Football365

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has revealed he didn’t want to sell a player he’s allowed to leave, amid a suggestion about one of his “best players” who’s linked with Tottenham.

Iraola is gearing up to lead the Reds for the first time in competitive football. They face Newcastle on Sunday in his first game, and the manager has held a press conference ahead of the fixture.

In it, he addressed the situations of Curtis Jones – who’s been sold to Inter Milan for £30million – as well as Spurs-linked Cody Gakpo.

On Jones, Iraola said: “Yes [I wanted to keep him], Curtis is a good player, but I understood this. He is coming for some years in the same situation, so I knew from that moment it could happen.”

Gakpo might not be far behind amid links with Spurs, but Iraola has not spoken on transfer links, rather the forward’s potential with Liverpool.

He said: “Cody is performing really well, has been training very well since first day, understanding everything we need. You can feel it straight away, he is smart, understands the game.

“He has been one of our best players in the friendlies, definitely performing very well. I cannot tell you the XI [against Newcastle], the players do not know it, but he is in a good shape.”

Gakpo talks ongoing

In recent days, it’s been revealed Tottenham – who have been in for Gakpo for months – are continuing to push for the Dutchman.

Fabrizio Romano said: “For Cody Gakpo, Tottenham remain in conversations. I know in the last 24, 48 hours, the rumours around the story are that the deal is not happening, the deal is off, the deal is not going through.

“But my understanding is that the negotiation for Cody Gakpo to Tottenham is still ongoing. Cody Gakpo is open to joining Tottenham and personal terms are not a problem.

“So the deal remains on. The deal remains underway and Cody Gakpo to Tottenham Hotspur is still absolutely on.

“Then they need to reach a financial agreement, and that’s not a detail. Remember that if Gakpo is going to Tottenham, Liverpool will sign two wingers, top target Bradley Barcola plus one.

“So it’s still a long story in a short time because now there are less than two weeks of the summer transfer window. We’ll be following the situation. These days, anything can happen.

“But what I can guarantee at this time on Tuesday is that nothing has changed yet. There is no deal off. The conversation remains ongoing and we have to follow the situation to understand what’s going to happen.”

Spurs have since agreed to sign Savinho from Manchester City, but it’s long been suggested they want to add a couple of attackers, so Gakpo likely remains on the radar.

Tottenham are still waiting on an answer from Liverpool after making a ‘bid’ to sign Cody Gakpo, according to reports.

Spurs have already completed six new signings this summer with ENIC making sure the club doesn’t find themselves in relegation trouble once again next season.

Tottenham survived by two points on the final day of last term by beating Everton 1-0 with their top-flight status secure for another campaign.

Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka all signed on free transfers, while Tottenham forked out £237m in total on Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke.

And Spurs are now closing in on signings seven and eight with Romano revealing an “agreement in principle” with Manchester City for Savinho, while Omar Marmoush has agreed personal terms ahead of a potential move from the Etihad Stadium.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement in principle with Manchester City for the Brazilian winger, Savinho. He has always been the top target since day one of the summer transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur at right winger.

READ: Brentford v Tottenham: Prediction, team news, lineups and odds

“Roberto De Zerbi wanted him. The backup was Pedro Neto, but again, backup with maximum respect for Pedro Neto, who is a fantastic player and who is an option for Al Hilal. But Roberto De Zerbi wanted Savinho as an absolute priority, and he is getting Savinho.

“The transfer fee is going to be more than the £75 million that was rumoured over the recent hours. My understanding is that the actual fee is going to be £80m plus £5m in add-ons. This is the fee, so totally £80m plus £5m.

“A big sale for Manchester City and an important signing for Tottenham. For sure, a big, big movement this summer.

“Savinho has verbal authorisation to travel for medical tests and contract signing. Let’s wait for the documents to be exchanged, of course, to make sure everything will be fine in the next 24 hours. But Savinho is on his way to Tottenham Hotspur as he wanted because he strongly wanted this move.”

Romano added: “Don’t forget Omar Marmoush. It’s not over at all, the summer transfer window for Tottenham, because I always told you: Savinho, Gakpo, centre striker. Savinho, done. Gakpo, we will talk in the next days. And then now we have the striker.

“For Omar Marmoush, Tottenham have an agreement on personal terms, done already a few days ago. Marmoush is open to joining Tottenham, so this deal is advancing already on the player side.

READ: Tottenham told they have their own Max Dowman as former boss highlights ‘one to watch’

“Then, on the club-to-club side, my understanding is that it’s not closed yet as Savinho is, but there is a very big optimism to get the deal done also for Omar Marmoush.

“So a big, big one for Tottenham. Savinho done and Marmoush expected to be completed in the next days if everything goes to plan. The negotiations are advancing.”

Tottenham bid for Gakpo has not yet been rejected

Liverpool winger Gakpo is their next big target with Tottenham hoping they can sign the Netherlands international as their final summer signing.

Algemeen Dagblad (via Voetbal Primeur) insists that Gakpo’s future ‘remains uncertain’ with Liverpool hesistant to agree to his exit while they still haven’t secured the signing of Bradley Barcola.

It is understood that Liverpool winger Gakpo ‘has already spoken with Spurs and is keen on the move to London’.

And report adds: ‘Spurs have reportedly already submitted a bid to Liverpool, but no follow-up has been given yet. During the friendly against Italian side Como last weekend, Gakpo was the Reds’ big star.

‘The winger scored and provided an assist. His performance was so good, in fact, that it has made Liverpool’s decision-makers have second thoughts again.’

Are you, too, ‘mystified by how positive people seem to be towards Liverpool’ this summer? Andoni Iraola has been given basically nothing.

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.

Deal or Bruno deal?

I think a few of the points Mike made are off the mark. Selling Bruno would be absolutely mental. He’s your best player and you need someone who is going to take risks in your team. He’s probably the best chance creator in the league. The team is much worse without him. It’s not as if Bruno is taking risks in his own half. He’s creating countless chances for your forwards in the final third. If you want Sesko and Mbeumo to excel, keeping Bruno would aid this.

I agree with the Maguire shout. I think he became very overrated last season. The fella played decently for 4/5 months and it was somehow a massive shock when he wasn’t in the England squad. Keep him starting for a whole season and I guarantee the errors will start happening again. I do rate him but he’s been inconsistent for his entire United career with his ups and downs.

Rodrygo? The fella is out til 2027 with an ACL injury. He won’t be properly good to go til next season you’d imagine. Also, why would he join United to play right wing. That’s his main issue at Madrid. If he does leave Madrid he will want to playing on the left. I would imagine he would be hesitant at going to a side like United too where CL football is not really guaranteed and they haven’t even made it past the last 16 all that much in 15 years.

Dion

Do you know what really grinds my gears Football365? People that write in saying we need to sell Bruno. He’s our best player by many country miles and is genuinely world class.

This time the letter was from Mike and I am also called Mike so I shall refer to him as Evil Mike. EM says Bruno is exceptional at playing the early, high-risk pass and launching quick counterattacks. We have spent years building around that style, and it has not produced a team capable of consistently controlling and winning games. Top teams can counterattack, but they also dominate possession and dictate the tempo

But we haven’t been playing that way because Bruno’s real skill lies in launching counter attacks, it’s because we haven’t had the players around him to play different styles.

So sell him now to get a higher market value and then spend that money on players who will be nowhere near his ability?

I swear there will have been Barcelona people writing in saying they need to sell peak Messi now to maximise transfer value. Just stop it.

Good Mike (He’s evil burn him with fire)

So let me get this straight.

Mike from this morning’s mailbox has some great ideas to get Manchester United back winning trophies. Start by selling Bruno Fernandes who bagged a record 21 assists in the league last season and will probably win the PFA award. Sell immediately, less than two weeks before week

Righttttt

Then follow that up with trying to sign Rodrygo who is recovering from an ACL injury and isn’t expected back until the early stages of 2027.

Tosin, Bristol

Life of Bryan

Good point Jack but who didn’t win the title out of Charlton, Robson, Bruce and Carrick? I’m assuming you assumed Robson but he got 2 and they got 13 between them. It’s why United fans want Bruno to ‘do a Robbo’ and scoop a late Prem title after carrying a bunch of goons for a decade.

Also all 4 had European success, the cup winners cup was legendary, bring it back and make European football and domestic cups great again.

Moses

Laughing at Liverpool

With the new season almost upon us, websites, podcasts and the like are all awash with preseason predictions and I find myself mystified by how positive people seem to be towards Liverpool.

Firstly, there’s the manager. I really like Iraola, if we’d not stuck with Carrick, he’d have been my preferred pick from that pool of “unproven at the very top” crop of managers. But he is still that: unproven. Has he got the personality? Can he handle the extra scrutiny? Can he manage juggling Europe as well? No idea, could go either way.

Secondly, and more importantly, the players. Bar keepers, every department looks short of quality and depth. In defence, Van Dijk was creaking horribly last season; why would he improve having turned 35? Why partner him with two very inexperienced kids, a crock and a guy on loan who had been absolutely dire for two years? Who is playing right back? The permanently crocked academy lad, the Pygmy wing back or their best central midfielder?

In midfield, Mac Allister has been dreadful for ages and gone through a long, exhausting World Cup. Freshen things up? Add a first team starter? No, sell Curtis Jones.

In attack, Ekitike is out long term and Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from. Might well not be back fit and in form til next season, so it’s a good job their record signing is available. However, as good as Isak is as a player, he’s always one that’ll need managing carefully. He’s not going to be able to play 50-60 games. Who is the cover? Who else is scoring the goals? Salah is gone, Gakpo is mediocre and they’ve signed a pretty unproven winger from Spain. Maybe he’ll be great, but there’s huge shoes to fill. Then there’s Wirtz, the one man excuse for pundits. For the price, he was diabolical last season; feels like the entire season is resting on his slight, weedy shoulders. Good luck with that.

If he wasn’t managing the filth, I’d feel sorry for Iraola, because it looks like he’s being hung out to dry by the higher ups. First choice right back, senior centre half, first choice central midfielder and first choice winger was the obvious top four items on the shopping list and it’s debatable that they’ve delivered any of them.

I’m absolutely here for it, I hope they implode like Spurs last season, but I’d be hugely concerned if I were a fan.

Lewis, Busby Way

Arse in Europe

Everyone banging on about Arsenal going one better and at ease winning the Champions League this season. Have they all forgotten the ridiculously easy route they had to the final – making hard work of it whilst soiling the eyes of all TV viewers and actual match attendees alike in the process? Gillingham would have been able to have a decent stab at getting to at least the semis with that run in.

Granted they may be in pole position starting the Prem this season – with all the uncertainties of the other teams being their biggest advantage (often winning the Prem comes down more to the shortcomings of the other usual main challengers – as it did last season and the season before when Liverpool won it) – but lets not pretend that had Arsenal got one of any of PSG, Bayern, Barca, Real, City or Liverpool in the knockouts – they would not have got anywhere near the final. And lets not hear any of the nonsense about beating some of those teams earlier in the competition – we all know by now that counts for nothing – apart from possibly getting you an easier draw later on. So yeah well done the Arse – I’ll give you that.

Here is hoping that a few more teams in the Prem can improve on last year and bloody the nose of Arsenal and bring them back down a peg or 2.

A not still bitter at all Shunt LFC

Stats, fractions and barriers to entry

I saw Dave Tickner and other mailboxers are still claiming Spurs got their place in the “big 6” through years careful financial husbandry, and the foresight to build a revenue cash cow of a stadium. All on a “fraction” of the resources available to Man City according to DT. Well yes Dave, but that conveniently ignores the fact that every club except the other members of the Sky 6 have been operating on an even smaller fraction City’s resources. Not to mention on fractions of what Spurs were spending.

According to this graphic on wages I found (hope the link works ok), between 1993 and 2019 (before the new stadium) Spurs were 6th in the aggregate spend by PL clubs on wages. At times in the 90s and 2000s they were higher in that table.

Their spend may have ended up quite a way behind the other Sky 5 in aggregate terms but still significantly ahead of those below them. The “fraction” for Dave’s benefit, is Spurs spent about 3/5 as much City did in the same period. Other relevant fractions might be Villa spending 5/8 of the amount Spurs did in the same period on wages, and Newcastle ¾. The figures are skewed by both Villa and T

Then there’s the 21st century net spend table from F365 itself.

This s not just PL clubs but all clubs, up to 2025.

There are Spurs sitting in 7th place, behind the Manchester clubs, Arsenal, PSG, Real Madrid and Chelsea – three “traditional giants” and three sugar-daddy clubs. Yet comfortably ahead of fellow superleaguers Liverpool, Bayern, Barca, Inter. Milan and Juve. Fractionally, for Dave’s benefit, Spurs spent 5/7 of City’s spend, and 3/5/ of their net spend. For comparison Villa spent 3/5 of Spurs’ total spend, and their net spend was 5/8 of Spurs’.

Ticket price history was harder to come by but the few tables I’ve managed to find show Spurs generally among the most expensive tickets and season tickets, along with Chelsea and Arsenal – perhaps a tiny indicator that being in London constitutes something of a boost to revenues that others do not and cannot share? For example Villa’s most expensive season ticket for the 2025-2026 season was around 2/5 of Spurs’ most expensive – there’s another fraction for you Dave.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to argue that Spurs were already established as number 6 in the “sky 6” well before they built their new stadium, At the bottom end of it yes, and a way behind the others, but the runt of the litter still felt part of the pack enough to be involved in the Superleague breakaway talks.

It doesn’t compare to the spending of City or Chelsea, but based on the above stats I don’t think it’s unfair or inaccurate to suggest that they spent their way to that 6th position, and that being in London aided their revenue generation in order to be able to do that.

In any case I wasn’t “blaming” Spurs for anything in my first letter (although they showed their true colours with their involvement in the Superleaque debacle) , just pointing out that they are maybe not the right team to be used as an example for Villa and Newcastle to improve their status organically, when they were clearly allowed to spend what they could, and were willing to, without any meaningful restrictions of the kind Villa and Newcastle, and others, are now shackled by.

Once established in that position, the rules make it pretty much unassailable, however bad Spurs may have been on the pitch recently and however well run another club might be. For example, Villa’s net spend position for the last few years: , 19th, while still falling foul of PSR/SCR and accused of spending money they don’t have.

The fact is, by whatever means or resources, Spurs were ”in the club” before the drawbridge was pulled up and are likely to remain there however incompetent they try to be on the pitch, because that’s precisely what the rules were designed for. Football is now a Sport in name only, and the “Product” is the big successful clubs who appeal to Sky subscribers in Malaysia and Indonesia and China and the US who just want to see their favourites winning every week. It’s about ensuring they continue to be successful to sustain that demand. No Business in their right mind would allow that product to be undermined by interlopers. Anyone with eyes and a brain can see that restrictive practices are being applied and straightforward, natural barriers to entry they are not, however much Adidasmufc might try to claim they are.

Kevin Villa (awaiting the stats to show the above is wide of the mark)

Dick move

Dear Richard Hughes and The transfer team, seriously WTF! Selling players w/o replacements this close to the start of the season.

M.Nair ( Haven’t they heard of the saying a bird in hand is worth two in the bush? FFS they’re screwing with the club and the fanbase ATM)

Predictions

Seems a bit pointless predicting entire seasons when the transfer window still hasn’t slammed shut as we are told it must.

Hence I’ll try to entertain myself with a ”wouldn’t admit it but would accept“ list . With some extra transfers getting over the line.

I´ll start with Villa because a lot of people seem to think they are going to be better than I do .

Supposing they lose Ollie to the oilys but get another striker through the door I reckon they´d accept another Champions league finish and a day out at Wembley. Personally I can see a (relative) disaster in the midlands.

Now Arsenal. As the Gunners have to put up with jibes about Chelsea being the only team in London to`ve won a champions league I´d say Arsenal would accept losing the league if they could conquer Europe, though I don´t think that´ll happen. They ought to buy Rodrygo who can play on both wings.

Carrick would surely accept a repeat of his third placed finish and a quarter final in Europe, though it seems INEOS are moving in the right direction and they may become serious challengers soon.

Liverpool need to get their arses into gear before September the first , but let´s say they do : Wharton and Barcola minimum and play a whole shed load of exciting football I reckon they´d accept top four and a cup win to build forward into serious challengers again after Van Dyke has retired . Isak can challenge Erling Braut if he stays injury free for capocanoniere

Kinda the same thing for Spurs , If the fans can see some exciting and coherent football and finish top eight they´d take that , unless they get a very good striker in and a return of Kulusevski then a champions league place might be the minimum.

Just City and Chelsea to go . They swing on whether Enzo joins Enzo or not , then there is the winter window where the Abu Dhabi team can waltz on to a Semenyo and Guehi type double swoop , which is clearly more financial doping but they´d expect to push Arsenal all the way and go to at least the quarter finals of Europe´s top comp´. I have big question marks over whether Maresca is the man yet City could maybe persuade Luis Enrique to jump ship.

I find Chelsea the trickiest to predict , let´s say they get some more good signings in and let Jackson eff off I suppose they´d be happy with some improvement in team spirit and a decent base for next season. Hopefully Alonso will make them as entertaining as his Leverkusen team were.

A top six club signing Junior Kroupi and waiting patiently for his recovery seems like good business to me .

Arbeloa to win the sack race – he is an imposter of the highest order.

Wanna see some blinders , attack over defence , no low blocks, good refereeing – pigs might fly.

Peter . Andalucia.

I have read a lot about super computers calculating who would win the prem, who would get relegated and everything in between. So on the morning of the return of the Premier League, I thought I would give it a try.

My methodology was to take 20 data points, rate each from 1-5 – with 5 being the best. These were then added up to give a total score. The final score is an amalgamation of the data, and not the estimated points total. Simple enough. Some of the data points can be quantified, and much of it is subjective – so go easy!

The data points gathered are; The head coach, first XI, squad, wage bill, squad value, goals, defense, xG, xGA, possession in final third, passes allowed per defensive action, season schedule, injuries, squad transfer gains, squad transfer losses, club culture, club pressure, teamwork, opening five fixtures and the bookies odds.

The results were not played around with to manufacture the desired outcome, and surprisingly, it would align with many pundits’ predictions beyond one or two minor upsets. Here is the results of the Calvino Computer:

Conclusions:

No surprises for the relegated 3, or the champions. Man Utd could be close challengers if they can continue last season’s form, combined with a minor Arsenal dip. All-in-all the top five seems obvious and could easily be interchanged within itself.

I had to check my made-up numbers twice for Brentfiord and Brighton, especially given Brightons upcoming European season. Brentford, data wise, seem good for the money – good up top, solid at the back and they won’t be bogged down with midweek fixtures – underdogs.

Spurs, Villa, Sunderland and Newcastle fans may read this with disappointment, and I was slightly shocked to see where they ended up. Everything else seems rather reasonable.

Calvino

As is traditional, tell me who will win the league: Likely to look foolish by December, but I will ignore the made-up computer and go for Manchester United. The hope is that Sesko, Cunha, Bruno, Rashford, Amad and Mbeumo are on form, with DeLigt, Martinez, and Maguire being fit, available and on form. Arsenal would need to have a tough season with injuries with a continued lack of form up top as a handicap.

And the rest of the top four, in order. Which nobody ever gets right: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool. Gut says City is in for a tough season.

Three picks for relegation please: Coventry, Ipswich, Hull City – yawn.

Which club will be a pleasant surprise? Brentford. Seemingly achieving really good things whilst going slightly under the radar from the mainstream media. They have a solid team that can hurt teams, and a solid backline. Sangare will be exciting to see.

Who will win the Golden Boot? Being honest, Haaland. Being hopeful, Sesko.

Which new signing will have the greatest positive impact? Enciso – if Ipswich manage to stay up he will be why. Tonali – Massive fee but he cannot be anything but positive for Spurs.

And which one will turn out to be a massive flop? Sangare – I really want this to work and he may very well be worth triple in a year’s time, but he may also be the next Jean Michel Seri.

I like Morgan Rogers but 117M is insane and I don’t know if Chelsea will see a return on this investment.

Who will be the biggest bloody bargain? Tielemans for 35M. is just yes thank you very much. Manzambi, Tzolis, Yirenkyi, and Wilson make the top five.

Who will be named the PFA Player of the Year? Bruno

First manager to leave their Premier League job? Jakirovic, or Arbeloa

Pick the Champions League winner. PSG with an iconic third-in-a-row.

Tottenham have agreed to pay a package worth £85m for Manchester City winger, Savinho, while a second big-money move will soon follow after Fabrizio Romano confirmed an agreement has been struck.

Tottenham are determined to completely overhaul their forward line in the final days of the summer transfer window. Three new attackers are wanted – a left winger, right winger and striker.

Their top target for the right side is Savinho. The No 1 options for the right wing and striker positions are Cody Gakpo and Omar Marmoush respectively.

Spurs agreed personal terms with Savinho earlier in the summer and have now sealed a club-to-club agreement with Man City for the 22-year-old Brazilian.

Confirming the news along with the fee and deal structure, The Athletic’s David Ornstein wrote: ‘Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement to sign Manchester City winger Savinho in a deal that could be worth up to £85million.

‘Spurs are set to pay £75m up front, plus £10m in potential bonuses for the Brazilian – £5m of which are highly achievable.’

The size of the fee – £85m – will raise eyebrows for many, not least because numerous reports throughout the summer claimed this was a deal that could get done for around £65m.

However, one rumour currently doing the rounds regards Tottenham and Man City unofficially agreeing to bump the price for Savinho up, with the caveat being the price for Marmoush will come down.

The logic there is Man City are due to pay a portion of the proceeds to Marmoush’s former club, Eintracht Frankfurt, via a sell-on clause.

City would obviously pay less to Frankfurt if the Marmoush fee is smaller than it otherwise might have been, with the shortfall made up by Spurs paying over the odds for Savinho.

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Tottenham agree personal terms with Omar Marmoush

In any case, what is clear is Tottenham are closing in on the double coup, with Fabrizio Romano confirming personal terms with Marmoush are in place.

He wrote on X: ‘Tottenham also confident to get Omar Marmoush deal done after Savinho deal agreed tonight.

‘Negotiations at advanced stages for the Egyptian forward. Personal terms agreed earlier this week and #THFC confident.’

The two transfers will be treated as separate deals, though combined, Spurs are expected to pay around £150m for the pair.

With Savinho booked in at £85m, that means Egypt international Marmoush would be moving for a package totalling £65m.

Tottenham have also agreed personal terms with Liverpool’s Gakpo, but that move is in hold until such time as the Reds sign at least one more winger, or potentially even two.

Liverpool’s top target is Bradley Barcola and they’re pushing to sign his PSG teammate, Ibrahim Mbaye, too. The Reds have also recently seen a £50m bid for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh turned down.

With so many unknowns and almost half the Premier League under new management, it’s hard to know where to look on this opening weekend.

It’s massive beyond the Barclays and these borders too, with must-see matches in the Championship and La Liga too.

Just cancel your plans, ignore your obligations, and gorge on it all…

Game to watch – Newcastle v Liverpool

One of three opening games to feature new managers in both dug-outs, we winced when the fixture computer pitted Newcastle, in such a delicate state, against Liverpool.

Even before the Magpies had been pillaged of their best players and shorn of their most popular manager since Sir Bobby Robson, they had not managed to beat the Reds at St James’ Park in their last nine attempts. In the Premier League, home or away, Liverpool are 19 unbeaten against Newcastle.

So Matthias Jaissle could have few tougher tests to begin his Newcastle reign before we all rush to judgement on the new manager.

But the Reds seem no more optimistic for the new season under Andoni Iraola than their Geordie hosts.

At least Jaissle is spared the expectation carried by Iraola. Both clubs may claim to be in transition, but circumstances mean the Newcastle manager has more licence to fail early than his Liverpool counterpart.

Not that many would blame Iraola if Liverpool get off to anything less than a flying start. The Reds’ problems are not of his making, but his to navigate.

Liverpool have been slow to plug the holes in their squad and even if they do so by the deadline, here is a window of opportunity for Newcastle to exploit.

Team to watch – Tottenham Hotspur

Two thirds of the brand new, surely-not-sh*t-anymore Spurs kick off their campaign on Saturday evening with a revamped defence, overhauled midfield and the same old attack.

Around their London derby at Brentford, where they haven’t lost in their last five, Tottenham will be spending the rest of their weekend trying to tie up a double deal with Manchester City while egging on Liverpool to get their business done so they can take Cody Gakpo off their hands.

So most of the focus of the inevitable kneejerk-ery will be on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Brentford’s record signing, Mamadou Sangare, will certainly have the £185million pair in his sights, desperate to highlight why so many think the Bees have got a bargain.

But even if Tonali and Fernandes pull the strings, Spurs have to find a way to score goals until they get their new forwards through the door.

Player to watch – Enzo Fernandez

So many debutants to watch excitedly this weekend, but just as fascinating will be the players still hoping to get their moves.

Chief among them is Chelsea’s vice-captain.

Fernandez is the focus of interest from Manchester City with the Argentina midfielder keen to follow Enzo Maresca up to the Etihad – a desire he’s not too shy to hide.

Which prompted a mixed reaction from Chelsea supporters when Fernandez featured in their last pre-season friendly last weekend. Those dissenters were perhaps the Blues fans stared down by Fernandez at the AmEx last season, when it seemed clear he would be away this summer if he could.

With City and Chelsea still someway apart in their valuations, the former ignoring the latter’s deadline last week, Fernandez will be fascinating to watch.

How much is he prepared to push for a move? How will that affect his demeanour and performance at Fulham on Monday night? Fernandez seems the sort to overegg it, either performatively proving his commitment to his current club, or not-so-subtly hinting at his preference to join a new one.

Manager to watch – Enzo Maresca

The new Manchester City manager has had a rough week.

It began with a pummelling at the hands of Arsenal in the Community Shield and continued with the release of Pep Guardiola’s searingly-honest documentary, reminding City fans of the manager and the love they lost this summer.

The new fella already had a tall task to win over those wary that City have replaced Pep with Diet Pep. Those sceptics will feel emboldened by the startling difference last week in Cardiff between the champions and the runners-up.

Arsenal did not have to play particularly well to pummel a City side that seemed to exist of many more strangers than the single new signing – their new £115million midfielder – on show.

In all aspects of their play, City seemed a long way from being ready for their first post-Pep season. How much can Maresca remedy in one week?

European game to watch – Espanyol v Real Madrid

Four of the big five leagues kick off this weekend, with Inter v Monza on Saturday evening worth keeping an eye on around Spurs’ trip to Brentford with a couple of England defenders due their Serie A debuts.

As ever, though, it’ll be all eyes on Jose Mourinho on Saturday night when he kicks off his second stint as Real Madrid boss at Espanyol.

It’s been an oddly low-key return to the Bernabeu from Mourinho so far. Actually, he seems to avoided the limelight which, from everything we know of Jose, cannot possibly be a long-term arrangement.

With Mourinho having avoided media duties after Real’s pre-season friendlies and the club swerving from tradition by not staging an unveiling of any sort, we know very little of how he intends to begin the rebuild at the Bernabeu.

Real have also taken a similar approach with their new signings, including £115million Yan Diomande, perhaps to demonstrate a single-minded focus on performance, rather than indulging in the usual bluster Mourinho and Florentino Perez have rarely ever previously shunned.

Which makes their opener at Espanyol our first opportunity to gauge the scale of Mourinho’s task and what he’s been able to achieve so far.

EFL game to watch – West Ham v Charlton

Lincoln’s first home game against Portsmouth is one of three Championship games on the box on Saturday lunchtime, but we’re more intrigued to get a look at West Ham back at the London Stadium in a London derby.

The Hammers are favourites to secure promotion back to the Premier League but much may depend on how they handle those expectations.

The pressure from outside the club will pale in comparison to that from within their own fanbase. If the team can get the London Stadium onside, then this season could be a successful, fun excursion in the second tier.

But if they don’t… oh, boy. And West Ham are already on the backfoot somewhat after chucking in a two-goal lead at Burnley last week.

The Hammers also have to deal with the burden of being seen as the Championship’s biggest scalp. Charlton supporters, coming six miles across London, will occupy the first of a few sold-out away ends at the London Stadium, and visiting players will relish the opportunity as much as the fans.

West Ham can’t allow their stadium to again become more hostile for themselves than visitors. A positive start to the home campaign is essential.

Manchester United have overtaken Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba, a report has revealed.

German outlet Fussball Daten reported on Monday that Man Utd, Spurs and Newcastle had all contacted Tapsoba’s entourage to tee up possible moves. The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the German Bundesliga and could soon earn a big transfer to the Premier League as a result.

Our friends at TEAMtalk provided an update on Tapsoba’s situation on Thursday afternoon, revealing that Man Utd are ‘leading the race’ as their discussions with his agents are the ‘most advanced’ as things stand.

TEAMtalk’s report confirms that Man Utd, Spurs and Newcastle have all opened dialogue with the defender’s camp.

‘Leverkusen have set a firm valuation of €50million (£42.8m / $58.4m), for their key defender,’ TEAMtalk state.

‘Although the German club would prefer to retain Tapsoba, who signed a contract extension until 2031 earlier this year, they have left the door open to a suitable financial offer.

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‘He is regarded as one of the most complete centre-backs in the Bundesliga, combining physical strength with the ability to build play from the back and cover large distances.’

Man Utd are currently looking to wrap up a deal for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, while they are also spying a move for a new left-back.

But INEOS may also need to hand head coach Michael Carrick a centre-half amid concerns over Matthijs de Ligt’s long-term fitness.

Plus, United need to prepare for 33-year-old Harry Maguire’s potential departure at the end of the season.

United landing a Bundesliga title-winning centre-back such as Tapsoba would prevent further criticism about their lack of transfer activity defensively.

Jamie O’Hara said on Sky Sports on Tuesday: “I think it’s a disgrace what they’ve done to Carrick.

Man Utd ‘miles off it’ – Jamie O’Hara

“They’ve brought him in. They’ve said, ‘We’re going to back you’. They gave him the opportunity. He [has] done a fantastic job last season to get them back in the Champions League, and they’ve given him two players.

“Youri Tielemans is alright. Great signing. And Andrey Santos, who’s, you know… we’re not convinced that he’s even a decent player yet.

“Manchester United are miles off it, and we’re talking about them being in the Champions League.

“They’ve got the same back four they had maybe three or four years ago.

“Luke Shaw is going to have another season at left-back. Fair play to him. Harry Maguire at centre-back. Come on.

“Like, we’re talking about Manchester United. They’re meant to be trying to get back amongst it.”

After helping Tottenham avoid relegation from the Premier League in 2025-26, Roberto De Zerbi begins his first full season in charge of the club with an away game against Brentford.

Spurs are determined to get back on the right track and have supported the manager in the transfer market, spending £237million on new players this summer.

Brentford had a much more successful 2025-26 campaign as Keith Andrews led them to ninth place, matching their joint-highest Premier League finish.

Brentford v Tottenham kick-off time

Brentford v Tottenham kicks off at 5.30pm BST on Saturday, August 22 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford v Tottenham how to watch

The game will be shown live in the UK via Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting from 7pm.

BBC Radio 5 Live will provide full match commentary.

Brentford team news

Sepp van den Berg is set to miss the opening two months of the season due to an injury, leaving Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins as the centre-back duo.

Antoni Milambo remains sidelined after suffering a season-ending ACL injury on international duty in October last year.

Club-record signing Mamadou Sangare should go straight into the starting line-up, forming part of a midfield trio alongside Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen.

Fellow new signings Jannik Schuster, Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson will all be in the matchday squad, but may start on the bench.

Tottenham team news

A lot has changed at Tottenham this summer and Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Sandro Tonali are all in line to make their competitve debuts for the club against Brentford.

Fellow summer signing Matheus Fernandes has been dealing with a calf issue in pre-season, but should at least be in the matchday squad.

Micky Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie did not feature at all in pre-season and are major doubts for this game, while Pedro Porro may have to settle for a place on the bench as he has only just returned to training his successful World Cup campaign.

James Maddison has had to be managed carefully as he continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, playing just 45 minutes across pre-season.

Mohammed Kudus has not played since January due to a thigh issue, and while he is close to a return, the Brentford game will come too soon for him.

With Kudus still unavailable and a deal for Manchester City’s Savinho still yet to be agreed, De Zerbi may hand Mikey Moore a start on the right wing.

Dominic Solanke is back in training after recovering from an ankle injury, although Richarlison is still expected to lead the line.

Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski definitely won’t feature and are all still some way from a return to action.

Brentford v Tottenham odds

Brentford are 6/4 to start the 2026/27 season with a win in front of their home fans, while Tottenham are 15/8 to take away all three points away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

The draw can be backed at 11/4.

Brentford v Tottenham predictions

Despite their struggles last season, Tottenham took four points from their two Premier League games against Brentford.

Former Brentford boss Thomas Frank was in charge of Spurs for both of those games, overseeing a 2-0 victory in December and a 0-0 draw on New Year’s Day.

The 0-0 draw was at Brentford and four of their five Premier League meetings at the Gtech Community Stadium have ended all square, including two 2-2 draws.

That leads us to back a draw and both teams to score at 7/2.

Tonali scored just 16 minutes into his Premier League debut for Newcastle and will be looking to do something similar for Tottenham, having scored three goals across five previous appearances against Brentford.

The Italy international impressed in pre-season and is 8/1 to score anytime.

Alongside Tonali, Mathys Tel was another one of Spurs’ best players in pre-season, registering one goal and three assists across five friendlies. He’s 9/5 to score or assist against Brentford.

For Brentford, Igor Thiago may have had an underwhelming World Cup campaign, but he is still coming off the back of a 22-goal Premier League season. The striker is 11/8 to score anytime against Spurs.

Omar Marmoush has said yes to signing for Tottenham, and Manchester City are open to selling both he and Savinho to Spurs, though for more than Roberto De Zerbi’s side are currently offering, per reports.

Tottenham have invested heavily in multiple areas of their squad so far this summer, though as yet, no money has been spent on forwards. That will soon change.

Spurs are determined to sign all three of Cody Gakpo, Omar Marmoush and Savinho, with De Zerbi aiming to field an entirely new front three once the transfer window is done and dusted.

Savinho, 22, agreed personal terms with Tottenham earlier in the summer, and on Wednesday, David Ornstein revealed club-to-club talks with Man City for the double signing of Savinho and Marmoush were ‘advancing‘.

Of course, it’s no use striking a deal between the clubs if the player then refuses to make the jump too.

But according to our colleagues over on TEAMtalk, Egypt international Marmoush has given the green light to joining Spurs.

Omar Marmoush says yes to joining Tottenham

An agreement on personal terms is not yet in place, though forging one won’t be an issue.

Detailing one of the reasons why 27-year-old Marmoush wants Tottenham, TEAMtalk’s insider, Graeme Bailey, revealed the player craves playing centrally again, just as he did at former club Eintracht Frankfurt.

For a very obvious Erling Haaland-shaped reason, Marmoush will never be the regular starter at centre-forward with City.

On the subject of cost, talkSPORT and Ben Jacobs recently claimed Man City are requesting £150m combined for the sale of Savinho and Marmoush.

However, Bailey revealed that as of now, Tottenham are £10m short of that price and only willing to go as high as £140m for the pair.

The reporter stated: ‘The Marmoush discussions are developing alongside Tottenham’s talks with City over Savinho, with Spurs prepared to spend around £140million on the two players combined if they can reach agreement.

‘Personal terms have already been discussed with Marmoush’s representatives and we understand his camp are happy with what they have heard from Tottenham.’

Whether than valuation gap will prove a minor or major hinderance to this double deal, only time will tell.

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Cody Gakpo to complete new Spurs front three

As mentioned, Spurs are also pushing to sign Gakpo who Liverpool value at £70m. The Reds are using Anthony Gordon’s £69m switch to Barcelona earlier this summer as a guide.

Gakpo, 27, has agreed personal terms with Spurs and is desperate to make the move. De Zerbi has convinced him he’ll start regularly and be crucial to the project Tottenham are embarking on.

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However, Liverpool won’t give the final green light to Gakpo’s sale until they’ve signed, or at the very least come close to signing, two more wingers.

They’ve already banked Victor Munoz but are pushing to sign Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, both of PSG, too.

Liverpool have already agreed personal terms with Barcola and Mbaye, and talks between they and PSG regarding the respective transfer fees and deal structures are taking place on a daily basis.

Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood has backed a 17-year-old Spurs star to impress in the first team, as he labelled him “one to watch” for the season.

Spurs are coming into this season in a better place than they did last term. After two 17th-placed Premier League finishes in a row, they’ve recruited well, with Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke the big arrivals.

Tottenham are also known to be advancing on deals for Manchester City pair Savinho and Omar Marmoush.

Their arrivals would transform the attack and turn the north London club into a very competitive outfit for the season.

But according to Sherwood, there’s a man in Spurs’ academy who could hit the heights this season.

He said on Sky Sports: “I’m hoping we’re talking about this player, Luca Williams-Barnett at Tottenham, the 17-year-old. I know he’s very young.

“I think he deserves the opportunity to play. I think he’s as good as, even though he’s not played at the level, but he’s got the swagger, he’s got the ability enough to play in that team.

“I’m not saying he can play every single week, but I certainly think, like Max Dowman, who we talked about last year, he can play 10-15 games.

“I think Luca Williams-Barnett will be the one to watch.”

READ: Tottenham to spend over £450m with triple signing next after Ornstein, Romano updates

Williams-Barnett’s similarities with Dowman

Dowman is a unicorn in the quality he had since being 15 years old when he made his Arsenal debut. He’s likely in line for more appearances for the Premier League champions this season and won’t look out of place when he makes them.

Williams-Barnett is perhaps not on quite the same level, but having made his senior debut as a 16-year-old and impressed in the under-18s when he was just 15, it seems he could indeed have an impact on the first team.

He’s shown that in Tottenham’s pre-season, when he scored in the 2-2 draw with Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Having played only one competitive game for Spurs’ senior side so far – against League One Doncaster Rovers last season – there’s still a long way until he makes himself a fixture of the first team, but having impressed between the last campaign and this one, there might well be scope for Williams-Barnett to be given more minutes by Roberto De Zerbi.

The stunning amount Tottenham must pay to sign Savinho and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City has come to light, and if adding Cody Gakpo too, Spurs’ summer spend will rocket past £450m.

Tottenham have already spent £237m on the triple signing of Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali so far in this window. But if Roberto De Zerbi gets his way, there’ll be another triple coup before long.

De Zerbi and Spurs are aligned in believing the club needs a radical overhaul in the final third.

Accordingly, Tottenham plan to sign new starters at left wing, right wing and striker. Essentially, they want a brand new front three.

On Wednesday evening, The Athletic’s David Ornstein broke news of Tottenham ‘advancing’ in discussions with Man City for the double signing of Savinho and Marmoush. Personal terms with Savinho are already in place.

Ornstein didn’t mention how much the pair would cost, and of late, Savinho’s price tag has been a hot topic.

Reports throughout the summer claimed Savinho would cost around £65m if joining Spurs. More recently, The Times claimed City are now demanding £85m.

In any case, a fresh update from talkSPORT, which was backed up and promoted by trusted reporter, Ben Jacobs, has revealed the combined asking price for Savinho and Marmoush is £150m.

They explained: ‘Although any potential deal is yet to be finalised, discussions between the clubs are advancing with City prepared to sanction move for both players if the north London side are prepared to stump up around £150million.’

Whether that would mean Savinho is costing £85m and Marmoush £65m, or whether it’s £75m apiece doesn’t really matter given Spurs want both players anyway.

New Tottenham front three – Gakpo, Marmoush, Savinho

The third player in this story, Cody Gakpo, has agreed personal terms with Spurs too. He’s valued by Liverpool at £70m, with the Reds using Anthony Gordon’s £69m transfer to Barcelona as a benchmark.

There had been claims Liverpool might U-turn on selling the Dutchman after his stellar showings in pre-season.

However, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano remains adamant Gakpo can leave Liverpool if the Reds get two more wingers in the building. The pair they want both play for PSG – Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye.

Romano stated: “For Cody Gakpo, Tottenham remain in conversations. I know in the last 24, 48 hours, the rumours around the story are that the deal is not happening, the deal is off, the deal is not going through.

“But my understanding is that the negotiation for Cody Gakpo to Tottenham is still ongoing. Cody Gakpo is open to joining Tottenham and personal terms are not a problem.

“So the deal remains on. The deal remains underway and Cody Gakpo to Tottenham Hotspur is still absolutely on.

“Then they need to reach a financial agreement, and that’s not a detail. Remember that if Gakpo is going to Tottenham, Liverpool will sign two wingers, top target Bradley Barcola plus one.

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“So it’s still a long story in a short time because now there are less than two weeks of the summer transfer window. We’ll be following the situation. These days, anything can happen.

“But what I can guarantee at this time on Tuesday is that nothing has changed yet. There is no deal off. The conversation remains ongoing and we have to follow the situation to understand what’s going to happen.”

If Spurs do add Marmoush, Savinho and Gakpo to Van Hecke, Fernandes and Tonali (£457m combined), they’d be one more half-decent signing away from spending over half a billion pounds in a single window.