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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been challenged to a race by Alica Schmidt – the German sprinter dubbed “the world’s sexiest athlete”.

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• Norwegian forward boasts plenty of pace
• German sprinter ready to take him on
• Hummels beaten in previous race

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Haaland was clocked running at 22.5mph during the 2022-23 campaign – in which he helped City to a historic Treble – and is famed for his pace and power in footballing circles. He hit 52 goals last season and boasts the kind of acceleration that would trouble any defence.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Schmidt has been in action at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, with the 400m her go-to event – as she averages a speed of 17mph over that distance. The 24-year-old, who is also a model and boasts 4.3 million followers on Instagram, believes that she could take Haaland during a race around one lap of the track – although concedes that she would find it “more difficult” over 200m.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Schmidt has told of potentially lining up against Norwegian hot-shot Haaland: “Hmm, I don't know – maybe. I think, on 400m, yes. On 200m, it would be more difficult. But I would be happy if the race takes place. I don't know, I have to ask him. But I'm always ready. So, Haaland, if you're ready to race, I would be happy. Let's see who's faster!”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Schmidt previously posed a similar challenge to Borussia Dortmund’s World Cup-winning defender Mats Hummels back in 2021 – a race she won comfortably, with Hummels admitting that his fellow German “makes it look so easy”. Hummels was, however, 32 at the time and Haaland is only 23.

Weston McKennie returned to the Juventus midfield on Saturday as he was rejoined by U.S. men's national team teammate Tim Weah in the club's XI.

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• McKennie starts in midfield
• Weah back in at wingback
• Juve win 2-0

Both Americans earned the start in Juve's 2-0 win over Torino, with the two playing together for the first time. Prior to Saturday, McKennie and Weah had been battling for the same position at right wing-back, but the former's return to a familiar midfield spot opened the door for the latter to make his own return to the XI.

Their starts came in a Juve win, as the Italian giants continued their dominance in their local derby with Torino. With the win, Juventus continued a run that has seen them lose just once to Torino in the last 28 years.

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The match seemingly started on a high for Juve, who, just a few minutes in, appeared to seize an early advantage on a goal from Moise Kean, who started up top in place of the injured Dusan Vlahovic. The goal, though, was ruled back, giving Torino a lifeline early.

  Juve did eventually get their goal, though, early in the second half, although that one two was nearly called back as well. A lengthy review followed after Federico Gatti was able to finally tap home a rebound from close range following a set piece, but Juve were rewarded as the VAR determined there was no offside on the sequence.

  Substitute Arkadiusz Milik put the game out of reach in the 62nd minute with a towering header from a Filip Kostic corner kick, sealing another win for Juve in a match where their attack never quite got going from open play.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McKennie's return to the midfield will be the story of the game as he joined usual starters Manuel Locatelli and Adrien Rabiot in the center of the pitch.

  The American had largely been starting as a wingback in recent weeks, making five starts in the position prior to Saturday's return to the center. With McKennie starting, Weah had been relegated to the bench, but his teammate's shift freed up his starting spot out wide.

  It remains to be seen if Massimiliano Allegri will continue to see McKennie as a potential midfield starter. The USMNT star didn't quite steal the show in Saturday's win, as he was just solid, but not spectacular. In an ideal world, he would have been a bit more involved than he was as, out of Juve's three midfielders, he was the least active on the ball throughout the match.

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  USMNT IMPACT

  The U.S. isn't concerned with where McKennie and Weah are playing, but rather how they are playing and how often. Even so, McKennie's move back to the middle will be a welcome sight.

  McKennie faces a big test in the coming international break with Tyler Adams still out due to injury, leaving the U.S. without their star No. 6. As a result, McKennie and Yunus Musah could be asked to do a bit more defending if the U.S. flip their midfield to include a No. 10 like, say, Gio Reyna.

  As for Weah, he remains a go-to starter on the wing and will likely play significant minutes for the U.S. during the international break.

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  GOAL'S RATINGS

  Weston McKennie (6/10):

  Decent, but not incredible. Could have been a bit more active in the attack as Juve dominated the game but, overall, it's hard to complain too much in a 2-0 win that never looked in doubt.

  Tim Weah (7/10):

  Very good to see him get 90 minutes, especially considering his recent spell as a substitute. Had a few good moments, but will need to be a bit more precise in the final third going forward.

The England star broke the deadlock at Villa Park but Lucia Garcia ensured that the Manchester club didn't leave empty-handed

Rachel Williams was Manchester United's unlikely stoppage time hero on Sunday as the Red Devils fought back in dramatic fashion to beat Aston Villa 2-1 on the opening day of the Women's Super League season. England star Rachel Daly, last season's Golden Boot winner, had given the Villans the lead but it was too much to hold onto with 10 players, former United winger Kirsty Hanson sent off before goals from Lucia Garcia and Williams turned the game around.

An even first half didn't bring with it too many clear cut chances, though new Villa goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar was forced into a fantastic save when Geyse broke down the right for United and fired an effort across goal. It was the hosts who actually had the best chance of the opening 45 minutes but Alisha Lehmann's effort when through on goal was well over Mary Earps' bar.

Instead, all of the goal came towards the end of the second half – only three minutes separating instinctive finishes from Daly and Garcia before Williams' 92nd-minute header ensured all three points for United.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from Villa Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Mary Earps (6/10):

  Unconvincing when tested early on but didn't have much else to do after that. Composed on the ball.

  Hannah Blundell (6/10):

  Had her hands full defensively because of Hanson's threat so couldn't have much of an impact in the final third.

  Maya Le Tissier (7/10):

  Fantastic on the ball, keeping it well under pressure at the back trying to break down a tough Villa defence with some more direct passes. Made a great tackle on Daly in the box.

  Millie Turner (7/10):

  Solid as usual in her defending and work on the ball.

  Gabby George (6/10):

  Could've cost her team when she played Lehmann onside for the first half's biggest chance but didn't do much wrong otherwise. Got forward well, though struggled with her end product.

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  Midfield

  Katie Zelem (6/10):

  Kept things ticking in midfield and delivered brilliant set pieces.

  Hayley Ladd (5/10):

  Battled well in the middle but couldn't really make much impact when in possession.

  Ella Toone (6/10):

  Took up good positions in the final third and moved the ball well but couldn't break Villa down.

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  Attack

  Lucia Garcia (7/10):

  Pressed well and was one of United's liveliest sparks, deserving her goal in the second half. She did her defensive duties well, too.

  Geyse (7/10):

  Linked up brilliantly with Garcia in the first half and was constantly a threat in behind but her tendency to drift wide meant United lacked a penalty box presence.

  Leah Galton (5/10):

  Had a couple of good moments cutting in from the left but wasn't as impactful as she usually is.

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  Subs & Manager

  Rachel Williams (6/10):

  Replaced Geyse with 25 minutes left and hardly had a kick until directing her header past Van Domselaar in stoppage time to win the game.

  Nikita Parris (5/10):

  Came on with 20 minutes to go and worked hard to get involved but without having a major impact.

  Hinata Miyazawa (N/A):

  Only on for the final 10 minutes.

  Marc Skinner (6/10):

  It was always going to be interesting to see how United looked with so many new faces and while there are positive signs there, particularly with the number of lively attackers in the squad now, Skinner faces a real challenge in trying to get the front three to gel and ensure there is constantly a penalty box threat in it. That was lacking a lot on Sunday.

England legend Jill Scott has got a tattoo immortalising her X-rated outburst during the Lionesses’ victory in the Euro 2022 final.

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• Savoured continental glory at Wembley
• Kelly netted extra-time winner
• Ex-midfielder has lasting memento

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The veteran midfielder was introduced in the 89th minute of an epic showdown with arch-rivals Germany that was settled by Chloe Kelly’s iconic strike and celebration in extra-time at Wembley Stadium. Scott played her part it getting Sarina Wiegman’s side over the line, with there no holding back from the 36-year-old.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  At one stage, Scott was caught by a challenge from Sydney Lohmann. She responded to that tackle by launching a foul-mouthed rant in the German’s direction. The England star was caught on camera screaming: “F*ck off, you f*cking pr*ck”.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Scott told back in July that she was considering getting a tattoo to honour her now infamous Euros blast, saying: “I am not proud of it, I am really not. It’s not very role model-like. I was just so passionate. I am sorry but it reminds me of the win, so it gives me a little smile!”

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• WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Scott now has her inking, with the initials “FOYFP” etched onto her side. The former Sunderland, Everton, Manchester City and Aston Villa star retired as a European champion and has since moved into punditry, while also becoming ‘Queen of the Jungle’ as the winner of the 2022 series of ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here’.

  TikTok

Marcelo Bielsa has recalled veteran striker Luis Suarez to the Uruguay squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia.

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• Suarez recalled for first time since World Cup
• Sets up potential meeting with pal Messi
• Rivals face off in Buenos Aires on Thursday

• PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Suarez was selected by Bielsa for the first time since taking over as Uruguay head coach in May. The 36-year-old has not featured for his country since their World Cup group stage exit last December. The call-up sets an intriguing potential meeting with former-Barcelona team-mate and close friend Lionel Messi who is likely to captain Argentina when the two sides face off in La Bombonera in Buenos Aires on Thursday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Suarez has been in outstanding form in Brazil this term with his 14 goals firing Gremio into title contention with four games of the Serie A season remaining. The Uruguayan's goal glut has led to speculation that he may remain Porto Alegre for the final year of his contract putting a strongly-rumoured move to Inter Miami and a link-up with former Barca colleagues Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in doubt.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Suarez and Messi struck up a close friendship as well as a devastating on-field partnership during six seasons together at Barcelona, winning four league titles, four Spanish cups and Champions League together before the Uruguayan was deemed surplus to requirements at Camp Nou.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR URUGUAY?

  have made a strong start to the marathon 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying phase and will be fascinating to see how they match up against the World Champions on Thursday night.

GOAL looks back on how the England star took the world by storm after breaking through at Goodison Park

If you're of a certain age, you'll remember the moment you first saw a young Wayne Rooney. Dynamic, energetic, full of pace, power and everything else you could possibly want… Rooney had it all from the moment he stepped into the Premier League for the very first time.

Many times, what would follow would be a cautionary tale, a story of a starlet that couldn't quite capture the potential to be great that was handed to them. Not Rooney, though. By the time his career was over, that young prodigy had become one of the best England had ever seen, dominating for both club and country for years upon years.

With more winners' medals than you can count, Rooney helped lead an era of dominance atop the Premier League. He did so by doing a little bit of everything. Rooney was never a static player, but rather a chameleon. On the wing, up top, in the midfield… no matter where he played, he was going to influence a team's ability to win.

To coincide with the release of his Future Stars Icon card on EA Sports FC24 on PlayStation 5, GOAL takes a look back at Rooney's journey and how he went from Future Star to ICON…

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  Where it all began

  It's hard to believe now, but on the day 16-year-old Rooney made his debut for Everton, he was repeatedly serenaded by three words from the Tottenham supporters at Goodison Park that day.

  "Who are ya?"

  Well, the world would end up knowing who Rooney was before all was said and done but, at that time, he was a teenage prodigy destined for big things at Everton. The world didn't know it just yet, but those around Goodison Park knew they had a special, special player on their hands.

  That's why he was handed that debut, making him the second-youngest player in club history. He had been with Everton since he was nine years old and, against Tottenham on August 17, 2002, his journey with his boyhood club officially began. He assisted a goal in that debut, teeing up Mark Pembridge for the opener in a 2-2 draw.

  His first senior goals would come about a month-and-a-half later when he scored twice against Wrexham in the League Cup to become the club's youngest-ever goalscorer. Two weeks later, the 16-year-old scored a last-minute winner against Arsenal, announcing himself to the world. The goal ended the Gunners' 30-game unbeaten run and made Rooney the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at the time.

  By 2004, he was already a full England international, having also become the youngest scorer in Euros history with his four goals in the tournament that summer, earning a spot in the UEFA Team of the Tournament.

  Additionally, in that summer of 2004, Rooney's life changed as he made the big transfer that would define his career.

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  The big break

  Where do you even begin? When it comes to Rooney's time at Manchester United, it's a never-ending stream of accolades.

  In the summer of 2004, he made the move to Old Trafford, being handed the No. 8 shirt upon his arrival. In his debut against Fenerbahce in the Champions League, he scored a hat-trick. At 18 years and 335 days old, Rooney was the youngest to score three times in that competition.

  From that moment forward, Rooney never slowed down, establishing himself as one of the best players Man Utd, and the Premier League, has ever seen. By the time all was said and done, he'd scored 253 goals across 559 appearances, making him the club's top goalscorer of all time. His 208 Premier League goals for both Man Utd and Everton make him the competition's third-highest scorer of all time. Additionally, he has the third most assists in Premier League history, showing just how much of a threat he was in the attacking part of the field.

  With five Premier League medals and a Champions League trophy on his resume, Rooney's legacy was secure, but the forward also had some history to make on the international scene before all was said and done.

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  Becoming an ICON

  When you go down the list of legends that have worn and England shirt, it's easy to stop and stare. Names like Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard… all legendary figures that made huge impacts for club and country.

  If you're discussing England's best-ever player, though, it's hard to argue against Rooney, who very well could be the best the Three Lions have ever had.

  He broke through at just 17 and remains the country's youngest-ever goalscorer, but that was just the start. Over a 15-year England career, Rooney went to four World Cups and was named the country's Player of the Year four times, showing just how vital he was to his country.

  He's the country's most-capped outfield player, with only goalkeeper Peter Shilton having more caps than Rooney's 120. And, in September 2015, he etched his name in the history books by surpassing Charlton to break England's goalscoring record.

  That was his 50th international goal, the penalty he scored against Sweden, and he would go on to score three more before calling it a career after 120 international caps. His record has since been surpassed by Harry Kane, who himself is on the way to football immortality, but Rooney's starring role for club and country throughout a 15-year run of dominance can't be erased.

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  Biggest strengths

  It would be an exhausting list breaking down all of the things Rooney was good at. It would likely be easier to reflect on what aspects of the game he wasn't world-class in.

  The goals are the obvious starting point, as Rooney's goal record can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone on the highest level of the game. A dominant presence for both Manchester United and England, few have done it for longer at a higher level, with Rooney's skill in front of goal keeping him among the very best for a decade and a half.

  But Rooney was no mere goalscorer. At times, he drifted into the midfield, allowing him to have a more creative impact on the game. His passing was almost as good as his finishing, allowing him to be a complete forward who could be used in a variety of ways. He could play as a No.9, a No.10 and, on some occasions, even as a No.8 when called upon.

  Physically, Rooney was blessed. Particularly in those early years, his pace was a sight to behold, as the stocky starlet was able to burst through defenses at will. As he got older, though, Rooney's body filled out, giving him the strength to battle with some of the best defenders the Premier League has ever seen.

  The mental side was there, too. Rooney was aggressive, sometimes too much so, and had a workrate that felt almost out of place for a player of his caliber. Rooney was never afraid to work for the team, and his record of winning shows it.

  Ultimately, Rooney was a player seemingly built in a lab to play at a high level, one given every possible gift to ensure he would live up to his huge potential.

Gio Reyna remained an unused substitute as Nottingham Forest picked up a massive win over West Ham on Saturday.

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• Reyna an unused substitute
• Forest earn huge win over West Ham
• Three points massive in relegation fight

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Toward the end of a fairly even first half, Forest sent shockwaves through the stadium, scoring deep in stoppage time to send the home fans wild.

  The goal came from Taiwo Awoniyi with an assist from Nicolas Dominguez, but it was the former who did all of the hard work to shield off a defender and finish to seize the lead. Forest's job got a bit easier late on when Kalvin Phillips picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, leaving the Hammers down a man as they fought for their comeback. That comeback was officially killed off in stoppage time, when a Callum Hudson-Odoi goal sealed the win to make it 2-0, bringing all three points to Forest.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the win, Forest put a little breathing room between themselves and a relegation place. They now sit five points above Everton, who sit in 17th-place but have a game in hand. As things stand, Crystal Palace and Luton Town are also sandwiched between them, but those two could also get points with games in hand as well.

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  USMNT IMPACT

  Reyna hasn't really gotten a significant runout since joining Nottingham Forest, having been exclusively used off the bench in his two appearances. Because of that, the fact that he wasn't named to the XI wasn't totally surprising. What was, though, was the fact that he never came on altogether.

  Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo made three substitutes in the match, bringing on Ryan Yates, Divock Origi and Andrew Omobamidele. The fact that Forest were up a goal and up a man likely contributed to the coach's decision not to throw on Reyna, an attacking player, as Forest looked to see out a result.

  Still, it will have been frustrating for Reyna to not play, particularly because this move was engineered solely to get him more minutes.

  As for the other American, Matt Turner, his hopes of playing seem all but gone as he remains locked in to the No. 2 role at Forest.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Nottingham Forest will face a tough test next week as they continue their Premier League fight with a visit to Villa Park to face Aston Villa. After that, the FA Cup is next up on the schedule as Forest will then play host to Manchester United in the competition's fifth round.

A statue of Harry Kane continues to face an uncertain future having been locked up in storage for years with no sign of finding a home.

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• Kane storage funded by Chingford council
• Image of striker is locked up in storage
• Councillors looking for place to install it

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Waltham Forest Council in north-east London paid £7,200 five years ago to have a life-sized sculpture of the footballer, who was raised in the area, built. However, the effigy remains locked up after the initial plan to place it at the Chingford Overground station fell through following a risk assessment, reports.

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  WHAT KANE SAID

  A spokesperson for Kane said the Bayern Munich and England striker is excited to see the image installed soon, saying: "Especially with Harry being England and Tottenham's all time top goal scorer. It is what he deserves. The location of the statue is really important to us and like Emma said we are having some issues at the moment, but when we get it right, we will be happy to go."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane became a Tottenham and England icon, scoring 278 goals in 430 competitive appearances for his club, while he has struck 62 times in 89 games for the Three Lions. He is off to a flying start at Bayern Munich since joining the German side in the summer, scoring 29 times in 30 games.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  While councillors continue to look for a new home for the Kane statue, the man himself will hope to fire Bayern to success in Germany and in Europe this season. The 30-year-old and his Bavarian team-mates have a mountain to climb, though, as they sit eight points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and trail Lazio after the first leg of their Champions League tie. The chaos continued on Wednesday as Bayern announced that head coach Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season.

Manchester City can seal yet another Premier League title with victory over Aston Villa this afternoon, and Phil Foden can play a crucial part in getting them over the line.

On the Chalkboard

Pep Guardiola will face a selection dilemma as he prepares for his side’s biggest game of the season today. Just one point separates City and Liverpool heading into the final day and Guardiola will need to pick his best 11 to ensure there are no slip ups.

With a large squad to choose from it’ll be difficult to decide who deserves to start, but we think that their star attacking midfielder Phil Foden can make all the difference and should be brought back into the line-up after being benched last time out against West Ham United.

Yesterday the £100k-per-week Stockport born star was named the Premier League’s young player of the season for the second successive year, with his teammate Kevin de Bruyne picking up the more senior award.

He already has three league titles to his name and has been key in City’s run to try and retain the trophy. He’s made 27 league appearances in 2021/22 and directly contributed to 14 goals.

Given the amount of young talent in the Premier League, the fact he’s been named the best for two years running shows just how good he is, which makes it a no-brainer to start him against Villa.

He’s been described as “incredibly talented” by his manager and he certainly lives up to that billing.

Pep likes his team to put their opponents under huge pressure and if they are to nullify the threat Villa can pose then they can’t give them time on the ball.

When you compare Foden to other Premier League players in his position he ranks in the top 3% for pressures in the attacking third this season, this is key in allowing City to win the ball high and score as much as they do.

It’ll be goals that will ensure they don’t drop points and allow Liverpool to beat them to the trophy this afternoon. If they lose the title then there will be huge question marks over how City have come away with no silverware this season.

Those questions shouldn’t arise if Foden is unleashed by Guardiola.

IN other news: Forget Carney: Gerrard must unleash “world-class” AVFC ace, he’ll give City nightmares…

Journalist Pasquale Guarro has made an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Inter Milan star and defensive target Alessandro Bastoni.

The Lowdown: Bastoni top of Tottenham’s list…

After their summit in Italy last week, Spurs manager Antonio Conte and club chief Fabio Paratici have reportedly listed Bastoni among their top targets for the summer transfer window.

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A left-sided central defender is thought to be of serious interest to Conte, with the Nerazzurri ace said to be valued at around £50m.

Tottenham recently announced a £150m cash injection which will be used to back their manager and ensure that the Lilywhites can seriously compete for the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The Latest: Conte making ‘personal commitment’ to sign Bastoni…

According to Guarro, reiterating the club’s interest in Bastoni ‘firmly’, Conte is apparently making a ‘personal commitment’ to seal the 23-year-old’s signing this summer.

The reporter explained (via Twitter): “I can reiterate this firmly: the #Tottenham is working on the hips for #Bastoni , Conte wants to transfer the left chain of the #Inter to London and is making a personal commitment.”

The Verdict: Promising claim…

There is little denying that Bastoni would seriously upgrade Tottenham’s back-three options and provide Conte with an injection of real class.

Widely tipped as Italy’s next generation defensive answer to legendary Azzurri figurehead Giorgio Chiellini, the 6 foot 2 star has also been called a ‘defensive genius’ by Italian football expert Conor Clancy.

Already possessing a glowing reputation, chief Squawka writer Muhammad Butt has called Bastoni a ‘special’ player, which shows why Conte is very eager to bring the Italy international to north London.

If the Lilywhites can back the manager with the 23-year-old’s addition, it could certainly signal the start of a very promising summer.

In other news: Paratici eyeing Spurs move for ‘sensational’ £75m man who Guardiola called ‘quality’…find out more here