In the wake of a sports betting scandal currently impacting MLB, the league has announced that some of the most prominent sportsbooks in the United States are implementing changes to their baseball markets.
MLB announced Monday that some of the prominent U.S. sportsbooks will be introducing a maximum wager of $200 on bets focused on individual pitch outcomes. Those bets will also be prohibited from being included in parlay wagers.
This comes on the heels of the federal indictment which charged Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase for their involvement in a sports betting scheme. The two pitchers are alleged to have accepted payment related to individual pitch markets, specifically whether individual pitches would result in strikes or balls, as well as the velocity of those pitches.
According to the indictment, bettors won as much as $450,000 by wagering on the outcome of individual pitches in the scheme. But MLB is hoping to curb such manipulation by limiting the amount that can be wagered on those types of markets.
Clase and Ortiz are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy in connection to the scheme to rig individual pitches. Both could face north of 60 years in prison.
Per ESPN, DraftKings and FanDuel, the two largest sportsbooks in the United States, have agreed to abide by MLB’s request in order to ensure fairness.
Since sports betting was legalized in the United States, there have been multiple instances of corruption involving athletes across various leagues, including the NBA, college sports, and MLB, among others.
Tensions flared during the Detroit Tigers game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday, as Javier Baez was ejected from the contest after arguing a called third strike from home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi.
Baez was irate and needed to be restrained by his teammates before he eventually went into the clubhouse.
Baez, who is a utility player in Detroit, is expected to start at third base for Tuesday evening's game, despite having been in center field on Monday. And he'll be seeing plenty of Cuzzi at the hot corner throughout the game, as he'll be serving as the game's third base umpire.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch discussed the situation with reporters ahead of the game, and he comically compared it to parenting.
"It's like parenting," he said, via Cody Stavenhagen of . "I got to put them two in a corner and tell them they've got to sort it out and play nice."
Hinch seems to think the situation is pretty humorous, and hopefully Baez and Cuzzi can adopt that approach, otherwise they could be in for a pretty awkward run-in over at third base when Baez takes the field in the first inning.
Segundo lugar no Brasileirão e confirmado na fase de grupos da Libertadores 2024, o Grêmio projeta uma maior arrecadação na próxima temporada. Para encarar estes desafios, agora de proporções continentais, o Tricolor também irá aumentar o investimento em salários de seu elenco.
➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
Na atual temporada, o clube gaúcho gastou aproximadamente R$12 milhões por mês com seu elenco profissional. Em 2024, a folha salarial deve alcançar R$15 milhões. Investimento justificado pela necessidade de montar um time competitivo para brigar por títulos. No próximo ano, o Tricolor terá pela frente o Gauchão, a Libertadores, a Copa do Brasil e o Campeonato Brasileiro, chegar na fase de mata-mata da competição continental, e se classificar para ela em 2025 são as metas mínimas exigidas.
Para conseguir atingir o que foi proposto, o Grêmio contará com a premiação da Conmebol pela participação na fase de grupos na Libertadores, mais os aditivos por vitória. Em 2023, o pagamento foi de 3 milhões de dólares (R$15,7 milhões), mais 300 mil dólares (R$1,57 milhão) por vitória. Além disso, o clube também prevê uma redução de despesas com dispensas de atletas, como ocorreu no último ano, quando a diretoria apostou em uma reformulação do elenco.
– Estamos chegando com um grupo que deve ter alterações, mas nem tantas quanto este ano, quando praticamente se montou um time novo. Vamos ter uma folha que, pelo orçamento, é de aproximadamente R$2 milhões acima do que temos hoje. Ainda estamos arcando com atletas que emprestamos e pagamos parte do salário e isso consta na nossa folha se formos olhar os números friamente. Mas, isso vai diminuir bastante para o ano que vem. Com isso, conseguiremos chegar a R$14 milhões na nossa folha real do futebol – explicou Fabio Floriani, vice-presidente do Grêmio, em entrevista à Rádio Gaúcha, em novembro.
➡️ Pedro Geromel vai continuar no Grêmio?
A saída de Luis Suárez representa uma perda técnica no time e também de aspectos extracampo como: arrecadação com sócios, marketing e publicidade. Entretanto, abre um espaço para a aplicação destes valores em outras contratações, como de um centroavante para suprir a saída do “Pistolero”.
A busca por um novo camisa 9 é prioridade, e a diretoria gremista insiste por Rogelio Funes Mori, argentino naturalizado mexicano, que está atuando no Monterrey. Contudo, os Rayados recusaram a última oferta do Tricolor. Um goleiro experiente em competições sul-americanas, como Santos (Flamengo) ou Andrada (também do Monterrey), também é uma das urgências que demandará maior investimento, tanto para tirá-los de seus times como em questões salariais.
➡️ Fim da novela? Renato Gaúcho indica permanência no Grêmio para 2024
O primeiro ano da gestão Alberto Guerra foi encerrado com um déficit de R$65 milhões. Ainda houve uma suplementação (acréscimo no orçamento para um caso emergencial) de R$30 milhões, também aprovada pelo Conselho Deliberativo. Este déficit foi justificado pelo fato de o clube não ter alcançado o que imaginava arrecadar com vendas de jogadores e também por ter pagado mais do que o projetado em premiações para jogadores e comissão técnica, já que o clube alcançou o vice-campeonato brasileiro e foi semifinalista na Copa do Brasil.
Thiago Carpini está próximo de ser anunciado como novo treinador do São Paulo. O agente do jogador está no CT do clube, na Barra Funda, para conversar com a diretoria da equipe paulista e acertar os últimos detalhes da negociação. As informações foram divulgadas pelo ge e confirmadas pelo Lance!.
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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo
O Tricolor, que perdeu Dorival Júnior para a Seleção Brasileira, já havia entrevistado virtualmente o treinador, e comunicou que pagará a multa de R$ 1 milhão à equipe gaúcha.
No entanto, vale ressaltar que Carpini não era o plano A do São Paulo. O clube tentou as contratações de Vojvoda e Caixinha, do Fortaleza e Cuiabá, respectivamente, que negaram a investida. Pedro Martins, treinador do Al-Gharafa, também foi procurado, mas recusou a oferta.
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QUEM É THIAGO CARPINI?
Foi o responsável por dois dos trabalhos de maior destaque no futebol brasileiro em 2023: o Água Santa, vice-campeão do Paulistão, e o Juventude, vice-campeão da Série B em uma incrível campanha de recuperação.
Carpini é mais um técnico jovem: iniciou sua carreira em 2020, no comando do Guarani, clube do qual era auxiliar, e construiu sua carreira em equipes do interior paulista: depois do Bugre, comandou Oeste, Inter de Limeira e Ferroviária. Aprincipal característica de suas equipes está na organização defensiva, sempre com duas linhas de quatro jogadores.
Tottenham co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange appear to already be working on the club’s recruitment drive in unison, with Thomas Frank and the pair reportedly eyeing a new centre-back.
Spurs transfer plans amid Paratici and Lange appointments
Spurs announced on Wednesday that Paratici has returned to N17 as a sporting director, over two years after he was forced to resign amid his worldwide ban from football.
Paratici’s comeback to the club is a major boost for the Lilywhites, with the Italian’s extensive contact list and reputation as a fearsome negotiator already paying dividends at Tottenham in the past.
1. Cristian Romero
£42.5m
2. Dejan Kulusevski
£25.5m
3. Rodrigo Bentancur
£21.5m
4. Pedro Porro
£40m
5. Djed Spence
£20m
The 53-year-old worked as an advisor to Frank, CEO Vinai Venkatesham, Lange and ex-chairman Daniel Levy over the summer window, but Paratici will now take up an official full-time role once again as he spearheads the club’s transfer strategy.
He will work alongside Lange, who’s been promoted to the same role, though the pair have very different responsibilities.
Paratici is seen as the dealmaker, tasked with securing high-profile signings and using his influence to get transfers over the line, while Lange is described as the talent spotter who’ll work mostly on Tottenham’s date-driven recruitment plans, scouting and the academy (Sky Sports).
Amid reports Tottenham want to sign another centre-half in January to back up star duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, a report from CaughtOffside suggests that Paratici and Lange have identified an intriguing option.
Tottenham expected to move for Lazio defender Mario Gila
As per their information, that man is Lazio defender Mario Gila.
Mario Gila in action for Lazio.
Tottenham are seriously considering a January move for Gila, with the club emerging as a “serious candidate” to land the defender. His contract at Lazio runs until the summer of 2027, and while the Italians are not in a rush to sell, they value Gila at roughly £39-43 million.
It is claimed that Spurs aren’t afraid to meet this price, showing a willingness to pay, with Paratici and Lange expected to make an approach for Gila once the window reopens.
The 25-year-old, who was once a Real Madrid youth player, has attracted serious interest from other Premier League clubs, like Brighton and Bournemouth, who’ve both held talks with the player’s representatives this year.
However, Tottenham’s openness to meeting Lazio’s valuation could give them an edge.
Gila’s knack for ball progression, which Frank seriously desires from his backline, is apparently a key reason why Spurs are keen on the Spaniard.
It is also worth noting that Gila has already suggested he’s open to offers, expressing his commitment to Lazio last year but also refusing to rule out an exit in the near future.
Baseball fans rejoice! We have a full slate of MLB games to watch and bet on today, including several afternoon matchups.
The Colorado Rockie and Minnesota Twins will get things started off at 1:10 pm et and then the action will wrap up with tonight's late-night showdown between the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
In this article, I'm going to break down my pick for every single game. Let's dive into it.
Rockies vs. Twins Prediction and PickPick: Rockies +200
If there's a time to bet on the Rockies, it's when they're starting Austin Gomber, who has had a fantastic year despite having to pitch at Coors Field. He has a 3.38 ERA heading into this afternoon's showdown against the Twins. Minnesota is starting Pablo Lopez, who has a 5.45 ERA on the year. Now's our chance to take a shot on Colorado as an underdog.
Blue Jays vs. Brewers Prediction and PickPick: Blue Jays -104
The Brewers started the season with one of the hottest offenses in the Majors, but they've cooled down over their last 30 games, ranking 15th in OPS over that stretch. Now they have to take on one of the Blue Jays' best pitchers this year, Chris Bassitt (3.80 ERA). I'll back the Jays as slight road underdogs.
Astros vs. Giants Prediction and PickPick: Giants -118
Framber Valdez (3.53 ERA) gets the start for the Astros today which could work in favor of the Giants, who are eighth in the Majors in OPS against left-handed pitchers. Logan Webb has also been on fire this season with a 2.92 ERA. I'll take San Francisco at home.
Athletics vs. Padres Prediction and PickPick: Athletics +166
Hogan Harris has had three-straight fantastic starts for the Athletics. He has allowed just one earned runs in his last 15.0 innings pitched. I'm going to take a shot on the A's as underdogs against the Padres and let's see if Harris can keep his hot streak going.
Braves vs. Orioles Prediction and PickPick: Orioles -134
I have no desire to bet on the Atlanta Braves until Spencer Schellenbach proves he can pitch at this level. He has allowed nine earned runs in 9.2 innings pitched. He has a tough matchup in the Orioles today.
Nationals vs. Tigers Prediction and PickPick: Tigers -126
Reese Olson (3.43 ERA) has been too good this year to have a 1-7 record. It's time for him to get another notch in the win column. I'll take the Tigers against the sputtering Nationals offense.
Cubs vs. Rays Prediction and PickPick: Cubs -102
The Tampa Bay Rays have been the worst offense in baseball over the past 30 days, sporting a batting average of .214 and an OPS of .614. Their OPS numbers rank dead last in the Majors. The Cubs are the easy bet in this spot.
Marlins vs. Mets Prediction and PickPick: Mets -148
I think the Mets are better than their record indicates. Their offense has been solid of late, ranking 12th in OPS over the last 30 days. Let's back New York and hope the Mets get another solid start from David Peterson (3.09 ERA).
Guardians vs. Reds Prediction and PickPick: Reds -112
It's time to buy some stock in the Reds. After a slow start to their season, their offense has started to heat up, ranking 13th in OPS over the last 30 days. I'll back them as slight home favorites against a Guardians team that's due for some significant regression.
Phillies vs. Red Sox Prediction and PickPick: Phillies -126
I'm not interested in betting against the 46-20 Phillies with Cristopher Sanchez (2.71 ERA) on the mound. I'll back them as slight road favorites against the Red Sox.
Pirates vs. Cardinals Prediction and PickPick: Cardinals -172
The Cardinals offense is hot, ranking seventh in OPS in the last 30 days. With Sonny Gray (3.21 ERA) on the mound, they're a great bet as home favorites against the Pirates.
Yankees vs. Royals Prediction and PickPick: Yankees -156
The rich get richer as the best offense in baseball as added Cody Poteet to their rotation, who has a stellar 1.72 ERA through his first three starts, giving up just three earned runs in 15.2 innings pitched.
Angels vs. Diamondbacks Prediction and PickPick: Angels +122
I'm not going to bet on the Diamondbacks as favorites when they have Slade Cecconi on the mound. He's had a rough 2024 thus far, sporting a 1-4 record and a 5.66 ERA. I'll take Los Angeles as an underdog.
White Sox vs. Mariners Prediction and PickPick: White Sox +198
It may be a hot take, but I don't think the White Sox are deserving of being this big of underdogs against an overperforming Mariners team. They may have a 39-30 record, but Seattle's offense ranks just 20th in OPS over the last 30 days. I'm going to be bold and back the White Sox as underdogs in what I believe is a mispriced game.
Rangers vs. Dodgers Prediction and PickPick: Dodgers -184
The Rangers are a disaster right now. Their rotation isn't getting the job done, their bullpen is one of the worst in baseball, and now they're 26th in OPS in their last 30 days. The Dodgers may blow them out again tonight.
Everton have now gone three games without a win in the Premier League, but they have eight points after six matches and sit ninth in the standings.
The corresponding point from the 2024/25 campaign? The Toffees had four points on the board, having woefully lost four straight to kick off the term under Sean Dyche’s wing.
The draw against West Ham United on Monday night was probably a fair reflection of the fixture contested. The hosts started on the front foot and were well worth their money when Michael Keane rose and powered home from James Garner’s swept cross.
But Everton let the game get away with them, and United were playing with a new sense of iron about their will, having dismissed Graham Potter days before and replaced him with Nuno Espirito Santo.
Still, not everyone in blue covered themselves in glory. Beto toiled at number nine once again, but Jake O’Brien was also culpable for a poor performance at right-back.
Jake O'Brien raises questions
Everton signed O’Brien from Lyon for just over £16m in July 2024. Formerly of Crystal Palace’s academy system, the Republic of Ireland international had been hailed by journalist Zach Lowy as a “revelation in defence” for the French side, before completing his switch.
Last season, he struggled to break his way into the team before Moyes’ appointment, but thereafter, he played consistently from the outset at right-back, starting 17 times across the second half of the season.
So far this term, he has played every minute of the Hill Dickinson Stadium side’s Premier League campaign, though the recent draw to West Ham ended up shining a light on the need for a natural right-sided defender, one who can defend and attack with equal sharpness.
The Liverpool Echo handed the 6 foot 6 Toffee a 5/10 match rating after a performance that left plenty to be desired, while former Everton writer Adam Jones criticised the deployment, saying, “O’Brien at right-back just does not work in the long term.”
Minutes played
90′
Touches
61
Accurate passes
27/33 (82%)
Key passes
0
Possession lost
11x
Dribbles
0/0
Tackles
2
Clearances
7
Ground duels
3/6
Aerial duels
3/6
Dribbled past
2x
Errors made
1x
The Irishman is industrious and has been a shrewd signing for the Merseysiders, but it does beg the question as to why a high-level right-back was not signed this summer, with Ashley Young gone and Nathan Patterson unable to shake persistent injury problems.
Moreover, Everton have signed Jack Grealish on loan, and while the silky playmaker is flourishing on Merseyside, it has shifted Iliman Ndiaye out onto the right flank.
Everton's Iliman Ndiaye problem
When Everton welcomed Grealish to the pack, Moyes would have known that this would limit Ndiaye’s playing time from his favoured left flank.
Last season, the Senegalese winger was Everton’s most potent threat, finishing the campaign as their top scorer with 11 goals across all competitions.
Hailed by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp for his “dynamite” qualities on the ball, the 25-year-old also ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for successful take-ons and the top 8% for tackles won per 90, data courtesy of FBref.
Four of his Premier League goals with the Blues have been struck with his left foot, but Ndiaye is clearly more comfortable arcing into space to unleash with his right, having only featured twice as a right winger across the entirety of the 2024/25 season.
Could it be said that he is being wasted in this new role? It perhaps bears testament to Ndiaye’s remarkable skill that he has hardly fallen by the wayside in this new role, but the sense that he would be performing at a higher level in his previous role cannot be shaken at this moment.
Iliman Ndiaye for Everton
The player’s speed and athleticism lend themselves to joy across the frontline; and indeed, Ndiaye has played all around the park, though Moyes has been the principal architect of his new home in unfamiliar territory.
Grealish, too, operates at his best in a left-sided midfield zone, but Moyes will be aware that both of his mavericks can play in a centralised attacking position, and maybe that’s food for thought, especially if Tyler Dibling makes the necessary developments over the next few weeks and months and nails down a prominent role at Everton.
Attacking midfield
51
15 (5)
Centre-forward
49
10 (12)
Left winger
41
10 (1)
Right winger
14
3 (2)
But this does loop back to O’Brien. Is the hulking defender the option on the right side of the defence? Does he provide the requisite creative support?
Ndiaye’s defensive focus has been sharpened since joining Everton from Marseille for £15m just over one year ago. However, he in turn needs help from the full-back behind him.
Given that Beto and Thierno Barry are struggling at number nine right now, and Ndiaye is Everton’s deadliest goal threat, there’s a chance that Moyes opts to field him as a centre-forward at some stage. In any case, appeasing the star is crucial if the club hope to stay competitive.
Ndiaye might have received a bit of criticism in recent weeks, but he’s still been dangerous across the opening weeks of the campaign, scoring two goals and assisting another.
But if Grealish becomes a permanent fixture on Merseyside, and Ndiaye is told that he will play off the right with regularity, a few more tweaks might be needed in the transfer market to achieve the kind of balance that will propel Everton into the ascendancy.
He's now world-class: Everton sold bigger talent than Ndiaye for just £22m
Everton messed up getting rid of this former star who is now worth £30m more.
Needing to defend eight off the final over, Avesh nailed yorker after yorker to concede only six runs in the 20th over
Shashank Kishore19-Apr-20251:57
What could have RR done differently in their chase?
For the second game in a row, Rajasthan Royals (RR) stumbled in a seemingly straightforward chase, unable to score nine off the final over. In Jaipur on Saturday night, Avesh Khan’s ice-cool death bowling turned a cruise into chaos, as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) snatched victory from under RR’s nose.Up until 17 overs of their chase, RR seemed set to break their three-match losing streak. But with 25 needed off 18, Avesh got his execution dead right in a double-wicket over that went for just five. He first dismissed a well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal for 74 when he backed away to scythe a yorker-length delivery behind point. Then, four balls later, Riyan Parag’s attempt to play a cheeky scoop to a full ball that reversed in to strike his toe caught him plumb in front.RR went into panic mode, and stumbled at the finish line as LSG celebrated a jailbreak that didn’t seem possible.The last-over dramaFour nights ago in Delhi, RR failed to knock off the two runs they needed off the final ball. Here, they needed four. Shubham Dubey had just been dropped off the previous delivery by David Miller at long-on. This was his shot at redemption, but Avesh stuck his left arm out on his follow-through to stop a straight hit.But there was more to the final over than just those last two deliveries.
With RR needing eight off five, Shimron Hetmyer swung wildly to get a thick outside edge to third where Shardul Thakur fumbled to concede a second that wasn’t on. Thakur was immediately sent off to square leg because of the misfield. And guess what happened next?Hetmyer played a powerful flick to an attempted leg-stump yorker to a waiting Thakur at backward square-leg.Avesh then nailed a pin-point yorker off the fourth ball before the Miller drama and his own nifty effort off the final ball to seal an improbable win.The thrill before the spillThe spark came early, and it came young when Vaibhav Suryavanshi, all of 14 years and 23 days, strode out for his debut as the youngest player in IPL history when he was brought in as an Impact Player for their 181 chase. And the moment didn’t faze him one bit.Early impressions are that Suryavanshi is fearless. How else can you show that kind of audacity, where you make room and pummel your first ball in the IPL for six over cover? Thakur couldn’t believe it, clearly.Related
Pooran, Marsh getting out 'brought out Markram's best'
Avesh sticks to his guns to win a Russian roulette of yorkers
14-year old Suryavanshi kicks off IPL career with first-ball six
Surely that was a one-off. Maybe it was nervous tension. Nope. His second attempt, off just his third ball, was even more audacious. He cleared his front leg, exposing all three stumps, and bludgeoned a six down the ground off Avesh.Fifth ball, there was even more drama. Avesh thought he’d done enough by banging in a short ball that Suryavanshi top edged. Prince Yadav, running back from midwicket, ended up dropping it and Ravi Bishnoi parried the ball to the boundary.Rishabh Pant quickly brought on his trump card, Digvesh Rathi, hoping the youngster would swing at one blindly. Suryavanshi showed smarts in playing him out. But before long, he climbed into Rathi, muscling him for a six over deep midwicket an over after hitting Bishnoi straight down the ground.But on 34, Suryavanshi was deceived in flight by Aiden Markram, who was operating because the accomplished bowlers had been taken to the cleaners by Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who put on 85 off just 8.3 overs. He got one to turn sharply to beat a lunging Suryavanshi. His back foot was in the air, and Pant whipped the bails off.The Suryavanshi show was over, but not before he had left viewers asking for more.Jaiswal soon raised a half-century off just 31 balls – his fourth half-century in five innings – and seemed set to see the chase through. His picking of lengths against spin was impeccable, until one grave mistake gave LSG an opening they burst through.
Samad turns heroTheir bowlers may have given LSG the win, but Abdul Samad’s contribution – an unbeaten 10-ball 30 – was as important.LSG were 54 for 3 when Pant fell cheaply and Samad was held back for him to be able to maximise damage in the end overs along with Miller. This meant LSG summoned Ayush Badoni as their Impact Player to stabilise the innings, replacing Mitchell Marsh.The consequence of this move was that they couldn’t bring in Mayank Yadav, listed as one of the Impact Subs, even if they had him in their plans.Badoni repaid the faith, scoring 50 in 34, to repair the innings with Markram, who top-scored with 66. But it was truly Samad’s pyrotechnics in the end that lifted a floundering innings.Holding his shape and picking deliveries out of Sandeep Sharma’s hand, Samad picked his arc between deep squares and deep midwicket to pummel four sixes in a 27-run final over that gave LSG momentum.In terms of overall contribution, this was worth its weight in gold, one that combined with Avesh’s to strengthen LSG’s position in the top four – all with ten points.
Tottenham Hotspur officially confirmed that Daniel Levy was stepping down from his role as the chairman of the club last week, after more than 24 years at the helm.
The English supremo had not long finished, what turned out to be, his final transfer window running the show in North London, months after the club lifted the Europa League trophy.
Ange Postecoglou led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years by beating Manchester United in the final, but Levy still decided to move on from the manager because of the club’s poor form in the Premier League.
Thomas Frank was brought in from Brentford to replace the former Celtic boss. The Danish manager was then backed by Levy in the transfer market, with the signings of Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani, and Xavi Simons, in particular.
It is now a matter of wait and see to judge whether or not the former Tottenham chairman’s final signings in charge of the club were a success.
On paper, though, Simons appears to be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad, as his form in Germany suggests that he could make a big impact in the Premier League.
Why Xavi Simons is an exciting signing for Spurs
The Lilywhites reportedly splashed out a fee worth up to £51m to sign the Netherlands international from RB Leipzig to bolster Frank’s attacking midfield options after James Maddison sustained an ACL injury.
Simons has yet to make his debut for the club, having signed shortly before the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth last time out, and could make his bow against West Ham United on Saturday.
The Dutch playmaker is an exciting signing for Spurs because his form for Leipzig suggests that he can add a lot of creativity to Frank’s midfield, as shown in the graphic below.
These statistics show that Simons is an attacking midfielder who is incredibly effective at breaking down opposition defences to create high-quality chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.
Naturally, there will be a comparison made to Maddison because the Dutch star is essentially coming in to take his role as creator-in-chief whilst the England international nurses his way back from an ACL injury.
Appearances
25
31
xG
5.11
5.83
Goals
10
9
Big chances created
12
6
xA
5.98
5.91
Assists
7
7
Dribbles completed
1.3
1.1
As you can see in the table above, Simons delivered more goals and created twice as many ‘big chances’ at league level in comparison to the former Leicester and Norwich star in the 2024/25 campaign.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to be even more valuable to the team than Maddison if he can hit the ground running in England, but it is now down to him to adapt to the league and deliver on the pitch.
Whilst Simons, who has been signed for £51m, is a very exciting addition because of the attacking quality that he could provide, Levy may not want to be reminded that there is a player who left Spurs for nothing and is now worth even more than the Dutchman.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Tottenham had Noni Madueke in their youth set-up and failed to keep hold of him as a teenager, which was a blunder that the now former-Spurs chief may regret.
Why Noni Madueke left Tottenham Hotspur
The left-footed forward joined the club’s academy from Crystal Palace in 2014, at the age of 12, and spent four years in the youth ranks before his exit on a free transfer in 2018.
Noni Madueke
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2023, Madueke explained: “Tottenham was a great academy and they’ve got a great development plan. I’d been offered a scholarship agreement at Tottenham but I’d seen a lot of the boys – that were good as well – just kind of get lost in the system and I just didn’t want that for me.”
This is only an inference from these quotes, but it seems like the winger did not see a clear enough pathway to the first-team, despite Harry Kane’s emergence a few years prior, and that is down to Levy and the first-team management team for not making that clear enough.
The club were unable to convince Madueke that there was a pathway for him, which led to the talented forward’s exit in 2018 on a free transfer, signing for PSV in the Netherlands to continue his development.
He scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in 80 appearances in all competitions for PSV, per Transfermarkt, before his move to Chelsea in January 2023.
Madueke enjoyed similar success during his time at Stamford Bridge. The England international scored 20 goals and produced nine assists in 92 outings for the Blues, per Transfermarkt.
His form for Chelsea led to a move to Arsenal earlier this summer in a deal that could be worth up to £52m, £1m more than the deal that brought Simons to Spurs in the same transfer window.
October 2019
£520k
April 2020
£3.9m
October 2020
£5.2m
October 2021
£15.6m
September 2022
£13m
January 2023
£29m move to Chelsea
June 2023
£26m
October 2024
£30m
December 2024
£34.7m
July 2025
£52m move to Arsenal
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star’s value has soared exponentially since his move to PSV from Spurs on a free transfer in 2018.
Spurs had a howler, therefore, when Levy and the first-team management staff, led by Mauricio Pochettino at the time, failed to offer a clear enough pathway to convince him to continue his development at the club.
Madueke, who was described as a “maverick” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has gone on to become an England international and Premier League star who is now valued at more than £50m and slightly more than Tottenham’s star summer signing Xavi Simons.
Forget Bale and Son: Spurs "wonderkid" was Levy's best-ever signing
Tottenham Hotspur hit the jackpot on this star who was an even better Daniel Levy signing than Gareth Bale & Heung-min Son.
ByDan Emery Sep 8, 2025
Levy, when looking back at his long Spurs tenure, may regret that he was unable to convince, or unable to create an environment to convince, Madueke to stay at the club back in 2018, because of what he has gone on to achieve.