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Joe Hart slammed an ‘indefensible’ error from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir after Manchester United’s opening Premier League defeat to Arsenal.

Arsenal, who were potent from set-pieces last season, scored from their first corner of the season after Bayindir flapped at an inswinging delivery from Declan Rice.

Riccardo Calafiori was standing in the six-yard box more out of hope than expectation but was able to nod the ball over the line following Bayindir’s mistake, that came following slight pressure from William Saliva.

Reacting to the goal, ex-England goalkeeper Hart said on BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘I immediately got ready to defend Altay Bayindir, and then I saw the first replay and thought, “I can’t defend him here”…

‘Personally, I like to have my own defender in front of me so I can use him as a shield against an attacker and that’s not the option they’ve gone for.

‘Saliba has done enough, but not done too much. Ideally, he wants to punch that with his right hand. He has got far too involved and got lost and made a bit of a mess with it.

‘It’s not a foul. Bayindir has got to scrap with his left arm to deal with Saliba and jab the ball away with his right.’

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison also criticised ‘weak’ Bayindir after Arsenal broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes at Old Trafford.

Morrison also said United should be looking to sign a new goalkeeper before the summer transfer window closes.

The Red Devils were linked with Emiliano Martinez and Gianluigi Donnarumma earlier in the summer.

But Amorim looked set to keep his faith in Andre Onana for this season, although he then dropped him for the opening game against Arsenal.

‘Altay Bayindir – weak! He’s looking at everyone else to blame,’ Morrison said. ‘Man United have a problem with their goalkeeping.

‘You have to be strong. It is weak goalkeeping. Manchester United need to strengthen their goalkeeper.

‘There are top goalkeepers around that are available and you’re only as good as your goalkeeper.’

Old Trafford legend Gary Neville also suggested his former club needed to invest in a new goalkeeper before the transfer deadline.

‘The goalkeeper has got to be stronger,’ he said on Sky Sports. ‘He will complain that he was fouled.

‘He has a player in front of him, there is a lot of pushing and pulling, but he has to be stronger.

‘I don’t think Saliba has done anything wrong and the ball just goes through Bayindir’s hands and Calafiori is there to profit. It’s going to keep hurting United.’

Onana’s absence against Arsenal was initially thought to be fitness-related but Amorim confirmed the Cameroon international was fit.

‘He’s not injured, he’s recovered… but the other players did well during pre-season, so I have to find a balance,’ he said in his pre-match interview.

‘Next week, it will be a different story. This week, we chose these players.’

Manchester United return to action next weekend with a trip to Fulham, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal play host to Premier League new-boys Leeds United.

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Eberechi Eze is due to start for Crystal Palace at Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, despite strong links over a move to Tottenham.

The England international was reportedly set to be left out of the squad for the trip to Stamford Bridge, but Eagles boss Oliver Glasner will instead have him in his starting XI, reports the Athletic.

While Eze’s involvement in west London clearly means his career at Crystal Palace is not over yet, Spurs continue to push for a move for the 27-year-old.

Arsenal were linked with a move for Eze this summer but have seemingly pulled out of the race, leaving Spurs as hot favourites to land his signature.

Thomas Frank’s side made an encouraging start to the season on Saturday as they hammered Burnley 3-0 and are confident they can bring in Eze to strengthen their squad in a deal worth over £60m.

Palace continue to prepare for the possible departure of Eze by pursuing other options, including an approach to Club Brugge for Christos Tzolis.

Also being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park this summer is centre-back Marc Guehi, who is a target for Premier League champions Liverpool.

Glasner talked up the professionalism of both England stars in his pre-match press conference and, despite reports suggesting otherwise, said he expected both to start on sunday.

‘Marc trained the entire week with us, every single training session. The same with Ebs,’ said the Palace boss on Friday. ‘They have prepared the best way for the Chelsea game on Sunday.

‘I’ve been in football long enough that I know every day, almost every time of the day, that things can happen. But if you ask me now, yes I expect both starting for us on Sunday.

‘(They have) the right mindset. No-one is forced to sign a contract, as soon as you sign a contract stick to it, because you did it voluntarily.

‘Stick to it because this is what you expect from the other party that they stick to their contract. Everyone would be upset if the club says, “We’re not pleased with your performance, we’ll cut your salary by 50 per cent”. Nobody would say, 2OK, thank you I agree”.

‘It is the opposite (with Guehi and Eze). You have rights and duties in a contract so stick to it. This just shows the character and mindset.’

Palace chairman Steve Parish gave a clear hint that club captain Guehi is likely to leave the club this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract.

Speaking after the Eagles beat Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield, Parish said: ‘For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem for us unfortunately.

‘Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham last summer] and we couldn’t afford to lose both. We then had another bid [for Guehi] in January but that was a different situation.

‘We’ll just have to see what happens. But, you know, it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.’

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Tottenham will get a free run at signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace after Arsenal dropped their interest.

Spurs are now increasingly confident of securing the signing of the England international for a fee in excess of £60 million.

Personal terms are already said to have been agreed and the player himself is keen on a move to last season’s Europa League winners.

Palace, for their part, begin their season against Chelsea on Sunday but are expected to omit Eze from their squad.

Indeed, the Eagles are already making plans to replace the 27-year-old and have made contact with Leicester to register their interest in ilal El Khannouss.

Earlier this summer it appeared that Arsenal represented Eze’s No.1 choice and, according to Fabrizio Romano, the attacking midfielder was open to the idea of rejoining the club that discarded him as a teenager.

Arsenal are, however, said to be content with their attacking options as things stand, particularly given Ethan Nwaneri’s decision to sign a new contract.

The teenager enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign last season and has now committed his future to his boyhood club amid speculation he was considering a move to Chelsea.

With the equally exciting Max Dowman also waiting in the wings, Arsenal do not want to block the progress of two of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Hale End Academy.

A sensational scissor kick by Richarlison, meanwhile, ensured Thomas Frank enjoyed a dream start to life with Tottenham in the Premier League as they recorded a 3-0 victory over Burnley.

Frank’s managerial debut for Spurs on Wednesday almost ended with silverware, but Paris St Germain fought back from two down late on to clinch Super Cup success on penalties.

With a lack of creative options due to injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, former Brentford head coach Frank had warned newly-promoted Burnley would pose a stern test and yet a double by Richarlison secured a first league win since April 6.

Richarlison’s second goal in the 60th minute was a superb volley from a Mohammed Kudus cross and Brennan Johnson added another six minutes later on a tough top-flight return for Burnley boss Scott Parker at his old club.

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Eberechi Eze is expecting to be left out of Crystal Palace’s squad for Sunday’s Premier League match against Chelsea.

The England international has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham who are desperate for attacking reinforcements.

After the collapse of Morgan Gibbs-White’s proposed move from Nottingham Forest, Thomas Frank’s desire to add to his squad was exacerbated by the season ending injury sustained by James Maddison.

Arsenal have also shown significant interest in Eze but they are likely to need to sell before they can buy again, while Ethan Nwaneri’s decision to extend his contract has lessened the need to sign another central attacker.

Spurs are yet to strike an agreement with Palace but are understood to be increasingly confident of landing a player who is valued at around £68m.

Palace begin their Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge tomorrow, but are likely to do so without their talisman, according to The Sun.

The FA Cup and Community Shield holders are, however, already making contingency plans and have, as per The Athletic, approached Leicester City to explore a potential move for Bilal El Khannouss.

Morocco international, El Khannouss, ehnanced his burgeoning reputation with a superb individual display in last weekend’s win over Sheffield Wednesday, registering two assists.

The 21-year-old is understood to be keen on a move to Selhurst Park but Leicester are reluctant to let their prize asset depart just 12 months on from his £19m arrival from Genk.

Spurs, meanwhile, are also showing interest in Manchester City’s out of favour winger Savinho, but Frank refused to be drawn on the subject speaking ahead of Saturday’s game against Burnley.

He said: ‘First and foremost, in many ways, I’m very happy with the squad. I think there’s a lot of good players.

#I think we saw a team that was very, very, very competitive (against PSG) and on any other day we would have beaten the best team in Europe.

‘Of course, we want as strong and competitive a squad as possible. I know that Daniel (Levy), Johan (Lange) and Vinai (Venkatesham) are working night and day, and they have, by the way, been working night and day the last, whatever, six, seven, eight weeks.

‘They definitely would like to do deals early. Sometimes, I think we need to understand it’s not that easy, but they’re working.’

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Arsenal legend Lee Dixon fears Tottenham have won major advantage in the race to sign Eberechi Eze.

The England international is wanted by both north London rivals who are looking to add to their squads on the eve of the new Premier League season.

Thomas Frank’s need for reinforcements has been exacerbated by the serious injury sustained by James Maddison in pre-season.

The former Leicester City star will miss the majority of the campaign having undergone knee surgery earlier this week.

Eze is seen as a natural replacement and with Arsenal needing to sell before they can buy again, Spurs have seen a market opportunity and are prepared to pounce.

Although Dixon would love to see the midfield playmaker return to the club that discarded him as a teenager, he believes a move to Spurs would represent a more logical decision for Eze.

‘There’s obviously only one choice!’ Dixon joked, when asked by 10bet which team Eze should sign for.

‘But, from his point of view, he probably knows that he’ll have a better chance of playing every week at Tottenham than he would at Arsenal simply because Arsenal’s squad is better.

‘At Arsenal, he may have to accept more of a squad role. He’s another one that has the ability to play in multiple areas, and that is what he would have to do at Arsenal.

‘I could see him operating off the left, off the right and centrally, but Arsenal have quality players that can play in those areas and he’d be competing with them to get in the team.

‘He’d back himself to get in the team. With the amount of games Arsenal will play, he’d play a lot of football, but he wouldn’t start every week. There’s definitely a place for him at Arsenal, that’s for sure.’

Arsenal were forced to lick their wounds again last season following a third consecutive second place finish.

Asked if Eze could make the difference between another near miss and finally ending the wait for a major trophy, Dixon added: ‘It’s always better to have too many top players than not enough, it’s a nice problem for any manager to have.

‘We’ve seen over the last few years that we’ve just fallen short a little bit in the important parts of the season. Having a player like Eze in your squad might be able to change that a little bit, having someone who is a bit unpredictable and can produce moments of inspiration.

‘It only takes a couple of flashes of genius, and that turns games that Arsenal drew last season into wins. He’s definitely a player that gives you something different to what you have.

‘For Arsenal, it’s about how you improve because finishing second three years on the trot has people questioning your quality.

‘We’re very, very close to being able to win the Premier League title, and maybe Eze could offer that little bit extra that pushes you over the line or gives you an extra five or six points come the end of the season.’

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After a long summer (it’s been a whole 33 days since Chelsea’s Club World Cup victory), football – and more importantly – the Premier League is back and raring to go.

Liverpool surprised many by storming to the title last year under new manager Arne Slot, but how will the Reds cope with being the hunted this time around?

Can Manchester City bounce back after a disappointing campaign? Will Arsenal finally shake their bridesmaid tag after their third successive runners-up finish? And what about Thomas Frank, the new man in the dugout at Tottenham?

After a one-sided title race and an abject attempt at survival from the three promoted teams, fans will be hopeful for a more dramatic season at both ends of the table.

And to mark the return of the action, Metro Sport’s writers have dished out their boldest (and perhaps daft) predictions for what to expect over the course of the season.

Manchester United to bounce back and finish in the top four

There’s absolutely no reason why Manchester United cannot finish in the Premier League top four this season.

Having missed out on any form of European football for the first time in a decade, the Red Devils can fully focus on the domestic campaign while their rivals will be forced to deal with extra fixtures.

United will surely have some fire in their belly after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign saw them finish 15th and head coach Ruben Amorim is more settled in as head coach after replacing Erik ten Hag mid-season last term.

Amorim has made some really smart signings this summer – bringing in two players with bags of Premier League experience – Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Mbeumo registered 28 goal involvements in 38 top-flight games last season, while Cunha produced 21 goal involvements across 33 Premier League matches.

While there are question marks over how well Benjamin Sesko will settle in English football, he’ll surely be an upgrade on flop striker Rasmus Hojlund.

With Mikel Arteta under pressure at Arsenal, and Newcastle’s nightmare of a summer transfer window, United have a huge chance to join the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in the top four.

Liam Grace, Sports Reporter

Arsenal to spearhead return of ‘Big Six’ dominance

This may not seem like a hot take, but the Premier League’s ‘big-six’ – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – haven’t lived up to their name of late.

Only once in the last six years have all the big six actually finished in the top six, with the likes of Newcastle and Aston Villa disrupting the establishment. But normal order will resume this season.

For one, it’s hard to see Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City or Chelsea dropping out. United are in the middle of (another) rebuild, but they have assembled a very potent attack and don’t have any European football to distract them.

Spurs are perhaps the biggest question mark. Adjusting to a new manager is always tricky, not least when the outgoing boss was so popular and with two key leaders in the dressing room – Son Heung-min and James Maddison – not there to help. But Thomas Frank worked wonders in his last job and can do so again.

As for those who would challenge the big six, Newcastle’s morale is low following a terrible summer and could yet lose their best player, Alexander Isak. It seems Villa will keep hold of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez but haven’t added much to their squad.

Perhaps Nottingham Forest, Brighton or even FA Cup and Community Shield winners Crystal Palace could give it a go, but the big six look set to have a big season.

Callum McAvoy, Sports Reporter

Thomas Frank fails to last the season at Tottenham

This is a scorching take and I’m ready to get burned alive, but something about Frank and Tottenham doesn’t sit right as a pairing. Ange maintained the backing of so many supporters throughout the club’s darkest times when striving, often to his detriment, to play the so-called ‘Spurs Way’.

The structure-obsessed Frank plays a far more pragmatic brand of football and patience will wear thin amongst the fanbase should results begin to spiral.

I’ve already got one eye on the club’s fixtures heading into a gruelling winter period when they face Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Fulham, Newcastle, Frank’s former side Brentford, Forest and Liverpool… where they’re placed after this nasty little run will be key.

Frank’s Brentford picked up just three league wins between November and January last term and lost seven from eight during that same period in their previous campaign. Will the Dane still be ‘brave’ should he find himself in a similarly tricky situation with Tottenham at the midway stage?

With Maddison out for months and Son gone, I’m not convinced they’ve made the signings or have the necessary experience and firepower to cope.

Tom Olver, Assistant Sports Editor

All three promoted sides to avoid the drop

We’ve had back-to-back seasons which saw all three promoted teams relegated immediately, so it is time for that to change and in spectacular fashion. The trio of promoted sides will survive this time round!

There are a few candidates for the drop from the established top-flight clubs. Brentford have been ravaged this summer, as have Bournemouth, with both facing a slump as a result.

Wolves have lost key players and Vitor Pereira could struggle when the chips are down, while the unimpressive West Ham don’t look up to much.

Burnley have a mean defence, Sunderland have done some nice transfer business and I haven’t got much good to say about Leeds, but fingers crossed for that lot.

The three promoted teams have all survived four times before; it’s time for it to happen again.

Phil Haigh, Sports Reporter

Liam Delap to take home the Golden Boot

Right, I’ll concede, there’s a more-than likely chance that Liam Delap finds himself on the bench against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but it’s called ‘Hot Takes’ for a reason.

Fellow summer signing Joao Pedro looks likely to get the nod at first, but it won’t be long before Delap is banging down the door to start regularly if he continues to build upon his impressive showings in the off-season.

If Pedro isn’t replaced, the Brazilian could be shifted out to the left to accommodate Delap, who will score bucket loads of goals if Chelsea can continue to demonstrate the same attacking prowess that saw them carve open Paris Saint-Germain at will in the Club World Cup final.

Ben Fleming, Sports Reporter

Viktor Gyokeres won’t be all that

Viktor Gyokeres has widely been described as the final piece of the jigsaw for an Arsenal side that have come agonisingly close to winning the Premier League. But the same was said about Romelu Lukaku upon his return to Chelsea in 2021 and we know how that worked out.

Gyokeres’ stats for Sporting were incredible but Darwin Nunez enjoyed similar success in Portugal before underwhelming in the Premier League. It’s taken a fair while for Gyokeres, 27, to earn a move to one of Europe’s top five leagues.

This time two years ago, in fact, he had just spent his fourth successive season in the Championship, scoring a respectable but far from remarkable 21 goals in 46 games.

He’s an upgrade on Kai Havertz but don’t expect mind-blowing returns from a player who has been branded a ‘gamble’ by the likes of Paul Scholes and Gary Lineker. ‘I don’t think he’s the guy,’ Rio Ferdinand even said shortly after his £64m move to north London was announced. Mikel Arteta doesn’t get too many signings wrong but it was him, remember, who pushed to sign Raheem Sterling last summer.

Arsenal were torn between signing Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko earlier in the summer. Time will tell if they made the right decision.

Louis Sealey, Deputy Sports Editor

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Thomas Frank confirmed Tottenham were still ‘working very hard’ to strengthen in the transfer market after his side surrendered a two-goal lead to lose to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final.

The Dane appeared on course to steer Spurs to a famous victory in his first competitive game in charge, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero scoring either side of half time in Udine.

But PSG, the Champions League holders, mounted a spirited second-half fightback to force penalties as Lee Kang-in’s arrowed strike reduced the deficit before Goncalo Ramos headed home deep into stoppage time to level.

Vitinha failed with PSG’s opening effort from the spot, but Lucas Chevalier denied Van de Ven before Mathys Tel struck wide from 12 yards to put the Ligue 1 champions within touching distance of a fifth trophy for the year.

Nuno Mendes looked confident and clear-headed as he stepped up to take the decisive spot-kick and Guglielmo Vicario hardly stood a chance as the Portuguese almost burst the back of the net to cue rapturous scenes among PSG’s travelling support.

Despite PSG enjoying 74 per cent of possession across the contest, it was an otherwise encouraging night for Tottenham, especially given the club’s less-than-ideal preparation during what has been a summer of upheaval following Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal.

Romero was announced as Spurs’ new captain just hours before kick-off in Italy and deals have been struck for Mohammed Kudus, Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic, Kota Takai and Joao Palhinha across what has been an active transfer window.

But with talks reportedly ongoing for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Manchester City’s Savinho and, Frank told TNT Sports: ‘We would like to strengthen the squad, no doubt about that.

‘We do work very hard to see if we can do that.

‘In general, I’m very happy with the squad, but of course, in every window, you’d like to see if you can make the squad stronger before the window closes. That’s what we’re working hard on.’

Luis Enrique conceded that Tottenham probably ‘deserved’ to win after his PSG side eventually prevailed on penalties – and Frank was ‘proud’ of his players’ overall performance.

‘We played a very good game against one of – maybe the best – teams in the world,’ the Spurs head coach added.

‘I think we had them exactly where we wanted them for 80-something minutes, until the 2-1 goal, which shifted momentum.

‘There are so many positives. I’m so proud of the team, the players, the club, the fans. It’s a lot to be happy with. It’s a coin flip when it goes to a penalty shootout.’

According to Frank, his side’s first-half display was ‘almost perfect’ in every aspect.

‘We showed that we can be adaptable and pragmatic. We needed to do that against a team like PSG,’ he continued.

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‘The way we wanted to defend – both high pressure and low defending – was exceptionally good. The first half was top, almost perfect.’

The former Brentford boss felt his squad had come on leaps and bounds with their set-piece work since he first took over the reins from Postecoglou in June.

‘The set pieces were also very good and very dangerous,’ he went on.

‘It’s key. For any team it should be a weapon. We definitely will focus on that, because it’s a key area.’

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Luis Enrique admitted Tottenham ‘deserved’ to lift the UEFA Super Cup after his Paris Saint-Germain side fought back from two goals down to win on penalties.

Spurs had appeared on course for a shock victory in Thomas Frank’s first competitive match in charge as Micky van de Ven and newly appointed captain Cristian Romero netted either side of half time to stun the Champions League holders.

But PSG enjoyed the lion’s share of possession throughout the contest and the pressure eventually told, with Lee Kang-in arrowing an emphatic strike beyond Guglielmo Vicario in the 85th minute at Udinese’s Stadio Friuli.

The north Londoners were clinging on as the final whistle beckoned and Goncalo Ramos headed home Ousmane Dembele’s pinpoint cross from the right flank to level in the fourth minute of stoppage time

Vitinha missed PSG’s opening effort as the match went straight to penalties, but an inspired Lucas Chevalier denied Van de Ven before Mathys Tel fired wide to put the Parisians on the cusp of a fifth trophy for 2025.

It fell to Nuno Mendes to hold his nerve and the Portugal full-back did just that, making no mistake with the decisive spot-kick to send PSG’s travelling support into raptures.

The triumph capped off a historic few months for the French giants, who became European champions in May to add to their Ligue 1, French Cup and the Trophee des Champions crowns.

Speaking shortly after the clash, a somewhat relieved Enrique asked TNT Sports’ Jules Breach: ‘Do you think we deserved that? For 80 minutes we didn’t deserve that.

‘I think Tottenham deserved winning the match because we can feel that they were in form, we can feel that they have been training for six weeks.

‘They played a great match and we have been training only for six days, but sometimes football is unfair.

‘And I have to say that we were very unlucky. In the last ten minutes, we could have scored two goals.

‘I have to say that my players had faith until the last minute, like our supporters.

‘Football is unpredictable and in that sense, I have to say that we were very lucky.’

Enrique believes his players were likely feeling the effects of such a quick turnaround on the back of a gruelling campaign, with their Club World Cup final defeat to Chelsea falling just a month earlier.

‘Absolutely, from the first minute when the players touched the ball, when the players played without having the time to think about where you have to pass,’ the Spaniard explained.

‘Yeah, a lot of unprecise passes and it’s difficult to play the way we want to play if you don’t train, if you haven’t got the time to train.

‘I have to say that it was like a miracle.’

Enrique singled out new signing Lucas Chevalier for special praise, applauding the former Lille goalkeeper’s ‘personality’ both on and off the pitch.

‘He’s a big personality which is so important to have if you want to stay at a club like PSG, a lot of pressure around us,’ he added.

‘But I’m very happy for him because he shows that personality and also for the players who come from the bench because they are so important.

‘All of them want to play in the starting line-up, but they did great to draw that match and win a penalty shootout.’

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Eberechi Eze still favours a transfer to Arsenal after Tottenham opened talks to sign the Crystal Palace midfielder, according to reports.

Eze has been on Arsenal’s shortlist summer but Mikel Arteta’s side have prioritised deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke.

The 27-year-old has been available this summer due to a £68 million release clause in his deal with Palace, which expires on Friday.

Tottenham have now opened talks to sign the Eze, while the Europa League holders have also made an approach to Manchester City for their 21-year-old Brazilian winger Savinho.

But according to The Guardian, Tottenham do not intend to meet Eze’s £68m release clause.

The report adds that Spurs also have a ‘further complication’ because Eze’s preference would be to join Arsenal.

However, the Gunners must sell before going forward with a move for Eze and are open to offers for Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira, who spent last season on loan at Porto.

Speaking after Palace’s victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield on Sunday, the club’s chairman, Steve Parish, was asked if the intention is to keep both Eze and Marc Guehi, who is wanted by Liverpool.

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‘Yeah of course, but listen, players come and go in football clubs. I mean it’s a life cycle isn’t it?’ Parish replied.

‘Hopefully they’ll still be here, that’s what I’d like. But we’ll see.’

Elsewhere, Liverpool have stepped up talks to sign Guehi and are aiming to sign the England international before the end of the transfer window.

The Premier League champions are aiming to a deal with Palace worth £30m plus add-ons for Guehi, who will be out of contract next summer.

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Manchester City have told Tottenham how much it will cost them to sign Brazil international winger Savinho in the summer transfer window.

City manager Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of the talented 21-year-old star, previously labelling Savinho as a player with ‘incredible individual quality’.

Spurs have held talks with City over a move for Savinho, according to The Times, despite the fact he only joined Guardiola’s side in 2024 from Troyes.

The outlet adds that City have slapped a £50m price tag on Savinho, who Spurs view as the perfect replacement for Son Heung-min this summer.

City paid £30.8m to sign Savinho last year and he’s played a total of 48 games for the club to date, conjuring up three goals and 13 assists.

Savinho has been capped 13 times by Brazil and was named in the La Liga Team of the Season last term after an impressive loan spell at Girona.

City are reluctant to sell Savinho but will let him leave the club if he is keen on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Why do Spurs want to sign Savinho?

Thomas Frank’s side are keen to recruit a creative midfielder ahead of the new Premier League season after injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusveski.

Spurs feel they can offer more regular playing time to Savinho, who only started one of City’s last eight Premier League games last term.

Frank reportedly views Savinho’s versatility as ‘appealing’, with the Brazilian able to play as a right winger, left winger or as an attacking midfielder.

‘Savinho will become an extraordinary player’

Speaking after City’s 5-2 win over Juventus as the Club World Cup in June, Guardiola tipped Savinho to ‘become an extraordinary player’ one day.

‘He is a player with incredible potential,’ the City boss said. ‘We cannot forget he’s so young.

‘He needs to make the final third more decisive in aspects like the goal he has done in the last game. He has to do it more.

‘The last goal is more and more complicated and difficult to score than the previous ones – one against ones, the ‘keeper, that maybe last season he missed.

‘The moment he will make this step, which will come in a natural way because he has incredible individual quality, when it arrives for his commitment to say I want to do it, I want to be decisive, I want to score goals and make more assists, he will become an extraordinary player.

‘He can play on both sides, right and left, he’s so fast, he understands tactically the movements he has so to do so that’s why he can play with us.’

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