USMNT center back Chris Richards, Crystal Palace reportedly begin contract talks

USMNT center back Chris Richards has reportedly opened talks with Crystal Palace over a new contract, with his current deal set to expire after the 2026–27 season. The American has grown into a key piece of Oliver Glasner’s back three in recent years, emerging as a reliable starter after an initially rocky adjustment following his move from Bayern Munich.

  • Getty Images Sport

    Discussions are ongoing

    Talks between Richards and Palace are reportedly gaining momentum as the American center back seems geared towards staying at the club, according to the BBC. There have been 'informal' discussions on both sides, and both are said to be 'comfortable' with the situation as Richards' current deal runs down. 

  • Advertisement

  • Getty Images Sport

    A key man for the USMNT

    The talks follow a strong run of form for Richards with the U.S. national team. Mauricio Pochettino has relied on the center-back throughout his 14 months in charge, making him a regular starter even amid frequent rotation. Richards missed the November camp as he continues to recover from a nagging injury.

  • Getty Images Sport

    Success for Palace

    He has been similarly successful at Palace. Oliver Glanser's 3-4-3 system has gotten the best out of the former Bayern Munich man. But he has also chipped in elsewhere, playing as a defensive midfielder, or even on the right when needed. Richards' performance in the FA Cup final – when he marked Manchester City's Erling Haaland out of the game – was instrumental in Palace securing silverware. 

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

  • (C)Getty Images

    A vital member of the Eagles

    Palace's need to hold on to Richards has only become more crystallized of late. Captain Marc Guehi was all-but set to leave Palace on the final day of the transfer window, but the club refused to sanction his exit. And although Guehi has remained a regular at the back, he has made it clear that he will not pen a new deal to stay at the club beyond the 2025-26 season. 

Motie's four-for puts Amazon Warriors in third successive CPL final

Gudakesh Motie’s four-wicket haul thwarted St Lucia Kings and propelled Guyana Amazon Warriors into the final of CPL 2025. It is their third successive title clash, having won the competition in 2023 and finishing runners-up to Kings last year.Amazon Warriors were helped to 157 thanks to a lower-order assault from Dwaine Pretorius (17 off eight balls) and Romario Shepherd (21 off eight), which helped them take 41 runs in the last four overs. That still looked a par score, at best, with Kings having to chase under lights. But a disciplined bowling show from Amazon Warriors, with just two extras conceded, and Motie’s strikes reduced the opposition to 48 for 7, almost a point of no return.Chasing 158, Kings were rocked thrice in the first three overs with Pretorius dismissing Tim Seifert and Ackeem Auguste, while Shepherd accounted for Johnson Charles. Roston Chase and Aaron Jones consolidated after that and Kings were 37 for 3 after the powerplay – not too far runs-wise from Amazon Warriors’ 45 for 1 after six overs.That is when Motie was introduced and he sliced through the batting in the middle overs. Chase’s ungainly heave across the line saw him bowled. On the next ball, Tim David played completely down the wrong line to be out for a first-ball duck. Imran Tahir then got into the act in the next over to castle Jones.

When Kings’ captain David Wiese holed out to long-off in Motie’s second over, their innings was truly in freefall. That they managed to come close to their target was down to Khary Pierre’s maiden T20 half-century. After Kings were reduced to 85 for 8 at the start of the 14th over, Pierre and Tymal Mills hit at least one boundary in the next four overs to give Amazon Warriors a minor scare.Pierre got to his fifty in 28 balls to get coach Daren Sammy, hoping for a miracle, on his feet. The hopes dipped when Pierre fell next ball, but Mills kept Kings’ slim chance alive by taking 13 off Shepherd’s last over, the 19th of the innings.Pierre’s stingy spell earlier in the evening had seen Amazon Warriors struggle to force the pace in the middle overs of their innings. While the left-arm spinner went for just 15 runs in the powerplay, Ben McDermott and Quentin Sampson managed to score 29 off the three non-Pierre overs. The brakes on scoring were applied when Wiese had McDermott chop on.Shai Hope batted through the middle for 32 off 29 balls while the rest of the middle order fell for single digits. When Moeen Ali fell to leave Amazon Warriors 107 for 6, it seemed the night would belong to the defending champions. But a final flourish followed by a batting failure meant they now have to defeat Trinbago Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 on Friday to harbour hopes of an encore.

La Liga forward now wants to join Tottenham with Spurs prepared to pay release clause

Tottenham are believed to be in the market for new forwards as we slowly approach the January transfer window, as co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange reportedly set their sights on a La Liga star.

Thomas Frank has led the north Londoners to a solid start this season, even if there are some concerns surrounding their general creativity in open play.

Spurs succumbed to a dismal 1-0 loss at home to Chelsea in their last Premier League match and failed to lay a single glove on the away side — attempting just one shot on target all game as a frustrated Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence snubbed Frank’s handshake at full-time.

Frank’s men went off to a chorus of boos and were largely chastised for their toothless display, but a 4-0 midweek rout of FC Copenhagen in the Champions League came as a much-needed hangover cure as van de Ven sent a clear message with his Puskas Award contender.

Summer signing Xavi Simons, who’s faced wave after wave of criticism since joining in a £52 million deal from RB Leipzig, put in a Player of the Match performance too. Simons also perhaps should’ve had even more assists to show for his efforts, with Randal Kolo Muani missing two glaring chances after being set up by the Dutchman on both occasions.

While Spurs made a serious statement with their display against Copenhagen, this one-off attacking masterclass shouldn’t paper over the cracks too much.

According to recent reports, Paratici and Lange could attack the January market in search of final third reinforcements, with Tottenham described by some as the favourites to sign former Brentford star Ivan Toney on a loan-to-buy deal.

Fabio Paratici’s best Tottenham signings

Cost

1. Cristian Romero

£42.5m

2. Dejan Kulusevski

£25.5m

3. Rodrigo Bentancur

£21.5m

4. Pedro Porro

£40m

5. Djed Spence

£20m

Journalist Mark Brus also reported earlier this week that Paratici is working on a behind-the-scenes deal for Brentford’s Kevin Schade, with a winger seen as one of the club’s top priorities heading into winter.

Now, as per Spanish media sources, one of the names they’re considering is Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo.

Takefusa Kubo wants to join Tottenham with Spurs prepared to pay release clause

Indeed, Kubo has apparently emerged as a priority target for Lange and Paratici.

According to reports from Spain, Tottenham are now prepared to match the £53 million release clause in Kubo’s contract, signaling their serious interest in bringing him to the Premier League. Kubo also views Tottenham as an ideal next step in his career, and one which could offer him the “competitive boost he so desires”.

The 24-year-old, who joined Sociedad from Real Madrid in 2022 after failing to break through at the Bernabeu, has been subject to “several” failed transfer attempts from Spurs in recent years, but the club are now “determined to go all out” for his signature.

Interestingly, this potential transfer could give Spurs huge commercial gains in the Asian market once again following the departure of South Korean icon Son Heung-min last summer, with Kubo having a large fan base of his own in Japan.

Takefusa Kubo for Real Sociedad.

On the field, Kubo has racked up 24 goals and 18 assists in 146 total appearances for Sociedad, fairly modest numbers, but his versatility could be very attractive from Frank’s perspective.

The winger also has fantastic one-v-one ability, completing more successful take-ons per 90 than any other Sociedad player in La Liga last season with an impressive 2.1 per game (WhoScored) — which is also more than any Spurs player managed in 2024/2025.

What’s more, former Mallorca CEO Maheta Molango tipped Kubo to become an eventual superstar during his loan spell there in 2019/2020.

'Never seen another player like him' – Sadio Mane reveals exactly why he's blown away by 'incredible' Al-Nassr team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane explained exactly why he's blown away by 'incredible' Al-Nassr team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. Mane has shared a dressing room with Ronaldo for more than two years and has built a formidable partnership with the Portuguese legend in the Al-Nassr attack. Mane moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023, just six months after Ronaldo arrived at the club.

Mane and Ronaldo Al-Nassr's brightest stars

Al-Nassr set the trend of signing top players from across the world in January 2023 when they shocked everyone by securing a transfer for Ronaldo, who was a free agent at that time after leaving Manchester United by mutual agreement in November 2022. The former Real Madrid, Juventus and United star's arrival in the Kingdom created quite a stir and also opened new avenues for the other Saudi Pro League clubs.

In the subsequent summer, top stars from European football headed to the Middle East, with the likes of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante joining Al-Ittihad, while Neymar moved to Al-Hilal. Al-Nassr too further bolstered their attack by signing Mane from Bayern Munich.

In the last two seasons, Al-Nassr have made several high-profile signings, especially in the last transfer window as they landed Joao Felix, Inigo Martinez and Kingsley Coman. However, Mane and Ronaldo continue to remain the brightest star in their squad.

AdvertisementGetty'I've never seen another player like him'

Speaking highly of his Portuguese colleague, the ex-Liverpool winger said via : "I didn't know him, but I read and saw on television things about his dedication, his mentality, and his professionalism. When I arrived in Saudi Arabia, that's exactly what I saw. It's incredible. Even at 40 years old, you can see that. He's an athlete, a complete athlete. He's an example for all footballers in the world. That's Cristiano. His mentality, his thirst for victory… His professionalism is impressive. I've never seen another player like him."

Ronaldo told he is 'the best in history'

A couple of weeks ago, a former Al-Nassr team-mate of Ronado, Anderson Talisca had told : "It was an incredible two years. When he arrived, I had already been there for two years. I spent four years at the club, an incredible story. Playing with him was surreal, it was a dream for me. For me, he is the best in history. We trained together and did incredible things. Working with him, for me, as an athlete and as a human being, was about maximising the athlete's potential, being more professional, caring more about himself. It was incredible."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images Sport1000 goals and titles on Ronaldo's mind

After failing to win a single major trophy in Saudi Arabia in his first two and a half years, Ronaldo is determined to end his wait for silverware this season. He urged the club to sign quality players like Felix and Coman, alongside former Barcelona defenderMartinez and so far the investment has paid off. Al-Nassr, under the tutelage of Jorge Jesus, have won their first eight matches in the Saudi Pro League and are three points clear at the top of the table.

Ronaldo will also aim to reach the 1000-goal mark at the end of the season, although it will be difficult to achieve the feat this season itself as he is still 47 goals short of the magic figure. Al-Nassr will next face Al-Khaleef in the SPL on Sunday.

Rohit stays true to himself to keep the doubts away

Even amid a lean run of scores he has continued to take the positive option and it paid dividends against CSK

Vishal Dikshit21-Apr-20251:35

‘Once Rohit gets going, no one can stop him’

When Mahela Jayawardene and Kieron Pollard sauntered out to the middle in the strategic first time out of Mumbai Indians’ (MI) chase of 177 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), their team was comfortably poised on 88 for 1 after nine overs. The asking rate was within their grasp, enough wickets were in hand, and they were on their way to a third win on the bounce, which reflected in the duo’s body language and beaming smiles.But the big grins were not only for the imminent win. It was partly because Rohit Sharma was among the runs. A batter in his 18th IPL season, averaging under 14 at the halfway stage, struggling to get past 20, and often falling to soft dismissals when the batters around him had started to do what their roles asked of them.The noise around Rohit had started to get louder, and he acknowledged after the nine-wicket win that the lack of runs had made it “very easy to start doubting yourself, start getting worried, and start doing different things”. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the cliché goes, and Rohit could have taken that route. But he didn’t.Related

Problems aplenty for SRH as rampant Mumbai come to town

Rohit, Suryakumar fifties seal NRR-boosting win for MI

Dhoni: 'Important to get the right combination for next year'

He chose to stick with his approach of trying to give his team rapid starts, and not letting their run rate suffer by taking his time to get out of the rut, whether batting first or chasing below-par totals against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and CSK. And he had the backing of his support staff because they took confidence from his approach and strike rate of over 143 before Sunday, even if he was not getting the big scores.As much as Rohit would have rued his mode of dismissal against SRH – he middled a full toss to cover – he did score 26 off 15 balls with three sixes (and no fours). He was not abandoning the high-risk approach.Against CSK, too, he started his boundary hitting with towering sixes off Jamie Overton and Khaleel Ahmed, the second of which was not as easy to middle as the first. Rohit would have known he didn’t have a great match-up against Khaleel in the IPL: 28 runs (without a six) off 43 balls before Sunday with three dismissals. He still chose to flick the left-armer’s offcutter on the stumps and send it flying behind square, before getting a half-volley and some room later in the over for two fours that took MI’s scoring rate over 10. By the time Rohit got to his half-century off 33 balls, he had smashed two more sixes, while having just those two fours to his name.”For me, it was important that I keep doing what I am doing, which is practise well, hit the ball well, which is what I’ve been trying to do,” Rohit said after being named the Player of the Match. “And when you back yourself and you’re clear in your mind, things like this can happen. I know it’s been a little while but, like I said, if you start doubting yourself, you’re only going to put pressure on yourself and actually the experience of being here for such a long time helps.”

“Once he comes off like that, you know that he’s going to change the game, the momentum, and that’s going to filter down to the rest of the boys as well. So pretty happy how he never changes [his] approach, that was there from day one even though he was failing”Mahela Jayawardene on Rohit Sharma

Jayawardene and Pollard, meanwhile, knew they didn’t need to have long conversations with Rohit or make him sweat it out in the nets. Rohit didn’t even bat in training on Saturday or the day before their SRH fixture. “You leave them be,” Jayawardene said after Sunday’s game about handling such situations with experienced players. And when you must talk, you only stick to the “positive conversations”.”[You] say that let’s do the match-ups and then see how he gets going and keep the positive intent,” Jayawardene said in the press conference after the game. “He knew what he needs to do and [it’s] just a tiny thing that he gets going and then gets through the first three-four overs… even after starts he had a couple of shots which probably just mistimed a little bit. But that’s how the game goes, so you need to be understanding, and we have played enough cricket to know that as well.”Once he comes off like that, you know that he’s going to change the game, the momentum, and that’s going to filter down to the rest of the boys as well. So pretty happy how he never changes [his] approach, that was there from day one even though he was failing. So that was good for us that he was trying to play for the team and how we wanted to do it and we just back him to do that.”He’s been playing this tempo for a while and that’s something that he understands himself, but at the same time, he will understand the game better in situational awareness as well.”Rohit Sharma struck his first fifty of IPL 2025•BCCIThat awareness, which Rohit has gathered in all the years of T20 cricket, helps him choose the moments and bowlers to target, and makes sure he doesn’t get carried away when he finally get going. For example, when CSK gave the ball to R Ashwin after three overs, Rohit, on 22 off 10 then, chose to play out the accurate deliveries for nothing more than singles, but MI still scored 62 in the powerplay without losing a wicket.”Those are experienced players making those good decisions out there,” Jayawardene said of Rohit’s approach against Ashwin. “So he’ll still play with that tempo and we’ll be encouraging him to do that. He’s a damn good player, so we wanted to take control of that and then he’s got a couple of other guys who’s going to follow him, who will bat around him as well.”Soon after joining Rohit in the seventh over, Suryakumar Yadav started taking on the spinners by manufacturing room and sweeping them away to the boundary. The packed Wankhede crowd had already seen two local boys – Ayush Mhatre and Shivam Dube – belt out six sixes between them for the opposition earlier, and the way Rohit and Suryakumar hit 11 more sixes gave the crowd their money’s worth.Rohit will agree his unbeaten 76 off 45 was hardly as attractive as one of his top T20 knocks, but with runs under his belt again and a healthy strike rate of nearly 155 this IPL, he and the MI think tank have the confidence and belief that all cylinders of their batting engine are now firing, and they will be ready to switch gears as the playoffs race heats up.

ليفربول يتلقى دفعة مزدوجة قبل مباراة ليدز يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي

واصل نادي ليفربول نتائجه السلبية بتعادل جديد أمس الأربعاء أمام سندرلاند على ملعب آنفيلد بهدف لمثله في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وربما لم يكن التعادل مفاجئاً بسبب المركز الذي يقع فيه الفريقان في الدوري الإنجليزي حيث يحتل الفريق الضيف المركز السادس ويحتل ليفربول المركز الثامن.

ويستعد ليفربول لمواجهة ليدز يونايتد أحد الفرق الصاعدة هذا الموسم على ملعب إيلاند رود يوم السبت المقبل.

أقرأ أيضاً.. بعد جلوسه بديلا مع ليفربول.. تقارير تكشف عن الوجهة المحتملة لـ محمد صلاح

وكشفت “ليفربول دوت كوم” عن تحديثات جديدة بشأن موقف بعض اللاعبين وإصابتهم، حيث لم يشارك كونور برادلي في أي مباراة منذ فترة التوقف الدولي في نوفمبر الماضي بعد تعرضه لإصابة في العضلات.

وكان سلوت قد أعرب قبل مباراة سندرلاند عن رغبته بأن يكون اللاعب صاحب الـ25 عاماً جاهزاً للعودة ضد ليدز يونايتد.

أما عن جيريمي فريمبونج والذي لم تبدأ مسيرته بشكل جيد مع ليفربول بسبب مشاكل في اللياقة البدنية ويبتعد حالياً عن المشاركة بسبب إصابة في أوتار الركبة يتوقع عودته الأسبوع المقبل، وسيستغرق وقتًا أطول قليلاً قبل أن يعود للمشاركة في الملعب.

وسيغيب جيوفاني ليوني عن الملاعب لفترة طويلة بسبب إصابة خطيرة في الركبة تعرض لها خلال مباراة كأس الرابطة ضد ساوثهامبتون في سبتمبر، وسيغيب لأشهر أخرى ومن المرجح ألا يعود حتى بداية الموسم المقبل.

Dodgers Had to Double One Team Amenity Just for Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani has had another incredible season at the plate as he hit more than 50 home runs for the second straight year with the Dodgers. He is also leading the National League in on-base percentage and slugging for the third straight season.

Ohtani has worked incredibly hard to hone his craft and it shows. Los Angeles found out just how hard Ohtani works very quickly. When their prize free agent showed up two years ago he told them there was one thing in their clubhouse that was not sufficient.

The batting cage.

According Dodgers executive vice president Lon Rosen, Ohtani pointed out that one batting cage was not enough. So they built a whole new clubhouse with two.

"We also built a new clubhouse last year because when we were signing Shohei, one of the things he noticed was we only had one batting cage," said Rosen. "So we rebuilt."

After adding the second cage Ohtani had the best season of his career with Los Angeles. And apparently that's when he explained why the second cage was so important.

"In the offseason Shohei came into the office and you know he went 50 for 50 and won the MVP and Stan [Kasten] says to him And he answers ."

No wonder Ohtani has plans to construct a "small hitting and pitching facility" at his new home in Hawaii. More importantly for the Dodgers, it's no wonder he's having another MVP-caliber season.

Stokes has the last laugh as England's have-a-chase ethos wins big

Captain attracted criticism for bowling first but is now 1-0 up after another memorable victory

Matt Roller24-Jun-20251:53

Did we see a refined version of Bazball?

Ben Stokes had the last laugh at Headingley. “It’s a good job Test cricket is played over five days, isn’t it?” he said with a smile, when asked if he had ever doubted his decision to bowl first on winning the toss was the right one as India raced to 430 for 3 in their first innings. “Imagine thinking that way at the end of day one, before we’ve even had a chance to bat.”His decision paid off in style: while England had anticipated more assistance from the surface on the first morning, Stokes’ call was also informed by the characteristics of the venue and his team’s own success in run-chases. The result was a cruise to victory with 14 overs to spare and five wickets in hand on the fifth day, making light work of a 371-run target.England became kings of the fourth innings during the heady winning run in their 2022 home summer. They successfully hauled in targets of 250-plus in Stokes’ first four Tests as full-time captain, culminating in his declaration that England would “have a chase” when winning the toss against India at Edgbaston and then watching his batters reach 378 with seven wickets in hand.Related

Bazball essentials: England tick two out of three boxes

How creeping Crawley has become Bazball's straight man

Ben Duckett on the road to joining the best

They had only once chased 250-plus in the intervening years, a three-wicket win over Australia, also at Headingley in 2023, and have fallen to some big defeats when set even bigger totals – for example, by 434 runs in Rajkot last year. But their win in Leeds this week was their sixth successful chase of 250-plus since Stokes took over; no other team has more than two.It was vindication for Stokes’ decision to field first, a choice he has already made more often than any other England captain. This was the 11th time that Stokes has opted to bowl first, and England have won eight of those games; they have lost only twice, a narrow defeat at Lord’s in the 2023 Ashes and a 423-run hammering in Hamilton late last year.Their record owes in no small part to the nature of English Test surfaces: all six 250-plus chases have been at home, and this week’s pitch laid bare how much things have changed. The trend at Headingley for nearly a decade now has been for scores to go up and up with each innings; rather than deteriorating, the Leeds pitches seem only to flatten out as each match wears on.The flak that Stokes received on the first day reflected the truism that batting first is invariably the best option at the toss, with captains who decide otherwise generally criticised far more than their bowling attacks: it was two decades ago that Ricky Ponting chose to bowl at Edgbaston, and even longer since Nasser Hussain did at Brisbane, yet neither man can escape association with those calls.ESPNcricinfo LtdStokes did seem to admit that things had not quite gone as he had anticipated when asked to elaborate on his toss decision: he said that it was informed more by a desire to exploit the “top moisture” in the first session than the expectation of setting up a run-chase. But his logic made sense: his inexperienced attack needed all the help they could get from the pitch.He also believes that England’s early success in run-chases under his and Brendon McCullum’s leadership has helped his team stay calmer in the fourth innings. “We’re a very simple-minded pair,” Stokes said. “Everyone knows what cricket’s about: it’s about scoring more runs than your opposition, when you strip it all back.”When you’re chasing down totals like that, how you are in the dressing room is very important because lads have got jobs to go out and do. Keeping the calm, relaxed vibe as much as we can is so important for the mindset… Cricket’s about taking wickets and scoring runs, but also the mindset you’re able to get your players into.”Stokes’ public indifference towards the draw has also provided clarity: there has never been any prospect of England dropping anchor and looking to block out a stalemate. “Everyone goes out there with a pretty clear mind about what we are trying to do,” he said. “Time wasn’t really an issue. It was pretty simple yesterday: if we bat the overs left in this game, we will win this game, just because of how quick the ground has been for scoring.”2:38

Is Stokes’ bowling workload a worry?

Ben Duckett’s 149 provided England with the perfect platform for their run-chase, and also reflected the best of their method with the bat under Stokes: soaking up pressure when facing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj’s new-ball spell under thick clouds, and then putting it back onto Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja when England were on top.Duckett was not part of England’s run of successful chases in 2022, but said that he and his team-mates never panicked on the final day at Headingley. “It felt really calm in the dressing room,” he said, before paying tribute to another common thread of England’s fourth-innings success: “It’s pretty easy to be calm when Rooty [Joe Root] is at the crease.”It was Jamie Smith who hit the winning runs off Jadeja, but Root’s unbeaten half-century was hugely valuable and took him past Alastair Cook to become England’s leading scorer in successful chases. Under Stokes’ leadership, he has walked off unbeaten in six out of the eight fourth-innings wins that he has batted in, and with at least 50 runs to his name on five of those occasions.But whether the primary reason for this is pitches, mindsets, or individual brilliance, one thing is clear: England’s fourth-innings successes over the last three years mean that Stokes deserves the benefit of the doubt the next time he wins the toss and chooses to bowl.

Tottenham now monitoring "special" sensation who's already got Man Utd guarantee

In an attempt to get one over on their rivals, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keeping close tabs on Ajax youngster Jorthy Mokio, who’s already been a given a guarantee by Manchester United.

The Lilywhites have set their sights on getting back into the Premier League’s top six and much more in the coming years. The departure of Daniel Levy was completed with that ambition in mind and this weekend’s North London derby against Arsenal hands Thomas Frank the perfect opportunity to prove that he’s the right man for the job.

An unexpected victory over Arsenal, who sit top of the Premier League, would see Tottenham move to within five points of their rivals to continue what has been a solid start.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Sunday’s clash, Frank shared how excited he is to take charge of the fixture for the first time in the Premier League, saying: “Super excited. Of course, before I stepped into the club, of course, I knew about the north London derby, but it’s when you are in it, you sense it and feel that this is important.

“You feel it from the fans, you feel it from the staff members, the players, the people that have been working here for years. This is the big one.

“I always say the next game is the most important game and we always have that, but I’m very, very, very aware there are two games in a year that are even more important – and this is the first of them. We are ready, we are up for it, we are looking forward to it and we will do everything we can to win.”

It’s not just Arsenal that Spurs are looking to get one over on, however. Away from the pitch, they could also beat Man United to the signature of rising star Mokio.

Tottenham keeping close tabs on Jorthy Mokio

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham are now keeping close tabs on Mokio, who is looking to leave Ajax in 2026. The 17-year-old has also attracted the interest of Man United, who are already reportedly preparing a project which will offer him a guarantee of game time.

Tottenham eye 'dream' move for striker likened to Diego Costa after Frank request

The Dane has ‘repeatedly’ stressed Spurs’ need for a tailor-made number nine.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 22, 2025

The Red Devils are currently the reported favourites to sign the defensive midfielder, but Tottenham’s presence at least gives them a fighting chance to land the latest Ajax sensation.

A well-connected source told Caught Offside: “Manchester United are leading the chase for Jorthy Mokio. They are already working on a project that could offer Mokio guaranteed minutes and a clear development path.”

Dubbed “special” by scout Jacek Kulig, Mokio has already got his name in the history books at Ajax and could now be on his way to the Premier League to make his mark once again.

Spurs have their own Saka & he's "one of the biggest talents in Europe"

New Foden: Man City star who will "surprise everybody" is one of PL's best

Manchester City have hit some extraordinary heights under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage. The Spanish coach will go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, and his Citizen side have written themselves into the English and European history books.

Last season, City fell off a proverbial cliff, their four-in-a-row domination of the Premier League coming to an end. They rallied, but it was a campaign to forget about, and many felt that it marked the end of Pep’s illustrious tenure.

But he’s not done yet, rebounding emphatically after signing a two-year contract extension last November. And Guardiola isn’t the only one who is resurgent at the Etihad, with this optimistic new season coinciding with the tentative resurgence of Phil Foden.

Why Foden is improving for Man City

There’s no denying it: Foden fell by the wayside last season. But he’s picked himself back up. The Three Lions superstar still has gears to shift through before he recalls his finest form, but this is an essential comeback, should City hope to reclaim their Premier League title and ensure the peerless Erling Haaland has a strong complementary force in the final third.

He hasn’t found prolific form yet this season, but the 25-year-old is undoubtedly producing more polished and cultured results, having been placed deeper to influence and dictate play.

He has been more convincing in the duel and is seeing more of the ball on average. There is also a clear tactical maturity, Pep’s teachings seeping into Foden’s brain. He might not be the headline stealer at this stage, but Foden is unquestionably operating at a higher level, and City’s wider system are feeling the benefits.

Phil Foden’s Premier League Improvements

Stats (*per game)

24/25

25/26

Matches (starts)

28 (20)

9 (8)

Goals

7

1

Assists

2

1

Touches*

43.5

59.4

Accurate passes*

27.0 (89%)

39.7 (89%)

Chances created*

1.5

2.3

Dribbles*

0.5

0.7

Ball recoveries*

2.2

4.1

Tackles + interceptions*

0.8

1.3

Duels (won)*

2.3 (45%)

3.1 (54%)

Data via Sofascore

Foden is one of the best in the Premier League, and he is on his way to reminding everyone of that fact. However, he’s not the only member of City’s squad doing such a thing right now, with his younger countryman emerging as the latest starboy fashioned under Guardiola’s wing.

Man City's homegrown talent is now one of PL's best

Manchester City’s academy is a thing to behold. Truly, the dominant Premier League force have welcomed some of the country’s most exciting talents to the scene, and the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are among those plying their trade elsewhere, such is the bloated nature of the club’s youth scene.

But City learn from their mistakes, and when Chelsea came calling for Nico O’Reilly in January, they were flat-out rebuffed in their advances, despite The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirming the interest was very much genuine.

This time last year, the 20-year-old was on the fringes of Guardiola’s outfit. Now, he is emerging as the first-choice left-back for club and country.

He impressed for the Three Lions after making his debut last week, playing 90 minutes against Serbia and then Albania, keeping clean sheets on both counts. As per Sofascore, he lost only one duel across those two clashes, recovering eight balls and completing 92% and 93% of his passes.

Already, he has nailed down a prominent position in City’s first team. Naturally a centre-midfielder, the boss has repeated hisown spectacular trick and redefined his technically sound up-and-comer into a dynamic, inverted full-back. O’Reilly has started seven of the last eight Premier League matches, defending resiliently and getting forward and arcing inward to create overloads and help service Haaland.

Continuing to look at it from a wider scope, the 6 foot 4 star ranks among the top 16% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for passes attempted, the top 9% for progressive carries and touches in the attacking box, and the top 6% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

He’s only going to get better, and given the high regard he is held in by Guardiola and for the Three Lions under Thomas Tuchel, there’s little question that City have found their latest superstar in the making.

It is important, typically, not to overburden up-and-coming prospects. But O’Reilly is different, so cultured and convincing across the various phases of play.

One Man City content creator was left speechless after the club’s recent win over Liverpool, hailing O’Reilly as “our best academy graduate since Phil Foden”.

That might just be the case. Even Roy Keane agrees. The Manchester United legend remarked that the versatile defender “could surprise everybody” by securing a starting berth at the 2026 World Cup next year. Clearly, this is a player becoming one of the best in the Premier League, if not the world.

Perfect for Haaland: Man City can sign Foden 2.0 in "Ballon d'Or level" star

Another Phil Foden-esque talent could elevate Man City’s final third quality even more

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 20, 2025

Game
Register
Service
Bonus