Manchester City have made a breakthrough in their pursuit of a “sensational” star, as he has now agreed to move to the Etihad Stadium this summer, according to a report.

Man City's summer transfer plans

Man City took a huge step towards Champions League qualification on Tuesday night, with Matheus Nunes’ late goal securing a 2-1 victory against Aston Villa, moving his side up to third in the Premier League with just four games left to play.

Should City achieve a top-five finish, they should be in a strong position to attract some top players this summer, and Pep Guardiola is keen to reinforce his squad in a number of areas, given that his side have fallen way short of their usual standards this season.

With Kevin De Bruyne set to leave at the end of the campaign, a new attacking midfielder will be required, and the Blues are now the favourites to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, in a deal that could amount to a stunning £129m.

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There have also been suggestions that Guardiola could look to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, with Ederson in line to be replaced, and potential targets include Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens and FC Porto’s Diogo Costa.

There has now been a new update on Manchester City’s pursuit of Costa, with reports from France revealing the goalkeeper has now agreed to move to the Etihad Stadium this summer following initial talks.

Talks are ongoing, with agent Jorge Mendes set to be crucial to negotiations, but the 25-year-old has given the green light to sign for City in the summer transfer window, in what will come as welcome news to Guardiola.

A deal will not be cheap, however, as the Blues will have to fork out the full release clause of €75m (£64m) to secure a deal for the Porto shot-stopper.

Costa could be "sensational" signing for City

Ederson has been a fantastic servant to City, but with the Brazilian set to turn 32 in August, it is time City started thinking about replacements, and the Portugal international could be a fantastic addition to the squad.

It is important for any goalkeeper in a Guardiola system to be comfortable in possession of the ball, and the Switzerland-born goalkeeper appears to fit the bill in that regard, ranking in the 92nd percentile for touches per 90 over the past year.

Not only that, but the Portuguese shot-stopper has been lauded for his “cat-like reflexes” by journalist Zach Lowy, having made some impressive saves during his time with his boyhood club.

Having also been hailed as “absolutely sensational” by journalist Karan Tejwani, there is every indication that Costa could be a success at the Etihad Stadium, so it is exciting news that he has now agreed to join City this summer..

Celtic could take another major step forward in their hunt for the Scottish Premiership title on Saturday afternoon, but Brendan Rodgers will have to deal with an unwanted injury absence over the next few weeks.

Celtic look to respond to criticism with strong domestic finish

The Bhoys are well on course for a domestic treble and could land a fourth successive league title this weekend should a victory over Kilmarnock be coupled with Aberdeen taking three points against Rangers on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Brendan Rodgers has warned against his side becoming complacent following a shock 1-0 defeat at St Johnstone last weekend, stating: “It’s happened too many times. I’ve seen a trend now with us, and it will be interesting between now and the end of the season in terms of mentality.”

Enduring a frustrating run of form, Celtic have lost three of their last seven Scottish Premiership encounters. Admittedly, the malaise could be attributed to the struggle of a busy fixture schedule during a long season, but there is clearly a need for an improvement in performances.

Heeding that warning, the Bhoys are already looking to strengthen in the summer transfer window. Mathias Kvistgaarden is back on the agenda at Parkhead after trying and failing to land the £13.5-million-rated forward in January.

Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka has been mentioned as a Celtic target, but that one feels a slightly more unlikely proposition amid Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo’s presence between the sticks.

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Back in the present, Rodgers may now have to alter his plans slightly over the next few weeks following news that one of his stars has been ruled out due to an unfortunate turn of events.

Celtic star Yang Hyun-jun ruled out due to injury

Speaking ahead of Celtic’s home clash against Kilmarnock, Rodgers has revealed that Yang Hyun-jun has been ruled out for two weeks minimum with an elbow sprain following a freak collision during the Bhoys’ defeat at St Johnstone last weekend.

He stated: “We’ve got Yang that will be out, he’ll have his arm in a sling for a few weeks, obviously he’s had a nasty fall and a slight sprain of his elbow, but everyone else should be okay.

Yang’s statistics in 2024/25 – Scottish Premiership

Appearances

20

Goals

4

Assists

2

Completed dribbles

14

Chances created

16

Touches in opposition box

69

“Hopefully, he’ll be back before the end of the campaign, I think, as I said, it’s two weeks in a sling and then we’ll assess it from there.”

Brought in for £2 million from Gangwon FC in 2023, the 22-year-old’s absence may pave the way for James Forrest to earn a slot in Rodgers’ starting line-up during the run-in amid Nicolas Kuhn’s inconsistent form.

Either way, there are plenty of options for Rodgers to pick from in the wide areas as his side aim to put the seal on yet another domestic treble.

Will Leeds United be able to consolidate themselves as a Premier League-worthy outfit next season after finally breaking free of the Championship’s grip?

It will certainly be easier said than done, however, considering all three promoted teams that went up at Leeds’ expense at the end of the 2023/24 campaign are all tumbling straight back down to the EFL’s top league after a short-lived top-flight stay.

Moreover, Daniel Farke himself has a sketchy track record in the Premier League, having picked up just six career wins at the tricky level, leading to speculation surrounding his future at Elland Road that he could be let go of despite successfully guiding the Whites up to the big-time.

To help in their mission to stay afloat, one of Leeds’ tactics in the summer transfer window could be to poach some of the Championship’s cream of the crop.

Who Leeds could sign this summer

Before looking to bring in some of the EFL’s very best, it might be a case that the Whites look at strengthening courtesy of some Premier League players.

Inevitably, rumours linking Kalvin Phillips with a return have been lingering in the background over the last few months, while last week, West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has reportedly become a target for the club.

But, who else is on their radar?

Well, heading into the 2024/25 campaign, they were persistently linked with Sheffield United playmaker Gustavo Hamer.

Leeds would, of course, snap up Jayden Bogle from the Blades, but this other switch wouldn’t go ahead, with the ex-Coventry City attacker then going on to win the coveted prize of Championship’s Player of the Season at the EFL awards this weekend for his efforts under Chris Wilder’s wing.

Gaining such recognition could well reignite the promoted side’s interest, with Hamer now having to fight it out for a place in the Premier League next season via the playoffs.

It’s a move pundit Lee Hendrie thinks has legs too, telling Football League World: “Obviously (Leeds) were interested (in Hamer), and particularly if the Blades don’t go up, I think that is going to be the key factor, isn’t it? He’s a very good player, and he has had a lot of clubs that were sniffing around him, even before going to Sheffield United. He’s proven that he has got that x-factor, one of the better players in the Championship arguably, in that position, anyway.”

Why Hamer would be a major upgrade on Aaronson

Described as an “unbelievable” player by former teammate Oli McBurnie, signing Hamer could finally see Brenden Aaronson pushed to one side in Farke’s starting lineups.

Aaronson should be commended for slotting back into the Whites set-up this season after his time at Elland Road had become sour but that doesn’t mean an upgrade shouldn’t be sought once their Premier League return is here.

The 24-year-old was loaned out to Union Berlin for all of the 2023/24 season right after his side’s demise down to the EFL, only for the number 11 to notch up nine goals and two assists from 44 Championship appearances the following campaign back among the first-team fold.

Unfortunately for the rejuvenated USA international, he has endured a poor personal end to the season even as his side sit pretty in the league’s top two, with a mere two goal contributions falling his way in the Championship in 2025.

Whereas, Hamer – as seen via his sumptuous free-kick against Coventry back in March – has been a constant menace all campaign long for Wilder and Co, with four of his impressive 16 goal contributions in league action coming during United’s last six contests.

Championship games played

163

44

Premier League games played

36

36

Champ goals

26

9

Champ assists

31

2

PL goals

4

1

PL assists

7

3

Shades of a certain Pablo Hernandez – a goalscoring and creative midfielder, Hamer certainly blows Aaronson out of the water with his standout Premier League output.

While goals certainly haven’t been hard to come by for Leeds in 2024/25, he would be a welcome addition to Farke’s ranks if a move whirred back into motion, with Hamer more than comfortable as a number ten option to usurp his ex-Red Bull Salzburg counterpart.

Also equally as lively down the left where he’s predominantly starred this season at Bramall Lane, Hamer would potentially give Farke a whole host of options in attack ahead of the step-up in quality, with this signing one that would undoubtedly boost Leeds in their fight for instant survival.

Farke is brewing a Piroe upgrade in Leeds teen with "masses of potential"

Leeds United could have a top star for the future in this highly rated youngster.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 27, 2025

A “wonderful” Sunderland player continues to be the subject of strong interest from a huge club, with exit talks now expected to begin soon, according to a new transfer update.

Sunderland set for Coventry showdown

The Black Cats face one of their biggest matches of the season on Friday evening, as they take on Coventry City in the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final tie. Regis Le Bris’ out of form side make the trip to take on Frank Lampard’s men fresh off an emotional final day of league action, so it will be difficilt to bring a positive result with them back to the Stadium of Light.

It has been a long and gruelling season for Sunderland, who started the campaign on fire and threatened to seal automatic promotion to the Premier League, only to tail off as the months continued to pass. In fact, they have lost their last five matches, which is clearly a concern despite the manager’s claims to the contrary.

It looks like they will face Sheffield United in the final at Wembley if they do get past Coventry, following the Blades’ 3-0 win at Bristol City on Thursday. Promotion would be huge for Sunderland for so many reasons, not least in terms of keeping hold of key men, and a new update has now emerged regarding the future of one such individual.

Dortmund delegation travels to Wearside for Bellingham

According to Ruhr Nachrichten [via Sport Witness], Borussia Dortmund’s interest in Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham is “concrete”, with a summer move becoming more and more serious.

A delegation was sent to the North East on Wednesday to discuss the signing of the 19-year-old, whose brother, Jude, spent three years with the Bundesliga giants. They still have to negotiate with the player, his representatives and the Black Cats, though, with those talks expected to begin soon.

Keeping hold of Bellingham has to be a priority for Sunderland this summer, but it will be hard for them to retain him, especially if they fail to seal promotion. The midfielder may like the idea of moving to Dortmund, enjoying a similar path to his brother, with the teenager hailed by teammate Luke O’Nien earlier this year.

“Listen, Jobe’s a wonderful player. I’m one of his biggest fans, more than his dad. Don’t tell him that. I think Jobe’s wonderful. He’s a wonderful addition. He even comes in at half-time to give his perspective. That’s how much he’s grown into the game. Even though he’s not playing, he’s in at half-time. We’re asking for his perspective on the game because he’s a leader in our team.”

Bellingham’s brilliance was outlined by him winning the Championship’s Young Player of the Season award, so Sunderland losing him would be a crushing blow.

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There does have to be some realism involved with the Black Cats, however, who will know that they may have to cash in at some point, with the report stating that they want £21m for his signature.

While the mood around the club has dramatically improved following their Europa League win on Thursday night, Tottenham Hotspur have had to deal with plenty of problems this season.

The most significant has been the near-endless stream of injuries, which has made it impossible for Ange Postecoglou to field his first-choice defence for much of the campaign.

So, it’s not surprising to hear that Daniel Levy and Co are looking to add to their defensive ranks in the summer.

In fact, recent reports have touted a former Premier League player with a move to N17, a player who’s been compared to Cristian Romero.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

It looks like it will be a big summer for Spurs this year, so before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a few of the club’s other targets, such as Oihan Sancet.

Transfer Focus

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

The Athletic Bilbao monster will reportedly cost around £69m in the coming months, and while that is a lot, it might well be worth it, as in just 30 appearances, he has scored 17 goals and provided three assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.30 games, almost exclusively from midfield.

An even more expensive signing could be Matheus Cunha, with reports from earlier this month claiming that the North Londoners would be willing to spend £75m to secure his services ahead of the chasing pack.

Again, it’s an enormous sum of money, but given the fact that the Brazilian international has scored 16 goals and provided four assists in 30 appearances this season, it might well be value for money.

However, as mentioned above, bringing in some more defensive cover appears to be one of the club’s priorities this summer, which helps explain their interest in Eric Garcia.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are interested in signing the former Manchester City gem, who is currently on loan with Girona, from Barcelona.

In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the Lilywhites are ready to make an offer of around €15m for the Spanish defender, which amounts to about £13m.

It could be a bargain for a relatively young centre-back who has plenty of experience playing at a high level, and he’s already won comparisons to Romero.

How Garcia compares to Romero

So, before getting into the other reasons Spurs might want to sign Garcia this summer, it’s worth exploring this comparison to Romero and where it comes from.

Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Argentine star is the fourth most similar centre-back to the Spaniard.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots on target, passes into the penalty area, live passes, goal-creating actions, tackles, blocks and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.16

0.14

Shots on Target

0.40

0.53

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.48

0.53

Live Passes

73.4

71.5

Goal-Creating Actions

0.32

0.26

Tackles

2.06

2.17

Blocks

1.35

1.18

Aerial Duel Win %

55.6%

60.6%

On top of winning comparisons to the World Cup-winning Lilywhites ace, the £99k-per-week “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has some seriously impressive underlying numbers in his own right.

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for goals, goals plus assists, shots on target, non-penalty expected goals, penalties won and tackles in the middle third, the top 3% for long pass completion and passes into the final third, the top 5% for progressive passes and much more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even if he cost more than is being reported, Spurs would be smart to sign Garcia, so if they can get him for around £13m, then that would be a no-brainer, as he’d be an ideal backup for Romero and Micky van de Ven at the very least, if not a competitor for game time.

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Chelsea are making moves for their desired summer transfer targets, with BlueCo reaching out to yet another player who’s keen to leave Bayern Munich.

Chelsea hold talks with Dean Huijsen and Jorrel Hato's agents this week

As per reliable Stamford Bridge journalist Simon Phillips, both Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato and Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen have been subject to approaches from Chelsea in the last few days.

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Emilio Galantini

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As per the reporter’s sources, writing via his Substack, Chelsea held talks with Hato and Huijsen’s representatives, just before their Europa Conference League loss to Legia Warsaw in west London, with Enzo Maresca on the hunt for new defenders this summer.

Trevoh Chalobah is likely to leave Chelsea again this summer, despite being recalled from his loan at Crystal Palace in January, while Wesley Fofana has been sidelined through yet another long-term injury.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Fulham (away)	April 20th
Everton (home)	April 26th
Liverpool (home)	May 4th
Newcastle (away)	May 10th
Man United (home)	May 18th

Ajax mainstay Hato is able to provide cover at both centre-half and left-back, so the Netherlands international is an astute option, while Huijsen’s £50 million release clause has piqued interest from Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea after his excellent campaign at Bournemouth (David Ornstein).

The competition for both men’s signatures will be fierce, though, so Maresca’s side will have earmarked a number of defensive targets ahead of the 2025/2026 season.

Chelsea must get this summer’s transfer window right, and Maresca also has a chance to bring players in early ahead of their Club World Cup campaign, following confirmation from the Premier League that there will be an additional transfer window open from June 1st to June 10th.

Up to £100 million in prize money will be on the line during this year’s CWC, so Chelsea will be keen to reinforce areas of the squad in time to compete.

Chelsea contact Kim min-Jae with defender keen to leave Bayern Munich

According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, it is now believed £198,000-per-week Bayern defender Kim min-Jae is a target for Maresca’s side.

The South Korean, with nearly 70 international caps, is apparently “very open” to departing the Allianz Arena this summer, despite being trusted by Vincent Kompany as a consistent starter.

Chelsea have reached out to min-Jae’s camp for discussions, as per Aouna, but Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have done the same, as both sides look to reinforce their backlines.

The 28-year-old has been linked with a move to England for years, with Tottenham registering an interest in min-Jae during Antonio Conte’s tenure in charge.

Back in 2020, during José Mourinho’s time at Spurs, it was also reported that Son Heung-min was pushing the club to sign min-Jae – so he’s clearly highly-rated by his peers behind-the-scenes.

As Xabi Alonso and his move to Real Madrid gains more traction, reports have emerged that the tactician is now eyeing a “world-class” Tottenham player for his potential new-look Whites side.

Tottenham looking at 'sell-to-buy' summer window

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou may not be in the dugout for much longer, with some outlets claiming that the 59-year-old could part company regardless of their success in the Europa League (The Telegraph).

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ByEmilio Galantini May 1, 2025

The prospect of yet another new manager hunt from chairman Daniel Levy is seen as a realistic one, and Spurs must also figure out how to combat the next transfer window with fairly limited funds.

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

As per Matt Law, Tottenham may have to employ a ‘sell to buy’ transfer policy this summer, with Levy and the Lilywhites board set for a headache when it comes to attracting their desired targets.

Spurs could look to find a buyer for right-back Pedro Porro, as Djed Spence’s resurgence into a key first-team player hands Postecoglou or any new head coach a ready-made replacement for the Spaniard.

Meanwhile, Richarlison is attracting interest from Brazilian clubs, as Tottenham consider offloading the striker following an injury-ridden campaign.

“Speculation has been that Palmeiras, Fluminense and Flamengo are preparing a proposal to buy the player in the middle of the year,” said South American journalist Jorge Nicola last month.

“The big news on this subject is that Tottenham, very bothered by the center forward’s series of injuries, are considering negotiating [selling] him permanently starting in July.”

Everton are also believed to hold a serious interest in Richarlison, according to GiveMeSport, and the prospect of him returning to Goodison Park is fairly realistic – so this could be one to watch as Levy seeks to balance the books and raise transfer funds.

However, the big name who appears more and more likely to depart N17 is star defender Cristian Romero.

The Argentine is a top target for Atlético Madrid, as per various reports, with Diego Simeone personally keen on tempting Romero with a switch to the Spanish top flight.

Xabi Alonso asks Real Madrid to sign Tottenham star Cristian Romero

Romero has reportedly informed Tottenham of his desire to leave this summer, and this has also piqued interest from Alonso, as the 43-year-old begins planning for the Real Madrid job.

That is according to reports in Spain, which state that Alonso has asked Real to consider signing Romero as part of a three-man centre-back shortlist, with the former Liverpool midfielder extremely keen to reinforce their backline.

Tottenham value the 27-year-old at around £60 million, so it won’t be a cheap operation for Florentino Perez, with Levy keen to make as much money as possible off the defender’s potential sale.

Romero formed an excellent partnership with Micky van de Ven during Postecoglou’s debut season in charge, but injuries have stopped him from making that same desired impact on a consistent enough basis this term.

Called “world-class” by van de Ven, the ex-Atalanta star could be even more tempted by a move to Spain if Real come forward with a proposal.

Celtic are already probing for reinforcements this summer and have now set their sights on a talented gem who could offer a towering presence at Parkhead, per a report.

Celtic look to kickstart summer transfer business

The Bhoys are marching towards the end of the season in style and could finish the campaign with a domestic treble should they defeat Aberdeen at Hampden later this month.

Brendan Rodgers has once again shown his managerial prowess, domestically and in the Champions League, which he will hope can help his case in earning significant backing from the Hoops’ hierarchy this summer.

Looking ahead to the window, Celtic could make a surprise move for Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan to help fill their homegrown quota for European competitions next term.

Scott Bain could leave Parkhead in search of first-team football, and the Lennoxtown academy graduate fits the bill as a club-trained asset ready to step in.

Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter is also on the list at Parkhead, though it remains to be seen whether Celtic will firm up interest in the Norwegian once the window opens for business.

Related "Very good" £3 million Brendan Rodgers signing now wants to leave Celtic

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford May 5, 2025

Despite excitement over potential arrivals, Celtic aren’t assured of their place in next year’s Champions League league phase and need to navigate the final qualifying round to certify a spot in the competition.

Nevertheless, speculating to accumulate has to be the aim for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. They have enough money in the bank to make a statement, so expect some exciting new faces to strengthen Rodgers’ talented group.

Casting an eye to the continent, Celtic are now in the mix to sign a towering young defender who could add further strength to their backline.

Celtic very interested in signing Veljko Milosavljevic

According to Max Sport, Celtic are ‘very interested’ in giant Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljevic as Rodgers looks to add further solidity heading into next season.

For now, the Bhoys have been told the 17-year-old isn’t for sale, which is a stance that could change as clubs from England and France position themselves to sign the Serbia Under-19 international, who stands at 6ft 4.

Veljko Milosavljevic’s season for Red Star Belgrade – all competitions

Appearances

28

Goals

0

Assists

3

Prioritising the future, Celtic are always in the market for talent with sell-on value. While experience is always a bonus, the scope to develop stars of the future is a major avenue towards the club earning significant capital to reinvest.

Carrying the ball from deep, Milosavljevic has completed an average of 1.9 dribbles per match in the Serbian top-flight, illustrating a degree of comfort in possession that would fit Rodgers’ high-octane tactical framework.

Nevertheless, growing competition for his signature will leave Celtic with work to do as they look to convince another prodigious star to commit their future at Parkhead.

The thought of winning regular silverware and competing in European football may well be a tempting one for Milosavljevic, but you get the impression he will also need first-team guarantees.

It would be impossible to describe Tottenham Hotspur’s season as anything other than a failure this year.

Now, it’s true that Ange Postecoglou still has the chance to achieve something remarkable in the Europa League, but should that not happen, he’ll have overseen the club’s worst campaign in a generation – or two.

For example, in the Premier League alone, the North Londoners have lost 19 games, so reports suggesting he’ll get the sack regardless of what happens on the continent are hardly surprising.

Spurs form in 24/25

Competitoin

Games

Wins

Draws

Losses

Premier League

34

11

4

19

Europa League

12

7

3

2

FA Cup

2

1

0

1

League Cup

5

4

0

1

Total

53

23

7

23

All Stats via Transfermarkt

One of the names most heavily touted for replacing the Australian in recent weeks and months has been Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, but another name has now been thrown into the ring: a manager who’d be a far better choice.

Tottenham's manager search

Before getting to the man in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other coaches who have been linked with the role, such as Marco Silva.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

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It’s easy to see why the club might be interested in the Fulham boss, as since taking charge of the West Londoners in 2021, when they were in the Championship, he’s transformed them into a comfortably mid-table Premier League side.

A far more ambitious manager linked with the North Londoners has been Xabi Alonso.

The former Liverpool star led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title ever last season, and if that wasn’t impressive enough, he did it undefeated and won the DFB Pokal to boot.

However, it would appear as if Real Madrid might be keen to hire the Spaniard, making a move to Spurs feel incredibly unlikely, which isn’t the case with Oliver Glasner.

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, the Crystal Palace manager is one of the names on the list of potential successors to Postecoglou.

While it certainly wouldn’t be easy to get the Austrian coach out of Selhurst Park, it wouldn’t be impossible, and with how well he’d done in South London, he’d be worth the effort and a better option than Iraola.

How Glasner compares to Iraola

So, if it gets to a point at which Daniel Levy and Co need to make a decision between Glasner and Iraola in the coming weeks, why should they pick the former?

First, he’s already proven that he can win big prizes with teams who aren’t always expected to, as he led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022, which was only their second major trophy since the 1987/88 season.

Moreover, he’s just got Crystal Palace into only their third FA Cup final and has completely transformed a number of their players, most notably Jean-Philippe Mateta.

For example, in the 22/23 campaign, the Frenchman scored just four goals in 33 games, but last season, that jumped up to 19 goals and six assists in 39 games, and this season, he’s already hit 17 goals and four assists in 41.

Finally, and this is important, despite taking over the Eagles when they were in relegation form, he has a better record with them than the Cherries boss has with his side.

Glasner vs Iraola current clubs

Manager

Glasner

Iraola

Games

55

83

Wins

25

33

Draws

15

20

Losses

15

30

Points per Game

1.64

1.43

All Stats via Sofascore

For example, since taking the job at Selhurst Park, the “incredible” 50-year-old, as dubbed by content creator James B, has won 25 games, drawn 15, lost 15 and averaged 1.64 points per game.

In contrast, the Spaniard has won 33 games, drawn 20, lost 30 and averaged 1.43 points per game on the south coast.

Ultimately, while both managers would probably be an improvement on Postecoglou, Glasner has the pedigree of winning major honours and has arguably overseen an even more impressive transformation of a struggling Premier League side than Iraola.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 1, 2025

Although Sheffield United now find their automatic promotion dreams in tatters, the determined Blades will still feel confident they can achieve promotion via the lottery of the Championship playoffs after Friday night’s comfortable 2-0 win over Stoke City.

This routine victory away at the Potters was their 28th of the season to date, which is the most tallied up by a side, funnily enough, even as Leeds United and Burnley showed off their superiority in the confirmed top two.

The United away masses who made the trip down to Staffordshire would have been largely delighted with what they saw from their team, with a fight and bite present in their game, alongside moments of quality to seal a confidence-boosting three points.

Top Blades performers vs Stoke

Both goals on the day would come from unlikely sources, with former Norwich City full-back Sam McCallum powering home a header deep into the first half, before second-half substitute Andre Brooks made sure of the win with a late breakaway strike.

McCallum impressed in spurts on just his eighth league start of the campaign, with the 24-year-old managing to win all of his aerial duels on the night, away from connecting valiantly to this corner delivery.

McCallum wasn’t the only stern body in Wilder’s defence, with Rob Holding – who will be wanting to impress ahead of the playoffs – also excelling as his side picked up a well-deserved clean sheet, with the ex-Arsenal man managing to win five duels of his own.

Kieffer Moore also shone up top for the Blades in what was an attritional contest, considering the Welshman won a staggering 15 duels in total, away from unfortunately squandering five shots on the Potters net.

But, not everyone adorned in the United away top would be overjoyed with their efforts at the full-time whistle, with this underperformer now at risk of being dropped for the intense playoff matches to come.

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It was certainly a full-blooded affair between Mark Robins’ hosts and Wilder’s visitors, with five yellow cards being handed out across the duration of the feisty 90 minutes.

Whilst that suited the likes of Moore with his towering 6 foot 5 frame, ex-Stoke City man Tyrese Campbell would flounder on the contrary, with the bruising nature of the contest proving to be too much for the 25-year-old up against his former employers.

Campbell’s performance in numbers
Stat	Campbell
Minutes played	65
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Touches	23
Accurate passes	10/14 (71%)
Shots	3
Total duels won	3/9
Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above – away from losing out on six duels across the 2-0 win – Campbell would regularly find himself out of the contest in an attacking capacity, leading to the United number 23 amassing just 23 touches of the ball.

Even Michael Cooper, in-between the sticks for the away side, would accumulate more touches with 43, culminating in Wilder bringing off the out-of-sorts attacker for Tom Cannon to get a cameo at the end.

After all, Cannon has recently broke his goalscoring duck for the promotion hopefuls against Burnley, meaning he could be in line for more first-team chances soon, having shown a glimpse of the quality that he can provide.

Campbell does boast ten league goals for the season, but with no strikes now from his last six Championship outings, a fresh body up top might well start against Blackburn Rovers on the final day, before the nerve-wracking playoffs kick off.

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