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This summer has to be a massive one for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have seriously struggled this season through a combination of poor form and a torrent of injuries, so much so that they’ve lost more games than they’ve won in the Premier League.

However, as there were at the start of last season, there have been signs that the Australian could make things work with more backing, and based on reports from the last few weeks, Daniel Levy and Co appear to be looking to make signings in the coming months.

One of the players most heavily touted for a move to N17 has been Southampton gem Tyler Dibling, although if he did join the Lilywhites, he’d be worth considerably less than one of his main rivals for game time.

Why Spurs want to sign Dibling

While Spurs’ interest in Dibling is now in the open, the North Londoners are not the only club keen to secure the youngster’s services, with fellow Premier League outfit Newcastle United also said to be interested.

So, why are a number of the league’s biggest clubs circling a winger from a club who look destined to be relegated to the Championship?

Well, simply put, he has been one of the very few bright spots for Southampton this year, and while he hasn’t necessarily lit the world alight, he’s done enough to suggest that his ceiling is extraordinarily high.

For example, despite being just 19 years old and playing for a genuinely awful Saints side, the Exeter-born “game-breaker,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 30 appearances, which is not bad going for his debut season in the top flight.

Moreover, while his primary and best position is off the right, the young Englishman has also shown himself to be a versatile attacker, making five appearances as a centre-forward this season, five in attacking midfield, and one in right midfield.

Dibling’s positional versatility in 24/25

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

Right-Wing

12

1

0

Centre-Forward

5

2

1

Attacking Midfield

5

1

2

Right Midfield

1

0

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Finally, over the last year or so, Tottenham have clearly chosen to target up-and-coming talents in the transfer market, with moves for Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, and Wilson Odobert.

So, in their case, signing Dibling would also fit nicely with their long-term vision for the team, and it seems more than likely that his €25m valuation from Transfermarkt, which is about £21m, will start increasing very soon.

That said, if Levy and Co can bring the youngster to North London in the summer, he’ll have to work hard to match the valuation of his biggest competitor for game time.

The Spurs star worth millions more than Dibling

Now, when it comes to the winger options at Spurs, Postecoglou has a few players who can choose from on the left, but when it comes to the right, the only truly natural option he currently has is Brennan Johnson.

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The Welsh international joined the North Londoners from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023, and while things haven’t necessarily been plane sailing since then, he has established himself as a useful attacking outlet.

For example, despite enduring a slow start to his first campaign in the capital, the 23-year-old scored five goals and provided ten assists in 34 appearances, totalling 2248 minutes. This comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.26 games or every 149.86 minutes.

This season has been even better, as in 39 appearances, totalling 2493 minutes, the “frightening” ace, as dubbed by content creator HLTCO, has scored 14 goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.16 games, or every 138.5 minutes.

Johnson’s Spurs career

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

34

39

Minutes

2248′

2493′

Goals

5

14

Assists

10

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.86′

138.5′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Impressively, despite getting so much stick earlier in the season that he deactivated his Instagram account, the Welshman is currently the club’s top goalscorer.

So, when you take all that into consideration, it’s not massively surprising that Transfermarkt values him at €50m, which is about £42m, or £22m more than Dibling is currently worth.

Ultimately, if the Spurs do sign the young Saints star, then they’ll have yet another promising prospect in their squad. However, seeing if he can take Johnson’s spot from him in the long run will be interesting.

Related An incredible Son replacement: Spurs in talks to sign "world-class" star

The immense talent would be a brilliant signing for Spurs.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 1, 2025

The KKR seamers bowled 22 slower balls, conceding only 20 runs off them and picking up three wickets

Hemant Brar30-Mar-20241:41

Did RCB get their bowling plans wrong?

In a match where multiple bowlers clocked above 145kph, the slower balls had the biggest say as Kolkata Knight Riders became the first away team in IPL 2024 to register a win. They beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and Andre Russell, who had played an unbelievable knock here in 2019, once again had a key role, but not with the bat.Playing the second of their three back-to-back home games, RCB laid out a fresh pitch for Friday’s game. It had some loose cracks. When RCB’s batting coach Neil McKenzie was asked about the wicket on the eve of the match, he had said, “It should be a good pitch with some pace in it, which should probably suit our team”.That did not turn out to be the case, though. After being sent in, RCB posted 182 for 6, which KKR chased down with more than three overs to spare. The hallmark of their victory was how quickly they read and adapted to the pitch, both while bowling and batting.Related

Narine, Venkatesh star as KKR end home teams' winning streak

How Andre Russell switched on beast mode once again

In the first innings, the ball was stopping quite a bit on the pitch, making it difficult for batters to play their shots. Russell was the first to realise it. In his opening over, the ninth of the innings, he bowled two slower balls into the wicket, one to Virat Kohli and the other to Cameron Green. Both batters went for the pull, only to under-edge it towards the wicketkeeper.Russell doubled the dose in his next over and bowled four slower balls, off which he conceded only one bye. He duly passed on the information to the other seamers in the team. Mitchell Starc, who had bowled at full throttle in his first two overs, sent down plenty of slower deliveries in his last two. Harshit Rana, too, did the same, and with good success.After 15 overs, RCB were 134 for 3. In the next three, they managed only 19 and lost two wickets. Even a set Kohli struggled with timing.As per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, the KKR seamers bowled 22 slower balls, conceding only 20 runs off them and picking up three wickets. “We knew if you try to bowl fast on this track, it becomes easy for the batters,” KKR bowling coach Bharat Arun told the host broadcaster during an in-game interview.It was only because of Dinesh Karthik’s late hitting that RCB crossed 180. Given the conditions, both teams felt it was a par total. After all, in the previous game here, albeit on a different pitch, Punjab Kings had almost defended 176.For the second innings, RCB had planned to bring in legspinner Karn Sharma as their Impact Player. But after seeing how the pitch had behaved, they changed their mind.Andre Russell’s pace variations deceived RCB batters often•AFP/Getty Images”It felt like someone who could bowl a really good slower ball was probably the most difficult bowler to face on this pitch,” Faf du Plessis, the RCB captain, said after the match. “When KKR bowled, they did it really well. Dre Russ probably bowled 80% of his balls as cutters.”So RCB went with Vijaykumar Vyshak, who has a good knuckle ball. However, their seamers did not find success despite following the same tactics. The 21 slower balls they bowled went for 47 runs and fetched one wicket.The reason for that was as the match progressed, dew started setting in. While it was not so heavy to transform the ball into a bar of soap, it did quicken up the pitch. As a result, the batting became easier.Sunil Narine and Phil Salt gave KKR a start of 86 in just 6.3 overs, after which Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer took over and shut the door on the opposition.Among the RCB seamers, only Vyshak was effective, and finished with figures of 1 for 23 from his four overs. The others – Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph and Green – went for 133 from their combined ten, and picked up just one wicket.”There was one end, the far end, that was still tricky,” Venkatesh, who scored 50 off 30 balls, said. “From there, the ball was stopping. It was slightly two-paced, and there was double bounce.”That was the end from where Vyshak bowled all his overs.”But the other end certainly got better,” Venkatesh continued, “and the communication was to target the bowlers from that end.”This was the first loss for a home team this season after nine straight wins. Given RCB’s record at the Chinnaswamy, it was no surprise they were on the receiving end.

Our team features four world champions, four South Africans, and one player from Bangladesh – find out who they are

Vishal Dikshit06-Apr-20221 Alyssa Healy (wk),
Most runs in a Women’s World Cup ever, best score in a World Cup final (men’s or women’s), back-to-back-centuries in the semi-final and final… records, and more records. Healy, one of the most devastating batters in the game, had crossed 50 earlier in the tournament too, against India and Pakistan, but she took her game to the next level in the knockouts to stamp Australia’s authority in a World Cup yet again, to make her an automatic choice in this XI.2 Laura Wolvaardt,
South Africa’s most consistent batter in this World Cup, Wolvaardt also carried their top order on her shoulders in the absence of runs from her opening partner Lizelle Lee. Wolvaardt kicked off the tournament with five 40-plus scores in a row, including four half-centuries, that helped South Africa chase 225-plus totals against England and New Zealand to qualify for the semi-finals, although her 90 wasn’t enough against the Australians. Her trademark cover drives were in full display all along, and she ended up being South Africa’s leading scorer for two ODI World Cups in a row.3 Rachael Haynes,
If Healy was Australia’s aggressor, Haynes was the consistent anchor who played her role to such perfection that she was dismissed before Healy just once in the league games, and then once more in the final. She started the tournament with a 130, where she accelerated after negotiating a stifling bowling effort from England, and she laid the platform with Healy for Australia’s middle order in nearly every match.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Meg Lanning (capt),
The obvious choice for captain and middle-order mainstay. It’s almost as if Lanning’s arrival at the crease is a signal for an Australian win, and her dominance was on display against some of the best teams in the World Cup: an unbeaten 135 to chase down 272 against South Africa, 97 to slice through India in another stiff chase, and an 86 against England early on.5 Beth Mooney,
An average of over 100, a strike rate of almost 101, flexible up and down the order, and also a gun fielder, which make Mooney a must-have in the XI. She opened for Australia when she was the Player of the Tournament in the 2020 T20 World Cup but moved down to the finisher’s role and did the job with aplomb in the 50-over format to add another dimension to their already explosive line-up. She took some of the best catches in the tournament, and also made sure she was there to seal the chases after the top order had done the hard work.6 Sune Luus,
A legspinning-allrounder, Luus shone mainly with the bat with her three half-centuries, giving South Africa the much-needed solidity at No. 4 given the lack of runs from Lee, some instability at No. 3, and the absence of Dane van Niekerk. Luus’ calming presence also meant her best knocks came against some of the top sides – England, New Zealand and Australia – in the tournament, which included two close chases.Marizanne Kapp picked up her first five-for in ODIs during the World Cup•Getty Images7 Marizanne Kapp,
Need early wickets? Throw the ball to Kapp. Want a partnership broken? Just look at her and she’ll come running and do the job. Death overs? She’s at her mark already. Tight chases? She’ll smash those runs. One of the sharpest bowlers around, Kapp’s consistent contributions with the bat down the order helped South Africa win five matches in a row. Her best performances, too, came against the top sides: a five-for and 32 against England followed by two wickets and an unbeaten 34 versus New Zealand, and 30 not out off 21 balls against Australia.8Pooja Vastrakar,
One of the brightest young stars for India this tournament, along with Yastika Bhatia, Vastrakar was in the thick of things straightaway in India’s opening game when they slumped to 114 for 6 against Pakistan. A career-best 67 off 59 in a formidable stand with Sneh Rana meant India got a deep batting line-up, which she proved again with quick cameos down the order opposite Australia and Bangladesh. She was India’s second-highest wicket-taker, too – bowling is her primary skill – coming on mostly as second change to successfully break partnerships. Her back-to-back yorkers against Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr count as among the highlights of the tournament.9 Shabnim Ismail,
The best and one of the fastest bowlers in this World Cup, Ismail, fearsome and experienced, was consistent with her wicket-taking skills right from the first game, going wicketless in just one game out of the seven she bowled in. Ismail showed her knack of removing the big batters up front with her pace, short deliveries, movement off the pitch, and then with her slower variations in the death overs.Salma Khatun’s bowling was a big reason for Bangladesh’s impressive show in their maiden World Cup appearance•Getty Images10 Salma Khatun,
The ball she bowled to dismiss Lanning alone would have helped Khatun make this list. Her three-for had Australia in trouble, before they escaped, thanks to Mooney. Against West Indies earlier, she scored 23 to keep Bangladesh in the hunt in a 141 chase, and that was after she had picked up a couple of wickets. The 31-year-old offspinner’s ten wickets, the most for Bangladesh, in the tournament played a major part in the team’s good showing in their maiden appearance.11 Sophie Ecclestone,
Ecclestone was the best bowler of the tournament with a tally one-and-a-half times that of the next best, Ismail’s 14. Only 22, Ecclestone has already played over 100 games for England and her artistry in flight, drift and turn are testament to her ability and numbers. The left-arm spinner was England’s main weapon in the middle overs, and sometimes in the death too. Barring her inability to pick more than one wicket in 20 overs against Australia, over two games, she had an unforgettable World Cup, highlighted by her six-for against South Africa in the semi-final.

If they get enough opportunities, these youngsters are capable of making a big mark

Danyal Rasool and Umar Farooq19-Feb-2020
Ahmed Safi Abdullah (Islamabad United)
Just 21, Abdullah comes into the PSL without any baggage, having not played an official T20 at any level. But there’s still plenty from his record to be excited by. Since making his first-class debut just over a year ago, the left arm spinner has built a flourishing reputation as a prolific wicket-taker, having snared 59 in 19 first-class games at 23.38. He comes into the tournament fresh off a six-wicket haul in Faisalabad and four wickets in an innings in Bahawalpur during a pair of Second XI games, and while his List A record isn’t as encouraging as that in first-class cricket, this is a great opportunity for him to change that. Shadab Khan and Zafar Gohar should be ahead of him in the pecking order, but it’s unlikely Abdullah won’t get his chance at some point, and if he does, there’s enough to suggest he will surprise a few people.Arshad Iqbal (Karachi Kings)
In a squad as full of quality fast bowlers as Karachi Kings, there’s a possibility Iqbal will not get the opportunity his precocious talent deserves. Part of Pakistan’s squad that made it to the semi-finals of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, the quick was one of only some Pakistan players to give a good account of himself in a game Pakistan lost heavily to India, taking 3 for 51. He went on to make his first-class debut for WAPDA that year, taking five wickets in the match. His short career in T20 cricket has been impressive too – he has taken ten wickets at 17 with an economy rate of 6.80 in seven matches. Should he get to add to them, there’s little reason to feel he will not be able to continue the upward trajectory.Aamir Ali (Peshawar Zalmi)
There isn’t too much you can say with certainty about Aamir just yet, and indeed he may find opportunities limited this season. The 17-year-old left-arm spinner was part of Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup campaign, and picked up four wickets in five games. He was also the youngest player to feature in this season’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, taking the wicket of his Peshawar Zalmi team-mate Kamran Akmal on debut. Peshawar have seen another spin bowler in Ibtisam Sheikh fall off after a very promising PSL 2 years ago. So they should have extra incentive to make sure Aamir doesn’t fall in the same trap, particularly since, for all their success in the PSL, Peshawar are one of the franchises yet to serve as the springboard for an emerging player’s career.Rohail Nazir drives through the off side•Getty ImagesRohail Nazir (Multan Sultans)
All right, so this is a bit of a cop-out. You should know who Nazir is, but familiarity should not take away from anything. The 18-year-old was captain of Pakistan’s Under-19 side at the latest World Cup, scoring a half-century in the semi-final in a losing cause against India. He is already captain of his first-class side in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and steered them to the final of the competition, accumulating 150 runs across two innings. Multan Sultans have already appointed him vice-captain, and as the only enlisted keeper in the squad, he’s pretty much a first-teamer. That should both be exciting and challenging for Nazir; T20 cricket is the one format he hasn’t raced out of the blocks in. Averages north of 36 and 47 in first-class and List A competitions respectively sit out of kilter with a T20 average of 18 at under 114. Nothing about his technique suggests this is not rectifiable, and he’ll be one of the players to keep a close eye on.Arish Ali Khan (Quetta Gladiators)
Arish is just 19, a left-arm spinner who emerged from a PCB-conducted tournament in 2016, ending as the leading wicket-taker with 45 strikes at 12.24. Since then, he has been part of the Pakistan youth set-up. He soon became the captain of the Pakistan Under-16 team, and after good returns against Australia in the UAE in the one-dayers and T20s, he made into the Under-19 circuit, and continued to do well, finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the national Under-19 three-day tournament last year with 30 strikes at 16.27. He did make it to the He is a success of the system, and has a happy knack of picking up wickets at critical junctures.Maaz Khan (Lahore Qalandars)
Maaz is a product of the Lahore Qalandars scouting programme – from Jamrud in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, he is a legspinner with the attitude of a fast bowler. He has a good googly, a flipper, and can turn the new ball well too. He wasn’t picked in the Draft, the PCB allowed Qalandars to pick up an additional emerging player from their own programme. Yet to have a go in the domestic set-up, Maaz was unleashed against Titans in the Abu Dhabi T20 Cup in 2018, and finished with 2 for 23 after opening the bowling.

If you're in the process of building a dynasty in EA Sports FC 26, you will need to invest in young talent – GOAL has you covered.

If you're kicking off a new save in EA Sports FC 26 Career Mode, you simply need to have an eye on the future and that means signing the best young players available. Whether you are a major club looking to secure the talent of the next Lionel Messi or a smaller team looking to make a profit by serving as a stepping-stone, buying high-potential young players is a key aspect of the game.

Here, GOAL brings you the best young players to sign in every position – from strikers and midfielders to defenders and goalkeepers – to help you get off to a flying start in Career Mode.

KEY:

Essential FC 26 reading

• Guide to EA Sports FC 26 web app & companion app
• The best 50 men's players in EA Sports FC 26
• The best 26 women's players in EA Sports FC 26
• EA Sports FC 26 soundtrack: Full list of songs & artists
• Every team & competition in EA Sports FC 26

Get EA Sports FC 26 at AmazonBuy now!

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  Best young strikers & forwards in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CFs & STs

  Player	Club	Age	POS	CR	PR
  Endrick	Real Madrid	19	ST	77	91
  Francesco Camarda	Lecce	17	ST	65	87
  Mathys Tel	Tottenham	20	ST	77	86
  Eli Junior Kroupi	Bournemouth	19	ST	74	85
  Conrad Harder	RB Leipzig	20	ST	74	85
  Charalampos Kostoulas	Brighton	18	ST	72	85
  Chido Obi	Man Utd	17	ST	65	84
  Christian Kofane	Bayer Leverkusen	19	ST	68	84
  Marc Guiu	Chelsea	19	ST	71	84
  Francesco Pio Esposito	Lombardia	20	ST	72	84
  Jeronimo Domina	Union Santa Fe	19	ST	70	84
  Nelson Weiper	Mainz	20	ST	70	84
  Santiago Castro	Bologna	20	ST	76	84
  Kaye Furo	Club Brugge	18	ST	63	83
  Kaua Elias	Shakhtar Donetsk	19	ST	71	83

  Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Endrick remains the best young striker in EA Sports FC 26, having also been deemed the forward with the most potential in FC 25. His rating at the beginning of the game is 77, but he has an exceptionally high ceiling of 91 – a rating which, if reached, would place him at a similar stature to players such as Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.

  AC Milan youngster Francesco Camarda, who is on loan at Lecce in the game, follows Endrick in the potential stakes, with a possible rating of 87, putting him slightly ahead of Tottenham's Mathys Tel, whose potential is 86. Manchester United fans will be excited to see how Chido Obi develops, with the teen boasting a potential rating of 84 in the game.

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• Getty
  

  Best young midfielders in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CAMs, RWs, LWs, CMs & CDMs

  Player	Club	Age	POS	CR	PR
  Lamine Yamal	Barcelona	18	RM	89	95
  Desire Doue	PSG	20	RW	85	91
  Joao Neves	PSG	20	CM	85	90
  Estevao	Chelsea	18	RM	78	89
  Jorthy Mokio	Ajax	17	CDM	70	89
  Kenan Yildiz	Juventus	20	CAM	79	89
  Arda Guler	Real Madrid	20	RM	81	89
  Rodrigo Mora	Porto	18	CAM	76	89
  Rio Ngumoha	Liverpool	17	LM	68	88
  Franco Mastantuono	Real Madrid	18	CAM	77	88
  Geovany Quenda	Sporting	18	RM	76	88
  Antonio Nusa	RB Leipzig	20	LM	76	88
  Pablo Garcia	Real Betis	19	RM	68	87
  Assane Diao Diaoune	Como	20	LM	76	87
  Lucas Bergvall	Tottenham	19	CM	77	87
  Ethan Nwaneri	Arsenal	18	RW	76	87
  Warren Zaire-Emery	PSG	19	CM	80	87
  Arthur Vermeeren	Marseille	20	CM	77	87
  Julien Duranville	Borussia Dortmund	19	RM	72	87
  Kees Smit	AZ	19	CAM	72	87
  Lennart Karl	Bayern Munich	17	CAM	63	86
  Ayyoub Bouaddi	LOSC Lille	17	CM	75	86
  Konstantinos Karetsas	Genk	17	CAM	70	86
  Maher Carizzo	Velez	19	RM	72	86
  Joao Costa	Al Ettifaq	20	RM	71	86

  It will come as little surprise to learn that Lamine Yamal is the best young midfielder in EA Sports FC 26 and, given that he is just 18, he will likely be so for the next few years. The Barcelona wonderkid is already one of the best players in the game and boasts a potential rating of 95, which means he is capable of emulating talents such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

  Paris Saint-Germain duo Desire Doue and Joao Neves follow Yamal, with potential ratings of 91 and 90 respectively, while the likes of Chelsea's Estevao (PR: 89) and Ajax defensive midfielder Jorthy Mokio (PR: 89) will be sought-after talents, especially if you are in control of a bigger club. Liverpool's exciting winger Rio Ngumoha leads an array of 17-year-old talents in our list, with the Anfield sensation possessing a potential rating of 88.

  Other intriguing talents within that 17-year-old cohort, include Bayern Munich youth Lennart Karl (PRL 86), Lille central midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi (PR: 86) and Genk's Greek CAM Konstantinos Karetsas (PR: 86).

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Best young defenders in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CBs, LBs & RBs

  Player	Club	Age	POS	CR	PR
  Dean Huijsen	Real Madrid	20	CB	82	89
  Jorrel Hato	Chelsea	19	LB	78	89
  Pau Cubarsi	Barcelona	18	CB	82	88
  Givairo Read	Feyenoord	19	RB	75	88
  Finn Jeltsch	Stuttgart	19	CB	72	87
  Myles Lewis-Skelly	Arsenal	18	LB	78	87
  Luka Vuskovic	Hamburg	18	CB	72	87
  El Chadaille Bitshiabu	RB Leipzig	20	CB	75	87
  Pietro Comuzzo	Fiorentina	20	CB	74	86
  Leny Yoro	Man Utd	19	CB	78	86
  Joaquin Seys	Club Brugge	20	RB	73	86
  Joane Gadou	RB Salzburg	18	CB	66	85
  Yarek	PSV	20	CB	73	85
  Pau Navarro	Villarreal	20	CB	70	85
  Jan-Carlo Simic	Al-Ittihad	20	CB	70	85
  Diego Leon	Man Utd	18	LB	64	85
  Martim Fernandes	Porto	19	RB	75	85
  Josh Acheampong	Chelsea	19	RB	70	85
  Tobias Palacio	Argentinos Juniors	18	CB	69	85
  Ayden Heaven	Man Utd	18	CB	69	84

  The two best young centre-backs in EA Sports FC 26 both play for Spain, but on either side of the Clásico divide. Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen (PR: 89) and Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi (PR: 88), look set to form the defensive foundation for La Roja for years to come. German youth Finn Jeltsch and Croatian centre-half Jusko Vuskovic aren't far behind, with each boasting a potential rating of 87.

  Chelsea's Jorrel Hato is the best young left-back in the game, while the best young right-back is Givairo Read, who plays for Feyenoord. Manchester United should be well set for the future, with Leny Yoro, Diego Leon and Ayden Heaven all among the brightest young defensive talents in the game.

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• Best young goalkeepers in EA Sports FC 25: Wonderkid GKs

  Player	Club	Age	POS	CR	PR
  Guillaume Restes	Toulouse	20	GK	78	86
  Matthieu Epolo	Standard Liege	20	GK	73	85
  Dennis Seimen	Paderborn	19	GK	66	84
  Mike Penders	Strasbourg	20	GK	73	84
  Lucca Brughmans	Genk	17	GK	59	82
  Tiago Pereira Cardoso	Borussia Monchengladbach	19	GK	67	82
  Robin Risser	Lens	20	GK	72	82
  Ewen Jaouen	Reims	19	GK	68	82
  Mathys Niflore	Dunkerque	18	GK	63	81
  Joeri Heerkens	Ajax	19	GK	64	80

  While he is getting to the older end of the wonderkid grouping, Guillaume Restes continues to be the best young goalkeeper in the game. However, the Toulouse shot-stoppers's potential has dropped from 88 to 86 in EA Sports FC 26. Matthieu Epolo has a similar ceiling (PR: 85), while German goalkeeper Dennis Seimen is still among the best young net-minders around.

  France appears to be a fertile ground for goalkeeper talent, with the likes of Robin Risser, Ewen Jaouen and Mathys Niflore all plying their trade in the country.

The blockbuster showdown between Arsenal and Bayern Munich has brought out the softer side of the respective managers with a love-in ahead of the crunch Champions League showdown at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta and Vincent Kompany worked together at Manchester City, but the friendship will be put on hold as both look to extend their perfect starts Europe this season.

Guardiola key to respect between pair

Arteta and Kompany share a relationship rooted in mutual respect and a shared football philosophy, developed during their time at Manchester City between 2016 and 2019. Arteta was an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola, while Kompany was the club captain, a period during which they won multiple domestic titles together. 

Both men have spoken highly of each other's coaching potential and leadership qualities. Arteta has described Kompany as a leader with a "special aura" and great ideas, even suggesting Kompany was "already a coach when he played". Kompany, in turn, has praised Arteta's passion, intelligence, and the "incredible" work he has done at Arsenal, stating he is not surprised by his success. 

They have a good relationship and often discussed football and future management careers during their time at City. They both follow a similar, possession-based style of play influenced by Guardiola, and will pit their teams against each other on Wednesday evening in north London.

AdvertisementAFPArteta: 'I'm not surprised at all'

Arteta said at his pre-match press conference: "My feeling was always that Vinnie will be excellent at whatever he chooses to do. I'm very happy that things are going well for him. He has a lot of presence, intelligence, love for the game. I'm not surprised at all."

And on the size of the task facing the Gunners against Bayern, who also have a 100 percent win record in the competition this season, Arteta said: "Every opponent brings different challenges, obviously. They are in a great moment. The level of consistency they show in results, performances, in every metric that they have, it’s very, very impressive. We know that, but as well that’s a massive opportunity as well for us to show what we are capable of. 

He added: "This is the kind of game in the competition that we want to face, and we’ve been very consistent in both competitions, and as you mentioned they have as well. Tomorrow is a great test for us to see where we are. We know the importance of the match, we are in a really strong position and we want to maintain that and we know that we have a beautiful and very demanding game ahead of us."

Kompany: 'I'm forever grateful'

And Kompany spoke very highly of Arteta, saying: "When I look at how Mikel has developed his team and developed himself, they play with great physicality. He works with great attention to detail with his teams, which have very few weaknesses. That's Mikel's character. Pep Guardiola is a dominant figure and has played a big role in our careers. I'm forever grateful. But both teams are quite different as well, which makes tomorrow's game special."

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Getty Images SportChampions League showdown at Emirates

Arsenal are the only team yet to concede a goal in the competition, while Bayern boast a formidable attack led by former Tottenham star Harry Kane, who has historically tormented the Gunners. Mikel Arteta's side enters the match in excellent form, fresh off a dominant 4-1 north London derby victory over Spurs. They are expected to welcome back captain Martin Odegaard from injury, though key forwards Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Viktor Gyokeres remain sidelined. Bayern are also dealing with injuries, including Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies.

Saturday afternoon saw Leeds United suffer yet another defeat in the Premier League, condemning them to a spot in the relegation zone this week.

The Whites lost 3-2 away to Manchester City, after a late Phil Foden goal managed to secure the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side late on.

Despite the result, there were some positives to take from the game. Daniel Farke’s side defended with plenty of heart, with two of City’s goals coming inside the first minute and stoppage time. It was also good to see both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha on the scoresheet.

Yet, not all of their attackers shone. Daniel James did not put in his best performance, continuing his tough start to the season.

Dan James' season in numbers at Leeds

It was certainly a disappointing showing from James against Guardiola’s men. Normally such a direct presence in attack with his electric pace, the Welshman perhaps did not have the impact he or Farke may have hoped.

The former Manchester United star really struggled to get into the game, having just 12 touches of the ball, failing to create a chance and not having a shot. Journalist Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post gave him a 5/10 for his performance and said he did not “get to do too much” going forward.

Indeed, that has been the theme of this season for the former Manchester United winger who has not really managed to get a good run of games together. He’s featured ten times in the Premier League, but has only played 352 minutes, the equivalent of 3.9 full 90-minute games.

He is off the back of good form for Wales, too. In the November international break, he helped his country reach the World Cup playoffs, assisting against Liechtenstein and scoring against North Macedonia.

James’ future at Leeds is arguably up in the air, given his lack of game time this season and poor performance against City. Leeds have an attacker out on loan who could leapfrog him, too.

Leeds are brewing a Dan James replacement

This summer, the West Yorkshire side loaned out some good players, perhaps coinciding with their attacking additions of Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor. Largie Ramazani is one example of an attacker out on loan.

Another is currently plying his trade for Yorkshire rivals Hull City. It has been a superb season for a certain Joe Gelhardt, who has shone for the Tigers in the Championship. The versatile forward has played as a number 10 and on the right so far this term.

He’s done that to great success in the 2025/26 campaign. The Liverpool-born attacker has nine goals and two assists to his name in 18 second-tier appearances this term. The most recent one of those strikes was a winner away to Stoke City in the 90th minute this weekend.

Indeed, Gelhardt’s attacking numbers this season are impressive. He’s averaging 0.72 goals and assists and 0.53 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which rank him in the top 6% and 19% of Championship forwards, respectively. He is extremely efficient in the final third.

Gelhardt key stats in 25/26 Championship
Stat (per 90)	Number	Percentile
Goals and assists	0.72	94th
Shots on target	1.58	99th
Goal-creating actions	0.53	81st
Take-ons completed	1.9	81st
Ball recoveries	4.99	82nd
Stats from FBref

This sort of form is surely pleasing to see for Farke and Leeds. A player like James has struggled to have an impact in the first team this term, and with Gelhardt’s form and output, it is easy to see how he could leapfrog the Welshman.

The former Wigan Athletic star has played senior football at Elland Road. Whilst he only has 10 goals and assists in 57 games, the signs of his talent are there. Jamie Carragher has even described the 23-year-old as a “special” player in the past while long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt even said that Gelhardt caught the eye just as much as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney did when they were all 14 years of age.

Looking ahead to the future, it is easy to think that the forward could break into Leeds’ squad and have a real impact. James has underwhelmed this term, and it is quite conceivable that he could be overtaken by Gelhardt.

He’s not played a first-team game for the Whites since last October when he appeared as an eight minute substitute against Norwich in the Championship. It would be some turnaround if he could work his way back into Leeds’ plans.

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While many would blame Russell Martin, the primary reason behind Rangers’ catastrophic start to this season is poor recruitment.

In attacking areas, Cyriel Dessers, Hamza Igamane and Václav Černý, who scored 63 goals between them last season, have all departed, replaced by Djeidi Gassama, Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti, who are simply not of the same quality.

Elsewhere, Joe Rothwell has been cast aside since the appointment of Danny Röhl, while defence remains a major issue too, with Max Aarons and Jayden Meghoma appearing out of their depth, while a solid and reliable central partnership is yet to be unearthed.

So, when the Gers return to action against Livingston after the international break, should Röhl ditch an error-prone defender and begin to entrust his “colossus”?

Nasser Djiga's Rangers career so far

Nasser Djiga arrived at Rangers with a pretty decent reputation; a Burkina Faso international joined on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had signed him for around £10m from Crvena zvezda as recently as January.

Well, he certainly did not make the ideal start to life in Glasgow, sent off on his home Premiership debut during a dismal 1-1 draw with Dundee at Ibrox.

Just ten days later, Djiga was then at the scene of a catastrophic error.

The centre-back seemingly denounced any responsibility as the ball bobbled through the heart of the Rangers defence, allowing Romeo Vermant to open the scoring, the first of nine goals Club Brugge would bag across the two legs of the harrowing and ignominious Champions League play-off tie.

Djiga thereby found himself out of the team for a few weeks thereafter, albeit he has been reintegrated for recent matches by Röhl, after he switched to a back three, requiring a third member of this back-line alongside Derek Cornelius and John Souttar.

Nevertheless, he has not impressed, with the Scotsman labelling him ‘unconvincing’ following Rangers’ recent Europa League defeat to Roma, having previously outlined that the defender endured a ‘really difficult’ afternoon against Celtic at Hampden in the League Cup semi-finals a few days earlier.

That has sparked suggestions that his season-long loan could be terminated as early as January, a scenario that could well be sped up if Röhl gives one of Rangers’ forgotten summer signings an opportunity to stake a claim.

Rangers' forgotten colossus deserves a chance

Considering Rangers signed 12 players in the summer, a few of these new recruits have been overlooked and forgotten about.

Well, this is certainly the case when it comes to centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez.

The 24-year-old had already bounced around numerous lower league English clubs, Sheppey United and Spalding United to name just two, before making the move north of the border from Peterborough United, following an outstanding campaign in EFL League One.

He cost a reported £3.5m, a not insignificant fee for Rangers, but has barely featured for the Glasgow giants.

Fernandez made his debut against Alloa Athletic in the League Cup, marking the occasion with this towering header in front of the Broomloan Road Stand, starting at St Mirren the following weekend, but seeing a mere one-minute cameo at Easter Road since 24 August, an unused substitute on 12 occasions in total.

Upon his arrival, then-manager Martin labelled Fernandez a “commanding defender” who boasts a “strong physical presence”, while Darragh MacAnthony, Chairman of his former club Peterborough, described him as a “colossus”, adding that the “gentle giant” is a “great organiser and talker”.

So, let’s assess his statistics from EFL League One last season.

Goals

5

2nd

Tackles (per 90)

1.24

63rd

Interceptions (per 90)

0.91

46th

Clearances (per 90)

6.83

19th

Passing accuracy %

85.35%

20th

Passes (per 90)

65.93

5th

Aerial duels won (per 90)

4

27th

Aerial duels won %

62.24%

25th

Ground duels won (per 90)

2.87

35th

Note: rankings are defenders only.

As the table documents, despite only seeing 2,380 minutes of action out of a possible 4,140, Fernandez boasted pretty impressive statistics at Posh last season.

He scored five goals, including this rocket at Exeter City, while also ranking highly when it came to clearances, passing and aerial duels, helped by the fact that he is 194 cms (6 ft 4 in) tall when it comes to the latter.

So, given a chance, Fernandez could really flourish at Ibrox, hoping to replicate the career Calvin Bassey enjoyed in Glasgow.

When Bassey arrived at Rangers from English football in 2020, costing a mere £230k in compensation, he had never previously played senior first-team football, having merely plied his trade in Leicester City’s youth teams.

Initially signed as Borna Barišić’s left-back deputy, Bassey would ultimately become the club’s best central defender, a key figure in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team that won the Scottish Cup and reached the Europa League Final in 2021/22.

That summer, the Nigerian international was sold to Ajax for around £20m, which remains the club’s biggest sale of all-time.

Fernandez is certainly more experienced now than Bassey was when his Rangers career began five years ago, given that he has a full season in EFL League One under his belt, a division that Global Football Rankings believes is comparable in level to the Scottish Premiership, just eight spots below.

Thus, considering the scarcity of other options, especially with Röhl electing to deploy a back three, Fernandez certainly deserves an opportunity to stake a claim, likely to prove more reliable than Djiga in the long run.

Bassey emerged from obscurity and the periphery to flourish at Ibrox – why can’t Fernandez now do the same?

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MatériaMais Notícias

No jogo atrasado tratado como decisão contra o rebaixamento, Cruzeiro e Vasco ficaram no empate, em 2 a 2, no Mineirão. Ambos os times saíram de campo com a sensação de que poderiam vencer, mas fracassaram na manutenção do resultado. O Cruz-Maltino abriu o placar com Puma, mas sofreu a virada ainda no primeiro tempo com gols de Arthur Gomes e Bruno Rodrigues.

Na segunda etapa, Gabriel Pec empatou e deu números finais para o jogo. Vegetti ainda teve três gols corretamente anulados, frustrando os vascaínos. Com o resultado, ambas as equipes chegaram aos 31 pontos e abriram três pontos do Bahia, o primeiro dentro da zona de rebaixamento.

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CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA
➡️ Não valeu. Após cobrança de escanteio, Maicon escora de cabeça e Vegetti marca, mas em posição de impedimento.
➡️ Golaço! À la Van Basten, Puma chutou cruzado e abriu o placar para o Vasco.
➡️ Outro golaço! Arthur Gomes arrancou sem marcação e na entrada da área acertou o ângulo, sem chances para Léo Jardim.
➡️ Vira Virou! Rossi coloca o braço na bola dentro da área, o VAR chama, Vuaden marca o pênalti e Bruno Rodrigues converte.
➡️ Tudo igual! Gabriel Pec aproveitou a bola escorada por Sebastian e fuzilou para empatar.

COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO?
O jogo começou com muita cautela por parte das duas equipes. O Vasco conseguiu encaixar os melhores ataques e abriu o placar com Puma Rodríguez, aos 15 minutos, após um chute cruzado de rara felicidade. Após sair na frente, o Cruz-Maltino recuou e deu campo para a Raposa atacar. Até os 30 minutos, os avanços não levaram perigo, mas depois as chances aumentaram. Arthur Gomes empatou em um lindo chute de fora da área. Já nos acréscimos, Bruno Rodrigues marcou para dar a virada ao Cruzeiro, após pênalti marcado por Rossi. O atacante colocou o braço na bola dentro da área e o lance foi marcado depois da intervenção do VAR.

E A ETAPA FINAL?
Sem mudanças nas equipes, o Cruzeiro seguiu melhor na partida e teve chance de ampliar. O Vasco respondeu após os 10 minutos com alterações no time. Ramón Díaz mandou a equipe para o ataque e o Cruz-Maltino melhorou. Chegou a marcar com Vegetti, porém o argentino estava impedido mais uma vez. Os visitantes seguiram pressionando e empataram com Gabriel Pec, aproveitando a bola escorada por Sebastian, em escanteio cobrado por Payet. O Vasco teve mais um gol anulado de Vegetti, corretamente pela arbitragem, pois Sebastian estava em impedimento na origem da jogada.

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O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
O Vasco volta a jogar no próximo sábado (25), contra o Athletico-PR, na Arena da Baixada. Já o Cruzeiro enfrenta o Goiás, no Hailé Pinheiro, segunda-feira (27).

FICHA TÉCNICA
Campeonato Brasileiro 2023 – 33ª rodada
Cruzeiro 2 x 2 Vasco

Local:Mineirão, Belo Horizonte (MG)
Data e horário:Quarta-feira (22/11), às 19h (Brasília)
Árbitro:Leandro Pedro Vuaden (RS)
Assistentes: Michael Stanislau (RS) e Maurício Coelho Silva Penna (RS)
Árbitro de Vídeo (VAR):Diego Pombo Lopez (BA)

Cartões amarelos:Arthur Gomes (Cruzeiro)
Cartão vermelho:Rossi (Vasco)

GOL: Puma Rodríguez (15′ do 1ºT/0-1); Arthur Gomes (40′ do 1ºT/1-1); Bruno Rodrigues (52′ do 1ºT/2-1); Gabriel Pec (31′ do 2ºT/2-2)

VASCO (Técnico: Ramon Díaz)
Léo Jardim; Puma Rodríguez, Maicon (Léo/23′ do 2ºT), Medel e Lucas Piton; Zé Gabriel (Sebastian/23′ do 2ºT), Paulinho (Jair/11′ do 2ºT) e Praxedes (Payet/11′ do 2ºT); Rossi (Marlon Gomes/11′ do 2ºT), Gabriel Pec e Vegetti.

CRUZEIRO (Técnico: Paulo Autuori)
Rafael Cabral; William, Neris, Luciano Castan e Marlon (Kaiki/37′ do 2ºT); Ian Luccas (Fernando Henrique/37′ do 2ºT), Filipe Machado (Rafael Elias/45′ do 2ºT) e Mateus Vital (Japa/23′ do 2ºT); Matheus Pereira, Bruno Rodrigues e Arthur Gomes (Wesley/23′ do 2ºT)

“It’s not something I would say I was looking forward to,” Shai Hope says on Test cricket, but now that he is back, he wants to have an “impact”

Andrew McGlashan25-Jun-2025Returning to Test cricket was not an overwhelming motivation for Shai Hope, but now that he’s back for the first time since 2021, he’s ready to commit to a fresh era under new captain Roston Chase.Hope, who leads West Indies in both white-ball formats, had been approached to be interviewed for the role of Test captain after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down. But he declined to be included in the process, in part, he said, due to the workload of being a three-format player, which was also in the conversations with head coach Daren Sammy about a return to the Test side.To add to the scrutiny of his recall, Hope has been handed the wicketkeeping gloves for the opening match against Australia in Barbados, just the third time in Tests he’s started as the designated keeper, although he’s a regular in the role in limited-overs cricket.Related

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“Representing West Indies, they always give me a lot of joy and pride,” Hope told ESPNcricinfo in Barbados. “I think that was the main focus, just being able to represent the region and bring my impact on the game and obviously the transfer of that inspiration back into the next generation.”I’m happy to be back. It’s not something I would say I was looking forward to in terms of, ‘I have to play Test cricket again’. But if the opportunity came, I would always be willing to take it.”I believe if I’m doing something, I’m committed to it,” he added. “So if I decided to come back and play Test cricket, my main focus would be to give it my all. If success is there or not, the decision to leave me in or include me, that’s up to the decision makers. But, yes, as long as I’m being committed to the task at hand, I think I’m going to give my all.”With a T20 World Cup early next year and the build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, where West Indies face a scrap for direct qualification through the rankings after having missed on the 2023 edition, there will be a lot of pressure on Hope in the months and years ahead.

“I guess they felt as though I would have been the perfect person to come in at this stage in my career and see what impact I can have. And that’s what I’m trying to do”Shai Hope

“The reality is the best or the most elite players, they don’t play all throughout the year in all three formats,” he said. “So there’s some rest involved, [and] there’s some give or take. But I pride myself on being as fit and being as ready as possible for whatever is thrown at me. And that’s what I’m going to try to do. If I’m playing all three formats, let’s say for the next two, three, five, ten years, however long, I want to make sure I’m doing it the best I can.”The amount of cricket I’ve been playing for the last couple of years, the workload has been pretty intense. It’s just about managing that a little bit better. We understand the magnitude of games that we have over the next cycle.”It’s about seeing what’s best for West Indies cricket. I guess they felt as though I would have been the perfect person to come in at this stage in my career and see what impact I can have. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”In this Test side, alongside Chase, the recalled John Campbell and debutant Brandon King, Hope is part of a reshaped batting order.Pat Cummins and Roston Chase will lead their sides at the Frank Worrell Trophy•AFP/Getty ImagesHe announced himself to the world with twin centuries against England, at Headingley, in 2017 to help West Indies to victory and followed that with 62 at Lord’s in the final match of the series. His next outing against Zimbabwe brought 90, amid a golden two-month period, but only two more half-centuries followed over a four-year stretch until he was left out after playing Sri Lanka in 2021. Since that series, he has played just four first-class matches – two for Barbados and two for Sussex.”Shai Hope is a class player,” Chase said. “He has a lot of experience in the international arena. He’s also the captain in the white-ball format. I’m just looking for him to lead by example as a senior player and someone that I can lean on in pressure situations and to help me lead the troops in being a competitive Test team.”Hope was wicketkeeper in his most recent red-ball outing, against Trinidad and Tobago in March, where he reportedly struggled with the gloves, but Chase backed him to put in the hard work needed to do the role at Test level.”He’s been in the international arena for some time and, at this level, you have to put those things behind you very fast,” Chase said. “[I know] that he will be able to put that behind him. I’ve seen him working on his keeping a bit more now, too. So, hopefully that should put him in good stead and do a great job for us.”