All posts by z3u9t.icu

Newcastle United have now held internal talks over signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson, amid concerns over Joelinton, who has suffered a dip in form.

Widespread reports have suggested Joelinton’s chances of going to the World Cup with Brazil have taken a hit, given that he has struggled so far this season, most recently putting in a poor performance in the 3-1 defeat against West Ham United.

Indeed, the Magpies’ poor start to the Premier League season continued at the London Stadium, and the 29-year-old recorded a SofaScore match rating of just 6.1, having failed to record a shot on target throughout the entire match.

It is not the first time the Brazilian has struggled this season either, being described as “tough to watch” as a result of his performance in the 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion last month.

Eddie Howe clearly needs to make changes of some description to turn his side’s fortunes around, considering they are now 13th in the Premier League table, and it has now been revealed that a move for a new midfielder is being considered…

Newcastle hold internal talks over deal for Ederson

According to a report from The i, Newcastle have had doubts about Joelinton since the summer, with some key figures suggesting they need to bring in a new midfielder to replace the former Hoffenheim man, given his issues with injuries.

Atalanta midfielder Ederson is one of the players who has been discussed internally in recruitment meetings as a potential replacement for the Brazil international, having originally emerged as a transfer target nearly two years ago.

It may be a little hasty to give up on Joelinton, given that he has impressed at times this season, being singled out for a solid display in the 2-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at the beginning of October.

However, competition for places is healthy, and the Atalanta star could have what it takes to succeed at St. James’ Park, having been described as “world-class” by one former professional.

That said, there are some indications the 26-year-old would not be much of an upgrade on his compatriot, given that the Newcastle midfielder has outperformed him across some key metrics for midfielders over the past year.

Statistic

Ederson

Joelinton

Assists

0.0

0.12

Tackles

1.71

1.82

Interceptions

1.06

1.08

Aerials won

1.51

2.51

As such, Joelinton may be a more well-rounded midfielder than the Campo Grande-born maestro, and Howe is clearly an admirer, previously saying: “Joelinton is like gold dust because wherever you put him, you know he’s going to do a good job.”

That said, if the central midfielder’s performances don’t improve before January, it could be worth bringing in a new midfielder, and Ederson isn’t the only option on the shortlist…

Newcastle readying bid for Eduardo Camavinga Newcastle ready £60m+ bid to sign Camavinga with Real Madrid's position clear

The Magpies are preparing to step things up…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 4, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur moved up to third in the Premier League table on Sunday night when they travelled to the Hill Dickinson stadium to beat Everton 3-0.

The Lilywhites were not in total control, as they needed Guglielmo Vicario to make two incredibly impressive stops, but they did end the night with a comfortable scoreline.

Micky van de Ven’s first-half performance provided Spurs with a platform to go on and win the match, as he scored two goals to take his tally for the season to five.

Why Micky van de Ven has drawn comparisons to Jan Vertonghen

It feels inevitable that a left-footed centre-back will be compared to Jan Vertonghen at Spurs, particularly when the Belgian star scored five goals from centre-back in his first Premier League season in North London in the 2012/13 campaign, per Sofascore.

Vertonghen scored 14 goals in 314 appearances for Tottenham, per Transfermarkt, so it is easy to understand why some supporters have made the comparison, particularly when van de Ven once revealed that he “learned from” the Belgium international when watching him as a kid.

It was the former Spurs titan’s defensive work that made him a standout star, though, as he earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions, without scoring a single league goal in the second inclusion.

That is why Tottenham supporters should be looking to another player to compare to Vertonghen, as Kevin Danso’s defensive efforts against Everton were more Vertonghen-esque than van de Ven’s.

Spurs have unearthed their new Jan Vertonghen

Van de Ven may have scored two goals and impressed at the top end of the pitch, but it was Danso who was the shining light defensively for Thomas Frank against the Toffees.

The Austria international, as shown in the post above, made the most clearances in a game for the club since Vertonghen made 21 just shy of nine years ago.

It was an incredibly impressive outing from the former Southampton man against Everton, as he was consistently in the right place at the right time to make vital defensive interventions to prevent Vicario from being worked even more than he was.

Minutes

90

90

Tackles won

1/1

0/0

Clearances

18

7

Blocked shots

2

0

Ball recoveries

3

2

Ground duels won

2/2

1/2

Aerial duels won

4/4

1/4

As you can see in the table above, Danso offered far more to the team defensively than van de Ven did, with 11 more clearances, two more blocks, and a higher success rate in his duels on the ground and in the air.

These statistics show that the 27-year-old colossus, who was described as “quick” and “aggressive” by Jamie Redknapp, was the defensive cornerstone for the Lilywhites, and carried the Dutchman to a degree.

The £20m signing from Lens may not be a left-footed centre-back, or a huge goal threat, but he has shown that he has the impressive defensive instincts and qualities to be a Vertonghen-esque figure at the back for Frank.

If he can continue to put in performances like the one he showed against Everton, Cristian Romero may have a job on his hands to find a way of getting back into the starting line-up, as Danso currently looks undroppable.

Worse than Simons: Frank must drop 2/10 Spurs flop who lost 88% duels

Thomas Frank must drop this Tottenham Hotspur flop who was even worse than Xavi Simons.

ByDan Emery Oct 26, 2025

Frank appears to have unearthed his own Vertonghen in the defensive monster, who has won 100% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season, and long may it continue as Spurs look to climb up the table.