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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been told he needs to figure one thing out about summer signing Xavi Simons, as Spurs’ boss is informed of the “reality” surrounding his new statement arrival.

Tottenham experiment with Xavi Simons after potential £125m deal

As explained by Paul O’Keefe, the eventual cost of Simons’ £52 million transfer from RB Leipzig to North London could reach £125 million when factoring in wages and transfer fee over his potential seven-year contract.

The 22-year-old is already off and running with his first assist for the Lilywhites, which came 47 minutes into his Premier League debut against West Ham, when Simons swung in an excellent corner for Pape Sarr to head past Mads Hermansen.

Appearances

25

Minutes played

2,157

Goals

10

Assists

7

Bookings

5

Shots at goal per 90 minutes

2

Passing accuracy

82.9%

Average match rating

7.32

via WhoScored

However, since that delivery, Simons has failed to register another goal contribution despite coming close on a few occasions.

Frank has experimented with the former PSG sensation in a few different positions, including as a traditional centre-midfielder against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup, with Simons making the rest of his appearances either out on the left or as a CAM in James Maddison’s role.

It is still far too early to properly judge the attacker, who was also a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, but Spurs will be hopeful he’s set to find his feet very shortly.

Simons is currently Tottenham’s joint-highest paid player alongside star defender Cristian Romero, and Frank was personally involved in talks to convince the Netherlands international to join Spurs over Chelsea, according to super agent Ali Barat.

Despite what could be seen as a slow start to life at N17, those who’ve watched Simons in the Bundesliga and Eredivisie are adamant that he will be a “sensation” for Tottenham.

Tottenham told Xavi Simons "reality" as Frank already gets one thing wrong

That being said, journalist Süleyman Öztürk is convinced that Frank needs to realise Simons is not actually a playmaker in the mould of Maddison.

Simons bagged 11 goals and eight assists in 33 total appearances for Leipzig last season, despite suffering an ankle injury early on in the campaign, and he did it in a mixture of positions.

The forward played seven of his final 2025 Bundesliga games out on the left, and one as a second striker. However, the majority of his German top flight appearances from January onwards actually did come as a CAM.

In that role, he scored and assisted in a match-winning performance against Borussia Dortmund, and bagged a brace against Werder Bremen in a central attacking midfield position before that.

On the left-hand side, among many of his contributions were racking up two assists in a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Bayern Munich towards the end of 2025/2026 — so it is clear by the numbers that he can in fact deliver in both areas.

Here’s how things stand on the IPL 2025 Orange and Purple Cap table after RCB vs SRH in Lucknow on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-20251:01

Did RCB get their bowling tactics right?

Orange Cap tableVirat Kohli was only slightly behind the table-toppers ahead of RCB’s previous game, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home in Bengaluru. That was washed out, and the six days between that game and the latest one meant a number of batters went past Kohli on the chart.When he got a chance finally on Friday, Kohli looked in ominous form, outscoring Phil Salt in their opening stand of 80 before falling for 43 in 25 balls at the end of the seventh over. The runs were not enough to put him back in the top three – or even the top five – but left him just outside that club, at No. 6, with 548 runs from 12 innings. Looking at his form this season, though, he will be back there, also because the two men immediately above him, Yashasvi Jaiswal of Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mitchell Marsh of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are not going to feature in the playoffs, with their teams knocked out.The Gujarat Titans (GT) openers B Sai Sudharsan (638 runs) and Shubman Gill (636 runs) are still one and two on the table, with Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians (MI) in third place with 583 runs.Purple Cap tableJosh Hazlewood’s continued absence has meant that RCB’s best wicket-taker hasn’t had a chance to add to his 18 wickets, but he remains at No. 4, behind GT’s Prasidh Krishna and Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the 21-wicket men, and MI’s Trent Boult, who has 18.When Punjab Kings (PBKS) go up against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday night, one of the bowlers to keep an eye on would be Arshdeep Singh. He will be in action, and don’t rule out a big-enough haul to add to his tally of 16 and lift him from No. 8.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game. Highest batting strike rates Best bowling economy rates Most sixes Best bowling figures in a match

Leeds United were ultimately left scrambling for options in search of attacking reinforcements and that reportedly resulted in a last-gasp bid to sign an impressive star.

The transfer targets that Leeds missed

Initially, like Sunderland, Leeds enjoyed an excellent start to the summer. They welcomed the likes of Sean Longstaff and Jaka Bijol. The 49ers were ready to back their man in the hunt of becoming the first in six promoted sides to avoid Premier League relegation at the first time of asking. Challenges quickly appeared, however, and as such, top targets moved ou of their grasp.

It looked as though Igor Paixao was destined for Elland Road in a statement deal early in the window, before Marseille swooped in. Links also emerged with Everton’s Beto and Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, but the Whites were quickly forced to settle on a free deal for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Once again, Daniel Farke missed out on his top target.

As for the latter stages of the window, it was all about a No.10 for those in Yorkshire. Alas, a familiar story unfolded. This time, it was Facundo Buonanotte and Emiliano Buendia who burst their bubble, with the former heading to Chelsea in surprising fashion and the latter opting to stay put at Villa Park.

After taking four points from a possible nine to get off to a solid start this season, Farke will hope that his side is still strong enough to avoid the drop this season. Even he admitted before the transfer window closed that he needed to see more goals added to his side.

It is also worth noting that Leeds looked down their list of options right until the deadline and even saw an offer rejected for a Championship star.

Leeds lodged late Hamer bid

According to Sheffield United reporter Callum Cheswick, Leeds launched a late offer to sign Gus Hamer, only for Sheffield United to hand them a swift rejection amid a feeling that their offer was below the midfielder’s valuation.

Whether Leeds should have gone in for Hamer a second time is the question that they decided to leave unanswered. According to Cheswick, the Sheffield United star would have been content to stay at the club if he felt as though his valuation hadn’t been met, but became open to a move away from the club and back to the Netherlands throughout the window.

In the end, it’s a case of what if for Leeds, who attempted to sign a player that former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder dubbed a “standout” star last season.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is set to be without key first-team players following a series of injury blows, with their extended 2024/2025 as a result of the Club World Cup appearing to have dire consequences.

There were concerns about how the squad would react to both a summer tournament after an already-long campaign last term, not to mention their extremely limited pre-season.

Defender Levi Colwill will be out for the majority of this season after tearing his ACL at the end of a Cobham training session, prompting Stamford Bridge chiefs to briefly consider the possibility of signing a new centre-back on loan in the summer transfer window (Simon Phillips).

Meanwhile, midfield general Moises Caicedo has been spotted with a strapped-up knee training in Ecuador — adding further concerns for Maresca ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League return against Brentford at the bizarre kick-off time of 20:00 on Saturday.

Chelsea fans are also sweating over the fitness of Cole Palmer, and there is a real lack of clarity when it comes to the extent of his injury or when he’ll be available for selection once again.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

In some better news for Maresca, Benoit Badiashile and Roméo Lavia have returned to training this week, meaning it cannot be long before both men are ready to be selected in Chelsea’s matchday squads. Some west London insiders are backing Badiashile in particular to stake his claim under Maresca and play a role this season (Ben Jacobs),

However, in the last 24 hours, Chelsea were dealt a major blow with news that summer signing Liam Delap will be out until November after his hamstring injury in the win over Fulham.

The striker is poised to miss some huge games in the next two months, including a trip to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a London derby against Tottenham and a crucial face-off against English champions Liverpool.

Games Liam Delap is expected to miss

Brentford (H) – Premier League

Bayern Munich (A) – Champions League

Man United (A) – Premier League

Lincoln City (A) – EFL Cup

Brighton (H) – Premier League

Benfica (H) – Champions League

Liverpool (H) – Premier League

Nottingham Forest (A) – Premier League

Ajax (H) – Champions League

Sunderland (H) – Premier League

Tottenham (A) – Premier League

Qarabag (H) – Champions League

Delap’s injury prompted Chelsea to reconsider loaning Nicolas Jackson to Bayern, but they eventually agreed to the Senegalese departing for Bavaria on better terms whilst deciding to instead recall Marc Guiu from his temporary spell at Sunderland.

Chelsea dealt another injury blow as club release Dario Essugo statement

Now, Maresca can add another summer signing, Dario Essugo, to their list of absentees.

Chelsea have confirmed that the 20-year-old has undergone surgery on a thigh problem he sustained on international duty with Portugal’s Under-21s, with Essugo now set to undergo extensive rehab.

Taking to social media, the “exciting” midfielder has claimed that he will be out “for a while”.

Wicketkeeper-batter Polly Inglis, left-arm seamer Bree Illing and allrounder Flora Devonshire are the replacements

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2025Injuries have ruled out wicketkeeper-batter Isabella Gaze (hip flexor), seamer Hayley Jensen (hip flexor), and batter Bella James (quadricep) from New Zealand’s three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Wicketkeeper-batter Polly Inglis, left-arm seamer Bree Illing and allrounder Flora Devonshire have replaced them.Inglis and Illing made their international debuts during last week’s ODI series while Devonshire is uncapped. Inglis took five catches in three games and scored 34 not out and 9 not out the two times she got a chance to bat. Illing took four wickets across three games, twice dismissing Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu. New Zealand won the series 2-0 after the first game was washed out.Gaze, who played the ODI series as a specialist batter, sprained her left hip flexor in the field during the third ODI. “Her rehabilitation timelines are being reviewed,” NZC said in a release. Jensen and James – both were ruled before the ODI series – are yet to recover full fitness.Related

Down ruled out of remaining SL ODIs with back injury; Sharp called in

NZ replace injured Hayley Jensen with Fran Jonas for SL ODIs

Bella James ruled out of Sri Lanka ODIs

Penfold to miss Sri Lanka, Australia series

“We’re all feeling for Izzy, Hayley and Bella,” head coach Ben Sawyer said. “It’s disappointing for the team and the players, but I know those three have the determination and resilience to bounce back.”Bree and Polly had a really positive start to their ODI career. They both showed great intent and execution and I’m confident they’re ready to take on this next challenge. Flora’s shown a lot of all-round potential at the domestic level and is another exciting young player that has qualities consistent with what we’re looking for in the White Ferns.”The T20I series starts on March 14 in Christchurch. The second game will be played in Christchurch, on March 16, before the teams travel to Dunedin for the final T20I on March 18.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has delivered a fiery warning to Barcelona ahead of their Champions League opener, insisting the Spanish heavyweights won’t find life easy at St James’ Park. The Magpies icon, speaking ahead of Thursday night’s clash, believes his old club are more than capable of denting Barca’s campaign and snatching vital points on home soil.

St James' Park ready to erupt

The Magpies return to Europe’s top table after finishing fifth in last season’s Premier League, their qualification only confirmed in a nail-biting finale. Despite a final-day defeat to Everton, Aston Villa’s loss at Manchester United saved Newcastle’s European dream. Now, the black-and-white faithful are preparing to unleash a thunderous atmosphere as last season’s La Liga winners roll into Tyneside.

AdvertisementAFPBarca arrive as favourites – but are not untouchable

Hansi Flick’s men are among the bookies’ frontrunners to lift the trophy after storming La Liga last season and reaching the Champions League semi-finals. Yet Shearer believes reputation counts for little under the lights at St James’ Park.

"It's a tough one to predict. I guess Barcelona, because of their history and everything else, may be slight favourites but it'll be a really interesting and tough game," he told "It's a tough one to predict but I think Newcastle, at home, will make it as tough as possible, and I think they'll get something out of the game. I think it may be a draw."

New format could boost Newcastle's chances

Shearer believes the revamped Champions League format could play straight into Newcastle’s hands. The group stage has been scrapped, replaced with a league system that rewards consistency and resilience.

"This new format will suit Newcastle better because they'll be really tough to beat at St James' Park," he opined. "I think I'm like the vast majority in that the format worked last season. It was much better, more exciting and there was more to play for. If I'm right in saying, 11 points was enough to get in the top 24 so I'd be hopeful that Newcastle could do that. I guess getting 12 would most-likely guarantee you getting through but 11 gives you a good chance."

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Getty Images SportEurope braced for a black-and-white shock?

Barcelona are arriving as favourites, but as Shearer notes, they face an almighty task to kick off their European campaign. With Lamine Yamal out injured, their task is that much harder.

Carlo Ancelotti fired a warning to Neymar regarding his selection in Brazil's World Cup squad after he admitted that the Santos star is not guaranteed a place in his plans for next summer's tournament. Since taking charge of the Selecao earlier in the summer, Ancelotti has omitted Neymar from his squads for the June and September international breaks.

• Why wasn't Neymar picked in Brazil squad?

  Neymar was one of several household names to be left out of the Brazil squad for their most recent round of the World Cup qualifiers. While the head coach had explained that the attacker was overlooked due to fitness issues, the 33-year-old contradicted the coach's statement by claiming that he was left out due to technical issues.

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• Getty
  

  Ancelotti's issues warning to Neymar

  Ancelotti has now warned Neymar that he could be left out of the final Selecao squad for the World Cup and his selection will entirely depend on his physical condition. The Italian coach also revealed the positions he would deploy the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star in.

• What did Ancelotti say about Neymar's selection?

  Speaking to , the Italian coach said: "We are not going to observe how Neymar plays, obviously. Everyone knows his talent. In modern football, to take advantage of his talent, the player has to be in good physical condition. If he is in his best physical condition, he will have no problems being in the national team. Everyone wants Neymar in the national team in good physical condition. I spoke with him, and I said 'you have time to prepare in the best way to be there and help the team try to do their best in the World Cup.'"

  He added: "I spoke with him. He came to the hotel before the game against Paraguay [in June] and we talked about it. [I would select him] as an attacking midfielder or striker. He has to play centrally, he can't play on the outside because modern football needs forwards who have physical quality, it's very important. He can play as an attacking midfielder without problems."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  When is Neymar next playing for Santos?

  The superstar will be back in action for Santos this Sunday as the club face Atletico Mineiro in a Brazilian Serie A clash. He will hope to stay fit in the coming months and prove himself to his international manager.

Leeds United are now set to sign another defender and this time for a fee of under £500,000, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Leeds announce Gudmundsson on four-year deal

With Junior Firpo exiting Elland Road, Leeds needed to bring in a new left-back, and they have wasted no time in their pursuit of Lille’s Gabriel Gudmundsson, with the defender signing a four-year contract on Tuesday.

The fee is thought to be in the region of €12m (£10m) although the club’s announcement does not disclose the true figure, after the 26-year-old completed his medical checks on Monday.

Gudmundsson is not the only left-back set to make a move to Elland Road, however, with Romano recently taking to X to reveal the Whites are on the verge of signing a defender from a rival Premier League club.

The transfer expert states that Manchester City’s Jayden Lienou “will join Leeds United” for a package amounting to under £500k, with the 17-year-old set to link up with the U21 team to begin with.

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Andrew Taylor and Adam Underwood are said to have been “key” to securing a deal for Lienou, and the deal now appears to be completely agreed, suggesting that an official announcement could be imminent.

Leeds’ opening Premier League fixtures

Date

Everton (h)

August 18th

Arsenal (a)

August 23rd

Newcastle United (h)

August 30th

Fulham (a)

September 13th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

September 20th

Gudmundsson and Lienou are savvy signings for Leeds

Lienou has been showing some promising signs at youth level, most notably scoring a remarkable solo goal for Wales a little over a year ago, showcasing his quality on the front foot.

However, at 17-years-old, the Welshman is clearly one for the future, and Gudmundsson is more likely to make more of an instant impact at Elland Road, given that the Sweden international is vastly experienced.

The Malmo-born defender made nine appearances in the Champions League last season, and his performances across the campaign clearly impressed journalist Joe Donnohue, who described the full-back as a “fun” player and a “risk-taker”.

The former FC Groningen man also caught the eye in an attacking sense during his time with the Dutch club.

Given that Firpo was well-known for his attacking contributions, Gudmundsson could be an ideal replacement for the Dominican Republic international, while Lienou’s performances at youth level indicate he could also be a savvy signing with the potential to become a prototype modern day attacking full-back.

Manchester United have plenty of decisions to make this summer and Andre Onana’s future at Old Trafford may now have taken another twist, according to a report.

Andre Onana's Manchester United future uncertain

On the face of it, Onana is a name that divides opinion across the Red Devils’ support and his inconsistent performances last campaign won’t have won any favour among the undecided.

The Cameroon international conceded 65 times in 50 appearances across all competitions, and a string of high-profile errors have led Manchester United to look at the likes of Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez as a potential replacement.

Shedding light on the rumours, ex-Premier League scout Mick Brown stated: “Man United have made it clear they would like to sign Martinez. They’ll take whatever they can get for Onana, and then they’ll make contact with Aston Villa and see if they can get a deal over the line.

“He’s seen as a huge upgrade on Onana so they’re prepared to take a hit to get things moving. If Man United could swap Onana for Martinez tomorrow, they’d jump at it. Martinez is in his 30s now, but he’s a very capable goalkeeper and they’re not concerned about that.“

Intriguingly, Manchester United have also been given the green light to pursue Porto stopper Diogo Costa, lending credence to the notion that they could be set for a change between the sticks this summer.

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Plenty of names may enter the hat to replace Onana if he is moved on, though it remains to be seen how events develop over the next few weeks.

That said, the Red Devils could now have their house in order on that front as Ruben Amorim tries to sort out his goalkeeping situation.

Man Utd could loan out Onana with John Victor lined up

According to The Sun, Manchester United could loan out Andre Onana this summer and sign Botafogo’s John Victor as a replacement for as little as £6 million.

In the case of Onana, Monaco are said to have asked the question over a temporary move, but his £120,000 per week wages have proved to be a stumbling block. The Red Devils would prefer to conduct a deal with a European club over a Premier League rival.

Andre Onana vs John Victor – who is a better fit for Manchester United?
Andre Onana – Premier League
Save percentage	67.2%
Goals conceded	44
Clean sheets	9
Pass accuracy	69.8%
Penalties faced/saved	1/4
John Victor – Brazilian Serie A
Save percentage	81.1%
Goals conceded	7
Clean sheets	6
Pass accuracy	79.4%
Penalties faced/saved	0/0

Victor may have a smaller sample size than Onana, but purely for demonstrative purposes, his statistics do stand up to scrutiny when evaluating the consistency levels needed for a Manchester United goalkeeper to succeed at Old Trafford.

Keeping ten clean sheets in 29 appearances across all competitions this season, he could be the man to succeed the Cameroon international, even if there will be difficulties to overcome in sanctioning his exit.

Nottingham Forest are on the lookout for new additions this summer and could now step up their efforts to land an England international, according to a report.

Nottingham Forest set to lose Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United

Unfortunately, departures are part of football and big-money sales from any club essentially prove that their recruitment structure is in working order when it comes to profiling talent.

However, Fabrizio Romano’s confirmation that Anthony Elanga is set to join Newcastle United will come as a bitter blow to Nottingham Forest supporters, even if links have went on to grow arms and legs in recent weeks.

Taking to social media platform X, Romano stated: “Anthony Elanga to Newcastle, here we go! Deal in place club to club with Nottingham Forest for £55m. Agreement also in place with player’s camp on long term deal. Excellent addition for NUFC.”

With his move to Tyneside all but confirmed, Nottingham Forest have lined up Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman as an Elanga replacement.

Nevertheless, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are also in the hunt to sign the Nigeria international, who could cost as much as £52 million to prize away from the Serie A outfit.

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Lyon’s Malick Fofana could also arrive at the City Ground due to the French giants suffering relegation to Ligue 2 amid financial troubles, albeit Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen and Napoli could offer the Belgium international Champions League football.

In a strange sequence of events, Nottingham Forest are still yet to find out whether they will be in the Europa Conference League or Europa League next term as Crystal Palace wait patiently for their verdict.

Either way, Evangelos Marinakis is now eyeing a statement arrival in the East Midlands that would make headlines nationwide.

Nottingham Forest look to pull off move for Jack Grealish

According to CaughtOffside, Nottingham Forest want to pull off a statement deal to sign Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, but they face competition from several clubs to land the Three Lions international.

Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and Napoli are all keen on offering him an escape route from the Etihad Stadium. Meanwhile, Al-Ahli, Al Hilal and Neom SC have made contact with his entourage to discuss the possibility of finding an agreement.

Jack Grealish at Manchester City – has his spell been a success?

Appearances

157

Goals

17

Assists

23

Trophies won

3x Premier League

1x FA Cup

1x UEFA Champions League

1x UEFA Super Cup

1x FIFA Club World Cup

1x FA Community Shield

Labelled “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola, Grealish is said to be available for £40 million and his main priority is becoming a first-team regular after seeing his minutes dwindle at the Citizens.

Nottingham Forest have a vacancy needing filled on the left-hand side and will feel they have every chance of tempting Grealish to the City Ground this summer.