A Summerville repeat: Fan favourite now in talks to leave Leeds

Being a Leeds United supporter has certainly been somewhat of a rollercoaster over the last couple of years, with the club always in the middle of some form of drama on or off the pitch.

From big-money departures to Wembley defeats and title victories, the fans have truly been through it all, with another new chapter appearing on the horizon in the coming months.

After promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League, it hands the Whites a fresh opportunity to create new history and cement themselves as one of England’s greats.

Leeds United manager DanielFarkebefore the match

They will face a huge task to beat the drop, given the gap between the two divisions, but after their ninth-placed finish back in their previous return to the top flight is evidence that they can defy the odds.

If they are to break the mould, investment is needed, but it’s also pivotal that players who are not required are moved on to provide boss Daniel Farke with added funds to make changes.

The latest on Leeds players who could leave Elland Road this summer

Striker Patrick Bamford has failed to deliver throughout 2024/25, not scoring a single goal across all competitions, leading to rumours about his future in Yorkshire.

He’s been linked with a move to newly promoted Championship side Wrexham, which could lead to a permanent move away, looking to cash in given the fact he has just one year left on his current deal.

The 31-year-old won’t be the last player to depart Elland Road this window, with full-back Junior Firpo also touted with an exit, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

He confirmed that the Dominican international has been approached by his former side, Real Betis, over a return to the LaLiga outfit, with his contract set to expire in just over two weeks.

The Whites have made an offer to extend his stay in Yorkshire, but as of yet, no agreement has been reached, with the defender looking more likely to leave given the time remaining on his deal.

Why Leeds’ £60k-p/w star could be a repeat of Summerville

Crysencio Summerville captured the hearts of the Leeds fanbase during his spell at Elland Road, producing numerous moments of magic after breaking into the first team setup.

Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville

His first major moment came back in October 2022, coming off the bench to score the winner against Liverpool at Anfield – in a game which was undoubtedly the highlight of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Dutchman would become a key member of the side after relegation to the Championship, scoring 20 times and registering nine assists, but it wasn’t enough as the club lost in the play-off final against Southampton.

He would subsequently depart and join West Ham United in a £25m deal last summer, banking a huge profit but losing one of their shining lights in the process.

Whilst Firpo would be leaving for nothing, it could see a repeat of a deal for Summerville, with both players moving on after impressive years in the second tier, with the defender notching 14 goal contributions this season.

Leeds United's JuniorFirpoin action with Bristol City's Max Bird

The defender, who also earns £60k-per-week, has matched the Dutchman in struggling in the top flight previously in Yorkshire, leading to many fans previously voicing their displeasure over his performances, with such a move freeing up money off the wage bill.

The winger has struggled with injuries since his subsequent move to the top tier, starting just seven league games this season, with the deal now favouring the Whites despite the disappointment at the time.

Games played

32

Goals & assists

14

Pass accuracy

83%

Chances created

1.7

Touches in opposition box

4.1

Duels won

6.3

Tackle success rate

52%

Such a deal allowed for Manor Solomon to move to the club, handing Farke an added talent whilst banking good money, something which could replicate itself with Firpo this summer.

Understandably, given his form at Elland Road, no fan would want to lose the defender, with continuity crucial if the side are to beat the drop throughout 2025/26.

However, if the full-back doesn’t want to stay, it would be best to part ways this month and make a move for a player who could fill the void in Yorkshire.

Should he struggle to make an impact away from the club like Summerville, it would be a good decision to allow him to depart, putting trust in the hierarchy to recruit a suitable replacement in the coming months.

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ByDan Emery Jun 10, 2025

Ponting appointed Punjab Kings head coach

Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Sep-20246:27

What is Ponting’s biggest challenge at Punjab Kings?

Ricky Ponting has been appointed head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) from IPL 2025, a little over two months after he and Delhi Capitals parted ways ending his seven-year tenure at the franchise.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Ponting has signed a four-year contract with Kings, a franchise with multiple owners. Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff. There is no clarity yet on who remains on the books from the coaching unit from last year: Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langeveldt (fast-bowling coach), Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach).”I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new head coach,” Ponting said. “I am excited to take up the new challenge. I had great conversations with the owners and the management about the way forward and was truly elated to see the alignment of our visions for the team. We all want to repay the fans who have stayed with the franchise over the years and we promise that they will see a much different Punjab Kings going forward.”Ponting will be the third head coach in four seasons at Kings, who finished ninth in the 2024 season. They have not qualified for the IPL playoffs since 2014, when they finished runners-up. Ponting’s first challenge would be shortlisting players who could be potentially retained for the next season even as the franchises wait for the IPL to finalise the retention rules.Related

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Harshal Patel, who won the purple cap for the second time in IPL 2024, along with the uncapped Indian pair of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma were among the key performers for Kings last season. Kings also have India left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, legspinner Rahul Chahar in their squad along with a healthy bunch of overseas players, including the England trio of Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow and South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada.With Shikhar Dhawan retiring recently, Kings will also be keen to identify a new captain.Ponting has been part of the IPL set-up since the inaugural season in 2008, first as a player at Kolkata Knight Riders followed by Mumbai Indians where he stepped down as captain midway through the 2013 season, paving way for Rohit Sharma to take over. Mumbai won the title the same year, with Ponting continuing in an advisory role in 2014 and then serving as head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016.In 2018, Ponting took charge as head coach of Capitals who made the playoffs for three successive seasons between 2019 and 2021, during which period they qualified for the first IPL final in 2020. After ending his association with Capitals in July, Ponting was head coach during Washington Freedom’s title-winning campaign in the 2024 season of Major League Cricket (MLC).

Le Bris driving move: Sunderland enter race for "impressive" ex-Arsenal ace

Setting his sights on further arrivals, Regis Le Bris is reportedly set to drive Sunderland’s move to sign a former Arsenal midfielder who he has already worked with in the past.

Commencing their summer business in style, the Black Cats are reportedly set to break their club-record deal to sign Habib Diarra from Strasbourg before also welcoming Reinildo from Atletico Madrid. An impressive double swoop, Le Bris will have himself a much-needed replacement for Jobe Bellingham as well as key depth at left-back.

Given that Leeds United were also interested in Diarra, Sunderland’s move looks all the more impressive. Those in Wearside, by outbidding another promoted side, are set to make quite the statement.

The Black Cats may not be finished with their spending, however. Names such as Charlie Creswell have threatened to steal the headlines as of late in what would be another big-money deal. The defender has impressed ever since swapping Leeds for French side Toulouse and could now be on his way back to English football as a result.

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Creswell’s arrival would deal Leeds another blow, who could watch on as their former player stars elsewhere in the Premier League next season. That said, he’s not the only name on Sunderland’s reported radar.

As well as strengthening their backline, those at the Stadium of Light have also reportedly turned their focus back towards their midfield and signing an ex-Arsenal player. Perhaps attempting to find a partner for Diarra, Le Bris is now reportedly driving the move.

Le Bris driving move to sign Matteo Guendouzi

According to their former chief scout Mick Brown, Le Bris is set to be the “driving force” as Sunderland race to sign Matteo Guendouzi. The Frenchman previously worked under the Sunderland boss during their time together at FC Lorient’s B team several years ago and could now finally have the chance to reunite with his former manager.

Speaking about the potential deal, Brown told Football Insider: “Sunderland are in a position where they feel they need to strengthen their squad. They need Premier League-level players and to get those you have to be ambitious in the market.

“A lot of it will depend on what sort of fee his club are going to demand for him. The manager is playing a big role in their recruitment so far and did the same when they were in the Championship, he appears to have good relationships in France. He’s worked with Guendouzi before and he’s going to be the driving force behind the move.”

Previously dubbed “impressive” by former Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce, Guendouzi has unfinished business in the Premier League and could have the chance to return from Lazio with a bang courtesy of the Black Cats this summer.

Club seek "swift" replacement for £70m star as Tottenham make contact

da imperador bet: Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for another new forward this summer after sealing a permanent deal for Mathys Tel, with Thomas Frank reportedly eager to reinforce his brand-new squad ahead of the tactician’s debut campaign in the Champions League.

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da brwin: It will be Frank’s first-ever season managing in Europe’s most illustrious competition, and far more eyes will be on the Dane in comparison to his successful stint at mid-table Brentford.

The pressure that comes with leading a ‘big six’ side will be very new to the 51-year-old, but it is something that Frank will need to take in his stride over the course of this three-year contract.

“Thomas Frank has done a brilliant job at Brentford, but this is a whole different kettle of fish,” said BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Chris Sutton.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

“Because of the expectation at Tottenham, Frank won’t get time to get his feet under the table. He will be under pressure from the off. Postecoglou has just won them their first major European trophy for 41 years and has gone. So already you have to wonder what does Frank need to do this season to keep his job?

“The aim for Frank will be to keep them in the Champions League, and whether that is by making the top four or five, that is not going to be easy. That is a big ask for this squad, to compete on both fronts. We know this Tottenham team is better than 17th place, because they finished fifth in Postecoglou’s first year, but other Premier League teams have improved since then.”

Above all, Frank will need backing in the transfer market, and their indefinite deal for Tel simply won’t be enough.

Son’s very possible move to Saudi Arabia, which would put an end to his legendary 10-year stay at N17, has exacerbated Frank’s need for another proven winger, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo among their key targets in that regard.

Tottenham make contact over signing Antoine Semenyo

Tottenham have already been tipped to make a £65 million bid for Semenyo, but that won’t be enough, as journalist Pete O’Rourke explains to Football Insider this week.

According to the reporter, Spurs have made contact over a deal for Semenyo, with the Cherries having placed a £70 million valuation on their star front man. However, if Frank’s side meet this price tag and make the Ghanaian their club-record signing, Bournemouth are confident they can sign a “swift” replacement and have a “contingency plan” in place.

O’Rourke adds that there is a “real possibility” that Bournemouth could lose Semenyo amid Spurs’ approach, and he could be their fourth high-profile exit of the window after Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and potentially Illia Zabarnyi, who’s in advanced talks to join PSG.

The 25-year-old bagged 13 goals and seven assists in all competitions last season, playing a decent mixture of roles on the left and right-hand side.

Semenyo’s versatility and proven Premier League experience would be invaluable for Frank, but Daniel Levy will need to dig deep into his pockets.

BCB chief: Shakib unlikely to play ODIs against Afghanistan

The BCB president Faruque Ahmed has said that Shakib Al Hasan is unlikely to play in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Faruque stated it was Shakib’s decision to opt out of the Afghanistan ODIs, while also hinting of an emotional element about his failure to play what was supposed to be his farewell Test in Dhaka against South Africa from October 21.Shakib has not played any cricket in nearly a month since the second Test in India and it is expected he will feature in the Abu Dhabi T10 League for Bangla Tigers to get some game time before the Caribbean tour.After the three ODIs against Afghanistan, Bangladesh will leave for the West Indies for two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. Shakib has retired from Tests and T20Is so he will be available for the ODIs in the Caribbean and later the Champions Trophy in February 2025. Shakib hasn’t played ODIs since the World Cup in India last year.Related

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“After Shakib couldn’t come to play his (farewell) Test, he wasn’t doing much practice,” Faruque said at a press conference on Thursday. “I think he needs some time to regroup. We haven’t taken a final decision but he looks unlikely to play the next series (against Afghanistan). He is likely to miss the series. He could be playing a T10 tournament soon. I feel he can still play for Bangladesh in the 50-over format. There are three ODIs against West Indies before the Champions Trophy.”Faruque, however, said that the board will consider Shakib for the rest of the ODIs this season, if the selectors feel that his training and franchise tournament is sufficient preparation. “Shakib has played for 17 years and he is part of the generation that plays a lot of franchise cricket. They know the drill. They play, sleep maybe a few hours and turn up for training. So he is geared for such situations.”It is the definitely the best possible thing to train with the team but we will consider him if the selection committee thinks that he can still deliver by training or playing tournaments abroad.”The national selectors haven’t yet announced the Bangladesh squad for the ODIs against Afghanistan starting November 6, as the board president is also going to hold a meeting with Najmul Hossain Shanto who recently expressed his reluctance to lead the side.Meawhile, Faruque said that the decision for Shakib to skip the Dhaka Test last week came from the government, with the BCB not part of the decision-making process.”The BCB wasn’t a part of the decision of Shakib not coming to Bangladesh,” he said. “Our sports adviser informed the media at the time that there’s a problem if he comes. I didn’t have to make a statement. I heard that there was security till 3 or 4pm, and then there were clashes between the two sides.”

Escalação do São Paulo: Dorival Júnior terá time 'diferenciado' contra o Vasco pelo Brasileiro

MatériaMais Notícias

da aposte e ganhe: Sem jogos durante a semana, São Paulo se prepara para o jogo de sábado (7), contra o Vasco, no Rio de Janeiro. Entretanto, mesmo embalado pela conquista da Copa do Brasil e com duas vitórias seguidas no Brasileiro, Dorival Júnior pode ter alguns problemas para escalar a equipe.

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da betsul: Isso porque não contará com três jogadores titulares: Rafinha, Calleri e Beraldo. Contra o Corinthians, os três receberam seu terceiro cartão amarelo. Desta forma, terão que cumprir suspensão e não viajarão para o Rio de Janeiro. Assim, o time deve ter algumas alterações.

Na vaga de Calleri, uma das principais opções para substituir é Juan, tendo em vista que Erison ainda segue no departamento médico, embora esteja treinando com parte do elenco. Beraldo deve dar espaço para Alan Franco. No lugar de Rafinha, Nathan é o favorito, embora Raí Ramos também esteja disponível.

Porém, no ataque, existe a chance de outro cenário. Ao invés de Juan, Luciano pode voltar a ser titular e reforçar o ataque. O camisa 10 está sendo bastante utilizado como uma opção para entrar no decorrer da partida, como visto nos últimos jogos – inclusive, na final da Copa do Brasil. Sem Calleri, pode voltar a ser titular.

Um possível São Paulo para enfrentar o Vasco é composto por Rafael, Nathan (Raí Ramos, Diego Costa, Alan Franco e Caio Paulista; Pablo Maia, Alisson, Rodrigo Nestor (Gabriel Neves) e Wellington Rato; Lucas e Luciano (Juan).

'Hope that the goals are coming soon' – Son Heung-Min pleased to make LAFC debut, though disappointed by draw vs Chicago Fire

Former Tottenham captain came off the bench for his debut and played a key role in winning a penalty

Son laments missed opportunity for winning start Will take gradual approach to building match fitnessLAFC face New England Revolution next in MLSGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Son Heung-min made his highly anticipated Major League Soccer debut for Los Angeles Football Club in a road match against Chicago Fire that ended in an engaging 2-2 draw. Following the match, Son expressed  frustration with the result, stating that the team had created sufficient opportunities to secure three points.

“Obviously, it's a bit disappointed, not getting three points," he told Apple TV. "But generally, I think everybody put a lot of effort and happy to make the debut and I hope the goals are coming soon… we tied this game, but as I said before, we should have won this game. I'm a little bit disappointed." 

Overall, Son was pleased to get his LAFC tenure underway, saying, "I'm happy I made the debut, and I hope that the goals are coming soon."

AdvertisementWHAT SON HEUNG-MIN SAID

The former Tottenham captain came off the bench for his debut with the score tied 1-1 and played a key role in winning a penalty that saw LAFC equalise after going 2-1 down. 

“I'm getting ready and it was, decent 30 minutes on my leg, in my leg. So, yeah, getting ready for next week. We’ll see how I progress with the training session and with the players. And yeah, we'll see how about next week I can start the game and make big impact."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The 33-year-old signed for the MLS this summer after spending the last decade with Premier League side Tottenham, winning the Europa League in his final season with the club.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Following their 2-2 draw, LAFC sit fifth on the Western Conference, well behind Conference leaders San Diego FC. They face the New England Revolution away from home on Aug. 16 followed by a road trip to FC Dallas on Aug. 23.

In Rishabh Pant's defiance lies his defence

Was the wicketkeeper-batter’s bold approach in the WTC final appropriate?

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jun-20211:02

Virat Kohli – ‘We don’t want Rishabh Pant to lose his positivity or optimism’

Just before he entered the Indian dressing room on Wednesday afternoon, Rishabh Pant punched the thick wooden door hard with his bare-knuckled right fist.Pant had just got out attempting to slog Trent Boult, getting a top-edge that flew high to backward point. Henry Nicholls, running backwards, took the catch of the final to silence the Indian fans in the crowd at the Rose Bowl. The magnificent catch, one of the turning points of the final, didn’t get as much attention as the shot that Pant played. The question still being asked is: was Pant’s bold approach appropriate?Related

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Pant himself was angry. As he charged Boult and the ball flew towards Nicholls, he would have known he had made a mistake. However, ever since he had arrived at the crease early in the first session after Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara fell in quick succession, Pant had been walking the high wire. Yet, it was only those outside who had their hearts in their mouths. For the stockily built Pant, who India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun describes as a “pocket dynamo”, his various advances towards the bowler were calculated acts of blunting the opposition attack.Pant’s plan and instinct was to play every ball. At times it backfired. Off the ninth ball he faced, Kyle Jamieson pitched a delivery on length with a scrambled seam. Jamieson had induced edges and lbws with similar deliveries and lengths, which was on the fullish side. Pant attempted a push to the off side away from his body. The outside edge flew straight to second slip where Tim Southee made a mess of an easy catch. Pant was on 5. India were 82 for 4.The Indian fans celebrated the drop. Southee banged the turf. Jamieson walked away, doing well to hide any emotions towards his senior team-mate, who had now dropped not one but two catches in the match. Dale Steyn, one of ESPNcricinfo’s experts for this Test, tweeted wondering whether Southee had dropped the WTC mace.Pant seemed unmoved. As Jamieson tested Ajinkya Rahane with short stuff, at the other end Pant was doing mock drills: ducking, swaying, hooking, pulling, ramping.Then it was Southee’s turn with the ball again. A delivery before the first hour into the morning, Southee swung one into Pant, who lunged forward toward the off stump. If you freeze the replay at that point, you can see Pant’s front toe, the right one, pointing towards cover – as if he was going to drive it square on the off side; instead with a loose left leg and meaty wrists, he flicked the ball to the right of mid-on for a boundary. Even Rahane was caught by surprise as he had to quickly move out of the way.When Neil Wagner replaced Southee, Pant charged him the third ball of the over, to slap a firm four. Next ball, he quickly moved into position to perfectly defend it under his eyeline, and exchanged a cool stare with the left-arm quick. Both men would engage in fencing duel.Rishabh Pant played his shots, as only he does•Getty ImagesPant jumped out of his crease again for a streaky outside edge against an away swinging delivery that flew to the right of gully for four. Wagner had a curious smirk. Next delivery, slightly fuller, again an away swinger, Pant charged and this time missed. Rahane walked up to Pant. From afar, Pant seemed to indicate to his vice-captain that if he stayed in the crease, there was a greater danger of the ball taking the outside edge.Next over Rahane was gone. India just ahead by just 77 runs, with 25 minutes to lunch. What would Pant do now? He jumped once again and went for an almighty heave against Wagner and missed completely. Wagner scratched his chin with an expression that said: ‘What the hell?’ Was it rash? Crazy? Pant might tell you: it was not an act of defiance. It was his instrument of defence.Immediately into the second session, Wagner went round the stumps to unleash his main weapon – the short ball. Six men were in position on the leg side: short leg, backward short leg, midwicket, deep square leg and two fine legs. Every time Wagner banged in short Pant pulled him – both on the front foot and the back foot. And he was pulling these balls into the ground.One particular stroke showed how well Pant had understood the pitch and the bowler’s plan: he reverse swatted Wagner for a single to third man with such disdain as if he was shooing a fly.Rishabh Pant swats one away•PA Photos/Getty ImagesPitted against the meditative batting of Kane Williamson and Kohli in the first innings, it is easy to be critical of Pant’s bating on Wednesday. Anarchic it might have seemed from outside, but Pant actually used his natural game to play to the situation. He was doing exactly what Kohli professed after the defeat: taking risks but in a calculated fashion. And he had to take risks. Both he and Ravindra Jadeja had battled hard to survive the first hour after lunch. Then Jadeja succumbed to sustained pressure. India’s tail rarely wags. Pant did not have too many options, because otherwise there was every danger that India would end up with a far lesser lead. Recent evidence suggests the same. In the WTC, India have been bowled out 19 times. Only on four of those 19 occasions has the team batted more than 10 overs and added more than 50 runs after losing the seventh wicket.Kohli himself was cautious about making too much of Pant’s final shot on Wednesday. The Indian captain backed Pant, saying he was an “expressive” batter and India didn’t want him to “lose his positivity or his optimism in changing the situation for the team”, because that is his USP. “It’s up to him to understand whether it was an error of judgement and rectify it moving forward because he has a long career with the Indian team, and certainly someone who could be a match maker for India on consistently many occasions in the future,” Kohli said at the post-match media briefing.This is not the first time Pant has played one stroke too many. It will not be the last time. The frustration from outside is because he himself raised the bar with his heroics in Australia, followed by the home series against England where he dug his heels in initially and then seized the momentum. He nearly did the same in Southampton, albeit in a different manner. Without his innings India potentially might have lost the battle well before lunch.

Wife Prithi's 'love letter from a fan girl' to Ashwin

“Live life on your terms, make space for those extra calories, make time for your family, make time to do absolutely nothing”

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2024

R Ashwin with his wife and children at his 100th Test match, earlier this year in Dharamsala•AFP/Getty Images

“It has been a blurry two days for me. I have been thinking about what I can say.. Do I put this down as a tribute to my all time favorite cricketer ? Maybe I’ll just take the partner angle? Or maybe a love letter from a fan girl? I guess this is a little bit of all of it.”When I saw Ashwins PC, I thought of small and big moments. Many many memories over the last 13-14 years. The big wins , the MOS awards, the quiet silence in our room after an intense game, the sound of the shower running for much longer than usual on some evenings post play , the scratch of pencil over paper as he scribbled thoughts down, the constant streaming of footage videos when he is making a game plan, the calm of meditative breathing before leaving for each game, certain songs playing on repeat while he unwinds.. The times we weeped in joy – after the CT final, after the MCG win, after the Sydney draw, The Gabba win, after making a comeback in T20s…the times we sat in silence and the times when we had our hearts broken.Related

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“Dear Ashwin, from not knowing how to put a kit bag together to following you to stadiums all over the world, rooting for you, watching you and learning from you, it has been an absolute pleasure. The world you introduced me to gave me the privilege to watch and enjoy a sport that I love from close quarters. It also showed me how much passion, hardwork and discipline is needed to keep your head above water. And sometimes even that is not enough. I remember us talking about why you, R Ashwin, had to do all of this and a lot more to even stay relevant in the scheme of things. How awards, the best of stats, the POMs, the accolades, the records didn’t matter if you didn’t sharpen your skill sets constantly and did not put in the work. Sometimes, nothing is enough. As you end your wonderful international run, I only want to tell you that it’s all good.It is all going to be good.It is time to set the burden of being you down. Live life on your terms, make space for those extra calories, make time for your family, make time to do absolutely nothing, share memes all day, create a new bowling variation, bug our kids out of their minds. Just do it all.”

Tottenham hold direct talks to appoint "outstanding" 4-3-3 Ange replacement

Tottenham Hotspur have now held direct talks to appoint an “outstanding” manager, with Ange Postecoglou heading for the exit door, according to a report.

Ange could be set to leave despite Europa League triumph

One year ago, INEOS arguably made the mistake of keeping Erik ten Hag in the Manchester United job after the Dutchman led them to victory in the FA Cup, and it appears as though Daniel Levy doesn’t want to make the same error this summer.

Indeed, widespread reports are now suggesting that Levy is set to sack Postecoglou, despite the historic Europa League triumph against Manchester United last month, which puts captain Son Heung-min among some esteemed company.

It may be a divisive decision to sack the manager responsible for leading Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years, but appointing a top-quality replacement could go some way to getting the fans back on side, and contact has now been made with a coach who could be in that category.

According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna on X, Tottenham have now made “direct contact” with Brentford manager Thomas Frank, who spoke about his project and potential targets for the summer transfer window.

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By
Dominic Lund

Jun 2, 2025

Several candidates are said to be under consideration as potential replacements for Ange, but Frank is believed to be “high” on the list, and Spurs have now made their first move to appoint the Danish manager.

In another report from France, it is detailed that Ange’s future remains very much up in the air, with talks to discuss his position as manager due to take place at some point in the next week.

Frank could be "outstanding" Ange replacement

Deciding whether to sack the 59-year-old will no doubt be a difficult decision for Levy, given that Tottenham’s torrid Premier League form cannot be ignored, finishing 17th as a result of collecting just 38 points across the entire 2024-25 campaign.

However, the former Celtic boss has suggested his side’s first experience of success will make them more eager to make sure they’re in the same position again, saying: “I also wanted us to think about what’s next, you know — don’t settle for this. We’ve got a taste of it now. My players have got a taste for it. The club’s got a taste for it. Well, let’s make sure we’re back here again.”

Should Levy decide to sack Ange, there are signs Frank could be a fantastic replacement, having been lauded as an “outstanding” manager by Troy Deeney, while leading Brentford to a very respectable 10th-placed finish last season.

Brentford managerThomasFrankbefore the matc

Having transformed the Bees from a Championship club into a solid Premier League side, the 51-year-old, who utilises a 4-3-3 formation, has earned the opportunity to prove himself at the top level, showing a knack for turning attacking talents into some of the biggest stars in their division.

Said Benrahma, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins and Neal Maupay all thrived under his guidance, with only Watkins able to replicate that form elsewhere, while current forwards Yoane Wissa (19) and Bryan Mbeumo (20) combined for nearly 40 top flight goals this season.

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