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The teenager has starred at Paris Saint-Germain, and is ready to establish himself in the senior setup for Les Bleus

France's next big star still has to worry about school. Warren Zaire-Emery, 17, went about standard press duties following his first national team call-up. He discussed the pressures of playing for France, the responsibilities of leading Paris Saint-Germain's midfield at just 17, and his burgeoning relationship with Thierry Henry. He also explained, in some depth, his study schedule. As it turns out, the potential next star of France's midfield couldn't celebrate his first national team nod – he had homework to finish.

His comments, if nothing else, prove that this is a very young man, handed a significant responsibility. Zaire-Emery has been pipped as a top talent for some time now. The classic anecdotes are all there; he supposedly had a miraculous first touch as a child, and he impressed youth coaches so much that he was playing with the Under-11s at the age of seven.

He is revered for his versatility, dedication to his craft and work rate, and could, quite comfortably, be a No.6, No.8 or No.10. Any of this sound familiar to an audience of an English footballing persuasion?

The Jude Bellingham comparison is a precarious one. Although the versatility shared between the two is remarkably similar, the skillsets at play here are radically different. Zaire-Emery is younger, more technical, and smaller than Bellingham. But, like the English midfielder, he could be the key piece to take his side to new heights.

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  Living up to the promise

  PSG have, over the last 20 years, developed some of the best talent in Europe. But holding on to them has been a real challenge in Paris. Historically, managers have been reluctant to integrate young players into the first team, instead opting for expensive big-name signings ahead of promising talent. Owners Qatari Sports Investment – whose general attitude towards football starts and ends with money – have only made things worse.

  Zaire-Emery is the latest of the production line, and they might just hold onto him, too. Former manager Christophe Galtier used him sparingly last season, handing the then-16-year-old 26 Ligue 1 appearances, and a Champions League last-16 start against Bayern Munich. The results were admittedly mixed. Zaire-Emery impressed when handed a midfield role, but was too often forced into a right wing-back position due to the manager's misshapen formation that tried, unsuccessfully, to accommodate Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

  In centre-midfield, though, he was masterful at times. He bagged a crucial third goal against Montpellier in the spring, a strike that saw the Parisians pull away in the title race for good. He was even more impressive a few weeks later, this time deployed as a defensive midfielder in a 4-2 win over Nantes — holding down an area of the pitch where his side had lacked composure. Even against Bayern, he managed to rein in the lively Kingsley Coman. These aren't things that normal 16-year-olds do.

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  'Zaire-Emery is a diamond'

  Zaire-Emery has only developed since then. He assisted the Parisians' first goal from open play of the 2023-24 season – a classic piece of centre-midfield play, darting through the centre of the pitch, receiving a pass in stride, before flicking the ball to Marco Asensio who provided a classy finish. He delivered an equally impactful attacking showing a month after, setting up two of the Parisians' three goals in a drubbing of Milan in the Champions League. Throw in a pair of goals — one of which was an impressive piece of skill and 20-yard strike into the top corner — and you have something approaching a complete attacking midfielder.

  Still, it is not in the contributions in the final third where Zaire-Emery's value is truly found; the teenager is at his best when among the action in the middle of the park. He does all of the classic centre-midfielder things: tackles, intercepts, moves the ball, covers ground. But his true value is what happens when he gets on the ball.

  These things are hard to quantify. There aren't any awards for pass completion percentage (91 percent, in the 98th percentile among all midfielders), progressive ball carries (2.37 per 90 minutes, in the 87th percentile among all midfielders), or short passes completed (just over 30 per game, in the 90th percentile). Rather, they're small snapshots of what a manager can see overall. Zaire-Emery not only wins the ball back, but is both efficient and adventurous when he has it. He has done this all while starting 14 of 15 matches, and playing all 90 minutes in 11 of them. This is a young midfielder, playing with the smarts of an older one, and doing so every week, at a gruelling pace.

  Or, in his manager's words:: "Warren is a diamond."

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  'I wanted to see what he is made of'

  It was never going to take long before France's national team setup turned their eyes towards him. Zaire-Emery had been a fixture of the youth setups from a young age, and announced himself to the world in full during the U17 Euros in June 2022 — a standout tournament highlighted by a star showing in the semi-final as France beat a tricky Portugal side.

  Henry was among the first to offer Zaire-Emery consideration at the higher levels of youth football. In his first France U21 squad, Henry picked Zaire-Emery, anointed him captain, and made him the centre of a side that rolled through four opponents over the past two international breaks.

  "I wanted to see what he is made of," Henry declared after handing Zaire-Emery the armband — making him the youngest skipper in U21 history in the process.

  And Zaire-Emery responded in full. He starred in his first game as captain, pulling the strings from central midfield in a 4-1 win over Denmark. He was equally impactful against Slovenia a few days later, and led a comeback victory in a clash with Bosnia on October 13. If there was any pressure that came with captaining his country, the 17-year-old certainly didn't feel it.

  "The sky's the limit. I have never seen a player that young being so mature… It is rare to see such a young player in that position," Henry added.

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  Is Zaire-Emery the next Bellingham?

  There is no history between Bellingham and Zaire-Emery — outside of the rather fanciful rumour that the Parisians chose not to sign Bellingham due to their belief that it would block the teenager's path into the first team. Add to the fact that Bellingham is three years older, and admittedly further along in his development, and this isn't really a conversation of comparison.

  But if it is a discussion about impact, and the injection of quality that a young star can bring, then they are near-identical. Bellingham, at 20, is the midfield presence that England haven't had in years, the goalscorer from the centre of the park that could lift the Three Lions to new heights. Not since Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard — never both at the same time, so we were told — have England had such a dominant player making fearless runs from the middle and affecting play in the final third.

  Zaire-Emery, meanwhile, is the maestro that France need. Les Bleus' midfield, of late, is a bruising, aggressive thing, lacking in a technical mastermind. Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and, to an extent, Adrien Rabiot are all excellent footballers. And while each has their own quality — Tchouameni the enforcer, Camavinga the scrapper, Rabiot the misfit who has fallen upwards into a World Cup-winning side — none have the kind of technical ability that PSG's young star possesses.

  Luis Enrique, a perennial proponent of young talent, pointed out that he would have called Zaire-Emery up to the Spain squad if he was still manager. Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps has never been shy about giving youth a chance — something he showed in handing Camavinga his debut at 17 years old. Everything points towards a debut, and, if he lives up to his potential, a run in the side.

The Catalan coach is recovering from back surgery and his assistant Juanma Lillo is taking charge of the Premier League champions in his absence

Manchester City will be without Pep Guardiola on the sidelines in their Premier League match at Sheffield United on Sunday.

The City head coach was forced to undergo surgery last week to treat a long-running back problem and will be unable to work with his players for a few weeks.

It means Guardiola will not be able to take any training sessions or matches until he fully recovers from the operation.

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  What has happened to Pep Guardiola?

  The Catalan coach has suffered from back pain for more than a decade, with the problem dating all the way back from when he was coaching Barcelona. The pain got particularly bad following City's win over Newcastle and the coach decided to fly to Barcelona to undergo surgery.

  "Pep Guardiola has today undergone a routine operation on a back problem," said a statement from City on Tuesday. "The Manchester City boss has been suffering with severe back pain for some time lately, and flew out to Barcelona for emergency surgery performed by Dr Mireia Illueca. The surgery was a success, and Pep will now recover and rehabilitate in Barcelona."

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  How long will Guardiola be absent for?

  City have not confirmed exactly how long Guardiola will be out for as it depends on how quickly he recovers from the back surgery. However, the club hope he will return to work in mid-September.

  "He is expected to return after the forthcoming international break," added City's statement. "Everyone at Manchester City wishes Pep a speedy recovery, and look forward to seeing him back in Manchester soon."

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  How many matches will Guardiola miss?

  Guardiola is likely to miss two matches. He will be absent from City's visit to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday as well as their home match against Fulham on September 2. Assuming his recovery goes well, he will be back in the dugout when City visit Wolves on September 16.

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  Who will coach City while Guardiola is away?

  Guardiola's assistant coach Juanma Lillo is taking charge of the team in his absence. Lillo has been taking training since Tuesday and did Friday's press conference. He will be on the sidelines in the away match at Sheffield United and the home game against Fulham.

According to L’Equipe, Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in signing Marseille left-back Jordan Amavi.

What’s the story?

With Sead Kolasinac’s long-term future at Mikel Arteta’s side up in the air given that he joined Schalke on loan in the January transfer window, the Gunners are without a natural left-back as cover for Kieran Tierney.

The Premier League side have chopped and changed between Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cedric as the Scotland international’s back-up, so it’s no surprise that French publication L’Equipe claim that Arsenal have joined the likes of Napoli and Crystal Palace in the race to sign Amavi.

The Frenchman is out of contract at Marseille come the end of the season and would thus be able to join on a free transfer, with the report adding that the Ligue 1 side’s negotiations with Amavi over a new contract have stalled.

Arsene Wenger wanted him

Being French and a rising talent in Ligue 1, it’s no surprise that former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was reported to be interested in Amavi back in the summer of 2015 (Mercato365 via The Hard Tackle).

The Gunners eventually lost out to fellow Premier League side Aston Villa for his signing, where the left-back played for just a couple of seasons before moving on to current side Marseille.

Since then, Amavi has been a consistent performer week-in and week-out for the Ligue 1 giants, averaging a Whoscored match rating of over 7 in three out of the four seasons – in fact, this campaign has seen him average an impressive 7.17 match rating, which ranks him first in the entire Marseille squad.

Speaking back in 2017, the Frenchman himself said about his permanent move to Marseille: “I will bring my aggression and some speed. I like to battle, and my attacking play. I will do my best in the offence, but first of all in the defence. I want to win as many duels as possible and get the ball as much as possible.”

Given that he will be available on a free transfer, Amavi would represent a bargain signing for the Gunners as they look for a back-up to established first-choice Tierney.

Amidst the financial situation facing most clubs around the world, the Kroenke family will be very pleased if Arsenal can address a key issue in their squad without actually having to splash the cash.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can sign their next Ashley Cole in this Premier League starlet…

Alex Crook has claimed that Wolves have made ‘enquiries’ over the availability of Frank Lampard as they continue their hunt for a new manager.

The Lowdown: Wolves in manager hunt

Following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo at the end of the 2020/21 term, the Midlands club are currently looking for a new manager to replace him for next season.

A few names have been touted as potential successors, including Bruno Lage, Sabri Lamouchi and Paulo Fonseca, but a new name has now emerged as a contender.

The Latest: Wolves enquire about Lampard

Crook has recently been speaking on talkSPORT about the vacant manager’s job at the Wanderers, and gave an interesting line with regards to former Chelsea boss Lampard: “I was told by a very reliable source that Wolves have started to make enquiries about Frank Lampard.”

With so many names being thrown around, Lampard is certainly one that catches the eye, given his past credentials in English football as a player but also as a coach.

The Verdict: Wolves should consider Lampard

What Lampard has over some of the other names to have been mentioned for the job is that he has that added experience of managing in the Premier League, while also overseeing Championship football with Derby County.

Of course, Nuno Espirito Santo managed to bring WWFC up from the Championship, and so similar comparisons can be drawn straight away between him and Lampard.

The 42-year-old also managed to bring a lot of quality young players through at Chelsea, most notably England international Mason Mount, and so is perhaps capable of repeating the trick again with some of Wolves’ youngsters like Fabio Silva, who he could hopefully develop into a top striker.

Nonetheless, the decision does not really need to be made until the summer transfer window opens, but Lampard, who is currently without a job at the moment, may fancy managing in England’s top flight once more.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Wanderers buzzing here!

After Leicester City’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday evening, a result which could see them drop out of the top four places depending on results around them, many Foxes supporters weren’t impressed with the display of midfielder Ayoze Perez.

Brendan Rodgers’ side enjoyed a memorable FA-Cup-winning weekend against Chelsea but could now suffer a dent in their bid to qualify for the Champions League after the west London side took revenge at Stamford Bridge.

Goals from Antonio Rudiger and Jorginho gifted Thomas Tuchel’s men a comfortable lead before substitute Kelechi Iheanacho grabbed one back 15 minutes from full time.

Alas, the Nigerian’s strike wasn’t enough as Leicester came away eventual defeat – and many Foxes fans were left unimpressed with Perez’s performance as one of the factors.

The Spaniard, rated as the lowest performing Leicester player on the night by SofaScore (6.1), failed all of his dribble attempts and won just 3/14 ground duels.

As well as this, Perez conceded possession 13 times and missed a gaping chance to level the game – blasting the ball well over Chelsea’s crossbar.

As a result, many Foxes supporters criticised the 27-year-old on social media – find their verdicts down below.

Leicester fans slam Perez vs Chelsea

“Perez you donkey”

Credit: @Ben03lcfc

“Perez is up there with some of the worst big money signings we’ve ever made. Just sell him in the summer.”

Credit: @t61968423

“Sell Perez I beg”

Credit: @LewisMarriot95

“Awful performance but Perez that’s unforgivable.”

Credit: @Greg_Gibson

“Perez is awful again”

Credit: @paulfern

“Perez should be nowhere near the club! Just another terrible performance from him tonight, lightweight, zero impact and capped it with that dreadful late miss. Waiting for his fans to defend him as usual”

Credit: @MeetTheCritics

“Not surprised by tonight’s tired performance and poor result. Most frustrating is that we had a golden opportunity to steal a point with that Perez chance — but he summed up his terrible performance with a dreadful finish.”

Credit: @MrTomHenman

“Ayoze Perez must be one of the worst Leicester payers I have ever seen. Shocking.”

Credit: @aylottio

In other news: Leicester fans also went wild for this Fabrizio Romano update, find out more here.

Daniel Levy could repeat something he’s done before as Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial hunt takes a new twist…

What’s the word?

According to the Sunday Mirror (2nd May 2021, page 69), current interim boss Ryan Mason is under consideration for the vacant Spurs role on a permanent basis.

It’s thought that the 29-year-old, who was appointed on a temporary basis to replace Jose Mourinho until the end of the season, is now a genuine contender as there’s a growing belief that giving him the job would appease the fanbase.

They also claim that Daniel Levy and the Spurs hierarchy haven’t given up hope of convincing Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers, whilst Roberto Martinez and Nuno Santo also feature on his shortlist.

Shades of Jol

This would certainly be a bold and interesting move, but we shouldn’t be surprised if it does come to fruition as it has happened before in N17.

Martin Jol was never supposed to become manager of Spurs, it – kind of just fell on his lap.

Back in the summer of 2004, the Dutchman was appointed as Jacques Santini’s assistant manager but the Frenchman soon resigned after just 13 matches in charge and Jol was confirmed as their next head coach.

Mason’s playing career was tragically cut short and having come through the academy system at Hotspur Way, the North London outfit offered him a chance at forging a coaching career.

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He first joined in 2018 before being appointed U19 academy coach in 2019, and then head of player development U17 to U23 in August 2020. It does speak volumes that Levy has trusted him with such a huge role, though there is clearly some natural progression going on.

Under his tenure so far, Spurs have won two out of two Premier League games and lost the Carabao Cup final, so it’s not the worst start imaginable, especially given the latter occasion was only his second-ever match in senior management.

Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino once backed Mason to have a big future in management. He told the club’s official website back in 2018 (via the Metro):

“He will be great in football and he’s going to be a manager or whatever he wants to do because he’s such a clever person. He’s got a football brain. He’s had success in football as a player and he’s going to succeed in everything that he wants to do in the future.”

High praise indeed and merely a little insight into why Levy could be truly considering him full-time. Mason, unlike many candidates, at least knows what the football club means, too.

Whether it’s the right move or not remains to be seen but you wouldn’t call Jol’s time a complete disaster, so perhaps Spurs could feel see shades of the Dutchman back at the club by hiring a former member of the coaching staff straight into the hotseat.

AND in other news, Forget Bale: Spurs beast who had 111 touches was an unsung hero in Sheff Utd whitewash…

Numerous fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed an article regarding the wage demands of reported summer transfer target Erling Haaland.

According to David Ornstein’s article for The Athletic, Manchester City – as well as other interested clubs – have been informed that signing the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund centre-forward this summer would “break wage structures across Europe”, with salary demands way in excess of what City’s top earners currently take home being communicated.

The £99 million-rated striker is undeniably something of a generational talent, having already scored a quite astonishing 49 goals and providing 13 assists over his 52 appearances for Dortmund.

However, after City Xtra relayed the news of Haaland’s reported wage demands on Twitter, some Man City fans flocked to have their say on the matter, with many feeling that the Norway international should not be signed this summer if the reports regarding his demands are indeed true. One irate supporter even blasted the Norwegian as an “overrated fraud” despite his exceptional goal return.

So, what exactly did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the report regarding Erling Haaland’s wage demands?

“Really wanted him but if that’s the case all of a sudden Isak and Ings and Andre Silva are looking really great players.”

@resanemi

“Bro he can rot at Dortmund then.”

@oilfc96

“We’re good. He can go wherever.”

@ngozulumatondo

“We don’t want this overrated fraud.”

@not_aguero

“Honestly don’t want him. Don’t want to sign mercenaries – you can never truly attach yourselves to such players.”

@ManCityKD

“Let’s be real, it is not happening. Andre Silva would be a better option in our budget.”

@SadlyIoan

In other news: Lots of MCFC fans flocked to one recent transfer report – find out more here!

According to a report by reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold, Brighton defender Lewis Dunk has admirers behind the scenes at Spurs – with the Lilywhites eyeing up possible defensive options ahead of the 2021/2022 season. 

Dunk, who has been a mainstay under Seagulls boss Graham Potter this campaign, starting 26 league matches, is apparently on the a list of targets for Spurs as Gold shares news.

Tottenham chiefs eyeing Dunk

Indeed, it is believed that the 29-year-old has admirers within the north London club, coming as Tottenham and the board sound out defensive options.

As Gold explains, Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy are eager to sign a real leader at the back – with Brighton defender Dunk now emerging as a target.

The 6 foot 3 titan has averaged 3.1 clearances per 90 in the league this season and stands out as a composed head on mature shoulders with his 89% pass accuracy out from the back (WhoScored).

While Dunk doesn’t fit the usual age profile of Tottenham targets, Gold explains that his consistent performances in the league have marked him out – not to mention the fact he is homegrown.

Tottenham’s apparent biggest roadblock is his potential price tag considering he signed a new five-year deal for Brighton last summer – but Transfermarkt currently rate him at around £22.5 million.

Transfer Tavern take

Lauded as a ‘genius’ by former Spurs player and ex-Premier League boss Gus Poyet on Sky Sports (via football daily), there certainly are aspects of Dunk’s game to admire, but it remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites shore up this interest with a concrete move.

In other news: Tottenham could be without this ‘phenomenal’ star for Newcastle, find out more here.

After breaking into the Sheffield Wednesday first team, young midfielder Alex Hunt has found himself down the pecking order at Hillsborough, and the club have a big decision to make on him this summer.

The 20-year-old Owls dynamo is out of contract at the end of the season, but according to Yorkshire Live’s Dom Howson, Wednesday have an option to extend his deal for another year.

Given his lack of game-time since Garry Monk’s sacking – he has featured only four times this season – it would be easy for the Yorkshire giants to cast him off on his own, but Darren Moore’s appointment is perfect for situations like this.

As a young, progressive manager, a youngster caught in a career crossroads should be eager to learn under the 46-year-old.

The best-case scenario could be the Owls activating that option – if they stay up, loan him out. If they go down, get him involved regularly. He should be able to adapt far easier at League One level than in the Championship.

Hunt was close to leaving on loan in January but Wednesday were unable to secure a suitable replacement in time. Had that happened, then things may have been very different.

After making his debut last season, Monk waxed lyrical about the Hillsborough graduate, he told The Star: “For me personally I think he’s got a lot of potential,” before adding: “He’s training hard, he’s training well and he’s still got things he can get a bit better at, but he’s growing, he’s young and I want to encourage him. He’s a really good prospect.”

Indeed, many at the Yorkshire outfit spotted that potential from an early age. Hunt captained the under-18 side, and that culminated in the youngster being nominated for the Championship’s Apprentice of the Year award that season.

Perhaps Hunt is a leader in the making, which would suggest he’s capable of one day taking the armband from Barry Bannan, who has been a mentor to him in recent months – only bolstering such a claim.

“I’ve spoken to him and tried to give him advice and he’s on board with that,” said the Owls skipper. “He just needs to play games. I know he’s playing under-23s and that, keeping his fitness up.”

Strong, creative and exciting. That’s just three words used to describe Hunt by The Athletic. They also claim that the 20-year-old has been the ‘player to watch’ from the academy setup, as touted by Bannan, Monk and even former manager Steve Bruce.

“He’s a big part of the future,” Monk added.

Also a boyhood fan of the Owls, there would be nothing better than seeing Hunt emerge into the senior fold in the near future.

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri ought to sanction his option, and then worry about tying him down for the long-term later down the line.

In Hunt, Moore could have his perfect Bannan heir, and one capable of so much more development.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday handed big injury boost this international break…

Southampton can ease their relegation fears with three points against Brighton at St Mary’s on Sunday but it appears as if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side will be without Moussa Djenepo for the game against Graham Potter’s side.

The Malian has unfortunately endured a number of injury issues during his time on the south coast and picked up another groin injury during the 5-2 defeat against Manchester City in midweek.

Hasenhuttl suggested earlier this week that they are hopeful he will return to training this week and provide an alternative option against Brighton, so it seems clear that he won’t be fit enough to start, and therefore he might not be risked against the Seagulls.

Although the winger hasn’t had too much impact for Southampton in the final third this season, with one goal and no assists in 21 Premier League appearances, his overall contribution is clearly appreciated by the Austrian manager given his regularity of selection, and he has performed well in recent fixtures against Chelsea and Everton.

It is a shame that he looks unlikely to feature against Brighton in what is an important fixture for the Saints, but thankfully for Hasenhuttl, their injury woes have eased in recent weeks, and they still have the likes of Takumi Minamino, Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond available to play on the wing.

Incidentally, Djenepo’s first goal for the club came in a win against Brighton last season, and Hasenhuttl was full of praise for him after that game, saying: “He wasn’t on the pitch very long before he made the first goal – it’s fantastic for him.

“The fans will love him immediately, but don’t put too much pressure on him. He must learn a lot, especially against the ball, but I like this guy – he’s very positive.”

Hopefully Hasenhuttl doesn’t feel the need to risk Djenepo after he was forced off against the Citizens in midweek, as he could prove to be an important player for the rest of the season if he can stay fit, and rushing him back too early could lead to another setback for the Malian.

And, in other news… Saints’ 4-year nightmare looks set to continue after update on £5.4m-rated disaster