The 4th Official

Tottenham Hotspur will entertain Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Saturday evening as they look to secure a good result at home in the Premier League. Spurs could only manage to earn a 0-0 draw away at Nottingham Forest recently, so they would be eager to get back to winning ways this weekend.

Roberto De Zerbi will set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a few changes to his first XI for this game. Andy Robertson, Mateus Fernandes and Dominic Solanke could all play from the start of this clash.

Defence

Antonin Kinsky will operate in between the sticks for the North London club after keeping a clean sheet in his last outing. Jean Paul van Hecke will continue to play alongside Micky van de Ven at the centre of the Tottenham backline as they look to keep a good shape when defending inside their half.

Pedro Porro will try to catch the eye as the right-back, while Andy Robertson hopes to prove his worth on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get the freedom to go forward and express themselves inside the Everton half.

Marcos Senesi will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

Midfield

Rodrigo Bentancur and Sandro Tonali will operate as the holding midfielders for Tottenham as they focus on winning the 50-50 battles at the centre of the park.

The talented trio of Mathys Tel, Mateus Fernandes and Savio will play just ahead of them as part of De Zerbi’s attack. All three of them need to be at their best if Spurs are to secure a win this weekend.

Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Conor Gallagher will have to settle for a place on the bench and might come on to make an impact in the second 45 minutes if required.

Attack

Dominic Solanke will spearhead De Zerbi’s attack up top. He has to figure out a way to be a real menace on the offensive end of the field.

Omar Marmoush will make up the numbers on the bench as he waits for his chance to shine in the final quarter of the game if needed.

Everton saw a £35 million plan to bring Richarlison back from Tottenham Hotspur collapse late in the window after talks over the forward’s wages failed. The proposed return had carried obvious appeal because he remained popular on Merseyside after four seasons at Goodison Park, yet the salary gap proved too wide for Everton to bridge.

Football Insider broke the story exclusively through transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, reporting that talks reached an advanced stage before falling apart. During the negotiations, Richarlison posted an explosive message on Instagram, making clear that Tottenham’s hierarchy would not force him out. A separate move to Trabzonspor then failed, leaving the 29-year-old outside Roberto De Zerbi’s Premier League squad.

Everton now face a thin attacking group

Everton now look badly exposed after losing Iliman Ndiaye and Beto without senior replacements. Ndiaye joined Manchester City, while Beto departed for Fiorentina, leaving Thierno Barry as the only senior striker available to David Moyes. That is a huge problem for a manager who relies on physical running, pressure and direct play from his front line.

Last season, Richarlison produced 11 Premier League goals and four assists in 32 appearances, plus one Champions League goal in seven games. He has made just one league appearance this term, lasting 67 minutes in the 3-0 defeat at Brentford, and he has no goal or assist. Tottenham have now left him out of their Premier League squad, despite Spurs spending over £300 million under De Zerbi.

For Everton, the failed deal hurts because the club clearly viewed Richarlison as a ready-made solution rather than a gamble. His old familiarity with supporters, league experience and pressing ability would have given Moyes a senior focal point immediately. Instead, the club sold Ndiaye and Beto and finished the window short of attacking options.

Everton’s transfer decisions leave Moyes exposed

The wider transfer strategy deserves scrutiny too. Everton spent £78 million this summer, well below the reported £181 million Premier League average, and finished with a net profit of £25 million. Meanwhile, Moyes started the campaign needing more quality and depth. A right-back problem remains, while the striker shortage looks even more severe.

Grealish can shoulder more creative responsibility, and Moyes could use a false nine with Barry rotating across the front line, but that comes with obvious trade-offs. The manager has lost one of his most creative players and his only alternative striker. Everton needed bodies and goals; instead, the window left Moyes counting options that simply aren’t there.

Tottenham Hotspur locked horns with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground earlier today as they hoped to secure a good result on the road in the Premier League. Spurs made a solid start to the game and managed to get to the half-time break with a 0-0 scoreline.

The North London club failed to find the winning goal in the second half and had to settle for a hard-fought 0-0 draw away from home.

Let’s take a look at how each Tottenham Hotspur player fared during the clash against Nottingham Forest.

GK: Antonin Kinsky – 6.5/10

He made one good save at the back and did enough to secure a clean sheet this afternoon.

RB: Pedro Porro – 7/10

Porro was a positive influence at both ends of the field.

CB: Jan Paul van Hecke – 7/10

He did his fair share of defending inside his half and was a composed presence on the ball.

CB: Micky van de Ven – 7/10

Van de Ven gave a good account of himself on the defensive end of the field.

LB: Destiny Udogie – 6.5/10

Udogie kept things solid at the back, but struggled to influence the game going forward.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur – 7.5/10

He anchored the midfield with conviction and made one promising run with the ball.

CM: Sandro Tonali – 7.5/10

Tonali offered solid protection for his teammates at the back and was good on the ball.

RW: Savio – 6.5/10

He made a few promising runs with the ball but has nothing to show for his efforts.

CAM: Conor Gallagher – 6.5/10

Gallagher came back to defend when he could but lacked quality in the final third.

LW: Mathys Tel – 6/10

He managed to shine at times on the left flank, but there was no goal for him.

ST: Omar Marmoush – 6.5/10

Marmoush caused a few problems for the Nottingham defenders but failed to find the back of the net.

Substitutes:

LB: Andy Robertson – 6/10

He was solid at the back.

RW: Mohammed Kudus – 6.5/10

Kudus managed to shine at times after coming off the bench.

LW: Mykhailo Mudryk – 6/10

His impact on the game was minimal.

CM: Mateus Fernandes – N/A

Newcastle United will entertain Bournemouth at St. James’ Park this Saturday afternoon as they look to secure a good result at home in the Premier League. The Magpies managed to earn a solid 2-0 win away at Tottenham Hotspur recently, which should keep them in good spirits going into this game.

Matthias Jaissle will once again set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to keep changes to a minimum for this game. Hence, Yoane Wissa could get the nod to lead the charge for the Tyneside club up top.

Defence

Lukas Hornicek will operate in between the sticks for the Magpies after keeping a clean sheet in his last outing. Sven Botman will function alongside Malick Thiaw at the heart of the Newcastle backline as they hope to keep things solid on the defensive end of the field.

Amar Dedic will fill in as the right-back, while Lewis Hall hopes to prove his worth on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get the license to go forward and express themselves inside the opponent’s half.

Fabian Schar will offer cover for the centre-back positions on the bench.

Midfield

Lewis Miley and Nico Gonzalez will anchor the midfield for the Magpies as they try to make life tough for the visitors at the centre of the park and engineer some decent chances in the final third.

The gifted trio of Harvey Barnes, Joe Willock and Anthony Elanga will function just ahead of them as part of Jaissle’s attack. All three of them need to combine well if the Magpies are to come out on top this weekend.

Sean Steur and Bazoumana Traore will have to settle for a spot on the bench as they wait for their chance to shine in the second 45 minutes if required.

Attack

Yoane Wissa will spearhead Newcastle‘s attack in the final third. He managed to score against Tottenham last month, which should give him a ton of confidence going into this game.

Matias Fernandez-Pardo will be available for selection on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if needed.

In a recent report, journalist Pete O’Rourke mentioned that Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a January move for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. It has been claimed that Spurs would have to compete with Aston Villa in the race to land the French talent this winter.

Mateta’s Impressive Form In The Premier League

Mateta enjoyed a good run of form at the London club in the previous campaign when he put in a string of productive displays for them in the final third. The French forward banged in 16 goals and earned three assists in 50 appearances for Crystal Palace last season on all fronts.

The 29-year-old is currently among the most experienced centre-forwards in the Premier League. Hence, Spurs would do well to get him on board in the January transfer window.

His current contract at Selhurst Park will run out at the end of next season, which could open the door for Tottenham to sign him on a cut-price deal this winter.

Should Tottenham Hotspur Boss Roberto De Zerbi Go For Mateta?

Mateta is proficient at finding a yard of space for himself to get some strikes in at goal. He has proven his worth as a decent finisher in the final third and can create the odd chance for his teammates to score.

The French talent is also quite clever with his movements in and around the opponent’s penalty area. Mateta can even use his strong 1.92m frame to win a few aerial duels for his team. He has already proven his worth in the Premier League and won’t take much time to adjust to life at the North London club if they manage to sign him this January.

We can expect Mateta to bring more quality and depth to Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi’s frontline. He has what it takes to fight for regular first-team football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

At 29, Mateta is playing in his prime and is currently on an expiring contract at Crystal Palace. Therefore, he would be an affordable option for Spurs to pursue in this January transfer period. With all things considered, De Zerbi would be wise to go for a striker of Mateta’s quality this winter.

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Everton are closing in on one of the more unusual pieces of transfer business this summer. According to a report relayed by David Ornstein of The Athletic, an agreement in principle has been reached for Iliman Ndiaye to leave Everton and join Tottenham Hotspur, with Richarlison moving in the opposite direction as a separate but clearly connected deal.

Everton F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur: The swap that nobody saw coming

The 26-year-old Senegalese attacker heads to north London, while the 29-year-old Brazilian forward returns to Merseyside, where he built his reputation before a £60 million switch to Spurs back in 2022. Both transfers remain subject to personal terms and medical examinations. Nothing is signed, nothing is sealed, but the bones of the agreement are reportedly in place. Ornstein is not a journalist who gets these things wrong.

Everton’s perspective: A gamble that actually makes sense

David Moyes gets his striker. That is the headline here, stripped of all the noise.

Ndiaye was productive enough across the 2025/26 Premier League season with 6 goals and 3 assists across 32 appearances, but his 2,791 minutes of action to produce those numbers tell a different story from Richarlison’s 11 goals and 4 assists in the same competition, achieved in just 1,975 minutes at Spurs. The Brazilian is simply more dangerous per minute in front of goal, and for a Moyes side that has always demanded a physical, relentless focal point up top, that difference in output is significant.

Richarlison also scored 3 headed goals in the league last season. Three. That aerial presence suits the Moyes system down to the ground, and a man who made 135 league appearances for Everton before his departure doesn’t need a settling-in period. He knows Goodison. He knows the weight of expectation.

Ndiaye had attracted serious interest from Manchester City and Arsenal this summer, so Everton capitalising on his market value to bring back a striker who scored 43 league goals in his first spell is not a soft business decision. It’s calculated. Moyes needed goals. This addresses that.

The risk? Real and worth acknowledging. Everton are trading a 26-year-old winger in the prime of his career for a 29-year-old with a patchy injury record at Tottenham. If Richarlison’s body lets him down again, the Toffees will have moved on a genuinely re-sellable asset for an expensive contract that ages badly.

His work rate off the ball, 39 clearances last season, fits the defensive pressing demands Moyes places on his attackers, but fitness and sustainability over a full campaign remain the question marks hanging over this deal.

Still, the emotional lift of bringing Richarlison back to Goodison Park is not trivial. Moyes needs results, fast. A player the fans already love, arriving with 11 Premier League goals from last season, is exactly the kind of statement Everton needed to make.

According to the Mauritian football journalist Lassana Camara, Celtic are closely monitoring Yves Bissouma ahead of a potential summer swoop. But they are not alone in the race, with Dutch giants Ajax and Turkish outfit Istanbul Başakşehir also in the mix for the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, who has yet to choose his next destination upon his contract expiry at the end of the previous campaign.

The 29-year-old Mali international spent his youth years at Majestic SC, JMG Academy Bamako and Real Bamako before breaking into the latter’s first-team squad back home. The French representatives, known for extensively scouting in Africa, identified him as a top talent during the 2016 African Nations Championship, which led to his transfer to Ligue 1 giants Lille.

After a brief stint with the reserves, Bissouma cemented his place in the middle of the park and was eventually snapped up by Brighton & Hove Albion for around €17m. He took little time to settle in the Premier League and impressed with his athleticism and physicality. The Seagulls had him for four years; however, they couldn’t turn down a staggering £30m bid from Spurs in the summer of 2022.

The Malian made a strong start in North London under Antonio Conte, but his form declined over the years. Disciplinary issues further hampered his career, and he played only 11 times last season, regardless of Tottenham’s injury nightmare. Roberto De Zerbi did not view him in his plans, and the midfield ace, now a free agent, must decide his future.

Why He Would Be A Shrewd Signing For Celtic

Celtic, unlike previous windows, have been proactive with their transfer business. They lost Arne Engels to West Ham United but tied down Mika Baur from Paderborn to restore parity and quality in the centre of the pitch. Martin O’Neill convinced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to pen an extension, as his experience and versatility would be key while competing in four competitions.

Nevertheless, the Hoops have parted ways with outcast Paulo Bernardo, who at times operated as the understudy to Callum McGregor. Neither Reo Hatate nor Luke McCowan is suitable for that role, and any unforeseen injury to the skipper would leave a massive void unless they bring in a like-for-like alternative before Monday’s deadline.

Bissouma has occasionally struggled due to a lack of concentration and consistency. But his timely tackles and interceptions, composure under pressure, technical traits, and the ability to carry the ball forward should see him slot in as a deep-lying playmaker in O’Neill’s 4-2-3-1 or a tactical 4-3-3 transition.

Three clubs are chasing the same Tottenham midfielder, and the clock is ticking.

According to Matt Law, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Besiktas have all registered interest in signing Pape Matar Sarr from Spurs. Law’s report makes clear that Sarr has been handed permission to find a new club, with Tottenham actively looking to move fringe players on before the September 1, 11 PM deadline.

The 23-year-old Senegal international’s exit from north London looks increasingly certain, with Spurs pushing hard to trim their wage bill after a £300m summer spend. New head coach Roberto De Zerbi has made no space for Sarr in his plans following the arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.

Everton’s case for signing Sarr is actually stronger than it first appears

David Moyes doesn’t have time to get this wrong. The Friedkin Group have already labelled missing Europe a “failure,” and that pressure is on the manager’s shoulders heading into August’s final days.

Moyes runs a 4-2-3-1 that asks a great deal from its central engine room. The system demands relentless pressing, quick ball recovery, and someone who can instantly feed the likes of Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye in advanced positions. Right now, Everton’s midfield can’t do any of that reliably. It gets bypassed too easily, and it lacks any real athleticism in the middle third.

Sarr fixes that. He averaged 10.02 successful defensive actions per 90 minutes at Spurs last season, ranking in the 90th percentile for dribblers tackled and interceptions. His lateral coverage is elite.

He also ranked in the 89th percentile for progressive ball carries, and his 88% passing completion rate shows he won’t just hack it long under pressure. The cross-field switching ability, 80th percentile, gives Moyes’ wide players room they aren’t currently getting.

The weaknesses are real, though. Two league goals from limited efficiency isn’t impressive. 27 fouls and three yellow cards from a player operating in tight spaces is a concern too. But Moyes wouldn’t ask him to create. Sarr’s job would be to break play up, shield the back four, and recycle possession cleanly. That’s it.

At £35m for a Premier League-proven 23-year-old who just featured at the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 World Cup with Senegal, Everton are looking at a genuinely good piece of business here, provided they move before Tuesday night.

Tottenham Hotspur will welcome Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Saturday as they look to secure a positive result at home in the Premier League. Spurs earned a dominant 5-1 win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup earlier this week, which should keep them in good spirits going into this game.

Roberto De Zerbi will set his men up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to name a strong first team for this clash. Richarlison will get the nod to spearhead Tottenham’s attack up top.

Defence

Antonin Kinsky will function in goal for the North London club after conceding one goal in his last appearance. Jan Paul van Hecke will play alongside Marcos Senesi at the heart of De Zerbi’s defence as they look to keep a solid shape when defending inside their half.

Archie Gray will probably be named at right-back, while Andy Robertson looks to put in a hard-working performance on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will have to pick and choose their moments to join in on the attack.

Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

Midfield

Lucas Bergvall and Sandro Tonali will play as Tottenham’s holding midfielders as they try to establish their dominance over the opposition at the centre of the park.

The gifted trio of Mathys Tel, Conor Gallagher and Mikey Moore will function just ahead of them as part of De Zerbi’s attack. All three of them need to be at their best if Spurs are to earn a convincing win in front of their home fans this weekend.

Savinho and Rodrigo Bentancur will be named on the bench as they await their chance to shine in the second half if needed.

Attack

Richarlison will lead the line for the North London giants in the final third. The Brazilian talent has to find a way to be a real menace in front of the Newcastle goal.

Dominic Solanke will have to be content with a place on the bench and might come on to make an impact in the final quarter of the game if required.