Tottenham "ready" to sack Postecoglou as Levy eyes "phenomenal" replacement

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly “ready” to make a change in the managerial dugout, with chairman Daniel Levy eyeing a “phenomenal” replacement for Ange Postecoglou.

Ange Postecoglou under pressure at Tottenham after disappointing season

While Spurs’ form has taken a slight upward trajectory since the return of key players, having won three of their last five Premier League games and rescuing a dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth last weekend, there are some who believe Postecoglou is not the right managerial fit moving forward.

Tottenham set to bid £34m for Richarlison replacement who is keen on moving

The Brazilian’s exit is a very real possibility this summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 9, 2025

The Australian’s second full season in charge has been plagued by injuries, which has undoubtedly contributed to their lowly league position and lack of presence in the domestic cups, with the Europa League coming as their only chance to make something out of 2024/2025.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Chelsea (away)

April 2nd

Southampton (home)

April 5th

Wolves (away)

April 12th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Tottenham face an uphill battle in Europe, though, having lost the first leg of their last 16 tie 1-0 away to AZ Alkmaar, and all eyes will be on whether Postecoglou’s side can overturn the deficit in their second leg on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in the background, Levy and technical director Johan Lange are doing due-diligence on potential replacements for Postecoglou – if they elect not to carry on with the 59-year-old next campaign.

Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, ex-Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzić and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are reportedly managers being considered by Tottenham, alongside highly-rated Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi.

Reports in Italy have even previously claimed that ex-Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici has privately urged Tottenham to appoint Inzaghi, with the 48-year-old currently leading Inter’s pursuit of a second consecutive Scudetto title after also guiding them to a Champions League final in 2023.

Tottenham "ready" to sack Postecoglou with Simone Inzaghi targeted

Tutto Juve have an update on the Lilywhites’ links to Inzaghi, and the outlet also suggests that Tottenham are “ready” to change managers.

The report claims Tottenham are eyeing a move for Inzaghi, with Levy and Lange “studying” the prospect of hiring him as a replacement for Postecoglou ahead of next campaign.

Inzaghi’s name is said to be very present in Tottenham’s dossier of managerial alternatives to Postecoglou, and going by Felipe Caicedo’s glowing endorsement of the tactician, it isn’t hard to see why.

“Inter are an unplayable team, come on. They’re very strong and know what they want,” said the Ecuadorian.

Inter Milan coachSimoneInzaghi

“The squad has been together for years. Inzaghi is a phenomenonal coach. I’ve never had a better manager, even though I had top coaches like Eriksson and Hughes.

“Inzaghi has that special factor that other coaches lack. He manages to get inside your head, he tells you the right things at the right time.

“This bond with the players makes the difference. Then maybe tactically he is not yet on Guardiola’s level, but he is an excellent coach. And the results are there to see.

“During the six months I spent at Inter, we didn’t win the Scudetto due to our own fault.”

Harry Maguire joins lookalike brother on 'boozy' stag do in Croatia as Man Utd ace unwinds after nightmare season

Harry Maguire is looking to unwind on the back of a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, with the Manchester United defender joining his brother's stag do.

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  • Red Devils endured nightmare season
  • Looking to reset during summer break
  • Players are soaking up sun on vacations
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    England international Maguire formed part of the Red Devils squad that stumbled its way to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim’s side also suffered defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final – leaving them without continental football for 2025-26.

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    DID YOU KNOW?

    Maguire, who has 64 caps to his name, was left out of the latest Three Lions squad – as Thomas Tuchel readies his troops for a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Andorra and a friendly date with Senegal.

  • THE GOSSIP

    With Maguire’s schedule being cleared, he has been freed to link up with brother Laurence for a "boozy stag do" in Croatia. A group of 30-plus revellers have been soaking up the sunshine while visiting the iconic Zrce Beach party island.

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    Older Maguire brother, Joe, also formed part of the ‘Spring Break’ island parties. Laurence, who plays his club football for League Two outfit MK Dons, is preparing to tie the knot with long-term partner Amelia Johnson.

Vítor Pereira mostra confiança na Copa do Brasil e avalia protestos da torcida do Corinthians: 'Cobrança é importante'

MatériaMais Notícias

Logo após a derrota por 1 a 0 do Corinthians para o Palmeiras, pela22ª rodada do Brasileirão,um grupo de torcedores foi até a porta da Neo Química Arena, na saída da Radial Leste, protestar contra o time.

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+ GALERIA – Relembre 10 momentos da segunda passagem de Willian pelo Timão

O técnico Vítor Pereira foi perguntando na coletiva depois do Dérbi sobre a manifestação dos torcedores. O português disse que a Fiel é a melhor torcida que já trabalhou e classificou as cobranças feitas pela torcida como importantes para o elenco, desde que os limites não sejam ultrapassados.

-Já disse isso, é a melhor torcida que peguei na minha carreira. Torcida que do primeiro ao último minuto nos apoia, e depois cobra em função do resultado. Fosse um resultado positivo, não cobrava, mas a cobrança é importante, nós próprios temos que nos cobrar. Não podemos viver na zona do conforto, acomodados. Temos que reagir, e muitas vezes essa cobrança, desde que não passe dos limites, que seja uma cobrança sincera, para nos corrermos, trabalharmos, conseguirmos proporcionar uma alegria – iniciou o treinador na coletiva.

-Hoje o que mais queríamos era proporcionar alegria após a eliminação. Essa foi a intenção dos jogadores. No próximo jogo, temos que ir com tudo, e essa cobrança é positiva – concluiu Vítor sobre o tema.

Após o Dérbi, a esposa e o filho de Fagner desabafaram nas redes sociais sobre xingamentos e ameaças que receberam depois do lateral-direito falhar no gol palmeirense.

+ TABELA – Dérbi vai definiu o Brasileirão? Simule os jogos do campeonato

Na quarta-feira (17), o Timão recebe o Atlético-GO na Neo Química Arena, na tentativa de reverter a desvantagem de dois gols construída pelo Dragão em Goiânia.

Vítor disse que a equipe precisa jogar com a mesma coragem e determinação que teve contra o Palmeiras para avançar na Copa do Brasil.

-Nós temos que criar situações e fazer gols. Não podemos ficar em branco como hoje. Com a mesma determinação e coragem que jogamos hoje, essa será a motivação, força com que devemos encarar o jogo, sabemos que precisamos marcar gols, e não permitir gol nenhum – ponderou o técnico corintiano.

O treinador lusitano admitiu que a eliminação na Libertadores para o Flamengo deixou sequelas, e reforçou a necessidade de dar resposta ainda melhor contra o Atlético-GO.

-Eu acredito que vamos dar uma boa resposta. Naturalmente, a eliminação da Libertadores deixa sequelas, afeta a todos. Gostaria de continuar na Libertadores. Hoje, esta derrota, é o futebol, muito injusto, mas é futebol. Demos uma boa resposta hoje e temos que dar ainda melhor no próximo jogo. Acredito que vamos dar a volta na eliminatória – finalizou Vítor Pereira.

>>> Assine o Premiere no Prime Video e acompanhe todas as emoções do seu clube no Brasileirão<<<

Segundo a programação divulgada pela assessoria de imprensa do clube alvinegro, o elenco do Timão se reapresenta no CT Joaquim Grava na manhã de domingo (14), onde os jogadores e comissão técnica iniciarão a preparação para o jogo de volta da Copa do Brasil.

Man Utd now want to sign "powerful" £50m star who is Tottenham's top target

In what would see them get one over on their top six rivals, Manchester United are now keen to sign an attacking star who’s currently Tottenham Hoptspur’s top target this summer.

Man Utd and Spurs battling on and off the pitch

So much of Manchester United’s season has mirrored Tottenham’s. Both find themselves languishing in the bottom half, both have been left to rely on the Europa League for any chance of turning their season around and both are now in desperate need of summer reinforcements. When the summer transfer window does arrive, it would also come as little surprise if the two ‘big six’ sides found themselves operating in close quarters, either.

After admitting that nothing could turn their season around, Ruben Amorim will at least be hoping that the lure of Old Trafford is still enough to see the Red Devils secure their targets ahead of the likes of Spurs even in Manchester United’s current state.

On that front, the rumours are already coming thick and fast. According to Caught Offside, Manchester United now want to sign Antoine Semenyo in a move that would see them beat Spurs to their top target this summer. The Lilywhites are even reportedly lining up a bid worth €40m (£34m) to sign the winger Bournemouth value at £50m ahead of the transfer window.

Sold by INEOS, now outscoring Zirkzee: Man Utd must rue losing £25m "hero"

Man Utd may wish they kept hold of this star

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 7, 2025

That doesn’t look set to discourage United, however, who caught a first-hand glimpse of Semenyo’s quality earlier this season when he scored in a stunning 3-0 victory for Bournemouth. Handing Noussair Mazraoui a torrid time, the versatile full-back ended the defeat with just five defensive actions and a 50% duel-success rate.

Semenyo, meanwhile, found himself wheeling away in celebration after scoring the final of his side’s three goals to stun Old Trafford just after the hour mark.

"Powerful" Semenyo has earned big move

Whilst there would be plenty of irony involved if Semenyo set his sights on a big move this summer and found himself at a club currently on a crash course hurtling towards a bottom half finish, Manchester United’s name still carries plenty of weight. As they look to rebuild under Amorim, picking apart sides like Bournemouth would be a good place to start.

Antoine Semenyo scores for Bournemouth

Semenyo has certainly earned a chance to move onto a top six side too, scoring nine goals and assisting another five in all competitions for the Cherries so far this season. Receiving plenty of praise as a result, analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed the winger the “perfect instant-impact winger” who also possesses “powerful ambipedal ball striking”.

Semenyo certainly looks likely to have a decision to make this summer, but whether that results in a trip to Old Trafford remains to be seen.

Seamers build on Steven Smith's ton to give Australia control

Australia’s bowlers showed India just where they had gone wrong on day one, their quicks settling into the perfect length on a still helpful Oval pitch as their side took control of the World Test Championship final. By stumps on day two, Australia had reduced India to 151 for 5 in reply to their first-innings total of 469.The fast bowlers did the bulk of the damage, but there was also a wicket for Nathan Lyon, off a dipping, turning offbreak that had Ravindra Jadeja, India’s top-scorer, nicking to first slip some 15 minutes from stumps, to end a 71-run fifth-wicket stand with Ajinkya Rahane. The wicket, and the manner it came, may have added more fuel to the debate surrounding India’s selection, and the exclusion of R Ashwin against an Australian line-up heavy on left-hand batters.Related

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For all that, India’s major issues came about not because they picked four quicks but because of how they bowled. On a pitch bouncier than the typical Indian surface, they needed to pitch the ball fuller than the traditional good length to challenge the stumps consistently and bring all modes of dismissal into play. They didn’t do this consistently enough, and even though their bowlers fought back through the first half of day two to take 7 for 142, it perhaps came a little too late, because they had let Australia run away to 327 for 3 on day one.Bowled out almost exactly halfway into the day’s play, Australia’s fast bowlers came out and showed how it’s done, on a pitch that was now beginning to sport cracks all over its surface. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins overpitched frequently at the start of their new-ball spells, and Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill got off to a breezy start, but it seemed a matter of time before the quicks figured out the ideal length – full but not driveable.Cummins hit this length with the last ball of the sixth over, nipping it in and trapping the half-forward Rohit in front. Then Scott Boland, a bowler seemingly designed in a lab to bowl in these conditions, bowled a wicked in-dipper – to follow nine probing dot balls to the two openers – that Gill fatally shouldered arms to.Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli then put on 20 either side of tea, looking in good touch but always wary of the seam movement and occasional inconsistent bounce that characterised this surface, before Cameron Green produced a replica of the Boland ball that had bowled Gill. Pujara produced a replica of Gill’s response, and India were 50 for 3, all of their top three either bowled or lbw.Mitchell Starc celebrates after dismissing Virat Kohli•Getty Images

It became 71 for 4 when the returning Starc joined the party with a vicious delivery to Kohli, slanted across from left-arm over and taking off from a length. Kohli, pressing onto the front foot, was in no position to negotiate it safely; all he could do was glove the ball to second slip.Rahane could have fallen soon after, had Cummins not overstepped when he bowled a peach that straightened from that perfect fullish length to beat his outside edge and hit his back pad roughly in front of off stump. Rahane reviewed after being given out on the field, and replays picked up the no-ball; ball-tracking showed two reds and an umpire’s call verdict on the line of impact.Batting against the old Dukes ball has been significantly easier than it has been against the new one over the last two English summers, with Nos. 5 and 6 averaging a world-leading 53.08 here since the start of 2022, while Nos. 1 to 4 average 31.28 – they’ve only done worse in the West Indies (31.00) in this period. After a nervy early period that included that close lbw call and a pair of leading edges from Jadeja, India’s fifth-wicket pair certainly looked in a lot more comfort than their top-order counterparts.Jadeja, who profited from Australia’s bowlers – Starc in particular – overpitching frequently to him, rattled along at close to a run a ball, while Rahane, returning to Test cricket for the first time since January 2022, ticked over more sedately while looking just as fluent. India would have hoped their partnership extended to stumps; Lyon punctured those hopes, striking with his ninth ball of the match.Test century No. 31 for Steven Smith•ICC via Getty Images

The day had dawned clear and sunny with Steven Smith five short of his 31st Test hundred and Travis Head four short of 150. They raced past their respective milestones quickly, with Mohammed Siraj offering Smith a pair of straight half-volleys in the first over of the morning to start the day on an ominous note for India.Things improved, though, with a sustained short-ball attack at Head’s body finally yielding success when the left-hander gloved Siraj down the leg side on 163. Mohammed Shami then produced a beauty to send back the No. 6 Green, slanting a full ball in from wide of the crease to draw a loose drive away from the body.Smith was next to go, pushing away from his body at an innocuous Shardul Thakur away-curler to play on for 121. India had struck three times before Australia reached 400, and may have hoped to wrap up their innings not too long after, but a counterattacking 48 from Alex Carey carried the score past 450. Carey rode his luck – particularly against Umesh Yadav who beat his bat repeatedly in a short spell after lunch – before he fell in familiar fashion, lbw attempting a reverse-sweep against a stump-to-stump delivery from Jadeja.That was the only Australian wicket to fall to spin; Siraj ended as India’s most successful bowler, finishing with figures of 4 for 108, while Shami and Thakur bagged two apiece.

'Life's too short for this sh*t!' – Thomas Tuchel faces wrath of England fans after Three Lions scrape past Andorra with 1-0 win in World Cup qualifier

England fans have turned their ire towards Thomas Tuchel after his side's tepid 1-0 win over minnows Andorra in their latest World Cup qualifier.

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England limp to 1-0 win over AndorraThree Lions fans tear into side's performanceSay "life is too short for this sh*t"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Although England made it three wins from three under manager Tuchel, Three Lions fans were far from pleased with the performance against a side ranked 173rd in the world. Some said this display was worse than ones under the German's predecessor, Gareth Southgate, and the game was sleep-inducing.

AdvertisementGOALWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

@teaandchips wrote on X: "England game was excellent. I had trouble sleeping last night, and it put me right to sleep, so I feel much better. Thanks, Tuchel."

@_MUFCJames tweeted: "Tuchel so far, really not impressed icl (I can't lie), hopefully he does better in the tournaments but so far really meh."

@JayRatedR commented: "Can we sack Tuchel and appoint Ange [Postecoglou] for the WC (World Cup)? Asking for a friend."

@WestHamPlace put: "Andorra have players who play in the 5th tier of the Spanish leagues. For context, that’s the equivalent of England’s National League (non-league). Tuchel picked an awful team, including [Jordan] Henderson in midfield, and it really is just awful. Life’s too short for this sh*t."

And @oJaayCo added: "Tuchel has somehow made England more boring than Southgate."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

It is still very early days in Tuchel's England tenure but this display lacked quality and desire throughout the contest. The Three Lions seem a very long way away from being able to muster the kind of performances needed to win a World Cup.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

England will try and move on from this disappointing outing when they host Senegal in a friendly match on Tuesday. They return to World Cup qualifying duty against Andorra in September.

Pat Cummins 'aiming to play all six' Tests over English summer

After waiting over half a decade between his first and second Tests, Cummins will play his 50th in the WTC final

Andrew McGlashan06-Jun-20230:57

Cummins excited for legacy-defining summer in England

There were times when Pat Cummins thought playing one more Test was beyond him, but as he prepares for his 50th game, the Australia captain hopes he can double that tally before his career finishes and aims to feature in all six on this tour of England.In the World Test Championship final against India, Cummins will lead an attack that includes Scott Boland after Josh Hazlewood was held back with an eye on the Ashes that follows. For both Australia and England the prospect a quick bowler will be able to play all the Tests in a condensed summer schedule has felt unlikely. But while Cummins acknowledged that some rotation was to be expected, he did not want to be one of those benched along the way.Related

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Cummins happy to be 'underdone than overdone'; 'getting mentally ready' key for Rohit

“I mean it’s a balance,” he said. “I’ve been exhausted and depleted before but still got up and felt like I did a really good job. But if that comes up at any stage, of course, it’s a conversation. I’ll be aiming to play all six and there’s some good breaks in between every batch of two Tests matches so I think it’s manageable. Cam Green helps out a little bit as well with the amount of overs he can bowl.”Cummins made his Test debut in November 2011 but it was more than five years until he played again as he was plagued by back injuries. However, since then he has shown impressive resilience and has only missed three Tests through injury: two against Pakistan in 2018 and one against West Indies last year. The other three he has missed came through Covid (England in Adelaide during 2021-22) and when he returned home from India earlier this year to be with his mother before she passed away.With Test No. 50 now on the horizon it is a record he takes considerable pride from, especially given the days early in his career when he would wake up from bowling short spells barely able to move.”I thought getting back into Test cricket was so far away for a lot of that,” he said. “I felt that maybe I could play a T20 or one-day cricket, but my body, [after] 10 overs a day I would wake up and felt like I had a car crash. Looking back now, all the physios and people who went through this before me were spot on. Stay patient, you will turn a corner and be right. But when you’re in your fifth cycle of stress fractures, 50 Tests feels like a long way away.”Longevity, I always look at as as big of an achievement as average or strike rates or anything to do with performance. Test cricket is tough. You play all around the world, different conditions. Physically it is demanding. So as a fast bowler to play 50, it is something to be pretty proud of. Particularly because for five or six years it felt like one [more] Test match was a long way away.”Only one fast bowler – Glenn McGrath – has played more than 100 Tests for Australia. It’s a mark Cummins would like to join but even though Australia still play a healthy amount of Test cricket it would mean carrying on well into his mid-30s.Pat Cummins at a training session in preparation for the WTC final•ICC via Getty Images”I would love it if I wasn’t halfway yet,” he said. “But we’ll wait and see. I feel really good, I have had two or three months off, so I am feeling the best I have for a couple of years. [It’s] series by series, but I have just turned 30. Binga [Brett Lee] played into his mid-30s. Starcy and Josh are three or four years older than me and they are still pretty fit. So we’ll see how we go.”While Cummins is eyeing many more years ahead as a Test cricketer, he does not have a problem with David Warner mapping out in great detail how he hopes to bring the curtain on his international career over the next 12 months.Last week Warner, who enters the WTC final and Ashes with question marks over his form, said he wanted to make the SCG Test against Pakistan his swansong in the format although he did acknowledge that he would need to score runs to ensure the selectors did not make an earlier call for him.”That’s fine,” Cummins said Warner’s plans. “He’s played over 100 Test matches so you never have to worry about Davey getting up for anything. [He] is the first one to know he’s got to score runs. We’d love a fairytale finish with Davey in Sydney, but obviously he’s got to be scoring runs which I’m sure, and history suggests, he’ll be scoring some runs.”

Leigh Kasperek replaces injured Jess Kerr for Sri Lanka tour

Kerr, who was struck on the toe while batting in the nets, will require six weeks of rehabilitation

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2023

Jess Kerr will need six weeks to rehabilitate•Getty Images

Offspinner Leigh Kasperek will replace medium-pacer Jess Kerr for New Zealand’s tour to Sri Lanka. Kasperek, who last played an international game in September 2021, returns after Kerr was struck on the toe while batting in the nets. A subsequent scan revealed that Kerr will need six weeks of rehabilitation.Kerr’s injury came early last week, with the team set to leave for Sri Lanka on Thursday. Speaking about the timing of the injury, New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said, “Picking up an injury so close to departure for a tour is always disappointing.”Jess has been working really hard over the winter,” Sawyer said. “We were excited to see how she would perform in new conditions for her, but we’re confident she will be back fit and ready for our next challenge after Sri Lanka.”Related

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Kasperek is the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in T20Is, and for Wellington Blaze in the 2022-23 Super Smash and Hallyburton Johnstone Shield – New Zealand’s domestic T20 and 50-over competitions respectively.”Leigh has had a challenging 18 months since the World Cup but has always been a player that has been on our radar,” Sawyer said.”She’s been kept out of the side given the form of Fran (Jonas) and Eden (Carson) who’ve been performing consistently well and those spin positions have probably been the most hotly contested in our team.”Leigh Kasperek has 75 wickets in T20Is•Getty Images

But unlike Kerr, Kasperek will benefit from the spin-friendly conditions in Asia. Sawyer sees that as an upside that will bolster their existing resources.”With Leigh, Fran, Eden and Melie (Amelia Kerr) we have strong depth in our spin-bowling stocks, and ultimately that’s the level of depth we want to get to in all positions.”Leigh brings a wealth of international experience to the group and I’m sure she will thrive in the Sri Lankan conditions if given an opportunity.”New Zealand’s tour will start on June 27 with the first of three ODIs in Galle. The teams will then shift to Colombo for three T20Is to cap off the tour.

Pep can axe Khusanov by unleashing Man City gem who's "like Declan Rice"

After reaching a seventh successive FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, Manchester City’s focus now turns back to ensuring they’ll be in next season’s Champions League.

With nine Premier League fixtures to go, Pep Guardiola’s team are fifth, thereby occupying the final Champions League position, but they’re far from guaranteed to stay there, given that five clubs are four points or fewer behind.

Bernardo Silva for Manchester City.

With a Manchester derby to come at Old Trafford on Sunday, it is imperative that the Sky Blues beat bottom-three dwellers Leicester at the Etihad on Wednesday night.

As Guardiola targets three points from that seeming home banker, he should unleash Man City’s “quality” youngster ahead of Abdukodir Khusanov.

How Abdukodir Khusanov has performed at Man City

As noted by Philip Buckingham of the Athletic, Manchester City outspent the other 19 Premier League clubs combined in January, splashing around £180m on five new recruits, including Khusanov, who arrived from Lens for a reported fee of £33.8m.

Manchester City's Abdukodir Khusanov in action with Chelsea'sNicolasJackso

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise, considering he was playing for Enerhetyk-BDU Minsk in the Belarusian top division as recently as July 2023, becoming the first Uzbek to feature in the Premier League 18 months later.

The defender debuted against Chelsea in January, ‘thrown in at the deep end’ according to Jordan Campbell of the Athletic, before making an almighty error less than three minutes in, his ‘undercooked’ back-header gifting the Blues an early opener.

Luckily for him, Man City roared back to win 3-1.

After a difficult start to life in Manchester, Khusanov was named the club’s Player of the Month for February, as voted for by fans, with the club’s official channels already believing he has ‘captured the hearts’ of supporters.

Nevertheless, this didn’t save him from being taken off at half time of the Citizens’ FA Cup tie at Bournemouth on Sunday, with Man City a goal down and Khusanov having been booked.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

So, it remains to be seen if he’ll keep his place in the starting lineup against Leicester, although we’re advocating for Pep Guardiola to unleash a home-grown youngster instead.

Man City's best replacement for Khusanov

Man City’s come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Bournemouth is largely credited to Guardiola’s decision to replace Khusanov with Nico O’Reilly at the interval in Dorset.

Within four minutes, O’Reilly had put the ball on a plate for Erling Haaland to equalise before also getting the assist for Omar Marmoush’s winner later on.

Speaking to Gabriel Clarke of ITV after full time, Guardiola praised the 20-year-old’s impact as “outstanding”, adding “he’s going to play in the semi-final for sure”, given his form in the FA Cup to date.

Emlyn Begley of BBC Sport notes that O’Reilly is an ‘attacking midfielder… by trade’, but he is certainly versatile and he’s been catching the eye for a number of months yet. Perhaps the best source of praise came from City content creator Steven Mcinerney, who stated that “Nico has that La Masia intelligence with the physicality of someone like Rice.”

Meantime, Ben Fisher of the Guardian emphasises that the introduction of the £2.9k-per-week earner ‘transformed’ Man City’s performance at Bournemouth, thanks to his ‘seemingly bottomless energy’, becoming the first substitute to register two assists for the Sky Blues since İlkay Gündoğan at Leeds in December 2021.

So, let’s assess his statistics for the club so far.

Appearances

10

Minutes

553

Goals

3

Assists

2

Chances created

8

Passing accuracy %

90.36%

Take-on success %

51.39%

% of ground duels won

63.7%

% of aerial duels won

60%

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Tackles

19

Ball Recoveries

34

Touches per 90

77.65

As the table outlines, O’Reilly is very much still the new kid on the block, playing little over 550 senior minutes so far, while four of his ten appearances have come as a substitute, debuting in the FA Community Shield back in August.

Nico O'Reilly for Manchester City

Nevertheless, he’s already shown his quality, and the fact he can play multiple different positions makes him an invaluable asset for Guardiola, so we’re sure the Man City faithful would love to see him handed a first-ever Premier League start when Leicester visit the Etihad on Wednesday.

He was saved by O'Reilly: Pep must drop 4/10 Man City dud after Bournemouth

Man City won their FA Cup semi-final 2-1 on Sunday

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 31, 2025

تقارير: برشلونة يحسم مستقبل فرينكي دي يونج

كشفت وسائل إعلامية إسبانية عن تطورات جديدة حول مستقبل لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، فرينكي دي يونج، خلال الفترة الحالية من الموسم.

وسينتهي عقد دي يونج البالغ من العمر 28 عاماً، مع برشلونة في نهاية الموسم المقبل، صيف 2026.

اقرأ أيضاً.. سبورت: برشلونة يُحقق شرط نيكو ويليامز لحسم الصفقة

وأفادت صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية أن نادي برشلونة قد وافق على تمديد عقد، فرينكي دي يونج، لمدة 4 سنوات قادمة على أن ينتهي العقد الجديد في صيف 2029.

وتابعت أنه سيتم إعادة هيكلة المبالغ المستحقة للاعب الهولندي، والتي من المرجح أن تُقسّم على مدى السنوات القادمة، وسيؤدي هذا إلى خفض كبير في سلم رواتب الفريق الأول.

وبالرغم من أن دي يونج كان قريباً من الرحيل قبل عامين عن صفوف الفريق الكتالوني، لكن أراد إستكمال مسيرته مع البلوجرانا.

حيث لعب هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة، دوراً كبيراً في بقاء النجم الهولندي، معتبراً أنه أحد اللاعبين الأساسين في تشكيل الفريق الذي لم يمكن الاستغناء عن خدماته.

وشارك دي يونج العام الماضي مع برشلونة في 46 مباراة بجميع المسابقات، حيث أحرز هدفين وصنع مثلهما طوال الموسم.

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