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Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has one player at the very top of his list of targets, and it is now believed the man in question is just as determined to make a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta makes new Arsenal transfer admission

With the first summer window just weeks away from opening, Arsenal supporters are eager to hear what their club has planned after reportedly striking an agreement for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal hold initial talks over signing £202k-a-week Real Madrid star

The Gunners have reached out and made contact.

ByEmilio Galantini May 14, 2025

Zubimendi will be Arsenal’s first signing of the summer, according to Fabrizio Romano and fellow reliable media sources, but one position they need to reinforce is further up front.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Man City

65

5. Chelsea

63

6. Aston Villa

63

7. Nottingham Forest

62

Injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have forced Mikel Arteta to deploy midfielder Mikel Merino in an emergency striker role over the final stretch of this season, and supporters are desperate for Berta to end Arsenal’s long wait for a prolific number nine.

“I understand the narrative [about signing a No 9],” said Arteta about Arsenal’s rumoured pursuit of a striker.

“When you create five expected goals but only score one, it’s going to happen. It’s normal. We look at the things with much more data and resources than many people, but a lot of people have very good intuition on what is needed – and it’s good to listen to those opinions.

“We have a very clear vision from the ownership, the owner and the board, the new sporting director, we are all aligned on what we want to do. We are very close to achieving it – and that’s it.”

While Arteta remains coy, a host of strikers have already been linked with moves to N5, but one who stands out among them is Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

The Sweden international’s exceptional tally of 52 goals across 50 appearances in all competitions is understandably turning heads, and reports suggest Gyokeres could leave for much less than his £84 million release clause this year.

Portuguese newspaper A Bola reported earlier this week that Arsenal are offering the 26-year-old a £7 million-per-year salary to join them, roughly equating to around £135,000-per-week.

Now, that same source has provided another update, revealing the ex-Coventry star’s stance on returning to England with Arsenal.

Viktor Gyokeres decides he wants to join Arsenal

As per A Bola, Gyokeres has his heart set on joining Arsenal after being “emotionally” and “financially” convinced Arteta’s side are the right option for him ahead of Chelsea.

He is said to be at the top of Berta’s personal shopping list as well, with Sporting’s hopes of an auction between Arsenal and Chelsea quashed by Gyokeres’ burning desire to make a move to the former.

Gyokeres’ potential Arsenal deal would be a four-to-five-year contract, and the player apparently has an agreement already in place with Sporting that he can leave for around £63 million.

All signs are pointing towards an imminent Arsenal move for Gyokeres, but Emirates chiefs will be wary of potential hijacks, akin to Real Madrid’s swoop for Dean Huijsen.

Even though this season is still ongoing, there’s only one question on Rangers supporters’ minds: who will be the next manager in the Ibrox dugout?

Barry Ferguson is still yet to oversee a home win for Rangers in five attempts during his interim spell, following Sunday’s 1-1 draw in the derby, hoping to change that at Ibrox this weekend.

So, as much as he might want it, it’s very unlikely that he is going to get the job full-time and, while there appear to be two clear front-runners to be appointed right now, should Rangers turn their attention to a “world-class manager”?

Rangers new manager latest

At the time of writing, there are two clear favourites to be appointed as the next Rangers manager.

One is Steven Gerrard, with Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider reporting that he is ‘now the leading candidate’ to be re-hired, just under four years after leaving the club for Aston Villa.

Gerrard has been out of work since January, when he was sacked by Al-Ettifaq after, as John Duerden of the Guardian puts it, a generally ‘underwhelming’ spell in charge of the Saudi Pro League club.

Thus, a report by TEAMTalk claims that Gerrard ‘would be very open’ to the possibility of a return to the Ibrox dugout.

The other manager seemingly in the fray is Marco Rose, with Mark Pirie of the Daily Record stating that the German is ‘being considered’ by Andrew Cavenagh, Paraag Marathe and the rest of 49ers Enterprises, ahead of their proposed takeover.

The 48-year-old is also currently out of work, having been sacked by RB Leipzig in March; he’s previously been in charge of RB Salzburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund.

Both would be intriguing appointments in very different ways, but should the 49ers actually attempt to appoint a manager with vastly more experience?

Rangers could land a world-class manager

A report by Mark Pirie of the Daily Record back in March claimed that Rafa Benítez is a candidate to become the new Rangers manager, stating that the Spaniard is ‘aware’ of speculation linking him to the vacancy.

Few active managers on the planet can boast quite as impressive a CV as Benítez, as outlined in the table below.

Rafa Benítez’s managerial career

Clubs

Tenure

Matches in charge

Titles/achievements

Real Valladolid

1995-96

25

Osasuna

1996

9

Extremadura

1997-99

92

Segunda promotion

Tenerife

2000-01

46

Segunda promotion

Valencia

2001-04

162

La Liga X2

UEFA Cup

Liverpool

2004-12

350

Champions League

FA Cup

UEFA Super Cup

Internazionale

2010

25

FIFA Club World Cup

Supercoppa Italiana

Chelsea

2012-13

48

Europa League

Napoli

2013-15

112

Coppa Italia

Supercoppa Italiana

Real Madrid

2015-16

25

Newcastle United

2016-19

146

EFL Championship

Dalian Professional

2019-21

38

Everton

2021-22

22

Celta de Vigo

2023-24

33

All statistics and information courtesy of Transfermarkt

Benítez’s credentials are there for all to see, having won the Champions League, two La Liga titles and the Europa League twice, as well as various other trophies, managing some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Liverpool, Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea.

His successor at Newcastle United, Steve Bruce, said that Benítez is unquestionably a “world-class manager”, even if his last two jobs, in charge of Everton and Celta Vigo, have both gone pretty disastrously.

He was never likely to succeed at Goodison was he, becoming only the second man, after William Edward Barclay in 1892, to manage both Merseyside giants.

Nevertheless, Dietmar Hamann, who played for Benítez at Liverpool, alongside Gerrard of course, described his former boss as a “genius” and a “fantastic manager”, adding that Rangers “could do a lot worse” in their search for a new head coach.

So, if the 49ers are looking for a manager who has vast experience when it comes to both British and European football, could the 65-year-old be the man tasked with overseeing the Rangers rebuild, pipping his former captain – and Rose – to the post?

Related Rangers: "Outstanding" 4-4-2 manager explodes into race to replace Ferguson

A high-profile European coach is now among the main contenders to become the new manager of the Gers.

Posts ByDominic Lund May 1, 2025

Leeds United picked up an invaluable three points on Tuesday night away from home after a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough. It was never going to be an easy outing for Daniel Farke’s side, with Boro pushing for a playoff spot themselves.

The visitors scored the first, and only, goal of the game in just the second minute. Winger Daniel James was the goalscorer, darting into the box to get on the end of a low cross from loanee Manor Solomon.

It wasn’t the cleanest of finishes from the Welshman, but it was effective and somehow ended up in the back of the net.

Despite the scoreline, it should have been 3-0 to Leeds, although through no fault of their own. They had two goals wrongly ruled out for offside, with Ao Tanaka’s first-half strike getting chalked off and Patrick Bamford suffering the same fate in the second period.

Both players were onside, and both goals should have stood.

Regardless, the Whites held on for a crucial three points, which has swung momentum back their way in the race for automatic promotion. With Sheffield United losing at home to Milwall and Burnley drawing away to Derby County, Leeds are now top of the table again on goal difference.

There were some standout Leeds players in the important win over Boro on Tuesday,

Leeds' best players vs. Middlesborough

On a huge night for Leeds, it needed their most important players to stand up for the count. Well, one of those, Ethan Ampadu, did just that. The Whites’ skipper was excellent at the heart of their defence, continually progressing play forwards throughout the game.

In fact, Isaac Johnson, Leeds reporter for Leeds Live, was very complimentary of the Welshman at full time. He gave Ampadu a 9/10 for his efforts, describing his performance against Boro as a “proper captain’s showing”.

Ampadu was not the only Leeds player who stood out. At the other end of the pitch, it was an eye-catching display from attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, who looked in much better form than he has shown in recent weeks.

The United States international also received a strong post-match rating from Johnson, who gave Aaronson an 8/10 for his performance at the Riverside Stadium. The journalist said he made some “very neat touches” and that he “took on his man efficiently”.

So, it was certainly a good night at the office for the likes of Ampadu and Aaronson, who helped their side secure a vital three points. However, there were a couple of players who struggled.

Chalkboard

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

The Leeds midfielders who struggled

Despite the victory, there were times when Leeds lacked control in the middle of the park. Their pivot, made up of Tanaka and Ilia Gruev, did struggle to impart control on the game. The pair received 5/10 ratings at the end of the game from Leeds Live.

Indeed, their stats on Sofascore from the clash at the Riverside reflect those ratings. For example, Tanaka had 51 touches of the ball but lost possession seven times, and Gruev had 70 touches and lost the ball six times.

Touches

51

70

Passes completed

33/39

57/61

Duels won

5/9

3/4

Number of times ball lost

7

6

Tackles and interceptions

3

3

Leeds have struggled for fluency at times this season, and it doesn’t feel like on-pitch relationships have fully developed. There have been occasions where Aaronson and Joel Piroe, for example, have struggled to get the best out of each other. Indeed, the latter has now gone seven games without finding the net.

Well, while Tanaka has been one of the signings of the seasons, his partnership with Gruev doesn’t feel like the best for Farke in the back end of the season.

The pair, who earn £40k per week between them, have only played 14 times together, for a total of 644 minutes. They have only played a full 90 minutes as a pairing on three occasions, in which they are unbeaten, but if you contrast those numbers with Joe Rothwell, for instance, it’s safe to say that pairing is more effective.

They have played 31 times as a midfield combination and only lost on two occasions in which they have started alongside each other.

With the race for automatic promotion set to go down to the wire for Leeds this term, perhaps Farke will not want to take the risk of playing Gruev alongside Tanaka again, given they seem to lack synergy.

It is crunch time for the Yorkshire outfit. Perhaps starting a pivot who have not played much with each other is a risk that is too big to take at this stage of the season. There is no doubting Tanaka and Gruev as individual players, but as a pairing, Leeds have better options.

26 touches, 10 passes: Farke must drop Leeds dud after 2/10 display

Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough last night.

1 ByEthan Lamb Apr 9, 2025

Allrounder hit his fifth century to etch his names in record books

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Feb-20245 – Hundreds by Glenn Maxwell in T20Is. He now shares the record for most centuries in the format with Rohit Sharma, who scored his fifth hundred last month.241 for 4 – Australia’s total in the second T20I against West Indies is now the highest by any team on Australian soil. Australia’s 233 for 2 was the previous highest – against Sri Lanka in 2019 – also at the Adelaide Oval.4 – Maxwell’s T20I hundreds out of five while batting at No.4. He now has the most hundreds at No.4 or lower in T20Is, going past Suryakumar Yadav’s three.Related

• Magnificent Maxwell's record-equaling century sets up series win

Maxwell also holds the same record in all T20s, having scored five hundreds while batting at No.4. He surpassed David Miller, who has four T20 centuries at No. 4 or lower.120* – Maxwell’s score at the Adelaide Oval is now the highest individual score by a No. 4 in T20Is. It is also the second-highest T20I score at No. 4 or lower, only behind Shaheryar Butt of Belgium, whose 125* against Czech Republic in 2020 came at No. 6.Glenn Maxwell made another record•ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – Maxwell’s 120* is also the highest individual score against West Indies in T20Is. The previous highest was 119 jointly held by Faf du Plessis (in Johannesburg in 2015) and Phil Salt (in Tarouba in December last year).1 – Players with a higher score in men’s T20Is in Australia than Maxwell’s 120* on Sunday. Shane Watson scored an unbeaten 124 against India at the SCG in 2016. It was Maxwell’s second T20I century at home and his fourth in all T20s in Australia, which are the most by any batter.68 – Runs scored by Australia in the death overs (17-20) are the joint-most by them in a men’s T20I during this phase. They had also scored 68 in the last four overs against Sri Lanka in Pallakele in 2016.448 – Runs aggregated at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday are the most for any T20I hosted by Australia. The previous highest was 415 runs in the first match of the ongoing series in Hobart.

Bumrah chooses to stay “stable,” and when he doesn’t have the results to show for his work, he doesn’t get too down on himself

Sidharth Monga12-Jul-20224:32

Is Jasprit Bumrah the best all-format bowler in the world?

A lot of fast bowlers build themselves a character. Curtly Ambrose never did interviews while he played, almost becoming this mythical, impenetrable figure immune to human failings. Mohammad Asif almost always sounded contemptuous of batters in his interviews, once famously ruing that AB de Villiers got out too early, thus denying him the joy of a full set up and the payoff. Most often, they are the rockstars of cricket: eccentric, individualistic and definitely not pop. They make you believe nothing is beyond them.After a point, fast bowling becomes a way of living. They don’t stop being a fast bowler after six hours of play. Like the old-time professional wrestlers who never broke kayfabe. No wonder a lot of fast bowlers like pro wrestling. Big Boss Man, this big monster heel in kayfabe, once smashed the door of his car’s boot on his hand in the presence of fans. He showed no pain. When Jake “The Snake” Roberts was a kid, his father Grizzly Smith used to tell him how he was planning to take the family out of town because his wrestling adversaries were coming after him. Then of course the Internet broke down the fourth wall to usher in the Reality Era where wrestlers hardly stay in character outside the shows.Related

• Bumrah becomes No. 1 ODI bowler; Suryakumar zooms up to No. 5 among T20I batters

• Bumrah takes career-best 6 for 19 as India skittle England

• Fab Five fall flat as England fail test of world-beating reputation

• Stats – Bumrah reaches new high as England sink to new lows

If he ever were to be a pro wrestler, Jasprit Bumrah would belong to the Reality Era. When he does well – sorry, when the result on the day is good, as Bumrah would, and others should, describe it – and when the accolades are flowing, Bumrah doesn’t add to any myth-building. Instead, he chooses to stay real – stable, in his words. When Bumrah doesn’t have the results to show for his work, he doesn’t get too down on himself.Only last Monday and Tuesday, Bumrah was part of an attack that failed to defend 377 in the fourth innings of a Test. They didn’t even come close to threatening England. He himself went at 4.35 runs an over. A week later, against the same batters, Bumrah has six wickets in a little over seven overs in an ODI. Of course, Bumrah bowled beautifully at The Oval, swinging the ball mesmerizingly and also getting seam movement from the pitch, but what he tried wasn’t much different to what he does on his worst days.”This is the beauty of cricket, isn’t it?” Bumrah said when asked how he reconciles with such wildly swinging fortunes when it comes to the results. “One day you will see everything is going in your favour. Another day you can try whatever you want, but it doesn’t work for you. That is exactly why you need to keep a stable head.”Every day is a new day. There will be days when you will get the edge first ball, there will be days you will bowl similarly all day but not get a single edge. You don’t want to get desperate in these scenarios. That is why I rate stability a lot. Because at the end of the day there is very little in your hand. Once a bowler has let the ball go, there is nothing in his control.”Sometimes you will bowl well, get the edge, but the catch will be dropped. Sometimes the ball will pass over the stumps. Sometimes a full toss will get you a wicket. That doesn’t mean you bowl more full tosses. So I only try to prepare what I can. And not think of what is not in my hand. After that whatever is the result, I accept and move on.”Jasprit Bumrah picked up career-best figures of 6 for 19•Associated PressThen it is probably not a good idea to ask Bumrah if this was as well as he has bowled. “I don’t look at end results and judge my bowling,” Bumrah said. “There have been instances when I have bowled so much better than this and not gotten wickets. But I always looked at following the same routine. Yes, today was a day where the white ball swung and there was some seam movement. So yeah, I wanted to exploit that.”When we started the innings, we saw there was some seam and swing. So [Mohammed] Shami and I had a conversation and decided we should bowl a little fuller and try and bowl the Test-match length. It was a good day that we got the wickets. And there was some help in the beginning, and the wicket was also on the softer side.”

“Today was a good day. It will bring a lot of praise. But neither do I get too happy with praise nor do I get too down with criticism.”Jasprit Bumrah

Fast bowling is a tough job but it is also an optimist’s job. You are, after all, cheating your body into performing acts it was not built to do. Accordingly, many fast bowlers internalise that they are the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. Bumrah? He doesn’t even take it seriously when a respected pundit such as Nasser Hussain calls him the best bowler across formats today.”I don’t focus on these things,” Bumrah said. “Today was a good day. It will bring a lot of praise. But neither do I get too happy with praise nor do I get too down with criticism. I don’t look at it this way: I am here, I am very good in all formats. I enjoy every format. I try to do what I can. I respect what people say but I don’t take it seriously. Very grateful for the applause you get but I always try to keep a stable head. That’s how I will always be.”This is how cricket is, and will be. Most cricketers and fans don’t like talking about luck and conditions because of the popular perception that luck or reliance on conditions is the opposite of skill. It couldn’t be farther from the truth.This has been a weird year in England in which the Dukes Test balls have moved less and gone soft sooner than usual, but the white Kookaburra has been swinging more than it does and for longer. On top of that Bumrah got a green pitch on a muggy afternoon. That he said made his job easier: he just had to bowl line and length and let the ball do the rest as opposed to making things happen on flat ODI decks. The edges came readily, none fell short, and half chances stuck.This is a real description of the events at The Oval. And also, by extension, at Edgbaston. This is Bumrah’s description. A Reality Era description.

There has been some criticism against the opener for his strike-rate but on Tuesday he put that all to bed

Mohammad Isam03-Mar-2020By breaking his own 10-year old record, Tamim Iqbal has given another reminder that his appetite for big runs is far from over. In the last eight months, he has been sending some strong signals that he is gearing up for a new phase in his career, but not many paid attention.During a self-imposed hiatus from the game last year, Iqbal topped up his fitness under Ben Coleman, a world famous trainer, in Bangkok. He was in the frontline of the players strike last October, too, and last month, he set the national record for the highest individual first-class score with his unbeaten 334.But up until this superb 158 against Zimbabwe, his international return in January didn’t include one of his trademark big knocks. And because it is Iqbal, a noted match-winner in the Bangladesh side for a long time, criticism wasn’t too far away. The anxiety surrounding the team’s all-time highest run-getter in ODIs came to a head when batting coach Neil McKenzie had to do a deep-dive in a press conference.McKenzie explained that the questions about Iqbal’s strike-rate were unfair, and that all he needed to do was hit two extra boundaries in the Powerplay to appease the naysayers. Iqbal struck 10 in the first 10 overs in this game, and 20 in total, apart from the three sixes.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt looked like a strong riposte to the questions asked about his intent and the lack of big runs since his international comeback. Among his first 10 fours, were two shots that looked very forceful – a pull over midwicket and a chip over wide mid-on – while the rest were picked up through cover or behind square on the leg side.Then till he reached his hundred, Iqbal consolidated to make up for the loss of Mushfiqur Rahim, as he and Mahmudullah batted conservatively till the last 10 overs. Iqbal made his last 58 runs off 30 balls, with six fours and three sixes, as the fourth wicket partnership changed gear. He finished on a strike-rate of 116.17, having batted for 45.4 overs, which is no mean feat.The recent criticism of Iqbal’s batting is rooted in his cautious approach during the World Cup, where he made good starts but didn’t capitalise. He later admitted that he ‘made bad decisions’ as the pressure to perform became too much.Iqbal’s return to top level saw him making a cautious fifty against Pakistan in a T20I in Lahore. It drew criticism as Bangladesh lost the game meekly but really, wouldn’t it have been stranger if he had gone out in that game and started smashing everything knowing the rest of the batting line up was very inexperienced?Over the last five years, Iqbal has worked out three separate methods for each format, and has been a mostly successful opener. Bear in mind, Bangladesh don’t provide featherbeds at home for their batsmen, who also have to face tough conditions in away matches too.His numbers since the 2015 World Cup suggest that he has come of age, although he would have liked to score some more runs in T20Is. Nevertheless, like he had provided stability to an often volatile opening stand for Bangladesh all those years ago when he started his career, he is now providing stability in a side slowly devoid of experience.Iqbal’s hunger for runs is what should mostly matter for the Bangladesh team, and if his method works out in the end, his experience at the international level should be reason enough to give him the leeway to get things right.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Juventude recebe o Grêmio neste sábado (30), pelo jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Gaúcho. A bola rola a partir das 16h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, Caxias do Sul, com transmissão da RBS TV, SporTV 2 e Premiere.

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✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Juventude x Grêmio
1º jogo da final do Campeonato Gaúcho

Data e horário: sábado, 30 de março de 2024, às 16h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias do Sul (RS)
Onde assistir: RBS TV, SporTV e Premiere

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

JUVENTUDE
Gabriel Vasconcellos; Pará (João Lucas), Rodrigo Sam, Zé Marcos e Alan Ruschel; Caíque, Jadson e Jean Carlos; Lucas Barbosa, Gilberto e Edson Carioca. Técnico: Roger Machado.

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GRÊMIO
Caíque; João Pedro, Rodrigo Ely, Kannemann e Wesley Costa; Villasanti e Pepê; Pavon, Cristaldo e Gustavo Nunes; Diego Costa. Técnico: Renato Portaluppi.

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The Los Angeles Angels have designated Tim Anderson for assignment. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez was the first to report the news.

The former All-Star shortstop had been terrible this season, slashing .205/.258/.241, with no home runs and three RBIs in 31 games.

Anderson won the American League batting title in 2019 while playing for the Chicago White Sox when he hit .335. He looked like a future franchise cornerstone and won a Silver Slugger in 2020, before being named an All-Star in 2021 and 2022. That's when the bottom dropped out.

In 2022, Anderson only played in 79 games after a torn ligament in his hand ended his season in August. He was never the same, returning the next season, playing 123 while slashing .245/.286/.296 and finishing with a WAR of -2.0. The White Sox declined the option in his contract for 2024 and made him a free agent.

The Miami Marlins signed Anderson to a one-year deal for the 2024 season, but his struggles continued. He slashed .214/.237/.463 in 65 games and was released on July 5. The Angels signed him to a minor league contract in January, but he failed to recapture the magic from earlier in his career.

At 31, Anderson is now a free agent and has generated -3.5 WAR in the past three seasons. His story is one of the more spectacular falls from grace in recent MLB history.

Tottenham are emerging as prime contenders to sign an Inter Milan star Yann Bisseck after West Ham saw a bid rejected for the player last summer, according to a new report.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank is now just under two months away from his January at the club, and the winter is also set to mark Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange’s first transfer window as co-sporting directors.

Paratici assisted Lange, Frank, CEO Vinai Venkatesham and ex-chair Daniel Levy during the summer window in an advisory capacity, and worked regularly as an outside consultant for the club since he was forced to resign from his post as managing director in 2023.

The Italian was repeatedly linked with a return to N17 once his worldwide FIFA ban came to an end this year, but Levy’s departure briefly threatened Paratici’s Tottenham comeback given the chiefs were close allies during their time together at Spurs.

Fabio Paratici’s best Tottenham signings	Cost
1. Cristian Romero	£42.5m
2. Dejan Kulusevski	£25.5m
3. Rodrigo Bentancur	£21.5m
4. Pedro Porro	£40m
5. Djed Spence	£20m

However, Venkatesham and co elected to re-hire Paratici after all, with the 53-year-old set to partner Lange as the Lilywhites officials take on very different sporting director roles.

While Lange will mainly oversee the talent spotting, scouting, academy and data-driven recruitment side of things, Paratici is tasked as Spurs’ dealmaker to get high-profile signings over the line — using his renowned negotiating skills and extensive contact list (Sky Sports).

It’s poised to be a very intriguing January with this restructured leadership model, and reports suggest that Paratici is already “working behind the scenes” on a few key Tottenham targets like Brentford star Kevin Schade.

It is also believed by some media sources that Spurs are keen to bring in a new centre-back at the turn of the year, having reportedly considered late summer moves for the likes of Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji.

Radu Dragusin could be back in action after the November international break as he nears the end of his recovery from an ACL injury, with the Romanian unable to feature since their Europa League clash against Elfsborg last January.

Kevin Danso has impressed as a reliable deputy for Cristian Romero when needed as well, but it will be a while before Dragusin is a reliable option once again and a serious injury to star man Micky van de Ven would spell disaster.

As such, it is little surprise that the north Londoners are considering their long-term options at centre-half, and Inter’s Bisseck is apparently an option for them.

Yann Bisseck increasingly keen to join Tottenham after rejected West Ham bid

The one-cap Germany international, who has been in and out of Cristian Chivu’s starting elevens so far this season, was subject to a rejected bid from West Ham in the summer window, but a Premier League move could still be on the cards for him.

That is according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, who report that Bisseck and his camp are growing intrigued by the prospect of joining Tottenham, with Inter pondering the defender’s sale as they look to raise transfer funds.

The towering 6 foot 4 centre-half was a regular under Simone Inzaghi last term, making 46 appearances in all competitions — even chipping in going forward with three goals and three assists.

Bisseck has a desire to test himself in England, but he’ll have to settle for playing second fiddle to the likes of Romero and van de Ven, who are currently one of the best centre-back partnerships in England.

The former Aarhus sensation has been called a “diamond” by members of the Italian press, with reports in the summer even claiming that the Nerazzurri wanted as much as £44 million to consider a sale.

Even with Tottenham’s £100 million of new injected capital via the Lewis family, which could be reinvested into the club’s recruitment strategy, it is very debatable whether Spurs would be willing to cough up such a fee on a back-up defender.

Price will be a major factor here, with the player’s willingness apparently there.

At an extravagant White House state dinner honouring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), U.S. President Donald Trump announced the presence of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Acknowledging his youngest son Barron's admiration for the Al-Nassr and Portugal striker, Trump joked that the meeting had increased his son’s respect for him. Ronaldo was joined at the black-tie event by his fiancée Georgina Rodriguez, and they both posed for a selfie with Elon Musk at one stage.

• Superstar guests at White House event

  Ronaldo attended the high-profile event alongside a host of world business and technology leaders, including Tesla and X boss Musk. The black-tie affair was organised to deepen ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and it was Ronaldo's first known appearance on American soil since 2016. His attendance with the Saudi delegation highlights his role as a public face for the kingdom's recent diplomatic and sports investments. Trump began the dinner with a speech, recognizing the gathering of "unbelievable dignitaries" such as FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a number of billionaires, and prominent business leaders. 

  The United States are joint-hosts of next year’s World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico, and Portugal qualified for the event earlier this week without CR7, who sat their final game against Armenia out through suspension following his first-ever international red card during the qualifier with the Republic of Ireland. However, Trump still singled out Ronaldo with a special tribute in his speech.

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• President Trump: 'Really an honour'

  President Trump said: "You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo, wherever Ronaldo is here. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you. So I just want to thank you both for being here. Really an honour."

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  Growing friendship between Ronaldo and Trump

  Ronaldo recently interacted with the President, sending him a signed jersey with the inscription, "To President Donald J. Trump, Playing for Peace". The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star said at the time: "He is one of the guys who can help to change the world. One of the most important guys is the U.S. President. If we can help each other to make this happen… He is one of the guys I wish to meet to sit and have a nice talk. If it is here, or in the U.S., wherever he wants, I know he was here in Saudi Arabia with our boss, MBS. I wish one day to meet him."

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  World Cup worry for Portugal

  Ronaldo was among the first to congratulate Portugal on their World Cup qualification after seeing his international colleagues complete a nine-goal rout of Armenia and will get to grace yet another major international tournament. Portugal boss Roberto Martinez faces missing his talisman for their World Cup opener when the tournament kicks off next June, because Ronaldo still has two games left to serve of his suspension for elbowing an opponent, but an appeal will reportedly be launched.

  Martinez said: "After the game it’s a difficult time because emotions can be unclear. I saw his reaction to a provocation. It started at the beginning of the game, in every play in the penalty area. It even started the day before in the press conference. And it was a reaction of trying to continue playing. Others might fall to the ground and look for a penalty. It’s not a violent action, it’s not a red card for violence, but a reaction to a provocation. We need to try to show the case and prepare well. I would say it would be very unfair to impose a long suspension." 

  Ronaldo has already made it very clear that, at the age of 41, the 2026 World Cup will be his last.