Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made a £29m offer to sign a new defender who has been likened to Micky van de Ven.

Tottenham manager rumours with pressure on Ange after Fulham defeat

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is coming under more scrutiny in the media following the club’s latest Premier League defeat to Fulham.

In fact, Cottagers boss Marco Silva is thought to be a leading candidate to replace the Australian at Tottenham, should those in north London decide to part ways with Postecoglou.

Ange replacement: Spurs now eyeing "outstanding" 4-3-3 coach who Pep loves

Tottenham have now shortlisted another manager as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou.

By
Dominic Lund

Mar 19, 2025

Speaking after the loss at Craven Cottage, Postecoglou said: “I said to the players, I’m not going to let anyone just think about Europa and nothing else. We can’t let this league season go the way it has. We’ve lost way too many games, unacceptable.

“I understand the supporters’ frustrations with that. It was another day where we let a game get away from us when we shouldn’t. We had chances to go 1-0 up which would have put pressure on them, then they scored a really soft goal. Today the opposition haven’t blown us off the park. For 75 minutes we were where we wanted to be, the fact we came out of that game with nothing is disappointing.”

Alongside Silva, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on Spurs’ radar, with contact already made with his agents. Elsewhere, ex-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has also said he’s open to returning to north London in the future.

However, with Postecoglou still in charge, transfer chiefs behind the scenes at Tottenham appear to be working hard and have reportedly tabled an offer to sign a new defender.

Tottenham make £29m bid to sign Premier League defender

According to Africa Foot, Tottenham have made a bid to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The report claims that Spurs have tabled a bid in the region of €35m (£29m) for the 23-year-old, who is also wanted by Liverpool and West Ham.

However, it is Tottenham who are leading the race and are ‘the most likely candidates to sign’ Ait-Nouri this summer.

A left-back at the top of his game with a career-high €35m Transfermarkt valuation, Ait-Nouri has been compared to a number of defenders by Football Transfers, including van de Ven.

Similar defenders to Ait-Nouri	Club
Micky van de Ven	Tottenham
Javi Galan	Atletico Madrid
Valentino Livramento	Newcastle
Kieran Tierney	Arsenal
Luke Shaw	Man Utd
Ferdi Kadioglu	Brighton

He’s under contract at Molineux until 2026, although Wolves have the option to extend that by 12 months, however, following this update, it looks as if a move to Tottenham could be on the cards for the Algeria international.

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior have been targeted by AC Milan to reinforce the defence under new coach Massimiliano Allegri.

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Zinchenko targeted as a replacement for HernandezKiwior to possibly strengthen at centre-backArsenal interested in Ajax teenagerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Milan are considering Arsenal defenders Zinchenko and Kiwior as replacement for outgoing defenders according to , with the club prioritising strengthening at the back this summer. Officials from the two clubs met in London to discuss a possible deal after Milan's interest in Zinchenko emerged earlier this week.

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Zinchenko could be a replacement for outgoing defender Atletico Madrid-bound Theo Hernandez while Kiwior could be the replacement for Malick Thiaw, who is being targeted by Bayer Leverkusen. Arsenal are looking to sell the duo to raise funds so that they can move for Ajax defender Jorell Hato.

DID YOU KNOW?

Arsenal signed the Polish defender Kiwior from Italian Spezia for a free of €23 Million (£20M/$27M) in the 2023 winter transfer window.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani promised changes after a disappointing 2024-25 season and the rebuild began with the quick hires of director Igli Tare and coach Allegri. They will look to the Arsenal defenders to add much-needed experience to their side.

Cricket Australia have pulled Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry out of the women’s Hundred at short notice after they sustained injuries during Tuesday’s second ODI against Ireland. They will both miss Friday’s third and final ODI before returning home for rehabilitation.Healy has been keeping wicket throughout the tours to England and Ireland despite multiple injuries, but suffered a new fracture to her left index finger on Tuesday. Perry, meanwhile, has a left-knee injury which kept her off the field in the second innings on Tuesday and, according to a CA release, will require up to six weeks of rest.They were due to play for Northern Superchargers and Birmingham Phoenix respectively and were among the highest-profile overseas players due to play in the Hundred this year. As a result, their withdrawals are an obvious blow to the competition.But they are offset in part by the news that Jemimah Rodrigues will return to Superchargers for a third successive season, having signed a last-minute replacement deal to cover for the injured Heather Graham. Healy, meanwhile, will be replaced by left-hander Phoebe Litchfield.Rodrigues, 22, was the second-highest run-scorer in the first season of the Hundred but missed the majority of last year’s competition with a wrist injury. Superchargers opted not to retain her ahead of March’s draft but have now brought her back as a replacement.She is one of four Indian players due to feature in the competition this summer, along with Richa Ghosh (London Spirit), Harmanpreet Kaur (Trent Rockets) and Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave).Jemimah Rodrigues is among the four Indians at the Hundred this season, along with Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana•Getty Images

“I’m so excited to be back in The Hundred,” Rodrigues said in a press release. “It’s a world class competition and I’ve had so much taking part in it previously.”I was very disappointed to have to withdraw last year through injury so it’s great to be back. Headingley is a brilliant ground to play at, with great fans, and I can’t wait to be back out there.”Perry’s replacement is yet to be confirmed. Elsewhere in the women’s competition, Hannah Rainey has signed for Oval Invincibles as a replacement for Beth Langston, while Chloe Skelton will replace Georgia Davis.In the men’s Hundred, a number of short-term replacement deals have been confirmed. As revealed by ESPNcricinfo, Ish Sodhi will replace Rashid Khan at Trent Rockets while Rashid is playing for Afghanistan against Pakistan, Jimmy Neesham will cover for Heinrich Klaasen at Oval Invincibles at the end of the group stage, and Mitchell Santner is a partial replacement for Tim David at Southern Brave at the end of the group stages.Meanwhile, Tanveer Sangha, the Australian legspinner, will return to Birmingham Phoenix from August 14 as cover for Shadab Khan, and the Pakistani fast bowler Zaman Khan has signed a short-term deal as Josh Little’s replacement at Manchester Originals, during Ireland’s T20I series against India.Ollie Pope (Welsh Fire), Olly Stone (London Spirit) and Fred Klaassen (Manchester Originals) have all pulled out of the tournament through injury, and are replaced by Somerset allrounder Ben Green, Surrey seamer Dan Worrall and Durham allrounder Ben Raine respectively.A full list of replacements announced on Friday morning can be found here.

The allrounder picked up a minor hamstring strain and missed the Headingley Test

Andrew McGlashan06-Jul-2023

Cameron Green hadn’t quite hit his straps with the bat•Getty Images

Australia are hopeful that Cameron Green will be available for the fourth Test at Old Trafford after picking up a “low grade” hamstring strain, which forced him to miss Headingley.Green, who had a lengthy bat at training on Tuesday, but did not bowl like the other quicks did, did not appear at the final practice session on Wednesday.He had bowled 22 overs at Lord’s, taking on an increasingly important role after the injury to Nathan Lyon left Australia a bowler down. He played a key part in slowing Ben Stokes’ scoring shortly before he was dismissed on the final day.But Green hadn’t quite been able to find his best form with the bat in the three Tests against India and England over the last month, although made handy contributions of 38 and 28 at Edgbaston.Green, who earlier in his career suffered back stress fractures, also previously missed three Tests this year after suffering a broken finger against South Africa at the MCG.There is a longer gap between this and the Old Trafford Test, which will give Green extra time to recover.His absence in Leeds meant a recall for Mitchell Marsh, who played his last Test four years ago at The Oval where he claimed a five-wicket haul.He was then ruled out of contention for the next series, back home against Pakistan, after he broke his hand punching a dressing-room wall at the WACA during a Sheffield Shield match. The following season, Green emerged and got into the Test side and has cemented the allrounder role at No. 6.Marsh has a very good Test record against England: his batting average is 45.44, with both his centuries against them, and he has claimed 15 wickets at 24.46

MatériaMais Notícias

Luís Castro ainda vive os primeiros meses no Brasil. O treinador sequer completou seis meses no comando do Botafogo, mas já carrega uma vasta experiência de outros empregos que possui.

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+Botafogo faz proposta de pré-contrato a Rodinei, do Flamengo

O português foi um dos convidados do primeiro dia da CBF Expo, feira de negócios organizada pela entidade, nesta segunda-feira em São Paulo. O comandante fez uma reflexão sobre o futebol brasileiro e os problemas que ele identificou.

– Quando nós escolhemos um projeto, trabalho, clube, gera expectativa em nós. E a expectativa que gera em mim é que quando eu saí de Portugal, o objetivo era treinar no Brasil. Porque sempre que eu via futebol brasileiro eu via paixões nos estádio, torcida apaixonada pelo jogo, jogos intensos, jogos disputados até mais do que era o normal, e me gerou expectativa no dia a dia de trabalhar – afirmou.

– Estado dos gramados, que devem ser mais bem cuidados. O calendário eu já sabia que era apertado, para mim nem tanto, porque não tenho Sul-Americana e Libertadores, mas me coloca na pela de alguns companheiros, e os elencos precisam ser mais numerosos. Eu posso ter 34 jogadores, mas como eu vou treinar 34 jogadores? – questionou.

+Tiquinho Soares é participativo em estreia pelo Botafogo mesmo sem gol

Castro também falou sobre a imprensa e a forma como o futebol é tratado para com o público.

-O jogo é analisado de forma muito individual e muito pouco coletivo. Surpreendeu a forma pouco elaborada e pouco cuidadosa como se lê o jogo. Vi muitos comentários de jogos e se fala muito da torcida. Muitas vezes fala mais da torcida do que dos jogadores que estão em campo. Eu dou muita importância à torcida, e a torcida do Botafogo é fantástica, mas parece que o jogo é o menos importante de todo o fenômeno à volta do futebol, quando acho que o jogo é o mais importante – analisou.

MAIS DECLARAÇÕES DE LUÍS CASTRO

Brasil
– Mas estou aqui para falar de um país que é pentacampeão do mundo, que exporta jogadores a todo mundo. O resto do mundo já procura talentos com 15 e 16 anos.

Brasileirão
– Os jogadores de todas as equipe que jogamos, os jogadores sabem receber, sabe passar, a paixão nos estádios, mas alguns fatores ficam aquém.

Experiências
– Venho do país mais rico do mundo, que é o Qatar, que tem um conjunto de fatos por ter um nível de infraestrutura muito bom. Mas, ainda que eu não tivesse grandes expectativas, vi coisas que esperava mais

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، يويفا، قرارًا قاسيًا تجاه أحد الفرق المشاركة في بطولة أوروبية، الموسم المقبل، 2025/26، حسب بيان رسمي منذ قليل.

ويقترب الموسم الجديد من الانطلاق، حيث تبدأ الفرق في الأيام المقبلة استعداداتها الجادة، عن طريق خوض مباريات ودية.

وتأهل كريستال بالاس إلى المشاركة في بطولة الدوري الأوروبي، الموسم المقبل، بعدما توج ببطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

ونجح كريستال بالاس في التتويج بكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي بعدما فاز على مانشستر سيتي، بهدف دون رد في المباراة النهائية.

ولكن حسب بيان رسمي من “يويفا”، فإن كريستال بالاس لن يشارك في الدوري الأوروبي، بسبب مخالفته القواعد المتعلقة بملكية الأندية المتعددة، وبناءً على ذلك سيهبط إلى بطولة أدنى، وهي المؤتمر الأوروبي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. يويفا يفرض عقوبة مالية على برشلونة.. وتغليظ قوي منتظر

وتُمنع الأندية التي تنتمي إلى مالك واحد، من المشاركة في نفس المسابقة تحت مظلة يويفا، مع العلم أن جون تكستور أكبر مساهم في كريستال بالاس، ولكنه يمتلك نادي ليون الفرنسي كذلك، الذي تأهل إلى الدوري الأوروبي.

وصرّح “يويفا” في بيان رسمي له أن هيئة الرقابة المالية على الأندية التابعة له قد خلصت إلى انتهاك معايير ملكية الأندية المتعددة، وقررت رفض انضمام كريستال بالاس إلى الدوري الأوروبي لموسم 2025-2026، وقبول انضمامه إلى دوري المؤتمرات الأوروبي.

وكان ليون قد تعرض للهبوط من بطولة الدوري الفرنسي لكرة القدم، بسبب مخالفات مالية، واتفق مع يويفا على استبعاده من المسابقات الأوروبية حال عدم فوزه بالاستئناف المُقدم ضد الهبوط.

ولكن ليون نجح في استئنافه ومن ثم فإنه لن يهبط إلى الدوري الفرنسي الدرجة الثانية، ما يعني بقائه في الأولى ومشاركته بشكل طبيعي في الدوري الأوروبي، حيث له الأولوية مقارنة بـ كريستال بالاس بسبب ترتيبه الأعلى في المسابقة المحلية الموسم الماضي.

ومن المتوقع أن يستأنف كريستال بالاس ضد قرار يويفا أمام محكمة التحكيم الرياضية، مع العلم أنه قد يصعد نوتينجهام فورست من دوري المؤتمرات، ليشارك بدلًا من بالاس في الدوري الأوروبي.

Barcelona sporting director Deco reportedly met up with Nico Williams' agent in a bid to reignite their interest in the Athletic Club winger.

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• Barcelona reopen talks with Williams
• Deco meets with the winger's agents
• Yamal drops hint at potential link-up

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona have reopened talks with Williams' camp, including his agent Felix Tainta, per Spanish publication Sport, with Deco leading efforts to lure the 22-year-old away from Athletic Club. The Spanish winger is open to the move — but only if Barca show full commitment to paying his €62m release clause and guaranteeing a smooth registration process, something that has ailed the Catalan side over the last few years.

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  Williams is also being chased by Arsenal and Bayern Munich, who are ready to activate the clause and offer big contracts; however, their proposals haven’t yet convinced him to move abroad. If he leaves Athletic, he’d prefer to stay in La Liga, and Barcelona are said to be the Spain international's top choice.

• TELL ME MORE…

  Barcelona still view Liverpool winger Luis Diaz as their main target and are also considering Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford, but a recent meeting with Williams’ agent has reignited their interest. Whether they finally make the move depends on how serious they are this time, and whether they can make proper guarantees to the talented player.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMS?

  The Spaniard will likely be open to a move to Barcelona as it would reunite him with his Spanish national teammate Lamine Yamal. To stoke the fire amid the reports, the 17-year-old posted a photo of himself and Williams celebrating, minutes after the story broke.

  Instagram (@lamineyamal)

Kent lose Tawana Muyeye to last ball of day after conceding 251-run lead

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2023 Kent 207 and 4 for 1 trail Essex 458 for 8 dec (Critchley 117, A Cook 87, Harmer 83*) by 247 runsMatt Critchley’s second century of the season put Essex in the driving seat for a fourth successive LV= Insurance County Championship victory on a strange day of substitutes and concussion repercussions at Chelmsford.The 26-year-old faced just 168 balls in rattling up 117 runs as Essex put Kent to the sword while building a first-innings lead of 251. Critchley entered at 158 for 3 and departed 64 overs later on 408 for 7 when he picked out long leg to give part-time spinner Jack Leaning a rare wicket.In between Critchley shared a century stand with Simon Harmer – who hit a swashbuckling season’s best 83 not out from 92 balls – and other partnerships worth 71 and 49 with Paul Walter and Adam Rossington respectively. In the process the former Derbyshire allrounder took his season’s tally in the Championship past 700 runs.Alastair Cook had laid the foundations with a 176-ball 87, but some lusty late six-hitting by Critchley, Harmer and Doug Bracewell gilded the lily as Essex declared on 458 for 8. Hamid Qadri bore the brunt with figures of 3 for 120, while the Indian international Arshdeep Singh returned best Championship analysis of 3 for 58.And to cap Essex’s day, Twanda Muyeye departed to the last ball of the five overs left for Kent to see out when he went lbw pushing forward to Sam Cook for nought. Kent finished on 4 for 1.But the real drama of the day came before play with the news that Nick Browne had retired hurt after feeling groggy overnight and failing an off-field concussion test. The left-handed opener was hit on the head by a short ball from Arshdeep in the evening session but batted on for a further two-and-a-half overs before being visibly ill after the penultimate delivery of the day. He then passed an on-field check and saw out the over.Robin Das, who had originally stood in as the nominated substitute while Dan Lawrence made his way back from Old Trafford where he was stood down by England, then became Browne’s replacement.Das lasted five balls before he became another entry in the scorebook that needed an asterisk: the concussion substitute was caught by the substitute wicketkeeper Harry Finch, standing in for Jordan Cox who further depleted Kent’s resources with a thigh injury.Having put on 117 for the first wicket, thanks to the efforts of three men – but mainly Cook – Essex lost another almost immediately when Tom Westley was trapped lbw to give Arshdeep a second wicket.Cook had looked in sparkling form the night before, stroking a dozen boundaries in his 64. But he batted for a further hour-and-a-half in the morning session, adding just 23 runs from 70 balls before looking a little disconsolate at being judged lbw to former Essex seamer Matt Quinn.Lawrence, having made the journey down from Manchester, played an entertaining cameo of 25 that included an effortless six over midwicket before he attempted to sweep Qadri in a similar direction only to become a third lbw victim.Critchley hammered Qadri over long-leg for the six that took Essex beyond Kent’s first-innings 207 with only four wickets down, though it had taken them 17 overs longer. However, Walter’s 90-ball 45 was ended by the third delivery with the new ball as he played down the wrong line to Arshdeep.Rossington twice straight-drove Joey Evison for fours in a bright partnership with Critchley before he was deceived by Qadri’s flight and turned to see his stumps disturbed.Once Harmer had got off the mark to his 28th ball, he cut loose and needed just another 51 balls for his half-century, reached with a huge six off Qadri. But it was Critchley who caught the eye with some breathtaking, but orthodox hitting, and reach three-figures from 161 balls by pulling Quinn through midwicket for his 14th boundary that included two maximums.Harmer, with five sixes, traded maximums with Doug Bracewell off the beleaguered Kent spinners before the New Zealander was stumped to prompt the declaration.

West Ham United fell to a frustrating 1-0 defeat away from home against fellow Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers. The scoreline perhaps did not match the flow of the match, with chances falling for both teams at regular intervals.

Despite an early chance being squandered by Hammers striker Evan Ferguson, it was the Old Gold who took the lead at Molineux moments after Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made a fantastic save from Toti Gomes, whose header he tipped wide.

Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen scored the only goal of the game at the 21-minute mark. He picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and, after shifting it onto his left foot, shot from range. The ball took a deflection off former Wolves defender Max Kilman on its way past Areola.

Both sides hit the woodwork, too, with Marshall Munetsi first striking the bar with a powerful shot and West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug heading onto the bar himself, with the rebound fired wide by the onrushing Emerson.

The Hammers did have a big chance to equalise late on through Tomas Soucek. The Czech midfielder received the ball off Fullkrug in the box, but chose to shoot from a narrow angle rather than return the ball to his teammate.

It was a disappointing day at the office for the Hammers, although there were a couple of players who performed well.

West Ham’s standout players vs. Wolves

Despite a poor result in the West Midlands, a couple of Hammers players did stand out amongst the rest. One of those was wing-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been a revelation for the Hammers since joining from Manchester United in the summer.

Back in February, journalist Dan Woffenden described him as “simply outstanding” so far.

Against the Old Gold, he once again performed well in that wing-back role. As per Sofascore, Wan-Bissaka created one chance, completed 88% of his passes and won an impressive seven from seven tackles.

It was not only the Hammers’ number 29 who stood out at Molineux. Fullkrug made a big impact off the bench, with Woffenden explaining that he “must start against Bournemouth”, who the East Londoners face next time out.

The German had just 16 touches in the 45 minutes he was on the pitch but created one big chance, which Soucek failed to capitalise on. He also hit the bar with the header and won three aerial duels.

Having the presence of Fullkrug upfront certainly helped Graham Potter’s side, and he offered something that they lacked in the first half…

The West Ham star who struggled vs. Wolves

It has not been an easy start to life in East London for Hammers loanee Ferguson. The striker, whose parent club is Brighton, has played six times so far for his new side but is yet to find the back of the net.

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He came incredibly close to doing so against the Old Gold, though. Ferguson missed a golden chance in the 14th minute from six yards out after Jarrod Bowen squared him the ball.

He mistimed his run and went past the ball, failing to convert into a near-empty net. That miss contributed to the 3/10 match rating he received from West Ham fan website Claret and Hugh.

His stats from the game show it was not just that moment that made it a tough night for Ferguson. He had 20 touches, losing the ball eight times, every 2.5 touches. He also missed one big chance and failed to win his sole aerial duel.

Touches

20

16

Number of times ball lost

8

6

Shots

1

2

Big chances created

0

1

Big chances missed

0

1

Aerial duels won

0/1

3/5

Ferguson’s night, and indeed his recent form, was described as “unfortunate” by The Athletic journalist Carl Anka. With their clash against the high-flying Bournemouth up next for Potter’s side, it remains to be seen if Ferguson will keep his place in the team.

Fullkrug certainly made his presence known up front and created chances for others whilst being dangerous in front of goal himself.

The Hammers boss may well decide to rotate the pair against Andoni Iraola’s side, taking Ferguson out of the spotlight a bit. Hopefully, the Republic of Ireland international can rediscover his best form in front of goal soon enough.

West Ham now leading Tottenham in race to sign "phenomenal" £38m midfielder

The Hammers have moved ahead of their rivals in the battle for a promising midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Mar 31, 2025

Setting their sights on midfield reinforcements, Manchester City are now reportedly prepared to pay more than initially planned to win the race for one particular Serie A star this summer.

Man City eyeing midfield overhaul

Having already commenced their rebuild by welcoming Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Juma Bah and Nico Gonzalez in the January transfer window, Manchester City look set to pick up where they left off this summer.

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For the first time since Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge, an overhaul is certainly needed. The Citizens find themselves fifth in the Premier League, suffocating from a squad full of injuries and, ultimately, a squad full of players beginning to creep past their best years.

That said, the exit door is likely to swing open in ruthless fashion at the Etihad – starting with Kevin De Bruyne. The modern-day Premier League legend is out of contract this summer and looks unlikely to put pen to paper on a fresh deal before he departs as a free agent.

His exit may just be the beginning of midfield change, given recent links to Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga and now one of Serie A’s most talented players in the middle of the park.

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester City are now prepared to pay more than initially planned to sign Tijjani Reijnders this summer. Having initially set aside €50m (£42m) for the Dutchman’s signature, the Citizens are now reportedly prepared to pay as much as €60m (£50m) to welcome him to the Etihad this summer.

"Immense" Reijnders is stronger than De Bruyne

At his best, there is a very strong argument that De Bruyne is the best midfielder in Premier League history. He ticked every box. He had that unmatched passing ability, an engine to drive Guardiola’s side to victory when they needed it most and the intelligence to more than play his part out of possession.

In 2025, however, the Belgian crucially no longer has that engine and is at risk of being overrun if Manchester City fail to protect that weakness. His intelligence and passing range undoubtedly remain, but Guardiola must simply move on from the Belgian after another campaign of frustrating injury blows. And that’s where Reijnders could come in.

Minutes

2,318

1,103

Tackles won P90

0.47

0.41

Goals

9

2

Interceptions P90

1.09

0.41

Looking at the numbers, U23 scout Antonio Mango was right to label Reijnders an “immense signing” for Milan in 2023. The Dutchman has been excellent once again in the current campaign, even providing a goalscoring threat with nine goals to his name.

If Manchester City are to overhaul their midfield, then the Milan star should sit among the top contenders to arrive this summer.