Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign either Bayern Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba or Wolfsburg stopper Micky van de Ven; however, they will only bring one of them into the building at Hotspur Way, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news involving Edmond Tapsoba or Micky van de Ven and Spurs?

According to The Daily Star, Spurs are close to signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Tapsoba this summer as Ange Postecoglou gets to work regarding bringing in arrivals in N17.

The report states that the 24-year-old would pitch up at Tottenham in a deal worth around £25 million and finally bring to a close their long search for a defensive addition.

On the flip side, it has been claimed that Spurs have reached an agreement to acquire Wolfsburg defender Van de Ven for a fee in the region of £30 million.

Postecoglou is said to be a huge admirer of Van de Ven, who is believed to have agreed a five-year contract in north London that will run until 2028.

Football London have revealed that Spurs are set to choose who they believe is the best option to push ahead with and view Tapsoba as a more 'ready-made' arrival due to his 'ability on the ball, strength and acceleration'.

Fulham centre-half Tosin Adarabioyo remains high on a list of prospective candidates to bolster Postecoglou's backline ahead of the new season.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has indicated that only one of Tapsoba or Van de Ven will be brought to Spurs this summer.

Romano stated: “Yeah, for Tottenham, they are still working on both Micky van de Ven and Tapsoba. The idea internally at the club is to just sign one of them.”

Who would be a better fit for Tottenham Hotspur under Ange Postecoglou?

Both players mentioned are of a high calibre and would help to improve Spurs' defence heading into this season; however, only Postecoglou and his recruitment team will know for sure who they prefer.

Comparing both players in key attributes via WhoScored yields mixed results, with both players putting up commendable numbers in different metrics. Van de Ven comes out on top in completed clearances, averaging 3.1 to Tapsoba's three per game in the Bundesliga.

The Dutchman also has a higher pass success rate than Tapsoba, chiming in at 88.3% compared to the latter's 85.% in the German top-flight across 2022/23.

Nevertheless, Tapsoba trumped Van de Ven in successful challenges, interceptions and aerial duels won, making it a tough one to call between two talented defenders.

Last season, Van de Ven made 36 appearances in all competitions for Wolfsburg, registering one goal and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

On the same token, Tapsoba featured on 47 occasions for Bayer Leverkusen and notched two goals and two assists, as per the same outlet.

La Vanguardia via Sport Witness shared quotes from Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who stated that he expects Tottenham to find an agreement with the Catalan giants to sign loaner Clement Lenglet, meaning that more reinforcements in Postecoglou's backline could occur in the coming weeks at Hotspur Way.

هاجم أسطورة حراسة مرمى منتخب باراجواي، خوسيه لويس تشيلافيرت، جناح ريال مدريد الحالي، فينيسيوس جونيور، بسبب بكائه في مؤتمره الصحفي.

وانهمرت دموع فينيسيوس أمام عدسات الكاميرات في المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بمباراة البرازيل وإسبانيا الودية قبل أيام قليلة في ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

ولكن اتضح بعد ذلك أن هناك فيلمًا وثائقيًا يتم تسجيله من قبل شبكة “Netflix” الشهيرة وهو ما كشف عنه أحد الصحفيين الإسبان.

اقرأ أيضًا.. عقبات تواجه ريال مدريد بشأن تقديم مبابي للجماهير

وكتب تشيلافيرت عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “X” بعد مؤتمر فينيسيوس قبل أيام: “يتبع سياسة الخبز والسيرك (الإلهاء)، لأنه أول من يهين ويستفز الخصوم، عليك أن تكون رجلًا، كرة القدم للرجال”.

وعاد الحارس المخضرم لتوضيح ما قاله في تصريحات عبر إذاعة “Splendid AM” الأرجنتينية، وقال: “هل ما قلته عن فينيسيوس كان قاسيًا؟ اعتقد أنني كنت أملك الحس السليم؟ لماذا يبدأ في البكاء؟”.

واستمر: “يقول لك إنه يريد أن يتمكن أصحاب البشرة السمراء من العيش بشكل أفضل، فماذا علينا نحن أصحاب البشرة البيضاء أن نفعل؟ هل يتعين علينا الانتحار؟ ما هي القضية التي يتحدث عنها؟ لا ينبغي أن نشوه الأمر”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “العنصرية موجودة في الأرجنتين، فرنسا وفي العالم كله، عندما وصلت من باراجواي إلى سان لورينزو (الأرجنتين)، قالوا لي إنني شخص جائع، أسرق المال، ابحث عن الإهانات التي تعرضت لها من الجمهور هناك”.

واستمر: “ما كتبته عبر X لم يكن به أي شيء مهين، كانت كاميرات نتفليكس في كل مكان في المؤتمر، ثم بدأ في البكاء، ماذا بقي لرجل ذو شعر داكن يكسب 300 دولار وعليه إطعام 4 أطفال؟ فينيسيوس يلعب في ريال مدريد، وبعيدًا عن ذلك فهو أول من يستفز المنافسين”.

وأتم: “أين كان فينيسيوس عندما قامت الشرطة البرازيلية بضرب جماهير بوكا جونيورز والأرجنتين حتى الموت؟ لقد ضربوا النساء والعواجز، كان كل شيء على ما يرام وقتها، والآن هو يبكي”.

Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur has been left "very impressed" by new manager Ange Postecoglou as he undertakes his first pre-season at the club, according to Alasdair Gold.

What impression has Postecoglou made at Spurs?

Arriving at a club rife with disharmony and frustration can be a difficult task for any manager.

However, this is the challenge that has faced Postecoglou at Tottenham following his arrival from Celtic as he aims to put right the wrongs of the coaches that preceded him.

Last season was arguably a new low in terms of cohesion and optimism for the Lilywhites with Antonio Conte's turgid football draining the life out of players and supporters alike.

An eighth-placed Premier League finish does not quite capture the level of discontent surrounding the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with match-going fans wondering what on earth they had done to deserve such punishment.

Postecoglou's arrival has brought new hope, however, and not just by virtue of him not being Conte or Jose Mourinho.

The Australian won a domestic treble at Celtic last season and has transformed every club he has been at. Now, he has to do the same at Spurs, which promises to be the 57-year-old's sternest challenge yet.

He has got off to a great start though despite a ball not having been kicked, with journalist Gold suggesting that everyone at Tottenham is already enamored with the coach.

Speaking on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, he stated: "I spoke to a very, very wide spectrum of people, or people involved with people involved. And, do you know what, this is probably the first time that I can genuinely say, certainly for a long time, that everyone was very, very impressed.

"It's been a blanket, 100%, yeah this guy is good kind of thing. Real excitement around a lot of the players as well. He's just made a really kind of quick, positive impression on people, especially the players. A lot of the players are very enamored with what he's been doing, with the way he does things."

He continued: "Postecoglou is a very strong communicator. The players, whether they're young or old, very quickly understand what he wants from them is the best way to put it. He's a very clear speaker."

Such a strong first impression can only be positive news for Tottenham's hopes of challenging for Champions League football next season following a disappointing campaign.

Postecoglou will need to get his new players in tip-top shape during pre-season, while also bedding in some of his new signings such as James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario.

Tottenham currently have four friendlies scheduled with the Lilywhites facing West Ham, Leicester City, Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk before the league opener away at Brentford on August 13th.

What kind of manager is Postecoglou?

Becoming the first Australian to manage in the Premier League, all eyes will be on Postecoglou.

Having began his career in his homeland, Postecoglou certainly doesn't share Tottenham's trophy woes. He won four top-tier Australian titles, two with South Melbourne and two with Brisbane Roar.

He had great success coaching Australia's youth team before later taking the senior team's hot seat and winning the Asian Cup in 2015. Moving to Yokohama Marinos in 2018, Postecoglou won the J-League title before moving onto Celtic and claiming seven trophies in a little over two years.

Usually favouring a 4-3-3 formation, the Australian is an offensive-minded coach, relying on hard work and counter-pressing to help smother opponents. Playing this way in the Premier League will prove a unique challenge for Postecoglou, but he certainly has an abundance of talent to choose from at Spurs.

One of his key attributes at Celtic was his knowledge of the Asian market, brining in a number of players from the continent and quickly developing them into stars. Postecoglou's ability to improve players quickly makes him a desirable asset for chairman Daniel Levy.

Former Norwich City manager Daniel Farke is the favourite to become Leeds United's new boss this summer with talks over terms now being discussed, according to a new update.

Who is in contention for Leeds job?

It was a dramatic season at Elland Road, as the Whites suffered relegation from the Premier League after three years back in the top flight. Jesse Marsch's time as manager came to an end, following a disappointing run of results, while both Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce also came and went, failing to stave off the threat of relegation to the Championship.

Since the latter's departure at the end of the campaign, the search has been on to find the perfect summer appointment, with a host of names thrown into the mix.

The likes of Farke, Patrick Vieira and Scott Parker have all been linked with taking charge at Leeds, and a fresh claim suggests that one of those individuals is the front-runner to come in under the 49ers Enterprises.

Who is on Whites shortlist currently?

According to The Daily Mail, Farke looks the most likely candidate to become the Whites next manager, jumping ahead of Vieira and Parker in the pecking order, with talks open over Elland Road terms after a meeting on Friday.

"Daniel Farke has emerged as the leading candidate to take over at Leeds United following a meeting on Friday.

"The 46-year-old, who won the Championship twice with Norwich City, had been on a shortlist with Scott Parker and Patrick Vieira. Mail Sport understands the club's hierarchy opened talks over terms with Farke on Friday afternoon after he became their favoured choice.

"Leeds want a manager with experience of both the Premier League and Championship as they look to bounce back into the top flight at the first time of asking."

Farke could be an excellent appointment by Leeds this summer, having proven himself in the Championship during a successful period at Norwich, twice earning promotion by virtue of being champions.

The German has been hailed as "world-class" by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, which says a lot about his quality as a boss, and he looks like a more reliable option than some of those linked with the job, in terms of experience and pedigree.

It is essential that Leeds get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, rather than languishing in the Championship for a number of years, and in Farke, the Whites would have someone who is an expert at getting out of the division.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the third day of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and New South Wales in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Hilton Cartwright smashed his highest first-class score•Getty Images

Hilton Cartwright plundered an unbeaten 170 at nearly a run a ball to give Western Australia a fighting chance of jumping from fifth place on the Sheffield Shield table into the final against Victoria.Cartwright’s innings was key to the Warriors setting New South Wales a hefty target of 403 at the WACA in what is a must-win game for both sides. By stumps, the Blues had already lost Nic Maddinson, who was bowled by David Moody for 4, and after only two overs of their innings New South Wales were 1 for 6.The day started with New South Wales at 5 for 242 in their first innings, but they lost their final five wickets for 67 runs and were dismissed for 309, with Jason Behrendorff collecting 4 for 70. That left the Warriors with a 127-run first-innings advantage, but they needed to use their second innings to set up a result in order to have any chance of reaching the tournament decider.Trent Copeland claimed both openers cheaply, but Cartwright then set about producing his highest first-class score to lift Western Australia to 4 for 275 before Adam Voges made the declaration. Cartwright struck 16 fours and five sixes in his 173-ball innings and by the day’s close he was second on the Shield run tally for this season, with 861 at 53.81, behind only Ed Cowan.

Manchester United are 'one step away' from announcing Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount as their first summer signing, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

As per Sky Sports News, Mount is undergoing a medical ahead of his move to Manchester United in a deal that is worth in the region of £60 million.

The Red Devils has three bids turned down for Mount in the process of trying to secure his signature; however, the £80k-a-week ace now looks set to swap Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford in a high-profile summer signing for Erik Ten Hag's men.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Mason Mount has completed his medical ahead of signing for Man United.

According to The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United midfielder Fred could be shunted out of the exit door at Old Trafford once Mount finalises his move to the Premier League giants, with Fulham believed to be keen on his services.

Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay have also been linked with moves elsewhere this summer, though there is pessimism that another midfielder besides Mount would be affordable for Manchester United.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has detailed that Manchester United are nearly there as they prepare to officially capture Mount from Chelsea.

Jones stated: "An announcement is prepped and soon he will be getting the 'Here We Go' treatment. This is a very good signing, a player with pedigree at every level on the elite stage and still only 24.

"As an 8 in this United team, he will really thrive. I’m told Erik ten Hag can’t wait to work with him."

Will Mason Mount be a good signing for Manchester United?

Mount is a hard-working, quality individual who has possibly become a victim of circumstance at Chelsea and joining Manchester United under Ten Hag may be the best move for him, as the Dutch boss will have detailed plans to help him rediscover the consistency of his earlier career at the Blues.

In total, the England international has made 195 appearances for Chelsea, notching 33 goals and 37 assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Last term, Mount also showed his credentials as a creative force in midfield, racking up 1.3 key passes per match in the Premier League, as per WhoScored.

FBRef display that Mount recorded 83 successful shot-creating actions during last campaign, showing sparks of what he is capable of despite an underwhelming time of things across the board at Stamford Bridge.

With the right stewardship, Mount could be a key asset for Manchester United and form an exciting midfield alliance with the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.

The West Indies bowling caoch has urged his bowlers to take more responsibility for bowling with discipline, after the side lost two wicket-taking chances due to no-balls

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-20172:02

We were sloppy between lunch and tea – Estwick

Twice during the second session in Bridgetown on Monday, West Indies were denied the wicket of Ahmed Shehzad on account of a bowler overstepping. In the first instance, Shannon Gabriel struck Shehzad plumb in front of the stumps, only for a review to show it was a no-ball. Shehzad was on 21 at the time and that delivery was Gabriel’s sixth no-ball of the innings. A few overs later, Roston Chase, bowling off spin, would have had Shehzad out stumped for 32 had he not overstepped. Overall, West Indies conceded nine runs in no-balls in Pakistan’s innings on the second day, eight from Gabriel.It was the kind of performance that West Indies’ bowling coach Roddy Estwick said was a sign of “ill-discipline”, and prompted him to suggest some sort of penalty so that bowlers would start taking responsibility for these mistakes on the field.”We have to make sure there is some kind of action starting from the nets, people have to be penalized for it,” Estwick said. “Because you can’t continue at the international level to be bowling no-balls. For me, it’s ill-disciplined because you can go through ODIs and T20Is and not bowl no-balls, and then you come into Test matches and you are bowling a cluster of them. To make it even worse, the spinners are bowling no-balls and that is not acceptable at all.”They could be fines, they could be any punishments – for every no-ball that you bowl, you have to do 10 sprints, whatever. But there must be some way that people will take accountability for what’s happening. You have to accept the responsibility, it’s you bowling no-balls. I can only help you prepare but when you go out in the middle you have to be as disciplined as possible.”Just like, if a person plays a bad shot, there is nothing a batting coach can do about it. If someone drops a catch, they blame the fielding coach but I think it’s all down to discipline, everybody making sure that on the field of play he is as disciplined as possible. I will try and correct it in the nets but it is up to the players to take ownership when they walk out on the field.”The no-ball issue isn’t a new one facing the side. In the first Test in Jamaica, West Indies gave away 12 runs in no-balls in Pakistan’s first innings, six from Gabriel. Although there were no wicket-taking chances squandered because of overstepping in that innings, West Indies still ended up conceding 27 runs in extras in Pakistan’s total of 407.West Indies did fight back in the final session in Bridgetown on Monday, taking three wickets in a space of five overs, but Estwick said the team would have to lift their game considerably given the lack of assistance for seamers on the track and Pakistan’s score of 172 for 3 at the end of the day, 140 runs behind West Indies’ first-innings total of 312. Estwick stressed they couldn’t allow Pakistan to run away with a big first-innings lead.”We were very sloppy between lunch and tea,” he said. “That’s the area that we have got to improve. We dropped one or two catches. We got wickets off no-balls. That’s the focus we have to try and improve on because you can’t afford, on an unresponsive pitch like this for seam bowlers, to make the kind of mistakes we did during lunch and tea. We came back nicely between tea and close of play but before tea it was disheartening to see the performance.”We have to correct it and correct it quickly because we can’t allow Pakistan to get a lead. Because once they get a lead, going into day three or four, that is going to be very, very difficult.”

Manchester United are in the midst of a takeover battle at Old Trafford and 'multiple parties' are still engaged with the process, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Who is going to buy Manchester United?

According to BBC Sport journalist Simon Stoney via Stretford Paddock, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and his firm, the Nine Two Foundation, could turn their interest to elsewhere in the Premier League if their latest bid to buy Manchester United is turned down.

The offer in question is for 100% control of the club and would end any association that the Glazers have with Manchester United if it was to be officially ratified, as per Sky Sports.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are Sheikh Jassim's main rivals to try and acquire the Premier League giants, though his bid will offer the Glazers the opportunity to keep a 20% stake in Manchester United.

Manchester United have to meet Financial Fair Play obligations this summer, so they will need to juggle their finances in order to get key targets over the line, according to The Athletic.

As per The Daily Express, player sales could be an important part of enabling Erik Ten Hag to complete transfer business this summer at Old Trafford.

Club captain Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Fred and Jadon Sancho have been earmarked as players that could depart as part of a mini-squad cull in the off-season, as per The Independent.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has detailed that 'multiple parties' are still engaged in the takeover process, though there is still no end in sight as of yet.

Jacobs told FFC: "The challenge for each of the suitors that have gone public, Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation, is that they may feel six feet from the finishing line, but if their rival is only six inches, then that becomes irrelevant and that's the sort of situation we're in at the moment where each group feels they're quite close, but unsure whether their rival is even closer. Then, of course, the Glazers could just move the finishing line further back as well, so there's multiple parties still engaged."

What now for Manchester United?

In the midst of their takeover debacle, Ten Hag and his recruitment team will be solely focused on all things recruitment as he gears his side up for the new season.

Mason Mount has already completed a high-profile move to Old Trafford from Chelsea and made his debut for the club in a 2-0 friendly victory over Leeds United in Oslo, turning in a promising performance, as per The Guardian.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has taken to Twitter to signal that Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is likely to be next in line to join Mount, stating: "BREAKING: Manchester United are now closing in on André Onana deal as final verbal proposal has been made during talks today. Understand it’s €50m fee plus €5m add ons. Structure of add ons being discussed then… done deal. It’s imminent, as expected."

Manchester United have failed with a players-plus-cash offer to Atalanta to try and entice their rising star Rasmus Hojlund to the Premier League and only want a cash deal involving the Denmark international, according to The Athletic.

A Bola via METRO claim that Porto striker Mehdi Taremi is another target to potentially strengthen Ten Hag's forward line, indicating that a busy few weeks will be in store at Old Trafford that could yield some movement on the transfer front.

Arsenal are interested in Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Jeremie Frimpong, but the imminent signing of Jurrien Timber could stop a move from materialising, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Jeremie Frimpong?

Frimpong began his career in the youth setup at Manchester City, where he spent nine years before moving to the Scottish Premiership with Celtic. In his short spell in Scotland, the 22-year-old made 51 appearances and scored three goals, winning the only league title of his career so far. The right-back received lots of interest whilst at Parkhead and in January 2021 sealed a move to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

Frimpong enjoyed his career breakthrough at Leverkusen, where he has made 95 appearances and scored 11 goals whilst providing 20 assists, becoming one of the most highly coveted young defenders on the planet.

Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester United have been reported as having an interest in the defender, though the Red Devils' next steps in their pursuit are dependent on their ownership situation.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that whilst Arsenal do hold an interest in the former Celtic man, the recent signing of Timber by the Gunners may stop them pushing on with a move.

"We had some rumours about [Frimpong] that Arsenal are not in an official negotiation with Bayer Leverkusen for Frimpong.

"From what I understand, Bayer Leverkusen want at least around £35m for Frimpong, so at the moment, Arsenal are very happy with Timber who can help in different positions.

"Then, we will see if they attack the Frimpong situation or not. But at the moment, just some preliminary talks a few days ago and weeks ago, but not something advanced for Frimpong."

Would Frimpong be the right signing for Arsenal?

The signing of Frimpong would bring a different aspect to the Gunners' current full-back situation.

As it stands, the club's most natural right-back is Cedric, who is third-choice behind natural central defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Whilst the duo have performed admirably in the position across the past couple of seasons, they do have a couple of issues.

The Japan international has struggled with injuries since arriving at the Emirates, missing 24 games through injury, whilst White, although defensively sound, leaves something to be desired from an attacking end.

That is where the Dutchman from Leverkusen comes in. He is statistically one of the best attacking full-backs on the planet, sitting in the top 5% in categories such as progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches in the attacking penalty area and non-penalty goals per 90 (as per FBref). His 0.21 assists per 90 ranks him in the top 10%, which makes it clear to see the dynamic he could offer Mikel Arteta and why the north London side are so interested.

The attacking threat that the wing-back carries could also be beneficial to Bukayo Saka. Opposition teams often try to man-mark Saka out of the game or commit two to three players on him alone, sometimes even resorting to kicking and fouling him. However, the threat that Frimpong poses means that defenders cannot simply leave him unmarked to focus on the Englishman, which in turn creates more space and more threatening possibilities for the current England Player of the Year.

Should Arsenal decide to push on in their pursuit of Frimpong, the different dynamic he offers could be the deciding factor in the success they achieve this season.

An update has emerged on Celtic attacking midfielder Jota and his immediate future at Paradise ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest on Jota's future at Celtic?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Hoops forward is set to move to Saudi Arabia to sign for Al Ittihad to link up with Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante.

The reporter tweeted: "Al Ittihad are closing in on deal to sign Celtic star Jota! Agreement is being discussed between all parties and it’s now very close. Still not signed. Jota, keen on the transfer — waiting to discuss final contract details."

The Daily Record has added that the transfer could be for a fee in the region of £25m. However, the Scottish giants will not see all of that figure added to their budget as Benfica are due 30% of the profit on the £6.5m they received for the exciting gem last summer, which would be roughly £5.5m.

Who could replace Jota at Celtic?

It could be incredibly difficult to find a player who is able to replace the consistent stream of goals and assists that Jota provided for the club, but Brendan Rodgers could dip into the summer transfer window to snap up another winger.

One player with the potential to be a dream replacement for the Portuguese dynamo is LAFC forward Kwadwo Opoku, who is a reported €4.8m (£4.1m) transfer target for the Hoops.

The 21-year-old has struggled for form in 2023, with a record of two goals and two assists in 17 MLS appearances. However, his performances last year suggest that the quality is there for him to thrive at Celtic as a scorer and creator of goals.

Opoku scored eight goals and created 11 'big chances' in 20 MLS starts in 2022, which works out as a vital attacking contribution every 1.05 starts on average. Whereas, Rodgers' other left-wing option, Daizen Maeda, scored eight goals and made six 'big chances' in 25 league starts for the Glasgow giants last term.

This shows that the LAFC star was able to provide consistent quality from a wide position, as Jota has in Scotland over the last two years.

In the 2022/23 campaign, the former Benfica prospect scored 11 goals and created 13 'big chances' in 26 Scottish Premiership starts for Celtic, which works out as a goal or huge opportunity conjured every 1.08 starts on average.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Opoku, whose performances in 2022 were lauded as "magnificent" by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, to be a Jota-esque figure on the wing for Rodgers.

The talented LAFC youngster has the ability to be a threat as a goalscorer and creator like the £25m-rated ace, which is why Rodgers could unearth the dream Jota replacement by signing the MLS gem and helping him to rediscover his best form from last year.