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With new England boss Thomas Tuchel set to name his first squad since replacing interim coach, Lee Carsley, next week, there may well be a raft of Manchester City connections running through the Three Lions roster.

Indeed, the German tactician could once again call upon the likes of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis, while ex-Etihad star, Kyle Walker, will also be looking to maintain his regular role as he targets 100 caps for his country. Jack Grealish and John Stones will, however, likely miss out through injury.

Perhaps more interestingly, there may also be a wave of one-time City academy stars involved for the March internationals, with Cole Palmer the headline name, while the likes of Liam Delap and Morgan Rogers – who have scored 17 Premier League goals between them season – may also have an outside chance of inclusion after starring for Ipswich Town and Aston Villa, respectively.

There could even be a wildcard opportunity for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens to shine after his return of 15 goals and assists in Germany in 2024/25 to date, with the dazzling winger having departed City on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020.

That handful of names may well be joined by another former Man City asset, with Pep Guardiola having perhaps been left to regret another notable sale of recent times…

Man City's goalkeeping dilemma

Among the number of issues for Guardiola and co to resolve this season is in the goalkeeping department, with the time perhaps having come to acquire a suitable, long-term replacement for Ederson in the sticks.

The unique Brazilian – who has remarkably recorded three Premier League assists this season – had lost his place to teammate Stefan Ortega earlier in the campaign, although has managed to wrestle back his starting berth of late, having started five of the last six top-flight games.

That said, the former Benfica man hasn’t exactly enjoyed a smooth recall to the side, having notably been branded “nowhere near enough” by CBS pundit Jamie Carragher, following the 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid last month.

As Carragher stated following the 31-year-old’s costly errors in that Etihad loss, it is now “at the stage with Man City where they need a new goalkeeper”, particularly with Ederson’s contract set to expire next year.

Ortega has largely been an able deputy, yet the German ‘keeper is even older than his teammate at 32, while having also endured a mixed spell of his own, after scoring an own goal in the narrow victory over Leyton Orient.

With all that in mind – and with reports in recent weeks suggesting that City may splash the cash to sign £62m-rated Porto stopper, Diogo Costa – Guardiola may well regret selling another bright young English talent who could well have walked into the current team.

Man City already sold the perfect Ederson replacement

Ederson may have been off the boil of late, yet it is worth remembering that this is a player who has helped Guardiola’s side sweep all before them over the past eight years or so, with the Citizens having undoubtedly struck a bargain with their £35m capture of the left-footer.

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That said, there may be a tinge of frustration that a better succession plan has not been put in place at the Etihad, outside of signing an ageing Ortega as a backup.

Indeed, there may be those – with hindsight on side – who believe that Burnley number one, James Trafford, should have been kept on board, with the 22-year-old now shining in England’s second tier.

Ederson vs Trafford comparison – 24/25 league stats
Stat (per 90)	Ederson	Trafford
Goals against	1.22	0.27
Shots on target against	3.61	2.24
Save percentage	69.2%	87.8%
Clean sheets	0.28	0.73
Clean sheet percentage	27.8%	72.7%
Save percentage (penalties)	N/A	100%
Passes attempted	34.5	34.5
Passes completed (launched)	3.22	3.39
Pass completion	86.6%	73.6%
Crosses stopped	0.50	0.52
Stats via FBref

Tipped to potentially join the likes of Palmer in Tuchel’s England set-up, the former City academy graduate – who joined the Clarets on a £15m deal in 2023 – has been integral to Scott Parker’s promotion-chasing side this season.

The 6 foot 6 stopper has racked up a ridiculous haul of 12 successive clean sheets in the Championship, while conceding just nine times in total in the division in 2024/25.

Such form has led to notable praise from his manager, with Parker stating back in January:

Also tipped to be “world-class” by ex-teammate, Palmer, Trafford was memorably the hero at the U21 European Championship in 2023, having saved a 96th minute penalty to steer the Young Lions to victory.

Of course, the Burnley ace did endure a difficult season last term in the top-flight, after conceding 62 goals in just 28 outings, yet his form this time around has not gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United seemingly showing serious interest.

Amid those links with the Magpies, the belief is that Trafford is worth around £30m, thus marking a 100% increase in relation to his £15m fee from almost two years ago.

If recent signs are anything to go by, that valuation will soar even higher, with City left to regret not holding on to yet another big English talent would could well have walked into the current starting lineup.

Savio upgrade: Man City may regret selling 'the best winger in the world'

Man City might rue selling a player who has shone for his current club since leaving.

By
Ross Kilvington

Mar 3, 2025

When fans talk about the stars from Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur tenure, the same names always tend to pop up.

The first two will almost always be Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as, individually, they were some of the very best attackers in Europe, and together, it could be argued that they were the best partnership in the Premier League.

Then, moving into midfield, people often point to the incredibly hard-working Mousa Dembélé or the technically brilliant Cristian Eriksen.

However, one player who perhaps does not get the recognition he deserves from the general public is Jan Vertonghen, who, alongside Toby Alderweireld, created an incredibly formidable defence, and now it looks like Ange Postecoglou may have uncovered his own version of the Belgian.

Vertonghen's Spurs career

After spending six years with Ajax – where he started his career – Vertonghen joined Spurs in the summer of 2012 for a fee of around £9.5m.

Under then-manager Andre Villas-Boas, the Belgian made his competitive debut for the club in late August against West Bromwich Albion, making 49 appearances across all competitions that year.

Interestingly, while the incredibly experienced professional is so heavily associated with his defensive partner Alderweireld, who he also played with at Ajax, their partnership did not come about at Spurs until the start of the 15/16 season, following his arrival from the Amsterdam outfit.

However, once the former teammates were reunited in the capital, they helped to get the best out of one another and, in turn, helped to create one of the best defences in the entire league.

For example, the Lilywhites conceded the fewest goals in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns, just 35 and 26, respectively.

Appearances

315

Starts

307

Minutes

27315′

Goal

14

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.06

Minutes per Goal Involvement

1300′

On top of that, the Sint-Niklaas-born titan was also a key figure in the team that reached the Champions League final in 2019, playing in and starting ten games, including the final.

By the time he left to join Benfica in the summer of 2020, Vertonghen had made 315 appearances for the club – 40 of which were at left-back – scoring 14 goals, providing seven assists and averaging 1.84 points per game.

The former Ajax star is undoubtedly a modern great for Tottenham, and now it looks like Postecoglou could have found his own version of the unreal defender.

Spurs' new Vertonghen

One of the most significant reasons for Spurs’ dire form this season has been the absurd amount of injuries they have had to contend with.

Moreover, while the attack has seen its fair share of enforced absences, the defence has been most impacted, with one of last season’s stars, Micky van de Ven, missing 30 games so far.

The Dutch international, who joined the club from VfL Wolfsburg for around £43m in Postecoglou’s first summer, has the potential to be the club’s new Vertonghen, and there are a few reasons why.

The first is that, like the former Lilywhites star, the 23-year-old is more than just a centre-back and can play at left-back when needed.

In fact, the Wormer-born star has already played there three times for the North Londoners, and we would not be surprised to see him start there again in the future to make the most of his explosive speed.

Appearances

42

Starts

41

Minutes

3491′

Goals

3

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.11

Minutes per Goal Involvement

698.2′

The second reason is that while he has battled with injury problems, it’s abundantly clear to all who watch him that the former Volendam star is not your ordinary defender.

On top of his aforementioned speed – which saw him set a Premier League record last season – the 6 foot 4 monster has demonstrated countless times that he has a brilliant understanding of where he needs to be on the pitch and when he should make a tackle or block.

That ability to read the game, combined with his incredible physical attributes, is exactly why respected talent scout Jacek Kulig described the ten-capped international as a “complete & dominant” defender.

Lastly, should the club be able to keep hold of Cristian Romero in the summer, Van de Ven may have his own long-term defensive partner to create a supreme defence with.

Ultimately, Vertonghen was an utterly brilliant defender for Spurs, and while he still has some way to go, it looks as if Postecoglou may have his own version of the Belgian in the Flying Dutchman.

Ange has a "pocket rocket" out on loan who could end Werner's Spurs career

The brilliant winger could be a valuable player for Spurs next season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 10, 2025

Manchester United have been put on alert as Brentford captain Christian Norgaard believes Bryan Mbeumo is "likely to leave" this summer.

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Mbeumo on radar of top PL clubsHas 18 league goals this seasonCaptain Norgaard expects forward to leaveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Cameroonian forward has been in stellar form, netting 18 Premier League goals this season, which has naturally drawn interest from elite sides within the division. However, the club's ability to replace attacking talent with relative ease provides hope to Norgaard.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT NORGAARD SAID

In an interview with, Norgaard said: "I think Bryan is likely to go [this summer]."

Norgaard also weighed in on the situation of fellow Brentford forward Yoane Wissa, who has matched Mbeumo’s goal tally this term. Though interest in Wissa is also growing – Nottingham Forest even made a bid for him in January – Norgaard suggested he might still remain with the west London club.

"I don't know about Wissa yet," he added. "Everyone hopes that he might stay. Either way, I'm happy for the season and am happy for both of them. They deserve it so much."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite the possibility of losing two of his side’s most influential forwards, Norgaard expressed little anxiety about the club’s ability to manage the transition.

"I'm pretty calm about what will happen with Bryan and Wissa," said Norgaard. "A lot of questions are asked about them and you can almost feel the worries around the players, when you talk about them maybe leaving us.

"I was one [of them] when we were losing Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma, Ivan Toney. So it continues. But the club has already brought in Igor Thiago, who is another fantastic character and he will also take the league by storm at some point. When that is, I don't know but I'm sure he will be ready if Wissa gets his dream move, or Bryan leaves and there will be a change of the offensive players. I think the club is so talented in recruiting and always being two or three steps ahead."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

While United were beaten 4-3 by Brentford on Sunday – extending their winless streak in the competition to six matches – they are now turning their attention to European action. Amorim’s side are preparing for a decisive Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Club on Thursday, with a place in the final at stake. They lead 3-0 on aggregate.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are making plans ahead of the summer transfer window, as they sense an opportunity to sign one highly-rated forward for free.

Postecoglou and Levy under pressure as Spurs prepare for Man United

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, despite his squad being blighted by injuries to key first-team stars, has been under mounting pressure in recent weeks.

Tottenham forced into possible £750m takeover discount amid Qatari interest

Interested parties aren’t willing to pay ENIC’s actual valuation.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 13, 2025

The same can be said for ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy, who face fresh protests from disgruntled supporters against United this weekend, amid claims that private Qatari investors are planning a phased buyout of Tottenham.

Spurs have won just one of their last eight Premier League matches, losing 13 in the league alone already, with Postecoglou’s side languishing in 14th.

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (away)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

The Australian appears to be walking a tightrope when it comes to keeping the Spurs job, and reports this week have linked the Lilywhites with a succession of potential Postecoglou replacements in Simone Inzaghi, Thomas Frank, Edin Terzić and Andoni Iraola.

“Managers have gone a lot quicker than Ange, and not done as bad as his results, and sadly you can only hide behind injuries for so long, irrespective of how much it’s affecting the team and how difficult it is to get through that period,” said ex-Premier League boss Sam Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.

“You’ve got to find a way to get results, and I think that as the game is today, his inability to change – and to provide a way of playing to win – is much more important than the style of play, and he doesn’t seem to accept that.”

Tottenham attempted to back Postecoglou in January, albeit mostly in dramatic last minute fashion. Antonin Kinsky, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel joined to bolster a number of key areas in the team, with Spurs also making a late attempt to sign Axel Disasi, who ended up joining Aston Villa instead.

Whether or not Postecoglou remains in the dugout for 2025/2026 remains to be seen, but Spurs are planning to bolster the squad again this summer.

Tottenham hold talks with Malaga winger Antonio Cordero's camp

As per The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, Malaga winger Antonio Cordero is attracting Tottenham’s interest, with the highly-rated winger available for nothing later this year as his contract expires at the end of this campaign.

Tottenham have reached out to Cordero’s representatives for talks, but the north Londoners will have to beat off a host of other clubs to acquire his signature, with Newcastle thought to be in pole position right now.

Nevertheless, a transfer race is never over until the player officially puts pen to paper, so Spurs are still in with a shout of acquiring the Spain Under-19 international ahead of next campaign.

Cordero has scored four goals and registered six assists in all competitions for the Spanish Segunda División side this term, with football analyst Ben Mattinson calling him an “exciting” and “direct” forward player.

Matt Renshaw and Queensland allrounder Michael Neser posted their highest scores in first-class cricket in a match-turning sixth-wicket stand to crush New South Wales on day three of their Sheffield Shield clash.Opener Renshaw made a masterful unbeaten 200 and Neser a whirlwind 136 as the duo combined in a 257-run sixth-wicket stand at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval.When Neser departed, Queensland declared on 6 for 477 and NSW were 4 for 96 at stumps when bad light stopped play.Neser and Renshaw came together in the first over of the day after Jimmy Peirson was dismissed. The Queensland pair blitzed the bowling attack to score at more than five runs per over in a powerful partnership.Neser’s previous best was an innings of 121 in the Shield two seasons ago.  The 32-year-old, who played one Test for Australia last season, brought up his ton with a cut shot to deep point from Australia spinner Nathan Lyon and then went into overdrive.Matt Renshaw brought up a marathon double century•Getty Images

Renshaw’s knock could have ramifications beyond this match.  Five of his 15 boundaries were sixes and he showcased an array of attacking strokes which sent a message to Test selectors that his game has developed hugely.His knock surpassed the 184 he made for Australia against Pakistan in 2017. The century was his first as an opening batter for Queensland since 2017-18 and continued the form he displayed for Somerset in English county cricket this year where he twice passed the hundred mark.Renshaw batted in the middle order last season but captain Usman Khawaja moved him back to his former position at the top of the list to benefit Queensland, and with the hope of revitalising his Test career.Renshaw played the last of his 11 Tests in 2018 but with current Australia openers Khawaja and David Warner nearing the end of their careers he has reminded the selectors of his ability to now change gears with a match-defining innings in challenging conditions.Queensland legspinner Mitchwell Swepson was the pick of the bowlers and also ran out opener Blake Nikitaris.

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Matheus Araújo, do time sub-20 do Corinthians, pode ser relacionado para a partida da equipe profissional contra o Always Ready, da Bolívia, nesta quinta-feira (26), às 21h pela última rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores, na Neo Química Arena.

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> GALERIA – Veja todos os técnicos estrangeiros do Timão
> TABELA – Veja tabela da Libertadores e simule os próximos jogos

O jogador, que frequentemente complementa os treinamentos da equipe principal, participou da atividade comandada pelo técnico Vítor Pereira na última terça-feira (24). Já nesta quarta-feira (25), ficou fora até mesmo do banco de reservas do sub-20 corintiano, contra o União Suzano, pelo Campeonato Paulista da categoria.

As duas situações dão indicativos que o meia deve participar novamente do treinamento corintiano, que acontece na tarde desta quarta-feira (25) e encerrará a preparação da equipe para enfrentar o Always. E, com isso, Matheus Araújo tem grandes chances de ir para o jogo, para, a princípio, preencher o banco de reservas do Timão contra os bolivianos.

O jogo contra o União Suzano será o primeiro que Araújo ficará fora do Paulistão Sub-20. O jogador foi titular nas três partidas do clube na competição aqui e tem um gol marcado na competição. Ele é um dos destaques do Corinthians na categoria.

Caso se confirme a relação de Matheus Araújo contra o Always Ready será o segundo jogo que o camisa 20 será integrado a uma partida do Timão. A primeira, e até única, foi contra a Portuguesa-RJ, em Londrina-PR, pelo confronto de ida da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. O atleta ficou somente no banco nesta partida.

Matheus também foi um dos destaques corintianos na última edição da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, no início desse ano. O meia foi titular em todos os jogos do clube alvinegro na competição e marcou dois gols.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola hailed Kevin De Bruyne for his brilliant performance in Saturday's thrilling win over Crystal Palace.

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• Pep hails De Bruyne for match-winning display
• Belgian midfielder starred with goal and assist
• Man City thrashed Palace 5-2

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  De Bruyne starred with a goal and an assist as the reigning champions came back from an early two-goal deficit to beat Crystal Palace 5-2 in the Premier League at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. City boss Guardiola was full of praise for the Belgian midfielder as he rolled back the years to produce an inspirational performance.

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• WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

  Speaking to reporters after the game, Guardiola said: "The Kevin we have known for many years. I know he's struggled the last year and a half. He's free without pain and completely different. The way we played helped him a lot with incredible runners, the young lads, the full-backs."

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Bruyne has been plagued with multiple injuries since the summer of 2023 and has performed sporadically for his club in the last one-and-a-half seasons. With the player now all set to exit the club at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, he would aim to finish his 10-year-long journey with the English champions on a high. In the current campaign, the 33-year-old has scored five goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances across all competitions.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  Guardiola's side will be back in action in the Premier League on April 19 when they take on Everton at Goodison Park.

Jack Grealish has been told he made an international error in choosing England over Ireland, while also being offered transfer advice.

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Represented Ireland at youth levelHas 39 Three Lions caps to his nameQuestions asked of future at CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Birmingham native Grealish, who started out on the books of Aston Villa, represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level from U17 to U21. In September 2015, the decision was taken to pledge allegiance to the Three Lions.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Grealish made his senior England bow in 2020 and has reached 39 caps, scoring four goals along the way. The 29-year-old has been informed those numbers would be considerably higher had he not made a controversial switch between green and white.

WHAT ANDY TOWNSEND SAID

Ex-Ireland and Villa star Andy Townsend has told , who offer the latest Premier League odds: “Jack Grealish would have double the international caps if he picked Ireland over England. I've never agreed with the FIFA stance in the way that you can play friendly matches for one country, but because you haven't appeared in a tournament qualifier or tournament game you could then decide you want to go and play for someone else.

“That's not how I believe it should be. No one is forcing anyone to play international football. They're all grown men capable of understanding and making decisions for the here and now that are going to impact you long-term. I don't think you should be allowed to change. That's just an opinion. The rules are what they are.

“Jack would definitely have had a ton more caps playing for Ireland and he and Declan Rice would have absolutely been pivotal at the forefront of anything that's happened with Ireland. The two players would argue that the Irish team over the last few years has been really poor and it has. But maybe with their inclusion, it would have been a lot healthier.”

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Grealish was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s first squad as England manager, with struggles for regular game time and end product at Premier League champions Manchester City seeing questions asked of what the short and long-term future holds.

Daryl Mitchell’s bout of beer pong leaves spectator drink-less and England swing-less

Alan Gardner10-Jun-2022When Daryl Mitchell struck Jack Leach into the crowd in front of the pavilion during the evening session at Trent Bridge, it didn’t just cost the England spinner six runs. Mitchell’s blow landed with a splash in a spectator’s pint, and might well have contributed to the day going flat for the home side.The ball, which was 55 overs old at the time, had to be vigorously wiped down after coming back covered in beer (or possibly cider). Although England had tried to get the ball changed on more than one occasion previously, they were told to continue with it and struggled to make further inroads as Mitchell and Tom Blundell put on an unbroken stand worth 149 come the close.England’s seamers had enjoyed their best spell during the afternoon, finding swing with the older ball. New Zealand batter Devon Conway said after play that it “certainly didn’t swing as much” after going for a dip, and admitted that the tourists had been surprised that the umpires didn’t call for a replacement.Related

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“We were quite shocked that they didn’t change the ball, with all the Covid protocols put in place these days, we thought that they might have looked to have changed it,” Conway said. “I think certainly it didn’t swing as much. So I think Daryl played a very smart role there, to make sure the ball didn’t swing as much. Yeah it was an interesting period. I think I did see the umpire trying to dry it as much as he could with a towel. If that did play a role, I don’t know.”It also transpired that New Zealand had arranged to buy a replacement pint for the female spectator whose drink was so dramatically dive-bombed, with Conway jokingly suggesting that Mitchell should cover the cost after finishing the day on an unbeaten 81.England, after opting to bowl, might have felt events were beginning to transpire against them. If Joe Root had held a regulation outside edge when Mitchell had made 3, New Zealand would have been 170 for 5; in the end, England managed just the four wickets and saw four clear chances go begging, as they were thwarted for the second time in as many weeks by Mitchell and Blundell.