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A new era is dawning at Liverpool following the departures of the long-serving James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino this summer.

That midfield trio left a huge void that needed filling and the Red's prime transfer targets were Brighton's Moises Caicedo and Southampton's Romeo Lavia, however, they were beaten to the punch by Chelsea and instead focused their efforts elsewhere.

Despite signing RB Leipzig's Dominik Szoboszlai and Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister to play in their advanced eight positions, Jurgen Klopp still needed a midfield destroyer and their answer to that problem was Stuttgart's Wataru Endo, whose signature underwhelmed in comparison to their former targets.

With that said, Liverpool have put their shortcomings in the transfer market behind them by taking ten points from their opening four matches as victories over Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and a draw against Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to 15 Premier League matches.

Although their strong start can be attributed to the form of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Núñez and new signing Szoboszlai, the huge emergence of youth within the club's first-team picture suggests that the future isn't only looking bright on the field.

In their victory over Villa, Klopp named four players on his bench who were aged 20 and under, including Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah, Stefan Bajcetic and 17-year-old Ben Doak, with the latter of that quartet receiving high praise for his impressive pre-season form.

Who is Ben Doak?

Liverpool secured the signature of Doak from Celtic for a compensation fee of £600,000 in March 2022, signing his first professional contract with the Reds in November of that year.

A fast and direct winger, who has been branded by Klopp as a "special boy", is highly regarded alongside Bajcetic and Elliott at Anfield, and it is clear to see why.

Doak has dazzled since joining the club, scoring ten times across Liverpool's underage groups in his first season, attracting the attention of those higher up and earning himself multiple call-ups to the first team.

During his first five appearances for the club, the Scottish winger stunned fans with his blistering pace and power, which he showcased in a 2-2 draw against Wolves in the FA Cup last season.

Following his excellent start to his Liverpool career, legend and fellow Scotsman Kenny Daglish lavished praise on the teenage sensation, lauding him as "brilliant" since breaking into the first-team picture.

Although Mohamed Salah's future is closed for now, the Egyptian could still depart in the future and given his age, his contract at Liverpool and the fact that Saudi Arabian clubs are desperate to get him, the possibility of him departing next summer is high.

While replacing Salah – should he depart – would cost upwards of £100m, Liverpool could save themselves a lot of money by dipping into their goldmine of youth prospects. Doak is leading that charge, but fellow golden boy Kaide Gordon can't be forgotten.

How good is Kaide Gordon?

A fleet-footed winger with tremendous ball-striking ability, Gordon's sharp rise onto the scene at Liverpool during the 21/22 was marked by his debut goal against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, becoming the club's second-youngest scorer at 16-years-old.

Following this debut, Gordon would appear a further three times in that campaign, including a Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Arsenal, as he helped his side advance to the final against Chelsea – a match they would triumph in and lift the trophy.

Lauded as "exceptional" by his manager, Gordon could put recent injury troubles behind him and become a handy addition to Liverpool's first team.

The Reds will be battling across all fronts this season as they attempt to go deep into every competition and Gordon will hope his chance of game time is increased by Klopp's side competing in the Europa League.

Since joining the club from Derby for a fee believed to be around £3m in 2021, Gordon has enjoyed a fruitful period in the youth setup at Liverpool, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in 24 appearances which are returns that have seen him considered for a place in the first-team.

After making his return to action in Liverpool U21's defeat against Middlesbrough last weekend, the "forgotten" winger – as he was described by RedMen TV's Paul Machin – will hope he can kick on from there and rival Doak for a spot in Klopp's starting XI, returning to the form that saw the German wax-lyrical about his talents.

Speaking after his debut goal for the club, Klopp said: "He is a special kid, everyone knows that. He is really calm, great finisher. But he can improve he needs to get more involved in the game."

Talent doesn't fade overnight and although injuries could have dented his confidence, the 18-year-old sharpshooter is one of many talented youngsters that the Merseyside club have at their disposal. Watch out Doak.

Sheffield United may not be the biggest club in Yorkshire but they certainly boast a notable number of celebrity supporters. It’s a club that generates local passion, after all – and that’s seen in those who grew up there.

Athletes, actors, musicians, and one Argentinian footballer all feature on a list of those struck by the Blades. Here is our pick of the bunch for Sheffield United’s most famous supporters.

8 Juan Sebastián Verón

Let’s get the strangest one out of the way first. Former Argentina international Juan Sebastián Verón was a Sheffield United fan in childhood and openly admitted wanting to play for them.

There’s a good reason for it, too. Verón’s uncle, Pedro Verde, spent time there at the tail-end of his career and it sparked interest in the young footballer-to-be.

“I was a fan of Sheffield United but I sadly never had the chance to play for them, but I would have wanted to!” Verón went on to say. Oh what could have been…

7 Jessica Ennis-Hill

An Olympic champion and a three-time World champion – Jessica Ennis-Hill is one of the most successful individual athletes to come out of Britain in recent years. She’s also born and raised in Sheffield.

Ennis-Hill is a Blades fan, too, and even had a stand named after her post-Olympic gold. However, that did change in 2015 when it was instead named after a sponsor.

6 Kell Brook

Sticking on the wildly successful athlete theme, Kell Brook is a Sheffield native who went on to hold the IBF Welterweight title for nearly three years between 2014 and 2017.

Brook is a lifelong fan of the Blades, as with just about everyone on this list, and even fought at Bramall Lane back in 2017.

“I’ve imagined this for weeks and I’ve dreamt about this since being a young kid,” he said ahead of that fight.

“I never thought I’d see a boxing ring on the pitch at Bramall Lane, but I’m ready and I’m determined and I’m excited. I’ve got a lot of memories of watching the Blades, my uncle used to throw me up in the air when we scored and at the weekend I want to be throwing my belt above my head once again.”

5 Joe Elliott

Joe Elliott, as the lead singer of Def Leppard, is in the discussion for the most successful person on this list. The band was formed in Sheffield back in 1976. Elliott is from the city and has called United his team all his life.

Sheffield has had more than their fair share of world-renowned music acts and Def Leppard are arguably the biggest. That other group that has an argument are all Wednesday fans, if you’re wondering.

4 Paul Heaton

Paul Heaton was born on the Wirral but moved to Sheffield when he was very young. He and his brothers all struck up an interest in football but while they all went with Wednesday, Paul followed United.

Heaton would go on to form the Housemartins and The Beautiful South, with massive success in the ’80s and early ’90s. And in terms of Blades fans, he might be one of the biggest on this list.

3 Joe Root

Former England Test Cricket captain Joe Root is another from Sheffield and has made no secret of his love for United. In fact, Root has appeared on the club’s social media channels several times, while one of the first interviews he gave after receiving the captaincy was at Bramall Lane.

His support runs through the family, too, it seems. “I’ve always been a Blade,” Root told the Athletic in 2020. “There were three generations of Roots there when I watched my first game. Myself and my brother, dad and grandad.”

Root, of course, will go down as an all-time great Test batsman – yet one more wildly successful name on this list, then.

2 Michael Palin

Michael Palin might be a bit of a controversial one on this list as he’s very openly talked about also wanting Wednesday to do well. The comedy legend is from Sheffield and grew up supporting the Blades – but he’s a little bit more about the city doing well than his club.

Here’s what he told When Saturday Comes back in 2000:

“United were the club I supported when I was growing up, mainly because their ground was the nearest to our house. I used to see Wednesday supp­orters as a different type of person, just… deeply dis­turbed. But then I was always excited when either club was involved in a big game and Wednesday tended to be involved in bigger games. When I first came to London, it was 1966 and Wednesday were in the Cup final, so I couldn’t say I wasn’t interested because they were from my city. Eric Idle was a big Chelsea fan and I used to go there to see either Sheffield team play. I found myself being sucked in as a sort of associate Wednesday fan, though I would have been disem­boweled in Sheffield if they’d known that.”

Fans can make their own minds up whether they’re accepting that one or not.

1 Sean Bean

We thought we’d save the most famous Sheffield United fan until last. Sean Bean isn’t just the most famous person on this list, after all, but he’s also incredibly public with his love for them.

Bean has tattooed his support on his shoulder, while he’s also competed in charity matches and above all, served on the club’s board in the 2000s. He als, chewed-out manager Neil Warnock after the club were relegated from the Premier League back in 2007 – though, Bean claims this wasn’t as aggressive as the manager claimed in his book.

“Yes, I was looking for him after we were relegated – and I wasn’t the only one,” he said, per the Mirror. “We were all devastated. But I didn’t storm into Warnock’s office and confront his wife as he claims in his book. I was outside in the corridor when I told her what I thought of him.

“What I didn’t know was that his kid was behind the door and when someone pointed that out to me, I immediately apologised.”

Crystal Palace could make a move for a 21-year-old striker in the January transfer window, but they will have to do battle for his signature with West Ham United.

Are Crystal Palace signing a striker?

Palace had a relatively quiet summer transfer window, making four additions to their squad, but they have made a solid, if not spectacular to the Premier League season, currently sitting in eighth place, having taken seven points from their opening five games.

Roy Hodgson's side were linked with moves for a number of different strikers, including Kelechi Iheanacho and Che Adams, but the manager ultimately decided to stick with what he had, and he has been justified for his faith in Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The duo have already scored eight goals between them this season, indicating the Eagles may not need to strengthen their attack during the January transfer window, but there has now been a suggestion they could go back in for one of their summer targets.

Palace were said to be working on a deal for Hugo Ekitike in the summer transfer window, and Football Insider report they could now reignite their interest in the Paris Saint-Germain forward in the upcoming window.

The 21-year-old is viewed as "one of the best" options available on the market mid-season, with it recently being revealed his current employers have decided it is best if he moves on in January, having been frustrated he didn't leave in the summer.

However, the Eagles may have to do battle for the striker's signature with West Ham United, who have also been credited with an interest ahead of the January transfer window, and both clubs should be in a good position to win the race.

In the summer, the youngster made it clear he wanted to move to the Premier League, rather than agreeing to join Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, and he was willing to hold talks with English clubs in order to make that switch a reality.

How many goals has Hugo Ekitike scored?

The Frenchman has scored 18 goals in 72 professional games, but his career has stalled since making the move to the Parc des Princes, having been unable to establish himself in the star-studded PSG team.

Last season, the "special" forward managed to amass three goals and four assists in 25 Ligue 1 games, but he will likely need to move on if he is going to develop further and make a name for himself at the top level.

Considering he is a striker, the 6 foot 2 forward is particularly impressive at setting up chances for his teammates, averaging 0.31 assists per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 96th percentile compared to his positional peers.

The only doubt over making a move for Ekitike is whether he would be a necessary signing for Hodgson, considering Edouard and Mateta have both made solid starts to the season, but the manager should undoubtedly keep him on the radar ahead of the January transfer window.

Wolverhampton Wanderers would have feared a relegation battle in the Premier League this campaign and those fears are coming to fruition having recorded four losses from their first six matches.

The latest of those poor results came at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon as the Old Gold stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Luton Town, although after spending the whole second half with ten men, Gary O'Neil would have seen that result as one point gained rather than two dropped.

On Tuesday evening, the Old Gold can put their disastrous league form to the side and focus on their trip to take on Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The Tractor Boys have announced their return to the second tier in exceptional style, winning seven of their opening eight matches with their only defeat coming against Leeds United.

A distraction this competition may be – but it isn't any easy one at that for Wolves – and they'll have to be on the ball against a side brimming with confidence who will sense an upset could be in the offing.

What is the latest Wolves team news?

With the chance to utilise the full depth of his squad, O'Neil is expected to make several changes against Ipswich but at least one of those will be enforced.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Wolves' outstanding performer from their 3-1 defeat against Liverpool, followed that terrific display up with a shocking one against Luton as the midfielder was sent off for making an inexcusable challenge on defender Tom Lockyer.

On a much brighter note, midfielder Joe Hodge, who caught the eye in their 5-0 thrashing of Blackpool in the previous round, is working his way back from a muscular problem – which he sustained in the last round – and has a slim chance of returning for this tie.

Elsewhere, Matt Doherty, Boubacar Traore, Toti Gomes, Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic should all get their chances to impress O'Neil from the off, as could on-loan Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle, who has featured twice off the bench in the Premier League so far.

Should Tommy Doyle start vs Ipswich?

After joining on loan with an option to buy for £4.3m, Doyle's opportunities in the Wolves team have been limited thus far, however, with a suspension to Bellegarde and Mario Lemina likely to be rested, the Englishman could get his chance to shine.

The 21-year-old starred in the Sheffield United side that was promoted to the Premier League last season, scoring four goals and registering seven assists, as he impressed at Bramall Lane in a Paul Heckingbottom system that allowed his technical attributes to flourish, operating in a dynamic midfield three with James McAtee and Sander Berge.

Possessing the technique and superb passing range to dictate the tempo of matches – as taught at Man City – the midfield metronome looked a cut above at Championship level when compared to his positional peers, ranking in the top 5% for expected assists, top 12% for shot creating actions, top 13% for passes into the final third and top 15% for progressive passes, as per FBref.

At times this campaign, Wolves have struggled in the absence of the technically astute Ruben Neves and although Doyle is unable to replicate the impact of the Portuguese, he can offer O'Neil a calmness on the ball in midfield and that could be key tonight with Ipswich likely to start fast out of the blocks.

The 5 foot 8 "set-piece specialist" – as lauded by England under-21 teammate Charlie Cresswell – can provide Wolves with quality from dead-ball situations too, which is also something they've missed in the absence of Neves.

Doyle was one of the stand-out players in the Championship last term and earned his move to a Premier League side on the back of his consistent displays. Now, the stage is set for him to show O'Neil what he can offer the Old Gold in future matches.

Manchester United’s season went from bad to worse as they suffered another defeat – this time to Galatasaray – in the Champions League group stages and the mood around Old Trafford is anything but positive.

Following on from a rather solid debut campaign last year, Erik ten Hag was tasked with finally challenging Manchester City for Premier League glory, yet the 2023/24 season has so far seen a major regression.

Across just seven league matches, United have already lost four while scoring just seven goals, and it’s evident that their summer recruitment has yet to pay off.

The Dutchman lured the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester and while the latter is finally starting to settle in, netting three goals in two Champions League games, the former two haven’t quite hit the ground running.

The summer transfer window promised so much as Ten Hag aimed to heavily bolster his squad and big names such as Victor Osimhen, Joao Felix and Harry Kane were all touted for moves at one point or another, yet nothing ever materialised.

It appeared as though the former Ajax boss was focusing on improving his attacking options when in reality, his defence clearly needed a major shakeup.

Harry Maguire looked set for a move to West Ham United, yet it fell through as he wanted to fight for his place in the team and the only centre-back they signed was Jonny Evans – a 35-year-old veteran – and the move hardly set Old Trafford buzzing with excitement.

Ten Hag did have his chances to lure another defender or two to the club and former Bayern Munich star Benjamin Pavard was a name that was routinely linked during the transfer window.

Did Manchester United nearly sign Benjamin Pavard?

The Red Devils began to show interest in the player before the window was even open according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who said: “Benjamin Pavard informs Bayern Munich of desire to leave.

“Man Utd among interested clubs keen on the French star, as @90min_Football revealed back in April.”

Their interest never wavered and as the window was approaching the final few weeks, Sky Germany reported Florian Plettenberg provided an update which looked extremely promising.

He wrote on X: “Benjamin #Pavard: Concrete talks with @ManUtd at this stage! All parties involved are working on a verbal agreement now.

“Ten Hag is pushing for Pavard as he’s a versatile defender. Pavard wants to leave FC Bayern in August.”

Everything looked promising and signing someone such as Pavard – who had won the World Cup with France and the Champions League with Bayern – certainly was an exciting move and he would bolster a defence that had conceded 43 league goals last term.

In typical United fashion however, the move didn’t go through, and the Frenchman ended up at another European powerhouse – Inter Milan.

Why didn’t Manchester United sign Benjamin Pavard?

According to German news outlet Bild (via GOAL), United were reportedly willing to pay around $32m (£25m) for the player, yet this was below the €45m (£39m) and €50m (£43m) price tag that the Bundesliga champions were demanding.

They failed to increase their offer to what the German side were demanding and Inter ended up swooping in to secure his signature for a fee of just £28m with only days left in the summer transfer window.

It represents another case of the club failing to meet the demands of a player they are desperate to sign, before seeing him eventually move to another club and Ten Hag clearly had a nightmare on the 27-year-old.

Is Benjamin Pavard better than Raphael Varane?

As previously mentioned, United’s defensive record in the Premier League isn’t the greatest and their centre-backs haven’t been in the best of form, with Pavard actually outperforming Raphael Varane since joining Inter.

Indeed, the former Bayern star has helped his side keep more clean sheets (two to one), despite playing fewer games, while he also has made more tackles per game (two to one), won more total duels per game (six to 2.6) and made more interceptions per game (1.5 to 0.2), indicating that he has contributed far more in fewer league games than his compatriot.

The Inter maestro has also outperformed Varane across a variety of performance metrics when compared to his positional peers. According to FBref, Pavard ranks in the top 8% for tackles per 90 (2.36), the top 2% for progressive passes per 90 (6.39) and the top 2% for passes attempted per 90 (86.49), demonstrating his effectiveness at moving the ball forward as often as possible and this would’ve fitted in with Ten Hag’s tactical philosophy.

In comparison, when compared with positional peers, Varane ranks in the lowest 8% for tackles (0.86), the top 28% for progressive passes (4.06) and the top 43% for passes attempted (56.42) per 90 and it's clear who has been the better performer over the previous 12 months.

Pavard has always been destined to succeed at the highest level and former Bayern president Uli Hoeneß certainly lavished praise upon him when he joined in 2019.

He said: "He has already shown after a few weeks that he will be one of the best transfers that we’ve ever made. For me, what a player costs isn't what matters. It was clear to me that he could be an outstanding signing – particularly because of his great character."

Four years and ten trophies later, Pavard left Bayern rather more decorated than when he arrived and Inter have managed to secure the services of a wonderful defender who is still arguably in his peak years as a player.

Ten Hag, on the other hand, will surely regret not adding a few more millions onto his proposed offer for the World Cup winner and perhaps United’s defensive issue may not be as bad as they currently are.

United have kept a clean sheet in just three of their matches this season, conceding two or more goals on six occasions and this isn’t good enough for a club who wish to return to the summit of English football.

Pavard may not have been the miracle worker the Red Devils need, yet he is outperforming Varane this term and could have been an excellent option for Ten Hag to call upon.

Manchester United have agreed terms to make an off-field appointment, according to one new report.

Latest Man Utd news…

The Red Devils have had a busy few months both on and off the pitch, with a takeover saga at Old Trafford potentially nearing a conclusion. The latest Man Utd takeover news has claimed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to purchase a 25% stake in the club for £1.3bn and wants control of football operations. Ratcliffe is proposing himself, Joel Glazer and Sir Dave Brailsford as a new football committee, and a decision may soon be needed on manager Erik ten Hag.

The club’s form so far this season has been frustrating, with four Premier League defeats from eight and two losses in the Champions League. Recent Man Utd manager updates have even claimed that the Red Devils have made an offer to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, although the Italian isn’t interested in a return to England.

In regards to transfer news, a number of players have been linked with moves to Manchester recently with the January window around the corner, including Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, Inter Milan full-back Federico Dimarco and Real Betis attacker Assane Diao.

Man Utd agree terms with target

It could be a new-look club on the sporting side of things under Ratcliffe, if a deal goes through, and that may result in changes all the way down to youth-level recruitment. Football Insider shared an update in the last 48 hours regarding one target who is set to take an Old Trafford recruitment role.

The report revealed that Cardiff City’s Ben Clarke, who has impressed with the Championship side, has agreed terms with Man Utd. It is added that Clarke has been a target for United to ‘head up their academy recruitment as they look to bring the best young talent in the country and across the world to Old Trafford’.

The Red Devils are known for placing their trust in their academy all the way up to senior level, with a number of youngsters progressing through the system to become first-team stars, such as Marcus Rashford. However, Clarke’s role will seemingly be to secure deals for a number of exciting youngsters to move to Carrington, who could then go on and follow in the footsteps of Rashford and co on the first-team stage.

Therefore, the agreement with Clarke could prove to be a smart move by those at Old Trafford, and by the look of things, a deal may well become official soon following this update.

Arsenal's revolution under Mikel Arteta is reaching its apex, with Bukayo Saka the crowning jewel of his star-studded team…

How good is Bukayo Saka?

Having emerged through their infamous Hale End academy, the 22-year-old has battled his way up through the ranks to become not just his club's, but arguably one of the world's finest young talents.

After all, he is dominating on every stage, having scored 14 goals and assisted a further 11 in the Premier League last season, firing home on his Champions League debut just last month, and even boasting 11 goals across his 31 caps for England.

It seems the trickster can do no wrong, with teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko seeking to laud his influence last season: "He is an amazing player, we know that. He is on fire at the moment".

Then, when asked if he was the best player around at the moment, the Ukraine captain would reply: "In the Premier League? I’m not the guy who is going to judge but he is one of them for sure. I hope he is on this form for the rest of the season because he is such an important player for Arsenal as we have 10 more finals to go."

With ten goal contributions already this campaign across all competitions, it seems poised to be yet another groundbreaking one. However, in Joel Campbell, the ex-Gunners ace is actually one of the few in world football netting more clinically than the England international.

How is Joel Campbell playing nowadays?

Having been brought to north London by Arsene Wenger, drafted directly from his homeland, the Costa Rican was a speedster who showcased plenty of promise that he certainly failed to live up to.

After all, across seven years at the Emirates, the 31-year-old would only muster a miserable 40 appearances, yet endured an astounding six different loan spells in an effort to usher out his potential.

The legendary French gaffer clearly saw something in the left-footed right winger, who heaped praise on him in 2016: "What is very interesting in Campbell's case is that he looks like he has gained more confidence and authority in his game and in the final third he is a dangerous player and he has shown that.

"When you look at the player and the number of goals he scores and the number of assists, on that front you must say he has been very positive and he works hard for the team".

However, it never quite felt like he would make it with Arsenal, and instead opted to ply his trade with Leon in Mexico just two years after joining Frosinone for free. Having since returned to Costa Rica with LD Alajuelense, it seems he has finally found some much-needed consistency that is seeing him outscore Saka.

After all, whilst Arteta's main man has five goals across all competitions, Campbell has actually managed to notch six from the same role.

Although there is a clear disparity in the respective quality of the leagues, it cannot be denied how in-form the former Villarreal loanee is at the moment. It perhaps lends to the suggestion that Wenger was too dismissive of the trickster, who could have flourished in north London had he been handed the chances there rather than constantly shipped out on loan.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that one star of theirs has been "more impressive" than James Maddison, but "nobody paid attention" to him.

Spurs form under Ange Postecoglou

The north Londoners are enjoying somewhat of a fairytale beginning to the Premier League season, with popular Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou making the finest start to a campaign of any new manager in recent English football history. The Lilywhites have won seven out of their opening nine top flight matches, remaining unbeaten over a run which has seriously surprised on-lookers.

Speaking to Premier League productions earlier this month, pundit Ian Wright hailed praise for Postecoglou and his start to life at Spurs; candidly admitting he is shocked by how good the tactician really is.

“It’s underrated,” said Wright. “It’s an underrated effort he is doing, at the minute. Major Ange Postecoglou fans. I remember people saying at the start that ‘he needs to start well’. With the players he has got, you want them to do well and win some games and stuff. But I didn’t expect it to be in the grove it is now and so quickly.

“Not just physically, but mentally as well. They know what they are doing – we are looking at a team that we know that will improve simply because Bentancur is to come back."

The Australian has a few star players to thank for his new-found popularity in north London, with summer signing Maddison proving to be nearly unstoppable at times. Maddison signed for Spurs from Leicester City for around £40 million in the summer, which is proving to be more and more of a bargain as the weeks go by. The England international has racked up three goals and five assists in the league alone so far, most recently helping Tottenham to a 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday.

He's now gearing up for a clash against Crystal Palace tomorrow, where Tottenham are surely favourites to clinch all three points and maintain their very impressive start to the campaign.

Guglielmo Vicario "even more impressive" than Maddison

However, despite Maddison's truly electric start, one pundit believes goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has actually been "even more impressive" with his stellar contribution between the sticks. Indeed, speaking to ESPN, Janusz Michallik has claimed that "nobody paid attention" to Vicario who is now really pulling up trees at Spurs.

“It’s easy to point at James Maddison, all the goals and how they’re scoring in so many different ways. But defensively what he’s done is even more impressive. They’re the second-best defensive team, look at Vicario, Google probably went down when Vicario came to London because nobody paid attention to who he was, but, today, we’re talking about Sanchez, Onana and Raya, here you have Vicario who is excellent,” Michallik said.

Signed from Empoli to replace Hugo Lloris, the Italy international has made some pretty important saves in big moments, with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing Spurs are "very happy" with Vicario.

"Tottenham are very happy with Guglielmo Vicario and his impact with English football. Understand real fee invested by Spurs to sign Vicario from Empoli was €19m. Top signing."

Tottenham Hotspur now have an agreement in place regarding an important off-field deal, with the key figure in question now set to start work next week at the Lilywhites, according to reports.

Tottenham Hotspur under Ange Postecoglou

Since arriving in north London from Scottish Premiership champions Celtic in the summer, Ange Postecoglou has been a revelation at the helm and has galvanised a side that looks capable of challenging for the Premier League title in 2023/24.

So far, Spurs have taken 26 points from their opening ten fixtures in the division, playing a style of football that has given supporters real cause for optimism following a damp squib of a campaign in 2022/23.

Nevertheless, former boss Harry Redknapp has claimed that Tottenham aren't a genuine contender to win their first top-flight title since 1961, citing the departure of Harry Kane as a reason why his old club may not be able to go the distance this term.

Speaking to The Daily Express, the 76-year-old stated: "Can Tottenham win the Premier League? No, but they will finish in the top four. People say they are better without Harry Kane, but that’s rubbish. Nobody is better without Harry Kane. He’s the best centre-forward in the world. If he was still at Spurs, he would have scored 12 goals already – and had another half dozen or so assists as well. If they had brought James Maddison in, and Micky van de Ven, and kept Kane – then they would have a team which could win the league."

Despite varying opinions on whether Spurs can genuinely challenge the likes of Manchester City for Premier League glory, it is clear that things are on the up in N17 – and nothing would crystalise that statement more for Tottenham than defeating London rivals Chelsea at home on Monday night.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou is tempering expectations among his Tottenham squad by adopting a game-by-game approach, as he stated ahead of the Chelsea clash via BBC Sport: "We know there's another challenge on Monday night. Looking beyond that doesn't really serve any purpose. The supporters – by all means, this is their football club and they've got to enjoy their football club if things are going well and it provides them with some hopes, dreams and aspirations."

Now, it looks as if Spurs are also taking steps to maximise their potential for success by making an appointment behind the scenes at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham Hotspur's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Molineux

Premier League

Aston Villa

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City

Etihad Stadium

Premier League

West Ham United

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur reach full agreement with Rob Mackenzie

As per Football Insider, Rob Mackenzie will begin his role as head of recruitment at Tottenham next week after reaching a full agreement to join the club from Aston Villa.

The report states that Mackenzie has now handed in his notice to Aston Villa and is free to return to Spurs, where he spent 18 months working alongside Paul Mitchell between 2015 and 2016.

38-year-old Mackenzie has also previously held various positions at OH Leuven, Derby County and Leicester City before going on to work as a chief scout and video analyst at Aston Villa.

Looking ahead, Spurs fans will hope he can help to continue their positive momentum by identifying some gems in the transfer market across future windows.

When Julen Lopetegui left Wolverhampton Wanderers just before the Premier League season got underway, it would have been easy for the Midlands club to capitulate. But since the Spaniard's departure and Gary O'Neil's arrival, Wolves have looked more and more comfortable again in England's top flight and look on course to avoid a relegation battle.

What's been most impressive is their rediscovered ability to cause shocks at Molinuex, defeating Premier League champions Manchester City and scoring two late goals to turn the game on its head to hand Tottenham Hotspur back-to-back defeats for the first time under Ange Postecoglou. Perhaps bringing their momentum to a slight pause, however, one January sale could be set to deal Wolves a frustrating blow.

Wolves transfer news

Wolves weren't the busiest club during the summer transfer window and saw their headlines stolen by the departures of Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes to leave them briefly depleted in the middle of the park. And that makes their start under O'Neil all the more impressive. The former Bournemouth boss, who was unlucky to leave the Cherries after keeping them up last season, has crucially got the best out of Pedro Neto once again and has benefitted from the form of Matheus Cunha. One player who looks unlikely to get the O'Neil improvement, however, is Goncalo Guedes.

According to Estadio Deportivo, Villarreal have set their sights on Guedes ahead of a potential January loan move. The Portugal international has been out on loan at Benfica since January, but has struggled with injury problems, game time and form. Now, Villarreal are reportedly set to offer Guedes a way out of what has been a nightmare spell in Portugal.

It remains to be seen just what Wolves' stance on sending Guedes to the La Liga side, who are reportedly willing to cover his wages. Given his lack of place under O'Neil, on paper there doesn't seem to be much standing in the way of the transfer taking place, though reports in Portugal have claimed that he is set to stay put for the season.

"Great" Guedes needs fresh start

Guedes has become a shadow of the player once seen catching the eye at Valencia. It just simply hasn't happened for the winger since leaving La Liga and a return to Spain could be exactly what he needs. Guedes' stats during his time in Spain's top flight speak for themselves. The 26-year-old scored 28 goals and assisted a further 28 whilst appearing a total of 146 times. Still young enough to turn things around, the former Valencia man could yet revive his career at Villarreal if given the opportunity to do so by Wolves.

At his best, Guedes has been at the centre of praise, including from former Paris Saint-Germain forward Pauleta, who told the club's official website, via ESPN: "I know him very well. He plays for Portugal's under-21 side. I watched him grow up through his club and national team matches. He is a great talent — he is physically gifted and technically extremely talented. On top of that, he is a really nice guy off the pitch. He can bring a lot to PSG and he has all it takes to impose himself in Paris. He will grow and continue to progress."