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Tottenham Hotspur have Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze high on their list of attacking targets this summer, but Thomas Frank’s side have been told to consider one Chelsea star as a viable alternative to the England international.

Spurs’ serious interest in Eze isn’t exactly unfounded, with the former Arsenal academy man fresh off the back of another impressive campaign at Selhurst Park.

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He spearheaded Oliver Glasner’s men to their first ever major trophy at the back end of 2024/2025, scoring the FA Cup final-winning goal which clinched an historic 1-0 victory over Premier League heavyweights Man City at Wembley, and Palace are poised to enter Europe next season as a result of his heroics.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

In total, Eze racked up an outstanding 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, and the attacker’s form surely cannot be ignored by the footballing elite for much longer.

His £100,000-per-week pay packet at Palace is affordable, and could well be attractive to chairman Daniel Levy, who won’t be too keen on breaking Tottenham’s carefully organised wage structure, which allows them to be among the top-flight’s lowest-spending ‘big six’ clubs in terms of salary.

The ex-QPR star’s contract also includes a £68 million release clause, with reports suggesting that Tottenham are prepared to meet this asking price for Eze as the 26-year-old himself also eyes a move to north London.

However, Tottenham face fresh competition from arch rivals Arsenal for Eze’s signature (talkSPORT), so they might not have it all their own way.

In the event a deal cannot be done for him, Levy will need alternatives, and Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku could be one of them.

The £195,000-per-week Frenchman does command a hefty wage, but his stellar form at RB Leipzig and versatility makes him an attractive possibility. Nkunku can also play almost anywhere across the attacking line, including Eze’s positions as a CAM and on the left.

Commanding a price tag of around £59 million, the 27-year-old still managed 14 goals in all competitions last term despite hardly starting, which shows just how impactful the player can be.

Tottenham told to sign Eberechi Eze alternative in Christopher Nkunku

Former Spurs midfielder Steffen Freund, speaking to Hochgepokart, has certainly endorsed a potential move.

Freund believes that Tottenham’s potential signing of Nkunku could help to unlock Mathys Tel too, with the pundit urging Levy and co to consider a deal.

“Tottenham need another attacking option. I’d look at Christopher Nkunku if I were them – he can make the difference,” said Freund.

“He can play in behind the striker and up front, he’s already at Chelsea. He did an outstanding job at RP Leipzig; he’s currently underperforming but there’s a great player in there. Mathys Tel is a good signing, he can play up front, and, on the wing, he’d link up well with Nkunku.”

According to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, Tottenham made an enquiry for Nkunku recently, so there has been concrete interest from N17 as well.

This could be one to keep an eye on, as competition is likely to heat up for Eze’s signature after his stellar season at Palace.

Tottenham Hotspur went into last weekend on something of an increasingly rare high.

For everything else that has gone wrong this season, the North Londoners had just secured their place in the Europa League Final, and therefore the chance to make this campaign a memorable one.

Unfortunately, the little positivity there among the crowd quickly disappeared as Ange Postecoglou oversaw yet another dismal showing in the Premier League, which ultimately ended in the club picking up their 20th league defeat in the competition.

Unsurprisingly, then, reports have continued to emerge linking the club with a host of new managers, including one who’s got Champions League experience and would be a massive upgrade on Postecoglou.

Tottenham's manager search

With the domestic campaign being as much of a disaster as it has this year, it’s hardly been a surprise that, in recent weeks anyway, there has been an avalanche of reports linking the club to a plethora of top managers, like Marco Silva and Simone Inzaghi.

Manager Focus

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Since taking charge of Fulham in 2021, the former has helped transform the Cottagers from a Championship side who’d come up and go straight back down on a regular basis into a comfortable mid-table side.

However, with little to no experience in managing a truly big club, the spotlight in North London could be a little too bright for the Portuguese coach.

In contrast, Inzaghi would be an incredible appointment down to his brilliant record with Lazio and Inter Milan, but due to the incredible work he’s done at the San Siro, it feels like hiring him is nothing more than a pipe dream.

So, this need to strike a balance between attainable and exciting might help explain the links to Roberto De Zerbi that have popped up in recent weeks.

For example, it was reported late last month that the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss is someone appreciated by many at Spurs, and then only last week, talkSPORT revealed that he’d be open to returning to the Premier League this summer.

It could be a complicated deal to get done, but one thing is certain: he’d be a significant upgrade on Postecoglou.

How De Zerbi compares to Postecoglou

So, if Spurs are able to convince the Italian coach that they’re the perfect club for him to take charge of ahead of next season, why would he do a better job than Postecoglou?

Well, the first thing to look at is their respective records in English football, as while the Australian has a marginally better one, it should be far greater given the size of Tottenham compared to Brighton and the nature of the latter constantly losing their biggest talents.

For example, the former Celtic manager has managed 98 games in England, of which his side has won 46, drawn 14 and lost 38, which comes out to a points-per-game average of 1.55 – a number seriously helped by the ten-game-winning streak from the start of last season.

Games (All Comps)

89

35

98

Wins

38

20

46

Draws

20

5

14

Losses

31

10

38

Points per Game

1.51

1.86

1.55

In contrast, the former Sassuolo boss managed to win 38 of his 89 games in charge of the Seagulls, drawing 20 and losing 31, which comes out to a points-per-game average of 1.51.

However, since moving to Marseille, the “genius” tactician, as dubbed by analyst Statman Dave, has overseen 20 wins, five losses and 10 defeats, which comes out to a far more impressive point-per-game average of 1.86.

Moreover, the fact he’s managed at a club as massive and intense as the French giants is another big plus; if he’s been able to cope with the pressures on the French Riviera, he’d be fine in North London – which hasn’t been the case for Postecoglou this year.

Finally, on top of doing well in France, the 45-year-old is often credited with being something of an innovator, with Pep Guardiola, of all people, describing him as “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.”

Ultimately, it now feels like there is no future for Ange at Spurs, and while he might not be as big a name as some would like, De Zerbi is the perfect combination of gettable, exciting and capable of handling big clubs.

As well as Davies: 3/10 Spurs dud must be axed for the Europa League final

This Tottenham Hotspur player should be dropped for the Europa League final as well as Ben Davies.

ByDan Emery May 12, 2025

Plans for Tottenham Hotspur’s summer rebuild are already underway.

Having won just one of their last nine, Spurs are languishing 16th in the Premier League, thereby on course for their lowest finish since being relegated in 1977.

However, Ange Postecoglou’s team could, of course, salvage the campaign in a big way, preparing for the Europa League Final against Manchester United later this month, with both silverware and a place in next season’s Champions League on the line.

Of course, Champions League qualification would massively help their summer transfer plans, both financially and in terms of prestige, although, regardless of the outcome in Bilbao, this squad requires serious surgery, but do Tottenham already boast a more valuable attacker than their potential new signing?

Tottenham's search for attacking reinforcements

As previously reported by Danny Rust and Dean Jones of Give Me Sport, Tottenham are ‘planning to make an offer’ to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town this summer.

Having scored 12 Premier League goals for the Tractor Boys this season, the 22-year-old is certainly a man in demand, with Wayne Veysey of Football Insider noting that Chelsea, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest are amongst his potential suitors.

This is surely partly due to the fact that, as reported by Jacob Steinberg and Nick Ames of the Guardian, Delap has a £30m release clause, following Ipswich’s relegation, which looks a major bargain for a player Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels an “absolute beast”.

Thus, Delap appears as though he would be an excellent addition for Spurs, but do they already boast a better attacker?

Tottenham's most valuable attacker

When Brennan Johnson joined Tottenham from Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £47m in September 2023, a few eyebrows were raised, but he has certainly proved his worth, as the table below outlines.

Brennan Johnson

17

7

24

Dominic Solanke

15

8

23

Son Heung-min

11

12

23

James Maddison

12

11

23

Dejan Kuluševski

10

11

21

Pedro Porro

4

9

13

Pape Matar Sarr

6

3

9

Richarlison

5

2

7

As the table shows, no Spurs player has been directly involved in more goals than Johnson, 11 of which have come in the Premier League, also contributing four en route to Bilbao in the Europa League.

Paul Taylor of The Athletic labels Johnson “electric”, while Ali Tweedale of Opta’s the Analyst, outlines how the Wales international quickly went from Tottenham’s ‘lightning rod’ to their most important, most prolific attacker.

Meantime, Liam Tharme of The Athletic documents how ghosting in at the back post to score with a first-time finish has become Johnson’s trademark goal, making him a pivotal figure in Postecoglou’s team.

These performances mean Johnson is now Tottenham’s most valuable attacker, as the table below outlines.

Brennan Johnson

£60m

Dominic Solanke

£44m

Son Heung-min

£26m

Mathys Tel

£48m

Richarlison

£22.5m

Wilson Odobert

£21m

Liam Delap

£31m

Based on these market values, Delap’s aforementioned £30m release clause actually offers pretty fair market value, but the £47m fee paid to secure Johnson’s services was, in retrospect, actually a bargain, considering his current value of £60m.

So, while Delap may be a great signing for Spurs, whatever they’re planning for the summer, they need to ensure this gets the best out of their already excelling attacker.

Paratici tells Spurs to hire £105k-per-week manager with Ange "set to leave"

The incoming ex-managing director has preference.

ByEmilio Galantini May 9, 2025

Spin-friendly pitches and toss wins have revived Pakistan’s home record, but concerns remain over the long-term consequences of the formula

Danyal Rasool16-Oct-2025Half of their home Tests. After going four years and 11 Tests at home without a win – the longest streak for the traditional top eight Test sides this century – Pakistan’s bar was set low: at least win the games where they won the toss and consequently enjoyed the best of batting conditions. It left them even more vulnerable when the coin landed the other way, but then again, they’d won four of 11 tosses in those Tests, losing two games and drawing the others.Pakistan’s decision to play on a used track in Multan a year to the day ago birthed the spin tracks that have become an identifiable feature of Test cricket in the country of late. It is an idea they pushed to its caricatured limit in a series against West Indies, where the surfaces deteriorated so much Pakistan captain Shan Masood called the conditions “too extreme”. But, whatever the criticism of Pakistan’s methods, there is no doubting their effectiveness: Pakistan have won each of the Tests where they called correctly at the toss, plus one against England after losing it. After 11 Tests without a win, four of the last five home Tests have ended in triumph.For all the defiance that Pakistan have outwardly projected about there being no good or bad ways to win Test matches, this was a tactic borne out of necessity than choice, and one that still provokes debate among the media and fans alike. Over the past week in Lahore, when Azhar Mahmood came to talk to the media, he had to fend off questions about whether Pakistan had given up on any hopes of winning away Test matches at all; they have lost their last five. Masood, meanwhile, was asked whether fast bowling would die off in the next generation with Pakistan stacking their line-up with spinners to exploit the turn on rapidly disintegrating surfaces. The fans have enjoyed the sugar hit of the wins, but like all sugar hits, also worried about the long-term consequences for the game’s health.Related

• Noman, Afridi set up rousing win for Pakistan

• Plot intact, result missing: South Africa's Test revival still a work in progress

• Masood's 20-wicket masterplan pays off as Pakistan learn to win differently

It all detracted from what happened in Lahore this week: Pakistan, who finished bottom of last year’s WTC, beat South Africa, who won the whole thing. And while they did so on a palpably spin-heavy wicket, it was by no means too far removed from Test strips prepared everywhere across the subcontinent these days.Though Pakistan’s 161-run second wicket stand before tea on the first day established a beachhead from which they kept South Africa at bay for the next three days, they could never quite deliver the landing blow they managed fairly quickly against England in Multan last year, or the West Indies in January. South Africa gritted their way to a first-innings response that kept them in touch, and their fourth innings outscored Pakistan’s third, the first time that has happened since Pakistan turned to spin tracks at home.That, partially, is down to South Africa being a better Test side than England, West Indies, or for that matter, Pakistan in most conditions. But at the same time, the Lahore wicket refused to open up to Noman Ali and Sajid Khan with the same alacrity as Multan and Pindi have over the past year. It required Shaheen Shah Afridi to break open the game for Pakistan in the fourth innings, initially to snap the burgeoning partnership between Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton, Pakistan’s bete noires in the first innings, on the fourth morning, and later to polish off the last three wickets with a reversing ball, coming around the wicket to the right-handers to bring the ball in late.Shaheen Shah Afridi played a key role in Pakistan’s win in the first Test•Getty ImagesFor South Africa, too, there was encouragement when they turned to the elite fast bowling of Kagiso Rabada, whose figures belied the menace he carried both with new ball and old. It took him just three balls into the Test to find swing into the right-hander Abdullah Shafique and get his first wicket, and he was far more dangerous than any of South Africa’s trio of finger spinners for the first two sessions. He repeatedly threatened early through Pakistan’s second innings, just missing out on snaring Babar Azam for a duck with HawkEye deemed a lovely middle-stump ball seaming away to be going too high. Later, he would get his man with a vicious nipbacker. Wiaan Mulder bowled just two and was never going to have the same impact, but Pakistan appear to want quality swing bowling to count for something in Tests at home.If anything, South Africa, perhaps spooked by what they saw in Multan in January, outflanked Pakistan in the spin department, feeling three outright fingerspinners. Pakistan, who have spent this time of Test drought gently finessing their home formula, went just with their trusty two of Noman and Sajid. Instead, they tried to manufacture a role for their historical strength – pace bowling combined with reverse swing – and fielded both Afridi and, for his first first-class game in two years – Hasan Ali.Masood called them Pakistan’s “best exponents of reverse swing” when the ball ages, which it does fairly quickly on the strips Pakistan prepare. While Hasan was a statistical footnote in this game, bowling ten wicketless overs across the two innings, Masood strongly hinted he would front up alongside Afridi in Pindi next week once more. Spinroads may be their bread and butter for now, but Gaddafi against South Africa perhaps also began to illuminate an eventual path to a more harmonious balance, a quiet transition from a home season whose success hinges on the flick of a copper disc on a patch of underwatered mud.

All the records the New Zealand batter smashed during his 137 off 62 balls against Pakistan

Sampath Bandarupalli17-Jan-202416 Sixes in Finn Allen’s 137 off 62 balls in the third T20I against Pakistan in Dunedin, equalling the record for most sixes by a batter in a T20I innings.137 Allen’s score is the highest in T20Is for New Zealand , and the joint-fifth highest overall.6 Sixes Allen hit in 14 balls from Haris Rauf. Only three other batters have hit six sixes off a bowler in a T20I: Yuvraj Singh off Stuart Broad in 2007, Kieron Pollard off Akila Dananjaya in 2021, and Josh Inglis off Ravi Bishnoi in 2023 (where ball-by-ball data is available).611 Number of balls Allen took to complete 1000 runs in T20Is – the third fastest to the milestone behind Suryakumar Yadav (573) and Glenn Maxwell (604).135.39 The cumulative strike rate of all the other batters in the match, apart from Allen, who scored at 220.96. The other New Zealand batters scored at a strike rate of only 127.58 (74 off 58 balls).