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Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with the same striker ahead of the January transfer window

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Tottenham Hotspur and several other Premier League clubs have been credited with an interest in Paris Saint Germain forward Kolo Muani ahead of the January transfer window.

The striker joined the French giants back in September 2023 for a whopping £76.4m after scoring 26 goals and providing 17 assists in just 50 games for Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. However, in 54 games for PSG he has managed just 11 goals while providing seven assists and reports earlier this month from L’Equipe claimed the player would be allowed to leave Paris in January after being deemed ‘surplus’ to requirements.

The Evening Standard claimed the striker had already been offered to Arsenal, who have long been linked adding to their forward line. Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has reported that Tottenham and RB Leipzig are interested in a move while Liverpool and Manchester United are keeping up-to-date with the player. The Red Devils have previously been credited with an interest.

Spurs planning January reinforcements

Ahead of their 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has admitted that the club will be looking to add to their squad in January. He said: "Like I said a while ago, we've been planning. A lot of it was going to be around where we're at around this time. Fair to say, we're still a little bit short in a couple of areas and we need to reinforce. January's trickier in terms of what sort of players you can bring in.

“For us, ideally, for any club, I guess, you want to bring in people who are going to make you stronger. I think the fact that, obviously, we're still in the Carabao Cup semi-final, still got Europe, FA Cup, we're in all the competitions, it's not like our schedule's going to ease up at any stage. So, I think it makes sense. We will try and reinforce, where and what number we'll have to wait and see."

Arsenal ‘prepared’ if something comes up

The Gunners have also been planning for what they can do in the January window next month as they look to close the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool. Arsenal have been dealt injury blows in the last week with Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling both facing time out. A striker has been top of their wishlist for sometime with the likes of Newcastle United star and Sporting CP man Viktor Gyökeres persistently linked with moves to North London.

Asked what could be done in January, Arteta said ahead of Friday’s clash with Ipswich Town: “Yes, the preparation is done. We are ready if something happens. Obviously we didn’t predict the situation with Bukayo and Raheem at the same time. We predicted more if something has happened, for example, in the defensive line. But the job is done. Then, okay, if something has to happen we will be open. But the main focus is now how we should strive to distil the potential that there is in this squad.”

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Liverpool put three past a porous Tottenham Hotspur defence in the first half in North London.

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Tottenham Hotspur were slammed for 'organised chaos' at the back as Liverpool stormed to a 3-1 lead against Ange Postecoglou's side in the final Premier League fixture before Christmas.

Luis Diaz opened the scoring for the visitors after 23 minutes and Arne Slot's men found themselves 2-0 up less than 15 minutes later with Alexis MacAllister on the scoresheet. The Reds looked as if they could have the meeting wrapped up by half time but a persistent James Maddison whipped home from the edge of the box and past a flat-footed Alisson minutes before the break.

Any hopes of a Spurs comeback were pushed back once again by the title chasers when Trent Alexander-Arnold hooked a long ball forward with Dominik Szoboszlai making no mistake with his finish when slotted through by Mohamed Salah on the break.

Speaking at half time, former Tottenham Hotspur star Jamie Redknapp didn't hold back in his criticism of the London side's defensive work. Speaking on Sky Sports, the pundit said: "Organised class from Liverpool, organised chaos from Tottenham. That's the difference.

"You've got a player like Trent who can put a ball into amazing areas with such ease. He's already got the picture, he can see it that Diaz is going to make that run. He puts it into a perfect area and it's a fantastic header. From Tottenham's point of view, Sarr is marking and he's got to stay and track the run, he doesn't."

Picking up on the second goal, Carragher added: "Two defenders from Spurs get involved here and they aren't great either of them. They haven't really got a commanding centre-back - if it's Van Dijk he's heading that away. The goalkeeper is too slow to react.

“If Tottenham could have got to half time at 2-1, it would have been a miracle. They’ve been absolutely battered in this first half. As soon as it goes 2-1 up a few minutes before half time, your full back should not be pressing Trent Alexander-Arnold. Get to half time and then sort out whatever needs to be sorted out, because something needs to be sorted out.”

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Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action on Sunday as they host Liverpool

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Tottenham Hotspur welcome Liverpool to North London on Sunday afternoon aiming to push towards the Champions League places. Spurs won 5-0 at Southampton last weekend in what proved to be the final game in charge for Russell Martin as he was sacked by the Saints shortly after the defeat.

On Thursday, Spurs beat Manchester United 4-3 in a dramatic Carabao Cup clash that was strewn with errors from both goalkeepers. That victory set up a semi-final with Liverpool with both legs to played in 2025 after the busy festive Premier League schedule. Liverpool will hope to remain top of the table over Christmas amid pressure from in-form Chelsea. Ahead of Sunday's game in North London, Spurs have a host of injury problems to contend with while Liverpool's selection problems have lessened in recent weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur injury news

Timo Werner missed the win over the Red Devils with illness while left-back Destiny Udogie was another omission on Thursday due to a knock. Postecoglou said: "Hopefully, we'll see. The boys are just coming in now from a late night. Timo [Werner] was unwell yesterday, we've got 48 hours before the game so hopefully he will recover and the plan is Destiny [Udogie] should be okay."

Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison will all remain out while Rodrigo Bentancur remains suspended for this weekend's visit of Liverpool. Mikey Moore will also need more time in training before returning, as the Spurs boss added: "He hasn't been involved so we'll need to get a least a couple of weeks training into Mikey and get him back up to full speed. But hopefully he is not too far away."

Liverpool injury news

Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate remain out for Liverpool after they were injured in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at the end of November. Reds boss Arne Slot said on Friday: "These are the two still in red, so they do not train with us at the moment. They are on their way back but they don't train with the team yet. It is quite difficult [to predict when they will return]. Let's wait and see but we have a very good rehab personnel over here and they have done good work already with Alisson and a few others. The main thing is if they come back they are ready to come back and we must not focus on one, two or three games. It is more important in the long-term they are fit afterwards."

Harvey Elliott, Kostas Tsimikas and Federico Chiesa all returned for Liverpool in midweek as they beat Southampton 2-1 in the Carabao Cup. Left-back Andy Robertson was suspended for that game but will return against Spurs while Diogo Jota overcame an injury scare to be named on the bench against the Saints.

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Tottenham Hotspur host Liverpool in a Premier League clash on Sunday

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The Premier League have confirmed that Samuel Barrott will referee Sunday’s meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in North London. The Reds will be aiming to remain top of the table on Christmas amid pressure from Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Blues have been in fine form of late to close the gap to the to just two points Reds and they could be in first spot ahead of kick off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they face Everton at Goodison Park at 2pm on Sunday. Spurs and Liverpool were both in action in midweek as they won their respective Carabao Cup quarter final games to set up a semi-final against each other. The first leg will be played next month with the second at the start of February.

Ange Postecoglou’s side beat Manchester United 4-3 on Thursday in a game that was dominated by errors from both goalkeepers. In the Premier League, Spurs have lost seven of their 16 games but got back to winning ways last week with a 5-0 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s. That result proved to be Russell Marti’s final game in charge of the Saints as he was sacked shortly afterwards.

Barrott has taken charge of 10 Premier League games this season with his most recent fixture Nottingham Forest’s controversial 2-1 win over Aston Villa last weekend. Jhon Duran put Villa ahead with a fine strike from outside the penalty area just after the hour mark but late goals from Nikola Milenković and Anthony Elanga turned the game on its head, as Forest took all three points. The contest was riddled with controversy after Elliot Anderson appeared to bring Morgan Rodgers down inside the penalty area during the first half but the decision went against the away side. Then, late on, Anderson provided the assist for Elanga’s winner but only after a coming together with Matty Cash which the visiting players felt should have been penalised.

Former Villa player Lee Hendrie argued his former side should have at least had a first-half penalty, as he said: “Once Rogers gets in the box you can clearly see there's a real tug [from Anderson] as he gets by him. He gets hold of him and then he yanks him back which means he loses his footing. For me, it's a penalty."

Sunday’s game will be the first time Barrott has refereed Spurs this season but it will be his second time in charge of a Liverpool contest. He officiated as the Reds won 3-2 at Southampton, awarding two penalties in the game - one for each side. In his 10 Premier League games, he has awarded just over 21 fouls on average while handing out 5.4 yellows per match. He has yet to produce a red card. His assistants will be Lee Betts and Wade Smith while Michael Oliver will be the fourth official. Paul Tierney is on VAR with Sian Massey-Ellis appointed as his assistant.

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Tottenham Hotspur could be without up to nine players against Manchester United on Thursday.

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Tottenham turn their attention away from the Premier League this week, as they host Manchester United in a Carabao Cup quarter-final on Thursday night.

Ange Postecoglou’s side beat Southampton 5-0 last time out - they scored all five goals in the first half. It left them 10th in the Premier League, five points away from the top four. However, the recent form for Tottenham has been inconsistent. They have only won one game in their last six. Their last win before the Southampton game came against Manchester City in November.

They welcome a Manchester United side who won the Manchester derby last weekend. The result saw Ruben Amorim’s side claim their first victory against City since the 2024 FA Cup final, which kept Erik ten Hag his job at the time. Spurs are dealing with up to eight injuries for the game on Thursday. On top of that, midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is still suspended after his racial slur about teammate Heung-Min Son last month.

Here’s how Spurs could line up against United:

GK - Fraser Forster

Forster has been playing recently in place of the injured Vicario, who will likely remain side-lined until well into 2025. He has made nine appearances this season, keeping two clean sheets.

LB - Djed Spence

Spence featured at right-back against the Saints for what was his first Premier League start since joining Spurs in 2022. He will likely replace Destiny Udogie, who is injured.

CB - Radu Dragusin

Dragusin has featured heavily this season as both Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero are out with hamstring issues.

CB - Archie Gray

Due to Spurs’ recent injury problems at centre-back, 18-year-old Gray has been filling in despite being a natural midfielder. Gray’s versatility has helped Postecoglou considerably this season, after he joined in the summer transfer window from Leeds United.

RB - Pedro Porro

The Argentine came on as a substitute against Southampton, but he will likely start against United as he is fully fit yet again.

CDM - Yves Bissouma

The former Brighton midfielder missed out on the Southampton match due to picking up five yellow cards this season. He will be back for selection on Thursday and likely back into Postecoglou’s starting XI.

CDM - Pape Matar Sarr

CAM - James Maddison

Maddison had arguably his best game of the season last time out, scoring Spurs’ opener and fifth goal during the game.

LW - Brennan Johnson

Johnson was dropped against the Saints in favour of playing Maddison in attacking midfield. He could return to the starting XI against United.

RW - Dejan Kulusevski

The Sweden international scored against Southampton and has to be one of Postecoglou’s first names on the team sheet. He has five goals and seven assists this season.

ST - Heung-Min Son

Postecoglou could decide to drop Dominic Solanke in favour of playing Johnson on the wing, which would place Son up front for the game on Thursday. He scored one goal and contributed two assists against Southampton.

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The EFL have made their referee appointments ahead of Spurs’ EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.

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Tottenham Hotspur will continue their quest for a first trophy since 2008 on Thursday, when they face Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.

Ange Postecoglou’s side come off the back of a 5-0 win against Southampton, which resulted in the Saints sacking manager Russell Martin. It left Spurs 10th in the Premier League, but they are only five points off the Champions League places.

However, Postecoglou’s attention will be turned to the EFL Cup as he tries to win a trophy in his second season as Spurs’ boss. However, his side are ravaged by injuries, with up to eight players that could miss the match.

They face Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United who beat rivals Man City 2-1 in the Manchester derby - a game where they equalised in the 88th minute before netting a winner in the 90th.

EFL appoint referee and officials for Spurs vs United clash

John Brooks has been appointed by the EFL for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs last saw him in their 4-0 win against Manchester City in November.

This season, he has officiated 13 games in all competitions including the Europa League, Premier League and Championship. He has dished out 72 yellow cards, which is an average of 5.54 per game. Brooks is yet to produce a red card this season.

His assistants will be Simon Bennett and Daniel Robathan, who are both yet to be the referee in a match this season. They have both been the assistant pairing for John Brooks on multiple occasions this season.

The fourth official on Thursday is Gavin Ward, who has officiated 14 games this season in both the Championship and EFL Cup. Ward has given 61 yellow cards and five red cards this season.

Tottenham Hotspur host Liverpool in a huge Premier League contest on Sunday

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Liverpool striker Diogo Jota missed training on Monday just days after returning from injury in a fresh concern for the Merseyside club ahead of the busy festive period. The Portugal international limped out of Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Chelsea in mid-October and only returned to action against Fulham over the weekend.

The forward came off the bench to score for 10-man Liverpool as they drew 2-2 with the Cottagers at Anfield on Saturday afternoon. Their next Premier League game is a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but they first face Southampton in the last eight of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Providing an update on the player, Liverpool boss Arne Slot said on Tuesday: "Diogo would have been definitely one that it was ideal for him to play, but after the [Fulham] game he wasn't completely fit, so he didn't train with us yesterday. Let's see if he can train with us today. Don't expect him to start. Hopefully he can make some minutes, but don't expect him to start tomorrow."

Jota has five goals and two assists in 11 Liverpool appearances this season. He has played Tottenham six times in the Premier League - twice as a Wolves player and four times since joining Liverpool - with three goals and one assist against the North London club. The Reds are also likely to be without Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate against Spurs but left-back Kostas Tsimikas is "close" to a return. Slot added: “Kostas is coming close. He’s going to be training with us today [Tuesday], maybe for the first time, so let’s see how that works out.”

Sunday’s fixture could prove to be a huge one in terms of the Premier League title race. Spurs' rivals Chelsea have the chance to go top of the table on Saturday as they face Everton at Goodison Park. Victory for the Blues will move them into first place ahead of kick off in North London on Sunday. Only a Liverpool win will put the Reds back on top for Christmas Day.

However, Blues boss Enzo Maresca has been keen to play down his side's title credentials, as he said after Sunday's 2-1 win over Brentford: “No matter how many games we are going to win, I think we’re not ready to compete for the title. One of the reasons is I think the team that knows how to compete to win titles will not concede a goal like we concede. On 90 minutes, a throw-in for us and we concede a goal. A team that knows how to win titles, that goal they’re not to going to concede. It’s why I continue to say that we are not ready for titles. Even if you don’t believe me. I would love the pressure to compete for the title. But we cannot concede the goal we concede and open the game and give them the chance to take a point here.”

Tottenham Hotspur host Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will serve his full seven-game suspension an independent appeal board dismissed an appeal from the player. Bentancur was hit with the ban by the FA for a racist remark made about teammate Son Heung-Min and the South Korea national side during the summer.

The 27-year-old has already missed key matches against Chelsea and Manchester City after missing five matches. He was also handed a £100,000 fine by the FA as the results of an investigation were confirmed last month. The denial of the appeal means he will be out of Thursday's Carabao Cup clash at home to Manchester United and miss Sunday's Premier League clash with Liverpool.

An FA statement read: "An independent Appeal Board has dismissed an appeal by Rodrigo Bentancur in relation to his recent suspension. An independent Regulatory Commission imposed a seven-match suspension on the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder for an aggravated breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview. This appeal was dismissed following a hearing, and the seven-match suspension remains as ordered by the Regulatory Commission. The Appeal Board’s written reasons for its decision will be published in due course."

Liverpool will be boosted by the return of Arne Slot and Andy Robertson on Sunday after both men were hit with one-game bans. Robertson was sent off against Fulham on Saturday while Slot picked up his third yellow card of the season. The Reds' involvement in the Carabao Cup in midweek means the pair will be banned against managerless Southampton at St Mary's rather than serving their respective suspensions in the Premier League.

Slot addressed his touchline suspension ahead of the Reds' trip to Southampton: "I think in general I am calm, but, I don't know if it is smart to say this, but there is also a limit for me - let's put it that way - and then I can get emotional. Unfortunately that limit is only reached by refereeing decisions, more so than the decision my players make, because they make more good decisions than the referees do. In my opinion. For my team. The Chelsea game was emotional. We should have had a second penalty but the VAR changed it. This game I think there were a lot of controversial decisions being made. So, as I said, the Chelsea game was emotional and maybe I should stay just underneath [the line] than going above. It is what it is."

A Premier League statement also confirmed because Robertson was shown a straight red, his ban could be served in another domestic competition. It read: "The Scot received a red card in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Fulham after denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. He won't miss any Premier League matches, however, as he will serve his ban in the EFL Cup quarter-final versus Southampton in midweek."

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Tottenham Hotspur have a chance to get to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with a win against Manchester United.

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Tottenham Hotspur will be keen to follow on from their 5-0 win against Southampton at the weekend, as they have a chance to get closer to an elusive piece of silverware.

Ange Postecoglou’s side play against Manchester United on Thursday 18 December in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, which could put them one game away from a trip to Wembley.

Spurs haven’t won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup and have developed a reputation for their lack of silverware over the past 15 years. Postecoglou had also claimed before the season that he always wins a trophy in his second year at a club, adding a further layer of narrative to Thursday’s clash against United.

Spurs will host Ruben Amorim’s side who beat rivals Manchester City 2-1 last weekend, in what was United’s first Manchester derby win since last season’s FA Cup final.

The game will kick off at 8 pm and Spurs arguably have a lot more to lose, due to it being their first chance of winning a trophy this year under Postecoglou.

EFL pick match officials for crucial quarter-final

The EFL have announced who will officiate the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night. John Brooks will referee the match. It will be his 14th game this season after dishing out 72 yellow cards, but no reds.

Brooks has also taken charge of seven matches in the Premier League, including Tottenham’s impressive 4-0 win against Manchester City in November - a game in which he handed out six yellow cards.

He was also recently the referee during what became a feisty affair between Wolves and West Ham, resulting in a post-match argument between players from both teams.

Brooks’ assistants will be Simon Bennett and Daniel Robathan who have both worked with Books on multiple occasions this season, including the two aforementioned games.

Gavin Ward will be the fourth official. He has mainly been a Championship referee this season. He has officiated 13 games this season, with 58 yellow cards and five reds.

Manchester United have suffered a fresh injury blow ahead of Thursday’s Carabao Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur

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Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United both head into Thursday’s Carabao Cup quarter final in high spirits after the two sides picked up important wins in the Premier League on Sunday.

After a worrying run of form, Spurs hammered Southampton 5-0 at St Mary’s, with all five goals coming in the first half. James Maddison opened and closed the scoring with a goal in the first minute along with a strike in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. It proved to be the final straw for Russell Martin at the Saints, as he was sacked late on Sunday night. That was the second Premier League sacking of the day after Wolves also parted company with Gary O’Neil less than a week after a 2-1 loss at West Ham and following on from a dramatic defeat against Ipswich Town by the same scoreline.

In Manchester, United were involved in some drama of their own as they piled the misery on Manchester City and boosted Arsenal and Chelsea’s Premier League title hopes. Pep Guardiola’s side led the Manchester derby 1-0 until the 88th minute but lost 2-1 to their rivals after a Bruno Fernandes penalty and a 90th-minute winner from forward Amad - who had also won the spotkick just a few minutes earlier.

However, there was a tinge of disappointment for the Red Devils as former Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount was injured early in the game. Our sister title Manchester World has reported that manager Ruben Amorim says Mount asked to be replaced after he 'stretched his leg'. Mount has been plagued by injury problems over the last 18 months and has already missed 30 games for United since his move from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford in the summer of 2023. He was consoled by teammates as he received treatment on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium as he looked on the verge of tears.

Amorim said of the midfielder: "Mason Mount, he stretched his leg in play. He felt something, so let's recover. He is really important for us, he is the kind of player I really like. He is the kind of player that our team needed, because he is talented, he works really hard and he is humble. So we need him a lot."

Reflecting on the result, Amorim added: “I think we did a great job, we controlled it very well. We didn’t allow much, of course we don’t create so much either but it was a divided game. But we believed a lot. It was different from Arsenal, we controlled the Arsenal game in the first half but I didn’t feel that belief. Today I felt it and I think that was the key point to change the game. I think for the fans it has a deep meaning especially in this context, this moment, but we had a difficult moment one week ago against Nottingham (Forest) at home, in the storm. After this match we are more happy, three points, but we have to continue and don’t stop. Next week we are playing again and it will change the way we see the team. Today is a good day, let’s enjoy it for 10 minutes and then think about the next game.”