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As Aston Villa gear up for what will undoubtedly be an action-packed end to the season, those behind the scenes at the Midlands club have already been urged to seal a summer signing by Sky Sports' Dan Bardell.

Aston Villa transfer news

In pursuit of securing their top-four place in the Premier League and a spot in next season's Champions League, Aston Villa could be better placed than ever when it comes to landing their top targets this summer. The rumour mill has already started on that front, too, with Paulo Dybala and Nico Williams previously linked, whilst Crysencio Summerville has become the latest name to be mentioned alongside the Villans.

The Leeds United winger has enjoyed an excellent campaign, more than earning links to the Premier League. If Villa did secure his signature, he'd add impressive depth to Unai Emery's attack, which will be crucial if Villa qualify for a Champions League place this season.

It's not just their attack where depth has been considered, either, with the Midlands club potentially making a move to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Exequiel Palacios. The midfielder has played his part in Xabi Alonso's excellent side, who are still unbeaten in all competitions and on course to dethrone Bayern Munich in sensational fashion in the German Bundesliga.

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Bardell is certainly a fan of Palacios' possible arrival, urging Villa to pursue the Leverkusen man ahead of a potential Champions League campaign. The Sky Sports pundit told Aston Villa News: "I think they do need another central midfielder. McGinn is such a loss when he doesn’t play in those attacking wide positions and he had to fill the gap in central midfield before his suspension.

“I do think if they are in the Champions League, they are going to need more options than they’ve got now, especially with the new Champions League format. At the minimum now, I think we can say Villa are going to be in the Europa League next season, which would be a step up. I do think the German market is a good market because you’re talking about players there with European and Bundesliga experience.

“But the German clubs don’t have loads of money, except for Bayern Munich. Buying someone like him is going to be a hell of a lot cheaper than buying someone in the Premier League.

“Villa have had success in the Bundesliga because Leon Bailey is having a fantastic season, and I do still think Diaby’s going to come good. Villa obviously have a relationship with Leverkusen as well, which might help."

"Terrific" Palacios can provide crucial depth

If Villa want to know how not to handle Champions League qualification and the balancing act that requires, all they need to do is look towards Newcastle United. The Magpies didn't add enough depth last summer, and injuries, combined with a congested schedule, have seen them struggle to replicate last season's form ever since.

Villa must avoid that at all costs, and Palacios, who Diaby played with last season in the Bundesliga, would be a good step towards that. The midfielder, who has a "terrific mentality" according to Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes, can step in as a backup for the likes of McGinn or even force Emery into making some difficult decisions regarding his midfield lineup for next season.

Manchester United have reportedly reached out to sign a 29-year-old for free this summer.

Man Utd transfer plans under Ratcliffe

The Red Devils and new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe appear to be planning behind the scenes ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

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However, Ratcliffe hinted last month that the club may not splash the cash straight away. When asked about the possibility of signing Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappe, he said: “He’s a great footballer [Bellingham] but it’s not where our focus is. The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players.

"They’ve done that, if you look at the last 10 years. The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes, managing and organising the club. We must make sure we get recruitment right, such a vital part of running a football club is getting recruitment right, finding new players.

“I’d rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune to buy success. It’s not that clever to buy Mbappe, anybody could figure that one out.”

A plethora of lesser-known names have been linked with moves to Old Trafford, such as Barcelona teenager Mikayil Faye and Girona left-back Miguel Gutierrez.

Contact has been made for Palmeiras gem Thalys, and a fresh approach has also been made for a long-term Red Devils target who could join for nothing.

Man Utd in contact to sign Adrien Rabiot

Another player who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford is Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. In fact, back in the summer of 2022, a £15m agreement was reached between the two clubs before a transfer eventually fell through.

Now, Rabiot moving to Manchester has once again been mentioned in recent weeks, and there has seemingly been a new development.

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Man Utd have initiated contact via ‘polls’ over a free transfer for Rabiot this summer. Premier League rivals Newcastle United have done the same, with the Frenchman open to the idea of moving to England.

Rabiot, one labelled as a “monster” by football writer Robin Bairner, has gained plenty of experience at the highest level for club and country, scoring 50 goals in his career.

Paris Saint-Germain

227

24

14

Juventus

204

21

15

Toulouse

13

1

3

France

43

4

3

He’s won numerous trophies in France and Italy as well as the Nations League with his country, so may feel this is the right time in his career to take on the Premier League.

Capable of playing as a defensive, central or left midfielder, Rabiot would offer plenty of versatility in Manchester, and by the looks of things, he may have a decision to make soon – Old Trafford or St James’ Park.

The most recent Premier League Hall of Fame inductee is former Arsenal and Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole. The current England U21 coach, who made over 100 caps for his country, is widely considered by many to be the best left-back in Premier League history.

Cole is a three-time title winner and was part of Arsenal’s invincibles team in 2003/04. He also won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2011/12, in what was a historic first European Cup win for the Blues.

The left-back made 384 Premier League appearances in total, scoring 15 goals and registering 31 assists in that time. Since the defender's departure to Roma from Chelsea in 2014, they have never really been able to replace him.

Many players have been tried and tested at left-back, with Marcos Alonso perhaps being the man who best filled the void. At the minute, Chelsea’s current crop of left-backs includes Ben Chilwell, who was £50m from Leicester, and Marc Cucurella, who could end up being around £60m including add-ons.

However, the Blues might well have had a ready-made Cole replacement coming through the Cobham ranks, specifically Samuel Iling-Junior.

Samuel Iling-Junior's early career

Now 20 years old, Iling-Junior is making a name for himself at Juventus after the Turin club managed to sign him for just £111k from the Blues back in 2020.

The Englishman rejected a professional contract with the Londoners aged just 16, not only deciding to leave the capital but also the country.

Iling-Junior made just 12 appearances for Chelsea's youth sides in the U18 Premier League and Youth Champions League before departing for Italy. His academy days were spent as a winger, and it was only when he broke into the Juve first team was Iling-Junior playing as a wing-back.

He spent time playing for Juventus Next Gen, and Juventus Primavera, two of the Old Lady’s academy sides, and his goals and assist numbers at that level were impressive; 39 total goal involvements in just 79 games for all the Juve academy sides he played for.

Eventually, Illing-Junior found himself in the first-team fold in 2022, when he made his debut on 21st October at home to Empoli. The youngster scored on his first start for Juve against Atalanta in May 2023 and has since gone from strength to strength in Italy, now valued at £10.2m by Transfermarkt, a staggering 9100% rise from the compensation fee Chelsea received four years ago.

Samuel Iling Junior's 2023/24 season in numbers

Iling-Junior is so far enjoying a productive 2023/24, in which he has found himself in a new role at left wing-back, as well as breaking into the England U21 side, for whom he has made five appearances so far.

The youngster was in particularly eye-catching form over the international break, scoring his first two goals at U21 level against Luxembourg despite starting at left-back.

Minutes played

75

Goals

2

Ground duels won

4/4

Pass success

84%

Touches

49

Dribble attempts

3/3

Being a converted winger naturally makes Iling-Junior an attacking full-back just like the aforementioned Cole was. Indeed, when compared to other full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues, the 20-year-old’s attacking prowess stands out. According to Fbref, he averages 1.34 key passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 18% of positionally similar players.

His crossing numbers are also outstanding. Iling-Junior currently ranks in the best 10% amongst full-backs for crosses per 90 minutes, with an average of 5.12. This is further evidence of his previous role as a winger.

The starlet's carrying ability really stands out, too. The young Englishman averages three progressive carries per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 16%, and 0.84 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes, which places him among the best 6%.

All things considered, Illing-Junior can surely be happy with his goal involvement output for such a young age, playing a relatively new role. He has five goals and assists in Serie A from left wing-back, but in total has only made three starts. Most of his appearances have been fleeting minutes from the bench.

However, just because he has such impressive attacking numbers does not mean Iling-Junior is a poor defender. Like Cole was in his pomp, the former Chelsea academy gem is quick and mobile, able to get up and down the line quickly, which a modern full-back certainly must be able to do.

On average, Iling-Junior makes 3.89 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 12%, according to Fbref. He is also deceivingly good in the air, although not the tallest. The 20-year-old has an average aerial duel win rate of 61.5%, placing him in the best 12% again.

Should the left wing-back continue his quick rise for Juventus, there is no reason why he cannot go on and push for England honours in the coming years. Whilst Euro 2024 might come too soon for him, the 20-year-old’s development is positive and might make Chelsea regret losing someone with the same elite qualities as Cole.

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أصدر نادي النجوم، برئاسة محمد الطويلة، بيانًا رسميًا بشأن أزمته مع الإسماعيلي ومنح الأخير ترخيص المشاركة في مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويؤكد النجوم، في بيانه أن منح الإسماعيلي ترخيص المشاركة في مسابقة الدوري المصري مخالفًا للقانون.

طالع.. عضو مجلس الإسماعيلي يوضح سبب التراجع عن التعاقد مع شوقي غريب وحلمي طولان

وأوضح أن النادي يتمسك بتطبيق قواعد الترخيص طبقاً لقواعد الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم والاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم والاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، بعدم منح الإسماعيلي الرخصة بسبب مديونيته.

ويصل إجمالي المستحقات الخاصة بنادي النجوم لدى الإسماعيلي نحو 76 مليون جنيه، في صفقة انتقال إبراهيم حسن للدراويش. بيان النجوم بشأن أزمته مع الإسماعيلي

صرح محمد الطويلة رئيس نادي النجوم بأن النادي قد اتخذ كافة الإجراءات التي تمنع منح النادي الاسماعيلي ترخيص المشاركة في الدوري المصري الممتاز هذا الموسم، وذلك لعدم قيام النادي الإسماعيلي بسداد المديونية المعلقة على النادي الإسماعيلي منذ صدور حكم المحكمة الرياضية الدولية (CAS) بتاريخ 21 فبراير 2021 وما أعقبها من أحكام وقرارات مؤيدة.

حيث يتمسك نادي النجوم بتطبيق قواعد منح الترخيص طبقاً لقواعد الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم والاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم (CAF) والاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (FIFA) التي تنص على عدم منح الترخيص لأي نادي مدان لنادي آخر بحكم نهائي وبات كأحد أهم المعايير التي حددها الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (FIFA) للحصول على الترخيص.

ويهيب نادي النجوم بسرعة إصدار قرار وقف الترخيص للنادي الإسماعيلي تنفيذاً للوائح والقوانين، وكما يهيب نادي النجوم بمعالي الدكتور أشرف صبحي وزير الشباب والرياضة للتدخل تأكيداً على الالتزام بتطبيق اللوائح والقوانين المصرية والقارية والدولية الخاصة بهذا الشأن، ومنع قيام أي جهه تابعة الإشراف الوزارة من القيام بتدابير أخرى تهدف إلى إنكار العدالة أمام نادي النجوم، استناداً على مسئولية الوزارة تجاه كل الأندية وتجاه سمعة الرياضة المصرية وقدرتها على إرثاء مبادئ العدالة بين جميع منتسبيها.

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Harry Kane spoke about being substituted before the end of England's Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland following Gareth Southgate collision.

Article continues below

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• Kane optimistic about fitness

• No lasting concern over Southgate collision

• England in another semi-final

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane offered a positive update, suggesting it was nothing more than cramp that prevented him from continuing and taking part in the subsequent penalty shootout. With the Bayern Munich striker withdrawn after 109 minutes, Southgate also had a readymade penalty-taking replacement in Ivan Toney available.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There was initially some concern when Kane's momentum took him off the side of the pitch and into Southgate by the bench. The captain would surely have taken England's first penalty in the shootout, which was ultimately a victory anyway, but it was instead converted by Cole Palmer. Toney also put his spot-kick away as England scored five out of five for the first time in a European Championship or World Cup shootout.

• WHAT KANE SAID

  Kane said: "I'm fine, I was just tired. I had a bit of cramp there. I tripped over the water bottles and got cramp in both calves. The boss made a quick decision obviously with [Ivan], a proven penalty taker. He came on and did the job.

  "We're enjoying the ride. We're proud to be in another semi-final. We know how much it means to everyone back home watching. We want to do everyone proud. The longer we go in the competition in the manner that we're doing, it just gives us more and more belief that we're finding ways to win. That's an important factor in big competitions."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE & ENGLAND?

  The signs point to Kane being fit and available by the time England are in their semi-final on Wednesday night. Southgate's team didn't know their opponent at the time of getting through, with Netherlands eventually coming from behind against Turkey to set up the last four encounter a couple of hours later.

Manchester United's fanbase often has differing opinions about signings, with some expecting instant success and some taking a slightly more patient approach.

Rasmus Hojlund is the prime example of people writing a young player off way too early, which proves that the first impression of a player often doesn't tell the whole story.

The Dane failed to score in his first 14 Premier League matches of the season, but six games later, he is the joint-top scorer with seven goals after exploding since Boxing Day.

On the other hand, there are players that have the best possible start at a new club but then struggle to surpass that moment, and with that in mind, let's take a look at a star who had the world at his feet after just one game for the Red Devils.

The first impression of Anthony Martial

The 12th of September 2015 will be a day that is fondly installed in the memory of all United fans, not only because they comfortably beat Liverpool at Old Trafford 3-1, but because this was when Anthony Martial made his debut.

After replacing Juan Mata as a substitute in the 65th minute, the French attacker became a United icon 20 minutes later. Martial weaved his way through multiple Liverpool defenders and finished his dazzling run with a composed, curling finish, which was very reminiscent of a certain France legend who moved to England after starting off at Monaco.

After his debut goal, all the talk was about the United youngster who joined the club in a deal worth £58m, and he certainly didn't disappoint on his first league start, scoring a brace in a 3-2 away win over Southampton, with one of his goals seeing him famously spin Virgil van Dijk.

Over the rest of the campaign, Martial would go on to score 11 goals and pick up four assists in 31 matches, with former Man United player Louis Zaha even saying: "When you see him, he has as much quality as Thierry Henry at this age."

Martial's Man United career since

Martial is a player who often splits the opinion of the United faithful and pundits, with Alan Shearer claiming that he has a lack of hunger and desire to be a number nine, while Troy Deeney believes he is harshly criticised and misunderstood.

The former Monaco whizz has been at the club for nine years now, and over this spell he has racked up 317 appearances while scoring 90 goals and providing 55 assists, which are hardly the statistics of a player that has been a complete failure.

However, most of the frustration regarding Martial is his lack of reliability and the fact that he's extremely prone to injuries, which has both hindered his progress and left United with squad selection dilemmas over the years.

23/24

Groin surgery

8

23/24

Ill

4

22/23

Hip

9

22/23

Unknown

5

22/23

Back

6

22 is the number of setbacks that Martial has suffered since moving to the club, which has seen him miss a combined 89 games for the club. His lack of availability has been even more apparent over the past two seasons, as can be seen in the table above.

Overall, Martial's time at United has been the definition of a rollercoaster ride, but a report prior to the January window suggested that the 28-year-old was at the top of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's list of players to sell as a matter of urgency.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

While the long-serving dud survived throughout last month – albeit likely due to injury – an exit does now look to be on the cards this summer, amid claims that his expiring deal won't be extended, bringing an inevitable close to a lengthy stay in Manchester.

Football FanCast brings you the latest Brighton transfer round-up.

The Seagulls made just two signings during the January transfer window, which may have been influenced by the dangers of FFP as it's had pretty much every Premier League club looking over their shoulder.

Roberto De Zerbi's side did have links to other players that arose during the winter window but they decided only to pull the trigger on two, so it's now all eyes on the summer transfer window, with a European place up for grabs.

Latest Brighton transfer rumours

According to TalkSPORT, Brighton have beaten West Ham United to the signing of Ibrahim Osman, who will join for a potential £17 million from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer.

According to Sport, Brighton are seeking around £42.7 million for Kaoru Mitoma with Barcelona eyeing a deal. It's stated that Ansu Fati could join the Seagulls permanently as part of a deal for the Japanese star.

Speaking to SPORT Bild, Denis Undav has stated that he's interested in securing a permanent move to Stuttgart once his loan deal expires.

Brighton 2023/24 transfers

The Seagulls had big money to spend this summer after a number of key sales, but in typical Brighton fashion, they decided to spend it mostly on young, up-and-coming players like Joao Pedro, Carlos Baleba, Bart Verbruggen and Igor.

As well as this, they added experience in the form of James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud, plus Ansu Fati on loan.

And, a couple of promising January additions to round things off.

Player

From

Fee

Joao Pedro

Watford

£30m

Carlos Baleba

LOSC Lille

£23.2m

Bart Verbruggen

RSC Anderlecht

£16.3m

Igor

Fiorentina

£14.5m

Valentin Barco

Boca Juniors

£7.8m

Adrian Mazilu

FCV Farul

£2.5m

Mahmoud Dahoud

Borussia Dortmund

Free

James Milner

Liverpool

Free

Ansu Fati

Barcelona

Loan

Brighton 2023/24 sales

The summer was absolutely massive for Brighton, as they received around £167m for players.

Of course, the biggest, most notable exit was Moises Caicedo who joined Chelsea for an incredible £115m.

Other notable exits were Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez.

Player

From

Fee

Moises Caicedo

Chelsea

£115m

Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool

£35m

Robert Sanchez

Chelsea

£25m

Andi Zeqiri

Genk

£2.4m

Michael Karbownik

Hertha Berlin

£2m

Reda Khadra

Stade Reims

£1.7m

Aaron Connolly

Hull City

Undisclosed

Taylor Richards

Queens Park Rangers

Undisclosed

Haydon Roberts

Bristol City

Free

Denis Undav

Stuttgart

Loan

Mahmoud Dahoud

Stuttgart

Loan

Abdallah Sima

Rangers

Loan

Kacper Kozlowski

Vitesse

Loan

Yasin Ayari

Coventry City

Loan

Yasin Ayari

Blackburn Rovers

Loan

Jeremy Sarmiento

West Bromwich Albion

Loan

Steven Alzate

Standard Liege

Loan

Jeremy Sarmiento

Ipswich Town

Loan

Adrian Mazilu

Vitesse

Loan

Kjell Scherpen

Sturm Graz

Loan

Carl Rushworth

Swansea City

Loan

Jensen Weir

Blackpool

Loan

Ed Turns

Crewe Alexandra

Loan

Ed Turns

Leyton Orient

Loan

Marc Leonard

Northampton Town

Loan

Jensen Weir

Port Vale

Loan

Andy Moran

Blackburn Rovers

Loan

World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss, whose tenure with England comes to an end after the Ashes, will take over as the Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach. This will be Bayliss’ second stint in the IPL, having already coached Kolkata Knight Riders from 2012 to 2015, during which time the franchise won the title twice.It is understood that Sunrisers and Bayliss will work out the tenure of his contract soon. ESPNcricinfo understands the franchise is yet to make a decision on the rest of the support staff, but it will retain the pair of VVS Laxman (mentor) and Muttiah Muralitharan (consultant).Bayliss replaces fellow Australian Tom Moody, who parted ways with Sunrisers after seven seasons. Sunrisers had won the IPL in 2016, and then finished runners-up in the 2018 edition. In 2019, they scraped through to the playoffs but finished fourth eventually.”After very careful consideration, the Sunrisers franchise has decided to take a new direction with the Head Coaching role and will be parting ways with the services of Tom Moody,” Sunrisers said in a statement. The reason Bayliss was preferred for the head coach role was that he is a “proven winner” and an “ideal” person to guide the future of the franchises.According to K Shanmugham, the Sunrisers’ CEO, it was the management’s decision to part ways with Moody. The franchise made it clear Moody was not being snubbed and acknowledged he had made an “enormous impact” in Sunrisers making the IPL playoffs five times in seven seasons. “Tom has been the longest-serving coach in the IPL. He played a big role in the development and success of the franchises. But the management felt it was time to try out someone new,” Shanmugham said.Moody tweeted a message of gratitude to the players, support staff and fans.Bayliss’ pedigree as a multiple-title winning coach is unparalleled and is the big reason why more than one IPL franchise was trying to get him on board. It is understood Knight Riders, too, had initiated talks with him, as did Rajasthan Royals.Under Bayliss’ watch, England won the 2015 Ashes 3-2, reached the World T20 final in 2016, became No. 1 side in the ODI rankings and won the World Cup at Lord’s last week. Bayliss had also won the Big Bash League with Sydney Sixers in 2011-12 and had also coached Sri Lanka, who reached the 2011 World Cup final during his tenure.

It's safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur supporters are generally contented with the club's transfer business this month, with Ange Postecoglou welcoming two exciting new signings to boost the chances of success this season.

Spurs are fifth in the Premier League this season and lurk just three points away from third- and fourth-placed sides Arsenal and Aston Villa, having captured the awe of many an onlooker this season with the fluency and fervour of their tactical approach.

Last season, a leaky defence was the crux of the issues under Antonio Conte's management and this has largely been rectified with several influential additions since last summer, having completed the £27m transfer of Radu Dragusin earlier in January to solidify the backline's strength.

The loan capture of dynamic forward Timo Werner has added some much-needed oomph to the offence too, with the focus now shifted to the midfield. Right?

Spurs' January transfer targets

Wrong. While Spurs continue to probe for a new star in the centre of the park – The Athletic's David Ornstein believes progress could still be made this month – the signing of Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa appears to have taken precedence down N17.

And now, according to TEAMtalk, Nusa is indeed Postecoglou's priority target heading into the final stretch of the transfer window, with the club 'confident' of sealing a late move for the teenager, valued at £25m by his Belgian outfit.

Levy will not be pleased to hear of Newcastle United's desire to hijack the deal and this only accentuates the necessity of Daniel Levy tying up talks swiftly.

Antonio Nusa's style of play

Nusa would certainly open up a new dimension to the Spurs attacking efforts. Heung-min Son is deadly; Dejan Kulusevski adroit and energetic; Richarlison revived as a goal threat after an interminable period of ineffectiveness.

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The 5 foot 11 Nusa is breakneck brilliance and awe-inspiring speed, earning acclaim for his knack at progressing the ball up the channels and into the danger area with speed and snap, annoyingly but rather aptly handed the moniker 'Norwegian Neymar' in his homeland.

While such comparisons are rarely conducive to success, Nusa does offer something that Tottenham don't really have, ranking among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Belgian Pro League for goals scored, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 3% for touches in the attacking box per 90, as per FBref.

In his footballing infancy at 18 years old, Nusa has been hampered by back injuries this season but has still posted three goals and two assists across six starting appearances in the Belgian top-flight, heralded for his "special" beginning by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

As per Sofascore, the four-cap Norway international has complemented his league return this season with an 81% pass success rate, an average 1.2 key passes, 2.7 dribbles, 1.1 tackles and 3.3 ball recoveries per game and success in 54% of his contested ground duels – the latter metric most impressive for a young attacking prospect.

Speaking of Tottenham's interest and the impression made on Postecoglou, journalist Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – recently revealed that Nusa is considered an essential get down N17.

The transfer insider said: "Nusa is one that I've heard a lot more about, and I know that his style of play has captivated them in recent times. What this guy can do on the ball is absolutely ridiculous, but he's also got a real work rate about him. The age that he’s at means he can still be moulded to fit what Postecoglou is going to want from someone in that front line over the coming years."

Nusa's application and drive to progress the play into the danger area could make him the perfect partner for Son, who has demonstrated his skill as a centre-forward this season to some effect.

Antonio Nusa would be perfect for Heung-min Son

Son has scored goals for fun since signing for Tottenham from German side Bayer Leverkusen in a £22m deal back in 2015, netting 157 times across 393 appearances.

With Kane signing for Bayern Munich in the summer, however, the South Korean star was called to play in a centre-forward role, away from his natural placement on the left wing, and he has done so to resounding success, clinching nine goals and two assists from 12 matches up top.

Premier League 23/24: Big Chances Created

#

Player

Club

Apps

Chances created

1.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

20 (0)

17

2.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool

18 (1)

12

3.

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

20 (0)

11

3.

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

20 (0)

11

5.

Kieran Trippier

Newcastle United

19 (0)

10

Source: Premier League

As can be seen from his chance creation this season, the 31-year-old is not just a goalscorer and could work in a state of flux with Nusa, should the teenager complete a move to Tottenham in 2024.

Nusa's ability to carry the ball into the final third and breeze past defenders with ease is something that could allow Son to drift into space and unleash strikes on goal with regularity, already taking 2.6 shots per match in the top-flight this term.

In turn, a player of such blistering pace would find a creative outlet such as Son something that would only enhance his prospects of success on the major stage, a guide, conduit even, allowing the precocious talent to move inexorably toward a position of power at the forefront of the global game.

Zimbabwe chased a revised target after a two-hour rain delay and clinched a three-wicket win via the DLS method

The Report by Peter Della Penna16-Apr-2019An all-round team performance ensured Zimbabwe clinched a three-wicket win via the DLS Method to close out a 4-0 series whitewash.Choosing to bat first, UAE were well placed at 91 for 2 in the 25th over with Chirag Suri on 46, but the former Gujarat Lions squad member fell leg before to Sikandar Raza for 46 and the rest of the UAE line-up struggled to capitalise on the platform he had built.Kyle Jarvis had been productive with the new ball through the first three matches and on this occasion he chipped in with a crucial double-strike in the 37th over. Ex-captain and opening batsman Rohan Mustafa was bumped down the order to make room for Suri and help insulate a weak tail. While Suri benefited from the move, Mustafa’s form drought in Zimbabwe continued when Jarvis nabbed him for just 1, ending his series with 20 runs in four innings. Jarvis struck next ball to claim Imran Haider edging behind for a golden duck to make it 139 for 7.CP Rizwan had been at the other end with Suri during a 38-run third-wicket stand, but could not find a reliable partner while trying to stretch out the innings. He made 45 at No. 4 before he was last man out in the 48th over, run out by Raza who denied him a second run with a direct hit from the third man boundary as UAE ended on 175.Zimbabwe were cruising at 37 for 0 in the seventh over of the chase when rain interrupted play for two hours, resulting in a revised target of 128 off 30 overs. Captain Mohammad Naveed dismissed both openers in his first two overs after play resumed, including Regis Chakabva for 28 to make it 49 for 2.Another flurry of three wickets in four balls fell across the 17th and 18th overs as Zahoor Khan had Craig Ervine edging behind before Mustafa bowled Sean Williams and Peter Moor to give Zimbabwe a brief scare at 79 for 5. It could have been 80 for 6 had Naveed held onto a chance in the 19th off Zahoor when Timycen Maruma was on 0, but the captain grassed the chance running back from mid-off. Maruma compounded the error clubbing two fours and a six off Mustafa in the 20th, bringing the equation down to a very manageable 31 off 62 balls.Maruma hit another four and six off Haider’s legspin in the 21st before Shaiman Anwar claimed him with his part-time spin in the 23rd for a top score of 35 off 22 balls. Zimbabwe needed just 10 off the last seven overs, and despite a runout to start the 25th, which resulted in Ryan Burn walking off for 1, Jarvis and Raza struck a pair of boundaries off Shaiman to clinch victory with 31 balls to spare.