The Mirror

Tottenham secured a 1-0 win over Arsenal in pre-season on Thursday thanks to Pape Sarr's wonder strike near the halfway line and new boss Thomas Frank is happy with how his team are shaping up

Thomas Frank could not have asked for a better start to life as Tottenham boss after masterminding a 1-0 win over Arsenal in Hong Kong, the first ever north London derby to be staged outside the UK.

Played in front of a record-breaking crowd of 49,975 - the biggest football attendance in the country’s history - the clash was anything but a pre-season friendly. And it was decided in spectacular fashion by Pape Matar Sarr, who stunned the packed stands with a rocket from the halfway line just before half-time.

Spurs boss Frank was delighted with the win and how it sets the tone for his reign, saying it was "very pleasing" to secure his first North London Derby win.

“This was as positive a result as you can get in terms of reinforcing the messages and team building and desire to defend was good,” he said.

“It is very pleasing to win my first north London derby. And you could not call that a friendly. People could see the desire from both teams and our great desire to keep a clean sheet.”

Tottenham were impressive in the first half and dug deep after the break to hold onto their lead. And Frank will not have to wait too long until he faces Arsenal for real, at the Emirates in November.

A noticeable difference to the Ange Postecoglou era was Tottenham’s excellent attacking and defending of corners, masterminded by new set piece coach Andreas Georgson, formerly of Brentford and Arsenal.

“The first half we were good and the second half we defended a bit too much but that was good and our set pieces were good as well in attack and defence,” Frank added.

The Dane admitted the tour has already opened his eyes to the scale of his new role after leaving Brentford for the Europa League winners.

“Definitely. I think I had a good idea but you don't really know until you step into it and I think seeing how important it is for the fans. The fans have been waiting every day for us, every morning and evening, and the fans that came to open training and were at the game. You understand more and more, first and foremost how big a club Spurs is and the importance of the club.”

Frank, calm and confident in the dugout and in front of the media, was full of praise for matchwinner Sarr.

“The goal was an unbelievable shot. The way he has worked and played he has impressed me in the last four weeks.”

There were encouraging signs too from £55m summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who lit up the game with his flair and work ethic.

“Think he was really good from Kudus. His hold-up play, the way he takes hold of the ball in tricky situations. His one-vs-one skills, his creating opportunities for the team was top class.

"On top of that I think he's working extremely hard. That's how he can help the team so much. He will make a lot of the fans excited with his offensive actions and he will also help the team defensively.”

And West Ham signing Kudus could soon be joined at Spurs by former Fulham man Joao Palhinha. Tottenham have opened talks with Bayern Munich over the potential loan signing of the Portugal midfielder, who missed much of last season through injury.

'I joined Arsenal over Chelsea and Spurs - it was the most terrible choice I ever made'

Mel Charles' transfer to Arsenal set a record for the biggest transfer between British clubs in 1959, but the Welshman described the move to north London as the worst decision he ever made

Mel Charles once admitted that his record-breaking transfer to Arsenal ranked as the "most terrible choice I ever made". The former footballer - who passed away aged 81 in 2016 - enjoyed a 20-year career that included captaining Wales and representing his nation at the 1958 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil, with Pelé scoring the sole goal in a 1-0 win.

It was only a year after the competition in Sweden that Charles, who had spent seven years in the Second Division, secured a £42,750 move from boyhood club Swansea City to the north London side, who were in the First Division, amid reported interest from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

The transfer set a record as the biggest deal brokered between two British clubs and happened just two years after Juventus had paid Leeds United £65,000 for his older brother, John Charles.

However, the big-money move for the younger Charles didn't work out. Due to constant ligament injuries, he played just 64 games for the Gunners in three years while scoring 28 goals.

In his ghosted autobiography, Charles was particularly scathing of his own decision to join the club, claiming "signing for Arsenal was the most terrible choice I ever made." He cut ties with the club in 1962 and returned to Wales, signing for Cardiff City for £28,500.

It was in the Welsh capital that Charles captured the only domestic honour of his career, when he won the Welsh Cup in 1964. After three years with Cardiff, he spent the last few years of his career in the lower divisions of football, enjoying stints with the likes of Porthmadog, Port Vale, Oswestry Town and Haverfordwest.

He ended up retiring at the Welsh club in 1972 after a five-year stint. Charles ended up with a record of 122 goals in 401 league and cup games in the Football League. John followed in the footsteps of his sibling by also returning home to Wales to retire in 1974 after spending two years playing for Merthyr Tydfil.

However, he only did so after a legendary career where he became an iconic figure for both Leeds United and Juventus. The centre-forward scored 154 goals in 317 games for Leeds before venturing into Italian football where he was a massive success.

In the five years he spent in Turin, Charles netted 105 goals in 179 games and won three Serie A titles and two Coppa Italias. Charles passed away at the age of 71 in 2004 but remains a celebrated figure in Welsh football and was named by Stan Collymore among the greatest players in British history when rubbishing claims that Gareth Bale is the greatest player to ever emerge from these shores.

The former Liverpool and Nottingham Forest star said in 2023: "It’s quite bizarre because of how many Champions Leagues he has won and the run he went on at Spurs that turned him from someone who couldn’t win a Premier League game to a tour de force.

"And because of the trophies you have to put him in amongst the greatest ever. But I look at Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, John Charles — which would obviously mean a lot to Bale — Ian Rush, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard and, I don’t know what it is, whether it’s this perceived laissez faire attitude of ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order’, but I can’t put him in with some of those."

How to watch Arsenal vs Tottenham: Live stream and kick-off time for North London derby

Arsenal and Tottenham meet for what could be far from a friendly as they continue their respective pre-season preparations on the other side of the world

Arsenal will be aiming to make it three wins from three pre-season games as they prepare for a historic North London derby. New Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank, meanwhile, is looking to hit the ground running with Spurs after two draws and a win in their recent outings.

Mikel Arteta has spent big so far this summer, finally landing his man in Viktor Gyokeres to bolster their front line. The £64million arrival has signed a five-year deal with the Gunners, and joins Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera as their summer signings.

Pre-season has been impressive for Arsenal thus far, beating AC Milan and Newcastle United as they gear up for another shot at the elusive Premier League trophy. Spurs' preparations kickstarted on home soil, as two separate sides drew with Wycombe and Luton last weekend following an opening 2-0 win over Reading.

In terms of signings, a £55m deal was struck with West Ham United for Mohammed Kudus, with Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai all joining the Europa League winners this summer.

The Lilywhites are now in Hong Kong to face their rivals, who face off outside of the UK for the first time ever. Here, Mirror Football has all the details on how you can tune into the friendly match and what the managers have said.

When and where is Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur?

The North London derby will take place in Hong Kong at the Kai Tak Stadium, with a local kick-off of 7:30pm on Thursday, July 31. This means the game will commence at 12:30pm UK time, marking the first time the Gunners have played in Hong Kong since a 2-2 draw with Kitchee FC in July 2012.

How can I watch Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur?

This match will not be shown on terrestrial TV or on Sky Sports, meaning you will have to tune in via either of the club's official TV channels. Arsenal TV has confirmed they will live stream the game on Arsenal.com and on the official app, with the full 90 minutes available for just £4.99.

This price is only available until 9am on Thursday morning, after then it will rise to £6.99. This gives fans the chance to watch all the action live, and also relive it later in the day - with repeat showings at 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 9:30pm in the UK.

Arsenal are also offering a pre-season pass, which allows fans to buy the stream to the Spurs game as well as the Villarreal (August 6) and Athletic Club (August 9) match-ups for just £14.99. This pass is not available for viewers in Spain, Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Tottenham's corresponding video service SPURSPLAY will also show the match for subscribers, which is £45 a year for non-season ticket holders and £35 if you do hold a season ticket.

What have Thomas Frank and Mikel Arteta said?

Frank is relishing his first derby as he said: "It's a great challenge." Discussing signings, he added: "We are out there in the market and we're aware where we maybe want to strengthen the squad in general.

"I'm happy with the squad and we've already done a top signing in Mohammed Kudus who is showing us his quality already. We've got a squad where there is a lot of talent and quality but of course we're looking."

Arteta was coy about Gyokeres' potential involvement in the match, saying: "Well I think he hasn’t had a single training session with the team since the last game with Sporting when they became champions. So we will assess him tomorrow.

"He's done all the medicals, everything is looking good but to get him up to speed with the right levels of fitness I think is very important. So we're not going to stop him, we want him with us as quick as possible but we'll have to assess and the medical team will do that."

Sol Campbell remains among the most hated figures in Tottenham Hotspur history after opting to leave the club on a highly controversial free transfer for fierce rivals Arsenal

Sol Campbell admitted it was his ambition to play at the highest level of football that drove his desire to leave Tottenham Hotspur for Arsenal. The ex-England defender came through the academy of Spurs before spending nine years in the first team, where he established himself as one of the world's premier centre backs.

However, with just one domestic honour to his name and yet to grace the UEFA Champions League, Campbell sought more for his career and opted to rejected Spurs' contract offer that would have made him the highest-paid player in their history.

Out of contract in the summer of 2001, some fans believed that Campbell would have moved abroad and were left shocked to their core when realising he would stay in north London to now represent their most bitter rivals in the Gunners.

Nicknamed 'Judas' by much of the Spurs fanbase, who continue to lambast their former academy graduate for what they believe to be the ultimate betrayal in sports, Campbell was clear in his reasoning for signing for Arsenal.

At the time of his decision, he said: "I’m ambitious, I dream about playing football at the top level and this is why I’m here." The Gunners had competed in the Champions League for the last three seasons before Campbell's arrival and had already won the Premier League during Arsene Wenger's reign.

Campbell's unveiling as an Arsenal player came as a surprise to the footballing world, including the media, as just two journalists were present for the announcement at the club's London Colney training ground.

Expecting the introduction of ex-Ipswich Town goalkeeper Richard Wright, who was signed for £2million, the reporters were instead treated to the shock of Campbell's presence upon walking into the press room.

His arrival was an instant success for the red side of north London, recapturing the Premier League title with a seven-point margin over second-placed Liverpool. In addition to a first league title, the centre back won his first FA Cup, with Arsenal beating Chelsea 2-0 in the final.

Campbell's arrival at Highbury wasn't all smooth sailing as he was subjected to boos from his new team-mates in training in order to prepare him for the hostile reaction he'd receive upon his return to Tottenham.

Wenger previously spoke to German magazine 11 Freunde about the tactics from his former players as he said: "They did that, and they also made jokes about it. The situation was really stressful for Sol and he told me afterwards how severe it became.

“He couldn't go to certain places for dinner or walk freely in London because of the anger of the Tottenham fans. In hindsight, I'm not sure if I would sign him again bearing in mind the difficulties he faced.

"I thought he was capable of facing the adversity. For me, it was easy because everybody was conscious that I had signed a great player. But for him, it was more complicated."

The two rivals are set to go head-to-head against each other on Thursday in a pre-season friendly. Being hosted at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong, it'll be the first north London derby taking place outside the UK, with kick-off at 12:30pm UK time.

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min is understood to be the subject of a £15million offer from LAFC in the MLS but the veteran South Korea international could yet stay put

Thomas Frank insists that he sees Son Heung-Min having a 'very good' role to play for Tottenham next season despite interest in the veteran attacker from LAFC.

The Spurs captain, 33, continues to be linked with a move away from the club he joined a decade ago. Interest in his services from overseas has remained throughout the summer and with Son no longer a guaranteed starter, it has been speculated that all parties may decide that a move would be beneficial.

If Son were to depart, he would do so as the first Tottenham captain to lift a European trophy at the club in 41 years following last season's Europa League triumph.

But Frank, Spurs' new head coach, has now come out and said that Son has been earmarked to play an important role next season.

"I think first and foremost, Son's legacy here is remarkable," the Dane told Men In Blazers. "He's been a fantastic player for Tottenham, he is a fantastic player for Tottenham.

"I see a player that that can play a very good role here next season. He's come in, very good mindset, trained very hard, pushed the players. So I'm excited about it."

It emerged last week that Tottenham were considering an offer worth £15million from LAFC for Son, who won the Premier League Golden Boot award back in 2022.

He scored seven times in the top-flight last season and registered a further nine assists for Spurs. It remains to be seen if he would be open to moving to the MLS.

It was a disappointing domestic campaign for the north Londoners, who finished all the way down in 17th place. They did, however, atone for that by winning a trophy and qualifying for the Champions League.

Now under new management, Tottenham have already bolstered their attack this summer with the captures of Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel, the latter joining permanently after spending the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at the club.

Further additions are expected before the transfer window shuts on 1 September, too, which could nudge Son further down the pecking order.

One player who won't be joining, though, is Morgan Gibbs-White: the Nottingham Forest star has signed a new three-year contract with the club following an approach from Spurs, who were thought to have triggered a release clause in the attacking midfielder's previous deal, only to be threatened with legal action. A move has since broken down.

Morgan Gibbs-White signs new Nottingham Forest contract after Spurs transfer fury

Morgan Gibbs-White had been wanted by Tottenham earlier this summer, but Spurs' bid of £60m drew fury from Nottingham Forest who accused the London club of an illegal approach

Morgan Gibbs-White has remarkably signed a new three-year contract with Nottingham Forest after being the subject of a £60million bid from Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs thought they had triggered a release clause when they bid for Gibbs-White earlier this month, only for Forest to react furiously and consider legal action over what they saw as an illegal approach.

Forest felt that Spurs hadn't been granted permission to speak to the England midfielder, and felt that there had been a breach in confidentiality regarding the terms in his contract.

Spurs and new boss Thomas Frank had still hoped to proceed with the signing, but on Saturday evening Forest stunned fans by announcing that Gibbs-White had signed a new three-year deal.

The club said: "A central figure in Forest’s Premier League resurgence and a fan favourite at the City Ground, Gibbs-White has underlined his long-term commitment to the Club by agreeing to fresh terms.

"The deal underlines the ambition of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, whose vision for European success and sustained Premier League progress continues to shape the club's future."

Gibbs-White said: "I’ve felt at home at Forest from the moment I arrived. The support from the fans, my teammates, and everyone around the club has been unbelievable.

"I believe in what we're building here – and with the backing of Mr Marinakis and the enormous ambition he has, I want to be part of making something special. I’m excited for what’s to come."

Forest owner Marinakis, who posed with Gibbs-White in photos celebrating the new contract, said: "Morgan is a special player – not just in terms of talent, but character and mentality. He represents everything we want this football club to be: he is a winner, talented, ambitious, fearless, and proud.

“There was significant interest from various clubs, but we were determined to build our future with Morgan at the heart of it. I promised our fans we would not only compete, but grow stronger and stronger every season. Today is another big step in that journey."

Managing Tottenham as Morgan Gibbs-White decision made and Daniel Levy calls in £120m favours

Mirror Football takes on the role of Tottenham Hotspur transfer chief in order to save the Europa League winners' summer after a lacklustre start to the transfer window

While the other ‘Big Six’ Premier League clubs have burst out of the blocks in terms of their transfer activity this summer, Tottenham have been left in their dust. A Europa League final victory win in May salvaged an otherwise torrid campaign where Spurs finished down in 17th.

Despite Ange Postecoglou’s gamble to secure Champions League football paying off, the Australian head coach was sacked, paving the way for Brentford’s impressive Thomas Frank to come in and take the reins. Yet, the north Londoners have done little to capitalise on the allure of the Champions League so far in the window when it comes to bringing in top quality players.

The only big player Daniel Levy has brought in up to now is Mohammed Kudus, signed from West Ham earlier this month for £55million. Spurs had looked to follow that up with the £60m signing of Morgan Gibbs-White, but Nottingham Forest intervened, meaning the England international remains their player two weeks on.

The Lilywhites risk falling even further behind their rivals, who have all made big improvements to their squads. Yet, all hope is not lost. There are still quality players available on the market which Levy can pull some strings to orchestrate moves for.

Spurs don’t need to address their goalkeeping or defensive departments either as they possess enough depth, meaning they can instead focus on other crucial positions. Mirror Football now takes a look at three things Tottenham can do ahead of 2025/26 season getting underway next month.

End Gibbs-White pursuit

The Gibbs-White saga has now rumbled on for 15 days with little to show for it. News of Spurs’ pursuit of the midfielder came suddenly on July 10 when it was claimed that the move was at an advanced stage, with the player reportedly set for a medical the following day.

That didn’t come to fruition as Forest took issue with Spurs’ attempt to activate the player’s £60m release clause, with Forest accusing the club of an illegal approach as the release clause was meant to be confidential. Gibbs-White has since rejoined the Forest squad for pre-season, despite reportedly still wanting a move.

However, Spurs would do well to move past the messy and seemingly endless saga, which has already stalled their other activity over the past two weeks.

Aside from that, Gibbs-White is a player profile that, despite being a very exciting potential addition, Frank does not need. Occupying his favoured position already is James Maddison, who primarily operates as a creative, central-attacking midfielder, and was signed just two years ago for £40m.

Flog star for Bayern ace

Ahead of their tour of Asia this Sunday, The Telegraph reported that Spurs are still interested in signing Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich. The report claims there is a strong chance they will be able to reach an agreement for the out-of-favour defensive midfielder.

But Spurs are keen to first offload one of their current players in that position to facilitate the move, which would mark the first time they have paid a transfer fee for an outfielder aged 30 or older in almost a decade. One player that could make way is Yves Bissouma, who's now entering the final year of his contract.

Palhinha established himself as one of the most consistent and combative players in the league during his two seasons with Fulham, bringing him to the attention of several big clubs, including Arsenal. The Portuguese has struggled with fitness issues since his £42m move to Bayern Munich last summer.

Levy already has a good relationship with Bayern after selling talisman Harry Kane to the German champions and following Mathys Tel’s recent move in the opposite direction. That could allow negotiations to unfold more speedily and successfully than the pursuit of Gibbs-White.

Son out - Galactico in

In addition to Palhinha, Spurs could look to splash further on £78m-rated Real Madrid winger Rodrygo. The Brazilian star, 24, has been linked with a Los Blancos exit in recent months following the arrival of new manager Xabi Alonso, which has left him unsure about his future.

Meanwhile, Spurs legend Son Heung-min's own future remains unclear after an offer came in from Los Angeles FC for the 33-year-old. Rodrygo could therefore be a younger direct replacement on the left flank.

Despite him mainly being linked with Arsenal and Liverpool until now, Tottenham are ready to join the race, according to Spanish outlet AS. The report claims Spurs may have to fend off competition for his signature, but also that Levy is hopeful of getting a discount on the forward, with no formal discussions taking place as of yet.

Levy may look to capitalise on the good relationship he has with Real to get the price below £78m, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart all transferring between the clubs in the past. And with Palhinha expected to cost less than the £42m paid for him last summer, Spurs could get £120m worth of talent for much less if their chairman can work some magic.

Tottenham considering £15m transfer bid for Son Heung-min - but he won't leave yet

Tottenham are considering offloading Son Heung-min this summer with interest from the MLS but the club cannot sell the striker before their pre-season tour unless they want to cop a financial punishment

Tottenham are weighing up a £15million offer for captain Son Heung-min with the South Korea star a target for LAFC - but no decision will be made before their pre-season tour in Asia.

The 33-year-old's decade-long stint in north London could yet be over with Tottenham open to selling the 33-year-old if they receive an offer between £15m and £20m. Any move to the MLS is still reliant on Son agreeing to move across the Atlantic.

Son will not be offloaded before the club head east for their pre-season plans. The Europa League winner face Newcastle in Seoul, South Korea on August 3. That comes after a clash with north London rivals Arsenal in Hong Kong.

Tottenham's presence in Asia is massively driven by the appetite to see Son, who is an icon in that part of the world. As a result Tottenham would lose up to 75 per cent of the revenue they would receive for playing if their South Korean star was absent, reports The Sun.

He is down as a "key player" in the contract for the touring Premier League side. If he were to travel with the squad but not play, then Spurs would still lose out on half of their fee.

Son has remained a talismanic figure at Tottenham under a number of different managers. Thomas Frank is now at the helm and appears open to the forward staying or going as he embarks on a rebuild. The ex-Brentford boss said: "Right now, I have a player who is fully committed and training well. If a player has been at a club a long time, then there will always be a decision for the club to take."

The South Korean, who won the Premier League's Golden Boot in 2022, endured his least productive season since arriving last term. He scored seven times and came up with nine assists across his 30 Premier League appearances.

Despite the team's dire showing domestically, Son was the man to lift the trophy as the club ended a 17-year wait for silverware. The forward hoisted the Europa League trophy aloft in Bilbao as Manchester United were beaten.

Last summer saw Dominic Solanke arrive, 12 months after Harry Kane's exit. This year Frank has looked to add even more firepower with Mohamed Kudus arriving from West Ham for £55m. Tottenham are also hoping to secure the services of Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

Sporting Director Jonathan Walters said: “Robert is a player we’ve followed closely for a while. He’s a hardworking, selfless striker with international experience and the quality to make a real impact here.

“We’re pleased to have moved decisively to bring him in ahead of several clubs, from top leagues, who were strongly interested in him.

“He’s intelligent, versatile and brings a real team-first mentality both in and out of possession.

“He represents the kind of character and work ethic we want in our team, and the type of player our supporters value and want to see wearing the shirt.”

“I'm very excited. It's a club where people's dreams come true. They win big prizes and what the clubs stands for really means a lot to me.

“It feels like I'm at home and this is a big factor in my choice to come here, because it's a family club, people are comfortable here and it's a good place for players to showcase their skills. I want to say thank you for the warm welcome. It's a different environment for me but it feels like home.

“I'm full of excitement and hunger to go out and help this club win. They won so much last year and I can see the ambition is to do better than last year and that is what you want to hear as a player. It keeps you improving year on year and that's what you need to be - the best version of yourself. So I'm very excited to be here, eager to get the games going and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

“I always try to make decisive actions - fast, dynamic plays and I always like good football, so I have always been a fan of watching Barcelona play from a young age, like most football fans. It's going to be a joy for me to play here and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.”

Nottingham Forest's remarkable Morgan Gibbs-White tactic to block Tottenham transfer

Nottingham Forest have blocked Tottenham's attempts to sign Morgan Gibbs-White after accusing them of making an illegal approach for the England international.

Nottingham Forest are so unhappy with Tottenham's approach for Morgan Gibbs-White that they would rather sell him to a rival than let him join Spurs. Tottenham thought they were set to sign the England international after matching his £60million release clause earlier this month.

However, Forest reacted furiously and accused Spurs of making an illegal approach for Gibbs-White, writing a letter of complaint to both Tottenham and the Premier League. The deal has stalled as a result and Gibbs-White's future remains up in the air.

According to a new report from the Daily Mail, Forest would prefer to 'sell to him to a rival club' instead of Spurs. The report states that Forest were open to letting Gibbs-White leave as he was 'resisting' the club's attempts to get him to sign a new deal.

However, they have been left 'unhappy with how Spurs handled their approach' and it remains to be seen whether any other clubs will make a move for the 25-year-old. Manchester City were interested in Gibbs-White earlier this summer, but they ended up signing Rayan Cherki from Lyon instead.

A separate report from talkSPORT claims that Gibbs-White informed Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis that he would 'only leave the City Ground for a certain level of club' and the Greek businessman does not believe that Spurs are in that category.

The report adds that Tottenham could still resurrect the deal, but Gibbs-White did return to action for Forest in their pre-season friendly against Monaco on Saturday. He has not travelled with the squad for their pre-season tour of Portugal due to a "personal matter".

Forest, meanwhile, are among a host of clubs weighing up a move for James McAtee, who captained England to victory at the Under-21 Euros last month. West Ham, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt are also said to be interested in the 22-year-old.

McAtee featured 27 times across all competitions for City last season but just nine of those were starts and, with his contract due to expire in 2026, manager Pep Guardiola has admitted the player is likely to leave the Etihad this summer.

"I didn't allow him to play minutes so I cannot ask anything from the players who don't play a lot of minutes," Guardiola said in April. "They could do better? No. Macca has this quality, the ability to create.

"He is there. The game worked better against Palace, you create chances. Macca close to the box is quite similar to Phil. They are there, a sense. It's difficult to train, to make that movement because the ball is coming. If he plays minutes he will score.

"For the age, I'd like him to stay. But I understand the players want more minutes. I would like him to stay, he's a player for the academy, he knows the patterns. He's a lovely person and trained really good. He can play different positions but I don't know how the squad will be and we will see."