Sports
Tottenham’s Jamie Donley Impresses New Manager De Zerbi in Pre-Season
Tottenham’s pre-season is in full flow as they prepare for their first pre-season under Roberto De Zerbi.
It’s an opportunity for many players to try to impress the new manager, with fringe players looking to break into the manager’s thinking and young stars hoping to make it at senior level.
The pre-season fixtures are a great opportunity for De Zerbi to try new things, giving youngsters chances to impress and fringe players the opportunity to prove themselves.
That’s especially prevalent in the opening weeks of pre-season, when some players are given extra time off due to participating in the World Cup.
Spurs have just named a 35-man squad to head to New Zealand and Australia for some pre-season fixtures, and that squad includes a host of young talent.
Tottenham youngster impressing De Zerbi
One of the young players who is believed to have impressed De Zerbi so far is 21-year-old forward Jamie Donley.
According to reliable reporter Alasdair Gold, Donley has impressed De Zerbi and has looked really fit and sharp during training.
“Understand Jamie Donley has impressed Roberto De Zerbi so far in pre-season and there’s a very good chance that he’ll get off on the tour to New Zealand and Australia.
“I can see why – another player that I’ve followed over the years, interviewed over the years, got a lot of time for.
“He’s got a lot of ability, a bit of a wand of a left foot, and I can see why De Zerbi would like him because he can be an 8, he can be a 10, obviously De Zerbi being a former 10 himself.
“He’s very creative, apparently he’s looked really fit and sharp in training as well.”
It has now been confirmed that Donley is part of the Tottenham squad to head to New Zealand and Australia, which shows how much he’s impressed the manager so far.
Whether that will lead to the 21-year-old forward sticking around next season remains to be seen, but it looks as though he’s certainly giving himself a chance.
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A host of young players named in Tottenham squad
Donley certainly isn’t the only Tottenham youngster who has been given an opportunity to impress on their pre-season tour.
With it being a huge 35-man squad and Spurs still having injuries and players on international duty, there’s a real opportunity for many of the academy stars.
Among those are Damola Ajayi, Dane Scarlett, Luca Williams-Barnett and Mason Melia.
The full list can be seen below.
- Damola Ajayi
- Brandon Austin
- Lucas Bergvall
- Harry Byrne
- Kevin Danso
- Ben Davies
- Jamie Donley
- Martin Dubravka
- Mateus Fernandes
- Conor Gallagher
- Archie Gray
- Tye Hall
- Tyrese Hall
- Malachi Hardy
- Antonin Kinsky
- Rio Kyerematen
- James Maddison
- Mason Melia
- Mikey Moore
- Richarlison
- Andy Robertson
- Reiss Russell-Denny
- Dane Scarlett
- Dominic Solanke
- Manor Solomon
- Kota Takai
- Mathys Tel
- Dylan Thompson
- Tyler Tingey
- Sandro Tonali
- Destiny Udogie
- Micky van de Ven
- Jan Paul van Hecke
- Luca Williams-Barnett
- Yang Min-Hyeok
Olivia Buzaglo and Ben Jacobs are live with the latest edition of Market Madness, bringing you breaking transfer news, expert insight and all the biggest talking points from across football.
Luis Figo knows a thing or two about what it takes to win a Ballon d’Or. The Portuguese great lifted the award back in 2000 during his time at Real Madrid, and 26 years on, he’s been sharing his verdict on this year’s race.
With Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal both reaching the final of the 2026 World Cup, and Harry Kane netting a colossal 73 goals for club and country, plenty assumed the trio would feature prominently in any conversation about the game’s top individual prize. Figo, though, has gone in a different direction entirely.
He’s left them off his list of frontrunners and instead nominated four alternative names, while also sharing his thoughts on Jose Mourinho’s return to Los Blancos.
Rodri a Leading Contender After World Cup Glory
Manchester City’s Rodri sits top of Figo’s list. Speaking to Marca, the 53-year-old pointed to the midfielder’s Golden Ball-winning form at the World Cup as the deciding factor, saying:
“Rodri delivered a wonderful World Cup, and this may tip the scales in his favour in the Ballon d’Or race.”
Figo also addressed Real Madrid’s reported interest in the City man, adding: “I think completing the deal will be difficult because he is tied to a contract with Manchester City, but everyone knows that Real Madrid always seeks to sign the best players in the world.”
After taking home the Golden Boot, Kylian Mbappe also made the cut: “Mbappe too, thanks to what he delivered at the World Cup, should be among the candidates.”
PSG Duo Make Up the Figo’s Outsiders
Two PSG names rounded out Figo’s picks: Vitinha, one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or before the World Cup, and Desire Doue, both driven by their Champions League triumph rather than their summer across the Atlantic.
“I think Vitinha and Doue delivered a wonderful season, even if the World Cup was not the best for them, especially with the Portugal national team, but they deserve to be among the list of candidates.”
Figo was also full of praise for Spain’s tournament win, calling them the standout side throughout. “Spain were the best team, not only in the final, but throughout the tournament. They conceded only one goal, they were the most stable and played the best football, so their title was deserved,” he said.
Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu drew comment too, with Figo stressing the priority now facing his fellow-countryman. “I think the most important goal for Real Madrid now is to return to collecting titles after two seasons without trophies.”
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Jurgen Klopp is poised to be confirmed as Germany’s new head coach, bringing an end to weeks of speculation since Julian Nagelsmann’s departure following the World Cup Round of 32 exit on penalties to Paraguay.
It’s a first foray into international management for the 59-year-old, who left his post at Liverpool back in 2024 after nine years at Anfield, winning the club’s first Premier League title in 2020, and the Champions League the year before.
After taking a break from football altogether, he was appointed as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer and has been in the position since early 2025, but now appears to be the right time to step back into management with the country of his birth.
But while the appointment carries huge prestige for German football and Klopp himself, the financial details tell a very different story.
Jurgen Klopp’s Germany Salary Revealed
Klopp is reportedly set to sign a four-year deal that will see his contract end after the 2030 World Cup, earning around €7 million (£6 million) per year. It’s a figure that is, of course, an eye-watering amount in itself, and it also places him as one of the highest-paid international managers in world football.
But if you compare that to his final season at Liverpool, Klopp was pulling in £15 million annually, working out to over 50% more than his new salary. Even his role with Red Bull has been paying him more. Klopp reportedly has a salary between €10 million and €12 million, despite having no on-pitch involvement whatsoever.
Liverpool and the Premier League Dictate the Pay Scale
The gap isn’t about Klopp’s individual pedigree; it’s about football’s economics. Even a manager who’s won 13 major trophies takes a significant pay cut when he swaps club football for the international game.
Clubs like Liverpool generate matchday, broadcast, and commercial income that no federation can match, and salaries follow that money. Club managers are also in the dugout week in, week out, working with their squads daily across a league campaign, Champions League nights, and domestic cups.
International bosses see their players a handful of times a year, mostly in short camps before qualifiers or tournaments, and that reduced workload is reflected in the pay packet.
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All 10 found — excellent!
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