Tottenham Hotspur chiefs and Roberto De Zerbi disagree over the future of Luka Vuskovic following a third bid from Brighton and Hove Albion, according to former Spurs scout Mick Brown.

While Tottenham have been busy adding two new centre-backs to De Zerbi’s squad this summer in the form of Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, it has raised questions over the futures of others currently in the Spurs squad.

As things stand, the Italian coach has Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Senesi, Van Hecke and Vuskovic to pick from for two centre-back spots in his preferred formation.

You would expect that when the Van Hecke signing is confirmed and announced, that at least two of the aforementioned players could be leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Of those who were Tottenham players before the summer, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso seem the most likely to be staying, even if the former has been linked with a move to Liverpool from reports in his homeland this week.

Question marks have been raised over the future of captain Romero for months, while Dragusin has been linked with a move away too.

Spurs fans may have been hoping to see more of Vuskovic following a successful loan spell with Hamburg last term, but instead he is the subject of strong interest from Brighton.

De Zerbi and Tottenham Chiefs Disagree Over Vuskovic

via Reuters

Brighton have just launched a third bid worth £45m for the Croatia international, having already seen two offers rejected by Spurs in recent days.

A difference in opinion is emerging between Tottenham chiefs and their Italian manager too, with Brown telling Football Insider that the 46-year-old is willing to let Vuskovic leave the club this summer.

However, he adds that Spurs officials ideally want to keep the highly-rated 19-year-old unless they can land a huge fee for him, with one report suggesting they want £70m, and would prefer another loan move for the Croatian if he is to go.

Brown said: “It looks like De Zerbi is happy to let Vuskovic leave this summer.

“But Tottenham don’t necessarily think the same, they brought him in as a young player who could develop and then become key for them long-term, rather than immediately.

“So he’s still very highly thought of, he was impressive on loan at Hamburg last year, and from what I’ve heard, they would have been open to letting him go on loan again.”

De Zerbi Makes Vuskovic Stance Clear

via Reuters

De Zerbi hinted at his stance over younger players towards the end of the season when he favoured the likes of Joao Palhinha over Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who had played big roles in Tottenham’s campaign up to that point.

The additions of Senesi and Van Hecke one again suggest the Italian is ready to go with the experienced options as he looks to lead Spurs back up the Premier League standings, which ultimately means that minutes will be limited for someone like Vuskovic, despite his potential.

While a loan move would probably suit Tottenham and De Zerbi, the player is clearly pushing for a permanent move where he knows he will be playing regularly.

Now it’s up to Brighton to submit an offer that will make Spurs consider selling a player they rate so highly.

Despite being the gold standard of MMA promotions, the UFC has always been criticised for how much they pay their fighters. It’s why we have seen many figures look for boxing fights or other promotions, where they can earn much more.

However, the UFC is now in the Paramount era, and with the $7.7 billion deal signed, a lot was made about whether the fighters would also see a substantial increase to their pay.

While we haven’t seen the long-term affects of the move to Paramount, we now have the information regarding the fighter’s earnings so far this year. The earnings are the salaries from the fights they’ve had this calendar year, with bonuses also added on.

10

Carlos Ulberg

Total earnings: $1,582,000

Coming into 2026, Carlos Ulberg was riding the highs of beating both Jan Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes. At UFC 327, he took on Jiri Prochazka for the recently vacated UFC light heavyweight championship.

While he did end up claiming gold, it came in possibly the most bittersweet way. Just two minutes into his first shot at the title, he got into an awkward exchange with Prochazka, who ended up tearing his ACL in his right leg in the process.

Despite this, he continued fighting and took more damage, only this time it was to the uncompromised left leg. It seemed like the fight was only going one way; however, Ulberg, against the odds, landed a pitch-perfect left hook to drop Prochazka. He pounced on him with an onslaught of ground and pound before Marc Goddard stopped the fight.

One of the all-time great title wins, though, it seems like the 35-year-old will now be spending a while on the sidelines, and may never be the same again after suffering such a severe injury.

9

Sean O’Malley

Total earnings: $1,671,000

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Despite being out of the title picture for the early stages of 2026, Sean O’Malley‘s stardom is still very well reflected through his earnings. He has already fought twice this year, picking up wins over Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi.

Many analysts and fans may have doubted O’Malley, especially after those two defeats to Merab Dvalishvili. However, he’s proved that he is still one step ahead of the contenders, with two impressive displays. The finish against Zahabi certainly stood out, as the moment went viral due to the salute, and reminded all of his power.

O’Malley hadn’t managed a knockout win since 2023, when he defeated Aljamain Sterling to clinch UFC gold.

8

Jiri Prochazka

Total earnings: $1,832,000

Another half of UFC 327’s main event is on the list, though, this time it’s Prochazka, who suffered his third defeat in a UFC title fight.

After suffering a second loss to Alex Pereira, he reacted in the best way possible, picking up wins over Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. With Poatan’s move to heavyweight, it seemed like the stars would finally align for Prochazka.

He made a strong start to the first round, with his leg kicks slowly but surely damaging Ulberg’s left leg. After the ACL tear, he was in full control and was even pointing to the ground for them to exchange in the pocket.

Ulberg strayed away, and eventually caught him with a wonderful left-hook. Once again, Prochazka was finished early on, but this time in a fight that would have rewarded patience.

7

Diego Lopes

Total earnings: $2,032,000

It’s already been a very busy year for Diego Lopes. From suffering another defeat to Alexander Volkanovski, to reigniting his momentum with a win at the White House over Steve Garcia.

His activity has certainly been rewarded by the company, especially as he weighed in as the back-up fighter for UFC Freedom 250’s main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

Lopes will be eagerly anticipating the result of the likely match-up between Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. If the Russian can get it done, then Lopes’ dreams of becoming featherweight champion look much brighter.

6

Charles Oliveira

Total earnings: $2,282,000

After being brutally finished by Topuria just last year, Charles Oliveria has got his career back on track with back-to-back wins. He beat Mateusz Gamrot last year, and in 2026, got the better of Max Holloway.

He claimed the BMF title along the way, with his grappling completely neutralising Holloway. It wasn’t the most exciting fight, but it was enough to get the job done.

His performance in the main event, mixed with his popularity, has given him strong earnings, far exceeding Holloway’s. Oliveira is now calling for a rematch with Gaethje for the lightweight championship. He beat the American when they squared off in 2022.

5

Ilia Topuria

Total earnings: $2,500,000

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

El Matador’s return to the Octagon after almost a year out couldn’t have ended in a worse way. He suffered severe damage, and ultimately tasted defeat for the first time in his career.

Gaethje put on a show, and inflicted enough damage for the fight to be stopped in between rounds. Topuria did have his moments during the bout, especially the period in the second round where he was unloading shots to the body.

However, it wasn’t enough, and he is now out for the rest of the year due to the injuries sustained. Both his eyes were shut during the fight, and could have led to a doctor’s stoppage. He will need plenty of time to recover before returning to the cage.

4

Alexander Volkanovski

Total earnings: $2,692,000

It has been another strong year for Volkanovski, as he defended his featherweight strap for the first time since he was beaten by Topuria.

The Australian beat Lopes for the second time, proving that he’s still one of the best in the game even at 37 years old, and after facing the adversity of losses to Topuria and Islam Makhachev. It’s unclear when we will next see him in the Octagon, though, Evloev is the likely opponent.

3

Khamzat Chimaev

Total earnings: $3,092,000

Khamzat Chimaev is the first fighter on this list to break the $3 million barrier, and it’s no surprise after the hype going into his title fight against Sean Strickland.

Both fighters were going back-and-forth, overstepping the mark with trash talk about religion and family. It ultimately sold the fight to the millions and made it an eagerly anticipated affair.

In the end, Strickland picked up the win on the scorecards, as his boxing and relentless nature were all too much for Chimaev. He was coming off a tough weight cut, which was perhaps a reason for his struggles. Due to this, a move up to light heavyweight seems likely in the future.

2

Justin Gaethje

Total earnings: $5,817,000

As one of the most active fighters of the year, it was a given that Gaethje would be on this list. He dominated Paddy Pimblett in January before putting a beating on Topuria to capture the elusive undisputed UFC gold.

Against Topuria, he was rewarded with both the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses, which amounted to over $800,000. These earnings have almost become common place for him, having won 17 bonuses in 16 fights.

While he isn’t likely to return to the Octagon this year, both performances completely shocked the world, and now put him in a great position going forward.

1

Alex Pereira

Total earnings: $10,000,000

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Despite topping this list, Pereira has had a far from ideal year in the Octagon. He took on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title, a chance to further cement himself in the history books. A chance to become the first-ever three-weight world champion.

However, it didn’t go his way. From the off, Gane’s movement and mobility seemed far superior as he was bouncing in and out of the pocket, clipping Pereira with big shots along the way. He eventually dropped the Brazilian before landing a flurry of shots. The fight was soon stopped as the barrage of strikes proved too much.

A bitterly disappointing year for Poatan, especially when considering that he probably won’t be back in the Octagon this calendar year.

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are both looking to make significant changes to their squads this summer following disappointing seasons, with the former now targeting a move for FC Koln winger Said El Mala, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for the exciting German attacker in recent days, and now they have been joined by Liverpool in the race for the 19-year-old.

The Reds are determined to add to their frontline following the big exit of Mohamed Salah this summer, with a deal already completed to sign Victor Munoz from Osasuna out of nowhere.

It was a £34m transfer that shocked Newcastle United too, with the Magpies believing that they were about to sign the Spain international, before Liverpool’s late hijack.

The Merseyside outfit aren’t done there though, as Andoni Iraola looks to add more pace to a frontline that currently includes Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak, Rio Ngumoha, Federico Chiesa and Hugo Ekitike, although the Frenchman is likely to be unavailable until 2027 because of injury.

Liverpool have identified RB Leipzig wonderkid Yan Diomande as their top target to replace Salah, but they have other targets in mind in case they can’t land the Ivorian.

Liverpool Shortlist Tottenham Target Said El Mala

via Reuters

Liverpool are continuing to push for a deal to sign Yan Diomande, with confidence growing on the player side of negotiations that the teenager wants a move to Anfield, according to GMS sources.

However, the Reds still need to reach an agreement on a fee with Leipzig, who are determined to keep the Ivory Coast international.

They have already rejected a £87m bid from Liverpool for their winger, with Fabrizio Romano suggesting that a bid north of £100m could be considered.

However, Jacobs has confirmed that the Merseysiders have alternative targets in case they can’t find an agreement, including Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola and Koln’s Said El Mala.

Reports from Germany have suggested that Tottenham are set to make a concrete offer for the 19-year-old German, who has been described as having a ‘God-given talent’ by his manager.

Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh and Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo are the other names on the shortlist.

Liverpool Eyeing Double Midfielder Deal

REUTERS/Peter Powell

Liverpool are also looking at other areas of the pitch for new arrivals too, including in central midfield.

The Reds are expecting to lose Curtis Jones this summer, with the Englishman continuing to be linked with a move to Serie A, while doubts have been raised over the future of Alexis Mac Allister.

The Merseysiders are considering central midfield options as a result, with Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton a player they have big appreciation for, according to GMS sources.

Liverpool have also held meetings over a move for Morocco sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the 18-year-old exploding onto the world scene at the 2026 World Cup after racking up almost 100 senior appearances for Lille.