Premier League
Tottenham’s Summer Statement: Xavi Simons and a Clear Creative Plan
Simons’ £51.8m move gives Tottenham a marketable, creative spark capable of changing their attack. .
Tottenham’s late-window capture of Xavi Simons felt like the conclusion of a hectic transfer saga and the start of a different approach. The club completed a £51.8 million ($70 million) deal for a 22-year-old who arrived with a high profile from early youth days at La Masia.
Simons was already widely known long before his senior breakthrough. He had a million Instagram followers and a Nike deal by the time he was 14, developing a reputation as the “boy with golden curls”. His senior path has taken him to Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig and included a hugely successful loan at PSV Eindhoven. He can speak six languages and has recorded 63 goal contributions over the past three seasons.
The move came after a summer in which Tottenham showed clear ambition. The club opened business with West Ham United over Mohammed Kudus and pursued Forest captain Gibbs-White, only for Evangelos Marinakis to keep his skipper at the City Ground. Arsenal’s move for Eze under Daniel Levy’s nose, and the collapse of other targets, left Thomas Frank with a creative void after James Maddison’s ACL tear in Seoul and Dejan Kulusevski’s expected absence until the new year.
Chelsea were reported as rivals for Simons, a reminder of how often the Blues have targeted high-profile talent. The draft also recalled earlier Chelsea swings for Eden Hazard and Willian that Tottenham failed to convert. Still, BlueCo’s market activity allowed Spurs to sign Simons, a player who can be both a marketable face and a footballing solution.
Frank will ask Simons to add invention and unpredictability to an attack that has relied on Pape Matar Sarr’s pressing and Kudus’s ball retention. Simons is not an elite athlete, but he excels in transition and tight spaces and the manager has said he can “unlock defences”. The player himself sees the move as right for his development, calling Frank the “right coach” to advance a game defined by moments of magic.
For supporters, Simons’ unveiling offered a rare sense of uplift: a talent of this profile rarely ends up at Tottenham, and the club will now expect him to deliver both on and off the pitch.
Analytics & Stats
Fernandes at 300: How His Manchester United Record Stacks Up to Ronaldo’s
Bruno Fernandes reached 300 Manchester United games; his statistics now invite comparison to Ronaldo
Bruno Fernandes made his 300th appearance for Manchester United in the weekend 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, becoming only the second Portuguese player for the club to reach that mark after Cristiano Ronaldo. The pair spent 18 months together at Old Trafford following Ronaldo’s return in 2021, and while their on-field relationship provoked debate at times, they remain close off the pitch. “I spoke with Cristiano about the situation, Saudi and everything,” Fernandes recently admitted.
Fernandes chose to stay at United rather than leave and that decision brought an inevitable milestone in 2025–26. He is the 52nd player in club history to reach 300 games, a total he amassed quickly thanks to a strong injury record. At his current rate, the midfielder “will soon top Ronaldo’s haul of 346 United games,” a comparison that has prompted analysis of their respective records.
The statistical picture is mixed. Both players reached 300 appearances, but Fernandes has more starts (284) than Ronaldo had at that point (250). Ronaldo scored 124 goals in his first 300 United matches, 50 of which came from the bench, while Fernandes has 100 goals and 87 assists, giving him 20 more assists than Ronaldo’s 67.
Minutes-based metrics favour Ronaldo. Fernandes averages 255 minutes per goal compared to Ronaldo’s 185.3, and Fernandes records a goal contribution every 136.4 minutes against Ronaldo’s 120.3. Ronaldo’s first 300 appearances included major trophies: three Premier League titles and both domestic cups. Fernandes has also contributed to silverware, lifting the EFL Cup and FA Cup under Erik ten Hag, both victories arriving after Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr at the end of 2022.
Ronaldo’s pathway included extended success at Real Madrid and Juventus between his United spells, and his 300th United appearance came 14 years after his 200th. Fernandes has matched the milestone in a different context: often carrying a team that has not always matched Ronaldo’s collective achievements.
Arsenal
Five notable absences from the 2025 FIFPRO World XI nominees
Five absences from 2025 FIFPRO World XI: Kane, Gabriel, Szczęsny, Mac Allister and Caicedo shortlist
The 2025 FIFPRO World XI nominees were announced on Monday and the shortlist left a number of established performers off the list. Several omissions have prompted debate over which players deserved recognition.
Harry Kane was one of the most surprising names absent. He led the Bundesliga in scoring last season, finished with 41 goals in all competitions and won his first major trophy. Kane also finished fifth in the European Golden Boot race behind Kylian Mbappé, Viktor Gyökeres, Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski. The shortlist included two of those names and excluded two, making his omission notable given his scoring numbers.
The exclusion of Gabriel also raised eyebrows. “It’s honestly preference comparing Gabriel and William Saliba, but for many who watched Arsenal closely the Brazilian was arguably the better of the two last season.” The piece highlights Gabriel’s role as a defensive leader who also poses a significant threat from set pieces and notes he is being spoken of as a potential player of the season for the current campaign.
Wojciech Szczęsny was another overlooked name. He returned from retirement midseason to join Barcelona in crisis and made his debut on Jan. 4. By the end of the campaign he had added three more trophies as Barcelona completed a first domestic treble. He subsequently earned a new contract extending his stay through 2027.
Liverpool’s midfield pairing also suffered from the voting. The article points to Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch being left out and argues both had strong claims. Mac Allister missed only three Premier League games last season, contributed 10 goal involvements and was an important part of the title-winning engine room.
Finally, Moisés Caicedo was highlighted as a major snub. Caicedo played every Premier League match last season as Chelsea secured a top-four finish under Enzo Maresca, scored in the UEFA Conference League final and played a major role in Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup victory over the summer.
These five absences underline the difficult choices in assembling a World XI and why the 2025 shortlist has drawn criticism.
Carabao Cup
Guardiola cautious on Haaland after Villa collision as City look to cup and recovery
Guardiola gave a cautious update on Haaland after his collision; City target cup tie and recovery. .
Pep Guardiola offered a restrained update on Erling Haaland after the striker appeared to be in clear discomfort following a collision with the woodwork at Villa Park. Haaland remained on the ground in visible pain but was able to finish the match and did not require a substitution.
On the injury scare Guardiola said, “Hopefully he is fine.” The manager’s short response left the club with a small window to manage the forward’s recovery before a lighter fixture list.
Man City’s next match is against Swansea City in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Guardiola should not need Haaland to make an appearance against the Championship side, giving the No. 9 additional time to recover. Haaland already has 24 goals to his name for both club and country this season, and the expectation is to have him fit for the visit of second-place Bournemouth to the Etihad on Sunday, Nov. 2.
The defeat at Aston Villa ended a nine-game unbeaten run for the 10-time English champions and left City in fifth place, six points behind league-leaders Arsenal. Guardiola addressed the title race directly, saying: “We try to close [the gap],” Guardiola said. “Arsenal have been solid for many years. The concern is how we improve better to be close.
“From my experience, it is so long. There are many teams there—Bournemouth are doing really well—and we try to do our game. Our job is not to watch the title. If [Arsenal] win all their games and win the Premier League, congratulate them. But I feel that the team is alive, it’s good,” Guardiola finished.
With fixtures against Bournemouth and Liverpool coming in the next two weeks, Guardiola will be focused on restoring form and moving into the November international window with his squad in better shape.
