Tottenham Hotspur are making contingency plans if they decide to sack under-pressure head coach Ange Postecoglou, with Fabrizio Romano sharing more news on another managerial candidate alongside the heavily-linked Andoni Iraola.

Tottenham shortlist managers to replace Ange Postecoglou

Last week, The Athletic backed multiple other reports that Postecoglou’s job at Spurs is under real threat, following an underwhelming second season in charge which has seen the Lilywhites drop to 14th in the table.

15 league defeats for a club of Tottenham’s calibre quite simply isn’t good enough, and according to Romano, Postecoglou is solely relying on a good run in the Europa League if he stands any hope of keeping his job beyond this term (GiveMeSport).

Chelsea (away)

April 3rd

Southampton (home)

April 6th

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

While the Australian prays for a Europa League run which would help restore faith in him as the right manager to lead Spurs forward, chairman Daniel Levy and the boardroom are reliably believed to be drawing up a shortlist of potential replacements for Postecoglou.

Iraola is in pole position for the possible Tottenham vacancy, according to various media sources, but other candidates are in the frame as well. Fulham boss Marco Silva has impressed at Craven Cottage, standing out as their most successful manager of the modern era, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed at N17.

Spurs are interested in Silva as a new managerial candidate, while Brentford manager Thomas Frank is also understood to be among the names who Tottenham are thinking about appointing (The Athletic).

The north Londoners could also look to Europe in search of the right man for their dugout, and one prestigious name who’s already been mentioned is Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi.

The 48-year-old guided Inter to a Serie A title last season and a Champions League final in 2023, and he’s currently competing with Antonio Conte’s Napoli in a hotly-contested race for his second Scudetto in charge at the San Siro.

Some reports claim ex-Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici has recommended Inzaghi to Levy, and Romano has now shared an update.

Tottenham sources "guarantee" Simone Inzaghi interest

Writing for GiveMeSport, the reliable journalist claims his Tottenham sources “guarantee” interest in appointing Inzaghi, but it will by no means be an easy one to pull off.

The Italian is currently in full focus at Inter, where his side will also be competing in the Club World Cup from June 1st, with Romano adding that Inzaghi doesn’t look like a “realistic” opportunity for Spurs at this stage.

That being said, Romano hasn’t completely ruled out a Spurs move for the £169,000-per-week tactician, and Inzaghi could be worth the effort given his stellar reputation among players who’ve worked with him.

“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,” said ex-Serie A striker Felipe Caicedo on his time with Inzaghi.

“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.”

Arsenal drew against Everton on Saturday to end the fleeting hopes of beating Liverpool to the Premier League title; the Reds will move 16 points clear at the summit should they beat Fulham at Craven Cottage.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side are still likely to finish second for the third season running, with attention now turned toward Tuesday evening’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid.

Hosting Los Blancos – who lost at home to Valencia on Saturday – before travelling to Spain one week later, Arteta rested a host of his stars, but there was one man who played from the outset at Goodison Park who will hope to reprise their berth in midweek.

Indeed, Leandro Trossard opened the scoring with a cool finish, latching onto Raheem Sterling’s pass.

Leandro Trossard's performance vs Everton

Trossard has ebbed and flowed somewhat this season, but he came up with the goods on Merseyside, ending a nine-game barren run in the Premier League with his strike past Jordan Pickford.

Starting in the centre-forward spot, the Belgian will hope to keep his starting role against Carlo Ancelotti’s intimidating outfit, with one football analyst noting that his ability to shoot from multiple areas with both feet makes him “unstoppable.”

Playing the talismanic role well, Trossard got off three shots, hitting the target twice, while also seeing plenty of action with 46 touches and completing 90% of his passes, as per Sofascore.

Maintaining fluency will be important against a Real Madrid side who are susceptible defensively. To be sure, with Bukayo Saka and maybe Gabriel Martinelli installed on either attacking flank, supplied by Martin Odegaard behind, Arsenal have enough firepower to do some damage.

While Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus remain sidelined, there is, of course, another man whose skills have been called upon in the final third recently.

He put in an industrious display against Everton and will be looking to start against Madrid.

The Arsenal star reaching "cult status"

While Arteta will be working closely with new sporting director Andrea Berta to make improvements in the transfer market this summer, some of Edu’s signings from last year have come up trumps at times this season.

Mikel Merino is chief among them.

The Spaniard, who joined from Real Sociedad for a £32m fee in August 2024, scored five goals from eight games as a makeshift centre-forward to combat the club’s injury woes.

But he returned to the middle of the park against Everton, something that added more mettle and crunch to Arteta’s engine room. Given that Trossard scored, too, it feels like it was a good move from the Gunners gaffer.

Indeed, Merino’s duelling success is truly a thing to behold. Standing at 6 foot 2 and expertly using his frame, he is one of football’s foremost aerial experts.

Praised for covering multiple areas of the field by The Daily Mail, who also heralded his efforts in the duel, Merino blended his fighting spirit with a willingness to drive the play forward, as evidenced by the data below.

Trossard might have got the goal, but Merino offered a lot more in regard to his overall performance. Everton, let’s not forget, are a different beast with Moyes back at the helm, and having such steel in the middle of the park was always going to be imperative.

Mikel Merino – Game vs Everton by Numbers

Match Stats

#

Touches

48

Passes completed

26/31 (84%)

Touches in att. pen

4

Possession won

6x

Successful take-ons

1

Tackles

3

Duels won

14/17

Stats via Squawka

Arsenal podcaster Matt Kendala even remarked before the game that Merino is “approaching cult status” with his recent performances, a “mentality monster” who has been “emptying the tank for the team.”

His combativeness and attacking instinct make for a dynamic and dangerous player, and you wouldn’t put it past him to nick an all-important goal across the two-legged Champions League tie coming right up.

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Sheffield United ran into a roadblock in the race for promotion back to the Premier League on Tuesday night when they lost 1-0 to Millwall at Bramall Lane.

The Blades were looking to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Oxford United away from home last weekend, but were met with another loss.

Chris Wilder’s side have failed to score in their last two games and have failed to score more than one goal in five of their last six games in the Championship.

Ben Brereton Diaz was substituted at half-time in the defeat to Millwall, as the Chile international continued his struggles in front of goal for the Blades.

Ben Brereton Diaz's goalscoring troubles

The English-born forward started the campaign with Southampton in the Premier League and failed to score in ten appearances in the top-flight before his loan move to Yorkshire in the January transfer window.

Since returning to Bramall Lane, Brereton Diaz has scored three goals in 14 matches and only one goal in his last nine matches in the Championship.

He has scored those three goals from an xG of 3.58 and missed four ‘big chances’ – including one against Millwall – and this suggests that he has been wasteful with the chances that have come his way in the box.

Whilst Brereton Diaz has failed to offer a consistent threat as a goalscorer since his return to Sheffield United, there is a former Blades gem who is currently outscoring him in Europe – Benie Traore.

Why Sheffield United messed up with Benie Traore

The club signed him from Hacken, with their sporting director Martin Ericsson describing it as an “incredible” journey, in the summer of 2023 and the Premier League seemed a step too soon for him, as he failed to score in eight appearances.

Instead of giving the young Ivorian forward an opportunity to shine as part of a team chasing promotion from the Championship, instead of in a struggling Premier League side, Sheffield United decided to sell him to Swiss side Basel last summer.

The 22-year-old attacker, who has been capped five times by his country this season, has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Swiss top-flight in the 2024/25 campaign, outperforming several Blades attackers.

Traore has played the majority of this season off the left flank, which is where Brereton Diaz has also played at times, and racked up eight goals and seven assists in all competitions.

Appearances

29

24

40

Goals

8

3

2

Big chances missed

6

6

4

Big chances created

9

3

7

Assists

5

3

6

As you can see in the table above, the former Sheffield United gem has outscored both Brereton Diaz and O’Hare at league level, by some distance, despite missing a similar number of ‘big chances’.

He has also created more ‘big chances’ for his teammates than they have for the Blades and the Saints combined, which suggests that Wilder made a mistake by sanctioning his exit last summer.

Sheffield United cashed in on a talented young winger capable of scoring and creating goals at an impressive rate before he got the chance to showcase his talent at Championship level.

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Their goalscoring woes in recent matches could have been solved by having a winger of his quality available for selection, as evidenced by his return of two goals in his last five Super League games.

It may be one that Wilder looks back on with regret if Traore continues his impressive form and goes on to return to one of Europe’s major leagues in the future.

“One of the best coaches ever” is now a front-runner to replace Ivan Juric at Southampton, who have already identified a number of managers as potential targets, according to a report.

Southampton part ways with Juric after relegation

The Saints’ relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed on Sunday, following a 3-1 loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, although in truth the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, after a disastrous campaign.

Juric inherited a difficult situation at St. Mary’s, with Russell Martin being sacked in December, at which point his side were already nine points from safety, but there were very few signs of improvement after the 49-year-old’s arrival.

With just seven games left to go, the soon-to-be Championship side need to collect two more points to avoid breaking an unwanted record, with Derby County’s 11 points in the 2007-08 campaign currently the lowest total in Premier League history.

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Next season, the aim will undoubtedly be to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and the board have now started to identify managers who could give them a very good chance of doing exactly that.

According to a report from The Boot Room, Southampton have a number of options in mind, including Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, but Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is believed to be one of the front-runners.

BlueCo may not make it easy for the Saints to snap Rosenior up, however, as they are determined to keep hold of the up-and-coming manager, with Strasbourg faring very well in their pursuit of qualification for the Champions League.

As such, Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl could be a more attainable target, given that the German coach has a relatively affordable £5m release clause included in his contract with the Owls.

Rosenior impressing in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg

It is little wonder Southampton are keen on appointing the Englishman, given the job he has done at Strasbourg this season, with his side currently in fourth place, just three points behind second-placed Marseille.

The 40-year-old has orchestrated a phenomenal turnaround, with Strasbourg finishing 13th under the helm of Patrick Vieira last season, and he has previously been hailed for his ability on the training ground.

Clinton Morrison praised the work the Strasbourg boss did during his time as Derby County’s caretaker manager, saying: “I actually think he’s a top manager,”

“I spoke to a few people at Derby. He was unlucky to lose his job, the players respected him. He’s one of the best coaches ever.”

Club

Matches

Points per match

Strasbourg

31

1.77

Hull City

78

1.40

Derby County

12

1.92

However, with Strasbourg on course to qualify for the Champions League, it seems unlikely that Rosenior would be willing to manage a Championship side next season, particularly with BlueCo so eager to keep hold of him, so Rohl could be a more realistic appointment for the Saints.

Tottenham Hotspur were beaten for the 17th time in the Premier League this season when they lost 4-2 to relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

Despite Wolves having battled against the drop throughout the 2024/25 campaign, Vitor Pereira’s side are now just two points behind Spurs, who are sat in 15th place in the division.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

There is no escape from the fact that it has been a failure of a season for Ange Postecoglou in the Premier League, as his team are 17 points adrift of the top seven and European qualification, whilst they are only 16 points ahead of Ipswich Town in the last relegation spot.

Spurs are still in the Europa League, and face Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, but there will be no domestic success for Tottenham before the end of the campaign.

Tottenham do have a clutch of very young players who are learning on the job, and Postecoglou may point to that as one of the factors behind their underperformance, but there is no guarantee that they will fulfill their potential.

There have been talented young prospects in North London in the past who have not gone on to live up to the hype, including electric winger Jack Clarke.

Why Jack Clarke failed at Spurs

Back in the summer of 2019, Tottenham swooped to sign the 18-year-old forward from Championship side Leeds United for a reported fee of £10m.

He had just made 25 appearances in the first-team for Marcelo Bielsa as the Whites reached the play-off semi-finals, only to lose to Derby County, and Spurs clearly saw him as a high-potential talent who could be a future star for the club, hence why they were willing to spend £10m on his services.

Clarke, as you can see in the graphic above, went on to make a further three appearances for Leeds on loan in the 2019/20 campaign, before playing six times in the Championship for QPR in the second half of that season.

At the start of the 2020/21 season, the English whiz was given a few opportunities to showcase his quality in the first-team for Spurs, with two appearances in the Europa League and one in the FA Cup, but did not muster up any goals or assists.

Appearances

2

Shots

1

Shots on target

0

Goals

0

Key passes

2

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Dribbles completed

0

Duel success rate

25%

The £10m signing showed promise at youth level with a return of four goals and four assists in 18 academy matches in the first half of the 2021/22 campaign, before being sent out on loan to League One side Sunderland in January 2022.

After one goal in 20 League One outings – including the play-offs – Tottenham decided to cash in on Clarke, who had yet to prove himself on a consistent basis at senior level three years on from his £10m move, by selling him to the Black Cats.

Ultimately, Clarke, who now plays for Ipswich in the Premier League, failed to realise his potential at White Hart Lane, and Archie Gray is in danger of following in his footsteps after a dismal showing last time out.

Archie Gray's performance against Wolves

The 19-year-old defender started at right-back, the position he made his breakthrough in at Leeds last season, against Wolves on Sunday and put in a dismal showing.

Gray was far from the only poor performer on the pitch, as Vicario flapped the ball back out for two of the goals, Djed Spence scored an own goal, Cristian Romero lost the ball for the third goal, and Ben Davies completely mistimed his challenge on Matheus Cunha for the fourth.

However, it was still a disappointing 90 minutes of football from the England U21 international, whose play in and out of possession left far too much to be desired.

Minutes

90

90

Pass accuracy

85%

87%

Key passes

0

0

Successful crosses

0/4

1/4

Possession lost

19x

17x

Interceptions

2

1

Tackles

0

3

Duels won

0/3

8/11

As you can see in the table above, Spence delivered an even better performance than him – despite playing as a right-footer at left-back – even with an unfortunate own goal to go with it.

Gray offered no threat at the top end of the pitch, with no key passes or successful crosses, and was a lightweight off the ball, losing 100% of his duels.

Why Archie Gray is in danger of being the next Jack Clarke

The versatile youngster is now in danger of following in the footsteps of another Leeds academy graduate, as it remains to be seen if he can realise his potential at Spurs.

Tottenham reportedly splashed out a fee of £30m to sign the defender from the Whites last summer, and he has yet to prove his worth on a consistent basis in the Premier League.

Gray has made 40 appearances in all competitions for Spurs, far more than the three outings that Clarke had at the start of his Tottenham career, but there has not been too much quality in those outings.

The England youth international has started nine of his ten appearances in the Europa League, resulting in zero goals, zero assists, and a duel success rate of 47%.

Appearances

23

Goals + assists

0

Key passes per game

0.1

Tackles + interceptions per game

0.9

Error led to shot

1

Error led to goal

1

Duel success rate

47%

As you can see in the table above, Gray has also failed to deliver much in the way of quality in the Premier League, with one chance created every ten games and less than one tackle and interception combined per game on average.

The 19-year-old, who has the lowest Sofascore rating (6.58) in the squad, does not offer a threat in possession or quality off the ball as a defender, rarely making interventions and losing the majority of his duels.

You could argue that he is being played out of position at right-back, as central midfield was the role he came up through the academy in, but 30 of his 49 starts for Leeds came in that area of the pitch.

At this moment in time, Gray is on his way to following in Clarke’s footsteps by failing to live up to his potential at Spurs after joining the club for big money.

Of course, there is plenty of time for the teenage talent to improve and develop if Postecoglou is willing to trust him in the long term, but he will need to show far more than what he is doing right now to become a success and avoid being Clarke 2.0.

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After Andre Onana endured yet another night to forget between the sticks for Manchester United, the Red Devils are reportedly seriously interested in signing an impressive replacement.

Onana fumbles against Matic and Lyon

Turning what was set to be a simple affair between two sides vying for a place in the Europa League’s last four into a tie with added tension, Onana stole the headlines earlier this week when he told reporters: “It’s a very good team. We know some of them but I don’t think we have to focus on them. It’s more about us, what we’re going to do. I think we are better than them, we just have to go there and show who we are.

Whilst the goalkeeper didn’t mean to create conflict with his comments, former Manchester United and current Lyon midfielder soon wasted no time in hitting back, calling Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history”.

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“If you’re one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history then you need to take care of what you are talking about. If David De Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar said that I would question myself but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s modern history, he needs to show that before he says it.”

In the end, it was impossible to decipher whether the Red Devils are a better side than Lyon as the French side came from behind to rescue a draw. But that’s not to say Matic wasn’t vindicated in full, however. He watched on as Onana fumbled not once but twice to cost Manchester United a crucial advantage late on.

It’s mistakes that those at Old Trafford may not ignore for much longer, either, having reportedly set their sights on an ideal replacement for their No.1.

Man Utd seriously interested in Burnley star James Trafford

According to GiveMeSport, Manchester United are now seriously interested in signing James Trafford from Burnley this summer in what would see them jump ahead of Newcastle United and others in the race for his signature. The impressive shot-stopper has kept as many as 28 clean sheets this season, playing a vital part in one of the best defences in Championship history.

With those at Old Trafford reportedly hoping for interest to arrive from Saudi Arabia before showing Onana the door, Trafford could emerge to become Ruben Amorim’s new No.1.

Praised for an “incredible” season by football scout/writer Jacek Kulig, the England international has certainly earned a place in the Premier League whether it’s with or without Burnley.

Patrick Dorgu has become a key player at Manchester United since his January move from Lecce. The Dane, who cost the Red Devils £25m up front, has already played ten times for his new club this term, although he did miss three games due to suspension.

The 20-year-old is yet to score or assist for the first time in a United shirt. However, he did win a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes converted in the Europa League Round of 16 against Real Sociedad, showing just how deadly he can be.

With that being said, it has not all been smooth sailing for the wing-back. Aside from his red card, he was recently rotated out of the team for United’s 4-1 loss away to Newcastle United, with Harry Amass stepping into his shoes.

Amass’ full debut for United

For a football fan, there probably aren’t many better birthday presents than making your professional debut, and for Man United, nonetheless. Well, that was the case for Amass, who made a substitute appearance away to Leicester City in the Premier League on his 18th birthday.

Just weeks later, the youngster, who was born in London and played for Watford’s academy originally, made his first start in the top flight. The youngster was selected to start ahead of Dorgu at left wing-back.

Indeed, it was an impressive showing from Amass, as the stats on Sofascore reflect. The 18-year-old had 31 touches of the ball, completed 85% of his passes and won two duels. He certainly performed well.

That was certainly a sentiment that football statistician Statman Dave seemed to agree with. He was full of praise for Amass, explaining that he “didn’t look out of place in senior football” at St James’ Park last weekend.

There is certainly no worry about squad depth for the Red Devils at left-wing back, with the emergence of Amass and the signing of Dorgu. Incredibly, they are adding to that depth over the summer with another new signing.

United’s latest left wing-back signing

One of the continents where big European clubs tend to find hidden gem players is South America. Well, United may have pulled off a masterclass of their own in that sense, with the signing of youngster Diego Leon.

In the middle of January, it was confirmed by BBC Sport that the 18-year-old undertook a medical at United’s Carrington training ground. The reported fee is £6m, with the left-back set to join in the summer.

Now, United are not just signing a player without first-team experience who could one day break into the fold at Old Trafford. No, Leon has actually had years of experience at first-team level for Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno.

He has already played 26 times for the club over the past couple of years, and has even managed three goals in that time, from left-back. His 2092 minutes so far equate to 23 full 90-minute games, showing his importance to the Cerro Porteno side.

In fact, his underlying stats via Sofascore from his time in professional football so far are impressive. For example, Leon played nine key passes last term, and five this season, as well as making 45 tackles and interceptions in 2024, and 11 in 2025.

Minutes

1643

450

Key passes

9

5

Pass accuracy

71.5%

76.8%

Tackles and interceptions

45

11

Aerial duels won

21

11

One person who rates the youngster highly is football analyst Ben Mattinson. Discussing Leon in December 2024, just one month before his United medical, the analyst said he “runs like a steam train”, highlighting the physicality he will bring to Old Trafford.

Leon certainly seems like a player United fans can get excited about. The 18-year-old will bring first-team experience with him to the Premier League, and he clearly has final-third flair. He could be the perfect player for Amoirm to add to his wing-back options.

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Both Amass and Dorgu may well need to watch out…

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Newcastle United have made an offer worth more than £50m to sign a new player this summer who has already received praise from club legend Alan Shearer.

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The Magpies took advantage of not having a game last weekend by celebrating their Carabao Cup triumph with a trophy parade. Ant and Dec, along with Shearer, were amongst those to join fans for an open-top bus parade which produced some brilliant moments for supporters.

Talking about the scenes, Shearer said: “The players must have absolutely loved it because they got some reception. I know they absolutely deserved it but they must have loved it because to be a part of that, on the bus with the trophy and the fans what they were giving them must have been incredible for them.

“Then to get on the stage and have another 150,000 to 200,000 cheer you on, it was just a great day. The way everyone mixed and got on, the atmosphere was brilliant.”

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Away from the parade, though, Newcastle and PIF are seemingly working behind the scenes on some summer transfers for Eddie Howe’s side.

Recently, it has been claimed that Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara is of interest and that contact has been made for the £33m+ forward. Now, it looks as if Newcastle have gone one further and made an offer for a Premier League player.

Newcastle make £50m+ offer to sign Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott

According to reports in Spain, Newcastle have made an offer to sign Harvey Elliott from Liverpool. The bid made by Newcastle is thought to be worth €60m (£50.2m), with Elliott impressing due to his ‘vision, ball-handling skills, and ability to contribute both in attack and defence’.

The report then goes on to add that the offer could be hard to refuse for Liverpool, with Elliott out of contract in 2027 as things stand.

The 21-year-old has progressed through the ranks after joining the Reds from Fulham in 2019 and has gone on to make 140 appearances for Liverpool in a variety of attacking and midfield positions.

Right-winger

103

Attacking midfield

65

Central midfield

36

Left-winger

14

Centre-forward

3

Second striker

1

He’s also been hailed by Shearer, who said on Elliott: “He’s a real talent isn’t he, he’s brilliant. What I like about him now, he can play midfield also. We all knew he could play midfield but he’s not just okay because Salah’s playing on the on the right and he wants to come in on his left foot.

“He can play in a variety of different positions and every time he plays it really shows me that he’s good enough for this level now, it really does. As long as he can get some consistency, I think we’ve got another top player on our hands.”

Now, it looks as if a move to St James’ Park could be one to keep an eye on.

Looking to make an instant statement, new sporting director Hugo Viana is now reportedly pushing for Manchester City to sign a Premier League rival he’s been tracking since 2021.

Viana already targeting Man City incomings

If there was any remaining doubt about whether Manchester City will be busy this summer then news of Kevin de Bruyne’s pending exit should have put that to bed. The Blues could yet miss out on Champions League football for the first time under Pep Guardiola and are more desperate for an overhaul than ever before during the Spaniard’s incredible reign.

De Bruyne’s departure could be the beginning of a ruthless period at the Etihad, in which several stars are shown the door. Recent reports indicated that joining De Bruyne is likely to be Kyle Walker, who has spent the second half of the campaign on loan at AC Milan in what could yet become a permanent deal.

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Meanwhile, there remain doubts over whether Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Ederson will still be at the club come August, making room for the incomings that Viana has already set his sights on.

On that front, the biggest name mentioned so far has been Florian Wirtz, who would instantly replace De Bruyne at Manchester City. The German has made history at Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso, but may decide to move on when the summer transfer window arrives following another excellent individual campaign.

The attacking midfielder isn’t the only name on City’s shortlist though. After all, they’re in need of a major overhaul. Names like Morgan Gibbs-White and AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders have also been mentioned in recent weeks in two deals that would steal plenty of headlines. Meanwhile, not done there, Viana has also reportedly set his sights on signing a top six rival in the Premier League.

Viana pushing Man City to sign Udogie

According to Fabrizio Romano for GiveMeSport, Viana is now pushing for Man City to sign Destiny Udogie, who he has been tracking since the full-back’s Udinese days in 2021. Now at Tottenham Hotspur, the defender has impressed many even as the Lilywhites have rapidly declined under Ange Postecoglou and could now receive the ultimate escape route as a result.

At Spurs since 2023, the left-back has often earned the praise of his manager, who told reporters following a 2-2 draw against rivals Arsenal in Udogie’s debut season: “Destiny getting booked early, it could have made it difficult, but the way he dealt with it, in the end I thought he was the dominant player on that side of the pitch. He finished really strong and had to contend with having a yellow card.”

Given how Guardiola has struggled to solve his left-back problem since Josko Gvardiol has been forced into central defence amid injury concerns, Udogie should be near the top of City’s wishlist.

Adding key depth down that side and depth that could push Gvardiol all the way would certainly go a long way for a City side who will be desperate to reclaim their crown next season.

Aston Villa’s hopes of securing a place in the Champions League next season were dealt a blow when they lost 2-1 to Manchester City at The Etihad on Tuesday night.

The Villans, sat in seventh, remain two points behind Newcastle United in fifth place, but have now played a game more than Chelsea, Newcastle, and Forest above them.

A last-gasp goal from Matheus Nunes secured all three points for the home side, after Bernardo Silva and Marcus Rashford’s first-half goals had the game level, and Axel Disasi will not want to see his involvement in the goal replayed.

Axel Disasi's game-changing mistake

The French defender was brought on to replace Matty Cash at right-back in the second half and was skipped past with ease by Jeremy Doku in the build-up to the winning goal.

Disasi, as shown in the clip below, tried to tackle the Belgium international and completely missed the ball, which allowed the winger to spring past him before delivering a perfect cross for Nunes to score.

The centre-back, playing outside of his natural position, could have tried to show Doku down the line and attempted to block the cross, but tried to cut the attack out at source and got it all wrong, which was a costly mistake in the end.

Disasi did, however, win three of his four duels – making three tackles – prior to that lost duel with the winger, which shows that he was having a good cameo until that moment in stoppage time.

The Chelsea loanee was not the worst performer on the pitch for Unai Emery, however, as Boubacar Kamara put in a disappointing display in the middle of the park.

Why Unai Emery must drop Boubacar Kamara

The Villa head coach must ruthlessly drop the French enforcer from the starting XI because it was a tired performance by the former Marseille star.

He seemed to be laboured in his approach to duels in midfield and that led to Manchester City’s players winning the vast majority of their battles against him. Kamara ended the game with a duel success rate of 23%, losing seven of his nine duels, which shows how easy it was for the opposition.

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Maybe it was a game too far for Kamara, who has played 37 times in all competitions this season, and Emery may need to drop him from the team to provide him with the rest that his display on Tuesday night suggests that he needs.

Kamara

Vs City

24/25 Premier League (per game)

Pass accuracy

87%

89%

Duels won

2

4.4

Duel success rate

23%

54%

Tackles

0

2.1

Interceptions

0

0.7

Dribbled past per game

2x

1.1x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, he was below his usual standards in the Premier League this season. Instead of being his usual combative, assured, strong self, the midfield flop made it too easy for Manchester City to control the middle of the park.

He also played the full 90 minutes, and that is why he was even worse than Disasi, who only had one poor moment off the bench, because the midfielder was consistently underwhelming throughout the game.

To end the match with zero tackles and zero interceptions, as a defensive midfield, whilst playing the full game, is disappointing and not the standard that he has set this season, which is why now could be the time for Emery to take him out of the side.

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Posts ByBarney Lane Apr 22, 2025