Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers has emerged as a summer transfer target for Arsenal.
According to The Times, the Gunners would have to offer a “significant fee” to prize Rogers away from Villa Park.
The playmaker only joined Villa in 2023 for £15million from Middlesbrough and extended his contract until 2030 last November.
But missing out on the Champions League could see players moved away this summer as the Villans are at serious risk from PSR rules, according to research undertaken by The Athletic.
The club have lost £206.2m in the past two seasons, the highest deficit in the Premier League in that time.
Research from the outlet suggests project Villa can only lose £15m in 2024-25 and remain in line with Prem rules.
As a result, they may be forced to listen to offers for a number of stars this summer.
Viktor Gyokeres boost
Manchester United are ready to win the race for Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres.
United recently revealed total operating expenses have dropped by £41.6million to £162.1m in the latest quarterly club accounts after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s brutal cost cutting.
That is despite the cash spent on the Glazers’ debt spiralling to a staggering £1.2billion.
Man Utd’s gradual U-turn in club finances means they are ready to pip Arsenal to land Gyokeres.
The striker has an £85m release clause but it is understood that the Portuguese giants would accept a fee closer to £60m this summer.
United boss Ruben Amorim is now ready to raid his former club after the boost in their accounts.
More Tottenham departures
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has lost his right-hand woman in executive director Donna Cullen, who has left after 20 years of service.
Elsewhere, Ryan Mason has also left the club to further his managerial career by taking up the vacant position at Championship side West Brom.
They are set to be the first two of many departures this summer after Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal as manager.
The shake-up also includes the appointment of Vinai Venkatesham as CEO, who previously served bitter rivals Arsenal in the same role.
Sources add these moves could be the prelude to majority owners Enic pumping fresh funds into the club.
TOTTENHAM fans will welcome home their Europa League winners back to North London TODAY.
The Spurs faithful have flocked onto the streets to witness Ange Postecoglou‘s side parade the European trophy that ended their 17-year wait for silverware.
The parade will run from Edmonton Green, past the stadium, loop around Northumberland Park and then return to the ground.
Start time: From 5.30pm BST
FREE live stream: Tottenham’s official YouTube channel
Tottenham’s victory sparked emotional scenes among their fans, with the club set to have an open-top bus parade on Friday before their final Premier League game of the season at home to Brighton.
By winning the Europa League, Spurs will also have a chance to win the Uefa Super Cup when they face the Champions League winners, either Inter Milan or Paris-St Germain, on 13 August in Italy.
However, whether Postecoglou is still in charge of the club then is unknown.
“I would be disappointed if we don’t continue on this path,” he added in the post-match news conference. “It is difficult to buy into one person’s vision. I have been a serial winner. I know people dismiss what I have won because it didn’t happen here, but they were hard earned.
“There is huge relief. You carry the weight of responsibility and 150 times I have been a spokesman for this club.
“There are no planned meetings. I’ll go back to my hotel room with friends and family, open up a nice bottle of scotch, a massive parade on Friday, game on Sunday against Brighton and then holiday. Then que sera, sera.”
Postecoglou joined Tottenham in June 2023, having won five trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.
In September, he said he “always wins things in his second season,” a statement which was true when he had been in charge of clubs for two full seasons.
He maintained that record in Bilbao and said: “People misinterpreted me. It was not me boasting, just me making a declaration and I believed it. I had this thing inside me more than anything else.
“I know our league form has been unacceptable, but coming third was not going to change this football club, winning a trophy would, that was my ambition and I was prepared to wear it if it did not happen.
“People kept reminding me of it because we were getting closer but I’m happy with that.”
Speak to those behind the scenes and they will explain injuries have been the most pertinent factor behind Tottenham’s predicament.
Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario among many others have spent extended spells on the sidelines this season – many of them with muscular issues.
James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Kulusevski were all unavailable in Bilbao. Son started on the bench because he was deemed unfit having only recently returned from injury.
Indeed, multiple sources have told BBC Sport that the club’s crippling injury record has been at the centre of some friction between members of the coaching team and medical and strength and conditioning staff over the course of the season.
“It’s been the blame game,” one well-placed source said.
According to sources, Richarlison’s injury-disrupted campaign has proved a bone of contention, particularly in the aftermath of the 4-0 Carabao Cup defeat by Liverpool in February when, having only recently returned from respective hamstring and groin injuries, the Brazil international suffered a subsequent calf injury.
There have been other examples this season where Postecoglou’s team and the medical and fitness department haven’t seen eye-to-eye.
Has Postecoglou pushed players too hard? Or are the strength and conditioning and medical departments at fault? The answers will vary depending on who you speak to.
Interestingly, it is understood there were similar strains during Postecoglou’s reign at Celtic, with medical staff and the manager not always aligned.
It’s pertinent to add that those tensions at Tottenham have eased in recent weeks as the club’s walking wounded returned to availability, while Postecoglou has sought to factor in more days off for his players in recent months – their elimination from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup allowing him extra leeway.
Nevertheless, the sheer number of muscular injuries the club have suffered this season indicates an issue that requires rectifying.
As is normal at the end of the season, Tottenham will review the campaign with a view to making departmental improvements ahead of the next.
With the incoming arrival of Vinai Venkatesham as new CEO, it’s probable that current chief football officer Scott Munn’s position will come under scrutiny at the end of the season.
Tottenham have also held talks with former managing director of football Fabio Paratici over a return to the club following his exit in 2023 after an appeal against a two-and-a-half-year Fifa ban for alleged financial irregularities while at Juventus was rejected by Italy’s highest sports court.
It is also fair to assume the club’s horrendous injury record will be part of the review process.
The upside of the club’s injury issues has been the development of 19-year-olds Bergvall and Archie Gray this season.
Both teenagers were expected to be eased into first-team duty this season – but the pair have made 88 appearances between them so far.
While there is acknowledgement that the experience will be invaluable to the development of both players, there is also an acceptance that the situation has been far from ideal for a club expected to be challenging for a top-five spot.
MANCHESTER United and Tottenham Spurs fans are guzzling pints and partying on the streets of Bilbao in the run up to the season-saving Europa League final.
Fans gather ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final football matchCredit: Getty
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Spurs and and Manchester Utd fans gather in Bilbao ahead of tonights Europa league final .Credit: Darren Fletcher
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A Manchester United fan and Tottenham Hotspur fan smile at one another
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Tottenham Hotspur fan Jangwon Son plays the trumpet ahead of the UEFA Europa League FinalCredit: Getty
Bilbao bars have been flooded with Brit fans chanting and drinking ahead of the anticipated final tonight.
Both sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streets, chanting songs with drinks in hand as they gear up for the Europa League final.
Images show one Spurs fan playing the trumpet for gargantuan crowds, while Man United supporters hold up their beers to cheers.
Footage taken by The Sun showed fans filling the streets, with around 70,000 fans thought to have flocked to Spain – despite the stadium being at 53,000-capacity.
Some have braved an epic 32-hour-plus ferry ride which set sail at 10pm on Sunday evening and didn’t arrive until this morning.
With flights to Spain rocketing over £1,000 after the Prem teams sealed their final spots, many took advantage of the cheaper sea-route option, which set them back £260 for a cabin.
The sky-high air prices are due to just six direct flights from Britain to the Basque region’s industrial port city each day.
And with only 65 hotels in Spain’s tenth largest city, accommodation has been fully-booked for weeks.
Each club has millions of fans across the globe, but since there are just 14,000 tickets allocated to each team, bagging a seat to the showpiece event has been a tricky task.
On Sunday night, precious tickets to the big game were selling on the black market for up to £10,000.
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Tottenham Hotspur fans standing on top of traffic lightsCredit: Getty
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Spurs fans holding up their pintsCredit: Reuters
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Manchester United gather in BilabaoCredit: Reuters
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Both sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streetsCredit: Getty
EasyJet was charging £1,823 to fly from Gatwick to Bilbao on Wednesday morning and return on Thursday morning, while the cheapest hotels for Wednesday night cost around £1,200.
But for those fans who managed to snap up the golden tickets, footage has shown them enjoying themselves.
Despite dismal Premier League seasons – United finishing 16th in the table and Spurs in 17th, perilously close to the relegation zone – die-hard supporters were emptying their bank accounts and flocking to Bilbao.
Aside from European glory, the victorious team qualifies for next season’s cash-riddled Champions League, worth a cool £100m to the club lifting the prized trophy.
The travel chaos endured by thousands of footie fans has mirrored the 1987 American road trip comedy movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
Spurs fan John Affleck of Enfield, Herts., was today enjoying local delicacy pintxos – snacks on a slice of bread resembling an open sandwich – washed down with Sangria.
He told The Sun: “I flew to Madrid then got the train down. There are no hotel rooms so I’m bunking up with a pal on his hotel floor.
“The trip will cost me more than £5,000. I’m broke, but I really don’t care. We just need to win.”
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Manchester United fans in high spirits ahead of tonightCredit: PA
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Fans drinking beer before the UEFA Europa League FinalCredit: Alamy
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Fans of Tottenham Hotspur gather to show their support to their team
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Fans have filled the streetsCredit: Getty
Frank Johns, a Red Devils season ticket holder, jetted out yesterday from Heathrow via Schiphol in Amsterdam.
He said: “It has been a pitiful season but none of that will matter if we lift the trophy.”
Under-fire Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou face the chop if they don’t prevail in the final – cruelly dubbed “El Crapico” by rival fans and pundits.
Amorim masterminded Manchester United’s 7-1 semi-final demolition of ten-man Athletic Bilbao.
And Postecoglou guided his Tottenham team to a 5-1 triumph over Norwegians Bodo/Glimt in the other to set up the all-English final.
Tottenham were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final, while Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 in the Europa League final in the same year.
United beat Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final and Spurs KO’d Wolves to win the 1972 Uefa Cup.
Tottenham have already beaten the Manchester outfit on three occasions this season – twice in the league and once in the Carabao Cup.
They are looking to end a trophy drought that dates back to 2008 and has hung over the club – to the delight of opposing fans.
United meanwhile have continued to be dire in the Prem with Amorim claiming his side are “not ready” to be competitive domestically and in the Champions League.
IT’S barely midday in Bilbao on the day before the Europa League final between Manchester United and Spurs – but it’s already getting lively.
I arrived in the city at about 9am after a 32-HOUR ferry ride from Portsmouth.
And the first thing a lot of fellow fans planned to do was find a pub for a well-earned drink.
Walking around the area around the San Mames stadium this morning, a fair few others had the same idea.
Many have had long journeys, stopping off overnight in another city to keep down the soaring cost of getting here, with some direct flights over £1,000.
So it’s no surprise many are already getiing the party started, or the Bilbao leg of the party anyway.
Spurs fan Gary, who flew out from London before an overnight stay in a Madrid hotel resembling a “prison cell”, joked as he supped a pint in the sun: “I’m just getting some practice in for tomorrow.”
The atmosphere has been brilliant so far, and hopefully that will continue.
There had been claims that Spurs fans are set to outnumber United fans by 5 to 1, with an estimated 50,000 supporters of the two English sides expected to arrive.
One Tottenham follower I spoke to joked that they had bought all the flights out of London to keep the Reds out.
Based on the number of Spurs shirts I’ve already seen, he might be right.
WATCH the shocking moments a brawl erupts between Manchester United and Tottenham fans as punches get thrown ahead of the Europa League final.
Up to 70,000 Man Utd and Tottenham fans have flooded the streets of sunny Bilbao in good spirits and with drinks flowing.
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Shocking footage shows Man Utd and Spurs fans brawl in Bilbao’s streetsCredit: X
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This football hooligan is pictured picking up a wheelie bin before throwing it at the opposing fansCredit: X
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Football fans can be seen hurling whatever they can get their hands on during the vicious brawlCredit: X
However, the mood took a dark turn with footage surfacing on X of a brawl between the two sets of supporters.
In the shocking video, a large group of football hooligans are seen brawling as they throw objects and punches at each other.
Residents alerted authorities at around 9.20pm after they witnessed violent behaviour on Fermín Calbetón Street.
Witnesses say the fight broke out when two large groups of supporters began shouting and hurling insults,
It quickly escalated into a full-blown brawl, with both Man Utd and Spurs fans grabbing whatever they could to throw at each other.
One hooligan overturned a terrace table and used it as a weapon against the other group.
Drinks and bins were also hurled, creating a chaotic scene that posed a serious risk to local businesses and passersby.
Several local police patrols rushed to the scene after reports of the brawl and quickly restored order.
No arrests have been made so far, but officers have stayed in the area to keep the situation under control.
An ambulance was also dispatched, with several people treated at the scene.
Up 70k Man United and Spurs fans begin flooding Bilbao soaking up sun & cervezas ahead of Europa League final
However, after further assessment, staff determined no one needed to be taken to the hospital.
It comes as tens of thousands of Brits landed in Bilbao ahead of the highly anticipated final.
Some are braving an epic 32-hour-plus ferry ride which set sail at 10pm on Sunday evening and won’t arrive until 8am on Tuesday morning.
With flights to Spain rocketing over £1,000 after the Prem teams sealed their final spots, many took advantage of the cheaper sea-route option, which set them back £260 for a cabin.
The sky-high air prices are due to just six direct flights from Britain to the Basque region’s industrial port city each day.
And with only 65 hotels in Spain’s tenth largest city, accommodation has been fully booked for weeks.
Each club has millions of fans across the globe, but since there are just 14,000 tickets allocated to each team, bagging a seat to the showpiece event has been a tricky task.
Last night, precious tickets to the big game were selling on the black market for up to £10,000.
EasyJet was charging £1,823 to fly from Gatwick to Bilbao on Wednesday morning and return on Thursday morning, while the cheapest hotels for Wednesday night cost around £1,200.
But for those fans who managed to snap up the golden tickets, footage has shown them enjoying themselves.
A Bilbao bar was flooded with Brit fans chanting and drinking ahead of the anticipated final.
Spurs fans were also seen welcoming the team bus as it arrived in the city one day before the clash.
Footage taken by The Sun showed fans arriving to fill the streets of Bilbao about 40 hours before kick-off.
Both sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streets, chanting songs with beers in hand as they gear up for the Europa League final.
IT’S barely midday in Bilbao on the day before the Europa League final between Manchester United and Spurs – but it’s already getting lively.
I arrived in the city at about 9am after a 32-HOUR ferry ride from Portsmouth.
And the first thing a lot of fellow fans planned to do was find a pub for a well-earned drink.
Walking around the area around the San Mames stadium this morning, a fair few others had the same idea.
Many have had long journeys, stopping off overnight in another city to keep down the soaring cost of getting here, with some direct flights over £1,000.
So it’s no surprise many are already getiing the party started, or the Bilbao leg of the party anyway.
Spurs fan Gary, who flew out from London before an overnight stay in a Madrid hotel resembling a “prison cell”, joked as he supped a pint in the sun: “I’m just getting some practice in for tomorrow.”
The atmosphere has been brilliant so far, and hopefully that will continue.
There had been claims that Spurs fans are set to outnumber United fans by 5 to 1, with an estimated 50,000 supporters of the two English sides expected to arrive.
One Tottenham follower I spoke to joked that they had bought all the flights out of London to keep the Reds out.
Based on the number of Spurs shirts I’ve already seen, he might be right.
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Residents alerted authorities at 9.20pm after witnessing violent behaviour on Fermín Calbetón StreetCredit: X
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Witnesses say both sets of supporters began hurling insults before the chaos eruptedCredit: X
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A football fan is pictured punching an opposing supporterCredit: X
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Police arrived at the scene and quickly got the situation under controlCredit: X
Tottenham have had the measure of Manchester United this season, beating them home and away in the Premier League and also in the Carabao Cup.
They will also likely back themselves to score against the Red Devils, having hit 21 more league goals than them, despite sitting fourth from bottom with United a place above.
In fact, no team outside the top six has scored more than Tottenham’s 63 goals.
Keeping them out, however, has been an issue with 61 league goals conceded, while United have fared marginally better with 54.
Encouragement for Postecoglou will also come from a lively first-half display by Son Heung-min against Villa.
The forward is looking to return to peak fitness after being sidelined with a foot injury and went close to scoring before the break.
Son, 32, has lost his last two finals with Spurs and will no doubt be determined to end his trophy drought with the club after a decade.
“He is ready and available,” Postecoglou said of Son. “He feels like he is getting back to some rhythm.”
United, meanwhile, could only muster one shot on target against Chelsea with Rasmus Hojlund again struggling to make an impact in attack.
The forward has scored just three goals in his last 15 appearances in all competitions.
“They have a problem, they have no striker,” former Manchester United captain Roy Keane told Sky Sports.
“Hojlund looked like a young boy from the academy. He is not good enough to be the main man. United are up against it all the time.”
Ange Postecoglou has signalled he will rest key players when Tottenham play Aston Villa on Friday as he “can’t afford to lose another” to injury with the Europa League final less than a week away.
Midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has become the latest first-team regular to suffer an injury that will rule him out of Wednesday’s final in Bilbao against Manchester United.
Fellow midfielders Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison are both also set to miss the final, while defender Radu Dragusin is a long-term injury absentee after suffering a serious knee injury in February.
Head coach Postecoglou rested several players against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Plans to field his strongest side against Villa to “sharpen up” for the Bilbao trip may now have to be scrapped.
“The reality of our existence at the moment is we can’t lose another player to an injury,” Postecoglou said. “It’s just too finely balanced for us considering what’s at stake.
“Look, in a normal world you use this to be sharpening up, but we’re not living in a normal world.
“Even with the best planning we’re still getting hit with these setbacks. From my perspective I’ve got to take that into account when considering the [Aston Villa] game.”
He may take the opportunity to try new combinations in midfield.
“We’ve always had to try to find creative ways to cover the absences we’ve had and we’ll find a way to do that again,” Postecoglou said.
“There’s obviously a few players who will play [on Friday] who haven’t played regularly or a lot lately who will get an opportunity.”
Spurs are 17th in the Premier League table – one place above the relegation zone but out of danger, and one behind United in 16th.
Both Europa League final sides have endured dismal domestic league campaigns but the winner next Wednesday will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Tottenham have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.
MANCHESTER UNITED and Tottenham will face off in the Europa League final next week in a battle for a place amongst Europe’s elite.
The winner will earn a spot in next season’s Champions League, a reward that is potentially worth in excess of £100MILLION.
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Manchester United are preparing to take on Tottenham in the Europa League finalCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Spurs are hoping to end a 17-year wait for a trophyCredit: Getty
Much has been made about whether that prize is suitable or not, given that United and Spurs currently occupy 16th and 17th spot in the Premier League – but Uefa aren’t changing their rules for the two underachievers.
Qualification would mean a huge amount to both clubs, with the lure of the Champions League meaning more top talent could be enticed to join in the summer – not to mention a huge boost to their transfer kitty.
For Spurs, the money would be the cherry on top of the giant cake that is ending their 17-year wait for a trophy.
While United almost NEED to win the competition given their current financial situation, with a defeat meaning a huge loss in potential revenue amid a slew of cost-cutting measure by Sir Jim Racliffe and his Ineos team.
Once getting to the Champions League, advancing to the very end could earn up to a potential £95m extra for the eventual winner – but United and Spurs will be aware that their chances of going all the way are slim.
In fact, of the eight different teams that have gained qualification into the Champions League by winning the Europa League over the last 10 years, just one has made it to the semi-finals.
That was Villarreal, who were knocked out of the tournament by eventual winners Liverpool.
Man Utd entered the competition thanks to their 2017 Europa League success under Jose Mourinho, only to lost to Sevilla in the Round of 16.
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Man Utd won the Europa League in 2017Credit: Getty Images – Getty
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Chelsea earned a Champions League spot with their 2019 Europa League successCredit: Reuters
While Chelsea did the same in 2019 and were kicked out by Bayern Munich in the last 16 too.
United and Chelsea are two of six teams that reached the last 16 after qualifying through the Europa League.
‘I’d dive head first through a brick wall for him’ – Ange Postecoglou’s rallying speech reduces Tottenham fans to tears
While Sevilla have twice failed to advance through the group stages and Atalanta were knocked out of this year’s competition in the qualifying knockout round.
Although it makes for bleak reading for Man Utd and Spurs fans, it’s worth noting that the lure – and cash injection – of playing in the Champions League has helped teams who qualified through the Europa League attract big players.
Chelsea were unable to purchase players following their success as they were hit with a transfer ban following academy player rule breaches.
Either way, the prize waiting for the winner of next week’s ‘Hell Clasico’ is something which cannot be underestimated and could have a huge impact on either club for years to come.
