Tottenham appear to be in the market for good quality, sensible free transfers this summer.

Deals are agreed in principle for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi to arrive at the club, following the end of their contracts at Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively.

Spurs have also been linked with moves to sign John Stones, following his release from Manchester City, and Harry Wilson, who is leaving Fulham at the end of his contract at Craven Cottage.

All four, should Tottenham complete deals, would be impressive deals for Roberto De Zerbi and would give him the strength in depth he is looking for in his Spurs team ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Free transfers would allow Spurs to spend in other areas of the pitch

Even if it is only the first two, or three of the four that come in, it would represent good business from a club that has so often been derided for its work in the transfer market in recent seasons.

Signing players out of contract would allow Tottenham to spend big on other players, spreading the overall cost of improving the squad in the summer transfer window somewhat.

And there is another free transfer that Spurs should definitely be looking at – Dusan Vlahovic – and it appears as though they are after reports they are in talks with the Serbian’s representatives.

It was revealed on Wednesday that there would be no agreement between the ‘world-class’ striker and Juventus over a new deal to remain at the Allianz Stadium, meaning he is out of contract this summer.

Tottenham are likely to be in the market for a new No.9 this summer, with question marks over the futures of both Richarlison – who was Spurs’ top scorer in the 2025/26 season – and Dominic Solanke.

GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs said last month: “Richarlison has had an excellent season, but is drawing interest from Saudi Arabia, and Dom Solanke even has some formative interest too, and regardless of what happens with either of them, I expect Tottenham to attack the market for a No.9, and a new winger is possible too.”

Vlahovic has spent the last four-and-a-half seasons with Juve, after signing in a £66.6million deal from Fiorentina in the January transfer window of the 2021/22 season.

The big Serbian is only 26 years old and entering his prime as a striker and his profile would surely fit the Premier League. Upon signing for Juventus, a BBC analysis described him as being “strong in the air, skilful on the ground”.

Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri said after signing him: “He is a young boy, with little international experience, who however has quality, wants and can improve, and has plenty of time to do it. He has an absolute nastiness. Juventus made an important purchase. In the world, he, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland are the strongest of their generation.”

High praise indeed from someone who has been around the football block.

Vlahovic has the stats to back up his price tag if you dive deep enough

On the face of it, Vlahovic’s numbers do not stand out as exceptional. He notched 10 goals this season and provided a further two assists. But delve a little deeper and you find that these goals and assists came from just 23 appearances, so he averaged a goal contribution better than every other game.

Delve even deeper and you see that he only played 1,162 minutes of football. That means he actually averaged a goal contribution very 96.8 minutes on the pitch – not bad at all.

It was a reasonably similar story last season when he netted 17 goals and gave five assists to teammates in 44 matches. He was on the pitch for 2,696 minutes that season, meaning he averaged a goal contribution every 122.5 minutes on the pitch.

He has had his injuries and he has had his problems at Juventus, but when he plays, he has an impact where you want him to most.

Tottenham need a striker and while he may not be one that you can rely on to play every single game, a profile of his in squad rotation could be perfect for De Zerbi and on a free transfer, it’s a no-brainer.

FIFA have announced an unexpected change to the pre-match ceremony that will impact every game at the 2026 World Cup.

This summer’s showpiece tournament gets underway on June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Joint-hosts Mexico will face South Africa in a repeat of the fixture that kickstarted the 2010 World Cup finals.

Both sets of players walk out of the tunnel behind the match officials, hand in hand with mascots, before standing in line as the two national anthems are played. That’s been the pre-match routine in recent World Cups and top-level matches for years now.

However, with less than a week to go before the 2026 World Cup gets underway, FIFA have announced a huge change to proceedings.

Pre-Match Ceremony For 2026 World Cup Matches Announced

A new ‘360-degree’ ceremony has been confirmed, with the intention of ‘engaging every fan in the stadium’. Two huge curve country flag banners will be displayed at opposite ends of the pitch, while the two sets of players (plus the substitutes) will congregate around the centre circle for the national anthems.

In a statement, FIFA announced: “FIFA has unveiled a bold new vision for pre-match ceremonies at the FIFA World Cup 2026, designed to deepen the connection between players and fans while elevating a moment already rich with anticipation.

“Developed with fans and teams at its heart and guided by tracks from the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album, the new pre-match ceremony introduces an immersive, 360-degree concept that transforms the stadium into a shared stage. No matter where supporters are seated, each will have a distinct and engaging perspective, with extra-large country flag banners and on-pitch elements carefully positioned to involve the crowd in an authentic and meaningful way.

“Accompanied by youth programme escorts, players will enter the pitch from the side closest to their tunnel through a dedicated arch. The pre-match ceremony will feature a range of additional visual elements, including a central banner in the centre circle, handheld country flags and iconic FIFA branding across the pitch.

“Every player selected in the matchday squad will step into the spotlight to gather around the centre circle banner for the national anthems, ensuring that every individual – not just the starting XI – experiences that symbolic moment of pride and emotion when representing their country on football’s greatest stage.”

Once the national anthems have been completed, the two sets of players will then shake hands and pose for team photos of the starting line-ups. The captains will proceed to the coin toss before the match eventually kicks off.

FIFA also confirmed: “Later in the tournament, the pre-match ceremony will incorporate additional elements such as coloured smoke or pyrotechnics. Furthermore, the youth programme and players’ tunnel will feature both traditional and new integrations of FIFA’s Commercial Partners, thanks to the involvement of adidas, Coca-Cola, Kia, Mengniu, Qatar Airways and Quaker.”

FIFA experimented with introducing every player individually at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, but that process ended up delaying the kick-off of various matches. Instead, FIFA have found another way to change the pre-match ceremony process. It’s currently unclear whether this will be a permanent or temporary change.

Gianni Infantino Releases Separate Statement

In a separate statement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “As the FIFA World Cup grows, we continue to innovate the way the game is experienced. The pre-match ceremonies at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be no different.

“Having all players and referees face each other in the centre circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that truly belongs to the teams and to everyone in the stadium.

“In addition, we will have a redesigned 360-degree ceremony which engages every fan in the stadium, including country flag banners and on-pitch elements oriented to create a unique, immersive experience from every seat as well as new visual elements – from player entry arches to handheld flags – poised to heighten the sense of anticipation, with enhanced features for selected matches.

“The FIFA World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects that.”

It’s fair to say the reaction from fans on social media hasn’t been particularly positive. Indeed, Infantino’s Instagram post has the comments turned off.

This is the second last-minute change FIFA have announced this week, following the controversial decision to deny fans the chance to bring their own water bottles into stadiums, despite the fact temperatures at many games are expected to be high.

Manchester United may have received a boost in their pursuit of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, with Manchester City now eyeing an alternative, according to Fabrizio Romano.

It’s no secret that Manchester United are in the market for multiple midfielders this summer as they look to rebuild in the middle of the park.

The Red Devils need to replace Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, while they could also look to add more depth due to the extra fixtures they’ll be playing next season.

Forest midfielder Anderson is reportedly one of their targets, but battling with Man City for his signature is never going to be easy.

It remains to be seen who is going to win the race, but United may have received a small boost in their pursuit.

Man City Eyeing Anderson Alternative

According to a report from Romano, Manchester City remain in talks to sign Anderson after their opening bid was rejected by Nottingham Forest.

The respected journalist claims that Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is now emerging as a strong option for City in case they can’t get the deal done.

Forest are understandably playing hardball, looking to receive a huge fee to allow Anderson to depart, with Romano claiming a deal could cost more than £100m.

Man Utd Receive Boost

Manchester City eyeing an alternative to Anderson could be a huge boost for United.

It’s rare for City to move on to alternative targets and instead go all out for the player they want, as they are not afraid to splash the cash if needed.

It could be a play from City to try to lower the asking price of Anderson, but either way, they are clearly looking at other options in case a deal doesn’t happen.

This could open the door for their Manchester rivals, and if United are willing to pay the fee required to secure the signature of Anderson, then it could be an ideal time to make a move.