Lecce forward Lameck Banda collapsed on the pitch during the final minutes of their 2-1 defeat to Napoli in terrifying scenes.
The Serie A game was immediately halted after the 25-year-old winger fell to the turf late in the second half, with medics rushing on to attend to him.
After a few minutes, Banda was stretched off to a nearby ambulance, and the crowd at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona erupted in applause as reports confirmed he was conscious.
According to Sky Sports Italy, the Zambia international will now undergo further tests at the hospital, where he may remain as a precaution.
Lameck Banda Collapses During Serie A Match
Banda was named in Lecce’s starting XI for their clash against Napoli, who found themselves 1-0 down early on after Jamil Siebert’s opener in the third minute.
The defending Serie A champions managed to turn it around in the second half thanks to goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Matteo Politano.
As Lecce prepared to take a free-kick in a dangerous position while chasing a late leveller, play was immediately halted as players and staff rushed to the scene after noticing Banda had fallen to the turf.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte spotted that Banda was initially struggling to breathe and immediately alerted the Lecce medical staff.
According to DAZN Italia, Banda sustained a knock to the chest around 40 seconds before he collapsed, but the winger never appeared to lose consciousness.
Tottenham Hotspur kept their heads above the Premier League relegation zone with a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Sunday, which may have relieved any immediate pressure on caretaker manager Igor Tudor.
GIVEMESPORT sources revealed heading into the weekend that Tudor had alienated ‘several’ players during his short reign at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, and that the club were considering alternative options.
Many would have been expecting Tudor to make it five losses from five matches at Anfield, especially without first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, but instead his team showed good fight to take a point against Arne Slot’s men, with Richarlison scoring the late equaliser for the visitors.
With West Ham United and Nottingham Forest also drawing, it left Spurs one point above the bottom three ahead of their huge clash with Forest in the capital next Sunday.
The Italian has been out of work since leaving Marseille just before Thomas Frank was sacked by Spurs last month, and is yet to take on another role.
According to Romano, Tottenham would ‘love’ to hire De Zerbi but there are issues around that plan to appoint him – right now at least.
Both Romano and GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent confirmed on Sunday that De Zerbi is currently ready to wait until the summer before making his next move, knowing he has interest from multiple clubs.
Despite the positive result on Sunday, Tudor could still leave Spurs this month, according to GMS sources, with the club actively assessing both caretaker options and whether a permanent appointment could be brought forward.
Lewis Family Must do Everything to Get De Zerbi
Whether it is getting him now or agreeing a deal ahead of the summer, the Lewis Family need to step up and give the ‘world-class’ De Zerbi an offer he can’t afford to refuse.
De Zerbi has been linked with the role at Manchester United, but Michael Carrick is putting himself in a good position to get the job on a permanent basis given how well he is performing in a caretaker role.
It remains unclear if the Liverpool or Manchester City jobs will become available or not in the coming months, but beyond those the Tottenham vacancy could be a strong one for De Zerbi, described as ‘one of the best managers in the world’ by Arne Slot, if he wants to return to the Premier League.
While the romantic option for the fans would be to have Mauricio Pochettino back at the club next season, and he is one of their main targets, this is a club in crisis and the next manager needs as much time as possible at the end of the season to make an impact.
Tottenham won’t get that with Pochettino, who is unlikely to be available until July at the very earliest given the dates of the World Cup, and USA’s potential success at their home tournament.
Tottenham officials haven’t got a lot right in the last months, but if they want to preserve their Premier League status now or boost their Premier League hopes next season – assuming they do stay up – then De Zerbi is an appointment they must seriously push for.
Manchester City and Manchester United could be in the market for similar players if they both qualify for Champions League football as expected, and one man on both of their shortlists is Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.
Anderson is one player who is likely to be a target for a host of Premier League clubs after an impressive spell with Nottingham Forest.
If the Midlands outfit suffers relegation down to the Championship, the race will heat up even more, as Vitor Pereira’s side will find it incredibly difficult to keep him at the City Ground.
The English midfielder, described as ‘world-class’, is likely to feature heavily at the World Cup this summer, and if he impresses at the tournament, the hype around him could go through the roof.
Unfortunately for them, Man City are the frontrunners, with Pep Guardiola’s side likely to be able to offer higher wages.
United are doubtful that they are going to be able to compete with the salary City are likely to offer, meaning they are behind in the race to secure his signature this summer.
The Red Devils have alternative options on their shortlist, but reports have suggested that Anderson is their top target, so it’s a crucial blow if they are beaten to him by their Manchester rivals.
United need to bring in multiple midfielders in the summer transfer window, with Casemiro confirming he’s going to be leaving the club, so missing out on Anderson would be a blow.
The former Newcastle United midfielder would be the marquee midfield addition they need, and losing out to their Manchester rivals would rub more salt in the wound.
Regardless, United need two more bodies through the door in the middle of the park, potentially a marquee addition and a lower-cost midfielder alongside that.
The report from Luckhurst does claim that United want to sign two midfielders in the summer, so it will be interesting to see who they turn to.
Would Anderson be More Suited to Man City or Man Utd?
GIVEMESPORT asked ChatGPT whether Anderson would be more suited to joining Man Utd or Man City in the summer.
Elliot Anderson is an energetic, ball-carrying midfielder who thrives attacking space, driving through pressure, and linking transitions.
At Manchester United, his verticality, counter-attacking instincts, and willingness to shoot suit a faster, less-structured attacking model.
He can operate as an advanced No. 8 or hybrid winger, roles United frequently rotate.
Manchester City demand extreme positional discipline, slower tempo control, and intricate short-passing automatisms.
Anderson’s risk-taking and direct dribbling are less aligned with City’s circulation-heavy midfield.
Conclusion: stylistically and developmentally, United is the cleaner fit.
Liverpool will be in the market for reinforcements in the summer transfer window after a disappointing season, and one of their targets is Newcastle United left-back Lewis Hall, according to Caught Offside.
The Reds are enduring a difficult period at the moment, winning just once in their previous four games, including a defeat against bottom of the Premier League Wolves and a draw against Tottenham on Sunday.
Liverpool spent significantly last summer, bringing in big-money additions such as Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz, but it’s not quite clicked for Arne Slot’s side as they sit outside the top four.
Liverpool Eyeing Newcastle Star
According to a report from Caught Offside, a number of Premier League clubs are showing an interest in Newcastle left-back Hall ahead of the summer transfer window.
Newcastle are now preparing a new contract for Hall, despite his current deal running until 2029, and are set to offer a significant pay rise to try to convince him to put pen to paper.
A move in the summer does appear unlikely, but Newcastle did seem adamant that Isak wasn’t going to leave the club before he made the switch to Anfield last year.
Premier League – Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – December 13, 2025 Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez in action REUTERS/Phil Noble
If Liverpool are able to secure the signature of Hall, he would be an upgrade on Kerkez, particularly in the long term.
Hall is already one of the best left-backs in the Premier League and could even be starting for England at the World Cup, despite being just 21 years old.
Hall, described as ‘tremendous’, has performed exceptionally at Premier League and Champions League level, keeping Barcelona star Lamine Yamal quiet until he struck from the penalty spot late on.
Giving Kerkez someone of Hall’s ability to compete with could be what he needs to reach the next level, while Liverpool will need a new left-back due to Andy Robertson’s contract expiring in the summer.
Is Hall Good Enough for Liverpool?
GIVEMESPORT asked ChatGPT whether Hall was capable of making the step up to Liverpool.
Lewis Hall has the technical profile to fit a possession-dominant side: clean first touch, progressive passing, and comfort drifting into midfield lanes.
His tactical education at Chelsea and current development at Newcastle United suggest he understands structured build-up and pressing schemes.
Physically, he’s mobile and agile rather than dominant; he would need strength gains for duels.
Defensive positioning remains his biggest refinement area.
At Liverpool’s intensity, he’d initially rotate but has long-term starter upside if development continues.
