Arsenal are ready to enter the race to beat Tottenham to one of Spurs’ top targets for the summer transfer window.

The Gunners might not have been expecting to be in a similar market to Tottenham in the summer transfer window after the difference between their two seasons.

Arsenal lifted the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final, while Spurs finished in 17th position in the top flight.

Despite that, Tottenham have been incredibly ambitious with their recruitment, already confirming five signings in the Summer Transfer window.

The North London club don’t appear to be finished there either, competing with the likes of Arsenal for some key additions over the next few weeks.

Players seem willing to sacrifice playing European football to join Tottenham, but it’ll be interesting to see if Spurs can beat Arsenal in a head-to-head race.

Arsenal in Race for Tottenham Target

According to a report from Football London, Tottenham are targeting a move to sign Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi in the summer transfer window.

It’s claimed that the 20-year-old could cost in the region of £80m after scoring 13 goals in the Premier League last season.

Kroupi is at the top of Tottenham’s shortlist, but they do face competition for his signature.

Tottenham will now have to face competition from the North London rivals Arsenal, alongside French outfit Paris Saint-Germain.

Bournemouth are reluctant to lose Kroupi this summer, hence why they’ve slapped an £80m asking price on his head.

Whether Spurs or Arsenal will be willing to pay that remains to be seen, but the former have certainly not been afraid to splash the cash this summer.

Kroupi Would be Smart Signing for Either Club

via Reuters

To score 13 Premier League goals and be Bournemouth’s top goal scorer when starting the season at the age of 19 is a phenomenal achievement for the Frenchman.

Kroupi averaged 0.7 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, which can’t be understated in his first campaign in England.

The now 20-year-old also scored 22 goals in 23 starts for Lorient at the age of 18, so he’s clearly a super talent.

Kroupi, described as world-class, would be a phenomenal signing for either Arsenal or Tottenham, as there’s no doubt he’s destined to reach lofty heights.

Who is more likely to sign him remains to be seen, but Arsenal do have Champions League football on their side.

Of the 26 England players called up for the World Cup there are 20 who were eligible to represent other countries. The Three Lions boast a diverse squad that features a multiracial and multicultural set of stars.

It’s a dream for any footballer to play for the country they were born in, but some who aren’t given that opportunity opt to wear another nation’s shirt. That eligibility is often due to their parents, who gave birth to many of Thomas Tuchel‘s men after moving to England.

The Republic of Ireland are often beaten to top talent by the English, and that’s the case for many playing at this year’s World Cup. Here, we look at the Englishmen who could have been participating at the tournament for another country.

Defenders

Andrew Boyers Via Reuters

There are six defenders who were eligible for other countries before choosing to play for England. Ezri Konsa had the choice of four nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, which Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe opted to represent.

The Aston Villa man could have played for the Congolese through his father. He also had the chance to star for Angola through his mother and could even have pulled on a Portugal shirt if he had claimed Portuguese citizenship through his Angolan roots.

Tuchel surprised many when he selected Jarrell Quansah in his World Cup squad. The former Liverpool man, now at Bayer Leverkusen, had been eligible to play for Scotland, Ghana and Barbados through his grandparents but opted to be a Three Lion.

Another surprise call-up, Djed Spence, is somewhat of a Tuchel favourite. The versatile Tottenham Hotspur full-back has a Jamaican mother and a Kenyan father, but he instead became the first Muslim player to represent England.

Nico O’Reilly is Tuchel’s undisputed starting left-back, and Jamaica had little chance of persuading him to snub his country of birth. The Manchester City youngster’s Jamaican heritage comes through his father.

Grenada and Dominica are minnows in the football world, and they’d have relished calling upon Reece James. The Chelsea captain’s Grenadian roots come through his father, while his mother is of Dominican descent.

Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Trevoh Chalobah could have represented the West African country. He’s only earned one cap for England, where he was raised, but a late call-up after Tino Livramento’s injury means he’s set to confirm his English allegiance.

Midfielders

Peter Cziborra via Reuters

Jude Bellingham is one of many Englishmen who could have turned out for the Republic of Ireland. The Real Madrid star’s grandparents were Irish, but he has already become a talisman for the Three Lions.

There is still a chance to see his younger brother, Jobe Bellingham, play for The Boys in Green. The brothers were also eligible to represent Kenya through their mother.

The Ghanaian FA approached Kobbie Mainoo in an attempt to get him to don the shirt of his parents’ birthplace. They failed to persuade the Manchester United midfielder, who was born and raised in Stockport and starred for England at Euro 2024.

Scotland similarly eyed Elliot Anderson during the soon-to-be Manchester City star’s rise. Steve Clarke even revealed in August 2023 that the Tartan Army had “an eye on” the Whitley Bay-born midfielder.

Anderson even represented the Scots from U16 to U21 but switched to England in 2024. He’s been a mainstay in Tuchel’s midfield since the German replaced Gareth Southgate.

Matthew Childs via Reuters

Most English fans know all about Declan Rice’s Irish roots because he even made three appearances for Ireland in friendlies. His decision to switch allegiance to England ignited a huge debate, but FIFA allowed the change because his senior outings hadn’t been competitive.

After making the call in February 2019, he wrote on X: “I consider myself to be of mixed nationality. I have equal respect for both England and Ireland, and therefore the national team I choose to represent is not a clear-cut, simple selection. Ultimately, it is a personal decision I have made with my heart and my head, based on what I believe is best for my future.”

Eberechi Eze had been eligible to play for Nigeria, and the African country had been hopeful during his youth. The Arsenal attacker, born in London, eventually opted to represent England and said, “It is a big opportunity for me; it is the highest level of football. I look at it with no regret at all.”

Attackers

Marty Jean-Louis/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

Every single member of Tuchel’s attack holds dual nationality, including Aston Villa pair Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, who could both have played for Jamaica. That was also the case for Marcus Rashford, whose family heritage also includes Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Rashford has been part of the England setup since debuting aged 18 back in 2016. Another Three Lion with Jamaican roots is Ivan Toney, who even turned the country down in 2022 to focus on firing Brentford to promotion.

Nigeria made a play to try and convince Noni Madueke to play for the Super Eagles during his time at PSV Eindhoven. The Arsenal winger committed to his country of birth and is starting at the ongoing World Cup.

Bukayo Saka also had the option to represent the African nation, but his heart was set on England. He’s become one of the best attacking talents this country has ever produced.

Both Scotland and the Republic of Ireland were snubbed by Anthony Gordon, who declared for the Three Lions ahead of Euro 2024. The Barcelona new boy dreamed of playing for his country where he grew up in Merseyside.

Hannah Mckay via Reuters

If Harry Kane’s grandparents had their way, England’s all-time top goalscorer may well be playing for the Irish. His father’s parents were born and bred in Ireland before emigrating to London, where the Bayern Munich superstar developed into one of the greatest players in the country’s history.

England’s last-16 World Cup clash with Mexico in Mexico City will go ahead at the originally scheduled time of 6pm, despite FIFA holding emergency talks about moving the kick-off time forward by six hours, and it’s now been revealed why the global football organisation ultimately opted against making the change.

The Three Lions secured their passage into this stage of the prestigious international tournament by downing DR Congo in the previous round. Late goals from Harry Kane prevented Thomas Tuchel’s side from suffering a devastating upset and set up a mouth-watering round of 16 tie against Mexico at the famous Azteca Stadium.

Tuchel’s squad flew to Mexico City on Friday afternoon and were met with uncertainty about their fixture in Central America once they arrived.

Reports emerged indicating that FIFA were considering changing the initially scheduled 6pm kick-off time, but these plans have been swiftly ditched for a multitude of reasons.

Why FIFA Wanted to Change England vs Mexico Kick-Off Time

As soon as England progressed into the round of 16, Three Lions fans rued the fact that they’d have to stay up until 1am on Monday morning to watch their team in what is set to be a blockbuster event in Mexico’s capital.

However, England supporters still at home were given a brief period of relief on this front, after it emerged that the game could be brought forward to a more comfortable time of 7pm BST.

After a significant spell of deliberation and emergency talks at FIFA, it was decided that this wasn’t the best course of action, and that the game will commence as planned.

This left fans wondering why FIFA had even considered this drastic logistical change so close to the event, and why it was ultimately abandoned.

According to the Athletic, while reports suggesting that weather was the driving factor for the considerations were somewhat accurate, the primary reason was actually related to fan safety. Four Mexico fans died during the celebrations following the country’s win over Ecuador in the previous round, and organisers were eager to avoid a repeat of this tragic event by bringing kick-off forward.

The idea was that a noon kick-off time would reduce the time supporters could drink in before the match, reducing the chance of crowd trouble between both sets of fans.

Potential thunderstorms were indeed another factor, but the potential for consequences in and around the Azteca was the predominant concern. The fact that talks over such a considerable logistical change reached the stage they did suggests that the concerns from organisers were indeed significant.

Why England vs Mexico Will Still Be Played at 6pm Local Time

Hannah Mckay via Reuters

Fans in England will be walking into work with a headache on Monday morning, as FIFA ditched their plans after emergency talks took place.

It’s understood that backlash from those directly involved on the performance side, as well as inconvenienced fans, is the main reason why FIFA ultimately ended up not making this kick-off time alteration.

Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre was particularly aggrieved by the proposed plans.

“It’s a kick in the stomach,” Aguirre told Mexican Radio station Grupo Formula. This changes everything. They informed me about it here, I don’t agree, FIFA calls the shots and we have to swallow garlic and water. Now we have to change our plans, nobody consulted me. Neither I nor my players like this change. I’m pissed off.”

England were also reportedly upset by the potential change, while potential backlash around moving Brazil’s match-up with Norway back an hour was also considered when coming to a verdict.

Ultimately, uprooting the entire logistical and security plan was too big an ask this close to the game. On top of this, Mexican journalist Alberto Lati has revealed that there is actually uncertainty regarding possible electrical storms, and this uncertainty meant such a change couldn’t be justified.