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Tottenham are winning the race to add another young prodigy to their ranks this summer, it has emerged, beating north London rivals Arsenal in the process.

Tottenham building for the future

Things are changing on and off the pitch in the Lilywhites' half of north London, with exciting football being played and exciting signings being made.

Tottenham have altered their transfer strategy in recent seasons, and are now looking to sign some of the world's best young talent before they become stars. Though they have signed prominent Premier League figures alongside these youngsters such as James Maddison and Manor Solomon, their focus has firmly been on the next generation in north London.

It means that even should they miss out on Champions League football next season as now seems likely, the future is bright for Ange Postecoglou's side, and they could stand to see a substantial return on their largely insignificant investments in the years to come.

Their new policy has seen the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Luka Vuskovic and Ashley Phillips all opt for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium amid other offers, and could well see Spurs forge a reputation akin to Brighton when it comes to nurturing young talent. Now, they are looking to repeat that trick once more to land a goalscoring talent.

Spurs lead Daniel Rigge race

That is according to recent reports, who place Spurs at the front of the queue for West Ham United youth talent Daniel Rigge. The teenage midfielder was formerly on the books of Manchester City but was let go and picked up by the Hammers, where he has thrived in youth football.

Spurs chiefs now pushing to keep player Ange has barely used

The Lilywhites midfielder has been frustrated with his lack of minutes this season.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 27, 2024

So far for the U18 side, he is returning over a goal or assist per game from midfield, having netted 11 times and grabbed a further 9 assists in just 18 outings.

It has caught the attention of several top sides, with Arsenal and Manchester United thought to be among those keen on the talented teen, who penned his first professional contract in October.

However, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano it is Spurs who lead the race for his services, with the midfielder said to be "happy" at West Ham but with several clubs "ready to test the waters" for his signature this summer.

It remains to be seen as to whether any club will be able to prise him away from the London Stadium, with the midfielder having two years left on his contract with the Hammers, but should Spurs manage to land him ahead of both of their traditional "top six" rivals it would be a major statement of intent from Ange Postecoglou's side, and continue their impressive record of recruiting youth this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo Jr looked just like his father as he scored a penalty for Al-Nassr's youth team in front of Georgina Rodriguez.

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• Ronaldo Jr scores for Al-Nassr youth team
• Father moved to Saudi in 2022
• Eldest son eyeing professional career

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rodriguez has shared footage on Instagram of Ronaldo Jr scoring from the penalty spot in a game for Al-Nassr's youth side. The youngster superbly sends the goalkeeper the wrong way before celebrating with his team-mates.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo's eldest son, 14, is looking to follow in the Portugal superstar's footsteps. Indeed, it seems as though Ronaldo Jr has already inherited his father's eye for goal, and earlier this year he helped Al-Nassr's youth team win their league title with three weeks of the season to go.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo's partner was in the stands to watch the teenager's latest goal, sharing clips from the game on social media. "I don't know when you grew so much. We love you," she wrote.

  IG (@georginagio)

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The senior Ronaldo will no doubt cherish seeing his son among the goals. The Portugal star, who scored his 900th career goal in the international break, started for Al-Nassr in their game against Ivan Toney's Al-Ahli on Friday.

Gary Neville has accused the Premier League of acting like a "bully" and being both "selfish" and "greedy" in talks over funding for the EFL.

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• Premier League and EFL talks on hold
• Parliament to debate football regulator
• PL committed to investing £1.6bn

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neville has slammed the Premier League in a remarkable rant about the organisation's behaviour in relation to negotiations over extra funding for the football pyramid. The EFL and the top-flight's talks over a new television deal have been on hold since March and parliament will debate the introduction of an independent football regulator, who could settle the dispute, in the coming weeks.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Premier League is committed to investing £1.6bn ($2.1bn) over the next three seasons into the pyramid but Neville is unimpressed with how they have conducted themselves, calling for a new deal to help clubs such as his own Salford City stay sustainable within the EFL.

• WHAT NEVILLE SAID

  Neville said at the Labour party conference in Liverpool: "I have no idea what they're playing at – they look awful to me. They look selfish. They look greedy. Everything you wouldn’t want to be in life, everything your parents wouldn’t want you to be.

  “We’re happy to accept conditions around the money coming down, because the reality is, we want a sustainable game. I’m an owner of a football club, I want my club to be sustainable.

  “[Football] is not sustainable, and we have a Premier League that are entitled. They feel entitled. They’re the big brother that sit there and distribute scraps of food to the little brothers around the table. It’s not what you do when you’re in a family.

  “I know exactly what they’re doing – if they had wanted to have done a deal, they would have done a deal. But their mindset is such of a bully, their mindset is that they can influence a regulator once a regulator is introduced and get a better deal potentially the other side of the regulator coming in.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Premier League is continuing to negotiate with the government over the introduction of an independent regulator. It remains to be seen exactly when it could be put into action.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly set to return for a player that they missed out on in January, and are ready to make another offer for him.

Forest fighting for Premier League survival

It has been largely a season to forget for Nottingham Forest and current boss Nuno Espírito Santo, but they look the most likely candidates to avoid relegation this season nonetheless. After news broke of their points deduction appeal being thrown out by the Premier League, they remain firmly in a battle for Premier League survival heading into the final weeks of the season.

But with two games to play, a single win would all but assure their safety thanks to a superior goal difference to Luton Town and Burnley, while four points would mathematically ensure it. A draw for Forest and defeats for Luton and Burnley would again ensure that Forest are playing top level flight next season.

They have the perfect opportunity to ensure that too, with their final game seeing them take on Burnley in a fixture that falls firmly into the "must not lose" category at present, rather than a must win for Nuno's side.

The summer promises to be tricky amid financial fair play concerns, and they may see bright sparks such as Murillo or Morgan Gibbs-White head for pastures new, but that will not stop them from spending. Now, they have been linked with a new move for a long-term target.

Another change between the posts

This comes in the shape of Las Palmas shot-stopper Alvaro Valles, who has once again been linked with a City Ground switch. The 26-year-old, who Forest saw a €20m bid knocked back for in January, has established himself as a key part of his side's success this season.

Nuno must again unleash Nottingham Forest's £40k-p/w "unit"

The Reds travel to Bramall Lane looking for a vital win.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 4, 2024

The Premier League side ultimately signed Matz Sels from Strasbourg after losing faith in both Matt Turner and summer addition Odysseas Vlachodimos, but reports in Spain claim that they remain keen on Valles, and may even have made a second bid already.

Indeed, it is added that a move this summer is likely for the Spanish shot-stopper, due to the fact that his £2,000 per week contract expires in 2025, and Forest are dubbed the "main interested party".

In fact, they claim that the City Ground outfit have "already contacted" with an offer of around 20m euros, though it is unclear whether this is a fresh offer or the same one as was tabled in January. Of course, any deal of that size seems likely to depend on the division Forest find themselves in next season, making it unlikely that they would be willing to make any concrete bids for players without that certainty first.

However, if they confirm Premier League survival, could they be about to try and sign a fourth goalkeeper in as many transfer windows?

The 29-year-old midfielder is among the most talked about players in USMNT history, but his career turned in ways he never expected

In professional soccer, stability is rare. Players come and go, transfers are constantly rumored and executed, and careers are unpredictable.

Julian Green understands this better than most. A decade ago, he was a rising star for the U.S. men's national team, having just scored a knockout goal against Belgium with his very first touch in a World Cup match. This came after just one brief appearance in the Champions League with Bayern Munich. The sky seemed to be the limit for him, poised to climb the ladder of success—whether at his club or elsewhere.

Instead, Green has planted down roots. After four years in the wilderness after that World Cup goal, those roots took hold at Greuther Furth. Now, in his eighth season with the club, he admits that it wasn't always what he had in mind.

"I would say in the beginning, I never thought that I would be here for so long, to be honest," Green admits. "But yeah, in the end, you can never really plan things."

Green, ultimately, learned the importance of finding a home. Furth provided that, giving him a club that believed in him in a way that his previous stops didn't. Ten years after showing promise as a potential attacking young star of American soccer, he's now a deeper-lying veteran for Furth, one anchoring the club's push for promotion in the 2. Bundesliga.

It's a role he's comfortable with. Green doesn't feel pressure, and he says he never really has. If he can get through the things he has so far, being a leader should come easy.

"I don't think it was a big pressure," Green says, reflecting on 2014. "I think I scored that goal and, of course, after that, I see all the news and everything that has been written about me, but it's hard to say. I think for me, after the World Cup, it wasn't that easy because, in my opinion, I played for the best club in the world at that time [Bayern Munich], probably with the best squad they ever had, so I made my move to Hamburg. It didn't really work out."

He added, "It's always individual. It's hard to give advice to other players because every career is different, and every step is different. So you can't really say 'You have to do this, you have to do that'. At the end, you have to work hard. That's what you always have to do, but then there are a lot of things that can go in this or in the other direction."

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  Happy at Furth

  Green is right: his stay at Furth wasn't supposed to be long. It certainly wasn't supposed to be eight years. That's how careers go, though. Ultimately, Furth was the club that Green needed, and it was a club that needed Green.

  He arrived at the club in 2017, fresh off two frustrating moves. A loan to Hamburg resulted in just five matches and no goals. A transfer to Stuttgart in the 2. Bundesliga produced one goal in 10 appearances. Then 22 years old, Green simply needed to play, and Furth were willing to play him. He spent an initial season on loan, scoring three goals in 24 matches, before making that move permanent ahead of the 2018-19 2. Bundesliga season.

  "I think it's very important to have this kind of club that gives you the feeling that you are an important player," Green said. "It's kind of like a home for me, and, right now, I'm just happy that I found Furth. I still have two years of contract and I'm very happy here."

  He's played 167 total games for the club, scoring 30 times while emerging as the type of player who can play a role all over the field, including one next to another American in Maximilian Dietz.

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  Green's fellow American

  Through the first six games of the 2. Bundesliga season, Green is Furth's leading scorer with three goals, and that's despite playing as more of a holding midfielder, too.

  Since the 2014 World Cup, Green has evolved. He came up as an attacking talent at Bayern but, in the years since, has moved further back. At Furth, he often starts as a deeper midfielder ahead of the club's back three.

  "I think I can play both positions," Green said of his midfielder role. "It's different. If you play a little bit deeper, you're more involved in the build-up. If you play behind the strikers you probably have more shots on goal and more offensive actions. In the end, I don't really care because I can play both positions."

  Green isn't the only American in the heart of Furth's midfield, though. He's next to Dietz, who featured for the U.S. at the Olympics this summer.

  Dietz has been a regular for the U.S. at the U-23 level and, after playing both center back and in midfield for the U.S. during that cycle, he's now featuring in a deeper midfield role for Furth. He, too, has USMNT ambitions and hopes to someday play at a World Cup, as Green did.

  "It's a nice feeling to have Max on the field, another American," Green said. "It's a good feeling. We will be happy to have this for the next couple of years, I hope."

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  Life in the 2. Bundesliga

  Of Green's seven previous seasons with Furth, six have been spent int he 2. Bundesliga. The club earned promotion during the 2020-21 season, with Green scoring nine league goals, but went right back down after one season in the top flight.

  Those who follow German soccer know that the 2. Bundesliga isn't easy, particularly now. Huge clubs like Hamburg, Schalke, Hertha Berlin and Hannover have fallen into the second division. In total, eight of the 18 teams regularly fill stadiums with over 49,000 seats.

  In the end, only two teams get promoted, while one gets a crack at the promotion playoff. Furth finished eighth last season, 13 points out of that third-place playoff spot.

  Schalke and Hertha Berlin, meanwhile, fell down, adding two more heavyweights to the division. Schalke was in the Champions League just five years ago, while it's been just six years since Hertha Berlin played in the Europa League.

  "I think they say every year that it's probably the best 2. Bundesliga ever," Green says, "but this year you can probably say that it's really like that. You have a lot of top teams like Schalke, Hamburg, Berlin. It's fun. I think if you just see the stadiums we play in, like if you play in Hamburg or in Berlin, there are 40,000 or 50,000 fans. It's kind of the same feeling if you play Bundesliga if you play in these stadiums."

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  Looking at the national team

  As things stand, Green has 15 caps and four goals with the USMNT. Judging on recent history, it might stay that way. After starting off as one of the most talked-about players in USMNT history, Green's hasn't played for the U.S. since 2018. He was only called into camp once under Gregg Berhalter.

  "It's a question for the last coach," Green says, "but that's soccer. I think every coach has his own style or maybe also his own players who he maybe prefers a little bit more. That's the only reason, I think, but as I said, that's soccer. The only thing I can do is do my work, and, at the end, the decision is with the coach."

  There's a new coach in charge, of course. Mauricio Pochettino has taken over and, until he names his squad for October camp, there really is no telling what direction his squad goes in. Could he look in the direction of a 29-year-old reinvented midfielder? It is unlikely due to Furth's current standing, but that won't change Green's approach.

  "For me, I think I always have the same mindset," he said. "I will do everything I can on the pitch here in Furth to be back in the national team maybe one day. Of course, if there's a new coach, it's always the same. In club soccer or in the national team, there's probably a new chance for every player.

  "That's my mindset: to do my work here in Furth and the other things I can't really control. I'll try to do my best and my goal is to play again for the national team, of course."

  Green isn't making any plans with that in mind. He knows as well as anyone that plans can change rather quickly. Instead, he'll just keep chugging along at Furth, continuing a career that, while not what anyone had expected, has resulted in him finding a place to call home.

Newcastle United want to beat Manchester City to the signing of an "outstanding" player in the summer transfer window, according to an update from reliable journalist John Percy.

Newcastle transfer rumours

Players are being linked with summer moves to St James' Park constantly at the moment, with focus turning to new signings after the Premier League season reached its conclusion last weekend.

There appear to be doubts about Nick Pope's long-term worth in Newcastle's goal if certain rumours are to be believed, with two different goalkeepers linked with moves to Newcastle. Arsenal stopper Aaron Ramsdale has emerged as a standout option for Eddie Howe, with the pair knowing each other well from their Bournemouth days, but Valencia ace Giorgi Mamardashvili is also considered an option.

Both Tosin Adarabioyo and Lloyd Kelly are seen as targets at the heart of the Magpies' defence, with the former impressing for Fulham this season. Meanwhile, the latter has informed Bournemouth that he wants to leave the club this summer, with Newcastle considering him a priority target.

Crystal Palace trio Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have all been linked, too, and Dougie Freedman coming in as director of football could increase the chances of them arriving. Meanwhile, highly-rated young Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg has been backed to make a controversial move to St James' Park, given the rivalry between the two clubs, with the 16-year-old seen as "Roy Keane-esque" in style.

Newcastle want "outstanding" star

According to Percy on X on Monday, Newcastle want to sign Wolves star Pedro Neto this summer, pipping Man City to his signature in the process:

"Wolves to demand club record sale of £60m for Pedro Neto, with Man City and Newcastle both interested. Wolves under no pressure to raise money to pass PSR this summer but major sale will help Gary O'Neil rebuild squad."

Neto is a fantastic footballer with so much attacking quality, however, the biggest thing working against the Portuguese is his injury woes, with only 18 starts in the Premier League coming his way this season.

Should Howe be confident that the 24-year-old can remain largely fit moving forward, though, signing him is an absolute no-brainer for the Magpies, with John Richards waxing lyrical over him, saying:

"He’s been outstanding. He’s turning defenders inside-out and creating goals. It’s lovely to see him back, it really is. The injuries had taken their toll and it took him time to get back to what he was, but he’s really firing on all cylinders now. He’s outstanding, he really is."

Senior figures at Newcastle think they’ve found perfect off-field addition

A deal is reported to be on the table.

By
Henry Jackson

May 21, 2024

Neto could jump at the opportunity to make the step up in his career and join Newcastle, although the threat of City in the race to sign him is clear, having sealed their fourth Premier League title win in a row on Sunday. His combination of pace, directness and end product – he bagged nine assists in those 18 league starts in 2023/24 – can be a lethal weapon for the Magpies.

Wrexham enjoyed an ultimately comfortable 4-1 win over Northampton Town in League One to cut into Birmingham City's lead.

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• Wrexham score four against Northampton
• McClean scores twice for Red Dragons
• Crosses from Barnett proved devastating

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  TELL ME MORE

  The home fans at SToK Cae Ras didn't have to wait long for the first goal, James McClean heading in Ryan Barnett's cross from the right at the far post. Wrexham couldn't take chances for Barnett and Elliot Lee to extend that lead and paid when Cameron McGeehan equalised from close-range. But when Barnett crossed deep again and McClean knocked it back into the middle, Jack Marriott smashed the Red Dragons back in front. Into the second half and Lee did get his goal to create some daylight in the score-line, another header from another Barnett delivery. McClean's second – volleyed in at the far post from Barnett's deflected cross – made sure of the win.

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  THE MVP

  Ryan Barnett's crosses from the right flank caused Northampton no end of trouble and were ultimately what gave an otherwise dominant Wrexham their goals. It wasn't quite a hat-trick of assists because he only got direct credit for two. The second scored by Jack Marriott needed knocking back by James McClean, while the fourth from McClean was a deflected cross, but he effectively made all four.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Birminghamhave seen their lead at the top of the League One table cut from five points to two over the course of the afternoon. Tom Brady's club went into their game away at Charlton off the back of seven straight league wins, while the hosting Addicks had lost three on the bounce. And yet, Matt Godden won it for Charlton with a solitary second half goal. Football will always present opportunities, but Wrexham absolutely took this one to make up for the midweek loss to Stevenage.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  League One action takes a temporary pause for Wrexham, with an EFL Trophy clash against Wolves Under-21s at SToK Cae Ras on Tuesday night. But favourable league games against Rotherham and Huddersfield quickly follow.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been urged to re-sign a former Tottenham player likened to midfielder James Maddison, who he could bring back for just under £10 million.

Maddison misses out on England place for Euro 2024

It's been 24 hours to forget for the Lilywhites star, who unfortunately missed out on a place in Gareth Southgate's final England squad for Euro 2024, which kicks off in Munich on June 14 as Germany host Scotland.

£21m star gives Spurs green-light as talks advance for signing after Werner

The player would agree to join Ange Postecoglou’s side.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 6, 2024

Maddison joins James Trafford (Burnley, goalkeeper), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton, defender), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool, defender), Harry Maguire (Manchester United, defender), Curtis Jones (Liverpool, midfielder) and Jack Grealish (Manchester City, forward) in being excluded from Southgate's final 26.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder bagged four goals and nine assists over 30 appearances in all competitions last season for Tottenham, but the Three Lions head coach has instead opted to bring Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and three strikers with him to Germany.

"I trained well and worked hard all week but if I’m honest with myself, my form for Spurs when coming back from injury in the second half of the season probably wasn’t at the levels I had set which gave Gareth a decision to make," said Maddison on being dropped for the Euros.

"I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26-man squad as I feel I bring something different and had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 in Germany but the manager has made the decision and I have to respect that. I’ll be back, I have no doubt."

The former Leicester City star dazzled over the first half of 23/24 before suffering ankle ligament damage, and Maddison will be hoping to rediscover that form next season.

Levy and Spurs urged to re-sign Marcus Edwards who's similar to Maddison

There's little doubting when he is at his very best, the player is a very valuable asset. Jermaine Jenas called Maddison on the verge of being world-class early last season, and now ex-Spurs scout Bryan King has told Tottenham News that Ange Postecoglou should re-sign a player who is "very similar".

Indeed, Sporting Lisbon starlet Marcus Edwards is the man in question, and Spurs could actually bring him back for just £9.7 million. He's valued at around £15 million, but Tottenham's 35 per cent sell-on clause means they could do a deal for under £10 million.

“Spurs should definitely do it,” King said to Tottenham News.

“To be honest, he probably shouldn’t have been sold in the first place. He is very similar to Maddison in the way he plays. If the club could get him for under £10million then that would be a good bit of business.”

The homegrown 25-year-old made 44 appearances in all competitions under Ruben Amorim last campaign, scoring six goals and bagging nine assists.

It’s fair to say that the attacking department at Manchester United has underperformed this season.

Under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils netted just 57 times in the Premier League, 39 goals less than champions Manchester City, for context.

However, a lack of goals for United’s standard has been a common problem for the Dutch boss, having netted just 58 in the last campaign.

With that in mind, Man United may target a signing who could not only be an alternative to Michael Olise, but might also become their own version of Cole Palmer.

Man Utd want to sign a new attacker this summer

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, via TEAMtalk, Man United are interested in signing Dani Olmo.

It’s mentioned that United potentially even see the RB Leipzig star as a better deal than Olise, whom they’ve been chasing recently.

The Red Devils are currently viewed as the favourites to secure Olmo’s signature, who has a £51m exit clause.

However, the main competition for the Spaniard comes from United’s 'noisy neighbours', who could look to bolster their attacking options.

Why Olmo could be United’s own version of Palmer

There are simply not enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe just how unbelievable Palmer has been for Chelsea this season.

The former Manchester City star has blown all expectations out of the water, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in 29 Premier League starts, the most contributions in the division.

Due to his insane output and how he has continuously performed at an insane level, the 22-year-old won the Premier League Young Player of the Season Award, and next season, he's expected to reach similar heights.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be hoping that Olmo can have a similar impact on United as Palmer had on Chelsea, and luckily, there are similarities between the two, according to FBref, who have them classified as alike within their 'similar player' tool.

Firstly, the duo are both extremely creative players who also know where the back of the net is, which makes them both so unpredictable and dangerous – with Olmo having scored eight times and registered five assists for Leipzig this season.

They’re also extremely technical players who use that to their advantage to work in tight spaces, as shown by their key passes, successful dribbles, and passes into the final third.

On top of that, Palmer and Olmo are both such a threat from in and around the edge of the box, often letting fly from range, which would add another dimension to the United attack.

Furthermore, they’re both versatile due to their ability to operate on the right wing and as a central attacking midfielder, which will give the United manager the opportunity to rotate his squad next season to prevent another injury crisis.

Because he can operate on the right, the “incredible” Spanish gem, as dubbed by football scout Antonio Mango, would help United move on from Olise in the event that they do decide to opt out of a move for the Crystal Palace gem.

Overall, given that the Red Devils have struggled in front of goal, mainly from a creativity standpoint, Olmo would most definitely improve the attack, and if he did arrive, the likes of Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, in particular, would benefit.

INEOS could sign £40m ace who'd be Man Utd’s best signing since Fernandes

The Man Utd target can be bought for just £40m this summer.

By
Tom Lever

May 30, 2024

Fans question Kalvin Phillips' football knowledge after he ranks Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka on the basis of their abilities.

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• Phillips ranks English colleagues
• Saka named at the bottom
• Fans lash out at Ipswich star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Sky Sports' Saturday Social programme, Phillips was asked to rank his England teammates based on their abilities on the pitch. The midfielder started with former City colleague Foden as he ranked him at the top. Foden was followed by Palmer with whom Phillips had spent time at Etihad Stadium before the attacker joined Chelsea last summer. Saka was finally placed in the third position as the Cityzens loanee admitted that the Arsenal star would hate him for this.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Premier League fans, especially the ones who support the Gunners, were not too pleased to see Saka at the bottom as they questioned Phillips' football knowledge.

  An X handle named Calkipngetich posted, "Kalvin Phillips you’ve got a hater in me for the rest of your life."

  A fan named Marty wrote, "Wowzers! Kalvin Phillips, you're wrong. It's not a matter of opinion…Saka last is diabolical and unjust."

  Deji Faremi claimed that Saka continues to remain underrated as the post read, "My goodness! Why is Saka so underrated?"

  A handle named Osteen wrote, "The fact that Saka is the most consistent of all the players and was still ranked third is laughable. Saka's undoing is his lack of flair and aesthetics in his game because I don't understand how the most consistent player is the least rated. Comical!"

  IFEOLUWANI straightaway questioned the Ipswich star's football knowledge as he post read, "Zero football knowledge."

  This X handle Big Daddy mocked Phillips for his choices as the post read, "Even my grandma won't pick Foden over Palmer."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As Phillips admitted, Saka has been one of the most consistent English players for club and country in recent times. In the past two seasons, the Arsenal winger had 26 and 34 goal contributions across all competitions. Foden, on the other hand, was named the PFA Player of the Year having scored 27 goals and providing 12 assists for City. Palmer had a dream debut at Stamford Bridge in the 2023-24 campaign as he ended up scoring the second-most number of goals, 22, behind Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  After a shock defeat at the hands of Greece earlier this week, Lee Carsley's side will be back in action in the Nations League on Sunday as they take on Finland. Saka, however, is likely to miss the Finland clash after he was forced to leave the pitch against Greece with an injury.