The four week long period between this international break and the next, containing seven fixtures, could be season-defining for Celtic.

Having yielded just a solitary point from their first two Europa League outings, Brendan Rodgers’ team really need to get some points on the board against Sturm Graz at home and then Midtjylland in Herning, because the fixtures only get tougher after that.

Meantime, on the domestic front, the Hoops will visit current Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts the Sunday after next, an eagerly anticipated clash at Tynecastle, before the small matter of an Old Firm League Cup semi-final at Hampden a week later.

Given their underwhelming form so far, supporters are hoping to see players come to the fore and put their best foot forward, but which summer signing is showing early signs of a certain Tom Rogic?

Tom Rogic's Celtic career in numbers

Few players in modern Celtic history remain as beloved as Rogic.

After arriving from Central Coast Mariners in January 2013, the Australian made 272 appearances in hoops, scoring 46 goals and providing 51 assists.

He netted six times against Rangers, while also scoring, arguably, the most famous goal of the club’s recent history, firing home a stoppage-time winner in the 2017 Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen to secure the invincible treble that bookended Rodgers’ first season in charge.

Affectionately known as the Wizard of Oz, this nickname encapsulates Rogic’s style of play, possessing the clichéd ‘wand of a left foot’, while Rodgers similarly labelled him a “magician”.

Meantime, then teammate Josip Juranović asserted that the Australian “is little Messi”, adding “he’s one of the best players I have played with”.

When he departed at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, Rogic received an emotional standing ovation from the Celtic faithful as genuine and heartfelt recognition for all the magical moments he had provided.

He cited wanting the move closer to home as the reason for his departure and, technically, he did that by about 280 of the 10,550 miles, joining West Bromwich Albion as a free agent, albeit he made only 23 appearances for the Baggies before retiring at the age of 30.

When Rogic arrived as a 20-year-old from an A-League club very few in Glasgow would ever have heard of, surely no one could’ve foreseen just how impactful he would be at the club, so is a current squad member set for a similar trajectory?

Celtic's next Tom Rogic

Supporters remain generally furious with the board’s inactivity this summer, believing that transfer deals were completed too late, costing Celtic a place in the Champions League.

Well, considering Marcelo Saracchi, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho all arrived after the play-off defeat to Kairat, they may have a point.

One new recruit who did join all the way back in June, instantaneously establishing himself as a first-choice starter, is Benjamin Nygren, and what an absolute bargain he could prove to be.

Into the final few months of his contract with Nordsjælland, the Hoops managed to sign the Sweden international for a reported fee of £1.7m, while Football Transfers believe his current value to be around £6m, having already increased just 13 appearances into his Celtic career.

The table below emphasises his importance to the team so far this season.

Nygren Celtic statistics
Stats	Nygren	Celtic rank
Goals	4	1st
Assists	4	1st
Shots	23	1st
Shots on target	11	1st
Key passes	6	1st
Big chances created	6	1st
Shot-creating actions	6	1st
Successful dribbles per 90	0.7	2nd
Average rating	7.67	1st
Stats via FBref and SofaScore

As the table documents, Nygren ranks first for a wide variety of attacking metrics this season, thereby very much part of Rodgers’ first-choice midfield trio, despite the fact many forecast he was joining to replace Nicolas Kühn on the right-wing.

The Swede, who was an unused substitute for both of the Blågult’s World Cup qualifying defeats this week, scored his fourth goal for Celtic against Motherwell last time out, having opened his account for the club against Aberdeen in August.

Following that victory at Pittodrie, Rodgers praised Nygren’s “excellent” performance, noting that “his intuition is to get in the box and score goals”, as Rogic often did, connecting with Kieran Tierney’s low cross to fire past Dimitar Mitov.

Meantime, following a 5-1 dismantling of Northern Ireland in March, international teammate Alexander Isak described Nygren as “fearless”, concluding that “playing with a winger like that who is able to provide good crosses can only be beneficial for someone like me”.

That is high praise from the most-expensive player in British football history, so the £1.7m Celtic paid to secure the 24-year-old’s signature looks like a genuine bargain.

Thus, supporters will hope he remains in Glasgow’s East End for nigh on a decade too, as Rogic did, the last player at the club who could boast possessing an equally majestic left foot.

Cost £0, now worth more than Tounekti: Celtic hit gold on "phenomenal" star

Sebastian Tounekti has made an impressive start to life at Celtic, but a “prolific” attacker who arrived for free has a higher estimated market value.

By
Ben Gray

Oct 10, 2025

Tottenham have been given a clear path to sign Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo following an update from reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The 25-year-old, who has marked himself out as one of the Premier League’s most devastating forwards these last 12 months, is attracting serious interest from across England and beyond, with Spurs believed to be firmly in the mix for his signature.

Semenyo’s been involved in nine of Bournemouth’s 11 total goals scored in the league so far, contributing to 81 per cent of their total attacking output, which is the highest percentage of any Premier League player this season (The Analyst).

The African also boasts 10 goals from his last 18 top flight appearances going back to April, with a total of six goals and three assists this season alone thus far. Man City boss Pep Guardiola is among the experts to laud Semenyo’s “extraordinary” form, and Tottenham recruitment chiefs are said to be massive fans of his too.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

The former Bristol City star signed a brand-new contract earlier this year, which quashed hopes of Tottenham or any other Premier League giant tempting him away from the Vitality last summer.

Semenyo extended his deal until 2030, giving the Cherries plenty of negotiating power to demand a club-record fee for their star player.

However, while reports have suggested that Bournemouth value him at around £75 million, Spurs could now sign him for significantly less in January.

Tottenham given clear Antoine Semenyo path as David Ornstein update leaves Bournemouth exposed

That is because Semenyo’s new deal, according to Ornstein on X, contains a £62.5 million release clause which becomes active for a limited time when the transfer window reopens.

In Ornstein’s words, the clause leaves Bournemouth ‘powerless’, and could allow Tottenham or any other interested suitor to bypass negotiations with Andoni Iraola’s side and head straight to Semenyo’s representatives — giving the north Londoners an obvious route to his signature as early as the winter.

The links to Spurs are nothing new, and Frank has already made his feelings about Semenyo pretty clear when speaking to reporters about the player last season.

Semenyo’s potential arrival holds even greater appeal due to the fact he won’t be competing at the African Cup of Nations this season, with Ghana failing to qualify for the tournament in what is a serious boost for Frank, considering the Dane also gets to keep hold of Mohammed Kudus.

The prospect of Semenyo playing on the left and Kudus playing on the right is a very exciting one, but it is worth noting that they’ll have to contend with a host of rivals for his services as well, perhaps even more so after the news of a tantalising release clause.

Manchester United have been known to make numerous big-money additions over the years, but many of which have fallen way below the levels expected of them by the fanbase.

Antony has arguably been their biggest disaster during the last five years, with the Brazilian unable to match the pressures brought by his £86m transfer fee.

The 25-year-old was able to rack up a total of 96 appearances for the Red Devils over a two-and-a-half-year period, only scoring on 12 occasions – with only five of which coming in the Premier League.

As a result of his lack of impact at Old Trafford, he was subsequently shipped off to Real Betis for just £21m last summer – resulting in the hierarchy taking a £65m loss on his signature.

However, it appears as though INEOS have failed to learn from previous mistakes in the market, as seen by their big-money transfer to land one player during the summer window.

How Benjamin Sesko compares to other PL strikers in 2025/26

After a dismal 2024/25, Ruben Amorim’s men were handed a significant chance of redemption this campaign after the hierarchy handed the manager £200m worth of funds to utilise in the market.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy in an attempt to bolster the options available in the final third of the pitch.

Both have made an immediate impact to life at Old Trafford, already scoring a combined six goals between them – subsequently sitting in seventh place going into the third international break of the season.

The former of the duo even won the division’s Player of the Month award, further showcasing how impressive he’s been since his own big-money switch to join the Red Devils.

However, Benjamin Sesko has struggled to match the pair in such an aspect, with the Slovenian international unable to produce the goods as yet after his £74m switch from RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old was tasked with the responsibility of spearheading the frontline, but his tally of just two goals in his 11 league appearances showcases his inability to impress in England’s top-flight.

He’s only managed to complete 64% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with such a tally ranking him within the bottom 10% of all players in the division at present.

Sesko’s lack of passing ability has often restricted Amorim’s side from reaching the next level, often struggling to provide the focal point and target man they have craved.

Other figures, such as 0.2 successful dribbles per 90 and 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, further demonstrate his lack of positive impact in attacking areas – undoubtedly contributing to his measly goal tally.

Both tallies rank him in the 25th percentile of other attackers in the division, meaning 75% of players in the same position have produced better numbers in the same department.

Forget Sesko: This is INEOS' biggest waste of money

United’s inability to land any top-level attackers has been apparent over the last couple of seasons, with Amorim unable to get the best out of the options at his disposal in 2024/25.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund were the two centre-forwards on the books prior to the 40-year-old’s arrival, but neither failed to nail down the number nine position as their own.

The latter of the duo subsequently left during the recent transfer window to make room for the big-money addition of Sesko – but it appears that he could also suffer the same fate.

At just 22, he has plenty of time of turnaround his fortunes around at the Theatre of Dreams, but he will certainly need to find some form amid his recent lack of impact.

However, he’s not alone in struggling at present, with midfielder Manuel Ugarte another player who could be on borrowed time after his own disappointing spell in England.

The Uruguayan joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2024 from PSG for a reported £42m, but such a transfer now looks to be one of INEOS’ worst signings in recent years.

His transfer generated huge excitement within the fanbase, but he’s failed to deliver, as seen by his recent drop down Amorim’s pecking order in 2025/26.

Ugarte now finds himself behind 33-year-old Casemiro in the United squad, with the former PSG star often an unreliable figure and unable to produce the goods when called upon.

His latest showing off the bench against Spurs highlights his recent decline at Old Trafford, as the side conceded two goals after being brought on to replace the aforementioned Brazilian.

The 24-year-old’s underlying stats from this season further showcase his dismal performances in and out of possession, with his pass accuracy of 84% – which ranks him in the 33rd percentile of midfielders in the league.

Ugarte has also created just 0.3 chances per 90 and achieved an expected assist tally of just 0.01 per 90 – the lowest in the United squad.

On that evidence, it was no surprise that one United content creator suggested that he looked “so anxious” on the ball and was “frightened to death of passing forwards”.

Games played

9

Minutes played

301

Chances created

0.3

Expected assists

0.01

Interceptions made

0.7

Tackles made

2.1

Pass accuracy

84%

Dribbled past

1.4

The latter of his two aforementioned stats also ranks him in the 5th percentile of any midfielder in the Premier League – showcasing his lack of skill in possession.

However, he was mainly brought to the club for his ability to break up the play, but that part of his game has also been satisfactory at best over the last few months.

Ugarte has only made 0.7 interceptions per 90 and has only completed 2.1 tackles per game – which further highlights the decline he’s enduring since Amorim’s arrival.

There’s little disputing that Sesko has struggled to make an impact of late, but it’s to be expected from such a young talent who has made a leap of faith to further his career in a completely new country.

As for Ugarte, he’s already had over a year to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, but ultimately, it’s evident that he’s no longer a player who should be a key member of the first-team squad.

£50m for his signature has been nothing short of a waste of money, with INEOS desperately needing to remember such a deal during the upcoming January window.

Perfect for Sesko: Man Utd open talks to sign £100m star in club-record move

Manchester United are set to make a mammoth offer for one talent in the January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 11, 2025

حقق فريق الهلال الفوز على الأخدود، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين برباعية مقابل لا شيء.

واستضاف الهلال منافسه الأخدود في الجولة الثامنة عشر من مسابقة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين على الملعب المملكة أرينا بالرياض.

طالع.. ريال مدريد يرد على أنباء رحيل فينيسيوس إلى الدوري السعودي

وافتتح كايو سيزار، لاعب الهلال الأهداف في الدقيقة الرابعة، بينما أضاف سيرجي سافيتش الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 43 من عمر اللقاء.

وفي الدقيقة الثانية من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الأول أحرز ماركوس ليوناردو الهدف الثالث لصالح الزعيم، قبل أن يضيف الهدف الرابع في الدقيقة 55.

ورفع الهلال رصيده إلى 46 نقطة في المركز الأول من جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي، بينما تجمد رصيد الأخدود عند 15 نقطة في المركز الرابع عشر.

The visitors plan to return on Monday before a stricter lockdown is imposed in Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam11-Apr-2021

South Africa Women’s Emerging side will be leaving Bangladesh without playing the last match•BCB

South Africa Emerging Women’s tour of Bangladesh has been cut short by one game after the visitors decided to leave the country on April 12 before a stricter lockdown is enforced from April 14, which was their scheduled departure date. The South African team will not play their last scheduled game on April 13.”The last match will not be held due to the lockdown,” Shafiul Alam Nadel, the BCB women’s wing chairman, said. “They are hoping to leave Bangladesh by tomorrow (April 12). There won’t be any flights due to the lockdown, which is why they are leaving before their last match. The decision has been taken after discussion between BCB and CSA.”The visitors have so far played four one-day matches against the hosts and lost all of them. Efforts are now being made to put them on a flight by April 12 so that they avoid getting stranded in Bangladesh.Related

South Africa Emerging Women's players return negative tests, to fly back from Dhaka on Tuesday

Pakistan Under-19's tour of Bangladesh called off due

NCL 2021 matches postponed amid surge in Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh

The country’s civil aviation authority announced earlier on Sunday that international flights would be stopped for a week April 14 onwards.The South Africa women’s team arrived in Bangladesh on March 29 to play five matches in Sylhet. The first four matches were conducted as planned despite the Bangladesh government having announced a lockdown on April 3 effective from April 5, with the BCB keeping both teams under a strict biobubble environment. No crowd was allowed at the matches.This is the second tour related to Bangladesh cricket to be marred by the April 14 lockdown announcement. The Pakistan Under-19’s tour of Bangladesh was called off on Saturday, which included one four-day game and five Youth ODIs in Sylhet and Dhaka. Last week, the BCB had also postponed the National Cricket League, Bangladesh’s domestic first-class competition.The surge of Covid-19 cases over the last four weeks has resulted in the current lockdown and a stricter one from next week. According to the Directorate General of Health Services, 78 people died on Sunday – the highest in a day so far – which is one more than Saturday’s figure, itself a record number. There were also 5819 Covid-19 cases reported on Sunday in Bangladesh.

Chelsea's hopes of building a new stadium at Earl's Court have received a blow after a local council approved an alternative plan for the earmarked land. The Blues have been considering moving away from Stamford Bridge for many years as redevelopment efforts have stalled. The west London team had hoped to move to this new site but a mix of homes, retail, hospitality, and workplaces look set to go there instead.

• Boehly's stadium warning

  The Blues have been at their current ground, which holds just over 40,000 fans, since 1877 and for the time being, they are not going anywhere. Indeed, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly previously said that he expects the club to move to a new stadium in the future but it is a "really complex" situation. 

  He said in March: "Inside of London it's really complex. It's not like we are building something in a rural environment. We have a lot of constituents to make sure we care about. Certainly, the Chelsea fan base is one of them. Long term, I think we're going to build something new, and I think we'll figure it out."

  The American may not have envisaged this recent turn of events, however.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Chelsea stadium move blow

  According to The Athletic, Hammersmith and Fulham council approved proposals for a separate development, and not Chelsea's, on the site of the old Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The Earls Court Development Company confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday morning, saying the 44-acre, £10 billion ($13b) masterplan will "transform central London’s largest cleared development site".

  They added that this development will create around 4,000 homes and 12,000 jobs and that: "This first milestone paves the way for ECDC to work with partners across the public and private sectors to move forwards with plans to start on site as soon as possible."

  The ECDC's plans do not include a football stadium like the one Chelsea desires. However, the aforementioned development still has to go through multiple stages, such as authorities in Kensington and Chelsea, before getting the go-ahead.

• Chelsea made to wait

  This stadium relocation hurdle has been on the cards for months but now it is becoming more concrete with this development. Incidentally, under former Blues owner Roman Abramovich, the club secured planning permission for a 60,000-seater ground on the Stamford Bridge site but the build never took place due to complications over the Russian's visa. Fast forward to earlier this year, and despite Boehly and fellow co-owner Behdad Eghbali, the founder of Clearlake Capital, appearing to have their disagreements about the Blues' direction of travel, the former says that won't be an issue with stadium plans.

  He said earlier this year: "We have been aligned on what we are trying to do and build. It’s a team that’s young. It’s a team that’s got long contracts. And all these things were new, and to do all these things we have done it’s obviously because we are aligned. So if you look at what is actually happening and don’t follow the shiny lights you will see there is core stability and there has been a long-time theme. And I think we are executing on a plan that ultimately will have Chelsea where it belongs. I mean we are sitting top four right now. I think the status quo is just fine. We have learned from each other and I think we are going to be able to work it out any which way. We have to think about long term what we are trying to accomplish. We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out, and I think that’s where we either align or ultimately decide to go our different ways. But what has been written and talked about has much more drama than what has actually happened."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next for Chelsea?

  Aside from this off-the-field blow, Chelsea's players and head coach, Enzo Maresca, will be focusing on building on their superb 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona in midweek when they host local rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal in a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday.

Ultra-aggressive approach helps lay ODI World Cup final ghosts, with Adelaide exorcism next on the list

Matt Roller24-Jun-20241:14

Manjrekar: ‘Rohit’s selflessness the most appealing thing about him’

Rohit Sharma has transformed his approach to T20 batting in the last two years but this humid Monday morning in St Lucia was a high-stakes test of his commitment to a new, ultra-attacking mindset.India’s progress to the T20 World Cup semi-finals relied on avoiding a heavy defeat to Australia, a scenario which would lead many players to adopt a safety-first approach even before they slipped to 6 for 1 after two overs. And it was only seven months ago that Rohit’s own dismissal after a fast start changed the course of a World Cup final – albeit in a different format.But Rohit’s response demonstrated his clarity of thought. Rather than obsessing over the cross-wind which howled across the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, he launched the first two balls of Mitchell Starc’s second over for sixes over cover. It led to an overcorrection and a loss of control, with Starc then hammered for four down the ground, six over wide mid-on and six more off an edge which flew over Matthew Wade.Related

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• Rohit had to 'open up all sides of the field' to counter St Lucia breeze

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• Rohit powers India into semis; Australia's hopes take a hit

It was the personification of attacking intent, and the third six merits closer examination. Starc attempted to angle the ball across Rohit, daring him to take on the infield in the covers again, and overpitched slightly. It was a slot ball, but delivered at 90mph/144kph – and Rohit went down on one knee, slog-sweeping him all of 96 metres. It was an outrageous shot.And this was not just any bowler: this was three-format world champion, serial winner Mitchell Starc, bowling with the benefit of a cross-breeze which – in theory – should have helped him to shape the ball back late to the right-handers. “He was trying to get it up and get it swinging,” Josh Hazlewood explained. “We’ve seen that for 10 years: it’s pretty devastating when it’s on.”Instead, Starc’s over cost 29 runs – his most expensive set of six in an Australia career that has spanned more than 4000 overs. He had never previously conceded more than two sixes in a single over, in any format of international cricket: Rohit cracked him for four.Rohit’s plan, he revealed, was to open up both sides of the ground rather than relying on the cross-wind and hitting across the line. “You need to be smart,” he said. “You’ve got to understand, bowlers are smart as well… I was thinking to hit the ball everywhere possible. When you keep an open mind and not think about just playing one shot, you can open [up] and access all sides of the field.”It worked perfectly. As soon as Australia’s strategy of defending the windy side was thrown off, they started to veer between different plans and regularly missed their lengths: Pat Cummins’ slower ball soared 100 metres onto the roof of the Johnson Charles stand at midwicket, with the wind, and his attempted wide yorker was squeezed through backward point.Rohit Sharma raised fifty off just 19 balls•AFP/Getty ImagesRohit was particularly punishing when Mitchell Marsh turned to Marcus Stoinis in the hope of some cheap overs, hitting half of the balls he faced from him to the rope, or over it. He repeatedly used his feet, shimmying down as if to highlight Stoinis’ lack of pace and the time he had to choose a shot, commit to it and nail it: Rohit’s strike rate against Stoinis was 270.He repeatedly felt comfortable hitting him into the breeze, knowing that even a mishit had a good chance of clearing a 66-metre square boundary. “He targeted the boundary with the wind for a while,” Hazlewood said. “Then we reacted, and then he hit a few [towards] the other side as well. He’s a class act, and you expect him to do that a couple of times through a tournament.”Rohit fell in the 12th over for 92 off 41, bowled by Starc’s yorker from around the wicket. It was a credit to him that he continued to swing, knowing that India would need 200-plus on a good batting pitch. “Fifties and hundreds don’t matter,” he said. “I wanted to bat with the same tempo, and carry on playing shots wherever it is necessary; try and put the bowlers under pressure.”Last year’s 50-over World Cup felt like a brush with destiny for Rohit. After missing India’s 2011 triumph, the chance to captain his country to their first major title in a decade on home soil was tantalising. He played selflessly throughout the tournament, striking at 125.94, but his dismissal in Ahmedabad – caught by Travis Head off Glenn Maxwell – prompted his team-mates to freeze.This was not quite retribution: Australia are still mathematically alive, and India are two games away from a trophy. But when Head’s miscue landed in Rohit’s hands at mid-off to effectively seal India’s win, it felt like a small step towards it. “It is quite satisfying [to beat Australia] especially when you play like that,” Rohit said. “We can take a lot of confidence from a game like this.”It has been a remarkable transformation at a late stage of Rohit’s career. In both ODIs and T20Is, his average and strike rate are higher as captain than in the ranks. That demonstrates both the security of a player who knows his legacy is already confirmed and the desire of a captain who wants to set an example to his team-mates, and prove that playing high-risk cricket will not bring repercussions.Rohit’s biggest challenge lies ahead. Two years ago, he made 27 off 28 balls in a T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide then blamed his bowlers for the 10-wicket thrashing that ensued. In Guyana on Thursday, he will have the chance to make amends by showing that he has changed for good.

da doce： Tottenham have reached out to the representatives of an Arsenal transfer target as Spurs boss Thomas Frank scours the market for creativity, according to a new report.

Tottenham looking at signing attackers in January

da apostaganha： Frank is under growing pressure at N17, and one of the key points of concern has been their lack of attacking fluidity.

Spurs were recently booed off after a tepid 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea in the London derby, where they managed just one shot on target all game, and it was a similar story away to Arsenal last weekend.

David Raya barely had anything to do and was rarely troubled in the Gunners net, barring Richarlison’s incredible goal of the season contender from the halfway line, and the statistics paint a pretty grim picture of their attacking prowess overall.

According to FBref, the Lilywhites have attempted the second-fewest shots in the Premier League so far this campaign, and rank 17th in the division for xG (expected goals), so this quite simply has to change.

25/26 Premier League

Spurs

League rank

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Stats via FBref

As a result, it is believed that the north Londoners could look to sign a striker and winger when the winter transfer window opens.

Spurs are reportedly in the mix for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo as one option, following news of the Ghanaian’s £65 million release clause, which will be active during the early period of January.

Meanwhile, in terms of a new striker, FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa has been repeatedly linked with a move to Tottenham, with co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange apparently prepared to shell out his release clause.

Related Tottenham plan record-shattering January transfer swoop after "clear" Frank message

Spurs want to back their under-fire manager.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2025

Time will tell whether these reports come to fruition, but they will face stiff competition from some of Europe’s big hitters for both men.

On top of Semenyo and Aghehowa, Spurs are now also taking an interest in Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, according to TEAMtalk.

Tottenham hold talks with Rodrigo Mendoza and want his 'progressive passing'

As per their information, Tottenham have registered their interest in Mendoza by contacting his agents, joining Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City in pursuit of the highly-rated 20-year-old who could be available for just £17.5 million in January.

Frank views the Spanish youth international as a potential solution to Spurs’ midfield needs, and the club apparently ‘crave his progressive passing’ to provide creativity from deeper positions.

Sources close to the representatives of Mendoza are quoted in the report confirming contact from all four Premier League clubs, and Mendoza’s modest release clause makes him an attractive proposition.

The Elche academy graduate has impressed during nine La Liga appearances this season, scoring once and demonstrating qualities that have drawn comparisons to both Sergio Busquets and Pedri.

His ability to carry the ball forward ranks him in the 93rd percentile among La Liga midfielders for successful dribbles per 90 minutes, with Mendoza playing a key role in helping Elche win promotion back to the Spanish top flight last term.

However, Elche recognize that financial difficulties could force them into a sale, with the cash-strapped club anticipating interest from bigger sides.

January could see multiple Premier League suitors test their resolve, including Tottenham, who are now firmly in the mix.

It will be interesting to see where he could fit into a Spurs midfield that already includes exciting talents Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, who operate in a similar roles, but Mendoza may even perhaps prove to be an adept replacement for the exit-bound Yves Bissouma.

Josh Shaw and Ryan Higgins lead way with ball for hosts on green-tinged surface

ECB Reporters' Network08-Apr-2021The opening day of the new LV= Insurance County Championship season saw Bristol over 20 degrees cooler than Chennai, where Rory Burns last walked out in a competitive match, and Surrey felt a chill all day as they made 220 for 9 against Gloucestershire.Josh Shaw, with 4 for 48, and Ryan Higgins, 3 for 35, ensured the home side did not squander winning the toss on a green-tinged pitch. They were denied the chance to finish Surrey off inside the day by late rain.They may even feel a touch disappointed, having conceded 32 boundaries. Higgins, beginning the season averaging just 21 with the ball, was the chief exception, leaking only 35 runs from his 19 overs.”We’re really happy with that,” Shaw said. “We wanted to bowl on that wicket and we’re pleased with how we’ve gone. We probably weren’t at our best but when you’ve got Surrey 220 for 9 not quite firing it’s only a good thing.”Ryan Higgins mentioned changing the angle of the seam for a delivery and I tried it and managed to get a wicket so that was a nice one.”The challenge for Burns was the diametric opposite of that which he faced in India, as the players walked out in conditions that might have felt more like January. But he nonetheless failed, with an angle through the slips for four before he edged to second slip driving at one from David Payne that swung away. Ollie Pope also drove loosely, to backward-point, for 22 in Surrey’s struggle.With England’s batsmen having not contributed, 38-year-old former South Africa stalwart Hashim Amla, now an overseas player with Kolpak registrations ended, guided his side to 91 for 3 at lunch with a series of punchy cover drives and punishment of George Scott’s wide deliveries. He reached an 85-ball fifty, but soon after the break was driving flat-footedly at Shaw and palpably lbw for 56.Ben Foakes, lbw for 26, beaten by one from Higgins that nipped back, and Jordan Clarke, sharply held by wicketkeeper James Bracey standing up to Higgins for 8, quickly fell to leave Surrey in a hole at 144 for 6.From which point regret might linger for Gloucestershire as Jamie Overton made a streaky 40 – edging Payne just wide of second slip and Scott also narrowly past at catcher at takeable height. He went on to flick Shaw to fine leg to raise a batting point but eventually fell dragging Payne into his off stump trying to force off the back foot.Jamie Smith, one of Surrey’s brightest young things, also lost his off stump, for 20, to one that nipped back from Shaw and the same delivery accounted for Gus Atkinson in just his third first-class match.”It wasn’t easy. Being ultra-critical we could have got a few more but I think we’re still right in the game,” Overton said. “You got yourself in and felt a little settled but one just did something out of the blue.”But you can still score on this pitch and we let ourselves down with not taking a couple of partnerships on a little longer.”

Arsenal fans were left surprised as Mikel Arteta decided to include Bukayo Saka in the starting lineup against League One side Bolton.

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Saka, Rice started against BoltonFans baffled by Arteta's decisionSaka played for 45 minutes against Man CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arteta made as many as seven changes in the Arsenal starting lineup for their Carabao Cup fixture against Bolton, which featured against Manchester City in the Premier League last Sunday. However, regular starters like Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were included in the team sheet, which surprised several fans.

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A user named Triple M wrote on X, "Saka in a Carabao cup match? Mikel Arteta never beating the allegations."

A handle named Javi was furious with the manager's decision as he wrote, "How is Saka starting man someone investigate this manager."

A fan named Anita was frustrated with Saka's inclusion as she wrote, "Saka will die on the pitch."

Paul Dawes felt that it was needless to overexert Saka in a Carabao Cup fixture, as he wrote, "Come on man surely there’s no need to play Rice and Saka."

A handle named Evade was baffled to see Arteta using Saka against a League One side like Bolton as he wrote, "Why is Saka starting against a League One team."

AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The English winger did start for Arteta's side in their mega Premier League clash against Manchester City last weekend, however, the player lasted for just 45 minutes on the pitch before being substituted for Ben White. The fiery encounter at Etihad was followed by a war of words between City players and Arteta. England international defender John Stones even accused the Gunners of performing the 'dark arts'.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

After the Bolton clash on Wednesday, the North London side will be back in the Premier League on Saturday as they take on Leicester City at Emirates Stadium.