All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

VAR considered at Sunderland v Wycombe

Sunderland journalist James Copley has now revealed some big news ahead of their League One play-off final against Wycombe Wanderers next week.

The Lowdown: One game away

After knocking out Sheffield Wednesday over two legs in the play-off semi-final, Alex Neil knows that his team are only one game away from Championship football.

Beating Wycombe will be an uphill battle though, as they knocked out third-placed MK Dons, and of course were promoted themselves a couple of years ago, with much of the squad who know what it takes still in tact.

The Latest: VAR considered

Taking to Twitter, Copley of The Sunderland Echo has revealed that goal-line technology will be used at Wembley Stadium for the clash, and VAR is ‘under consideration’:

“Goal-line tech to be used during Sunderland-Wycombe at Wembley. Understand no decision on VAR yet but it is under consideration.”

A final decision on the use of VAR is set to be made later this week.

The Verdict: Use it

Yes, VAR has not been used for the entirety of the League One season, but this is too huge an occasion to sacrifice accuracy for consistency – there is no reason not to make use of it.

It has been suggested that the clubs competing in the Championship play-offs would welcome the use of VAR, and so this should trickle down to both League One and League Two.

Nonetheless, the technology is simply there to help the referees get the right decisions, and with so much at stake, they should be given every tool possible to do so.

In other news, find out which Black Cats loanee is now set for a new deal here!

Manchester United: Fabrizio Romano drops van der Gaag news

Manchester United are working on contract details over a move for Ajax assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Van der Gaag links

Erik ten Hag was announced as United’s new manager last month, with the Dutchman penning a contract at Old Trafford through to 2025.

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He quickly gave the green light to Red Devils chiefs to secure a move for Van der Gaag, who has served as Ten Hag’s assistant at Ajax for 46 games.

However, despite Van der Gaag accepting a position in Manchester, a deal is yet to be sealed, but it looks as if United are getting closer.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter in the early hours of Tuesday morning to provide an update on United and Van der Gaag.

He revealed the club are working on contact details for the assistant manager to join Ten Hag, labelling it as an ‘important addition’ with an ‘agreement getting closer’.

“Manchester United are working on the details of the contract to bring Mitchell van der Gaag at the club from Ajax, as part of Erik ten Hag coaching staff.

“Van der Gaag has been considered an important addition for months – agreement getting closer. Talks ongoing.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Ten Hag is seemingly keen to bring Van der Gaag with him to Old Trafford, so this update appears to be good news ahead of the transfer window opening, where the United boss will more than likely be extremely busy with incomings and outgoings.

A move for the Ajax assistant would be Ten Hag’s first and perhaps most important piece of business as United manager, and it looks as if it could be just a matter of time until a deal is over the line.

Of course, there could still be hiccups, with reports last month suggesting Van der Gaag could succeed Ten Hag as Ajax manager, but Romano’s latest update points to an Old Trafford move.

In other news: Man Utd now leading race to sign star striker for Ten Hag in big deal

Newcastle must complete Bissouma transfer

Newcastle United have successfully been able to turn their latest Premier League season around after being in and around the relegation zone for the first half of the campaign.

Since January, the Magpies have only lost four games in the league, winning 10 and drawing two.

The January transfer window has turned out to have been a crucial period for the Toon as they brought in a number of new players to help get their campaign back on track.

Now that the summer transfer window is on the horizon, this could give the Tyneside club the opportunity to once again make some changes to their squad that they deem necessary ahead of their first full season with PIF in charge.

One figure with whom the Toon have been linked and who could be a vast upgrade on one of their current squad members is Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma.

According to a recent report from The Mirror, the Mali international is on a list of potential summer transfer targets for the Toon.

In terms of what he could offer Howe’s side in comparison to current Magpies midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, the Brighton monster would be a big upgrade in terms of his defensive talents.

With the pair both playing more than 30 games for their respective clubs in the current league campaign, Bissouma has more tackles, pressures, interceptions, blocks and clearances than the Newcastle man.

On the ball, the 25-year-old has made more passes and racked up a higher pass completion percentage (89.7%) than Shelvey (80.2%).

To further highlight the Brighton star’s capabilities on the ball, he has successfully completed 29 dribbles compared to Shelvey’s nine.

Back in September, Bissouma earned hefty praise from Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers, who said of the midfield maestro: “I think he is a top player he does a great job defensively, he can press the game, he is aggressive, he intercepts, he blocks, he tries to get them on the front foot.

“Physically he has good physicality, he gets around the pitch, he is mobile, agile and tactically he looks strong around the game.

“He utilises empty space and technically he is very good, he touches the ball, he passes it, and has good awareness of space.”

Taking all this into account, securing a deal for the £29k-per-week Brighton ace should be at the top of Newcastle’s priorities for the summer transfer window.

In other news: Newcastle eyeing swoop for “cold” £60m machine, he’d be “fabulous” for Howe

Man Utd eye Lautaro Martinez transfer

Manchester United are interested in a deal for Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from The Times (via The Express) who claim that Man United have now learnt the asking price for the rampant Argentine striker.

They claim that he could cost in the region of £60m to £70m this summer.

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Martial upgrade

With reports stating that Ten Hag wants Martinez to lead the line next season, it gives us a good indication of how he wants his forward to play in United’s attacking line.

The 52-year-old Dutchman clearly wants his striker to possess the necessary technical attributes and work rate to help create an offensive threat. In other words, he does not want a forward who relies solely on wingers to produce chances.

Martinez, who has been described as a “machine” by reporter Roberto Rojas, serves as a major upgrade on Anthony Martial and conforms to ten Hag’s creative requirements, with his match average 3.19 shot-creating actions ideal for the Dutch tactician, as per FBref.

For starters, Martinez has proven himself as a world-class centre forward over the last three seasons having scored 18 assists in 105 appearances for Inter in Serie A.

Meanwhile, Anthony Martial has netted once.

United are right to be targeting a deal for Martinez and ten Hag should instruct Rangnick to go in with an offer of around £70m in what would be an astute, future-proof move that allows the new manager to play exactly how he wants to.

In other news: Ten Hag set to make £20m “pitbull” his first MUFC signing, supporters surely buzzing – opinion…

A Saka & Madueke hybrid: Arsenal ramp up move to sign £75m "monster"

Arsenal have made a blistering start to this season, and the theme of their success continues to be squad depth.

On Wednesday night, it was substitutes that made all the difference, as the Gunners beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League.

Riccardo Calafiori set up Noni Madueke to score the go-ahead goal, before Gabriel Martinelli raced around Manuel Neuer to stroke home the clincher soon after, all three doing so off the bench.

In recent seasons, most notably last year, Arsenal’s title hopes have been derailed by injuries, simply not possession-requisite deputies, in terms of quality, quantity and sometimes both, to cope with key absentees.

Well, this time round, numerous key figures have been or are currently still sidelined, and this has not hampered the Gunners one bit, so do Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta now have their eyes set on further new recruits in January?

Arsenal target a new attacker

Those who thought Mikel Merino up front had been confined to the past were very much mistaken, the Spaniard forced back into the emergency centre-forward role because, well, in recent weeks there haven’t been any other options.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyökeres remain sidelined, Martin Ødegaard, Madueke and Martinelli have all made their returns this week, but Leandro Trossard is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge after suffering a knock against Bayern, the severity of which is not yet known.

So, could Arteta request the arrival of a new attacker in January?

Well, according to reports in Spain, Arsenal are interested in signing Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, with Manchester United also in the race to secure his signature.

They add that die Schwarzgelben value the German international at £75m, but could be under pressure to sell, considering that his contract expires in 2027, hence why there is ‘intensifying’ interest from the two Premier League giants.

So, could he become the 13th German to feature for Arsenal, following in the footsteps of Jens Lehmann, Per Mertesacker, Mesut Özil, Bernd Leno, Lukas Podolski and others?

What Karim Adeyemi​​​​​​​ would bring to Arsenal

After beginning his senior career at RB Salzburg, Adeyemi joined Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for €38m (around £33m), scoring 31 goals and registering 22 assists for the club to date.

Analyst Ben Mattinson praises his “electric pace” and labels him a “transitional monster”, which is possibly best demonstrated by this goal he scored in the Champions League against Graham Potter’s Chelsea at the Westfalenstadion​​​​​​​.

Meantime, according to the Bundesliga, he is one of the fastest players in the division’s history, reaching a top speed of 22.77 miles per hour, which would result in an £80 fine if he ran that fast up Holloway Road parallel to the Emirates.

He is very much a key player at Dortmund, as the table below documents.

Goals

5

2nd

Assists

3

2nd

Shots

31

2nd

Key passes

12

3rd

Shot-creating actions

39

2nd

Goal-creating actions

7

2nd

Big chances created

4

2nd

Attempted take-ons

54

1st

Successful take-ons

24

1st

Progressive carries

35

1st

Top speed

32.2 km/h

1st

Touches in box

65

1st

Average rating

7.31

2nd

The table underlines Adeyemi’s importance to Dortmund.

Only Serhou Guirassy has scored more goals, with wing-back Julian Ryerson the only player boasting better creative numbers, but Adeyemi is currently combining the two.

The attacker also leads the way at die Schwarzgelben for all the dribbling statistics as well as top speed, registering the most touches of any Dortmund player in the opposition penalty area.

This emphasises how he is currently able to combine all the things that make both Madueke and Bukayo Saka elite – the two players noted as among the five most stylistically and statistically similar players to Adeyemi among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Madueke is a direct dribbler who is a major goal-threat, underlined by the fact that he ranked third in the Premier League last season for progressive carries and fifth when it came to touches in the attacking penalty box.

Saka meantime is the creator in chief, registering more shot-creating actions and big chances created than any other Arsenal player so far this season, despite a spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Well, right now, Adeyemi is able to combine all of these qualities into one, seemingly fulfilling his full potential at the age of 23, suggesting he would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s team and could be the man to fire them to that elusive first Premier League title since 2002.

Shades of Declan Rice: Arsenal expected to move for £80m "superstar"

Arsenal are ready to add the final flourishes on their high-flying squad.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 29, 2025

Not Miovski: "Complete" Rangers star in danger of becoming the new Morelos

Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Bojan Miovski scored what will hopefully be the first of many goals at Ibrox in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Saturday.

The Macedonia international arrived at Ibrox during the summer transfer window with a view to adding a big goal threat to Russell Martin’s side, but it had been a slow start to his career in Glasgow.

Miovski failed to find the back of the net in his first two starts in the Scottish Premiership, against Celtic and Hearts, and only managed two shots in those matches, per Sofascore.

However, the left-footed marksman was able to get his name on the scoresheet against Hibernian at the weekend, converting from close range after Mikey Moore’s ball across the box fell into his path.

Supporters will now be hoping that the 26-year-old centre-forward can kick on and prove himself to be a consistent goalscorer for the Light Blues, having scored 32 league goals in two seasons with Aberdeen in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

Miovski will be hoping to emulate Alfredo Morelos in a positive sense, as the former Gers number nine ended his career at Ibrox with a fantastic goalscoring record.

The duality of Alfredo Morelos' Rangers career

The current Rangers striker will want to go down the same path as Morelos at Ibrox in the sense that the Colombia international was a prolific scorer for the club for many years.

In 269 appearances for the first-team, the powerful centre-forward racked up 124 goals and 57 assists, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals throughout his time at Ibrox.

Topically, with a clash with Genk at Ibrox coming up this week, Miovski will also hope to emulate Morelos’ excellent return in front of goal in Europa League matches for Rangers.

Europa League qualifiers

23

13

7

Europa League

33

15

10

Champions League qualifiers

2

1

0

Champions League

5

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the Colombian marksman scored 28 goals and provided 17 assists in 56 Europa League games for the club, including qualifiers, which shows that he was lethal on the European stage.

These statistics prove that Morelos was a reliable figure at the top end of the pitch in Europe for Rangers, which Miovski will be hoping to be, starting with the game against Genk on Thursday.

Where Miovski will not be hoping to be like Morelos is with how the striker’s career at Ibrox ended, because he left on a free transfer in 2023 after previously being linked with big-money moves.

Rangers rejected an offer of more than £16m from Lille in 2020 and a bid of £10m from Porto in 2021, which shows that there was plenty of interest from top teams in Europe during his pomp at Ibrox.

The Light Blues opted not to cash in when his value was high. The striker went on to leave for nothing before going to sign for Santos in Brazil, exiting European football, in 2023.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It is far too early to judge which direction Miovski will go in at Ibrox, but there is another player in the squad who is in danger of following Morelos in the wrong direction.

Mohamed Diomande is in danger of losing his way in Glasgow unless he can turn his performances around and get back to his best under Martin this season.

Why Diomande is in danger of becoming the next Morelos

The Ivorian central midfielder caught the eye with some fantastic displays for the Light Blues, despite a disappointing season as a club, in the 2024/25 campaign.

Diomande, who was described as “complete” by analyst John Walker, proved his worth in the middle of the park in the Premiership with a return of four goals and seven assists in 36 appearances in the division, per Sofascore, whilst also winning 57% of his duels on the ground.

The left-footed star, who signed on a permanent deal last summer after an initial loan spell at the back end of the 2023/24 campaign, has shown that he can be a difference-maker in midfield.

Diomande’s impressive form for the Scottish giants led to interest from elsewhere this summer. Six Premier League clubs, including Everton, were said to be interested in the midfield star and Besiktas had an offer of £6.5m rejected by the Gers.

This shows that, as was the case for Morelos at his peak at Ibrox, there was significant interest in the Ivorian star because of his performances on the pitch last term.

Rangers, however, opted not to cash in. They will now be hoping that it is a decision that they do not live to regret, as the midfielder has endured a difficult start to the current campaign.

Appearances

36

5

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.38

Goals

4

0

Assists

7

0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.6

Ground duel success rate

57%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

17%

As you can see in the table above, Diomande’s performance level in and out of possession in the middle of the park has dipped significantly in the Premiership from last season to this one.

The Everton and Besiktas target has been too weak off the ball, losing duels on the deck and in the air too regularly, and has not offered anything at the top end of the pitch to win games for his side.

That has contributed to the club’s worst start to a league season in 47 years, with no wins, four draws, and one defeat after five matches in the Premiership.

This is also why Diomande is currently in danger of becoming the next Morelos at Ibrox because he may not find himself with enough suitors to attract a big-money exit from Glasgow if his performances do not improve.

Rangers must regret losing star who was "like Lionel Messi" for nothing

Rangers had a star who was compared to Lionel Messi and allowed him to leave for nothing.

ByDan Emery Sep 22, 2025

Therefore, the central midfielder could be the next player whom the club fail to cash in on at their peak value before losing them for less money later down the line.

Newcastle doing everything to seal new deal for £80m star who Man City want

Newcastle United are looking to do all they can to sort out a new deal for a “sensational” player, amid rumours of a move to Manchester City.

Howe makes Isak admission and confirms Newcastle injury

After a two-week international break, the Magpies host Wolves in the Premier League this weekend, taking them on at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has opened up about his relationship with the departed Alexander Isak, and how his relationship with the Swede changed.

“Alex and I always enjoyed a great relationship. I loved working with him and I hope he loved working with us. We helped him become the player who departed us today and he helped us achieve some important milestones.

“The moment he went on strike our relationship did change and that was a turning point in our relationship. Communication became difficult from that point onwards.”

Meanwhile, Howe has also said that one of Newcastle’s new signings, Yoane Wissa, will miss the Wolves game after picking up an injury on international duty with the DR Congo.

Newcastle will do everything to seal new deal for "sensational" £80m star

Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed that Newcastle are pushing hard to agree a new deal for £80m-rated right-back Tino Livramento, amid interest from City who are ready to accelerate a potential transfer.

Tying down Livramento to a new contract has to be seen as key business for Newcastle, especially with City potentially hovering for him in the future.

The 22-year-old has matured into such a consistent player for the Magpies, proving to be adept at both right-back and left-back, pushing hard to start for England at the 2026 World Cup next summer.

Livramento has been hailed as “sensational” by Magpie Media, while Theo Walcott even once claimed that the Englishman possessed an “aura” during his time at Southampton as a younger player.

Anderson 2.0: Newcastle may rue selling one of the league's best for £3.5m

Elliot Anderson isn’t the only cautionary tale for Newcastle.

ByWill Miller Sep 11, 2025

He can be a mainstay for Newcastle for many more years to come, possibly making the right-back spot his own after Kieran Trippier, and Howe will surely see him as a massive part of his future plans.

He could be Parker's next Cairney: Burnley looking at signing £12m star

Scott Parker might well be known to many in the Premier League as a former goalscoring hero on the books of West Ham United, but his managerial career in the top league to date has been anything but a smooth sailing experience.

Indeed, the 44-year-old has only ever collected nine wins from the dug-out when taking control of a top-flight team. Still, after guiding the Clarets to automatic promotion in style with only two defeats from 46 Championship clashes last season, he will fancy his chances at rewriting this negative narrative.

He will certainly be helped in his efforts to keep the Lancashire side afloat if he is given plenty to spend this summer transfer window, with a new target who has previously set the EFL alight now catching the eye at Turf Moor.

Burnley add 20-year-old star to shortlist

Whilst Leeds United explore moves aplenty with Aaron Ramsdale and Emiliano Buendia linked, the Whites’ fellow automatic promotion winners haven’t been overrun with rumours of their own.

Danny Ings has been speculatively linked with a return to the Clarets, alongside Chelsea outcast Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also being tipped to make the move from West London, but one new rumour involving ex-Birmingham City star Jordan James has emerged.

Journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that Burnley are taking a look at the now Rennes midfielder as a possible replacement figure for Josh Brownhill, with the newly promoted outfit prepared to splash £12m to land the 20-year-old’s services.

Whilst James could come in and replace Brownhill, considering the experienced Clarets ace is being linked with a switch to Everton among other established top-flight destinations, Parker will pray that the former St. Andrew’s product could actually bounce off the 29-year-old well, with the youngster perhaps going on to be as influential as Tom Cairney once was in the heart of Parker’s midfield at Fulham.

Games played

63

Goals scored

10

Assists

4

Games missed through injury

47

How James could be Parker's next Brownhill

Despite missing 47 games of Parker’s tenure through serious injury, the much-loved Cottagers servant would still manage to pick up a hefty tally of ten goals and four assists from 63 games under his methods.

Much like Cairney, James has shown for ex-employers Birmingham in the Championship that he has a similar eye for firing home an effort or assisting a teammate, leading to Rennes boldly picking him up for a sturdy £8m fee.

In total, the 20-year-old would pick 12 goal contributions for his boyhood side from 105 clashes, with a hope now on the Wales international’s end that a return to England results in him becoming a Premier League established performer for Parker’s relegation-threatened side.

After all, whilst Cairney did shine in glimpses under the 44-year-old’s guidance, he hadn’t yet made a full name for himself in the top flight. Now, at 34 years of age, the Fulham veteran has added 144 Premier League clashes to his glittering career resume, with James presumably eager to make similar waves if he does relocate back to England.

CM

40

3

2

DM

21

0

0

AM

16

3

1

LM

10

2

0

RM

9

0

0

The table above further reinforces the idea that James could become Parker’s next iteration of Cairney in time, with the Clarets target capable of playing all across the midfield positions much like the Fulham captain, away from simply offering up the same goal-threat as the number ten.

Labelled as a “standout” young player when on the books of the Blues by journalist Josh Bunting, it will be intriguing to see how seamlessly the 20-year-old makes the transition up to the bright lights of the Premier League.

Birmingham midfielder Jordan James.

Yet, if there’s one figure that should be able to get the best out of James, it’s Parker, considering he was once a wide-eyed starlet himself in the middle of the park trying to cut his teeth, away from previously working with Cairney.

Dream Burnley XI after promotion: Egan-Riley replaced & £30m star arrives

Scott Parker will want lots of new signings through the door at Burnley after their triumphant return to the Premier League.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 1, 2025

A dream for Rodrygo: Arsenal make the "new Haaland" their primary target

After a terribly disappointing season, Arsenal need a massive summer.

Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has made it pretty clear on multiple occasions now that the club are very much planning for one as they look to make the right additions to get them over the line in the Premier League next year.

For example, one of the most prominent links in recent days has been to Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo, who’d undoubtedly be the calibre of player to help take the Gunners to the next level.

However, that’s not all, as recent reports have now linked the club to another international who’d be a dream teammate for the Brazilian and has even won comparisons to Erling Haaland, of all people.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other needle-moving stars Arsenal have been linked with in recent weeks, like Nico Williams and Antoine Semenyo.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could cost the club around £50m due to a release clause in his contract, and as he’s managed to rack up a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 44 games this season, that feels like a more than fair price.

Likewise, Semenyo would cost the Gunners around £70m, and with a haul of 11 goals and seven assists in 41 games for Bournemouth, he’d undoubtedly be worth the money.

However, to really get the most out of Rodrygo next season, the North Londoners would probably be better off signing an exciting centre-forward, someone like Benjamin Sesko.

According to a recent report from an Arsenal insider, the club have maintained their intense interest in the RB Leipzig star ahead of the summer transfer window.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Slovenian international is now the North Londoners’ “first choice” for that striker position.

A price is not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this month claimed that due to the 21-year-old’s impressive performances this season, his release clause could now be at £75m.

RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Sesko’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be an ideal teammate for Rodrygo and has been compared to Haaland.

Why Sesko would be perfect for Rodrygo

So, before getting to why Sekso would be an ideal teammate for Rodrygo, let’s examine this comparison to Haaland and where it has come from.

Manchester City's ErlingHaalandbefore the match

Well, in this instance, it stems from respected talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described the Slovenian international as the “new Erling Haaland” in May 2021, and based on what’s happened in the years since, it’s not hard to see why.

For example, like the Manchester City star, he moved from the domestic league in his own country to RB Salzburg, where he was good enough to earn a move to one of the Bundesliga clubs most known for developing youngsters.

On top of that, he is a physical beast, standing at 6 foot 5 and somehow still being relatively fast, and then there is his attacking ability, which is also what would make him a perfect teammate for Real Madrid’s Brazilian star.

For example, so far this season, the goalscoring “monster,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, has put the ball in the back of the net 21 times and provided six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or one every 120.66 minutes.

Moreover, according to Understat, his 13 Bundesliga goals have come from an expected goals figure of just 10.84 this season, and as he scored 14 league goals from an expected goals figure of 8.60 last season, it’s fair to say he’s clinical in front of goal.

So, just imagine someone of his stature and goalscoring ability alongside Rodrygo; the Brazilian would see his assist tally soar, while the Slovenian would surely hit that 20-goal-a-season mark.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to sign a new striker this summer, and, from age to ability and potential, Sesko looks to be the perfect candidate.

Odegaard upgrade: Arsenal racing to sign "one of the best 10s in the world"

Arsenal could replace Martin Odegaard this summer.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 23, 2025

Gus Poyet chats to FFC ahead of Spurs vs Man Utd Europa League final

As Tottenham prepare to take on Manchester United in Bilbao in a Europa League final that will save one side’s season from disaster, we sat down with former Spurs midfielder and top flight manager Gus Poyet to chat about the two men in the dugouts.

Pressure mounting on Postecoglou

No doubt aware of the importance of the showdown in Spain not just for Tottenham but for his own future, Postecoglou has been in no mood to joke around with reporters in the build-up to the final.

Asked about a comment by Ruben Amorim that the Red Devils couldn’t possibly lose to the Lilywhites a fourth time this season, the former Celtic boss responded: “I’m sure in there, there’s some Portuguese humour. There’s a little irony there. I’m sure Ruben doesn’t think that way. We’ve had some good games against United this year and last year, and we have come out on top, but it’s the final of a major tournament.

“I think the one thing you don’t look at is previous head-to-head comparisons. They become irrelevant, it’s all about who performs on the day.”

There have indeed been widespread reports that the 59 year-old will be sacked if Spurs do not end their wait for a trophy next week, and speaking to Football FanCast in partnership with BetBrain, former White Hart Lane midfielder Poyet insisted the game is bigger for Ange than for his Portuguese counterpart: “I would think Ange (has more pressure), because of his words a few months ago when he said ‘I always win a trophy in my second season.’

“When you commit like that, it’s a big commitment because it’s not easy, especially at Tottenham. Now, the opportunity is massive, so it will be amazing if he wins it.”

Tottenham hold talks with big-name coach who Benitez thinks is very clever

He’d be an ideal replacement for Postecoglou.

1 ByEmilio Galantini May 14, 2025 Amorim regretting "dream" Man Utd move

However, with United also toiling domestically, sitting just one point ahead of Tottenham with an abysmal goal difference of -11, the Uruguyan revealed there may be some regrets seeping in for the former Sporting CP boss: “I think for Amorim, it (winning the final) would be a plus to have an OK season. Maybe personally for him it would be important.

“But for the club, Man United, we all dream of managing one of those big clubs, but when you see what is happening he’s probably thinking ‘What did I do?’, and that’s a really bad feeling.”

Matches

25

Wins

6

Draws

6

Losses

13

Points

24

Goals for

30

Goals against

41

Indeed, the 40 year-old’s top flight form has been nothing short of embarassing – by his own admission – having gathered just 0.96 points per game since arriving in November of last year, which would return just over 36 points in a full campaign. Since the switch to a 20-team competition in 1995/1996, the average points needed for Premier League survival has been 37.86, meaning the Red Devils are well and truly in relegation form since Erik Ten Hag was replaced.

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