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Shortly before the coronavirus pandemic forced the world into lockdown in December 2019, Tottenham recorded and released a video of their first-team players driving academy kids to training. Lucas Moura, still basking in the heroism of his Amsterdam miracle half a year earlier, surprised an 11-year-old boy with his presence as they took the car for a spin. Along the way, the Brazil international had some words of wisdom for the child.

"The best advice I can give for you," Lucas said, "is never give up, always give your best, every day, every time. And, for your life, never get tired to do good things for people. To be a gentleman."

Just over five years later, that kid, Luca Williams-Barnett, made his debut for the Spurs senior team. "He was very welcoming," Williams-Barnett, now 17, said of Lucas and the experience. "He wanted to get to know me when [the video] was about him, he was a very good person."

When Luca met Lucas was but the first chapter on the former's rise through the ranks, and the hope inside Hotspur Way is this fairy tale has several, fruitful passages still to be written. The attacking midfielder has made mincemeat of his age-mates and already turned the head of first-team boss Thomas Frank. "I'm well aware of Luca's talent, I like what I see," the Dane recently admitted.

So, who is Williams-Barnett, and why are Tottenham so convinced he could be their best homegrown product since Harry Kane? GOAL has the lowdown on Spurs' latest teenage prospect…

Where it all began

Williams-Barnett has the distinction of being a Spurs supporter who wasn't even alive the last time they won a domestic trophy, as he was born on October 1, 2008, some eight months after their League Cup triumph against Chelsea and only a matter of days before Juande Ramos was replaced as manager by Harry Redknapp.

He was raised in Luton and naturally caught the attention of the Hatters' scouts as a boy, though by the age of 10, he had already been whisked away to Tottenham and their base on the borders of Hertfordshire, Essex and Greater London. It didn't take Spurs too long to realise they had a gem on their hands, which was perhaps part of the reasoning why Williams-Barnett was selected to appear with Lucas on video.

Continually playing above his age group never seemed to daunt Williams-Barnett, who found a way to stand out even among more physically developed players. His flair and trickery made him an incredibly difficult talent for even the staunchest of defenders to pin down.

By the ages of 15 and 16, Williams-Barnett had been promoted into Tottenham's Under-18s setup, making seven appearances at that level during 2023-24 and first catching the eye of former head coach Ange Postecoglou. The Australian was already earmarking the midfielder for the future.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

During the first third of Tottenham's successful 2024-25 Europa League campaign, Williams-Barnett received an important message from Postecoglou. Rather than heading to school on November 6 and 7, the Year 11 student would be part of the travelling Spurs party for their trip to Turkish giants Galatasaray. It required a series of phone calls from youth team staff and a quick trip back to his family home to pick up his passport, but Williams-Barnett managed to get on the plane with the multi-millionaires of the seniors all the same. Though the midfielder didn't get onto the pitch, he was still part of the matchday squad for the 3-2 defeat, his hopes of an unlikely debut all but dashed after scorer and fellow teenager Will Lankshear received a red card.

That was the first step into the world of men's football for Williams-Barnett, and he was clearly in Postecoglou's plans one way or another. Subsequent bench call-ups followed against Roma and Rangers in Europe, as well as Fulham in the Premier League. There was much buzz about elders Lankshear and Mikey Moore, but Williams-Barnett was the youngest of this new crop, waiting for an opportunity to show their mettle at the highest level.

Alas, Williams-Barnett didn't play a competitive minute during Postecoglou's tenure, though did still light up the U18 Premier League with a whopping 19 goals and nine assists in 20 games, primarily as a No.10 while copying idol Dele Alli's famous finger celebration. He scored a hat-trick in their 5-2 Premier League Cup triumph over Charlton Athletic, and his post-match message was one which delighted supporters: "I can't wait to be in the Premier League, scoring goals for Tottenham and making fans happy."

Of course, England's talent-spotters were hot on the tail of Williams-Barnett, who to date has made 14 appearances across all age groups for the Young Lions and scored on his U18s debut in September. That goal came shortly before the most important moment of his career to date…

Getty ImagesHow it's going

The emergence of Williams-Barnett is important to contextualise, not only for his own talent but for the club Tottenham are trying to be. Beyond the likes of Kane and Ledley King, their most prestigious academy graduates in recent years have been Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga. They lag way behind their 'Big Six' rivals when it comes to promoting players from within, even if they have made themselves closer to the senior team, as best demonstrated with the acquisitions of teenagers Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Luka Vuskovic and Mason Melia.

Heading into 2025-26 under Frank, who has spent much of his adult life as a youth coach, Spurs wanted to see more of a clear pathway from the academy into the first team. Indeed, the Dane has been frequently quizzed on his plans to integrate Hotspur Way's best and brightest into his setup.

"I think it's the fine balance that he needs to play and develop somewhere where he gets pushed enough but it's not too tough," Frank said one day before handing Williams-Barnett his debut. "And other times where he needs to be pushed very hard and it's tricky for him to cope with the intensity or the physicality. So it's just to try to strike that balance."

On the 87-minute mark of their 3-0 win against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup in September, Williams-Barnett replaced Mathys Tel to become the 900th different player to feature for the men's team, with only six players younger than he was when putting on that lilywhite shirt for the first time.

"I'm over the moon. Coming out for my boyhood club… It's crazy." a breathless Williams-Barnett said post-match. Frank, for his part, was pleased to have had a say in the teenager's development, telling a press conference: "I think it's always a pleasure to be part of a young player's debut. So, yeah, happy with that. I think that definitely over the last many years the focus on the talent development and academies across the world is so big. So the talent pool is bigger. There are these talents coming through that are younger and younger. But one thing is the debut when you're 16. The next step, and much more important, is how Luca or other players take those steps forward. It's very tough to keep going and then get into the first team as a really regular player. But the first step is very important."

Williams-Barnett has since travelled with the senior team and appeared on the bench, though has otherwise played exclusively for Spurs' U21s domestically and U19s in the UEFA Youth League, registering eight goals and seven assists in 11 games at those levels combined. Of note, he grabbed a hat-trick inside 39 minutes during a 6-3 victory against Leicester City.

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Biggest strengths

One look at Williams-Barnett's stats tells you he is a player who knows where the goal is. Through 41 official matches from U16s to U21s, he's found the net 30 times and laid on 20 assists, mainly starting in the hole, though he has also been deployed on either flank.

Beyond the raw numbers, Williams-Barnett plays with such an elegance and enthusiasm that may one day make him worth the price of admission alone. He can burst from stationary to full tilt incredibly swiftly, while his two-footedness makes him an even more unpredictable threat for defenders to nullify, as he is known for switching the ball between his left and right mid-run.

These attributes alone make Williams-Barnett one of the most devastating young players in transition anywhere in the world, but that's not where his skillset ends. That ambidexterity of his lends itself nicely to the rocket of a shot he possesses, capable of picking out the top corner on either foot from pretty much anywhere a la former Spurs favourites Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen.

And when we say 'anywhere', we mean it. Williams-Barnett has already scored from the halfway line three times in matches for Spurs' youth teams. . That's just on record, too. Imagine how often he's made a fool of his own goalkeeper in training sessions. Maybe Guglielmo Vicario has even fallen foul to such a fate.

Speaking after Williams-Barnett's cameo against Doncaster, midfielder Gray was adamant that Spurs have a gem on their hands. "I think if he had 10 more minutes, he could have scored. I was saying to him at the end, if he had a few more chances to get at the full-back. We've seen him in training, he's so sharp and it's so exciting to see young players like that come through and do well in games and get given chances. I was once in his position, so I know what it's like, so I'll be helping him all the way."

تحدث علاء ميهوب، نجم الأهلي السابق، عن الشوط الأول من مواجهة الأحمر أمام بتروجيت الجارية الآن، ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

وانتهى الشوط الأول، بين الأهلي وبتروجيت بتأخر الأحمر بهدف نظيف ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري.

وقال علاء ميهوب، عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “الهدف جاء نتيجة وقفة دفاعية خاطئة، المفترض أن اللاعب الذي يراقب حامد حمدان لا يقف أمامه، لكن طاهر كان يقف أمامه”.

طالع.. فيديو | بخطأ من الشناوي.. حامد حمدان يسجل هدف بتروجيت الأول أمام الأهلي

وأكمل: “بالإضافة إلى أن الشناوي اتخذ قرار الخروج متأخرًا، بتوقيت خاطئ، وهذا هو السبب في الهدف”.

وأتم: “الفريق عندما يدخل مرماه هدفًا من كرة ثابتة، يكون ذلك بسبب الوقوف الدفاعي بشكل خاطئ”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O dilema em torno da situação de Tiquinho Soares fez com que o Botafogo se mobilizasse nos últimos dias para encontrar soluções no seu setor ofensivo. De acordo com o “ge”, o Alvinegro sondou a situação de Islam Slimani.

No entanto, o fato do exame detectar que o camisa 9 sofreu uma lesão no ligamento colateral do joelho esquerdo e ficará longe dos gramados por cinco semanas fez com que a negociação pelo argelino não prosseguisse.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Líder!

Em vez de depositar as fichas no atacante que recentemente deixou o Anderlecht, da Bélgica, o Alvinegro tende a apostar nos jogadores que atualmente estão no elenco. Jovens como Janderson, Matheus Nascimento e o recém-contratado Valentín Adamo receberão chances nos próximos dias.

O Botafogo encara o Guaraní, do Paraguai, nesta quarta-feira (9), pelas oitavas de final da Sul-Americana, no primeiro desafio sem Tiquinho.

Let’s be clear: Liverpool have not looked that good this season. Four times have Arne Slot’s side had to dig deep in the Premier League and find something within the dying embers to secure all three points.

And yet, Liverpool have only played four matches in the Premier League this season, and have indeed won all four, and have started their title defence flawlessly, the only side to have done so.

Now, domestic action takes a breather, and the Champions League campaign begins. The Reds host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening, kicking off their eight-part group phase.

Defeated by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain last season in the round of 16, Liverpool know they need to start strongly. Even so, their stunning top place finish in the group phase last year still pitted them against PSG, who had been subpar early on.

Liverpool have won every game in the Premier League this season, but they have also lacked their usual fluency and fizz in the final third.

Florian Wirtz joined for £116m in the summer, but the German has left plenty to be desired so far, and the question will be posed as to whether he should be dropped.

Wirtz's start to life at Liverpool

Wirtz, 22, left his German homeland cherished as one of the country’s modern greats. Indeed, journalist Chris Stonadge hailed him as a “generational talent” after playing an instrumental role in Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible championship of 2023/24.

But there’s no denying he’s struggled to get going for Slot’s Liverpool so far, assisting Hugo Ekitike in the Community Shield but blanking across his first four appearances in England’s top flight.

Might Liverpool be ready to place their midfield maestro on the bench? Wirtz, to be sure, has been somewhat below his best since joining the Premier League champions, but he’s still a world-class player and will soon crack the nut.

And anyway, he has demonstrated an incredible level of ability on the continental stage, starring for Leverkusen in the Champions League last season and picking up five Man of the Match awards, more than any other player.

It was his first foray into the competition.

It would be bold for Slot to drop Wirtz ahead of the opening night of the Champions League season, but the Dutch coach could make an even more contentious call by withdrawing one of Liverpool’s most instrumental figures from the starting line-up on Wednesday evening.

Slot could boldly axe Liverpool's talisman

It’s not been the smoothest start to the season for Mohamed Salah, and yet he has scored twice and assisted one goal across four games in the Premier League. This is Salah. This is what he does.

However, Slot is catering to a new system, which carries all the vagaries of fresh faces and how they fit together and how this affects the existing crop on the field. For the 33-year-old Salah, one of Europe’s deadliest attacking players, it has been a late-career learning curve, with the newfound quality at number nine hemming him in on the right flank.

Last year, the Egyptian icon was immense, the leading light who led Liverpool to the Premier League title. Across all competitions, he scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists. In the Premier League, his 47 goal involvements broke the record for a 38-game season. Sky Sports’ Gary Neville described him as a “superstar”, and who could argue against it?

Most Goal Contributions in PL (24/25)

Player

Goals (assists)

G/A

1 – Mohamed Salah

29 (18)

47

2 – Alexander Isak

23 (6)

29

3 – Bryan Mbeumo

20 (8)

28

4 – Erling Haaland

22 (3)

25

5 – Yoane Wissa

19 (5)

24

5 – Ollie Watkins

16 (8)

24

5 – Cole Palmer

15 (9)

24

Stats via Transfermarkt

And yet, he’s struggling, spending most of his time outside the flow of the match so far. To suggest that he should be dropped would be to accept bewilderment from many, but here it is anyway.

The season is young, and so make what you will of the data below, but with Sofascore recording Salah’s heatmap to have been pulled somewhat closer to the touchline, it’s clear that a new role has been handed to him, a subtle shift.

Salah might benefit from a pause from the action, allowed to enter the fray after the interval and prey on tired legs.

This would not be a regular occurrence, not at all, but with Jeremie Frimpong waiting in the wings and having impressed off the bench against Burnley, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world, adding some energy and pace into the game against an Atletico side who will enjoy nothing more than negating the Reds’ attacking threat.

Liverpool might not have hit the ground running this season, but they have claimed 12 points from 12 in the Premier League. Salah has played a big part in achieving that.

The Merseyside derby awaits on Saturday, and though the right winger’s athleticism and fitness are remarkable things, he might benefit from taking to the dugout for this one, still primed to enter the fray and make things happen after the break.

For 99% of Salah’s Liverpool career, dropping him on a big occasion has felt incomprehensible. Maybe it still does. But the 33-year-old veteran finds a new wealth of attacking talent to ease his burden, and his opening performances this term have left a lot to be desired, even with his trademark prolificness still intact.

Atletico will employ a rigid defensive structure, and they will seek to neutralise Salah and cut off that lane of creativity from the right.

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And, after all, Salah would still be ready for a big role throughout the second half, and given Liverpool’s current predilection for late goals, would a fresh Egyptian King in the closing stages not be a good thing, should Slot’s side need a goal?

Related The new Rooney: Liverpool already sold Salah's heir in "world-class" talent

Liverpool have so much attacking quality but might come to regret selling this star.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Sep 13, 2025

Murshida Khatun, Lata Mondal, Sultana Khatun and Taj Nehar have all been dropped from the squad that featured against West Indies

Mohammad Isam12-Mar-2025

Ritu Moni has made a return to the squad•Getty Images

Experienced allrounder Ritu Moni has come back to the Bangladesh ODI squad for the women’s World Cup qualifiers, to be held in Lahore next month. She last played an ODI against Ireland in December last year.Bangladesh have made four changes to the squad that featured against West Indies in January, with Murshida Khatun being the notable absentee. Lata Mondal, Sultana Khatun and Taj Nehar have also been dropped.Murshida made only 53 runs in the three ODIs while Sultana played one ODI and three T20Is and picked up just two wickets against West Indies. Mondal and Nehar featured only in the T20Is against West Indies and failed to make an impression.Jannatul Ferdus, who last played an ODI in 2018, has returned to the side, while spin-bowling allrounder Ishma Tanjim, who is uncapped in ODIs, has earned a place.Ishma made 336 runs in seven matches for Sheltech Cricket Academy in the just-concluded Women’s Dhaka Premier League. Ferdus was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 21 strikes, while Moni was the joint-second-highest wicket-taker with 18 wickets.The Bangladesh team will arrive in Lahore on April 3 and the qualifiers will take place between April 5 and 19. Five teams will compete for the final two available spots in the eight-team World Cup, to be held in India later this year. Bangladesh will play against West Indies, Ireland, Scotland and Thailand, along with hosts Pakistan.Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (capt), Nahida Akter, Ishma Tanjim, Dilara Akter, Sharmin Akter, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Jannatul Ferdus, Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun, Fariha Islam, Farzana Haque, Shanjida Akther, Marufa Akter, Ritu Moni

South Africa have not played a single, full 20 over game in the tournament having been hounded by rain

Raunak Kapoor30-Jan-2025AustraliaThe story so far: Australia topped their group with comfortable wins against Scotland and Nepal, and a tense two-wicket win against Bangladesh. An easy win against West Indies in the Super Six combined with other results meant they secured a semi-final spot ahead of their final Super Six clash against Sri Lanka, where they failed to chase 100, becoming the only semi-finalists to suffer a defeat in the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.What’s working: The bowling attack. Eleanor Larosa’s left-arm swing is a genuine threat with the new ball. Fifteen-year old WBBL sensation Caoimhe Bray, who idolises Ellyse Perry, is playing Perry’s role for this U-19 team: wicket-taking, decisive counter-attacking batting or making tough catches look easy. Legspinners Teegan Williamson and Hasrat Gill have 15 wickets between them at a combined average of 7.77. Lily Bassingthwaighte’s late entry into the playing XI has added more teeth to the attack, resulting in opposition scores of 48, 91 for 9, 56 for 8, 53 and 99 for 8.What’s not working: The batting. Openers Kate Pelle and Ines McKeon are both power-hitters, but have consistently misfired, leaving Australia with a big decision on whether to leave one of them out in the semi-final. Nepal captain Puja Mahato had them at 14 for 3 before Bray’s brilliant counter-attacking 45, also the highest score for an Australian batter in the tournament, helped them post their highest team total of 139 for 6. Accurate spin bowling has also been a challenge for the Australian batters at the top and in the middle order, a struggle that was apparent in their last game when they failed to chase 100. Captain Lucy Hamilton at No. 3 remains their most reliable bat. Her innings of 30 off 35 on a tough spinning surface in Bangi, Malaysia, against Bangladesh won her the Player of the Match in a chase of 92.What to look out for: They might be entering the semi-final off a loss, but Australia have been tested as a unit far more than their opposition, or for that matter, all the other semi-final sides. Their batters would welcome the change of venue to the Bayumeas Oval in Kuala Lumpur where run-scoring has been much easier than the more challenging UKM Oval, where Hamilton’s side have played all five of their matches in the tournament. If they can get a competitive total, even 100-110, they’ll back the form of their bowlers to defend it.South Africa go into semi-finals undefeated•ICC/Getty ImagesSouth AfricaThe story so far: Rain has followed Kayla Reyneke’s South African side throughout the tournament. But it has relented just enough to allow them one reduced game after another to secure the wins needed to top both their Group Stage and the Super Six Group, without having played a full 40 overs once. They won an 11-overs-a-side game against New Zealand, an eight-overs a side shootout against Nigeria and a 10-overs per side contest against Ireland. Their only full match happened to be against Samoa, where they blew their hapless opposition away for a record low of 16 and chased it in 10 balls. Their final Super Six match against USA was washed out.What’s working: While they’ve never had to bowl a full 20 overs, the bowling unit does seem well-equipped and well-rounded. Nthabiseng Nini might be among the quickest in the competition and has been effective moving the ball away from the right-handers, while Monalisa Legodi moves it the other way. Legspinner Seshine Naidu and captain Reyneke’s offspin have made light work of any opposition so far. All four playing in their second U-19 Women’s World Cup. Reyneke has led the side impressively and in spite of lengthy rain breaks and waiting on the sidelines, South Africa have looked sharp when on the field.What’s not working: They might have four wins on the board but South Africa’s batters have batted only 26.5 overs all tournament, less than half of England (55.2) and India (54.2), just over a third of the overs their more battle-hardened semi-final opponents Australia (76.5). It’s hard therefore to conclude what sort of form their batters are in but openers Jemma Botha and Simone Lourens, and keeper Karabo Meso have notched up quickfire 20s and 30s when needed. All three of them are also playing their second edition of the women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup.What to look out for: South Africa’s spinners will be key to testing Australia’s vulnerabilities. Reyneke leads their wicket-taking list with nine wickets at an average of 3.88 and economy of 4.03.

Manchester City transfer had reportedly chalked up a contingency plan for Savinho's exit if the winger had left for Tottenham. Manager Thomas Frank had identified the 21-year-old as a priority signing, and Spurs tabled a bold £43 million ($58m) bid in the hope of luring him to north London. But City weren’t biting. From the very start of talks, the message was clear: Savinho was not for sale.

• Spurs' bid of £43m for Savinho was rejected
• City shortlisted Barcola as a backup plan
• Winger expected back for Manchester derby

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Behind the scenes, however, City weren’t entirely unprepared for the possibility of losing Savinho. According to, Etihad chiefs had identified Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola as their contingency plan. At just 22, the French international fits the mould of Guardiola’s preferred wide men: fast, versatile, and fearless in possession.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  PSG were reluctant to let him leave, amid other links with Liverpool – particularly after his breakthrough season in Paris. But had City advanced their interest with a formal offer, the situation could have shifted dramatically. In the end, the move never materialised, with Savinho staying put and Barcola remaining in Ligue 1.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Savinho only officially became a City player last summer after being acquired from Girona, part of the City Football Group network. Despite being one of the newer faces at the Etihad, he quickly proved his worth, making 48 appearances across all competitions. While his return of three goals may not have set the world alight, Guardiola valued his ability to stretch defences and offer much-needed depth in attack. The Brazilian still has three years left on his current contract, giving City little urgency to consider offers.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SAVINHO?

  Savinho has yet to feature this season due to a pre-season injury, but he is expected to be back in contention when Manchester United visit the Etihad in the derby on Sunday. Guardiola will welcome the injection of energy on the flanks, particularly with other injuries mounting across the squad.

Olly Stone will fly home from England’s tour of Pakistan on Wednesday ahead of his wedding this weekend, and appears unlikely to return in time to be considered for the second Test.Stone took seven wickets in two Tests against Sri Lanka at the end of the English summer, which were his first caps for three years in the format. Brydon Carse was preferred as England’s high-pace option for the first Test in Multan, which started on Monday, which has freed Stone up to fly home earlier than initially planned ahead of his wedding on Saturday.The date of Stone’s return is unconfirmed and may depend on the status of England’s other fast bowlers after the first Test. But with a very tight turnaround between his wedding and Tuesday’s second Test, he is unlikely to feature. Carse, Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes are the three seamers picked to play in the first Test, with Matthew Potts the other fast bowler in the squad.England’s management are understood to be happy for Stone to leave Pakistan, given he was not included in their last batch of central contracts and his wedding was arranged long before his recall. He spoke to Rob Key and Brendon McCullum – England’s managing director and coach respectively – before the tour, who agreed that he should head home to get married.”We booked the wedding on the basis of me only playing for Notts at the time,” Stone recently told the BBC. “Jess said she was happy to move the wedding and I was adamant on keeping it where it was if possible. For what she has given up and sacrificed for me, I thought the least I could do was to try and make it work.”In a previous era, the seamer Tony Pigott postponed his own wedding at short notice in order to play what proved to be his only Test on England’s 1984 tour to New Zealand. More recently, contracted players have rescheduled weddings due to clashes: Joe Root said on Saturday that he and his wife Carrie had rearranged their own “three times because of different tours”.Root said that Stone would leave the tour with his teammates’ best wishes. “It’s a special time in anyone’s life,” he said. “I’m really excited for him. I’m sure he is all over the place with everything that’s going on, but it’ll be very special for him – and his wife – starting a different chapter in his life. We’ll all be raising a cold water to him at some point, celebrating.”

Chiefs have now flown into London for talks, following an important Arsenal player agreeing terms to leave the club this summer, according to a report.

Gunners could sanction departure to help fund Madueke move

The Gunners are now closing in on a deal for Noni Madueke, as well as Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca recently confirming the winger has decided to make a move across the capital.

However, with the north Londoners reportedly set to spend £52m on the Chelsea ace, fans appear to have been left less than impressed by the news, with ‘Arteta Out’ graffiti even appearing at the Emirates Stadium over the past few days.

While the reaction is excessive, given that Mikel Arteta has turned his side into consistent Premier League title challengers, the decision to sanction a significant outlay on the winger can be called into question, considering he is yet to establish himself at the highest level.

As such, Arsenal may have to sell one of their current forwards to soften the blow, and a report from The Boot Room has revealed that Fenerbahce chiefs were set to fly into London for talks over a deal for Leandro Trossard this weekend.

Trossard is said to have agreed terms in principle over a move to the Turkish club, with the Gunners willing to cash-in on their £27m signing this summer, despite him featuring in every single Premier League game in the 2024-25 campaign.

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Arteta’s side are willing to take a loss on Trossard, with a price tag of £17m being demanded, although Fenerbahce are currently unwilling to spend that much, meaning some aspects of the deal still need to be ironed out.

"Magician" Trossard could still have part to play at Arsenal

It could be a mistake to sanction the Belgian’s departure this summer, given that he is a versatile option for Arteta, able to play on the left-wing and through the middle, while he also amassed 16 goal contributions in the Premier League last season.

Arsenal fans will know all too well the importance of having a big squad, given that Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz getting injured arguably derailed their Premier League title pursuit in the 2024-25 season, and the 30-year-old has proven himself as a reliable source of goals and assists.

That said, despite the recent outrage, Madueke’s arrival could soften the blow of losing Trossard, given that the Chelsea ace is much younger than the Fenerbahce target at 23-years-old, while he has also been dubbed “fearless” by scout Antonio Mango.

Not only that, but Arsenal also remain interested in a forward with more experience at the top level, with recent reports suggesting they are leading the race for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.

It is no secret that Leeds United will be in the market to sign new players in the summer transfer window ahead of the Premier League next season.

Fabrizio Romano gave the Championship champions a ‘here we go!’ on Saturday when he confirmed that Jaka Bijol has signed his contract to join the club from Udinese.

The Whites are set to pay a fee in the region of £19m to sign the central defender from the Italian side to bolster their options at the heart of the defence.

Bijol started 34 matches in the Serie A for Udinese in the 2024/25 campaign, which means that he is set to arrive at Elland Road with plenty of experience in one of Europe’s major leagues.

The Slovenia international will now be due to compete with the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Max Wober, Joe Rodon, and Pascal Struijk for a place in the starting XI next season.

What Jaka Bijol could bring to Leeds

Bijol is a strong defender in the prime years of his career, at the age of 26, and could provide Daniel Farke with an aerially dominant option at the heart of the defence.

The Slovenian colossus was particularly impressive in the air for Udinese in the Serie A, using his height and frame to tussle with opposition strikers to win key defensive duels.

24/25 Serie A

Jaka Bijol per 90

Percentile rank vs CBs

Aerial duels won

3.31

Top 6%

Aerial duel success rate

67.7%

Top 17%

Interceptions

1.15

Top 41%

Clearances

5.53

Top 14%

Passes blocked

0.61

Top 42%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, he ranked very highly among central defenders in the Italian top-flight when it came to competing for headers at the back.

His 68% aerial duel success rate was higher than Struijk (62%) and Rodon (60%) managed in the Championship for the Whites, which suggests that he would improve the Leeds defence from an aerial perspective.

Leeds did, however, have the best xGA (29.6) record in the second tier this season, which suggests that their defence was not a major cause for concern, albeit they have still opted to strengthen in that area of the pitch.

Instead, a bigger issue for the Whites to resolve, on paper at least, is finding a new number one goalkeeper, after Illan Meslier was left on the bench for the final seven games of the 2024/25 season.

Farke needs to find a replacement for the French goalkeeper to start between the sticks in the Premier League next term, and the door is seemingly open for them to sign one from a relegated side.

Door open for Leeds to sign Southampton star

Southampton owner Dragan Solak has opened the door to Aaron Ramsdale moving on from Elland Road before the end of the summer transfer window, after the Saints were relegated from the Premier League.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, as relayed by LeedsLive, Solak said: “We unfortunately are not sure that Ramsdale is going to stay, even though he loves the club. He’s a great young man, everybody loves him, but he wants to get his place in the national team and it’s not easy to get there in the Championship.”

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LeedsLive reports that signing a new goalkeeper is one of the priorities on the club’s transfer agenda, as they go in search of a number one for next season.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that the West Yorkshire outfit have eyed up Ramsdale as a potential target to arrive at Elland Road as Farke’s new shot-stopper.

Solak’s comments show that the door is open for the £25m England international to sign for Leeds, and it is now down to the club to pursue a deal that could be even more important than the one to sign Bijol.

Why Leeds should sign Aaron Ramsdale

As aforementioned, Leeds enjoyed a strong defensive record in the Championship this season and were not in desperate need of a player like Bijol, as much as he could improve Farke’s options at centre-back.

Whereas, the Whites are in desperate need of a new number one to replace Meslier next season because the French dud is, simply, not good enough for the top-flight.

The left-footed flop was dropped by Farke after he made three errors that directly led to goals for the opposition and had a goals prevented of -2.73 in 39 appearances in the Championship.

Post-shot xG minus goals conceded

Season

Illan Meslier

24/25 (Championship)

-0.4

23/24 (Championship)

-3.1

22/23 (Premier League)

-12.4

21/22 (Premier League)

-16.2

20/21 (Premier League)

-3.4

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Meslier was also a liability as a shot-stopper in his three seasons in the Premier League with the Whites in the past, as he let in significantly more goals than he should have, based on the post-shot xG of the shots against his goal.

Ramsdale, however, prevented 0.14 goals in 30 outings in the Premier League and did not make a single error that led to a goal, which shows that he outperformed Meslier whilst playing at a higher level.

The 27-year-old stopper, who was once hailed as “magnificent” by reporter Charles Watts, has 183 appearances in the Premier League in his career to date, which suggests that he could hit the ground running at Elland Road as a player who already knows the division well.

His statistics in the top-flight for the Saints also suggest that he would be a huge upgrade on Meslier, given his more impressive showings as a goalkeeper at a higher level.

That means that he would solve a huge problem for Leeds, given the Frenchman’s dismal performances in recent years, and provide Farke with the goalkeeper that he desperately needs.

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Posts ByDan Emery Jun 22, 2025

Therefore, he would be an even more important signing for Leeds than Bijol because finding a quality goalkeeper is a more pressing matter than replacing Rodon and Struijk, who impressed as a pairing in the Championship.