There have been some emotional farewells from Tottenham Hotspur over the last couple of years.

While Ange Postecoglou’s exit was not met with tears, the departures of Harry Kane back in 2023 and Son Heung-min in 2025 were sad indeed.

Kane left for Bayern Munich as the greatest goalscorer in Spurs history while Son will certainly go down as one of the most electrifying and most-liked players the supporters have ever seen.

While the South Korean saw his powers wane last season, he did still score 11 goals and register 12 assists in his 46 appearances.

Trying to replace that output has been a challenge. While Son reminds everyone of just how good he still is at LA FC, bagging ten goals in his first 12 outings in MLS, the likes of Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Brennan Johnson continue to divide opinion with their displays in the Spurs forward line.

Richarlison, in particular, is a polarising figure and despite his goal against Manchester United on Saturday, is not likely to last too much longer as a Lilywhite.

Why Richarlison's Spurs career is under threat

Has there been a more perplexing player in Tottenham’s recent history than Richarlison?

Signed for a mega £60m back in 2022 after an 11-goal and five-assist season for Everton, hopes were great for a player who had been a real nuisance in the Premier League.

That said, whatever possessed Daniel Levy and Co to pay such a massive sum was questionable even then. It’s a question we’re still trying to answer to this day.

It’s been a troubled few years for the Brazilian in north London. Back in 2022/23, he scored just one goal in 27 Premier League outings. He did net 11 in 2023/24 but followed that up with another terrible return last season, bagging five goals in 24 outings across all competitions.

On paper, the forward’s numbers from the ongoing campaign don’t look bad. The 28-year-old has scored four goals in 11 top-flight outings but his inconsistency is what frustrates supporters so much.

Having missed a big chance in the first half in classic Richarlison fashion, he flicked home a deft header on Saturday, a moment that looked as though it had won Thomas Frank’s side the game. We all know how that ended.

That rather summed up the attacker’s time at Spurs. A rash finish followed by a goal, but it simply hasn’t been acceptable for a number of years now.

BBC Sport’s Nat Haywood perhaps described Richarlison best this season, simply beginning an article by describing him as an “enigma.”

While he has found himself in decent form during 2025/26, the former Everton and Watford man has had his chance. He’s often found wanting in front of goal and his injury record is not the best either. As per Transfermarkt, he has missed 377 days of action since moving.

So, what’s the solution? Well, fortunately enough for Frank, Spurs have a number of top-drawer youngsters in their ranks.

How Spurs can solve their Richarlison problem

Truth be told, not many clubs in the country possess the calibre of young talent that Spurs currently have in their ranks.

From Lucas Bergvall, once wanted by Barcelona, to Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert, there are plenty of fresh faces in the first-team squad.

Beyond that, teenager Mikey Moore, who was previously compared to Neymar by James Maddison, has just scored his first goal on loan at Rangers while Spurs are also due to welcome the “Irish Alexander Isak” to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the form of young Mason Melia.

Lest we forget Luca Williams-Barnett too, a 17-year-old who made his senior debut just a matter of weeks ago.

For now, however, we’d like to focus on a young South Korean by the name of Yang Min-hyeok.

Spurs officially announced the signing of Yang back in the summer of 2024 and he joined the club once he had turned 18 in January of this year.

A winger by trade, before he’d even moved to Spurs, journalist and South Korean football expert, Jason Lee, suggested that the teenager “is expected to be Korea’s next superstar like Son Heung-min.”

While the forward is yet to hit those dizzy heights just yet, it’s been an impressive start in senior football.

Before he’d even become an adult, Yang was making a mighty fine impact for Gangwon FC in the K-League, playing 38 times for the South Korean side, scoring 12 times and supplying six assists. It’s easy to see why he’d captured the eye of Spurs scouts.

Gangwon FC

38

12

6

QPR

14

2

1

Portsmouth

10

2

1

Spurs

0

0

0

The young attacker is yet to play a senior competitive game for the Lilywhites but has enjoyed two separate loan spells in the EFL, firstly with QPR last season and secondly with Portsmouth in 2025/26.

Yang’s numbers don’t capture the imagination too much just yet but one can excuse a period of adaptation for someone who has only been in Europe for 11 months now.

It took him a few months to get up to speed at Portsmouth but he is now earning some impressive reviews. Scout Jacek Kulig wrote how he is “on fire” at Pompey, having scored against Watford and also fired in a winner against high-flying Middlesbrough in October.

Further described as the “Korean Marco Reus” by football writer Albert Kim, he wrote that “if you give him too much time and space, he’s going to hurt you.” That certainly sounds a lot like Son.

Yang has a long way to go before he can be considered a player ready to make an impact in the Spurs first team but capable of playing on either flank, as well as a striker, he has the positional versatility and attributes to take Richarlison’s place in the squad in the future.

Glasgow Rangers underwent a squad overhaul during the summer transfer window after a change in ownership and a change in the coaching department with Russell Martin’s arrival.

Kevin Thelwell also joined as the team’s new sporting director and the former Everton chief was given plenty of money to play with to bolster the squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Unfortunately, as shown in the graphic above, that ended with Martin winning five of his 17 matches in charge of the Ibrox giants before being relieved of his duties last month.

Thelwell’s attacking signings, in particular, have to be placed under the microscope as he signed Youssef Chermiti from his former club for a fee of £8m, the most money spent on a Rangers signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

So far, the Portugal U21 international has only scored one goal in all competitions for the Light Blues, which shows that they have not received value for money on that £8m yet.

Chermiti was brought in after the club sold centre-forward Hamza Igamane to Lille for a fee of £10.4m, and it is fair to say that they have not replaced him very well on current evidence.

Where Hamza Igamane ranks in the most expensive Rangers sales

The Morocco international only went for a fee of £10.4m because of a reported release clause in his contract, which would have been in place before Thelwell took over as sporting director, which means that he cannot be blamed for that situation.

Igamane ended his only season with the Ibrox giants with a return of 16 goals and three assists in 49 appearances in all competitions, which included 12 goals in 33 outings in the Scottish Premiership, per Transfermarkt.

The 23-year-old attacker also showcased his quality in the biggest matches, scoring the winner against Celtic in the clip above and scoring four goals in the Europa League.

As you can see in the table above, the Morocco international does still rank as the third-most expensive sale in the club’s history, behind Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey, but the release clause possibly stopped him from climbing higher up that list.

His departure has been a big loss for the Gers, on top of that, as Chermiti and fellow summer signing Bojan Miovski have combined for two Premiership goals after coming in to replace him and Cyriel Dessers.

Whilst Igamane was a big loss in the summer, there is a Rangers star attracting interest whose departure from Ibrox would be an even bigger loss for Danny Rohl.

Rangers star attracting interest ahead of January

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that there are clubs circling around Light Blues central midfielder Nicolas Raskin ahead of the January transfer window.

O’Rourke told Football Insider: “There was interest in Raskin in the summer window from a number of clubs in the Premier League and across Europe as well. There is still interest in the Belgium international and that’s not going to go away.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

“I’m sure clubs are keeping tabs on the situation at Rangers. I don’t think Rangers ideally would want to lose him midway through the season. It would have to be a big, big fee for Rangers to even consider selling him, that’s what I think it would take for them to let him go in January.”

Football Insider adds that the Belgium international is ‘tempted’ by the prospect of a move to the Premier League in January, amid interest from Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, as O’Rourke outlined in those comments, it would take a significant fee for the Scottish giants to consider parting ways with the midfield star, whose contract expires at the end of next season.

Why Rangers must keep hold of Nicolas Raskin

The Light Blues must resist any attempts to prise the Belgian star away from Ibrox in January because losing him would be an even bigger blow than it was to sell Igamane in the summer.

Of course, the Morocco international’s goals were important and his absence has been felt, mainly because of Chermiti and Miovski’s struggles, but he mainly impacted games in possession with his attacking play.

Raskin, however, is an exceptional box-to-box midfielder who can influence matches with his play in and out of possession, which means that he is even more important than Igamane to the overall structure of the side.

The 24-year-old star, who scored against Dundee in the Premiership before the international break, produced four goals and ten assists in the Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign, whilst also winning 57% of his duels, per Sofascore.

In the current campaign, the midfielder has delivered one goal and two assists along with 6.7 duels won per game at a success rate of 54%, per Sofascore, which shows that he is impacting matches at both ends.

FotMob rating

7.50

3rd

Chances created

17

2nd

Assists

2

Joint-1st

Goals involvements

3

2nd

Passes completed per 90

52.3

6th

Tackles won

20

2nd

Interceptions

7

Joint-3rd

As you can see in the table above, the Belgium international ranks highly among his teammates in a host of key metrics both in and out of possession in the league this season.

In fact, Raskin ranks within the top 11% of midfielders in the division for duels won (60) and the top 18% for tackles won (20) in the Premiership this season, which shows that he has been a standout defensively both by Rangers and Premiership standards.

The former Standard Liege ace, who was once dubbed “sensational” by former teammate Scott Arfield, is clearly crucial to what the Gers do at both ends of the pitch, with his contributions offensively and defensively.

That is why losing him would be an even bigger blow than when they lost Igamane in the summer, as the Moroccan forward only won 39% of his defensive duels and made 23 tackles over the entire season in the Premiership last term, per FotMob.

Rohl can unearth bigger talent than Gassama in £3.5m Rangers flop

Danny Rohl could unearth a bigger talent than Djeidi Gassama in this Rangers flop.

ByDan Emery Nov 15, 2025

Therefore, even if a ‘big’ offer comes over the desk in the January window, the club should look to keep hold of him until they have the summer window to take their time to replace the midfield star.

Trinity Rodman has received a contract offer from DC Power of the Gainbridge Super League that reportedly exceeds what the Washington Spirit or the NWSL can match. The U.S. forward’s contract with the Spirit expires next month, and negotiations over an extension have stalled. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has stressed her league will fight to keep the American star.

• Imagn
  

  Substantial contract offer

  Multiple outlets report that Rodman’s representatives have spoken directly with Berman while also holding discussions with European clubs. According to , they are evaluating an offer from DC Power that exceeds what the Spirit can provide under the league’s salary cap. Negotiations have reached an impasse because NWSL teams are unable to match offers from clubs operating outside the cap structure.

  Berman stressed in her NWSL Final presser on Thursday that the league hopes to retain the star forward. 

  "We want Trinity in the NWSL, and we will fight for her," she said. 

  Rodman has more than delivered during her time in NWSL, scoring 23 goals. The 23-year-old is also reportedly drawing interest from European clubs. 

Advertisement

• Imagn
  

  Salary cap debate intensifies amid competition

  The situation highlights a key structural difference between the two leagues. The Super League, sanctioned as a Division I competition and operated by the USL, does not use a salary cap or player draft, giving clubs full control over roster building and allowing all players to become free agents when their contracts expire.

  That stands in contrast with the NWSL’s hard salary cap – set at $3.3 million per team for 2026 and not expected to reach $5 million until 2030 under the current CBA – which limits how much clubs can offer in contract negotiations. Berman defended the NWSL's use of a salary cap and pointed to the league's growth in its current number. 

  "The NWSL has raised the salary cap tremendously in the last four seasons, almost quadrupled in the last four years," she said. 

• Imagn
  

  Rodman decision represents watershed moment

  The outcome of Rodman’s contract negotiations is expected to influence future deals for top American players. In recent years, several high-profile U.S. players have moved abroad – including Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea, as well as Naomi Girma and Lindsey Horan – and Rodman now represents one of the most closely watched cases.

  Unlike those players, Rodman has a domestic alternative capable of outbidding her current league. The Spirit and DC Power share facilities owned by D.C. United, and the Power also share ownership ties with the MLS club, creating an unusual scenario in which Rodman could remain in the same market while moving to a different league.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Championship match outcome precedes decisive offseason

  Rodman will first focus on leading the Washington Spirit in Saturday's NWSL Championship in San Jose before making any decisions about her future. 

The first, in Adelaide, was a win manufactured from a position where a draw was the only likely outcome, while the second was an against-the-odds scrap that ended with a world-record chase

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The AUS-ENG 2006 Adelaide Test moves to the round of 16.

A win out of nowhere – Adelaide, 2006

The final day of the Adelaide Test of 2006-07 started with 1123 runs already scored, and only 17 wickets having fallen. The ESPNcricinfo report after the fourth day’s play was headlined “Draw beckons after Clarke hundred” – Michael Clarke was the fourth century-getter in the Test, after Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting.But within no time on the fifth morning, Shane Warne – who else? – had broken through, and broken through again, and 54 overs into the day, England were done for 129. Collingwood, who had scored 206 in the first innings, was 22 not out at the close, his runs coming in well over three hours.And Australia had a target: 168. In 36 overs. That meant an “asking rate” of 4.67.We didn’t know what Bazball was, but Australia had their own version of it at the time, and made a dash for it.Matthew Hayden’s 18 came off 17 balls. Ponting’s 49 off 65. Mike Hussey remained unbeaten on 61 off 66. And Clarke, slow by comparison, scored 21 not out in 39 balls. And it was done. Australia victors by six wickets, with 3.1 overs in the bag, having scored their 168 at a scoring rate of 5.11. A victory from… nothing, really.

The highest chase in Test history – St John’s, 2003

To start with, there was a tie – both teams stopping at 240 in their first innings. So it came down to a one-innings-a-side shootout. One which Australia appeared to have won when they scored 417, leaving West Indies upwards of two days to cross or crumble. Not to forget, it was the Test with the (in)famous Glenn McGrath-Ramnaresh Sarwan spat.Australia had a specific target: sweeping West Indies in a Test series in the West Indies. Never done before. West Indies also had a target: preventing aforementioned sweep. Australia’s target was closer, it seemed.Not to Brian Lara, not to Sarwan, and not to Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Lara fell for 60 on the fourth afternoon, and then it was a 123-run stand between Chanderpaul and Sarwan that took West Indies to 288. But, when Sarwan was gone for 105, and Ridley Jacobs fell for a first-ball duck, off successive Brett Lee deliveries, the die appeared to have been cast. Chanderpaul had no one really to partner him, and the target was still 130 away.But help was an unexpected source away. In fact, “help” might be the wrong word to use, since Chanderpaul was gone for 104 the final morning, and Australia were closing in, and it was left to Omari Banks, the first Test cricketer from the island of Anguilla to play Test cricket, to do the job, with Vasbert Drakes for company.They did. Banks scored 47 not out. Drakes scored 27 not out. And West Indies had pulled off the highest successful chase in Test history, still unsurpassed.

Aston Villa defender Matty Cash has been hailed for his incredible defensive form after shutting down Bournemouth winger

Antoine Semenyo on Sunday.

Villa cruised to a fourth straight home Premier League victory, brushing Bournemouth aside 4-0 at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s side had only scored nine goals in the league coming into the match but put their goalscoring woes to bed to dispatch Andoni Iraola’s below-par Cherries with ease.

Emiliano Buendia’s sublime free-kick put them on track for a fifth win from six before Amadou Onana’s cracker from range doubled their lead. Villa had to withstand a spell of Bournemouth pressure but Emiliano Martinez produced a string of fine saves to keep their lead intact, including a one-handed stop to deny Semenyo from the penalty spot after Morgan Rogers handled the ball.

Villa then made the match safe as substitutes Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen struck to wrap up victory and deliver a first four-goal haul of the campaign. During the game, though he didn’t get onto the scoresheet, one Villa player had a stellar performance.

Cash shone in dominant win over Bournemouth

Writing on X, Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic was full of praise for Cash, touching on his contributions over the 2025/26 season which rank him amongst the best defenders in the English top flight.

Cash, along with his Villa teammates, endured a slow start to the current campaign, far from a norm under Emery’s tenure at Villa Park. Picking up their first win of the season only in late September against Bologna, Villa have since lost just two of their last 10 matches, a run to which Cash has been a major contributor.

Matty Cash 2025/26 Season Stats So Far
Interceptions per Game	0.8
Tackles per Game	1.6
Clearances per Game	2.8
Blocked Shots per Game	0.7
Errors Leading to Goals	0
(All stats are from SofaScore)

In what has been a thunderous start to the season for Bournemouth, Semenyo has shone as one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Premier League. As Tanswell noted, Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola wanted the Ghanian international to be charging at Lucas Digne rather than Cash, given his form.

Semenyo was limited to a quiet game in a thrashing win, with Cash maintaining the exceptional standards he has had across the campaign as Villa look to, once again, qualify for European football under Emery.

Villa exploring deal for exciting striker