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Tottenham Hotspur swooped to appoint Thomas Frank as their new head coach ahead of the summer transfer window after they opted to remove Ange Postecoglou from his post.

The Australian manager won the Europa League at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, beating Manchester United in the final, but that was not enough for him to save his job.

Daniel Levy, who has since moved on from his role as chairman, parted ways with Postecoglou and snapped Frank up from Brentford, where he had won promotion to the Premier League and established the Bees in the division.

Four wins, two draws, and one defeat in the first seven matches of the top-flight campaign suggest that Spurs made a good decision when they changed managers this summer.

In his unveiling, the club’s official website noted that one of the reasons why Frank landed the job was that he has a proven track record in developing players.

Tottenham will now be hoping that he can work wonders with the plethora of talented young players at his disposal in North London, as he did with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Kevin Schade, and Yoane Wissa at Brentford.

Ranking Tottenham's most valuable U21 players

Whilst Frank could develop players of any age, the powers that be at Spurs may hope that he can develop the U21 players at the club to help them grow in value.

Tottenham have a rich history of developing and selling players. Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, both sold to Real Madrid, are notable examples, whilst Harry Kane came through the youth ranks before moving on to Bayern Munich in 2023 as the club’s all-time record goalscorer.

The Lilywhites may not have their next Kane in the making at the club at the moment, but they do have several impressive young stars who could have bright futures under an outstanding coach like Frank.

Spurs have four players aged 21 or under in their squad who are currently valued at £17m or more by Transfermarkt, which shows that several impressive young talents are waiting to explode in North London.

Lucas Bergvall

19

£33m

Archie Gray

19

£33m

Mathys Tel

20

£30m

Wilson Odobert

20

£17m

Kota Takai

21

£2m

Dane Scarlett

21

£2m

As you can see in the table above, Lucas Bergvall is the joint-most valuable U21 player in the squad, and he has emerged as an early favourite under Frank.

The Sweden international has started four of his six appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist, which shows that the manager has taken a liking to him.

Spurs will be hoping that Bergvall benefits from this exposure to regular starts in the top-flight to emerge as a star for Frank in the middle of the park.

Archie Gray is currently valued at £33m, the same as the Swedish starlet, but he has only made two appearances and started once in the Premier League so far this season.

Chalkboard

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

Whilst Bergvall is seemingly Frank’s favourite U21 player at the club at the moment, the England U21 international has the potential to develop into a Bukayo Saka-esque talent for Tottenham if he gets more game time in his favoured position.

How Archie Gray can become Tottenham's Bukayo Saka

At the start of Saka’s Arsenal career, Mikel Arteta played the English star at left-back 21 times, in central midfield five times, and at left midfield 29 times, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the left-footed youngster had to play in several roles before nailing down a regular spot in his favoured position on the right flank, where he has scored 47 goals and provided 40 assists in 137 starts.

Gray has suffered through his versatility throughout his senior career to date. 30 of his 49 starts for Leeds came at right-back. 34 of his appearances for Spurs have come at right-back, centre-back, or left-back. Meanwhile, he has started just 13 matches as a central midfielder, his favoured role, in that time, per Transfermarkt.

13 starts as a central midfielder, the position he grew up playing at academy level, in more than two years as a first-team player for Leeds and Spurs shows that he has not had many opportunities to develop in his long-term position.

Gray finally had the chance to play in central midfield for England’s U21s against Moldova last week and caught the eye with an impressive and well-rounded display in the middle of the park.

Minutes

90

Pass accuracy

94%

Long pass accuracy

100% (3/3)

Dribble success rate

100% (3/3)

Ball recoveries

5

Ground duels won

3/4

Aerial duels won

1/1

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old star put in a sublime performance in and out of possession, as he was effective as a passer and a dribbler, whilst also being almost perfect defensively.

This shows that he has the potential to deliver quality displays as a midfielder, despite playing so many other positions ahead of his best one at senior level to date.

Gray, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed was “born to play football”, could realise his potential at Tottenham if Frank plays him in his best role for an extended run of matches.

Analyst Ben Mattinson once claimed that the England U21 international is a “future £100m CM”, and it is not a crazy prediction when you consider that he is currently valued at £33m, having barely played in his natural position.

Gray has 30 matches of Premier League experience under his belt and has won the Europa League with Spurs, but the next step is for him to nail down a regular spot in the XI in the middle of the park.

Frank could, then, unearth his own Saka-type player as the former Leeds starlet could follow in the Arsenal superstar’s footsteps by transitioning from playing out of position at full-back to being a star in his natural position.

18-year-old Spurs gem is a "superstar" with more talent than Vuskovic

Tottenham Hotspur have a whole host of exciting youngsters to watch out for.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 13, 2025

Yudhvir Singh came in for RR, who will finish last out of the ten teams if they lose to CSK

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025Despite losing eight out of nine games while chasing, Rajasthan Royals (RR) continued to stay with what has been the right thing to do: chase. It shows they don’t see the batting as a problem, but are rather seeking to chase fewer runs. They made one change to their side, leaving Fazalhaq Farooqi out for Yudhvir Singh. That left only three overseas players in their bowl-first XI, leaving the door open for an IPL debut for Lhuan-dre Pretorius when it is time to chase.Chennai Super Kings (CSK) didn’t make any change to the side that played the last game. MS Dhoni said he was happy with the way the batting was shaping up for the next season.Both the sides were on six points, but CSK had a game in hand. That means a win on Tuesday will avoid what could be CSK’s first-ever bottom-placed finish in an IPL. This is RR’s last game, so even a win won’t guarantee them the dubious distinction.RR’s coach Rahul Dravid said the season could have looked different if they had not lost all of their close finishes. They have ended up on the wrong side of five close games, including one tie at the same venue when it appeared they had the chase wrapped up.Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ayush Mhatre, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Urvil Patel, 4 Ravindra Jadeja, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Anshul Kamboj, 11 Khaleel AhmedImpact Player options: Matheesha Pathirana, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna GhoshRajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3 Sanju Samson (capt. & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7, Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Kwena Mphaka, 9 Yudhvir Singh, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Akash MadhwalImpact Player options: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Shubham Dubey, Kumar Kartikeya, Ashok Sharma, Kunal Rathore

Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo in the summer transfer window, but a swoop was believed to be contingent on one of Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard leaving the Emirates Stadium.

Selling one of the pair would have freed up both funds and space in Mikel Arteta’s squad for the Brazilian, but instead, Arsenal agreed a new contract with Trossard, including a bumper pay rise, but no extension.

Arsenal also didn’t end up selling Martinelli, despite reports that his or Trossard’s departure could have led to a potential Rodrygo deal (Ben Jacobs), but it is worth noting that both players have just under 24 months on their contracts.

While Andrea Berta and co have the option to extend the former’s stay by another year, Martinelli has struggled to replicate his best form on a consistent enough basis lately, whilst failing to match his stellar 2022/2023 season, when he finished the campaign with 15 Premier League goals.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

Uncertainty has surrounded the Brazilian’s future for the better part of a year, and Arsenal did seriously consider bringing in Rodrygo alongside the likes of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke before September 1.

Arsenal held talks over signing Rodrygo as far back as May, and reports continued to link Arteta’s side long into the window before it became apparent that a move wasn’t going to happen.

Since then, Rodrygo has been in and out of Xabi Alonso’s starting eleven for Real. He was given the nod for their 3-0 win away to Real Oviedo in late August, but managed just 18 minutes off the bench against Mallorca and was an unused substitute in their opening La Liga game of the season.

A lack of guaranteed game time could force the 24-year-old to consider his options, and according to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are very much still in the frame.

Andrea Berta's "reassessed" Gabriel Martinelli stance at Arsenal amid "key" Rodrygo claim

As per their information, Arsenal wanted around £60 million to sell Martinelli in the summer, but interested suitors were only prepared to bid as high as £40 million.

However, AC Milan are believed to be targeting the winger and could move in January, as the Rossoneri see him as an ideal replacement for Rafael Leao.

Berta has “reassessed” Martinelli’s place in the Arsenal squad and a winter departure cannot be ruled out. The 24-year-old could also still come as a “key” sacrifice to make room for Rodrygo, who they are still interested in.

It is worth noting, though, that Rodrygo currently commands a price tag of around £85 million and would demand a salary of £165,000-per-week, so it may even take more than just Martinelli leaving to raise funds for such a marquee signing — especially after a summer of lavish spending already.

Salman Agha’s first ODI century and Mohammad Rizwan’s fourth combined as Pakistan completed their highest successful chase in ODIs and secured a spot in the tri-series final against New Zealand on Saturday. Rizwan and Salman, Pakistan’s captain and vice-captain, shared in a record fourth-wicket stand of 260, the highest-ever against South Africa, and the fourth-highest by any pair while chasing. South Africa have never had a bigger score chased against them.On a pitch perfect for batting, Pakistan’s efforts trumped Temba Bavuma’s highest ODI score since September 2023, Matthew Breetzke becoming the player with the most runs after two matches (233) and Heinrich Klaasen’s fourth successive 80-plus score in the highest-scoring encounter between these two sides.It goes without saying that it was a difficult day for bowlers, and seamers in particular. Pakistan’s quicks conceded 206 runs in 28 overs, of which Mohammad Hasnain’s eight cost 72, and South Africa’s pace attack gave away 223 runs in 27 overs. South Africa have now lost six successive ODIs.Ultimately, South Africa will be more concerned about the loss of Klaasen to a thumb injury than the match. Klaasen left the field in the 32nd over and handed the wicket-keeping gloves to Kyle Verreynne, after a ball that kept low from Corbin Bosch struck him on the right thumb. There was no immediate update on Klaasen’s condition.Pakistan had never conceded more runs in Karachi and only once allowed South Africa to score more against them so their task was tough from the outset. But their chase got underway briskly when Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam put on 56 in the first six overs, and took apart both Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch. Wiaan Mulder was introduced as first-change early, in the seventh over, and struck with his first legitimate ball. He cramped Babar for room as he tried to flick the ball away and struck him on the front pad. Babar reviewed immediately but Ultraedge confirmed there was no bat and the ball was going on to hit the middle stump.Saud Shakeel, brought into the side for this match, kept the pressure on and scored 15 off 16 balls before mistiming a pull off Bosch to Mulder at deep mid-wicket. Pakistan’s powerplay score of 91 for 2 was their third-highest since 2002 and set them up well.South Africa soon edged ahead when, four balls into the 11th over, Fakhar played inside the line of a Mulder ball, got an edge and Klaasen took a diving catch to his left. Rizwan had only faced two balls, and pulled one of them for four, when he was joined by Salman, with a rebuilding job to do.Pakistan scored only one boundary in the next seven overs and the required run-rate climbed over 7.3 but slowly, Pakistan started to find more boundaries. Salman picked on anything full from the spinners and the pair rotated strike well to take Pakistan to 163 for 3 at the halfway stage, still needing 190 runs.Senuran Muthusamy came into the attack at that point and by his third over, Rizwan lined him up and launched him over long-on to bring up the hundred partnership. By then, Rizwan already had fifty and Salman soon brought up his fifty off 51 balls.Matthew Breetzke and Temba Bavuma made 83 and 82, respectively•Associated Press

Though the required run-rate hovered between seven to eight runs an over, neither Salman nor Rizwan panicked and they were supplied with enough boundary balls to keep the score ticking over. South Africa were guilty of offering too much width, failing to adjust their lengths and the occasional piece of ordinary fielding. By the time Pakistan got to their last ten overs, they needed 82 runs. South Africa had scored 110 in the same period, so Pakistan knew what was possible.Both set batters were on the doorstep of the 90s and Rizwan got there first when he launched Mulder over deep mid-wicket, off the 106th ball he faced. In the same over, Salman got to his milestone off a single. His hundred took just 87 balls. Pakistan brought 300 up in the 44th over and needed just 32 runs in the last five overs. Despite Salman falling before the winning runs were scored, Pakistan got there with six balls to spare, leaving South Africa wondering how many they left out there.They started strongly with a powerplay that saw them total 64 for 1 and both Bavuma and Breetzke in good touch. Breetzke, in particular, was soon striking at over 100, and allowed Bavuma to dial it down slightly as he approached his first fifty in 17 innings. He got there with a single off Salman, and then accelerated once again. In general, Bavuma played more riskily than we are used to and went for an expansive drive off left-arm spinner Khusdil Shah but edged past Rizwan. Later that over, he tried to slog Khusdil over square leg but top-edged. Naseem Shah misjudged the catch and put Bavuma down on 60.Pakistan were able to keep South Africa fairly quiet for the next eight overs, and they scored at under five an over but grew frustrated with their inability to break through. Breetzke brought up fifty off 46 balls before Hasnain thought he had him out lbw when he missed a leg-side whip and Rizwan was convinced to review but ball-tracking showed it going down leg.Sensing an opportunity to create something, Rizwan brought Shaheen Shah back on in the 27th over and he tested the batters with pace and personality. There were stare-downs and words. At one point, Afridi moved into Breetzke’s path as he was completing a single and there was contact. Breetzke didn’t back down, got in Shaheen’s face and the pair had to be separated by the umpires and team-mates. In the next over, Bavuma played Hasnain to backward point and raced away for a single before checking with Breetzke, who sent him back. It was too late.Saud Shakeel swooped in and with a one-handed pick up and throw ran Bavuma out and celebrated in his face for good measure. Bavuma was stranded on 82, with a golden chance at a century gone begging, but South Africa still had 21.5 overs to face.Klaasen was sent in at No.4 and faced 14 balls for seven runs before he remembered who he was. He smoked Hasnain for four fours in his sixth over, over mid-on, mid-off, square-leg and deep mid-wicket to bring up 200 and get the innings going again. That over cost 16 runs and the next four for 36 and South Africa were back in sight of a massive score.Breetzke was out to a stunning Salman catch when he tried to smash Khusdil through the covers but Salman, who dived across and reached out with his right hand to pluck the ball close to the ground. Mulder was caught at point in the next over and South Africa entered the final ten overs on 242 for 4 but with Klaasen there, would have been comfortable.He unleashed a 95-metre six five balls into that period, brought up fifty off 38 balls and then completely cut loose. His next 37 runs came off 18 balls and he spared no-one. Afridi was treated particularly severely as Klaasen took him for back to back sixes in an over that cost 20. When he tried to give Naseem the same treatment, Klaasen sent a low full toss to long-on. In the end, Pakistan’s two centuries to South Africa’s none was the difference.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to attempt a bid for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, with Lilywhites chiefs now holding an intriguing theory behind-the-scenes.

A move for the 27-year-old has been brought to the very forefront of Thomas Frank’s transfer plans, especially after the Dane lost star playmaker James Maddison.

Maddison is expected to miss a large portion of 2025/2026 after rupturing his ACL in a pre-season draw against Newcastle nearly two weeks ago, so Spurs’ glaring need for a new playmaker has now intensified.

Tottenham were already in the market for number 10 and failed with a once-very advanced move for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White last month. Daniel Levy originally planned to head into the new season with both Maddison and Gibbs-White, but Frank’s now got neither at his disposal for their opening Premier League game of the season against Burnley on Saturday.

As Levy and technical director Johan Lange attempt to end the summer transfer window on a high, they’re set to make a formal bid for Eze to solve Tottenham’s shortage of attacking options.

“Tottenham are set to make a bid for Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze,” wrote talkSPORT earlier this week.

“Spurs view the England attacker as a No.10 and their pursuit is separate to the club’s interest in Manchester City winger Savinho as a result.

“Spurs are hoping to move quickly and have been told by Eze’s camp terms will not be a problem. Eze is open to the move, and wants to both play Champions League football and ideally stay in London.”

A move for the England international, who bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, is very much alive.

Eze’s £68 million release clause is believed to expire on Friday, but it is likely irrelevant, as Tottenham want to pay a similar fee to that of Mohammed Kudus – who they signed for around £55 million earlier in the window.

Tottenham hold behind-scenes Eberechi Eze theory amid Crystal Palace talks

This is backed up by TEAMtalk, who also report that Spurs are growing in confidence when it comes to potentially completing a deal.

The outlet states that Eze is likely to have already “played his last game for Palace”, with Levy and co working on a plan to make a “quick breakthrough” in negotiations to sign the ex-QPR star.

Tottenham also theorise that they’ve put together the frameworks of a deal for Eze which will satisfy Palace and chairman Steve Parish, even if there is a £13 million gap in valuation between the clubs right now.

Even if their initial approach for him gets snubbed, Spurs will follow up in quick fashion.

By all accounts, Eze is worth this late-window effort.

The Eagles superstar was, by some distance, their standout attacking asset last term – bagging 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions – including the FA Cup-final winning strike against Man City.

His goal against City at Wembley ended Palace’s history-long wait for a major trophy, so Eze is absolutely no stranger to the big occasion.

If Levy is serious about winning the Premier League and Champions League, which he pledged was the case earlier this year, Eze is exactly the kind of primed, proven player that Tottenham need to be signing.

And just like that, Viktor Gyokeres has lift off at Arsenal.

After a short cameo against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong and then an underwhelming 60 minutes against Villarreal, the Swedish striker opened his account at the Emirates with a brilliant header on Saturday evening.

It was the perfect way to stop some of the incredibly premature talk around his suitability for Mikel Arteta’s side and should be enough to see him start against Manchester United this Sunday.

Moreover, if reports are to be believed, it looks like Arsenal could be targeting another attacking star, someone who could help get even more out of the former Sporting CP star.

Arsenal target perfect teammate for Gyokeres

With those two losses now firmly out of mind, it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that this summer has been one of Arsenal’s best for quite some time, and that is almost entirely thanks to the business conducted by Andrea Berta and his team.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, on top of bringing in first-team level game-changers like Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, the Italian Sporting Director has massively bolstered the depth of the squad with signings like Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera.

However, even with six new faces through the door already, the Gunners aren’t done and now appear keen on signing a dynamic attacker who could be a perfect teammate for Gyokeres.

At least that is according to a recent report, which claims Arsenal are very interested in Malick Fofana, who has also caught the interest of Liverpool.

More than that, the report has revealed that the North Londoners have already held talks with Lyon over the talented winger they value at £43m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, made more so by Arne Slot’s side, but Fofana was brilliant last year and could help get even more out of Gyokeres this season.

Why Fofana would be perfect for Gyokeres

Now, while there were certainly moments in the game on Saturday when Gyokeres was dropping deeper to help in the build-up and to move Bilbao’s backline around, it’s clear he’s most comfortable playing in and around the penalty area.

That’s the area he thrived in over the last two years, and it’s no surprise that almost all of his shots last season came in and around the area.

Therefore, to ensure they are getting the absolute best out of the Swede this season, Arsenal need to start players alongside him who are excellent at getting the ball into dangerous areas, either through passing or carrying the ball.

The good news is that Fofana is utterly brilliant at the latter, as evidenced by FBref, which ranks him in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 6% for carries into the final third, the top 9% for progressive carrying distance and more, all per 90.

In other words, the young “game-changing” prospect, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is elite at bringing the ball up the pitch and into goalscoring areas, which should make him an ideal partner for the Gunners’ new number 14.

Appearances

41

Starts

23

Minutes

2280′

Goals

11

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

Minutes per Goal Involvement

134.11′

Moreover, he’s not just a facilitator, as the 20-year-old dynamo, who Mango claims is blessed with “frightening speed & acceleration,” was able to score 11 goals and provide six assists in 41 appearances, totalling 2280 minutes, last season.

That means the in-demand talent maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.41 games, or every 134.11 minutes.

Ultimately, Fofana looks ready to explode in the coming seasons, and while he’d be a great signing in his own right, the idea of him playing alongside Gyokeres is particularly exciting, and therefore, Arsenal should be doing all they can to make that a reality.

£866m release clause: Arsenal very serious about signing "world-class" star

The Gunners have set their sights on a forward, who could join in a loan-to-buy deal.

ByDominic Lund Aug 11, 2025

نجح نادي آرسنال في التأهل إلى دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية المحترفة “كاراباو” بعدما حقق فوزًا مهمًا على حساب بورت فايل.

وواجه آرسنال نظيره بورت فايل مساء اليوم الأربعاء، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس كاراباو، وانتهى بثنائية نظيفة لصالح الجانرز.

جاء أول أهداف اللقاء عن طريق المتألق إيبيريتشي إيزي في الدقيقة الثامنة من أحداث المباراة، بعد مجموعة تمريرات مع مارتينللي، ووصلت لـ إيزي في النهاية الذي وضعها بمنتهى السهولة في المرمى.

ثم جاء الهدف الثاني عن طريق النجم الدولي البلجيكي لياندرو تروسار في الدقيقة 86.

آرسنال كان مسيطرًا على مجريات المباراة وأحداثها بالكامل، إذ انتهت المباراة وكانت نتيجة استحواذه على الكرة تعادل 81%، فيما كان خصمه 19% فقط.

آرسنال كان صاحب عدد التسديدات الأكثر، إذ سدد 9 تسديدات على مرمى بورت فايل، فيما سدد الآخر 3 تسديدات فقط. أهداف مباراة آرسنال وبورت فايل في كأس كاراباو

وفي نفس البطولة، استطاع توتنهام هوتسبير بقيادة مدربه الجديد فرانك توماس، أن يتأهل إلى الدور القادم من كأس كاراباو بعدما حقق فوزًا كبيرًا بثلاثية نظيفة أمام نظيره دونكاستر.

سجل أهداف توتنهام كل من جواو بالينيا في الدقيقة 14 من عمر اللقاء، ثم أحرز ماكجرات هدفًا بالخطأ في مرمى فريقه، وأضاف برينان جونسون الهدف الثالث والأخير لفريقه في الدقيقة 94.

Chelsea are leaving no stone unturned as the club chases glory on all fronts this season. Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro have arrived to bolster the attack.

Pedro has made an instant impact already, registering three goal involvements in as many matches at the Club World Cup for the Blues.

He might be joined by Xavi Simons, who looks close to sealing a deal to join the Blues in the coming days.

This squad depth would make the Stamford Bridge side a force to be reckoned with under Enzo Maresca, especially if he can work out a system that could benefit his attacking players.

Despite the lavish spending, it appears as though Maresca isn’t finished yet…

Chelsea eyeing another attacking signing

With Simons looking like he will be the next big arrival, Maresca has turned closer to home for another potential signing.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea have offered two players plus cash in a deal to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.

Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo are the two players mentioned, while it remains to be seen how much money they have offered as part of the deal.

Villa value Rogers at around £100m, and they will do anything to keep hold of the playmaker this summer.

If the Blues strike a deal, it would be a major statement. Several of the team will benefit from Rogers’ arrival, none more so than Pedro.

Why Morgan Rogers would benefit Joao Pedro

Last season, Pedro scored ten Premier League goals for Brighton, adding six assists in the process.

He has settled into the Blues’ squad nicely indeed. Across three games at the Club World Cup, the Brazilian netted three goals while averaging one key pass per game.

Ahead of the new Premier League campaign, just how good can Pedro become with a player such as Rogers operating directly behind him?

Well, the Englishman enjoyed a stunning breakthrough season himself in the top flight during 2024/25.

Not only did he score eight times, but Rogers generated ten assists as Villa just missed out on Champions League qualification. He notably shone in Europe too, netting eight goals, including three which came in one game against Celtic.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League, the former Manchester City starlet ranked in the top 7% for through balls (0.64) per 90, along with ranking in the top 20% for take-ons attempted (4.62) per 90 across last season.

Furthermore, the youngster even created a staggering 16 big chances (the 11th best tally in the division) while also averaging 1.4 key passes per game for Villa.

Rogers’ Premier League stats last season

Shots per game

1.5

Big chances created

16

Key passes per game

1.4

Total duels won per game

4.7

Big chances missed

11

Touches per game

41.3

Via Sofascore

These statistics demonstrate just how effective he is behind the centre-forward, something which Pedro can take full advantage of.

Hailed as “unstoppable” by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher last term, Rogers has all the tools in his armoury to be a success at Stamford Bridge.

The offer to Villa sounds like it might be tempting for Unai Emery to accept, especially given their need to balance the books.

Will Rogers be the final piece of the attacking jigsaw for Maresca ahead of the 2025/26 season? Only time will tell.

Related Way better than Simons: Chelsea preparing offer to sign £100m "machine"

The dynamic attacker would be a better signing for Chelsea than Xavi Simons.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 22, 2025

After submitting a fresh bid to sign Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United have already reportedly turned their focus towards their next top target.

Newcastle "optimistic" after fresh Elanga bid

Having seen their first offer turned down for the Swede, it always seemed possible that Newcastle could return with a second attempt to sign Elanga. And soon enough, that has proved to be the case with reports now suggesting that the Magpies have submitted a second bid worth around £55m to sign the Swede.

Now reportedly optimistic that they’ll reach an agreement with Forest, Newcastle could be about to kickstart their summer business by adding the final part to what could be a scintillating front three alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Elanga

Isak

Gordon

Minutes

2,501

2,756

2,434

Goals

6

23

6

Assists

11

6

5

Successful Take-ons

25

42

38

One of the quickest trios that the Premier League is likely to see next season, Newcastle could yet retain their Champions League place and more in the next 12 months.

Nottingham Forest will be well aware of the quality that they will be losing if Elanga completes a summer switch to Newcastle, with Nuno Espirito Santo full of praise for his winger throughout the last campaign.

When asked about Elanga after the Swede scored an incredible solo goal against Manchester United in April, the Forest boss told reporters: “He’s a special boy and he gives this team his speed. He does it by himself and we are delighted.”

Related PIF believe 22-cap international will join Newcastle as £55m bid submitted

They could get their man at long last…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jul 4, 2025

That said, Elanga is unlikely to be the last through the door this summer. If reports are anything to go by, Newcastle and PIF have already turned their focus towards another top target even as negotiations continue over the winger’s signature.

Newcastle now prioritising Scalvini deal

According to The Times’ Martin Hardy, Newcastle are now prioritising a deal to sign Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta once their deal to welcome Elanga is completed this summer. The 6’4 defender is reportedly valued at just £30m and is now among the Magpies’ top targets as they look to add another centre-back to their ranks.

Dubbed a “magnificent” centre-back alongside countryman Riccardo Calafiori in the 2023/24 season by scout Jacek Kulig, Scalvini could now join the Arsenal man in the Premier League.

Since the 23/24 campaign, the towering Italian has only pushed on and could hand Newcastle a bargain deal at just £30m. Given that Fabian Schar is now 33 years old too, it should be seen as a very real possibility that 21-year-old Scalvini could break into Eddie Howe’s best side if he completes a summer move.

Alongside Elanga and James Trafford, the Atalanta defender would make it three impressive signings for the Magpies in a summer which initially looked destined to be full of frustration.