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Roberto De Zerbi couldn't believe what he was seeing at Old Trafford as his Tottenham side laboured to throw away a golden opportunity for their first win of the season at Manchester United.

Coming back off the international break rooted to the foot of the Premier League table and without a victory in five this term, Spurs could have fooled most observers into thinking it was the hosts who were propping up the top flight.

An energetic team performance from the outset caught Michael Carrick's men on the hop, and it seemed inevitable that Tottenham would capitalise on the home side's own struggles to kickstart their season at long last.

Bryan Mbeumo ultimately made the visitors pay for not punishing United while they could by scoring the opener after 77 minutes, derailing the improvements Spurs showed on the day, with Rodrigo Bentancur's late red card only compounding matters.

Dominic Solanke then nodded a late equaliser in injury time to show some vital fight from the 10 men of Tottenham, but the striker had arguably been as responsible as anyone for squandering a clear shot at three points.

Dominic Solanke leaves Tottenham boss aghast at Old Trafford

A much-changed line-up from De Zerbi saw the Italian name Solanke as captain for the first time, and the England international had a golden opportunity to put his side ahead in the opening exchanges, but failed to find the net before Mohammed Kudus and Conor Gallagher also went close in what proved to be a frustrating first half that ended goalless.

There was a sense that Spurs, hardly in position to be charitable with their chances, might have let United off the hook in allowing them to reach the interval without conceding, and the Red Devils duly improved after half time.

But it was still Tottenham who were creating chances and failing to take them when an illusive first three points was seemingly there for the taking.

Solanke only managed to draw a save from Senne Lammens two minutes in when Lucas Bergvall had intercepted the Belgian keeper's slack pass and found the striker unmarked in the middle of the United box. Had he made the most of it then the psychological effect on both sides could have seen the visitors three or four up by the break.

Unfortunately for De Zerbi the striker failed to make up for that early miss when confronted with another, trickier but still hugely-inviting, chance in the second half, firing high over the bar 10 minutes after the break when running onto Savio's ball across the penalty area.

Solanke's manager was visibly shocked on the touchline when the opportunity went begging. Reacting live on the World Feed commentary of the game [10 October 18.38pm], former Liverpool defender Jim Beglin noted De Zerbi's attitude towards the man he'd shown faith in with the captain's armband.

"I think he's in disbelief at him."

Bentancur red leaves Tottenham scrambling for a point

Where the Italian goes from here is unclear when his preparations for this game appeared to have been close to spot on in an opening 45 minutes where his side were well on top, and for three quarters of the action looked likely to secure a win.

But for all the millions spent this summer to strengthen, there is still no real goalscorer to fill the gap that was left by Harry Kane, and then Son Heung-min in recent years.

Richarlison is in limbo, and Omar Marmoush is yet to get off the mark since arriving from Manchester City, so Solanke is the obvious main man up front, and his first goal of the season in Manchester was certainly a case of better late than never.

But it surely should have been the third in a glorious hat-trick, as part of a heavy defeat of Man United. The hosts might not be the force of old right now, but they were made to look second best for much of the day, and yet Tottenham were ultimately left feeling grateful for a late point.

Tottenham have a huge clash with Manchester United this evening, on Saturday, and it could be a defining clash for Roberto De Zerbi. Spurs are bottom of the Premier League coming out of the international break, and they are remaining patient with their struggling new boss.

De Zerbi was seen as an ambitious appointment late last season, and after he kept the club in the Premier League, he was trusted to be the man to transform this team's fortunes. His squad was improved by more than £300million of new signings, which is the most spent under any manager in a single window in Spurs history, and that was a clear signal that the club believe they have the right guy.

But Tottenham are winless after five games, and they do not look good. De Zerbi isn't helped by some injury issues, although we all know the managers before him have also been hurt by injuries, and it's clear that new signings like Sandro Tonali and Omar Marmoush are yet to find their form.

But there is a non-negotiable that De Zerbi is failing to meet, and it should be concerning the Tottenham board more than any issue. That non-negotiable is a lack of intensity in this Spurs side.

Win percentages of last five Tottenham managers

De Zerbi is supposed to be Mr Intensity. His win now attitude has seen him burn out at other clubs and fall out with players aplenty, not unlike what happens with managers like José Mourinho. Clubs make the deal with the devil, so to speak with such managers, risking a spectacular fallout at some point for the reward of succeeding in the short and - if they are lucky - medium term.

But what Spurs need to be seeing under De Zerbi is that intensity to performances. Players need to be playing on the edge out of fear of being hammered by their manager, and Spurs are not currently playing like that.

If the intensity is there, but the results are not, then the team at least has a blueprint for success and the promise of turning things around, but Spurs are completely soft currently.

If the intensity isn't there, then what is De Zerbi really offering? He's not a tactical genius or a manager who has teams playing a way that other managers cannot. He didn't keep Spurs in the league with superb form or anything close to it, he just did enough, which certainly wasn't out of the question without him.

The bottom line is that De Zerbi needs to prove his value, because up to now he has not. He is underperforming, as his team is, and if Saturday night brings another flat performance devoid of intensity, this Spurs board needs to realise that the De Zerbi they hired is not the De Zerbi they are getting, and that could mean decisions need to be made.

Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been a major disappointment since his move in the summer transfer window, and Roberto De Zerbi might have to drop him against Manchester United.

Spurs spent significantly during the summer as they looked to overhaul De Zerbi's squad following a disappointing few years.

Fernandes was one of the marquee additions for the North London club, joining from relegated West Ham.

Tottenham reportedly paid in the region of £85 million to secure the signature of the Portuguese midfielder, which was a club record at the time.

So far this season, Fernandes has started three games in the Premier League, playing in all five matches.

The 22-year-old is yet to produce a goal or an assist in the league, and it's rare that he even plays 90 minutes.

De Zerbi has a big decision to make on Fernandes following some of the comments he made in his press conference ahead of the game against Manchester United.

The Tottenham manager stressed that Fernandes is one of the best in the team, but he needs time to understand the club.

"Fernandes is a great player. Maybe one of the best in our team. He needs time to understand the club.

"He needs time to come inside the environment of the club.

"I have big confidence in him and all the confidence of the club but he needs time. We have to give him time."

It's clear that De Zerbi has some doubts about Fernandes in terms of his current performances, even though he still believes he's one of the best players in the squad.

A spell out of the team might be what Fernandes needs in order to reach the levels expected of him, especially after he was hooked after just 45 minutes against Aston Villa last time out.

De Zerbi has options

De Zerbi does have multiple options to choose from in the number 10 position against Manchester United. Mohammed Kudus has recently returned from injury and could play there, despite usually being deployed on the right-hand side.

Savio was brought in to play on that right-hand side, which meant Kudus was on the bench against Aston Villa before coming on in the second half.

De Zerbi has also been talking up Conor Gallagher and his recent performances, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him starting at number 10.

There are plenty of options for the Tottenham manager, meaning Fernandes doesn't need to be invincible.

Tottenham Hotspur face their biggest game of the season to date when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

Tottenham have started the season poorly after taking just two points and scoring two goals in their five Premier League games, but now manager Roberto De Zerbi has had an extended international break to work on a game-plan to beat Michael Carrick's side.

The Red Devils have made a disappointing start to the campaign themselves, having only taken five points from the 15 available, but the two clubs have also gone in separate directions since Spurs were victorious in the 2025 Europa League final.

The win came just after the north London finished the season in 17th position, with United two spots ahead of them in 15th, but while Tottenham repeated that position again in the 2025-26 season, the Red Devils moved up to third and qualified for the Champions League.

De Zerbi knows he needs to improve performances and results quickly to keep Spurs fans onside following a huge summer transfer spend, with the majority of their 10 summer signings failing to make a really strong impact in a white shirt yet.

One of the problem positions for the Italian has been in the No.10 spot, with the likes of Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison not being fit enough consistently to start in the position this term.

It means that De Zerbi has used a range of other players in the role, including summer addition Mateus Fernandes, and Conor Gallagher.

De Zerbi confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that Maddison suffered a small setback in the last week that saw him miss three or four days of training, and while he is available for the trip to Manchester it would be a surprise to see him start.

It leaves the No.10 position open, and the Italian dropped a big hint as to who could start at Old Trafford.

More Disappointment for Williams-Barnett

Speaking about the No.10 position ahead of the game, De Zerbi praised Gallagher for the way he has played in the role, hinting that he could be set for another start there.

He (James Maddison) is available but he lost three or four days at the end of last week. James is a special player for us. As a player and personality. Also Gallagher is playing well, especially against Liverpool and Aston Villa.

That would leave the Italian coach with the decision of whether he drops Mateus Fernandes or drops him into central midfield alongside either Rodrigo Bentancur or Sandro Tonali.

What is also clear is that the 47-year-old would prefer to play Gallagher out of position in such an important position, rather than take a risk on Luca Williams-Barnett.

The 18-year-old, whose preference is to play in the No.10 position, was one of the club's standout performers during pre-season, but it hasn't translated into first-team minutes this term.

He was named on the substitutes' bench on the opening day against Brentford and played 12 minutes against Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup, but aside from that, he hasn't been seen in the squad.

And that is despite the likes of Maddison struggling for fitness, which will be particularly disappointing for Williams-Barnett at a time when he is looking for a first-team pathway.

There was some excitement during the international break when the teenager was part of the Tottenham first-team squad photo, with the hope that he could be included more in the matchday squads going forward.

However, if De Zerbi does go with Gallagher against United, and has Maddison and potentially Fernandes on the bench, there is unlikely to be a spot for Williams-Barnett again.

That would be more bad news for the 18-year-old, and Spurs must be careful that he doesn't begin to question his future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, just like JJ Gabriel is at Man United.

Tottenham Hotspur face a tough trip to Old Trafford when the Premier League resumes after the international break this weekend.

The managers of both clubs are already under pressure this season, following an ignominious start to the new campaign.

Roberto De Zerbi will have some big decisions to make when it comes to his Tottenham team to face Manchester United, with the Italian sweating over the fitness of a number of players following the extended international break.

He has had an opportunity to work with a number of those left behind in the three-week period, to try and get his philosophy across to the players, having struggled to do so, so far this season.

Spurs sit rock bottom of the Premier League table and without a win in their opening five matches, having only scored two goals - both coming late on in the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa before the domestic season went on hiatus.

Here GIVEMESPORT takes a look at the injury news confirmed by De Zerbi in his pre-match press conference.

Micky van de Ven

The Spurs captain picked up a hand injury playing for the Netherlands during the international break and returned to Hotspur Way with concerns over his availability.

However, he has been seen in training footage and De Zerbi has confirmed he is available for the clash at Old Trafford.

Jan Paul van Hecke

Picked up an ankle injury during the Netherlands' international camp and returned to Hotspur Way early, missing the final two games of the Oranje's Nations League fixtures.

The Dutchman is available for the United game, although De Zerbi confirmed there is an 'emotional' aspect after his wife gave birth to twins on Thursday.

James Maddison

De Zerbi confirmed that even though he suffered a setback and missed 3-4 days of training in the last week or so, he is available for the trip to Old Trafford.

Dejan Kulusevski

The Swedish forward has not been seen by Spurs fans for more than 500 days, but he is on the way back to action.

He has been spotted in training videos over the past few weeks, with De Zerbi stating that he was back in full training with the squad. He also took part in an 11-a-side match at Hotspur Way during the international break.

He looks unlikely to be in the squad after De Zerbi confirmed he will be there for 'support'.

Pedro Porro

He suffered a hamstring injury against Aston Villa, ruling him out of Spain's Nations League matches during the international break.

De Zerbi confirmed he won't be in action this weekend, with a four-week timeframe initially being placed on his recovery.

Long-term injuries

Xavi Simons is working his way back to full fitness and there is a feeling that he is ahead of schedule with his ACL injury, having initially been expected to return in early 2027.

Wilson Odobert is also coming back from an ACL injury and was thought to be returning to first team action by November time.

Mykhailo Mudryk should also return by the beginning of November.

Manchester United could not have hoped for a much better fixture to come back to Premier League football after a three-week international break than rock bottom Tottenham Hotspur, a side in turmoil.

United boss Michael Carrick is himself under pressure, following a poor start to the 2026/27 season, that see United 12th in the table after five games and with only one win to their name.

The Red Devils need the points, already ten points adrift of league leaders Manchester City and will be looking to add to Spurs' woes this season.

Carlos Baleba could be in line for his debut after Carrick confirmed he has trained 'a lot' during the international break.

But Carrick also has a number of injury issues to contend with, heading into the match at Old Trafford. Here, GIVEMESPORT takes a look at the players who are available and unvailable to the United manager for the game with Spurs.

Kobbie Mainoo

Withdrew from the England squad for the Nations League encounters, with an unknown injury. Carrick has been boosted by the news that midfielder is available for selection against Tottenham and should be in the squad.

Marcus Rashford

Another who did not meet up with his England teammates for the recent camp, having gone off early in United's draw with Fulham before the international break.

It was not thought to be a serious injury, and Carrick has confirmed that he will likely be in the squad against Tottenham.

Amad Diallo

The Ivorian forward has not played for United yet this season after suffering an ankle injury.

Carrick was hopeful, before the three-week break, that Diallo would be able to return to training with his teammates and be ready for a spot in the first team squad against Tottenham, which was confirmed by the 45-year-old in his pre-match press conference.

Matthijs de Ligt

Carrick could be handed a major boost with the news that de Ligt is almost ready to return to action, but there was no word on his availability for Saturday.

He has been missing for nearly a year with a back injury, but made his first steps towards a place in the first team squad with a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break.

Patrick Dorgu

The Danish international picked up a hamstring injury during the international break and had to return to Manchester United early as a result.

He looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines with Carrick confirming his absence is likely to be for a 'number of weeks'.

Noussair Mazraoui

Another who picked up a knock on international duty and is set to miss the visit of Spurs as a result.

It is understood to be a lower back injury that the left-back has suffered and he is being assessed by United's medical staff.

Benjamin Sesko

The Slovenia striker did not go on international duty because of a shin injury that he initially picked up towards the end of the 2025/26 season.

The frontman has played sporadic minutes so far this season but suffered a recurrence of the injury and missed out on the squad for the Fulham game before the three-week break.

Carrick confirmed he won't be ready to face Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur were on the brink of relegation last season before they managed to convince Roberto De Zerbi to join the club late in the day to save them from the drop.

The Italian came in and managed to pick up three wins in seven games, including a 1-0 win over Everton on the final day to stay in the top flight and secure a 17th-place finish, which convinced many that he was the right man to take the team forward.

During the summer window, De Zerbi was given everything he wanted too. Spurs brought in 10 new players and saw a host of talent sold to fit the image that the manager had for his squad, but things haven't started well. The north London club has failed to win any of their opening five games in the Premier League, and sit at the bottom of the table.

With Spurs now set to travel to Old Trafford after the international break, there is a very real possibility that the team continues their poor start to the season, and patience is beginning to wear thin already.

Tottenham simply cannot afford to find themselves in another relegation battle this season, and should the poor results continue then the board will be forced to consider his role as manager in the near future.

While there are major question marks over who would come in to replace him and who the club could look at, it has now emerged that there is a title-winning manager who could be ready to step into his role should it become available.

According to ESPN, Spurs chiefs were strongly interested in a move to appoint Arne Slot before he moved to Liverpool and won the Premier League title, before being sacked this past summer.

The Dutch coach is now a free agent, having been overlooked for the national team job, and it is reported that the 48-year-old would be tempted by a move to north London since there is an entirely new leadership model in place at the club.

Slot Would Be Perfect for Spurs Job

Slot showed his quality in coaching when he dominated the division in his first season in the league, winning the title with Liverpool.

During that time, Trent Alexander-Arnold described his tactics as "mind-blowing", while Luis Diaz called his coaching "spectacular", and that's the type of thing that Spurs need in their dugout at the moment.

The squad is also built well for his system, with strong wingers, excellent number tens, strong central midfielders, and attacking full-backs to choose from. He would also have a number of his fellow countrymen available to him, with plenty of experience and quality.

If De Zerbi can't turn things around quickly between now and the next international break, a change in the dugout simply cannot be ruled out, and Slot would be the perfect appointment and arguably an upgrade.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick will be looking for a big improvement from his side when they host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

No Premier League side picked up more points than Man United after Carrick's interim appointment in January, as they secured a third-place finish in the Premier League, but they have so far been unable to replicate those performances and results this term.

The Red Devils are yet to click either offensively or defensively this term, and they are struggling to click in the final third with Benjamin Sesko's minutes limited due to injury.

The Slovenia international's absence has meant Matheus Cunha has been played through the centre instead, but he doesn't look particularly comfortable there and was far more effective when he was playing from the left-hand side last season.

Carrick has also been unable to call upon Amad Diallo so far this season, which hasn't helped matters, as he has been relying on Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford to produce, with Joshua Zirkzee clearly not fancied by the United boss.

One of the other biggest disappointments has been that, despite many additions to the club's backline in recent years, Carrick is still using the back four that the Red Devils have had for many years, and one that has let them down on many occasions.

The fact that the likes of Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven have been unable to push them for their spots is disappointing, and a major overhaul of the defence is expected in 2027 after the club did the same with the midfield and attack in the previous two summer transfer windows.

It seems like Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez will continue to be the club's first-choice centre-back partnership, at least until Matthijs de Ligt is finally back fit, with Yoro yet to convince Carrick he is worthy of a consistent starting spot.

However, the 20-year-old has given Carrick something to seriously think about after the international break.

Leny Yoro Deserves Tottenham Start

Carrick also has a decision to make over his full-backs for the visit of Spurs, with neither Shaw nor Dalot particularly impressing defensively this season.

There have been question marks over Shaw's fitness again after injury and illness, although he did start against Fulham before the international break after a three-game absence, playing 84 minutes at Craven Cottage.

If Shaw is unable to start this weekend for whatever reason, it would give Carrick the chance to move Dalot across to the left, with Dorgu and Mazraoui suffering issues on international duty.

Even if Shaw is fit, the United boss should consider starting £52m man Yoro at right-back to see if it makes the team more solid defensively, given they have conceded at least two goals in four of their seven fixtures this term.

The French youngster was handed his first France start by Zinedine Zidane against Belgium this week, with Les Bleus running out 4-1 winners in the Nations League.

He sent a strong message to both Zidane and Carrick with a fine display for his nation, which suggested he should be playing a lot more regularly at club level.

He certainly left Zidane impressed, who was quick to praise his debutant post-match.

"There's a lot of competition for that position, so when we lost Ibrahima Konate, we immediately wanted to bring in Leny.

I'm happy for him because he had a great game. He played his role well. I'm happy for all these young players on the French national team.

Yoro clearly has a big future ahead of him and it is probably a surprise that he is yet to establish himself as a starter at Old Trafford given the promise he had when he joined, with United fight off competition from Real Madrid for his signature.

If the Red Devils are to avoid a JJ Gabriel repeat and see another promising player try and force an exit away from Old Trafford, then he needs to be getting more game time in a defence that is struggling.

Of course, the youngster needs to show Carrick too that he is worthy of starting, but he did that and more in his latest display for France.

There have not been too many Tottenham Hotspur players in recent years who have split opinion quite like Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman has been regularly derided by the fanbase in north London, not just so far this season, but at times last season too, despite being one of the only players in a struggling team look like trying to get the side on the front foot.

End product has always been the stick to beat him with and that was no more evident than in a moment against Newcastle United that went viral on social media, when he blazed a free-kick in a dangerous position high over the bar.

Talksport pundit and former Tottenham player Jamie O'Hara said earlier in the season: "Why is Tel still playing? I’d rather Richarlison played. He’s guff, he’s terrible, he’s got trampoline feet. He’s everything that’s bad about Tottenham."

Tel started the first three games of the season, before dropping to the bench for the goalless draw with Everton and then not being named in the squad at all for the defeat to Aston Villa before the international break.

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi explained the decision, saying: "Technical decision. He was in the stands, because I think during the game, [James] Maddison and [Mohammed] Kudus, they had more chances to change the game, and then two centre‑backs, important, also the two full‑backs, have a look for Pedro Porro, with Archie Gray, and the two central midfielders."

It was no problem. He was very nice and he understood the reason, but nothing more, and also he played more than the others.

Criticism of Tel is perhaps over the top, considering his age and what he has joined in the white half of north London.

He only turned 21 earlier this year and only arrived at Spurs a year-and-a-half ago, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent last summer. In that time he has only played in a struggling Tottenham outfit, finishing 17th in the Premier League in both the seasons he has been involved. He is yet to show what he can do in a fully functioning, well-oiled and well-drilled Tottenham side.

It must also not be forgotten, that prior to arriving in England, as a 19-year-old, he had only actually started 16 games for Bayern Munich in Germany, proving that he was still very raw.

Why playing for Tottenham will not have been easy for Tel

Being thrown into a struggling Spurs side was perhaps not the best platform for him, but could work out to be the perfect bedding in experience if he does kick on and showcase what he can do.

Being left out of the squad to face Villa will surely have lit a fire underneath him and he will have something of a point to prove to De Zerbi when the Premier League returns.

And he has certainly shown that during the international break, so much so, that an argument can be made that he simply has to start against Manchester United in the 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday.

Mathys Tel stats:

Tel was called up to the France U21 squad for the extended three-week break as they concluded their Euro U21 Championship qualifying group - he has been a regular for them since 2023 - and he was in tip-top form. The 21-year-old captained the side in the three games that he started, scoring in the 1-1 draw with Iceland U21s.

Coming off the bench against Luxembourg, he scored the winning goal in a 3-2 but the best was yet to come. In their final group game, France smashed Switzerland 7-1, with Tel netting a hat-trick and laying on an assist too, leaving him with five goals and one assist from the international break.

The forward regularly plays through the middle as the centre-forward for France U21s, a role he has played for Tottenham, albeit sporadically. He has tended to be employed off the left wing in a Lilywhite shirt, but given his international form, a role through the middle could be on the cards when Premier League football returns.

Tel will be full of confidence, following his outings with his country and, with Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush yet to score this season, having played four of the five Premier League games as the main striker this season, it could be the perfect opportunity and role change for Tel to kickstart his Spurs career.

Manchester United added some important first-team signings to Michael Carrick's squad this summer, as INEOS completed a Old Trafford midfield rebuild.

Having transformed their attacking options in the summer of 2025, it was the turn of the midfield in 2026 after Casemiro left the club, and Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious injury while representing Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup.

Man United spent more than £150m to sign three new central midfielders for Carrick in Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, with the hope that the latter will finally make his long-awaited debut against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The Cameroon international completed his switch to Old Trafford in August but he has been recovering from an injury issue suffered prior to the move, but he was back on the substitutes' bench against Fulham prior to the extended international break.

As well as first-team additions, Red Devils chiefs have also been busy working to bring some top young talent into the club for the academy sides now, with the aim of them being first-team stars in the future.

Isaac Konde was the most recent exciting arrival, with the 16-year-old winger leaving Liverpool for the short trip to Manchester.

Man United's Youth Signings in 2026:

Isaac Konde

David Eze

Karim Cassim

Cristian Orozco

Tynan Thompson

United will hope those players can follow in the footsteps of someone like Ayden Heaven, who has established himself in the first-team squad following a similar move from Arsenal.

Of course, one of the big talking points in recent weeks around Carrington has been the future of JJ Gabriel, who has told the club he wants out for what he and his family perceive to be broken promises over game time this season.

The forward just turned 16 and United still have some control over his future, but if he gets the Irish or Cypriot passport he is eligible for, it would allow him to make the move abroad now with strong interest from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur have their own version of JJ Gabriel in Luca Williams-Barnett who, like the 16-year-old, is his club's most exciting and talented academy graduate right now.

According to the Sun, Spurs are trying to tie him down to a new contract, although the 18-year-old finds himself in a similar situation to Gabriel right now, with his first-team minutes limited under Roberto De Zerbi this season even though he was one of their standout players in pre-season.

Man United are ready to prise the teenager away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he would be an exciting addition based on his cameos in the first-team so far.

Williams-Barnett Similar to Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba could have been such a special and important player for Man United, but across two separate spells he never truly showed the consistency considering the ability he clearly had.

Nevertheless, he still wowed the Old Trafford crowd at times with his swagger, ability to carry the ball forward and how he was proficient at using both feet.

From what we've seen from Williams-Barnett in a Tottenham shirt so far, there are a lot of similarities between him and Pogba.

As mentioned, the 18-year-old has already shown he is comfortable using either foot, while he has the same swagger and confidence that Pogba had on the pitch for the Red Devils.

Williams-Barnett hasn't been fazed by making the step-up to senior football, as shown by his Panenka penalty against Sydney FC during Spurs' pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The main difference between the teenager and Pogba is that he looks set to play further forward on the pitch, having usually featured either on the left wing or in his preferred position as a No.10.

He will consider himself unfortunate not to see more game time in his favourite role given the issues Tottenham have had this season, with fitness issues continuing for James Maddison.