Premier League
Kudus’ Measured Rise: From Nima Sand Pitches to Tottenham
At 25, Kudus moved to Tottenham after West Ham, shaped by Nima, education, sand pitches and recovery
Mohammed Kudus has built a career on patience and exacting standards. The 25-year-old arrived at Tottenham Hotspur this summer as a £55 million recruit after two years at West Ham United, but his progression began long before England. Raised in Nima, north of Accra, he found playing space on sand and credits that environment with sharpening his control. “I think on the grass pitch, receiving a ball, you automatically expect how the ball should come and bounce,” he says. “But on a sand pitch it can move anywhere. So you have to react quicker to controlling the ball … looking at it in a positive way, I think it helps in a way, if you can find your way through the sand with the bumpy ball.”
His mother, Mariam, supported the family as a street vendor and enforced strict rules at home. She “played both roles of being a mum and a dad at the same time” and left no doubt that schoolwork came first: “if you don’t pass your school exams or your test, then you’re not going to play football.” Right to Dream recruited him at 12 and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani recalled a determined teenager training through a broken thumb. FC Nordsjælland signed him on his 18th birthday and he established himself by the end of his debut campaign, then followed that with 11 goals from 22 league starts and a first senior Ghana call-up in November 2019, where he scored. “When you play for a country,” he says, “that stays with you forever.”
Kudus moved to Ajax in 2020. Less than 10 minutes into his Champions League debut against Liverpool he tore his meniscus, a setback that began a run of injuries that cost him 50 games across two seasons. “All those setbacks and injuries, you get to learn about your body, study yourself, so I put my effort into that,” he recalls. He hired a personal trainer, focused on recovery and returned to post a career-best 18 goals in 2022–23, including a Champions League equaliser at Anfield in September. Asked why he crossed the London divide this summer, he was direct and succinct: “My gut feeling.”
Premier League
Paquetá turned down Chelsea and Tottenham to join Flamengo in record £35.8m transfer
Paquetá rejected Chelsea and Tottenham to rejoin Flamengo in a record £35.8m deal, aiming for peace.
Lucas Paquetá has completed a return to Flamengo after three-and-a-half years with West Ham United, a move that ended speculation about offers from two Premier League clubs. On arrival in Rio, Paquetá told Flamengo TV that his priority was clear and recounted how interest from England did not change his mind.
“Tottenham called, Chelsea called,” Paquetá revealed. “And the funny thing is that Tata [Paquetá’s agent] called all excited and said, ‘Chelsea’s calling, they’re gonna make an offer.’
“I replied, ‘Okay, but what about Flamengo?’ He said, ‘Are you serious?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to know about that. I want to hear about Flamengo,’ and that’s how it all happened.”
The 28-year-old elected to leave Europe and rejoin the club where he began his career. Flamengo paid West Ham £35.8 million (€42 million, $49.4 million) for Paquetá, a fee described as the highest ever for transfers within North and South American football. That figure eclipsed the recent record set when Cruzeiro paid €27 million ($32 million) to sign Gérson from Zenit.
Flamengo returnees and recent signings underline the club’s continental ambition. Since Paquetá departed in January 2019, Flamengo have claimed three Copa Libertadores titles and begin the season as defending Brazilian League and Libertadores champions. The squad has also added players with European experience, including Saúl Níguez, Samu Lino and Jorginho.
Paquetá framed his decision in personal terms in a farewell to West Ham, writing that he wanted to “find joy in football again and regain my peace.” The midfielder had been subject to an English Football Federation investigation into alleged gambling charges but was cleared. He now arrives at Flamengo hoping for consistent minutes and to position himself for selection by Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.
Gameweek 24
Gameweek 24: Premier League predictions and short-form analysis
Predictions and brief analysis for Premier League Gameweek 24, focusing on key fixtures. Weekend 24.
After midweek’s conclusion of the Champions League and Europa League group stages, attention turns back to the Premier League for Gameweek 24. Manchester United arrive on Sunday buoyed by recent results under Michael Carrick, while rivals face a potentially decisive trip to north London for the title race.
Brighton and Everton meet in a tight mid-table duel where three points separate the clubs. Brighton’s reliable home record and Everton’s strong away form point to a close game. A draw looks the likeliest outcome: Brighton 1–1 Everton.
Arsenal travel to Elland Road under fresh scrutiny after their defeat to Man Utd. Mikel Arteta made sweeping changes in midweek and the side need points to rebuild momentum. Leeds’ strong run makes this a difficult test and a narrow win for the visitors is predicted: Leeds 1–2 Arsenal.
Wolves versus Bournemouth in the Midlands carries little immediate consequence for the table. Both defences have been vulnerable recently and an open, high-scoring game is probable: Wolves 3–3 Bournemouth.
Chelsea have enjoyed a marked improvement under Liam Rosenior, including a key midweek win in Naples. With Cole Palmer returning, Chelsea should have the depth to cope with a congested schedule and are favoured: Chelsea 3–1 West Ham.
Liverpool host Newcastle in an evening fixture that promises intensity despite midweek travel. Liverpool remain without a league victory in five games and Arne Slot’s side have defensive issues. Alexander Isak remains absent through injury. Expect a draw: Liverpool 2–2 Newcastle.
Aston Villa return to Villa Park while managing a mounting injury list in midfield and attack. They should just edge a competitive Brentford: Aston Villa 2–1 Brentford.
Man Utd will look to extend their run at Old Trafford against Fulham following consecutive big wins. United’s defensive reshuffle has steadied them and they are predicted to prevail: Man Utd 3–1 Fulham.
Palace continue a winless run of 11 matches with Oliver Glasner seeking to arrest the slide. Nottingham Forest arrive in better form and should take a narrow home victory: Nottingham Forest 1–0 Crystal Palace.
The weekend closes with Tottenham hosting Man City. City have regained momentum and, despite Tottenham’s ability to frustrate top sides, a Man City win is forecast: Tottenham 0–2 Man City.
Monday’s fixture sees Sunderland expected to overcome Burnley at the Stadium of Light: Sunderland 2–0 Burnley.
Fulham
Carrick urges caution as United prepare for Fulham test
Carrick warned United not to underestimate Fulham, insisting pragmatism can follow derby wins. Today
Michael Carrick insisted Manchester United must not take Fulham lightly, warning it would be “bang out of order” to do so while accepting his side may need to repeat the pragmatic gameplan that produced recent derby results.
United arrive at the match as clear favourites but Carrick was keen to temper expectation. “So it might be a case [that] it’s the same flow of the game as what we’ve had the last two weeks,” the reliably unflappable head coach shrugged. “No shame in that. We’ll deal with the game, what’s in front of us, and do whatever it takes for us to be able to come out on top.”
That approach was on show in the derby win over Manchester City, a victory that was only United’s second at Old Trafford since Halloween and one built on a surgical counter-attack through the middle. United recorded just 32% possession in that game, the fourth-smallest share of the ball recorded by the club in a home game over the past 20 years.
Fulham have proved difficult opponents for the division’s bigger teams. Under Silva they took four points from back-to-back fixtures against Liverpool and Chelsea in January and pushed Arsenal and, especially, Manchester City close in defeats earlier this year. Silva’s tactical tweaks were decisive in the 1–1 draw in August, when he explained: “We knew how they defend and we know they like to squeeze from the back five,” he revealed post-game. “And if you don’t give bodies for them to squeeze from the back five you can create superiority in the middle. We know they play with two in the middle, we tried to overload with our three plus Alex [Iwobi]. It was as simple as that.”
Carrick has reverted to a 4-2-3-1, bolstering the centre with Kobbie Mainoo alongside Casemiro, who both sweep up behind Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes’ return to the No. 10 role has been significant; he assisted goals against City and Arsenal. Silva’s side will look to exploit the space between the lines, with Bryan Mbeumo and Fernandes known to swap positions.
The squad’s mood has shifted under Carrick. Lisandro Martínez captured that change: “For me, when you touch my heart, I will give everything for you, and he touched it already and you can see that on the pitch we give everything,” and “You need people who understand your quality, and I think [Carrick] is doing that,” Martínez added. “He’s getting the best out of everybody, not just the players, but the staff. The standard, structure, and demands, are really important.”
Carrick has been emphatic about the emotional side of the job. “You’ve got to play with feeling. You got to play with emotion. You got to play with excitement,” he told assembled media on Friday. The manager will also be mindful of the early praise surrounding Ruben Amorim, who “hadn’t even taken charge of his first Manchester United game by the time players were already queuing up to laud his “top training sessions.””
