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Celtic will be in the market to add to their options in the wide department after Nicolas Kuhn officially completed a permanent transfer to Como for a reported fee of £16.5m.

The German forward racked up 13 goals and nine assists from the right flank in the Scottish Premiership last season, which shows the kind of quality that Brendan Rodgers has lost.

On top of that, Portuguese winger Jota may be out until January or February with a knee injury that was sustained against Dundee United back in May.

This means that the Hoops are short out wide, even with the addition of Benjamin Nygren this summer, which is why they are reportedly keen on adding another winger to their squad.

Celtic place star at the top of their wishlist

The Scottish Premiership champions are looking to dip into a rarely-utilised market, for them, as they plot to repeat the masterclass they played with Victor Wanyama by signing another star from the Belgian Pro League.

Transfer Focus

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

According to the Daily Record, Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha is at the very top of their wishlist to replace Kuhn during the summer window.

The report adds that the Belgian winger is out of contract at the end of next season and that Antwerp sporting director Marc Overmars has opened the door to sales for players in that situation.

It has previously been claimed that the Hoops have been in talks with the Pro League side to discuss a deal for £5m-rated attacker, and this latest update now suggests that he is a priority target for the Scottish giants.

Why Balikwisha could be a Wanyama repeat

As per the Daily Record, Rami Gershon from Standard Liege in 2013 was the last player the club signed from the Pro League, whilst the last notable signing was the deal to bring Wanyama to Parkhead from Beerschot in 2011.

The Kenya international went on to score 13 goals in 91 appearances for Celtic in all competitions as a central midfielder, before Southampton signed him for a reported fee of £12.5m in the summer of 2013.

Balikwisha could be the first player to become a star at Parkhead after moving from the Pro League since Wanyama made that successful transition between 2011 and 2013, based on his form for Antwerp over the past two seasons.

The 24-year-old forward, who was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, racked up 14 goals and nine assists in 59 games in all competitions between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined.

Starts

27

12

xG

6.46

2.65

Goals

7

4

Big chances created

6

7

Key passes per game

1.5

1.6

Assists

5

3

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has delivered 11 goals and eight assists in his last 39 games in the Pro League, outperforming his xG as a finisher in both of those seasons.

These statistics show that he is an efficient finisher who could thrive in a dominant Celtic team, which has won the Premiership in each of the last four years, that creates plenty of chances for him from the wing.

His creative numbers, with at least 1.5 key passes per game, also show that he has the potential to create opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis on the flank, if the youngster can translate his form from Belgium over to Scotland, as Wanyama did over a decade ago.

It is fair to say that Celtic hit the jackpot when they signed Wanyama, who was a key player on the pitch and made the club a fortune, and Balikwisha appears to have the qualities to follow in his footsteps next season.

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Therefore, the Belgian whiz could be a shrewd addition from a market the club rarely looks to explore if they can wrap up a deal for him this summer.

Eagles on course for quarter-final berth after getting the better of local rivals

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2024Sam Cook returned from injury to linchpin Essex’s 22-run victory over ‘Battle of the Bridge’ rivals Kent Spitfires and put the Eagles in pole position for a Vitality Blast quarter-final place.Fast bowler Cook ended a 49-day hamstring injury lay-off to take one for 21 as Essex defended 187 despite Tawanda Muyeye’s T20 best of 73.Adam Rossington, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper and Matt Critchley all passed 30 as the Eagles set an imposing total – with Paul Walter the stand-out with an unbeaten 46.The victory bucked the trend at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, which had seen the side batting first win just one of the previous 11 matches, and kept Essex in the top four, while Kent remain bottom.The Essex batting innings went through three fluctuation stages, having been stuck in.The powerplay belonged to them as Adam Rossington biffed 36, while Elgar ticked along unspectacularly – with 50 brought up in the opening six overs.Rossington plinked the last ball of the powerplay to mid-on, but Pepper took over the aggressive nature – with three successive fours off Joey Evison, ahead of a four-six combo to take down Matt Parkinson.But Elgar holing out to long on in the 12th over saw Kent pull things back. It came five deliveries into a 31-ball spell without a boundary, which also saw Pepper caught at deep midwicket for a 20-ball 34.Parkinson took both those wickets as he found a little grip to cause issues with seamers backing him up from the other end.But his four overs two for 29 were followed by the Eagles souring to a decent target – with Walter and Critchley taking 67 from the final five overs. All included a six, but also plenty of clever field manipulation.Cook’s return from a hamstring injury suffered in the Vitality County Championship fixture with Kent in May for his first Blast appearance of the year and started with just a single off his opening over.Eathan Bosch, on T20 debut for Essex, began equally strongly with just a wide and the scalp of Daniel Bell-Drummond in his first but his second, which went for 24, put the Spitfires in control.It was the centrepiece of Muyeye and Marcus O’Riordan’s 85-run stand, one which stayed closely with the required rate.Zimbabwean-born Muyeye moved to an effortless fourth T20 fifty in 34 balls.But Essex opened the door back up with O’Riordan sharply caught and bowled by Snater, Sam Billings slicing Simon Harmer to cover and Muyeye also returned to Snater – who had clearly put the Dutch’s misery behind them.The visitors then completely lost their way with Jack Leaning carving to extra cover as only 53 runs were scored in the last eight overs.Walter and Cook easily saw out the 36 required from the last two overs to win.

In May 2025, Tottenham Hotspur brought home the Europa League to finally end 17 years of trophyless pain. Having fallen short so often since their EFL Cup triumph in February 2008, there will have been profound joy and relief that their hoodoo is over at last.

Ange Postecoglou endured a largely dismal second season at Spurs in 2024/25, but the club’s European campaign may yet reignite his tenure, amid plenty of poor performances in the Premier League, with Spurs dropping way short of expectations.

But after a dazzling night in Bilbao against Manchester United, European nights are set to continue with Spurs back in the Champions League.

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Spurs have a rich history on the European stage, and here, we have taken a look at the 11 best European matches in Spurs’ history.

11 Tottenham 3-0 Inter Europa League last-16, first leg (2012/13)

This victory over Inter wasn’t as seismic as the one from their maiden Champions League campaign in 2010/11, but it proved that Spurs could perform at their very best in Europe.

Having finished second in the group stage behind Serie A side Lazio, Spurs progressed to the knockout stages.

An impressive 3-2 aggregate victory over Lyon in the last 32 set up a tie against Inter, and the first leg at White Hart Lane certainly didn’t disappoint.

Goals from Gareth Bale, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen gave the home side a 3-0 win over the 2010 Champions League winners with one of the club’s finest European results.

They lost the second leg 4-1, but progressed on away goals before losing to Basel in the quarter-finals.

10 Tottenham 2-0 Bayern Munich UEFA Cup third round, second leg (1983/84)

Having won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963 and the UEFA Cup in 1972, Spurs were going for their third European trophy during the 1983/84 season.

The Lilywhites lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their third-round clash against the Germans, meaning all was to play for in north London.

Steve Archibald levelled the tie with 40 minutes left before Mark Falco netted a late winner, taking Spurs into the quarter-finals.

They reached the final and defeated Anderlecht 4-3 on penalties, marking the last European trophy won by Spurs.

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ByBarney Lane Feb 12, 2025 9 Man City 4-3 Tottenham Champions League quarter-final, second leg (2018/19)

While this may have been a defeat on the night, Spurs’ gritty display at the Etihad saw them qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League in dramatic fashion.

The first leg finished 1-0 in favour of the north Londoners, and was followed by a frantic start to the second leg, as Man City went into half-time leading 3-2, trailing on away goals.

Sergio Aguero finally put City ahead in the tie during the second half, but Fernando Llorente levelled things up on aggregate once more to hand Spurs the advantage.

Entering the final minutes, City were desperately searching for a winner, and it looked as though Raheem Sterling had put the club through with in the last minute, only for VAR to incredibly rule it out as Spurs reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time.

8 Milan 0-1 Tottenham Champions League last-16, first leg (2010/11)

Spurs had enjoyed a wonderful debut season in the Champions League group stages. Not only had they defeated defending champions Inter, but they managed to lose just once on their way to reaching the last 16.

Their reward? A tie against Milan. Harry Redknapp set his team up well at the San Siro that evening as a goal from Peter Crouch secured them a 1-0 victory. The game will be best remembered for the clash between Joe Jordan and Gennaro Gattuso on the touchline.

7 Tottenham 3-1 Inter Champions League group stage (2010/11)

Earlier in the 2010/11 season, Spurs played host to Inter at White Hart Lane in the Champions League group stages. Gareth Bale had scored a stunning hat-trick in a 4-3 defeat to the same team a few weeks prior, but this was a different story.

Bale was the star of the show yet again, but this time, Spurs won. Goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Peter Crouch gave the home side a two-goal advantage before Samuel Eto’o reduced the arrears with 10 minutes to go.

Bale assisted Roman Pavlyuchenko to seal a wonderful 3-1 win that put the club on the brink of qualifying for the last 16 on a night that seemed to rekindle the famous “Glory Glory” nights in north London.

6 Tottenham 1-0 Manchester United Europa League final (2024/25)

In truth, this wasn’t the greatest of European spectacles, but the euphoria pouring out of the stands at the final whistle more than made up for it as Spurs won their fourth European trophy.

Tottenham entered the Europa League final in terrible form, placing 16th in the Premier League (ironically one place above opponents Manchester United) and in the last chance saloon in terms of breaking their run of seasons without silverware.

But having gained a reputation for becoming chokers when it mattered most, Ange Postecoglou’s side delivered a winning performance after 17 years of waiting, with Brennan Johnson’s scrappy effort settling a tense finale against United.

The Red Devils were largely toothless throughout, with Rasmus Hojlund’s goalbound effort the closest they came to an equaliser, but Micky van de Ven’s sensational acrobatic clearance denied a route back into the game for Ruben Amorim’s side.

Spurs had their backs against the wall for much of the second period, determined not to let another opportunity slip away. A key stop in the dying moments from Guglielmo Vicario effectively secured glory for the Lilywhites, and nearly two decades of failure were over in a flash.

5 Tottenham 1-1 Anderlecht UEFA Cup final, second leg (1983/84)

Spurs reached their third UEFA Cup final in 12 years as they took on Anderlecht over two legs.

The first game in Brussels saw the teams draw 1-1, leaving the tie finely poised for the second leg in north London. That game also finished 1-1 thanks to a late goal from captain Graham Roberts and the match drifted into extra time.

No more goals were scored, with Spurs eventually winning the game on penalties to claim their second UEFA Cup.

4 Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Wolves UEFA Cup final, second leg (1971/72)

The 1971/72 season saw the inaugural edition of the UEFA Cup take place. It became the third competition organised by UEFA and was fairly similar in structure to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which had been played between 1955 and 1971.

Spurs would go on to play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final of the competition, and enjoyed a relatively stress-free route to the final, defeating Milan in the semi-finals.

Spurs won the first leg 2-1 at Molineux before sealing their first UEFA Cup by drawing 1-1 with the Old Gold at White Hart Lane in the second leg.

3 Tottenham 5-1 Atletico Madrid European Cup Winners' Cup final (1962/63)

During the first half of the 1960s, Spurs were arguably the finest team in England. They became the first club to win the league and FA Cup double in the 20th century during the 1960/61 season, before retaining the FA Cup the following season.

The 1962/63 campaign saw Bill Nicholson’s side fail to win any domestic honours, but they did reach the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup after defeating Rangers, Slovan Bratislava and OFK Beograd to set up a final showdown against holders Atlético Madrid.

The Spanish side weren’t quite up to the level of their city rivals, Real Madrid, but still posed a challenge. However, Nicholson’s side sent them packing with a stunning 5-1 victory.

Captain Danny Blanchflower rallied his side as doubles from Jimmy Greaves and Terry Dyson, plus a strike from John White, secured the club their first European trophy.

In the process, Spurs became the first British side to triumph in a European competition.

2 Tottenham 3-1 Real Madrid Champions League group stage (2017/18)

Mauricio Pochettino was building something special at Spurs, and the 2017/18 season was their second in the Champions League under his leadership.

They crashed out in the group stages during the 2016/17 season, but the following year was very different indeed.

Despite being in a group containing Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and APOEL, Spurs won five of their six matches, including a wonderful 3-1 win over Madrid.

A brace from Dele Alli and a goal from Christian Eriksen gave the home side a 3-0 lead before Cristiano Ronaldo netted a consolation.

Considering Madrid had won the competition in the previous two seasons – and would go on to secure a historic victory against Liverpool that year – this is arguably one of the best results in Spurs’ history.

Arsenal have reportedly made a pre-summer offer to sign a Barcelona star for Mikel Arteta, with the La Liga title contenders and their president, Joan Laporta, responding to their ambitious approach.

Arsenal set to sign new defender for Mikel Arteta this summer

According to reliable media sources, the Gunners are set to try and sign a new defender for Arteta this summer.

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Kieran Tierney is set to join Celtic in July after agreeing a pre-summer contract in the January transfer window, while it is believed Oleksandr Zinchenko has been put on the transfer list by Arsenal after falling down Arteta’s pecking order.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

Jakub Kiwior has started four of Arsenal’s last Premier League matches, as well as both Champions League quarter-final legs against Real Madrid, but this is only due to Gabriel Magalhaes being out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.

The Poland international has performed impressively in that time, but that hasn’t stopped Arsenal from looking at new options in that position ahead of the summer.

Arsenal are one of the contenders to sign Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen, as per David Ornstein, and have held talks with the Spaniard’s camp already – so it is unclear what the future would hold for Kiwior if he were to come in.

In any case, it is clear that the north Londoners are in the market for another centre-back, and it is also believed Arsenal could move to bring in another full-back as Tierney and Zinchenko head towards the exit door.

One player who could reinforce both positions with serious quality is £223,000-per-week Barcelona star Jules Koundé.

The France international has proved indispensable to Hansi Flick’s title favourites, playing more La Liga minutes than any other player in his Catalans squad, with only Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Dani Olmo averaging more key passes per 90 than him in the final third (WhoScored).

Kounde’s contributed excellently, both in an offensive and defensive sense, leaving little wonder why Arteta is a big admirer of the ex-Sevilla sensation.

Arsenal make pre-summer bid for Barcelona defender Jules Koundé

According to reports in Spain, as cited by Football 365, Arteta has become “obsessed” with Kounde following his excellent 2024/2025 – and Andrea Berta has made an early attempt to back Arsenal’s manager with a swoop for the 26-year-old.

It is believed Arsenal have made a pre-summer offer worth £55 million for Kounde, but Laporta has swiftly responded with a polite no, as the defender is seen as far too important to even consider selling.

It was always a tall order for Arsenal to tempt Barca into selling their star man, who can play both centrally and a full-back, but it is clear to see why they made a bold attempt to do so.

“I played against him in the Champions League,” said France international teammate Dayot Upamecano.

“He’s a confident player and I hope things continue that way. He’s also a leader and he’s beginning to have a lot of experience. I wish him all the best.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is under serious pressure as uncertainty revolves around his future in north London, with chairman Daniel Levy shortlisting multiple candidates to replace the Australian if he departs N17.

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According to reports this week, in the event Postecoglou is in fact shown his P45, Spurs would be aiming to bring in a replacement before the first summer transfer window opens on June 1st (Pete O’Rourke).

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The Premier League confirmed that there will be two separate windows this year. One will be open from June 1st to June 10th, and the other from June 16th to September 1st – which allows clubs like Man City and Chelsea to sign players before the Club World Cup.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Tottenham apparently aim to take advantage of the early window to sign players for their prospective new head coach (Pete O’Rourke), and it is believed that Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva are their two “top candidates” – even if their clubs will battle to keep them.

Bournemouth owner Billy Foley is attempting to agree a new contract with Iraola to keep him out of Levy’s clutches, while Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan admitted this week that the west Londoners are extremely keen to keep hold of their high-performing manager Silva.

Postecoglou, meanwhile, admitted before Spurs’ clash with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League that he’s in the dark about his future.

“No – no idea,” said Postecoglou on whether he’ll be at Tottenham next season.

“We have a game tomorrow night, but it’s not something I need to think about. I’ve never thought about those things in terms of what is important.

“What is important is the game. That’s a massive opportunity for this group of players and this football club to get closer to achieving what everyone wants to achieve. Anything other than that, particularly in terms of me, I don’t really have much thought process that thinks about my career or what I’m doing in that way.”

Tottenham are on course for their worst ever Premier League campaign to date, after losing 17 top-flight matches, and Postecoglou has attracted fierce criticism throughout 2024/2025 despite the injuries which have depleted his squad.

Tottenham planning to make approach for Brentford boss Thomas Frank

Now, as per TEAMtalk, an update has emerged on their links to Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

The Dane has apparently shot up Levy’s managerial target list, following news that Iraola is leaning more towards remaining at the Vitality Stadium for next season.

According to TT’s information, Tottenham will ask Frank about replacing Postecoglou if they decide to sack him, and it is also believed that the 51-year-old is ready for the next step in his managerial career after transforming the Bees into a solid Premier League outfit.

Interestingly, his contract also contains a release clause, akin to Iraola and Silva. The cost to bypass negotiations with Brentford and head straight to Frank stands at around £10 million, so Levy would still need to invest significantly in his capture.

That being said, Frank is highly-rated by his peers, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola calling him “one of the best” managers around.