Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for midfielder Teun Koopmeiners as they are reportedly keen on bringing the Dutch international to North London.
After an incredible start to the campaign under new manager Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have struggled to maintain their performances as they have had to cope with several injuries to key individuals.
In order to boost their squad depth, Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin were brought in during the January window but there will no doubt be another influx of signings come the summer.
At the top of that list is Atalanta midfielder Koopmeiners who has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs.
According to a report from the Italian outlet, Calciomercato, Tottenham are in the ‘front row’ for the 25-year-old alongside Liverpool.
But he may not come cheap as the report states that Atalanta will be hoping to bring in the ‘best possible price’ with Rasmus Hojlund’s big money move to Manchester United used as an example for a potential fee.
At the centre of Spurs’ successes,’ this season has been their midfield with new signing James Maddison gelling perfectly with Yves Bissouma and Papa Matar Sarr as well as Rodrigo Bentancur when fit.
Adding Koopmeiners to this already-established midfield will help them compete on all fronts next season especially if they secure Champions League football.
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Tottenham Hotspur want Cristian Romero to succeed Son Heung-min as the skipper Tottenham Hotspur will play in the UEFA Champions League again in the 2025/26 season. This comeback has come after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final, and this victory is a sign that Spurs are now back to top-level football again. With this success, the club have appointed former Brentford coach Thomas Frank as the new manager. New energy, new thinking and new faces now intend to take Spurs closer to the trophy again. Tottenham have gone through constant changes in the last few seasons. Sometimes, Antonio Conte’s strict attitude, sometimes Postecoglou’s open attacking strategy – each season brought a different story. However, the trophy remained far away until the Europa League win. Now the team is being rebuilt with depth under Thomas Frank. Mohammed Kudus has entered, and Mathys Tel has also been signed permanently with the club. Champions League, Premier League and domestic cups—the team is getting ready for every competition. Son’s future and Romero’s captaincy hint However, amid these preparations, one question is on everyone’s mind—will Heung-min Son stay at the club? Los Angeles FC have made an offer for the 33-year-old forward. Captain Son’s future is now uncertain. Meanwhile, The Daily Mail has reported that if Son leaves, Cristian Romero could be made the new captain. This report indicates that Atletico Madrid have reduced their interest in Romero because they do not want to accept Spurs’ £60m valuation. In such a situation, the Argentine centre-back is going to remain with the club. The 27-year-old is an aggressive, organised and calm player even under pressure. He has become the backbone of the Spurs’ defence. Son’s departure and the potential impact of Romero’s captaincy The news of Son’s departure is heartbreaking. He has not only been the captain but the soul of our team. The South Korean’s effort, goals and moments in every game have given us hope. However, now it’s time to look to the future. If Son leaves, making Romero captain could be a smart move. Romero has all the makings of a leader. His aggression, his commanding presence and constant communication with teammates show he is built for captaincy. The Argentine’s performances for Argentina in the World Cup are exemplary. He could guide younger players like Udogie and Van de Ven and be an inspiring leader for the Frank era. Even if Son stays at the club, making Romero captain could be the right move as it would allow Son to focus on scoring and creative roles. Taking the burden of captaincy off him at 33 could refresh him further. Romero is a long-term solution, and now that Atletico have backed down, he could become a vital part of Spurs’ future. There’s no need to remove Son’s legacy, building it up alongside a player like Romero makes more sense. That balance could get us closer to a trophy.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76M deal. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps. An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury. “We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday. 2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.
The Boston Red Sox got some bad news in the infield. Rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer has gotten a lot of time at second base and third base. Since Alex Bregman returned, Mayer has gotten most of his action at second base while also filling in as the Red Sox worked Bregman back slowly. Unfortunately, he's on the Injured List, though, due to a wrist sprain. MassLive.com's Christopher Smith shared the lastest update on Mayer from Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Saturday noted that he's "not gonna play soon." "No new updates on Marcelo Mayer's wrist sprain, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said," Smith shared. "'Just waiting for results and see specialists and all that stuff,' Cora added. 'He's not gonna play soon. So have to make sure where we're at and what the course of action is going to be.'" Losing Mayer is tough. Defense has been a question mark for Boston once again this season but Mayer has helped in that area. With Mayer out, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to get a lot of action at second base. That helps to alleviate the logjam in the outfield, but also removes arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game. Boston isn't at full strength and Cora noting he's "not gonna play soon" certainly doesn't sound positive. Before going down, Mayer was slashing .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBIs, and eight doubles. Will the Red Sox add another piece ahead of the trade deadline? It absolutely makes sense at this point.
The Dallas Cowboys are open for business, as long as you're not looking to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. While Micah Parsons claims the front office hasn't returned calls to his agent, David Mulugheta, the Cowboys signed Jake Ferguson to a $52 million contract extension, and there could be another massive deal in the works. One day after head coach Brian Schottenheimer told the media there were multiple players the front office was trying to extend, agent Joe Panos was spotted at training camp speaking to Stephen Jones and Adam Prasifka, the Cowboys' Director of Salary Cap/Player Contracts. ESPN's Todd Archer posted a picture of three on X, formerly known as Twitter. The sighting appears significant, considering Panos and Todd France from player agency Athletes First took Smith in as a client in May. Former Cowboys players Tyron Smith and La'el Collins were also represented by Panos, and he struck deals during training camp with Dallas in the past. This situation fits that mold. Tyler Smith is in line for a huge payday Only time will tell if that means a deal is close to being done for Tyler Smith, but if there's one position the Cowboys like to get ahead of, it's offensive line. If they want to put ink to paper, Dallas better be prepared to offer strong numbers. Smith was recently ranked by execs, coaches, and scouts as the second-best interior offensive lineman in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith recently signed a $94 million contract, making him the highest-paid guard at $23.5 million in average value per year. The Cowboys will be looking at similar numbers if they intend to secure their 2022 first-round draft pick. After picking up his fifth-year option in May, Smith is currently under contract through 2026. With back-to-back Pro Bowl years, Smith has established himself as one of the NFL's best young linemen. The Cowboys' front office has compared him to Larry Allen thanks to his versatility to play tackle and guard. However, it seems the team is convinced of leaving him inside. They should. When playing guard, Smith is at his most dominant, and based on Schottenheimer's apparent effort to establish the run, having an elite interior line core will be crucial for the Cowboys this season. Let's see if Panos' chat with the front office leads to a deal over the next few days or if it was more of a check-in.
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