Erling Haaland has given an interesting response to the delay before Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty in France’s clash with Morocco at the World Cup.

Mbappe had a golden opportunity to put his nation one-nil ahead in the first half of Les Bleus’ quarter-final clash against the Atlas Lions. He went down in the box after a challenge from Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui.

Argentine referee Facundo Tello pointed to the spot, but VAR took over three minutes to review the decision. Eventually, the Real Madrid star stepped up but saw his penalty saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Haaland Hits Out at Mbappe Penalty Delay

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Mbappe argued with Tello when the teams headed for the first hydration break, clearly frustrated over how long VAR took to proceed with the spot-kick. His failure to score meant that Didier Deschamps’ side headed in at half-time at 0-0.

Haaland posted a snap of himself watching the game on a television at his team hotel. He captioned the now-deleted post on his Snapchat: “Need to wait 5 min to take a penalty is way too long.”

It’s thought that Mbappe was made to wait for three minutes and 12 seconds while VAR decided whether Tello was right. The delay appeared to put the Madrid man off, as he lacked his usual confidence when stepping up to hit the ball tamely.

Mbappe put his miss behind him in the second half, scoring a superb goal to open the scoring. He cut inside before firing a fierce effort past Bono and into the top corner.

FIFA Questioned Over France vs Morocco Officials

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There had been plenty of debate heading into the game after FIFA appointed an all-Argentine team of officials, including those in the VAR room. France and Argentina have been rivals since the 2022 World Cup final, which saw Mbappe and Co lose on penalties.

It was the first time that all members of an officiating team had been put in charge of a game at this World Cup. Deschamps downplayed its significance ahead of the game and insisted his team’s focus is on their own performance.

The standard of refereeing during the tournament has come under heavy criticism amid several high-profile decisions. Egypt have accused FIFA of “rigging” the competition to ensure Argentina and Lionel Messi stay as long as possible.

The Egyptians suffered a 3-2 loss to the defending world champions in the Round of 16. They were infuriated after a goal was ruled out for a similar challenge that went unpunished in the build-up to Enzo Fernandez’s winner.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to make a new forward their priority after completing six deals already this summer, and a bid has gone in for a surprise name.

Spurs have already brought in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, and Sandro Tonali, and have now been heavily linked with a move for Bournemouth star Eli Junior Kroupi to strengthen their attack.

But with the Cherries still adamant that the young French forward is not for sale, despite talk of an £85m bid being lined up, Spurs have now turned their attention to a familiar face to fill the spot.

Tottenham Table Bid for Kolo Muani Return

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According to a report by TuttoSport, Kolo Muani’s time at Paris Saint-Germain is over, and he is being offered out to a number of clubs, including Juventus.

However, the France international is understood to have a number of offers on the table, including one from Tottenham, where he spent the 2025/26 season on a season-long loan.

Kolo Muani, who has been described as ‘exceptional’, had a difficult campaign in England, registering just five goals in 41 appearances for the club. His loan expired without a buy option being triggered, but it has now emerged that the north London side are back in the race.

Roberto De Zerbi is understood to be happy with the move, and a return hasn’t been ruled out, while there is also interest from former club Eintracht Frankfurt, and Premier League rivals Aston Villa for his signature.

Juventus remain the frontrunners to get a deal done, with PSG open to another season-long loan deal with a €40m (£34m) obligation to buy, but their financial situation means talks have stalled and others have been given the opportunity to step in.

Tottenham Crazy To Go Back for Kolo Muani

Kolo Muani has had a stellar reputation for much of his career because of his talent as a youngster, but he’s now 27 and it’s clear that he isn’t good enough for the highest level.

Spurs want to get to that level again, and bringing him back into the squad would be a backwards step in the wrong direction, and it would be a mistake after all the progress that has been made this summer.

If Kroupi isn’t available, then there are other strikers available on the market who would improve the team, and they should look at them instead, rather than wasting money onsomeone who has already proven to be not of the required standard.

Arsenal are said to have a player who is ready to sign if they want to do the deal. The Gunners are hoping to upgrade some key areas this summer, but they are taking a careful approach, well aware that only clear upgrades will do at this stage of their evolution.

Mikel Arteta’s men are coming off the back of a Premier League title win and a Champions League final berth, so Arteta and Andrea Berta must be careful not to disrupt the nucleus of an already successful squad.

But while Arsenal are searching for a left-winger and a new dynamic midfielder in terms of starters, they know they will likely have to replace some of their squad players, with Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and perhaps others likely to be offered the opportunity to become starters elsewhere.

Arsenal have a depth signing ready to go

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According to David Ornstein, Arsenal have the chance to sign Club Brugge star Christos Tzolis, who is a productive left-winger. Ornstein said on The Athletic FC podcast: “I think they want to add real quality to what they’ve already got, and definitely that will come in the attacking third of the pitch.

“Clearly, that left-sided attack is an area of great focus, and you know, we’ve reported that Christos Tzolis at Club Brugge is a player that they’ve they’ve held some conversations about. It feels like that one’s there to be done if and when Arsenal want to do it, and so if somebody like Tzolis comes in, I don’t think that would be the sort of main first choice, I think that would be to add depth and quality.”

Tzolis could be a Trossard replacement

Tzolis has scored 17 and assisted 18 in 54 league appearances for Club Brugge, while he also scored a hugely impressing 22 goals in 30 2.Bundesliga appearances during his time with Dusseldorf. The winger has been described as ‘deadly’, but he is not the top-tier winger Arsenal are looking for. He could, however, slot into Trossard’s role, with the winger likely to leave this summer despite having had an excellent season of last.

The Belgian wants to be a starter, and he will get that opportunity at a number of top clubs elsewhere. But he will still need to be replaced, and Tzolis could be a candidate. Speaking earlier this summer about his future amid links with Man Utd, he told DAZN: “I don’t know. It depends on Club Brugge. It’s not up to me to decide. We’ll see what the best option is for me. It’s not just about the name. We also have to ask ourselves what the best project is.

“Why not stay at Club Brugge? I have a contract until 2029. I’m a professional. I have to respect my team. The team that pays me. I’m here to celebrate. Then we’ll see about my future. It’s still early. Today, I have to celebrate. I have a vacation.”