Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson believes Jurgen Klopp is planning on moving to Mallorca when he departs Merseyside this summer.

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Klopp and wife Ulla renovating villa in MallorcaEx-Liverpool defender thinks couple will "retreat" to islandBalearic jewel famously popular with German visitorsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Liverpool boss stunned the football world last week when he revealed he had agreed to step down from his role at the end of the season saying he was "running out of energy." Those comments suggest the German will not be looking for a route back into management any time soon, and Lawrenson has revealed that Klopp and his wife, Ulla, have been busy renovating a mansion on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT LAWRENSON SAID

Lawrenson, who won five league titles and a European Cup while a player at Anfield, let Ireland's radio in on a bit of a secret, stating: "I'm not sure I should tell you this, but it's not a massive secret. He's having a house built in Mallorca. I have a house not far away from where he's building his and I saw him the other month after a game and asked him how the house was coming along. Ulla his wife is in charge of all of that. He swore and said: 'The bloody thing's not even ready yet. And I'm paying all the bills!' So he's probably going to retreat to there for a while, I would suggest. It's not just a nice gaff, it's an absolutely fabulous gaff. It's sensational."

GettyTHE GOSSIP

The reports that the "gaff" in question is a 5,000-square metre villa purchased by the Klopps in the summer of 2022 for €4m (£3.4m/$4.3m). The property has reportedly been given a huge renovation in an effort to make the villa more energy efficient. The landscaping of the surrounding grounds are being managed by the company that designed Mallorca's Five-star Son Buyola Hotel.

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WHAT NEXT?

The Klopps won't lack for company in Mallorca. The Balearic island is so popular with Germans both as a tourist destination and as a place to live that is often jokingly referred to as Germany's 17th state. An incredible 4.5 million Germans visited the island in 2023.

West Ham United have invested the £105m recouped from the mammoth sale of Declan Rice in an intelligent manner.

James Ward-Prowse, who joined from Southampton for £30m, registered two assists on his debut in a 3-1 win against Chelsea at the London Stadium.

Whilst the £35.4m signing of Edson Alvarez looks to be another shrewd acquisition due to his strong defensive capabilities.

However, the Irons are yet to add any attackers to the squad, despite Gianluca Scamacca returning to Italy after an underwhelming season in England.

Rumours are now viciously circulating around potential forward options…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to Sacha Tavolieri, West Ham are interested in Genk’s Mike Tresor.

But, before any deal advances, the Hammers must first settle and finalise Lucas Paqueta’s uncertain future.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Nevertheless, the east Londoners are keen to make progress from next week and be will in touch with Genk in due course.

Other reports have suggested that the Belgian whiz could be available for around €20m (£17m).

Would Mike Tresor be a good signing for West Ham?

Last season, the 24-year-old dynamo was thrown into European prominence thanks to a scintillating term with Genk – across 42 appearances, he scored eight times and crafted 24 assists.

This astonishing form meant that Tresor was named Belgian Pro League Player of the Season, whilst also breaking the assist record.

As a result, it was announced that the left-winger was in his nation’s squad for upcoming European qualifiers against Austria and Estiona back in June 2023.

Following his incredible numbers and achievements, talent scout Jacek Kulig described the joyous technician as “sensational” and he looks ready to make the next step in his career.

The jump from Belgian football to the Premier League is insurmountable, but a player of Tresor’s productivity, technique, and flair could provide some healthy and much-needed competition for Said Benrahma.

In a short space of time, the Algerian winger can dazzle and infuriate, but he is undoubtedly one of the club’s most important players.

Last season, Benrahma made 52 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers, the second-highest in the squad, to underline his valuable nature under David Moyes.

However, the tricky winger continues to massively divide opinion.

On one hand, Joe Cole has described him as “unplayable” and someone he has “always been a fan of” due to his natural “ability” – this is mainly down to wonderful dribbling as he ranks within the best 22% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

But, he is equally frustrating, with the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg labelling the former Brentford livewire as “underwhelming” who suffers from a “constant lack of discipline and focus.”

Although Benrahma ended last campaign as the club’s joint-top scorer with six goals, Steinberg felt this was misleading as the majority were penalties and his assists were just simple passes for stunning, long-range efforts from his teammates.

Therefore, the arrival of Tresor could be the perfect antidote to eradicate Benrahma’s inconsistencies, whilst also proving to be a pivotal piece of squad depth.

This will be vital for West Ham, who face a third-consecutive season of European football, whilst also trying to build upon a disappointing 14th-place finish in the Premier League last term.

The American made the most of an opportunity to shine on Wednesday but his future at the City Ground is still uncertain

Matt Turner must have been so damn happy in that moment. His teammates were surrounding him, embracing him one by one. They were chanting "USA, USA USA!" in his honor. He was the hero here, the man who had led Nottingham Forest to victory.

What made that moment so sweet was knowing what came before it and, truthfully, what will come after it. Wednesday was one of few highlights for Turner this season. It's been a season of mistakes and criticism and setbacks, one that has almost certainly cost Turner his position as Nottingham Forest's starting goalkeeper.

Turner had his moment in the sun on Wednesday, having been handed the start due to FA Cup rules. He made the most of it, making the penalty kick save that booked them a spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup and a date with Manchester United.

Realistically, though, Wednesday may end up being as good as it gets this season for Turner, who, despite his FA Cup heroics, now finds himself in a tough, tough spot on the club level ahead of some major moments on the international stage.

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  A series of mistakes

  'Nightmare' may be a bit too harsh, but it's close to being a fair way of painting this picture. Turner's move to Forest was supposed to give him a new stage to shine. It has instead wrecked his confidence thanks to a series of mistakes that seemingly couldn't stop snowballing.

  Turner's shot-stopping ability has never been questioned. It has gotten him this far, after all. Despite a relatively late start as a goalkeeper, his ability to simply keep the ball out of the back of the net got him from Fairfield University to the New England Revolution and, ultimately, to Arsenal. Even that, however, has let him down in this first half-season as a Premier League starter.

  Largely, Turner's errors have come when asked to play with the ball at his feet. Manchester United legend Gary Neville labeled the American as "useless" with the ball after a number of errors culminated in a Marcus Rashford goal in December.

  Those errors seemingly sapped his confidence, as Turner hasn't even looked like his old self when it comes to saving the ball anymore. A recent finish by Gabriel Jesus in a loss to Turner's former club, Arsenal, earned Turner further criticism, as many believe the American could have done more to keep the ball out.

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  Turner responds

  Turner, more than most, knows the loneliness of the goalkeeping position. His first real introduction to an American audience came due to a mistake, with a sequence during his college days landing him a spot on SportsCenter's Not Top 10. Since then, mistakes have largely been few and far between. That is, until this season.

  Turner knows it, too. He's aware that things haven't gone well. And, in a recent interview with ESPN, he took ownership of it all.

  "This is a results business," he said. "And we haven't been getting the results that we probably deserve or need."

  "Everything that could possibly have gone wrong in certain moments has gone completely wrong," he added. "Sometimes as goalkeepers you might get away with one or two things, and it feels like this season I've gotten away with zero. It's tough to take."

  Turner is tied for second in the Premier League in errors leading to goals with three. And, inevitably, those errors led Nottingham Forest, a notably unstable club, to try and shake things up in the January window.

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  Forest make a move

  Turner's status as No. 1 was always on shaky ground. Shortly after signing him from Arsenal this summer, Forest brought in another international goalkeeper, Greece's Odysseas Vlachodimos. For a time in the fall, Vlachodimos took over for Turner, who snatched the job back heading into the new year.

  Forest, though, weren't done wheeling and dealing. Before the January transfer window closed, the club went out and signed Belgian shot-stopper Matz Sels from Strasbourg, seemingly in response to Turner's errors. In just a matter of months, the club went out and signed three legitimate first-team goalkeepers, proving that Forest had little faith in Turner despite their move for him in the summer.

  Upon his arrival, Sels was immediately thrust into the XI, for a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, a potentially key result in the relegation race. It's expected that he'll be back in goal this coming weekend against Newcastle, too.

  But, in between, Turner was handed a chance at redemption in the FA Cup, and he certainly made the most of it.

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  Turner saves the day

  With Sels ineligible for Wednesday's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bristol City, Forest turned back to Turner. For some, it would have been difficult to rise to such an occasion. Just days after being told you weren't good enough, Turner was thrown back into the team, not on merit but because of a technicality.

  Forest went up 1-0 early, with a goal from Divock Origi easing any nerves. Those nerves came rushing back just moments later, though. After a fantastic diving save from Turner on a long-range effort, Forest still conceded, with the team's inability to clear the ball leading to a looped finish from Jason Knight in the 14th minute.

  Turner, despite his save, earned some criticism for that sequence. It was unfair, truthfully, with those on social media going at him largely basing that criticism on his past mistakes. There would be no criticizing him by the end, though, as he proved to be Forest's hero.

  Long a penalty shootout expert, Turner flexed his skillset yet again on Wednesday. One big stop was all he needed, and it came in the second round of kicks when he pushed away a shot from Sam Bell. Forest's takers took care of business and onto the next round they went, thanks at least in part to Turner's big save.

  “It has to give him confidence," said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo. "We know it is not easy for him after the decision we took to change in the Premier League, but his response is of a top professional. We are so happy. It was tough but it was worth it. The attitude and the character to never give up makes me very happy."

Newcastle United defender Sven Botman is facing a spell on the sidelines, and a reliable journalist has revealed the potential severity of his injury that was sustained at St. James’ Park.

What's the latest on Sven Botman's injury?

The Magpies were the hosts on Sunday as they welcomed Liverpool, but despite the visitors going down to ten men following the dismissal of Virgil van Dijk, Eddie Howe’s side suffered a 2-1 Premier League defeat thanks to substitute Darwin Nunez securing a brace, and unfortunately for the boss, the scoreline wasn’t the only negative to occur that day.

The Dutch international was forced off the pitch with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury on 87 minutes and was replaced by Matt Targett, and whilst Lewis Hall, who has joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea, is in the building, he’s not yet ready to be involved. Quizzed on the youngster’s fitness, the manager said:

“He's trained with us, but he's not played a game during pre-season. He's only trained, so he's some way short of being match-fit."

With the 23-year-old seemingly out of action, PIF have already been assessing their centre-back options in the market, with Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio and Benfica’s Antonio Silva the two primary names to have been linked, and whilst reinforcements may well be needed, a promising update has now emerged on the situation of Botman.

How long is Sven Botman out for?

Taking to X, The Daily Mail's Craig Hope revealed that Newcastle are hopeful that Botman won’t be out for an extended period of time if the preliminary signs are anything to go by in a positive update.

“Understand early indications are that Sven Botman has avoided serious damage to his ankle after injury suffered on Sunday. More news awaited ahead of weekend but I’m told it’s not as bad as perhaps first feared.”

Since the start of the 2023/24 season, Botman has started all three games and has been an integral member of Howe’s squad, so considering the hugely positive impact he has on the side, it will come as a huge boost for the boss to learn that he’s not out for a lengthy spell at Newcastle.

The Muy Manero native, who is naturally left-footed, is currently averaging three clearances and two aerial wins per top-flight game this season, via WhoScored, not to mention that he’s won all five of his tackles made, showing how much of a rock he is at the heart of the backline.

The St. James’ £90k-per-week earner, who has recorded an assist since putting pen to paper with the black and white stripes, even has the versatility to operate out wide at left-back, making him a great option for the manager to have at his disposal should he need him to play out of his natural position.

Alongside Dan Burn, the northeast outfit have Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar and Hall when he's ready as their other options at centre-back so there is sufficient cover, but with the former potentially on his way out over the next few days, the hierarchy will be safer dipping into the market to bolster their defensive ranks further.

ScorecardVictoria has vaulted back into contention for the Sheffield Shield final after a crushing 255-run win over Western Australia at the WACA.The Bushrangers needed just two wickets on the final morning to complete the rout but they were frustrated by Josh Inglis and Matt Kelly, who put together a 109-run partnership for the ninth wicket.Victoria opted not to bowl any of their frontline quicks on the final day leaving Daniel Christian, Cameron White and Glenn Maxwell to try and finish the job. Inglis moved within sight of his first Sheffield Shield century before he was trapped in front by Christian on 87.Kelly also fell to Christian nine balls later for his highest first-class score. Christian finished with 2 for 27. Chris Tremain was named Man of the Match for his first career 10-wicket haul.

Newcastle United made a long-awaited comeback to the Champions League back in 2023/24. Their fourth-placed Premier League finish in 2022/23 saw them return to the competition for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Of course, this won’t be the first time that the Magpies competed at the peak of European football. They’ve been there before and faced some of the game’s giants.

Given they haven’t been Champions League regulars, you would be forgiven for struggling to recall just how the Magpies got on in the past.

Football FanCast has taken a look back at how Newcastle did in previous years.

1997/98 – Group stage

The mid-90s saw Newcastle make waves in English football, including breaking the world transfer record to sign Alan Shearer in 1996.

While they fell agonisingly short of winning the Premier League, the Mapgies took advantage of changes in UEFA rules that allowed for non-champions to compete in their main competition.

They did need to win a qualifier, but a 4-3 aggregate win over Dinamo Zagreb (then known as Croatia Zagreb) put them into group stages. Waiting for them? Dynamo Kyiv, PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona.

The group stage was also different in those days – there were only six in total, with the winners going straight through to the quarter-finals. The two best-placed runners-up would take the remaining berths in the final eight, meaning Newcastle were up against it to progress.

Things started off brilliantly with a 3-2 win against Barcelona that continues to live long in the memory. Faustino Asprilla earned and scored a penalty before planting a bullet header in the Barca net to leave the Toon faithful in dreamland.

He completed his hat-trick with another header moments into the second half, before Louis van Gaal’s side staged their comeback.

But consolation goals from Luis Enrique and Luis Figo were not enough to prevent the Magpies from grabbing the perfect start to their group campaign.

A 2-2 draw in Kyiv followed, with Newcastle 2-0 down until a late fightback earned a point.

PSV, however, would then pick up back-to-back wins over Newcastle – without the Magpies scoring a goal. In fact, they’d then lost 1-0 to Barca before finally finding more points in the final game against Kyiv thanks to a 2-0 home win.

Newcastle weren’t able to overcome the talent in that group, finishing third behind PSV and… Kyiv. Yes, Barcelona finished bottom of the group, having lost 3-0 and 4-0 to the Ukrainian side.

That maybe makes a bit more sense when you learn a young Andriy Shevchenko scored five goals in six games for Kyiv that season, including a hat-trick at Camp Nou.

All in all, Newcastle were incredibly unfortunate. They came up against three great sides, but certainly had moments to savour.

Second qualifying round, 1st leg

Newcastle 2-1 Dinamo Zagreb

Beresford (2); Cvitanovic

Second qualifying round, 2nd leg

Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Newcastle (aet)

Simic, Cvitanovic; Asprilla, Ketsbaia

Group C

Newcastle 3-2 Barcelona

Asprilla (3); Luis Enrique, Figo

Group C

Dynamo Kyiv 2-2 Newcastle

Rebrov, Shevchenko; Beresford, Holovko (og)

Group C

PSV 1-0 Newcastle

Jonk

Group C

Newcastle 0-2 PSV

Nilis, De Bilde

Group C

Barcelona 1-0 Newcastle

Giovanni

Group C

Newcastle 2-0 Dynamo Kyiv

Barnes, Pearce

Dynamo Kyiv

6

3

2

1

13

6

+7

11

PSV

6

2

3

1

9

8

+1

9

Newcastle

6

2

1

3

7

8

-1

7

Barcelona

6

1

2

3

7

14

-7

5

2002/03 – Second group phase

Newcastle had to wait a while before getting another crack at the Champions League. They qualified in 2002/03, though – but once again needed to play a qualifying round. Bosnian outfit Zeljeznicar fell to them 5-0 on aggregate, putting the Magpies back in the group stage.

And oh, was it one to remember. Newcastle found Juventus, Dynamo Kyiv and Feyenoord waiting for them and started as miserably as possible. They lost all three of their opening games to sit on zero points at the halfway mark.

But then something magic happened. Newcastle beat Juventus, beat Kyiv, and set up a historic tie with Feyenoord on the final matchday.

If they could claim victory in the Netherlands – and Juve beat Kyiv – Newcastle could qualify, with two slots available in the next phase of the competition.

They did just that, thanks to Craig Bellamy scoring a 91st-minute winner and Juve winning 2-1. That was history – Newcastle were the first side to ever lose their first three games and still get out of the group.

Third qualifying round, 1st leg

Zeljeznicar 0-1 Newcastle

Dyer

Third qualifying round, 2nd leg

Newcastle 4-0 Zeljeznicar

Dyer, Lua Lua, Viana, Shearer

First group phase, Group E

Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 Newcastle

Shatskikh, Khatskevich

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 0-1 Feyenoord

Pardo

First group phase, Group E

Juventus 2-0 Newcastle

Del Piero (2)

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 1-0 Juventus

Griffin

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 2-1 Dynamo Kyiv

Speed, Shearer; Shatskikh

First group phase, Group E

Feyenoord 2-3 Newcastle

Bombarda, Lurling; Bellamy (2), Viana

Juventus

6

4

1

1

12

3

+9

13

Newcastle

6

3

0

3

6

8

-2

9

Dynamo Kyiv

6

2

1

3

6

9

-3

7

Feyenoord

6

1

2

3

4

8

-4

5

Their reward, of course, was yet another group phase. If you’re not familiar, there used to be two group stages before the switch to the format we see today. Barcelona, Inter and Bayer Leverkusen waited.

Leverkusen – the previous year’s finalists – proved no match for the Magpies, losing 3-1 twice in succession.

Newcastle couldn’t quite compete with Barcelona and Inter, however. The Catalonians beat them twice, while Inter smashed them 4-1 at St James’ Park. A 2-2 draw at San Siro provided an extra point, but Newcastle’s seven saw them out as the third-placed team.

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 1-4 Inter

Solano; Morfeo, Almeyda, Crespo, Recoba

Second group phase, Group A

Barcelona 3-1 Newcastle

Garcia, Kluivert, Motta; Ameobi

Second group phase, Group A

Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Newcastle

Franca; Ameobi (2), Lua Lua

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Shearer (3); Babic

Second group phase, Group A

Inter 2-2 Newcastle

Vieri, Cordoba; Shearer (2)

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 0-2 Barcelona

Kluivert, Motta

Barcelona

6

5

1

0

12

2

+10

16

Inter

6

3

2

1

11

8

+3

11

Newcastle

6

2

1

3

10

13

-3

7

Bayer Leverkusen

6

0

0

6

5

15

-10

0

2003/04 – Third qualifying round

Unfortunately, this one ends on something of a sour note. Newcastle were back in the competition the following season and, once again, needed to win a qualifying match.

But they slipped up. Newcastle were able to pick up a 1-0 win away from home, and with the away goals rule in effect, seemed well-placed to snatch a group-stage berth. Unfortunately, the Serbians returned the favour, and then some – with Partizan winning on penalties.

Shearer was among four Newcastle players to miss in the shootout, which had remarkably gone to sudden death despite the home side missing their first three penalties.

Aaron Hughes missed the crucial penalty before Milivoje Cirkovic stepped up to break Toon hearts.

That dropped the Magpies down to the UEFA Cup, where they made it to the semi-finals. Beaten by eventual losing finalists Marseille, a double from a certain Didier Drogba ended the Toon’s European adventure that year.

That season marks the last time they competed under the Champions League banner. Of course, that will change come September.

Third qualifying round, 1st leg

Partizan 0-1 Newcastle

Solano

Third qualifying round, 2nd leg

Newcastle 0-1 Partizan (p)

Iliev

2023/24 – Group stage

Newcastle’s fourth-place finish in the 2022/23 Champions League handed them an automatic group stage berth, with Eddie Howe’s side placed in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside PSG, Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

Things started well with a commendable draw in Milan and a historic 4-1 win over PSG, but things unravelled from there as three defeats and a late equaliser denying them a win in Paris saw Newcastle finish bottom of the group.

Group F

Milan 0-0 Newcastle

None

Group F

Newcastle 4-1 PSG

Almiron, Burn, Longstaff, Schar; Hernandez

Group F

Newcastle 0-1 Borussia Dortmund

Nmecha

Group F

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle

Fullkrug, Brandt

Group F

PSG 1-1 Newcastle

Mbappe; Isak

Group F

Newcastle 1-2 Milan

Joelinton; Pulisic, Chukwueze

Borussia Dortmund

6

3

2

1

7

4

+3

11

PSG

6

2

2

2

9

8

+1

8

Milan

6

2

2

2

5

8

-3

8

Newcastle

6

1

2

3

6

7

-1

5

Newcastle United's top scorers in the Champions League

Alan Shearer unsurprisingly leads the way in terms of goals at this level for Newcastle with seven, having spearheaded their incredible journey through the group stages back in 2002/03.

Faustino Asprilla has four to his name, while John Beresford and Shola Ameobi have three apiece, including one at Camp Nou for the latter.

There were six different scorers for each of Newcastle’s goals in the 2023/24 Champions League – will anyone be able to add to their tally in 2025/26?

Alan Shearer

7

Faustino Asprilla

4

John Beresford

3

Shola Ameobi

3

Kieron Dyer

2

Lomana Lua Lua

2

Hugo Viana

2

Craig Bellamy

2

Nolberto Solano

2

Temuri Ketsbaia

1

John Barnes

1

Stuart Pearce

1

Andy Griffin

1

Gary Speed

1

Miguel Almiron

1

Dan Burn

1

Sean Longstaff

1

Fabian Schar

1

Alexander Isak

1

Joelinton

1

Following the departure of Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur's need for a forward is no secret in the closing days of the summer transfer window.

The Lilywhites bid farewell to their star man, who swapped Spurs for Bayern Munich for a reported £86m, leaving the North London club with plenty of funds available to find a replacement. That search has now reportedly led them to out-of-favour Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku.

What's the latest on Romelu Lukaku to Tottenham Hotspur?

As they look to replace Kane, Spurs, and by extension chairman Daniel Levy, have made contact over a potential move for Lukaku, according to Calcio Mercato, without anything concrete taking place as of yet.

The move could certainly make sense for both parties, with Spurs in desperate need of a forward, and Lukaku in need of a career revival after struggling in is second spell at Chelsea – scoring just 15 goals – and enduring a transfer saga to forget, which failed to result in moves to either Juventus or Inter Milan.

With time running out in the transfer window, however, the North London club will need to act fast if they are to push on and pursue the Belgian's signature this summer.

They will have to do so by fending off reported interest from West Ham United, and Saudi Arabia, too.

Should Tottenham Hotspur sign Romelu Lukaku?

It's fair to say that Lukaku has had his controversial moments in the last few years, with his interview whilst at Chelsea the pick of the bunch. But, even so, his goalscoring talent still remains true.

At his best, the Chelsea man is a player capable of competing for the Golden Boot – as shown by his 30 goals in all competitions during the 20/21 season – making him an ideal replacement for Kane.

When showing that form, Lukaku has earned plenty of praise, too, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer previously saying, via All Football:

"He is a quality goalscorer. We need to have him more in front of the goal but he has done fantastic in his work rate, attitude, he loves scoring goals, he smiles every day, he does extra shooting in training.

"He has got the goalscorer's quality. He has the quality right foot, left foot."

Statistically speaking, too, Lukaku could be an upgrade on Richarlison, who is Ange Postecoglou's current option. Last season, as per FBref, whilst on loan at Inter Milan, Lukaku scored and assisted more goals than Richarlison, whilst enjoying progressive passes, and more progressive carries than the Brazilian throughout the season.

With that said, the positives seem to be outweighing the negatives, and if you add in the fact that Lukaku has defeated Spurs seven times in his career, the Lilywhites would be solving plenty of problems by securing his signature this summer.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

It's been a case of so far so good for Potecoglou in North London, of course, with his side most recently defeating Manchester United 2-0 following their 2-2 draw on the opening day against Brentford.

If they can now add Lukaku to their side, then Spurs may well be well-placed to compete for a top-four place in the current campaign, and it could be a deal to watch.

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is hopeful that the time of the year will help them overcome the loss of legspinner Yasir Shah for the Tests against Ireland and England

Andrew McGlashan25-Apr-2018Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is hopeful that the time of the year will help them overcome the loss of legspinner Yasir Shah for the Tests against Ireland and England.Yasir has taken 89 wickets in the last two years – more than double Pakistan’s next most successful bowler in the period – but was ruled out of this tour due to a hip injury. Shadab Khan, the 19-year-old legspinner, who has impressed with the white ball but has played just one Test, has huge shoes to fill although there remains a chance Pakistan will decide to go without a specialist spinner given the early-season conditions which are likely to prevail.There has been a significant decline in Pakistan’s Test fortunes since the shared series against England in 2016 which helped them to the No. 1 ranking. They are now languishing at No. 7 following series defeats against New Zealand, Australia and most recently Sri Lanka – their record with Arthur as coach is 11 defeats and six wins from 17 Tests – and are going through a transitional phase following the retirements of batting stalwarts Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.There are four uncapped batsmen in the squad and the absence of Yasir has shorn Pakistan of a senior figure with the ball while also leaving them with their least experienced spin attack to face England in at least 40 years.”Any team would miss Yasir,” Arthur said ahead of the team’s first warm-up match against Kent. “He has the ability to hold the attack and control the game. Shadab is incredibly exciting but also I am not sure that spin is going to be a huge factor given it’s early season in England, so we have covered ourselves in the seam department. But Shadab can clean tails up because he has all the tricks. It is going to be exciting to see how he goes.”Yasir is a big loss but we have him at the National Cricket Academy [in Lahore] and he is getting fit, his stress fracture is healing and it’s really important for us to have him fit and firing for the Australia and New Zealand series later in the year.”Pakistan’s bowling attack will rest heavily on Mohammad Amir, who arrived in the UK on Wednesday having been granted his visa after a short delay. Two years ago he made his return to Test cricket at Lord’s, following his spot-fixing ban, and since then has not earned the rewards his bowling has often deserved with 44 wickets at 37.25. How Pakistan catch will be a critical factor, with Amir suffering significantly from missed chances, although there is also a belief in the team management that the amount of white-ball cricket he has played has led him into bowling too short with the red ball.”He’s our No. 1 bowler, we back him in tough situations. He generally gets it done for us,” Arthur said. “We need him to get the ball swinging, we need him to get his length slightly fuller and if he gets that he’s going to ask a lot of questions.”Amir’s workload has also become a topic of debate in recent times, with the indication that he may sit out some Test cricket to preserve him for the 2019 World Cup and beyond. Arthur said that Pakistan have “three weeks off” between now and the World Cup, leaving a balancing act between building a new era for the Test side while keeping an eye on the demands of the limited-overs game.”We have had the workload debate for a long time now and every team has to do the same. We only have three weeks off in our calendar now before the World Cup next year, so we’d be silly not to arrive here with our bowlers fit and we know who they are – we have identified them – so we just have to manage them because ultimately want the best team to play in that 2019 World Cup.”But also for us it is so important to win Test matches – we are a young team and we need to get our Test team right and to do that we have to build a core of players who can play at any given time. We are trying to resurrect our Test side, we feel we’ve got our white-ball cricket where we need it now, so we are really excited about this series, really excited to see these young guys come out and perform. There’s some incredible talent in our dressing room, so let’s hope it all goes well for us.”

Harry Kane and Thomas Tuchel gave their thoughts on Bayern Munich loanee Josip Stanisic scoring for Bayern Leverkusen against his parent club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Kane and Tuchel reacted to Stanisic scoring
• Bayern loanee scored against his ex-club
• Stanisic went out on loan in the summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Stanisic opened the scoring for Bayer Leverkusen in the 18th minute before Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong added to Bayern Munich's misery. After the harrowing 3-0 defeat against the league leaders, Harry Kane reacted to Stanisic's goal against his parent club while Thomas Tuchel lamented about Germany not having the "English rule".

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Speaking to , Kane said, "The club made a decision at the start of the season and it is what it is. He’s a good player and I trained a few times with him. That wasn’t the reason we lost the game. We lost because we weren’t good enough on the ball."

  Tuchel, on the other hand, told reporters post the game, "In England, there's a nice rule where when you loan a player out, they can't play against you. For me that makes more sense. I experienced it often in my career, that a player comes back to haunt the team – the rule unfortunately doesn't exist in Germany. Today we were the ones to suffer from this. I saw Stani earlier and congratulated him, but he's a Bayer Leverkusen player now. That's all I can say."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In England, on-loan players are forbidden to play against their parent club in the Premier League, although they can play in cup competitions. The 23-year-old was sent out on loan by The Bavarians at the start of the season. For Leverkusen, he has appeared in 19 games in the ongoing season. His maiden goal for Xabi Alonso's side came against Bayern on Saturday.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  Tuchel's side, who are now trailing Bayer Leverkusen by five points, will be next seen in action in the Champions League as they take on Lazio in the first leg of their round of 16 clash on Wednesday.

Arsenal are ready to make a move for FC Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, with a new report sharing how much a deal could cost.

Are Arsenal signing Ansu Fati?

The Gunners and Mikel Arteta have brought in Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya so far this summer at a combined cost of around £200m.

Reports have suggested that the club’s attention is now on player sales as they aim to bring in around £100m – half of which could be on moving on striker Folarin Balogun.

Bringing in funds could then allow Arteta and sporting director Edu to make a late swoop for a new signing, with Fati a player who has been linked with an Emirates Stadium transfer for large parts of the summer.

Earlier in the month, it was claimed that the Gunners made a "very tempting offer" to sign the attacker, however, a move failed to gather pace and the figures of the bid weren’t disclosed.

However, it appears as if Arsenal are still looking to sign the Spaniard before the deadline, with a fresh update emerging.

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal and Arteta “are now ready to step up their interest in the talented winger”. The report claims that Barcelona president Joan Laporta and the player’s agent Jorge Mendes are set to meet to discuss Fati’s future.

The player is keen to stay at the Nou Camp, however, the Catalan giants are open to a loan deal if Arsenal are prepared to cover his £200,000-a-week wage. In any permanent deal, Fati could command a fee in the region of £50m.

How good is Ansu Fati?

Fati is primarily a left-winger who can also play on the right or as a centre-forward and has progressed through the famous Barcelona academy. Now 20 years of age, Fati has made 111 senior appearances for his current employers, scoring 29 times and registering 10 assists.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

However, he has endured a number of injury issues, missing more than 100 games for club and country in recent years, so there could be some risk in any possible loan or permanent transfer.

Despite this, when fully fit, Fati appears to be a real handful in the final third, with manager Xavi Hernandez labelling the forward as “dangerous” and a “star”.

"We started him on the left today but we know we can play anywhere,” Xavi said.

“We wanted him to cut inside, but if he has two chances, he scores one, he is dangerous in the box. There are some players who are very good but I think he is just a star.”

As per FBref, Fati has ranked in the top 1% for attacking midfielders and wingers over the past 12 months for attacking touches, shots and non-penalty xG, showing his attacking spark.

He also ranks highly for pass completion and progressive passes received, so with Arteta seemingly after another wide attacker to rival the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, Fati could be a player to keep an eye on in the final days of the window.