
2020/21
Former Greuther Furth boss Damir Buric previously heaped praise on the player, though, saying:
“In regards to Yosuke, I can only speak the best. He is an outstanding person with great character. First of all I was very impressed with the way he came back from that serious injury. What impressed me most was the way he was working during his time out with the injury.
“It was just unbelievable, almost like soldier. He showed such a great attitude and positive approach. He was extremely disciplined, took in every additional training session of physical rehabilitation and invested all of his time in getting back as soon as he possibly could.”
He appears to be a player with quality when fully fit, however, unfortunately, Celtic haven’t seen that version of the player enough, so a permanent exit could make sense for all involved in 2024, whether that be with Avispa Fukuoka or Vissel Kobe, making this one to watch.
Manchester United’s record in the transfer market in the ten years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired has been rather underwhelming, with the expensive flops far outweighing any decent signing they have made in that time period.
Spending vast sums on players such as Paul Pogba (£93.2m), Romelu Lukaku (£75m) and Ángel Di María (£59.7m) who ended up turning into expensive duds, didn’t exactly help the cause of either Jose Mourinho and Louis Van Gaal as they looked to return the club to the summit of English football.
Even Erik ten Hag has been guilty of perhaps overspending on several players, with Antony costing the Red Devils a staggering £86m and it remains to be seen whether he will turn into a player who can deliver consistent performances that justify his massive transfer fee.
It hasn’t just been the players they have signed which has counted towards their lacklustre efforts in the transfer market, it is also who they have missed out on. This hasn’t just been a problem for the managers following Ferguson’s retirement, with the great man also failing to sign a few world-class players who would have certainly improved his team.
Alan Shearer is probably the biggest name who he failed to lure to Manchester, with the Englishman preferring to join Newcastle United, his hometown side, in the summer of 1996.
Another one who slipped through Fergie’s grasp may have altered the course of European football of the previous two decades, as Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho was close to moving to England and linking up with the Red Devils.
Did Manchester United nearly sign Ronaldinho?
David Beckham was on the move during the summer of 2003, eventually joining Real Madrid, despite Barcelona showing some interest and this meant Fergie needed to sign another midfielder for his team.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho was the man earmarked as a new arrival and despite agreeing personal terms, the move didn’t materialise, yet the player himself has stated it came extremely close to going through.
He said: “It almost happened with United. It was a matter of 48 hours, but Rosell had told me way before I got the offer: 'If I become Barca president, will you come?' I said yes.
"It was only a matter of details with United when Rosell called to say he was going to win the election there. And I had promised to him that I’d play for Barca.”
Fine margins indeed and Old Trafford could have been his playground as opposed to the Camp Nou and this may have allowed the Red Devils to continue their dominance of domestic football in the country rather than Arsenal or Chelsea emerging as threats to their crown.
Signing Ronaldinho would have given the wily Scot a chance to rejuvenate his squad and add another wonderful attacking talent to his already stacked squad, and could he perhaps have been better than Ryan Giggs?
What happened to Ronaldinho?
Giggs had proven to be one of the finest wingers in Europe throughout the previous decade, adding an extra goalscoring option for Ferguson, yet from the 2003/04 season, his numbers would start to decline.
Indeed, he scored just seven league goals during that campaign and over the course of the following four seasons – the time Ronaldinho spent at Barcelona – Giggs netted only 22 times.
In comparison, the former PSG starlet revitalised a Barcelona side who had failed to win the league title since 1999 and although they finished the 2003/04 season trophyless, the second half of the campaign saw the club secure a wonderful second place finish.
The Brazilian was a sensation, registering 33 goal contributions – 22 goals and 11 assists – and he wouldn’t let up over the next few seasons either, spurning the club on to winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League crown.
From his second season until the 2007/08 campaign, he recorded a staggering 72 goals and 59 assists and these displays meant he was a worthy winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year Award, winning the prestigious award twice.
He was without a shadow of a doubt, the finest player in the world between 2003 and 2006, and Ferguson certainly missed a trick by failing to lure him to England.
Giggs was a consistent performer, but he didn’t quite have the same creativity as the Brazilian, nor his thirst for goals, and United may have added to their Premier League tally between 2003 and 2006 had the latter been playing in red.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his former teammate at AC Milan, showered Ronaldinho with praise when discussing his ability, saying: "Ronaldinho was phenomenal. He made his opponents look like children.”
He wasn’t the only icon to laud him either, with Zinedine Zidane also praising his fellow rival, saying: "Ronaldinho is total class – a very, very great player. He is quick, powerful, and has extraordinary technical qualities," he said. "He is a dribbler but is also a player who can make the play for his teammates."
“He’s not really a no.10, a true organiser. He’s more a second attacker who can score goals and has the vision to make them.”
Imagine him starring in a team alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Roy Keane? He would have been an unstoppable force in the Premier League had he turned down the advances of Barcelona and accepted Fergie’s offer.
It certainly remains a massive case of what if and although United eventually returned to prominence as Ferguson built his third great side at the Red Devils, and they eventually went to on win more league titles and another European crown.
Having Ronaldinho dazzle the Old Trafford crowd would have been something different however and could have given the team a totally different attacking threat while being an upgrade on Giggs on the process.
It proves that the great man also had his fair share of transfer howlers, yet he went and made up for them by going on to sign someone else who would have a positive impact at the club, and that is perhaps what separates him from the series of managers which have tried to emulate him over the previous decade.
Across Sir Alex Ferguson's 26-year Manchester United career, the 13-time Premier League winner has tutored a plethora of talented players and coaches.
Many of his former players have become managers themselves, like Wayne Rooney for example, who was appointed Birmingham City boss this week.
So today at Football FanCast, we've decided to list and rank 15 of Sir Alex's pupils who became managers.
They'll be ordered by win percentage…
15 Paul Scholes – 27%
Kicking off the list is 11-time Premier League winner Paul Scholes, whose managerial record has been far less fruitful than his playing career.
However, in fairness, it must be noted that he has only taken charge of 11 games throughout his brief managerial career, winning three of those.
The legendary United midfielder got his first gig in the dugout with Oldham at the beginning of 2019 but resigned after seven games due to 'interference' from the chairman.
Scholes' second role came in October 2020, when he took over as caretaker manager at Salford City – the club he part-owns. His record at the Ammies was pretty decent, winning two of his four games in charge and only conceding defeat once.
14 Wayne Rooney – 28%
United's all-time top goalscorer, Wayne Rooney, has opted against the popular route of a career in the media – post-retirement – and instead has chosen a life in the dugout.
Rooney has certainly not had it easy during his fledgling managerial career, having first received his breakthrough with Derby County, who were in dire straights on and off the pitch.
The Rams entered administration during his 19-month reign and were handed points deductions, leaving the Liverpool-born head coach with a mammoth task of avoiding relegation from the Championship.
Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort, Derby suffered relegation to the third tier in May 2022, and Rooney departed for D.C United that summer.
Having managed in the MLS for 15 months, the former Everton forward is now back in England with Birmingham City, where he'll be hoping to improve his pretty underwhelming 28% win rate.
13 Mark Hughes – 38%
Mark Hughes was part of Sir Alex's first title-winning side in 1993 and was a fabulous servant for the Scotsman.
Having been inspired by the former United boss, the Welshman decided to try his hand at management following his retirement in 2002 and he's gone on to take charge of a whopping 690 matches.
Though, across his eight different jobs, the 59-year-old's win rate doesn't exactly make for good reading. He was recently sacked by League Two outfit Bradford City, leaving the club in 18th after a run of three wins from 11 games.
Perhaps his most notable role was with Stoke, where he managed 200 games, guiding the club to three consecutive ninth-placed Premier League finishes.
12 Roy Keane – 38%
The former United skipper began his managerial career with Sunderland, helping the club return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Keane's second season saw his side retain their top-flight status, finishing 15th, three points clear of the drop zone. However, he opted to resign mid-way through his third campaign after a poor run of results, leaving the North East club in 18th.
A job at Ipswich beckoned for the Irishman shortly after departing the Black Cats, and after 20 months in charge, having won 29 of his 81 matches, he was sacked by Town.
Since Keane's Portman Road exit in January 2011, he hasn't returned to management, though speaking on the 'Stick to Football' podcast, he admitted a desire to get back in the dugout.
11 Mark Robins – 40%
The current Coventry City boss, Mark Robins, is adored by the Sky Blue faithful. Across his six-and-a-half-year second spell at the club, the former United forward has overseen two promotions and stabilised the club during unsettling times off the field.
Coventry reached the Championship play-off final last term before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Luton Town but his side appears well-placed to once again challenge for a spot in the Premier League this season.
Robins is widely considered as one of the best managers in the second tier and is certainly the best pupil of Sir Alex's up to this point.
10 Paul Ince – 40%
Paul Ince hasn't exactly inspired many with his managerial abilities.
His win rate of 40% could be a lot worse though, and his first spell as MK Dons manager was probably his most successful role, winning an impressive 35 of his 55 matches in charge, prompting Premier League side Blackburn to appoint him as manager.
Ince only lasted 21 matches in post at Rovers, having won just six of his 21 games before receiving the sack.
9 Gordon Strachan – 41%
Gordon Strachan has taken charge of just shy of 600 games throughout his 27-year career as a manager, with his first role coming at Coventry City.
A trophy-laden spell in Glasgow saw him win three Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic whilst collecting three domestic cup trophies.
Following his departure from The Hoops in 2009, the former United and Leeds midfielder managed Middlesbrough and Scotland.
Strachan now operates as a technical director for Dundee F.C.
8 Darren Ferguson – 43%
Whilst Darren Ferguson didn't play under Sir Alex, he of course received an extensive amount of tutelage from the former United boss by being his son.
Darren hasn't reached the heights his father did, but he has enjoyed a successful career in the lower leagues of English football, most notably with Peterborough United.
He's managed an astounding 483 games for the Posh across four different spells and is currently in post with the League One outfit.
The 51-year-old's side currently sit fifth after winning six of their opening 12 matches this season.
7 Steve McClaren – 45%
Steve McClaren was Sir Alex's assistant for 149 games and was on the touchline at the Nou Camp when the Red Devils beat Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final to complete the treble.
McClaren has managed a whole host of clubs and was even in charge of England at one point, though that tenure was short-lived after his side failed to qualify for EURO 2008.
The veteran coach now serves as an assistant to Erik ten Hag and has been in the post since the Dutchman's arrival last summer.
6 Ryan Giggs – 50%
Now we get into the impressive win rate territory of 50% and beyond.
The Ex-United winger, Ryan Giggs, took caretaker charge at Old Trafford following David Moyes' sacking in April 2014. The Welshman managed the remaining four games of the season, winning two, drawing one and losing one.
His first permanent role came with the Wales national team in 2018, managing a total of 24 games and winning 12, before stepping down due to a court trial, which has since been dropped.
Giggs' return to management is close, according to reports.