Tottenham Hotspur may have endured a successful start to life under Thomas Frank in the Premier League, winning his first game against Burnley last weekend.

However, the start in North London hasn’t all been plain sailing, with the Lilywhites’ activity in the transfer market falling way below the expectations of the fanbase.

Daniel Levy has shown glimpses of splashing the cash this summer, already spending £85m on the signatures of Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel from West Ham United and Bayern Munich, respectively.

The pair should’ve been joined by Morgan Gibbs-White, but the owner failed to complete a deal for his signature after triggering the £60m release clause in his contract at Nottingham Forest.

He’s not the only player who should be plying his trade in Frank’s side, with questions certainly starting to be asked about the owner, given the recent antics in the market.

Spurs’ failed pursuit to land Eze this summer

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has been a huge target for Spurs over the last couple of months, with constant talks being held between the two sides over a £60m transfer.

After missing out on Gibbs-White’s signature, the 27-year-old became their main target for the role, leading to advanced talks taking place, even reaching an agreement with the player himself.

However, the deal has since fallen apart, with North London rivals Arsenal taking advantage of the Lilywhites’ failure to complete the deal despite constant deliberation in recent weeks.

It was reported last night that Mikel Arteta’s side had hijacked the move, swooping in at the 11th hour, subsequently agreeing a deal with Oliver Glasner’s men and with the attacking midfielder.

Eze now looks set to join the Gunners, inflicting yet more pain on the Spurs fanbase, with other targets desperately needing to be identified before the September 1st deadline.

Spurs’ hunt for an Eze alternative this summer

As a result of missing out on Eze, other targets may be revisited, including Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss, with the Moroccan set to depart the Foxes this window.

However, like the England international, they could also be set to miss out on his signature, after Palace submitted an offer to land the 21-year-old as a replacement for the outgoing talent.

Despite the interest in the youngster, he’s not the only player currently in their sights, with West Ham star Lucas Paqueta the latest player the club are considering, according to CaughtOffside’s latest report.

The report claims that the Lilywhites are closely monitoring a deal for the Brazilian international, potentially seeing the 27-year-old as the perfect alternative to Eze.

It also states that the Hammers have slashed his current asking price by 50%, now only demanding £40m for his signature despite wanting £80m to offload him 12 months ago.

Why Spurs’ £40m target would be the perfect Eze alternative

Missing out on Eze will certainly be a huge disappointment for the fanbase, with anger undoubtedly going to be directed to the hierarchy – especially if they don’t land an alternative before the window slams shut.

The situation has undoubtedly been made worse by James Maddison’s ACL injury, leaving Frank with no recognised attacking midfielder currently within his Spurs first-team squad.

Pape Sarr was forced to operate in such a role against Scott Parker’s men last weekend, highlighting the need for investment from the board as soon as possible.

However, given the lack of time in the current window, they will have to act quickly to avoid embarrassment and further backlash from the supporters.

Paqueta could certainly provide just that with a potential move to North London, offering a bargain solution given the Hammers’ current £40m asking price.

When comparing his stats to those of Eze from the 2024/25 campaign, the Brazilian has managed to outperform the Englishman in numerous key areas – arguably being a better addition for Frank’s side.

Paqueta, who’s been described as “one of the best 10s in the world” by one data analyst, has certainly showcased that when compared with Eze. Indeed, for starters, he posted a better goal per shot on target rate, subsequently handing Frank a more clinical option when in front of goal.

Paqueta & Eze in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Paqueta	Eze
Games played	33	34
Goals & assists	4	16
Goals per shot on target	0.7	0.2
Pass accuracy	77%	74%
Passes into final third	5.1	1.7
Passes into the opposition box	1.7	1.3
Take-on success	49%	48%
Aerials won	46%	15%
Fouls won	2.4	1.7
Stats via FBref

However, he was just impressive in setting up his teammates, often the main creator in the West Ham side, as seen by his tally of passes into the final third and opposition box.

The 27-year-old achieved 5.1 passes into the final third, a tally three times higher than that of Eze, with more of his efforts going into the 18-yard box, handing the Lilywhites the needed threat they’ve craved in the number ten position.

Paqueta’s dominance in possession is also highlighted in his higher tally of take-ons completed, leading to him winning more fouls – highlighting that he’s a tougher player to dispossess.

£40m for a player of the Brazilian’s quality is a deal Levy and Co simply can’t look past, potentially landing themselves a bargain given the reported £60m deal for Eze.

If he moved across the capital to join Frank’s side, they would be landing a talent who has the potential to nail down the number ten position, helping the side in their quest for further success in the near future.

As talented as Eze: Spurs make 1st approach to sign "spectacular" £25m star

Tottenham Hotspur have made an attempt to land a star who could have thrived alongside Eberechi Eze.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 21, 2025

Julian Alvarez silenced talk of a rift with Diego Simeone in the best way possible, by firing a stunning hat-trick that sealed Atletico Madrid’s 3-2 comeback win over Rayo Vallecano. After the match, the Argentine forward addressed the lip-reading controversy from the Mallorca game, insisting his frustration was misinterpreted and that his bond with Simeone remains intact.

• Julian Alvarez's lip-reading controversy

  Alvarez’s explosive display against Rayo Vallecano came just days after controversy swirled around him. In the Mallorca game, cameras caught him visibly frustrated after being substituted, and social media lip readers claimed he muttered criticisms at Simeone, sparking rumours of a fallout. With speculation rising over tensions in the Atleti camp, all eyes were on how the Argentine striker would respond on the pitch and off it.
  The speculations caught more traction after his six-match goal drought and the club's inconsistent display in this year's campaign.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Alvarez clears the air around the lip reading incident

  After his hat-trick heroics, Alvarez directly addressed the controversy in a post-match interview.

  "The words they said… The lip-reading they did had nothing to do with what I'd said. I swore and he was angry with me, to be honest," he said. "This always happens with social media, but it's all good. Let's keep improving so we don't drop points along the way."

  He admitted frustration at being subbed but stressed it was aimed at himself, not Simeone, dismissing the online storm as a misunderstanding blown out of proportion.

• Alvarez's on his hat-trick heroics

  If his words weren’t enough, the Argentine let his football do the talking. He netted a superb hat-trick to drag Atletico past Rayo Vallecano, with his third goal – a composed left-footed finish in the dying minutes – sealing three points for the capital club. Asked to pick his favourite, he said: "The third was very nice, it was a left-footed one, and it was right at the end to turn the game around. I'll stick with the third."

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• AFP
  

  Diego Simeone backs Alvarez ahead of derby clash

  For Simeone, there’s no doubt about Alvarez’s importance. “Julian is the best player we have,” he declared, urging the club to keep him long-term. Next up is the Madrid derby on September 27 – another chance for the Argentine to prove once again why Simeone calls him “the best” and why Atleti’s future may rest on his shoulders.

MatériaMais Notícias

Adryelson concedeu entrevista na tarde desta segunda-feira (26) depois da vitória do Botafogo diante do Palmeiras por 1 a 0 no Allianz Parque. O zagueiro celebrou seu atual momento no clube, falou sobre Seleção Brasileira e rasgou elogios para Luís Castro.

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– Estou vivendo um grande momento, com bons números nesta temporada. Isso é muito importante para todo o grupo. Gosto de acompanhar os números, vejo no aplicativo que tem no clube, é muito importante acompanhar de perto – declarou Adryelson ao programa “Sportscenter”, da “ESPN”.

+ Barbieri perto de sair do Vasco! Veja técnicos brasileiros que estão sem clube

– Todo mundo sonha um dia em jogar na Seleção Brasileira. É um sonho que tenho desde pequeno. Já vesti a Amarelinha na base, mas atuar no time principal é um sonho. Todo mundo também almeja atuar na Europa, mas neste momento estamos focados no Brasileiro e na Copa Sul-Americana para terminarmos bem esse ano – completou Adryelson.

+ Até 50% OFF em produtos Alvinegros para os torcedores fanáticos!

– Não tem o que falar dele (Luís Castro). É um professor extraordinário, um grande treinador. Estamos muito focados junto com ele nesse Brasileiro. Ele vem cobrando da gente nosso máximo, creio que está 100% focado no Botafogo- finalizou.

+ Botafogo organiza jogo festivo para despedida de Joel Carli e planeja evento com fotos e autógrafos no Nilton Santos

O Glorioso entra em campo na próxima quinta-feira (29), diante do Magallanes, às 21h, no Nilton Santos, pela ultima rodada da fase de grupos da Sul-Americana. A equipe alvinegra busca uma vitória dentro de casa para se classificar diretamente para as oitavas de final da competição.

New Zealand opener suffered a nasty head injury ten days ago but looked comfortable in the nets on the eve of the match against Pakistan

Danyal Rasool18-Feb-20252:10

‘NZ have both depth and experience to go far’

Rachin Ravindra is first in the training nets in Karachi, marking his guard even as Tom Latham equivocates on his availability for the Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan.Like a celebrity adamant to prevent unflattering photographs being taken, he’s already got his helmet on, the gash on his forehead and the stitches holding it together hidden from view. New Zealand have wrapped more than just bandages around him, protecting him from a rushed return after the freak injury he suffered ten days ago, when he lost sight of a slog from Khushdil Shah and got hit by the ball flush on the forehead.Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell bowl spin to him, and Ravindra’s signature flamboyance is on full display. He backs away and clears his front leg, carving a glorious lofted cover drive. When one is tossed up and overpitched, he unleashes an on drive; but for the nets, it was comfortably clearing the boundary.When Ravindra was initially hit, there were fears of a much more damaging injury. His legs buckled from underneath him as he stared at the ground, dazed and bleeding profusely. He received lengthy treatment as he lay prone with a stretcher brought on, and warm empathic applause rippled as he was gingerly led off the outfield.Related

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But every update that came from the New Zealand camp in the incident’s wake was more optimistic than the last. He hadn’t been concussed, he hadn’t lost consciousness, there was no damage to his eyes, nose or teeth. A “chirpy character”, Kane Williamson called him, his personality was largely back to normal by New Zealand’s next game, but they weren’t going to take any chances with him.”Rachin will train tonight and we’ll get a bit more of an indication of how he’s going,” Latham had said just moments earlier. “His recovery’s going good, but just need to make sure since it was a pretty nasty injury. When it’s a head injury you just need to make sure things are all right, so just going through the protocols he needs to go through and we’ll wait and see.”In the fortnight since New Zealand have been in Pakistan, they have taken such setbacks in their stride. This is the side that, most famously, is greater than the sum of its parts. Devon Conway took Ravindra’s place for the remainder of the tri-series; he scored 97 and 48 as they won the trophy. In this time, Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears also became unavailable, but no bother; Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy replaced them without any apparent hardship. Kyle Jamieson will not be available tomorrow but is on his way as Ferguson’s Champions Trophy replacement, and New Zealand simply chug along.Rachin Ravindra was struck by the ball on his forehead during the tri-series•AFP/Getty Images”It’s about adapting to conditions and surfaces as best we can,” Latham said. “The surface we played on here against Pakistan looked slightly different to the one Pakistan played on against South Africa. We’ll have a look at what the wicket’s like today but it’s about adapting as best we can. We’ve played three games here and a warm-up game, so guys are reasonably familiar with conditions and it’s about playing our brand to the best of our ability.”New Zealand have not so much treated the last ten days as a dry run as a platform to showcase their repertoire. They won a game by consolidating with the top order and exploding at the death. In the game against South Africa, they demonstrated their quality in pursuit of 304, Williamson leading a cruise of a chase. In the final, the pace and spin attacks combined to asphyxiate Pakistan for a below-par total, the outcome never in doubt. They won three games in three different ways with just about everyone taking turns to shine.”It’s nice to be performing,” Latham said. “Throughout the tri-series and the warm-up game, we’re fortunate everyone within the squad has had some time with the ball or bat. Nice that we’ve been playing well through the tri-series. We were put under pressure in all three games and we’ve obviously managed to overcome that and come out on the right side. We’ve got the results but at the same time, it’s nice we’ve been able to overcome that pressure which will hopefully hold us in good stead.”By now, the spinners have had their turn, and Jacob Duffy and Will O’Rourke are having a go. Ravindra stands back, well away from the stumps. He lingers by the corner, watching intently, perhaps acclimatising himself to the pace from that angle without putting himself in harm’s way. A short while later, he emerges from the nets, thanking the net bowlers before having a long chat with Tim Southee, here in Pakistan as an ICC ambassador, before disappearing into the dressing room.He emerges half an hour later, helmet gone and ball in hand, but only uses it for throwdowns rather than the usual left-arm orthodox. Conway, Williamson and bowling coach Shane Jurgensen huddle around him and another lengthy conversation follows. Evidently, if New Zealand are to play him, they want to make absolutely sure he’s all right to take the field.And if they don’t, they’ve shown they can cope just fine, too.

So far in the Champions Trophy, New Zealand are doing all their usual things well – fielding nicely, finding top-order runs, finishing strong. They also have the bowling resources to adapt to Dubai’s surfaces, Glenn Phillips feels.The final group match of the tournament is not a live match exactly. New Zealand and India are both through to the final four, and their semi-final locations are set (New Zealand will definitely play theirs in Lahore, and India theirs in Dubai). The match will, however, decide whom they play – whoever wins plays Australia.Perhaps more vitally, however, a run in Dubai gives New Zealand a chance to become familiar with this set of Dubai conditions. Most of their players will have played at this venue previously, of course. But these are substantially used surfaces following the ILT20 and India’s first two games, in which the surfaces were on the slower side.Related

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“It comes down to the execution on pitches like this,” Phillips said. “We’ve got two really good spinners [Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell], and then allrounders in myself and Rachin Ravindra to be able to offer overs if we’re needed.”And then we’ve got three high-quality pace bowlers – Matt Henry nips it on glass, and our two big tall boys [Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke] that have got variable bounce and in Pakistan have been quite tough to play. I think that covers our bases quite nicely.”New Zealand are also the only team in the semi-finals who will play four matches in four different venues. Australia have played two in Lahore already, and will play a third match there if New Zealand win on Sunday. South Africa have played two in Karachi so far. New Zealand began in Karachi against Pakistan, went to Rawalpindi and beat Bangladesh there, before travelling to Dubai for this game. Being adaptable, though, has been one of New Zealand’s hallmarks in big tournaments over the last ten years.New Zealand had also won the pre-Champions Trophy tri-series in Pakistan, defeating Pakistan and then South Africa in Lahore, before beating Pakistan in the final in Karachi. They then beat the hosts in Karachi to kick this tournament off.2:30

Does Daryl Mitchell slot back into NZ’s XI?

“I think the beauty of Pakistan is every pitch we’ve played on has been significantly different to the last and I think that’s been great preparation for us coming over to Dubai, knowing that the pitch is going to be different again,” Phillips said. “We’ve had a lot of different situations, we’ve had balls that have spun, we’ve had surfaces that have been flat and fast, and boundaries that are small.”This ground presents us with a different challenge of being potentially a little bit slower, more void of grass and maybe slightly slower outfields. So I think we pride ourselves on trying to be as adaptable as possible.”Phillips mistakenly initially thought there was no reserve day for the semi-final due to be held in Pakistan, which would have allowed the group-topper to progress to the final more smoothly. But there is a reserve day for the semi-final in Lahore, and it is only after a no-result across two days that the topping of the group becomes relevant to progressing to the final.He maintained, nevertheless, that there was incentive to finish at the top of the group by beating India.”Finishing in the top spot goes with a great deal of confidence going into the semi-finals,” he said. “At the end of the day, we always, in a tournament like this, go out to win every game possible and momentum is a strange thing in cricket especially.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن إدارة نادي برشلونة حددت خليفة الدولي البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم.

وأعلن النادي الإسباني الثلاثاء الماضي، إصابة ليفاندوفسكي بـ تمزق عضلي في العضلة ذات الرأسين الفخذية (الفخذ الأيسر) وستعتمد مدة تعافيه على حجم تطور الإصابة.

وتزداد التكهنات حول مستقبل ليفاندوفسكي، خلال الفترة المقبلة، حيث من المقرر أن ينتهي عقده الصيف المقبل.

وقدم ليفاندوفسكي مستويات متميزة مع برشلونة خلال السنوات الماضية، ولعب صاحب الـ37 عامًا دورًا كبيرًا في حصول الفريق الكتالوني الموسم الماضي على ثلاثية الدوري الإسباني وكأس السوبر الإسباني وكأس ملك إسبانيا.

اقرأ أيضًا | برشلونة يتخذ قرارًا جديدًا بشأن ليفاندوفسكي

وكشفت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” أن المهاجم دوشان فلاهوفيتش، لاعب الفريق الأول بنادي يوفنتوس أبرز المرشحين لخلافة ليفاندوفسكي في خط هجوم برشلونة الموسم المقبل.

وينتهي عقد الصربي صاحب الـ26 عامًا مع نادي يوفنتوس في نهاية الموسم الحالي 2025/2026.

كما أفادت صحيفة “توتو سبورت” أن فلاهوفيتش أحد الأسماء القوية المرشحة من أجل الانتقال إلى برشلونة، كما أن ديكو تواصل مع وكيل أعمال المهاجم لمعرفة وضعه في النادي الإيطالي.

وأفادت الصحيفة الإيطالية أن مفاوضات تجديد عقد فلاهوفيتش مع يوفنتوس قد تعثرت، وبالتالي قرر اللاعب إنهاء مسيرته في إيطاليا بحثًا عن تحدي جديد، مع ذلك، اللاعب لا ينوي الرحيل في فترة الانتقالات الشتوية لضمان عقد أفضل في الصيف كـ لاعب حر.

Celtic are back from the international break and find themselves preparing for a tough run of fixtures, including the start of their Europa League campaign under Brendan Rodgers.

The Irishman has spoken in frank fashion about the frustration he faced during the summer transfer window, claiming his side ‘weren’t ready’ for their Champions League playoff match against Kairat Almaty after the Parkhead hierarchy failed to push critical deals over the line.

Not Nygren: Rodgers must bench Celtic flop to hand new signing a debut

Brendan Rodgers must drop this Celtic lightweight to unleash one of his new signings.

ByDan Emery Sep 14, 2025

Nevertheless, the Bhoys brought in ten new players by the end of the market period before Kelechi Iheanacho was released from his Sevilla contract to sign as a free agent.

However, the lack of synergy between the Celtic board and Rodgers has been on show for all to see, and one of his lesser-spotted summer signings has now sent an intriguing social media message that may explain his own situation in a little more detail.

Celtic loanee Jahmai Simpson-Pusey sends cryptic Instagram message

Taking to Instagram, Celtic summer signing Jahmai Simpson-Pusey changed his profile picture on the platform to reflect a message that said ‘Delays teach patience, which prepares you for blessings’ after failing to make a first-team appearance since arriving on loan from Manchester City.

Becoming the Hoops’ eighth addition of the window, the 19-year-old has also been left out of the Bhoys’ Europa League squad by Rodgers alongside Callum Osmand, Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura, causing some to question why he was acquired in the first place.

For now, Lennoxtown product Dane Murray appears to be ahead of Simpson-Pusey in the pecking order and is usually first in line to come off the bench when Rodgers decides to shuffle his backline around.

Regardless, there is a long season ahead for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions, and there is every chance that the England youth international could have a part to play as his loan club pursue another domestic treble.

What has Brendan Rodgers said about Jahmai Simpson-Pusey?

Shortly after his arrival in Glasgow was confirmed, Rodgers admitted to the press before his side defeated Aberdeen in August that Simpson-Pusey may be some way off featuring regularly due to his lack of a full-intensity pre-season.

He stated via Sky Sports: “He’s a little bit away in fairness to Jahmai. He’s been training with the small group at Manchester City and isn’t quite up to speed yet. You can see his quality straightaway and it’s just going to take a bit of time in terms of his fitness and the intensity.”

Clearly, Simpson-Pusey is a man with plenty of talent, given he claimed the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award last term and also made six appearances in the first-team under Pep Guardiola.

Now, he faces the challenge of nailing down a regular slot in Celtic’s backline, which may require persistence as the Manchester-born man looks to unseat the likes of Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty over the coming months.

The KKR batter explained it was “not an easy pitch to just go out there and hit”, and taking his time to get set worked

Sreshth Shah03-Apr-20252:53

Boucher: Arora’s length and swing caused trouble

As Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wrapped up their innings at 200 for 6, Venkatesh Iyer stood at the edge of the dugout, embracing Angkrish Raghuvanshi in a moment of silent acknowledgment. While the gesture seemed to signal “mission accomplished”, it was more of a nod to the fact that KKR had posted a competitive total, especially after being 122 for 4 after 15 overs, to give their bowlers a chance to test Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).In the end, KKR’s bowling attack ensured the target was more than sufficient. But in hindsight, it was the blistering 91-run stand in just 41 balls between Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh that reshaped SRH’s perception of the chase, turning a manageable ask into a daunting one.Venkatesh, who top-scored with a 29-ball 60, said that even in the age of batters being aggressive from the first ball, there were still plenty of benefits of taking a few balls early to set your eye in.Related

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“The messages that they [Ajinkya Rahane and Raghuvanshi] sent during the time-out, they made us understand that it’s not an easy pitch to just go out there and hit. You have to take your time,” Venkatesh told reporters after the match. “Ball was sticking a little, it was turning.”So it was important for us not to chew a few balls, but to take time to understand what the pitch has to offer. And I have that luxury because we have Rinku [Singh], Ramandeep [Singh] and [Andre] Russell in the backend.”Even if I take a few balls, I know that if I can cover it to an extent, we still have our engine room who can demolish any bowling attack. So the plan was to understand the pitch first and then react accordingly.”It worked as Venkatesh and Rinku accelerated after the 15th over when they were on 11 off ten and 6 off eight balls, respectively.But with two set batters at the crease, anything less than full-throttle hitting would have been an opportunity wasted with Russell, Ramandeep and in this game, Moeen Ali still padded up. While this depth in the line-up gives batters the freedom to play fearlessly – knowing their wicket holds less individual value – Venkatesh pointed out another reason.”We tried to milk it around, understand the condition,” Venkatesh said. “It was never easy for a new batter to go out there and hit. To be very honest, even if Ramandeep and Russell would have come in the 18th over, they would have had to take a couple of balls to understand the nature of the surface. I had that luxury, Rinku had that luxury. We had taken a few balls and then it became easy for us.1:10

Do SRH need to rethink their batting approach?

“But I think the frame of mind that you are talking about, once we hit the 17th over, we just understood that we can tee off now. We had taken enough time. We had to hit because we have three more batters coming in, but in order to hit and in order to execute the plans properly, it was important for us to spend time out there and that’s what we did.”Reflecting on his low scores – 3 and 6 – in his first two knocks before this breakout innings, Venkatesh felt he was “rushing a little” earlier in the tournament. He further said they wanted to be a team that posted “20 runs above par” and not just swing from ball one.”It’s very important for us to show positive but correct intent,” he said. “If we are 50 for 6 and I still go and tonk everything, that’s positive, but that’s not correct.”Aggression does not mean tonking every ball for sixes. It’s about how you understand the conditions, how you are able to maximize the conditions in your favour. And that is what aggression actually is. We don’t want to be the team that scores 250 when we’re playing well and when we’re not, we get out for 70.”We want to be a team who understands the pitch and the conditions quickly. To assess the par score and try to make 20 runs above par.”Venkatesh acknowledged that their total wasn’t entirely comfortable against a team like SRH. However, he credited Vaibhav Arora, the Player of the Match, for his impactful new-ball spell that shifted the momentum firmly in KKR’s favour.”Even after scoring 220, sometimes we feel that they can change it,” he said. “But we always knew that a team which is ultra-aggressive always carries the risk of getting wickets. That’s what we wanted to exploit. We have Vaibhav Arora who bowls in the powerplay to pick up wickets and he did that. A team that hits every ball also has the chance of going down early. And that’s what we wanted to exploit.”

Guti believes Endrick's development is stalling at Real Madrid and has urged the youngster to seek a loan move in January if he doesn't receive opportunities before the winter break.

Does Endrick deserve better?

Guti has advised Brazilian wonderkid Endrick to seek a loan move in the January transfer window if he fails to break into Alonso's first-team plans. The highly-rated forward has yet to make his official debut for the club despite featuring in several matchday squads, prompting Guti to suggest that a temporary move would be the "best option" for his development, as reported by DAZN via Madrid Universal.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat Guti said about Endrick's situation

Speaking during a broadcast, the former midfielder stressed the importance of regular playing time for a young player's growth and warned against waiting too long for an opportunity at the Santiago Bernabeu. Guti believes the upcoming winter window presents a perfect chance for Endrick to gain valuable experience elsewhere. "If he doesn’t get any opportunities between now and December, I think his best option is to leave so he can continue to grow," Guti stated. "For a young player, the best thing is to get playing time."

Endrick's struggle for minutes under Alonso

Despite assurances from manager Alonso that his chance will come, Endrick finds himself down the attacking pecking order. Alonso has so far preferred established options like Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz, as well as fellow youth product Gonzalo Garcia. Guti acknowledged the difficult path into the starting XI for the Brazilian. "What could be decisive? Well, you never know. There are always injuries and moments where the coach bets on you, but that doesn’t seem to be his priority right now," he added.

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Conflicting views on a potential loan

While Real Madrid are reportedly exploring a loan deal to accelerate Endrick's progress, the player and his representatives are said to be hesitant. The Brazilian's camp would prefer to remain in the Spanish capital, trusting that an opportunity to impress Alonso will eventually materialise. This sets up a crucial decision for the youngster in the coming months as he weighs the benefits of patience against the need for immediate first-team football.

The mood around West Ham United isn’t great at the moment.

Graham Potter’s side look just as dysfunctional as they did last season, and as things stand, the club have not done enough business in the market.

For example, while the additions of Mads Hermansen, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters are great in isolation, they’re enough to ensure the team aren’t dragged into a relegation battle.

Fortunately, reports have now linked the Hammers to another exciting talent, although the player in question is another full-back, one who’d already be an upgrade on Walker-Peters.

West Ham target Walker-Peters upgrade

With the transfer window still open for another week or so, West Ham simply have to bring in some more bodies, and, based on reports, it looks like they’re trying.

Transfer Focus

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Mateus Fernandes has been the most heavily touted for a move to the club, with some stories claiming the Hammers have already gone in with a second offer, while AS Roma striker Artem Dovbyk has recently been touted for a potential loan move that would see Niclas Füllkrug go the other way.

However, it now looks like another deal is close to being completed, one that would see the Hammers land an exciting talent who’d already be an upgrade on Walker-Peters.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spanish publication Sport, which has claimed that West Ham are very interested in Hector Fort.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Hammers are already in talks with Barcelona over a potential loan move, and that it could be finalised as soon as next week.

The young Spaniard might not be a particularly well-known player to Premier League fans, but he looks like he could be a future star, and would be an instant upgrade on Walker-Peters.

How Fort compares to Walker-Peters

Now, it should be said that Fort would be joining the team with significantly less experience than Walker-Peters.

However, at just 19 years old, that seems like an unfair stick to beat him with, and it could be argued that the experience he has is valuable in a different way.

For example, while he has played far fewer games, he’s already played at a much higher level than the Englishman, making 30 appearances for one of the biggest teams in the world in Barcelona.

Moreover, he’s already made three appearances in the Champions League and played 17 La Liga games during the club’s league-winning campaign last year.

With that said, the best way to see how the pair really stack up against one another is by taking a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers from last season.

Unfortunately for the former Saints star, he comes out as a distant second-best when we do this.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.17

0.11

Progressive Carries

2.15

3.52

Progressive Passes

4.00

4.29

Progressive Passes Received

5.08

4.44

Shots

0.92

0.62

Passing Accuracy

90.1%

88.2%

Key Passes

1.54

0.74

Passes into the Final Third

4.15

3.67

Shot-Creating Actions

2.46

1.94

Tackles Won

1.23

0.90

Blocks

1.85

0.83

Interceptions

0.92

0.59

Carries into the Final Third

2.31

2.22

Ball Recoveries

4.92

4.17

Aerial Duels Won

0.46

0.34

For example, the “immense” youngster, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, comes out way ahead in most relevant metrics such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, key passes, shot-creating chances, tackles won, blocks, interceptions and more, all per 90.

These numbers paint the picture of a full-back who is more than solid in defence, but then also capable of being a real attacking outlet, either through carrying the ball up the pitch, or passing it into dangerous areas.

Moreover, he appears to be the sort of player who’d cope with playing at wing-back as well, which is perfect for Potter.

Ultimately, while Walker-Peters brings plenty of experience to the squad, Fort looks to be the more dynamic and exciting defender, and therefore, West Ham should do what they can to get this deal over the line as soon as possible.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 22, 2025