da betcris： Birmingham City were viewed as a side continuously stuck in a battle against the drop the last time they were situated in the Championship.

da bwin： Indeed, the Blues haven’t finished inside the top half of the difficult division since tenth spot was clinched at the end of the 2015/16 campaign. However, that could soon change as Chris Davies’ men return to the testing league now brimming with confidence.

Amazingly, the West Midlands outfit lifted the League One title with a stellar 111 points next to their name, meaning they should instantly fit in when moving back up a division, having obliterated all their third-tier opposition.

Whilst the newly crowned champions will prioritise Championship-ready talents when shopping this summer, they will be prepared to gamble with some left-field choices in the hectic transfer market, with a potential new signing going down as their next Christoph Klarer.

​​​​​​Birmingham chasing deal for £2k-per-week star

As per a report by Football Insider, Birmingham are just one of several EFL clubs chasing the services of Arminia Bielefeld defender Louis Oppie.

Hull City and Norwich City are the other second-tier outfits named as taking an interest in the breakout 23-year-old, with the attack-minded left-back playing a key role in Bielefeld’s promotion to the 2. Bundesliga to generate this buzz for his services.

The £2k-per-week defender – as per Salary Sport – could well come in handy for Birmingham as they look to add depth in the left-back spot.

How Oppie could be Klarer 2.0

Klarer is the obvious example that Oppie will attempt to follow as another gem from Germany attempts to swiftly adjust to the demands of the English game.

Klarer’s league numbers for Birmingham (24/25)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Klarer

Games played

43

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

Touches*

91.8

Accurate passes*

68.4 (88%)

Ball recoveries*

3.5

Clearances*

5.6

Total duels won*

7.5

Clean sheets

18

Stats by Sofascore

After all, the former Darmstadt 98 centre-back made his own transition over from Germany look like a walk in the park last season, with the man mountain collecting 18 clean sheets on the way to Birmingham triumphantly lifting the League One title.

Oppie will hope he can follow in the Austrian’s footsteps very soon, with the in-demand Bielefeld number four amassing his own healthy clean sheet total of 16 last campaign in the German third division, away from also notching up a hefty nine goal contributions as an expansive face down the left.

Of course, Klarer only had to adjust to League One as opposed to Oppie now having to make a gigantic leap up to the Championship, but it could go down as another golden deal just based on how easy the coveted defender found the 3. Liga last season, with the exciting 23-year-old clearly in need of a new challenge away from his current employers.

He might well push Alex Cochrane all the way to a starting spot, as previously mentioned, with Cochrane the only left-back option in Davies’ camp currently.

Oppie’s overall numbers for Bielefeld

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

24/25

47

5

11

23/24

42

6

3

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Moreover, when looking at the table above, Oppie has been a standout performer for Bielefeld over many a season now, away from just his sterling 2024/25 output, with Klarer also a dependable figure in Germany too for both Darmstadt and Fortuna Dusseldorf before his EFL adventure began.

Therefore, everything seems to be coming together to suggest that Birmingham winning the 23-year-old’s signature would be a deal that’s looked back at with a lot of glee, especially if Oppie can play some significant role in the Blues competing near the top of the Championship again.

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da betsson： If there is one thing Arsenal need to add to their squad ahead of next season, it’s goals.

da pinnacle： Despite coming second in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s side scored 17 goals fewer than champions Liverpool and three fewer than third-placed Manchester City.

Fortunately, the club appear keen to address the problem this summer, as over the last few weeks, and particularly the last seven days, the Gunners have been linked with a host of incredible attacking talents.

One of those who has been heavily touted for a move to the Emirates for some time now is Benjamin Sesko, and while he would be a great addition to the team, another, potentially better signing has now been linked with the North Londoners.

Arsenal target attacking superstar

With the Gunners clearly lacking something in attacking areas compared to their competitors, it’s not been much of a surprise to see the club being linked with several brilliant goalscoring players in recent weeks, like Eberechi Eze and the aforementioned Sesko.

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The former has a release clause worth around £68m in his current deal, and while that’s no small fee, it feels about right for a 27-year-old Premier League-proven England international, who scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 games this season.

The latter could end up costing the North Londoners around £70m this summer, and like the Crystal Palace star, he enjoyed a strong campaign this season, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig.

However, while the Slovenian international would be a good signing for Arteta and Co, another, even more exciting player has now been linked with the club: Morgan Rogers.

Yes, according to a recent report from The Athletic, Arsenal remain interested in the Aston Villa star and are currently ‘exploring’ a deal for him.

A potential price for the England international is not mentioned in the story, but according to stories from late last week, he could be available for around £70m this summer.

It might be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line for Arsenal, but Rogers has shown he’d be worth the effort, and we even think he’d be a more exciting signing than Sesko.

Why Rogers would be a better signing than Sesko

The first reason why Rogers could end up being a better signing for Arsenal than Sesko is that, although he’s also just 22 years old, he has already proven himself in the Premier League.

If the Gunners were fighting for a top-four finish, or even heading into their first title race, then perhaps signing a young and relatively unproven striker wouldn’t be such a concern.

However, that’s not the situation they find themselves in; instead, they need someone who can help them win something as soon as possible, which might not be possible if the Leipzig star needs half a year to settle in.

Moreover, while the Slovenian poacher could help solve Arteta’s centre-forward problem, that’s all he could help with.

In contrast, the “superb” Villa star, as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, is more than comfortable playing off either wing and in attacking midfield, which could provide the manager with so many tactical options.

Finally, when we take a look under the hood at the pair’s underlying numbers from this past season, it becomes even clearer that the former Manchester City youth product is the far more complete player.

For example, the 22-year-old “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, comes out on top in purely offensive metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists and key passes, as well as some defensive ones, including tackles won and blocks, all per 90.

Rogers vs Sesko

Statistics

Rogers

Sesko

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.42

0.40

Progressive Passes

3.55

1.74

Progressive Passes Received

5.43

5.34

Progressive Carries

3.29

1.78

Expected Assists

0.15

0.06

Key Passes

1.47

0.72

Passes into the Final Third

2.11

0.95

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.62

0.34

Shot-Creating Actions

3.04

1.93

Goal-Creating Actions

0.46

0.34

Tackles Won

0.64

0.11

Blocks

0.75

0.57

Interceptions

0.17

0.19

Carries into the Final Third

1.97

1.10

Carries into the Penalty Area

0.95

0.53

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

This demonstrates that, across the board, the Englishman could and almost certainly would contribute far more to the Gunners next season.

Therefore, while Arsenal should be looking to sign both Rogers and Sesko this summer, the former would undoubtedly be the better buy.

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da cassino： Glasgow Rangers are in talks to sign a new “highly-rated” player after manager Russell Martin gave the green light to an Ibrox transfer.

Rangers want more defenders as Aarons moves to Ibrox

da dobrowin： The Gers will be looking to win just their second Scottish Premiership title in 15 years in Martin’s first season at Ibrox, and the 49ers Enterprises appear willing to back the new boss in the transfer window.

After already securing the services of midfielder Lyall Cameron from Dundee, Rangers swopped to sign Max Aarons on loan from Bournemouth, with a transfer officially announced on Wednesday.

The right-back spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Valencia and will now link up with Martin who knows Aarons from his time at Norwich City.

Talking after signing Aarons, Martin said: “Max is a player who I have always kept a keen eye on since he was emerging through the youth ranks while I was coming to the end of my time at Norwich as a player. He is a wonderfully talented player who is hungry to develop, improve and help deliver success for his side.

“We are pleased to bring him on board for this season, and I believe he will be a fantastic addition to the squad.”

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Alongside the 25-year-old, Rangers also want to sign a new centre-back, with the future of Robin Propper up in the air. There have been claims the Gers have even accepted an offer from FC Twente for the Dutchman after only joining 12 months ago.

Leicester City’s Conor Coady has been linked with moving to Glasgow as Rangers’ centre-back signing, however, a new name has entered the frame.

Rangers in talks for Peterborough defender Fernandez

According to reports from Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, Rangers have opened talks to sign 23-year-old centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez.

It is added that Martin has ‘given the green light’ to a deal, with the 6ft 4 defender making 42 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring five times.

Fernandez is under contract until 2027 and was wanted by Norwich in the January window, but it looks as if Rangers are the side making moves in the summer.

Emmanuel Fernandez Peterborough stats

Games

61

Goals

7

Yellow cards

8

Red cards

2

Trophies

2

Rangers have also been after Peterborough star Kwame Poku, who is out of contract at the end of the month, but it looks as if the winger may move elsewhere and not Glasgow.

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony hailed Fernandez as a “colossus” last season, while also calling him the club’s “best defender”.

O’Rourke has also called Fernandez “highly-rated”, and it looks as if a deal could be one to watch following the journalist’s update.

da 888casino： Tottenham could be poised to implement a host of intriguing changes throughout Thomas Frank’s squad this summer, and not just in terms of incoming new players.

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da realbet： Frank is set to welcome West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus to Hotspur Way after Spurs and the east Londoners shook hands on a £55 million deal earlier this week, with the 24-year-old coming in as their first major signing of the window.

They’re also set to sign Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White for around £60 million, who’s poised for a medical today following quick-fire talks, with Daniel Levy making serious statements in a show of backing to his new manager.

However, while these signings are undoubtedly a huge boost for Frank, it is worth noting that the arrivals of Kudus and Gibbs-White means that Spurs will “almost certainly” have to sell at least one player (The Telegraph).

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

This is due to their current abundance of non-locally trained players, which will go up to 24 after Kudus comes in. As things stand, this will force Tottenham to tackle their Champions League campaign with a reduced squad list, as UEFA requires at least eight players of a 25-man Champions League squad be ‘locally trained’.

If Spurs or any other club fail to meet this requirement, the maximum number of ‘A-list’ players will be reduced to compensate for it.

With the Lilywhites now forced into the position of potentially needing to sell squad members after Kudus’ signing, even if Gibbs-White falls into the ‘locally trained’ category after coming through Wolves’ academy, it remains to be seen what impact this UEFA headache will have.

In terms of the best candidates for Daniel Levy to consider shipping out the Spurs exit door, there are a few.

They’ve already agreed to loan Alejo Veliz to former club Rosario Central, confirming the transfer earlier this week, but there are a few who could join the Argentine.

Frank won’t want to lose Cristian Romero to Atlético Madrid, but the La Liga side are still attempting to sign him (AS), while there is a belief that Tottenham are much more open to selling Richarlison after an injury-blighted 2024/2025.

Son Heung-min has also entered the final 12 months of his contract, and Levy could be tempted to make money back off the South Korean’s sale, rather than lose him for free next year, amid interest from Saudi Arabia and Los Angeles FC.

Yves Bissouma wants to leave Tottenham and join Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahçe

According to Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu, Levy could have another sale opportunity in the form of Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma.

The Mali international, like Son, has entered the final 12 months of his contract, and the north Londoners are prepared to take a small loss on the initial £25 million they paid to sign him from Brighton in 2022.

Sabuncuoğlu states, via news aggregator Fener Ajans on X, that Levy will let Bissouma leave for £20 million this summer, and Fenerbache are seriously interested in the 28-year-old. The reporter also claims Jose Mourinho has identified Bissouma as his top midfield target for the Süper Lig giants, and he wants to join the former Tottenham boss in Turkey.

The £100,000-per-week ace was exceptional for Ange Postecoglou during the 59-year-old’s debut season in the dugout, and has displayed flashes of brilliance since, with James Maddison calling his teammate a “ridiculous player” at times.

However, the trouble with Bissouma has been surrounding his consistency, and now could potentially be the time to cash in.

da betsul： Derby County are in a race with fellow Championship side Wrexham to sign an experienced international defender, according to a reliable reporter.

Derby complete the signing of striker Patrick Agyemang

da bet7： On Tuesday, the Rams announced they had completed the transfer of striker Patrick Agyemang, who joins the club from MLS side Charlotte FC. According to the BBC, Agyemang has cost Derby £5.8 million, which could rise to £7.3 million with add-ons, as the 24-year-old has signed a four-year contract at Pride Park.

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The forward has just finished playing in the Gold Cup with the USA, where they were beaten in the final by Mexico, and unfortunately for Derby supporters, they may have to wait a bit before they can see their new signing in action, as the club confirmed in their statement that Agyemang has to undergo routine surgery to address a long-standing hernia problem, meaning he could miss the opening matches of the season.

The American is “excited” to join the Rams and was interested in the move to the Championship side as soon as he heard of their interest: “It’s exciting. I have been hearing good things about the club and the fans as well. I always wanted to be a part of something special. To finally be here, it’s amazing.

“I’ve heard about [the move] once I was getting into the national team for the Gold Cup. In the moment, you’re like: “That’s something I’m interested in!” However, you want to focus on what you’re doing.

“As it starts to progress, you start to look more into it. I knew this was a project I’d love to be a part of. I just hoped for it to get across the line. Happily, it did.”

Derby in race with Wrexham for Egan signing

Agyemang becomes the Rams’ fifth signing of the summer, but he could soon be joined by number six, as according to Pete O’Rourke, Derby are interested in signing defender John Egan from Hull City.

The 32-year-old, who has been capped 36 times by the Republic of Ireland, joined the Tigers in February of this year after six months at Burnley, who he joined on a free transfer after leaving Sheffield United. Egan is still under contract with Hull until 2026 but could be on the move this summer, as Wrexham and Stoke City are also keen on him, as well as the Rams.

John Egan’s 24/25 Championship stats

Apps

18

Started

9

Clean sheets

1

Interceptions per game

0.2

Tackles per game

0.1

Dribbled past per game

0.1

Clearances per game

3.9

Don Goodman has backed Egan to be a great signing for any of his suitors, saying he was “one of the best central defenders in the Championship for Sheffield United”, albeit urging caution due to the injuries which have limited him to just “24 games over the past three years”.

da dobrowin： Nottingham Forest are working hard to secure new arrivals and could be given a helping hand by claiming a sizeable windfall from one of their first-team assets, according to reports.

Nottingham Forest remain in deadlock over Morgan Gibbs-White

da cassino online： Truthfully, nothing of note has changed in Morgan Gibbs-White’s precarious situation at Nottingham Forest after they threatened to take legal action against Tottenham Hotspur following the latter triggering the England international’s release clause.

While it remains to be seen whether the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man stays in the Midlands, the Tricky Trees have reportedly identified Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey as a replacement.

Everton and West Ham United are also interested in the midfielder, though Ben Jacobs has also confirmed that Bilal El Khannouss is another Nottingham Forest option.

Addressing their interest in the Leicester City playmaker, he stated: “It’s buying Forest time and in the time taken, Forest are looking at Morgan Gibbs-White replacements, which tells you they still think there’s a chance he could go to Spurs.

“Bilal El Khannouss, at Leicester, is one name to watch. He has a 26m euro relegation release clause, and Forest are one of at least three Premier League clubs that have expressed an interest in the Moroccan international.”

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Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus have arrived at the City Ground from Botafogo, albeit Nuno Espirito Santo has struggled to follow up on bringing in the duo as the marketspace becomes increasingly competitive.

Nevertheless, there is plenty of time left to secure new arrivals, offering optimism that he will eventually put together the components needed for Nottingham Forest to have a successful window, though he will also need to sell players to balance the books.

Botafogo agree deal to sign Nottingham Forest star Danilo

According to Globo Esporte, Botafogo have agreed to sign Nottingham Forest star Danilo and only the final details of a deal remain to be ironed out before his transfer back to Brazil is sealed.

An agreement is in place between all parties, and it is said that the value of his move equates to around £19 million. The former Palmeiras man will sign a four-year contract after negotiations accelerated due to Gregore’s departure to Al-Rayyan.

Danilo’s record at Nottingham Forest

Appearances

62

Goals

6

Assists

4

Labelled “wonderful” by Nuno after unfortunately breaking his ankle, the Salvador-born man has struggled to get back to his best form since and now appears set to reignite his career back in familiar surroundings.

It should be noted that he was initially hesistant to commit to Botafogo amid his association with their rivals, Palmeiras, but he is now ready to take the plunge under Davide Ancelotti’s stewarship.

Nottingham Forest may be losing a talented squad player, though his exit may offer up further funds to pursue reinforcements in the engine room once all documentation is signed and sealed.

da bwin： Leeds United supporters were hit with a devastating blow on Monday evening when Fabrizio Romano gave Marseille the ‘here we go’ treatment for Igor Paixao.

da lvbet： It had been reported earlier in the day that the Whites were expected to agree a deal in the region of £28m to sign the Brazilian forward from Feyenoord ahead of the French side.

However, as you can see in the post above, Marseille now have a deal ‘in place’ to sign the 25-year-old star, who they have reached an agreement with over a five-year contract.

Romano claims that Paixao ‘wanted’ to sign for the French side despite Leeds United’s attempts to swoop in and convince him to make the move to England.

Given that Lukas Nmecha as a free transfer is the only attacking signing the Whites have made so far this summer, missing out on the winger has come as a big blow for the club.

However, it will be interesting to see how the Feyenoord star handles a move to a top five league in Europe, as Leeds have been burned by Eredivisie stars in the past.

Why Leeds may have dodged a bullet with Igor Paixao

It is, firstly, worth saying that Paixao would have been a very exciting signing for the club, because he enjoyed a phenomenal 2024/25 campaign in the Netherlands.

The 25-year-old star delivered 18 goals and 14 assists in all competitions from the left wing position, which shows that he has the potential to provide a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

However, Leeds once splashed out a fee of £21m to sign left winger Luis Sinisterra from Feyenoord in an eerily similar move in 2022, after his impressive year in the Eredivisie.

Eredivisie

Sinisterra (21/22)

Paixao (24/25)

Appearances

30

34

Goals

12

16

Big chances missed

8

11

Big chances created

9

12

Assists

7

10

Dribbles completed per game

3.6

1.7

Duels won per game

8.1

5.2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sinisterra and Paixao both delivered plenty of goals and assists in their respective seasons in the Dutch top-flight for Feyenoord.

The former Leeds man, though, has only managed eight goals and three assists in 51 Premier League appearances in his career to date, which shows how hard it can be to translate that form from the Netherlands over to England.

With this in mind, the club’s latest reported target to bolster their attack may be just as exciting as the fallen through deal for Paixao would have been.

Leeds in the race to sign English star

According to Calcio Mercato, Leeds United are one of a number of teams lining up a potential swoop to sign Jonathan Rowe from Marseille this summer.

The report claims that the Whites, Bournemouth, and Roma are all interested in signing the England U21 international, whilst Atalanta may also join the race if they miss out on Ademola Lookman.

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In a funny turn of events, Calcio Mercato explains that the former Norwich City attacker may be available for clubs to snap up this summer because of the pending arrival of Paixao, who would take his place in the squad on the left flank.

The report adds that Leeds are not the only team turning to Rowe as an alternative to the Feyenoord star, as Roma are also looking at him after also missing out on Paixao.

It also reveals that it will take a fee in the region of £17m in order to secure a deal for the English winger, which means that he would be significantly cheaper than the Eredivisie sensation, but he could be just as exciting.

Why Leeds should sign Jonathan Rowe

The Whites should push to win the race to sign Rowe before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September because he could be just as exciting as Paixao.

First and foremost, the former Canaries star is three years younger than Paixao and still has plenty of time left before he enters the prime years of his career, which the Brazilian winger is already in.

When the Feyenoord ace was 22, he managed four goals and four assists in 18 games in the Brazilian top-flight and had not played a minute of football in Europe. Rowe, meanwhile, has played 13 Premier League matches and 28 in Ligue 1 in his career already.

The Englishman scored three goals, created eight ‘big chances’, and assisted three goals in 28 games in Ligue 1, but the young forward only started six of those appearances under Roberto De Zerbi.

24/25 Ligue 1

Jonathan Rowe per 90

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

0.40

Top 14%

xG on target

0.48

Top 13%

Goals

0.34

Top 25%

xA

0.25

Top 16%

Assists

0.34

Top 14%

Chances created

2.04

Top 22%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the £17m-rated star’s underlying statistics, per 90, was very impressive in comparison to his positional peers in the division, which suggests that he could have delivered far more goals and assists if he had been given more game time.

This is why the forward, who scored 13 goals for Norwich in the 2023/24 campaign, could be a very exciting signing for Leeds because he appears to have the potential to explode at the top end of the pitch if given regular starts, which Daniel Farke could offer him at Elland Road.

Whilst he may not have had a season as prolific as the one that Paixao just had, the England U21 international could be a signing that is just as exciting for the Whites because he has shown a lot of promise in a major league and has experience in England, and in the Premier League.

As well as potentially providing quality in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals, the 22-year-old is also a versatile forward who can play on either flank or through the middle, scoring the winner as a centre-forward for England at the U21 Euros this summer.

Rowe was once compared to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Ousmane Dembele as talent scout Jacek Kulig called him a “young Dembele” because the winger was “one of the most perfectly two-footed players” he had seen, which is why he is so adept at playing on either flank.

It is now down to Leeds to ensure that they do not lose another race for an exciting left wing target, because the Marseille whiz appears to have all the tools to be a fantastic signing for Farke.

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da blaze casino： Tottenham have set their sights on another quality attacking midfielder after seeing Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White commit his future to the City Ground.

Related £190k-per-week Tottenham star now close to agreeing exit as talks advance

He would be a sore miss.

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da apostaganha： Thomas Frank’s side are arguably in dire need of more creativity. The Lilywhites struggled to break down League One outfit Luton Town in the second of their two Saturday pre-season friendlies last weekend, despite fielding a strong side loaded with key first-team players.

While it’s important not to overanalyse summer preparations for the new Premier League season, with Frank’s players regaining match fitness and sharpness right now, the signs were not overly encouraging.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

In an ideal world, Tottenham would have welcomed new playmaker Gibbs-White to N17 by now, having scheduled a medical on July 11 whilst attempting to trigger his past £60 million release clause.

However, in what was an unprecedented turn of events, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis put a halt to the transfer, threatened legal action against Spurs and somehow convinced Gibbs-White to pen a contract extension instead.

Signing the 25-year-old was Tottenham’s priority for the previous fortnight, but those precious two weeks of the transfer window were seemingly wasted. Technical director Johan Lange and his recruitment team must now turn to different attacking targets, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that Tottenham are working on signing alternatives to Gibbs-White.

Despite serious links to north London rivals Arsenal, Spurs have been targeting Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze this window, and whilst Mikel Arteta’s side prioritise outgoings right now (Fabrizio Romano), perhaps Lange can use this time to beat the Gunners to his signature.

Eze would be a phenomenal alternative to Gibbs-White, following his campaign of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions at Palace, including their FA Cup-final winning strike against Man City.

However, in the event Arsenal beat Spurs to Eze, there are other viable candidates for the number 10 role at Tottenham.

Tottenham eyeing Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss

According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, one of them is Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss.

The 21-year-old was a shining light in an otherwise dismal Foxes side who were relegated right back down to the Championship last term, averaging more key passes per 90 in the final third than any of his teammates in the top flight (WhoScored).

Bailey reports that Spurs are now targeting El Khannouss, coming after they unceremoniously missed out on a deal for Gibbs-White and reports that the Morocco international’s contract includes a £22.5 million release clause (talkSPORT).

The clause was tied in with Leicester’s drop to the second tier, and means the young El Khannouss is available for a very astute fee.

Members of the media, like journalist Antonio Mango, have heralded the African as a “genius” attacking player, with El Khannouss now emerging as a very intriguing option for Lange as we enter the final few weeks of the summer.

da bet7： It would be fair to say that some of the shine has been taken off Arsenal’s summer over the last seven days.

da casino： The atmosphere around the club was excellent going into the game against Tottenham Hotspur last Thursday, only for the team to fall to a dull 1-0 defeat.

Then, instead of wiping the slate clean with an entertaining win over Villarreal on Wednesday, Mikel Arteta’s side fell to yet another defeat.

Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom, as the club have made several brilliant signings so far, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi the clear standouts.

Moreover, Andrea Berta looks ready to make yet more additions, with Eberechi Eze’s name refusing to go away, and reports suggesting he could pull off the signing of another international ace, someone who’d surely represent his best deal yet.

Berta targets a better signing than Eze

Despite already adding six players to the squad this summer, Arsenal are clearly on the hunt for more first-team additions, and Eze has been someone consistently touted for a move to the club this summer.

Transfer Focus

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The Crystal Palace star has a £67.5m release clause in his current deal that expires on August 15th, and based on stories from the last week or so, it does seem like the Gunners will be making a move for him once that clause is gone.

However, in exciting news, the Englishman isn’t the only attacker Berta and Co are supposedly after, as it now looks like they’ve got their eye on someone who’d undoubtedly be his best signing of the window.

At least that’s according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, who has reaffirmed the fact that Arsenal are very interested in Rodrygo.

Bailey has revealed that, alongside North London rivals Spurs, the Gunners are now just “waiting for a signal” from the Brazilian before they make their move.

Interestingly, stories from earlier this summer made it clear that if the winger were to leave, it’d likely require a fee of around £86m, but then more recent reports have stated that a season-long loan with an obligation to buy at the end could be his route out of Spain.

It remains to be seen how Arsenal could eventually sign Rodrygo, but if they have any chance of doing so, they should, as he’d instantly become the best deal under Berta’s watch.

Why Rodrygo would be Berta's best deal

So, when it comes to the deals Berta has already completed this summer, the only two players who would be in with a shout of being his best are Gyokeres and Zubimendi, but we still think Rodrygo would land above both.

The reason he’d do so in the case of the Spaniard is the simple fact that the club do already have several genuinely great options for that role in the shape of Declan Rice, who was initially signed as a six, Christian Norgaard, who has impressed in pre-season, and Mikel Merino.

Moreover, it’s simply the nature of the sport that those who operate in deeper areas of the pitch are viewed as less game-changing than someone who’s up top, banging in goals or creating chances for his teammates.

However, in that case, why wouldn’t the former Sporting CP star be the better deal, as he racked up 67 goal involvements in 52 games last season?

Well, in this instance, it comes down to the fact that, while still outstanding, those numbers were achieved primarily in the Portuguese league, which, according to Opta Analyst, is just the eighth toughest in the world, coming in behind the Championship and Belgian top-flight.

While there is every chance that the Swedish international is a lean, mean goalscoring machine for the Gunners as well, there is still an element of the unknown about how he’ll adapt, especially when strikers like Darwin Núñez have struggled to do so in the past.

In contrast, we’ve got plenty of evidence that the Real Madrid star can more than handle himself in a top-five league.

Rodrygo’s recent record

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

51

54

Minutes

3707′

3452′

Goals

17

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.57′

138.08′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, across the last two seasons, the Brazilian “superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

That means the former Santos gem has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is only made all the more impressive when you take into account the fact he had to play out of his preferred position on the left for most of those games.

Finally, like all top-tier players, the Osasco-born ace has an incredible record in the Champions League.

In his 64 appearances in the competition, totalling 3883 minutes, the 24-year-old has scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.64 games, or every 99.56 minutes.

Ultimately, when you take everything into account, from his record to the fact that there are plenty of other top sides looking to sign him, it’s easy to see why Rodrygo would represent Berta’s best deal since joining Arsenal.

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da apostebet： Over the last couple of months, Tottenham Hotspur have demonstrated how much of a cutthroat industry professional football can be – regardless of any level of success achieved.

da spicy bet： Ange Postecoglou led the Lilywhites to Europa League glory back in May, but it wasn’t enough to maintain his job in North London as Daniel Levy handed him his marching orders.

The 17th-placed Premier League finish was the underlying reasoning behind his dismissal, handing the responsibility to Thomas Frank to build on the recent European triumph.

Such a decision could prove to be a risk in the months ahead, breaking the continuity that would’ve been in place had the Aussie remained in the role.

However, the board are handing the Dane the tools for added success during his tenure, looking to inject further quality into one area of the pitch before the September 1st deadline.

Tottenham’s attempt to land a new midfielder this summer

Despite scoring 64 times in the Premier League last season – the seventh-highest tally of any side – Frank has made a beeline to improve the options available to him in forward areas.

Mohammed Kudus has already completed a £55m move, but it hasn’t stopped the Lilywhites from pursuing a move for other targets such as Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The 27-year-old has been a leading talent in the Premier League as of late, notching 16 goal contributions last season – which has seen Spurs prepare an opening offer for his services.

However, attention is also being focused on the midfield department, leading to reports from media in Spain that Conor Gallagher has once again appeared on their radar.

The article states that Frank’s side are one of various English outfits preparing offers to sign the Atlético Madrid star, with a €50m (£42m) price tag currently being mooted.

It’s also been confirmed that the 25-year-old would be keen on a return to England, after just one year in LaLiga following his £34m departure from boyhood outfit, Chelsea.

Why Spurs’ £42m target would be perfect for Eze

A deal to sign Eze between now and the end of the window would signal real intent from Spurs owner Levy – splashing the cash and subsequently landing a star who can take the side up a gear.

The 27-year-old has made a real name for himself in England’s top-flight in recent times, racking up quite the goal catalogue – which includes a phenomenal strike against fellow North London outfit Arsenal.

Such a strike has also sparked keen interest from Mikel Arteta’s side, which could present a bidding war between the two clubs in the not-too-distant future.

Frank will no doubt be hoping his side can come out on top, finally landing the number 10 he’s craved – after previously missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White this summer.

Given the £60m price tag, it would add pressure on the Englishman to succeed, something which Gallagher could relieve, should he complete his own big-money transfer in the coming weeks.

Whilst the former Chelsea star is more of a ball-winning option, he could offer a presence at the heart of the side which could free Eze up to cause carnage in attacking areas.

Conor Gallagher’s stats for Atlético in LaLiga (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

32

Goals & assists

6

Pass accuracy

85%

Progressive passes

3.5

Passes into final third

2.5

Tackles won

1.8

Interceptions made

1.1

Recoveries made

5.9

Stats via FBref

According to FBref, Gallagher ranked in the 89th percentile for tackles won (1.8) and in the 90th percentile for recoveries made (5.9) – leading to journalist John Cross labelling him as “sensational”.

However, he was just as impressive in possession, making 3.5 progressive passes per 90 at a success rate of 85% – able to do the ‘dirty work’ before finding Eze with his line-breaking ability.

Injuries have also decimated the Spurs side in recent months, but the 25-year-old could provide a consistent presence in North London – having never missed a senior outing through injury to date.

Whilst many fans will be crying out for a deal for Eze this summer, a move for Gallagher could arguably be just as important for the club in their attempts for Premier League glory.

His addition from Atlético could see him be the perfect box-to-box option, as seen by his ability to regain possession before progressing the play into forward areas.

A combination between the two England internationals could prove to be a frightening one, subsequently being able to solve two of the problems positions that faced Frank upon his arrival in North London.