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Arsenal are the latest club to be linked with a move for Tammy Abraham this summer…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the Gunners are interested in the 23-year-old striker, who Chelsea have already offered out to a number of clubs in recent weeks.

Abraham has been made available to Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, along with Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund, whilst other reports suggest that he’s the primary target for West Ham manager David Moyes in this transfer window.

Several Blues players have swapped Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium in recent years, including David Luiz and Willian, so the England international could be the next man to do so.

With Alexandre Lacazette’s contract expiring in a year, he could well be sold to fund a potential £40m move for Abraham, who is widely expected to be departing Chelsea this summer.

Shades of Henry

Interestingly, Abraham was a boyhood Arsenal fan who idolised the legendary Thierry Henry. Speaking during a loan spell at Bristol City in 2016/17, he claimed: “To be honest I was an Arsenal fan. It didn’t make any difference at Chelsea.

“When you’re young and you choose who to support, if it’s a family thing, it’s a family thing. Luckily for me, it was a family thing, so it wasn’t really a problem at Chelsea.

“Someone I looked up to was Thierry Henry. His variations of finishing, his movement, the way he dribbles… someone like that has a key impact on me. I would love to be as big as him and maybe even better.”

Could Mikel Arteta be about to find the Gunners’ next Henry?

Abraham has fallen heavily out of favour since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, although the England international still finished the season just one goal behind Jorginho, the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League with seven.

His overall record for Chelsea is 30 goals in 82 appearances, which is a pretty respectable return at this level.

The 23-year-old is certainly a different presence to what Arteta currently has at his disposal in Arsenal’s attack. At 6 foot 3, he offers the same sort of rangy presence as Henry during his heyday, and the fact that he has effectively modelled his game on the Frenchman only bodes well.

Furthermore, former academy teammate Kasey Palmer once dubbed him a “goal machine.”

Lacazette is more stocky, whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has seemingly cemented his place down on the left flank, thus opening up a spot in the current squad.

A move to the Emirates should appeal greatly too, with Abraham targeting a return to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in time for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Also described as a “phenomenal player” by former Premier League manager Alex McLeish, the £36m-rated forward would surely be an interesting acquisition for Arsenal this summer.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Arsenal transfer update…

Emma Hayes had to make Mauricio Pochettino wait after she received a call from Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson.

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• Hayes reveals she made Pochettino wait to attend Ferguson's call
• Will join USWNT as their new manager
• Will leave Chelsea at the end of the 2023/24 season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Chelsea women's manager revealed that she was forced to tell the men's manager Pochettino to wait after she received a call from legendary former Manchester United manager Ferguson.

  The Blues confirmed last month that Hayes would leave the club after 11 years at the end of the ongoing season. The 47-year-old will next take up the role of the US women's national team's manager.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The English manager has been with the London-based club for a decade now and has won every single trophy on offer at domestic level and converted them into a dominant force in English women's football.

  The USWNT, who had a disastrous outing at the 2023 Women's World Cup, are on a mission to overhaul their squad and have thus picked Hayes as the suitable candidate to oversee the changes.

• WHAT EMMA HAYES SAID

  Speaking to , the Blues boss said, "We had a chat last week, he rang me, but I was in the middle of talking to Poch so I was torn. There's not many people you tell Poch to wait for but I did say to him it was Sir Alex. He calls me from time to time so I wasn't surprised.

  "Anything he says to me I always take with such pride. He is a legend of the game and someone whose opinion I value and he has a love of America. We talked a little bit about that, a little bit about legacy, a little bit about leaving at the top. So there were wise words from him. I'm sure it won't be the last phone call I get from him this season."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Hayes' Chelsea, who are unbeaten this season so far and are at the top of the Women's Super League, will next take on Liverpool on Saturday.

England's No.1 was at fault as the French club took the lead in their UWCL tie but the Red Devils fought back valiantly and will take a draw to Paris

Manchester United will have to beat Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes next week to secure their place in this season's Women's Champions League group stages after fighting back to secure a 1-1 draw in their home leg on Tuesday night. Tabitha Chawinga opened the scoring for the French club, who peppered the home goal for large spells in the first half, but United grew into the game and Melvine Malard got them a deserved equaliser.

PSG will have wondered how on earth they weren't ahead at the break. Chawinga had a shot cleared off the line, Sandy Baltimore had an effort well saved by Mary Earps and Lieke Martens prodded a cross just wide at the near post – and that was all in the opening five minutes. The Parisians kept that pressure on their hosts for most of the first 45 minutes before breaking the deadlock early in the second period, Chawinga latching onto Baltimore's ball over the top and punishing Earps' hesitancy with a cool finish.

But Man Utd were much better from that point on. Geyse, who came on at half time, was outstanding and it was Malard, another sub, that levelled the scores with a close-range finish. The hosts had the momentum from there but couldn't make it count. They still need to win in Paris next week but go there with a real chance of progressing.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from Leigh Sports Village…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Mary Earps (6/10):

  Made some big saves to keep things goalless for as long as possible but her hesitation cost Man Utd for PSG's goal.

  Hannah Blundell (5/10):

  Had no answer for the pace and quality of Chawinga.

  Maya Le Tissier (7/10):

  Stood up well in a tackle when called upon. Solid as rock all night.

  Millie Turner (6/10):

  Made a huge goal-line clearance with less than a minute on the clock and did brilliantly to head the ball back across goal for the equaliser.

  Gabby George (6/10):

  Struggled to contain the threat of Baltimore early on but grew into the game. Made a fantastic goal-saving tackle on Martens late in the first half.

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  Midfield

  Katie Zelem (5/10):

  Couldn't dictate play for her team in the deeper midfield role.

  Lisa Naalsund (5/10):

  Struggled to get involved given United's lack of possession.

  Ella Toone (5/10):

  Was evidently frustrated as the game passed her by.

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  Attack

  Jayde Riviere (4/10):

  Was often caught in two minds in a position not entirely natural to her. Taken off at half time.

  Lucia Garcia (5/10):

  Couldn't hold the ball up when United needed her to but she won fouls well and pressed tirelessly to try and make things happen.

  Leah Galton (5/10):

  Effort up and down the wing was brilliant but she was unable to have a huge impact in an attacking sense.

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  Subs & Manager

  Geyse (8/10):

  Replaced Riviere at the break and made an immediate impact, injecting pace and intent into the United attack. She completely changed the game.

  Melvine Malard (7/10):

  Was in the right place at the right time to level the scores and offered some real bright moments on top of that, too.

  Hinata Miyazawa (6/10):

  Played some nice passes and got into good areas, with the corner from her blocked shot leading to the goal. Also did her defensive work well.

  Marc Skinner (6/10):

  Decision to start Riviere on the right wing didn't pay off, with United lacking any threat on that flank during the first half. Second-half substitutions did make a decisive impact though, with Geyse completely changing the game and Malard scoring the equaliser.

The audio of the controversial VAR call that denied Luis Diaz a perfectly good goal for Liverpool against Tottenham will be released to the public.

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• Reds winger saw effort ruled out
• Offside decision was not overturned
• PGMOL forced to apologise for error

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Liverpool have made a formal request to refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) to release the audio of the discussion that took place between VAR and the referee surrounding the decision.

  Supporters – particularly those that follow events at Anfield closely – will be desperate to hear how the match officials got such a big call so wrong. Diaz was clearly onside despite being flagged on the field, with Darren England and Dan Cook in the VAR booth delivering a quick “check complete” message as they believed the effort had been awarded as a goal.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  That was not the case and PGMOL have been forced to apologise for a “significant human error”. That has done little to ease anger and concern on Merseyside, with investigations and sweeping change being called for. are, however, reporting that the discussion which went on at Stockley Park after seeing Diaz hit the net in north London will be released to the public.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It has been revealed that the Premier League game in question could have been stopped once it was determined that a serious mistake had been made. Despite the fact that the game had continued with a Spurs free-kick – which creates a cut-off point – it is claimed that the VAR management team could have stepped in and brought proceedings to a halt, allowing a goal to be awarded.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Greater insight into precisely what happened and who botched the big calls will arrive alongside the release of audio from the VAR team, but even that will be of no consolation to Liverpool – who also had two players sent off in the game – as they pick the bones out of a dramatic 2-1 defeat courtesy of a late Joel Matip own goal.

The Australian coach has given Spurs supporters a reason to feel proud of their team once again – and this is only the beginning

Tottenham have come a long way since May. Despite a 4-1 win over Leeds United on the final day of the 2022-23 season, Spurs finished eighth in the Premier League and missed out on a place in Europe for the first time since 2009-10.

They were also still on the lookout for a new permanent manager, having sacked Antonio Conte on the back of the Italian's explosive rant against the players and chairman Daniel Levy in March. The likes of Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann were reportedly among Spurs' top candidates for the role, but their options quickly dwindled.

In the end, Tottenham turned to Ange Postecoglou, who left Celtic after delivering back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles. It wasn't the big name Spurs supporters have been accustomed to in recent years, but Levy gave the Australian a glowing endorsement.

"Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," said the Tottenhamp chief. "He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

Expectations were already low, but they plummeted even further when Harry Kane completed a long-awaited transfer to Bayern Munich two months after Postecoglou's arrival in north London. A huge job suddenly looked like an impossible one.

But Postecoglou has defied the odds in spectacular fashion. Spurs have picked up 13 points from a possible 15 at the start of the new season, and sit second in the table behind champions Manchester City.

The whole squad has got right behind the new manager, whose attacking style of play has been a breath of fresh air for a fanbase that was starved of entertainment under Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho.

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  Spurs finally have some bottle

  The fresh mood of optimism around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was minutes away from evaporating on Saturday, as Postecoglou's side found themselves 1-0 down at home to Sheffield United heading into stoppage-time.

  Last season, Spurs would have lost the match. But there has been a major mentality shift in the squad, and they simply refused to give in. Richarlison eventually broke through Sheffield United's stubborn rear-guard after stepping off the bench, heading home an Ivan Perisic corner for his first Premier League goal of the season.

  The Brazilian turned provider for Dejan Kulusevski less than two minutes later, with the Swede producing an emphatic finish to send the home crowd into raptures. Spurs have been accused of lacking 'bottle' for so long, but they showed it in spades last weekend.

  And no one was more pleased than Postecoglou. Pressed on whether it's his job to temper expectations amid dreams of a potential trophy pursuit after the game, the 58-year-old told : "Let them enjoy it. I've said this before, my role is not to burst peoples' bubbles. Let them get excited and ahead of themselves, that's the beauty of being a supporter.

  "They go through enough pain, let them enjoy and if they think we're going to be world-beaters great, it's then up to us to match those expectations. Our supporters deserve to have some happiness and they can enjoy it anyway they want to."

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  Smashing through the ceiling

  Tottenham's last few managers were unable to build a strong relationship with the fans – not least because they were too busy publicly digging out their own players or lamenting a lack of transfer activity. But Postecoglou is well aware of how important it is to have supporters on side, and that they can push the team that extra yard when the stakes are high – as they were against Sheffield United. He won't blame anyone else when Spurs inevitably fall short at times either.

  A disappointing penalty shootout loss to Fulham in the second round of the Carabao Cup saw one trophy route close early for Spurs, and Postecoglou took full responsibility. “When Daniel [Levy] and Spurs decided to go with me then I knew that they were open to going in my direction," he said in a recent interview with . "Then it’s down to me. After that I’m going to take responsibility for what happens here, good, bad or otherwise. If I don’t succeed it’s not going to be because of external factors, because I’ve accepted taking them on. It’s all up to me from now on."

  The Spurs boss added on his long-term vision: "I’m not going to tell [the fans] to not be disappointed. But I’m here because I want to create a club that has the opportunity to win things on a yearly basis. And there’s a difference, because us winning a Carabao Cup and finishing 10th is not what I think this club is about.

  “That’s not dismissing the Carabao Cup. I want to win every game; trust me, I was disappointed on that night as well. But that’s not the endgame for me. It’s not about just winning something for the sake of winning something. It’s about building something. When we get to where we want to and play the football we want to, the winning should take care of itself. Whatever the ceiling that may exist is, let’s see if we can smash through it."

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  Smart signings

  Spurs had a healthy transfer pot in the summer window, which was boosted significantly after Kane's £100 million ($124m) move to Bayern Munich. But instead of chasing big names, Postecoglou identified targets that fit his philosophy.

  Four major signings were acquired in the form of James Maddison, Micky van der Ven, Brennan Johnson and Guglielmo Vicario, while Manor Solomon joined the club on a free transfer. Tottenham also snapped up Argentine teenager Alejo Veliz, who has been tipped for stardom after a bright start to his career at Rosario. Postecoglou brought in six new players for a combined total of £150m ($186m), and all of them could have key roles to play as the season progresses.

  Maddison looks the best value of the lot so far, having made the switch to north London from Leicester City following their relegation in 2022-23. The 26-year-old has managed four goal contributions in his first five Premier League outings for Spurs, adding new dimension to their attack with his creativity and technical wizardry. Johnson, meanwhile, will no doubt be one of the beneficiaries of Maddison's service, though the 22-year-old is still getting up to speed after his deadline-day move from Nottingham Forest.

  Van de Ven, meanwhile, has injected much-needed pace into Spurs' backline while forming a strong partnership with Cristian Romero. The Dutchman is also brilliant at carrying the ball out of defence and will have a key role to play in kick-starting attacks.

  Signing a new goalkeeper was also a necessity for Spurs, with former captain Hugo Lloris now an outcast after pushing for a move away from the club. Vicario has already proven himself to be a big upgrade on the Frenchman with his distribution and shot-stopping skills, and will only keep improving at 26.

  Solomon is the only new arrival who looks set to serve as more of a squad player, but the Israel international has also shown his value with two assists in the 5-2 thrashing of Burnley on September 2.

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  'Everyone wants to play this way'

  Quizzed on his utilisation of inverted full-backs after Spurs' 2-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, Postecoglou quipped: “There’s no secret, I’m just copying Pep [Guardiola], mate.”

  There are some similarities to be drawn between the Spurs tactician and his Manchester City counterpart, but Postecoglou's system is not as strict as Guardiola's. He encourages his full-backs to exploit any space in the final third without hesitation.

  Postecoglou also aims to build from the back and play through a high press with the least possible amount of players involved. Spurs' main focus is not to dominate possession, but rather to explode into life at the opportune moment.

  It certainly makes for an exciting spectacle, and the players are all enjoying the ride. After Tottenham's impressive 2-0 home win against Manchester United last month, Son Heung-min told : "It's very early, but we want to have the ball, create chances, play attacking football, if we lose the ball we're going to be counter-pressing, it's really, really fun even to play in, but I think watching this game is more enjoyable for the Spurs fans.

  "One hundred percent it's enjoyable for the players, for the attacking players, I don't know about the defenders, but for me, it's playing high, pressing high, it's an easier job than running 70 metres behind!"

  Kulusevski went a step further while away on international duty with Sweden, taking a subtle swipe at Conte when explaining the impact Postecoglou has had on the Spurs squad. “We had a tough time at the end of last season,” he told reporters. "[Postecoglou] has come in with really positive energy and it has gone very quickly. Of course, we are all a little surprised. But he’s really good. We are a young team and everyone wants to play this way. I’m not saying that what we did before was completely wrong, but it was something completely different.

  “I think it’s easier to come to training every day and know that you should play with the ball, that you should attack and run forward and not backwards. So, it is clear that all of us players have done everything possible to listen as much as possible.”

Former Leeds midfielder David Norris believes that Frenchman IlIan Meslier could be Hugo Lloris’ replacement at Tottenham, but he wouldn’t necessarily expect him to want the move.

Lloris has 12 months remaining on his contract but is expected to see out that deal despite strong reports linking him with a return to France and reunion with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The 34-year-old, who’ll be hoping to add a European Championships medal to his World Cup this summer, was ever-present last term for the first time in his nine seasons in north London and was one of Tottenham’s few consistent performers.

However, should Lloris not extend his contract, the north London outfit are going to need to replace him for the first time since he joined from Lyon nine years ago.

English goalkeepers Sam Johnstone and Aaron Ramsdale have previously been mentioned, but Norris reckons that his international colleague Meslier could be the man, with Alex McLeish tipping him as a potential replacement last month.

Meslier only turned 21 in March but performed above his years during his debut Premier League season, keeping an impressive 11 clean sheets in 35 appearances.

“Is he better than Lloris at the minute? Probably not yet, but that’s down to experience,” Norris exclusively told The Transfer Tavern.

“What you want as a goalkeeper is to go under the radar and be a steady Eddie, and that’s what Meslier has done. He would be a good signing, but he could be looking at Kane going, Bale going, so would he want that move? So as a replacement long-term? Definitely. Would it happen? I’m not sure.”

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is eyeing a swoop for Rangers and Croatia star Borna Barisic in the transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Premier League side are one of a number of teams who are set to watch Barisic in action during the EUROs, after the left-back initially missed the game against England.

Football Insider claim that Villa, along with the likes of Arsenal and Wolves, are all in the market for a new senior left-back this summer, and that Barisic is someone who they will be keeping tabs on.

Superb signing for Dean Smith

With 56-assists to his name over his career, Barisic has been a chief creator for a number of years now, and has only added to that part of his game since moving to Scotland to join Rangers.

The Croatian was superb in the campaign just gone by, scoring five goals and providing 14 assists across all competitions, helping the Gers to the league title and stopping arch-rivals Celtic’s chances of lifting their tenth consecutive trophy in a row.

Former Rangers midfielder Alex Rae was full of praise for Barisic, saying: “He performs at good level week-in, week-out and has terrific quality in the final third of the park.”

Meanwhile, the sporting director at his former club, Osijek, Alen Petrovic said: “Borno isn’t just the best left-back in Croatia but the whole region. I’ve watched him all my life and he is the best crosser of the ball in the country.”

While Matt Targett was a permanent fixture in Smith’s starting line-up last season, the lack of real cover for him was particularly worrying, with Neil Taylor the only other recognised, senior left-back.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

Bringing in Barisic would give the Villa boss some much-needed depth on that flank, and the club’s fans should be buzzing at the prospect of seeing him deliver some superb deliveries into the box for the likes of Ollie Watkins to feed off next season.

Not only could he raise Targett’s game to another level through sheer competition, but if given the chance to start, Barisic would offer a real exciting attacking dimension that could leave fans purring.

Meanwhile, Villa should gazump their Premier League rivals for this star…

Weston McKennie showed Juventus were right to keep him around this summer with a fine display against Lazio on his 100th appearance for the club.

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• McKennie involved in all three Juve goals
• Vlahovic and Chiesa on the scoresheet
• Weah plays final 20 minutes as sub

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United States men's national team star McKennie continues to play as a wing-back for the Bianconeri, and the midfielder certainly seems to be taking to the role if his performance on Saturday is anything to go by.

  He played a part in all three of Juve's goals, kicking things off by (just) keeping the ball in play on the right flank before driving forward with the ball, which was eventually worked into Dusan Vlahovic to score.

  McKennie again provided the forward thrust for Juve to double their lead, as he cut inside two defenders before Adrien Rabiot poked the ball into Federico Chiesa's path to fire in a left-footed shot.

  Lazio pulled one back shortly after the hour-mark through Luis Alberto, but McKennie saved his best for last as his 50-yard diagonal ball picked out Vlahovic to net his fourth goal of the season and secure the points. That proved to be McKennie's final act, as he was replaced by USMNT team-mate Timothy Weah for the final 20 minutes, who in turn fired over from close-range when presented with a great chance in the last minutes of normal time.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Juve remain unbeaten through four Serie A matches, winning three of them, and victory at the Allianz Stadium moved them to the top of the table, at least for a few hours until the Milan Derby later on Saturday.

  Questions were asked of the decision to keep Allegri on as manager after two disappointing seasons in charge, but his tactical flexibility – as shown by using McKennie as a wing-back – is working superbly.

• USMNT IMPACT

  McKennie rounding into form after a forgettable season in 2022-23 is big news for the USMNT as it edges towards this summer's Copa America. The midfielder was surplus to requirements at the start of 2023 and struggled on loan at Leeds, but his resurgence is good news for Gregg Berhalter.

  That it is coming in a new position for McKennie shouldn't matter too much to the returning USMNT coach. As long as one of his main men is back playing and playing well, he will be pleased.

  He would surely love to see both McKennie and Weah on the pitch at the same time, rather than it being either or, but that time could come before the end of the season.

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  GOAL'S RATINGS

  Weston McKennie (8/10): His best game in a Juve shirt for a long time, and a great way to mark his 100th appearance for the club. Ensured the home side had overloads in attacking situations, used the ball intelligently and did some solid defensive work.

  Tim Weah (6/10): Did OK going both directions in his 20 minutes on the pitch as McKennie's replacement, but should really have scored from close-range in the closing stages.

After Luciano Spalletti's shock departure, Aureli De Laurentiis has stunned the world of Italian football by hiring the Frenchman as his successor

Daniel De Rossi was on international duty with Italy in the summer of 2013 when Roma announced Rudi Garcia as their new coach. The midfielder wasn't just surprised; he was mystified. He'd never heard of Garcia.

So, he performed a cursory Google search and promptly discovered a video of his new boss playing guitar and singing 'Porompompero'.

He turned to Italy team-mate Andrea Pirlo and said, "Sh*t, look who they've got…"

"At the time, they were talking about (Massimo) Allegri," De Rossi recalled in an interview with So Foot, "and, honestly, I had some doubts."

It's fair to say that Napoli fans are experiencing similar sensations this morning, after the club confirmed on Thursday evening that Garcia has been appointed as Luciano Spalletti's successor at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The situation is slightly different, of course. Unlike De Rossi, the supporters are familiar with Garcia – but that's actually the primary reason for their current state of shock.

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  De Zerbi was the dream

  Make no mistake about it: this is a decision nobody saw coming. On Thursday afternoon, some respected Italian journalists were still claiming that Napoli were going all out to try to convince Luis Enrique to take over. 

  The Spaniard's potential arrival had been greeted with enthusiasm by many fans. Spain may have been upset by Morocco at the World Cup but they weren't alone in that regard and besides, he remains a treble winner from his time at Barcelona.

  He wasn't the only high-profile coach linked with the vacancy either. Julian Nagelsmann's name was bandied about for a while, even if he never appeared a serious contender, but Antonio Conte was considered, just as he had been a few years ago. 

  Then, there was the group of up-and-coming managers, which included Thiago Motta, Vincenzo Italiano and, most thrillingly of all from the fans' perspective, Roberto De Zerbi. 

  The Brighton boss was deemed the dream appointment, with the former Napoli attacking midfielder having arguably proven himself the most intriguing tactician in world football with a sixth-placed finish in last season's Premier League. However, it quickly became clear that De Zerbi wanted to remain at the Amex; that he didn't feel his work there was done. 

  Consequently, in recent days, Paulo Sousa and Christophe Galtier emerged as the frontrunners in the Italian press.

  Sousa had done an excellent job after taking over Salernitana in February, avoiding relegation quite comfortably in the end mainly thanks to a ten-game unbeaten run that included a 1-1 draw at the Maradona that delayed Napoli's Scudetto celebrations.

  Galtier, meanwhile, is set to become the latest victim of the poisoned chalice that is Paris Saint-Germain, but he is still considered one of the best coaches in France, primarily because of the fact that he managed to win a Ligue 1 title with Lille.

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  Fired by Ronaldo

  However, Napoli instead turned to one of Galtier's compatriots, the one who had been last seen effectively getting sacked by Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.

  Perhaps the pair's relationship had been doomed from the start. In Ronaldo's introductory press conference in January, Garcia had joked that he had actually tried to sign Lionel Messi first. Cue uncomfortable laughter all round.

  In truth, though, it would be a couple more weeks before things really took a turn for the worse. 

  After a 3-1 loss to title rivals Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup on January 26, Garcia argued that a Ronaldo miss had played a pivotal role in his side's defeat, claiming it "changed the course of the match". 

  Their rapport was never quite the same from that moment on and, after months of simmering tension, things came to a head after a 0-0 draw with Al-Feiha on April 9.

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  Garcia after Spalletti feels like a bad joke

  After Ronaldo had stormed down the tunnel at the end of a frustrating affair, Garcia publicly criticised his team. "I don't feel satisfied with the players' performance," he told reporters. "I asked them to play at the same level as the last game [a 5-0 win over Al-Adalah], but this didn’t happen."

  Garcia was sacked just four days later.

  Ronaldo paid tribute to the sacked manager with a social media post, saying that it had been "a pleasure" working with the 59-year-old, but it was widely reported that the forward had played an integral role in his exit, having been left distinctly unimpressed with Garcia's tactics, which he allegedly felt were holding the team back.

  Ronaldo is obviously not the easiest guy to manage – and it's worth pointing out that Garcia had Al-Nassr on top of the table before the mid-season arrival of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

  However, in the eyes of Napoli fans, failing to win the Pro League with Ronaldo up front is not a good look. Losing Spalletti was bad enough, but getting Garcia to replace him feels like a joke – and one that only their rivals are laughing at. 

  Indeed, there is an obvious concern that he will struggle to come close to matching the extraordinary work done by his predecessor, who managed to take a team that many feared would fail to finish in the top four and transform them into champions.

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  Fondly remembered at Roma

  After all, Garcia hasn't won a trophy since making a name for himself by leading Lille to a shock double 12 years ago. However, the importance of his impressive results at Roma should not be overlooked. 

  After rapidly implementing an attractive brand of football which saw the Giallorossi open with ten consecutive Serie A wins, Garcia ended his debut season with 85 points. He was just desperately unfortunate to run into Conte's centurions.

  Roma finished second to Juve again the following year before things began to unravel, with Garcia sacked in January 2016 and, coincidentally, succeeded by Spalletti – the man he is now replacing at Napoli. 

  He remains fondly remembered by Roma fans, though, and not just for his style of play, but also his passionate personality. 

  After a 2-0 victory over Lazio in September 2013 – just four months after a devastating derby defeat in the Coppa Italia final – Garcia proudly declared: "We have put the church back in the centre of the village."

  And when Roma were beaten 3-2 by Juventus in Turin the following year, Garcia made his infamous 'violin' gesture towards referee Gianluca Rocchi, effectively suggesting that when it comes to the Bianconeri, officials are often singing from the same hymn sheet.

  "We were ahead, then Juve scored an equaliser but there was a foul on Medhi Benatia," he told the Corriere dello Sport. "It was an instinctive gesture. I have always defended the clubs that I have trained. 

  "In that case, I couldn't support a great injustice." 

Former Leeds United midfielder David Prutton believes that Patrick Bamford’s England omission will have him fired up for the start of next season.

The Lowdown: Bamford left out for England

The 27-year-old was unquestionably one of the Whites’ star players in 2020/21 as Marcelo Bielsa’s side shone on their return to the Premier League. Bamford scored 17 goals and registered seven assists in the league and was hailed by Fulham manager Scott Parker for his ‘incredible’ work rate.

Despite this praise, the striker was unable to force his way into England’s squad for Euro 2020, with manager Gareth Southgate opting not to include him.

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The Latest: Striker tipped to respond

Writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post on Monday, Prutton believes that Bamford could be spurred on even more by his England omission, making a flying start to the 2021/22 campaign for Leeds. The 39-year-old said:

“Not being included in the squad was a ‘sliding doors moment’ for him but, having heard Patrick talk about it, he is very magnanimous.

“You can tell that he is the type of kid that is very level headed and puts everything into perspective, knows how wonderful it would have been but possibly gets his head around the reasons why he didn’t go.

“That’s not to say that you have got to wholeheartedly agree but you have to accept it and he has shown a graciousness to understand that big squads have to be whittled down to slightly smaller squads.

“Hopefully, given the age that he is, there are no doors shut and, if you are a Leeds fan, then you hope that he benefits from that.

“You hope that he comes back absolutely flying for pre-season and ready to prove any more doubters wrong that his spot within international football is there to be grabbed and chased down.”

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The Verdict: Back-to-back great seasons?

Prutton’s words suggest that Bamford is clearly a strong character after overcoming tough periods in his career, so it would be no surprise to see him carry on his rich vein of form and show Southgate what he is missing.

The truly top players produce great seasons more than once in a row, so the Leeds marksman now has to prove that he is no one-season wonder in the Premier League.

There is nothing to suggest that will necessarily be the case, having reeled off two prolific seasons in a row for the Whites, and he should be eyeing up a place in England’s 2022 World Cup squad as even more motivation.

In other news, Leeds have reportedly been dealt a blow in their pursuit of one player this summer. Find out who it is here.