The i Paper

At this point Aston Villa and Newcastle United supporters are shouting at the clouds, knowing complaints about a broken system laughing in their face are futile.

The Magpies specifically are being pickpocketed in plain sight, a club with the richest owners in world football selling to a team who have finished 17th in back-to-back seasons.

“Cry more” is the Big Six response, for it is easy to laugh from this position. As in The Sims, the ladder has been removed from the swimming pool, and the powers above are watching those below them tread water.

It is now five years since the Saudi Arabia-backed takeover and Newcastle remain far behind Tottenham Hotspur in the pecking order because the restraints in place may never allow them to get ahead.

At this rate, Newcastle are even going backwards. Sandro Tonali joining Tottenham after Anthony Gordon departed for Barcelona means £169m to reinvest, but it will be be difficult to attract players who view joining them as anything but a stepping stone to bigger things – or even Tottenham.

That Tonali was desperate to join the north London club, as The i Paper reported, is a damning indictment on the Newcastle project, which has stalled on the pitch and is struggling off it.

A horrendous summer transfer window last year did not help, but going into a new season fishing for Gordon and Tonali replacements is a sorry starting point for a club with ambitions of winning the Premier League by 2030.

And while Spurs take their summer spend north of £230m – having also signed Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham and Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m from Brighton – recent rule changes and fines suggest both Newcastle and Villa cannot spend anywhere near as freely.

Uefa fined Newcastle £5.2m for breaching its financial rules, while Villa were fined £19.4m, with £12.9m of that amount suspended provided they decrease their squad cost ratio (SCR) going forward.

SCR is the new three-letter acronym for Newcastle and Villa fans to roll their eyes at in the Premier League, as it is replacing profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

It also explains Spurs’ ability to dig deep into their pockets. “They’ll be outspending, you’d imagine, every team from at least eighth down,” football finance expert Rob Wilson, professor of applied sport finance at the University Campus of Football Business, told The i Paper this week.

Wilson also said in May that Villa are not as desperate to sell as they have been in recent years, but there is no chance, like Spurs, of them spending £100m on one player – let alone £177m on two.

All this despite, in the last three seasons, Villa picking up 199 league points, the fourth-most while Newcastle are sixth with 175 and Tottenham are down in 13th with 145.

Flip that around for net spend since 2023-24, where Spurs top the lot, their £528m ahead of the other Big Six clubs while Newcastle are 11th (£110m) and Villa, remarkably, are down in 21st (£14m).

Villa have therefore won 54 more points and spent £415m less on incomings than Tottenham in the last three years.

In that time West Ham, Brighton and Nottingham Forest are also among the clubs to have spent more on players than Villa, who continue to fight in the face of these restraints thanks to head coach Unai Emery.

Read more

Kat Lucas: How Tottenham afforded £177m Tonali and Fernandes – and their transfer plans now

Mark Douglas: Newcastle will reinvest £100m Tonali cash – with one deal agreed and two targets

Another Champions League campaign awaits, too, but the sense they have reached their ceiling under the Spaniard – especially after finally ending their trophy drought in Istanbul – is difficult to shake given they have been flying close to the sun for three-and-a-half seasons.

A drastic drop-off would be a surprise, but sustaining this level is difficult. In Emery they trust, but losing Morgan Rogers – whom they want £130m for this summer – would put them in a similar situation to Newcastle.

And whether it is this summer, next summer, or the summers to follow, the Big Six will only continue to poach from those below them even if they are above them. That is just how it works now. Newcastle and Villa know their place, and are at pains to fight it.

Tottenham have reached an agreement with Newcastle United for midfielder Sandro Tonali in a deal that will smash their transfer record.

The Italy international is expected to move to north London for a fee of £92m – more with add-ons – as Roberto De Zerbi’s side ramp up their summer plans.

The Tonali breakthrough comes shortly after pipping Manchester United to £85m midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

It signals a major shift as Spurs prioritise getting business done early – and ensuring they no longer miss out on those “big ticket” deals after the humiliation of seeing Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White go elsewhere.

It is a particular feather in their cap that Manchester City were still pushing for Tonali and he has opted for Tottenham despite their absence of European football, having finished 17th and narrowly avoided relegation last season.

Where is the money coming from?

Spurs have been highly active in the market, albeit some of their transfers have been free – Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka. Jan Paul van Hecke joined for £52m from Brighton, which will be partly offset by Luka Vuskovic going the other way for around £10m less.

As for Tonali, it is possible to amortise the outgoing fees, so that for Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) Spurs could split the fee over five years.

“They’ve never been in any way, shape or form close to the PSR threshold,” says Rob Wilson, football finance expert at the University Campus of Football Business.

“So they’ve got all of that in the bank. We’ve got this interesting point this year where PSR is changing to squad cost ratio (SCR). The squad cost ratio will work out as a percentage of their income, and their income is significant in the context of the Premier League – so that’s why they’ll be outspending, you’d imagine, every team from at least eighth down.

“It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if they spent £200-250m as a gross spend – and then you’ve got players they might sell to bring the overall outgoing budget down.”

Both PSR and SCR will be calculate over a three-year period, further allowing Spurs to spend.

They do not tend to make losses, which means in theory, Wilson says they could “almost throw the kitchen sink at it in one summer, knowing that they would then be in almost a breach position, you can then recover that over that three-year period assuming your sporting performance is really good”.

The club is also benefiting from its commercial revenue – the concerts, the NFL, boxing and go-karting. Much-maligned as those activities are by some fans, in 2025 Spurs’ commercial revenue was £277m – bigger than 40 per cent of the revenue budget for other clubs in the Premier League.

That will allow them to withstand missing out on Champions League football, which has cost them £80m.

Latest on other targets

Other pursuits are less concrete. Marcus Rashford is a player on their list, particularly as he is seen as a player who would solve the headaches on the left and at No 9 all at once. Rashford is valued at around £40m by Manchester United after a successful loan spell at Barcelona. Savinho is an alternative still being monitored with the winger expected to leave Manchester City.

Who could leave?

Guglielmo Vicario has moved a step closer to the exit with a return to Serie A the most likely destination. Dubravka’s arrival means there is now another back-up goalkeeper ready, with De Zerbi impressed enough by Antonin Kinsky that he considers him capable of being No 1.

Yves Bissouma has already been released and there are talks ongoing over the futures of Radu Dragusin. Manor Solomon is likely to leave after spending the season on loan at Fiorentina, despite being offered brief hope of a long-term future last summer.

Lucas Bergvall is understood to have expressed a desire to leave after just 11 league starts in 2025-26.

A call will also be made on Richarlison as he enters the final year of his deal, with a new contract still possible. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke’s fitness issues, together with Randal Kolo Muani’s loan coming to an end, leaves them light for striker options.

With two high-profile midfield incomings and Rodrigo Bentancur having signed a new deal, there is now significantly more doubt over Joao Palhinha’s long-term future after his loan.

One more transfer headache

One area Spurs do need to tread carefully over is homegrown players. Premier League clubs require eight of a club’s 25-man squad list to be homegrown with a maximum of 17 non-homegrown allowed. They have eight currently, including Ben Davies (who does not qualify in Europe because he is Welsh) and Kevin Danso, an Austria international but who grew up in England.

Robertson (Scottish) does not count because he did not grow up in England or Wales and none of their major targets would count towards the quota either.

Who is calling the shots?

De Zerbi has a large say in transfers, but Spurs are still searching for a second sporting director after the move for Sebastian Kehl, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, fell through. Johan Lange remains in place for now.

In the hierarchy there is an understanding that a summer of stagnation could not be allowed to happen, lest it appear that the threat of how close Spurs came to relegation had not been taken seriously enough. The £100m extra investment from Enic a year ago gives further wiggle room.

Read more

Interview: Harry Redknapp: The worst celebrity I’ve seen play football? He was shocking

Analysis: Tottenham’s most controversial summer transfer has been turned on its head

While both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have attracted interest there is a huge note of caution attached to selling both at the same time even after Van Hecke’s arrival.

“Spurs are fairly unique in that they could get away with not selling big,” Wilson adds.

“They might sell a couple of fringe players just to top up cash flow, but they could get away with waiting through the summer and seeing if they get the right bid for some of those players.

“But unquestionably, when you have a squad like they’ve assembled over the last few years that has delivered the on-field performance that they’ve delivered over those last couple of years, they will be looking at reshaping that squad without question. They’ve got some fairly decent saleable assets.”

Can any man on the planet match the swagger of Bad Bunny? For three hours on Saturday night he thrusted through the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with such easy energy and louche, gum-chewing braggadocio, I was convinced his charisma alone was enough to have made him a phenomenon.

At last, the UK has joined the Bad Bunny party. For the past few years, there has been no artist as exciting as the 32-year-old Puerto Rican sensation, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. His fusion of trap, rap, reggaeton, salsa, hip hop, bomba and pop has made him the most-streamed artist in the world year after year. In February, his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos became the first Spanish-language record to win the Grammy for album of the year; the same month, his Super Bowl half-time show, a staggeringly impressive celebration of Latino joy, was the first not in the English language.

In north London, his first of two shows marked the biggest Spanish-language concert in British history. It was an explosive, relentlessly uplifting fiesta. In a cream suit and sunglasses, he opened with salsa song “La Mudanza”, an affirmation of pride, a tribute to his family and an outcry about gentrification. His superb backing band Los Sobrinos sparked the night’s frenzy of guitars, brass and Puerto Rican folk as Benito announced the plan for the rest of the evening: to love and dance “sin miedo” – without fear.

Neither Benito nor the crowd was still again: he leaned all the way back, clutching the microphone, during the lovelorn “Baile Inolvidable” with all its trumpets and drums. There can’t have been anybody, when the beat dropped to his thrilling ode to New York and its Latin communities “Nuevayol”, who was not screaming the words as he flexed his muscles and waved his arms to conduct.

The stages were so alive with motion, instruments and life, yet no matter the commotion or dancing (merengue, bachata, urban, salsa) around him, nothing can distract from Benito and his deep, commanding voice, on just the right side of nasal, or all that entrancing charm. You can’t take your eyes off him.

Bad Bunny’s influence is so great that many credit him with making Latin American music mainstream – as if his gift is in creating something that transcends language barriers because it is palatable to listeners so long turned off by Spanish-language music. What struck me, in this crowd of 50,000 predominantly Spanish-speaking fans, was how deeply that misses the point.

His popularity does not lie in crossing cultures but in galvanising them: he is uncompromising in honouring his Puerto Rican heritage, in singing about his own community whether in rejoice or lament, in exploring Latin American identity and unifying the diaspora. He is so important precisely because he will not concede.

It was tremendously moving to see so many men and women around me, overwhelmed and tearful, as he spoke of the feeling of being far from home, of missing his country, of Latino pride and unity. Many of them wore traditional “pava” straw hats, many wore football shirts, some were in shark costumes, and thousands bejewelled the crowd waving more bright, dazzling flags than I have ever seen, from more nations than I could count.

That was the message: pride, togetherness, resilience. There was no humouring fans who don’t speak Spanish, as he announced “we are all Puerto Rican”, and declared solidarity with Venezuela after this week’s earthquake. His plea was for everyone to enjoy the simple things in life, his message: these are what make life richer.

Given how outspoken and political he is – he has refused to perform this tour in the United States, fearing that ICE would target his shows and his fans – some might have expected his chatter to be punchy and critical. Instead, as with his Super Bowl show – which Donald Trump called “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” – the politics were implicit in his defiant celebration of his culture and all this shared joy.

The album and tour’s title track, “Dtmf”, means “I should have taken more photos”. It is an introspective, nostalgic song about regret, and not cherishing the right things when you could – and it was electrifying as its haunting opening bars chimed through the stadium and everybody jumped, sang, cried, and lost the plot.

No matter the homesickness, the pain, the longing, the language barrier – Bad Bunny’s great gift is in showing the world there is always a reason to dance.

Tottenham will embark on a major policy shift by getting transfer business done early and seeking to go toe-to-toe with Champions League clubs for “big ticket” deals.

Spurs have already signed Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m, determined to get that move over the line despite the defender only having had 12 months remaining on his Brighton contract.

Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka have also arrived on free transfers from Liverpool, Bournemouth and Burnley respectively.

Four Tottenham targets

It is the other big-money moves that have piqued curiosity, however, with Spurs having had one £80m bid for Sandro Tonali turned down and preparing another. Newcastle initially slapped a £100m+ price tag on the midfielder but suitors are hopeful that will come down because of his desire to leave St James’ Park.

Other pursuits are less concrete. Marcus Rashford is a player on their list, particularly as he is seen as a player who would solve the headaches on the left and at No 9 all at once. Rashford is valued at around £40m by Manchester United after a successful loan spell at Barcelona.

Savinho is an alternative still being monitored with the winger expected to leave Manchester City and Mateus Fernandes is still on Spurs’ radar despite West Ham holding out for up to £80m.

How can they afford it?

One option is amortising the Tonali deal, so that for Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) Spurs could split the £85m over five years, should that improved fee be agreed and thus avoid making a loss. It helps that Tonali’s Italy did not qualify for the World Cup, meaning talks are continuing where other transfers have been interrupted.

It is no coincidence that Spurs are rejigging their pay structure while also prioritising high-profile “leaders” like Robertson, Senesi and Dubravka on free transfers, allowing wages to go up.

The club is also benefiting from its commercial revenue – the concerts, the NFL, boxing and go-karting. Much-maligned as those activities are by some fans, in 2025 Spurs’ commercial revenue was £277m – bigger than 40 per cent of the revenue budget for other clubs in the Premier League.

That will allow them to withstand missing out on Champions League football, which has cost them £80m.

“They’ve never been in any way, shape or form close to the PSR threshold,” says Rob Wilson, football finance expert at the University Campus of Football Business.

“So they’ve got all of that in the bank. We’ve got this interesting point this year where PSR is changing to squad cost ratio (SCR). The squad cost ratio will work out as a percentage of their income, and their income is significant in the contex of the Premier League – so that’s why they’ll b outspending, you’d imagine, every team from at least eighth down.

“They’re talking about buying lots of players – and it’ll be interesting to see if they execute it because they certainly can’t afford to buy all the player that the headlines say they’re being linked with. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if they spent £200-250m as a gross spend – and then you’ve got players they might sell to bring the overall outgoing budget down.”

Both PSR and SCR will be calculate over a three-year period, further allowing Spurs to spend.

They do not tend to make losses, which means in theory, Wilson says they could “almost throw the kitchen sink at it in one summer, knowing that they would then be in almost a breach position, you can then recover that over that three-year period assuming your sporting performance is really good”.

Who could leave?

Guglielmo Vicario has moved a step closer to the exit with a return to Serie A the most likely destination. Dubravka’s arrival means there is now another back-up goalkeeper ready, with Roberto De Zerbi impressed enough by Antonin Kinsky that he considers him capable of being No 1.

Yves Bissouma has already been released and there are talks ongoing over the futures of Radu Dragusin. Manor Solomon is likely to leave after spending the season on loan at Fiorentina, despite being offered brief hope of a long-term future last summer.

Lucas Bergvall is understood to have expressed a desire to leave after just 11 league starts in 2025-26. Brighton are expected to come in for Luka Vuskovic again, with De Zerbi unable to promise him a starting place, with the Seagulls’ initial £35m bid knocked back.

A call will also be made on Richarlison as he enters the final year of his deal, with a new contract still possible. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke’s fitness issues, together with Randal Kolo Muani’s loan coming to an end, leaves them light for striker options.

Making Joao Palhinha’s loan permanent is also seen as crucial by De Zerbi.

One more transfer headache

One area Spurs do need to tread carefully over is homegrown players. Premier League clubs require eight of a club’s 25-man squad list to be homegrown with a maximum of 17 non-homegrown allowed. They have eight currently, including Ben Davies (who does not qualify in Europe because he is Welsh) and Kevin Danso, an Austria international but who grew up in England.

Andy Robertson (Scottish) does not count because he did not grow up in England or Wales and none of their major targets would count towards the quota either.

Who is calling the shots?

De Zerbi has a large say in transfers, but Spurs are still searching for a second sporting director after the move for Sebastian Kehl, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, fell through. Johan Lange remains in place for now.

In the hierarchy there is an understanding that a summer of stagnation could not be allowed to happen, lest it appear that the threat of how close Spurs came to relegation had not been taken seriously enough. The £100m extra investment from Enic a year ago gives further wiggle room.

Read more

Interview: Harry Redknapp: The worst celebrity I’ve seen play football? He was shocking

Analysis: Tottenham’s most controversial summer transfer has been turned on its head

While both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have attracted interest there is a huge note of caution attached to selling both at the same time even after Van Hecke’s arrival.

“Spurs are fairly unique in that they could get away with not selling big,” Wilson adds.

“They might sell a couple of fringe players just to top up cash flow, but they could get away with waiting through the summer and seeing if they get the right bid for some of those players.

“But unquestionably, when you have a squad like they’ve assembled over the last few years that has delivered the on-field performance that they’ve delivered over those last couple of years, they will be looking at reshaping that squad without question. They’ve got some fairly decent saleable assets.”

Marcus Rashford is the next target on Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer wish list this summer.

Free-spending Tottenham are determined to get their business done early after signing Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for £52m last week and making an opening £80m bid for Sandro Tonali, which was rejected by Newcastle United.

Proven Premier League players are top priority over younger, more inexperienced starlets from abroad for Spurs. Rashford fits the bill perfectly. He has taken his good form into the World Cup, and is affordable.

The i Paper understands that while Tottenham would not be willing to match the £40m release clause Manchester United and Rashford have agreed upon, relating to the price Aston Villa were required to meet to make their loan permanent last year, they are exploring a lower offer.

At this stage, Rashford’s preference would be to move abroad again – preferably back to Barcelona, or to Bayern Munich, who are also monitoring the 28-year-old’s progress – or return to United and resurrect his boyhood dreams. Moving to another Premier League club is currently not on his radar.

However, it is understood that United’s position on the player, who they would prefer to move on to save on his astronomical wages, will force Rashford to reconsider his stance.

United sources are adamant the club will not engage with Barcelona over another loan deal, after the Catalan giants elected not to activate the £26m option to make his loan stay in Barcelona a permanent one.

Had it not been for Rashford’s wages, clubs would likely be queuing up for a player who was reborn at Barca last season. Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi is understood to be a huge fan and will push the club’s hierarchy to agree some form of deal.

Rashford will certainly have to take a substantial pay cut to secure his next move, something he is more than willing to do for the right step at a crucial juncture in his career.

United are set to have a busy summer too and could use the funds to reinvest into other areas of the squad.

A move for Atalanta’s Ederson is a matter of when, with the World Cup slowing matters. Attentions remain fixed on securing that second central midfield option. Talks are ongoing with West Ham’s in-demand Mateus Fernandes, but the fee being demanded for the Portuguese star is currently putting United off.

Elliot Anderson remains their top pick, but a move to Manchester City is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks, for what could be a British transfer record.

Read more

Mark Douglas: The latest on Sandro Tonali to Tottenham after £80m bid rejected

Pete Hall: Inside ‘bullied’ Marcus Rashford’s World Cup revival after escaping Man Utd hell

Crysencio Summerville, who impressed for the Netherlands in their thrashing of Sweden at the World Cup on Saturday, is another West Ham player United are pursuing. Another winger remains one of their priorities this window.

The club’s hierarchy are determined to remain sensible in this transfer market and if the price tag gets beyond their means, they will look at other options.

Spurs, it seems, are more willing to loosen the purse strings and splash the cash this window. Rashford, should a wage structure be agreed, could represent good value for money.

Newcastle United will seek £100m to sell star midfielder Sandro Tonali after dismissing “out of hand” an opening offer from Tottenham Hotspur that fell “at least” £20m short of their valuation.

Newcastle have had a challenging start to what they hope will be a transformative summer, and after missing out on Victor Munoz – who joined Liverpool despite agreeing a deal with the player, his agent and Osasuna last week – they have to handle the Tonali situation skilfully.

The i Paper understands that – although he has not formally asked for a move – Tonali is seeking a fresh challenge and has interest from Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Spurs’ approach, which was made on Thursday, represents the first club-to-club communication for the Italy midfielder.

Some at Newcastle are sceptical about the Spurs approach but Tonali appears ready to entertain it. He is yet to agree personal terms with Tottenham and their approach may prompt City to step up their own interest in the player.

Losing Tonali to Spurs ‘a major red flag’

From Newcastle the message is clear – there’s no decision for them to make because no club has come close to a valuation that is benchmarked against the amount that Nottingham Forest expect to receive for England international Elliot Anderson this summer.

Newcastle put Tonali in a similar bracket and, with issues around hitting Uefa’s squad cost ratio rules, they need to extract maximum value for any player they sell.

The optics of another major player leaving, just a few weeks after Anthony Gordon joined Barcelona in a deal worth around £85m, are certainly not good for Newcastle, who always acknowledged there would be some pain this summer.

Losing him to City or Arsenal would be one thing, but Spurs are one of the clubs that Newcastle hoped to pick off in their battle to be the “best of the rest” under majority owners PIF.

They have finished above them two years in succession and while Tottenham have bigger revenue streams – and a London location which many players seem to favour – it would be a major red flag for a project that supporters are increasingly beginning to doubt.

Lack of Europe costing Newcastle

Club sources dispute there is a lack of ambition and it is understood work is being carried out on multiple deals. Monaco’s Lamine Camara, for example, is one of the alternatives lined up if Tonali leaves but there has been difficulty in getting ambitious deals over the line recently.

They had worked for weeks on Munoz, securing an agreement from the player, his family and agent, and elbowing out Aston Villa. He had also assured them that he wanted to move to Newcastle over Liverpool – only for the Reds to gazump them at the last.

It is understood that the club are looking at what lessons can be learned from the collapse of the deal for a player who was allowed to meet Premier League representatives at Spain’s World Cup camp in Atlanta.

As for Tonali, it is not impossible that he stays but it’s difficult to see how he remains at St James’ Park given the noise around him now.

Read more

Mark Douglas: Why Newcastle’s Munoz deal really collapsed – and their next two targets

Analysis: I got England’s £120m ‘gem’ wrong – so did Newcastle and Joey Barton

Sources admitted at the start of the summer that a couple of big sales were likely to unlock their spending power in an important close season, but there had been hopes that they would have been offset by at least one outfield incoming deal.

There will be understandable – and correct – disappointment at Tonali looking to move on so soon after Newcastle backed him during his year-long ban for gambling offences. But a lack of European football is proving costly, with other players understood to be open to moves.

In that context Newcastle need to flex their recruitment muscles quickly to reassert their ambition.

Ordinarily, it would not be much of a story. A kid has a game of highs and lows in front of millions all over the globe.

The sticky part for Luka Vuskovic is that he and his entourage have made plenty of noise to get him into the media spotlight over the last fortnight.

The 19-year-old contracted to Tottenham Hotspur has been heavily linked with a mega-money move away before even representing them in a competitive game.

Vuskovic was linked with the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich during his loan at Hamburg last season, though Spurs have maintained they would rather keep such an asset.

More recently, he has been the subject of two bids from Brighton & Hove Albion, who are selling Jan Paul van Hecke to Spurs for £52m – and the wonderkid is said to be keen on becoming the Seagulls’ next budding prospect to sell for major profit. He is resistant to another loan and seemingly not fancying his chances under Roberto De Zerbi.

Brighton’s highest offer so far has come in at £35m, but Tottenham are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of £60m. If Vuskovic is to live with the ruthless intensity and fast pace of the Premier League, then Brighton’s bids don’t actually seem too derisory now.

In Croatia’s eventual 4-2 defeat to England in their World Cup opener, their youngsters shone through. The man who scored their first equaliser, Martin Baturina of Como, is 23. He was assisted by Petar Sucic, Inter’s 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

That move actually started with a contribution from centre-back Vuskovic. A mighty and meaty 6’4”, he took his initiative to step free of Croatia’s back three, from which he started slap bang in the middle, to crunch into Jude Bellingham just inside England’s own half and win back possession, with the ball flying past Jordan Pickford a few passes and one shot later.

Despite an opening 45 minutes which saw four goals fly in, that was the only time Vuskovic was forced to do some actual defending. England’s main threat was from set plays, with Noni Madueke winning a penalty off the wily Luka Modric following a corner, and then Harry Kane heading home a wicked delivery from Declan Rice.

Coming into the break, Vuskovic must have assumed the step up to the World Cup stage was a doddle. He had snatched the soul of a Real Madrid “Galactico” and, at the very least, didn’t look out of place defending Kane in open play. This would have followed the rapid trajectory of his career so far, after all. So far, so good.

But whatever Thomas Tuchel said to his Three Lions at the interval felt like a personal attack on Vuskovic, whose entire performance was turned inside-out within 90 seconds of the restart.

England worked the ball round the back nicely before Elliot Anderson whipped a pass into the channel, allowing Bellingham to run at the stretched Croatia backline. Central midfielder Mario Pasalic had to cover for the vacant Josko Gvardiol at left centre-back, but didn’t have the legs to keep up.

That left Vuskovic as the last defender ahead of Bellingham. And he didn’t want any of that smoke. The teenager shuffled inside to cut out the passing lane to Madueke instead, leaving England’s buccaneering No 10 the space he needed to gallop into the box and finish.

A wrong decision? Sure. That happens. Vuskovic is not even 20 yet, mistakes are part of his life. What was more alarming was how off the pace he looked.

Read more

Michael Hincks: Ange Postecoglou is putting the World Cup’s awful pundits to shame

Interview: Harry Redknapp: The worst celebrity I’ve seen play football? He was shocking

This is as quick as Vuskovic should ever look in his entire life. Yet here he was moving with the same slow speed you have when trying to flee the monsters in your nightmares. Someone unfamiliar with the two would have guessed Bellingham was several years Vuskovic’s younger given the stark difference in athleticism.

England’s bombardment, again largely through their dead-ball prowess, dominated the rest of Vuskovic’s time on the pitch before he was hooked after 66 minutes.

This sudden drop in market value doesn’t benefit any party involved here. Spurs still hold all the cards with the player on a long contract – and Brighton would now need to pay over the odds to get their hands on someone who is ultimately still a project.

Tottenham Hotspur will undergo a major overhaul both on and off the pitch after avoiding relegation on the final day of the Premier League season.

The club have been left shaken by back-to-back 17th-placed finishes. In Roberto De Zerbi there is a relief that they do not have to rip up the entire project and start again from scratch, now that he is tied down to a five-year contract.

However, there is expected to be at least one new appointment to the board over the summer. The inquest is also ongoing over the injury crisis that derailed Spurs for a second consecutive season and very nearly plunged them into the Championship.

After the 1-0 victory over Everton that kept his side up, De Zerbi said he had “10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay.” It will be easier to retain top earners having dodged the £200m loss that relegation would have entailed and Tottenham are hopeful of keeping a core group of players on.

Who could stay?

Joao Palhinha has underlined his importance with the winning goals in the wins over Wolves and Everton and his performance away to Aston Villa. He is still only on loan from Bayern Munich but there is an option to buy and making that deal permanent is a priority. Bringing in at least one goalkeeper and another left-wing option are also being explored.

It is hoped the most promising youngsters – Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall – will remain in north London, with Gray a particularly useful asset because of his versatility. Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are recovering from serious injury over the summer, while Dejan Kulusevski will also be continuing his rehabilitation and is not going to the World Cup with Sweden.

Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison are also players De Zerbi is set to build around going forward, along with Conor Gallagher – who only arrived in January – and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Who could go?

Guglielmo Vicario has attracted interest from Italy. He is fit again after a hernia operation but did not play the final games of the season as Antonin Kinsky kept his place.

There is also uncertainty over the long-term futures of Mathys Tel and Yves Bissouma. Randal Kolo Muani is not expected to make his loan move permanent after a disappointing season.

Ben Davies’ contract is up after missing the end of the season with a broken ankle. There has been some suggestion he could stay on in a part-playing capacity, also taking on another role off the pitch but talks are yet to be finalised either way.

Read more

Kat Lucas: My day on the edge with Spurs fans: ‘Please, don’t ruin my f**king life’

Kat Lucas: How the Premier League table would have looked without VAR

The biggest question comes at centre-back. Cristian Romero has been a long-term target of several Champions League clubs, including Atletico Madrid, and Spurs have no European football to offer next season. Romero also courted anger after flying to Argentina amid reports he would miss the final day of the season to watch his old team Belgrano – though he quickly returned to London and was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch his teammates stay up.

Spurs are in the same boat with Micky van de Ven, who will attract European suitors – but there is a hesitancy to allow them both to leave in the same summer. Kevin Danso has made a huge impression but Radu Dragusin is set to move on, with a move outside of England most likely.

Richarlison’s future is not entirely clear – he missed out on Brazil’s World Cup squad and had previously considered a move away. Dominic Solanke was among those who was unlikely to stay due to his wages if Spurs went down but there is now much more prospect of him staying put.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM — Over the last few days, you will no doubt have heard a variance of the idea that Tottenham Hotspur deserved this torturous day. I wanted to sit among their supporters for a few hours because the point is this: the owners may have long had this coming. These people did not.

Theirs is the ultimate triumph of hope over experience. After so much pain endured, it is a happy ending. “Believe, believe, believe,” they were told at kick-off. They will play Premier League football next season and this can never, ever be allowed to happen again.

At full-time, tears of disbelief. Delirious hugs with strangers. Buckets of sweat on the hottest, most fractious day of the year. It takes nearly losing something to realise what it means.

The Russells have been coming here for 30 years. “This week I got the all clear from prostate cancer,” Norman tells The i Paper. “It would have been unfortunate to have a heart attack four days later.”

“This is the most sick and nervous I’ve felt,” says Ben. “Am I allowed to swear?” asks Naomi. “Please Spurs – don’t ruin my f***ing life”.

The news of West Ham’s first goal trickles through with dread. The second half is needlessly delayed. The air is sick with it: “we can’t have nice things”.

They had climbed lampposts and scaled bus stops to welcome the team bus, a sea of navy-white mist and a coronation normally reserved for league champions.

That they lined the streets in such numbers speaks to an unfailing loyalty, when so many have felt exploited, taken for granted, described as “legacy fans”. They have been derided by virtually the entire country and theirs is the last laugh. “Tottenham away, ole ole.”

This has been the home of genuine distress and the relief feels all the more palpable because so much of the pent-up angst has been building for years. The club of Greaves, Gascoigne, Hoddle, Kane, reduced to this. So many fear Tottenham Hotspur will never be what it was.

The fact Spurs fought this battle as the ninth richest club in the world can be cast aside for now. Even the cultural vandalism this grand old club has suffered can be forgotten for a few hours. Spurs are staying where they belong.

On the whistle, a banner called for “change”, one last hollow scream into the void. Nobody is convinced these owners have any inclination to change. It simply cannot get worse.

So it had to be like this, one final scrape over the line from Joao Palhinha. You can feel the air plummet from the lungs in real time as Everton surge forward with nine minutes of stoppage time and Antonin Kinsky is the hero again.

“An overwhelming feeling of relief,” Callum Lidington tells The i Paper. “We deserved that.”

“Once this fades, we cannot forget how close this club came to disaster,” says Ben Overlander. “And slightly painfully,” adds Solly Jackman-Overlander, “we did it the Arsenal way: 1-0, a goal from a corner.”

It has been hard to maintain a sense of humour through all this. On the PA system, they have tried, every home defeat ushered out with Stereophonics, “I don’t know where we are going”, and from Harry Styles, “you know it’s not the same as it was”. Well… quite.

Read more

Daniel Storey: Tottenham have to seize this moment – I have no faith they will

Glenn Hoddle: The surreal advice Boy George gave me at 2am

Amidst the misery has been the resurgence of a song I believe is the perfect serenade from any fan to their football team: Barry Manilow’s Can’t Smile Without You. I feel glad when you’re glad. I feel sad when you’re sad. If you only knew, what I’m going through.

close Cancel email WhatsApp link share Share bookmark Save

Arsenal may have already clinched the 2025-26 Premier League title, but there is plenty still to play for in several hotly contested fixtures across the country today as another enthralling season in England’s top flight reaches its final act.

Multiple spots in Europe are still up for grabs, some between clubs going head to head this very afternoon, while at the other end of the league table Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham take to the field in their respective homes knowing only one of them will survive relegation.

There is a full slate of games kicking off at the same time, as is customary for the last day of the campaign, and we’ll have eyes on the action across the country to deliver all the latest updates and expert analysis, right here.

Follow The i Paper’s live blog for updates from the final day of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Sort:

Salah off on final Liverpool appearance

Mohamed Salah looked his old, lively self today for Liverpool, and he has been warmly applauded off the Anfield pitch.

The Reds are still level with Brentford, with Champions League qualification essentially secured in fifth place.

Ovation for Eze on Palace return

Bowen doubles West Ham’s lead – but still may not be enough

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen, having delivered the corner for Taty Castellanos’ opener, has given his side a 2-0 lead over Leeds now.

It still won’t be enough to stay in the Premier League, though, unless Everton come from 1-0 down to beat Tottenham.

We are about five minutes ahead at the London Stadium compared to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, due to delays returning from half-time at Spurs.

A nervy final period for everyone involved!

‘Mid-match guard of honour for Stones’

Reporting from the Etihad Stadium

Another guard of honour! Two in one match, after Bernardo Silva’s earlier (see post at 5.24pm BST).

John Stones in tears as he departs. Man City vs Aston Villa, sponsored by Kleenex.

Race for Europe: Watkins gives Villa lead at City, Brentford level at Liverpool

Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins has scored again – a super individual goal, getting the better of John Stones again – so Aston Villa now lead Manchester City in Pep Guardiola’s final match in charge.

If the scoreline stays like that, fifth place is the cut-off for Champions League places.

Liverpool are there at present despite being pegged back by Brentford, for whom Kevin Schade scored a diving header a few minutes ago.

As things stand, the Reds will join the top four in Europe’s top tier competition, Bournemouth will enter the Europa League by finishing sixth, along with Sunderland in seventh, while Brighton will hold onto eighth and a Conference League spot despite being 3-0 down at home to Manchester United.

Brentford are ninth as things stand, while Chelsea are 10th for as long as they are losing at Sunderland.

‘Castellanos on verge of Hammers’ history books’

Reporting from the London Stadium

Header at the back stick…sometimes the ugliest goals get the biggest celebrations.

Taty Castellanos will enter West Ham legend if that goal keeps the Hammers up.

Suddenly, Everton are everybody’s second team in Plaistow.

West Ham score but still relegated as things stand

Taty Castellanos has scored for West Ham!

Hope for the Hammers, and all they can do is win against Leeds.

They are still going down as things stand, as Spurs are holding that 1-0 lead against Everton from the first half, but will things get nervy now in north London?

‘Sun setting on West Ham’s top flight spell’

Reporting from the London Stadium

Second half drinks, West Ham fans doing what they can to lift a team that even were they to win would be saying goodbye to the Premier League as things stand, given Spurs are still 1-0 up against Everton.

Shadows creeping across the pitch, as if lowering the lights on 15 years in the top tier.

Callum Wilson on for Pablo Felipe at the interval has not worked yet.

‘Chelsea down to 10 in rollercoaster game at Sunderland

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

What a rollercoaster this game is.

Wesley Fofana gets a second booking for manhandling Wilson Isidor and Chelsea are on the back foot again.

Sunderland are 25 minutes from Europe and, looking at the way the results are going, a Europa League berth!

‘Bernardo Silva receives mid-match guard of honour on final City appearance’

Reporting from the Etihad Stadium

Pep Guardiola in tears as Bernardo Silva is substituted. the City captain gets a full guard of honour from both teams, mid-match.

Never seen that before, from both teams! Bernardo is in bits, too! I’m going to go next.

‘Sunderland nerves as Chelsea pull one back’

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

Might we have a twist in the tale yet?

Cole Palmer takes a shot from distance and Robin Roefs is beaten far, far too easily at his near post. Those nerves I said didn’t exist? Well, suddenly here they are.

The Stadium of Light has gone quiet and Chelsea are enjoying their first spell of possession.

Watch: Madueke joins Arsenal fan chants

Goals galore early in second half

The goals are flying in now!

Bruno Fernandes, having registered a record 21st Premier League assist of the season in the first half, puts Manchester United 3-0 up at Brighton.

At Selhurst Park, England international Noni Madueke pokes through a crowded penalty box to give title winners Arsenal a 2-0 lead over Crystal Palace.

At the City Ground, Marcus Tavernier has equalised for Bournemouth against Nottingham Forest. The Cherries are set for a Europa League spot at present, but that could become a Champions League berth if Manchester City and Liverpool win their respective matches…

At the Stadium of Light, Cole Palmer squeezes his shot past Sunderland’s Robin Roefs to cut Chelsea’s deficit. The scoreline is now 2-1 to the Black Cats in that shoot-out for a European place.

Burnley have also drawn level against Wolves, with Zian Flemming’s effort denying the Old Gold 19th place as things stand.

And at Anfield, Mohamed Salah has set up Curtis Jones to give Liverpool the lead against Brentford!

‘Sunderland on track for Europe at Chelsea’s expense’

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

I’m not sure what is more striking here – how good Sunderland have been or how dreadful Chelsea have been.

It’s 2-0 now, courtesy of another excellent move as Enzo Le Fee – superb today again – screws a cross to Brobbey, whose shot is prodded into his own goal by Malo Gusto.

Chelsea look like they’d rather be anywhere else. Sunderland look like they’ll be playing in Europe next season!

‘Feel-good factor at Stadium of Light’

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

There’s such a feel-good factor here at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats are playing as if they have nothing to lose and the crowd are picking up on that.

Results elsewhere mean Sunderland could be heading for the Europa League – a simply stupendous achievement for the promoted side if it stays this way. 45 minutes to go…

‘Poor mistake from Stones’

Reporting from the Etihad Stadium

“Sacked in the morning” comes down from the away end as Ollie Watkins equalises for Villa.

Not the moment for John Stones to make a mistake like that.

Second halves getting underway

We’re back up and running at most grounds now, for the final 45 minutes of the season.

Who will finish in the remaining four European spots?

Will there be any more twists and turns in the relegation battle, or will Spurs stay up and West Ham go down?

Let’s find out!

Arsenal fans reclaim the ‘bottle’

‘Spurs now 45 minutes from safety’

Reporting from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

A very big sigh of relief at half time but Spurs have been much better.

Forty-five minutes to keep themselves in the Premier League.