All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

It’s no secret that Glasgow Rangers are keen on a move to sign goalkeeper Jack Butland this summer, with Michael Beale looking at bolstering his options between the posts ahead of next season.

However, according to The Scottish Sun, Manchester United are looking to double his salary in a bid to keep the Englishman with the club for 2023/24, which could scupper any potential move to Rangers.

Butland hasn’t played a minute for the Red Devils since joining from Crystal Palace on a six-month loan deal, yet Erik ten Hag looks like he wants to retain his services, meaning Beale may have to move onto other targets.

According to the Daily Mail, the 42-year-old has shown an interest in Fortuna Sittard goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, with the report claiming that the Light Blues have sent scouts to watch the Croatian gem in action against PSV Eindhoven last weekend.

He is on loan at the Eredivisie club from Hellas Verona, though he will make the switch permanent this summer after they tied him down until 2027.

Who is Ivor Pandur?

With Allan McGregor looking increasingly likely to hang up his gloves at the end of the season and Jon McLaughlin’s future uncertain, it could leave Robby McCrorie as the only senior ‘keeper in the squad come the summer, and Beale will be looking to provide plenty of competition for the Scot.

Pandur has displayed some impressive form in the Dutch top flight this term, earning a 7.01/10 Sofascore rating for his performances, making the team of the week twice.

The 23-year-old has saved 67% of the shots he has faced this term, which works out as 3.7 saves per game while also achieving a 100% runout success – proving to not only be an excellent shot-stopper, but also effective at coming off his line to prevent goalscoring opportunities.

He also ranks seventh out of all the ‘keepers in the Eredivisie for saves made this season, showing how often he is called into action, and if he makes the move to Rangers, it could be argued that the improved quality of defence compared to his current side will mean he shouldn’t have to make this number of saves.

His ability to save shots from close range has also been on show, with Pandur ranking fifth in the league with 72 saves inside the box – another impressive number. Therefore, if Beale manages to secure a deal, they could land a top ‘keeper.

Fortuna technical manager Sjoerd Ars has lavished praise on him, labelling the player as a “top professional”, and although playing for Rangers would be a major step up, there is surely no doubt that he could handle himself well in Scotland.

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag may look to sign another midfielder if he can finalise the addition of Chelsea playmaker Mason Mount, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

As per The Guardian, Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Mount over a prospective move to Old Trafford and they are expected to win the race to sign the England international.

Mount's £80k-a-week contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire next summer and Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is keen to ship out players who have entered the last year of their deal in west London; however, both clubs have yet to come to an agreement on a fee for the 24-year-old.

In 2022/23, the Portsmouth-born midfielder made 35 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, registering three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs detailed that Manchester United will be 'disciplined' in their approach to try and acquire Mount and will aim to land his services for under £60 million.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Jones thinks that Manchester United may also target bringing in another midfield signing this summer alongside Mount at Old Trafford, though he hasn't heard anything to suggest that Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who has been linked with the Red Devils recently, could be the man to accompany Mount.

Jones told Give Me Sport: "I haven't really had anything on Amrabat and Manchester United, so we'll have to see what ends up happening. He's definitely going to be a player that is talked about in the coming weeks. It'll be interesting, from Manchester United's point of view, what they end up doing with their midfield. Mason Mount is a figure that they're looking into as a priority at the moment because of his circumstances and they know that there'll be other teams trying to get a deal for him if they don't complete it. Beyond that, you're also still missing that piece a bit deeper back. I'm definitely still expecting Manchester United to go in for another midfielder."

What other midfielders have Manchester United been linked with?

As per The Sun, Manchester United are keen on a swoop to try and sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice this summer; however, it is believed that his preference would be to move to Premier League runners-up Arsenal in the window.

RMC Sport via The Daily Mail claim that Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is also on the radar at Old Trafford and the Red Devils have made a 'provisional offer' to the France international, who is available on a free transfer.

The Athletic have reported that Everton midfielder Amadou Onana is also someone who has gained admiration from Manchester United, though he is not at the top of their priority list.

Either way, Manchester United look set for a busy few months on the recruitment front and Ten Hag may look to bolster his engine room with a couple of quality arrivals ahead of 2023/24.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly still in the race for Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott, as Julen Lopetegui looks to rebuild his side this summer.

The Spaniard has begun the task of a well-needed clear out, in which the Old Gold have made almost £80m in sales so far.

Next, the former Real Madrid boss is expected to focus on introducing players that could become part of a new era at Molineux, with youngster Alex Scott still named as a talent that is wanted in the Midlands.

Links between the teenager and Wolves span back to March, where Dean Jones, via GIVEMESPORT, predicted a ‘summer bidding war’ for the thriving English midfielder.

Amidst Wolves’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) battles, suspicion regarding the club’s interest in the £25m-rated starlet disappeared, however news this week reinstated the belief that the Englishman could arrive at Molineux.

According to The Athletic, the 19-year-old is still ‘very much on Wolves’ radar’, and now that sales, there is hope that the Midlands side ‘could bend the rules’ in the bid to secure the talent.

How good is Alex Scott?

Lauded as “terrific” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Bristol City gem was named the Championship’s Young Player of the Year for the 2022/23 campaign.

The teenager burst onto the scene the season prior, securing himself as a firm starter for the Robins, making 38 appearances and contributing to six goals and assists in his first senior term, via Transfermarkt.

Scott’s battery is yet to run out, as he carried the form of his debut campaign to last season, in which he made 42 Championship appearances as the club’s star man.

The central midfielder hit a high in the FA Cup, where he shone against treble winners Manchester City during his side’s 3-0 defeat to the European champions.

Following the game, the teen was praised as being “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola, in a game that earned him a 7.0 match rating for a blistering 90-minute display against the best of the best, via Sofascore.

His performance on that day suggested that the teenager is ready for the jump to the top tier.

Against City, the Guernsey-born starlet won nine ground duels and two aerial duels up against a midfield including Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.

The youngster could be a revelation in Lopetegui’s new-look side and an asset in midfield alongside other talents in the ranks at Molineux.

Joao Gomes arrived at the club in January from Flamengo and has impressed so far, giving Wolves fans a glimpse of what he could offer in his first full season.

Should Lopetegui secure the signing of Scott, the Old Gold could have a midfield partnership that many would envy, in two young talents capable of dictating play in the engine room.

Both players are innate tacklers, as highlighted by their averages across their respective seasons based on their minutes played.

As per FBref, Gomes averaged a monstrous four tackles per 90 in his half-season at Molineux, as well as averaging 2.62 progressive passes per 90 to show his ability in dispatching the ball to advanced areas.

Similar numbers were hit by Scott, who over 3381 minutes in the Championship averaged 2.05 tackles per game, as well as 1.41 blocks showing the tenacious nature of the Englishman’s playing style.

Like Gomes, the 19-year-old exercised his abilities in advanced areas, averaging 2.34 progressive carries per 90 to show how rounded his talents in the middle of the park are.

Lopetegui could unearth a powerful duo by signing Scott, however, the club must act fast in their pursuit of the in-demand starlet.

Glasgow Rangers head into the international break off the back of a disappointing week as they lost the Old Firm clash 1-0 on Sunday after their 5-1 defeat to PSV their Champions League qualifier in midweek.

How did Rangers lose to Celtic?

The Light Blues were on the back foot for the majority of the first half as Michael Beale's tactic appeared to be to sit back and soak up the pressure at Ibrox.

Kyogo Furuhashi had a glorious chance to open the scoring as Matt O’Riley sent him one-on-one against Jack Butland down the right channel but the Japan international saw his effort blocked by Connor Goldson.

The home side then thought they had the lead as Cyriel Dessers squared for Kemar Roofe to slam the ball in, only for the referee to rule it out for a foul in the build-up by the Gers number nine after a VAR check.

Kyogo then found his shooting boots just before halftime as a mistake from Goldson at the back allowed him to rifle a terrific half-volley into the bottom corner.

That said, the Gers centre-back wasn't the only underperformer as £4m signing Cyriel Dessers was also below par.

How did Cyriel Dessers perform against Celtic?

There were a number of disappointing performances on the pitch for the Gers and Dessers was arguably the worst of the lot as he struggled badly at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst Goldson was caught out with a poor header that led to Kyogo's goal, the English central defender also made a number of vital interventions, including his heroic block to deny the Japanese forward earlier in the match, and recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.5 – the highest of any Rangers player.

The Nigeria international, however, did very little to redeem himself in a lacklustre display in his first experience of the Old Firm clash due to a lack of physicality and quality on the ball.

Chris Sutton bemoaned the lack of bravery in possession by Rangers during the Sky Sports commentary of the game but the midfield and full-backs were not helped by a lack of movement ahead of them at times.

Dessers did make a few interesting runs in behind to stretch the Celtic defence but did not do it often enough to forge any real chances and looked far too isolated at times due to his failure to pick up intelligent positions to receive the ball and link up the play.

This was reflected in his passing numbers as he ended the match with a meagre six completed passes out of 13 attempted, which is a success rate of just 46%, as per Sofascore.

With those touches, the 6 foot 1 flop managed to complete one of his two attempted dribbles and missed one 'big chance' as he failed to make the most of a creative pass from Todd Cantwell into the box.

He also lost six of his eight ground duels as the Nigerian frontman allowed Gustaf Lagerbielke and Liam Scales to dominate him on the deck with ease, which meant that the ball continually came back towards Rangers' goal as he was unable to retain possession or hold it up to help out his teammates.

Evidently, Dessers was the Old Firm villain for Beale as his poor performance, on and off the ball, played a significant role in their struggles going forward, whereas Goldson had one dreadful moment but fortunately regained composure to put in a solid display.

Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi is the subject of interest from Tottenham in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

How is Guehi doing this season?

The Eagles may not be having a good season currently, sitting 12th in the Premier League and not winning in the competition since New Year's Day, but Guehi has certainly been one of their better players. The Englishman has started 27 of his side's 28 league matches, averaging 3.7 clearances per game and 1.6 tackles per game.

Guehi's partnership at the back with Joachim Andersen has continued to be solid, despite Palace's struggles at the other end of the pitch, and they remain important figures heading into the future. It may not be easy for the south Londoners to keep hold of him, however, with bigger clubs potentially looking to sign him at the end of the season.

Now, a new update has emerged – one that suggests the 22-year-old could move on but remain in London this summer.

Could Guehi be off to Spurs?

According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Guehi "is at the top of Tottenham’s list" ahead of the summer window, with managing director Fabio Paratici seeing him as a "hugely exciting prospect" to bring to the club. The report goes on to state that "Palace are wanting between £50-60million for the young defender if they stay in the Premier League, with that fee set to be slashed if they suffer relegation".

Guehi is contracted to Palace until the summer of 2026, putting the Eagles in a strong bargaining position, in terms of wanting a huge transfer fee for his services.

In truth, it is no great surprise to see a club of Spurs' stature wanting to sign Guehi in the summer, with the defender someone with huge potential who has been described as both "massive" and an "absolute tank" by Stoke City goalkeeper Josef Bursik. At 22, he should only become an even more polished and dominant centre-back as the years pass, possibly even becoming a mainstay of England's defence eventually, having won three caps for the Three Lions to date.

The hope is that Palace hold onto Guehi, of course, and their only chance of achieving that goal is if they remain in the Premier League this season, which should act as a huge incentive to stay in the top flight and put an end to this dreadful recent run of form.

Tottenham Hotspur are "informed on the conditions" required to land an exciting forward described as being "born to score", per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Tottenham Hotspur news – what is the latest?

It has been a real summer of ups and downs for the Spurs faithful this year, with brilliant signings and painful departures.

On the positive side of things, the club have been able to genuinely improve elements of the first team with the signing of the ever-exciting James Maddison and the Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

The arrival of Manor Solomon, whilst not necessarily improving the first eleven, is clearly still a positive addition and should help to strengthen the squad as a whole.

Read the latest Tottenham Hotspur transfer news HERE…

However, for as good as those three are and as convincing as Ange Postecoglou has been, the exit of club talisman Harry Kane is an enormous blow to the side's attacking output, an output that the current crop of forwards do not seem equipped to replace.

With that in mind, it appears that Spurs have identified one of Europe's most exciting and prolific goalscorers as the man who could potentially come in and help the team find those 20-plus goals a season they are bound to lose in the absence of Kane, Gift Orban.

According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, the north Londoners have "appreciated" the youngster for some time now and are well aware of what is required to bring him to N17 this summer.

He explained the situation on his Here We Go podcast, saying:

"Orban is appreciated, Tottenham are informed on the conditions of the deal so let's see if they decide to bid. At the moment, they have not sent any bid. I saw some rumours saying it's close or something like that; no, there is no bid yet. It can't be close without a bid.

"Tottenham know the conditions of the deal, [they have] been following the player for a long time. I told you this two weeks ago on here that they like Gift Orban, but at the moment nothing else evolved yet."

How many goals has Gift Orban scored?

It has been a rapid rise to fame for the 21-year-old former Stabæk striker, with prolific form propelling him to the forefront of transfer lists across the continent.

So far, the Nigeria under-23 star has scored 44 senior club goals and provided nine assists in just 50 appearances in Belgium and Norway, which is only 37 fewer than Richarlison's 81 career goals at club level.

In his 16 league appearances for Gent last year, the "superb finisher" scored 15 goals, provided two assists, won four Man-of-the-Match awards and averaged a genuinely impressive match rating of 7.40, per WhoScored.

With a goal involvement on average every 85 minutes in senior football, it isn't hard to see why Spurs are interested in the player that football talent scout Jacek Kulig described as "born to score."

With Kane out the door and their current crop of forwards struggling in front of goal, the Lilywhites need to do what they can to secure Orban's services before he inevitably joins one of Europe's super clubs and continues to score for fun on the biggest stage.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has insisted that the Qatari group interested in buying Manchester United are not worried about other bidders – but won’t get involved in any bidding war.

The Lowdown: Takeover still dragging on

The Raine Group are said to have fast-tracked the Qatari group and Sir Jim Ratcliffe – of the known bidders, at least – through to the second phase of a potential Man United takeover, which is a positive sign for fans.

While there is a level of uncertainty surrounding the Glazers and whether or not they are willing sellers, this step forward should be a sign of them at least exploring the possibility of a full sale.

It has been reported that the interested Qatari group are only looking for a 100% takeover of the Red Devils, which may not be too difficult for them given the financial clout they will have behind them.

The Latest: Qatar not here to play games

Jacobs has insisted on the UnitedPeoplesTV YouTube channel that while they won’t know what other parties are in the running, the Qataris are confident in their own bid and valuation of Man United.

He said: “People talk and there’ll be whispers, but nothing will be formally shared. And this is where the gamesmanship comes back in again, because, of course, the Glazers – particularly with mystery groups or bidders – will drum up the fact that they’ve got interest to a higher number to try and provoke competitive tension.

“Qatar have made it abundantly clear – certainly, sources that I’ve spoken to – that they’re not going to be tricked or forced into some kind of mystery bidding war. And I think what gives Qatar confidence is that they know that their valuation already is, in all likelihood, higher than Sir Jim Ratcliffe.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: A long way still to go

As shown by the Newcastle United takeover, these things can indeed be dragged on for a prolonged period of time, especially when sovereign wealth states begin to get involved, as that attracts interest from all over the country, including human rights groups.

However, the fact that a Qatari group have been passed through to the next stage on behalf of Man United’s owners shows that progress is being made, albeit at a slow and steady pace at present.

While steps are being taken by The Raine Group to get a takeover passed through so a new owner can flex their muscles in the summer transfer window, any deal would need to be ratified by the Premier League, which will have its own measures and tests for potential buyers to go through.

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Inter defender Denzel Dumfries this summer and the Dutchman could be a Reece James clone at Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Denzel Dumfries?

Fabrizio Romano confirmed earlier this week that the Netherlands international had joined the Wasserman agency in an attempt to force through a summer transfer, with a move to the Premier League his preference.

Romano mentions the interest that was shown by Manchester United and Chelsea in recent months but suggests that the race is very much open for the 26-year-old this summer.

Inter have previously slapped a €60m (£53m) price tag on the versatile defender's head but given the investment we have seen at Stamford Bridge since the arrival of Todd Boehly, this would be a mere drop in the ocean for the Blues if they decided to reignite their interest in Dumfries this summer.

While Malo Gusto was signed from Lyon in the January transfer window as a long-term competitor for James at Stamford Bridge, their respective injury concerns this season suggest that Graham Potter could still be in the market for a more reliable option in his defence.

James has mustered just 12 Premier League appearances due to a number of injury problems, while Gusto was ruled out after picking up a hamstring injury back on loan in Ligue 1, with his last appearance coming in early February. The former has only managed two goal contributions too.

Therefore, it is easy to see why Boehly might target a player such as Dumfries, who has been a constant force in Inter's back line so far this campaign, notching one goal and six assists in 24 Serie A appearances.

The former PSV Eindhoven man, like James, has cultivated a reputation as an attacking wing-back, registering five goals and four assists in Italy's top-flight last season.

NBC Sports Editor Joe-Prince Wright perhaps put it best when describing the Dutchman's impressive athletic ability during Euro 2020.

He said: "Denzel Dumfries has been my favourite player at this tournament. Every time you look up he's seemingly surging forward on the right or left. Incredible."

James has shown regular attacking intent since breaking into the first team at Stamford Bridge, contributing five goals and nine assists in the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign, and Dumfries could perhaps do a similarly-impressive job if he is trusted to play instead of the injury-prone Englishman.

FBref suggests that the Inter star scores in the top 1% for non-penalty expected goals and progressive passes received when compared with other full-backs across Europe's top leagues, which emphasises his attacking ability and knack of being in the right place at right time.

Therefore, if Boehly does feel the need to sign another right wing-back this summer, Dumfries could be the ideal candidate.

Sunderland's play-off train had derailed in recent weeks, suffering three consecutive defeats at the hands of Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Leicester City.

This alarming slump in form was a cause for concern, however, that was removed on Saturday as the Black Cats romped to a 3-1 victory over Norwich City to move to within one point of sixth place Cardiff City.

Tony Mowbray has seen several stars shine this term, including fleet-footed winger Jack Clarke, who is subject to Premier League interest, midfield maestro Dan Neil and solid centre-back Dan Ballard.

Unfortunately, one area that hasn't seen an individual stand out this term is the striker position.

Since the departure of clinical finisher Ross Stewart to Southampton in the summer – who scored 40 goals in 80 games for the club – neither Mason Burstow, Luis Semedo nor Nazariy Rusyn have taken the bull by the horns and filled the void left behind by the Scotsman.

Nazariy Rusyn's season by numbers

When eyeing up replacements for Stewart in the summer, instead of splashing the cash on one striker, Mowbray decided to spread the funds across three different forwards.

Rusyn was signed from Zorya Lugansk for a reported €2.5m (£2.2m), Mason Burstow was acquired on loan from Chelsea and Luis Semedo arrived as a highly-rated striker from Benfica.

With a blend of pace, strength and an eye for goal between the aforementioned trio, Mowbray must have felt he had done enough to resolve Sunderland's goal-scoring conundrum.

Mason Burstow had scored ten goals in 25 Premier League 2 appearances for Chelsea last term, while Rusyn plundered 21 goals in 49 matches for Zorya and Semedo was clinical for Benfica's U23s, netting 21 in 44 matches.

The above records point towards three clinical strikers and at the time, it looked as though the club had done some solid business to prise three talented youngsters to the club, however, 14 matches later and zero goals between them, that couldn't be any further from the truth.

With frustrations ever-growing, Mowbray could use some of the Stewart cash to bring in another striker in January, or he could unleash promising teenager, Harry Gardiner from the academy.

The 20-year-old has been scoring goals for fun in Premier League 2.

The player who could replace Nazariy Rusyn

Sunderland are accustomed to unearthing talented youngsters from their academy having thrown Dan Neil and 16-year-old Chris Rigg into the first-team set-up.

It is, therefore, imperative that Mowbray continues to pluck youngsters from the U21s and throw them into the senior team, with Gardiner making a strong case to become the next academy revelation.

The clinical finisher, who was nominated for September's Player of the Month award in PL2 after bagging four goals in three games against Manchester United, Derby County and Aston Villa, has showcased his predatory instincts in the box.

After his hard work and sensational form earned the recognition he deserved, U21's manager Graeme Murty took to the Sunderland official website to speak about his progress.

He said: “He is in a rich vein of form at the moment. We are constantly bigging him up with humility and hard work. There is a good group around him who will always look to feed him, especially inside the area. We ask him to get in there and he is very focused on getting goals.”

That outstanding form in September wasn't out of the ordinary for Gardiner. He's been tearing through opposition defences for years now, having posted 18 goals in 47 appearances across Sunderland's underage groups.

Hailed by journalist Josh Bunting as "excellent" for his form last term, the young striker is banging down Mowbray's door for a first-team opportunity and if his current crop of strikers continue to fire blanks, he'll have no other choice but to unleash the powerful poacher.

What a time it is to be associated with Tottenham Hotspur, with the north London outfit continuing to march on under their infallible new boss, Ange Postecoglou, following a remarkable, unbeaten start to the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Currently resting atop the table – two points ahead of champions Manchester City and rivals Arsenal – all is well for the Lilywhites at present, with the club's most recent encounter having seen them secure a relatively comfortable 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday night.

Amid what is a quick turnaround ahead of tonight's trip to west London to face Crystal Palace – who conceded four against Newcastle United at the weekend – Postecoglou may well need to shuffle his pack to keep his side fresh and firing against Roy Hodgson's men.

The changes Tottenham could make against Crystal Palace

Defensively, the north Londoners may well be sweating on the fitness of Destiny Udogie after the full-back was withdrawn around the hour mark earlier this week, with Postecoglou having revealed that the 20-year-old will have to be assessed ahead of this evening's fixture.

If the Italian is to miss out, his potential replacement, Ben Davies, did miss that clash with a knock of his own, although the former Celtic boss has since stated that the long-serving asset should be fine to return this time around.

As for the midfield ranks, the hope is that Pape Matar Sarr will be fit to feature from the start after also being taken off against the Cottagers amid a bout of illness, although Spurs do have the bonus of the returning Yves Bissouma, after the 26-year-old sat out Monday's win through suspension.

Further tweaks could also lie in store in the attacking ranks, with it set to be no surprise if Brennan Johnson is unleashed from the start ahead of Richarlison, while Bryan Gil – who is making his return from injury – could pose a threat to Dejan Kulusevski's starting berth on the right flank.

The reasons why Bryan Gil should start vs Palace

It may seem bizarre to suggest that the young Spaniard is called upon after making little impact in Lilywhite to date – with no goals and two assists in 31 games in all competitions – yet having now returned from his spell on loan in Spain last season, the 22-year-old could be worthy of a chance to impress.

Having missed much of the campaign so far through injury, the former Sevilla and Valencia ace has been back on the bench in the last two league games, albeit without earning a cameo appearance in either of those wins.

The playmaker is evidently a player Postecoglou is thinking about, however, with the 58-year-old stating last week that the returning ace could "get an opportunity", amid the hectic nature of the fixture schedule:

"He certainly has all the criteria to play in that position for is and his training is getting stronger now, he’s part of the group and I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity. We’ve a Monday night game and then a Friday night game, so we’ll need the squad to deal with those two games over the next five days.”

Despite failing to really impress in recent years at N17, Gil has earned lofty praise from the likes of Antonio Conte, with the Italian coach hailing him as "like Bernardo Silva" due to his "technical quality".

That comparison to a fellow left-footer bodes well for the impact that the Spaniard could make if given a run of games, with Silva – who has won trophies galore at Manchester City, including a treble last term – a truly gifted individual, having been described as "one of the best players" that Pep Guardiola has ever coached.

A key likeness between the two attackers is also their work off the ball, with Silva hailed for his "incredible" work ethic by Guardiola in the past, while Gil ranks in the top 14% among his European peers for tackles made, as well as the top 9% for interceptions per 90, as a sign of his ability to muck in defensively.

Postecoglou could utilise that strength this evening in place of Kulusevski, with the latter man hardly impressing against Marco Silva's men just a few days ago, as 90min's Sean Walsh wrote that the Swede's 'slow and ponderous decision-making threatened to derail Tottenham' on the night.

It would be a bold call to ditch the former Juventus man later today, but sooner or later Gil must be given a chance to shine under the new regime.