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New Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has a huge job ahead of him after the club officially confirmed his Ibrox appointment on Monday.

The German boss arrives just days before a trip to Brann in the Europa League, and is taking over a team that won five of their 17 matches under the previous manager.

Russell Martin was unable to get a tune out of the squad that was built by the 49ers during the summer transfer window, as evidenced by his statistics in the graphic above.

The Martin signings most at risk under Rohl

The first thing that Rohl needs to do as the new head coach of Rangers is assess the squad to get a rough idea about what his preferred XI and usual set of substitutes will be.

As shown in the graphic above, Martin made plenty of additions to the team during the summer transfer window, but not all of them hit the ground running, as evidenced by the results.

Youssef Chermiti, who has not scored a competitive club goal since he left Sporting in 2023, may be at risk, as he has failed to deliver a goal or an assist for the Gers. Max Aarons, on loan from Bournemouth, may also be at risk as he has fallen down the pecking order in both full-back positions.

Joe Rothwell, per Sofascore, has lost 53% of his duels in midfield in the Scottish Premiership this season, and he could be at risk if the manager wants more robustness in the middle of the park.

One of the summer signings that Rohl must bin when the next window opens, though, is central defender Nasser Djiga, who should be sent back to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Why Danny Rohl should let go of Nasser Djiga

Martin swooped to sign the centre-back on loan from the Premier League side in the summer, but he has failed to prove his worth in the opening three months of the campaign.

Djiga’s worst moment so far, which was described as “disastrous” by Heart & Hand’s David Edgar, was when he inexplicably left the ball to allow Romeo Vermant to score for Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off.

There have been other contenders, though, as he was sent off against Dundee for a last-man foul in August, and Michael Stewart claimed that he “has not helped his team out” after the defender stayed on the floor calling for a foul in the build-up to Alloa Athletic’s first goal in the League Cup.

This shows that the centre-back has failed to perform on multiple occasions across multiple competitions for the Gers since his move to the club on loan.

A loan player for a club the size of Rangers should either be a player who fills a gap, which you could argue Max Aarons does as a back-up full-back, or has the quality to make an immediate impact on the pitch.

Djiga, unfortunately, does not hit either of those criteria at the moment. Whilst you could say that he fills a gap as a back-up centre-back, it is at the expense of Emmanuel Fernandez, who has not made a matchday squad since August.

Dundee United

0

Falkirk

90

Sturm Graz

0

Livingston

0

Genk

0

Hibernian

0

Hearts

45

Celtic

90

Club Brugge

90

Club Brugge

90

As you can see in the table above, Djiga has largely been an unused substitute across all competitions for Rangers since he was hauled off at half-time against Hearts.

The Gers reportedly paid a fee of £3.5m to sign Fernandez from Peterborough United in the summer, and sporting director Kevin Thelwell claimed that he “can have a big future” at Ibrox.

It does not seem prudent to spend £3.5m on a promising young centre-back only to exclude him from matchday squads in favour of a loanee defender, with no option to buy, who has made several costly mistakes this season.

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Therefore, Rohl should axe Djiga from the squad, if there is an early release clause in the loan deal or if Wolves are willing to take him back, in January and should look to afford Fernandez more chances to prove that he was worth the £3.5m investment in the summer.

تحدث حلمي طولان، المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني، عن مواجهة الغد أمام الأردن، في ختام دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العرب 2025، موجهًا رسالة للجماهير المصرية.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب مصر مع نظيره الأردن الذي ضمن تأهله رسميًا للدور ربع النهائي، وذلك غدًا الثلاثاء، ويسعى الفراعنة لحسم الفوز ولا بديل عن ذلك من أجل التأهل رفقة النشامي.

وقال حلمي طولان في تصريحاته خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “مباراة ستكون صعبة جدًا، المنتخب الأردني تأهل لكأس العالم، ولعب مباراتين قويتين في دور المجموعات بكأس العرب وفاز بهما وكان أول المتأهلين للدور التالي، فستكون مواجهة صعبة على منتخبنا”.

وتابع: “في البداية أحب أن أتوجه بالشكر لجماهيرنا الحقيقية التي ملئت استاد لوسيل في المباراة الماضية، وجماهيرنا الحقيقية في مصر، لأنهم هم الجماهير الحقيقية الذين يساندون المنتخب في أحلك ظروفه وأصعب الأوقات، وأنا سعيد جدًا بتواجدهم وتشجيعهم، وأتمنى أن نسعدهم بإذن الله”.

وأضاف: “منتخب الأردن مُنظم جدًا، يُجيد اللعب الحديث في كرة القدم، وأعتقد أنه لم يتأهل لكأس العالم من فراغ، فريق قوي ومنظم ويمتلك لاعبين مميزين على المستوى الهجومي والدفاعي، منتخب يُعمل له ألف حساب، وأنا ثقتي لم تهتز بلاعبي منتخب مصر الذين يبذلون جهد جبار وخارق حتى آخر لحظة في كل مباراة”.

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وواصل: “مجرد أن نتلقى هدفا الفريق يتحول بشكل قوي وبكفاح شديد لمحاولة التعادل والفوز، وهذا ظهر في المباراة السابقة أمام الإمارات، كل التحية لكل لاعب معي في الفريق، لأنه لا يبخل بجهد ولا بنقطة عرق، قمة الإلتزام والانضباط والعطاء”.

واستكمل: “ربنا يوفقهم في المباراة القادمة، الحسم أصبح في أقدام لاعبينا، وإن شاء الله يكونوا موفقين في مباراة الغد أمام الأردن”.

وأشار: “الجماهير المصرية سواء هنا أو في مصر، أعتذر لهم على عدم تحقيق النتائج المنتظرة، هم يعرفون الظروف التي واجهتنا والتي لن أبررها الآن، ولكن سيكون لنا حديثًا آخر، وأعتقد أنهم يعلمون الظروف التي واجهتنا، بأن نجمع فريق ونُعده للبطولة، ثم فجأة نأتي بفريق آخر، هذا أمر صعب جدًا”.

واستمر: “أنا أعتذر لهم، ولا أتنصل من المسؤولية مطلقًا، نعم أنا في مهمة مؤقتة، لكني مسؤول مسؤولية تامة، وأنا أشكر اللاعبين على التزامهم وأنهم يبذلون أقصى جهدًا لكي يُسعدوا الجماهير، نحن نحاول بشتى الطرق ألا يحضر 35 ألف مُشجع في استاد لوسيل ثم يعودون وهم في حالة حزن، نحن نتأثر بشكل كبير جدًا فقط من أجل جماهيرنا التي تعنينا وليس لأحد آخر”.

واختتم: “نتأثر عندما تكون النتيجة غير مُرضية لجماهيرنا، نحن لا نتحجج ولا نتنصل من المسؤولية مهما كانت الظروف التي واجهتنا قبل البطولة”.

Chelsea have been tipped to ‘easily’ sign a ‘top player’ who could become a ‘superstar’ away from his current club.

Chelsea suffer Atalanta blow as Maresca crashes down to Earth

Chelsea’s aspirations of securing automatic Champions League knockout round qualification took a significant hit as they surrendered a half-time advantage to lose 2-1 against Atalanta in Bergamo on Tuesday evening.

Enzo Maresca’s side appeared on course for a crucial victory when Joao Pedro slid home his maiden Champions League goal in the 25th minute, capitalizing on Reece James’s delivery after a VAR review confirmed the captain had timed his run perfectly.

The Blues controlled proceedings during the opening period, with their man-to-man pressing disrupting Atalanta’s rhythm and limiting the Serie A outfit’s opportunities.

However, Josh Acheampong did have to produce a stunning goal-line block to deny Ademola Lookman what appeared a certain opener.

.

Maresca’s decision to withdraw the booked Trevoh Chalobah at half-time appeared to kickstart a dramatic shift in momentum.

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The Blues are short up front.

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James spurned an excellent opportunity to extend Chelsea’s lead early in the second period, firing wide from a promising position on the edge of the penalty area.

Atalanta immediately made Chelsea pay, with Charles De Ketelaere delivering an exceptional cross from the right flank, allowing former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca to rise completely unmarked inside the six-yard box and nod past Robert Sanchez.

The Belgian forward then completed the turnaround with seven minutes remaining, his deflected strike looping over Sanchez after taking a wicked deflection off Marc Cucurella’s retreating leg.

Despite late opportunities for Alejandro Garnacho, James and Pedro, Marco Carnesecchi’s goalkeeping ensured Atalanta claimed all three points.

It was a humbling night for Chelsea, merely a fortnight after they were being talked about as genuine Premier League title contenders.

There is clearly still work to do before the west Londoners can be discussed in that manner, with Maresca lamenting Chelsea’s defending in a post-match press conference.

With holes still ever present and Maresca constantly rotating his first-team due to injuries, there may still be more work to do in the transfer market next year.

Chelsea spent nearly £300 million in the summer, but they remain pretty light in midfield with the constantly-injured Roméo Lavia sidelined for yet another extended period.

As a result, the west Londoners have been tipped to move for a new midfielder in 2026, and Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo could be available.

Chelsea tipped to 'easily' sign Kobbie Mainoo from Man United

Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with the Red Devils sensation these last 12 months, with Mainoo on the fringes of Ruben Amorim’s first team and potentially poised for the exit door.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, ex-United midfielder Nicky Butt has tipped Chelsea to sign Mainoo amid his current club’s ‘mind-boggling’ stance when it comes to young stars.

The 20-year-old, who burst on to the scene at Old Trafford in 2023/2024, was once a revelation under Erik ten Hag and one of England’s rising stars.

Mainoo’s excellent form that year, including an FA Cup final goal against Man City, earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.

He played in all but one of the Three Lions’ games that tournament, including a start in the final against Spain, so finding Mainoo in this situation at United is truly bizarre.

The talented and versatile midfielder seemingly doesn’t fit into Amorim’s tactical blueprint, with Chelsea believed to still be keen on Mainoo amid their search for world football’s most elite young talents.

This could be a match made in heaven.

Newcastle United are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a Premier League rival, who’s been frozen out at his current club.

Wissa: Newcastle debut a "long time" coming

At long last, Yoane Wissa made his Newcastle debut against Burnley. The former Brentford star arrived in the summer for as much as £55m – becoming one of the club’s most expensive ever signings – only to suffer an instant injury on international duty. Now, his wait is over and he’s finally stepped out at St James’ Park.

Speaking to reporters at full-time, Wissa admitted that his debut as been a “long time” coming – telling reporters: “It’s been a long time. The last 11 weeks, I’ve learned about the team and the players.

“It’s been a long road but I’m happy in the end. It gave my goosebumps [for his name to be read out when he came on]. I’m buzzing now. It can be an excellent season because we have so many quality players.”

Eddie Howe was also pleased to see the forward, although claimed that Wissa’s still got “a lot more work to do”.

The Newcastle boss said: “He’s got a lot more work to do to get to the very best level that he can. We hope to keep him available by managing correctly.

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“It’s difficult with the spell of games that we have to sort of train him and build his fitness with all the game schedule. So it’s going to be a really delicate balance for us, but hopefully we can find a solution to it.”

Meanwhile, as one arrival gets on the pitch for the first time, another could be on the way with reports now claiming that Newcastle are plotting a move to sign Chelsea’s Axel Disasi.

Newcastle plotting Axel Disasi move

As reported by Caught Offside, Newcastle are now plotting a concrete move to sign Disasi from Chelsea in the January transfer window. The defender has been thrown aside by Enzo Maresca and forced to join the likes of Raheem Sterling in the club’s so-called bomb squad. Now, however, he could get the move he so desperately needs in January.

For Newcastle, a move for the out-of-favour Chelsea man would provide Howe with some vital depth as Sven Botman continues to struggle on the injury front.

The Dutchman, as talented as he is, has become somewhat of a liability in recent times thanks to his injury history. And as Malick Thiaw continues to nail down his starting place, the Magpies could do with handing him a consistent partner. That is where Disasi could come in.

Dubbed “brilliant” by Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher in 2024, Disasi will be chomping at the bit to make his mark, having not played all season at Chelsea, and Newcastle should take full advantage.

Bad news for Woltemade: Newcastle considering move for "phenomenal" PL star

Shohei Ohtani belted his first home run of the season Wednesday in Tokyo, but it came with some controversy as the announcers, and even Ohtani, weren't sure it should have been a home run after the umpires reviewed it.

Ohtani, who had 54 dingers last season, crushed a ball to right center in the fifth inning of the Dodgers-Cubs game in Japan. At first it looked like it hit off the top of the wall and would be a double, but then umpires quickly motioned that it was a home run. They then reviewed the play and a fan was seen getting a hand on the ball.

Here's how that played out:

Here's how the review process went:

That did look like it might not have made it over the wall if it wasn't for the fan. But it was indeed ruled a home run and it looks like Ohtani is ready for another huge season.

Arsenal staff have been taken aback by summer signing Noni Madueke behind-the-scenes, with a twist now coming to light on the forward’s injury return timeline.

Mikel Arteta is now without star defender William Saliba once again, not to mention winger Gabriel Martinelli.

Delivering a pre-match injury update ahead of the Gunners’ Carabao Cup fourth round clash at home to Brighton on Wednesday evening, Arteta didn’t delve into too much detail on the extent of their problems, but the duo have now joined their injury list.

Saliba and Martinelli are accompanied by Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Madueke, who are all unavailable for selection right now due to various issues.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Jesus has been sidelined since the turn of the year after rupturing his ACL in an FA Cup defeat to Man United, and reports have suggested that the Brazilian may not be back in action until 2026.

Odegaard, meanwhile, is suffering real bad luck with injuries right now.

The Arsenal captain had only just returned from a shoulder problem when he set up Gabriel Magalhaes’ winner away to Newcastle, but it didn’t take long for Odegaard to be sidelined once again.

The £240,000-per-week playmaker picked up a medial collateral ligament injury in the 2-0 win over West Ham just prior to the last international break, and that is expected to keep him out until mid-November.

Luckily for Arteta, the north Londoners could soon welcome Havertz back.

The Germany international has apparently been blowing away Arsenal rehab staff with his recovery and is fighting to be fully match fit ahead of schedule, according to insider HandOfArsenal.

Now, as per GiveMeSport, nearly the exact same can be said of Madueke too.

Arsenal staff taken aback as Noni Madueke nears faster injury return

According to their information, Arsenal staff have been left impressed by Madueke’s attitude during recovery, and the England international winger is now set to return to training earlier than anticipated.

Madueke is said to be making “faster-than-expected” progress in his comeback from a knee injury which has kept him out since Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Man City.

The former PSV Eindhoven star, known for his pace, dribbling, and creativity, has been a bright prospect since joining Arsenal, and his return is expected to inject more flair and unpredictability into their front line.

Madueke’s ability to wreak havoc on defenders in one-on-one situations offers a new dimension, but also takes some pressure off Arsenal’s key forwards, with Arteta pretty light in that area right now.

His form right after joining Arsenal in the summer, despite early protests over his arrival, resulted in Madueke being considered as Andrea Berta’s arguable best signing of the window thus far.

Arsenal’s plan is for the 23-year-old to complete several controlled sessions before resuming full contact training, and he’s apparently used the time to work on other aspects of his game, like strength and conditioning.

His response to the setback has been nothing short of incredible, according to GMS, and Arteta will certainly be impressed behind-closed-doors.

He made his mark on debut in the 1958-59 Ashes before his career was cut short

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2025Former Australia fast bowler Gordon Rorke, who played four Tests, has passed away aged 87.A tall pace bowler, considered one of the fastest in Australia at the time, Rorke’s Test appearances all came in 1959 – two against England in the Ashes followed by two away against India late in the year where he was struck by illness when he contracted hepatitis.He claimed five wickets in the match on debut in Adelaide as Australia won by ten wickets and regained the Ashes.However, his career was dogged by controversy over his delivery where he dragged his back foot so that he could deliver the ball with his front foot several feet over the bowling crease. Rorke’s ability to do this led to a review of the no-ball laws.”I was frightened that he might tread on my toes,” Colin Cowdrey, who made 84 in Adelaide, said.The lingering effects of illness from his India tour meant that his career ended aged 25. Overall in first-class cricket for New South Wales, he claimed 88 wickets at 24.60.”Cricket NSW extends its deepest condolences to Gordon’s family and friends at this difficult time while celebrating his contribution to our game,” the state said.

Tottenham boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League with a commanding 4-0 win at home to Copenhagen, despite playing much of the second half one man light. Goal-scorer Brennan Johnson was sent off with Spurs already two to the good, but Thomas Frank's side showed fantastic character to score twice more as they put in arguably their best performance of his tenure so far.

Tottenham pulled ahead just before the 20-minute mark. Copenhagen clumsily gave the ball away in the Spurs half, allowing Rodrigo Bentancur to win possession back and hand the reins over to Xavi Simons, who quickly saw Johnson darting in behind the high defensive line and fed him down the right-hand channel. Goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski came a long way out of his box to challenge Johnson and missed, with the Welshman cooly rolling the ball in from a tight angle.

Spurs ought to have doubled their lead before the break when a lovely, flowing team move saw Simons square the final pass for Randal Kolo Muani, who somehow fumbled the chance to score his first goal for his new club by firing wide from close range.

Shortly after the restart, the hosts found that second goal. Pedro Porro's long ball over the top was chased all the way by Kolo Muani, who blocked Kotarski's clearance and retrieved the high clearance with an immaculate first touch before selflessly passing to Wilson Odobert to finish.

But the game threatened to turn when Johnson was shown a red card on 57 minutes. The winger caught Marcos Lopez on his heel with his studs, and after consulting with VAR, the referee gave him his marching orders.

However, that only seemed to galvanise Tottenham, who scored their third of the evening soon after. Joao Palhinha nicked the ball back on the edge of the Spurs penalty area, and Micky van de Ven proceeded to sprint almost the entire length of the pitch before firing beyond a helpless Kotarski. Seconds later, it was four as another quick breakaway saw Odobert slip in centre-back Cristian Romero, who managed to reverse the ball back for Palhinha to smash in at the back stick.

Richarlison rattled the underside of the crossbar with a powerful header from a Porro cross before Spurs were awarded a penalty when Dane Scarlett was tripped by Junnosuke Suzuki. Brazil's No.9 stepped up and, would you believe it, hit the exact same spot on the bar again. However, that mattered little in the grand scheme of things as Tottenham ran out convincing winners.

GOAL rates Spurs' players from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Guglielmo Vicario (6/10):

  Once roundly criticised for his inability to catch a cross, the Italian goalkeeper guarded his six-yard box superbly to hoover up Copenhagen crosses. Only really tested by way of shot-stopping from distance.

  Pedro Porro (7/10):

  Gave the ball away a couple of times in his own half early doors but was much better defensively here than he has been all season. Came up with the daring long ball which led to Odobert's goal.

  Cristian Romero (7/10):

  Swept up for Van de Ven whenever the Dutchman went marauding into midfield in a role-reversal of their usual tasks. Found himself playing up front for a brief few seconds before teeing up Palhinha for Spurs' fourth goal. Subbed for Danso.

  Micky van de Ven (8/10):

  Wow. Came into the game with a point to prove after walking off without clapping the fans against Chelsea on Saturday, left as the name on everyone's lips for the right reasons. Hardly troubled at the back and then ran Copenhagen ragged with one hell of a sprint right through their entire team to score Spurs' third.

  Destiny Udogie (7/10):

  Spurs have missed natural width down the left despite the emergence of Spence as an outstanding one-v-one defender. Combined well with Odobert throughout. Taken off for the England full-back eventually.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Rodrigo Bentancur (7/10):

  One of several players eviscerated by Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football this week, but responded excellently with a top performance at the base of midfield, winning possession back and moving it on at pace.

  Pape Matar Sarr (7/10):

  The engine behind Tottenham's direct performance. Always looked to play the ball forward and bring attackers into play as soon as possible.

  Xavi Simons (8/10):

  His best performance in a Spurs shirt since moving from RB Leipzig at the end of the summer window. His clever thinking set Johnson racing away for the opener, while Kolo Muani denied the Dutchman two other assists in the first half. Sacrificed for Palhinha after the hosts were reduced to 10 men.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Brennan Johnson (7/10):

  From hero to zero, from an objective sense. Put Spurs ahead with a well-taken finish from a narrow angle, only for his night to end early after VAR recommended a red-card review for a high, if weak, foul on Lopez. Fortunately, this only spurred Tottenham on to demolish their visitors.

  Randal Kolo Muani (7/10):

  Missed a couple of sitters but was always in the right place at the right time and grabbed an assist for countryman Odobert. The fans showed their appreciation for his efforts with a standing ovation when coming off for Richarlison.

  Wilson Odobert (8/10):

  No single player has made the left wing spot their own at Spurs so far this season, but the young Frenchman strengthened his credentials with a goal while showing a growing understanding with the likes of Udogie, Simons and Kolo Muani. Subbed for Scarlett late on.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Joao Palhinha (7/10):

  Brought on to shore up the midfield after Johnson's red card, ended up on the scoresheet. Now up to four goals in his Spurs career already. Technically got the assist for Van de Ven too.

  Richarlison (5/10):

  Replaced Kolo Muani. Hit the bar with a header and then a penalty.

  Djed Spence (6/10):

  Came on for Udogie.

  Kevin Danso (6/10):

  On for Romero.

  Dane Scarlett (7/10):

  Afforded some extremely rare first-team minutes in place of Odobert. Won the penalty which Richarlison missed.

  Thomas Frank (9/10):

  After the calamity of the Chelsea loss, Frank desperately needed a result and performance like this to improve his popularity among Tottenham fans. His selections and substitutions were spot on.

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.

Tottenham’s most valuable U21 players

Player

Age

Market value

Lucas Bergvall

19

£33m

Archie Gray

19

£33m

Mathys Tel

20

£30m

Wilson Odobert

20

£17m

Kota Takai

21

£2m

Dane Scarlett

21

£2m

Valuations via Transfermarkt

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.

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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.

Vs Moldova U21s

Archie Gray

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

Stats via Sofascore

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.

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Already thinking about 2026 targets, Newcastle United have reportedly set their sights on signing a Premier League rival who Eddie Howe is a huge fan of.

Newcastle handed early Barcelona boost

Ahead of Thursday’s clash against Barcelona, Newcastle have already been handed a major boost when it comes to team news. After missing their game against Valencia at the weekend, Lamine Yamal has been ruled out of Barcelona’s trip to St James’ Park and will not travel with Hansi Flick’s squad.

The 18-year-old, who is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, would have been playing in England for the first time, but will now have to wait for his chance to send the same statement that he’s been sending ever since stepping foot on the biggest stage.

That said, Howe recently admitted that as much as Yamal’s absence could provide Newcastle with a boost this Thursday, he relishes playing the best players and best teams.

The Newcastle boss told reporters: “Whenever I get asked these types of questions my answer’s always the same – you want to play the best teams, you want to play against the best players, and you want to challenge yourselves as much as you can.

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“But in saying that, we also want to win. We’ll take whoever they play. We know they’ve got world-class players in every position, so it’s irrelevant to a degree who is out there.”

It’s the first time in over 22 years that Barcelona will square off against Newcastle and a lot has changed in that time, both on and off the pitch. Away from the action, the Magpies are arguably in a position to compete against the Spanish giants financially and they could prove that by signing a Premier League rival in 2026.

Newcastle eyeing Kobbie Mainoo move

According to talkSPORT, Newcastle are now eyeing a move to sign Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United in 2026. The midfielder has found himself in a frustrating position at Old Trafford after being denied the chance to leave on loan in the summer. Instead, forced to compete for a place in a World Cup year, he’s been left to watch on from Ruben Amorim’s bench in controversial fashion.

Just how long a player of Mainoo’s talent will settle for his current position is the big question. Howe is reportedly a huge admirer of the midfielder and Newcastle could test United’s resolve if they continue to leave their academy graduate out in the cold.

It wasn’t so long ago that Mainoo was scoring the winning goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final and arguably in better form than anyone else in a Man United shirt. Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes even went as far as to describe the 20-year-old as “special” while he was labelled as a future “£100m-plus footballer” by United writer Alex Turk.

It remains unclear why Amorim has not handed him the chances that Erik ten Hag did, but Mainoo shouldn’t wait around to find out. Represented by the same agent as Nick Pope, the young star should jump at the chance if Newcastle come calling.