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Manchester United will want to address their goalkeeping situation before the window is closed at Old Trafford and could now be set to focus all their efforts on a talented stopper from the continent, according to a report.

Bayindir's error vs Arsenal leaves Man Utd searching for answers

Truthfully, there wasn’t much to separate Manchester United and Arsenal in their Premier League opening clash, apart from the level of goalkeeping performances on display.

Unfortunately for the Red Devils’, Arsenal’s prevalence at set-pieces earned the points for the visitors, who received a helping hand from Altay Bayindir’s failure to steer away Declan Rice’s delivery before Riccardo Calafiori pounced from close range.

Speaking on the BBC’s Football Daily podcast, David James believes the Turkish international shouldn’t have got involved with William Saliba in the lead-up to the only goal of the encounter.

He explained: “There were two issues with the goal. The first was Bayindir getting involved with William Saliba before the corner-kick was taken. Saliba ran across the front and I actually think it was a foul on Mason Mount because Saliba nearly dragged his shirt off to get in front of Bayindir.

“But by getting involved with Saliba, everyone has now got arms on each other and Bayindir is in no position to do anything decent from where he is.”

On the same day, reports emerged that Man Utd are plotting a surprise reunion with David De Gea. Meanwhile, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been considered by the Red Devils amid speculation surrounding the future of Andre Onana.

Nevertheless, there could now be another solution to their woes between the sticks as INEOS prepare to focus their attention on finalising a deal for a rising star.

Manchester United look to finalise Senne Lammens move

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United chiefs are convinced they’ll win the race to sign Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens despite interest from Inter Milan in securing his signature.

The outlet claim he only has eyes for a move to Old Trafford and they will now look to put a ‘decisive plan’ in action to land the goalkeeper. Albeit, Onana’s failure to secure a move elsewhere has impacted their overall pursuit of a new number one.

His best display for Man Utd: £60m star is as undroppable as Mbeumo & Cunha

Manchester United suffered defeat in their first game of the new season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 17, 2025

Overall, the Belgian star has kept 12 clean sheets in 64 appearances for Royal Antwerp, leading to a call-up to his senior national team back in March for their UEFA Nations League playoff matches against Ukraine.

Manchester United have kept in touch with his entourage all summer and have him on a shortlist alongside Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. Now, it appears Lammens is top priority as the Red Devils consider a late move to bolster their goalkeeping department.

Labelled “elite” by Ben Mattinson, Fotmob show the 23-year-old has retained a 73.3% save percentage this season, which may pique the interest of supporters as they cross their fingers for a new number one at Old Trafford.

Peter Schmeichel admits that Antony was “never good enough for Manchester United” but the Red Devils legend has questioned why Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund were allowed to leave Old Trafford. The Scotland international midfielder and Danish striker are now team-mates again in Italy at Napoli after surprisingly being deemed surplus to requirements.

GettyFrom outcast to MVP: Red Devils rue McTominay call

Academy graduate McTominay was allowed to head for Naples in the summer of 2024. His first season away from Manchester saw the 28-year-old midfielder become a Serie A title winner and MVP – with United toiling their way to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League.

AdvertisementHojlund's record: Goals scored before departure

A year on and Hojlund has joined McTominay at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with the 22-year-old forward loaned out by United in a deal that includes a purchase option. He registered 26 goals for the Red Devils through 95 appearances.

Getty Images SportWinger exodus: Busy summer at Old Trafford

In a busy window, wingers Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony also departed. United have continued to struggle for consistency under Ruben Amorim, with Schmeichel left puzzled by some of the recruitment calls being made.

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Why? Schmeichel puzzled by Man Utd

The iconic former goalkeeper told : “I’d say Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund are the two players who should never have left.

“With Antony, it’s different. He was never good enough for Manchester United. Yes, he scored on his debut, but very quickly you could see he didn’t have what it takes for the Premier League. In Holland, playing in a dominant team, he looked good. But at United, the pace is relentless from the first minute to the last, the pressure is constant, and every opponent raises their game. To succeed here, you need something extra, and he didn’t have it. He’s moved on, and we wish him well.

“The one that really pains me is Højlund. I honestly believe he could have been a 25-goal-a-season striker for Manchester United. The problem wasn’t him – it was the way the team played. The system didn’t suit him. When players like [Alejandro] Garnacho or [Marcus] Rashford got the ball, they looked only to shoot. The ball into the number nine never came, even though Rasmus was making really good runs.

“The fans saw it. They loved him because he fought, he ran, he gave everything, and he had to play every game because there were no other strikers. Of course, when you don’t score as a striker, people point to it again and again. But what more could he do without service?

“I’ve seen what he can do when he’s on form and gets the right service. That’s why I’m glad it’s only a loan. I hope he scores 25 goals, and that people at Old Trafford are then thinking: “We have to bring him back”. With [Matheus] Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo now providing service, and Bruno [Fernandes] playing further up the pitch, I still believe he could be a fantastic striker for Manchester United. He’s already scored after just 30 minutes for Napoli, which shows his quality. He’s still our player, and that’s the positive.

“As for McTominay, I honestly can’t say anything other than: why? Why was he allowed to leave?"

“The medical team is monitoring him. So we will know whenever the medical team gets back to us,” says Prasidh Krishna when asked if Bumrah will bowl in the final innings

Alagappan Muthu04-Jan-2025There is an injury cloud over India captain Jasprit Bumrah, who left the field after bowling only one over after lunch on the second day of the New Year’s Test in Sydney. Just after 2pm local time, he was seen out of his Test whites, leaving the dressing room with the team doctor and a security officer. After the day’s play, Prasidh Krishna told the media that Bumrah had experienced back spasms.*”Yes, he had a back spasm. He had gone for scans,” Prasidh said. “The medical team is monitoring him. So we will know whenever the medical team gets back to us,” he said when asked if Bumrah would bowl in the final innings of the series.There has been concern around Bumrah’s workload on this tour. He has bowled 152.1 overs in nine innings, picking up 32 wickets at 13.06. He went past Bishan Bedi’s record for most wickets taken by an India bowler on a tour of Australia and was climbing up the all-time list as well.Bumrah had spent three of the last five overs of the morning session off the field. He had come back out for the final two overs and resumed the bowling for India after lunch. He began by beating Alex Carey’s bat with his first ball but his speeds were down, in the early 120s to early 130s (kph). Bumrah left the field immediately after bowling that over and was not seen until there were visuals on the broadcast of him leaving the SCG in a car. He returned to the ground roughly a couple of hours later, around 4.40pm local time.Related

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Rohit on Bumrah's bowling workloads: 'We've been very careful'

At the end of the Melbourne Test, where he bowled 52 overs, his most in a Test match, Rohit Sharma had mentioned that there was a worry of over-bowling him.India do not have a designated vice-captain – Bumrah was actually the vice-captain and stepped up to lead the team when Rohit decided to stand himself down from the final Test match owing to his poor form. It appeared as though Virat Kohli had taken over leading the team for the middle session of day two. India need to win the Sydney Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”If somebody is in such a great form, you want to try and maximise that form how much ever you can,” Rohit had said. “And that is what we’ve been trying to do with Bumrah.”But there comes a time where you need to step back a little bit and give him that little bit of extra breather as well. So, we’ve been very careful.”I’ve been very careful. I talk to him about how he feels and stuff like that. So, yeah. Those things should be managed carefully. And I’m trying to do that on the field.”Bumrah had previously spent a year out of the game in 2022, recovering from a stress fracture of the back.*

Smith says his dismissal was a crucial moment in Australia’s semi-final loss to India

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Mar-20251:22

Agar: Australia building more depth a big positive despite loss

“I missed a full toss. It wasn’t ideal.” This is one of the greatest contemporary batters speaking on a moment that swung the match away from his team.Steven Smith was batting on 73 in the 37th over against India, and seemed set to guide Australia into the death overs. Then he ran at Mohammed Shami, got a full toss at around knee-height, and missed it completely. The off stump was rattled.From there, Australia got 66 runs off the 75 balls available to them. Alex Carey hit 61 off 57, batting with the tail in the later stages. Nathan Ellis tried to crash some late boundaries. But if you are looking for a moment in the match that paved the way for India’s dominance, this is a big one.Related

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Kohli's 84 sends India into Champions Trophy final

Shami vs Connolly: A different kind of six and out

“My plan was to try and put the seamers under a bit more pressure, and just rotate the spin,” Smith said after the match. “But I didn’t do it very well. I lost my wicket at probably a crucial stage. Had I batted a little deeper, we could have potentially got up to near 300 or something. Alex was batting really nicely at the other end. It was a disappointing time to get out, but that’s the game sometimes.”Australia only set India 265 for victory. But given this was likely the most batting-friendly surface at this venue for the whole tournament, Smith rued the chance to go big.”I think we had our opportunities throughout to post something up above 300,” Smith said. “We were probably just that one wicket down too many at a few stages throughout the innings. If we extended one of those partnerships a little bit, we’re probably getting up to 290 to 300 and we’re putting a bit of pressure on the scoreboard.Steven Smith was bowled by a full toss•Associated Press”The square block as a whole, I think, has seen a lot of cricket over the last couple of months. We can see it’s pretty tired and that’s probably the reason why we haven’t seen a score above 300 in the tournament here so far. So we did a reasonable job, but we probably just lacked a couple of those partnerships just dragging out a little bit further.”Australia were also poor in the field. They dropped Rohit Sharma twice, and Virat Kohli was put down on 51. All of these were tough chances, though.”I think when you’re trying to squeeze the game and you’re trying to build a lot of pressure, you need to take those chances when you’ve got 260 [264] on the board,” Smith said. “But that’s the game, it happens. No one means to drop a catch. It’s part of the game.”

In a thrilling Serie A encounter, AC Milan edged out Napoli 2-1 at the San Siro, with Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers putting Milan ahead before Kevin De Bruyne converted a penalty for Napoli. Despite the loss, De Bruyne shared a heartfelt message with Luka Modric, expressing admiration for the Croatian midfielder's exceptional talent.

Milan's resilient victory over Napoli

Milan secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Napoli at the San Siro, propelling them to the top of the Serie A standings. Christian Pulisic opened the scoring with an assist from Saelemaekers, and before the Belgian doubled the lead before half-time. Napoli's De Bruyne converted a penalty after Milan's Pervis Estupinan was sent off for a foul on Giovanni Di Lorenzo. Despite Napoli's late pressure, Milan held on to claim all three points.

AdvertisementDe Bruyne's shares heartfelt message to Modric

Following the match, De Bruyne took to Instagram to share a message with Modric, which said: "Everybody enjoys good football. Good to see you brate."

This gesture shows the mutual respect between the two midfield maestros. Despite the competitive nature of the match, De Bruyne's words are of nothing but admiration for Modric's exceptional skill and influence on the game.

De Bruyne's angry reaction to being subbed off

De Bruyne may have pulled Napoli back into the contest with his second-half penalty, but the Belgian’s night ended on a sour note. Coach Antonio Conte decided to substitute him in the closing stages, a move that visibly irked the midfielder. The ex-Manchester City player walked straight to the bench without acknowledging his manager, his frustration clear for all to see.

Conte later explained the change was a tactical one, aimed at injecting fresh energy into Napoli’s attack. He added that he hoped De Bruyne’s anger was directed at the result, not the decision.

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Getty Images SportA season of high expectations from Serie A

The match between Milan and Napoli highlighted the high stakes in Serie A this season. With both teams vying for the top spot, both the teams have brought in experienced and young talents to rejuvenate the team. With Inter making it to the Champions League final last year, the expectations from the Serie A clubs are high this time as well.

Tottenham Hotspur’s recruitment strategy has seen a huge shift in recent years, subsequently prioritising the additions of young stars who can develop into world-class talents.

Such a focus has the additions of the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr, with the youngsters joining for bargain fees from the likes of Djurgarden and Metz, respectively.

Despite being just 19 and 22 respectively, the duo managed to rack up a total of 100 combined appearances between them – playing key roles in the Lilywhites’ Europa League triumph.

Given their tender ages, the pair have plenty of time to build on their impressive starts to life at the club – having the opportunity to make themselves central figures in any success under Thomas Frank.

However, they could be joined by another top-level talent after the hierarchy completed the big-money signing of one youngster in the latter stages of the summer window.

Why Spurs moved to sign Xavi Simons

After missing out on the signatures of both Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, Spurs appeared to be scrambling for a new attacking midfielder in the closing stages of the summer window.

The English duo appeared to be Frank’s main targets in the market, but after outside interference saw deals through, it was pivotal that the hierarchy identified alternatives for the manager.

Xavi Simons looked set on a transfer to Chelsea, but the Lilywhites swooped in at the 11th hour, subsequently hijacking talks – resulting in a £52m transfer fee being agreed between all parties.

The Dutchman became the second £50m+ addition of the summer, following in Mohammed Kudus’ footsteps – with the pair potentially striking up a deadly partnership throughout 2025/26 and beyond.

However, despite their excellent dealings in the market this window, it’s their work in previous times that has massively helped them, with such moves potentially increasing the club’s chances of added success in the coming months.

The Spurs player who is worth more than Simons

Excitement has understandably been building among the Spurs fanbase given the additions made this summer, as the club hopes to avoid a repeat of the 17th-placed finish last campaign.

Moves for Kudus and Simons will likely improve their forward line, but a real expectation will be on the backline to improve their record of 65 goals conceded in just 38 league games.

However, Frank has already demonstrated that he’s been able to have an immediate impact in such a department – keeping two clean sheets and conceding just once in the first three outings.

The Dane has utilised a back four mainly in the early stages of his career in North London, with Micky van de Ven being a component to the manager’s system.

The Dutchman originally joined the Lilywhites in a £43m transfer back in the summer of 2023, but has struggled with injuries since his move – racking up 55 appearances to date.

However, despite his defensive role, the 24-year-old has still managed to impress in attacking areas – with such a skillset offering an all-round presence to the first-team squad.

Van de Ven, who’s been labelled “world-class” by teammate Luka Vuskovic, scored a beautiful effort against Nottingham Forest in the 2023/24 season, before producing a top-level assist for Brennan Johnson in the win against Manchester United at Old Trafford last season.

His pace has also made him a real asset to the first-team squad, registering the fastest sprint of any player in the Premier League – clocking a speed of 23.07mph.

As a result of his recent showings in North London, his market value soared to £58.3m – that’s according to FootballTransfers’ latest valuation of the centre-back.

Games played

13

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

91%

Dribble success

50%

Tackles won

60%

Aerials won

1.7

Interceptions made

1.1

Recoveries made

5.6

Such a figure is higher than that of Simons, with the big-money summer transfer addition only valued at £52.6m – the same figure they paid for his signature.

Given the incredible rise of Van de Ven’s transfer fee, it’s no surprise to see him being a key member of the squad, hopefully reaching the next level under Frank’s guidance.

As for Simons, if his addition can be as successful as his compatriot’s, it would be a sensational move for the player and the club – subsequently increasing the side’s chances of success in the near future.

Levy let Spurs star leave for £0, now he could've been Frank's new Mbeumo

Tottenham Hotspur may have offloaded one of their former stars way too prematurely.

4 ByEthan Lamb Sep 3, 2025

Williamson’s 81 in vain as New Zealand crumble against spin chasing 250

Sidharth Monga02-Mar-20251:42

Kumble: Varun has been exceptional over the last year

India spun a web around New Zealand to defend 249 for their sixth straight win against what has been a bogey team for them in recent times. They added Varun Chakravarthy to the three spinners they already were playing, and he responded with a five-for at a venue where an indifferent showing against Pakistan in 2021 led to a major setback to his international career.Finishing top of their group, India will now face Australia in the semi-final on Tuesday. New Zealand and South Africa are to fly back to Pakistan for their semi-final on Wednesday.This was an old-fashioned ODI in which the new ball seamed and swung in the first innings followed by gradual slowing down and increasing grip. Absence of any significant dew meant batting kept getting more and more difficult. Shreyas Iyer scored his slowest fifty followed by Kane Williamson’s slowest score of 80 or above.Related

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Glenn Phillips' divine intervention puts tournament rivals on notice

Varun keen to maintain the mystery as he makes compelling semi-final case

India to face Australia in Dubai semi-final; NZ to meet SA in Lahore semi-final

Stats – India spinners take nine wickets for the first time since 2011

Wave after wave of attack from India’s spinners was held back by some luck and Williamson, but eventually they broke the bund starting with Ravindra Jadeja getting Tom Latham lbw on the reverse-sweep in the 33rd over. India bowled 29 overs of spin out of the 30 middle overs, and 37.3 in all for nine wickets and just 166 runs. This was an improvement after their spinners had gone at 0.7 an over more than the opposition spinners in the first two games. Turns out it was only a function of bowling first when the ball gripped less than in the second innings.New Zealand restricted India largely through seam with Matt Henry taking five wickets and their spinners bowling 25 overs for 128 runs and just two wickets. Henry as usual was spot on with the ball seaming for him and swinging for Kyle Jamieson. In no time, New Zealand had India at 30 for 3 with Glenn Phillips adding Virat Kohli to his highlight reel of spectacular catches.Iyer and Axar Patel then shored India up with some old-fashioned ODI batting. They went 51 balls without a boundary but didn’t play a rash shot. Iyer went from 12 off 29 to 27 off 35 and went back into his bunker, eschewing any risk before opening up after having faced 63 balls. Axar kept pressing claims to a proper allrounder spot with a mature 42 off 61 in the 98-run stand.After taking 21 runs off 19 short or short-of-a-length deliveries, Iyer finally fell to a bouncer from Will O’Rourke in the 37th over, a wicket that curtailed India’s ambitions at the death. Still, KL Rahul’s 23 off 29 and Hardik Pandya’s run-a-ball 45, which he scored while also turning down singles when batting with the tail, took India to a challenging total.Hardik then proved to be a serviceable replacement for Harshit Rana with the new ball, drawing some movement in the first over and then getting Rachin Ravindra caught on the upper-cut. Before long, spin was in, and it was apparent New Zealand were not reading Varun out of the hand, from whom they had collectively faced 34 balls in all T20Is and IPL before this match.Will Young, a key batter during New Zealand’s Test whitewash of India in India, was the first one to fail to play a wrong’un off the pitch and pay the price. Daryl Mitchell was all at sea too. India had tied the batters down, the asking rate went to six in the 23rd over, and runs only came in drips, a nudge here, a paddle there, and the rare loose ball. How long could they avoid a risk?It didn’t matter as Kuldeep Yadav had Mitchell lbw with the perfect left-arm wristspinner’s delivery, but it also beat Mitchell’s inside edge by a distance unbecoming of an international batter. He also burned a review, which would cost Michael Bracewell a reprieve later.The 40-run stand between Williamson and Latham was the smoothest New Zealand batted with Latham’s sweeps and Williamson’s inside-out chips giving them some momentum. At the 30-overs mark, New Zealand had scored exactly half of their target and had seven wickets in hand. However, Jadeja soon turned one past Latham’s reverse-sweep from around the wicket, and bowled it so accurately that it pitched on and turned enough to hit the wicket.Now the game changed. Williamson would have to carry this chase on his bat if New Zealand were to get close. Varun came back to make even that a near impossibility. Phillips missed an in-drifting half-volley one ball after pulling Varun for a six. Then a significant dismissal followed.Video analysis suggests Varun tends to bowl wrong’uns with a scrambled seam and legbreaks with the seam straight and tilted to slip. Now, though, he got Bracewell with a legbreak bowled with a scrambled seam, which presents batters and analysts with a new challenge. Also Williamson, probably mindful of only one review left, advised against the review only for the projection to show it hadn’t turned back enough to be hitting the stumps.Dropped on 17 and 68, Williamson couldn’t make India pay the ultimate price as Axar got the man off his bowling with the last ball of his allotment. The asking rate of nine an over now demanded a risk, and Williamson just walked past a straight delivery.Mitchell Santner delayed the inevitable, but Varun ended his resistance with his other variation: a medium-pace cross-seam ball bowled at 113ks to rip out the off stump. He had four balls left in which to complete a five-for. It took him two as Henry tried to hit out.

Crystal Palace are now looking to sign a £25m centre-back, who is viewed as a ready-made replacement for Marc Guehi, with the captain still expected to sign for Liverpool.

Guehi left fuming after deadline day Liverpool move falls through

Guehi was expected to complete a move to Anfield on deadline day, but the deal fell through, as Palace were unable to bring a suitable replacement through the door in the summer, despite tabling a club-record £37m bid for Inter Milan’s Yann Bisseck.

It has since emerged that the Englishman has been left fuming with the move not going through, despite doing everything right by continuing to honour his contract and play for the Eagles amid widespread speculation over his future.

With less than one year remaining on his contract, the 25-year-old is now poised to leave the South London club on a free, which will be a difficult pill for Steve Parish to swallow, given that he was valued at £60m not too long ago.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Guehi is still edging towards a move to Liverpool, which means Crystal Palace have now set their sights on Chelsea defender Axel Disasi, who is viewed as a ready-made replacement for the centre-back.

It is deemed ‘inevitable’ that Disasi will leave the Blues during the January transfer window, given that he is not a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans, and a move to Selhurst Park could now be on the cards.

The Eagles are thought to be looking to sign the 27-year-old on loan, with previous reports stating Chelsea value the defender at around £25m.

How Disasi compares to Guehi stylistically

The Frenchman could be an improvement on Guehi in some departments, given that he appears to be more comfortable in possession of the ball, although the England international has outperformed the Chelsea man across some key defensive metrics over the past year.

Average per 90

Axel Disasi

Marc Guehi

Passes attempted

58.50

51.02

Pass completion %

87.9%

83.2%

Tackles

1.84

1.85

Blocks

1.01

1.50

That said, while the former AS Monaco man has been lauded as “incredible” in the past, it does not bode well that he is a part of the Chelsea ‘bomb squad’, while he is also thought to have turned down a late move to Selhurst Park.

Theoretically, another four months without playing any football may change his mind, but it remains to be seen whether Disasi is even interested in a move to Selhurst Park this January.

Kuhnemann took 5 for 49 as Tasmania ended NSW’s hopes of appearing in the Sheffield Shield final

AAP18-Mar-2025New South Wales’ dreams of securing a spot in the Sheffield Shield final have been crushed by a superb five wicket haul from Tasmania spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.The Blues began day four in Hobart at 71 for 0, chasing 529 for an unlikely victory and a spot in next week’s decider against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval and that total soon swelled to 112 for 0 thanks to half-centuries from Sam Konstas and Blake Nikitaras.But seamer Gabe Bell struck twice in the same over around an hour after the resumption to break the promising opening partnership and then dispatch the in-form Kurtis Patterson without scoring.NSW’s innings never got going again after that, with the visitors all out for 202 just after 6.30pm local in the day-night fixture, 327 runs short of their target.Test spinner Kuhnemann was chief destroyer after Bell’s early efforts, removing of his fellow Sri Lanka tourist Konstas to begin his eighth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.Konstas (68) did his best to provide resistance with a second half-century since being overlooked for game time on the Test tour of Sri Lanka. The teenager showed off his creative side, reverse-scooping Bell to the boundary for four but was out only three overs later.Sam Konstas played a reverse ramp on his way to scoring 68•Getty ImagesBell was again at the centre of the action to remove Konstas, having earlier enticed Nikitaras into edging to flying wicketkeeper Jake Doran. Konstas holed out to Bell on the boundary rope at deep mid-wicket trying to slog sweep Kuhnemann, but still finished as the innings’ top scorer.Bowling allrounder Sean Abbott was the only batter to provide any resistance after that as Kuhnemann wreaked havoc.Kuhnemann decimated the NSW middle-order, clean bowling Josh Philippe through the gate before Ollie Davies skied him to Tim Ward.NSW skipper Jack Edwards played through knee soreness and came in at No.10, though added only one run before offering a return catch to Kuhnemann, who completed his five-wicket haul.

This season is one filled with promise and excitement among the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase, understandably so, given the Europa League triumph against Manchester United in 2024/25.

After years of struggles on the pitch, the night in Bilbao will live long in the memory of all Lilywhites supporters – as they ended their near two-decade wait for a form of silverware.

The hierarchy have also backed Thomas Frank in his quest to build on such a triumph, with over £100m being spent on new additions to help the Dane in North London.

He’s already made a sensational start to life in the role, even beating Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad – currently sitting fourth in the Premier League after the first three outings.

One of his recent additions to the squad has already made an excellent start to life at the club, potentially looking like a shrewd signing despite his expensive transfer fee.

Mohammed Kudus’ start to life at Spurs

In what was Frank’s first major addition as Spurs boss, he landed winger Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United in a deal totalling £55m including add-ons.

The Ghanaian achieved a total of eight combined goals and assists in England’s top-flight last campaign – undoubtedly being the shining light in the Hammers’ dismal season.

He’s already made an immediate impact to life in North London, registering two assists on his league debut for the Lilywhites in the 3-0 triumph over newly-promoted Burnley.

Alongside his assist tally, the 25-year-old has also created the most chances per 90 (2.4) within the current first-team squad, which has so far made him the most threatening option at Frank’s disposal.

Kudus has also completed the most dribbles per 90 (3.1) and won possession the most times out of any player in the squad per 90 (1.4) – offering an all-round presence within the final third.

If he can continue his impressive early start to life under Frank, there’s no doubt the attacker will be a key player in any future success endured during his tenure.

However, despite his big-money transfer, he’s still valued lower than one player who’s also endured somewhat of an incredible rise during his own spell at the club.

The Spurs player worth more than Kudus

Ange Postecoglou’s stint as Spurs manager brought about their recent Europa League success, with the Aussie mainly focusing on young talents in his quest with the Lilywhites.

The likes of Pape Sarr and Micky van de Ven both joined under his guidance, with both talents starting in the final and playing a key role in their victory in Bilbao.

The latter of the duo even made a miraculous goal-line clearance in the second half, maintaining the side’s clean sheet and ultimately helping them end their extended wait for a trophy.

Other players had to bide their time before making an impact in his side, often having to resort to limited minutes before getting their chance and grabbing it with both hands.

Midfielder Lucas Bergvall is a player who did just that, cementing his place within the first-team setup after his move from Swedish side Djurgarden just over 12 months ago – costing just £8.5m.

The 19-year-old was an outcast at the start of 2024/25, but rapidly made himself a key member of the squad and ended the campaign with a total of 45 appearances across all competitions.

Despite his tender age, the Swede scored the winning goal in the Carabao Cup semi-final victory over league winners Liverpool – highlighting his nouse to perform on big occasions.

He ended up making 12 appearances in the Europa League, but missed the final due to injury, which would’ve been a bitter blow given his success during his debut campaign in England.

However, Bergvall, who’s been labelled “incredible” by Squawka Sport, has seen a sharp upturn in his market value over recent months, further highlighting his superb rise to stardom.

Passes completed

Top 10%

Pass completion

Top 14%

Tackles

Top 17%

Dribblers tackled

Top 16%

Shots blocked

Top 7%

Touches

Top 10%

Carries

Top 10%

Successful take-ons

Top 5%

Progressive carries

Top 19%

The youngster has now been valued at a staggering £50.3m by FootballTransfers, which has seen a phenomenal six times increase on the fee forked out for his signature last summer.

His subsequent valuation is higher than that of Kudus, who’s only valued at £40.4m by the same site despite his £55m transfer to the Lilywhites back in July.

At just 19, Bergvall has a huge future ahead of him, subsequently having the perfect opportunity to continue his tremendous rise in England under Frank in the years ahead.

If he can strike up an excellent partnership with Kudus in North London, the pair could play a crucial role in any future success – potentially making the side serial winners and cementing themselves as one of Europe’s elite.

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2 ByEthan Lamb Sep 10, 2025