All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur have pulled off some eye-catching signings in their history, with Daniel Levy spending big in recent times.

However, Spurs have also missed out on bringing some world-class players to north London, with Eberechi Eze the latest Tottenham transfer to fall through. With a deal close to being finalised, fierce rivals Arsenal swept in and poached the attacking midfielder frim under Spurs’ nose.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been just Eze. Tottenham have been pipped to the post or rejected by a plethora of legends, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Kylian Mbappe.

Tottenham's most expensive signings of all time

A detailed look at Spurs’ 10 most expensive signings of all time.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025 10 superstars Tottenham Hotspur nearly signed 10 Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Tottenham scout and player Ronny Rosenthal was urging the Spurs to sign Cristiano Ronaldo when he was coming through at Sporting CP.

However, Spurs didn’t listen, with Manchester United landing the Portuguese superstar for just over £12m in 2003.

9 Kylian Mbappe

Back in 2015, a teenage forward by the name of Kylian Mbappe impressed Spurs chiefs for Monaco during a Europa League clash against Tottenham.

Those in north London kept tabs on the Frenchman and were looking to bring him to the club, however, they quickly realised he was out of reach, with Mbappe instead choosing PSG.

8 Diego Maradona

Tottenham legend Teddy Sheringham had two spells with Spurs and once revealed that the club were in talks to sign Diego Maradona.

Ossie Ardiles managed Spurs in 1993-1994 and once told Sheringham he was looking to partner him in attack with Maradona.

7 Rivaldo

Levy missed out on signing Brazilian icon Rivaldo in 2002 when he was on the search for a new club after leaving Barcelona.

Manuel Auset, Rivaldo’s friend and lawyer, said that Spurs offered the then-30-year-old a move to the Premier League, but he instead chose AC Milan.

6 Eden Hazard

Now remembered as a Chelsea legend, Eden Hazard could quite easily have been a Tottenham player when leaving Lille in 2012.

Former Spurs coach Clive Allen admitted that the Belgian star was “keen to come to Tottenham” but instead chose to head to Stamford Bridge.

5 Bruno Fernandes

Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham made a concrete effort to sign Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in 2019.

Fernandes, who eventually moved to England with Man Utd, once revealed he was “really angry” his move to Spurs fell through after being convinced to join by Pochettino.

4 Sadio Mane

Tottenham and Pochettino made Sadio Mane their top target in 2016, however, Spurs were outbid by Liverpool.

The Reds paid £34m for Mane who’d go on to become an Anfield legend, with Tottenham instead using the money that would have gone on the forward for midfielder Moussa Sissoko.

Wins

9

Draws

5

Losses

2

Goals

3

Assists

2

3 Virgil van Dijk

Tottenham had Virgil van Dijk on their shortlist of central defender targets back in 2015 when the Dutchman was still on the books of Celtic.

Instead of signing Van Dijk, though, Spurs brought in Toby Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid, with Van Dijk signing for Southampton the same year.

2 Jack Grealish

At one point, Tottenham thought they were on course to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for just £25m.

Grealish wasn’t happy about the failed transfer to Spurs in 2018, however, three years later, he’d cost Manchester City a then-British record £100m.

1 Luis Diaz

Tottenham were in pole position and pushing to sign Luis Diaz from FC Porto in the 2022 January transfer window before Liverpool hijacked a transfer.

The Reds paid a guaranteed fee of £37.5m for the Colombia international, who would go on to win the Premier League at Anfield before being sold for a profit to Bayern Munich.

In an early blow for the next Rangers manager, one Ibrox star has been handed an exit route to a major European club as soon as the January transfer window opens.

Rangers take key step in manager hunt

It’s been a busy week for Rangers. The Gers brought an end to Russell Martin’s tenure after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership and the full focus has been on their next manager ever since.

A number of names have been mentioned, including Hearts boss Derek McInnes, but Steven Gerrard has remained the favourite. Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, positive talks have been held with the Liverpool legend about a return to Ibrox for the first time since he left for Aston Villa in 2021.

If Rio Ferdinand’s verdict is anything to go by then Gerrard will be delighted to have received the call from the 49ers. The Manchester United legend, who recently interviewed his former rival, told talkSPORT: “I have to say when I interviewed him, he left me in no uncertain terms that he wants to be a manager and he’s got full confidence in doing that.

“He’s itching to get back in now. He never said this to me, but I personally think just the energy that I felt in that room, that if Rangers came calling he’d go or at least have that conversation.”

That said, as excited as he may be to potentially step back into the Ibrox technical area, there’s no doubt that Gerrard will have quite the task on his hands if he takes the job, especially if one player decides to leave.

Besiktas ready to offer Raskin Rangers exit route

As reported by Turkish outlet Aspor and relayed by Sport Witness, Besiktas are now ready to sign Nicolas Raskin as soon as Gerrard potentially arrives. The Belgian rarely saw eye-to-eye with Russell Martin and failed to get his move in the summer, but could now get his way when the winter window arrives.

Ryan Jack thrilled as Fabrizio Romano shares Rangers manager talks from Ibrox

The Gers are making moves at Ibrox.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 9, 2025

What sums up the relationship that Raskin had with Martin are the words of his father, who said that the former Rangers boss has an “oversized ego” in a scathing review earlier this season.

Those at Ibrox will hope that the start of a new era will change Raskin’s mind. There’s no doubt that the midfielder has the quality to play an important part in Scotland, having been dubbed “clever” by former Rangers manager Neil McCann last month.

Sunderland are yet to look fazed by the intense challenges of the Premier League.

Minus a disappointing loss away at Burnley on the second matchday of the season, Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats have collected two wins and two draws, with another encouraging display from the Wearside outfit against Aston Villa handing the hosts a 1-1 draw.

It wasn’t the prettiest overall display, as Sunderland had to dig deep after being reduced to ten men early on, but there was just enough in the Black Cats’ tank to steal a share of the points.

Again, Wilson Isidor would come to the rescue with a well-taken strike towards the dying stages of the tense contest, with both the Frenchman and his battling compatriot at the back in Nordi Mukiele key to the late draw being sealed.

Isidor & Mukiele's standout performances

Amazingly, Sunderland – at this point – boasts a sterner defensive record in the Premier League than that of Arne Slot’s table-topping Liverpool, and it’s clear to see why after Mukiele put in another combative display.

Leaking just four goals from six games, Mukiele has only given up two of those strikes since entering Le Bris’ first team plans after a summer move from Paris St. Germain.

The commanding 27-year-old would ensure the likes of Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers were kept quiet throughout, despite the Villans’ man advantage, as seen in him winning seven duels and registering 12 clearances to ensure the basics were done valiantly, as per Sofascore.

Picked up for just £12m, it really does feel as if Sunderland have hit gold on an unbelievable bargain already in tempting Mukiele to Wearside.

Isidor is also proving to be a shrewd buy at the moment for just £5m, considering the ex-Zenit St. Petersburg striker is now in the Stadium of Light record books for his three strikes this season on home soil.

But, despite both the defender and the attacker sticking out once more, there is a different star buried in the senior ranks that is worth even more than both Isidor and Mukiele, who represents an even better bargain.

How Isidor & Mukiele's market values compare

Various Sunderland stars who were purchased just this summer have instantly settled into their new environment, away from just focusing on Mukiele, with Noah Sadiki running himself into the ground for the cause on Sunday, as seen in him winning three ground duels.

But, there is also the old guard that has been there since the beginning of Sunderland’s ascent, all the way from the lower reaches of the EFL to the promised land of the Premier League, that deserve equal praise, with Trai Hume being one figure still beloved by the Stadium of Light masses, despite all these flashy new buys taking over.

Le Bris’ past comments about Hume being a “warrior” were spot on when assessing his gritty performance against Villa, with three tackles amassed – which included this mistimed lunge on the aforementioned Rogers – on top of eight duels being won, generating lots of cheers from the home faithful.

Yet, it’s also his attacking flair that has turned him into a major fan favourite since he sealed a switch from his native Northern Ireland to England back in 2022, with nine goal contributions last campaign very much helping Sunderland steer themselves to promotion glory.

Minutes played

137

Goals scored

6

Assists

9

Promotions

1x

Value when joining

£200k

Value now

£15.5m

He is yet to get up and running with any goals or assists in the top-flight, but that will hopefully come with time, with Hume once making the jump from Linfield to the bruising nature of the EFL look straightforward.

Subsequently, the “outstanding” full-back – as he has been glowingly labelled by journalist Josh Bunting – is now worth way more than his original measly £200k price tag, with Football Transfers now estimating that the tough Northern Irishman has a bumped up value of £15.5m.

That’s even more than both Mukiele and Isidor’s valuations on the site, with the determined centre-back worth a lesser £10.6m, while the lofty attacker comes in at £13.6m, which is a huge increase from his modest £5m price tag in January.

Still, he pales somewhat in comparison to Hume, with Le Bris hopeful he can continue to get a tune out of his full camp to keep up their fantastic early return to the top-flight.

70% duels won: 9/10 Sunderland star is now as undroppable as Isidor

Sunderland battled to a well-earned 1-1 draw against Aston Villa as this brave star shone throughout.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 21, 2025

Regis Le Bris might well already be adored by Sunderland supporters for his promotion heroics up to the Premier League, but if he can now keep the Black Cats afloat in the top-flight, his legendary status on Wearside will be even more concrete.

This will be extremely difficult to pull off, considering the Frenchman has never managed a game in the intimidating division before, but the statement additions through the door at the Stadium of Light this summer so far will give him some confidence that safety can be unbelievably achieved.

Up next on the Sunderland transfer agenda looks to be ex-Arsenal warrior Granit Xhaka, with an ambitious move now reportedly being explored.

But, he isn’t a lone, exciting name on the Black Cats’ extensive shopping list, as contact has now been made to try and seal a deal for an up-and-coming striker to join Le Bris’ camp.

Sunderland make contact over deal for £34m star

Crazy amounts of money are being splashed by the Black Cats to try and make their survival dreams a reality, with £30m forked out on Habib Diarra last month, which made him the club’s record buy.

Xhaka would cost far less at around the £9m mark according to reports, but that record fee to land the former Strasbourg midfielder is just about surpassed when looking at the £34m price tag next to Sunderland’s other bold striker target.

A report from Graeme Bailey has revealed that Sunderland are in the race to land in-demand Real Madrid starlet Gonzalo Garcia this summer.

The Black Cats are joined in making contact with Madrid regarding a loan deal by fellow newly promoted Leeds United, alongside Brentford, and West Ham United.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The LaLiga giants are currently deciding whether Garcia should remain with the side in 2024/25 before making a concrete decision on his future.

Why Garcia is a more exciting signing than Xhaka

Of course, Xhaka does have plenty of Premier League experience on his side that would be invaluable to Le Bris and Co trying to stay afloat.

But, with Sunderland’s reputation for being a haven for youngsters to explode into life even more becoming very well-known, signing Garcia on loan could go down as a more exciting signing than the Swiss enforcer joining the Stadium of Light ranks, particularly if his golden form in front of goal at the Club World Cup translates over well to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.

Before delving deeper into Garcia’s heroics for Los Blancos, Xhaka didn’t always experience the smoothest ride in the Premier League with Arsenal, before moving on to Bayer Leverkusen.

Worryingly so for a team attempting to be competitive in every league clash they are in next season, Xhaka would be known for having a suspect record in terms of bookings in the elite division, culminating in a high tally of four red cards and 57 yellow cards being brandished to him over 225 top-flight outings.

Of course, he also fired home 17 strikes and picked up 24 assists for the Gunners as a fiery midfield character, but forking out £9m on Xhaka might not be deemed the most pressing move to make, considering £30m has already been splashed on the aforementioned Diarra centrally.

Whereas, every team that wants to keep their heads above water in the Premier League needs a potent forward line, but with Le Bris’ main option up top last season in Wilson Isidor, squandering a mammoth 20 big chances in league action.

Not everyone will be confident he can lead the line with venom, which is where Garcia might well come in to save the day.

Games played

6

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Scoring frequency

113 mins

Goal conversion

36%

Big chances missed

3

Sunderland’s interest in Garcia must have been piqued somewhat by his blistering exploits at the Club World Cup, with the “world-class” striker – as he was dubbed by football journalist Zach Lowy for his clinical displays in America – going on to bag a sublime four strikes from six games in the pre-season tournament.

To bump up his reputation for being a goal machine even more, the 21-year-old has also amassed a hefty 30 goals back in his native Spain for the Real Madrid Castilla squad from only 78 contests, leading to football talent scout Jacek Kulig also labelling him as “incredible.”

Whilst Xhaka might well be the safer pick here with his Premier League credentials, Sunderland could really show they mean business by landing one of Los Blancos’ biggest rising stars and turning him into even more of a menace in such a tough division.

On the contrary, the ex-Arsenal midfielder has perhaps had his moment in the top-flight spotlight already.

Speakman and Ghisolfi in talks to sign £8.5m treble winner for Sunderland

Sunderland have now joined the race to sign an experienced international midfielder.

ByBrett Worthington Jul 16, 2025

Manchester United are interested in signing an “outstanding” attacker in a surprise move, and he wants a £100,000-a-week contract to move to Old Trafford.

Man Utd still hopeful over Mbeumo signing

The signing of Matheus Cunha felt like a significant piece of business by the Red Devils, showing that they still have plenty of pulling power, despite failing to qualify for Europe last season.

Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo has stood out as United’s primary transfer target since the arrival of Cunha from Wolves, but Tottenham are thought to be providing stiff competition for his signature, having appointed Thomas Frank as their new manager.

Some reports have said that the Red Devils are closing in on the signing of the Cameroonian, who was one of the Premier League’s best attacking players last season, scoring 20 goals in the competition and starting all 38 of Brentford’s matches.

Mbeumo would surely be a perfect option on the right-hand side of United’s attack, with Ruben Amorim admitting he wants a signing in that position, despite the emergence of Amad Diallo: “I think Amad in that position (right wing-back) he could be an option but in this moment with the type of players we have we need a left footer on that position in front. I try to reinforce the team with the idea and try to use the characteristics of the players.”

Free agent wants £100,000-a-week to join Man Utd after talks

Now, according to a fresh claim from Caught Offside, Manchester United are “considering” completing the surprise signing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of the new Premier League season after recently holding talks with the free agent.

The England international is available after leaving Everton earlier this summer, and it is believed that he is looking to earn £100,000-a-week at his next club, coming in at over £5m per year, which the report says could be too much for the Red Devils.

In truth, there are both positives and negatives to United signing Calvert-Lewin, with the free element of the signing jumping out as a good thing, not to mention the fact that Sean Dyche lauded him during their time together at Everton.

“I thought he was excellent. He’s had a bit of illness. We’re hopeful that has passed, he had it before the game, so I must commend him on that. His physical performance was outstanding, He’s not quite over it but we hope it settles down a bit.”

On the flip side, though, Calvert-Lewin has suffered badly with injury problems down the years, not starting over 30 Premier League games in a season since the 2020/21 campaign, so there would be a big risk element in bringing him in.

At 28, the striker, who scored at Old Trafford in 2021, is also no longer a young player who could develop or overcome fitness issues, so United should arguably be looking elsewhere for someone to lead the line.

Amorim's answer to Kane: Man Utd in talks to sign "world-class" striker

Manchester United could finally end their pursuit of a new talisman with a move for one European star.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 11, 2025

If Amorim brought in Calvert-Lewin as a squad option, as well as a superior signing to play most weeks, it could be sensible business, but it may be a non-starter due to his wage demands.

After kicking off their summer business with the arrival of Fer Lopez, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly looking to splash the cash again to sign a South American gem.

What Wolves can expect from Fer Lopez

Arriving for £19m, the pressure will be on Lopez to hit the ground running in the Midlands even if he is still just 21 years old. The winger has all the tools to do exactly that, however, to follow on from an excellent La Liga campaign at Celta Vigo last time out.

Appearances

37

Goals

8

Assists

3

According to Sky Sports’ Adam Bate, many Celta Vigo fans have been left in a rage about Lopez’s departure for they know the talent they’ve just lost.

It won’t be the first time that the 21-year-old features in English football, though. At 14 years old, Lopez played a term for Suffolk side Bacton United ’89. It was then that senior coach Ryan Owens got the chance to witness his talent first-hand.

He told Sky Sports: “He was different gravy. Just a completely different level. But he would join us for the shooting sessions and the small-sided games. He would spend the whole training session putting the ball into the top corner of the net and taking the rise out of players.”

Wolves confident they'll win bidding war for "great" £40m league winner

He’s at the centre of a hectic race…

1 ByTom Cunningham Jun 26, 2025

Now seven years on, Lopez finds himself in the Midlands and looking to take English football by storm once again following the biggest move of his career so far.

The winger hasn’t shied away from talking up the opportunity to play in the Premier League either, telling Wolves’ official website: “It’s an amazing opportunity for my career to play in the Premier League, and I’m very happy.”

Signing young talent seems to be the plan for Wolves this summer too, amid rumours that they’ve now made contact to sign an impressive South American talent.

Wolves make first Breno Bidon approach

According to UOL, as relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves have now made their first approach to sign Breno Bidon from Corinthians this summer and are joined by Arsenal and Brighton in their chase to sign the midfield gem.

Whilst the young Brazilian reportedly has a release clause worth as much as €100m (£85m) in his current contract, Corinthians are willing to accept a major cut-price deal worth just €15m (£13m) to sell Bidon this summer in a huge boost for Wolves.

Bidon would, of course, be the second Brazilian midfielder that Wolves have welcomed in the last year having signed Andre from Fluminense last summer. In two swift moves, Vitor Pereira could have two future Brazilian stars at his disposal as he continues to seek improvements ahead of his first full season at Wolves.

Tottenham Hotspur are working to back new manager Thomas Frank in the transfer market this summer, with the north Londoners not exactly resting on their laurels after sealing a cut-price deal for Mathys Tel.

"Special" Tottenham forward spotted at another club amid talks to leave

Spurs are in negotiations over his exit.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 17, 2025

Despite agreeing an option to buy Tel for around £45 million in January as part of his initial loan, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy managed to negotiate a lower fee with Bayern Munich, with the Frenchman making his stay permanent for £30 million instead.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl admitted last week that Tottenham were in ongoing talks over Tel’s transfer, and those negotiations were concluded pretty quickly, as Spurs announced their capture of the 20-year-old on Sunday morning.

However, Tel’s arrival is by no means the end when it comes to their pursuit of new forwards.

In January, Spurs held “concrete” talks with the representatives of Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, and he’s now re-emerging on their radar.

The 19-year-old impressed for an otherwise dismal Saints side who finished at the foot of the Premier League table last season, chalking up four goals and three assists in all competitions whilst cementing himself as a firm regular under both Russell Martin and Ivan Juric.

Dibling is a “world-class talent” boasting enormous potential, amid comparisons to treble-winning Man City star Jack Grealish, but his price tag has been a major stumbling block for interested sides like Spurs.

Southampton were demanding as much as £100 million to let Dibling go earlier this year, as reliably reported by The Times, but Southampton’s relegation to the Championship could see him depart for significantly less.

Tottenham consider Tyler Dibling move after near-£50m price drop

According to CaughtOffside, Southampton now value the teenage sensation at around £51 million, and Frank’s side remain in the running for his signature.

As per their information, Tottenham are considering a summer deal for Dibling, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United all named as fellow English contenders.

RB Leipzig have also seen a £30 million bid rejected for the Englishman, so the Under-21 international could soon be at the centre of a tug of war between sides both domestically and abroad.

Dibling is fast garnering a reputation as a creative player with excellent technique on the ball, mobility, acceleration, agility and good passing range, but it remains to be seen if the near-£50 million price drop will still be enough to entice Levy into making a formal bid.

Even his heavily discounted new valuation could still be seen by many as a major gamble, especially if Levy wants to reinforce other areas of the squad with Tottenham’s Champions League riches.

Arsenal are making an effort to restructure and revitalize their squad ahead of an all-important 2025/2026 campaign, with Mikel Arteta under some pressure to deliver a trophy after five years without major silverware, discounting the Community Shield.

Mikel Arteta set for a vital season with Arsenal silverware expected

Arteta delivered the FA Cup at the end of his first campaign in charge, but since then, Arsenal have had precious little to shout about despite some very close calls.

Fabrizio Romano says "deal is agreed" for "perfect" player to join Arsenal

Everything is in place for a move to be finalised.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 10, 2025

Arsenal registered an incredible 89 points during the 2023/2024 season, which would have been enough to win the Premier League title in many of the previous campaigns, but Man City’s imperiousness ultimately thwarted Arteta.

It was a similar story during the 22/23 campaign, but Arsenal were miles off this year’s eventual title winners Liverpool, having missed out on the domestic crown by a seismic 10 points.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

The Gunners have also failed to deliver in all other domestic and European cup competitions since 2020, with Arteta now facing a vital next season where he simply must deliver glory to the Emirates after many years of building an elite-level squad.

“There’s no doubt next season the pressure will be on Arteta massively in terms of winning something and winning something big,” said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

“If they don’t do that, the Arsenal board will have a massive issue, because they won’t want to change the manager, but there will be lots of people saying ‘five or six years without a trophy’ and they will be looking at how many managers can make that next step.

“The problem with changing Mikel Arteta is that Arsenal could easily become what Chelsea are now, a team finishing second year in, year out, to a team not getting into the Champions League.

“That’s the big conundrum Arsenal will have in 12 months if they go close again but don’t get over the line. It feels like next season has to be the season.”

Trimming the deadwood and making room for vital new additions is imperative, and they’ve now managed to get previous highly-rated youngster Marquinhos off the books for good.

Arsenal confirm Marquinhos has joined Cruzeiro permanently

The 22-year-old Brazilian, according to Arteta, was actually a “very popular” player behind-the-scenes at London Colney, but he could never quite cement himself as a part of the manager’s long-term plans on the field.

Marquinhos has been on loan at Brazilian side Cruzeiro since January, which included an obligation to buy based on certain conditions, and that now appears to have been triggered.

Arsenal announced on Monday that Marquinhos has joined Cruzeiro on a permanent deal, bringing an end to his three-year stay at N5, which initially brought so much promise, only for the forward to be deemed surplus.

“He’s very popular, with no English, just with his smile and attitude,” said Arteta about Marquinhos in 2022.

“He has earned the respect and admiration of everybody here.”

Marquinhos’ move to Cruzeiro was initially under threat, according to some reports in South America, but he’s now officially set to start a new chapter back in his homeland.

Leeds United have now made an approach to sign a defender who’s “pure class”, and he could be available for a fee of just £5m, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.

Leeds eyeing new defender amid Firpo uncertainty

Junior Firpo played a key role in the Whites’ promotion, collecting four goals and ten assists in 32 Championship games, but the left-back could now be heading for the exit door, amid widespread links with La Liga side Real Betis.

While Firpo is capable of making a real impact from an attacking point of view, former Leeds man Paul Robinson believes it may be the right decision to let the defender leave this summer, given his previous struggles in the top flight.

Robinson said: “Firpo, I’ve got my concerns about. I think he’s been excellent in the Championship. But some players, the Championship is their level, and in the Premiership, before he was exposed defensively, he was well out of position many times, susceptible to goals, and teams targeted him, and I think the step-up was maybe too much for him.”

In the Premier League, Daniel Farke’s side may have to be a bit more pragmatic than they were last season, which means the manager is looking to bring in a new left-back, who is defensively solid, rather than a threat going forward.

According to Jacobs, in an update on X, Leeds have now made an approach to sign Aston Villa’s Alex Moreno, submitting an enquiry about a deal for the left-back, who is also attracting interest from Burnley and a number of unnamed La Liga clubs.

With Moreno’s Villa contract set to expire in 2026, he is set to be available for around £5m this summer, making him an affordable option for the Championship title-winners.

Leeds United in talks over personal terms to sign £17m "absolute hero"

The Whites have stepped up their pursuit of a midfielder, with discussions ongoing.

2 ByDominic Lund Jun 11, 2025 "Pure class" Moreno impressed during Nottingham Forest loan

Having been deemed surplus to requirements by Unai Emery, the defender was shipped out on loan to Nottingham Forest last season, and the Spaniard managed to impress at times, with writer Lee Clarke describing his performances as “pure class”.

Clarke also added: “I confess I was uncertain about his hamstring history when he signed but there have been no ill effects in that sense so far. Moreno is established on the left in the team now and he’s a 7/10 at the very least in every single game.”

That said, the 32-year-old, who has the same agent as Illan Meslier, went on to play less of a prominent role as the season went on, often being left on the bench by Nuno, which suggests he was unable to maintain his initial levels of performance.

As such, there are doubts over whether Moreno would be a worthwhile signing for Leeds, but he could be an upgrade on Firpo from a defensive standpoint, having outperformed the left-back across some key metrics over the past year.

Average per 90

Alex Moreno

Junior Firpo

Tackles

2.36

2.27

Interceptions

1.41

1.27

Blocks

1.04

0.86

Clearances

4.05

3.51

Tottenham Hotspur face the very real prospect of losing a key member of their squad when the summer window reopens, despite their Europa League triumph last week, with an elite club set to open imminent talks over his signature.

Tottenham preparing for summer with Ange Postecoglou future uncertain

The main topic at N17 right now is manager Ange Postecoglou and his long-term future.

Salah-like forward considers joining Tottenham as contract expires in 2025

Spurs have an opportunity to strike a bargain deal.

ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2025

The Australian guided his side to a first European trophy since 1984, ending their 17-year wait for any major trophy in the process and securing a spot in the Champions League for next season – which comes as an almighty transfer boost for the Lilywhites.

However, Postecoglou’s domestic campaign told an entirely different story.

The 59-year-old oversaw Tottenham’s largest number of Premier League defeats in a single season (22), with the north Londoners finishing just one place above the relegation zone.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

2024/2025 was an extremely mixed bag for Postecoglou, and if they hadn’t narrowly squeezed past a lacklustre Man United side in the Europa League final, it’d be a no-brainer that the tactician should be given his marching orders.

The joyous celebrations and emotions that come with the end of Tottenham’s trophy drought have given Levy some serious thinking to do, with Spurs chiefs currently ’50/50′ about sacking Postecoglou, according to some reports.

A decision must be made soon, as this summer’s first mini-transfer window opens in just three days.

Tottenham have been handed a significant financial windfall from their qualification from the Champions League, not to mention more pull in the transfer market overall, with Spurs suddenly a more appealing destination for out-of-contract Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané (Sport Bild).

There is a consensus within the club that they need to bring more experienced players in to bolster their young squad (Sami Mokbel), and while their Europa League glory will help in that aspect, there is still a very real possibility that they lose some imperative stars as well.

Atletico Madrid to open imminent talks for Cristian Romero

According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Tottenham defender Cristian Romero remains high on the agenda of Atletico Madrid heading into June 1.

The Argentine played a crucial role in helping to deliver Spurs their Europa winners’ medal, being crowned the tournament’s Player of the Season, all while putting in a Man of the Match display against United in the final.

However, Spanish media sources believe Romero still has every intention of leaving Tottenham this summer, despite their memorable night in Bilbao, following other previous reports that the £165,000-per-week centre-back is keen to quit the club for Atletico (Marca).

Postecoglou’s side value him at around £60 million, and won’t sell for any lower than £44 million (Marca), even if the La Liga side wish to negotiate an agreeable fee.

Following these reports, Thomas has claimed that Atletico could open talks for Romero as early as this week, with Diego Simeone’s side competing in next month’s Club World Cup and potentially wanting to get business done early.

Given the “underrated” Romero’s importance to Tottenham, and Levy’s well-known stubbornness when it comes to negotiating transfers, we don’t expect this saga to be resolved quickly.