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The last year or so has been pretty depressing for West Ham United, but the squad does have some real talent in it.

Summer signings Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa could develop into regular starters; Lucas Paqueta’s quality is undeniable, and El Hadji Malick Diouf looks like one of the best left-backs in the Premier League.

However, the crown jewel in Nuno Espírito Santo’s current side is undoubtedly Jarrod Bowen, who continues to be a difference-maker for the Hammers.

Yet, there is another player in the squad who could, under the new management, develop into a Bowen-style star for West Ham.

Bowen's West Ham rise

When West Ham signed Bowen from Hull City in January 2020, there was some excitement over the move, as there is for most attacking additions, but it didn’t feel like it was going to be a particularly important signing at the time.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That opinion wasn’t really changed by the end of that season either, as while he didn’t do poorly, a return of one goal and four assists in 13 games wasn’t much to write home about.

Things started to pick up slightly the following season, as the promising winger produced 14 goal involvements in 40 games, but it was over the next two years that he began to establish himself as one of the best in the league.

For example, the 28-year-old ended the 21/22 season with a tally of 31 goal involvements and his first England cap, and then 22/23 delivered his defining moment as a Hammer.

That moment, of course, was the Conference League winning goal against Fiorentina, which not only brought the club their first European trophy but also cemented his legacy as a legend.

Since then, the former Hull gem has continued to perform and, as things stand, has made 246 appearances for the club, totalling 19611 minutes, in which he’s scored 77 goals and provided 52 assists.

That works out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.90 games, or every 152.02 minutes.

Appearances

246

Starts

221

Minutes

19611′

Goals

77

Assists

52

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

Minutes per Goal Involvement

152.02′

Points per Game

1.45

So, if Nuno can help develop another of West Ham’s attackers into a Bowen-type player this season, the club could end up having a memorable campaign.

The West Ham star who could become a Bowen-type player

Unfortunately, with West Ham’s attack not being particularly threatening at the moment, there is only really one player who could be developed into a Bowen-type star: Crysencio Summerville.

Now, the first thing to say is that no, the former Leeds United star is not as good a player as the Englishman, and is unlikely to become so in the next couple of seasons.

However, that does not mean he cannot become a player in his mould, or in other words, a winger who can provide a genuine threat from out wide, be that through goals, assists or their overall play.

Fortunately, the Dutchman is already starting to show positive signs this season, so getting that bit more out of him, like he did with his wingers at Nottingham Forest, shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for Nuno.

For example, while the 23-year-old was fairly anonymous away to Arsenal last weekend, he was brilliant away to Everton the week before.

In fact, the “unstoppable” Rotterdam-born dynamo, as dubbed by Statman Dave, was so good that he was named the Man of the Match, despite not scoring the equalising goal.

In his 77 minutes of action, he completed three of his five dribbles, more than anyone else on the night, won five of eight ground duels, amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.67, took 55 touches, played one key pass and won two fouls.

Finally, while the right-footed game-changer hasn’t been much of a goal threat in East London, he has it in his locker, as in his final campaign with Leeds, he racked up a tally of 21 goals and ten assists in 41 games.

Ultimately, Summerville is obviously not as good a player as Bowen and likely won’t be, but with more coaching, he could easily become someone West Ham can rely on in a similar way.

West Ham ace who's "pure joy to watch" could become Nuno's new Gibbs-White

The international star could be the secret to helping Nuno get more out of West Ham this season.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 10, 2025

India’s captain and coach confident that squad has enough fast-bowling depth to compensate for Bumrah missing some games

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-20252:30

Gambhir: ‘Enough quality in squad to replace Bumrah’

India have not yet decided which Tests in the upcoming five-match series in England Jasprit Bumrah will play, but captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir were confident the depth of their pace attack would make up for his likely absence.”We haven’t taken that call, which three games is he going to play,” Gambhir said during India’s pre-departure press conference in Mumbai. “We are going to have a discussion with him and depending on the series as well. A lot will depend on the results of the series, where the series is heading. That is something which I am sure he is very well aware of as well and that is important.”When announcing India’s Test squad last month, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Bumrah had been advised by medical staff not to risk playing several consecutive Tests as part of his workload management. The precautionary measure came after Bumrah suffered a stress reaction in the back during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney in January and only returned to action after Mumbai Indians’ first four games in IPL 2025.India’s 18-man Test squad includes Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh as the other specialist fast bowlers, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur the seam-bowling allrounders.Related

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“I think we have picked enough bowlers and we have enough pace battery and a lot of fast bowlers are in a great space to be able to win us Test matches from any situation or any position,” Gill said. “Obviously when you have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, depending on how many matches he would play, whenever he would come back and play the match for us, it would be a great sight for us. But I think we have a great mix of bowlers and a great set of bowlers who can get the job for the team done.Gambhir said: “I have said it before during the Champions Trophy [which Bumrah missed and India won] as well, it will give someone the opportunity to put his hand up and we have got enough talent there. I know that he is quality but we have got enough quality apart from him as well in the squad.”The series is India’s first since the retirements of Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin and Virat Kohli from Test cricket, and Mohammed Shami is also missing from the squad.The five Tests against England will be India’s first in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. They play the first Test at Headingley (from June 20), the second at Edgbaston (from July 2), the third at Lord’s (from July 10), the fourth at Old Trafford (from July 23), and the final at The Oval (from July 31).They begin the tour with a four-day match against India A at Beckenham on the outskirts of London between June 13 and 16.

For a free-flowing team that confidently strolled to the Championship title last season, Daniel Farke’s Leeds United have unfortunately misplaced their shooting boots in the Premier League so far.

Indeed, the entertaining Whites fired home a devastating 95 strikes in total last campaign, as 100 points were also tallied up.

Now, from their opening three games up a division, they have just a paltry single goal to shout about, with a mixed bag of four points next to their name.

Farke will just be praying it’s early-season nerves holding his wasteful team back, with lots more expected of Dominic Calvert-Lewin as he acclimatises to his new environment at Elland Road, after becoming synonymous with ex-employers Everton.

Calvert-Lewin's early Leeds struggles

After lining up for the Toffees 273 times across nine seasons, Calvert-Lewin walked away from Merseyside this summer for a fresh opportunity in West Yorkshire.

Everton did try to tempt the ex-Sheffield United striker to stay with a new, extended deal, but Farke and Co proved to be a more enticing next step, as the 11-time England international now attempts to recapture his best form in front of goal after an injury-ravaged few campaigns at Goodison Park.

Leeds will hope they can move past these recurring niggles and reawaken a clinical monster, with journalist Patrick Boyland once labelling the attacker as “outstanding” when he was scoring goals for fun at the Toffees.

In total, an impressive 71 goals would come Calvert-Lewin’s way at Everton, with 16 of those coming during just one Premier League season.

Yet, the early signs at the moment suggest that the Sheffield-born forward is bereft of confidence in front of goal, having endured a nightmare day at the office against Sheffield Wednesday recently.

Staring down the barrel of an embarrassing exit in the EFL Cup to Sheffield Wednesday, Farke would throw on Calvert-Lewin for the final 30 minutes of action, hopeful that he could be the difference-maker on his debut run-out.

Instead, he depressingly fluffed his lines whenever the pressure was ramped up, with four big chances spurned, before he also missed a penalty kick to hand the Owls a shock Cup win.

Farke could well feel it’s necessary to keep Calvert-Lewin on his toes now, knowing he’s still a little rusty, with a rising starlet perhaps pushed up for more first-team chances.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The Leeds prospect who could compete with Calvert-Lewin

Farke was the manager at the Elland Road helm who brought Archie Gray into the senior spotlight.

Gray would then go on to be a £40m sale to Tottenham Hotspur after seriously impressing throughout Leeds’ promotion-near miss.

Amazingly, the majority of his family members will be hoping for a similar rise for brother Harry Gray, who has already made waves in the first team picture.

With promotion all but wrapped up last season, the former Norwich City boss threw the 16-year-old sensation into the first-team mix, with a memorable eight-minute cameo handed to him against Stoke City in April.

It wasn’t just purely sentiment that gifted Gray a chance to strut his stuff with the likes of Manor Solomon and the other promotion heroes, however, with the teenager already tipped to have an immensely bright future in the game by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Indeed, he boldly stated that he is “one of England’s best prospects in his generation” after briefly lining up against the Potters.

The table above proves that Mattinson’s words aren’t just hyperbole either, with the 16-year-old already up to seven goals from ten games for the U21s at Premier League 2 level, away from collecting a lethal 15 strikes overall at youth level.

Calvert-Lewin could only dream of being in such a rich vein of goalscoring form himself, with a weak three strikes next to his name in the main Premier League last season.

Of course, just for his experience alone, Leeds will continue to try and get a tune out of their new marksman.

But, in the long run, do not rule out Gray making strides in the senior picture, having also been previously branded an “unbelievable” talent by former Leeds favourite Dominic Matteo.

Leeds now want international star who ripped Real Madrid defender to shreds

The Whites have sat up and taken notice of his performance.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Sep 8, 2025

Tamim Iqbal, the former Bangladesh captain, suffered a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League match in Savar, following which he underwent emergency angioplasty.Doctors said that Tamim Iqbal had regained consciousness and spoken to a family member following the emergency surgery on Monday. Tamim will remain in the coronary care unit (CCU) for the next 48 hours as doctors will monitor his recovery from the heart surgery.Tamim was leading Mohammedan Sporting Club against Shinepukur Cricket Club but fielded for just one over of the game’s first innings. After feeling discomfort in his chest, Tamim left the field and went to the KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing Home (formerly Fazilatunnesa Hospital) nearby to see doctors.”He was in good spirits during the toss,” Montu Dutta, the BKSP chief cricket coach, told reporters in the afternoon. “When he felt sick, he left the field and went to the hospital. The doctors there did not want to let him leave at the time, but Tamim left anyway.”As he returned to the ground a family member had made arrangements for an air ambulance to take Tamim to Dhaka. But Tamim was unable to do so as his condition worsened, to the extent that the Mohammedan team physio had to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him. He was then rushed back to the KPJ hospital as doctors at the ground felt lifting him on the air ambulance was out of the question.He arrived at the hospital in critical condition, according to doctors, and tests revealed a blockage in his arteries. An hour after the surgery was completed, the hospital held a short press briefing where it confirmed that Tamim had come to the hospital twice on Monday, the second time having suffered a heart attack. Cardiologist Dr. Moniruzzaman Maruf performed Tamim’s surgery, the hospital said.”He returned to us in a critical condition,” said Dr Rajib Hasan, of the KPJ Hospital. “We can call it a heart attack, and we subsequently did an angiogram and angioplasty to remove the blockage. The medical procedure has gone smoothly. He is currently under observation. The swift coordination between the medical staff at BKSP and the hospital ensured Tamim was treated quickly.”BCB’s chief physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury confirmed later that Tamim had regained consciousness. “Tamim Iqbal has regained consciousness. His vital signs are improving so we also hope that his overall health will also get better in the next 24 hours. The hospital has briefed you that they have put a ring in one of his arteries. The other arteries are healthy.”BCB cancelled their scheduled directors’ meeting soon after they heard of Tamim’s situation. President Faruque Ahmed rushed to the hospital alongside chief executive Nizamuddin Ahmed and director Akram Khan, Tamim’s uncle.”We are very thankful to all the medics and specialists for their swift actions in this critical situation,” BCB president Faruque Ahmed said in a statement*. “The outpouring of concern for Tamim reflects how much he is loved and appreciated by the nation.”The Chief Advisor’s Office, The Ministry of Youth & Sports, and the National Sports Council have been in constant touch with us and are receiving regular updates on Tamim’s condition.”The BCB is closely monitoring his health and continues to remain in contact with the hospital’s medical team. The board is committed to providing every support and assistance to ensure Tamim’s swift recovery.”Later in the afternoon, Tamim’s Mohammedan team-mates Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam visited him. A large number of reporters, camerapersons were at the hospital reception, apart from many fans and on-lookers.Having confirmed his international retirement in January this year, Tamim has continued to play domestic cricket. He led the Fortune Barishal franchise to a second successive BPL title last month. He had already struck two centuries in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, having now led Mohammedan to six wins in eight outings.GMT 1314 The report was updated with BCB president Faruque Ahmed’s statement.

On Friday afternoon, Jack Grealish was named the Premier League Player of the Month for August. It remains early days, but Grealish must be rather pleased with his decision to join Everton on loan this summer.

After just three matches of the campaign, two of which have been starts, Grealish has racked up four assists and added a degree of magic to an Everton side that is steeped in David Moyes’ typical industriousness.

Whether the 29-year-old stays on beyond his one-year stay at the Hill Dickinson Stadium remains to be seen, but the Blue fans have already subscribed to the idea, no doubt about it.

Grealish is Everton's hero

Everton suffered defeat in their opening game of the Premier League season, but have since claimed six points from six, and Grealish has provided the playmaking energy to achieve such success.

Don’t expect the attacking midfielder to provide prolific results each and every week, but his dribbling and presence and technical skill make him an incredibly exciting asset, with journalist Henry Winter praising him for “showing his talent and threat”.

The nature of Grealish’s creative role makes clear the fact that he will often take the plaudits. Add to that the embroidements of style and flair that the Three Lions man’s game has been defined by over the years of his career, and you have a player whose every movement will be tracked by a legion of riveted eyes.

However, Moyes and technical director Angus Kinnear have overseen a series of exciting signings this summer, and in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Everton might have made an even more impressive signing.

How Dewsbury-Hall is outshining Grealish

Dewsbury-Hall left boyhood club Leicester City for Chelsea in 2024, having played an instrumental role in guiding the Foxes back into the Premier League.

The Athletic’s Rob Tanner praised the midfielder for “giving Leicester record-breaking creativity”, and indeed, that has been translated to Everton in spite of a disappointing, peripheral campaign at Chelsea.

Indeed, according to Stats platform Opta, Dewsbury-Hall has created eight chances in the top flight already this term, more than any other English player – Grealish included – and he’s also settled nicely into the more defensive part of Everton’s game in Moyes’ system, winning 60% of his duels thus far.

A complete midfielder, the Merseysiders might just have pulled off a major coup with this one, whose talents could indeed lead him to stand as a quietly more impressive signing than Grealish, even if a permanent option/potentiality is exercised toward the end of the 2025/26 season.

Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish have been praised already this term for their “incredible interplay” by writer Garrett Post, and the more central star’s fluency across the season might be the catalyst for a sustained resurgence on Grealish’s part.

After all, Dewsbury-Hall has made a lightning start to life in a new setting, with such impactful ball-playing qualities that feed into a frontline that was lacking impetus at many points last year.

Matches (starts)

3 (3)

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches*

50.7

Pass completion

85%

Key passes*

2.7

Dribbles*

1.0

Ball recoveries*

3.0

Tackles*

1.0

Interceptions*

0.3

Duels (won)*

5.0 (60%)

Whether Moyes manages to maintain Dewsbury-Hall’s level at Everton across the campaign and beyond remains to be seen, but there’s no denying he has played at a ridiculous level across his opening few matches in a Toffees shirt.

Given his all-encompassing nature in midfield, Dewsbury-Hall might even prove to be the hallmark of a transformative summer transfer window, eclipsing even the flashy Grealish.

He's like Isak & Salah: Everton will rue selling "one of the best in Europe"

Two former Everton stars are now thriving in Italy.

ByWill Miller Sep 11, 2025

Russell Martin has been warned that there is an "obvious" replacement for him at Rangers: Sean Dyche. The SPFL giants have yet to win this season, recording four draws and one defeat from five games, and speculation continues to rage about a potential change in the Ibrox dugout. Kris Boyd believes Dyche is the ideal candidate.

A dismal start for Martin

Despite traditionally being one of the two most dominant sides in Scottish football, alongside Celtic, Rangers have yet to win a game in the top-flight this season, drawing four and losing one of their first five games. They are already nine points behind Celtic and Hearts at the top of the league, and it feels like Martin may not be long for Ibrox. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBoyd calls for replacement

Boyd, a Rangers legend who played for the club between 2006 and 2010, and in 2014-15, believes that Dyche is the "obvious" candidate, given his links with the club's sporting director Kevin Thelwell. 

A legend's recommendation

Boyd wrote in his Sky Sports column: "The obvious one for me would be Sean Dyche. Kevin Thelwell worked with him in the past, and he seems to have a lot of say in the players that are coming in.

"So if that relationship with Dyche is still there, he would be someone that I would maybe look to because he's shown that he can build football clubs up. And right now, Rangers need a strong character that's going to build it not only on the pitch, but off the pitch at the training centre.

"It just seems to be so broken, disjointed, and they're going to have to find a way to fix it."

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Getty Images SportMartin's last stand?

Rangers play Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final this weekend and then face Genk in their first Europa League game; two wins are required. 

Christian Pulisic may be ‘Captain America’ but it will be no big deal if he is not captain of America at the 2026 World Cup, says Brad Friedel.

• AC Milan has skippered his country at times
• Leadership roles to be filled before major tournament
• Pulisic committed after skipping Gold Cup duty

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Given his standing in the global game, as a superstar of Serie A with AC Milan, Pulisic remains an obvious candidate to take on leadership duties with his country. He may not be the loudest, as a reserved character, but can still inspire others with his actions.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Armbands have been passed in his direction at times – including at major tournaments, such as the 2024 Copa America – but there are plenty of others ready to lead the USMNT out of the tunnel.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Pulisic did skip Gold Cup duty in 2025, which attracted criticism from some, but said absence is not considered to have done his captaincy claims any harm – with Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching team looking for the 26-year-old to contribute in multiple departments.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT FRIEDEL SAID

  Quizzed on whether Pulisic is in the skipper picture less than a year out from a home World Cup, former USMNT goalkeeper Friedel – speaking in association with legalnibukmacherzy.pl – told GOAL: “I’m not in the camp so I’m not sure if that’s who Mauricio wants as a leader. I know Mauricio really well and I know what he’ll want – he’ll want on the field to have 11 leaders.

  “If you look at body language and the way Christian played against Japan, he played really well. He was quick, he caused a lot of issues. Whatever went on during that Gold Cup time and all around it, it does not look like it affected him.

  “Who Mauricio will name as the captain, I don’t know. I don’t think I would look into it too much if Christian isn’t named captain. Naming a captain is different because there are a lot of off-field scenarios that go on with that. Christian is a player I don’t know well personally – I understand he’s quiet, so I don’t know if that will happen.

  “I look at body language a lot with how players are after things get put in the press. What I saw from Christian was really positive. There has been a lot of negative stuff out and about, so it seems to me like things are pretty good.”

Manchester United are assessing a move for an “outrageous” Benjamin Sesko alternative, with his club now open to a sale this summer, according to a report.

Man Utd's Sesko pursuit takes new twist

Sesko has emerged as one of Man United’s major targets at centre-forward and are in a fierce battle with Premier League rivals Newcastle United for his signature.

The Red Devils have reportedly made an offer of their own for Sesko, but if he decides to move to St. James’ Park, Ruben Amorim and co would be forced to move on to alternative targets, and another centre-forward has now entered the frame as a potential option.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Man United are now assessing a move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos, with the French club open to a sale this summer, but there could be fierce competition for his signature.

Within the Premier League, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Liverpool are named as potential suitors, while Serie A sides Napoli and Juventus have also added Ramos to their shortlist, but a deal may prove to be on the expensive side.

Ugarte upgrade: Man Utd lining up move for "the strongest DM in the world"

Manchester United still have some holes to plug in the summer transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 5, 2025

PSG are looking to recoup as much of the €65m (£56m) fee they shelled out as possible, despite the former Benfica man struggling to establish himself as a regular starter since arriving at the Parc des Princes, given the depth Luis Enrique has in attack.

"Outrageous" Ramos could be solid alternative to Sesko

Even though the 24-year-old often found game time hard to come by last season, he remained a regular source of goals and assists for PSG in all competitions, amassing a total of 25 attacking contributions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Ligue 1

22

10

3

French Cup

6

5

2

Champions League

12

3

1

Club World Cup

5

1

0

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also praised the Portugal international for his performances at international level in the past.

There may be some concerns over the fact Ramos is yet to solidify his place as a regular starter for PSG, but at 24-years-old, the centre-forward still has plenty of time to develop his game, and he could be a solid alternative to Sesko.

After triggering Morgan Gibbs-White’s release clause nearly two weeks ago, almost every Tottenham Hotspur fan would’ve expected a deal to be completed by now.

However, when dealing with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, a deal was never going to be straightforward, but no one could’ve predicted what has happened since.

The Reds have claimed that Thomas Frank’s side made an illegal approach for his signature, resulting in his secret release clause now becoming public.

It’s unclear whether Forest are set to report the club over a potential deal, with all contact between the two sides now ceased as a result of the approach that was made for his signature.

Given the recent delay in a move for the England international, other targets are subsequently being considered in North London, with multiple names entering the mix in the past few days.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new signings this summer

Ardon Jashari has emerged as a surprise option for Spurs in the midfield department as of late, with the Swiss international set to depart Club Brugge this summer.

The Belgian outfit are said to be demanding a fee in the region of £32m for his signature this window, but could face stiff competition from Italian side AC Milan for his signature.

However, another name has entered the mix, with Frank’s side now turning their attention to a deal to sign Atlético Madrid star Conor Gallagher, according to TBR Football.

The report claims that the Lilywhites have made contact with the Spanish outfit over a potential move for the 25-year-old midfielder during the summer window.

It also states they could be open to offloading the Englishman should they receive an acceptable offer after paying £33m for his signature 12 months ago.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be an upgrade on Sarr

Pape Matar Sarr was a key member of Spurs’ midfield department during the 2024/25 campaign, ending the season with a staggering 55 appearances across all competitions.

The Senegalese international has already made over 100 appearances for the Lilywhites after making his debut for the club back in the 2022/23 season.

He has the potential to become a club legend in North London should he continue on such a trajectory, having time to develop further given his tender age of just 22.

Such a deal to land him a couple of years ago reflects the sensational business the hierarchy have conducted in recent years, now looking a bargain given his £14.6m transfer fee.

However, he may struggle to keep hold of his starting role in the 2025/26 campaign should they complete a deal for Gallagher, with the Englishman having the potential to replace him in the side.

When comparing their stats from the recent season, the Atlético star managed to better him in various areas, highlighting how much of a brilliant addition he would be to Frank’s side this summer.

Gallagher, who’s been labelled a “monster” by one analyst, registered more combined goals and assists, offering the side an added goalscoring threat despite his deep-lying role.

Games played

32

36

Goals & assists

6

5

Pass accuracy

87%

86%

Passes into the opposition box

0.8

0.5

Tackles won

1.8

1.6

Tackle success rate

54%

48%

Take-on success

41%

36%

Recoveries made

5.9

5.4

He also completed more of the passes he attempted, with more of which going into the final third, showcasing the talent he possesses with the ball at his feet.

However, his defensive talents are just as impressive, winning more tackles per 90 and achieving a higher success rate in regaining possession – potentially being the perfect box-to-box option in Frank’s midfield department.

Whilst it’s unclear how much the LaLiga outfit will be demanding for his services this summer, it’s evident that he would be an upgrade on the options currently at the manager’s disposal.

If he can replicate such form in North London, it would be a fantastic piece of business, subsequently allowing the club to move past the current saga over a deal for Gibbs-White.

Their own Ekitike: Spurs eyeing move for Arsenal's "golden" striker target

The prolific gem could be something really special at Spurs.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 21, 2025

Sunderland have now submitted a bid for a proven Premier League player who is capable of scoring “worldies”, according to a new transfer update.

Le Bris outlines Sunderland's pre-season training plan

The Black Cats are getting closer to their Premier League return all the time, with Regis Le Bris working on having his squad as prepared as possible during pre-season.

Sunderland’s manager has been discussing what he wants to see from his players during their trip to Portugal, with focus on the “dynamic” within the team.

Le Bris will know that further signings are needed before the end of the summer transfer window, though, with talks reportedly underway over a move for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, and now a fresh update has emerged.

Sunderland submit formal offer for Xhaka

According to Bild [via Sport Witness], Sunderland have now “made advances” to sign Xhaka, submitting a bid for the former Arsenal man. While the Swiss is valued at £17m, the offer in question is believed to be “less” than that, as the Black Cats look to get a cut-price deal over the line.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has discussed the 32-year-old’s future: “Granit is a very important player for us, for the team and for the club.

“Our main interest is to keep him. Sure, there is interest in him, we need to speak to the player to know what his ambitions are. But one thing is clear: There would only be a transfer in a win-win situation.We still have a three-year contract with the player and are very happy with him.

“We have big goals for the next few years. That’s why there can only be a transfer if it’s good for all sides. We’ll have to wait and see. But our goal is for Granit to stay with us.“

Xhaka stands out as such a shrewd option for Sunderland this summer, so it is exciting to see progress being made in their pursuit of him.

The Leverkusen stalwart is now a 137-cap Switzerland international, showing how vastly experienced he is, and he has been hailed as a “lovely technician” by Joe Cole, also lauding the ex-Gunners star for his ability to score “worldies” from distance.

Better signing than Henderson: Sunderland open talks to sign £17m "monster"

Sunderland could now win a far better signing than Jordan Henderson by picking up this £17m leader.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 17, 2025

Xhaka knows the Premier League inside out, making 225 appearances in the competition during his Arsenal days, so he could be an invaluable addition to Sunderland’s midfield, combining tactical discipline with an eye for the spectacular.