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It would probably be fair to say that the last period of sustained positivity at Tottenham Hotspur came under Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine spent just over five years in the Lilywhites’ dugout, during which he turned them into one of the best teams in the country and led them to their first Champions League final.

However, while the former boss got plenty right during his time at the club, he also made his fair share of mistakes, especially in the transfer market.

He may have been responsible for some brilliant signings like Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli, but he was also responsible for some howlers, including one flop who cost the club a fortune and earned more than Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.

Pochettino's worst signings

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of Pochettino’s other dismal signings from his time in the Spurs hot seat, starting with what has to be considered his worst: Tanguy Ndombele.

The North Londoners opted to spend a then-club-record £63m on the Lyon midfielder in the summer of 2019, and while it is easy to lambast the deal now, there was a lot of excitement at the time, with the Guardian’s David Hytner even comparing the Frenchman to Mousa Dembélé.

Unfortunately, that comparison never came close to being justified.

Appearances

91

Goals

10

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.20

Loan Moves

3

Over the next five years, the former Lyon ace would make just 91 first-team appearances, in which he scored ten goals and provided nine assists, before eventually seeing his contract terminated last summer, after costing the North Londoners around £104m in wages and fees.

A far cheaper, but still disappointing, signing was that of Vincent Janssen, who joined the club in the summer of 2016 for around £19m from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

Now, while the Dutchman still cost the club a significant amount of money, he falls into the category of ‘most disappointing’ signings under Pochettino because of the expectations of what he’d do and the reality of what he managed.

For example, in the season before his move, the Heesch-born marksman won the Eredivisie Golden Boot and amassed a sensational haul of 31 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

However, in his one and only full season in North London, he could only muster up a tally of six goals and four assists in 38 games, and after a loan to Fenerbahçe for the 17/18 season, he was sold to Mexican outfit Monterrey a year after that for just £6.3m.

In all, Janssen was a flop for Spurs and Poch, but he did not cost the club as much money as another signing from the Netherlands did.

The Poch flop who cost Spurs millions

In the summer of 2017, Tottenham set the record for the most expensive defender in football history when they agreed to the £50m sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

This meant they were now light at the back and had a hefty wad of cash burning a hole in their pocket.

So, Pochettino and Daniel Levy looked to the continent and decided to sign the up-and-coming Davinson Sanchez from Ajax for a massive £42m.

In addition to breaking their transfer record to sign the then-21-year-old, the club also decided to hand him a rather lucrative £65k-per-week contract, which, if he were still earning today, would see him make more than Van de Ven and Spence, who both make £50k-per-week despite being far better players.

With that said, the Colombian international’s first season in North London wasn’t a total bust, and he ended up making 41 appearances across all competitions for the club, but as things started to go wrong for the team in the following years, he began to pick up plenty of stick.

For example, in his final season in North London, the team conceded a whopping 63 goals in the Premier League alone, and he was labelled “deadwood” and “one of the worst players I’ve ever seen” by pundit and former professional Jamie O’Hara.

In all, the Caloto-born defender made 207 appearances for the club, in which he scored five goals and provided one assist before being sold to Galatasaray in Septbember 2023.

Transfer Fee

£42m

Wages (Total)

£65k (£20.4m)

Appearances

207

Cost per Appearance

£301k

Goals

5

Cost per Goal

£12.4m

Assists

1

Cost per Assist

£62.4m

Goal Involvements

6

Cost per Goal Involvement

£10.4m

So, when you add his transfer fee to his overall salary at Spurs, which would have been about £20.4m, the former Ajax star cost the Lilywhites about £62.4m, which breaks down to £301k-per-appaearance, £12.4m-per-goal, £62.4m-per-assist or £10.4m-per-goal-involvement.

Ultimately, while Sanchez wasn’t Pochettino’s worst signing at Spurs, he wasn’t far off, and the fact Van de Ven and Spence currently earn less than he did is an indication that the club have learned from their mistakes.

Spurs' award-winning CF was ahead of Kane, then Poch sold him for £208k

The promising forward wasn’t able to reach his potential at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 28, 2025

The U.S. international has expressed excitement about returning to his home country with Borussia Dortmund for the Club World Cup

American midfielder highlights personal significance of tournamentTwenty-two-year-old eager to serve as a cultural ambassadorDortmund player confident in team's ability to make deep runWatch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Borussia Dortmund and U.S. international midfielder Giovanni Reyna has shared his enthusiasm about competing in the FIFA Club World Cup on American soil, calling the opportunity to represent his German club in his home country "super fun" and personally meaningful. The 22-year-old New York native, who joined Dortmund from New York City FC's academy in 2019, specifically mentioned looking forward to having his family and friends attend matches while serving as an informal guide for his European teammates.

“Playing on home spoil with a national team or a club is always super fun for myself and I’m looking forward to bringing some of the guys in the club over to my area and showing them a few things and answering questions about my country and I’m excited to play the tournament in front of my home fans,” Reyna said in an interview with DAZN.

“I’m very excited. For me, all of my family and friends are in the area, and there is no place like home as they say and we are going to have to be ready to go and we are going to want to beat any team in the tournament. It’s not going to be a walk in the park against these teams, like anyone who has made it has had to qualify and they deserve to be here so it shows what they did in the past is successful and hopefully we get the win but we expect a lot of energy and of course from the fans a lot of support.

The 22-year-old touched upon how the football culture in the country has changed since he was a child and how it’s still growing a lot but Dortmund have a big following in the country despite that.

“The soccer culture is growing in America, and there are a lot of kids who are really getting into the game and falling in love with teams over here, and I know that Dortmund has a big following back in America also. I expect a lot of fans for us and all the teams in the tournament," he said.

He added, “You know watching on the TV is so different to seeing it live and to see someone that you support so much and are passionate about watching it live is very different to watching it on TV, there is a different feeling and energy that you get and they are probably very desperate for this moment to see us live and for us now is really about putting on entertaining football for them to watch."

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The former New York City FC youth product also revealed that the club’s goal is to win the tournament, put on a good performance, and make a deep run in the tournament.

“Our goal going to this tournament is for sure to try and win it and put on a good performance at this tournament, the Club World Cup, and make a deep run. Of course, it's going to be difficult to win the type of tournaments with the quality in them,” Reyna further said.

“This is going to be something that the U.S. hasn’t seen and the exposure for the sport in the next two years is really going to grow and grow and when you have teams like Dortmund and Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Man City, where all the best players in the world are playing, it makes you want to check in and follow.

"We believe we can go into every tournament to try and win it, you know it’s going to be difficult, but we will try and make a run and see where it goes from there. The main goal is, for sure, to believe in ourselves and see where it goes.”

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After an inconsistent 2024–25 campaign that cast doubt on Gio Reyna’s future, the 22-year-old now appears poised to play a role in FIFA’s tournament. Reyna made just 16 Bundesliga appearances last season, scoring twice. But as he looks to put a difficult year behind him, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder headlines a trio of Americans traveling to the event, joined by Cole Campbell and Mathis Albert.

The tournament marks a major milestone for soccer in the United States, as it hosts its first FIFA Club World Cup—a key stepping stone ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Borussia Dortmund will begin their FIFA Club World Cup campaign in Group F, facing Brazilian champions Fluminense, South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, and South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai. Their tournament opener against Fluminense is scheduled for June 17 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, followed by matches against Sundowns on June 21 and Ulsan on June 25 in Ohio.

Former captain weighs in on Australia’s attack for Edgbaston, and Pat Cummins’ no-ball issues at the WTC final

Andrew McGlashan09-Jun-20230:51

Smith: ‘Intrigued to see how Bazball goes against us’

Ricky Ponting believes that Josh Hazlewood will start the opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston ahead of Scott Boland if he is fully fit.Hazlewood was withdrawn from Australia’s World Test Championship (WTC) squad after it was decided he was not quite ready following his truncated IPL, from which he returned home with some side soreness although he was later cleared of any injury.He was said to be “very close” to being available and is on track for the first Test against England, but Boland has continued to make a strong case to be selected as one of Australia’s three specialist quicks.He was the pick of the bowlers in the first innings of the WTC final against India with 2 for 59 from 20 overs, removing Shubman Gill with one that nipped back on the second evening then spearing a delivery through KS Bharat with the second ball of the third day.”Nothing changes for me,” Ponting said. “If Hazlewood is fit and they are 100% convinced that he can get through the game, then I think he’ll start, but if he doesn’t you have a pretty good back-up.”Hazlewood has only played four Tests in this WTC cycle through a combination of injury and the balance of the side on the subcontinent. He made an impressive return against South Africa at the SCG in January but picked up an Achillies injury due to the soft run-ups.Over the last 18 months, Boland has made a remarkable start to his Test career, bursting onto the scene with 6 for 7 at the MCG in the previous Ashes, and appears to be a bowler with all the attributes to be successful with the Dukes ball in England.”Scotty is very impressive,” Ponting said. “The thing the selectors might be thinking about is Josh’s injury record over the last few years. When you look at it, with Scotty bowling the way he is, it’s a pretty compelling argument to say is he in their starting XI for the first Test.”Looking ahead, though, with five Test matches in six weeks, don’t think we can expect either bowling group to get through [fully], both teams will probably have to rest a quick or two here and there through the series.”However, Ponting added that he thinks Pat Cummins’ stated ambition to play all six Tests in the condensed schedule is possible because of the presence of Cameron Green in Australia’s line-up.”In series gone by, where there hasn’t’ been that world-class allrounder to throw the ball to for 15 overs an innings, then it would have been less likely,” he said. “But I think if Pat manages himself well enough, with Green there to help out, I think the captain can get through.”Cummins took three wickets in India’s first innings but cost himself three due to no-balls. On the second day he would have removed both Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane lbw, then on the third he pinned Shardul Thakur in front but was marginally over again.In all Cummins was called for six no-balls, the most he has sent down in an international innings, and Ponting said it was a symptom of his lengthy layoff from the game having not played competitively since the end of February when he left the tour of India early for personal reasons. However, there is evidence that he has been called more frequently since the automated front-foot technology was introduced.”Simple, he’s lacking rhythm, he hasn’t played for three months,” Ponting said. “He’s bowled six no-balls in this innings, two [three] of them have cost him wickets…but he’s never been someone that I can remember that’s been plagued by any kind of no-ball issue.”I just think it’s because he’s not back into full game mode, and not back into his full rhythm. As today went on, I did think he looked better and I think he’ll be better in the second innings as well.”

It was a night of conflicting emotions for Arsenal last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side finally returned to Premier League football after two weeks off for the international break, and while they looked a little rusty, they picked up all three points, winning 2-1.

However, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhães both came off injured and while the former didn’t look too bad, the latter appeared to be holding his hamstring, which could be terrible news ahead of next week’s Champions League game against Real Madrid.

Furthermore, while they ultimately won, the home side’s performances were mixed. Some players really stepped up, while others looked poor, including one Arteta signing who has to be dropped ahead of the next two games.

Arsenal's stand-out performers vs Fulham

So, before we get to the disappointing player in question, it’s worth looking at those who played well last night; the team did win, after all.

While Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have received much of the praise following last night, deservedly so, other starters stepped up to the plate, such as Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain had a good international break, starting both games for Thomas Tuchel, and carried that form back into the match against Fulham as he was seemingly here, there, and everywhere throughout the 90 minutes.

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

Granted, he did miss a chance towards the end of the game, firing well over the bar, but in all, it was a composed and dominant performance, as fans have come to expect, and enough to earn a 7/10 match rating from football.london’s Tom Canton.

Two players who did one better than the Englishman were Timber and Merino who received 8/10 match ratings from the journalist.

Before coming off, the former put in a brilliant showing, getting forward to help out in attack and making several impressive defensive contributions, including a vital tackle on Antonee Robinson in the second half.

Merino scored yet another goal for his efforts, and while it was a little scrappy, he continues to deliver for his manager and teammates.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all great last night, as there was one Arsenal ace who underwhelmed and once again showed that the club should probably be looking to move him on as soon as possible.

The Arsenal star who must be axed after Fulham

It is a cruel irony that Arteta got Saka back from injury last night and then lost Timber and Gabriel. What makes it worse is that Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are also injured.

So, with few options, the manager turned to Jakub Kiwior to replace the Brazilian titan.

While he’s shown glimpses of quality in the past, this performance further reinforced the idea that Arsenal need another centre-back in the summer and that, as podcaster Phil Costa claims, he just “isn’t good enough” to regularly feature for the Gunners.

As he was against Fulham earlier in the season, the Polish international looked uneasy at the back, unconvincing on the ball and was a significant step down in quality on the man he replaced and the star he was playing alongside.

It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by Canton, who awarded him just a 6/10 on the night and laid part of the blame for the Cottagers’ goal at his feet for his ‘tussle’ with the rapid Adama Traore.

Interestingly, his statistics for the game are rather mixed, with the positive being the fact he won four of five ground duels, made five clearances and completed 93% of his passes.

Minutes

74′

Clearances

5

Tackles

3

Dribbled past

1

Errors Leading to a Shot

1

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Lost Possession

4

Passing Accuracy

41/44 (93%)

However, on the other hand, he lost 100% of his aerial duels, made an error that led directly to a shot and was dribbled past, which, if it happens against Fulham, could be a serious problem against Real next week.

Therefore, if there is any chance that White, Timber, or even Rice can fill in at centre-back in the next two games, Arteta must drop Kiwior from the starting lineup, as he’s just not good enough to start for a team like Arsenal.

Better than Saka: 8/10 Arsenal star just dropped his best game in years

Bukayo Saka returned to the Arsenal team as they beat Fulham 2-1.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 2, 2025

Teenager’s second first-class hundred sets up intriguing final day after Derbyshire’s 407

ECB Reporters Network12-Jul-2023Sussex 402 (Hudson-Prentice 63*, Scrimshaw 5-49) and 193 for 5 (Coles 101*) lead Derbyshire 407 (Guest 105, du Plooy 52, Karvelas 4-64, Shipley 4-124) by 188 runsTeenager James Coles led Sussex’s fightback with an impressive unbeaten century to set up an intriguing final day in their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Derbyshire at Hove.The 19-year-old reached the second century of his career six overs before stumps and will resume on 101 with Sussex 193 for five, a lead of 188.Brooke Guest had earlier become the first Derbyshire wicketkeeper to score a century against Sussex before they were bowled out for 407 to take a first innings lead of five runs.Off-spinner Alex Thomson, who opened the bowling, then took three wickets as Sussex were reduced to 72 for four before 19-year-old Coles and another teenager – 18-year-old Dan Ibrahim – revived Sussex with 113 for the fifth wicket.To add to Derbyshire frustrations as their partnership blossomed, George Scrimshaw, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, will be unable to bowl in the rest of the innings for excessive use of short-pitched bowling after sending down three bouncers in his fifth over at Coles.Ibrahim contributed a valuable 36 to the partnership but Thomson, who was always prepared to give the ball some air, struck for the fourth time after switching ends and finding some extra bounce to defeat Ibrahim’s tentative stroke and find a thin edge.But Coles stood firm, and looked comfortable against both spin and seam. Strong off his pads and ruthless when the seamers over-pitched, he hasn’t offered a chance and has so far struck 15 fours and faced 179 balls.With the wicket at the 1st Central County Ground showing little sign of deterioration, Derbyshire will still fancy their chances of a successful fourth innings run chase and Thomson, who had four for 47 from 19.1 overs, could be key on the final day.Suranga Lakmal had already pinned Tom Clark with the third ball of the innings when Thomson removed Tom Alsop with his third ball, as the Sussex skipper edged to slip.Thomson then bowled another left-hander Tom Haines with one that turned to beat his defensive shot and after tea he held a smart return catch off Oli Carter’s miscued drive. Sussex were in trouble but the composed Coles steadied the ship.Earlier, Brooke had progressed to the sixth hundred of his career before he was fifth out for 105.Brooke had added 108 for the fourth wicket with skipper Leus Du Plooy, who went past 900 runs for the season in his 53 before he was bowled around his legs by off-spinner Jack Carson playing back.Guest guided Carson wide of slip to bring up his century with his 14th boundary but didn’t make the most of a reprieve when he was put down at second slip by Clark, failing to add to his 105 when he was squared up by Karvelas with the second new ball. Nonetheless it was an important contribution by the 26-year-old, who batted for five hours, 21 minutes and faced 236 balls.Haider Ali fell to Henry Shipley in the next over and when Anuj Dal feathered an edge to wicketkeeper Carter Derbyshire were still 100 runs behind with three wickets left.But Thomson and Sam Conners, who made a career-best 34, shared 51 for the eighth wicket before Karvelas returned to remove both batters to catches in the deep. Karvelas finished with four for 64 and Shipley four for 124.

Manchester United have revealed their new home kit for the 2025-26 season as the Red Devils look to improve on their dismal recent campaign.

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Man Utd release new sleeves for next seasonJersey design inspired by Old Trafford‘Theatre of Dreams’ sign-off on collarFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The new kit’s central theme draws on the architecture and essence of Old Trafford itself, offering fans a wearable homage to the stadium often referred to as the “Theatre of Dreams.”

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The base of the jersey is United’s iconic red, enriched with subtle design enhancements that make it stand out. The shirt incorporates an abstract sleeve graphic rendered in various shades of red, each hue meant to symbolise different aspects of Old Trafford, from the vibrant pitch and historic stands to the players’ tunnel that has seen countless footballing legends pass through.

Read more about Man Utd's 2025-26 kits on GOAL

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White logos and sleek black detailing on the shoulders and collar offer contrast and balance to the dominant red palette. A sharp black and white V-neck collar, along with a matching sleeve cuff, enhances the visual identity of the shirt. Adding to its symbolic appeal, the collar features a special sign-off on the back that reads “Theatre of Dreams".

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DID YOU KNOW?

The kit isn’t just about aesthetics; performance has also been prioritised. Developed through extensive collaboration with United players, the match-day version of the kit incorporates the latest innovations in adidas sportswear technology. For the fans, the replica version of the shirt comes with adidas' AEROREADY fabric, designed to absorb moisture and keep wearers cool and dry throughout the day.

Corey Anderson put on a spectacular all-round show with 40 off 18 balls and figures of 4 for 5 for Morrisville Unity

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2023Kallis, Powell and Irfan help California Knights edge past Atlanta RidersCalifornia Knights rode on fine individual batting performances from Jacques Kallis and Ricardo Powell to clinch a thriller against Atlanta Riders by five runs. With this win, California climbed to the second spot as the race for playoffs intensified.Once captain Aaron Finch fell for 2, Kallis led California with an unbeaten 38 off 27. Powell dispatched three consecutive Elias Sunny deliveries to the ropes to end a boundary drought before Kallis followed it with a six in the same over. Powell continued his attack as he ended the innings with two consecutive sixes off Mohammad Irfan to finish on 33 off 18, as California finished on 94 for 2.Atlanta needed a win to lift themselves off the bottom of the table. They started positively as their captain Robin Uthappa and Lendl Simmons attacked before both holed out off Peter Siddle.Hamilton Masakadza, who was spectacular in the last match, upped the ante by hitting Ben Laughlin for 14 runs off three deliveries, bringing down the equation to nine runs required off six deliveries. In a dramatic final over, Irfan Pathan maintained a strict line to concede only three runs while also dismissing Masakadza.Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul-Haq power New York Warriors into playoffsAbdul Razzaq dished out a whirlwind cameo of 35 off 14 to guide New York Warriors to a thrilling six-run victory over Texas Chargers. The win confirmed New York’s presence in the playoffs of the US Masters T10.Kamran Akmal started New York’s attack against compatriot Sohail Tanvir by hitting him for a six and a four in the second over. After Tillakaratne Dilshan and Richard Levi failed to score much, Shahid smashed Thisara Perera for a couple of fours and a splendid six in the fifth over.However, Kamran and Afridi were sent back in consecutive overs by Umar Gul and Tanvir, respectively. The duo of Razzaq and Misbah-ul-Haq (16* off eight) then forged an unbeaten stand of 57 runs off just 21 balls for the sixth wicket to power New York 115 for 5.Texas’s daunting task became more challenging after the early dismissals of Mohammad Hafeez, Upul Tharanga and Mukhtar Ahmed. Captain Ben Dunk lifted them by smashing two fours and a six, but he was eventually undone by Abdur Rehman, with Afridi taking a blinder at cover.Surprisingly, Tanvir and Phil Mustard added 38 runs for the eighth wicket to keep Texas in the game but failed to apply the finishing touch in a close finish.Corey Anderson powers Morrisville Unity to massive win over New Jersey Triton’sCorey Anderson put on a spectacular show with both bat and the ball to help Morrisville Unity script a 55-run victory over New Jersey Triton’s to keep their playoffs hopes alive. Anderson smashed 40 off 18 and then picked up four wickets, while conceding just five runs.Shehan Jayasuriya started things for Morrisville with his 34 off 18 while his opening partner Rajdeep Darbar retired hurt. After Jayasuriya fell in the sixth over, Anderson and Obus Pienaar (31* off 11) took the New Jersey bowling attack to the cleaners by finding the fence consistently. The duo forged an unbeaten stand of 71 runs off just 28 balls for the third wicket.New Jersey were rocked early in the daunting chase as Sreesanth and Najaf Shah struck early. Cameron Delport and Yusuf Pathan tried to make amends and steadied the chase to take them to 50 for 2 runs after six overs.However, Anderson derailed New Jersey’s batting line-up by collecting two wickets in the seventh over and two more in the ninth to all but finish the game.