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Atalanta have dismissed head coach Ivan Juric after a disastrous start to the Serie A season left them languishing in mid-table and far from the European places. The Croatian, appointed to succeed the legendary Gian Piero Gasperini in June, managed just two wins in 11 league games and failed to recreate the intensity, flair, and success that defined the Gasperini era in Bergamo.

Juric sacked five months into Atalanta tenure

Juric's brief and turbulent reign as Atalanta manager came to an abrupt end following the club's 3-0 home defeat to Sassuolo at the weekend – a result that proved to be the final straw for the Bergamo hierarchy. The loss marked Atalanta's eighth consecutive league match without a win, leaving the team 13th in the Serie A table and already 11 points behind leaders Inter Milan after just 11 games. Appointed in June 2025 to continue Gasperini's transformative legacy, Juric's tenure failed to take off, marked by inconsistent results, tactical confusion, and a noticeable drop in the team's trademark attacking energy.

The 50-year-old's sacking came just five months into his appointment, making his spell one of the shortest managerial reigns in Atalanta’s modern history. Juric was tasked with maintaining the club's Champions League-level standards after last season's third-place finish, but the team's regression was clear from the opening weeks. A run of six straight draws followed by back-to-back defeats against Udinese and Sassuolo exposed deep structural flaws in Juric's system, as Atalanta's high press lacked coordination while their defensive shape collapsed under pressure.

Atalanta confirmed the news in an official statement on Monday, thanking Juric and his staff for their "hard work and professionalism" but admitting the need for change ahead of a challenging winter period. Club officials are believed to have made their decision shortly after full-time against Sassuolo, having already drawn up contingency plans during the international break. Local reports in Bergamo immediately identified Raffaele Palladino as the frontrunner to replace Juric, with an announcement expected before the club's trip to Napoli on November 22.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportJuric failed to replicate Gasperini's success

Juric's downfall was perhaps inevitable given the near-impossible task of succeeding Gasperini. His nine-year tenure stands as one of the most transformative managerial reigns in modern Italian football, revolutionising both the club's identity and the perception of smaller-market teams in Serie A. When he arrived, Atalanta were perennial mid-table battlers focused on survival; when he left, they were established European contenders, having als won the Europa League in 2023-24.

Gasperini's tactical philosophy – built around a fearless, high-pressing 3-4-2-1 formation and relentless man-to-man marking – turned La Dea into a thrilling, high-scoring powerhouse. His side not only earned three straight top-three finishes between 2018 and 2021 but also broke records, including an extraordinary 98-goal Serie A campaign in 2019/20, the highest tally by any Italian club in over six decades.

The crowning moment of Gasperini's era came in 2024 when Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to win the UEFA Europa League, the club’s first major European trophy. By the time he departed for Roma in June 2025, he had secured five Champions League qualifications, two Serie A Coach of the Year awards, and an enduring legacy. Juric's attempt to replicate that legacy faltered from the outset, with the team appearing tactically disoriented and emotionally flat compared to the high-energy sides of the Gasperini years.

Palladino the front-runner to succeed Juric

Attention now turns to Palladino, who is widely expected to be appointed as Atalanta’s new head coach in the coming days. At just 41, the former Fiorentina and Monza boss has developed a reputation as one of Italy’s most promising young tacticians, known for blending disciplined structure with attacking ambition. His approach mirrors many of the principles Gasperini once instilled, making him an appealing candidate to reawaken Atalanta’s trademark intensity.

Palladino's rise through the coaching ranks has been rapid. After starting in Monza's youth setup in 2019, he made an immediate impact when unexpectedly promoted to the first team in 2022, leading them to a shock 1-0 win over Juventus in his debut match. His Monza side went on to comfortably avoid relegation and earned praise for their bold, compact style, which relied on coordinated pressing and positional flexibility.

That success paved the way for a move to Fiorentina, where Palladino guided the club to sixth place in the 2024/25 Serie A campaign and qualification for the UEFA Conference League. His teams are characterised by aggressive transitions, width through dynamic wing-backs, and a preference for formations like the 3-4-2-1 – all features that align with Atalanta’s footballing DNA.

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Getty ImagesWhere do Atalanta go from here?

Atalanta's immediate priority will be stabilising results under a new manager as they prepare to face Napoli after the international break. With the team struggling for confidence and consistency, Palladino's first challenge will be to reintroduce tactical clarity and rebuild morale within a squad accustomed to the high standards of the Gasperini years. Restoring the attacking spark of players like Gianluca Scamacca, Ademola Lookman, and Teun Koopmeiners will be essential if Atalanta are to climb back into the top half and, eventually, Serie A's European places.

For Juric, however, the dismissal adds another abrupt end to a turbulent managerial stretch following disastrously brief stints at Roma and Southampton.

Joe Davis is calling the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. The heated matchup has resulted in some interesting comments both on and off the field, but it's the way that Davis is calling the action that has some fans crying foul.

Davis, who has been the full-time voice of the Dodgers since 2017, has been accused of homerism, the same way that Bob Costas has been during the Yankees-Royals ALDS for Turner. The only difference is, fans screaming favoritism with Davis seem to be mostly grasping at straws.

For instance, here's a post showing Davis apparently forcing himself to smile through an interview with Fernando Tatis Jr. after Game 3.

And here are some reactions to the post:

"It’s ridiculous to put Joe Davis on a Dodgers series."
"Joe wanted the Dodgers to win it all again 😭 "
"I swear they don’t wanna see us shine"
"He is crying on the inside"
"That man is HURTING"
"Cope Joe"

The thing is, Davis doesn't seem uncomfortable at all during the actual interview with Tatis. It looks more like an announcer making the same faces anyone would make during a player interview.

Not to mention Davis's call of Tatis's second inning home run that broke the game open for the Padres.

That's an announcer caught up in the postseason drama who sure sounds like he's enjoying one of the best players in baseball doing something awesome. If this is how well Davis is disguising his bias, he's doing a great job faking it.

Hannah Baker leads defence with 3 for 32 as hosts suffer ninth loss of campaign

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Jul-2025Birmingham 149 for 8 (Kalis 51, Robbins 4-29) beat Somerset 127 for 9 (Wellington 33, Baker 3-32) by 22 runsSterre Kalis registered an assured half-century as Birmingham beat Somerset by 22 runs at Taunton’s Cooper Associates Ground to improve their prospects of qualifying for the knockout stages of the women’s Vitality Blast competition.The Dutch international top-scored with 51 from 41 balls, struck six fours and dominated a profitable stand of 63 in 9.1 overs with Katie George for the fourth wicket as the visitors raised 149 for 8. George contributed 28 and Laura Harris made a brisk 29, while Mollie Robbins returned career-best figures of 4 for 29 to keep Somerset in the hunt.But west country ambition unraveled in the face of incisive bowling from Warwickshire’s spinners, Hannah Baker, Phoebe Brett and Millie Taylor sharing seven wickets as the home side came up short on 127 for 8. Amanda-Jade Wellington mustered middle-order resistance in a defiant innings of 33, but Somerset never looked like recovering from the wreckage of 62 for 6 at halfway.Victory moved Warwickshire above The Blaze and into second place behind leaders Surrey, while Somerset remain rooted to the foot of the table after suffering a ninth defeat in 11 matches in the short format.Robbins gave Somerset the best possible start, claiming two wickets in the opening over, Meg Austin falling lbw to the first delivery and Amu Surenkumar playing on four balls later as Warwickshire listed to 4 for 2 after winning the toss.Davina Perrin responded to adversity by plundering a quartet of fours at the expense of Olivia Barnes, while Kalis also played positively in a progressive third wicket stand of 38 from 25 balls. But Robbins switched ends and promptly terminated the partnership, Perrin driving to mid-off and departing for a 13-ball 20 with the score 42 for 3 in the sixth.Despite the loss of early wickets, Warwickshire continued to score at better than seven an over as new batter George adopted the role of chief support to Kalis, who proved adept at putting away the bad ball. Wellington and Alex Griffiths restricted the flow of boundaries during the middle overs, but Kalis overcame any frustration to raise an assured half century from 38 balls. The 50 partnership occupied 47 deliveries and the stand was worth 63 when Kalis gave Chloe Skelton the charge and was stumped by Jess Hazell.Having contributed a useful 28 from 29 balls, George fell to the returning Robbins, sending a top edge to short fine leg as the visitors slipped to 115 for 5 in the 16th. When Wellington had Nat Wraith held at point in the next over, Warwickshire had lost three wickets in 12 balls and were in danger of falling short. Thereafter, the visitors were indebted to Harris, whose forthright approach yielded four fours and a six in a quickfire innings of 29 from 13 balls, which served to carry them to a competitive total.Requiring the reassurance of a decent start, Somerset instead lost skipper Niamh Holland and Ruby Davis to Brett’s offbreaks in the first and fourth overs respectively. Bex Odgers had scored 21 off 25 balls when she offered a sharp return catch to Baker, at which point the home side were 43 for 3 in the seventh and already under pressure.Somerset were heavily dependent upon experienced campaigner Fran Wilson, but the former England batter was needlessly run out for 17 by Perrin’s superb pick-up-and-throw from cover with the score 44 for 4. That soon became 49 for 5, Jess Hazell chipping to mid-on as Baker made further inroads.Taylor produced a startling delivery to bowl Griffiths as spin continued to pay handsome dividends for Warwickshire. Wellington led a revival of sorts, accruing five boundaries in a stand of 35 for the seventh wicket with Skelton, but when the Australian was stumped off the bowling of Baker with 53 still needed from 26 balls, the game was effectively up for Somerset.

Newcastle United’s depth in attack is certainly different to what it was at the end of last season. It’s been all change in the last few months, losing Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, and replacing them with Nick Woltemade, who has really hit the ground running, and Yoane Wissa, who has been out injured.

They also added Anthony Elanga to their depth out wide. He’s been providing competition for Jacob Murphy on the right wing, with Anthony Gordon still the first choice on the opposite flank.

The England international has been on fire in the Champions League in particular.

Another man who has shone in that competition is Harvey Barnes.

How Barnes’ Champions League numbers compare to Gordon

It has been a fast start to Barnes’ European campaign in 2025/26. He hasn’t been a regular starter under Eddie Howe this term across all competitions, but has made a great impact off the bench.

In particular, his impact on the European stage has been a real standout. Barnes has three goals in as many games, having played just 106 minutes across that trio of appearances. He’s averaging one goal every 35 minutes this season.

Those numbers stack up well against his Magpies teammate Gordon. Their number 10 does have two more goal involvements in the Champions League this season, with five to his name. However, they have come in 265 minutes, and on average, he contributes to a goal every 53 minutes, which is more than Barnes.

The former Leicester City man had a strong impact on the game against Benfica on Tuesday night. Newcastle’s number 11 struck twice off the bench to secure all three points for his side.

His second goal was teed up by Gordon and included some lovely, sharp passing before an incisive finish from Barnes.

The winger has been excellent off the bench this season, although Newcastle have a player coming through who could soon displace him.

The Newcastle sensation who can displace Barnes

Over the last few seasons, there have certainly been some exciting talents come through the academy at St James’ Park. Elliot Anderson is someone who springs to mind, and Lewis Miley is thriving in their first team today.

However, even more exciting than the homegrown pair could be South Korean under-20 international Seung-soo Park. The 18-year-old attacker has already played first-team football for Suwon Samsung Bluewings, and is now on the fringes of the Magpies’ first team after a summer move.

The youngster drummed up a lot of interest when he first moved to St James’ Park. Newcastle’s Academy Director Steve Harper said he is an “exciting” young forward, and Seoul-based writer Seung-mo Lee once explained he is “similar to [Kylian] Mbappe,” which is high praise indeed.

Well, it has been a productive start to the season for the man compared to France’s captain. He’s actually yet to get a goal or assist in eight games for the academy, but has shown plenty of promise.

The 18-year-old has been pulling off passes like this against Mansfield in the EFL Trophy, which highlights his talent.

Some of the numbers he’s been putting up have been excellent, too.

In the game against Mansfield, he completed three out of three dribbles, and in a 45-minute cameo against Union Saint Gilloise in the UEFA Youth League, he created three chances.

Touches

49

33

Pass accuracy

82%

75%

Ground duels won

7/12

5/7

Dribbles completed

3/3

4/6

Chances created

2

3

Howe seems to rate the 18-year-old, having already put him on the bench in the Premier League.

Park was an unused substitute in the season opener against Aston Villa. He also got minutes in preseason with the first team.

The South Korean talent seems to be someone whom the Magpies can get excited about. He certainly has a lot about him, with the ability to beat defenders one-vs-one and create chances in the final third.

With the likes of Barnes, Newcastle have great depth out wide, but Park will be one to keep an eye on for the future.

Fewer touches than Pope: Howe must bin Newcastle star who won just 3 duels

Newcastle won 3-0 against Benfica, but there were still frustrating signs for Eddie Howe and co

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 22, 2025

Mic'd Up: Shreeves discussed soccer in America, Premier League favorites, and who might win the Champions League

Geoff Shreeves, technically, got his start in America. His first proper job was in the early '90s, for CNN. He cut his teeth in an American place. And it only makes sense, then, that nearly 35 years later, he's back – albeit in a different capacity. Shreeves – the voice many recognize for his role in the EAFC video game series – is now an analyst for Morning Footy on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

And much has changed over the years. These days, he says, fans know the game.

"American soccer fans are so knowledgeable that actually, as an analyst or a pundit, you have to work doubly as hard because they know their stuff so well," he tells GOAL. 

Shreeves will be talking Premier League, Champions League, even lower league stuff. It's a good season to do so, too. The Premier League title race, for one, could be a classic, Shreeves says. 

"Look at the Premier League table right now," he said. "Look at Bournemouth, look at Sunderland. It's fantastic. I think we're in for a vintage Premier League this season. Last season, you have to admire what Arne Slot did at Liverpool. But they won it pretty much at a canter, and the bottom three were gone quite early. I said at the start of the season, I think we're seeing much greater competition at the top spot."

And that's just the Prem. Lower down, things could get even more interesting. Wrexham, after cruising to promotion last year, are going to have a far tougher go of things in the Championship.

"They wouldn't say it publicly, but the owners of Birmingham and Wrexham, if you offered them mid-table this season, at the start of season, they'd snatch your hand off," he said. "It's a massive leap."

Shreeves talked the changing role of soccer in America, Premier League title favorites, and who might win the Champions League in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of analysts, announcers and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad. 

(C)Getty imagesON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

GOAL: You'll be covering the Champions League quite a lot this year. Who do you like to win it?

SHREEVES: Having been in Munich and seeing what PSG did last year, it was just astonishing. I don't think I've ever seen such a one-sided final. This is against a smart team, a wise team. They absolutely destroyed them. They decimated them, and ground them into the dirt. They haven't necessarily had the same flying start, but I don't think you can discount the holders, even if it is very difficult to retain the Champions League. You've also got to look at the top two teams in Spain.

And then if you look at the English clubs, I like Arsenal. You've got genuine competition for places, real competition for places. I mean, it's embarrassing that I think it was, 5,000 Arsenal fans started a petition that they didn't want Noni Madueke. That was just nonsense. And the start he made when they were missing Saka? The other one is Masquera. I thought he had a cigar and carpet slippers. It was ridiculous, the way he was so composed.

They've got competition all over the pitch, and that's before you start looking at the likes of the generational talent that is Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri. It's just staggering. You know, there's so much there. I think they can compete on all fronts. So I think they're well equipped to have a right good go.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportON ARSENAL'S TITLE HOPES

GOAL: Does that make them title favorites?

SHREEVES: Remember when Liverpool flew out the traps and they signed Wirtz? And there was the talk of getting Isak? And the amount of people who said "Let's not bother. Just give them the trophy." Arsenal started to falter a little bit, so it's all over. So no, I wouldn't say Arsenal win it. They've got a great chance. Would I say it's definitely going to happen? Not in a million years, because that's the beauty of the Premier League. Look at the Premier League table right now. Look at Bournemouth, look at Sunderland. It's fantastic.

I think we're in for a vintage Premier League this season. Last season, you have to admire what Arne Slot did at Liverpool. But they won it pretty much at a canter, and the bottom three were gone quite early. I said at the start of the season, I think we're seeing much greater competition at the top spot, and I think we'll we'll have far more teams involved in the relegation scrap. At the moment that's looking fairly prescient. It's a rare example of me actually being right.

Getty Images SportON LIVERPOOL'S RECENT STRUGGLES

GOAL: So what's going on with Liverpool then? They're doing a fair bit of losing at the moment.

SHREEVES: Well, Isak didn't have a proper preseason, did he? He's not come in in the condition that you would hope or expect. He's a racehorse, he's a thoroughbred, he's a fantastic footballer. Wirtz, where he's playing – has he played in that specific position before? Then you've got the Salah conundrum, Kerkez looks like he's struggling. So the balance of the team has changed. There's no question that things have changed there. I'll never forget Arsene Wenger said to me once – I was badgering about whether he's going to sign a player – and he said "Geoff, never forget, it's possible to subtract by adding."

And he's spot on. Now, I'm not saying Liverpool have gotten it wrong. They bought fantastic footballers, but you know, this is not like just putting players in and saying "There you go, get on with it." They have to find their feet. They have to find their way. So it's teething problems. But this, this Liverpool squad, is equally capable of going on a run and really challenging whoever sits at the top. People are saying "Yeah, it's Arsenal's." I would just remind people, they're saying the same thing about Liverpool less than six weeks ago.

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Getty Images SportON WREXHAM'S REALITY CHECK

GOAL: The fascination in the U.S. with Wrexham really can't be understated. But it seems like – not that the magic's over – but they're outsiders to get promoted. This seems like a mid-table season. Is the magic maybe a little bit over because of that?

SHREEVES: I said exactly that at the start of the season. They wouldn't say it publicly, but the owners of Birmingham and Wrexham, if you offered them mid-table this season, at the start of season, they'd snatch your hand off. It's a massive leap. You've brought players up from League One. That's a huge jump to the Championship, a huge jump. And then it's like anything that goes up a division. It's difficult for coaches. 

You've got a team, you've also got a successful unit, which is cohesive, is happy, and functions as a group of people. But the players that bring you up aren't necessarily the players to get you to the next stage, or indeed, to keep you in your newly promoted position. So it's almost like you've got to completely reassess everything, all over again. You've got to go again. Of course, it's possible.

I never thought that either of them would romp it. Absolutely no chance. I'll try to recall from the start of the season. I think I said Wrexham, maybe, if they have the season of their lives – bear in mind what they've done – maybe a squeak off the playoff place. But that's about it. 

At first, it didn't make much sense at all why the Washington Nationals optioned All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday. The Triple-A season ends Sunday, and the Nationals—already eliminated from playoff contention—only have eight games remaining.

But one former MLB executive dug up the apparent reason behind Washington's confusing move.

Jim Bowden, a former general manager of the Nationals, stated Saturday that Abrams was out until 8 a.m. at a Bally Casino before a 1 p.m. CT game Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Abrams went 0-for-3 with a walk in that game, which the Nationals lost 3–1.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo addressed that report before Saturday's game.

"We’re all aware of the report but beyond that it’s an internal issue that we will keep in the family," Rizzo said [via ].

Abrams, once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024 after batting .268/.343/.489 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs in his first 89 games. But the 23-year-old has cooled off significantly in the second half of the season, logging a .203/.260/.326 slash line with just five homers in 49 games.

Of course, it appears Abrams's struggles since the All-Star break aren't the main reason for his demotion. Abrams went 10-for-21 (.476 batting average) with three doubles and a homer over his last six games before being sent to Triple-A.

The Nationals, who will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year since winning the 2019 World Series, will wrap up their season with two more games against the Cubs and a pair of three-game series against the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies.

KSCA president Raghuram Bhat accepted their resignations in an emergency meeting

Shashank Kishore07-Jun-2025Two senior officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, have resigned from their positions citing “moral responsibility” for Wednesday’s stampede at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s IPL 2025 victory celebration. KSCA president Raghuram Bhat accepted their resignation in an emergency meeting of the managing committee.*Bhatt declined to respond if the KSCA was responsible for the stampede, saying he would address the media at an appropriate time once the court hearings and the findings of the one-person panel appointed by the Karnataka government were concluded.During the event, planned to celebrate RCB’s first IPL title win in 18 attempts, 11 people died, and several others were injured.Related

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In the communication to the KSCA on Friday night, Shankar and Jairam wrote: “Due to the unforeseen and unfortunate events that have unfolded in the last two days, and though our role was very limited, but owing moral responsibility, we wish to state that last night we have tendered our resignation to our respective posts as secretary and treasurer of the KSCA.”The Bengaluru Police filed a first information report (FIR) against the RCB franchise on Thursday. In the FIR, which has been seen by ESPNcricinfo, the police have said that they had denied RCB permission to conduct the event at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, around which the stampede occurred. RCB were listed as the first accused in the FIR, along with DNA Entertainment, the franchise’s event partners, and the KSCA, which is in charge of the stadium.On Friday, the police confirmed the arrest of Nikhil Sosale, the marketing and revenue head of RCB, acting on the directive of newly-appointed police commissioner SK Singh, who took over after his predecessor was removed from the post by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in the wake of the incident.1:15

Gambhir: We should never have roadshows

Later in the day, the KSCA filed a writ petition, in which they argued that the FIR against them was a “knee-jerk” reaction by the police, done under pressure from the state government.The KSCA further stated that the incident was an accident caused by an unexpected rush and crowd surge, and that no intent or motive could be attributed to the petitioners. It emphasised that gate and crowd management were not the KSCA’s responsibility, but that of RCB’s, the event organisers, and the police.The counsel defending KSCA had also raised concerns over the arrest of Sosale, claiming it indicated a targeted approach. Sosale has challenged his arrest, and approached the Karnataka High Court, according to Bar and Bench, an Indian legal news platform.RCB has yet to issue an official statement following the arrest. On Thursday, however, the franchise announced a compensation of INR 10 lakh for each of the deceased, and pledged to cover the medical expenses of those injured in the incident.* 1400 GMT, June 7, 2025 Updated after the meeting

Goals, goals and more goals. If there is one thing Arsenal have lacked this season, it’s goals.

It’s been clear for some time now that Mikel Arteta’s side lack a genuinely clinical striker to lead the line, and so the last few months have seen them linked with a whole host of exciting names.

One of the most prominent was Newcastle United’s incredible Alexander Isak, but with a price tag that could reportedly be as high as £150m, it’s a move that now seems increasingly unlikely.

However, that doesn’t mean that the North Londoners aren’t still looking to bring in a new striker, as recent reports have linked them with someone who could be the perfect alternative.

Arsenal's striker search

Before getting to the forward in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other attackers linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Daizen Maeda.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former looks like he’d cost around £70m, and while that’s still a hefty sum of money, it’s hard to argue against considering the Swede has scored 52 goals and provided 12 assists in 29 appearances for Sporting CP this year.

Maeda, on the other hand, would cost around £25m and has also enjoyed a brilliant campaign north of the border, scoring 33 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 games for Celtic.

However, the Gunners might be looking for a genuine bargain alternative to the Newcastle ace, which would explain the situation around Jonathan David.

According to a recent report from Italy, Arsenal are now one of several sides interested in signing the LOSC Lille star this summer, when his contract has expired.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has claimed that Liverpool, Inter Milan, Juventus and a handful of other Premier League sides are also keen to land the soon-to-be free agent.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line in light of the competition, but given David’s immense ability, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be an incredible Isak alternative.

Why David would be a great Isak alternative

So, there is ultimately one reason, and it’s a massive one, why David would be a brilliant alternative to Isak: the finances involved.

While he would likely demand a slightly inflated wage to make up for the lack of a transfer fee, the money involved in any deal would still pale in comparison to what would be needed to sign the Newcastle star.

In turn, this would then allow the Gunners to invest heavily elsewhere in the squad, be it in another striker, a new left-winger, competition for Martin Odegaard, or even more defenders.

Moreover, just because he’d save the club an enormous sum of money does not mean he’d be a lacklustre signing.

For example, since the start of 1/22, the New York-born monster, whom journalist Tony Marinaro dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world,” has scored 96 goals and provided 25 assists in just 182 club appearances.

Appearances

48

40

47

47

Goals

19

26

26

25

Assists

0

4

9

12

Goal Involvements*

0.39

0.75

0.74

0.78

In other words, the incredible goal machine has averaged a goal involvement every 1.50 games across the last four seasons of top-flight football, which is evidence enough to suggest he’d be a good fit for the North Londoners.

Finally, it’s not just at the club level where the Canadian international has proven himself. In 61 appearances for Les Rogues, he scored 32 goals and provided 19 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal every 1.19 games.

Ultimately, with Isak almost certainly being too expensive to sign this summer, Arsenal would be wise to sign David in his place and spend the rest of their transfer budget improving the entire team.

He'd revive Odegaard: Arsenal aiming to sign "the new Mbappe" in £85m deal

Arsenal need to sign a player who could revive the fortunes of Martin Odegaard.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes May 5, 2025

In all the money they have spent over the past few summers, Chelsea have not been afraid to splash the big bucks on players from within the Premier League.

Without doubt, the best example of that is Moises Caicedo, who cost them a British record fee of £115m.

In fact, Brighton and Hove Albion has been a club they have regularly turned to for new players. They have also signed Robert Sanchez and Marc Cucurella from the Seagulls, of course, also previously hiring Graham Potter from the south coast.

On top of those additions, they have signed the likes of Pedro Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers and have also dipped into the loan market, temporarily signing Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.

Now, they might be set to repeat the feat in the summer transfer window once again.

Chelsea’s new Premier League target

One man who could be of interest to several elite Premier League clubs this summer is Mohammed Kudus.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Ghanaian attacker has impressed at West Ham United during his time there, and they may be forced to sell him in the next transfer window.

Well, according to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of the sides interested in signing Kudus this summer. They are thought to be ‘monitoring his situation’ ahead of a potential transfer saga in the coming months.

It could well be one of the sagas of the window, too. Chelsea might have to go head-to-head with two divisional rivals in order to sign the attacker.

Arsenal and Liverpool are also thought to be interested, with Football Insider reporting that he could cost upwards of £85m for English top flight clubs. Saudi side Al-Nassr could also make a move, but would have to pay £125m.

How Kudus could help Cole Palmer at Chelsea

It has not quite been the electric season Kudus might have hoped for this term in a Hammers shirt. He has only managed three goals and two assists in the Premier League, having made 27 appearances so far.

That is a far cry from his numbers in the previous campaign. The Ghana international notched up an impressive eight goals and nine assists in the 2023/24 Premier League season, in just 33 games.

He has shown quite a lot of inconsienty this term, having not scored in the top flight since his goal against Brighton at the London Stadium in December, just days before Christmas. It has now been 15 Premier League games without a goal for Kudus, although he did grab an assist against Bournemouth three games ago.

There is a Chelsea star going on a similarly lean run of form at the moment, Cole Palmer. Despite the fact he has 14 goals and nine assists this term in the top flight, the England international has struggled in front of goal in recent weeks.

It has now been 11 top flight games for the former Manchester City star since he last scored, against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge in the middle of January. Given the talent Palmer has, that might certainly be a surpise.

Well, just maybe Kudus can help spark Palmer back into life again next season. Even though it has been a campaign in which he has struggled, the creativity numbers as per FBref have still been noteworthy. For example, he averages 2.66 progressive passes this season, ranking him in the top 15% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues.

Key passes

1.07

63rd

Passes into final third

1.45

83rd

Passes into penalty area

0.97

89th

Progressive passes

2.66

85th

Shot-creating actions

3.84

95th

Making the move to Chelsea could certainly reinvigorate Kudus’ career. It has not exactly been an easy season for West Ham, with the change of coach and the fact they find themselves not too far from the relegation zone.

With Kudus’ natural ability on the ball, particularly when carrying forwards, and the creative spark he has, it should pair well with Palmer, who would benefit from another player on his wavelength.

The Ghana star is a “beast” in the words of Antonio Mango, and he could really elevate Chelsea and help bring the best out of one of their most important players.

He could be their best winger since Hazard: Chelsea want to sign £80m star

Chelsea are looking to strengthen in attack next summer

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 22, 2025

This summer transfer window is a huge one for Tottenham Hotspur if they are to rise up the Premier League next season, making amends for the dismal campaign endured in 2024/25.

The club’s bottom-half standing has led to questions being asked about Ange Postecoglou’s future at the club, with it unclear whether he’ll be in charge for 2025/26.

However, their progression into the Europa League semi-final against Bodo Glimt may save his career in North London – potentially able to end their 17-year wait for a trophy.

If the Aussie does manage to pull off such a feat over the next couple of weeks, he will need to be backed in the market by the owner to allow him to take the side to the next level.

It appears no time has been wasted ahead of the summer transfer window, already making serious moves to strengthen the side in numerous key areas.

The latest on Spurs’ pursuit for new attackers this summer

Over recent days, Spurs have been targeting reinforcements within the final third, leading to huge rumours over a move for Wolves’ star Matheus Cunha.

The Brazilian only signed a new contract in recent months, but has stated his desire to leave, with any side wanting to land him needing to trigger his £62.5m release clause inserted within his new deal.

The Lilywhites aren’t alone in their hunt for the 25-year-old, with Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Arsenal also touted with a big-money move for his signature.

The likes of Tyler Dibling and Liam Delap have also been mentioned as potential targets, but not to the extent of Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, who’s been hugely mentioned as a summer target.

According to one Spanish outlet, Spurs are preparing a £50m bid for the Cherries attacker, who’s reportedly a supporter of North London rivals Arsenal.

Why the £50m target would be the perfect Son replacement

Winger Heung-min Son has been a tremendous servant to Spurs over the last decade, often being the shining light in their side after moving from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015.

The South Korean international has racked up a staggering 448 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring on 173 occasions, putting himself fifth in the club’s all-time scoring charts.

However, with the attacker being 33 come the start of next season, it’s safe to say he’s entering the final years of his career as a professional, with a plan needing to be put in place to replace him.

He’s also started to pick up more frequent injury issues, currently being sidelined with a foot issue, missing the Europa League triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt and being ruled out of Monday’s clash with Forest.

As a result, Postecoglou could turn to Semenyo as a summer target, with the Ghanaian certainly the perfect replacement for the fan-favourite during the off-season.

When comparing his stats to Son from the Premier League in 2024/25, the 25-year-old has massively outperformed him in numerous key areas, showcasing how much of a superb addition he would be.

Semenyo, who’s been labelled “world-class” by The Athletic’s Richard Amofa, has registered more goals in the league to date, whilst also managing more shots on target per game, highlighting his threat within attacking areas.

Games played

32

28

Goals scored

8

7

Shots taken

3.7

2.4

Shots on target

1.2

1

Tackles & Interceptions

1.9

1

Take-ons completed

2.1

1.3

Aerials won

1.9

0.3

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90, along with more aerials won, offering Ange an all-round presence in the final third, playing a massive role in their potential success next campaign.

£50m may be a huge investment from the hierarchy, but it’s needed should the side return to the heights they’ve set for themselves in numerous seasons in North London.

Semenyo has demonstrated the qualities he possesses this season, with a big move needed, opening the door for a transfer to Spurs, and giving him a great platform to take his own career to the next level.

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2025 could be a big year of change at Tottenham Hotspur, so are Spurs seeking to sign the “next big talent” in sensational Dele Alli repeat?

ByBen Gray Apr 19, 2025