Football London

Arsenal are in a transfer predicament when it comes to Eberechi Eze. football.londonunderstands that the Gunners still hold a keen interest in the player, however that need to sign the England international has diminished since the contract renewal of Ethan Nwaneri.

Eze is viewed predominantly as a central attacking player despite being able to play in a wide area, and the Gunners already have Nwaneri, Martin Odegaard, and the exciting Max Dowman as options in this area of the field. Tottenham’s interest in the player has recently been renewed and the North London rivals of Arsenal are making genuine attempts to lure him to Thomas Frank’s project following a serious injury to James Maddison.

Arsenal would need to sell some of their players, likely including Leandro Trossard, to make a move for a third attacking player – at least that is what is expected. However, by that time, Eze might have moved or the club are believed already to be assessing more natural left wing targets although names are not easy to come by.

Previous links to Anthony Gordon and Rodrygo have simmered with moves expected to be too expensive, even with the potential sales. However, football.london has collated a list of three potential alternatives the club could consider.

However, to provide context, a look at the existing starting left winger, Gabriel Martinelli, helps provide some context around what the options are being compared to. The main concern surrounding the Brazilian is his efficiency, decision-making and ability to beat opposition defenders before executing a pass or shot.

Despite being ranked among Transfermarkt’s top ten highest valued left wingers in world football, many have run out of patience and want an upgrade or a player to offer better competition by replacing Trossard. Martinelli, in the last year, according to FBRef, ranks in the 57th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 at 0.28, meaning 43% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five are scoring at a faster rate for their respective clubs.

He ranks in the 32nd percentile for assists per 90 with 0.14 and the 18th for shot-creating actions per 90 with 2.90. Martinelli’s on-the-ball ability is ranked in the 78th percentile for progressive carries per 90 (4.69), and of those, he ranks in the 46th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 with 1.48.

Looking at the start of the alternatives, Lyon’s 20-year-old Malick Fofana has been linked with a move to several Premier League sides. Predominantly a left-winger, he has been an efficient goalscorer, ranking in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.47). He has had some success as a creative player, ranking in the 61st percentile for assists per 90 (0.21) but only ranks in the 37th percentile, still more than Martinelli, for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.38).

On the ball, he carries it extremely well, ranking in the 98th percentile. Only Noni Madueke puts in higher numbers here, with 6.72. He ranks in the 41st percentile for successful take-ons per 90 with 1.41.

Next up is Rafael Leao of AC Milan, a chaotic winger who has had some issues with consistency but remains one of Europe’s most highly regarded left wingers and the highest valued on this list according to Transfermarkt. He scores goals frequently, ranking in the 69th percentile with 0.32 non-penalty goals per 90.

Creatively, he’s the best on this list so far, with 0.26 assists per 90, ranking him in the 75th percentile with 4.13 shot-creating actions per 90, putting him in the 68th percentile. Despite having a lower progressive carry per 90 rate of 4.74 (79th percentile), his take-ons are very impressive, completing 2.83 per 90 and scoring him in the 95th percentile.

Ademola Lookman remains a player looking for a move, having handed in a transfer request. His numbers with Atalanta have been truly top-class: 98th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.63), 53rd percentile for assists per 90 (0.20), and, importantly, 92nd percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.51), a figure Viktor Gyokeres will surely be excited by.

He's good on the ball himself, ranking in the 91st percentile for progressive carries per 90 (5.71). However, he is less successful than Leao at beating his man but more so than Martinelli, with 1.72 successful take-ons per 90, putting him in the 61st percentile.

All three of these players would add goals, attacking threat and creativity to the Arsenal side. They’re putting in numbers that wholly eclipse those of Martinelli currently, although playing in different leagues and could be available for accessible transfer fees after the sale of several other players.

Cristian Romero has declared it an "incredible honour" to be named the new club captain at Tottenham Hotspur.

New head coach Thomas Frank had a big decision to make after Son Heung-min left the club for Los Angeles FC last week, with a new club captain required.

Under Ange Postecoglou, Romero and James Maddison were vice-captains and it was expected that the Argentinian would take the armband, particularly given Maddison's ACL injury that will keep him out for most of the season.

And Frank has done what everyone expected in naming Romero as Spurs' new skipper.

There had been question marks over the 27-year-old's future in N17 too, with plenty of transfer speculation following Postecoglou's exit from the club and Atletico Madrid publicly showing their interest in signing him.

But nothing has been forthcoming and Frank's show of support for Romero is sure to help in trying to convince the centre-back to stay for the long term.

Speaking after the decision, Romero said on Instagram: "Today begins a new season for us, one that is truly special to me. Becoming the first [team] captain of this beautiful club is an incredible honor (sic).

"I arrived here four years ago with a single dream: to write my name into the club’s history and leave my mark by winning a trophy, and I achieved that.

"Now, a new journey is in front of us. A beautiful season lies ahead, and together we will work to relive the joy of that unforgettable day, May 21, 2025.

"Whatever happens along the way, I ask only one thing: stay united. There will be highs and lows, but together, nothing is impossible. Como (sic) on you Spurs."

Romero will lead the team out for the first time as the full-time leader of the team for the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, before the new Premier League season begins against Burnley on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur have announced Cristian Romero as their new club captain, following the summer departure of Son Heung-min.

Romero was one of the vice-captains, alongside James Maddison, under Ange Postecoglou last season, supporting Son and taking on the armband on various occasions.

With Son leaving the club after ten years in north London, new head coach Thomas Frank was tasked with naming a new skipper, and Romero is the chosen one.

The Argentinian World Cup winner, who was named Player of the Match in Spurs' successful UEFA Europa League final, has vast experience and abundant leadership qualities, as shown in that final in Bilbao against Manchester United.

"I had a good conversation with Cuti Romero, and he’s going to be our captain," said Frank. "He was very honoured and very happy about it. It’s a big thing and should be to lead this wonderful club out on the pitch, not just for this Super Cup, but also throughout the season.

"I think he has all the right qualities. He leads from his behaviour on the pitch, driving the team forward in every way, and outside the pitch he’s always pushing the team.

"I want a leadership group as well. Of course, one will wear the armband and be the captain, but I would like to have as many leaders as possible, four to five in the leadership group who can help, because it’s the same with me, I can’t do everything on my own and need a superb coaching staff around me. I will name that leadership group after the window to give me time to assess everything."

Arsenal failed in their pursuit of new Manchester United man Benjamin Sesko, who former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou dubbed "smart" for snubbing their north London rivals.

Mikel Arteta's hunt for a No. 9 ended this summer with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP for £64million, but many targets had come and gone during this quest. Alongside the likes of Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, Sesko was firmly on the Gunners' radar, though after a snub 12 months ago, he was bypassed for Gyokeres, who himself batted away interest from United.

The 22-year-old talent will now lead Ruben Amorim's line for the upcoming Premier League season. He was the brunt of Postecoglou's Euros slant last year as the then-Spurs boss was queried about Sesko prior to Slovenia's group stage clash with England, and had a telling view on his Arsenal move that never was.

"I think a big club would have looked at him this year, and it's a smart move for him to stay there for another year," began Postecoglou on punditry duty for ITV during Euro 2024.

"I think there's still some development in him, but really good attributes for a striker position, for sure," he continued, speaking on the striker who had just penned a new deal with RB Leipzig to stave off interest.

Presenter Mark Pougatch then posed a question to the Australian, asking: "Is that the Tottenham manager saying it's a smart move not to go to Arsenal?"

A witty reply was produced by Postecoglou as he uttered: "No comment." This elicited laughter from all in the ITV studio, including Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Roy Keane.

It was reported last summer that the Gunners were ready to activate Sesko's £55m release clause, but interest soon dwindled after the striker penned his new deal. Such speculation arose once again in January and this summer transfer window, but with an increased price tag set, their pursuit soon stopped, and Gyokeres was snapped up instead.

The Red Devils swooped in to secure themselves a striker, announcing the signing of Sesko in a deal totalling £74m on Saturday and introducing him to their fans before a pre-season friendly against Fiorentina.

Sesko was jubilant when asked why he chose United over other potential suitors, such as Arsenal and Newcastle United, who submitted a more lucrative bid for him this summer.

"The history of Manchester United is obviously very special but what really excites me is the future," stated Sesko. "When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon.

"From the moment that I arrived, I could feel the positive energy and family environment that the club has created. It is clearly the perfect place to reach my maximum level and fulfil all of my ambitions.

"I cannot wait to start learning from Ruben [Amorim] and connecting with my team-mates to achieve the success that we all know we are capable of together."

Tottenham return to competitive action for the first time this season later today, with Thomas Frank's side taking on Paris Saint-Germain for the UEFA Super Cup.

After beating Manchester United 1-0 in last season's Europa League final, not only did it put an end to Spurs' long wait for a trophy, but it also gave them a chance to win another, with the victory securing the Lilywhites' spot in the Super Cup final. The winners of the Europa League take on the winners of the Champions League in a one-off game, meaning Spurs will face PSG after they thumped Inter Milan 5-0 in last season's Champions League final.

Frank has confirmed that Yves Bissouma won't be part of Spurs' squad later today "for disciplinary reasons", while Dominic Solanke will be available for selection after picking up a knock during pre-season. So, can Spurs start the new season with a trophy? Let's take a look.

PSG vs Tottenham Super Cup score predicted

To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries, suspensions, and transfers. The kits from the 2025/26 season aren't available in EA FC 25, so both sides were lined up in last season's kits, while new transfers may have incorrect squad numbers in-game.

We predict that PSG could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Chevalier; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.

We predict that Spurs could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Bergvall, Johnson; Richarlison.

Spurs almost got off to the perfect start when a mistake saw Mohamed Kudus gifted the ball from Nuno Mendes on the right wing, but after carrying the ball into the box, his shot was weak and fired into the body of the goalkeeper. After the early chance, PSG started to gain control of the game, and 15 minutes in, they went ahead.

After a period of dominance, a well-worked passing move saw Fabian Ruiz fire home, with the Spaniard's late run into the box not tracked as he swept a cut-back into the roof of the net from close range. After going ahead, PSG were faultless in possession, and with Spurs unable to get near them, they doubled their lead just after the break.

Achraf Hakimi and Desire Doue both surged at the Spurs backline down the right, with Hakimi flicking the ball into the path of Doue as the latter broke towards the byline. In a dangerous position, Doue picked out Ousmane Dembele in the box, and the Frenchman blasted his shot past Guglielmo Vicario to make it 2-0.

The second goal seemed to eliminate any Spurs hope, with Frank's side unable to gain any control against the PSG midfield. Spurs had an opportunity to pull a goal back in the 89th minute when Cristian Romero met a corner at the near post, but his flicked header evaded the crossbar as the Lilywhites were beaten to the trophy.

EA FC 25 predicted final score: PSG 2-0 Tottenham

Thomas Frank is going to have to ensure his Tottenham team are at their very best and most defensively sound if they are to overcome PSG and lift the UEFA Super Cup.

Spurs go into the match against the Champions League winners and Club World Cup finalists as huge underdogs but they have their own experience of trophy-winning on the continent now following their Europa League triumph in Bilbao in May. Now they have a new head coach at the helm in Frank and the Dane has already made a strong decision this week after telling football.london that he had left Yves Bissouma due to disciplinary issues, mainly constantly being late to training.

"He has been late several times and the latest time was one too many. With everything you need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and there also need to be consequences and this time there was a consequence for that," said the 51-year-old.

"For me there has been a consequence for this trip and then I will follow up when I come home. I will park it now because there is a relatively important game tomorrow."

Frank does have Dominic Solanke back and available for selection although the England international's lack of pre-season minutes before his ankle injury would seem to make it unlikely he would start over the fitter Richarlison. A decision must also be made over Joao Palhinha, who is lacking in match fitness and looked that way as he played 45 minutes in the defeat at Bayern Munich on Thursday.

Frank occasionally switches to a back three and he could bring that in for the first time this summer in order to name another defender in the line-up against PSG's attacking quality. That could mean a start for either Ben Davies or Kevin Danso alongside Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Up top, Spurs remain without a natural number 10 after James Maddison's anterior cruciate ligament injury and surgery on Tuesday. A back three, with the width of the full-backs would mean one or two players infield as tens rather than wide men.

Here's the starting line-up that Frank could select in Udine to face Luis Enrique's side.

Another piece of silverware is up for grabs for Tottenham on Wednesday evening as they bid to add to their Europa League success. Ending a 17-year trophy drought by beating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao back in May, the Lilywhites will now compete with Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Luis Enrique's side delivered one of the greatest European final performances with a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan and that has left Tottenham fans rather worried as a result. New Tottenham boss Thomas Frank will be hoping to mastermind a big shock when the sides meet at Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy on Wednesday evening.

Spurs have endured a rather mixed pre-season in terms of results, notably beating Arsenal 1-0 in Hong Kong and then falling to a 4-0 defeat at Bayern Munich seven days later. A lack of business in the summer transfer market has not exactly helped the Dane, with James Maddison succumbing to a long-term injury and Son Heung-min bidding farewell to the club after ten years in the capital.

Heading into Wednesday's game against PSG, Frank will know the vast majority of his team to take on the Ligue 1 champions. In fact, eight of his players may have undroppable status for the final showdown.

Guglielmo Vicario is one of those, with Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence likely to make up the back four. Destiny Udogie has suffered with a knee injury over the course of the summer and is not quite ready for the final, meaning Spence will be leading the way to start at left-back once again.

In midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur appears a certainty to start and the same goes for new loan addition Joao Palhinha. The Portuguese international was named in the starting XI for last week's friendly against parent club Bayern Munich and a second successive start will be in order given what he brings to the team.

In attack, fellow new addition Mohammed Kudus looks to be assured of a spot after catching the eye in pre-season. The other three positions in Tottenham's front four are then very much up for debate.

In terms of the No.10 role, Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall may be fighting it out for a starting spot unless Kudus is moved centrally or Wilson Odobert is deployed there. On the left wing, it will be a three-way battle between Odobert, Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson.

Who starts up front will all depend on Dominic Solanke's fitness as he has been struggling with an ankle issue this summer. The ex-Bournemouth man is available for selection once again but his lack of match action in pre-season leaves Frank with a big decision to make over his starting striker.

As we enter the final days of the off-season and Arsenal close in on their trip to Manchester United, there is still more than half a month that remains of the transfer window still left to run. The Gunners have successfully signed six players, but it appears that the thirst for signings has not yet been quenched among supporters.

Claims that a seventh is a necessity have reached new heights, especially after Eberechi Eze's links to Tottenham. Further accusations of Mikel Arteta being left short have come forth and the emphasis on a third attacking signing has come to the table.

With that in mind, how the club handles the closing weeks of the window appears, therefore, hugely influential on how the season might go. That said, football.london looks into how they might manage decisions as the window closes out.

Sign Eberechi Eze

If there is a way to get an agreement and to make a deal for Eberechi Eze possible, Arsenal have to do it. Find some levers, move players on and make room, but get this deal done and do not allow your north London rivals, Spurs, to steal what would be one of the signings of the window.

Arsenal are understood to need to find buyers for some players, but while that goes on, assurances that they will move for Eze need to be communicated, if they have not already been, of course. Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Leandro Trossard have all reported links away from the side in the past week. Hopefully, these movements open the door to Eze.

The outgoings

As mentioned, the club needs to move on plenty of players. In addition to those listed above, Karl Hein also needs to find a new club, while Jakub Kiwior has been linked with clubs in Germany, Italy, and Portugal this summer. That said, from a personal point of view, it would be a mistake to let the Pole leave, as he adds important depth to the defence.

There is also the matter of loans for some of the youth team as football.london has discussed; getting these young players senior experience and improving their value is paramount to the club’s future success. In the bracket of outgoings, the club need to prevent the exits of some of the squad, and the club indeed remain calm on securing the futures of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba.

The eighth signing

As discussed, Ebere Eze would become Arsenal's seventh signing if the Gunners manage to move the requisite levers to make a deal happen. That being said, some feel that an eighth player is still a necessary reinforcement in the window.

The reality is that no matter how many players are sold, bringing in a high-quality player in addition to a move for Eze seems highly unlikely. Not only that, but there is also a question of space.

Arsenal will go to Old Trafford already leaving senior players out of the 20-man matchday squad. This doesn't include the returning Gabriel Jesus (expected back toward the end of the year), the exciting talent of Max Dowman or this potential eighth player.

Eberechi Eze has shown his support for James Maddison after the Tottenham Hotspur star underwent surgery on a serious knee injury, hours after the north Londoners reportedly began exploring a deal for the Crystal Palace midfielder.

Maddison, 28, is set to miss a considerable amount of the 2025/26 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United earlier this month.

On Tuesday, the former Leicester City star revealed he underwent successful surgery on the injury, which he described as the "lowest low I've ever had".

Posting on Instagram, Maddison said: "Lowest low I’ve ever had. Heartbroken at the fact this injury has occurred at this time in my career.

"With the Super Cup tomorrow, the Premier League season on the horizon, the exciting Champions League campaign & it being a World Cup year for England it all feels very very cruel but nevertheless, the ACL reconstruction surgery was successful.

"To all my close friends and family, your support and love means absolutely everything to me.

"To those of you who have gone out of your way to message on social media platforms in support of me and my recovery even when we don’t know each other personally, I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know so thank you.

"And lastly to those of you who doubt, hate & mock. You truly motivate me to levels I didn’t know I had inside of me so again, thank you.

"See you all on the other side."

Stars from around the Premier League were quick to show their support for Maddison, with Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White either 'liking' or commenting on the post.

But it was the 'like' left by Eze which attracted most of the attention after the BBC reported that Spurs were 'exploring a deal' with Crystal Palace for the midfielder on Tuesday.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that England international Eze is keen on a move to Tottenham due to the North Londoners' involvement in the Champions League this season.

It is claimed that Spurs, who won the Europa League in May, are "seriously working" on a deal for the attacking midfielder.

Guglielmo Vicario and Ben Davies have both spoken about the changes Thomas Frank has instilled at Tottenham Hotspur since taking over.

The two experienced Spurs players were speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG in Udine. Tottenham's Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou gave them the chance to take on the Parisian Champions League winners in the showpiece game in France.

Both Vicario and Davies were asked in their press conference at the Stadio Friuli about what different things the Dane has brought to the north London club.

Here's everything both players said in Udine, the town where the Tottenham goalkeeper grew up, to the reporters ahead of the big European night. First up is the Italian stopper, followed by the Welsh defender as they spoke about Frank, the changes at the club and the considerable test of facing PSG.

Guglielmo Vicario

What's it like to be playing at home?

Personally, it will be an emotional day but as soon as we get close to kick-off emotions have to stay away and we have to be focused on what we have to deliver on the pitch. It will be an amazing game and we need to be ready to win.

Of course, for my team I am one of the oldest players in the dressing room so now is the moment to step up. The moment to take some responsibilities. I see a group of lads who are really ready to fight and commit. I don’t want to give them advice but we have to try to be the best version possible of ourselves. We need to start tomorrow. Together we can achieve great things.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, is it a good thing that he's out?

Of course I knew about him and he is not in the squad. He is my captain of the national team and I have good feelings and a good relationship with him. It is up to him and his club to find the best way possible for his future and I wish him all the best.

Can you push on now as the team knows what it takes to win a trophy.

Of course we have set the tone and we want to repeat and to do it again. We have tasted the feeling and this feeling is amazing so we want to do it again and we have the opportunity tomorrow again with another European final. We are there because we have earned the right to be there and to play against PSG. Of course we want to do it. In football and sports, it is all about winning and losing. Sometimes it is hard to properly find the right way to win but it is up to us to believe and we have to do it together and follow the manager’s instructions. We believe in Thomas and how we can improve as a collective. We can set the tone again if we want to be successful.

Has there been a change with your kicking now that Thomas Frank is in charge?

Yeah something has changed, I really need to look to read the situation that presents in front of me, sometimes it is time to build from the back and play, sometimes it’s to go long. It’s kind of a different approach to what I was used to over the last two seasons but the important thing is it’s useful for the team and to achieve a good result if I can impact in this way.

Ben Davies

With Son leaving, have you noticed the other experienced players stepping up to fill the leadership void?

Over the summer we lost Sonny and he was a big part of the dressing room and obviously a huge player for us on the pitch and we are definitely going to feel his loss but ultimately the senior guys in this team have to be here to support everyone and we have to try and make sure we allow everyone to stand up and show the players they are the person they are. We have a good group and we are prepared for anything.

How tough is it going to be against PSG?

It is quite clear we are playing one of the best teams in world football. They have so much talent all across the pitch. It is definitely going to be a challenge but over the summer we saw once they played some incredible games they care not invincible and not unbeatable. We can take some confidence from that and try our best to win the game.

With Thomas Frank - how different is he to previous managers?

He has come in and brought a lot of energy. It could not have been an easy time to come into the club after last season but the boys have really enjoyed working under him and he has come in and put in some good training sessions on and we have worked a lot on the team structure. The little details are around the game that we can improve. So far it has been really exciting and we hope the work we have put in will pay dividends.

Does that trophy winning feeling push the team on now?

I think what Vic said is right, once you get that initial feeling you really do have that desire and hunger in this group that wants to do it again. We had our time of enjoying the result from last year but everyone’s focus this season is that we are in a number of competitions, there are trophies at stake and it starts tomorrow night.

Will a Thomas Frank team be more cautious tomorrow or tactically flexible?

I’m not necessarily sure cautious is the right word but I think we're definitely going to have a different game plan depending on the opposition this season and that starts tomorrow. I’m not going to tell you what our plan is for the game but we feel like we’re prepared to put our best foot forward and put the best performance out there to beat PSG. We’ve put the work in so we hope it pays off.