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Tottenham Hotspur did more than just end their interminable trophy drought when defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final last season; Ange Postecoglou opened up a road to the Champions League.

Given that Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, this was quite the saving grace at the end of a campaign that left so much to be desired, and it ensured the Londoners could make a compelling case to potential signings like Xavi Simons.

While Tottenham supporters were overjoyed when signing the Dutch playmaker from RB Leipzig for £51m, after intense interest from Chelsea earlier in the summer, there’s no denying that the 21-year-old has yet to perform on English shores.

Given his big-money profile and the expectation upon his arrival, there’s a concern that Simons is echoing the likes of Tanguy Ndombele before him.

Simons' start to life at Spurs

Thomas Frank hasn’t yet established his vision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his side struggling for form in the final third. Simons has been a part of the problem, but it’s important to remember this is a young talent who has entered a team lacking offensive coherence.

In just two years in Germany, Simons scored 22 goals and supplied 24 assists across 78 matches. He was the difference-maker, and many Premier League clubs were keen.

Spurs won the race, and credit to them, but Simons has yet to prove he has what it takes to raise his game to the next level, thus prompting concerns that he might mimic Frenchman Ndombele, who became the Londoners’ club-record signing when joining from Lyon in a £54m deal in 2019.

Ndombele’s temperament and commitment were among the cruxes of his demise in English football, and Simons cannot be blamed for a lack of effort, but it’s a concern all the same, and one Frank will need to rectify quickly to get his side operating at full creative capacity.

The jury is still out for the Netherlands international, who is young and talented and settling into an outfit that lacks creative direction right now.

There’s actually another Lilywhites man with far more experience who might be deteriorating into Ndombele 2.0.

Spurs' new version of Ndombele

Frank has spoken of his players’ frustrations following their recent run of form, and this was clear to see last weekend when Fulham condemned Tottenham to yet another home defeat.

Pedro Porro was incensed, but the Portugal international might want to direct that anger inwards, given his spate of shambolic displays this year.

The 26-year-old has been in the English capital for almost three years now, and while he is among the most technically gifted players in the ranks, his awareness and accuracy in defensive phases could see him become a disappointment in a similar way to Ndombele, especially when considering he had such a furore about his signature in 2023 that Manchester City came sniffing around last year.

Porro is rudderless. Sofascore record that he has made five errors already in the Premier League this season, and he is among the most dribbled-past defenders in the division thus far.

#

Player

Stat

1.

Mats Wieffer

19

2.

Neco Williams

18

3.

Pedro Porro

17

4.

Hugo Bueno

16

5.

Matty Cash

16

In fairness, Porro sits among the top 16% of Premier League full-backs this season for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, but his defensive work has been well below the desired standard.

But his lack of focus and misuse of his own athleticism led one Tottenham podcast host to brand him “an absolute liability” last season, and that’s only been underscored since then, with Frank now facing his own Ndombele-like conundrum in working out what to do with this talented but toiling star.

Porro has enjoyed some high points across his Tottenham career, but he’s been culpable for too many poor performances over the past couple of years, and in this, it is he and not the young Simons who is shaping into the London side’s new version of Ndombele.

Just like Romero: Spurs prepare £40m bid for "crazy" Van de Ven upgrade

Tottenham are in the market for more defensive depth ahead of the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 5, 2025

Four-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. enjoys one major benefit that many other big leaguers don't: Having a Baseball Hall of Fame father in his corner.

Guerrero Jr., who on Wednesday officially signed the third-richest contract in baseball history in terms of total value at $500 million, appears to have heeded the advice of Vladimir Guerrero Sr. when it comes to his new deal.

While speaking to reporters before the Toronto Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Guerrero shared the advice his father gave him during contract negotiations.

"Trust god," Guerrero said, via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. "My dad told me to trust god, and to get the last penny that I could from the organization."

Guerrero did exactly that. The Blue Jays star's contract includes no deferred payments, a full no-trade clause and a very unique structure. $325 million of the $500 million will be paid out to Guerrero in a signing bonus, while the other $175 million will be paid out in salary. This benefits the Blue Jays slugger both during tax season and in the event that baseball has a work stoppage in the future.

Even as contract negotiations between the two sides hit a snag during spring training, Guerrero, seemingly ticketed for free agency, was steadfast about wanting to remain in Toronto for the rest of his career. To that end, Guerrero's daughter joined his father in making her voice heard during the process.

"That’s one of the hardest ones, right there, when your daughter comes to you and asks you, ‘Daddy, are we going to stay in Toronto?’" Guerrero said. "When you know that your family really wants to stay in Toronto, that was the hard one. All along, they wanted to stay in Toronto."

In putting pen to paper on Wednesday, Guerrero and his family got their wish.

Another international break is coming to an end, and Arsenal have yet more injuries to contend with.

On the annoying but manageable side of things, Kai Havertz will be out for a little longer after Julian Nagelsmann confirmed he had suffered a minor relapse with his knee injury.

However, the far more worrying development is that, following initial scans, Gabriel Magalhães is set to miss at least a month of action due to the groin injury he picked up playing at the Emirates for Brazil.

Thankfully, Mikel Arteta has several defenders he can call on to replace him at the back, and just maybe, Arsenal also have another international star who could pick up the slack at set-pieces and become Nicolas Jover’s new go-to man.

Arsenal's potential Gabriel replacements

Now, it should really go without saying, but losing Gabriel is a massive blow for Arsenal, as not only is he an incredible player, but a real leader.

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With that said, unlike in seasons past, Arteta does have the defensive backup to help minimise the impact of his absence and a few ways to rearrange the backline.

One solution to the problem could be to move Riccardo Calafiori in from left-back and start either Myles Lewis-Skelly or Piero Hincapie on the left.

This is the approach the manager took in pre-season, while Gabriel was recovering from the injury that ended his campaign last season.

However, while the Italian is more than capable of doing this, it would mean taking away the license he’s had to roam wherever he pleases so far this season, which in turn would make the attack far more predictable and therefore less potent.

So, another solution could be to move Hincapie into the back two alongside Saliba.

However, while this could be a solution further into the season, the Ecuadorian is still somewhat of an unknown quantity, having played just 170 minutes for the club and started one game at centre-back.

Therefore, the best bet for Arteta would surely be starting Cristhian Mosquera.

The young Spaniard has already played 597 minutes for the team this season, almost entirely at centre-back, and was brilliant against Liverpool and then Nottingham Forest there.

In all, there are options to cover the defensive deficit Gabriel’s injury will bring, but there might also be a way to cover the attacking side of his game that’ll be missed.

Jover's new Gabriel

While Gabriel certainly has the ability to influence the attacking side of the game from open play, it’s no great secret that he is phenomenal when it comes to set-pieces.

Just this season alone, he has scored twice and provided three assists, which would be a great return for an attacker, let alone a centre-back.

Therefore, his absence from the team could seriously hinder Arsenal’s potency in dead-ball situations, unless Arteta starts using Mikel Merino more often. After all, he has been described as an “aerial duel monster” by Como scout Ben Mattinson.

While there are certainly other players who could chip in more from set-pieces like Saliba, Calafiori and maybe even Viktor Gyokeres when he’s fit again, it’s the Spaniard who could become Jover’s new star.

After all, while he’s certainly not the best player in the team, the former Real Sociedad star has proven beyond all reasonable doubt over the course of the year that he knows how to score a goal.

Merino’s Arsenal record
Season	24/25	25/26
Appearances	44	16
Starts	29	9
Minutes	2635′	820′
Goals	9	3
Assists	5	1
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, since the turn of the year, he has put the ball in the back of the net 19 times and provided seven assists for club and country, which is truly an incredible return and more than justifies Arsenal writer Adam Keys calling him “a magnet in the box.”

More than that, though, plenty of those goals have either been one-touch finishes or headers, which is generally how someone scores from a set-piece.

Now, this doesn’t mean Arteta has to start the 29-year-old game-changer in every match, but when the team are chasing a goal, this goalscoring ability should see him become one of the first names off the bench.

Ultimately, losing Gabriel is a huge blow, but with their defensive depth and the prospect of Merino becoming Jover’s new set-piece king, Arsenal should be alright.

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Athletic Club star Nico Williams scored a magnificent goal to hand his side a slender win over Real Oviedo in La Liga. The goal has brought Williams back into the limelight, ending a long goal drought that resulted in him being questioned in the wake of the failed summer transfer to reigning Spanish champions Barcelona.

• Athletic get the better of Oviedo

  After three successive losses to Getafe, Real Sociedad, and Newcastle United across La Liga and the Champions League, Athletic are back on track with a 1-0 win over Oviedo on Sunday. It was their young, dynamic winger Williams who salvaged the solitary goal of the fixture, adding his second of the campaign to lead his team's triumph. 

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• Williams ends goal drought

  The last time Williams scored or assisted for Athletic was in their first La Liga game of the season – a 3-2 win against Sevilla. The 22-year-old missed a handful of matches due to a groin injury, failed to find the net since his return until he sparked into life against Oviedo. Williams was sharp as he went past three defenders and powered his shot into the goal, rattling the crossbar and the net in the process. 

• Williams was once a Barcelona target

  Not for one transfer window, but Williams was a top target for Barcelona across two summers. Before this season kicked off, he was almost set to travel to Catalonia after agreeing on personal terms and a six-year contract with Barca, a club that he has admired for a long time. However, Athletic were continuously hesitant to let go of their most promising young talent. Such was the rivalry that there were moments when administrators aimed to block the move. Ultimately, the move came to a surprising halt as Barcelona refused to grant a demand from his agent and the Spain international ended up signing a 10-year contract with the Basque side.

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  What comes next for Williams?

  Williams has found his foot just at the right time. After Athletic return from the international break, their first game will be against Barca. It will be the first time the two sides meet since Williams snubbed the Catalans and agreed to the Basque club's terms. The game will be played on November 22.

Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur haven’t been afraid to splash the cash, with the ownership handing various managers the tools to achieve success.

The Lilywhites have spent around £400m on new signings in the last four years, numerous of which have made a huge impact on their ability to create new history for the club.

Brennan Johnson is one of the players who arrived during such a period, with his £47.5m transfer fee now appearing to be an excellent piece of business, given his record in North London.

The Welshman netted 18 goals across all competitions last campaign, but undoubtedly his most important came in the Europa League final as he helped end the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy.

Despite the 24-year-old’s positive impact in the first-team, the same can’t be said for one player who fell way below the expectations placed upon him after his own big-money transfer.

Tanguy Ndombele’s failed spell at Spurs

In the summer of 2019, Spurs forked out a then club-record fee of £62m for the signature of midfielder Tanguy Ndombele from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon.

Such a move generated huge excitement amongst the fanbase, but it’s safe to say his time in North London was one of bitter disappointment, given his failure to impress.

He would feature a total of 91 times for the Lilywhites over a three-year period, spending two separate spells on loan at Napoli and Galatasaray before his contract was cut short – allowing him to depart on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.

Whilst he produced some moments of magic, including his superb effort against Sheffield United, he was unable to produce such levels on a regular basis – with concerns being voiced around his attitude and fitness.

His tally of 10 goals and nine assists highlight the lack of impact he had, with the hierarchy subsequently losing a small fortune on their investment – especially after he departed for nothing.

However, he’s not the only player to fall below the standards expected of him, with one current first-team player currently finding himself in a similar situation.

The Spurs player who’s becoming the biggest waste since Ndombele

Current boss Thomas Frank has made a solid start to his Spurs career so far, only losing one of his nine games in charge across all competitions in 2025/26.

The Dane has created a settled 4-3-3 side that has allowed them to make some major scalps, including a 2-0 triumph against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad.

However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing, with the 51-year-old unable to secure a win against Norwegian outfit Bodo Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Lilywhites found themselves two goals down with just 24 minutes remaining, but managed to fight back to secure a 2-2 draw and maintain their unbeaten record in Europe this season.

Many players had an off night during the stalemate, but Richarlison once again continued to disappoint and was unable to shake off his recent poor form.

Despite netting three goals in his first six games this campaign, many supporters have become frustrated with the Brazilian, leading to criticism being directed his way.

In the last two games combined, he’s only managed a total of 30 touches combined, completing just seven passes – often unable to get himself into the game.

Minutes played

90

Touches

10

Passes completed

2

Possession lost

5

Big chances missed

1

Chances created

0

Fouls committed

1

Match rating

3/10

When in front of goal, the 28-year-old has also been just as dreadful, missing two big chances in as many games – leading to one analyst stating that he “offers nothing”.

To further highlight his lack of impact in North London, he’s only scored 23 times in his 100 appearances for the club, with departed fan-favourite Harry Kane managing to score over 100 goals for Bayern Munich since his transfer two years ago.

If the Brazilian joined in a bargain deal, the lack of impact wouldn’t be as concerning, but the hierarchy forked out £50m for his signature three years ago – with such a decision now looking like an awful one.

There’s no doubt he’s failed to live up to the hype in North London, but the hierarchy must look to offload him and replace him with a top-level player in the months ahead.

They desperately need to recoup a competitive fee for his services, subsequently avoiding losing him for nothing – just as they did with Ndombele a little over 12 months ago.

100% dribbles, 78 touches: Spurs star is now emulating Kane under Frank

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ByEthan Lamb Oct 1, 2025

Liverpool meet Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. It’s a fixture typically freighted with emotion, one of the biggest and fiercest rivalries the Premier League has ever hosted.

But for the Anfield side, they know they need a big performance regardless, having fallen to three successive defeats before the October international break. These are uncharted waters for Arne Slot, both during his Liverpool tenure and previously in his Dutch homeland with Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar.

Despite slipping in the final stages of successive matches against Crystal Palace and Chelsea, Liverpool have fallen just one point behind league leaders Arsenal, and now they are back at Anfield.

The Red Devils have come away from Anfield with the spoils shared across both of the past two top-flight terms, but their own struggle for form under Ruben Amorim’s wing this season suggests that this is a fantastic chance for the defending champions to remind the Premier League what they are made of.

Who Slot should start up front vs Man Utd

Alexander Isak might have been called “the best striker in the Premier League” by pundit Jamie Carragher last season, but the debacle that was his summer transfer saga has disrupted his start to the season.

And Hugo Ekitike has only been too happy to take advantage and kickstart his own career in Liverpool. Having joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m fee in July, the Frenchman has scored five goals and assisted one more across ten matches so far this season, starting eight of those games.

Newly blooded in Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus set-up, Ekitike boasts a rare attacking profile, deadly in the final third but also mobile and intelligent and electric on the ball.

The Frenchman’s red card for taking his shirt off in celebration, already on a yellow, having scored the winner in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup tie against Southampton, likely knocked him down a peg in Slot’s estimation, and he only made a cameo during the defeat at Stamford Bridge, having previously been suspended for the loss at Crystal Palace.

Will Isak reprise the starting berth he held against Chelsea? It was a tough evening for the visitors, but the Sweden international showed off his quality to claim the assist for Cody Gakpo’s second-half equaliser.

With the cogs not exactly whirring across Liverpool’s frontline right now, it feels like the chance to rise in stature is there for the taking.

Indeed, Slot does have the option to go down a different track, should he choose. Without a doubt, Isak and Ekitike are Liverpool’s most talented and effective centre-forwards, but there’s another who should play a part against Chelsea and even overshadow Ekitike.

Liverpool play Man United this weekend, and this particular Redman could call upon the spirit of former star Xherdan Shaqiri at Anfield.

Liverpool's new version of Shaqiri

Whether Slot decides to deploy him from the opening whistle or as part of a second-half wave that, on the basis of evidence, may be needed, there’s no question that Federico Chiesa will be primed to play his part against Liverpool’s most notorious rivals.

The 27-year-old has been one of the sharper forwards in the Anfield squad so far this season, bouncing back from a testing maiden year in England, struck by injuries and overlooked by Slot after arriving from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m fee.

But he’s so far been among the most clinical players at Slot’s disposal this season, bagging the winner on the opener against Bournemouth, netting again at Selhurst Park and setting up both Isak and Ekitike’s strikes during the win over Saints.

Hugo Ekitike

10

5 (1)

Mohamed Salah

10

3 (3)

Federico Chiesa

6

2 (2)

Cody Gakpo

10

2 (2)

Alexander Isak

6

1 (1)

Rio Ngumoha

5

1 (0)

Hailed as a “wizard” of a footballer by broadcaster Roger Bennett for his efforts with Juventus, Chiesa has that special ability to make things happen when his team needs him most.

And in this way, he could be the next version of Shaqiri on this important weekend. The Swiss international, now 33 years old, only played 63 matches across three campaigns for the Merseysiders, but he certainly left his mark, instrumental in beating Barcelona on that most historic of nights in the Champions League and popping up with some big moments in the Premier League too.

It was super-sub Shaqiri who came off the bench to score twice and help Liverpool along to a 3-1 win over Manchester United in December 2018, as Jurgen Klopp went neck-and-neck with Pep Guardiola at the height of his City dynasty.

Liverpool ultimately fell short that year, but triumph on the continent certainly helped cushion the blow. And anyway, Liverpool would triumph in the Premier League one year later, with Shaqiri in amongst the celebrations.

Like Shaqiri, Chiesa is an injury-prone forward, but he has immense quality and is now showing an ability to retain his quality in the English game.

Might he steal Ekitike’s thunder against the Red Devils? The Italy international will surely be hoping to grace the field after Slot kept him on the bench against Chelsea. After all, he has, on a number of occasions already this term, looked to be Liverpool’s focal threat.

Last season, opportunities were few and far between for Chiesa at Liverpool. However, he has proved himself as a testament to tenacity and unwavering self-belief. Now, the Italian is a secret weapon for Slot’s side.

In the past, Shaqiri came up trumps for Klopp when facing Man United. Now, Chiesa could repeat that trick.

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ByAngus Sinclair Oct 15, 2025

Leeds United have been hit with an injury blow ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wales international Daniel James has suffered an ankle injury that is currently being assessed by the club, although they are hopeful that it will not be a long-term issue.

Journalist Graham Smyth claims that the forward is set for “weeks” on the sidelines, debunking some speculation on social media that he was due to be out for months with an ACL injury.

If James misses several weeks and games through injury with this ankle issue, Daniel Farke should avoid relying on Jack Harrison as an alternative to Brenden Aaronson on the right flank.

Why Jack Harrison should not replace Dan James

The left-footed attacker returned to Elland Road this summer after spending the previous two seasons on loan with Everton in the Premier League, and he has yet to fully win the fans back over.

Harrison has produced no goals, no key passes, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five appearances in the top-flight for Leeds so far this term, per Sofascore, which shows that he has offered virtually nothing at the top end of the pitch.

That should not come as a surprise to many, though, because the former Manchester City academy prospect struggled badly in the final third for Everton in the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

34

Starts

24

Minutes

2088

xG

3.52

Goals

1

Key passes

34

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, Harrison managed one direct goal contribution in 2,088 minutes of football in the Premier League for the Toffees before his return to West Yorkshire.

This is why Farke should turn to U21 talent Connor Douglas to replace James in the squad whilst the Wales international is missing through injury.

Why Leeds should unleash Connor Douglas

The 19-year-old attacker is a versatile star who can play through the middle as a number ten or out on the right flank, which suggests that he could be a suitable alternative to Aaronson in the short-term, given that the American is a similarly versatile wide option.

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Douglas’ form for Leeds at academy level suggests that he is an exciting young player who has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, after he scored in a 1-0 win over Norwich City’s U21s on Monday night.

The English winger has scored six goals and provided six assists in 36 appearances for the club at U21 level, as well as six goals and three assists in 27 matches for the U18 side, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that he can contribute with goals and assists from a wide position, something that Harrison has struggled to do, and that is why he should be given a chance to see what he can do at first-team level whilst James is out with an ankle injury.

Douglas was described as an “electric” forward who is a “joy to watch” by PureFootball writer Trent Gaffney, which also suggests that he could get supporters off their feet with his front-footed and direct play.

Fans may prefer to see a talented young forward given an opportunity to shine and showcase his exciting potential in James’ absence, instead of Harrison being given yet another chance after failing to impress in the last 13 months or so.

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That is why Farke must unleash Douglas as the replacement for James in the Premier League, for however many matches he misses, instead of just using Harrison.

Nottingham Forest admire an “unbelievable” Premier League manager, with Evangelos Marinakis looking to “move quickly” to appoint a replacement for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nuno sacked after just three Premier League games

Trouble has been brewing at The City Ground for quite some time now, with Nuno not helping the situation when he revealed his relationship with Marinakis was no longer the same as it was in the 2024-25 campaign, saying: “I always had a very good relationship with the owner – last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well,”

“Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. Everybody at the club should be together, but this is not the reality.”

The 51-year-old initially held onto his job, but Forest announced the decision to sack their manager on Monday night, with Marinakis sacking the Portuguese coach off the back of a 3-0 defeat at home against West Ham United.

It is a controversial decision to sack the manager who led the Tricky Trees to Europe for the first time in 30 years, which makes it even more crucial for Marinakis to get the next appointment right, with Ange Postecoglou set to be appointed.

Taking to X, Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett revealed Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is one of the managers “admired” by the Nottingham Forest hierarchy, but Postecoglou appears to be the man set to take Forest forward.

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1

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Glasner could have been "unbelievable" appointment

It seems likely the Austrian, who plays a 3-4-2-1 system, would’ve been a popular appointment among the Forest fans, given what he has achieved since arriving at Crystal Palace, most notably leading the Eagles to FA Cup glory last season.

However, the 51-year-old would’ve been a controversial appointment from a Palace point of view, given the fact Forest replaced Glasner’s side in the Europa League this season, due to issues surrounding multi-club ownership.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has praised the “unbelievable” job Glasner has done, while also adding: “He loves football, always believes we can win and he instills that in his players.”

However, Postecoglou may also be an exciting appointment, given that the Australian is well-known for an attacking style of play, with the 60-year-old leading Tottenham Hotspur to Europa League glory last season.

Despite picking up both the FA Cup and Community Shield in quick succession, Oliver Glasner might well feel somewhat defeated from the Crystal Palace dug-out currently.

All of that recent success wasn’t enough to keep Eberechi Eze at Selhurst Park, who is now a £67.5m superstar at Arsenal, with Marc Guehi’s exit from East London also still looking to be on the cards as we head nearer to transfer deadline day.

With the clock ticking ever closer to September’s abrupt cut-off, the Austrian will be praying some positive additions come into the building, as a new midfield target now appears on their radar.

Crystal Palace lodge enquiry for £40k-p/w star

Away from all the talk about departures, it has been a rather subdued window to date at the Eagles.

Indeed, only Borna Sosa has actually cost Palace a fee this summer, and with the Selhurst Park bank account rising courtesy of Eze’s dramatic move to the Gunners, there will be hope that a major move or two is in the offing.

Of course, the main name taking up a large chunk of Palace transfer discussion at the moment is Conor Gallagher, with it being speculated that the ex-Chelsea midfielder could return to the Eagles shortly, having once experienced a formative loan stint at the club.

This would get the fanbase on side after Eze’s exit, considering Gallagher is known to have an eye for a goal and assist. He might well be joined by another creative asset in the middle of the park, too, in the form of RB Leipzig star Christoph Baumgartner.

Sky Sports Germany is reporting that Palace have lodged an enquiry for the £40k-per-week midfielder, as Glasner and Co. keep their options wide open to try and replace the star quality that has left East London behind.

Whilst the report does further elaborate that Glasner’s fellow Austrian compatriot isn’t pushing to leave Leipzig, the pull of the Premier League could well prove to be a tempting one, particularly if he is given the freedom to strut his stuff, alongside a potential teammate in Gallagher.

Why Baumgartner could shine with Gallagher

After all, Baumgartner has shown he has a moment of quality like this up his sleeve for his nation regularly, with a stunning 19 goals amassed from 51 caps for Austria.

His well-known reputation for delivering the goods for his country even saw his national team boss in Ralf Rangnick, declare that he is a “difference-maker”, with the number ten spot looking a lot less depleted if the exciting 26-year-old were to walk away from Leipzig for a shot at Premier League glory with the Eagles.

25/26

1

0

24/25

31

2 + 1

23/24

32

5 + 2

22/23

33

7 + 7

21/22

29

7 + 1

20/21

31

6 + 5

19/20

26

7 + 4

18/19

2

0

It will all rest on whether the Leipzig number 14 can show off his Bundesliga best consistently under Glasner’s wing in England – with a mightily impressive 54 goal contributions under his belt playing in Germany – but that transition could be made to feel a lot easier if he has the experience of Gallagher by his side.

Much like Baumgartner, the 25-year-old has garnered a reputation for being a lively presence centrally, as seen in him collecting eight goals and five assists during his first stint at Palace, but he is also well-equipped to sit back and be an anchor for his team, which will gift the 51-time Austria international the immediate freedom to express himself.

Away from collecting five goals and seven assists during his final Premier League season with Chelsea, Gallagher also stood out as a relentless livewire willing to get stuck in, with a hefty six ball recoveries averaged per clash, on top of also averaging a high 5.7 duels won.

Baumgartner has also displayed similar levels of vigour plying his trade in Germany, with 4.9 duels won on average for Hoffenheim during his breakout 2019/20 campaign.

The pair working alongside each other in the Palace midfield really could end up being a match made in heaven, with Glasner’s side hopefully looking revitalised with these new additions arriving through the door, even with Eze nowhere to be found.

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1 BySean Markus Clifford Aug 25, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Juventude entrará em campo pelo Gauchão Sub-20 na manhã deste sábado para enfrentar o Caxias objetivando permanecer na liderança do Grupo A do torneio. Capitão da equipe na partida, o lateral-esquerdo Da Rocha fala sobre a confiança que o treinador deposita no seu futebol.

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– Fiquei muito feliz com a escolha do professor em me dar a faixa de capitão. Isso demonstra claramente que ele confia em mim, não apenas no que produzo jogando, mas também na minha postura como atleta – disse.

Um dos bons valores do time sub-20 do Juventude, Da Rocha pode em breve disputar outra competição relevante pelo clube. O Brasileiro Sub-23 está em vias de ser confirmado pela CBF. Da Rocha comenta a possibilidade.

– Seria ótimo ter a oportunidade de disputar esse campeonato. Um torneio nacional e de uma categoria acima da que jogo atualmente. Espero realmente que aconteça – concluiu.