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Arsenal continue to be linked with a host of potential new signings despite their proactivity, yet there is one freshly touted option that could form a frightening partnership with another of their summer additions…

Who is joining Arsenal this summer?

The latest transfer claim comes courtesy of French outlet RMC Sport, who suggest that the Gunners remain interested in signing Montpellier forward Elye Wahi.

Having enjoyed a truly outstanding season in his homeland, the 20-year-old finisher has unsurprisingly begun to garner widespread interest. Although Chelsea are noted as a potential destination, it is said that Mikel Arteta has enquired regarding his availability. Talks are expected to continue in the coming days.

Having had a €40m (£34m) price tag slapped on him back in May, the Frenchman will not come cheap despite his lack of experience. He would add to a transfer window of vast change for the north London outfit, having already welcomed Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to the Emirates.

It is the latter of this trio that would likely benefit most from the proposed deal.

How good is Elye Wahi?

With Chelsea having endured one of their toughest campaigns in recent history, their German maestro unsurprisingly suffered too. Especially since he was often deployed as a centre-forward, despite his preferred position being deeper.

As such, he was often lambasted for his lack of cutting-edge and consistency, despite scoring nine goals in all competitions.

Should Wahi enter the fold at the Emirates, to compete with Gabriel Jesus, at last, the 24-year-old magician will be allowed to move into his starring role, where he can instead shine just behind the striker, dictating the play.

After all, when compared to other forwards across Europe, he does rank in the top 9% for progressive passes per 90, and did manage to average 1.1 key passes per game last term in the league too.

Combining this kind of creativity with the speed and directness of Wahi would offer a new dimension to the slow, mediated build-up that Arteta has been famed for. The young marksman did notch 19 goals in Ligue 1 last term alongside a further six assists, as if to outline his goalscoring credentials.

He also did so with a 30% conversion rate, suggesting that should Havertz create, he can be safe in the knowledge that the German will often score.

Were the Gunners to tempt the France U21 international to join, it could even bare striking similarities with their capture of Nicolas Anelka back in 1997.

Moving from Paris Saint-Germain, the teenager joined under the newly-appointed Arsene Wenger and immediately fought for his first-team spot.

When it came, he proved instrumental in finally securing Arsenal that coveted Premier League title, recording 12 goal contributions in the league and even scoring in their FA Cup final win as they claimed the double.

The year following he would record a further 17 league goals, truly establishing himself as a fine asset for his legendary French coach.

His confidence to move to a new country at such a young age paid off, and with an injury to Ian Wright handing him his chance, he never looked back.

Wahi could seek to emulate this path, as a compatriot sharing many of the physical similarities with the 44-year-old.

The two stand at 6 foot and 6 foot 1 respectively, and were blessed with lightning-quick speed and an ability to leave defenders for dead whilst playing on the shoulder.

Such a notion is emphasised by words from his national team coach at youth level, Sylvain Rippol, noted:

"He's a racy player, a space-taking player who hurts the opponent in behind and who makes them retreat. There are not many like him. And when I see the form of Elye, over the last few months, of course, the squad needs his qualities."

Perhaps a switch to north London could kickstart his career in the same way it did Anelka's, who would go on to win two English leagues, three FA Cups, one Italian league, a Champions League and a European Championship.

Ahead of the team’s departure for the World Cup in the UK, Meg Lanning said that Australia’s female players shared the view that a fair deal for all cricketers was key to the resolution of the pay dispute

Daniel Brettig08-Jun-2017Australia women’s captain Meg Lanning has declared why her team is staying united with male players in the current pay impasse with Cricket Australia (CA), despite the board’s offer of massive pay increases for both international and domestic females in their current MoU offer.Ahead of the team’s departure for a World Cup campaign which will end after the June 30 expiry of the existing pay deal, Lanning said that Australia’s female players shared the view that a fair deal for all cricketers was key to the resolution of the dispute, even if pay rises for her group sounded attractive at face value. Women have not previously been included in the MoU, and have been paid separately by CA.CA’s proposal features average increases of A$79,000 to $179,000 for centrally-contracted female players, with average pay for domestic female cricketers to rise from $22,000 to $52,000. However, only international players – both male and female – have been offered any of the game’s blue sky above fixed rates of pay, rather than the fixed revenue percentage that has been at the core of agreements between CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) for two decades. Lanning said the players had no desire to be divided along these lines.”All the players are behind a revenue share model for all cricketers, and we’ve been able to stay really strong and we’ll continue to do that and hopefully there’s a resolution pretty soon,” Lanning said. “I think CA and the ACA are talking at the moment, so as players we just want to play cricket and we’ve left the rest of that to the ACA and CA. We’re looking forward to getting to the World Cup and playing, and we’ll leave it to the ACA to negotiate on our behalf.”[Pay rises are] certainly a step in the right direction, but it’s a whole player [group] agreement and we’re fully behind all players, male, female, state, international so that’s where we’re at. It’s about every player playing the game and grassroots as well. We’re not going to individualise any players or teams, male or female, it’s about all the players moving forward and getting a result that’s good for the game.”At the start, we came out with what we wanted and where we wanted to go and we’re pretty clear on that.”Lanning’s squad is due to depart for England at the end of the week, and all players have been handed short-term contracts for the duration of the tournament in acknowledgement of the fact it will conclude after the MoU deadline. While admitting the dispute was a topic of frequent conversation, Lanning insisted the players would forge on with clear minds when they begin their campaign to defend the title won in India four years ago.”It’s definitely been spoken about, it’s not something you can hide away from,” she said. “But as a squad once we get over to the UK we’re very keen on just playing cricket and our job and priority is to go over there, play really good cricket and win games. We won’t be distracted by it at all, everything’s in place contract-wise, so we’re just going to focus on playing and winning games.”These words arrived at a time when members of CA and the ACA negotiating teams have resumed talks after some weeks. Knowing this, the players were perplexed to be sent another package of graphics and video from the board’s lead negotiator Kevin Roberts on Wednesday, in which the fixed revenue percentage model was again challenged.”The latest attempt by Cricket Australia to directly communicate with Australia’s cricketers has undermined current behind the scenes efforts to break the impasse for a new Cricket MoU,” the ACA said in a statement. “It is also a mischaracterisation of the true position regarding grassroots investment which every Australian male and female cricketer is passionate about.”The video comes a day after productive talks for a ‘without prejudice’ process for attempting to rebuild trust and break the current impasse. [It] is another attempt to directly communicate with players who have asked for the last 6 months to be left alone to concentrate on cricket. As has been the case with CA throughout the negotiation it is 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. This latest effort exposes what the ACA have been dealing with.”One member of the Australian squad particularly eager to get on the field will be allrounder Ellyse Perry, who had the latter part of her Australian summer curtailed by a hamstring injury suffered during the WBBL. Despite a lack of recent cricket apart from training, Lanning was confident Perry would be able to deliver her best in England.”She’s 100% fit, it was a pretty major injury she sustained in the WBBL, so she’s had some time to get over that and she’s been in full training now with the squad,” Lanning said. “She’s a very key member of our team, an important player for us, and looking forward to having her back on the park.”

Sean Dyche has made just one signing for Everton during the summer transfer window, with Ashley Young arriving on a free transfer following his release from Aston Villa.

Although a solid signing, he is hardly the most attractive name in the world and with the Toffees desperate to avoid battling against relegation from the Premier League for the third successive season, there will need to be much more quality added between now and the end of August.

With seven players departing Merseyside, Dyche has managed to free up some on the wage bill, yet this will prove to be wasteful if he doesn’t try and actively improve his first-team squad, with areas all over the pitch requiring some strength in depth, including the left-back slot.

Niels Nkounkou was one of the players to leave the club and this leaves Vitaliy Mykolenko as the sole left sided defensive option heading into the new campaign, something which Dyche will be hoping to sort sooner rather than later.

The Toffees have been linked with a move for Sassuolo left-back, Rogerio and with the player entering the final 12 months of his contract at the club, he could be available for a fee of around €10m (£8.5m) as he has communicated with the Serie A side that he doesn’t want to renew his deal – opening up the idea that he could move on this summer.

Dyche will face competition from the likes of Newcastle United, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund for his signature, with all three teams being able to offer Champions League football to the Brazilian sensation.

Could Everton sign Rogerio this summer?

With a more than affordable price tag, Dyche should be making an offer for the left-back as not only could he add some much-needed depth to that position in the squad, but he may also offer more than Mykolenko, especially in an attacking sense.

Indeed, last season, the 25-year-old registered more assists (three to none), progressive carries (110 to 31), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.22 to 1.56), touches in the attacking third (523 to 370) and crosses (113 to 57) than the Ukrainian, clearly suggesting he could pose a bigger attacking threat for Everton should he arrive this summer.

The Brazilian also ranks in the top 12% across Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries per 90 (3.3) and the top 13% for progressive passes per 90 (5.56), while Mykolenko only managed to register 1.05 progressive carries and 3.39 progressive passes per 90, ranking him in the bottom 89% and 63% across these metrics, again suggesting that Rogerio would be an ideal attacking upgrade.

The current Everton left-back is more solid defensively, winning more total duels per game (3.4 to 3.3), making more tackles per game (1.7 to one) and more interceptions per game (1.4 to one), however there isn’t much between them and this indicates that Rogerio could certainly improve upon moving to the Premier League.

It would be a solid investment should Dyche sign Rogerio this summer, adding some quality to his back line who could not only prove to be a major threat in the final third, but also contribute well defensively and for just £8.5m, it could be a serious bargain.

Bayern Munich will have to "move heaven and earth" to bring in Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane this summer according to Simon Jordan.

Will Harry Kane join Bayern Munich?

The Bundesliga champions are currently the favourites to sign the England captain and have already had one bid rebuffed by the North London side according to reports.

This has not deterred the Bavarian side, who will continue their pursuit under the watchful eye of board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

According to German journalist Christian Falk, Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel recently visited Kane's house to discuss the possibility of a transfer, with the forward revealing in the meeting that the idea of winning the Champions League with the club is "appealing" to him.

This revelation has reportedly angered Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who is furious with the German side for discussing a move with the 29-year-old before they received permission from the selling club. This could force plans for a transfer this summer to a standstill, however, with the striker's contract expiring in the summer of 2024, the Spurs leading scorer could simply depart the club for free in a year's time.

Tottenham do recognise this potential outcome and have offered their star player a new, bumper deal that will significantly boost his £200k per week wages according to The Guardian. Yet, Kane has no "immediate intention" to sign the deal and will certainly not put pen to paper during this transfer window in spite of the club's clear desire to keep him.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan believes that Bayern would have to pay at least £100m to pry the forward away from North London this summer, with Levy believing that Kane could stay.

"I think they are going to have to move heaven and earth if they think that they are going to get Harry Kane for £80m to £100m, I don't think so. I've always maintained the view and it is predicated upon having had certain conversations with Daniel Levy but also looking at it through the prism of what Harry Kane is worth to Tottenham.

"If the main pursuit is top four, and the commodity of the devil you know best, you know you're going to get 25 goals out of Harry Kane. If you sell Harry Kane for £100m, you don't know what you're going to get from the next guy coming in."

What is Harry Kane's next move?

It seems incredibly obvious to most now that Kane wants to leave Tottenham in order to win some major honours, having still won zero trophies in his career in north London.

Whilst Bayern Munich may want the forward and vice versa, there is an understanding around Bavaria that they simply may not have the money available to pay the fee that the Spurs chairman is demanding, with Bayern legend Bastian Schweinsteiger telling talkSPORT:

"Bayern Munich, of course, would like to sign Harry Kane, but I also know that Bayern is not a club who will pay as much money as maybe the owner of Tottenham is asking for!"

It also seems like any potential move for the forward to Germany is dependent on the departure of former Premier League star Sadio Mane. The Senegalese forward joined from Liverpool in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £35m however has struggled throughout his year at the Allianz Arena, managing just 12 goals and six assists across 38 games last season, with his most memorable moment being a suspension for punching teammate Leroy Sane in the face following the clubs 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League.

Should Bayern Munich complete a move for the England captain this summer, one thing is for sure: It could be a record transfer for the German side.

West Indies allrounder Roston Chase praised his team’s efforts in the series and called his fighting century on the final day against Pakistan the “toughest” of his career

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-20171:44

‘This was my toughest century’ – Chase

West Indies allrounder Roston Chase called his fighting century on the final day of the series against Pakistan the “toughest” of his career, after he ran out of partners with only one more over to see out a draw in Roseau.He was left unbeaten on 101, his third Test century, when Yasir Shah bowled Shannon Gabriel with the last ball of the penultimate over of the Test.”I wouldn’t say it’s up there with the other two but a century is a century,” Chase said after the match. “We ended up losing the match but this one was the hardest for me. The others were more fluent and the conditions were a lot easier but this one was really tough for me. The pitch was a slower one, you couldn’t play a lot of shots, the outfield was very slow and the bowlers really put the ball in good areas. This one was the toughest out of my few so far.”I thought it was a fighting effort. It’s sad to see that it didn’t mean much in the end because we lost the match but I thought the guys showed a lot of guts and effort not only today but in the whole match. [We] even put ourselves in the chance of, maybe not winning but, at least drawing the series.”Chase recalled how Yasir had dismissed him in three out of six innings in the UAE last year, when and he had averaged 22.50 in the three Tests. In this series, Chase was out to Yasir twice in six innings but the batsman said he had found a way to counter the legspinner.”I didn’t really do that well in Dubai, so after that series I came home and worked on some of the things that I thought brought my shortfall in Dubai,” Chase said. “Especially Yasir Shah got the better of me a lot and this was mainly because he was tying me down and then I was just falling to a bad shot because of the pressure.”When I went back home, something I really tried to work on was my sweep shot because that would put him off a little and change up the field and give me a little bit more scoring options. I thought that really was the key, seeing that he was there all series, so once I got through him it was a little easier for me to play the other bowlers.”Chase’s hundred was not chanceless though. He was dropped twice by the debutant Hasan Ali, and then Mohammad Abbas had him caught in the slips on 92 but replays showed the bowler had overstepped. He was cheered on by the crowd in Roseau.”It’s always good to hear people calling your name,” Chase said. “So many guys are asking me if I’m actually from Dominica. I was always a big fan of the drums, so I love the drums and I love the Dominican fans.”With 403 runs in six innings, Chase finished the series on top of the run-scorers’ list, averaging 100.75 with two centuries and two half-centuries. No other batsman made more than 300.”Even though I’m always a confident guy, it does [add] a lot to see that I average a 100 in the series against a quality attack,” he said. “I’m not going to let it get to my head and I’m going to go back home and the next Test series is England, so hopefully I should be there. I’ll go and look at some footage of the English guys and see what weaknesses they have, what I’ll be looking to exploit and see if that can work. Work hard on those weaknesses so that I can put up some good performances in that series as well.”

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Sporting CP star Goncalo Inacio, as the Magpies eye a busy summer ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Eddie Howe is expected to continue to deliver in the transfer window, after the North East side confirmed the marquee signing of AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali for a fee of £55m this week.

Having gained access to the Champions League for the first time since 2002/03, Newcastle have a bolstered pull going into the window, with added financial reassurance from Saudi Arabia’s lucrative Public Investment Fund.

Howe could add to the joy of securing Tonali by setting his sights on Inacio, who is a player in demand this summer.

What’s the latest on Goncalo Inacio to Newcastle United?

As reported by Football Insider on Monday, Newcastle are ‘plotting’ a move for Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio.

The report claims that the Magpies are ‘exploring’ the idea of signing the defender, who “fits the profile” of the individual the club are wanting to hire.

Spanish publication AS listed Arsenal and Liverpool as other candidates eyeing the 21-year-old, who is valued by his club at €45m (£39m).

What could Goncalo Inacio offer to Newcastle United?

Despite discovering the perfect balance in central defence between Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, the Magpies could bolster their back line this summer to add depth and competition in the position.

Another area that sparks rumours that Newcastle could recruit a defender this summer is the uncertainty surrounding the future of Jamaal Lascelles, who has just one year remaining on his contract.

The club captain made just 11 appearances in all competitions last season, registering just two starts in the Premier League all year.

As reported by Football Insider this week, the Englishman will have a ‘decision to make’ this summer on whether he opts to depart or risk facing another campaign deprived of game time.

Should the 29-year-old decide to leave, Howe could find his perfect replacement in Inacio, who had impressed as a standout centre-back in Europe last term.

Lauded as “complete” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 21-year-old flexed his ability in being an assured presence in Sporting’s defence, contributing to seven clean sheets in 26 Liga Portugal starts.

As per Sofascore, the Portuguese ace won 59% of his total duels in the league, as well as averaging 1.4 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game to cement himself as one of the most important figures in Ruben Amorim’s side.

One of the most impressive areas of the defender's game is his ability on the ball, with Kulig describing him as being ‘one of the most interesting’ centre-backs in Europe.

As per FBref, the central defender could add an alternate strength to Newcastle’s side, highlighted through his monstrous average of 9.04 progressive passes per 90, showing his ability to get the ball forward from the back.

To put into comparison the new outlet that Inacio could hand to Howe at St James’ Park, Schar averaged an average of 3.90 progressive passes per 90, with Botman following with an average of 2.50, via FBref.

Newcastle could add a new layer of solidity by signing Incacio, who could not only allow Lascelles to leave without repercussion on numbers in the squad, but also prove to be an upgrade to those already on show in the North East.

Derbyshire have signed Matt Henry as one of their overseas players for the 2017 NatWest T20 Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2017Derbyshire’s new T20 coach, John Wright, has made his first contribution to the club’s NatWest Blast campaign by identifying New Zealand quick Matt Henry as an overseas signing. Henry is expected to be available for the duration of the T20 Blast in July and August.Henry is a regular in New Zealand’s white-ball squads and has previously played in England for Worcestershire. He was bought by Kings XI Punjab in last month’s IPL auction.”I really enjoyed my time in England last year and I’m excited to be returning to represent Derbyshire,” Henry said. “The county has some exciting plans in the NatWest T20 Blast under John Wright. They’re determined to improve and advance to the knockout stages, and I hope I can play my part in a successful campaign.”Derbyshire have already brought in Imran Tahir – the No. 1-ranked T20 and ODI bowler – as their main overseas player for the second half of the season; Sri Lanka’s Jeevan Mendis will fill the role from April through to the end of the Champions Trophy in June.They have also signed South Africa fast bowler Hardus Viljoen on a Kolpak deal, as well as recruiting Gary Wilson and Luis Reece. On Tuesday, they announced the arrival of allrounder Daryn Smit from South Africa.Derbyshire’s director of cricket, Kim Barnett, said: “I’ve been liaising with John Wright and Matt was one of his first picks. He came highly recommended as a fast bowler and also someone with a high strike rate with the bat down the order.”One of John’s key areas for this summer’s competition is to keep the runs down, and with the attack we’ve assembled, which also includes Hardus Viljoen and Imran Tahir, we’ve given ourselves the best chance of doing this. Matt has plenty of experience around the world, internationally and here in England with Worcestershire last season. He knows our conditions well and we look forward to him joining us.”

Imran Tahir has said it is ‘very special’ to be ranked the No. 1 bowler in both ODI and T20 cricket

Andrew McGlashan16-Feb-20170:45

Tahir tops ODI rankings for bowlers for the third time

Imran Tahir has said it is “very special” to be ranked the No. 1 bowler in both ODI and T20 cricket. He completed the double when he went top of the one-day table after South Africa’s 5-0 victory over Sri Lanka where he claimed 10 wickets.Tahir began that series with a Man-of-the-Match performance of 3 for 26 at Port Elizabeth and only in the high-scoring Cape Town match, where Sri Lanka replied with 327 to South Africa’s 367, was he punished as he conceded 76 off his 10 overs. Even then he claimed two wickets to snuff out Sri Lanka’s brave chase.It’s that skill of taking wickets, alongside his control, that makes him such a valuable asset to South Africa’s white-ball sides. In recent times he has rarely failed to deliver a breakthrough for his captain – whether that is Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers or Farhaan Behardien – and his last wicketless ODI was 10 games ago. He has been integral to South Africa’s winning run which stands at 11 ODIs.Tahir was twice previously ranked No. 1 in ODIs, when he briefly held the top spot during the 2015 World Cup before being leapfrogged at the end of the tournament by Mitchell Starc, then again in October 2015, and there is a chance of a bowl-off for the position in this series against New Zealand with Trent Boult, the No. 2-ranked bowler.”When I started cricket I never thought I’d be No. 1 bowler, it’s all the hard work I’ve done and I’m very excited,” Tahir said. “There are a lot of good players in world cricket and coming top of that is a really good achievement and I’m really grateful.”It’s an absolute honour playing for South Africa, the boys have helped me over the years and made me the bowler I am today. Credit goes to them as well. I’ll try and stay in the spot as long as I can but there are some other brilliant cricketers.”Tahir has not been able to produce the same success at Test level. His 20 appearances, the last of which came against India in Delhi, have brought 57 wickets at 40.24 and South Africa have moved on from him in that format.However, with the white ball he has certainly grown older gracefully. “He doesn’t bowl bad balls anymore,” AB de Villiers said last month. “He always used to take wickets but now you don’t see bad balls, which makes him really difficult to play.”When Tahir was asked what advice he would give Ish Sodhi, the New Zealand legspinner he could go up against over the next few weeks, he gave an insight into what had made him such a successful bowler.”If I was him I’d work harder, I’m not saying he isn’t but that’s my advice because when I started like him I didn’t know my game or use my variations,” Tahir said. “I just bowled leggies, but then I worked hard to try to find how what would work for me in international cricket. Coming from South Africa is not easy because the pitches aren’t spin-friendly, so I had to work out how to adjust.”They are skills that will serve him well in New Zealand, too, where – as Sodhi could no doubt attest to – conditions are not what legspinners dream of. Tahir has previously played three ODIs against the hosts in the country, the most recent of them the 2015 World Cup semi-final where he was wicketless but conceded just 40 in nine overs in the high-scoring contest, and New Zealand are aware of the impact he could have.”He’s a great operator for South Africa, and any team he plays for,” Kane Williamson said. “We’ve played a lot against each other. It’s important we play him well.”A few batting line-ups of late have found that easier said than done.

Tottenham Hotspur are in ongoing talks over Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba amid reports they're also negotiating Micky van de Ven.

Who will join Spurs this summer?

Incoming new manager Ange Postecoglou, before he's even officially started work, will be ecstatic at the business conducted by Spurs so far this summer.

The Australian is yet to properly begin his tenure as Tottenham manager, which is set to kick off on Saturday, but Postecoglou has so far watched both goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and playmaker James Maddison come through the door.

Both deals, after quick negotiations, have been confirmed by the Lilywhites as Spurs look to bolster weak areas of the squad and potentially challenge for a European place next season.

Reports have suggested that the north Londoners are not done there, though, with attention now turning to the capture of a star centre-half to plug their leaky defence.

Tottenham were subject to some alarming and worrisome defensive stats over 2022/2023, with no other top flight side above 15th conceding more than Spurs last campaign.

It is an issue both Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy will be eager to resolve, and quickly, as reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano claim they've now opened direct talks to sign star Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven.

The 6 foot 4 defender has been praised for his performances in the Bundesliga, but according to The Evening Standard and journalist Dan Kilpatrick, he isn't the only centre-back they're in negotiations for.

Indeed, as per their information, it is believed Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen is also tickling their fancy – with "talks continuing" for the Burkina Faso international after their Maddison deal.

To gage price and other factors, it is perhaps prudent for Spurs to engage in multiple talks for different centre-back targets, with Tapsoba still firmly attracting their interest.

Alongside both Tapsoba and van de Ven, Tottenham are said to be keen on re-signing Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet, coming after his 22/23 loan spell in north London.

What's been said about Edmond Tapsoba?

An undroppable for Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso last season, only their goalkeeper played more German top flight minutes than Tapsoba last season.

The 24-year-old also averaged more Bundesliga clearances per 90 than all of his teammates bar Jonathan Tah (WhoScored), backing why Spurs are currently in discussions for the defender.

Tapsoba has also been called a "top quality" player in recent years by members of the media, so his potential signing could be quite the enticing prospect.

Manchester United target Andre Onana is "open" to a move to Old Trafford this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Is Onana joining Man United?

With Erik ten Hag's side having finally agreed a deal with Chelsea for Mason Mount, attention has turned to replacing the departing David de Gea, who is edging towards leaving the club following the expiration of his contract.

The man they have seemingly turned to is Inter's Onana, who is in contact with United over a move to the Premier League.

Despite no fee having been agreed with the Italian side as of yet, it is believed that Inter will demand a fee of around £50m for their 27-year-old shot-stopper. United will be hoping to get that figure down, or at least spread the payment over a long period of time.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Onana is keen on a move to the Premier League and is open to joining the Red Devils on a permanent basis.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Italian said: "Something I mentioned yesterday night and in the past few days about Andre Onana is that Manchester United interest is there. I can say that also in the recent hours, today Man United had one more contact with Andre Onana's camp."

He added: "They [Inter] want around €50/55m for Onana, not less than this. But, for sure Man United interest is there. They're very well informed on the conditions, on player and club side, and the player would be open to Premier League experience."

The fact that Onana is open to a Manchester United will only strengthen the club's position when bargaining for the Cameroon international, although it appears that United are yet to approach Inter directly to speak about the transfer.

Chelsea were also interested in Onana, with the Blues eager to replace Edouard Mendy, but United have jumped ahead of them in the queue.

Is Onana an upgrade on De Gea?

When comparing Onana with his potential predecessor De Gea, both in their domestic leagues only, the two goalkeepers are not too dissimilar in standard.

Onana conceded 0.13 fewer goals per 90 and boasted a 2.4% higher save percentage than his counterpart, while De Gea enjoyed a significantly better clean sheet percentage (44.7 to 33.3).

However, there is a difference when it comes to distribution. Despite playing 14 fewer games than De Gea, Onana managed only 29 fewer passes, boasting a 10.1% better pass accuracy, but the main difference came with long passes as both goalkeepers had the exact same short and medium pass completion percentage.

It's clear that Onana is more comfortable with the ball at his feet and is utilised in a distributor role far more often than De Gea, which is the main reason Ten Hag is looking to move for the 27-year-old.

For Ten Hag, however, it looks like a trade worth making to help him implement his style of football at Old Trafford.