Tottenham Hotspur have been given another huge boost in the summer transfer window with Mateus Fernandes giving his green light to join the club, according to journalist Matteo Moretto.

Tottenham and ENIC have gone into overdrive in the market, surprising many of their Premier League rivals with their ambition, with four deals already completed 10 days after the window officially opened.

The club and manager Roberto De Zerbi clearly realise there was a lot of squad maintenance to carry out following successive disastrous Premier League seasons, with a desire to get the majority of their work done in time for the return to pre-season as they look to hit the ground running next term.

Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka are through the door, and now De Zerbi wants the north Londoners to pull off an audacious double central midfield swoop on their rivals.

Spurs remain in talks over a move for Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali, with Fabrizio Romano’s latest update on Thursday confirming it is ‘deal on’, while the Italian manager also wants Fernandes in alongside him for the 2026-27 campaign.

Manchester United also want to land the Portugal international, with the latest suggestion being that whoever offers West Ham the most amount of money will get the player, as he’s open to joining both clubs.

Mateus Fernandes Approves Tottenham Transfer

via Reuters

According to Matteo Moretto, posting on X, Fernandes has given his approval for a move to Tottenham.

The Italian journalist says Spurs have overcome a major hurdle to any deal with the 21-year-old willing to join to link up with De Zerbi, who has made him one of his priority targets.

The north Londoners are already in club-to-club negotiations with their London rivals over a deal for the ‘underrated’ player, with separate suggestions that they are willing to meet West Ham’s £85m valuation, albeit as part of a structured deal.

Tottenham Eyeing Third Midfielder Deal

via Reuters

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are also considering a third midfield signing even if they get both Fernandes and Tonali, with Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney on their radar.

The Boro star was crowned as the Championship Player of the Year last season as he helped his side finish in the play-off positions, but he was unable to help them towards the end of the campaign through injury.

Nevertheless, the 23-year-old is rated very highly and has been described as the ‘Championship version of Declan Rice’ due to his level of performance and style of play.

The number of potential midfield additions also hint at two things; Spurs are unlikely to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich following his loan spell last season, and that there could be other exits in that area of the pitch.

It has already been confirmed that Lucas Bergvall is keen to explore a move away this summer ahead of expected limited minutes next season, while Pape Matar Sarr could be another player who suffers with De Zerbi’s preference for experience as he looks to drive Spurs back up the Premier League standings.

The extended 2026 World Cup with 48 teams in total equates to more opportunities to progress to the knockout stages, which ensures that we can expect more drama than ever before.

Previously, from 1998-2002, only the top teams from each of the eight groups progressed into the Round of 16, but qualification via the third-place position has returned to the tournament for the first time since 1994.

Some teams confirmed their place in the knockouts by virtue of winning two matches — with six points being enough to assure automatic qualification. Yet, it may not ensure that a country will top their group and enjoy a potentially more favourable draw in the next stage.

Here’s the full breakdown of the current third-place situation.

World Cup 2026 Third-Place Table

REUTERS/Paul Childs

Whilst the 12 groups will be the main viewpoint for fans during the World Cup, the third-place table also plays a significant part, as eight teams will qualify through this amplified pathway.

Very little will separate the final standings, but the general rule of thumb is that you have to win at least one game to put yourself in contention.

Reaching four points will guarantee you a place in the top eight — ensuring that a team likely beats the weakest in the group and produces another result against either of the top two sides.

Due to the bracket showing potential routes, it can lead to situations arising where it would be better for certain teams to avoid winning in their final game to ensure they have an easier route in the next round, which is certainly a difficult opportunity to navigate.

Round of 32 Bracket For Third-Place Teams

With the final round of games still yet to be completed, this current list is subject to change. Even teams with three completed games will have to wait for results elsewhere as the complex tapestry of the new format unveils.

However, this is the bracket as it stands — top to bottom of the full draw.

*Group Stage completed.

World Cup on GIVEMESPORT

Fired WWE Superstar Braun Strowman has fired back at Cody Rhodes‘ glowing words when talking about the leadership of Paul ‘Triple H‘ Levesque as the company’s Chief Content Officer.

Levesque H has been in the role since 2022 and has seen plenty of highs and lows in that time. Fans were originally delighted with the direction in which he took the company. However, a growing percentage feel like the product now isn’t what it once was.

Reigning Cody Rhodes is certainly under the impression that Triple H is doing a great job, especially when considering the mammoth task of constantly improving the product. However, it seems like not everybody agrees.

Cody Rhodes Praises Triple H

Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, Rhodes praised Triple H’s work and spoke confidently about the future of the company’s creative process.

“If you want a job in the wrestling space, nobody has a harder job than Triple H right now. There’s never been a booker in the history of the business who has been beloved and revered the entire time. Nobody has a harder job, and no one can do that job better than he can do it,” he said.

In addition to this, he also commended Levesque’s ability to work with others, acting like a head coach to the company’s stacked talent roster.

Rhodes insisted: “He’s the head coach of this team… One thing he’s big on is, ‘What do you think? What’s your gut tell you?’ That’s one of the greatest gifts to be asked that when you have the experience.”

Braun Strowman’s Brutal Reply to Cody Rhodes

However, former WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman took to social media to dispute Rhodes’ take. ‘The Monster Among Monsters’ was released by WWE back in May 2025, after spending more than a decade with the company across various stints

Strowman won such accolades as the Greatest Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank, before his career then peaked when he captured the Universal title at WrestleMania 36, beating Goldberg.

Ironically, he was also cut in 2021, but was brought back a year later by Triple H as part of the fresh creative regime. After a few more years, they once again parted ways as injuries started to curtail Strowman’s performances.

One of the major reasons given for his release last year was that creative didn’t have any plans for him in the main event scene.

The topic of WWE’s apparent decline has been a growing topic of conversation over the last year, with viewership, ticket sales and social numbers all reportedly declining.

After hearing Rhodes praise Triple H, Strowman took to Twitter/X to dispute his claims with a four-word response:

“Ratings say otherwise lol!”

Strowman hasn’t wrestled since his WWE release and, given the way he has taken shots at the company on social media, it would be a surprise to see him return to the promotion any time soon.