All posts by z3u9t.icu

Will Chelsea make any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup?

Last week, the Blues unveiled Liam Delap as their new signing, paying Ipswich his £30m release clause.

Now, Chelsea have until 7pm (BST) on Tuesday 10th June to register any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup, with their opening fixture against Los Angeles FC taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta the following Monday.

So, before then, will Enzo Maresca have another new centre-forward at his disposal?

Chelsea chasing another striker

The Blues are looking to significantly improve their forward line this summer with mooted interest in Frankurt forward Hugo Ekitike.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Further reports have suggested that a deal could be on the cards for Jamie Gittens too, with the club having held talks with his club side, Borussia Dortmund, ahead of a possible move. However, there are more targets on the horizon for BlueCo.

Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are targeting a move for Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro, with Newcastle United also interested.

Fabrizio Romano claims that the Brazilian is ‘expected to leave Brighton’ this summer, after not featuring in any of the Seagulls’ final five Premier League fixtures this season, the first three due to suspension, before being left out of two matchday squads by manager Fabian Hürzeler following a training ground ‘altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.

Reports in Spain claim that the Albion value their star striker at around £70m, with Football.London noting that Chelsea are willing to pay around £50m, so some sort of compromise will have to be made if Pedro is going to feature stateside this summer.

How Pedro and Delap could function together at Chelsea

Having only just signed Delap, pointedly presenting him with the number nine shirt too, it may seem peculiar that Chelsea are targeting another attacker.

Nevertheless, with Christopher Nkunku on his way out this summer, Matt Law of the Telegraph believes they are in the market for a versatile forward, but is Pedro actually a bigger talent than his potential future teammate?

Let’s try and answer that question.

Goals

0.46

0.42

Assists

0.28

0.07

Shots

1.94

2.29

Shots on target %

35.7%

43.9%

Shot-creating actions

3.32

2.15

Open-play passes completed

20.8

7.4

Chances created

1.3

0.7

Lay-offs completed

1.6

0.9

Touches

44

24

As the table outlines, Delap is much of a penalty box presence, emphasised by the fact he registered more shots, a higher proportion of which hit the target, while also taking almost half the number of touches on a per 90 basis.

Pedro meantime, is a significantly more well-rounded forward, underlined by his higher number of chances created, passes completed and touches per 90 statistics.

Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has hailed his “really magical” quality on the ball, while Adrian Clarke of the Premier League labelled him ‘hardworking, creative, and calm in front’, praising his ‘deft pieces of link play’ and believing he has started to show ‘a poacher’s instinct’ this season too.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout notes that Pedro ‘is capable of playing anywhere across the attack’, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic outlines how he is adept at ‘dropping deep to link play’.

Thus, this all suggests that Delap and Pedro could function in a team together, with the former holding his position in the penalty area, while the latter drops deep to link play alongside Chelsea’s abundance of other high-quality attackers.

Thus, he would surely be an excellent addition for the Blues, even if getting this deal over the line by Tuesday appears unlikely at this stage.

Shades of Hazard: Chelsea to make £59m bid for "generational" star

Chelsea could be about to land themselves a star who can follow in the footsteps of Eden Hazard at Stamford Bridge.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 7, 2025

Since leaving Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side, Marcus Rashford and Antony have played important roles for high-performing sides on the European scene.

Rashford hasn’t been at his rip-roaring best with Aston Villa, but the game-changing winger has still played his part for a side that sit on the cusp of a return to the Champions League, victory at Old Trafford this afternoon standing in his way. He’s scored four goals and provided six assists from 17 games for the Villans.

At Real Betis, Antony looks not like a man reborn but a different player altogether. The right-sided forward became something of a whipping boy for his struggles at the Theatre of Dreams after joining from Ajax in an £86m deal, but has hit nine goals and five assists since moving to Spain in January.

However, these aren’t the only former Red Devils, those having toiled in existing memory at Old Trafford, who have been remade elsewhere, with Scott McTominay forging an incredible campaign for himself over in Italy.

Scott McTominay's Serie A season

Less than a year after leaving Man United and joining Napoli in a £25m deal, McTominay has won the Scudetto and been crowned the Serie A MVP.

It’s been quite the year for the Scotland international, who has long played the bit part at Old Trafford but has been reborn as a bona fide superstar in Naples, the architect of their second league title in three years.

24/25 – Napoli

34 (33)

12

6

23/24 – Man Utd

32 (18)

7

1

22/23 – Man Utd

24 (10)

1

0

21/22 – Man Utd

30 (28)

1

1

20/21 – Man Utd

32 (24)

4

1

19/20 – Man Utd

27 (20)

4

1

The 28-year-old never quite brought it all together in the Premier League, but he’s channelled his innate goalscoring ability and reinforced his underlying metrics, averaging 6.1 successful duels and 4.2 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.

It’s exactly the type of midfield robustness that has been lacking for the Red Devils this term, and McTominay’s success will not have been lost on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

However, he’s not the only former Manchester United star performing under Antonio Conte’s wing right now, and you could stake an argument for Romelu Lukaku having been even better than his Scottish teammate.

Romelu Lukaku has been outrageously good

Lukaku first moved to Italian football in August 2019, signing for Inter Milan in a deal worth £74m, leaving Man United.

He didn’t have a terrible spell at Old Trafford by any stretch, but the 32-year-old, then 25, failed to capture the magic of his time with Everton, who the Glazers paid an initial £75m (rising to £90m), two years earlier.

Scoring 42 goals and adding 15 more assists across 96 matches, Lukaku made inroads in his first year but struggled across the 2018/19 season, only bagging 15 goals from 45 fixtures in all competitions.

He’s been something of a nomad across his storied career, but who can say Lukaku hasn’t left an indelible mark on so many of his clubs?

Now, Napoli have been added to that list, with the number nine’s return of 14 goals and ten assists across the league campaign proving instrumental in the title-winning success. This means that he produced more goals and more assists than the Scottish midfielder, which is why he was even more influential and even better for the Italian outfit.

Football writer Muhammad Butt even took the time to draw praise to Lukaku amid the effusions directed McTominay’s way, hailing the “outrageously good” Belgian for his talismanic role across the campaign, bagging his second Serie A title after winning the 2020/21 edition with Inter Milan.

His goal against Cagliari on Friday night, following McTominay’s acrobatic opener, was certainly ‘outrageous’, and a reminder that he’s not just a poacher.

Here is one of the finest centre-forwards of his generation, and he underscored his legacy with a stunning season under Conte’s wing, a manager who has fallen in love with the nine and sought to make use of his talents across a number of different environments.

McTominay might have won the MVP, but Lukaku will no doubt feel that his prolific season may have warranted the vote angling his way. Ah well, the title will soften that so-called blow.

Not just Garnacho: Amorim must sell Man Utd dud who's a "serious problem"

Manchester United are in need of a serious overhaul this summer, with numerous players needing to be sold.

1 ByEthan Lamb May 24, 2025

There may still be two Premier League games left to play, but silly season is almost here, and Arsenal look set for a busy one.

Mikel Arteta’s side failed to pick up a trophy for the fifth campaign on the bounce this year, so it’s hardly been a surprise to see them linked to a host of tremendously exciting attackers over the last few weeks.

Perhaps the most exciting of the lot has been Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who would be an incredible statement signing for new Sporting Director Andrea Berta to make in his first summer at the club.

However, the Brazilian isn’t the only game-changing attacker touted for a move to the Emirates, with recent reports now claiming that the Gunners are close to completing a deal for an international who’d be an ideal teammate for the Champions League winner.

Arsenal close in on new striker signing

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other exciting goalscorers touted for moves to N5 in recent weeks, such as Nico Williams and Leroy Sane.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former has a release clause worth around £48m in his current deal, and while it would have to be paid in full, his output of 11 goals and seven assists in 44 games this season suggests he’d be worth it.

Sane, on the other hand, would be free thanks to his current deal expiring at the end of the season, and as he’s racked up 13 goals and six assists in just 44 games this year, signing him feels like a real no-brainer.

However, to really get the most out of Rodrygo next season, Arteta and Co will need to ensure they have a prolific number nine leading the line, someone like Viktor Gyokeres.

Fortunately, it looks like they will do so, as according to reports via an outlet from Spain, negotiations between Arsenal and Sporting CP for the player are ‘well advanced’ at this stage.

In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the deal, which is worth around €71m – £60m – is all but done and that the Swedish international ‘is poised to become a new player’ for the Gunners.

It’s certainly not a cheap transfer, but given Gyokeres’ incredible ability in front of goal, it looks like it’ll be well worth it, especially as he could help get even more out of Rodrygo should the Brazilian join as well.

Why Gyokeres would be a dream for Rodrygo

Now, while there will undoubtedly be a plethora of reasons on and off the pitch as to why Gyokeres would be an ideal teammate for Rodrygo, the most important one, and the one all others will stem from, is his raw output.

For example, it doesn’t really matter how many chances the Brazilian creates from the left if the centre-forward to his right can put them away.

Fortunately, that’s not the case for the Sporting CP star, and it is, in fact, quite the opposite, as it almost feels like the Swedish international couldn’t stop scoring even if he wanted to.

For example, in 50 appearances last season, the goalscoring “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, put the ball in the back of the net 43 times and provided 15 assists for good measure, which comes out to an average of 1.16 goal involvements per game.

Somehow, the former Coventry City star has become even more effective this year, and in 50 appearances, totalling just 4038 minutes, he’s managed to score 52 goals and provide 13 assists.

Appearances

50

50

Minutes

4169′

4038′

Goals

43

52

Assists

15

13

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

1.3

Minutes per Goal Involvement

71.87

62.12′

In other words, the 26-year-old “powerhouse,” as dubbed by Mattinson, is currently averaging 1.3 goal involvements per game, or one every 62.12 minutes, which is simply outrageous.

Now, just imagine how goof Rodrygo could be with a striker that prolific to his right. Not only would he see his goal and assist tallies explode, but he’d probably have more room to work in as opposition defenders focus their energy on stopping the Swedish goal machine from scoring.

Ultimately, it might be a costly deal to get done, but Gyokeres looks like he’ll be incredible for Arsenal next year, and if Berta and Co can sign the Real Madrid star as well, we struggle to see how anyone will be able to contain the Gunners next year.

A sensational Havertz upgrade: Arsenal join race to sign £100m PL star

The talented goalscorer would add another string to Arsenal’s bow.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 15, 2025

After taking the reins back in November, Ruben Amorim has injected the feel-good factor back into Manchester United – helping the side qualify for the Europa League final.

However, there’s only so much success the 40-year-old can achieve with the players who were at the club after he took over from former boss Erik ten Hag.

The attacking department is the area in need of desperate attention in the coming months, with the hierarchy needing to back the manager with funds if he is to improve the lack of goals currently plaguing his centre-forwards.

Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee are the two senior options at his disposal, but the pair have only netted a combined tally of seven goals in the Premier League after costing the Red Devils upwards of £100m.

If they are to take the next step under Amorim, a new striker is a must during the upcoming window, potentially ending the spells of either of the aforementioned talents in the process.

An update on United’s pursuit of new strikers this summer

Even though the summer window is yet to be open, United have already wasted no time in targeting new talent to strengthen the current first-team squad.

Liam Delap was once seen as the Red Devils’ main target for the centre-forward role, especially considering his £30m relegation release clause – but look set to face tough competition from Nottingham Forest in the coming months.

The 22-year-old will certainly remain on the shortlist, but potentially not at the top, with Moise Kean now the club’s main priority, according to one Spanish outlet.

The report claims that Amorim believes he is the perfect option to fit into his 3-4-2-1 system at Old Trafford, having the right profile given positioning, pace and clinical nature.

Kean, who’s netted 23 goals in all competitions this season, is said to cost a fee in the region of £42m, given the release clause in his contract at Serie A outfit Fiorentina.

Why United’s £42m target would be unplayable with Amad

Amad Diallo has been a shining light for United this campaign in what’s been a year to forget in the Premier League, often providing the goods within the final third.

The Ivorian has registered 10 goals and seven assists across all competitions, with his latest coming against Brentford after his recent three-month injury lay-off.

His underlying stats at Old Trafford have been just as impressive, with his output handing other attacking options around him the ammunition to be a success at the club.

Amad has registered 2.2 chances created per 90 this campaign, whilst also completing 2.1 dribbles – often liking to take the ball into attacking areas at any given opportunity.

Such tallies could fall perfectly into the hands of transfer target Kean, who could well turn out to be the attacking saviour the Red Devils have been crying out for over the past few months.

The Italian, who’s been labelled “sensational” by content creator Elliot Hackney, has resurrected his career in the last couple of months after flat-lining following his breakthrough at Juventus.

The 25-year-old currently sits as Serie A’s second top scorer, registering 1.6 shots on target per 90 – benefiting from Amad’s service within the final third should he move to Manchester.

Games played

30

Goals & assists

20

Shots on target

1.6

Pass accuracy

72%

Successful dribbles

1.5

Fouls won

1.8

Aerials won

57%

Touches in opposition box

4.7

He’s also completed 72% of the passes he’s attempted, whilst also completing 1.5 dribbles per 90, having the tools to return the favour to the Ivorian in the final third should he need to.

Kean’s talents don’t stop there, winning 51% of the aerials he’s contested, notching 4.7 touches in the opposition box per game – handing the manager the ‘fox in the box’ style forward he’s lacked since he joined the club.

The £42m fee touted would be an excellent deal for the club, potentially getting themselves a bargain and a player who can provide the goods for the club for many years to come.

The thought of the Italian forming a partnership with Amad is certainly an exciting one, handing the club the platform to recapture their success endured in previous years.

The new Amrabat: Amorim must axe 4/10 Man Utd man who lost the ball 15x

Manchester United booked their place in the Europa League final last night, setting up a clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

6 ByEthan Lamb May 9, 2025

Glasgow Rangers extended their winless run to six matches in all competitions after they held their Glasgow rivals to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Barry Ferguson has failed to lead the team to a win since the dramatic 4-3 victory over Dundee away from home at the end of March, and has not done his chances of landing the job on a permanent basis many favours.

The Light Blues decided to move on from Philippe Clement earlier this year and will have to source a long-term replacement for him this summer, with a familiar name leading the list of candidates.

The latest on the Rangers managerial chase

Football Insider recently reported that former Rangers head coach Steven Gerrard is the leading candidate to secure the job on a full-time basis ahead of next season.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The outlet claimed that the English manager is the favourite for the role, ahead of Marco Rose, and that he is at the top of the club’s shortlist of options.

The 44-year-old boss usually deployed a 4-3-3 system during his first spell at Ibrox, which yielded an incredible, unbeaten, league title success in the 2020/21 campaign, and that could mean that the Gers need to recruit in a certain way to suit that system this summer.

It could also mean that there are some players currently in the Rangers squad who could move on from Glasgow because they do not fit what Gerrard would want in that position, and Danilo is a player who could fall into that category.

Why Danilo may not suit Gerrard

The Brazilian forward, who joined from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023, may not be ideally suited to Gerrard’s set-up because he has not shown himself to be suited to playing as a lone centre-forward.

Danilo has been used as a second-striker, or attacking midfielder, or as a centre-forward as part of a front two, either alongside Cyriel Dessers or Hamza Igamane, rather than being relied upon to play on his own.

That may be because the 5 foot 9 forward lacks the physicality to play as a sole number nine. He has lost 63% of his ground duels and 75% of his aerial battles in the Premiership so far this season, which shows that opposition defenders find it too easy to get the better of him.

The 26-year-old dud is reportedly on a wage of £26k-per-week, which is more than Mohammed Diomande (£12k-per-week), who provided the assist for Dessers on Sunday, and Nicolas Raskin (£19k-per-week), despite the duo being regular starters in midfield with 55 league starts between them this season.

Meanwhile, Danilo, who was described as being “sloppy” on the ball by pundit Steven Thompson, has started seven league matches this term and has struggled with multiple injuries during his two seasons at Ibrox so far.

Knee injury

September 2024 – November 2024

65

12

Knee injury

December 2023 – May 2024

171

32

Broken cheekbone

September 2023 – October 2023

43

9

As you can see in the table above, the former Feyenoord marksman has missed 53 games through injury for Rangers since his move to the club in 2023, which shows that he is not reliable in terms of his availability.

Therefore, Rangers should ruthlessly cash in on Danilo in the summer transfer window because he does not have the physicality to suit playing on his own up front in a Gerrard system and does not have the availability to make him a worthwhile squad member, particularly with a wage that is higher than club Player of the Year Raskin and Diomande’s.

Bad news for Dessers: 4-3-3 boss becomes leading candidate for Rangers job

Rangers have identified their leading candidate to replace Barry Ferguson at Ibrox.

ByDan Emery May 5, 2025

Arsenal chiefs are now targeting an “all-round” forward, who arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur bid for last summer.

Andrea Berta's transfer plans for Arsenal this summer

The Gunners’ new sporting director, Andrea Berta, looks set to be a very busy man when the transfer window reopens for business.

Injury to Arsenal star stops Berta from signing two players in key position

The north Londoners had a potentially ambitious plan.

ByEmilio Galantini May 1, 2025

Manager Mikel Arteta has already admitted that the club are set for a “big” summer after Berta’s arrival, and the Spaniard is “excited” by what could be in store.

“It’s going to be a big one, and we are very excited about it,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s transfer plans ahead of next season.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

“When you are going to go again, we want to increase the depth of the squad and the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step. Every summer is big because it is an opportunity and especially because of the number of players we have in the squad right now, that is necessary.

“But it’s a big summer for many things, because first of all, we have to maintain the good foundations that we have and then, obviously, how can we improve and evolve the team.”

Arsenal are believed to be in the market for a second-choice keeper, full-back, midfielder, left-winger, right-winger and striker (GiveMeSport), with a host of players looking set to depart N5.

Neto will return to Bournemouth after his straight loan expires, while Kieran Tierney is off to Celtic after agreeing a pre-contract with his former club in the winter window.

Arsenal are expected to sell Oleksandr Zinchenko as well, and veteran midfielder Jorginho will be free to find a new club after his contract expires on June 30th – emphasising the need for new arrivals in key areas.

Thomas Partey and Arsenal are in negotiations over a contract extension right now, but a new midfielder remains high on Berta’s agenda, amid reports a deal for Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi is close.

Arsenal are internally behaving like they’ve already signed Zubimendi, according to David Ornstein. Meanwhile, as Arteta’s side also reportedly chase new wide options, Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is emerging as an option.

Arsenal targeting Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey

As per journalist Graeme Bailey, writing in a piece for The Boot Room, Arsenal are targeting Ramsey as a potential option, and a Villa Park exit for the 23-year-old isn’t entirely ruled out.

Ramsey has been a firm regular under Unai Emery this term, making 43 appearances in all competitions, where he’s predominantly featured on the left-wing. The Englishman could be a solid alternative to Gabriel Martinelli on that side, but Arsenal are not the only north London club to conjure up ideas about signing Ramsey.

According to The Times, Tottenham made a part-exchange bid for Ramsey, offering Villa £20 million plus Giovani Lo Celso, but this offer was rejected out of hand.

Called an “all-round” player by ex-Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ramsey’s rumoured price tag stands at around £50 million, so Berta will have to pay a significant fee if he wishes to seal an Arsenal deal.

Manchester United secured a remarkable quarter-final triumph over Lyon last night, producing a comeback Sir Alex Ferguson would’ve been proud of.

Ruben Amorim’s side looked to be on the verge of defeat, trailing 4-2 on the night, until three goals in seven minutes secured a place in the semi-final, setting up a clash with Athletic Club.

Bruno Fernandes scored from the spot before substitute Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire scored in the last couple of minutes to secure a phenomenal turnaround.

Such a win has kept the Red Devils’ hopes of ending the season with a trophy alive, now being just three games away from winning yet another European title.

However, despite the victory, numerous players failed to deliver at Old Trafford, potentially putting their starting role in the side at huge risk in the process.

Man Utd’s poor performers against Lyon

Striker Rasmus Hojlund was tasked with the responsibility of leading the line after Joshua Zirkzee was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury.

However, the Dane failed to take advantage of the opportunity handed his way, losing 12 duels – the most of any player on the pitch – whilst also failing to register a single effort on goal.

He wasn’t the only player to disappoint at the Theatre of Dreams, with Andre Onana shipping four goals on his return to the starting eleven after missing the defeat against Newcastle United.

The Cameroonian was helpless with a couple of the efforts, but only managed to complete 69% of the passes he attempted – often putting the backline under needless pressure.

However, despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other United player struggled to make a positive impact, with his time at the club needing to come to an end.

The United player who must never play for the club again

Whilst the side produced one of the best comebacks Old Trafford has ever seen, Amorim will have a few question marks to contend with over the next few months.

Hojlund’s lack of form will undoubtedly come into question once again, with his own future up in the air, potentially needing to be moved on to resurrect his once-promising career.

With the summer transfer window looming, a new striker will certainly be top of the manager’s shopping list, with serious firepower needing to be added to take the side back to the summit of the Premier League.

However, he also needs to make a brutal call on the future of Luke Shaw after his failure to impress off the substitutes bench in last night’s iconic turnaround.

The 29-year-old has been extremely prone to injuries over the last couple of years, adding to the list of reasons why he should be moved on during the off-season.

He was brought on to replace Noussair Mazraoui at the break, but struggled to make an impression, giving away the penalty that gave the visitors a two-goal advantage.

Shaw also only completed one of the four crosses he attempted, whilst also giving possession away five times – leading to journalist Adam Joseph labelling his showing as “disastrous”.

Minutes played

75

Touches

32

Passes completed

22/24 (92%)

Crosses completed

1/4 (25%)

Possession lost

5x

Penalties conceded

1

Ground duels won

0/2 (0%)

His disappointing showing didn’t stop there, losing 100% of the ground duels he entered, and failing to win a single tackle – struggling to make the desired impact at the back.

As a result of his showing, the defender was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst, highlighting how disappointing he was off the bench.

His inability to produce an encouraging showing, whilst also taking his injury record into account, it’s crucial that Amorim makes the brutal decision to offload him during the upcoming window. Indeed, it would be no surprise if he does not feature again before the campaign is out.

He’s been an excellent servant to the club, but unfortunately he’s no longer at the level required if the side are to return to Premier League glory, needing fresh blood to help them in their quest next campaign.

Ugarte upgrade: Man Utd in advanced talks for "out of this world" £52m ace

Man Utd are looking to strengthen in midfield

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 17, 2025

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur and their managerial search, following another blow for Ange Postecoglou in the form of Spurs’ seventeenth Premier League defeat of the campaign against Wolves.

Ange Postecoglou comments after 4-2 Tottenham loss to Wolves

A series of calamitous goals, thanks to errors from key players, cemented yet another Spurs loss in the top flight on Sunday, with Wolves running out 4-2 winners against the Lilywhites on another lacklustre afternoon for Postecoglou.

52-year-old spotted at Spurs after Levy talks as pundit tips appointment

The Lilywhites chairman has sat down with him recently.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 12, 2025

You couldn’t have asked for worse preparation ahead of Tottenham’s vital Europa League quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, a must-win game for Postecoglou after their 1-1 draw with the Bundesliga side last week.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, Djed Spence’s own goal, Jorgen Strand Larsen’s strike and a Matheus Cunha finish compounded a miserable day at Molineux for the north Londoners. Mathys Tel and Richarlison made the scoreline less embarrassing with consolation goals in their 4-2 defeat, but Postecoglou did his best to back the players following a series of high-profile errors.

“Obviously a disappointing result,” said Postecoglou after Tottenham’s defeat at Wolves.

“Funny game, because for the most part, I thought our football was decent considering all the changes we’ve made. For the most part we controlled large parts of it, were a threat going forward and didn’t give them too much. But then obviously we conceded some pretty poor goals and that made it awfully difficult to get an outcome today.

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

“It’s not like the players are doing it on purpose, so you have an understanding that that’s the unfortunate things that sometimes happen in a game of football. Probably be more frustrated if it was something that we did from a tactical perspective or organisational perspective, but they’re individual errors, you know, the players don’t mean to do it and, especially Lucas and Romero, I mean they’re two fantastic footballers and what’s important now for both of them is that they recover and we focus on the next game.”

In the background, chairman Daniel Levy is reportedly contemplating the sacking of Postecoglou, with Spurs on course for their worst-ever Premier League season.

Tottenham stance on appointing Thiago Motta to replace Ange Postecoglou

According to recent reports, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is Tottenham’s top managerial target after his very impressive campaign in the Cherries dugout, while both Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Marco Silva (Fulham) are also on their radar (The Athletic).

There’s also been recent murmurs of a potential Spurs move for Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, as well as former Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, who was recently sacked by the Serie A heavyweights.

The Italian failed to mount a successful title challenge, or show any signs of promise in terms of winning major silverware, prompting Juve to ruthlessly hand Motta his P45.

The 42-year-old is now without a club, and is currently linked with a move to N17, but Romano has since told GiveMeSport that Tottenham have no plans to appoint Motta as things stand.

“I’m still hearing about Iraola and Silva as two concrete options,” said Romano.

“For Motta, no contacts at this stage.”

Despite his failed stint at Juve, Motta did attract praise as a tactician during his time in Turin.

“Thiago is unique and unrepeatable: he is not at Juve, Juve is at him,” said journalist Ivan Zazzaroni.

“Inside the notebook that he always carries with him and shows during press conferences, also to note down the questions and their authors, there must be a world of ideas that he scrupulously hides from the eyes of the laymen. Motta is undoubtedly the most stimulating and original coach in the championship.”

This has not been a good week for Chelsea Football Club.

Down to ten men against league leaders Arsenal, they did at least salvage some pride from that game. To hold one of the best sides in Europe, if not the best side in Europe this season to a 1-1 draw with fewer players is certainly reason to celebrate.

However, a week on from defeating Barcelona in the Champions League, this midweek was a great deal more frustrating for Enzo Maresca and Co.

A game against Leeds United should have been easy, right? Think again. The Blues lost 3-1 and slipped further behind the Gunners in the race for the title. That dream looks over for another year, but according to Maresca, there is one big reason to remain positive.

Maresca shares good news for Chelsea

Maresca has admitted that Cole Palmer’s return to action at Elland Road was the only positive.

The attacking midfielder has been absent for a large portion of the season but has been back among the matchday squad across the last two games.

Palmer came off the bench in the 61st minute for his first outing since late September after toes and groin problems and understandably, that was the only consolation Chelsea’s Italian gaffer could extract from such a horror night on the road.

Maresca said: “Probably it’s the only good news of the night. I’m happy for him, he’s back, now he needs to build a little bit the physical condition and he will be important for us, for sure.

“He’s getting better, but he needs to play minutes. He had more-or-less half-an-hour, hopefully we can give him more in the next game.”

Palmer has been a breathtaking signing at Stamford Bridge, notably bagging 18 goals and registering 14 assists in all competitions for his club last season.

Well, Maresca will certainly need his talisman to rediscover that form after dropping points in consecutive fixtures.

Speaking about the result, the former Leicester City manager stated: “When you play the last two games against Barcelona and Arsenal, you expect a better performance, no doubt.

“But, for many reasons, it’s not going to be possible for every game again, because we change players, because we have players that we said many times it’s not possible to play every two, three days. When you change players, also the level drops, that is the reality, because they are important players for us. Moises, Reece (James), with these kind of players, we cannot use them every game. It’s impossible, because otherwise they can get injury again and be out for months.”

Chelsea are now fourth in the table after Aston Villa defeated Brighton in midweek. While the Blues looked in something of a title race last week, they are now nine points off top spot.

For the World Champions, you would expect that their hopes now rest on the cup competitions for the rest of the ongoing season.

As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again

Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.

ByRobbie Walls Dec 4, 2025

There has been some understandable concern from some sections of the Leeds United fan base over the club’s recent run of results in the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

The Whites have lost their last three matches in the division, to Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, despite taking the lead in the last two games.

This run of results has left the West Yorkshire outfit in the relegation zone, albeit only on goal difference, with a daunting run of fixtures on the horizon in the Premier League.

Leeds travel to The Etihad to face Manchester City this weekend before a clash with Chelsea at Elland Road in midweek and a game against reigning champions Liverpool next weekend.

Unless the Whites pull off a surprise result in one of those matches, which is not impossible when you consider that Farke did beat City with Norwich in 2019, they could find themselves adrift in the relegation zone.

If Leeds lose all three of those games, it would be six defeats on the spin and a spot in the bottom three for the club. That is a hard position for any manager to keep their job in.

The case for Leeds to stick with Daniel Farke

Farke’s Premier League record will, naturally, come into question after his dismal time in the top-flight across two seasons with Norwich and the Whites’ form this term.

The German boss has lost 42 of his 61 games in the league, averaging 0.61 points per game, per Transfermarkt, with the Canaries and Leeds combined, which is a concerning statistic for any supporter looking to the manager and hoping that he can keep the team in the division.

However, it is worth adding some context. Norwich spent money on one permanent signing, Sam Byram for £750k, in the 2019/20 campaign and they had to play their last nine games behind closed doors. Before the second season, Farke’s best player, Emi Buendia, was sold to Aston Villa just weeks after they earned promotion from the Championship.

Then, of course, Farke wanted Leeds to strengthen their attacking options in the summer transfer window, but the club were unable to get a deal done for Harry Wilson on deadline day, which has left the manager short of options in the final third.

xG

14.3

13th

Goals

11

19th

xGA

16.1

12th

Goals conceded

22

17th

xGD

-1.8

12th

GD

-11

19th

As you can see in the table above, Leeds should be in midtable based on their performances, but the players have not taken their chances and their goalkeepers have conceded more than expected.

Whilst all of this mitigation is a case to save Farke’s job, a fresh report suggests that the club may be making a change in the dugout in the coming weeks.

The latest on Daniel Farke's future at Leeds

According to Football Insider, the owners are ‘preparing’ to part ways with the German boss if he is unable to oversee an improvement in the team’s results in the next week or so.

The report claims that the club are planning to sack Farke if he does not pick up any points from the matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, as harsh as that may seem given the level of opposition.

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It adds that the Whites are already looking at possible options to come in and replace the German manager in the dugout if they do have a decision to make in the next seven days.

Football Insider reveals that Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan is one of the names in the frame to possibly replace Farke, stating that he has moved ahead in the race to move to the Premier League.

If Leeds are able to convince their former U21s boss to return to Elland Road, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke and the club’s new Marcelo Bielsa.

Why Leeds should appoint Carlos Corberan

Whilst, as aforementioned, there is plenty of mitigation that suggests that Farke would be somewhat unfortunate to lose his job, this latest update clearly shows that Leeds are preparing for a change.

With this in mind, the focus should be on getting the best possible manager in to take the job, and there may not be many better and realistic options than Corberan, due to his history with Leeds and his managerial career to date.

The Spanish boss, who has played a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 in LaLiga this season, was a first-team coach under Bielsa at Elland Road before taking his first senior posting outside of Cyprus with Huddersfield in 2020.

Since then, he has managed Olympiacos, West Bromwich Albion, and Valencia, gaining vital experience, and has had his coaching style compared to that of Bielsa’s, as shown in the post below.

This suggests that the Whites would be signing a more pragmatic manager than Farke, and one who may be able to implement more subtle tactics within matches to secure results.

That is backed up by his record in LaLiga with Valencia since he made the decision to move on from West Brom to make the move to Spain midway through the 2024/25 campaign.

Matches managed

61

34

Wins

9

12

Draws

10

11

Losses

42

11

Points

37

47

Points per game

0.61

1.38

As you can see in the table above, the ex-Leeds U21s manager has a far better record in a major European league than Farke has, with ten more points from almost half as many games.

Of course, there is the aforementioned mitigation to take into account for Farke, but the Valencia boss is now a proven operator at that level of management, whilst the German is still yet to prove that he can successfully keep a team up.

Corberan was once hailed as “elite” by scout Petar Petrov for getting more out of his group of players than expected, which is exactly what the Whites need in the position that they are currently in.

Therefore, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke, due to his proven ability to get the most out of his players at the top level in Europe, whilst also being Bielsa 2.0 with his pragmatism and willingness to adapt, which is why the club should move for him if they sack Farke.

Leeds have a "laughable" signing who's a bigger waste of time than Perri

Leeds United fans must now be scratching their heads as to why their beloved side ever signed this dud.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 28, 2025