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Regardless of how Tottenham Hotspur fare in the Europa League Final later this month, this summer has to be one of significant change at the club.

To ensure next season isn’t as much of a disaster as this one has been, Daniel Levy and Co need to dig deep and bring in some genuine quality to improve the first team.

However, signing a load of talented players won’t be enough on its own.

On top of adding to the first team and squad, the North Londoners need to get rid of several players, including one who is being eyed up by one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The players Spurs should sell

Unfortunately, due to the nature of their campaign this season, there are several players Spurs should probably be looking to move on in the summer, such as Richarlison and Yves Bissouma.

Transfer Focus

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

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The former has never got even close to justifying the £60m fee he cost the club in 2022, and while there have been the odd moments he’s looked good this year, a return of five goals and two assists just isn’t good enough.

Likewise, Bissouma might occasionally put in a performance that reminds fans why the club signed him in the first place.

Still, there have been far too many games this season in which he’s looked entirely out of his depth, like away to Fulham, when he was hooked at half-time and given a 3/10 match rating by Alasdair Gold.

However, there is another player, one who is actually incredibly talented, who is being eyed by a major European force that the North Londoners should cash in on: Cristian Romero.

Yes, according to a recent report from the Sun, Real Madrid are now sniffing around the World Cup winner once again.

The report has revealed that incoming manager Xabi Alonso is a big fan of the Argentine, and with their defence considered to be their weakest area, the Spanish giants could make a move to sign the former Juventus ace.

The report does not mention a potential price, but according to stories from earlier this month, Spurs value their defender at £60m, a fee think they should accept for him.

Why Spurs should sell Romero

Okay, so the first thing to say is that we do not think Romero is a bad defender, far from it.

However, there are a few genuine reasons as to why it might be smart for Spurs to sell the World Cup winner this summer, with chief among them being his desire.

While there can be no doubt about his intense need to win when it comes to the big games – just look at his performance against Bodo/Glimt – there have been questions over his commitment to the club for some time now.

For example, only last week, a new report from GIVEMESPORT revealed that he is planning to push for a move to La Liga this summer regardless of what happens in the Europa League, and then last month, other reports claimed he had already held discussions with Diego Simeone over a potential move to Atlético Madrid.

Combine this desire to leave with the fact he’s got just two years left on his £165k-per-week deal, and it seems like cashing in on him now before he can drive the price down further seems smart.

Romero’s Spurs career

Appearances

123

Goals

7

Assists

3

Yellow Cards

33

Second Yellows

3

Red Cards

1

Points per Game

1.68

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, due to injury, the 27-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, hasn’t featured that much this season anyway, making just 25 appearances across all competitions and averaging just 1.56 points per game when he has played.

Finally, it looks as if the club would be able to replace him anyway, as they could either go back in for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi or even hand a considerable amount of game time to the incredibly exciting Luka Vušković, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson described as a “crazy” talent and a “monster of a CB.”

Ultimately, it’s not an ideal situation – far from it – but to make sure they aren’t left burned next year and to give themselves ample time to replace him, Spurs should look to sell Romero this summer.

Related Spurs can axe Solanke by signing £25m star who's only 4 goals behind Kane

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 12, 2025

Three thrilling Tests, three wild finishes – have your pick

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Kolkata Test moves into the final.Australia fall at the final frontier – Kolkata, 2001A Test hat-trick against the world’s top side at the age of 20. A follow-on. A historic partnership to turn the tables. A record individual score by an Indian. And a thrilling end in front of packed stands to level the series and end Australia’s streak of 16 wins. All that in one Test!After Harbhajan Singh hurt Australia with a hat-trick on the first day, Steve Waugh scored his maiden Test century on Indian soil to lead his team to a strong 445. In reply, India were bundled for 171 and asked to follow-on.They were then 232 for 4 – still 42 behind – when VVS Laxman was joined by Rahul Dravid and the two of them played out the entire fourth day with strips of iced towels around their necks to beat the heat and humidity; they still needed attention from the physio from time to time.The two ended up seeing off nine bowlers in a partnership that was instantly stamped in the game’s history. Laxman’s 281 lasted ten-and-a-half hours, and Dravid’s 180 nearly seven-and-a-half. They set Australia a target of 384. Australia succumbed on the last day against India’s spinners as Harbhajan finished with a tally of 13 for 196.Harbhajan too good for Australia – Chennai, 2001It was fitting that the series that had kept everyone on the edge of their seats ended in a thrilling last-day finish.After Matthew Hayden’s 203 had taken Australia to 391, India responded by racking up 501. Like he had in the first innings, Harbhajan Singh ripped through the Australia middle order in the second innings, as they ended the fourth day on 241 for 7, a lead of 131.On the fifth morning, Harbhajan wasted little time in picking up the last three Australia wickets, bundling them for 264. He returned second-innings figures of 8 for 84 and match figures of 15 for 127, finishing with 32 wickets for the series.But he wasn’t done.Chasing 155, India lost Shiv Sunder Das early, but Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman added 58 to give India the advantage. But a middle-order collapse followed, and it was game on. But wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe, on Test debut, held his cool as he took India closer. India lost Zaheer Khan just four runs shy of a win, but Harbhajan sliced a Glenn McGrath delivery past point to give India a famous Test and series win.The two runs that brought the Ashes alive – Edgbaston 2005The drama began before the toss. Glenn McGrath hurt his ankle on the first morning of the match, and the man who replaced him nearly did it for Australia… with the bat. On the fourth day, Australia were 137 for 7 in their pursuit of 282. Michael Clarke was their only hope, and it took an ahead-of-the-time slower ball from Steve Harmison to dismiss him and make it 175 for 8. With Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz, who took McGrath’s place in the side, remaining, England were favourites.But minute by minute, Warne’s runs hurt England after bagging ten wickets with the ball. His stoic stand with Lee, who also looked unmoved, was fanning belief. But then, with Australia 62 runs away and the pair having added 45, a little flicker of a sound broke the silence of the stadium. Everyone searched for it. Warne found it. He had trod back onto his stumps. He was hit-wicket.Most of us would have forgotten by then that it was the Australia of their pomp. On their day, even a No. 11 could raise the ceiling with the bat and Kasprowicz did exactly that. Michael Vaughan looked frustrated with every run Lee and Kasprowicz scored. Until, with three to get, Harmison’s short ball saw Kasprowicz fending, and nudging behind to a diving Geraint Jones. Billy Bowden’s crooked finger was up, Edgbaston erupted, and Andrew Flintoff consoling Lee became an iconic image.

Six Tests (the WTC final and the Ashes) in less than eight weeks is just about perfect for the world’s fidgetiest cricketer, it will keep him straight

Osman Samiuddin02-Jun-2023Chances are, whatever the level and nature of your engagement with cricket, you have felt, heard, or talked about its relentless grind for the last six months what now seems like forever.No sooner had Marco Jansen hit a four and six to finish the SA20 than India and Australia were squeezing out a four-Test series in a month; than New Zealand were pulling off one of the great Test wins over England; than Afghanistan and UAE were sprinting through a T20I series; than Bangladesh were beating the world champions; than South Africa were thumping the West Indies in a Test no one watched; than the TV umpire was ruling Kane Williamson in to seal one of the great Test wins; than Lahore Qalandars were winning the PSL by a single run in one of the great T20 finals; than Ravindra Jadeja was ending the IPL with a six and a four in one of the great T20 finals.The calendar’s gotten so crowded that for a lot of the world outside India, the IPL – where once it was an example of how cluttered the calendar is – is now the one pause. There’s more teams to play for, more places to play in, more leagues to fly to, more matches, all blending into one another like some super unhealthy, super bland smoothie.Related

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You know who doesn’t mind that? Who actually likes it this way? If you guessed Steven Smith, close. If you guessed Marnus Labuschagne, you were right. Somehow it feels entirely in keeping with Labuschagne, the world’s most fidgety cricketer, that he prefers not stopping. There’s never enough runs scored, bowlers beat, fields pierced, balls outside off left (or new ways to leave those balls).So, a summer in which, injury permitting, he will play six Tests in less than eight weeks, where he could end up as a world Test champion and an Ashes winner in, is probably perfect. Like the grind of the county championship, it keeps him straight. He wants in on the rat race. He wants to stay on that treadmill. This doesn’t wear him out. This is what wears him in.”Back-to-back games really helps,” he said as Australia trained ahead of the WTC final against India at Beckenham. “Playing a lot of cricket with not much break in between helps as a batter to get rhythm and feel and you’re able to learn from games rather than sort of stewing over technical things.”That’s one of the big differences. In Australia you might have a week and a half or more between games. Then you go back to training, you might have got out a certain way so you’re tinkering, changing your batting. You come to England, you play Thursday to Sunday for seven weeks straight, and that just creates routine and rhythm. If you miss out in a game, you stick to the same process, you’ve got Monday off, Tuesday you go into a training session, Wednesday you travel and Thursday you play. That rhythm creates good habits of scoring runs. That’s what really helps as a batter over here.”

“Whereas in 2019 I felt like I had to prove to people I was good enough, now for me, it’s just about making sure I do my role in the side and work out ways to score runs. Mentally, I’m as hungry as ever to score runs and want us to win this series”Marnus Labuschagne on the Ashes

Over here, in England, it’s helped him to the extent that he averages over 55 for Glamorgan since 2019. England is so familiar that Glamorgan doesn’t represent preparation for him as much as just normal routine. The country is not only where his international career took off four years ago, as the game’s first concussion sub for Smith, it is also where he believes he started on the path to first-class cricket, playing for Sandwich Town in the Kent Premier League nine years ago. He’s here now as the world’s best Test batter, with a tilt at the official world title (the WTC) and then the unofficial world title for the two countries that play for it (this doesn’t have quite as catchy an acronym).Both will be familiar opponents, the leitmotif of the modern age being that somewhere in the world, Australia, India and England are always playing each other. India and Australia were playing a Test less than three months ago, a series in which Labuschagne ended as the fourth-highest scorer on a succession of surfaces very different from what will greet them at The Oval.”You definitely learn from how you play them there,” he said. “There’s probably a bit more bounce here in England than in India, so probably just need to factor that in to how they bowl. (R) Ashwin’s tactics might change a little bit, Jadeja’s tactics might change a little bit, so just adjusting to those on the fly out there, what they’re going to try and do, making sure you’re nice and aware out there.”We’ve played two of [India’s] main seamers [Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj], who are going to play, at least three actually if Umesh [Yadav] plays as well, two months ago. In terms of seeing and knowing their actions and what they do, we’re pretty clear on that. Obviously with the Dukes ball in hand, they’ll be able to showcase their skills a lot more.”The reality is – I’ve played against Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, against Matt Potts this year – I’ve played against all those guys, I know what they bowl, so it’s just about understanding what they’re going to do and preparing well.”In the Test series in India, Labuschagne ended as the fourth-highest scorer on surfaces very different from what The Oval will provide•Getty ImagesSo much has passed since that it’s relatively easy to forget how wobbly Australia felt when they arrived in England in 2019. Labuschagne was not part of the side. Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were returning to Test cricket after Sandpapergate, Tim Paine was their captain, and their bowling attack was in such flux that Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon only played one Test together. The composition changed regularly.They didn’t lose the Ashes but this time round, by contrast, they are more settled, with Hazlewood’s fitness the only slight unknown as the summer begins.”It’s just we’re really well organised,” Labuschagne said. “Probably in 2019 we weren’t as set on the team. There is a lot more clarity around this team which creates that consistency, it creates the preparation instead of people playing for spots and feel like they’re vying for a position. Everyone knows where they sit, and we can prepare and get ourselves ready.”Central to that sense of stability is Labuschagne himself, more so than nearly any other batter in the side. He’s not ready to get off the treadmill just yet.”In terms of the feeling it’s more about the preparation. Whereas in 2019 I felt like I had to prove to people I was good enough, now for me, it’s just about making sure I do my role in the side and work out ways to score runs. Mentally, I’m as hungry as ever to score runs and want us to win this series.”

“The Beast” talks about the two-year plan that culminated with him making it into England’s squad for the T20 World Cup

Matt Roller06-Oct-20212:59

England’s big hitter on his fantastic summer, batting in the IPL, and Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson

For six heady weeks earlier this year Liam Livingstone was the world’s must-watch batter. After a period of self-isolation in July, following positive Covid-19 tests in the England camp, Livingstone strode out at Trent Bridge with bleached blond hair and renewed confidence in his six-hitting ability.There he produced a 42-ball hundred, England’s fastest, followed by a purple patch of form that felt like a midsummer fever dream. Between mid-July and the end of August, Livingstone hit 43 sixes – one every 6.3 balls, including one measured at 122 metres off Haris Rauf to clear the new stand at Headingley – in 13 innings for England, Birmingham Phoenix and Lancashire, averaging 52 with a strike rate a shade over 190. Having started the year on the fringes of the England set-up, he inked his name into their starting XI for the first game of this month’s T20 World Cup.”I just rode the wave,” Livingstone reflects from Rajasthan Royals’ team hotel in the UAE. “I had quarantine when I arrived to sit back and reflect on it. I guess it’s been such a good summer for me, but I’m still not where I want to be. I want to keep getting better, keep hitting more sixes and hitting the ball further. I’ve proved to a few people what I can do, but over the next couple of years I want to keep improving.”Related

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Livingstone puts his form down to a eureka moment during a training session in Bristol with Paul Collingwood and Marcus Trescothick, England’s assistant coach and batting coach respectively. He had been running drinks during the ODI series against Sri Lanka and had diagnosed a flaw in his technique. He says that his power comes from his back hip and that he was “losing my front foot”, which meant it collapsed rather than driving through his swing.”Colly and Tres both said exactly the same thing in that session and it pretty much clicked from there,” he says. “It was weird: I’d had this breakthrough moment and then the same day, everyone tested positive for corona and we went into ten days of isolation. I came out, had one training session and then went straight into the Pakistan series. It all stemmed from that one training session, which is pretty scary – I’ll have to buy Colly and Tres a beer at some stage for the help they’ve given me.Livingstone made 348 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 178.46 in the Hundred earlier this year•Getty Images”It was a great summer for me. I was really enjoying my cricket and feeling super-confident. I couldn’t have wished for it to go any better but it’s done now, it’s gone. We’re moving on to a new phase with the IPL now and the World Cup coming up and it will be an even better year if I can put in some performances in them.”Livingstone was the undisputed superstar of the Hundred’s first season, finishing the tournament as the leading run scorer, leading six hitter, and MVP. His unbeaten 92 off 40 balls in Phoenix’s final group game earned him the nickname “the Beast”, which Shane Warne yelped on commentary throughout his innings of 46 off 19 at Lord’s in the final. Livingstone used the same bat, borrowed from his Royals team-mate Riyan Parag, through the summer. “It’s still just about hanging on now – the handle is superglued and taped together,” he says.”My biggest heroes growing up were Freddie [Andrew Flintoff] and Shane Warne, from watching that 2005 Ashes series, and as I got older, I always wanted to bat like KP,” he reflects. “To have your two heroes and KP commentating and talking about you, that was so cool and pretty surreal. I filmed a six-hitting masterclass with KP on Sky and that was a little bit of a fan-boy moment.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”For the last two weeks, before I came away, everyone was like, ‘Oh, so you think you’re the Beast now, do you?’ Towards the [Hundred] final, it felt like a big build-up, but those last couple of games were probably as well as I’ve played in my career. It’s something that comes with doing well, and hopefully I can keep on entertaining because that’s the biggest motive for me: to be an entertainer on the pitch.”That was the coolest thing I found from the Hundred: kids coming up to me, saying, ‘I really want to bat like you.’ Travelling around the country, you’d see people going into service stations with Hundred cricket shirts on. It felt like it was about inspiring the next generation, seeing kids wanting to go out and smack cricket balls on the front drive rather than staying inside playing Xbox.”Livingstone’s emergence could be crucial for England, with his middle-order hitting and ability to bowl both legspin and offbreaks according to the match-ups on offer, making him close to a like-for-like replacement for Ben Stokes, whose ongoing mental-health break will extend through the World Cup. There is an element of good fortune in the timing but Livingstone has targeted this tournament for some time.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn 2019, he decided after discussions with the ECB that he should spend his winter playing short-form leagues rather than touring Australia with England Lions. He thought that at the age of 26 and two years since his only two international caps, he needed to broaden his horizons to force his way back in.”It was a two-year plan to work my backside off in T20 franchise tournaments,” he explains, “firstly to get back into the England environment, then to push my way into the squad for 2021.” Over a four-month period from November 2019 to March 2020, Livingstone played more T20s than anyone else, with stints in the MSL, BBL and PSL. “I knew it was going to be hard – [England is] probably one of the hardest teams in world sport to get into – but it’s something that I worked really hard at, trying to go away and learn.”I went to South Africa and played with Quinton de Kock. You don’t get that sort of opportunity playing [England] Lions cricket. I had to go away, get out my comfort zone and learn in different environments. The pressure you get as an overseas player is like no other, wherever you go in the world – South Africa, the Big Bash, Pakistan, the IPL – and it sets you up for when you get back to international cricket. I made that decision and I think it was the right one.”In that light, Livingstone’s performances for Rajasthan Royals since the IPL’s resumption have been a disappointment: his 25 off 17 against Punjab Kings included a 97-metre six off Arshdeep Singh, but his next three innings brought 11 runs off 18 balls and cost him his place for the game against Chennai Super Kings. He has struggled to adjust to the unexpectedly slow pitches in the UAE but insists he is staying level-headed.”That was the coolest thing I found from the Hundred: kids coming up to me, saying, ‘I really want to bat like you'”•Getty Images”It’s been a little bit frustrating, but I’ve learned that you can’t get too high when things are going well and you can’t get too low when things aren’t going well. I haven’t changed anything – I’m doing exactly what I did in the summer – and I’m not feeling too disheartened by it all. I feel like I just need to get a couple of shots away and I’ll be fine. Just because I’ve had a couple of bad games, it doesn’t mean that I’m a really bad player all of a sudden. Things can change very quickly.”In England – or pretty much anywhere in the world – you have a vague idea of what’s coming up. The pitches [in the UAE] have been so different from ground to ground and sometimes you can get caught out by not adapting quick enough. Some of them can be quite bouncy when the grass is left on, but when it’s taken off, they can be really slow. Clearing an 80-metre boundary in England is a lot easier than it is out here. That’s going to be the challenge going into the World Cup, trying to adapt as quickly as you can.”Another stumbling block – not one that is unique to Livingstone – has been adjusting to long stints “locked up” in biosecure conditions. He benefited from time around England’s white-ball squads in 2020, because large squads were being picked by necessity. It helped him feel “very comfortable in that environment”, but he flew home citing bubble fatigue during the India leg of the IPL earlier this year and will skip this winter’s Big Bash in order to spend Christmas with his family.And the boy can bowl: Livingstone’s all-round skills make him a nearly like-for-like replacement for Ben Stokes at the World Cup•Stu Forster/Getty Images”The days where you can get out and play golf feel as though they’re the biggest privileges in the world at the moment, which is a bit of shame,” he says. “I haven’t had a break for about three years. I really wanted to go back to Perth but sometimes I’ve got to make sure that I’m in the right place mentally. It’ll be nice to put the bat down and switch my mind off from cricket for a month or so.”But first Livingstone has the World Cup in his sights, and England’s bid to become the first team to hold the 50-over and T20 trophies simultaneously.”We’d be silly not to go in feeling very confident of being able to win it. I certainly think we’ve got a lot of very good players, a really good squad and a very balanced team. Who knows what the pitches are going to be like, but I guess the teams that go far will be the ones who play the smartest cricket when it matters.”Playing for your country is one thing, but representing them at a World Cup is probably the biggest thing you want to do as a sportsman. I’ll take a lot of confidence from the summer into it. It’ll be great fun and an even cooler experience if we can go on and win it. The work I’ve got to do over the next three weeks is gearing up to that: how can I best help England win a World Cup?”

MatériaMais Notícias

A Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) anunciou nesta sexta-feira (12) a Betano, casa de apostas esportivas, como nova patrocinadora da Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro. Válido por três anos, o acordo prevê um pagamento estimado em torno de R$ 70 milhões a R$ 80 milhões por temporada. As informações dos valores foram divulgadas pelo Ge.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Com isso, a competição nacional pode receber uma valorização de até R$ 30 milhões de reais por ano de contrato, uma vez que a antiga detentora dos direitos pagava R$ 50 milhões por temporada.

A empresa do ramo de apostas, que já possuía os namings rights de outras competições do futebol brasileiro, como Série B e Copa do Brasil, chega para substituir a atacadista Assaí, dona da propriedade nas últimas seis edições da competição.

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INÍCIO DO BRASILEIRÃO

A primeira rodada do Brasileirão começa neste final de semana e conta com partidas entre os dias 13 e 14 de abril. No sábado (13), o Internacional recebe o Bahia, às 18h30 (de Brasília), em partida que marca o início da competição. No mesmo horário, em confronto entre equipes que retornaram à elite nesta temporada, o Juventude visita o Criciúma.

Atual bicampeão do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras inicia a caminhada em busca do tricampeonato fora de casa. No domingo (14), a equipe comandada por Abel Ferreira visita o Vitória, às 18h30 (de Brasília), no Barradão.

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CONFIRA TODOS OS JOGOS DA PRIMEIRA RODADA

▪️ 13/04 – Internacional x Bahia
▪️ 13/04 – Criciúma x Juventude
▪️ 13/04 – Fluminense x RB Bragantino
▪️ 13/04 – São Paulo x Fortaleza
▪️ 14/04 – Vasco x Grêmio
▪️ 14/04 – Athletico x Cuiabá
▪️ 14/04 – Atlético-GO x Flamengo
▪️ 14/04 – Corinthians x Atlético-MG
▪️ 14/04 – Cruzeiro x Botafogo
▪️ 14/04 – Vitória x Palmeiras

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFutebol Nacional

Heung-min Son touches down in London next week to bid farewell to the Lilywhites fanbase at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s side are set to take on Slavia Prague in the Champions League, and what they could do with a prime version of Son and Harry Kane leading the line.

It’s fair to say that the world-class forwards have not been replaced since both departing in recent years, and that has been to the detriment of the new manager’s project.

Creatively, Spurs have not been at the races, but the need for an elite centre-forward has been just as severe. Talismanic figures like Kane are hard to come by, though.

Why Spurs are missing Harry Kane

It is not hard to work out why Tottenham miss their all-time record goalscorer, whose shooting skills are second to none and who, regardless, has so much more to his game than mere finishing.

Tottenham’s All-time Record Scorers

Player

Apps

Goals

Harry Kane

435

280

Jimmy Greaves

376

266

Bobby Smith

316

211

Heung-min Son

454

173

Martin Chivers

350

167

Data via Transfermarkt

Now a superstar with Bayern Munich, the Three Lions captain is one of the most prolific forwards in world football, actually described as “the best player in the world” by writer Mitch Fretton.

This might just be the case. Kane has posted 25 goals from 21 matches in all competitions this season. His Bayern side are runaway Bundesliga leaders already.

He is the star of the show, the cream of the crop. Just as he was at Tottenham.

How Frank must wish for such a player leading his line. Although saying that, the Danish coach does has a Kane-esque star in his ranks, even if this player is performing on the other side of the field.

Spurs have a new Kane-like talisman

There isn’t a single forward in Tottenham’s first team who would scratch the same surface as Kane in his north London pomp right now, but Cristian Romero is showing off talismanic properties, albeit in a different way.

The Argentina international has been something of a divisive figure at times down N17, boasting world-class talent but also an erraticness and rash streak that has pulled him away from the action at times.

But he’s still an immense player, evidenced when he came up trumps as Spurs salvaged a draw at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening, scoring a brace against Newcastle United.

Romero is hardly a similar player to Kane, but they share some similarities that suggest Romero could be the club’s new version.

They are both leaders. Kane was never anointed as Tottenham’s first-choice captain due to Hugo Lloris, but he’s undoubtedly a top leader. In this, Romero and him are alike, with the Argentine both a vocal and lead-by-example skipper, so imposing and aggressive in the heart of the defence.

The 27-year-old is a “monster” of a player, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 2.5 tackles and 5.7 duels in the Premier League this season, winning 64% of the latter.

Micky van de Ven, lauded by some as Tottenham’s best player, has not yet achieved the same kind of defensive mastery, averaging only 1.1 tackles per game and winning just 51% of his duels.

It’s clear in this regard that Romero boasts surpassing quality, more roundedness, more completeness. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of Premier League defenders this year for goals, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for tackles per 90.

Let’s hope he remains under Frank’s wing over the coming years. On the basis of the evidence, the head coach is going to need him.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Despite a few poor results, this season is starting to shape up nicely for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are currently second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut the gap to Arsenal to just three points when they play them on Sunday.

However, for the West Londoners to have any chance of beating the high-flying Gunners, they’ll need to have their shooting boots on, and Liam Delap will have to show why the club signed him in the summer.

However, Chelsea might already be having second thoughts about the Englishman, as reports are linking them to another exciting young striker, someone with shades of Didier Drogba in their game.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

Given Chelsea’s propensity to spend big in the transfer window, it’s not been much of a surprise to see reports already linking them with a host of talented players ahead of the January window.

Transfer Focus

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

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For example, Athletic Bilbao’s incredibly exciting Nico Williams has been touted for a £62m move to Stamford Bridge, and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has also been heavily linked.

However, as talented as these two internationals are, neither can be compared to Drogba, nor would they be a threat to Delap’s place in the team, unlike Robinio Vaz.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a few teams interested in the exciting French talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have already established contact with Marseille over a possible move that could cost as much as €30m, about £26m.

However, sides like Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli are also said to be interested in the youngster.

It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vaz’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Delap and has shades of Drogba in his game.

How Vaz compares to Delap and Drogba

Okay, so before looking at how Vaz compares to Delap, let’s examine the shades of Drogba in his game and this potential move.

The first and most significant would be that, so long as this transfer happens, the youngster would be following in the legendary striker’s footsteps, who moved from Marseille to Chelsea in 2004.

Another trait he appears to share with the iconic centre-forward is that he’s more than a goalscorer.

While he certainly can put the ball in the back of the net, the teenage sensation is also someone who can create chances for his teammates through, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, an ability to “hold up the ball.”

With all that said, how does his output stack up to that of Delap’s this season?

Vaz vs Delap

Player

Vaz

Delap

Appearances

14

7

Minutes

331′

294′

Goals

4

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

N/A

Minutes per Goal Involvement

55.16′

N/A

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Well, despite still being just 18 years old, the “lethal” number nine, as one analyst dubbed him, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances, totalling just 331 minutes this season.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or far more crucially, one every 55.16 minutes.

In contrast, the West Londoners’ summer signing has failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances across all competitions, totalling 294 minutes.

Granted, he has been out injured, but the Englishman has almost played as many minutes as the youngster and arguably for a far better team.

UltimatelyUltimately, it’s still early in his career, but as one analyst puts it, Vaz looks like he’s “going straight to the top,” and therefore Chelsea should sign him, even if it’s bad news for Delap.

Related Bad news for Garnacho: Chelsea submit bid to sign £62m "level-raiser"

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 24, 2025

Manchester United’s defeat against Everton on Monday night once again highlighted the issues of Ruben Amorim’s reluctance to move away from his 3-4-2-1 system.

The Red Devils spent 77 minutes playing against just 10 men, but he refused to budge from his philosophy, which no doubt cost the side a chance of claiming all three points.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half strike was enough to secure all three points for the Toffees, with the hosts’ impressive five-game unbeaten run coming to an abrupt end.

Since the final whistle, the manager has come under fire for his stubbornness in implementing a more attacking system, especially after the visitors’ early dismissal.

During the loss to David Moyes’ men, one first-team member massively failed to take advantage of the rare starting opportunity that was handed his way in the Premier League.

Joshua Zirkzee’s stats against Everton for United

After Benjamin Sesko’s knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur, Joshua Zirkzee was handed his first Premier League start of the campaign against Everton yesterday.

The Dutchman had previously had to settle for minutes off the substitutes bench, but the clash at Old Trafford was his maiden start of the 2025/26 league season.

However, he was unable to take advantage of the opportunity that was handed his way, with the 24-year-old struggling to match the demands of the manager’s system.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but was only able to post a measly tally of 35 touches, with only five of his total touches coming within the opposition’s penalty area.

Zirkzee also completed just 15 passes at a success rate of just 60%, which resulted in the forward gifting the ball back to the opposition on 12 separate occasions.

His lack of quality was further outlined in his tally of one big chance missed and just four duels won, with James Tarkowski often pocketing the stand in centre forward.

Not just Zirkzee: United star must not start again under Amorim

In the 12 months since Amorim’s arrival, many United players have often struggled to match the expectations placed upon them – ultimately leading to their lowly Premier League finish last season.

Their performances, as seen by Zirkzee yesterday, will have led to the £200m spending spree during the summer window, but it should only be the start of the overhaul.

The midfield department should be next on the hierarchy’s agenda, with the manager no doubt wanting added reinforcements in such an area of the pitch.

Casemiro is getting towards the end of his current deal at Old Trafford, with Kobbie Mainoo seemingly not fancied by the manager after failing to start a single league game in 2025/26.

However, the defensive unit should also be one that the board are targeting, especially given the failures in that area over the past couple of seasons at Old Trafford.

Luke Shaw is one player who remains in such an area, but like Zirkzee, he’s often failed to deliver when called upon by Amorim over the last 12 months.

The Englishman has now spent over a decade on the books of the Red Devils, but ultimately, he’s entering the latter stages of his career – something which is starting to show.

He’s started every league game to date in 2025/26, but that’s not without question, with his performance against Everton one that failed to catch the eye for the right reasons.

The 30-year-old featured for the entire contest, but was only able to win 50% of the aerial duels he entered and was even dribbled past on two separate occasions.

Luke Shaw – stats against Everton

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

90

Touches

110

Passes completed

83

Aerials lost

50%

Dribbled past

2x

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

Crosses completed

0

Stats via FotMob

He also only made one interception and one clearance, subsequently being unable to keep the side’s second clean sheet of the Premier League campaign.

Shaw’s tally of zero completed crosses out of his attempted four showcases his inability to find a teammate in attacking areas, which led to criticism from Gary Neville.

The former United star, now turned pundit, stated that the player is becoming a “waste of time” at United and that his performances at Old Trafford aren’t fooling anyone.

His latest showing under Amorim is further evidence that he’s unable to match the levels he did during the early years of his career – with Amorim needing to exclude him from his starting eleven.

Shaw and Zirkzee are certainly nowhere near the levels the club need if they are to be successful in the Premier League, with the hierarchy needing to offload them to free up funds in January.

Related Not just Zirkzee: Man Utd man who was among the 'world's best' must be axed

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Posts ByRobbie Walls Nov 25, 2025

The New York Yankees solidified the back end of their bullpen for 2025 with the acquisition of closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month.

Williams, who has established himself as one of the best relief pitchers in the game, was excited about the trade to the Yankees, but said heading to New York was never on his radar.

"To be honest, I didn't really think so," Williams said, when he was asked if he thought being traded to the Yankees was a possibility. "I thought…I kinda thought I would be going to L.A. [Dodgers]. That's what I was being told and you know, the Yankees snuck in there under the table and got the deal done."

Williams was traded to the Yankees on Dec. 13 in a package that included pitcher Nestor Cortes, second baseman Caleb Durbin and cash considerations heading to the Brewers.

What the Yankees got was a premier reliever, who in a shortened season coming off a stress fracture in his back, posted a 1.25 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 14 saves over 21.2 innings pitched in 2024.

When healthy, the 30-year-old Williams is one of the most reliable bullpen arms in the sport, and will certainly solidify the New York bullpen next season.

أعلن جاتوزو مدرب منتخب إيطاليا عن قائمة الأزوري التي تستعد لمواجهتي مولدوفا والنرويج في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

وشملت القائمة استدعاء لأول مرة لكل من إيليا كابريلي وأليساندرو بونجيورنو وصامويل ريتشي والذين يعودون للمنتخب بعد غيابهم منذ مارس ويونيو 2025.

وغاب فيدريكو كييزا نجم ليفربول عن قائمة إيطاليا ونيكولو زانيولو أيضاً رغم أدائه الجيد مع أودينيزي، وعبر الحساب الرسمي لمنتخب إيطاليا ضمت القائمة العديد من الأسماء الأخرى.

أقرأ أيضاً.. سلوت يعلن خبرًا سارًا لجماهير ليفربول.. ويصرّح: سنكرر أداء مباراة ريال مدريد أمام مانشستر سيتي في حالة واحدة قائمة إيطاليا في التوقف الدولي القادم:

📋💙 La lista dei 27 convocati del Ct Gennaro Gattuso per le prossime sfide di qualificazione al Mondiale contro Moldova e Norvegia 🙌🏻 #Nazionale 🇮🇹 #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/xH7EytJhdj — Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) November 7, 2025

في حراسة المرمى: كابريلي- كارنيسكي- دوناروما – فيكاريو

خط الدفاع: باستوني- بيلانوفا- بونجيورنو- كالافيوري- كامبياسو- دي لورينزو- دي ماركو- جابيا – مانشيني

خط الوسط: باريلا- كريستانتي- فراتيسي- لوكاتيلي- ريتشي- تونالي

خط الهجوم: إسبوزيتو- كين- أورسوليني- بوليتانو- راسبادوري- ريتيجي- سكاماكا- زاكاني.