كشف الإسباني بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي عن اللاعب الذي ندم على رحيله من تشكيله خلال فترته مع السماوي بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وجاء جوارديولا مدربًا للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي في موسم 2016/2017 ويمتد مشواره حتى الآن، حيث استطاع أن يتوج ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي 6 مرات وإحراز بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا للمرة الثالثة في تاريخه والأولى في تاريخ النادي.
ويعيش مانشستر سيتي مع بيب فترة خريف، إذ ظهر الفريق الموسم الماضي بمستوى سيئ للغاية، ولم يتوج بأي بطولة وخرج جوارديولا بثاني موسم صفري له في مشواره التدريبي.
ويبدو أن الموسم الحالي سيستمر على نفس الحال إذ لم يتمكن رجال جوارديولا إلا في جمع 3 نقاط من أصل 9 بعد فوز على وولفرهامبتون وخسارة من توتنهام هوتسبير وبرايتون.
اقرأ أيضًا | توخيل يعلن استبعاد لاعب مانشستر سيتي من قائمة مباراة أندورا
وظهر جوارديولا في برنامج “وداعًا للشياطين الحمر” وسُئل عن اللاعب الذي يرى أنه كان يستحق البقاء في مانشستر سيتي فترة أطول.
وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “سأختار اسمًا أقل شهرة وهو خيسوس نافاس، كان ينبغي أن يبقى معنا لفترة أطول”.
يُذكر أن الدولي الإسباني قد انضم إلى النادي الإنجليزي عام 2013، ثم انتقل إلى إشبيلية مجددًا بعد 4 سنوات، أي أنه لم يستمر مع مانشستر سيتي سوى موسم واحد تحت قيادة بيب جوارديولا.
وعندما سُئل بيب بشأن اللاعب الأكثر أهمية بالنسبة له خلال سنواته في مانشستر سيتي، أتم: “بلا شك جوندوجان لأنه يعتبر قيمة كبيرة لنا، سأحافظ على التواصل معه دائمًا”.
Jack and Prest in the wickets for Hampshire to complete 71-run win
ECB Reporters Network26-Jul-2024
Ben Brown starred for Hampshire with a hundred•Getty Images
Ben Brown celebrated his century of List A appearances with an exceptional hundred as Hampshire got their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign off to a winning start against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.Wicketkeeper Brown had only scored one previous white-ball century – for Sussex in 2021 – in his first 99 games but picked up a career-best 139 not out.Hampshire had been left on 25 for three after Jack White’s opening spell but Brown, with help from Felix Organ’s 59, got the hosts to 285.Eddie Jack and Tom Prest both picked up their professional best figures of four for 29 and three for 41 as the Steelbacks only reached 214 to lose by 71 runsLewis McManus’ decision to bowl first immediately paid dividends with an unplayable new-ball spell from Jack White. He nibbled the fresh white ball around to dump the hosts to 25 for three.He had already made Fletcha Middleton play and miss three times before thumping into the opener’s leg stump with his fifth ball.Nick Gubbins returned a caught-and-bowled with a leading edge and Prest was pouched at second slip, with White ending his six-over spell with three for six.But in sliding to take the Gubbins catch, White damaged his knee which saw him no return.Without him, Brown rebuilt the innings in style. First in a 51-run stand with Toby Albert, but after Albert had skied to mid on and Joe Eckland had been caught at extra cover, more substantially with Organ.Brown already stashed fifty in 62 balls but Organ’s arrival heralded a freer flow that set the tone for the second half of the innings.Brown doesn’t have the stellarest of white-ball records but showed off the very best of his jabby shot-making square of the wicket.His third century of the season came in exactly 100 balls with a controlled hook shot to the boundary which typified his timing.Organ sailed to a 51-ball 59 in a flash to join Brown for 188 runs before he picked out deep midwicket – giving Zaib the third of his three for 60 – with Jack and Kyle Abbott hit sixes and fell at the death.Brown ended up with 139 not out and Hampshire 285 – which had seemed improbable after White’s early burst.Prithvi Shaw and Emilio Gay got the Steelbacks off to a sensational start with 56 put on inside nine overs but their innings was full of good starts which weren’t capitalised on.Jack’s introduction – with Mohammad Abbas forced off after just two overs – was the main catalyst. The teenager dragged Shaw into a drive straight to cover with his second ball, in an otherwise miserly spell.Gay and Ricardo Vasconcelos put on 42 but a swipe off Brad Wheal saw the end of the former and slid Northamptonshire towards a hole.Vasconcelos swept into the deep, Rob Keogh was lbw on the reverse and George Bartlett was caught behind as three wickets fell for 15 runs.McManus gave Jack his second when he spun to deep square leg before Prest added his third when Saif Zaib missed his sweep to fall leg before and Michael Finan holed out on the leg side.Gus Miller scrapped hard for 47, but with the run-rate surging above 10s he skied Jack straight up, before the England under-19 quick completed Hampshire’s victory by clearing up White.
Nottingham Forest seem set to lose one of their talismanic attackers, Anthony Elanga, in the coming days.
It appears that the Sweden star will sign for Newcastle United in the coming days for £55m, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the winger has completed his medical with the North Eastern side.
As a result, Forest need a new winger to don Garibaldi Red next season. Sky Sports suggested that they ‘are interested in a deal’ to sign PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko and they are thought to have made an approach to the Dutch outfit to enquire about his availability this summer.
Johan Bakayoko for PSV
However, Bakayoko is not the only player on the list to replace Elanga, with Forest linked with a few more options out wide.
Nottingham Forest target new winger
It is certainly a frustrating situation that Forest find themselves in, having to replace Elanga this summer. However, the fee they are receiving is substantial, and allows them to sign a suitable replacement. Bakyoko is certainly not their only option.
In fact, according to journalist Greame Bailey, one of the players who Forest are considering to replace their number 21 is Ipswich Town star Omari Hutchinson.
Ipswich Town'sOmariHutchinsonreacts
Bailey explains that there is a ‘whole host of options out there’, but confirms that Hutchinson is one player the East Midlands side are considering.
At this stage, a price for the England U21 star has not been confirmed. However, given he cost the Tractor Boys £20m from Chelsea last summer, they would surely look to break even on the attacker, at the very least.
Why Hutchinson would be a good signing for Forest
At just 21 years of age, Hutchinson impressed in his first full season as a Premier League footballer. Once described as an “outstanding” player by football scout Antonio Mango, he would be an investment for both the present and future of Forest.
Last season, the versatile attacker, who has played for both Arsenal and Chelsea’s academies, played 31 times in the top flight for Ipswich. He bagged three goals and two assists, all of which came against some big sides, including both Chelsea and Manchester United.
Hutchinson was also a key member of England’s U21 European Championship-winning side last month under Lee Carsley. He played in all six games, including 98 minutes in the final against Germany, where he scored as England won 3-2 in extra time.
As a replacement for Elanga, there is no doubt that the Ipswich star would have a lot of work to do to match his numbers. The Sweden international managed six goals and 11 assists in 38 Premier League games last season.
However, there are similarities between the players, and Bakayoko, too, who managed 15 goals and assists last term.
Elanga and Hutchinson, in particular, are versatile and can play either flank or as a number 10. Bakayoko, too, is naturally a right winger.
The 21-year-old is naturally a left-footed player, and likes to cut inside on his strong foot when playing on the right-hand side. Just look at this goal he scored against Man United, picking up the ball in the right half-space, driving inside and firing home.
Indeed, the stats on FBref stack up well for Hutchinson against the other two players. For example, the Ipswich star stands out when looking at progressive numbers. Last season, he was averaging 1.57 passes into the final third per 90 minutes, more than Elanga’s 1.15 and Bakayoko’s 1.37 each game.
Hutchinson, Elanga and Bakayoko key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Hutchinson
Elanga
Bakayoko
Key passes
1.08
1.80
2.60
Passes into final third
1.57
1.15
1.37
Progressive passes
2.61
2.27
3.60
Take-ons completed
1.78
0.90
2.69
Ball recoveries
3.83
3.20
2.49
Stats from FBref
Even though a price is not clear at this stage, a deal for Hutchinson could be a snart move for Forest. He has shown elite potential and versatility, and is already comparing well against Elanga and another of their targets in Bakayoko.
As far as an Elanga replacement goes, this could be a dream move for Forest this summer, and help them build for the present and the future.
Forget Fofana: Nottingham Forest could land instant Elanga upgrade for £34m
Nottingham Forest could replace Anthony Elanga with a current Premier League star
Test captain says someone always needs to be in the firing line, as stand-in struggles for form
Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Sep-2024
Ollie Pope has deputised for Ben Stokes since his hamstring injury•Getty Images
Ben Stokes has bemoaned the “culture” of English sport for what he perceives as unnecessary criticism of stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope.With Stokes recovering from a torn left hamstring, Pope, his vice-captain, has stepped in to lead the Test team for the ongoing Sri Lanka series. Having overseen comprehensive victories in the first two Tests, the Surrey batter returns to the Kia Oval on Friday looking for a clean sweep. Victory will give England their first 100 percent record in a home season since 2004, after Stokes led a comfortable 3-0 win over West Indies earlier this summer.Pope has marshalled well in the field, but his batting has suffered because of the extra responsibility. An average of 7.50 from four innings – which he attributes to difficulties compartmentalising captaincy with scoring runs at No.3 – has led to a raft of criticism. Former England captain Michael Vaughan was particularly scathing during the second Test, labelling Pope “an insecure human being” and ill-equipped to lead.Stokes, who has been with the team throughout the series, warned Pope that stepping up as captain would invite more criticism. Though not surprised by the comments against Pope, Stokes has been impressed with how the 26-year-old has dealt with the added pressure and acquitted himself on the field.Ben Stokes at a Red Bull event in London•Red Bull Content Pool/Mark Roe
“Unfortunately, it’s just English culture towards sport,” Stokes told .”There’s always got to be someone in the firing line and obviously when you’re captain you are more exposed to that.”He’s won two games out of two in charge. At the end of the day, I think that’s the thing that he’s concentrated on the most. He obviously wants to be scoring runs and leading from the front. He’s openly admitted that.”People are very quick to jump on anything, to someone who’s in the firing line and obviously Pope coming in and being captain whilst I’m injured, you can say he’s the easy target there.”But I think he’s done fantastically well in leading the team. He’s done it his own way, which is something I encouraged him to do, to keep driving the team forward in the way that I’ve been trying to do, but make sure that you put your own personal touches to it.”I think he’s tactically he’s done very well. Let’s not forget before that first Test against Sri Lanka, he’d come off the back of fifty, fifty and a hundred (57, 121 and 51 in consecutive innings against West Indies). And then he doesn’t have one good game and everyone’s saying he is out of form. It’s like ‘short memories people, come on!'”It is not the first time Stokes has staunchly defended a teammate. Even before he became captain, he has always felt a duty to his fellow cricketer and athlete, particularly as his stock rose to international repute.That Stokes – a Red Bull athlete – is speaking at their Gaming Sphere in Shoreditch is aligned to that altruistic streak. He is here promoting his athlete-collective, 4Cast, while also indulging his new-ish hobby, Call of Duty.Related
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“It went big through Covid,” Stokes said of his gaming interest. “That’s where it all filtered from. Then as the world got back to some kind of normality, you had your diehards who stayed with it – me being one of them. It’s like another sort of hobby to get you away from all the things that cricket can bring. Clare (his wife) doesn’t understand it, but it’s like her glass of wine at night. At the end of a hard day, I jump on for a couple of hours with my mates, headset on.”As for 4Cast, that weds Stokes’ interest in business and his belief in the power of a team. There were shades of both this time last year when Stokes acted as a key figure in negotiations between the players and the ECB, with the governing body introducing multi-year central contracts.Stokes ended up rejecting a multi-year offer, choosing to keep his options open. This year, an agreement over a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the ECB and The England Player Partnership (TEPP) will be struck, which, aligned with the new cycle of broadcast rights, should bring more money to the table. All being well, it is likely Stokes will sign on for more than 12 months this time.”I’ve always enjoyed the business side of things,” Stokes said of his role at 4Cast. “You see all these big athletes out there who are diving into the world of business. But one thing with me that I really enjoy, is we only really do stuff that we like.”It’s great being able to just bring athletes from different sports into one thing. Athletes together are actually really powerful in terms of what you are able to achieve. When you put a big group of athletes together, it’s amazing what opportunities are out there.”To find out more about Ben Stokes, visit his Instagram channel and Red Bull athlete page
عقد الكولومبي أوسكار رويز، رئيس لجنة الحكام بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، اجتماعًا مع حكام الدوري الممتاز وحكام تقنية الفيديو المساعد “VAR” قبل انطلاق الجولة السادسة من المسابقة.
وجاء ذلك فى إطار سياسة لجنة الحكام بتطوير أداء الحكام ورفع كفاءتهم الفنية خلال مشاركتهم ببطولة الدوري المصري.
طالع | أوسكار رويز يوجه طلبًا إلى حكام الفيديو في الدوري المصري
وتناول الاجتماع إلقاء محاضرات فنية لتطوير مستوى الحكام، بالإضافة إلى مناقشة أبرز الحالات التحكيمية التي شهدتها الجولات الماضية.
كما أكد رويز على أهمية تفادي الأخطاء في المباريات المقبلة بعد العودة من فترة التوقف الدولي.
كما حرص رويز خلال الاجتماع على توجيه الشكر لعدد من الحكام والاشادة بمستواهم التحكيمي خلال إدارتهم للمباريات الماضية.
ومن المقرر أن تُستأنف بطولة الدوري المصري يوم الجمعة الموافق 12 من شهر سبامبر الجاري، بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الحالية.
Arsenal could be closing in on two successive signings in the space of a few days, if all goes to plan, with another key transfer target reportedly nearing a switch to London Colney this week.
He's Cazorla 2.0: Arsenal make £100k-p/w "superstar" their new top target
The incredible international could be Arsenal’s new version of the Spanish magician.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 16, 2025
Sporting director Andrea Berta has made quite an impression already since he was announced as Edu Gaspar’s replacement in late March.
Berta’s deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard – all of which have been formally announced – strengthen key areas of Mikel Arteta’s squad ahead of another Premier League title challenge.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
25/26 – summer
£75m
The experienced Kepa and Norgaard provide top-level competition for nailed-on starters in Arteta’s preferred eleven, while Zubimendi comes in to replace Jorginho after many years impressing with Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Zubimendi rejected a move to Liverpool last year, having long been linked with a move to the Premier League, but Arsenal were the side who ultimately tempted him to finally leave his boyhood club.
Noni Madueke also signed his contract as an Arsenal player today, after the north Londoners agreed a deal worth around £52 million to sign the England international from Chelsea.
As links still surround Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, who could join Arsenal as a central playmaker to complement club captain Martin Odegaard (Ben Jacobs), Berta is far more likely to see striker Viktor Gyokeres arrive at the club next.
Arsenal are believed to be closing in on Gyokeres after weeks of talks, and Arteta is on the verge of seeing a much-needed number nine arrive. Some reports in Europe have even suggested that he’s set for a medical on Friday (Diario AS), but this is yet to gain traction among reliable media outlets close to home.
As supporters wait for further updates, The Guardian’s Ed Aarons has shared what is holding up the deal just now.
Arsenal talks for Viktor Gyokeres near conclusion
According to the reliable journalist, Arsenal’s talks for Gyokeres are nearing their conclusion – and this last round of negotiations revolves around bonuses.
Viktor Gyokeres celebrating.
They’re thought to have reached an agreement in principle to pay an initial £54.8 million, plus £8.6 million in add-ons, and the striker’s agent even waived his commission fee to help this move go through (The Athletic).
However, Aarons reports that some add-ons discussions are ongoing, which could take the final cost of the transfer to around £68 million.
In any case, it looks like this will be done sooner rather than later, and there is reason for supporters to get excited.
Gyokeres bagged 54 goals in all competitions for Sporting last term, helping them to a first domestic double in 20 years, and former Arsenal star Cesc Fàbregas believes he’d be a perfect signing for Arteta.
“He is an extraordinary striker,” said Fabregas on Amazon Prime. “He is a focused player, who pays attention to details, he is competitive, never lets his guard down, and doesn’t want to rest. He is an athlete, a player and team-mate who instils confidence in his team-mates with what he gives to the team.”
كشف مصدر مسؤول داخل نادي بيراميدز عن موقف الظهير الأيسر محمد حمدي من الاستمرار مع الفريق، مؤكدًا حقيقة الأنباء المتداولة حول انتقاله إلى الأهلي.
وكانت تقارير صحفية قد ربطت بين اللاعب محمد حمدي والنادي الأهلي خلال الفترة الأخيرة، تمهيدًا للتفاوض معه من أجل ضمه لصفوف القلعة الحمراء.
وأوضح المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، أن عقد محمد حمدي ينتهي بنهاية الموسم الجاري، مشيرًا إلى وجود مفاوضات جارية بين إدارة بيراميدز واللاعب من أجل تجديد التعاقد.
وعلى صعيد آخر، شارك بيراميدز للمرة الأولى في تاريخه في بطولة كأس الإنتركونتيننتال، بعد تتويجه بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا في الموسم الماضي، وقد استهل مشواره بمواجهة أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي في الدور التمهيدي الأول، وحقق الفوز بثلاثية نظيفة، ليحجز مقعده في الدور المقبل.
طالع أيضًا | الأهلي السعودي يتوجه بطلب إلى فيفا قبل مباراة بيراميدز في كأس إنتركونتيننتال
وينتظر بيراميدز مواجهة قوية أمام الأهلي السعودي، بطل دوري أبطال آسيا، حيث ستقام المباراة في مدينة جدة بالمملكة العربية السعودية، ضمن منافسات كأس القارات الثلاث (آسيا – إفريقيا – المحيط الهادي).
وأعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا) عن إقامة اللقاء يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 23 سبتمبر الجاري، في تمام التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية، على استاد الإنماء بمدينة الملك عبد الله الرياضية بجدة.
St Lucia Kings sign up New Zealand’s Tim Seifert as a replacement
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2024
Heinrich Klaasen was part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team in CPL 2022•Associated Press
Heinrich Klaasen will not be taking part in the 2024 season of the Caribbean Premier League, which begins on Thursday, due to a family emergency. The South African middle-order batter is one of the world’s best power-hitters, especially against slow bowling and is a significant loss for St Lucia Kings, who had signed him up, in June ahead of the CPL draft.Kings, who made it to the Eliminator after finishing third on the points table last season, have replaced Klaasen with New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, who has previously played for Trinbago Knight Riders and won the title with them in 2020.Klaasen was part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team in 2022, but that was before he came into his own as a limited-overs cricketer. He made 118 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 137. In the two years since then, he has played 82 T20s for both club and country, scoring 2293 runs at a strike rate of 169, including two hundreds and 16 fifties.Related
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There were personnel changes in other teams as well with Knight Riders bringing USA’s Andries Gous on board as a temporary replacement. The 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batter impressed as the seventh-highest scorer at the T20 World Cup earlier this year and will sub in for Australia’s Tim David, who is expected to join Knight Riders only after their first four matches of the season.Barbados Royals needed short-term cover as well with David Miller and Keshav Maharaj due to miss the first two matches to attend the Cricket South Africa awards function on September 5. They’ve brought in Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage, who was a standout performer in the recent ODI series against India, and Shamarh Brooks.Sikandar Raza has pulled out of the CPL as well with an injury. The Zimbabwe allrounder posted on X (previously Twitter) that he would be missing the entire tournament. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are yet to name a replacement.For more details on the CPL squads for the 2024 tournament, click here.
Bates will replace Danni Wyatt-Hodge for the last three games of the tournament plus finals if Hobart qualify
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2024
Suzie Bates smashes one through the midwicket•Bradley Kanaris/CA/Getty Images
New Zealand batter Suzie Bates will play for Hobart Hurricanes for the first time in the WBBL after being signed as an overseas replacement player for the back end of the tournament.Bates, 37, has played 100 WBBL matches representing Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers across eight seasons. The all-time leading women’s T20I run-scorer was not selected at this year’s WBBL draft.But with England’s players set to be withdrawn from the back end of the WBBL due to a tour of South Africa, Bates has been signed by Hurricanes as a replacement for Danni Wyatt-Hodge. England’s T20 players are expected in South Africa on November 17 which would see Wyatt-Hodge miss the last three games of the WBBL plus the finals if Hurricanes qualify.Related
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Hurricanes general manager Salliann Beams was thrilled to add Bates to the squad alongside Chloe Tryon and Lizelle Lee.”Bringing Suzie into our WBBL squad just made sense as soon as we saw she was not selected in the draft, we thought she would be the perfect replacement for Danni once we knew her availability,” Beams said.”She provides more than 130 games of T20I cricket [167] and will give us an experienced operator when we lose someone of Danni’s ability in our line-up.”Hobert Hurricanes WBBL squad:Suzie Bates (overseas), Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee (overseas), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Tabatha Saville, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Chloe Tryon (overseas), Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson, Danni Wyatt-Hodge (overseas)
Tottenham Hotspur continued their pre-season preparations for the 2025/26 campaign with an interesting split of two games on the same day against Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers.
The Lilywhites failed to win either match, with a mix of first-team and youth players, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by the Hatters and a 2-2 draw by the Choir Boys.
New signing Mohammed Kudus, who arrived from Premier League rivals West Ham United earlier this summer, played in the goalless draw with Luton, failing to help his team break the deadlock.
One player who was not in action in either of the matches, though, was centre-forward Dominic Solanke, as the club confirmed that he has suffered a minor ankle injury.
The England international is the club’s only senior, natural, number nine option, and he missed 14 games through injury in the 2024/25 campaign, which may leave Spurs wary of going into next season with him as their only natural striker to call upon.
Why Spurs need to sign a new centre-forward
The Lilywhites should be in the market to sign another goalscorer because the team seriously lacked a consistent scorer in the Premier League last term, as evidenced by Brennan Johnson ending the year as the top scorer with 11 goals.
Dominic Solanke celebrates for Tottenham
Solanke’s fitness issues are a concern, because of the 14 games he missed last term and the ankle injury he has already sustained in pre-season, but his performances when fit have also been concerning.
The 27-year-old centre-forward did not enjoy a particularly impressive debut season with Spurs in front of goal, as the former Bournemouth attacker failed to hit double digits for goals in the Premier League.
Solanke ended the season with a return of 16 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for the Lilywhites, but he underperformed against his xG of 16.55 and only nine of those goals came in the top-flight.
The English marksman scored nine goals from 10.97 xG in the Premier League and five goals from 5.58 xG in the Europa League for Spurs, which shows that he was wasteful in front of goal.
24/25 Premier League
Dominic Solanke
Appearances
27
xG
10.97
Goals
9
Minutes per goal
245
Big chances missed
12
xA
1.15
Assists
3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the ex-Cherries attacker missed too many ‘big chances’ in the top-flight and was not a reliable goalscoring presence for Ange Postecoglou.
It now remains to be seen whether or not he can step up his game to be the consistent goalscorer that Thomas Frank needs to push the team up the table next season.
That is why the club must sign a new number nine option to bolster their squad, and they are reportedly looking at a forward who would be a big upgrade on Solanke.
Spurs exploring deal for prolific striker
According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs exploring the possibility of a deal for Al Hilal centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The report claims that Premier League sides Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Spurs are all keen on a possible swoop for the Serbia international during the summer transfer window.
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It states that Tottenham want to add new players to their forward line this summer because of Richarlison and Heung-min Son’s declining form, and that they view Mitrovic as a player who can be a viable alternative to Solanke next season.
CaughtOffside adds that Al Hilal are looking for a fee in the region of around €30m (£26m) in order to sanction a summer transfer for the prolific centre-forward.
However, it remains to be seen whether Spurs, Newcastle, or Manchester United are prepared to pay the £26m that is needed to secure his services in the coming weeks.
Why Spurs should sign Mitrovic
The Lilywhites should push to win the race for the experienced number nine before the end of the summer transfer window, because he would come in as a big upgrade on Solanke for Frank.
As aforementioned, the current Spurs number nine has struggled to score goals on a regular basis and has been a wasteful finisher in the Premier League, but that is unlikely to be the case for Mitrovic in North London.
The 30-year-old star, formerly of Fulham, has racked up a staggering 68 goals and 15 assists in 79 appearances for Al Hilal since his move from the Cottagers in 2023.
He also produced a phenomenal return of 111 goals in 206 games for Fulham during his time in England, which shows that he is also a proven and consistent goalscorer in English football.
Mitrovic, who was described as an “absolute monster” by Saudi Arabian news journalist Matt Monaghan, is an experienced and proven goalscorer who could come in to offer far more than Solanke in front of goal in the Premier League next season.
Mitrovic (Saudi Pro League)
23/24
24/25
Appearances
28
23
xG
26.60
17.41
Goals
28
19
xG on target
26.26
22.12
xA
2.48
1.33
Assists
5
2
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the Serbian marksman has scored 47 goals in two seasons in the Saudi Pro League, outperforming his xG in both of those campaigns.
These statistics show that he is an incredibly efficient forward who can consistently put away the high-quality chances that are created for him, or created by his own movement and play in possession.
Mitrovic also scored 14 goals in 23 starts in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign with Fulham before his move to Saudi Arabia, which shows that he can also be an effective number nine in the English top-flight.
With question marks over Solanke’s ability to be the starting number nine that Spurs need to kick on next season, due to his lacklustre finishing and underwhelming goal return, signing the Al Hilal star for £26m is a move that could make a lot of sense this summer.
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ByEthan Lamb Jul 27, 2025
Mitrovic could come in as a huge upgrade on the England international, if he can translate his form in Saudi Arabia over to the Premier League, as he has the potential to offer significantly more to the team in front of goal.