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Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their Premier League meeting with Liverpool this weekend.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Dan Kilpatrick, with the Evening Standard journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, after suffering a fracture around his eye in the 2-1 victory over Olympique de Marseille on Tuesday night, the 30-year-old is set to undergo surgery in the next 48 hours in order to repair his break.

In a further report for the Evening Standard, the journalist went on to state that the South Korean is a near certainty to miss the visit of Liverpool on Sunday, while it is also claimed that the forward’s availability for both the Nottingham Forest and Leeds United fixtures, as well as his participation in the World Cup, very much depends on his recovery from surgery.

In his tweet, Kilpatrick said: “Son to have surgery in the next 48 hours, with his hopes of featuring in the World Cup dependent on its success, his recovery & how quickly he is comfortable playing in a mask.”

“Huge blow”

Considering just how important a part of the Tottenham side Son has become since his £22m move to north London back in the summer of 2015, the news that the forward could be ruled out of the club’s next three Premier League fixtures, as well as the World Cup this winter, is undoubtedly a “huge blow” – in the words of Jim Bulley – for Antonio Conte.

Indeed, over his 344 appearances for the Lilywhites, the £67.5m-rated attacker has been a consistent source of both goals and assists, hitting the back of the net on 136 occasions and setting up a further 76 – averaging a direct goal involvement every 112 minutes of football played for Spurs.

And, while the £190k-per-week talent has not been at his deadly best over his 13 Premier League outings this season, he has nevertheless impressed going forwards, bagging three goals, providing two assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots, making 2.2 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the 30-year-old average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.23, not only ranking him as Conte’s third-best player in the top flight but also as the joint 30th-best player in the league in its entirety.

As such, it is evident that the loss of the 105-cap international would come as a devastating blow for the Italian manager – who will undoubtedly be hoping for Son’s swelling to go down as quickly as possible in order for the forward to undergo successful surgery in the next two days – as the sooner the attacker goes under the knife, the sooner he will be back on the pitch.

Medical expert Ben Dinery has issued a potential injury concern for Tottenham Hotspur, with the pitched constantly being swapped around at their stadium.

The Lowdown: Pitch swapping

Last Sunday, Spurs hosted one of their annual NFL games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Just three days later, the Lilywhites hosted Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League at the same venue.

As per the Daily Mail, the process of swapping the two pitches takes 48 hours to complete, meaning that a swift turnaround is needed.

Due to concerns over possible issues with the process which could lead to serious problems with the turf, Tottenham are surprisingly exploring making upgrades to the pitch, which cost them £20m.

The Latest: Dinnery’s claim

Dinnery worries that, if something goes wrong with the current system, Tottenham players will be subject to a higher risk of injury.

Speaking with Football Insider, the injury expert claimed: “The only concern is because it’s such a tight turnaround.

“I understand that the engineering logistics and the precise nature of undertaking moving the pitch around with the complexities. That is a worry should that not go as smoothly as it should.

“I understand that the pitch itself separates into three segments and those can be removed in between 30 minutes and an hour.

“In regard to storage which is maybe another question. People might ask if the grass is stored away from natural sunlight and what might happen.

“They have facilities in place for that and they refer to it as a life support system. That grass can stay perfectly content for up to five days with LED growth lighting and irrigation.

“The only real issue comes if there is a problem with that tight turnaround. Other than that, hopefully, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

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The Verdict: Can’t risk injuries

With injuries already sustained by Emerson Royal, Dejan Kulusevski, Japhet Tanganga and Richarlison, Spurs cannot afford for any more of their star players to be sidelined for lengthy periods.

Therefore, with the new pitch system presenting a potential risk to the squad, changes will need to be made to ensure the players’ safety.

After spending £1bn on the new stadium and with the likes of Google and Amazon currently in talks over a deal for the venue’s naming rights, Tottenham can very much afford to perfect their state-of-the-art system – much to the probable reluctance of the notoriously parsimonious Daniel Levy.

Tottenham Hotspur may rue the decision to not sign Roger Ibanez during the summer transfer window as he has enjoyed a stunning start to the 2022/23 campaign.

The north London outfit were linked with a move for the AS Roma star back in June, with Italian outlet Calciomercato claiming that manager Antonio Conte was keen on the 23-year-old and that he would cost around €30m (£26m).

Premier League rivals Newcastle United, backed by wealthy Saudi investors, were also mooted with interest in the Brazilian centre-back.

Since then, remaining in the capital, Ibanez has emerged as a standout performer under former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico – indeed, he is currently their third highest-rated player in the Serie A per WhoScored figures (7.42).

Only the creative exploits of Paulo Dybala (7.57) and fellow midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini (7.43) better those returns.

The ex-Fluminense titan also leads the squad for interceptions (2.9 per game) and is a close second when it comes to tackles (2.6 per game) and aerial duels won (1.9 per game).

It builds on his impressive campaign under the Portuguese last season, one that ended in Europa Conference League success as the Serie A outfit clinched the trophy over Feyenoord in the final, where Ibanez played the full 90 minutes and helped contribute towards a clean sheet.

Interestingly, FBref compare his statistical profile to that of Davinson Sanchez, who has been afforded game time under Conte but it’s one of the 53-year-old’s former stars that he most aligns with – Alessandro Bastoni.

Spurs attempted to lure the young Italian to N17 in the summer but he remained at the San Siro.

During the 2021/22 campaign, both Ibanez and Bastoni registered similar tackles and blocks per 90 numbers, whilst they were also strikingly alike when it came to ball-playing ability, averaging 4.14 and 4.20 progressive passes, respectively, as per FBref.

Given his start to the season, Conte will surely be gutted to have missed out on such a talent and one very akin to his former gem.

The past prospect of having Ibanez line up next to Cristian Romero in Spurs’ backline was certainly eye-catching and when you throw in an in-form Eric Dier as the third in a back three, the north Londoners could have deployed an aggressive-looking, pass-premium defence in the Premier League.

Ibanez, once lauded as “a talent” and as an “aggressive” defender by former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, is evidently one that has got away for Tottenham in recent months.

AND in other news, Spurs handed big potential injury boost ahead of the north London derby, it’s great news for Conte…

Everton have reportedly asked about potentially securing a deal for Leeds United attacker Dan James before the summer window closes.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post, journalist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, had this to say on the matter.

“Tottenham have discussed potential loan with buy option for Daniel James with Leeds last week — not an easy deal, also Everton asked for Dan. Situation remains open, it’s up to the player — Leeds would be happy to keep James. “

After making 74 appearances for Manchester United in which he scored nine goals and delivered nine assists, the Welshman joined Leeds during the previous summer transfer window.

Since then, the 24-year-old has made 39 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions, during which he has scored four goals and supplied five assists.

Lampard would love him

Last season saw the attacker, who could be reportedly sold for a fee of £20m this summer, draw more fouls that led to an attempt at goal (7) and make more pressures (272) in the final third than any other Leeds player.

Only three clubs have made fewer pressures in the attacking third of the pitch than Everton (99) so far in the league this season, so having a player like the Leeds star in the team would certainly help the Toffees become a tougher side to play against.

Additionally, only Raphinha (33) carried the ball into the 18-yard box on more occasions than James (32) and had more shots at goal than him (85 vs 52) at the Yorkshire club.

This highlights how much of a tricky attacking player he is and how much work he’s willing to put in off the ball, which is surely something that Frank Lampard would love to have in his squad.

Hailed as an “explosive” player by Andreas Pereira, James would certainly provide an extra attacking threat for the Merseyside club, which is something they could do with considering that Lampard’s side have the joint-second lowest rate for goals per shot (0.09) so far in the current campaign.

If Leeds would be willing to let their Welsh attacker leave Elland Road before deadline day on a permanent or loan basis, Everton should definitely explore the possibility of bringing him to Goodison Park as based on the numbers and what they require, Lampard would love him among his options.

Everton have reportedly made a ‘first offer’ to try and sign Rennes striker Serhou Guirassy.

The Lowdown: Toffees interest

It was reported earlier this week that the Goodison Park outfit hold an ‘interest’ in signing Guirassy, as they look for a new striker following the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the sale of Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur.

The six-foot-two colossus scored an impressive 12 goals and made a further three assists in France last season (Transfermarkt), recording impressive statistics in Ligue 1 for numerous aspects of his gameplay.

The Latest: Offer made

Taking to Twitter, French journalist Fabrice Hawkins, a reporter for major news outlet RTL, has revealed that ‘in recent hours’, talks have ‘intensified’ between Rennes and the Toffees over Guirassy, with a ‘first offer’ already being made:

“Negotiations have intensified in recent hours between Rennes and Everton for the transfer of Serhou Guirassy.

“First offer from the Toffees: loan with option to buy. The Bretons would like a dry transfer.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Considering their urgent need for a striker, this is a deal that Frank Lampard’s team need to get done as soon as possible.

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Signing Guirassy on loan presents little risk, as if it does not work out, they can just let him go back to Rennes and bring in another forward.

However, given the faith that they have shown in scouting in France, following the arrival of Amadou Onana from Lille, the 26-year-old could well turn out to be a really astute signing, and the Blues will need him to hit the ground running as soon as possible.

West Ham United target Maxwel Cornet is the perfect man to replace Arthur Masuaku’s role in the squad, says former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell.

The lowdown: Hammers deal lined up

The Hammers have been extensively linked with Cornet in recent weeks, albeit there was fierce competition from Everton and Newcastle for the recently relegated Burnley man.

However, West Ham are now believed to have agreed on a fee with the Lancashire club, moving the transfer swoop for the 25-year-old Ivory Coast international one step closer.

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Following the loan departure of Masuaku to Besiktas this week, one pundit has suggested that Cornet could be the ideal man to replace the versatile ace in the Irons’ ranks…

The latest: ‘Like for like’

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Arsenal frontman and Sky Sports pundit Campbell stated that the 29-cap winger is the perfect man to succeed Masuaku.

He said: “It would be a like for like. Masuaku has done a job every time he has come in. He has done ok.

“He has not been a regular starter though. It gets to the point where you want to play. At Besiktas, he will play.

“I’m sure he would go with West Ham fans blessing. David Moyes is clearly in the market for a left-sided player. If a [Filip] Kostic or Cornet comes in you have cover. That would be a like for like replacement.

“West Ham have been so consistent. Players on the periphery don’t get much game time. The first XI have been so consistent.”

The verdict: Attacking intent

Albeit Cornet is capable of operating as a left-back having done so 39 times in his career to date, a majority of the Ivorian’s skill-set lies in the attacking areas and David Moyes would therefore likely be reticent to turn to him for a prolonged period in place of Aaron Cresswell.

Capable of playing on either wing and as a centre-forward, last season, the former Lyon man scored nine times and provided two assists in 29 appearances across all competitions for what was a struggling Burnley outfit.

Hailed as an ‘exciting’ player by pundit Noel Whelan, Cornet would offer supreme versatility to Moyes’ squad at the London Stadium, so perhaps we could see Campbell’s call come to fruition if the boss ever opts to play a back five, offering Cornet more freedom as a wing-back.

Norwich striker Teemu Pukki has made known his intention of wanting to leave the Canaries, even though he still has a year left on his contract with Norwich City. Meanwhile, the Finland international is being tipped for a move back to his homeland at the end of the season, with Celtic reportedly interested in signing him. However, Pukki’s agent has asserted that he will be staying at Norwich even though the striker has indicated interest to keep playing in the Premier League, given that Norwich was relegated from the Premier League and will be playing the upcoming season in the English Championship.

Norwich City Determination

Norwich City has returned to the English Championship, after being unable to stay afloat in the English Premier League. Norwich City is determined to keep their talisman Teemu Pukki despite the player being above 30 years of age. The canaries want to keep their highly valued asset in the person of Pukki and have declined to trade him off to any other clubs despite the interest in the striker. Dean Smith has made it clear that he still wants Pukki as part of his squad when the  2022/2023 championship season gets underway.

Teemu Pukki Interest

The Finland international was in fine form for the Canaries last season, as he has been with the club since his arrival on the Carrow road in 2018. Pukki, through his agent, has expressed his desire to play continuously at the top levels in the English premier league. Despite his dream of staying and playing in the premier league and having clubs looking for his signature, the Finnish International has opted to stay with the Norwich City side for the 2023 championship season.

Teemu has decided to stay with Norwich City for his passion for the club, the love he gets from everyone, and the club’s value for him. Pukki also feels very much part of the club and always wants to give his best to the club. Hence, he has decided to stay with and commit his future to Norwich while putting a hold on his desired dream to keep playing continuously at the top levels of the English premier league.

Teemu Turunen’s Outlook on Pukki

Turunen Teemu’s agent is of the stance that Teemu is currently at Norwich but that negotiations are going on. This he made known while speaking to the Finnish media. Turunen told the media that pricing Pukki away from Carrow road would be difficult. This sentiment is shared by the gaffer of the side Dean Smith.

While speaking to the Finnish media, Turunen also added that getting a deal done to get Pukki away from Norwich will not be easy this summer. In the beginning, Teemu will go back to Norwich for the training season, but if something happens before the end of August, I don’t know. Yes, Teemu is interested in playing at the highest level possible. Turunen also hinted that getting a deal done to get Pukki away from Norwich will be difficult.

Josh Sargent’s Journey to Norwich

Josh Sargent, only 22 years old, is likely to join the US national team for this year’s World Cup. He was acquired as a homegrown player by Sporting Kansas City in 2016, despite having spent his early career in Missouri. He transferred to Norwich City from Werder Bremen in 2021.

As the state is preparing for its online sports betting launch, those looking to place a wager on Norwich to win the EFL Championships should keep an eye out for the news as the opening is expected to happen in the fall of 2022. If you want more information, try this Kansas web-site

Photo by Unsplash

Aston Villa saw a raft of new players join their ranks during the previous summer and winter transfer windows as the Midlands club had a rather eventful season that also saw Steven Gerrard get appointed as their new manager.

On the pitch, one figure that was a rather prominent in Villa’s campaign was John McGinn.

With 35 Premier League appearances to his name, Matty Cash and Tyrone Mings were the only outfield players to play more minutes than the Scotsman last season.

In those appearances, McGinn showed how useful he can be in a defensive and attacking sense.

In terms of his attacking presence, no other Villa player racked up more shot-creating actions (96) than the midfielder, who also made more successful dribbles (41) than any of his teammates.

From a defensive point of view, the midfielder won more tackles (61) than any other player in Gerrard’s squad, in addition to making 52 interceptions.

With all of this in mind, it’s safe to say that the 27-year-old is a vital cog for the Villans.

Looking ahead to next term, one figure that has been linked with a move to Villa Park that could form formidable duo alongside McGinn is Conor Gallagher.

As a product of Chelsea’s youth system, the midfielder spent the previous Premier League campaign on loan at Crystal Palace.

During his time with Patrick Vieira’s side the Englishman scored eight goals and delivered three assists in 34 league games.

In fact, his second goal against West Ham United in August was described as “outrageous” by Palace podcaster Dan Cook.

As well as his goals and assists, only Wilfried Zaha (104) produced more shot-creating actions than the Gallagher (89).

From a defensive point of view, only Tyrick Mitchell (187) ended the season with a higher combined total of tackles and interceptions in the league than the 22-year-old (112).

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that having both McGinn and Gallagher in the same side as two well-rounded midfielders who are capable of going forward and defending their own goal, would be a massive asset for Villa as a team.

Despite having a rather hefty reported price tag of £50m, this would be a great reason for NSWE to get the chequebook out once again and give Gerrard a great tool to help push the team and the club forward.

AND in other news: Reliable journo: AVFC move would be “attractive” for 6ft1 “rock”, Gerrard will love it

Liverpool were heavily linked with Antony ahead of the summer transfer window opening, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit for the player from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has claimed Liverpool were working on signing Brazilian winger Antony before signing Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho this summer.

In an interview with a German news outlet (via Rousing The Kop), Romano revealed: “A lot of top clubs have been working on this player in recent months. Including Liverpool before deciding to sign Darwin Nunez.”

“A centre forward and not a winger like Antony, a different type of player. Liverpool have thought about him. He was a player on their roster for a long time. Of course, that won’t happen this summer. They are happy with Darwin and Fabio Carvalho.”

Supporters will be gutted

There is no doubt that supporters won’t grumble at the signing of Nunez, however, they will surely be gutted that Liverpool didn’t eventually sign the Ajax forward, especially when you consider his output for the Dutch side and Sadio Mane’s recent departure from Anfield.

The 22-year-old scored 12 goals and delivered 10 assists in all competitions last season, but it’s not just his goal contributions that caught the eye of the Merseyside giants, as his form in the Eredivisie, in particular, has been phenomenal.

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Antony created seven big chances, making 1.7 key passes, one tackle and taking 3.4 shots on average per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels combined (51%) and was successful in completing the majority of his dribbles over 23 Eredivisie appearances, proving that he offers much more to his game than just finding the back of the net.

The Brazilian has been a recipient of high praise for his Ajax form, with Dutch scout Piet de Visser dubbing the player a “winner” in an interview with Voetbal International (via Football Oranje): “Antony, that will be a winner!

“Wonderful technical football player. You can’t compare him to David Neres or Hakim Ziyech, he really has his own style. A very good, short dribble, a lot of speed, a beautiful staircase.”

Back in Merseyside, with Divock Origi’s contract expiring next week, Taki Minamino set for a move to Monaco and Sadio Mane confirmed as a Bayern Munich player, Liverpool are weakened slightly in their attacking options even with the signings of Nunez and Carvalho.

With that being said, FSG could put their hands back into their pockets to sign Antony if they wanted to and there would be an opportunity to do that due to the amount of attacking outgoings Liverpool have, however, it is looking unlikely with Romano’s comments that the club will strengthen further this summer.

AND in other news: FSG plotting LFC move to sign “magical” £35m dynamo, he can be Klopp’s very own Foden

Lewis O’Brien is not a priority central midfield target for Leeds United this summer. 

That’s according to Phil Hay, Leeds correspondent for The Athletic.

The lowdown

Leeds ‘came close’ to agreeing a deal for Huddersfield Town midfielder O’Brien last year, when Marcelo Bielsa was manager.

He wound up staying with The Terriers, who lost the Championship playoff final 1-0 to Nottingham Forest.

O’Brien started all 46 of their matches over the course of he campaign, almost exclusively operating as a number eight (via WhoScored).

Under contract at The John Smith’s Stadium until the summer of 2025, he’s valued at £3.15million by Transfermarkt.

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The latest

Hay tells fans that Leeds ‘do want a central midfielder’ but ‘from what we’re hearing’, they’re focusing their attention on ‘other targets’.

They are admirers of O’Brien, but in reality, the ‘window of opportunity’ to sign him was ‘probably last summer’.

In terms of alternatives, Hay reiterates that Manchester United’s James Garner is ‘someone Leeds have thought about’ after he helped Forest secure promotion, but they may instead opt for a player with more ‘experience’ and ‘pedigree’.

The verdict

How do O’Brien and Garner compare?

Well, they would both be characterised as predominant no. 8s, even if Garner did play four games each as a defensive and attacking midfielder in 2021/22.

In fact, they would often occupy a very similar role, deployed as left centre midfielder and flanked by a wing back.

Both players make significant defensive contributions, but there are some differences beyond that. O’Brien, for instance, is more inclined to run with the ball averaging more dribbles than any Leeds player, while Garner creates more chances (2.0 key passes per game compared to 1.2).

Huddersfield’s defeat at Wembley actually seemed like it could pave the way for Leeds to snap up O’Brien, who may not be keen on another season of second-tier football.

Indeed, journalist Mark Douglas has called him a ‘terrific footballer’ who’s ‘destined for the Premier League’.

New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is keen to run the rule over Garner in pre-season, and if he opts to keep him around, then perhaps Leeds will be forced to revisit O’Brien.

In other news, another Leeds transfer target has emerged.