After the appointment of Thomas Frank earlier this summer, it’s become apparent that Tottenham Hotspur are desperately trying to improve one area of the pitch this window.

Mohammed Kudus has already completed his £55m transfer from West Ham United to join the Lilywhites this summer, but their business appears far from done within the final third.

The Ghanaian will add key goals and assists to the side throughout 2025/26, that’s if his Premier League tally from last year is anything to go by, after he notched eight combined goals and assists for the Hammers.

However, despite Spurs’ tally of 64 league goals last year, it’s evident that further improvement is desired by the hierarchy during the off-season in an attempt to rise up the table.

Numerous names have been mentioned with moves, highlighting the ambition shown by Daniel Levy to avoid a repeat of their dismal league finish in 2024/25.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new attackers this summer

Yoane Wissa is a player who has been firmly on their radar this window, potentially following Frank in joining Spurs from Brentford during the off-season.

The DR Congo international has stated his desire to leave the Bees this summer, opening the door to a move across the capital, but they could face competition from Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest for his signature.

However, he’s not the only forward currently in their sights, with Roma star Mathias Soule also on their radar, according to Italian outlet Radio Radio via Tutto Juve.

They claim that the Lilywhites are preparing a £28m bid for the Argentinian winger, but they’re not alone, with Aston Villa also lurking for the 22-year-old’s signature.

The report also states that the Serie A side may have to raise funds this window, opening the door to a potential move to North London, but fails to mention whether the player would want the move.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be their answer to Rodrygo

Rodrygo has emerged as one of Europe’s leading talents over the last couple of years, starring on countless occasions for European giants Real Madrid.

The Brazilian has registered 270 appearances for the LaLiga outfit, managing to score 68 times, including an infamous double against Manchester City in the Champions League.

However, he looks set to depart this window, seemingly not part of Xabi Alonso’s plans after the Spaniard took the reins from Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Spurs have been named as one of the interested parties in the 24-year-old’s signature this summer, but it appears he’s rejected any move to join the Lilywhites in favour of a bigger move.

Such a decision appears to be a big disappointment given his stature in the professional game, but the supporters shouldn’t be worried if they miss out on his signature.

Fellow target Soule, who’s been dubbed “Messi-esque” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also been labelled a similar player to the Brazilian by FBref, subsequently showing the talent he possesses.

When delving into their respective stats from the recent campaign, the Roma star managed to outperform him in numerous key areas, offering Frank’s side a cheaper alternative this window.

How Soule & Rodrygo compare throughout 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Soule	Rodrygo
Games played	27	30
Goals & assists	10	11
Goal per shot on target	0.4	0.3
Key passes made	2.6	2.2
Passes into opposition box	1.7	1.2
Crosses completed	4.4	3.8
Fouls won	1.8	1.7
Aerials won	37%	30%
Stats via FBref

The Argentine may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but posted a higher goal per shot on target rate, showcasing the added threat he carries in front of goal.

He also managed to complete more key passes and more passes into the opposition’s box per 90, highlighting the creativity he possesses over the Real Madrid star.

Soule’s dominance is further reflected in his higher tally of crosses completed and aerials won, having the tools to provide Frank’s side with a more all-rounded talent within the final third during his quest for success.

£28m for a player of his talents could prove to be a huge bargain, especially given the chance he has to develop further in North London, given his tender age.

If he can continue on his current trajectory, he could surpass the levels achieved by Rodrygo, allowing them to forget about a move for his signature and be the club’s own version of the superstar.

A better deal than Gibbs-White: Spurs open talks to sign £87m superstar

Tottenham still need to make a few more signings in the summer transfer market.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 29, 2025

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Lothar Matthaus has provided his thoughts ahead of the first matchday of the Champions League. According to the legendary former Germany international, Bayern Munich will be one of the seven favourites to clinch the coveted continental title this season, backing the Bavarians to overcome Club World Cup holders Chelsea in their opener on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich on fire as Chelsea find their stride

Bayern are one of the select few teams in the big five European Leagues to have a 100 per cent win record this season. Indeed, the Bavarians swat aside newly-promoted Hamburg 5-0 over the weekend to make it three wins in as many Bundesliga games. In those three games, Vincent Kompany's men have scored 14 goals and have conceded just twice. 

On the other hand, Chelsea's start to their league campaign has been less ideal. After a goalless stalemate against Crystal Palace on the opening matchday, the Blues cruised to successive wins against West Ham and Fulham, before another draw – a dramatic 2-2 finish against Brentford.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMatthaus predicts Bayern to beat Chelsea

Matthaus was quite optimistic about Die Roten's chances in the Champions League this season in his column for . 

"For me, Bayern is one of the six best teams in Europe and among the teams that can win the title," asserted the ex-midfielder. "These include defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City and, to a lesser extent, Arsenal."

Previewing the encounter against Chelsea, Matthaus added: "Their opening opponent, Chelsea, may be the Club World Champions, but I expect Bayern to win at home. They will have learned their lesson from last season's Champions League, when they failed due to their poor conversion rate. In the 5-0 win against Hamburg on Saturday, Bayern slowed down after half an hour because they knew that the coming weeks would be physically demanding."

Chelsea rocked by injuries

Although Harry Kane claimed that the 2025-26 Bayern squad was "one of the smallest" he has ever played in, while complaining about lack of depth, it is, in fact, Enzo Maresca's side who might be feeling too "thin" ahead of their trip to Allianz Arena. Just days before the transfer deadline, new signing Liam Delap suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to be out for at least another two months. Joao Pedro, in the words of the head coach, was not "fully fit" during the Brentford clash, coming off in the 79th minute. Meanwhile, youngsters Estevao and Dario Essugo are also dealing with problems. The dazzling Brazilian winger was left out of the squad for their trip to Gtech Community Stadium as Essugo was ruled out for the next three months due to a thigh injury.

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Getty ImagesBayern and Chelsea's upcoming league assignments

After locking horns on Wednesday evening, the two sides will return to domestic duty at the weekend. Both heavyweights play their next league games on Saturday, with Bayern taking on Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena, while Chelsea travelling to Old Trafford to take on an under-fire Manchester United.

Tottenham and their chase for a new number 10 has taken another turn, and it involves La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid.

Earlier this week, some very promising news for Spurs supporters emerged through information that Daniel Levy is now actively pursuing a deal for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze.

The 27-year-old, who racked up 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, has been a top target for Arsenal in the last few weeks, but Mikel Arteta’s north London rivals now pose a serious threat to their deal after opening talks with Palace.

Insider Paul O’Keefe was first to sniff out the development on Tuesday morning, and a plethora of reliable media sources have since confirmed that Tottenham’s move for Eze is a very realistic possibility.

The prospect of Spurs signing both Eze and Man City winger Savinho to fill the gaping voids left by James Maddison’s long-term injury and Son Heung-min’s departure to LAFC is a very exciting one, but as we’ve seen with the Lilywhites this summer, deals are rarely straightforward.

Tottenham were on the verge of bringing in Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest earlier in the window, and had been ready to trigger his past £60 million release clause before a scheduled medical last month.

However, Forest’s legal intervention ceased any chance of Thomas Frank welcoming Gibbs-White to N17, with the 25-year-old since putting pen to paper on a brand-new £150,000-per-week contract.

Levy and technical director Johan Lange will be hoping history won’t repeat itself with Eze amid stiff competition from Arsenal for the midfielder’s signature, and Tottenham reportedly have Como starlet Nico Paz as an alternative.

Gianluca Di Marzio reported last week that Tottenham had a £35 million offer rejected for Paz, but it is reported that the Argentine is still on their radar as a potential option to fill Maddison’s shoes.

Real Madrid thwart Tottenham discussions for Como starlet Nico Paz

Paz’s situation at Como is a complicated one, as he’s sort of unofficially still a Real Madrid player.

Xabi Alonso’s side have full matching rights on any deal for him, a hefty 50 per cent sell-on clause and even possess a buy-back option worth just £8 million for the summer of 2026 and £8.5m for 2027 (Football Italia).

Therefore, the 20-year-old’s future is firmly in Real’s hands, and they’ve now made it clear that the attacker’s long-term place is in Spain.

That is according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who told TBR Football that Real Madrid have stepped in to thwart Tottenham’s discussions for Paz.

“Spurs are one of several clubs, via various channels, that have asked about Nico Paz, but Real Madrid have stepped in to make it clear that his future is in the Spanish capital,” said Bailey.

“In theory, Spurs, or indeed other interested clubs, could have secured a loan-type deal as Como have, but that does not appeal given there would be little to no chance of a permanent deal if he performed well.”

Paz, valued at £60m, racked up six goals and nine assists in 35 Serie A appearances as a key man under Fabregas last season, but it is evident that Eze is Tottenham’s standout best option as things stand.

Nottingham Forest have already received good news to start of the week and could now be set to close a deal for a talented Premier League star, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Nottingham Forest see Europa League place rubber-stamped

Despite a lengthy process, Crystal Palace’s CAS appeal has been rejected and Nottingham Forest will be a Europa League side this season, as journalist Martyn Ziegler communicated on X.

He stated: “EXCLUSIVE: Crystal Palace understood to have lost appeal to CAS against UEFA ruling that they must play in Europa Conference League instead of Europa League. It means Nottingham Forest will play in EL.”

At the end of the day, Nottingham Forest weren’t the club involved in misgivings, though Nuno Espirito Santo will be delighted to hear that his side will mix it in Europe’s second competition.

Of course, signings will be necessary to ready his squad for the campaign ahead, hence why the Tricky Trees are said to be preparing a bid for Ipswich Town left-back Leif Davis.

AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah is on Nottingham Forest’s radar, again illustrating the level of ambition on show at the City Ground following an excellent campaign last year.

Evangelos Marinakis and company are no strangers to defying expectation, and his side could now be on the verge of sealing another impressive capture courtesy of recent developments.

Romano: Nottingham Forest on the verge of signing James McAtee

Taking to social media platform X, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Nottingham Forest are close to signing Manchester City playmaker James McAtee for over £20 million and his ‘Here We Go’ tagline is set to follow soon.

The renowned reported stated: “EXCLUSIVE: Nottingham Forest are closing in on James McAtee deal with Manchester City! Agreement at the final stages for fee in excess of £20m, NFFC confident to get it done… here we go, expected soon.”

Nottingham Forest now set to hold talks with agents of "amazing" £26m star

The Tricky Trees are planning to try and hash out a deal for a new midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Aug 6, 2025

A smilar profile to Brennan Johnson, per FBRef, McAtee scored seven times in 27 appearances last season and is capable of playing in attacking midfield or on the flank, offering versatility across the forward areas.

Later on, Romano confirmed that a full agreement has been reached on personal terms with Nottingham Forest and the England Under-21 international, detailing that he wants a move to the City Ground despite several requests from elsewhere.

With the Premier League season set to kick off, McAtee is the definition of a statement signing for the Tricky Trees and his arrival at a bargain price will be deemed as extremely smart business by supporters.

MatériaMais Notícias

Saída encontrada pelos clubes para conseguir a renovação contratual com suas principais promessas das categorias de base, a cessão de parte dos direitos federativos aos atletas e seus estafes aumentou no São Paulo no ano passado.

Pelo menos é o que revela o balanço patrimonial do clube do Morumbi, divulgado na última quinta-feira (26).

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+ Cuca deixou o Corinthians: veja técnicos com passagem-relâmpago nos clubes brasileiros

Na comparação com os resultados de 2021, quando 11 jogadores vindos de Cotia ou que foram integrados ou pelos passaram a treinar com o profissional tinham 100% de seus direitos econômicos ligados ao São Paulo, o ano passado fechou com apenas seis atletas cuja venda gerará lucro total ao clube.

O atacante Drummond, o meia Eduardo Brito, o volante Luan, o lateral-esquerdo Welington, o atacante Talles Wander e o goleiro Young são os únicos que atualmente possuem 100% de seus direitos pertencentes ao Tricolor.

Os outros seis casos de 2021 são justamente os atletas dos quais o clube perdeu alguma porcentagem. A maioria deles durante tratativas para renovação contratual.

São seis casos: o goleiro Leandro, o volante Léo Silva, o meia Pablo Maia, o meia-atacante Palmberg, o lateral-esquerdo Patryck e o zagueiro Ythallo.

Desses, o maior destaque é Pablo Maia. Promovido por Rogério Ceni aos profissionais após a Copa São Paulo de 2022, tem status de titular absoluto com Dorival Júnior e vem sendo assediado pelo futebol inglês. É um forte candidato a venda na principal janela europeia do meio deste ano.

A lista do balanço revela ainda uma situação inusitada. O atacante Juan, atualmente habitante usual do banco de reservas, pertencia apenas 20% ao São Paulo em 2021. No final do ano passado, contudo, o Tricolor aumentou para 60% a sua fatia nos direitos do jogador.

Conforme explicou o diretor de futebol Carlos Belmonte, em entrevista ao canal ‘Arnaldo e Tironi‘, em março de 2021, a atual gestão tinha como meta não ceder aos jogadores porcentagens de seus direitos nas renovações. Mas o próprio dirigente entendia que não seria possível a política em alguns casos.

– O São Paulo não dá percentual de jogadores na base para o próprio jogador ou agente. Essa é uma posição do São Paulo. Nós queremos que o jogador chegue ao time de cima sendo 100% do São Paulo. Obviamente, nas negociações de renovação de contrato podem ocorrer outras situações. Podem, mas ainda não ocorreram. Os jogadores que subiram continuam sendo 100% nossos, mas, sim, podemos, em algum momento, negociar.

Percentuais de direitos econômicos das revelações do São Paulo em 2022

(em parênteses quanto era em 2021)

Brian – 90% (90%)
Caio Matheus – 90% (90%)
Cauã Lucca – 90%
César Augusto – 80%
Deivid Santos – 90% (90%)
Diego Costa – 80% (80%)
Drummond – 100% (100%)
Eduardo Brito – 100%
Enzo Boer – 90% (90%)
Enzo Perroni – 90% (90%)
Felipe Negrucci – 90% (90%)
Gabriel Falcão – 90% (90%)
Gabriel Maioli – 90% (90%)
Gabriel Stevanato – 60% (60%)
Guilherme Amaral – 70%
Guilherme Paz – 90% (90%)
João Adriano – 90% (90%)
João Douglas – 90%
João Gabriel – 90%
Juan – 60% (20%)
Leandro Mathias – 70% (100%)
Léo Silva – 90% (100%)
Lorenzo Pigatto – 80% (80%)
Luan – 100% (100%)
Lucas Beraldo – 60% (60%)
Lucas Inácio – 60% (60%)
Luiz Henrique – 90% (90%)
Maik – 90% (90%)
Mateus Amaral – 90% (90%)
Matheus Belém – 90% (90%)
Moreira – 90% (90%)
Nathan – 90% (90%)
Néwerton – 87% (87%)
Pablo Maia – 85% (100%)
Palmberg – 90% (100%)
Patryck – 85% (100%)
Paulo – 90%
Pedro Andrade – 90% (90%)
Pedrinho Vilhena – 90% (90%)
Raphael – 90% (90%)
Roberto – 90%
Rodrigo Nestor – 85% (85%)
Rodriguinho – 90% (90%)
Talles Costa – 80% (80%)
Talles Wander – 100% (100%)
Vinícius – 90% (90%)
Welington – 100% (100%)
Young – 100% (100%)
Ythallo – 90% (100%)
Yúri Kevem – 90%

continua após a publicidade

+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados do Brasileirão-23 na tabela do LANCE!

Stokes says Archer is “very interested” in Test comeback after long absence

Vithushan Ehantharajah04-Dec-2024

Jofra Archer has not played a Test since February 2021•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Jofra Archer’s future as a Test cricketer received a boost after his central contract was extended past the 2025-26 Ashes, with England’s captain Ben Stokes confident that Archer is “very interested” in returning to the format despite a recent tug-of-war with the ECB over his IPL availability.Archer, who has not played Test cricket since February 2021, is one of three England quicks to have had their central contracts updated through to October 2026. Brydon Carse, who took 10 wickets in the match in the first Test against New Zealand last week, and Matthew Potts have also had their deals increased by a year.Jacob Bethell, fresh from a maiden half-century on Test debut in Christchurch, has been upgraded to a two-year central contract from the development contract he was awarded just last month. It caps a remarkable rise for Bethell, who made his ODI and T20I debuts at the end of the 2024 English summer, and has since earned an INR 2.6 crore (£245,000 approx.) IPL deal with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.For Archer, who is 29, the additional year highlights what has been a promising return to regular action. Since bursting onto the international scene in the 2019 season with the World Cup and Ashes, his progress has been stunted by a series of injuries, including stress fractures of the elbow and back.Related

Jacob Bethell holds No. 3 spot as England name unchanged side for second Test vs NZ

Stokes skipped IPL auction to 'prolong' England career

Archer back on England's fast track

Archer added back to IPL auction list

The ECB have stuck by the fast bowler, and are working meticulously with Archer. This year has been a success on that front; Archer made 20 appearances across the white-ball formats, including all eight of England’s matches at the T20 World Cup, where he was his team’s joint-leading wicket-taker with 10 dismissals at 19.00.The board’s ambition is to have him primed for a key role in Test cricket next year, ahead of five Tests against India at home followed by the visit to Australia in the winter. His initial two-year deal was set to expire in October 2025.Speaking in Wellington ahead of England’s second Test against New Zealand, Stokes said that Archer’s ambition to return to the red-ball set-up remains strong. He has even put himself forward for their one-off Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge starting on May 22, though he appears unlikely to be available.England’s updated contract list•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The excitement is understandable around Jofra,” Stokes said. “The best thing is he is back on the field playing. I am sure he might have thought he might not have the chance to put on an England shirt again and the injuries and surgeries he has gone through could have ended other people’s careers so there is no rushing back for anything for Jofra.”He is being handled very well by the ECB and that will certainly continue. But Jof is a man of few words, even over WhatsApp. I had one a couple of months ago saying ‘Zimbabwe?’. That shows he is very interested in playing Test cricket for England.”Talk of Zimbabwe is far-fetched given Archer will be out at the IPL with Rajasthan Royals, who forked out INR 12.5 crore (£1.2m approx.) for his services for the tournament which is set to run until May 25. Given Archer will not have played any recent red-ball cricket before then, he is unlikely to be selected.If the ECB were to pull Archer out ahead of time, he would incur a ban for the next two editions under the tournament’s new regulations. Those same regulations would have also banned Archer had he and his representatives not convinced the ECB to let him enter the mega auction. The governing body initially blocked his entry on the grounds they want to continue to manage his workloads before a late change.As such, the earliest Test Archer could play would be during the India series, which begins at Lord’s on June 20. Given a lack of first-class cricket – his last match in the format came for Sussex against Kent in May 2021 – it is unlikely to be that first Test.Archer in action for Sussex Second XI in May 2024•PA Photos/Getty Images

A round of County Championship matches starting on June 22 (Sussex travel to Durham) could allow him a tune up. He could also play the next one on June 29 (Sussex vs Warwickshire) to refamiliarise himself to the rigors of bowling multiple spells across multiple days. In the event of the latter, he could still play a part in the final three matches of that series, provided he comes out unscathed.”When the decision gets made between him and the people who make those decisions around players, I am sure there will be conversations that he will have to get some different loading,” Stokes said.”You can come back and play a one-day game and get two or three different spells. But in Test cricket you have to do that over a long period of time and then another day to back it up. There is no doubt he is going so well at the moment, it is a case of he will have to build the body up to handle the extra pressure of a Test match.”

Messi was largely contained by Charlotte and Miami looked rudderless without suspended striker Suarez on the pitch

Lionel Messi missed a penalty and the wheels quickly came off for Inter Miami as they slumped to a second straight 3-0 defeat, falling Saturday night to surging Charlotte FC.

Miami started well, pushing higher up the pitch than usual and creating early chances. Jordi Alba forced Kristijan Kahlina into a point-blank save in the sixth minute, and the Herons continued to press until earning their first MLS penalty of the season in the 31st minute.

With regular taker Luis Suárez suspended for his role in a Leagues Cup brawl against Seattle, Messi stepped up. The 38-year-old tried a Panenka, but Kahlina read it all the way. Seconds later, Charlotte punished the miss when Idan Toklomati capped off a blistering counterattack to put the hosts ahead.

Toklomati wasn’t finished. Early in the second half, Wilfried Zaha sliced through Miami’s defense on the flank and set up the Israeli striker for his second. In the 84th minute, Zaha drew a penalty from Sergio Busquets and, in a show of generosity, handed the ball to Toklomati to complete his first MLS hat-trick.

The result put Charlotte into the record books with a ninth consecutive league win, matching the MLS mark. Miami, meanwhile, are now winless in three of their last four.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Bank of America Stadium.

• Goalkeeper & Defense

  Oscar Ustari (5/10):

  Not much he could do on either goal, and wasn't challenged to make saves otherwise. 

  Ian Fray (4/10):

  Made one strong run in the second half, but was largely ineffective, especially when lined up against Zaha. Subbed off for Marcelo Weigandt in the 70th minute. 

  Tomas Aviles (3/10):

  The first goal was out of Miami's control as it came in a counterattack, but the second was inexcusable as Toklomati split past both centerbacks with ease. Was sent off in the 79th minute after picking up a second yellow as he tried to grab Charlotte's striker. 

  Maxi Falcon (4/10):

  Same as Aviles and not as effective as usual. Didn't respond when needed. 

  Jordi Alba (6/10):

  One of Miami's few bright spots, connected on four key passes and almost scored in the opening 10 minutes. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Rodrigo De Paul (5/10):

  De Paul was one of the world's best box-to-box midfielders before arriving at Miami, and for whatever reason, he continues to be used wide by coach Javier Mascherano. He was largely accurate on his passing, but was invisible when it came to performing the way a wide player should – creating off-dribble and penetration. 

  Yannick Bright (4/10):

  Didn't help Miami stop the counterattack on the first goal and didn't have his usual impact in the center of midfield. Pulled for Noah Allen after 55 minutes. 

  Sergio Busquets (3/10):

  Connected on 87 percent of his passes, but none of those served as a spark on attack. Eliminated any chance of a rally for Miami by fouling Zaha in the box to concede a penalty.

  Telasco Segovia(4/10):

  The only wide player on the pitch to start the game for Miami, Segovia followed suit when it came to the poor showing from the midfield. Outside of one shot on target, he was invisible before being pulled for Daniel Pinter. 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Tadeo Allende (5/10):

  Quietly, the best player on attack for Miami, and had two shots on target – but couldn't get past a determined Kahlina.

  Lionel Messi (3/10):

  As pedestrian as he's ever looked in MLS, this was a poor outing from the legend – his second in a row following an equally quiet showing in the Leagues Cup. His missed penalty changed the momentum, giving Charlotte a spark. Despite Miami largely controlling possession, Messi never got going. Without Suarez to worry about, Charlotte put two to three bodies on Messi with every touch and dared his teammates to do the scoring. That strategy was effective.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Noah Allen (5/10):

  Came on for Bright but didn't change much in the contest. 

  Daniel Pinter (4/10):

  Made his MLS debut after starring in MLS Next, which is always a great moment. But ineffective otherwise. 

  Marcelo Weigandt (4/10):

  He was worse than the player he replaced.

  Javier Mascherano (2/10):

  The best managers find a way to get their teams back on track after an embarrassing defeat, yet Inter Miami sustained their second-straight 3-0 loss. That's unacceptable considering the 14-day break the club had between losing the Leagues Cup final and this match. Mascherano's relationship with Messi will likely keep him in this job, but the manager looked tactically out of his depth.

تمكن مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، من التوصل إلى اتفاق مع المدرب الجديد المنتظر أن يقود الفريق الأول للكرة بالقلعة الحمراء.

وكان الأهلي، قد وجه الشكر للإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو وجهازه المعاون، وتولى عماد النحاس، منصب المدير الفني بشكل مؤقت.

وعلم بطولات، من مصادر خاصة، أن الأهلي توصل لاتفاق شبه نهائي مع الدنمارك توماس توماسبيرج على تدريب الفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ومن المنتظر أن يتم وضع الرتوش النهائية على التعاقد مع الاتفاق على معظم بنود العقد والإعلان الرسمي سيكون عقب مباراة القمة.

طالع أيضًا | مشكلة تواجه الأهلي قبل مباراة الزمالك في قمة الدوري.. وموقف زيزو

واتفق الطرفان، على عقد مدة موسمين، وسيحصل المدرب الدنماركي على راتب شهري يقترب من 200 ألف يورو

ويلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك، غدا الإثنين، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز في إطار الجولة التاسعة، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

Celtic needed a late goal from substitute Luke McCowan to kick off their defence of the Scottish Premiership title with a 1-0 win over St Mirren at Parkhead on Sunday.

The Scottish midfielder came off the bench to score a deflected strike from the edge of the box in the 87th minute, after Callum McGregor had a goal disallowed for handball earlier in the half.

Brendan Rodgers will be pleased that his side were able to claim all three points, instead of failing to break the deadlock, but will be expecting more from his team as the season goes on.

The Hoops looked too blunt in the final third for much of the clash with St Mirren, as they started the match with a front three of Daizen Maeda, Adam Idah, and Hyun-jun Yang.

Celtic are yet to replace Nicolas Kuhn, who left to sign for Como, with a new right-winger, as Benjamin Nygren has been brought in to play centrally, which may be something the club look to address in the coming weeks.

The Premiership champions may also look to address the centre-forward position before the summer transfer window slams shut, due to Idah’s performances.

Why Adam Idah should not start for Celtic

The Ireland international should not be a regular starter for the Hoops this season, unless he can turn his form around and prove that he has what it takes to be the main number nine.

As you can see in the graphic above, Idah put in a dismal display against St Mirren as a starter, missing three ‘big chances’ and failing to create a single chance for his teammates in 78 minutes on the pitch.

The former Norwich City striker, simply, did not make the most of the high-quality opportunities that came his way, crashing the crossbar from close-range with his best chance of the evening.

Idah’s output as a starter for Celtic in the 2024/25 campaign also left a lot to be desired. The Hoops attacker only scored six goals in 19 starts in the Premiership in his first full season at the club.

Appearances

19

16

Minutes

1,352

357

Goals

6

7

Minutes per goal

225

51

Assists

0

1

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman scored more goals in roughly 1,000 fewer minutes as a substitute than as a starter in the Scottish top-flight.

These statistics suggest that Idah is far more suited to coming off the bench against tired defences, using his physicality and positioning to exploit defenders who are not as sharp as they were earlier in the game.

Rodgers has a problem, though, because this means that the Hoops need to sign a new starting-calibre centre-forward in order to allow Idah to play the role of super sub this season.

The Scottish Sun recently reported that Celtic sent scout Paul Tisdale to watch Hammarby against Charleroi in a Conference League qualifier, and they picked out three players who may have caught his eye.

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One of the stars The Scottish Sun suggested as a possible transfer target for the Scottish giants was Hammarby centre-forward Jusef Erabi, who they add was linked to Celtic in the January transfer window.

Why Celtic should sign Jusef Erabi

The Hoops should part ways with the reported £4m fee that it would take to snap up the Swedish marksman before the end of the summer transfer window, because it would solve Rodgers’ Idah problem.

Erabi is a promising young striker, at the age of 22, who would come in as an exciting prospect for Celtic, although he has yet to really explode as a consistent goalscorer.

Supporters may see his return of 29 goals in 93 matches for Hammarby and wonder if he would be the main number nine that the team need to send Idah to the bench.

The Sweden U21 international, who was described as a “powerful and prolific” striker by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has underlying statistics that suggest that he could come in to be an upgrade on Idah as a starter for Celtic.

Since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, the former Norwich academy graduate has only scored 13 goals from 14.66 xG for Celtic in the Premiership, which shows that he has not been clinical enough in front of goal.

The three ‘big chances’ that he missed against St Mirren were further proof that Idah is not efficient enough in front of goal, and that is why Erabi could come in to solve the club’s problem with the Irish forward.

xG

10.68

Goals

12

Shots on target

27

Chances created

16

Assists

3

Successful dribbles

27

As you can see in the table above, the Swedish striker has outperformed his xG by 1.32 since the start of the 2024 Allsvenskan campaign for Hammarby.

Erabi has also averaged 1.18 successful dribbles per 90 and 1.93 fouls won per 90 in the league in 2025. Idah, meanwhile, averaged 0.53 successful dribbles per 90 and 0.63 fouls won per 90 in the Premiership last season.

These statistics suggest that the £4m-rated star has the potential to offer a bigger presence in the centre-forward role than Idah for the Hoops, as he has the mobility and strength to burst past defenders with the ball, whilst also being able to hold off players to win fouls.

Overall, the 22-year-old starlet could thrive in a Celtic team that creates enough chances to make the most of his clinical finishing, to help him finally explode as a regular goalscorer, and he has the attributes to offer more to the team as a complete number nine.

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Therefore, Rodgers could solve his Idah problem by reigniting the club’s January interest in Erabi to bring him in as the new starting striker for the Hoops.

Manuel Neuer claims Bayern Munich's 3-1 win against Chelsea in the Champions League opener was more than just a win, but rather a "crowning achievement" for the team. The Bayern goalkeeper believes they have improved as a squad and the result is a testament to it. The 39-year-old also completed his 100th Champions League victory with a win over the Premier League side.

• Manuel Neuer's 'insane' performance against Chelsea

  Neuer was solid in Bayern's Champions League win over Chelsea, making key saves and commanding his area with experience and calm. He helped maintain a strong defensive shape, limiting the London club's chances and playing a crucial role in Bayern's confident start to the campaign. The 39-year-old's performance showcased why he remains one of the top goalkeepers, contributing significantly to the team's victory, with coach Vincent Kompany labelling his performance "insane."

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  The key points behind Bayern's dominance

  Neuer expressed his happiness after Bayern's win, praising the team's strong form and momentum. He acknowledged the challenge of facing the Club World Cup champions and emphasised the importance of building on this victory.

  "When you're a Bayern Munich player, you always want to win. For us, the greatest thing is to play in the Champions League and win it," he said. "That's why it's always a distant goal. You have to try to do your homework. The game against Chelsea isn't homework, but rather a crowning achievement, the way we played today. We crushed them here at home. But in the new league format, we're first playing to get into the top eight. Then you want to progress in the knockout rounds toward the final."

  Neuer added: "You're playing against a Premier League team, against a team that, in some ways, played similarly to Augsburg in the second half away from home. These are examples from the Bundesliga that you can then translate to the Champions League. We showed there that we also have to fight. That was an important factor today. Nevertheless, we were also the better team in terms of playing skills. We were simply cooler with the ball."

• Manuel Neuer bags his 100th Champions League Victory

  Neuer joined Bayern in 2011 after making his mark at Schalke, where he debuted in the Champions League in 2007. Known for standout moments like saving penalties against Real Madrid in 2011-12, he went on to anchor Bayern’s 2013 Champions League triumph. Now celebrating his 100th win in the competition, Neuer’s consistency and clean-sheet record cement his place among the greatest goalkeepers in Champions League history.

  Asked about his 100th Champions League victory, the German goalkeeper said: "It's a nice number. But it's much more important to have won these victories with the team. We celebrate together."

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  Bayern's focus now shifts to the next challenge

  Kompany's side have little time to savour this victory as they must quickly reset and sharpen their focus to face another crucial league challenge against Hoffenheim on September 20, before they face Cypriot side Pafos in their next Champions League outing.