Liverpool.com

A former coach has bizarrely claimed that the ex-Tottenham Hotspur ace Davinson Sanchez is a better defender than Liverpool stalwart Virgil van Dijk. Servet Cetin, who once marshaled the defense for Turkey, has boldly stated that Van Dijk doesn't quite match up to Sanchez's defensive prowess.

Van Dijk is currently navigating his seventh season with the Reds and his leadership role has been more pronounced since he took over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson. With his contract set to expire at the end of this campaign, there's been plenty of chatter about his future at Anfield.

On the other hand, Sanchez is relishing his time at Galatasaray following his move from Tottenham in 2023. His Spurs career saw him rack up 207 appearances, although he didn't get off the bench during the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid.

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Servet, who notched up 59 caps for Turkey and was recently part of the coaching staff at Sivasspor, hasn't shied away from explaining why he rates Sanchez above the Liverpool skipper. His reasoning, though, doesn't make the claim any less strange.

''I think Sanchez is a better defender than Van Dijk. In England, defenders play regionally, they do not change their positions," Cetin told Ajannsspor. "They do not enter the level of right back or left back. They constantly take positions in the center. They usually play slowly. They intercept the ball in the center because they are physically good. But they struggle when they have to open up.

"Van Dijk had a hard time against Baris Alper Yilmaz in the Turkey-Netherlands national match [at Euro 2024]. However, Sanchez is both in one game. He has a level, plays in a wider area and does not let anyone pass. He does a much more difficult job. He goes out with the ball very well.

"Sanchez is a much better stopper than Van Dijk. Maybe people will say come on from there, but it wouldn't matter if he was in Liverpool. For example, Sami Hyypia came to Turkey and was not liked. Therefore, Sanchez is better than Van Dijk and many stoppers in the Premier League."

Tottenham Hotspur is sweating over the fitness of star player Son Heung-Min ahead of their high-stakes Premier League encounter with Manchester United.

The Red Devils are gearing up for a crucial match at Old Trafford on Sunday, following a Europa League 1-1 stalemate against FC Twente earlier in the week.

Spurs, meanwhile, kicked off their Europa League journey with a convincing 3-0 victory over Qarabag at home on Thursday night. Goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, and Dominic Solanke sealed the win, despite Radu Dragusin's early red card.

Concerns arose when Son, after celebrating Tottenham's third goal, seemed to struggle with his fitness. The South Korean was attended to by medical staff and subsequently replaced by Timo Werner in the 71st minute.

When quizzed about Son's condition post-match, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou could not confirm whether the forward had picked up an injury, indicating that further assessment was needed. "I haven't spoken to him," said Postecoglou regarding Son's situation. "He said he felt a bit tired but I haven't spoken to him or medicals yet."

Son's availability for the upcoming clash with United is uncertain, adding to Erik ten Hag's list of potential worries as both teams prepare for Sunday's showdown.

Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Tyrell Malacia were all absent from the draw with FC Twente due to their individual injury issues. Lindelof and Malacia are on the brink of making a comeback, while Yoro and Shaw are not expected to return until later in the year.

Spurs also have their own injury worries ahead of Sunday's Premier League match. Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are ruled out, but Dragusin could potentially play as his red card only impacts future Europa League games.

Kyle Walker has explained how he and his former Tottenham Hotspur team-mates were left in tears after being beaten 5-0 by Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool back in December 2013.

Luis Suarez netted twice for Rodgers' side that day, with Jordan Henderson, Jon Flanagan and Raheem Sterling also contributing to a resounding victory in North London. Spurs ended the game with only 10 players after Paulinho was shown a red card just past the hour mark, with the scoreline already at 2-0.

And the defeat to Liverpool at White Hart Lane turned out to be the last straw for then Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas. While Liverpool climbed to second place in the Premier League table following the win, Tottenham languished in seventh, trailing leaders Arsenal by eight points. They were struggling to find their footing after selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.

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The loss marked the club's worst at White Hart Lane in 16 years. Despite Spurs being on a five-match unbeaten streak in all competitions before falling to the Reds, the pressure had been mounting on Villas-Boas, especially after a 6-0 away defeat to Man City just three weeks prior and having won only one of their last six home games, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Villas-Boas was dismissed by Tottenham on December 16, less than 24 hours after the final whistle at White Hart Lane. And his sacking clearly had an impact upon Walker and his team-mates. The England right-back revealed there were plenty of tears shed following Villas-Boas' sacking.

"He was just so, so nice. He was so nice and sometimes I think that probably killed him," he admitted on his BBC podcast, 'You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker'.

"He was too nice. I can remember when he left, and I will never forget it, I swear to you, I will never, ever forget it. We were sat in the auditorium and we got wind that he was going. [Daniel] Levy sacked him but he was still in the building and we were still ready to train. He came downstairs and started crying in front of us, he started crying in front of us.

"And I remember his assistant was telling him to pull it together. He started crying, I've got tears running down my eyes. A lot of the lads had tears, Michael Dawson is welling, he's just like he can't stop crying. He's emotionally crying, because that is how much he meant to the lads.

"Now we probably didn't do him justice on the pitch because that's why he got the sack, but for 10-12 men to be crying because the manager has gone, he has done something well in the dressing room. Football aside, he's emotionally connected with us as well. As a team, we probably let him down a bit."

As Liverpool prepares for Arne Slot's Anfield bow, it has been a sorry start to the season for its Merseyside rivals. Everton finds itself rock bottom of the Premier League after shipping seven goals in two matches.

The Toffees were comprehensively beaten by Brighton on the opening day before taking on Tottenham on Saturday. Ange Postecoglou's men ran riot and emerged with a 4-0 victory, which in truth could have been a lot more.

Yves Bissouma opened the scoring for Spurs with a long-range effort before a moment to forget for Jordan Pickford gifted Spurs and skipper Son Heung-min the chance to double the lead.

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Pickford received a pass back from James Tarkowski, when he took a heavy touch and could not sort his feet out before Son closed him down and won back the ball. The England No.1 has arguably kept Everton up in recent years but this latest error was well received by Liverpool fans.

He has been involved in a number of high-profile incidents in derby matches including a horror tackle on Virgil van Dijk, before he was famously taunted by Alisson over his theatrics back at Anfield a couple of years ago.

Pickford actually commented on the Liverpool No.1 in 2018 after he was caught out trying a turn in his own box in a match against Leicester. At the time, the 30-year-old insisted he would not make such a mistake in posession.

"'It's a risk - if it comes off it looks good. But if it doesn't... It's a style of play and I think that's the way Liverpool want to play as well.

"Mistakes will happen and it's about not making the next one. I'm going to try not to put myself in that position to make those mistakes. It's the timing of the game, really. You don't want to get too comfortable if you're winning and start trying to be a No 10.

"If it's on to do I'll do it and if it's not we'll manage the game. That's where I learn more. The more games you play the more game management you learn."

Son added a second for Spurs with Christian Romero also on target in the resounding victory. Everton boss Sean Dyche finds himself under pressure after the dismal start to the campaign.

It's been a strangely quiet transfer window for Liverpool — the lack of signings is well-publicized, but the Reds are also yet to make a senior sale. However, its first major windfall of the summer looks to have arrived, with Tottenham sealing a move for Dominic Solanke that has triggered a sell-on clause.

That means Michael Edwards gets to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The clause was inserted under his watch before he left his post as sporting director in 2022, but he has since returned to the FSG fold, with oversight over the club's business.

The injection of funds could be timely, too. There's no indication that Liverpool's lack of activity has been down to budget constraints, but the pursuit of Martin Zubimendi may yet require a single lump payment to trigger his buyout clause, so cash-flow might well be important.

But just how much is Liverpool set to make from Solanke's move to Spurs? The exact final sum will depend on the completion of add-ons within the deal, but we can work out the initial figure.

When Solanke went from Liverpool to Bournemouth in 2019, Edwards negotiated a clause that entitled Liverpool to 20 per cent of the profit on any future sale. That deal was worth $24m (£19m/€22m) — and after his time at Anfield, few would have expected this stipulation to be a money-spinner in the future.

But the only person who deserves more credit than Edwards is Solanke himself. He has taken the long path back to the top, but has slowly built an impressive reputation at Bournemouth, finishing as the joint fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League last season (one ahead of Mohamed Salah).

That's convinced Spurs to spend big. In a record purchase, they will pay an initial $70m (£55m/€64m) to Bournemouth, with a further $13m (£10m/€12m) in potential add-ons (BBC).

The initial fee represents a $46m profit for Bournemouth on the price it paid Liverpool back in 2019. As such, the Reds are entitled to 20 per cent of that, which equates to $9.2m (£7.2m/€8.4m).

With add-ons, Liverpool stands to make a further $2.6m (£2m/€2.4m), leaving the final potential figure at $11.8m (£9.2m/€10.8m). That's a very useful sum.

While it won't be a total game-changer in the transfer market, it's the equivalent of a particularly lucrative sale from the youth ranks (it's slightly more than Liverpool made on Taiwo Awoniyi or Ryan Kent, for instance). For a player who left Anfield five years ago, it's a massive bonus.

It also makes the overall Solanke deal look even more incredible for Liverpool. The initial fee it received from Bournemouth looked impressive after the striker struggled to make a mark with the Reds, but the full package could now rise to as much as $35.8m.

For a player picked up for a compensation fee from Chelsea, that's amazing work. If nothing else, it's a reminder that whatever the plan is for the rest of the summer, Edwards has earned fans' trust and patience.

Liverpool.com says: Best of luck to Solanke at Spurs. He's done really well for himself — and while the sell-on clause might have been speculative, Liverpool always knew that he had potential, even if he was at Anfield at the wrong time in his career.

Jose Mourinho, the former Tottenham manager, has taken a swipe at his previous club, confessing that he "sometimes forgets" about his tenure there.

The 61-year-old was at the helm in North London for 18 months before being shown the door on the eve of the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in April 2021. During his stint with Spurs, Mourinho led the team to victory in 44 out of 86 matches and secured Europa League soccer after succeeding Mauricio Pochettino. However, he was let go just as Spurs were gearing up to face City at Wembley - a match that could have ended their 13-year wait for a major trophy.

His departure from Spurs left a bitter taste, and Mourinho has even confessed to forgetting about his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Now managing Fenerbahce, Mourinho was questioned about having to qualify for the Champions League through the qualifying round - an experience he initially claimed to be unfamiliar with.

But then, Mourinho recalled that he had indeed navigated three qualifying matches with Tottenham to secure their place in the Europa League group stage. Ahead of Fenerbahce's journey to Lille, Mourinho remarked: ''This is not the first time for me, it is the second time. I sometimes forget about Tottenham, that I played with them in the qualifiers.

"This is the second time this has happened to me, but it's the first time I'm starting the season in a summer month when there is a European Championship and a World Cup. This makes our job twice as difficult.

"It is difficult because you are playing official matches and the players from the European Championship return to the team in different periods. We have now carried out 40 training sessions, maybe we were able to work as a full squad in a maximum of ten. They joined the team step by step, which made our job difficult. But this is the situation we are in.

"I don't like making excuses, I always prefer to concentrate on the next match. Tomorrow, our team and the players will be better off except for Fred's absence. We are motivated for this match. 'Sometimes they ask, what is your motivation for the season, being in the Champions League or winning the league? ' saying. I always say the same thing: 'My motivation is always the next match.''

Fenerbahce will face either Slavia Prague or Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League play-off round if they beat Lille after the draw took place today. Play-off round ties will take place on August 20-21 and August 27-28.

Dele Alli's career has had a difficult time since his departure from Tottenham Hotspur in 2022. The midfielder, now 28, was once the shining star of the Premier League, breaking into the Spurs squad at just 19 after his move from MK Dons.

His dazzling performances for Spurs propelled him to stardom and earned him a regular spot on the England team. However, his career hit a rough patch towards the end of his time at Spurs, and his form hasn't improved since his loan spell at Besiktas and subsequent move to Everton.

Off-field issues have also plagued Dele, who courageously opened up about his troubled past in a 2023 interview with Gary Neville. He spoke candidly about childhood abuse, drug dealing, and his struggle with sleeping pill addiction.

The decline in his career is as dramatic as his initial rise to fame as a teenager. But there's hope yet for a comeback, with the midfielder frequently sharing updates on his fitness journey via social media.

Dele inked a two-and-a-half year contract with Everton in January 2022, which has now come to an end. During this period, he only managed to make 13 appearances and he has not played for the Toffees since August 2022.

Currently without a club, Dele has accepted an offer from Everton to continue training at their Finch Farm base as pre-season preparations for the 2024/25 Premier League season kick off.

Everton manager Sean Dyche has maintained contact with the player and extended the invitation for him to join the squad for pre-season training. Director of Football, Kevin Thelwell, stated: "Dele's contract is coming to an end, but our medical team will continue to support him while he completes the intensive rehabilitation program he is currently undergoing following the operation he had earlier this year.

"Both Sean and I agree it is important we ensure Dele's rehabilitation is not impacted by his contract situation at such a critical point in his recovery."

Tottenham Hotspur is on the brink of securing a massive new matchday shirt sleeve sponsorship deal, which is anticipated to be unveiled as early as this month, according to football. london. And it's a leaf out of Liverpool's book.

The North London club's shirt sleeve partnership with Cinch was originally set to span five years after being inked in 2021, but the online car-selling firm is thought to have opted for an early exit from its sponsorship obligations, mirroring its actions with its Scottish Premiership Football League deal.

This premature departure appears to have played into Spurs' hands, who will now capitalize on escalating sponsorship valuations. In fact, it is deep into negotiations to finalize a matchday shirt sleeve agreement with a new partner. This deal is expected to significantly surpass the $12.8 million per annum it was pocketing from the Cinch agreement, with an announcement likely in the upcoming weeks.

Sponsorship deals have taken center stage recently as they aid clubs in adhering to the Profit and Sustainability Rules, enabling them to splash out more during transfer windows without breaching the stricter Financial Fair Play regulations. These rules have resulted in fines and point deductions this season, with further penalties looming.

Tottenham was previously in preliminary talks with the SA Tourism arm of the South African government about sponsorship, including its shirt sleeves. However, these discussions didn't make it through the rounds of approval within that country.

Reports from South Africa in February last year suggested a three-year deal worth just under 911 million rand, which would have been $54.35 million with the exchange rate at that time (it would be worth $3.84 million less with today's rate). This would have made the new deal worth more than $17.9 million a year.

Earlier this month, Spurs announced a new three-year training wear sponsorship deal with BetMGM, reportedly worth $12.8 million a year. Despite Premier League clubs agreeing to remove gambling logos from matchday shirts from the 2026/27 season onwards, they will still be permitted on training wear, sleeve sponsorship, and advertising around their stadium and training grounds.

However, fans won't see either BetMGM or the new shirt sleeve sponsors on the merchandise they purchase. As with both their new home and away Nike kits launches this month, Spurs stated: "For the 2024/25 season, all of our kits will be sold without the sleeve partner logo, and our training range will be sold without the training wear partner logo. These are excluded from retail inventory for the coming season."

Tottenham would struggle 'immensely' to construct their stadium for $1.5bn (£1.2bn/€1.4bn) in today's market - a stark indicator of the escalating construction costs Newcastle United could encounter with any potential revamp of St James' Park.

This insight comes from Jonathan Turner, a non-executive director at Spurs, following the club's initial $320m (£250m/€260m) stadium design and plan that ultimately cost nearly five times that amount. The outcome?

Spurs now proudly own the Premier League's second largest stadium, almost double the capacity of the former White Hart Lane, and they've certainly capitalized on it. In fact, during the 2022/23 season, Spurs raked in $150 (£118/€140) in match income.

It's worth noting that the cheapest adult season ticket at Spurs has since skyrocketed to a staggering $Xm (£856/€Xm), but the club does provide some of the top-tier stadium facilities in the country, boasting Europe's longest bar and an in-house microbrewery.

Moreover, Spurs have transformed the stadium into a versatile venue: Beyonce's five-night stint last summer set the record for the highest-grossing concert ever hosted by a female artist at the time; the arena is the official UK home of the NFL and features the world's first F1 branded electric karting experience; and the club is even constructing a 180-room hotel to bolster their conference and events business.

Turner highlighted the significance of Tottenham's stadium as a key asset in competing financially with wealthier clubs, describing it as one of Spurs' 'central pieces' in a PSR (Premier Sports Resources) context. He pointed out the challenge Newcastle faces, while CEO Darren Eales has emphasized the importance of being 'smart to try to grow our revenue streams'.

The Magpies are currently developing a new fan zone that will be open all week and have expressed a desire to remain at St James' Park. They've engaged top architects to explore possibilities for the complex city centre location.

Eales has made it clear that 'no conclusions' have been drawn yet, with the club's comprehensive stadium feasibility study expected to be finalized this summer.

It's widely acknowledged that expanding or rebuilding a stadium in the current economic environment would be an expensive endeavor. However, Newcastle's ownership has the financial capacity to potentially fund such a project.

In contrast, Spurs executive director Donna-Maria Cullen has admitted to undertaking their stadium project with 'limited finances'. Turner provided more insight into Tottenham's approach, stating: "The stadium was financed through internally generated cash flow and also through debt," during his conversation with the Business of Sport, adding that "The debt is on a very long-term basis."

"A lot of it is held by pension funds and other institutions who are comfortable holding long-term debt. The stadium was built in a low-interest rate environment. That may be lucky. We have a fixed rate on the vast majority of that. The service cost of the debt and the long-term nature of debt was an incredible financing package that would not be available today."

"It would be incredibly hard to build the stadium today for the cost that it was built....if you were going to do it today, construction costs are higher. Inflation is higher. The cost of interest is higher. It was pretty hard to do in the first place, but I think it would be a harder exercise."

Earlier, Amanda Staveley confessed that Newcastle absolutely needs to invest in refurbishing St James' to make it 'fit for purpose'. Assuring their support, Newcastle City Council has pledged to back the club as much as possible to ensure that the Magpies stay put in the future.

Liverpool have been told they will need to fork out $82million (£65m/€76m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace this summer. The Reds are one of many teams to be linked with the England international, who impressed during the recent 1-0 victory over Serbia to kickstart Euro 2024.

It's no secret that the club is in desperate need of reinforcements at left center-back, with Virgil van Dijk the only senior player amongst the squad who can operate in the role. Several names such as Chelsea's Levi Colvill and Sporting Club de Portugal's Goncalo Inacio have been touted as possible targets - but a move is yet to materialize.

Guehi is the latest name to be linked with a move to Anfield, with his strong showing against Serbian powerhouse Aleksandar Mitrovic on Sunday outlining why so many clubs are interested in the player. As well as Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been credited as possible landing destinations for Guehi, who left Stamford Bridge in 2021 in search of first team opportunities.

However, all teams will encounter a tough stumbling block in completing the deal, with the Eagles set to remain firm on the valuation that has been set. According to The Times, Palace will start the bidding at $82 million for Guehi, who currently has two years left on his deal at Selhurst Park.

Center-backs capable of playing on the left side of defense are in high demand this summer, with United also said to be tracking Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his options within defence. The Red Devils have already seen a bid in the region of $44m (£35m/€41m) rejected by Sean Dyche's side.

Everton value the player closer to the $88m (£70m/€82m) mark, which will only strengthen Guehi's value given his performances on the international stage.

Palace also finished the 2023/24 season well under new boss Oliver Glasner, winning six of the final seven games, and does not want to lose several key players ahead of the next campaign. Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise are also attracting interest from across the globe, with release clauses inserted in both of their respective contracts.