West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo has reportedly made his feelings about recruitment crystal clear to the board ahead of January, with the Portuguese adamant that they need to strengthen multiple areas of the squad.

West Ham told by Nuno to make three signings in January

Second bottom after conceding more Premier League goals than any other side so far, losing six of their first eight matches, West Ham are staring relegation in the face if they don’t improve quickly.

Nuno is yet to win his first game as manager since taking over from Graham Potter in September, and they looked completely bereft of ideas in their last outing against Brentford at the London Stadium.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

West Ham fielded a much-changed line-up to face the Bees, which included a host of men playing out of position, and Nuno’s team selection for the 2-0 defeat certainly raised plenty of eyebrows.

They were second best all over the pitch and barely threatened the away side at all, barring a decent attempt from winger Jarrod Bowen, with the January window looking more and more like Nuno’s potential lifeline.

According to reports this week, Nuno has urged West Ham chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to sign a defender, midfielder and forward in the winter (GiveMeSport) as three key positions to address.

Defensively, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo had a nightmare against Brentford. While Igor Julio has impressed in training lately and could be recalled to the West Ham squad to face Leeds, especially after Konstantinos Mavropanos’ injury, the need for another option is evident.

In midfield, Nuno is believed to want a box-to-box engine room technician who can inject some pace, with internal talks held over a potential move for Chelsea star Andrey Santos among others (GiveMeSport).

Out of all West Ham’s glaring weaknesses, you don’t need an expert to tell you that they’re sorely lacking a reliable number nine who they can rely on as a consistent goalscoring threat.

Niclas Füllkrug’s injury nightmare since joining from Borussia Dortmund threatens to add the German to a long list of failed West Ham striker signings, and it is believed they’re already moving for alternatives.

West Ham have reportedly spoken to Real Madrid about signing Endrick on loan, while journalist Alan Nixon reported earlier this week that the east Londoners are considering ex-Brentford star Ivan Toney on a temporary deal too.

While their goalkeeping department demands the least attention, it is now being reported that West Ham have a chance to sign yet another big-name on loan.

West Ham offered Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen on loan

That man is Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

The Catalans captain has barely featured since Hansi Flick took charge in 2024, having suffered various injury problems, but ter Stegen is expected to be back around December — on the eve of the next transfer window.

With Joan Garcia now seizing the number one spot, Barça have told their club legend that he’s free to leave in January for more game time, informing ter Stegen’s camp that they should start looking for a new landing spot.

According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, West Ham are one of the clubs who’ve been offered a chance to sign ter Stegen on loan, with intermediaries reaching out over a potential deal.

The 33-year-old is a serial winner. Boasting a Champions League winner’s medal and six La Liga titles from his time at the Camp Nou, ter Stegen would bring a champion’s mentality to Rush Green – something which has been severely lacking in the squad for quite some time.

However, given his £280,000-per-week wages, and the fact West Ham need to prioritise outfield positions, an agreement could well be out of the Hammers’ reach.

It was very much smooth sailing for Liverpool when Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the dugout. Overlooked by critics, the Reds dominantly won the Premier League despite minimal transfer investment.

Now, the defending champions have spent liberally across the summer but have lost their finely-woven fluency, lacking control and coherence across the opening weeks of the season.

The winning, never-quit mentality is still intact, but that alone will not carry the Anfield side through the campaign and to glory. Back-to-back defeats within the past week make a firm comment on that.

Tactically imbalanced and struggling through a bedding-in period, Liverpool have it all to do, with Slot dealing with a number of underperforming stars right now.

Liverpool's biggest strugglers this season

Where to start if not with Florian Wirtz? The German playmaker joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer, billed as a world-class talent with unrivalled game-changing quality.

But, since playing a neat assist for Hugo Ekitike (who is certainly not an underperformer), Wirtz has blanked across nine fixtures in all competitions, with his performances leaving so much to be desired.

There is hope and expectation that the 22-year-old will hit his stride soon, but there may be more consternation over the form and future of Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the year, and with Real Madrid lurking, that’s not a good sign.

So far, the French centre-back’s campaign has been littered with mistakes. With Giovanni Leoni sidelined for the long term, this is ominous, with the durability of Liverpool’s starting defensive partnership essential to the success of the team.

Mohamed Salah has also endured a quiet start to the season, and he has received criticism for his toils. However, there’s another Redman who has struggled to get going so far, and he is quietly one of the most important cogs in the Slot machine.

Liverpool's quiet underperformer

Alexis Mac Allister has been a revelation since joining Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m in 2023. The Argentine World Cup winner has played influential and contrasting midfield roles across his two years on Merseyside, and has been hailed as a “superstar” by pundit Joe Cole for his efforts.

Matches (starts)

35 (30)

5 (5)

Goals

5

0

Assists

5

0

Touches*

55.8

48.4

Pass completion

87%

87%

Key passes*

1.3

0.8

Dribbles*

0.5

0.0

Ball recoveries*

4.2

3.6

Tackles + interceptions*

3.3

1.8

Ground duels (won)*

4.3 (50%)

1.8 (43%)

But there’s no denying that he hasn’t been right since the off-season. The 26-year-old star has lacked his energy and incisiveness, his hunger to win the ball back and progress play into the final third.

Given the importance of his form in the middle of the park, making everything tick for the Reds, it’s not outrageous to suggest that Mac Allister has been one of Liverpool’s worst performers this season, rarely offering any significant positivity.

Even Wirtz and Konate have enjoyed flashes of promise this term, but Mac Allister has yet to get going at all; he’s not protecting the defence, and neither is he carving out chances with slick passing.

Wirtz, after all, has created 21 chances across all competitions for Liverpool, and no Premier League player has created more since the summer. Clearly, there is a world-class player in there, and he will bloom before long.

It might even be that Slot needs to take his trusted lieutenant out of the firing line, with Curtis Jones producing an impressive, industrious performance in Istanbul.

In any case, there is plenty for Slot to sort out at Liverpool right now, and the changes need to happen sooner rather than later.

Trent 2.0: FSG have already sold a Bradley & Frimpong upgrade at Liverpool

Arne Slot has problems to fix at Liverpool after an up-and-down start to the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 30, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos principais jogadores brasileiros nos últimos anos, o volante Casemiro quase foi revelado pelo Corinthians. Torcedor corintiano na infância, o garoto de São José dos Campos, cidade do interior paulista, optou, no entanto, por fazer a sua formação no São Paulo, onde chegou aos 11 anos de idade.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians x América de Cali: onde assistir ao vivo e horário do jogo pela Libertadores FemininaCorinthians13/10/2023CorinthiansCom eleições no horizonte, Corinthians vive entre certezas e incógnitas no planejamento para 2024Corinthians13/10/2023CorinthiansLateral do cabelo rosa, Yan Couto foi alvo do Corinthians antes de estrear pela SeleçãoCorinthians13/10/2023

A decisão do jogador teve influência de Nilton Moreira, primeiro treinador do meio-campista, quando ainda era chamado de Carlão, em São José – o nome completo do atleta é Carlos Henrique José Francisco Venancio Casimiro. 

+ Eles têm o faro! Aposte R$100 e ganhe mais de R$750 com Sané, Højlund e Chiesa na Data Fifa!

+ Sábado recheado! Aposte R$100 e ganhe mais de R$830 com combinada da Série B

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Para Nilton, em 2003, a estrutura são-paulina era superior à do Timão. Na época, já existia o processo de construção do CT de Cotia, para a base do Tricolor, que foi inaugurado em 2005.

continua após a publicidade

Criado por um conjunto de mulheres, mãe, tia e avó, Casemiro tinha no primeiro treinador a figura paterna do início da carreira e optou por escutar os conselhos de Nilton Moreira e migrar para o São Paulo.

– A vontade dele (Casemiro) era jogar no Corinthians, porque ele é corintiano. Na época, o Corinthians queria ele. Só que eu senti que o São Paulo tinha mais estrutura – disse Nilton em entrevista à TV Record.

continua após a publicidade

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

CARREIRA DE CASEMIRO

O volante fez toda a base no Tricolor. Em 2010, foi um dos destaques do título são-paulino na Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, o que chamou a atenção do técnico Ricardo Gomes, que promoveu o atleta ao elenco principal.

Na primeira vez em que foi relacionado, Casemiro ficou somente no banco de reservas na derrota do Tricolor para o Vitória, em Salvador, pelo Brasileirão daquele ano. Duas partidas depois, o meia foi chamado novamente e dessa vez sendo até mesmo titular em novo revés do São Paulo, agora para o Santos, na Vila Belmiro, também pela competição nacional.

+ Sextou na Europa! Aposte R$100 e ganhe mais de R$1000 com combinada das Eliminatórias

Mesmo com os resultados negativos, o volante se manteve presente no time e alternou apresentações como titular e reserva durante aquela temporada. Ele se manteve no São Paulo até o início de 2013, quando foi vendido para o Real Madrid (ESP), para integrar a equipe B.

Casemiro nunca chegou a ser um grande destaque com a camisa são-paulina, mas se transformou em um dos melhores atletas do mundo na sua posição durante a sua trajetória na Europa.

Contratado em definitivo pelo Real, ele foi emprestado ao Porto (POR), em 2014, mas retornou ao clube espanhol na temporada seguinte, já no elenco principal, onde ganhou quatro Champions League e três ligas espanholas. Pela Seleção, foi titular nas duas últimas Copas do Mundo (2018 e 2022).

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Aos 31 anos, Casemiro ainda se vê jogando em alto nível na Europa, mas enxerga o seu ciclo no fim. A ida ao Manchester United (ING), na temporada passada, mesmo com o clube inglês fora da Champions League, foi um sinal de que agora o meio-campista busca a realização profissional. A transferência para os Red Devils se deu por um sonho do jogador em atuar na Premier League.

Casemiro sonha em estar presente na próxima Copa do Mundo, em 2026, no Canadá, Estados Unidos e México. Para isso, se manter em alto nível no melhor futebol do mundo é fundamental. Se os planos dele se concretizarem, a tendência é que depois do Mundial ele projete o seu retorno ao Brasil para um possível encerramento de carreira. Assim, pode até mesmo realizar o sonho que não pôde cumprir na infância, e jogar pelo Corinthians, seu clube do coração.

Jamie Carragher remains unconvinced that Liverpool needed to sign two strikers during a summer of historic spending at Anfield. The Reds invested heavily in Hugo Ekitike, before then smashing the British transfer record on £125 million ($164m) superstar Alexander Isak. Arne Slot has to find minutes for both forwards when they are fit, with Carragher admitting that his “mind boggles” when it comes to that selection conundrum.

• Isak vs Ekitike: Goal returns for Liverpool

  Sweden international Isak has taken the No.9 shirt at Liverpool and is expected to be the Reds’ go-to option when clear of injury – with the 26-year-old a proven Premier League performer from his time at Newcastle. He has registered 20-plus goals in the English top-flight across each of the last two campaigns.

  Ekitike has, however, made a promising start to his spell on Merseyside following a £79m ($104m) switch from Eintracht Frankfurt. The France international has found the target on six occasions through 14 appearances in all competitions. Isak, in contrast, has just one Carabao Cup effort to his name.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Isak injury: Swedish striker out of action

  Isak has sat out Liverpool’s last three matches with a groin problem and is set to remain sidelined when the Reds take in a glamour Champions League clash with La Liga giants Real Madrid on Tuesday – a game that will see Trent Alexander-Arnold return to Anfield.

  Ekitike will lead the line again, but has only one goal through his last eight appearances for club and country. Carragher believes that the 23-year-old has still done enough to suggest that he should start even when Isak is back – with Slot facing a headache of his own making.

• Who should Liverpool start when everybody is fit?

  Reds legend Carragher told : “I could totally understand it's not easy, and this was always my reservation about buying two strikers for that much money who both play in the same position.

  “It's very difficult to see a Liverpool team get two strikers on the pitch, it's not easy to do that. So I understand trying to get Isak in the team even though Ekitike was doing well – because he's a great player, he's got to get him fit and he's also paid a lot of money for him.

  “My mind boggles going forward how this is going to work, but right now Ekitike's got the shirt, he's playing really well and it will probably do Isak a little bit of good if he's out of the team to build his fitness up in training more.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Slot convinced he can keep everybody happy

  Isak has been playing catch-up on the fitness front after being denied a full pre-season by the protracted transfer saga that saw him push for a move away from St James’ Park. Liverpool have tried to manage his workload carefully, but knocks have still been picked up.

  Slot remains adamant that he can keep two strikers happy, with his team competing on multiple fronts at home and abroad.

  The Dutch tactician said ahead of a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa last time out: “Let me use Alex as an example, he had to do his pre-season inside the season and people can then argue, 'Why do you play him?' But if I don't play him, I don't have him available and we need to have him available, because otherwise I have to play Hugo every single game.

  “And I was just with Owen Hargreaves when he made the comparison between the two of them and he showed that one played 34 games last season, the other one 34 – and we play 60 over here. So, that's why I need to get Alex as soon as I can into playing as many games as he can.”

  It remains to be seen when Isak will come back into contention, with it possible that he will not be seen again until after the next international break. Liverpool have two epic encounters to take in prior to domestic action shutting down, with an eagerly-anticipated meeting with Madrid set to be followed by a trip to old adversaries Manchester City on Sunday.

Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer brought quality, intensity and fire to proceedings

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2025

Nitish Kumar Reddy is distraught after falling on the last ball before lunch•Getty Images

England came to Lord’s looking for six wickets. They bagged four of them before lunch in an inspired morning’s play where their captain Ben Stokes and their returning talismanic fast bowler Jofra Archer brought quality, intensity and fire to proceedings.India were in the mire early when Rishabh Pant, hampered by the injured finger on his left hand, fell on the third over of the day. Three overs later, Stokes got one to nip down the slope at the Nursery end to trap KL Rahul lbw. Stokes bowled a nine-over spell this morning, constantly threatening everyone who made the mistake of standing 22 yards away. This time, the England coaching staff weren’t interfering with his plans. They just let him do his thing.Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy got together with the score at 82 for 7. India’s hopes looked quite dire at the time, but a packed crowd, with a loud Indian contingent cheered them on with every block, every leave, every run scored. Eventually the ball started to lose its hardness and batting became slightly easier. There were 12 false shots leading to the three wickets in the first hour. But only eight in the second.Just as it looked like India would go to the break with their last two recognised batters intact, Chris Woakes gave them a different challenge. Swing instead of seam. And eventually he was able to prise Reddy out for 13 off 53. There remained a fair bit of needle through the morning session with Archer giving Pant a send-off, Stokes and Reddy having a fairly amiable chat at the end of overs and Brydon Carse and Jadeja actually colliding with each other.England were on point with their fielding as well, spurred on by Stokes who was loath to let the intensity drop. Archer took a fine one-handed catch, diving to his right to get rid of Washington Sundar.

Hampshire 367 for 6 (Varma 112, Organ 71*, Weatherley 52, Middleton 52) trail Nottinghamshire 578 for 8 dec (James 203*, Haynes 103, McCann 79, Hutton 71) by 211 runsTilak Varma once again proved his enormous talent with his second century in three matches as Hampshire fought hard to keep title-challenging Nottinghamshire at bay at Utilita Bowl.India prodigy Varma added 112 to take his average in his Hampshire stint to just under 79. He put on 42 with Nick Gubbins, 58 with Ben Brown, and most substantially 126 with Felix Organ to bite into Nottinghamshire’s large 578 first-innings score.Organ ended the day unbeaten on 71 with 61 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on – in doing so Hampshire should be safe from defeat on the final day.Fletcha Middleton and Joe Weatherley had hunkered down for 32 overs of hard graft the previous evening. They got their rewards by collecting half-centuries in the morning. Neither showed any flashiness, just survival-style opening batting – putting on 94 together.That was unsurprising for Weatherley who was playing his first red ball match for two years, having lost favour in the Championship and fallen behind Middleton, Toby Albert, Felix Organ, Mark Stoneman, Ali Orr, Ian Holland in recent years.He reached 52 but was bounced out by Mo Abbas – caught on the hook. Middleton also scored 52 and fell on Nelson when he edged Abbas behind.It suddenly felt like an inevitable Abbas day. The Pakistan international had spearheaded the Hampshire attack for four seasons, taking 180 wickets at an average below 20. The Weatherley scalp was his 100th at Utilita Bowl.He was back in his familiar surroundings, not least because the keys to ‘his’ Hilton Hotel suite on the ground had been handed back to him for this week – famously having blocked Manchester City Pep Guardiola from taking the room a few years ago.But despite his mid-morning burst, the Kookaburra ball softened and fast bowling was a game of patience, while the pitch didn’t offer regular turn for the spinners. Not that it stopped Liam Patterson-White ripping one to pin Nick Gubbins lbw playing not shot, before Tom Prest loosely hoicked to mid-on.Brown looked like the man to stick with Varma, but after a 58-run alliance, the Hampshire captain was leg-before to Lyndon James.Josh Tongue had been released by England for the last two days of the match. He replaced Brett Hutton at the beginning of the day but went wicketless in his 18 overs. Notts’ bowlers otherwise toiled for little reward – and will have taken pleasure at the rate never reaching three runs an over.In a low red-ball period for Hampshire, Varma has been a giant. His arrival, which came thanks to Indian owners GMR Group’s influence, has brought a calmness to the middle-order, with plenty of runs to match.He opened with a century against Essex, before 56 and 47 versus Worcestershire and then this century – during those innings he has barely looked like being dislodged. Varma’s judgement of line and length is a superpower, with the ability to boundaries when the right parameters are met for risk.He already has 29 international caps, they will surely only surge in a short amount of time. The left-hander’s century came in 203 deliveries, although he was outdone for patience by Organ, who took zero risks, with large spells of no scoring.Organ’s second fifty of the season came in 138 balls, and even with Varma strangled down the leg side, Hampshire will feel almost safe.

Hannah Baker leads defence with 3 for 32 as hosts suffer ninth loss of campaign

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Jul-2025

Birmingham 149 for 8 (Kalis 51, Robbins 4-29) beat Somerset 127 for 9 (Wellington 33, Baker 3-32) by 22 runsSterre Kalis registered an assured half-century as Birmingham beat Somerset by 22 runs at Taunton’s Cooper Associates Ground to improve their prospects of qualifying for the knockout stages of the women’s Vitality Blast competition.The Dutch international top-scored with 51 from 41 balls, struck six fours and dominated a profitable stand of 63 in 9.1 overs with Katie George for the fourth wicket as the visitors raised 149 for 8. George contributed 28 and Laura Harris made a brisk 29, while Mollie Robbins returned career-best figures of 4 for 29 to keep Somerset in the hunt.But west country ambition unraveled in the face of incisive bowling from Warwickshire’s spinners, Hannah Baker, Phoebe Brett and Millie Taylor sharing seven wickets as the home side came up short on 127 for 8. Amanda-Jade Wellington mustered middle-order resistance in a defiant innings of 33, but Somerset never looked like recovering from the wreckage of 62 for 6 at halfway.Victory moved Warwickshire above The Blaze and into second place behind leaders Surrey, while Somerset remain rooted to the foot of the table after suffering a ninth defeat in 11 matches in the short format.Robbins gave Somerset the best possible start, claiming two wickets in the opening over, Meg Austin falling lbw to the first delivery and Amu Surenkumar playing on four balls later as Warwickshire listed to 4 for 2 after winning the toss.Davina Perrin responded to adversity by plundering a quartet of fours at the expense of Olivia Barnes, while Kalis also played positively in a progressive third wicket stand of 38 from 25 balls. But Robbins switched ends and promptly terminated the partnership, Perrin driving to mid-off and departing for a 13-ball 20 with the score 42 for 3 in the sixth.Despite the loss of early wickets, Warwickshire continued to score at better than seven an over as new batter George adopted the role of chief support to Kalis, who proved adept at putting away the bad ball. Wellington and Alex Griffiths restricted the flow of boundaries during the middle overs, but Kalis overcame any frustration to raise an assured half century from 38 balls. The 50 partnership occupied 47 deliveries and the stand was worth 63 when Kalis gave Chloe Skelton the charge and was stumped by Jess Hazell.Having contributed a useful 28 from 29 balls, George fell to the returning Robbins, sending a top edge to short fine leg as the visitors slipped to 115 for 5 in the 16th. When Wellington had Nat Wraith held at point in the next over, Warwickshire had lost three wickets in 12 balls and were in danger of falling short. Thereafter, the visitors were indebted to Harris, whose forthright approach yielded four fours and a six in a quickfire innings of 29 from 13 balls, which served to carry them to a competitive total.Requiring the reassurance of a decent start, Somerset instead lost skipper Niamh Holland and Ruby Davis to Brett’s offbreaks in the first and fourth overs respectively. Bex Odgers had scored 21 off 25 balls when she offered a sharp return catch to Baker, at which point the home side were 43 for 3 in the seventh and already under pressure.Somerset were heavily dependent upon experienced campaigner Fran Wilson, but the former England batter was needlessly run out for 17 by Perrin’s superb pick-up-and-throw from cover with the score 44 for 4. That soon became 49 for 5, Jess Hazell chipping to mid-on as Baker made further inroads.Taylor produced a startling delivery to bowl Griffiths as spin continued to pay handsome dividends for Warwickshire. Wellington led a revival of sorts, accruing five boundaries in a stand of 35 for the seventh wicket with Skelton, but when the Australian was stumped off the bowling of Baker with 53 still needed from 26 balls, the game was effectively up for Somerset.

Shohei Ohtani never ceases to amaze.

Just one day after the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season thanks to a three-homer, 10-RBI performance against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani was at it again against the Colorado Rockies on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Facing Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland with one runner on and two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Ohtani worked the count full. Freeland then delivered a 92-mph fastball at the letters, a pitch that almost certainly would have been ball four.

But Ohtani had other ideas, as he crushed the pitch 423 feet over the center field wall for his 52nd home run of the year as the Dodger Stadium crowd let out an audible gasp.

There is perhaps only one baseball player on the planet who could have hit a pitch that high in the zone out of the park—and that's Ohtani.

Ohtani made some more history in the Dodgers' 6–4 win, as he homered and stole a base in the same game for the 14th time this season, breaking the previous mark for a single season set by then-New York Yankees outfielder Rickey Henderson in 1986.

Ohtani, the presumptive National League MVP, has posted a .297/.378/.635 slash line with 125 runs scored, 52 homers, 122 RBI and 52 stolen bases in 151 games played this season.

Thomas Frank has enjoyed an impressive start to his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, only losing three of his first 14 competitive games in charge of the club.

However, many fans still aren’t convinced by the Dane, especially after the defeat against Newcastle United in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The 51-year-old only made four changes to his starting eleven, but one of which proved to be a huge mistake – with Mohammed Kudus dropping down to the substitutes bench.

The Ghanaian has been the Lilywhites’ shining light in 2025/26, as seen by his tally of one goal and four assists within his first nine Premier League outings.

Such creativity was hugely lacking against the Magpies, with the £55m leaving the responsibility down to one of the other big-money names to move to North London this summer.

Xavi Simons’ best game in a Tottenham shirt

After spending £52m on the signature of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, huge excitement was generated within the Spurs fanbase – but it’s safe to say he’s failed to live up to such expectations.

The Dutch international has registered just one assist and failed to score a single goal in any of his 11 outings, further backing up his lack of impact in North London.

However, his showing against Newcastle was arguably one of his best for the club, with Frank finally starting to utilise the 22-year-old in his natural attacking midfield role.

Simons featured for the entirety of the defeat, subsequently creating three chances for his teammates – but none of which resulted in a goal for Frank’s men.

Richarlison was often the man on the end of his chances, but the Brazilian’s wasteful nature was highlighted in his own tally of two big chances missed.

There’s no doubt he’s been unlucky during his opening few months in England, but the manager can certainly solve such an issue during the next couple of matches.

The Spurs player who can finally get Simons firing

In Spurs’ nine Premier League matches throughout 2025/26, the side have already netted 17 goals – subsequently averaging nearly two goals per game in England’s top-flight.

The goals have been spread around the first-team squad, as seen by centre-back Micky Van de Ven’s tally of three goals, which puts him joint-top of the goalscoring charts.

Richarlison has also netted the same number of goals, but has been called into question over the last few weeks for his inability to find the back of the net.

The Brazilian has failed to score in any of his last eight outings for the Lilywhites, often being wasteful within the final third – as seen by his misses against the Magpies.

Dominic Solanke has been unavailable over recent months due to an ankle issue, with Frank needing to hand fellow centre-forward Randal Kolo Muani the chance to impress.

The Frenchman joined on a season-long loan from PSG on deadline day, but has only started one game to date as he builds up match fitness after a stop-start pre-season.

However, despite his minutes off the substitutes bench, the 26-year-old has still demonstrated glimpses of his quality, which could see him handed a needed run of games as a regular starter.

He was even brought on with 25 minutes remaining at St James’ Park earlier this week, making an immediate impact with his direct run through the midfield, halted by referee Chris Kavanagh.

Kolo Muani, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, may have failed to score for the Lilywhites to date, but his temporary spells elsewhere have showcased his clinical nature.

He scored 10 goals in just 22 appearances with Juventus last campaign, even managing to put 55% of the shots he took on target – highlighting his accuracy in front of goal.

Such numbers would allow Simons to increase his own tallies in North London, with his incredible defence splitting passes falling into the path of a clinical talisman.

Creativity has been the Dutchman’s strong point prior to his move to England, but it’s been massively neglected given Richarlison’s inability to find the back of the net.

However, that could all be about to change if Frank decides to start Kolo Muani, with the pair having the talent to make the 2025/26 campaign one to remember for the Lilywhites.

Forget Kudus: Spurs star is rapidly becoming one of the "best in the world"

Tottenham Hotspur now have a world-class talent on their books under Thomas Frank.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 29, 2025

Manchester United have made a "concrete" approach for Elliot Anderson, who is being valued at an eye-watering amount by current club Nottingham Forest. Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim remains keen on signing a new central midfielder in 2026 as he continues to try and build a squad capable of challenging for the biggest honours again, and Anderson is reportedly near the top of his wishlist.

New midfielder remains Amorim's priority

United spent over £200m in the last transfer window to rebuild their squad after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, which saw the Red Devils fail to win a trophy and finish 15th in the Premier League. They brought in big names like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, with the overhaul primarily aimed at bolstering the team's attack. 

Amorim also wanted to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba towards the end of the window, but a move did not materialise. The Portuguese coach remains determined to bolster his options in the middle of the park in the January transfer window and has prepared a six-man midfield shortlist for the position.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportUnited make 'concrete' Anderson approach

According to , United have "registered concrete interest" in Forest talisman Anderson. Forest have been informed about the Red Devils' interest, and will demand between £100–120 million ($131.5 – $158m) for the England international. 

reported last month that Amorim is in search of a player who fits into his template for a dynamic midfielder, and Anderson perfectly ticks that box. However, it remains to be seen if United will match Forest's massive valuation or try to significantly bring down the asking price.

How is it going for Anderson at Forest?

Anderson has retained his place in the Forest starting lineup despite the club changing three managers this season. He has started in every Premier League game for his club and has contributed with a goal and an assist. Anderson's immediate target is to nail down a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad as he is desperate to play at the World Cup next year.

After making his England debut in the September international break in a 2-0 win against Andorra, the 23-year-old had said: "I think it’s only one game really. I’m focusing on the next game and then the game after that, to try and make an impact. But obviously, all eyes on the World Cup. It couldn’t have gone much better apart from if I’d have scored. I should have scored, it is what it is… next time."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportUnited keeping an eye on Baleba and Wharton

While Anderson remains a key target for the Red Devils, the club are also keeping an eye on Baleba and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton.

Wharton recently reacted to the United transfer link, dismissively rebuffing the rumour. The Englishman told : "I don't really look into it or think too much about it. There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?' I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' I don't know who's spreading it or who at United is looking at it. I see it and I'm like, 'OK', and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they're all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I'm one of 20, then it's nothing special, so it doesn't really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who's interested and who's willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you've got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."