Tottenham have now stormed ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign a South American star during the summer transfer window.

Spurs could be involved in one of their busiest summer transfer windows in recent history, not just in terms of incomings but outgoings too.

A number of players are likely going to want to leave the club after they were once again involved in a relegation battle, while they are without European football heading into the 26/27 season.

Liverpool are also in the market for reinforcements, and despite Spurs’ lack of European football, they could be shopping in similar markets.

The World Cup makes the summer transfer window a little more interesting, with players’ values potentially skyrocketing if they enjoy an impressive tournament.

Tottenham Eyeing Liverpool Target

via Reuters

According to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have now moved ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool’s interest has previously been described as serious, but the report claims that the Reds have now pulled away in the race.

Tottenham are now in pole position to secure his signature, while it’s claimed that Brugge could demand in the region of £39m for the defender.

Ordonez, described as ‘phenomenal’, does have interest from other Premier League clubs as well as sides across Europe.

Brugge would be open to cashing in on the Ecuadorian international as long as they receive a fee in the region of £39m.

Tottenham Close to Defensive Signing

via Reuters

According to reports in the Netherlands, Tottenham are closing in on the signing of Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton ahead of the summer transfer window.

Personal terms have already been agreed between Van Hecke and Tottenham, with the Dutch international now waiting for an agreement between the two clubs.

Brighton are looking to involve Luka Vuskovic as part of the deal, and they value the defender at around £30m.

Reports have claimed that a deal could even be done by the end of the weekend, despite Tottenham having multiple bids rejected for the Brighton centre-back.

Manchester United have held talks over the last two or three days to secure a new signing, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Signing a new midfielder appears to be Manchester United’s priority, even though they are close to completing a new addition.

Reports have claimed that a deal is done for Atalanta midfielder Ederson to join the club, despite no official confirmation just yet.

Up next for United could be the signature of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, with one journalist even claiming that the Portuguese star will end up at United this summer.

After solving the midfield situation, attention will likely turn to other positions, as there’s no doubt the Red Devils need reinforcements all over the pitch.

Man Utd Hold Talks Over Last 2/3 Days

According to Italian journalist Romano, over the last two or three days, Manchester United have kept contacts alive and active with those close to Newcastle defender Lewis Hall.

The Red Devils made contact a few weeks ago, but they’ve kept talks up recently with the England international, someone they ‘really love’.

Newcastle have already lost Anthony Gordon to Barcelona this summer, while the likes of Sandro Tonali and Hall are being heavily linked with departures.

United are looking to take advantage, and it’s likely a positive for them that Hall isn’t at the World Cup with England.

Hall the Perfect Shaw Replacement

via Reuters

Hall, described as elite, could be the perfect replacement for Luke Shaw in the long term.

United left back Shaw has seemingly got over his injury issues, starting every Premier League game last season, but he has had fitness problems over the last few years.

The English defender isn’t getting any younger, so signing a long-term replacement would be a smart move, and Hall could be that ideal man.

Hall is certainly ready to be a guaranteed starter at United, but learning and competing with Shaw could be beneficial to his development.

The issue United now have is convincing Newcastle to part ways for a reasonable fee.

The early stages of the 2026 World Cup have delivered plenty of exciting moments on the pitch. The first two games of the tournament set the tone, with the three red cards in Mexico’s opening day win over South Africa, followed by South Korea’s impressive 2-1 comeback in an action-packed display against Czechia.

Those results mean Mexico and South Korea sit at the top of Group A, with the host nation in first on goal difference, while the Czechs and South Africa sit third and fourth respectively (also divided by goal difference). Unfortunately, a few incidents have taken away some of the joy from the action so far.

One issue is the high number of empty seats, which were particularly apparent during South Korea’s win at the Estadio Akron (Guadalajara Stadium). Although FIFA insisted it was actually a sell-out match, pictures of the event told a very different story. More seriously, however, one fan appeared to make a racist gesture during the game.

Via REUTERS/Paul Childs

Yoon Su-jin, who has nearly 9 million combined followers on TikTok and YouTube, was filming herself celebrating South Korea’s opening World Cup 2-1 victory against Czechia when she also caught a number of Mexican fans on camera behind her. At first, the clip seemed to be good nature, but one man then appeared to make a racist gesture, as he pulled his fingers to slant his eyes.

A stunned Yoon, who goes by Incocat_t, stared at her camera, evidently upset as she later asked:

While also then posting: “POV: You travelled across the world for the World Cup… and experienced racism.”

The man has now been identified as a local Mexican trade group leader, and action has been taken against him.

Statement Made as Mexican Trade Group Leader To Be Fired

In an update from the New York Post, the man in question is the College of Topographic and Geomatic Engineers of Jalisco President Ulises Bernal. Their report claims he will be removed from office after the clip went viral, drawing strong criticism.

A spokesperson for the government trade association, which trains and licenses engineers, told The New York Post:

When asked if Bernal would face any punishment, they said “the Honor and Justice Committee is meeting this same day” and that Bernal would be “removed from office.”

The incident has sparked a strong response online, with many Mexican fans apologising for the racist behaviour.