Tottenham Hotspur fan favourite Rafael van der Vaart has commented on an "ultra-attacking" coach who he wanted at Spurs over Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou enjoys terrific debut season at Spurs

The Lilywhites have been given a new lease of life by Postecoglou's arrival last summer, with the popular Australian introducing an electric brand of football and one which has Spurs as favourites to qualify for the Champions League.

Senior Tottenham official sent to club as Lange eyes club's star defender

The Dane is identifying transfer targets for this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 12, 2024

Spurs soundly beat top-four rivals Aston Villa 4-0 on Sunday in a major boost to their European hopes, with goals from James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-min and Timo Werner putting Unai Emery's side to the sword.

Tottenham now hold all the cards mathematically, possessing a game in hand on Villa who are now just two points above the north Londoners in fourth.

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Luton Town (home)

March 30th

West Ham (away)

April 2nd

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 8th

Newcastle United (away)

April 13th

While they're set to go another season trophyless, Spurs have been exciting to watch, and if they seal a place in the Champions League group stage pot for 2024/25, you can say Postecoglou's debut campaign has been a success.

Chairman Daniel Levy appeared to make the right choice in selecting Postecoglou as Antonio Conte's replacement last summer, but van der Vaart actually wanted another forward-thinking boss in the Spurs dugout.

Van der Vaart says Spurs "need" a coach like Arne Slot

Speaking to 1908.nl, the former Lilywhites star said he was a big fan of Feyenoord boss Arne Slot for the job last year. The Dutchman guided Feyenoord to their first Eredivisie title since 2017 last year, and van der Vaart says Tottenham "need" a coach like Slot.

“I don't think so, at least I know that," said van der Vaart on whether Slot rejected Spurs.

“Spurs has chosen a different path, I know that. Although I would have liked Slot to be the one, because my Spurs heart says that that club needs such a trainer. He's [Postecoglou] a really nice guy. He also did well at Celtic and is now also doing very well at Tottenham."

Tottenham certainly won't have any regrets over picking Postecoglou over Slot, but if things don't work out with the 58-year-old in future seasons, perhaps he is someone they can turn to in the coming years.

"The best thing about Arne Slot is that he is probably the best attacking coach I have seen in the last 35-40 years at Feyenoord," said journalist Marcel van der Kraan to talkSPORT (via FFC).

"He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time. He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

There has been a suggestion that Tottenham have gone the extra mile to woo a summer transfer target.

Spurs set sights on new attackers for Postecoglou

Despite the abundance of wingers and forwards in their squad already, recent reports suggest that manager Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy wish to add another star wide player.

Tottenham think "pacey" striker is ideal for Ange, could now open talks

The Lilywhites apparently want a new forward.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 8, 2024

They're among the contenders to sign Wolves star Pedro Neto later this year (Fabrizio Romano), and it is believed they wanted to make a marquee winger move in January but didn't quite have the funds to facilitate it (Miguel Delaney).

They ended up bringing in Timo Werner on a loan deal from RB Leipzig, with his deal thought to include an affordable buy option. The German's start to life in north London has been solid, bagging a goal and two assists in the league so far, but his reputation as a wasteful finisher still precedes him.

He bagged his first goal in a Spurs shirt against Crystal Palace last weekend but squandered a glaring one-on-one opportunity, highlighting the weaknesses in his game.

Another more lethal attacking option that Tottenham have their eye on is Palace star Eberechi Eze. The £77 million Englishman has bagged six goals this season, and Spurs have been linked with a move for Eze by reliable media sources.

Suggestion Spurs have gone extra mile to tempt Eze

Journalist Tom Allnutt, making an interesting claim, suggests Spurs may have gone the extra mile to tempt Eze with a grand seat and nice day out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with his family and entourage given the executive treatment last weekend.

“It was interesting to me that Eze and his entourage had basically a full box to themselves at Tottenham," said Allnutt on the Tottenham Way podcast (via TBR).

"I don’t know if that’s entirely normal for an opposition player to have a whole suite of their friends and family and presumably, a couple of agents. I know Eze belongs to Base who are an agency very connected with Spurs. But I did wonder if there was a bit of wooing going on there. I wonder if they gave Eze and his pack a very nice day out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me contemplating."

The 25-year-old's proven top-flight quality and status as a homegrown player makes him a very enticing prospect for Postecoglou. His personality profile has also been lavished by those who've worked with him before.

"I wish I could tell you that I taught him a lot but it is what he taught me," said Eze's former coach at QPR, Paul Hall, to Sky Sports.

"He taught me humility. He taught me to be patient with players and understand that it is a journey. He is definitely one of the best players that I have worked with. The best people, too.

Eberechi Eze's best league games for Crystal Palace over 2023/2024	Match Rating (via WhoScored)
Palace 3-2 Sheffield United	8.96
Palace 3-2 Wolves	8.48
Palace 2-3 Everton	7.83
Palace 3-1 Brentford	7.61
Sheffield United 1-0 Palace	7.57

"I cannot think of anyone in football who has reached those heights and remained so humble. He never takes the glory for himself. He always gives the glory back to God. You cannot not like that. It is just so endearing and you do not really see that every day.

"He is the most beautiful person I think I have met in football. His family are so balanced and all nice people. I have never seen him lose his temper. He is really geared up to making it and not just making it but everyone being happy that he is making it."

David Warner managed to eclipse his meager Ashes tally in less than two sessions of batting on the way to a cathartic 22nd Test hundred, putting on an opening stand of 222 with the recalled Joe Burns, as Australia enjoyed a dominant day at the Gabba to move into a position from where it’s difficult to see how Pakistan can come back.Warner and Burns, who fell three runs short of his fifth Test century, were not separated until the final session although debutant Naseem Shah was denied his maiden international wicket shortly after lunch when he overstepped having had Warner caught behind on 56.He made the most of his reprieve, reaching his first Test hundred since the 2017 Melbourne Test against England off 180 balls. After a sedate single, he brought out the trademark leap and there was clear emotion as he was congratulated by Burns. It was his fourth hundred at the Gabba – where he also scored a Sheffield Shield century earlier this season – and took his average at the venue over 70.David Warner reached his 22nd Test hundred•AFP

Warner closed unbeaten on 151 albeit with another stroke of fortune when the ball grazed off stump but the bail did not dislodge as he shouldered arms at Imran Khan in the penultimate over. Alongside was Marnus Labuschagne who eased to 55 in a stand of 90 with the lead already at 72 and the prospect of them batting long enough to take the final innings largely out of equation. For the members of the Pakistan attack who were on the previous tour – Khan and Yasir Shah – it would have been a familiar feeling.From the start, Australia set a positive tempo although Burns wasn’t far from falling to his first delivery when he under-edged Khan but the ball did not carry to Mohammad Rizwan. There was a hint of nervousness from the opening pair for a few moments, but Burns’ first boundary was a strong square cut and in the sixth over Warner leaned into a thumping cover drive.Naseem was handed the ball in the seventh over, immediately pushing the speedgun into the high 140s, and in his fourth over registered the fastest ball of the match. There was plenty to get excited about with the smooth action and impressive pace although he had already delivered missed no-ball would come back to haunt him. He returned for a second burst before lunch and struck Burns a painful blow on the elbow with the penultimate ball of the session.One of the curious tactics from Azhar Ali was the use of Iftikhar Ahmed’s part-time offspin ahead of Yasir and the warning signs were flashing for Pakistan as Australia went to lunch on 0 for 100.However, two overs after the break they should have had a huge lift. Warner drove a full delivery from Naseem, got an under edge and the celebrations started as Rizwan took the catch. A moment to savour for the 16-year-old. Then the third umpire was called in to check the no-ball and the image was painful: Naseem’s foot comfortably over the line, no room for any doubt as with Pat Cummins on the opening day.There were consoling pats on the back from team-mates and the incident, while ultimately the bowlers’ fault, brought into the spotlight again the lack of on-field calls for overstepping. At tea, Channel 7 showed there had been 21 missed no-balls in the first two sessions.Pakistan created precious few other chances during the afternoon as Burns joined Warner with a half-century in a rekindling of a productive opening partnership. Both players used their feet nicely to the spinners and the closest they came to being separated was Warner surviving a run out by a frame when Yasir hit direct completing a second on 93.Warner had to take tea on 99 having tried to turn a single into a two on the last ball of the session and Pakistan strung together nine dots before the run to bring up three figures.The opening stand reached 200 – this had been the previous opening pair to reach that mark for Australia, against New Zealand, also at the Gabba, in 2015 – and attention turned to Burns as he approached three figures, his absence from the Ashes looking even stranger.He was within touching distance of centuries in back-to-back Test appearances, following his 180 against Sri Lanka in Canberra, when he missed a sweep at Yasir and was bowled round his legs. He could barely drag himself from the crease, but there would need to be an extraordinary turn of events for him not to have the whole summer to try, finally, to cement that opening role.It has been a while since Australia’s No. 3 has come in with a ball 60 overs old against a tired attack and though Naseem was brought back to Labuschagne there was not quite the life of earlier. At the end of his first day with the ball, Naseem was elevated to take the second new ball but there was no late success to lift him or Pakistan. There will need to be plenty in the morning, although this already feels like a game that has gone. Steven Smith is still to come.

Dwaraka Ravi Teja and Sanjay Yadav hit fifties after the bowlers restricted Mumbai in a massive upset

Saurabh Somani15-Nov-2019

Dwarka Ravi Teja sends one into the legside•BCCI

A star-studded Mumbai suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Meghalaya in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, going down by six wickets against a team that came into being only last season.Meghalaya, who have been a mid-table Plate League team in their brief existence, first restricted Mumbai to 157 for 6, and then chased the target down in 19.2 overs, riding on half-centuries from two of their professionals, Dwaraka Ravi Teja (61* off 45) and Sanjay Yadav (55 off 44).It completed an excellent day for Ravi Teja, who had got the wicket of Shreyas Iyer when Meghalaya bowled.Mumbai had gotten off to a brisk start, with the opening duo of Jay Bista and Aditya Tare putting on a good stand once again with 73 in 8.2 overs, but a power-packed batting line-up was strangled in the second half of the innings. Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Siddhesh Lad could barely go at above a run a ball. Both openers fell to medium pacer Swarajeet Das in the ninth over. Thereafter, Abhay Negi, Amiangshu Sen and Ravi Teja all struck, to deny Mumbai momentum or a big partnership.Puneet Bisht got Meghalaya’s chase off to a brisk start with 23 off 12, but Mumbai’s new-ball duo of Dhawal Kulkarni and Shardul Thakur struck early to reduce them to 41 for 3 in the fourth over. That’s when Ravi Teja and Yadav got together in a stand that yielded 92 runs in just 12.3 overs.Although Yadav fell with 25 runs needed off 23 balls, Ravi Teja stayed till the end to steer the team home.This was Mumbai’s first loss in the tournament, and while the result didn’t affect their place at the top of Group D table, it narrowed their lead.Tamil Nadu bowlers rout Tripura
In a Group B match, Tamil Nadu restricted Tripura to just 79 for 8 in 20 overs, before chasing down the target in 12.1 overs with eight wickets in the bag.Tripura’s score was a lot more than they looked like getting when they had been reduced to 9 for 7 in 5.1 overs, and were in danger of being bowled out for a record low total. However, No.8 Saurabh Das and No.9 Neelambuj Vats both hit career-best scores to ensure ignominy was averted. Das made 44, falling off the last ball of the innings, while Vats was unbeaten on 28, with their partnership worth 70 runs.For Tamil Nadu, the new-ball duo of R Sai Kishore and T Natarajan did the majority of the damage. Sai Kishore had 4 for 6 in four overs, while Natarajan had 3 for 4.Tamil Nadu sent Washington Sundar to open the batting, perhaps with a view to get to the target quickly and improve their net run-rate, and Washington smacked 46 off 32. He was out with just four runs needed for victory and the promoted M Ashwin fell next over, before Tamil Nadu completed victory.They now have 16 points, the same as Vidarbha, but a higher net run-rate and are therefore at the top of the Group B table.

كشف محمد حمدي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن حجم الإصابة التي تعرض لها خلال مواجهة البنك الأهلي.

وتمكن الزمالك من الفوز على البنك الأهلي بثلاثية مقابل هدفين، في المباراة التي أقيمت على استاد السلام في إطار الجولة الأولى لبطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع..الزمالك يتخذ قرارًا جديدًا بشأن أزمة ثلاثي مباراة السوبر المصري

وخرج محمد حمدي، عقب نهاية الشوط الأول، وحل كونراد ميشالاك بدلًا منه في المباراة التي أقيمت أمس الجمعة.

وخضع حمدي، للأشعة اليوم السبت، لتحديد حجم الإصابة التي تعرض لها في الركبة خلال فوز الزمالك على البنك الأهلي.

وكتب اللاعب عبر حسابه على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إنستجرام”: “الحمد الله قطع في الغضروف وجزع في الرباط الخارجي”.

ويستعد الزمالك، في الوقت الحالي، لمواجهة سموحة، الجمعة المقبلة، ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras estreará, neste domingo (30), no Campeonato Brasileiro contra o Flamengo. O palco do confronto, o estádio do Maracanã, é um local que traz ótimas recordações ao torcedor do Verdão, que, há exatos quatro meses, gritou “é campeão” após a cabeçada de Breno Lopes, contra o Santos, na final da Libertadores.

No dia 30 de janeiro de 2021, o Alviverde entrou em campo na decisão da principal competição de clubes da América do Sul. Contra o Peixe, o Maior Campeão Nacional tinha a difícil missão de conquistar o título continental pela segunda vez em sua história.

A partida foi complicada, com as duas equipes tendo poucas oportunidades e tudo indicava a decisão por pênaltis. Aos 98′, porém, tudo mudou. Num lance emblemático, envolvendo uma Cria da Academia, o melhor jogador do time na campanha do título e um herói improvável, Breno Lopes subiu de cabeça e encobriu o goleiro John.

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Neste domingo, o Palmeiras estará de volta ao Maracanã, desta vez pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. Contra o Flamengo, o time terá um confronto difícil e terá a oportunidade de iniciar com três pontos a competição, se vencer o Rubro Negro que é o atual campeão e um dos adversários diretos na disputa pelo título.

As duas equipes já se enfrentaram uma vez na atual temporada. O embate, válido pela Supercopa do Brasil, foi sediado em Brasília e teve, após um empate em 2 a 2 no tempo regulamentar, o time carioca como vencedor, nos pênaltis.

O confronto entre Palmeiras e Flamengo, pela primeira rodada no Brasileirão, está marcado para este sábado (30), às 16h (horário de Brasília), no Maracanã.

continua após a publicidade

GOAL breaks down why this U.S. team, in the rare role of underdogs, is still among the contenders for gold in Paris

Few teams in sports can relate to the realities of the U.S. women's national team. Decades of dominance have led to decades of expectations. And while that may sound like a nice problem to have, it comes with pressure. Winning isn't a thing to enjoy, but rather a target to be met. Anything short of that? Failure.

That's why this summer feels different. As the Olympics kick off, those in the know understand that the U.S. women may not win gold. They are among the better teams in the Olympic field, sure, but almost certainly not the favorites. This is a team just starting a rebuild, a process that won't be complete until long after this tournament's over. Because of that, there's reason for doubt. This tournament may have just come a bit too soon.

And while the U.S. may not be favorite, overlook this team at your own peril. This may not be a finished product, but an in-progress USWNT is still better than most of the teams in this field. They see this summer as an opportunity to reestablish themselves on the world's stage, even as team isn't close to the best version of itself.

Can the U.S. win gold this summer? Yes. Will they? We'll find out. GOAL offers six reasons to believe in this USWNT group this summer.

• Getty Images
  

  Naomi Girma

  There aren't many defenders better than Naomi Girma. There definitely aren't any that make the game look so effortless or easy. Make no mistake, though: what Girma does is easy. In fact, it's key to everything the U.S. does.

  Girma is extremely smooth but, most important, she's consistently and completely reliable. The 24-year-old defender never seems to make the wrong play. Whether on the ball or off of it she makes the right decision every time, often bailing out teammates in the process to stop chances before they even get started.

  It's impossible to overstate how valuable that is in a tournament like the Olympics. It's so, so helpful to know that there's a defender with Girma's capabilities on the pitch. She's a bedrock, one thing this team will never have to worry about.

  Girma is the base of this USWNT and that is one hell of a foundation to build on.

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• Getty
  

  Midfield balance

  From the start, the midfield never looked quite right at the 2023 women's World Cup. The No. 6 position was a problem. Rose Lavelle's injury shook things up, and then-coach Vlatko Andonovski never found the fix.

  This summer, things are different. In these Gagmes, the midfield has a sense of purpose.

  There are only four players listed as midfielders in the squad: Lavelle, Lindsey Horan, Sam Coffey and Korbin Albert. That's a bit misleading, though, as this group also includes Crystal Dunn, Jaedyn Shaw and Emily Sonnett, each of whom offers something wildly different.

  Coffey is the primary No. 6, and her exclusion last year looks even worse now. Horan keeps her place as the do-everything No. 8, while Lavelle will be the big threat if she is, in fact, healthy. There's a balance there and, even if Lavelle can't go, Albert can fill in.

  In Shaw, this team has a game-breaking No. 10, while Dunn can play pretty much anywhere. Sonnett has experience as a No.6, central defender or fullback.

  The point is this: there are plenty of options, and all of them can create very different looks. That's something the U.S. lacked this summer but, this time around, Emma Hayes has no shortage of choices.

• Getty
  

  Veteran depth

  This is a young team, one led by a new generation of superstars but, make no mistake: there is considerable experience, too.

  Six members of this squad were involved in the 2021 Olympics, winning bronze. This team also has four members of the squad that won Gold back in 2016. There's Olympic experience here, and with experience comes calm.

  Those players are spread all over the field, too. Alyssa Naher starts in goal, and there will be no nerves from her no matter what's thrown her way. Mallory Swanson's game may be different than when she won Gold in 2016 as a teenager, but she can call on those experiences as she looks to lift an attack with several strike partners near that age. Lavelle played in all six games last time around – she'll know what she's in for at this competitive level.

  That experience is key. These games are grueling and they are nerve-wracking, particularly for young players. Every little big of experience helps and, thankfully for the U.S., there's plenty here.

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• Getty
  

  Emma Hayes' brilliance

  The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's is on the bench. This time around, the USWNT has Emma Hayes.

  There's a reason that U.S. Soccer went out and hired her, and it's because Hayes is arguably the brightest mind in the women's game. They had no problem waiting for her, too. That's how convinced the federation is that she's the right person to change this team.

  That change will take time, of course, and it's impossible to expect her to put her stamp on this team with just a few camps. Hayes, though, is an effective, crafty tactician who can make a difference. In a one-game scenario, Hayes can out-think whomever is on the other side.

  Her ability to do that may just be the difference between success and failure for the U.S. The style of play won't quite be there yet, but that allows this team to be fluid and perhaps add a few wrinkles no one is expecting. It may very well be an opportunity to surprise opponents with a USWNT that they've never quite seen before.

The tournament has already undergone revamps in its first three years, and there are more changes afoot

Barny Read22-Nov-2019In just its third edition of its existence, it is fair to say the Abu Dhabi T10 is still a work in progress. As a result, there are still tweaks to be made, issues to be ironed out and a lot of trials to be carried out.From being a four-day, round-robin format played out between six franchises in its inaugural edition, the tournament went from 13 matches to 29 the following season as it welcomed two new teams into the fold. That second season stretched the competition to 12 days and while the same structure was retained this year, it has found a ten-day slot in its new home in the UAE capital.The Super League stage has remained in place, but with every team playing each other bar their opposite number in the other group (for example, Deccan Gladiators and Maratha Arabians avoided each other in the Super League stage having topped Group A and B respectively and so on), there is little jeopardy as the tournament moves into its second stage.And this existing league structure is something Abu Dhabi T10 owner-cum-chairman Shaji ul Mulk says he and his team plan to address after Sunday’s final.”It’s possible [that the tournament format changes],” Shaji told ESPNcricinfo. “Because we have eight teams, we could be doing seven games a team so that we have a full round-robin. That would probably need us to increase the duration by another two days.”Delhi Bulls captain Eoin Morgan, who has been involved with the tournament since its inception, also sees the potential for adjustments. “There are a couple of things but I don’t have a solution for them yet,” Morgan said. “We’re only in our third year, things will continue to evolve, maybe even more teams still in a shorter space of time.”The group stage has also become a topic for conversation over its lack of tie-breakers, such as a Super Over, to ensure results in every match. They are in place for the knockout matches that begin on Saturday but after two ties this year, their absence has been notable.When you throw in Wednesday’s rain that produced one farce and two no results, the difference between shared points and full points is something that cannot be ignored. And while the rain cannot be helped, other things can be.”We’ve seen two ties already and I think all coaches agree we need to see a result, whatever form that’s in whether it’s a Super Over or how that’s determined,” Team Abu Dhabi coach Trevor Bayliss, whose side was hit by both abandonment and T10’s first-ever tie, told ESPNcricinfo. “A result in every match would be good for everyone involved, not just the players but obviously the fans and the viewers at home as well.”Morgan, like Bayliss, knows the finality of a Super Over more than most after this year’s ODI World Cup final and he would rather a ten-over game had a conclusion. “If we played in a tied game and we ended up a point short the argument is: would you rather have a result than one point each and I’d always err on the side of having a result,” Morgan said.Shaji puts the fast turnaround of games as a reason behind the lack of Super Overs until the qualifiers and final, his argument based on the fact that one of T10’s greatest USP is its 90-minute game-time. When you factor in slots on TV schedules and advertising space, it is no easy thing to balance.”We will be looking at it from next season onwards,” Shaji said. “Now that we’ve had two ties, we will probably consider changing those playing conditions. We want something innovative like two bowlers, three balls each.”One thing the Abu Dhabi T10 will be hoping to sustain is the strong crowds that have turned out so far. The UAE is a notoriously difficult place to pull in supporters despite a cricket-mad diaspora. To combat it this year, organisers invested in buses from across the emirates to provide transport for people that otherwise would have found it difficult to source.The result has been remarkable as evidenced by Friday’s enormous crowd-swell, and Morgan hopes that, in future, the showpiece events are scheduled to tie-in with what is a non-working day for the majority of the country.”You look at the crowd today given that it’s the weekend here and that’s fantastic to see. Probably one of the things would be having the final on a weekend [Friday or Saturday] as opposed to [Sunday]. But it’s still great to see crowds like that today.”

Tottenham Hotspur has had some great players on the books over the years, but it's hard to say that any star in modern history has been greater than Harry Kane, who departed the club after a career of clinical service last summer.

Behind only Alan Shearer in the Premier League's all-time scoring charts and behind no one in the goalscoring rankings for Tottenham and England, the 30-year-old is truly one of the finest forwards of his generation – it's sad to see him ply his trade away from N17.

How much Spurs sold Kane for

Kane had been on Tottenham's books since his youth and scored 280 goals and supplied 64 assists from 435 matches as a Lilywhite before transferring to Bayern Munich in a deal worth an initial £82m last August, with just one year remaining on his current deal.

Spurs had endured a torrid 2022/23 campaign and languished to an eighth-placed Premier League finish to end any hopes of the Three Lions skipper's remaining at the club, falling by the wayside despite his 30-goal haul in the top-flight.

There are suggestions that Kane's fee could rise to £100m in what would make him the most expensive Tottenham sale in history, surpassing the then-world-record £85m fee Real Madrid paid for Gareth Bale's services way back in 2013.

However, there's another one-time star who would have overtaken Kane's figure had the deal been conducted in modern times. The man in question is none other than Paul Gascoigne.

Paul Gascoigne's market value in 2024 money

Spurs signed Gascoigne from Newcastle United in a British-record £2.2m deal back in 1988, with the prodigious talent excelling after graduating from the Magpies academy.

The iconic Englishman would plunder 33 goals from 112 appearances for Tottenham before moving to Italian outfit Lazio for around £6m in 1992. This was a mammoth figure at the time; how hefty would that be in modern times?

If you're a footballing nerd like us and have ever wondered, thankfully Totally Money have got it all covered.

Inflation has been a prominent factor within football across the past few decades, and for such a stunning star in Gascoigne, it's clear that he would have garnered quite the fee if he plied his trade today.

Totally Money project that Lazio would have had to pay a whopping £94m to procure his signature today, taking him above even the sale of Kane.

Gareth Bale

£85m

£166m

Paul Gascoigne

£6m

£94m

Dimitar Berbatov

£34m

£89m

Michael Carrick

£24m

£84.5m

Luka Modric

£31.5m

£84m

While this also elevates him above Bale, Totally Money's model has also deduced that the legendary Welshman would have cost Real Madrid £166m today, so it's not really fair to include him too.

Gascoigne was one of the most breathtaking, brilliant talents in football's long history, with some of the game's greats, such as Xavi, claiming that the 56-year-old was his "inspiration", and thus it's not hard to believe that he would have cost a ridiculous wad of cash to part with the Lilywhites way back when.

Whilst West Ham United may still be thinking about their 4-3 loss against Newcastle United after taking an initial 3-1 lead, reports have handed the Hammers the best news possible to bounce back from defeat.

West Ham transfer news

The London club, now a consistent European side who still have a chance to shock the world once again by getting closer and closer to reaching the Europa League final this season, could be in for a busy summer transfer window. Before that, however, they must put an end to their managerial doubts and hope that David Moyes reaches a decision about his future sooner rather than later.

Related West Ham must now bench 4/10 man who was even worse than Phillips

The Hammers suffered a damaging collapse at St. James’ Park in the Premier League

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 30, 2024

The former Manchester United boss is yet to sign a new deal and is, therefore, on course to leave West Ham at the end of the season. With that said the Hammers have already been linked with the likes of Graham Potter and Steve Cooper regarding the potentially vacant job this summer in two options who have the benefit of Premier League experience.

Whoever may come in, they will instantly be tasked with repeating the work of Moyes and more by helping West Ham into Europe yet again. And reports suggest that one incoming could be on his way to taking the Hammers to the level needed for that.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, West Ham are now in pole position to sign Brentford's Ivan Toney this summer, with Arsenal cooling their interest in the forward recently. The England international, supposedly valued at £70m, is likely to be involved in one of the most expensive deals of the summer in the Premier League and one of the biggest shocks could be he joins West Ham.

In need of a new number nine, there's no doubt that Toney would take West Ham to the next level going forward.

"Amazing" Toney could transform West Ham

If West Ham want to bridge what has previously seemed like an impossible gap between themselves and the Premier League's top four, then signing Toney is certainly the way to go about it. The Brentford man, who has the same agent as James Ward-Prowse, is clinical at his best and would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Michail Antonio this summer, as his stats in a full season prove.

22/23 Stats (via FBref)

Ivan Toney

Michail Antonio

Goals

20

5

Assists

4

3

Expected Goals

18.7

6.6

Key Passes

27

15

Thomas Frank will be left wondering just how to replace Toney if he does depart this summer, having sung his praises last season, saying:

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects. The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member.

“Ivan trains well and he’s clearly the number two striker in England, that’s proven by his goals and performances."