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HOW MATTEO GUENDOUZI’S MIDFIELD GRIT COULD ELEVATE SUNDERLAND’S PREMIER LEAGUE CAMPAIGN

Sunderland face a massive battle with Atletico Madrid for Matteo Guendouzi. Read the latest on the £26m bid and Le Bris's reunion.

How Matteo Guendouzi’s Midfield Grit Could Elevate Sunderland’s Premier League Campaign
Will Sunderland Lose Guendouzi to Atletico Madrid

Sunderland just can’t shake off the links to Matteo Guendouzi. Word is, they’re still chasing the Lazio midfielder this month, even as Atletico Madrid—yeah, that Atletico—sniffs around too.

Guendouzi’s name keeps coming up with Sunderland lately. There’s talk that Regis Le Bris wants to make a bold move for him in January, especially since Guendouzi’s future in Italy looks shaky. Plenty of reports across Europe say Lazio might have to cash in on him soon because of money troubles, and Sunderland’s name always seems to pop up as a possible destination. Le Bris actually worked with Guendouzi before at Lorient, so there’s some history there.

Last month, nobody seemed sure if Sunderland could actually pull this off. At one point, journalist Giulio Cardone told RadioSei (with Lazialità repeating it) that Sunderland put in a bid of around £21.5 million. But Cardone also made it clear—Guendouzi wants to play in Europe if he can. In his words: “Sunderland made a significant offer for Guendouzi, worth €25 million. The first person Sarri wants to veto is the Frenchman. Guendouzi would like to go to England right now, but not to Sunderland: he wants something more.”

So what’s happening now? Honestly, Guendouzi isn’t short on options. Fenerbahce, who are in the Europa League, have been linked to, and some reports even suggested a deal was close.

But now Il Messaggero says Sunderland might still have a shot. First off, Fenerbahce’s supposed deal isn’t as far along as people think. Plus, Guendouzi is apparently open to leaving Lazio. Sunderland gets a mention again as a possible landing spot for him, but they’d have to beat out some serious competition—Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray are both in the mix.

And about Atletico: intermediaries actually flew to Spain on Saturday to see if they could get something going. Lazio, for their part, want about £26 million if they’re going to let Guendouzi go. So, it’s still up in the air, but Sunderland hasn’t given up just yet.

BREAKING REPORT: CAPTAIN MICKY VAN DE VEN SLAMS "EXPOSED" TACTICS AFTER TUDOR’S DEBUT LOSS

North London is Red! Discover why Micky van de Ven believes Spurs' high-risk tactics failed against a clinical Arsenal side.

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Igor Tudor played a dangerous game, and Arsenal made him pay for it

Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven didn’t hold back after Spurs got hammered 4-1 at home by Arsenal. He admitted they took a big risk, and it blew up in their faces.

It was Igor Tudor’s first match in charge, but Spurs looked second best all afternoon. Arsenal showed why they’re top of the league, pulling five points clear by the end.

Eberechi Eze put Arsenal ahead just after the half-hour, but Spurs hit back almost instantly. Randal Kolo Muani pounced on a mistake from Declan Rice and levelled it up just 24 seconds later.

At halftime, it was still anyone’s game. Then Arsenal just took over. Viktor Gyokeres bagged a quick brace, with Eze adding another in between. Spurs couldn’t keep up.

After the match, Van de Ven didn’t sugarcoat it. He said Arsenal deserved the win. Spurs tried going man-to-man with their marking, hoping to press high, but it backfired. Kolo Muani lost track of Eze for the first goal, and Joao Palhinha got beaten to the ball by Gyokeres right after halftime.

“Arsenal was the better team,” Van de Ven said. “At 1-1, we were still in it, but once they scored right after halftime, it got really tough. We could have pressed better. We went high, but Arsenal just played through us. That’s something we have to fix. When you go man for man, if even one guy is late, you’re exposed. You win the ball high; you get chances, but if you miss, you’re wide open. That’s the risk.”

Spurs still haven’t won a league game in 2026 and now sit in 16th, only four points clear of the relegation zone.

Even so, Tudor says he believes they’ll stay up. He knows the job’s huge, but he’s not backing down.

“Yeah, I’m confident we’ll stay up,” Tudor said. “Tough game, bad result. They beat us, and we have to learn from it. We get back to work on Tuesday harder than before. We have to improve everything, every part of our football. There’s a lot to do.”

GLASNER RESPONDS: MANAGER DENIES DISRESPECTING FANS AFTER "GLASNER FINISHED" BANNERS APPEAR AT SELHURST

Oliver Glasner speaks out! Discover why Palace fans held "Finished" banners and how the manager responded after the Wolves win.

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Palace secure first home win since November amidst toxic fan protests

Oliver Glasner insists he didn’t disrespect Crystal Palace fans, even after they held up a banner that read "Fans disrespected – Glasner finished” during the 1-0 win over Wolves at Selhurst Park.

The supporters also unfurled another banner, “Opportunities missed, board inept", making it clear they were upset after Glasner told fans to “be humble” when some turned on him during Thursday’s Conference League match against Zrinjski Mostar.

“There were a few boos, and there was a banner. That’s fine. I’ll always speak my mind and say what I believe. I don’t think I ever disrespected anyone,” Glasner said. “People who know me know I’ve got huge respect for everyone; it doesn't matter who they are, what their job is, their background, or anything.”

He gets why the fans are disappointed. He’s frustrated, too. Maybe even more than anyone else, he says, because he’s so ambitious and never satisfied. Glasner admits he might have pushed the players too hard, and he’s willing to take criticism for it.

“That’s fine. What matters is the fans supported the team; they helped us win,” he said. “If they feel disrespected, I’m sorry. I never meant it that way. Maybe I used the wrong words. But I won’t stop saying what I think is right. I tell my own kids all the time: stay humble, and remember where you come from. If anyone felt disrespected, I’m truly sorry. That’s never my intention.”

Glasner also said he’s had clear-the-air talks with the club’s board and that both the hierarchy and the players still back him to lead until the end of the season.

“If the club thinks someone else would get better results, I wouldn’t stand in the way. "That's what I wanted to say,” he explained. “If the players think a different manager would help them do better, I won’t stand in the way. In the end, it’s up to the players. But when I spoke to them, they said they’ve had the best two years of their careers, and they still believe in what we’re doing.

“The club feels the same. If they’d said, ‘We’re not convinced,’ then maybe it’d be time for a change. But that’s not the case. The club believes, the players believe. And of course, I always believe in this team.”

Crystal Palace finally picked up a Premier League home win, a first since November, and there’s some much-needed positivity. But let’s be honest, the banners at Selhurst Park showed that Glasner still has a long way to go to fix things with the fans.

That “fans disrespected – Glasner finished” banner said it all. The frustration is real, especially after Glasner told them to "be humble" following the backlash in Bosnia. He tried to clear the air after Sunday’s game, and while he apologised, his main point was that he doesn’t think he did anything wrong. He didn’t really back down.

Palace got the win, thanks to Evann Guessand’s late goal, but after a shaky performance and another tense press conference, it feels like this standoff between Glasner and the fans is far from over.

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