Man Utd's Fernandes Alternatives & Spurs After Tonali | Ben Jacobs’ Mailbag
Man Utd’s search for Mateus Fernandes alternatives continues, while Spurs prepare their next move after Sandro Tonali. Kate Mason and Ben Jacobs are live with another World Cup edition of Market Madness, as the transfer window continues to heat up. Ben brings the latest breaking transfer news, including Manchester United’s midfield shortlist after missing out on Mateus Fernandes, with Aurélien Tchouaméni, Alex Scott, Carlos Baleba and Sander Berge among the names to watch. Plus, Tottenham are set to complete Sandro Tonali after already landing Mateus Fernandes — but are Spurs done? Ben explains why Tottenham could still look at attacking additions, with Savinho, Crysencio Summerville and Eli Junior Kroupi discussed, as well as the latest on João Palhinha and potential Spurs outgoings. Also on the show, award-winning football writer and broadcaster Henry Winter joins Kate and Ben to react to England’s nervy 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo, Harry Kane’s rescue act and the huge Round of 16 clash with Mexico at the Azteca. Football finance expert and host of The Price of Football, Kieran Maguire, also breaks down UEFA’s fines for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest over breaches of the squad cost rule — and explains what the new financial landscape means for the Premier League transfer market. Ben also covers: Bruno Guimarães’ Newcastle future after Sandro Tonali’s move to Spurs Arsenal’s interest in Bruno Guimarães and whether Newcastle could sell Aston Villa’s reported £130m valuation of Morgan Rogers Whether Arsenal, Chelsea or Man Utd could move for Rogers Bournemouth’s stance on Eli Junior Kroupi The wider midfield market after Elliot Anderson’s £116m move to Man City Chapters: 00:00 England, finances & transfer news 02:10 Henry Winter: Harry Kane Saves England 17:14 Ben Jacobs: Tonali, Anderson & Glasner Updates 22:30 Kieran Maguire: UEFA Fines Explained 42:42 Spurs After Tonali: More Signings Still To Come 48:37 Man Utd After Fernandes…
Transcript
[music] [music] >> Hello and welcome to Market Madness, the podcast from GiveMeSport where everyday is like deadline day. I'm Kate Mason and we are live. So, if you miss anything here, do catch up with us on Market Madness. Look for it on your favorite podcast app or on givemesport.com and you can find us all on X and on Instagram as well. Now, for this show, it's a bumper crop of talent that's going to be joining us in the Market Madness studio as well as the latest transfer news. We're going to be hearing from two of the biggest names in football media. Award-winning football writer and broadcaster Henry Winter is coming up in a short time and football finance expert and host of the Prices Football, Kieran Maguire, comes on after that. And with us throughout, of course, is GiveMeSport's senior football correspondent. It is Ben Jacobs, everybody. He's going to be bringing us the latest transfer news as always and all of the vibes. As ever, Ben, how have you been doing last night? How did you watch the England game last night first of >> Yeah, the England game, it was early in the morning here in San Jose because I was live at the US men's national team who got an excellent victory over Bosnia. It was nervy. When Wissa hit the post, I was like, we've survived. And I actually had hope at half time and I thought if we scored one, we would get two. Two brilliant finishes from Harry Kane, one with his head and the second one to the roof of the net. Just unbelievable, but woah, if Wissa had scored instead of hit the post, I think we'd be speaking about England already being out. >> Oh, I felt I felt ill all day, but we're going to come on and talk to someone else all about that as well. It's time to bring Henry Winter into the conversation in a moment. This is Market Madness from GiveMeSport. >> [music] >> Yes, everybody. Henry Winter is on the pod. Good to see you, Henry. Were you belting out Wonderwall with everybody [laughter] last night? >> Uh no, I was trying to rewrite my piece because at half time I had to Tuchel out, Boehly and out, everyone at the FA out, and uh out from behind the sofa. Completely echo Ben, you know, what what you were saying. I mean, it was it was nervy. The only thing is is that we knew that um DR Congo would fade in the in the second half. I didn't think that they would keep that up. And they didn't seem any panic, and that's one of the good things about Tuchel. And he he was saying it afterwards is that when they I mean, look, we don't like the hydration breaks. We know what they're all about, but he actually used them to good effect. And he said when they gathered the players for the second one, he said that they were very calm. There wasn't sort of agitated messages, do this, do that. We saw him having a go at the um Jed Spence, uh but to be honest, I think everyone has been having a go at Jed Spence. Probably Spurs fans were having a go at him. And I I'm going to training in an hour or so, and we're hoping to see some form of Reece James there actually outside because England desperately need him. So look, huge concerns, but as Ben was saying, once you've got a player like Harry Kane, 84 goals in 118 internationals. And there's something about Harry Kane, I wrote a column on this about how excited he is by playing at NFL venues because he's talked in the past of wanting to be a kicker. He's great friends with Tom Brady, the legendary quarterback. And you look, he's almost like picking off these great NFL grounds, but Ben, you obviously know very well, and you you've traveled around, and you can't really escape it. They're not simply, you know, multi-sports venues. You go in there, and there's Brady everywhere. There's Montana everywhere. There is you can't escape it. And maybe that's inspiring Harry as well as one of the great races for the the golden boot with Mbappé and Messi and Haaland. >> Harry Kane just a stunning performance from that man. And I will let we can wax lyrical about him for for several minutes I hope in a moment. But I have to come back in on you about Jed Spence. I don't know. I'm not having a go at him because to paraphrase Roy Keane, that is not his job. >> [laughter] >> The fact that he's having that playing right back he's you know, I know he has done but he's not he's not a natural or he's not playing a lot of right back. And when he was he was playing for a team that was flirting with relegation unlike a certain other right back. An actual right back we might be able to mention. And I think he's taking a lot of heat for some of the I was I was a bit more distressed by the center backs who do play them more often. >> Yeah, I mean it's a good it's a good point in terms of Guehi and particularly Konsa got dragged across. He went to across with them. But look, he is a full back. He can play there. He shouldn't be in this squad. I'm not being harsh on him. I'm just sort of saying that the moment you took Reece James and Tino Livramento, there it was always a gamble. And right back has been Tuchel's Achilles heel in this. I mean people know I'm a huge admirer of Trent Alexander-Arnold. I don't think he play for Real Madrid. I don't think you have an ability to play with dead balls to you know, when you're one nil down you can play a 70 yard switch to whoever Rashford or whoever's on the Gordon who's on the left as Trent could do and he can take a penalty. To leave someone like him at home was just sort of willful ignorance. And it doesn't really smack of footballing issues. So yeah, a bit of sympathy for Jed Spence because there was culpability elsewhere for the first goal. Pickford got caught out a little bit. But we're going to training and we are going to be praying to see Reece James. Of course he can move Konsa across, bring Stones back into you know, the center of defense. So he has got options, but yeah, it's not ideal. >> No, indeed. Come on then, let's let's talk about Harry Kane if if you don't mind. I mean, obviously, as you know, I've watched him play many, many times in the Spurs stadium, and I feel as though I can't believe that I'm still having the conversation with people about exactly how good Harry Kane is. And there's been so many moments when I thought this has put this whole conversation to bed. But, I think that second goal last night, and the performance [clears throat] generally, but specifically that second goal, might it, Henry, have put that conversation to bed. This guy is a world-beater. >> It's not even a conversation. I mean, it should have been put to bed so long ago. It probably should have been as light as a sedan chair or something in the Victorian era. It's so long ago. Look, good things happen to good people, and you know Harry Kane. You know the work that he does behind the scenes, what a good guy he is. I'm sure you've interviewed him, and he's just incredibly polite, wholesome, like kids would call him. You know, I know he's I've met his parents. I've met his parents-in-law. I've met Kate, and you know, and they are really just There's a great support structure around it, and we should celebrate him. Absolutely. Harry Houdini, the rescue act last night, the footballing ability he's he's got, the leader of young men in the dressing room. But, also, what a great role model he is for people in this country, whether we're searching out for leaders or whatever. That's way over my head. But, Harry is just He's just a great role model. He's an ambassador for the country, for the sport, for his club Bayern Munich, Spurs in the past, as well. But, also for England. And when you go into I'm sure Ben finds this, and Kate, you'll find this, as well. When you go to press rooms, people want to talk about Harry Kane and how well he represents the country. He can take penalties. He's got what, 84 games in 118? He's obviously driven by getting that 100, the stealing the centurion. Um So, yeah, for for for many reasons. But, Kate, if you're having conversations with people who are still doubting Harry Kane, seriously, just >> Cut them out of my life, yeah. >> [laughter] >> Honestly, Kate, life's too short to be having these kind of different debates like that. >> [gasps] >> Henry, great to see you and I think on Kane, he's past Pelé for World Cup goals, he's past Gary Lineker for World Cup goals for England, he's approaching the century. There's no real debate. But the conversation is more around how actually, in my opinion anyway, we can alleviate the burden on Kane. Because if England are going to win the World Cup, it might be the Kane show, but more likely it'll be because we're keeping clean sheets, we're starting games stronger, and in wide areas, Saka's maybe fit and contributing, or Noni Madueke can start and do the same. Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford obviously came off the bench in the opening game against Croatia and got an excellent goal, and Jude Bellingham has chipped in, too. So, how much of England's World Cup chances are contingent on Kane just being a one-man show? And more likely, do you think that others are going to have to keep chipping in? >> Ben, you're such a pragmatist. Why bring logical thinking and reasoning into what is an emotional debate? Maybe I've spent too long doing England. I've done almost a third of the games in in their history. And I'm just tied up in the emotion of it. And the the sort of the the the poetry and just what Harry Kane brings. I can't look at it as a as a coach cuz I haven't got that expertise. I wouldn't have that mindset anyway. For me, it's about individuals, about the emotions, about the heart as well as the head. It's about Harry Kane deciding, "Not on my watch. 70 minutes, this is not going to happen. I'm going to drag this team back into this World Cup. I'm going to save Thomas Tuchel's job. I'm going to save the the FA from having a clear-out in the boardroom because of some of the decisions they've made." Harry Kane is just I take your point, and there's sort of tactical elements, and other people have got to contribute. But I just think when you've got a force of nature as Argentina have had in the past with well, with Messi currently you could argue but particularly with with Maradona. I mean you mentioned Lineker, you know, obviously there's a platform around him but you know what? There were some games where Lineker just took control and he went through and you know, whether it was Cameroon or whoever, you know, he just got those goals. So, yes, let's celebrate the individual but look, you're right. I will put my uh Harry Kane sort of um mask off and just say that you're right. But I mean but Bellingham does contribute and this is the argument we've had some of us individually and collectively have had with Tuchel. You've seen a lot of Bellingham. He is a team player. You know, he broke through at 16 at Birmingham City and was delivering for them as a team. Borussia Dortmund delivered that you know, the first thing he did was a was a back heel to set up Erling Haaland on his debut for for a goal. He is a team player. I've hated all this analysis that he's not a team player and Tuchel has added to that with some of his comments. So look, coming back to your point, yes, absolutely the structure needs to be right. Others need to contribute but look, you've watched a lot of Bukayo Saka. Kate, you have as well. He's he's at 80%, you know, he is nursing this Achilles tendinitis. Marcus Rashford who I'm a huge admirer of, he didn't deliver the other night so I assume um uh Anthony Gordon but um and others need to deliver as as well. But you know what? Whether it's the romanticist in me or actually a bit of pragmatism, England are the Harry Kane team. >> Yeah, and as I say, if we win it, who really cares and ultimately it'll be defined now by an incredible trip to the Azteca. The kind of thing where the win or lose, if you're part of that game, you're going to be speaking about the atmosphere, the stadium, the history for the ages. And I wonder whether this World Cup, Henry, has become less about England's stop-start, labored approach to getting where they're at, and more now about just this one game. Because they're either going to go out, and people are going to go, "Of course that was a banana skin. It's been an underwhelming World Cup." Or they're going to win that game. And for me, anyway, the platform of winning at the Azteca, especially if they can do it in style, it means you forget about everything before that, and suddenly momentum is on England's side. So, is this game at the Azteca almost like a mini World Cup final as a consequence? >> Well, I think Tuchel needs to give you a call and you come into the the training ground and actually give the boys a a gee-up. And then if you can have a couple of minutes with me on the side as well and and give me the full Henry, "Come on, calm down, football's coming home." [laughter] You know, the fact is that England, in all the matches so far, there've been about 10,000 England fans who've traveled out here, and probably another 40,000 who've got England shirts on. And you you hear the sort of different voices from all over the states, whether it's ancestry, whether they love of the Premier League, or whether they just really like England, Harry Kane. As you say, a lot of Harry Kane fans out here, local fans. So, there is that huge passion, that huge support, that that belief that football is coming home. But they are going into the Azteca, Mexico City, 7,000 ft and one hand of God, let's not forget that, and the goal of the century, all the history that's tied up in that in that place. You know, you think of Pelé lifting the World Cup there. You think of Maradona lifting the the the World Cup there. It's huge. I mean, we should be breathless, not simply because of the lack of oxygen, but because of excitement. And I hope the players have got that, and I hope they they do appreciate the history of the place. Not for revenge, cuz of the hand of God, because I don't think that those players, unless they've had that themselves, um, being cheated on, that whether they're doing it vicariously for the sort of the Steve Hodge, Terry Butcher generation. I think they should be inspired. And Tuchel's really good. We spoke to him last night and he was saying, "Look, it's the Azteca." Absolutely take on board, you know, the sort of the the the issue with the, uh, the the oxygen levels there and acclimatizing. And it should be remembered, you know, when Alf Ramsey went with England and the touring side and played in the Azteca, 105,000 people, nil-nil, not a great game. But even that the in this was in '69, even Bobby Charlton, fit players like him, they were absolutely exhausted and gasping for breath at the end. And it was one of the reasons why Ramsey said to the FA, "We have to leave a month, uh, earlier to be prepared for altitude in the Mexican World Cup." So, look, it's going to be an issue for England. The other issue is is it's not going to be an England home game, like all the other games out here have been, because the Mexican fans, they are absolutely magnificent. And that is going to be a pumping home atmosphere and a real home atmosphere. >> Yeah, I've done a fair bit of work at sort of cycling-based work where I've been based in mountains. And you really, just anecdotally, it's make it becomes difficult to walk upstairs. So, it's it's fascinating to me how they're going to manage it, because Henry, from what you're saying about the Alf Ramsey quote and from what I'm reading, it almost seems as though there's almost nothing they can do to combat it. Can that be true? >> Well, but I mean, Ben will probably know the FIFA rules better than me. But from what I understand is that, uh, from a from a sort of aerobic nature, the best thing to do is either go two, three weeks in advance and acclimatize or go in like six hours before. >> Yeah. >> But under FIFA rules and regulations, and Ben, please point out if I'm wrong, they have to be there two days before. So, England will be going out with what, Thursday? England will be going out Friday evening after training here at KC. And then they'll have a training base what base that they'll play out there. But also there it's it's not simply the aerobic element. The ball moves differently in the air. It's not like the Jabulani of 2010 where it's going all over the place like a beach ball. But it does move differently in thinner air. So, the keepers, particularly Jordan Pickford, have got to work on that. So, yeah, look, it's an advantage for for Mexico. But this is not the greatest Mexican team. And you would want the players to be inspired by playing at, you know, what I would consider one of the five Grand Slam stadia along with Wembley, the Bombonera, Bernabeu, Camp Nou. I messed that up terribly. If that's five, that will do. >> [laughter] >> That's the thing about those great stadiums, isn't it? That they just house You can feel it gets under your skin, the quality of the ghosts in the in the ether and all of the things you've seen there. So, I cannot wait to witness that. And I can't wait to hopefully talk to you about it as well in the near future, Henry. Um thank you so much for joining us. Brilliant as ever. And enjoy it. >> My pleasure. Let's hope I'm not breathless because of the altitude >> [laughter] >> when I talk to you next. And breathless with excitement looking forward to England in Miami, probably against Brazil. >> Take care of yourself, Henry. >> You too, Henry. >> This is Market Madness from GiveMeSport. >> [music] >> Ah, loved reliving all of that, Ben, just now that we're on the right side of things. Let's talk transfers, shall we? Breaking news from Ben Jacobs. >> [music] >> Couple of bits of breaking news. Let's just start with the confirmed deals that have happened in the last few hours. Everton and Hayden Hackney, it's a 25 million package, 16.5 million and 8 million in add-ons. Elliot Anderson, the big one, he will be leaving Nottingham Forest for Manchester City. That's 116 million fixed fee. Some Forest sources insist the deal could be worth up to 130 million pounds, but City sources insist it's 116 million fixed fee and there are no add-ons and that is my understanding. Tottenham have confirmed Mateus Fernandes, 85 million pounds and that is a fixed fee. And Sandro Tonali currently completing his move also to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee including bonuses of 100 million pounds. 92.5 million is the guaranteed part of that particular fee. Then two bits of other news to bring you. Bournemouth have agreed a deal with Elche for Alvaro Rodriguez. It's worth 22 million pounds. The Uruguayan international will fly in this week to complete formalities. My understanding there is that there was interest from both France and Germany, but Bournemouth were able to move relatively quickly to avoid any potential hijack. And Rodriguez got seven La Liga goals last season, so a very interesting signing as far as Bournemouth are concerned. And then I just want to revisit a GMS exclusive from yesterday because Oliver Glasner is going to come in at Nottingham Forest. There's an agreement in principle for a three-year contract and this was a big surprise because Victor Pereira had kept Nottingham Forest up and done so in my opinion in quite some style. And he'd worked under Evangelos Marinakis in the past as well. And Forest have had so much flux of managers in recent seasons that it felt like Pereira was going to go into the new season. And in May and even early June, the parties were speaking about a a extension. Yeah, as I revealed yesterday, there was a special clause in Pereira's contract which expired in 2027 in the summer. But, midway through that 2-year deal, by the 30th of June, Nottingham Forest had the ability to just terminate Victor Pereira as long as they informed him in writing by 11:59 on the 30th of June. If it got to midnight on the following day, clause expired. Nothin