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What Aston Villa’s starting line-up could look like next season - will Marcus Rashford or Marco Asensio sign permanently?

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Aston Villa were one of the Premier League’s busiest clubs in the last transfer window and we doubt that they’ll take things too much slower this summer – with several needs to address and some key players only at Villa Park on loan, the club have a lot of work to do.

A centre-back and a striker are among the priorities for Unai Emery’s side as they work to build a squad which can compete for a top four berth year after year, but they also need to work out whether they can acquire loan stars Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio on a permanent basis.

To help figure out what Villa’s squad could look like next season, we’ve pored over some of the more realistic rumours floating around to put together a plausible starting XI for 2025/26, featuring new faces, £266m of talent and an awful lot of cash on the bench…

New faces in defence

GK: Emiliano Martínez (£20m); LB: Lucas Digne (£25m); RB: Jon Aramburu (£33m); CB: Ezri Konsa (£12m), Juan Foyth (£25m)

Expect plenty of movement across the back four. Injuries have revealed a lack of depth along Villa’s defence and they were forced to spend £5m to secure an eleventh-hour loan of Chelsea’s Axel Disasi at the end of the last transfer window just to put some plaster over the cracks.

We suspect Disasi won’t be back permanently unless Chelsea are willing to accept a cut-price deal (which is quite possible) but do believe that Villa’s reported interest in Villarreal defender Juan Foyth, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, is sincere. He’d compete with Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres for starts – someone had to be dropped for this exercise, so we picked Torres, but to be clear, we don’t think he’s leaving.

We also think Villa will look at a right-back to battle Matty Cash for starting minutes, and Real Sociedad’s Jon Aramburu is a name that’s cropped up a few times recently. Newcastle are supposedly interested, too, and alleged valuations are all over the shop, ranging from €15m (£13m) to €40m (£33m). We’ve picked the higher amount for dramatic effect. Expect a back-up goalkeeper, too, if Robin Olsen doesn’t sign a new contract.

Why midfield is a potential issue

DM: Amadou Onana (£50m), Youri Tielemans (free); AM: Marco Asensio (£13m)

Let’s start with our firm belief that Villa will make a bid to sign Asensio permanently and that PSG will let him leave – he isn’t a part of Luis Enrique’s plans in the French capital, and some stories suggest that he could be sold for as little as €15m (£13m) come the summer. We suspect Asensio will be strutting his stuff for Villa Park for a while yet – unless an even bigger side enter the bidding.

The midfield pairing of Onana and Tielemans remains our first-choice for next season (at least when Onana is fit) but we do think Villa need some depth here, and are surprised to see so few rumours linking them with players in this area.

They’ve been linked with impending free agent Angel Gomes a few times, but other clubs seem to be even more keen, while they have also been linked with talented young Olympiacos man Christos Mouzakitis (already a senior international at 18) but we would be surprised if more players weren’t of interest. The press just haven’t picked up on it yet.

Will Rashford move to Villa Park permanently?

LW: Marcus Rashford (£40m); RW: Morgan Rogers (£15m); FW: Ollie Watkins (£33m)

Yes, we reckon that Rashford has sparkled enough already to convince Monchi and his transfer team to trigger the £40m option to buy clause included in his loan deal. He’s back in the England squad and if not yet back to full speed, he’s looking far more lively than he did at Old Trafford over the past 18 months.

We don’t think Villa will make a splash elsewhere along the front three with Morgan Rogers, Leon Bailey and Donyell Malen all on the books, and suspect a big-money link with Sporting winger Pedro Gonçalves may be a red herring – but we do think that a new striker is firmly on the cards.

With Jhon Durán gone, another player who can compete for Ollie Watkins’ minutes is a must, and Villa seem to be especially interested in young Porto forward Samu Agehowa (formerly known as Omorodion), who nearly joined Chelsea last year. He’s been banging them in down in Portugal since a switch to Stamford Bridge fell through, and Porto seem to want £67m for his services. It’s a lot of money, but not necessarily unmanageable.

Would this team have enough juice to compete for the top four once again, or to make a convincing tilt at some domestic silverware? Much would depend on whether the loan stars can continue their impressive early form once they’re permanent residents of Birmingham – but there would certainly be some cause for optimism about these signings.

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The latest Premier League rumours including news from Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur

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Premier League clubs have the chance to bring in some new signings this summer when the next transfer window opens. They also have the opportunity to let some players head out the exit door too.

Liverpool lead the way at the summit as they close in on the title under Arne Slot. According to The Mirror, they are ‘set’ to beat the likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

Guehi, 24, could be seen by the Reds as someone to bolster their defensive department. He has made 22 caps for the England national team so far in his career and is a key player at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles snapped him up in 2021 from Chelsea after he caught the eye out on loan at Swansea City. He has since played 145 matches for his current club in all competitions and has scored eight goals, three of which have come this season.

The 3AM Verdict: Marc Guehi would be a great signing for Liverpool if they were able to get him. He would boost their defensive ranks and would give them more competition at the back. He has proved himself at Crystal Palace over recent years and is an experienced operator at the top level. This summer seems like the ideal opportunity for him to test himself at a bigger club now.

Manchester United eye Lille striker Jonathan David

Manchester United are interested in a move for Lille striker Jonathan David, according to Italian news outlet CalcioMercato. West Ham and Liverpool are also said to be keen on the Ligue 1 ace.

David, 25, has been prolific since moving to France back in 2020 and has fired 107 goals in 224 matches. Prior to his move there, he found the net on 37 occasions in 83 outings for Gent in Belgium.

He is out of contract at the end of this campaign and is due to become a free agent as things stand. The attacker will be weighing up his options as he decides what is best for him next.

The 3AM Verdict: It is no secret that Manchester United need to add more quality to their ranks. Jonathan David has proved he can score goals in both Belgium and France in the past and would give the Red Devils something different up top. However, they would need to see off competition from elsewhere with West Ham and Liverpool also mentioned as suitors.

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Timo Werner linked with MLS switch

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Timo Werner is on the radar of New York Red Bulls, according to TEAMtalk. The Germany international is on loan at Spurs from RB Leipzig and his future with Ange Postecoglou’s side is up in the air right now.

Werner linked up with the London outfit on a temporary basis in 2024 and he has since scored three goals in 41 outings. He is due to return to his parent club later this year and they have a decision to make on what to do with him next amid links with a switch to MLS.

The 3AM Verdict: A move to New York Red Bulls would make sense for Timo Werner considering their links with RB Leipzig. It is unlikely that Spurs will sign him on a permanent basis. Going to MLS would give him the chance to experience football in a new country and culture.

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The latest injury news and return dates from Fulham as they prepare to host Tottenham

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European hopefuls Fulham host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend in what promises to be an intriguing all-London affair.

Marco Silva’s side have been one of the dark horses in the Premier League this season and have already taken points off the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham in what has so far been a stellar campaign for the West London side.

Fulham currently sit 10th in the Premier League table and are firmly in the hunt for football on the continent for the first time since Roy Hodgson’s successful tenure at the club back in 2010. The Cottagers are only four points behind seventh placed Brighton heading into the weekend and are just five points behind Manchester City in fifth position, which could ultimately be enough for a team to secure Champions League football due to England’s strong UEFA co-efficient.

Fulham’s current position in the league table will come as something of envy to opponents Tottenham, who have endured a serious fall from grace this season after an avalanche of injury issues. The Lillywhites, who finished fifth in the league last season, currently sit in 13th position - nine points behind Fulham, despite winning three of their last five league matches.

Spurs also have the added distraction of a second leg Europa League round-of-16 game before travelling to West London, which could result in some rotation on Ange Postecoglou’s part. The North London side are carrying a whole host of fitness problems heading into this busy week of action, but what does the injury situation look like from Fulham’s perspective? Here’s all you need to know.

Fulham’s injury issues

Kenny Tete - out: Dutch right-back Kenny Tete has racked up 15 appearances this season but has been missing since a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in December with a knee injury. “It's going to be probably to the end of March [or the] beginning of April. It's a long, long time without him.” Explained Marco Silva in his most recent update. Expected return date: 01/04/25.

Sasa Lukic - suspended: Sasa Lukic is serving a two-match suspension for picking up 10 yellow cards in the Premier League this term. The Serbian is an all-action midfielder that plays on the edge and that has so far been key to Fulham’s strong season. He missed the 2-1 defeat to Brighton last time out and has one more game on the sidelines against Spurs before being reintroduced in April. Expected return date: 01/04/25.

Harry Wilson - out: Welsh midfielder Harry Wilson has missed the last five matches with a knee injury but is well on the road to recovery for Marco Silva’ side. The Portuguese head coach commented in February:”We have to step by step keep recovering him. It's going to take a long time, probably the beginning of April.” Expected return date: 05/04/25.

WATCH: The Premier League Panel: Will Liverpool or Newcastle win the League Cup?

Reiss Nelson - out: Summer signing Reiss Nelson has been limited to just 11 appearances in this season’s loan spell from Arsenal after sustaining a thigh injury and has struggled to build on the promise he displayed on loan at Hoffenheim in the 2018/19 season. Marco Silva commented last month: “He got surgery and could be out until the end of the season. I don't want to give a timescale that is 100 per cent sure, but it could be out until the end of the season. It's a big blow for us, definitely. He was really unlucky.” Expected return date: 01/06/25.

Will Adama Traore be involved against Tottenham Hotspur?

Adama Traore - doubt: Adama Traore has enjoyed something of a career renaissance in terms of productivity in the final third with two goals and five assists this term. The Spanish international, who is blessed with electric speed and acceleration, has been doing individual work on the training ground in recent weeks and is being assessed by the medical team ahead of a potential comeback. Marco Silva commented before the defeat to Brighton: “Let's see, we have another session tomorrow to take a decision. It's probably too early to say, 'yes or no.” Expected return date: 16/03/25.

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What Tottenham Hotspur’s team might look like next season if summer transfer rumours prove to be true.

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Tottenham Hotspur have, let’s face it, not had a great season. Endless injuries and inconsistent form have sunk them into the bottom half of the table, and a lack of depth and quality in the squad has been exposed, at times ruthlessly. It’s fair to assume that they will be busy this summer.

The rumour mill has reacted accordingly, connecting the club with a slew of players up and down the pitch, and while in reality that club likely won’t spend quite as much money as the transfer columns suggest – this is still a Daniel Levy club, after all – but you can safely assume that Spurs will make a splash.

With that in mind, we’ve worked out a likely starting XI for next season assuming some of the more plausible transfer rumours work out – a total of £410m worth of players old and new. Let’s see what the new look Spurs could look like in 2025/26…

Goalkeeper and defence

GK: Guiglielmo Vicario (£17m); LB: Destiny Udogie (£17m); RB: Pedro Porro (£43m); CB: Dean Huijsen (£50m), Micky van de Ven (£43m)

For the most part, we’re assuming that Spurs stick with their expensively-assembled back line, not least because when fit and firing the individual components of their defence are all really rather good – but we’re adding one new face, brilliant young Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.

Spurs are one of several teams reportedly interested in the Amsterdam-born centre-half, who has shone since breaking into the Cherries’ first team over the winter, and he allegedly has a release clause which would make him available for £50m. That could be a bargain.

On paper, Huijsen could build a nice partnership with Van de Ven. Their playing style complement each other well – Van de Ven is at his best stepping up and pressurising ball carriers while running the ball forward himself, while Huijsen’s superb anticipation makes him a brilliant sweeper in behind. That and some rumours linking Cristian Romero with a move away is with the Argentine has made way in our starting XI.

Midfield

DM: Lamine Camara (£42m), Jhonny Cardoso (£21m); AM: James Maddison (£40m)

Ange Posetcoglou has been practically begging for new midfielders for some time now – and we reckon he could get more than one. Spurs already have a first option on American midfielder Cardoso as part of the deal which sent Giovanni Lo Celso to Real Betis, so it wouldn’t be any kind of surprise to see him make the move, but we also like the link with AS Monaco wonderkid Lamine Camara.

The 21-year-old Senegalese midfielder is far from the only player in that position whose name has come up in connection with Spurs, but he is among the most exciting and versatile – according to reports, he’d cost €50m (about £42m), which doesn’t feel like an unreasonable asking price given his box-to-box skill set.

We don’t necessarily think that Camara and Cardoso would hog all the first-team minutes over the likes of Bentancur and Sarr, but this would be a fairly pointless article if we didn’t give the new boys the nod in the rotation system…

Forwards

WF: Son Heung-Min (£22m), Tyler Dibling (£55m); CF: Dominic Solanke (£65m)

Is £55m too much for young Tyler Dibling? Perhaps, but Spurs and RB Leipzig are the two teams whose names are coming up most often in connection with the Southampton forward, and that’s the alleged asking price.

We suspect that he’d come in a little cheaper, in all truth, but don’t rule out a bidding war for a flexible forward whose off-ball movement has really caught the eye when he’s been available this season – the 19-year-old has been one of a very small number of silver linings to the massive rain cloud dangling ceaselessly over St. Mary’s this season.

Spurs are likely to sign a new centre-forward as well as they aim to find some depth behind Solanke, who has played well when fit but whose occasional absences have demonstrated the dearth of attacking talent behind him in the pecking order.

That’s four new faces in total in the starting line-up next season, none of whom are all that unlikely to be on the move, with North London an eminently plausible destination for the lot – but what will Levy do when the chips are down this summer? We’ll find out before too long…

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The latest Spurs team news, injury update and predicted XI ahead of their Premier League clash with Bournemouth

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Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action this weekend with a home clash against AFC Bournemouth. Ange Postecoglou’s side take on the Cherries on Sunday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they look to return to winning ways.

Spurs were beaten 1-0 away at AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League clash on Thursday night. They have work to do in the second leg as they look to turn it around.

Postecoglou’s side are sat in 13th place in the table after a disappointing seasn to date. They have 33 points on the board with 11 fixtures left to play.

Tottenham Hotspur predicted XI

Guglielmo Vicario is back fit for Spurs and has become their number one again as he looks to keep a clean sheet against Bournemouth. January signing Antonin Kinsky provides back-up from the bench.

£34m man Pedro Porro was on the bench for the London club against AZ before coming on and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him come back into the team. He likes to get up and down the flank, with Djed Spence doing the same on the other side.

Archie Gray continues to slot in at centre-back as Postecoglou waits for the right time to throw Micky van de Ven back into the fold following his injury issues. Kevin Danso, who joined this past winter from RC Lens, is also likely to get the nod again with some key players still sidelined in that department.

Midfielders James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur are poised to feature again for Spurs, whilst Pape Matar Sarr may come in for Lucas Bergvall to freshen things up. The trio will all be eager to cause the Cherries some issues and create opportunities for the players ahead of them on the pitch.

Going forward, Mathys Tel, Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson all have pace to get in behind defenders. Dominic Solanke took a knock against AZ and is now an injury doubt which gives other players in that department the chance to show what they can do.

Vicario; Porro, Gray, Danso, Spence; Maddison, Bentancur, Bergvall; Son, Tel, Johnson

What did Ange Postecoglou say after Europa League loss?

Spurs were left disappointed after losing to AZ and speaking after that defeat, Postecoglou said: "It wasn’t great from us tonight, pretty much in all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

“It was a tricky surface, but having said that, we knew that from (training). We just didn’t tackle the challenges we had out there in a positive way. That allowed AZ to get into a rhythm, which when you’re playing away from home, it is difficult to stem the tide."

He added: "I don’t think it’s a matter of effort or attitude. I don’t think it is going out there and not trying, but like I said, we didn’t really come to grips and have the right mindset to tackle an away fixture in Europe. It is always tough and we obviously conceded the goal, which was a disappointing set of events, but even after that we didn’t really settle down into the game at all. You are going to face some pressure when you play away from home in Europe and weather the storm and get to grips with it, but we never really did so that was a disappointment."

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Our round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours features news from Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and more.

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Welcome to Wednesday’s wrap-up of the biggest and boldest new Premier League transfer rumours – today, we’ve got updates from Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Wolves and more, but we’re going to get things going up at Anfield.

TBR Football claims in a new report that Arne Slot has told Liverpool’s transfer team that he is “ready to move on” from left-back Kostas Tsimikas in favour of a new model – and his preference seems to be 21-year-old Bournemouth starlet Milos Kerkez.

Antonee Robinson and Jorrel Hato have both been widely linked with a move to Merseyside, but this report reckons that the young Hungarian is actually at the top of the shopping list, with the Cherries “ready to allow” Kerkez to leave for a fee of £50m.

Not that they’re alone in their admiration of the youngster, who has been highly impressive this season (and is in the Top 10 of our latest Wonderkid Power Rankings, if you’ll pardon the blatant plug) – AC Milan are keen, too, it would seem, having had the full-back on their books briefly before he left for AZ Alkmaar.

The 3AM Verdict: It’s no great shock that Kerkez is on Liverpool’s list – left-back is a clear position of need with Andrew Robertson starting to slow down slightly, and Kerkez has been one of a remarkable number of extremely impressive left-backs under the age of 21 this season, and perhaps the most available of them. Whether they end up going in this direction of a player like Robinson, who’s older but has a more proven end product, is anybody’s guess.

Spurs among teams taking ‘first steps’ towards £37m signing

Over to a story from Sport Witness, now – they’ve picked up on rumours from Italy which suggest that Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and indeed Liverpool are all interested in Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman. The hat-trick hero from last year’s Europa League has had a bit of a falling-out which manager Gianpiero Gasperini, and it looks likely that he’ll be leaving Bergamo this summer.

Spurs and Liverpool have allegedly both “taken the first steps” towards a formal offer which is expected to be in the region of €45m (£37.2m), although it’s not speculated as to whether Atalanta would find that an acceptable fee – but it could be enough to blow Juventus, who are also interested, out of the water, especially given that Atalanta apparently don’t want him to stay in Serie A. There’s no detail on Chelsea’s interest, and it’s heavily implied that they’re further back in the queue.

The 3AM Verdict: Lookman’s future is starting to brew up into a proper summer saga and it seems increasingly probable that he’ll be back in England for a second bite at the Premier League cherry after struggling there earlier in his career. We think the Spurs link sounds more likely due to their positional needs and finances.

Wolves could lose veteran defender on a free this summer

To round things off today, we’ll finish with a second story from those busy beavers over at Sport Witness – this time, they’ve noted some comments made by Benfica manager Bruno Lage about a former player of his, Wolves full-back Nelson Semedo.

Not that the comments themselves are the interesting thing, per se, but it’s the story which suggests that the experienced right-back could be heading back to his homeland to play for Benfica next summer, with Wolves starting to look likely to lose him for a free. The comments themselves are classic “no comment, but definitely no denial” fare, but it sounds like the Portuguese media are starting to hype this move up quite a bit, with A Bola alleging that “the transfer is advancing”.

The 3AM Verdict: Semedo has been playing some of his best football for Wolves of late, and Sport Witness wonders whether he might view a return to Benfica this summer as coming a little prematurely at 31 years old – but contract talks with Wolves seem to have stalled, which isn’t a great sign.

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The latest injury news as Spurs prepare for a Europa League last 16 showdown with AZ Alkmaar

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Tottenham Hotspur return to action with a Europa League last 16 clash against Dutch heavyweights AZ Alkmaar.

The Lilywhites have experienced the rare luxury of having a full week's rest after their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. Although Postecoglou would have preferred to have been participating in the FA Cup at the weekend, the break could come as a blessing in disguise for his over-run squad as it gives key players ample time to gain fitness and put themselves on the brink of a return.

Spurs will be putting their full focus into Europe during the final furlong of the season as they aim to put an end to their 17-year trophy drought. Here we round up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their trip to the Netherlands to face opponents that they edged out in the League Phase last year.

Tottenham defensive injury issues

Cristian Romero - doubt: Argentina international Romero has been out injured since December when he suffered a hamstring injury during a 4-3 defeat against Chelsea. However, he is a possible candidate to return against AZ on Thursday, but Postecoglou will likely want to be cautious with him. The Spurs boss explained when discussing Romero and others last week: “They are all similar times, hopefully in the next seven to 10 days. A couple of them are already training, but over that period, we’ll start incorporating them back into matchday squads.” Expected return date: 06/03/25.

Micky van de Ven - doubt: Another huge miss for Spurs in recent months. Van de Ven enjoyed a stellar campaign last season and is blessed with the ability to thrive in Postecoglou’s high line and attacking system. He is back in training and could make his return on Thursday night against AZ, which would provide a huge boost for Spurs. Expected return date: 06/03/25.

Ben Davies - doubt: Yet another defender who is recovering from an injury, experienced Welsh international Davies picked up a knock in the 1-0 victory against Manchester United a fortnight ago. He is currently being assessed and is a 50/50 for the trip to AZ. Expected return date: 06/03/25.

Radu Dragusin - out: Romanian international Radu Dragusin will miss the remainder of the season with a serious ACL injury. He is hoping to return before the end of the calendar year in December. Expected return date: 6/12/25.

When will Dominic Solanke be back to fitness for Tottenham?

Dominic Solanke - out: Marquee summer signing Dominic Solanke has scored 11 across all competitions in a steady but unspectacular start to his career in the capital. He has missed several weeks with a knee injury but could return to face his former club Bournemouth at the weekend. Expected return date: 09/03/25.

Richarlison - out: Ex-Everton hero Richarlison suffered an injury during Spurs’ 4-0 defeat against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final at the start of February. He is getting closer to a return but looks like the Europa League game will come too soon. He, like Solanke, could return for the Bournemouth clash. Expected return date: 09/03/25.

WATCH: The Premier League: Should Wolves feel safe after beating Bournemouth?

Newcastle and Manchester United starlets are among the risers in our latest countdown of the Premier League’s best young players.

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Sometimes, the Wonderkid Power Rankings are a joy to compile, as we get to watch the Premier League’s most remarkable talents playing their hearts out as they bid to force their way into first teams and make their name in the toughest division in the world. On other weeks, we mostly watch them fail.

This week wasn’t a complete write-off, and a couple of our young guns did impress, but for the most part this was a down week. Forwards cut frustrated figures, defenders shipped goals, midfielders couldn’t pick their passes – and one member of last week’s Top 10, Myles Lewis-Skelly, contrived to get himself sent off, which also gets him kicked out of our rankings for the time being.

Still, for all the struggles we witnessed we have two of the top flight’s Under-21s trending upwards and one brand new entry who arrived in the January transfer window, so there’s plenty to smile about - but did anyone do enough to unseat reigning Power Rankings champions Dean Huijsen?

Before we get started in earnest, we also wanted to note the absence of one player who has been a staple of these rankings since their inception – Levi Colwill, whose recent form saw him slide out of the Top 10, and who won’t be back given that he turns 22 this Wednesday. It’s a shame that he signs off on a bum note, but he’s been a near-constant over the past 18 months, so it only seems fair to applaud his excellence and consistency since breaking into the Chelsea squad last season. Happy birthday, Levi. Now, on with the latest rankings…

When it came to the work that Baleba is actually paid to do – forcing turnovers, hassling opposing midfielders and keeping possession ticking over – he did everything in his usual solid, unfussy manner without raising any alarms. When it came to the work the Cameroonian isn’t in the side for, however, it was a different story, and Baleba missed two seemingly straightforward chances towards the end of the game which were worth 1.01xG between them. Basically, Baleba really should have got on the scoresheet, but given that Brighton thumped Southampton 4-0 anyway and it would be harsh to knock a defensive midfielder down a peg for failing to score, we’re keeping him in tenth this week.

Have Manchester United made a smart signing for once? On the evidence of Dorgu’s last two matches, they might just have done something right in the transfer market. Dorgu needs to be more effective in the final third – he only completed one cross in nine attempts in the recent games against Tottenham and Everton – but he’s been quietly impressive off the ball, winning 15 out of 19 ground duels in those two games and refusing to allow a single opposing player to beat him on the run. A promising start to life at Old Trafford, not that much else is going right for Ruben Amorim right now.

The Gambian winger’s output is definitely starting to trend upwards and he picked up an assist in the rout of Southampton, seizing on one of many, many defensive mistakes to offer Kaoru Mitoma a tap-in to make it 2-0 – but like Baleba, he absolutely should have done more given the number of dangerous positions he got himself in. As for his second-half miss, when he rounded Aaron Ramsdale only to dawdle long enough in front of a near open goal to allow the former Arsenal man to get back and claw it out from under Minteh’s feet… let’s be generous and credit the goalkeeper. Very generous.

We noted last week that the Hungarian left-back is in a bit of a lull of late, at least by the high standards that he’s set this season, and that continued in the surprising 1-0 defeat to Wolves. His good positional sense ensured he made some important interceptions and clearances, but he struggled to handle Nelson Semedo and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde running at him and didn’t make much of a dent going forward, attempting six balls into the box but landing just one. A pretty poor day at the office, all told, and in a week when more youngsters impressed he might have slid further down the rankings.

Another player who would have fallen further most weeks, Nwaneri has had been outstanding of late but cut a frustrated and isolated figure in the loss to West Ham, failing to find room for a single shot and constantly trying to force the ball past defenders on the dribble only to lose possession. A game in which a staggeringly talented teenager showed us his inexperience rather than his immense technical quality, although credit must go to the Hammers defence for handling him extremely well.

Completing a mid-table trilogy of players who can be a little grateful that they only fall one place is Savinho, who played every minute of Manchester City’s humbling defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool without making much of an impact.

Normally, Savinho is constantly involved but a little hit-and-miss – this week, he barely even had a swing. He completed just one dribble in both matches, didn’t have a single shot on goal (both rarities for a Brazilian who lacks nothing in daring) and was generally a pretty peripheral figure. There were few mistakes or foul-ups, but if you only watched the highlights of either game you’d probably fail to notice he was even playing. Not normally the stuff a top five spot is made of, but it’s been that kind of week.

On a similar note, Bergvall’s tidy outing in the 4-1 win over Ipswich Town wouldn’t normally merit a three-place surge up the rankings, but someone had to be the beneficiary of all those bad days and the Swede simply didn’t put a foot wrong against the embattled Tractor Boys, even if he wasn’t exactly the star of the show.

As per usual, Bergvall was immaculate on the ball, always finding space and moving it on to keep moves going and did some solid work off the ball, forcing a couple of turnovers and keeping it tight down the middle of the park. In truth, he wasn’t as involved as he sometimes is and certainly didn’t have a huge influence on the final result, but there’s no arguing with his consistency or the maturity of his performances.

Speaking of tidy and highly impressive young midfielders who are quietly developing into seriously good Premier League players, Southampton’s struggles have really masked just what an impressive player Fernandes has become – and while this wasn’t his best all-round game given that he struggled to make tackles when the ball was heading back towards Ramsdale’s goal (which was all the time), his passing range was on full display once more.

Everything the Saints do well goes through Fernandes. Almost every attack and half-chance involves his pin-point passing, vision and ball-carrying quality, and it was his through ball which set Cameron Archer through for an equaliser which turned out to be offside. A player who stands out a mile amid all the mediocrity surrounding him.

All good things come to an end, and Huijsen’s four-week spell at the top of our charts is among them. The Amsterdam-born Spaniard has been sensational since breaking into Andoni Iraola’s starting side back in December, but endured what was probably his first genuinely bad game for Bournemouth in the home loss to Wolves.

He was culpable for Matheus Cunha’s goal, coming out to head clear a Semedo cross only to fail to reach the ball, allowing the Brazilian in behind him with only the goalkeeper to beat – and he was partially responsible for a double chance earlier in the game when Bellegarde skipped past him outside the box. There was plenty of solid work in there, too, and his ability to be in the right place at the right time every time the ball gets played in behind is uncanny, but this was a rare bad day for a brilliant young defender.

All of which means that Newcastle left-back Hall can reclaim the throne he sat on for a large part of the winter after playing a huge role in a thrilling 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest in which he picked up one assist if you’re a statistician, two if you run the Fantasy Premier League, and three if you’re a player who had him in your team. The numbers will say one, but that doesn’t fully reflect his attacking contribution.

Nobody can deny him the assist for the first goal, a cross for young Lewis Miley who finished superbly on the turn, but it was his surging run into space and deflected cross which teed up Jacob Murphy for the second and his cross which hit Ola Aina’s arm to draw a penalty which made it 3-1 – and his fine ball down the flank which set Joe Willock away to tee up the fourth. His vulnerability against quick dribblers running at him did crop up a couple of times, admittedly, but he did the solid majority of his defensive work well, too. A really big game from a fine young player coming back into his best form, and comfortably the best outing from any of this week’s Top 10.

The latest Spurs injury news as they prepare to take on Man City in the Premier League

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Tottenham Hotspur are back in action on Wednesday night with a home clash against Manchester City. They head into their upcoming fixture on the back of their 4-1 away win at Ipswich Town last time out.

Winger Brennan Johnson scored twice against the Tractor Boys. Meanwhile, Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski also got themselves on the score sheet at Portman Road.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have now won their last two Premier League games on the spin. They have risen up to 12th position in the table.

Tottenham Hotspur defensive issues

Radu Dragusin - out. The defender is out of action with a long-term knee injury. Postecoglou has said: “Radu underwent surgery today following his ACL injury. That procedure has now been completed, and the centre-back will now commence with his recovery before beginning the rehab process.” Expected return date: 06/12/2025.

Micky van de Ven - out. It has been a frustrating season for the centre-back and Spurs are being patient with him. His boss has said: “We've got a week before the first Europa game. We've got the weekend off. And again, that's about the time we're hoping that guys like (Cristian) Romero and Micky, in particular. They should be in and around that sort of mark.” Expected return date: 06/03/2025.

Cristian Romero - out. He has been sidelined with a thigh injury and it will be a boost when he is fit again. His head coach shared this update last week: “He's had [a follow-up scan]t and it's going well. He's in a good place. So, like I said, with him and Micky, it's just picking our moment now. We've got a really good period coming up where I think we can manage that where they're back. They've had good weeks of training with us.” Expected return date: 06/03/2025.

Tottenham Hotspur attacking woes

Dominic Solanke - out. The striker isn’t too far off at the moment as he recovers from a knee issues. Spurs have a decision to make about when to throw the former Liverpool and AFC Bournemouth man back in. Expected return date: 09/03/2025.

Richarlison - out. He remains in the treatment room for the London club and they will want to get him back on the pitch as quickly and as safely as they can. Postecoglou said earlier this month: “Richy, similar to Madders and Brennan... depending on how he recovers. Madders bounced back really quickly; it’s only been two and a bit weeks. Brennan has been three weeks - we’re looking at the same time frame for Richy.” Expected return date: 09/03/2025.

Timo Werner - doubt. Spurs will make checks on the forward as they prepare to face Ipswich. Postecoglou has said: “Timo is also training with us and is getting pretty close to being available.” Expected return date: 26/02/2025.

Spurs have been boosted by a few players coming back recently and if they can get the likes of Van de Ven, Romero, Richarlison, Solanke and Werner, there is no reason why they can’t have a strong end to this term.

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A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer headlines - including updates on Man Utd, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur

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Manchester United's season has gone from bad to worse under new boss Ruben Amorim with the club currently languishing in 15th position in the league table.

United have won just two of their seven league matches in 2025 and were plunged deeper into crisis after being held to a 2-2 draw at Everton as 16th placed West Ham went level on points with the Red Devils by picking up a 1-0 away victory against second placed Arsenal.

The Red Devils were fortunate to escape with a point on their final visit to Goodison Park and had to fight their way back from two goals down with late strikes from Portuguese duo Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte. They were also saved from humiliation in the final moments of the game when a controversial VAR call saved them from conceding a last-gasp penalty kick against a resurgent Toffees team.

Clearly at this stage, Amorim’s philosophy is yet to come to fruition at Old Trafford and it is suspected that after the sale of Marcus Rashford, Unite could look to bolster their team with further attacking options.

Man Utd consider move for Heung-min Son

Manchester United are understood to be planning a move for Tottenham Hotspur icon Heung-min Son in the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils have found the net just 30 times in the league this season - making them the joint fourth lowest scorers in the division ahead of just Everton, Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton. Ruben Amorim is desperate to rectify this issue and according to Spanish outlet Fichajes has set his sights on Spurs forward Son.

The South Korean international has scored a sensational 126 goals in 326 top-flight appearances for the Lillywhites - making him the joint 17th highest scorer of the Premier League era alongside fellow club legend Robbie Keane.

However, the 32-year-old has struggled to find the net on a regular basis this season with just six goals in 23 matches and has failed to so far reach his usual high standards. Son is under contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until the summer of 2026 and could be available for a cut-price fee by the summer.

The 3AM verdict: Manchester United are desperately short of goals and Heung-min Son even with just six has managed double that of Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund combined so it is clear to see why the South Korean international would be of interest to the Red Devils. However, Son at 32 is approaching the latter stages of his career and is not currently enjoying his best individual season.

Man Utd co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has said in the past that United should target top young talent and move more quickly to get deals done. "I would rather sign the next [Kylian] Mbappé rather than spend a fortune buying success.” So it is hard to see Son fitting in with the club’s philosophy at this stage.

Given the fact, he is Spurs captain and a club icon, despite being in the last year of his contract, it also appears increasingly unlikely that Ange Postecoglou or owner Daniel Levy would allow the striker to join a Premier League rival on the cheap.

Barcelona target in-form Liverpool star

Spanish heavyweights Barcelona have reportedly made Liverpool winger Luis Diaz a priority target in the summer transfer window. That’s according to Spanish outlet AS which claims that sporting director Deco is keen to finetune Barcelona’s attacking options with a blockbuster move for the talented Colombian international.

Barcelona have been handicapped by PSR regulations in recent transfer windows but are reported to now have more funds available to strengthen their frontline as they aim to establish themselves as the top team in Spanish football. Diaz has been in great form for Liverpool this season with 13 goals and two assists and has played a vital part in the Reds’ title push so far. The 28-year-old pace and ability to get past defenders is a quality that has been heavily praised. “Diaz, we can just give the ball to and see what happens.” said Arne Slot, via One Football.

The 3AM verdict: Luis Diaz is currently under contract until 2027, meaning the Reds are in no rush to sell the Colombian who has played such a significant role in their title push.

With uncertainty surrounding the future of Mohamed Salah, Liverpool should do everything they can to keep Diaz at the club to ensure continuity in their frontline. Diaz’s ability to play as both a winger and a forward makes him an asset in years to come and he remains a regular starter at Liverpool.

Despite having great quality, Diaz is not guaranteed the same level of opportunities at Barcelona due to the competition of Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski.