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Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in the Premier League over the weekend as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at home on Saturday.

The Lilywhites bounced back from a 2-2 draw with Everton by securing a win over Roberto De Zerbi's side, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Brennan Johnson.

Heung-min Son, on his first appearance since returning from international duty, supplied the assist with a perfect cross to the back post for the former Nottingham Forest attacker to convert into an empty net.

It was a third Premier League goal of the season for the Wales international, whilst Timo Werner failed to register a goal or an assist on the opposite flank.

Both players arrived at Spurs this term, with the former in the summer and the latter in January, but some may wonder what could have been with one of the club's reported targets.

Tottenham's interest in Wolves star

During the January transfer window, it was reported that Tottenham and Liverpool both had an interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers star Hee-chan Hwang.

Football Insider claimed that both clubs were monitoring his performances as the South Korea international had been on fire in the Premier League for Gary O'Neil's side.

The outlet claimed that a move ahead of the second half of the 2023/24 campaign was unlikely but added that Wolves are fearful of a summer exit for their impressive attacker.

There was no mention at the time of how much it would have cost Spurs to sign him in January, or how much they are prepared to demand at the end of the season.

Ultimately, Tottenham did not decide to test Wolves' resolve with an offer to sign Hwang and missed out on acquiring his services last month.

Whilst they may revisit their interest in the summer, Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy could have landed an upgrade on Werner, who they signed on loan from RB Leipzig, if they had convinced their rivals to part way with Hwang, who has more goals and assists than Johnson this season.

Brennan Johnson's season in numbers

The Welsh whiz has made 21 appearances in the top-flight since his move from Nottingham Forest and has failed to provide consistent quality in the final third.

His finishing has left a lot to be desired as the 22-year-old winger has scored three goals from an xG of 4.80, which suggests that he has let his teammates down at times with wasteful finishing.

Whereas, his fellow attackers have more than made the most of the chances that Johnson has created for them, as the young gem has recorded four assists from an xA of 1.93.

In total, the Spurs forward has produced three goals and four assists in 24 matches in all competitions, with three appearances in the two domestic cups, which is a return of one goal or assist every 3.43 games on average.

It has been far from a perfect first season at Tottenham for Johnson but he has plenty of time left, at the age of 22, to develop and improve over the years to come.

Whereas, Werner, 27, was brought in to make an instant impact on loan and Hwang would have offered far more than him at the top end of the pitch.

Werner's struggles in front of goal

The Germany international joined the club from RB Leipzig last month and registered an assist on his debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Werner is five appearances into his career in North London and is still on the search for his first goal for the club, although he did add another assist in the 3-2 win over Brentford at the end of January.

His lack of consistent quality in the final third should not come as any real surprise given his struggles with Leipzig during the first half of the season.

The 27-year-old winger scored two goals, from 2.36 xG, and failed to provide a single assist, from 0.10 xA, in eight Bundesliga outings for the German side. He also ended up with zero goals and zero assists in four Champions League matches for his parent club.

In total, Werner has two goals and three assists to his name in 19 appearances in all competitions for Spurs and Leipzig combined so far this season, which is just shy of one goal contribution every four games on average.

This shows that the former Chelsea attacker has not provided outstanding quality as either a scorer or a creator of goals for either side, as a striker or a winger.

Why Hwang would be an upgrade on Werner

Meanwhile, Hwang's performances for Wolves this season suggest that Spurs could have brought in a better player than Werner – an upgrade – if they had secured his services in January.

The 28-year-old dynamo has proven his quality in the Premier League with a string of impressive displays for the Old Gold since O'Neil's arrival in the dugout last summer.

He has produced ten goals, three assists, and four 'big chances' created in 20 top-flight appearances, which includes 17 starts, and scored one goal in one EFL Cup match.

This means that Hwang has racked up 11 goals and three assists in 21 outings in all competitions for Wolves, which is a return of one goal or assist every 1.5 games, and that is seven more goal contributions than the aforementioned Johnson has managed.

Appearances

12

20

xG

2.93

5.96

Goals

Two

Ten

xA

1.07

2.34

Assists

Two

Three

Big chances created

One

Four

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Old Gold star, who was recently hailed as "fantastic" by O'Neil, has offered more at the top end of the pitch than Werner throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Whilst the German attacker has underperformed his xG with wasteful finishing, Hwang has been lethal in front of goal with roughly four more goals than expected.

The £70k-per-week whiz currently ranks within the top 6% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals (0.56) per 90, which illustrates how impressive his scoring has been in the top-flight.

Therefore, Spurs missed out on a big Werner upgrade, who has also outperformed Johnson, by opting against a swoop to sign the Wolves dynamo in January.

Bavuma, Alex Wakely guide Northants through afternoon on final day

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2019Temba Bavuma’s first half-century in the Specsavers County Championship earned Northamptonshire a draw with Leicestershire at Wantage Road.Bavuma’s 68 helped see out the final day with Northants reaching 206 for 6, leading by 212 before a draw was agreed at 4.50pm.Bavuma steered Northants through a fairly quiet afternoon with Alex Wakely, who made 46, and although wickets fell either side of tea, the lead was large enough for Leicestershire to shake hands before the final hour and take 10 points from the game. Northants also took 10 points but are left winless after seven matches and bottom of Division Two after Durham’s win at Sussex.With the second day lost entirely to rain, time was against either side trying to force a result and the final day began with only Leicestershire holding an outside chance of victory but any ambitions were snuffed out by Bavuma.The South Africa international had failed to make a significant score in eight innings before this and will be relieved to have finally passed fifty in this his fifth match of an eight-game stint. A number of previous starts – five times he had passed 20 – were not converted to larger scores but he would have breathed a sigh of relief to go to a half-century in 108 balls with eight fours.He took his time to settle, playing and missing against the new ball having arrived in the 10th over. He drove loosely at Neil Dexter, getting an outside edge that flew just out of the reach of point, and top-edged a hook at Mohammad Abbas that flew down to the fine leg fence, but later drove Will Davis sweetly through the covers and flicked the same bowler past midwicket before sweeping Colin Ackermann’s off-spin for four after tea.It looked like the final period of the game could bring Bavuma a maiden century for his new county but he hooked at Dieter Klein and was caught at deep-square. It was just after Adam Rossington had run past a delivery Ackermann fired down the leg side and was stumped for 19 and it kept Leicestershire’s hopes alive for a short while.After resuming 273 for 7 to reduce the first-innings deficit to just 6, Leicestershire knew the new ball needed to do damage and Abbas struck with his first ball to have Rob Newton well held at second slip for a golden duck. Ricardo Vasconcelos then fended a delivery to short leg but Bavuma and Wakely steadied Northants into the afternoon.Wakely played pleasantly for the second time in the game but Abbas slanted a delivery into him to win an lbw decision and then Rob Keogh edged Chris Wright to Paul Horton at first slip. Bavuma couldn’t quite see Northants to the close but the home side had enough batting in reserve to kill Leicestershire’s dreams of a late heist.

It was a 4-1 victory and Tottenham Hotspur left Elland Road with the goods, though supporters would not be blamed for heading back to London with a sense of poignancy.

An abject end to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign had stamped an eighth-placed label on the London club, precluding the possibility of European football.

It also convinced Harry Kane – who scored twice on that swansong showing against Leeds United – to complete a transfer to Bayern Munich, and while new manager Ange Postecoglou has succeeded in restoring Spurs' fight and verve this term, there is still a need for a high-class striker.

Latest on Spurs' hunt for a striker

According to a prior report from the Sun, Brighton & Hove Albion have slapped a £100m price tag on 19-year-old striker Evan Ferguson as Tottenham – among other Premier League outfits – eye his signature.

A more recent update from the Standard has revealed that Chelsea are also interested in the Republic of Ireland international, and given the Stamford Bridge side's opulence, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will need to act astutely to convince the teenager to join his project.

Evan Ferguson's style of play

Signing a new contract at the AMEX Stadium last week, extending his deal to 2029, Brighton are in an impregnable position regarding Ferguson's future and will only lower the drawbridge, so to speak, if they wish.

But should the young forward push for a move, teams like Tottenham would be well-placed to move in and seal a deal, with Kane's summer sale indeed opening up space for such a player and thus facilitating a transfer.

Ferguson left Irish shores to join the Seagulls as a 16-year-old, having already made four senior appearances for his homeland side.

And while he's still a teenager, the eight-cap international has asserted himself as one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe, with his innate striking ability and predatory movement hinting at a future of real prosperity, and Tottenham are only too happy to provide him with the next step in his development.

Season

Matches played

Goals

Assists

23/24

18

6

1

22/23

19

6

2

21/22

1

0

0

*Sourced via Transfermarkt

Described as a "superstar" by pundit Danny Murphy, the £30k-per-week ace also ranks among the top 4% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, as per FBref, showcasing his elite technical ability and ball-playing skill that only furthers the argument that he could succeed the dynamic Kane.

And given that Ferguson has also revealed that he idolises the England and Spurs record scorer, the semblance in style is only more understandable.

Ferguson could be Robbie Keane 2.0

But given his Irish roots, Tottenham could actually land their next version of Robbie Keane, who is his nation's record scorer with 68 goals and plundered 122 strikes from 306 matches for the Lilywhites, part of the last Spurs squad to win silverware, way back when.

Perhaps more agile and adroit in his craft than Ferguson – who admittedly is deceptively artful but is still an out-and-out centre-forward – the diminutive Keane was renowned for his versatility and effectiveness in offensive sequences, once praised as "one of the international greats" by compatriot Stephen Ward.

A stellar career and a brilliant player, one who is lionised down at N17 and rightly so; should Ferguson tread the same pathway as the Ireland legend then he too could rise to a position as one of the Premier League's great forwards, perhaps even spearheading a return to silver-laden success.

Newcastle United are battling a number of Premier League rivals to make a "world-class" marquee signing, according to a new transfer claim.

Newcastle's January transfer plans

The Magpies are badly in need of adding some fresh blood to their squad in the January transfer window, with injuries taking their toll the more this season has gone on. Eddie Howe has had to make do with a depleted squad at times, losing so many of his most important players to fitness issues, and it has heightened the need for reinforcements this month.

Plenty of players have been backed to join Newcastle in the coming weeks, with Kalvin Phillips one whose name has constantly emerged as a strong link in the middle of the park. The 28-year-old will almost certainly leave Manchester City, potentially on loan, and he could be a perfect option to come in and boost Howe's midfield options.

Centre-back additions are also a possibility, in order to add more depth at the heart of the defence, and Bayer Leverusen star Piero Hincapie is an exciting talent who has been linked with a move to St James' Park. There is also a chance that an attacking signing is made, in order to ease the burden on Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, with Serhou Guirassy looking like the standout target currently, having enjoyed a great season for VfB Stuttgart to date.

It looks as though Newcastle could be looking to be very ambitious in the transfer market, however, according to a new update that has emerged.

Newcastle want Paulo Dybala

According to a report from Spain, Newcastle are interested in signing Roma star Paulo Dybala, but aren't alone in showing a willingness to snap him up.

Chelsea and Manchester United are also seen as options for the Argentina World Cup winner, who scored in the penalty shootout win over France in the 2022 final. Dybala is contracted to Roma until the summer of 2025, but the report states that he has a €13m (£11.3m) release clause in his contract, meaning he could be snapped up on the cheap in January or this summer.

There is no doubt that Newcastle signing the 30-year-old would be an eye-catching piece of business, with the Argentine such a talented footballer – one who has even been hailed as "world-class" by Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva.

While Dybala is someone who could raise the level of those around him, simply because of his talent on the ball and pedigree as a player down the years, there would still be doubts over whether his best days are behind him, given his age. He hasn't necessarily set the world alight at Roma, even though he has still scored four goals and registered six assists in Serie A this season, and he would likely demand big wages to match the £137,000 per week he is currently earning.

Howe could unleash £88k-p/w Newcastle ace in new role by ditching Almiron

Miguel Almiron may have played his way out of Newcastle’s starting lineup.

ByAdam Scully Jan 1, 2024

For that reason, Newcastle would be wiser to make a move for a younger option who would be more of a long-term signing.

Rangers, with the fate of the Scottish Premiership title in their grasp, head into this weekend's Old Firm derby with the potential of closing the gap to as little as two points whilst keeping hold of their two games hand – summing up the power shift since the arrival of Philippe Clement. Competing for the title this season once seemed like a pipe dream, but now it's very much the reality at Ibrox.

After already securing the Belgian's first addition in the form of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva too, Rangers could now sign Clement's second transfer in the winter window, with one man eyed.

Rangers transfer news

After completing a deal to sign young Wolves forward Silva on loan, Clement told the official Rangers website: “I am delighted we have been able to secure the signing of Fabio, he is a highly-rated striker and it is fantastic to have him joining our squad for the remainder of the season. He is a young player who already has some great experience in his career in both England and in Europe, and I am looking forward to working with him moving forward.”

Rangers sign “unique” player with Clement “crucial” to transfer

Rangers are not messing around…

ByTom Cunningham Dec 28, 2023

The focus has instantly shifted to further arrivals, however, with reports suggesting that Rangers could now sign another forward. Contact was made to sign Groningen forward Kevin van Veen earlier this week, and a new positive update has now emerged over a possible deal where he could become the second new arrival of 2024.

Football Insider shared a big transfer update on Friday, claiming Rangers are more likely to sign Van Veen than Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland in the January transfer window, and a loan move could now be a possibility which suits all parties involved. Van Veen is reportedly interested in a return to Scotland, having previously starred for Motherwell, whereas Groningen are also open to an exit for the Dutchman next month. As Rangers fight to regain the Scottish crown, it certainly seems as though adding firepower to Clement's side is the focus in the new year, with Van Veen potentially joining Silva in the list of January reinforcements.

"Phenomenal" Van Veen could form partnership with Silva

With Rangers looking to finally replace Alfredo Morelos, who left a gaping hole in their attack after departing last summer, they could form a lethal partnership by combining Silva and Van Veen. Silva, a raw talent who needs minutes and a confidence boost after a period to forget at Wolves, could learn from the more experienced Van Veen, who has starred in Scotland previously.

Whilst at Motherwell, Van Veen's stats speak for themselves. The forward found the back of the net 40 times in 83 games in all competitions, highlighting the firepower that he could hand Clement in the winter window. Van Veen unsurprisingly earned plenty of praise during his time at Motherwell, including from Stuart Kettlewell. He told BBC Sport:

"His attitude has been phenomenal, I've got an excellent relationship with him, and he produces for us. He's knocked out another two goals for us today, and if the guys play as well as they do round about him then he'll get chances and he'll take them."

When the winter window swings open, the Dutchman will certainly be one to keep an eye on, especially if Rangers look to add to the arrival of Silva.

Ranji Trophy champions end second day on 245 for 6, still 85 runs in arrears

The Report by Sreshth Shah in Nagpur13-Feb-2019

Akshay Wadkar plays a sweep•PTI

Stumps Despite losing only six wickets on the second day, Vidarbha failed to take control of the Irani Cup tie in Nagpur, as their attritional batting kept them 85 runs behind Rest of India’s 330 when play ended.It was because of some disciplined bowling from the RoI spinners that Vidarbha could not get away. K Gowtham (2-33) and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (2-66) broke stands at crucial junctures, as the spin trio – Rahul Chahar is the third – took five of the six wickets. The game was still in the balance with Akshay Wadkar, the wicketkeeper-batsman, leading the way for Vidarbha, but pacer Ankit Rajpoot’s wicket of allrounder Aditya Sarwate for 18 three overs before stumps swung the pendulum RoI’s way.Vidarbha did put up three 50-plus stands through the course of the day, but with a run rate of only 2.72, they could never impose themselves. Opener R Sanjay (65) and No. 4 Ganesh Satish (48) anchored Vidarbha’s innings in the first and second sessions, but their dismissals at important stages of the game pegged back their progress.At stumps, Wadkar’s unbeaten 98-ball 50 kept Vidarbha in the hunt for a lead, but he desperately needs one of the tail-enders to give him company.The day began with Sanjay and captain Faiz Fazal playing cautiously for the first ten overs. Inswingers from Rajpoot and Tanveer-ul-Haq kept their run-flow in check, and by the tenth over, they had added only 15 runs. But after bunting the new ball for nearly an hour, batting became easier when spinners Gowtham and Jadeja were introduced.Dharmendrasinh Jadeja celebrates a wicket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The first Vidarbha wicket went to Gowtham soon after the pair had crossed the 50-run mark in the 21st over. Fazal prodded forward to defend an offbreak, but the ball held its line and grazed his glove. Ishan Kishan went up for a caught-behind appeal straightaway, but the umpire raised his finger only after consulting his partner.Atharwa Taide, who was a late inclusion in the XI for the injured Wasim Jaffer, then lit up the morning with a late cut and a pull off Gowtham in the 25th over, effectively hitting him out of the attack. But Chahar, the legspinner, prised Taide out with a quicker delivery on middle stump that trapped the batsman in front.That brought in Satish, who controlled proceedings before lunch in Sanjay’s company, and they went on to add 62 for the third wicket. Satish, in particular, used his feet well to play the spinners, as they opted to bowl slow. Sanjay, on the other hand, preferred the sweep to deal with the spin.The partnership, chanceless until it was broken, was taking the game Vidarbha’s way, but Sanjay’s dismissal – a chip off Jadeja going to Hanuma Vihari under the helmet at short cover in the 56th over – breathed new life in the RoI bowlers.One wicket brought another from the opposite end, as Gowtham collected his second scalp. Mohit Kale tried to steer one, but only got a thick edge through to the wicketkeeper. The ball hit Kishan around the mid-section before lobbing into the air, and Kishan recovered to complete a smart take diving backwards. It required a confirmation from the TV umpire for Kale to start walking for just one.But Gowtham, diving to field one off his own bowling in the same over, suffered a shoulder injury and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.Satish was in control through the second session until the penultimate over before tea. Jadeja, in his first over of a new spell, got a length ball to slide in rapidly, and trapped Satish right in front of middle stump two runs short of his half-century.That brought in Aditya Sarwate, the allrounder who scored 102 in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final and a valuable second-innings 49 in the Ranji Trophy final. Sarwate, together with Wadkar, added 58 for the sixth wicket after tea. They pinched singles, ran hard doubles, and hit the occasional boundary to take Vidarbha past 200. Sarwate, however, fell ten minutes before stumps to a vicious inswinger from Rajpoot, trapped in front of off stump.The last three overs were tentatively seen out by Wadkar, who reached his sixth half-century during that period, but at the other end, No. 8 Akshay Karnewar had no plans of dead-batting the day away. He struck three boundaries off his first five deliveries to force Rahane to set a more defensive field, and at stumps, he was by Wadkar’s side with an unbeaten run-a-ball 15.