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Crystal Palace are now eyeing Lyon starlet Tyler Morton as a possible replacement for Adam Wharton, amid a new update on the midfielder’s future at Selhurst Park.

Wharton’s future at Selhurst Park remains up in the air, with a number of Premier League clubs emerging as potential suitors for the midfielder, including Chelsea, and it has now been revealed the Blues are “actively in talks” over a deal.

The 21-year-old was recently called up to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel, having remained a key player for Oliver Glasner’s side this season, with perhaps his most impressive performance coming in the 2-1 win against Liverpool, creating two big chances and making four key passes.

Unfortunately, the Eagles have become accustomed to losing some of their best players in recent years, with Michael Olise moving to Bayern Munich and Eberechi Eze joining Arsenal, and the former Blackburn Rovers man will also continue to attract attention from top clubs if he continues his current performance levels.

Consequently, Glasner & co may have to start thinking about bringing in a replacement, and a report has now given an update on their chances of signing a former Liverpool player…

Crystal Palace eyeing Tyler Morton

According to a report from Jeunes Footeux (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move for Lyon midfielder Morton, a matter of months after he left Arne Slot’s side to sign for the Ligue 1 club.

The French side are currently experiencing financial difficulties, which means they may be tempted to cash-in, should Palace be willing to come to the negotiating table with a ‘substantial offer’.

The Eagles are currently monitoring the 23-year-old closely, as they are preparing for Wharton’s departure in 2026, amid interest from a number of unnamed clubs.

The Wallasey-born midfielder, who is represented by the same agent as Borna Sosa, found it difficult to establish himself as a first-team regular at Liverpool, but he has been a key player for Lyon this season, most recently picking up an assist in a 3-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

Scout Ben Mattinson has also provided a positive review of the Englishman’s key attributes, saying: “Morton is a complete midfielder with an all-round ability to dictate tempo with his passing, carry forward and win the ball. Particularly his long passing stands out.”

Game time may have been hard to come by at his former club, but the Liverpool academy graduate did manage to impress when given the opportunity, having been singled out for praise for his performance against West Ham United last season.

Morton is at the right age to be a solid long-term replacement for Wharton, but Crystal Palace’s main priority should be to keep hold of their current central midfielder.

Crystal Palace identify Ezri Konsa as Marc Guehi replacement

The first trade of the MLB offseason has officially been made: the Atlanta Braves sent outfielder Jorge Soler to the Los Angeles Angels. MLB insider Mike Rodriguez and Fansided's Robert Murray had it first.

It had been just over 12 hours since the 2024 MLB season ended as the Los Angeles Dodgers captured the World Series title over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in Game 5.

The Angels will mark Soler's sixth MLB team of his career. He started the 2024 season with the San Francisco Giants after signing a three-year deal with the team. However, on July 29, the Giants traded Soler to the Braves, where he played for a second time in his career. He previously played for the Braves in 2021 when they won the World Series and he was named the World Series MVP.

In 142 games this season with the Giants and the Braves, Soler accumulated batting splits of .241/.338/.442. He totaled 119 hits, 84 runs, 64 RBIs and 21 home runs.

Pakistan ended their Bangladesh tour with a 74-run win in the third T20I in Dhaka. They bowled out the home side for 104 runs, after posting 178 for 7, a marked improvement from the last two games when their batting hardly stood up.Sahibzada Farhan, who took Fakhar Zaman’s place, top scored with 63 off 41, with 54 runs coming from boundaries. He provided Pakistan with a blistering start, after which Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz struck quick runs to take them to the highest total at the Shere Bangla National Stadium since 2021.Later it was newcomer Salman Mirza, the left-arm quick, who blew through Bangladesh’s top-order, as the home side slipped to 34 for 6. Bangladesh’s batting was in sharp contrast to that of Pakistan who finally got their groove upon being sent to bat first.

Farhan blitzkrieg in Mirpur

Farhan got Pakistan off to a flyer that lasted beyond the powerplay. He clattered Mahedi Hasan for a six in the third ball of the match, before sweetly flicking Shoriful Islam in the next over. Farhan laid into Taskin Ahmed in the sixth over, that went for 15, including a beautiful straight six.Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub put on 82 for the first wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Mehidy Hasan wasn’t spared either. Farhan smacked him for two sixes in the seventh over, one straight and slogged over midwicket. He finished the over by reaching his fifty, the second of Farhan’s career. Saim Ayub got into the act a little later, but soon after striking his first six, he fell to Nasum Ahmed. It broke the 82-run opening stand.

Haris can’t cash in on luck

Farhan fell for 63 in the twelfth over, having struck five sixes and six fours in his 41-ball stay. There was hope that Farhan’s start would help the rest of the Pakistan’s batters. However, Mohammad Haris couldn’t quite capitalize despite getting three lives in his short time at the crease. Litton Das missed a difficult stumping chance in the tenth over, before Nasum dropped Haris at fine-leg. He also survived a lbw decision, before Taskin removed him with a catch at deep third. Haris finished with 5 off 14 balls.

The Nawazes’ fine finish

Hasan Nawaz slammed three sixes in his 17-ball stay, one of them a slice over cover, but Mahedi’s tumbling catch from mid-off stopped him on 33. Hussain Talat then fell cheaply, before Mohammad Nawaz creamed two sixes and as many fours, in his 16-ball 27. Both his sixes came off Mohammad Saifuddin, one struck over deep square-leg, and the next one the cover boundary.

Mirza cuts through top order

Pakistan’s first wicket was slightly fortuitous, but all credit goes to Mirza. Tanzid swished at a wide delivery outside off-stump, but wicketkeeper Haris didn’t appeal. Mirza insisted he heard something, which convinced Pakistan captain Salman Agha. A healthy deviation was spotted upon review.Faheem Ashraf then struck twice in his next two overs, first removing Litton for 8, before Mehidy holed out to mid-on for 9. Mirza then bowled two superb deliveries in the fifth over to reduce Bangladesh to 25 for 5. Both times, he got the ball to cut through Jaker Ali and Mahedi and rattle their stumps.

Saifuddin doesn’t get support

Salman bowled Shamim Hossain with one that spun into the left-hander, as Shamim tried to play back. Mohammad Naim holed out to a simple catch at mid-off.Saifuddin’s 34-ball 35 took Bangladesh past their lowest total of 70 and while Nos 9 to 11 all got boundaries, they didn’t hold on for long. Talat removed Nasum for 9. Hasan Nawaz took a fine catch running in from backward square leg to remove Taskin Ahmed, before Saifuddin struck couple of sixes off Ahmed Daniyal. Shoriful was the last man to go with Abbas Afridi taking a superb catch at long-on.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Arena Barueri é um estádio de futebol multiuso, com capacidade para 32.000 pessoas, que pertence a Prefeitura Municipal de Barueri, e que agora está sendo administrado pela empresa de Leila Pereira. A presidente do Palmeiras, por meio de uma de suas empresas, venceu a licitação para controlar a Arena Barueri, estádio na região metropolitana de São Paulo. O contrato, que ainda não foi firmado oficialmente, tem validade de 35 anos e prevê uma série de contrapartidas.

O acordo ainda não foi anunciado, pois ainda depende de alguns detalhes burocráticos, mas é fato que a Crefipar Participações e Empreendimentos levou a melhor em cima da concorrência e vai tomar conta da arena. A empresa é um braço da Crefisa, patrocinadora do Verdão, cuja dona é Leila.

+Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

Com a assinatura do contrato, a companhia da presidente do Alviverde ficará responsável pela modernização do estádio, que inclui até uma cobertura, mas principalmente as condições do gramado. A ideia é colocar uma grama sintética, assim como acontece no Allianz Parque. A decisão da Prefeitura de Barueri para conceder o controle à iniciativa privada é a manutenção onerosa de um estádio, que depende de uma capacidade de investimento que o munícipio não consegue arcar.

O Palmeiras e Barueri se aproximaram nos últimos meses a fim de organizar uma parceria para que o clube possa usar a arena quando o Allianz Parque não estiver disponível. As melhorias do gramado promovidas pelo Verdão já são parte dessas conversas. No dia 8 de outubro, em clássico contra o Santos, o estádio já será utilizado pelo Alviverde.

Nessa data o Allianz sediará os shows do cantor The Weeknd, nos dias 10 e 11 de outubro. No entanto, não será a última vez que o clube precisará da Arena Barueri neste fim de ano. Em novembro, o estádio palmeirense receberá 12 shows, o que fará com que o time precise adotar outra casa nos jogos contra Athletico-PR (32ª rodada), Internacional (34ª rodada) e América-MG (36ª rodada), todos pelo Brasileirão.

Manchester United supporters are clinging on to all and any green shoots of recovery right now.

On Saturday, Rúben Amorim’s team claimed a much-needed victory going into the international break, beating Sunderland 2-0 at Old Trafford, thanks to goals from Mason Mount and then Benjamin Šeško.

​Next up, the Red Devils take on champions and fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield, before tough-looking fixtures against Brighton, Nottingham Forest and then Tottenham.

​​​​​Ahead of this challenging period, has Amorim unearthed a deadly attacking duo reminiscent of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole from Manchester United’s glory days?

In numbers: Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole at Man United

Back in 1998/98, Manchester United famously won the treble, beating Newcastle in the FA Cup Final, pipping Arsenal to the Premier League title by a solitary point on the final day, before that historic comeback against Bayern Munich to snatch the Champions League.

Fair to say, Yorke and Cole were key figures in this success, scoring 29 and 24 goals respectively across all competitions.

As the table below documents, this makes them one of the most dangerous attacking duos in Premier League history.

Andy Cole &

Dwight Yorke

Manchester United

1998/99

53

Chris Sutton &

Alan Shearer

Blackburn Rovers

1994/95

52

Didier Drogba &

Frank Lampard

Chelsea

2009/10

63

Thierry Henry &

Robert Pirès

Arsenal

2003/04

58

Harry Kane &

Son Heung-min

Tottenham Hotspur

2017/18

59

Wayne Rooney &

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United

2007/08

60

Julián Álvarez &

Erling Håland

Manchester City

2022/23

69

Sadio Mané &

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

2018/19

53

Yorke, who is currently the manager of Trinidad and Tobago, bet you didn’t know that, arrived at Old Trafford from Aston Villa, later representing Blackburn, Birmingham and Sunderland.

Cole meantime, was poached from Newcastle, where he’d been a massive star, turning out for 12 English clubs in total.

Now, does the current iteration of Manchester United have a duo who could replicate the famous Yorke and Cole duo?

Manchester United's modern-day Yorke and Cole

As Amorim searches for a winning formula, while they may not be a traditional strike partnership, Amad Diallo alongside Bryan Mbeumo could be the pair of attackers to fire Manchester United up the table.

Amad was arguably the Red Devils’ most dangerous attacker last season, registering 11 goals and ten assists, most memorably scoring a stoppage-time winner in the Manchester derby at the Etihad.

After arriving as a teenager from Atalanta for up to £37m, the Ivorian endured an underwhelming loan spell at Rangers, before showcasing his talents at Sunderland, scoring 14 goals for the Black Cats, firing them into the EFL Championship play-offs.

Now, Amad is earning plaudits for his performances back at Man United, with Darren Bent, speaking on talkSPORT, labelled him a “wonderkid”, adding that he is the club’s “best [player] by some distance” after he scored a hat-trick against Southampton in January.

Mbeumo, meanwhile, joined for a reported fee of £71m this summer, having scored 20 Premier League goals for Brentford last season.

The Cameroonian international opened his Man United league account against Burnley in August, while he has had more shots (17) of any player at the club so far this season.

An electric winger, Carl Anka of the Athletic has asserted that he is certainly ‘one of the better forwards in the Premier League’.

So now, how does Amorim get both into the same starting lineup?

Well, Man United signed an entirely new front three in the summer, with Matheus Cunha yet to get off the mark, but Šeško has scored against both Brentford and Sunderland, thereby opening his account for the club.

In a solution to get them all in, Amad was deployed at wing-back for Sunderland’s visit, a decision that proved successful.

At the weekend, as outlined by Adam Bate of Sky Sports, Amad and Mbeumo as a duo were very ‘impressive’, with the Ivorian attempting six dribbles, his highest figure in any home league game under Amorim, with the manager himself stating that “he can help Bryan to play more inside and worry more with the runs behind the defenders”.

Chalkboard

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

Well, Black Cats boss Régis Le Bris certainly agreed, noting afterwards that Man United “are really strong on the side”, adding that this forced him into making a lesser-spotted tactical substitution in the first half.

Meantime, journalist Muhammad Butt labelled them a “superb double-act”, praising their “wonderful chemistry and creativity”, with Carl Anka of the Athletic concluding that this match was 2the best pair have played with each other” to date.

Thus, Amad’s form both last season and at the weekend necessitates getting him into the side somehow.

For tougher fixtures, he should potentially be used at Cunha’s expense in attack, while in games where the onus is on Manchester United to create and break down the opposition, he has to be chosen over Diogo Dalot or Noussair Mazraoui at right-wing-back, given that they offer so little going forward.

In summary, it is still early days, but this duo could be Man United’s best partnership since the glory days of the late-90s.

Their own Yamal: Man Utd teen is "one of the world's most exciting talents"

Manchester United have an exceptional teenager in their academy ranks.

ByMatt Dawson Oct 7, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras foi derrotado pelo São Paulo por 1 a 0, nessa quarta-feira (5), e saiu atrás na disputa por uma vaga na semifinal da Copa do Brasil. O placar é natural se pensarmos que foi um clássico no Morumbi, mas quem viu o jogo percebeu que a derrota pode significar muito mais do que propriamente o resultado. Sem estar com o time completo e com uma formação incomum, o Verdão mostrou pouco repertório e poucas alternativas para sair de um cenário difícil. Uma coisa está clara: Abel Ferreira é ótimo, mas não é mágico.

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+ Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil-2023 clicando aqui

Do time considerado titular ideal, o Alviverde entrou em campo sem quatro peças, sendo três delas essenciais: Zé Rafael, Rony e Artur, além de Marcos Rocha, que tem ficado ausente por lesões. Em uma equipe que tem seus jogadores “contadinhos, qualquer desfalque pesa, e quando os desfalques são dessa importância, o impacto é ainda maior.

+ OLHAR DO PORCO: Chega de culpar os outros, Palmeiras!

Zé Rafael já é uma “invenção” para uma posição que não tem peça disponível no elenco, assim é difícil pensar quem seria o seu substituto, uma vez que Jailson, o único “camisa 5” do elenco, não se firmou e tem sofrido com lesões. O jeito seria improvisar novamente com dois volantes mais construtores (Gabriel Menino e Richard Ríos) ou trazer um novo “coelho da cartola”, que foi escalar Luan para ser um “híbrido” de volante e zagueiro. Ou seja, é a quarta ou a quinta opção.

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Artur está em ótima fase, mas não pode atuar na Copa do Brasil, pois já jogou pelo Bragantino na competição. Vale lembrar que o Palmeiras contratou o atacante apenas após a disputa do estadual, em abril. Para o seu lugar há opções no elenco como Luis Guilherme ou até mesmo Endrick jogando mais aberto, mas a comissão técnica preferiu “puxar” Veiga para atuar pelo lado e preencher o meio-campo com mais um jogador, que foi Ríos. Mais uma “adaptação”.

Sem Rony no ataque, Abel optou por Endrick. Apesar do talento do jovem, as características são bem diferentes. Quando se perde um Rony, não há um substituto à altura, pois é difícil fazer o que o Rústico faz. Novamente seria preciso fazer uma adaptação ao time que está acostumado a jogar com um outro tipo de atacante de referência.

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+ ATUAÇÕES: Luan vai de herói a azarado na derrota do Palmeiras para o São Paulo na Copa do Brasil

Quando se perde três titulares tão essenciais assim, todos de uma vez, a primeira alternativa é buscar peças no elenco principal, a segunda é usar a base, a terceira é acreditar no trabalho do treinador para resolver e a quarta é rezar. O Palmeiras passa pelas duas primeiras sempre com a certeza de que a terceira vai funcionar. Não vai.

Abel Ferreira talvez seja o maior técnico da história do Verdão e um dos maiores técnicos deste século no Brasil. No entanto, ele é apenas treinador. Acima da média com certeza, mas não mágico. Por mais que ele tenha histórico de arrumar soluções e ter mil e um planos, nem sempre é possível garantir que tudo vai dar certo. As provas estão aí: não tem dado certo.

Desde a volta da Data Fifa, sofrendo com desfalques, o Alviverde fez cinco jogos e venceu apenas um. Contra o São Paulo, por exemplo, a vitória passou muito longe, tamanha a pobreza de jogadas criadas. Parecia até um time que “voltou casas” em sua evolução. Talvez falte jogador, talvez falte o técnico na beira do campo, talvez falte os principais jogadores assumirem a liderança técnica.

+ Com golaço de Rafinha, São Paulo abre vantagem sobre o Palmeiras na Copa do Brasil

A melhor coisa de tudo isso é que Abel Ferreira é capaz de retomar o caminho das vitórias, ninguém melhor do que ele para isso. Já a notícia ruim é que o material humano não vai mudar, o português deve seguir buscando soluções internamente, pois o Verdão não vai fazer loucuras na janela. Há quem siga apostando no aspecto “mágico” do treinador, mas uma hora não vai se sustentar e ela está chegando.

Manchester United’s academy has been known for producing numerous top-level talents over the years, subsequently helping the club win 13 Premier League titles.

Sir Alex Ferguson is the man to thank for such glory, subsequently able to build a successful side, mainly relying upon players who came through the ranks at Old Trafford.

He was famous for integrating the Class of ’92, with the sextet making over 3000 combined appearances for the Red Devils first-team squad.

However, Ruben Amorim’s current first-team squad only includes three academy graduates in the form of Kobbie Mainoo, Tom Heaton and Tyler Fredricson.

The manager also wants to bolster his own first-team squad with further English quality, as seen by his attempts to land Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton this summer.

Man Utd’s hunt for Wharton this summer

Throughout the summer transfer window, United made a beeline to land a new central midfielder to help bolster the middle of Amorim’s side for 2025/26 and beyond.

Their pursuit led them to England international Wharton, even entering talks with Oliver Glasner’s side to try and complete a deal for the 21-year-old’s signature.

However, a transfer fee of around £100m was mooted for the youngster’s services, a figure that was ultimately too much given the £200m already splashed on other areas of the squad.

Such a move would’ve been an excellent one, especially if he would’ve been able to replicate his numbers from last season, which helped the Eagles win the FA Cup.

Wharton ranked in the 93rd percentile for progressive passes completed per 90 (7.3) and the 86th percentile for passes into the final third per 90 (5.3).

Whilst ball-playing is obviously his strength, the former Blackburn Rovers star also showcased his tremendous ability of being able to regain the ball for his side.

He ranked in the 93rd percentile for recoveries made per 90 (7.1), along with the 81st percentile for interceptions made per 90 (1.4) – possessing numerous qualities that would’ve improved Amorim’s side.

However, Wharton will remain a case of what could’ve been, but they could’ve had their own version of the superstar had they kept hold of another youngster.

The former United star who could’ve been Amorim’s own Wharton

Selling youngsters too prematurely has often been an issue for United over recent seasons, as seen by the decision to offload Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest in 2023.

The Red Devils parted ways with the Swede for just £15m, allowing the winger to get valuable game time – subsequently racking up 11 goals and 21 assists in his two years at the City Ground.

Such numbers saw him make a £60m move to Newcastle United this summer – leaving the Reds for four times more than they paid for his signature just two years prior.

Another similar scenario could rear its head again in the future, after Amorim’s side agreed to sell 18-year-old midfielder Zach Baumann to Norwich City on deadline day.

The deal saw the Ukrainian youngster leave on a free transfer, but it does include future clauses which could see the Red Devils gain some money for his signature.

He’s been a regular at various youth levels for United over the last couple of years, featuring in five different competitions – including the U18 Premier League, where he scored once and registered five assists.

Baumann, who’s also been labelled “exceptional” by one analyst, has drawn comparisons to Wharton by the Daily Mail’s Manchester United correspondent, Nathan Salt.

U18 Premier League

13

6

Premier League 2

3

0

UEFA Youth League

1

0

FA Youth Cup

2

0

Total:

19

6

He claims that the teenager is superb in possession – often offering a composed head – being able to pick out forward passes, just as the Palace star has in recent times.

Such talents have been evident for the Red Devils’ youth teams in recent times, producing numerous incredible passes which have contributed to his impressive assist tally.

Another analyst has previously touched on his impressive nature with the ball at his feet – with the Red Devils evidently making a huge mistake in allowing the teenager to depart Old Trafford.

Given his tender age, Baumann still has a long way to go before he can get anywhere near the levels produced by Wharton within England’s top-flight.

However, his recent departure could see a huge mistake being made down the line, with the fans potentially having to watch another talent flourish away from the Theatre of Dreams.

The original Mainoo: INEOS must rue selling Man Utd star who's like Scholes

Manchester United messed up when they sold this star who is now worth as much as Kobbie Mainoo.

3 ByDan Emery Sep 9, 2025

Former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli praised AC Milan’s Luka Modric and Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne, insisting that class has no age amid the veteran midfielders' bright starts in Serie A. The duo moved to the Italian top-flight from Real Madrid and Manchester City respectively after their contracts expired and Prandelli says they bring an excitement to the league.

Milan face Napoli on Sunday in Serie A

Milan will host reigning Scudetto champions Napoli at the San Siro on Sunday. Napoli, unbeaten in their first four games of the season, sit at the top of the table, while Milan have recovered from their opening defeat to Cremonese with three consecutive clean sheets, building positive momentum. The spotlight will be on midfielders Modric and De Bruyne, as the two stars go head-to-head after earning widespread praise from pundits.

While De Bruyne is tipped to play a decisive role in Napoli’s push for the Serie A title, Modric has been hailed for his adaptability, with praise for the way he adjusts his game to elevate both himself and those around him.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPrandelli's praise for Modric & De Bruyne

In an interview with , Prandelli praised the qualities of Modric and De Bruyne, saying: "They're very welcome when it comes to champions with such exaggerated talent. Class knows no age, and both players' intelligence is so developed that they both know when to accelerate and when to control themselves. They also have feet and vision that make you fall in love with football. A champion is the one who decides, and Modric and De Bruyne have done just that and will continue to do just that."

Conte and Allegri: The decisive factors

However, Prandelli believes the real battle in the weekend's showdown clash will be between coaches Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri. Explaining why, he said: "About Allegri and Conte, charismatic and with a leadership that becomes a driving force. Both must be recognized for their strength, which stems from their knowledge. Their differences are often discussed, while to me, in many respects, they seem to have enormous similarities."

Conte arrived in Naples after Napoli’s disappointing 10th-place finish in the 2023-24 season, and he went on to guide them to their second title in three years, edging Inter by a single point on the final matchday. Prandelli praised his impact, highlighting his extraordinary ability to improve players: "Conte is extreme in his arrival at a club, with that ability to get inside the players' heads and improve them. For example: Politano has always been a quality player, but thanks to Antonio, he has added a consistency that makes him an essential element."

Similarly, Allegri took charge of Milan after their eighth-place finish last season. Their 3-0 win over Lecce in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday gave them four consecutive clean sheets in all competitions. Prandelli also applauded Allegri’s ability to solve problems and argued that Milan are playing entertaining football despite criticisms of his style.

"I'm incredibly happy with Allegri's impact; he deserved it because he had to endure undeserved criticism," he added. "Max is dominant, he has the ability to absorb the most delicate situations and handle them with mastery. He takes on problems and solves them. And Milan are playing well; against Udinese he was entertaining."

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Getty Images SportModric and De Bruyne's challenge on Sunday

Both Modric and De Bruyne will look to use their experience and technical ability to give their team a competitive edge when Milan and Napoli take on each other on Sunday.

Southampton are building for a tilt at promotion and could now be at the front of the queue to land a talented defender from the continent, according to Sacha Tavolieri.

Southampton set to replace Mateus Fernandes

With the window drawing to a close, Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes is being targeted by West Ham United and Aston Villa, and speculation over his future could well force the hand of Will Still. Nevertheless, the former RC Lens boss praised his star for his professionalism after he featured during Saints’ 1-0 victory over Northampton in the EFL Cup during the week,

He stated: “He’s top, he’s top. I think he’d missed quite a bit of football, which is understandable, but since we’ve brought him back in, he came on and made an impact on Saturday.”

Coventry City midfielder Jack Rudoni could replace Fernandes for a price in the region of £15 million. Nevertheless, he may not be the only body brought in amid further interest in Tyler Dibling.

Recently, Southampton have offered a preliminary contract to Eduard Spertsyan as his contract at Krasnodar is slowly winding down. Albeit, West Bromwich Albion star Tom Fellows could also be on his way to St Mary’s Stadium.

Two narrow victories over Wrexham and Northampton have given Still enough encouragement to work with as he sets out his vision. Either way, further additions will be needed to try and win promotion from the EFL Championship at the first time of asking.

Southampton "interested" in £400k+ defender who's been likened to Van Dijk

The Saints have joined the race for a “dominant” centre-back.

ByDominic Lund Jul 15, 2025

The race for Premier League football next term is wide open, and competition on the market is fierce as a result. Still, Southampton retain plenty of appeal and could now be in a good position to land their latest target.

Southampton 'most concrete option' for Louis Patris

According to Sacha Tavolieri on X, Southampton have emerged as the most ‘concrete option’ for Sint-Truiden defender Louis Patris this summer, alongside Italian outfit Sassuolo.

Hoffenheim have turned their attention elsewhere after initially being open to a swoop, leaving Saints in pole position for his signature. However, his £3 million price tag is said to be a stumbling block in negotiations.

Likened to John Stones by scout Jacek Kulig, Patris has made 35 appearances in total for Sint-Truiden, registering a solitary goal and eight assists, predominantly featuring as a right-back.

In addition, the 24-year-old can also operate in central defence, offering cover in what has been a problem position for Southampton after a bruising Premier League campaign last term.

Now, it remains to be seen if Still and company can elbow Sassuolo out of the way to land their target or whether the notion of playing in Italy takes his fancy.

Tottenham star Mathys Tel has revealed his disappointment at been omitted from the club's Champions League squad by manager Thomas Frank.

• Tel not included on final list for European campaign
• Admits the decision is tough to take
• Thomas Frank called him to tell him the bad news

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tottenham splashed out £30 million (€35m) to make Tel's move to the club permanent this summer following a loan spell from Bayern Munich. However, the forward will not be part of Tottenham's Champions League squad for 2025-26 after being left out by Frank. The new boss was left in a difficult position due to the lack of homegrown squad members in his squad at north London and also omitted injured star James Maddison from his list along with Kota Takai and Yves Bissouma.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Frank did include Randal Kolo Muani, following his deadline-day move from PSG on loan, but subsequently had to break the bad news to Tel. The French star has now revealed the conversation he had with his manager and admits is was painful to hear the news.

• WHAT TEL SAID

  He told Le Telegramme: "It's clear that when you're not on a list, it definitely hurts, but I'm someone who stays pretty positive, no matter the situation, because I think I've worked a lot on the mental aspect, so today it's definitely a disappointment, I would have liked to be there. But the coach's choice is the coach's choice, we can only respect it and we're going to work to come back in the best possible way."

  Tel was also asked how Frank told him about his omission and added: "Quite simply, with respect. He called me, he simply told me his choice and then you could see the list appear on the networks."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TEL?

  Tel is currently with the France Under-21 team due to face Serbia on Monday. He will then return to Spurs and look forward to a Premier League clash against West Ham on Saturday. Tottenham's first Champions League game of the season is against Villarreal on September 16th.