A lot of Tottenham Hotspur supporters have slammed Erik Lamela, following a tweet from fan account COYS.com about the right winger.
The Spurs fan site asked for opinions on Lamela and what his future at the club should hold, provoking plenty of replies from the THFC faithful.
After arriving at White Hart Lane from AS Roma for £27m all the way back in 2013, it is fair to say the Argentine international has divided the fan base like no other player before him, appearing in over 200 matches for the Lilywhites, scoring 33 goals and producing 47 assists in all competitions so far.
Lamela was a favourite of former manager Mauricio Pochettino, making the 8th highest amount of appearances and playing in 183 games for his compatriot despite a number of injuries, before Poch was unceremoniously sacked late last year (Transfermarkt). However, he has struggled for game time under new boss Jose Mourinho, with his teammate Lucas Moura usurping him as the first choice forward on the right flank (Transfermarkt).
As expected, loads of fans seized the opportunity to blast the 28-year-old, with one supporter commenting that he is a “useless headless chicken,” and another pleading with Daniel Levy to “sell sell sell.”
Take a look at some of the angry reactions down below…
Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!
Newcastle United announced on Monday afternoon that teenage midfielder Joe White had signed his first professional contract with the club.
White joined the Magpies from Carlisle United in 2016 and only turned 17 last month.
Newcastle’s official website have described the teenager as “a skilful playmaker”, whilst the contract announcement also lists Zinedine Zidane and Kevin De Bruyne as inspirations for the youngster.
Take a trip down memory lane to a time when Newcastle were giants on the European stage in the video below…
The attacker turned out for the club’s Under-18 outfit last season, whilst he has already featured for the Under-23s this term.
A further tweet from Newcastle reveals that White has also been training with the first team in 2019/20, suggesting that he is potentially under consideration by Steve Bruce to become the latest academy product to make the step up.
A number of the club’s fans took to social media to offer their thoughts on the news, and a selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:
Everton fans have taken to Twitter to express their delight with Mason Holgate, with many suggesting he was the Man of the Match against Southampton.
Officially, Tom Davies was the club’s Man of the Match, but as Holgate once again showed his worth, some sections of the Everton faithful believe he was the true hero on Saturday.
The defender once again registered an assist for the club, which now brings him onto two assists and one goal in his last four appearances.
In this time, the 23-year-old has also kept a clean sheet against Watford and looked much more solid at the back than Michael Keane has.
At St. Mary’s last weekend, Holgate had an array of impressive statistics to boast. He managed to make three tackles, played 11 accurate long balls, and completed four clearances.
After putting together this fantastic display, fans rightfully so believe he was the Man of the Match.
One supporter said he is “getting better with every game”, whilst another fan touched on the brilliance of his distribution out from the back.
Here’s what some of the Everton faithful have had to say about Holgate…
Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen were both busy men during the recent summer transfer window.
The Gers duo made plenty of changes to the squad at Ibrox in an attempt to build a squad that can develop into one capable of competing for major trophies in the years to come.
Jon McLaughlin, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, John Lundstram, Scott Wright, Todd Cantwell, and Connor Goldson were just a few of the many players who were moved on from Glasgow, either on free transfers or permanent deals, over the summer.
Todd Cantwell
Those exits opened the door for Rangers to dip into the market to bolster their own squad, with the likes of Vaclav Cerny, Jefte, Robin Propper, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, and Mohammed Diomande, among others, coming in.
All of these moves came 12 months after former Light Blues head coach Michael Beale had made his own splash in the summer transfer window of 2023.
The English boss also had to move a number of players on in order to make room for his own signings and one sale Rangers hit gold with was Antonio Colak.
Antonio Colak's Rangers career
In the summer of 2022, Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked to improve his options at the top end of the pitch and signed the Croatian striker from Greek giants PAOK.
It was reported that the Light Blues had agreed an initial fee of £1.8m to sign the centre-forward, shortly after Rangers had lost in the Europa League final.
Colak hit the ground running at Ibrox and looked to be well on his way to becoming a hero in Glasgow, particularly after his return of three goals in four Champions League qualifiers to help the side progress to the group stages of the competition.
Livingston
0
0
Kilmarnock
1
0
St Johnstone
1
0
Hibernian
0
1
Ross County
2
0
Celtic
0
0
Dundee
2
0
Hearts
2
0
St Mirren
2
1
Motherwell
0
0
As you can see in the table above, the 30-year-old star enjoyed a terrific start to this Scottish Premiership career with a return of ten goals and two assists in his first ten appearances.
This means that the Croatian marksman started the season with 13 goals in 14 matches in the Premiership and Champions League qualifiers combined.
However, he suffered a calf injury in November and Beale had replaced van Bronckhorst by the time he was back fit in January, and things were never the same for him after that.
After scoring 14 goals in all competitions under the Dutchman in the first half of the season, Colak ended the 2022/23 campaign with just 18 goals in 39 appearances, having managed four strikes in 15 outings under Beale.
Rangers' Antonio-Mirko Colak
The English manager could not get the best out of the forward, as van Bronckhorst did, and that eventually led to his sale in the summer of 2023.
Rangers hit gold with Antonio Colak
Rangers opted to cash in on the Croatia international after just one season at Ibrox, following his struggles under Beale, and Italian side Parma swooped in to sign him.
It was reported that the Serie B outfit paid a fee of £2.5m to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, which meant that the Gers made a profit of around £700k on the striker – having paid £1.8m for him the previous summer.
Not only did Rangers strike gold financially with that sale, the Scottish giants also hit the jackpot because Colak’s form since moving on from the club has continued to decline.
Appearances
22
Goals
3
Assists
0
Big chances created
0
Duel success rate
26%
As you can see in the table above, the 30-year-old striker endured a difficult year in the second division in Italy, with three goal contributions in 22 matches.
Colak, who did not feature in any other competitions for Parma, was also a liability out of possession for his side, as opposition defenders won 74% of their physical duels with him throughout the season.
Former Rangers striker Antonio Colak.
This shows that Rangers hit gold by selling him at the perfect time because his form in front of goal since leaving Ibrox proves that they were right to cash in on him, particularly when you consider the players who outscored him last season.
Rangers players who outscored Colak last season
The Scottish giants needed to bolster their attacking options after Colak was sold last summer and Beale moved to sign Sam Lammers, Abdallah Sima, Danilo, and Cyriel Dessers in the forward areas.
By the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Sima (11) and Dessers (16) both hit double figures for goals in the Premiership and Danilo managed four in just 12 appearances.
The Brazilian striker missed a staggering 41 matches through injury in his first season with Rangers and still outscored Colak at league level.
Another player who outscored the Croatian marksman in the 2023/24 campaign was Scott Wright, who produced four goals and zero assists in 33 appearances in all competitions.
The Scottish winger joined League One side Birmingham City for a reported fee of £300k, at the age of 27, this summer, which further emphasises how much of a blinder Rangers played by raking in £2.5m for Colak.
Rangers winger Scott Wright.
Overall, the Light Blues can look back on their deal to sell the striker to Parma with pleasure, as they made a profit on a player who had underperformed under the manager – Beale – at the time.
The players who were brought in to replace him – Dessers, Sima, and Danilo – also all outperformed him in front of goal during the 2023/24 campaign.
Colak, who joined Parma for £2.5m 12 months ago, moved on yet again after just one year at a club, with a switch to fellow Serie B side Spezia this summer, and it remains to be seen how well this latest move will go for him.
Rangers could forget Ezodie by signing "unbelievable" free agent at Ibrox
The Light Blues missed out on the Premier League attacker on deadline day.
As much as Alex McCarthy's error away at Newcastle United on the opening day cost Southampton dear, Russell Martin will want his Saints attackers to be less wasteful in-front of goal moving forward, when back on home soil versus Nottingham Forest this Saturday.
The South Coast side would register 19 shots on Nick Pope's busy goal during the ill-tempered Premier League opener, but the final score would read 1-0 in favour of Eddie Howe's men, regardless of the many chances handed to the away team.
He will be praying the likes of Ben Brereton-Diaz and Adam Armstrong get their top-flight seasons up and running at St. Mary's on Saturday, therefore, as a new goalkeeper looks close to joining the newly promoted group after McCarthy's shambolic afternoon on Tyneside.
Southampton's search for a goalkeeper
According to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, Southampton are in discussions over a deal for Feyenoord shot-stopper Justin Bijlow to join Martin's ranks, with the 6 foot 2 shot-stopper a wanted man this transfer window to date.
Both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid were allegedly interested in the Dutchman's services, as per the report, but Southampton may well have won this battle, owing to the fact Bijlow was only going to be a second choice 'keeper at the Gunners and out in Spain.
Netherlands goalkeeper Justin Bijlow.
This has been corroborated by journalist Graeme Bailey, who has revealed that the Saints are 'confident' of sealing the deal, with the claim made that he could become a Southampton player 'in the next few days'.
How Bijlow could become the next Forster
The new addition could well end up becoming Southampton's next Fraser Forster, who was a reliable pair of gloves for the Saints across many seasons in the Premier League.
McCarthy would then fall back down to a place on the substitutes bench subsequently, with Bijlow even gaining eight call-ups to the senior Netherlands national team across his time in the Eredivisie to date.
Bijlow has gone on to become an established 'keeper at Feyenoord that the Dutch giants can rely on, with this impressive stop – as shown above – coming all the way back in 2021, when the 26-year-old was still cutting his teeth as an up-and-coming talent.
Now, the Rotterdam-born shot-stopper has amassed 143 senior appearances for his current employers over a number of campaigns in the men's fold, with a step-up to the Premier League now on the horizon.
Stat – per 90 mins*
Bijlow
Games played
17
Clean sheets
6
Goals conceded
14
Saves*
1.7
Saves made
29
Ball recoveries*
9.9
Accurate passes*
32.7 (86%)
Last season saw Bijlow add six clean sheets to his ever-growing Feyenoord tally, which now stands at 54 clean sheets registered from 143 games, with Martin now hopeful he can displace McCarthy when moving to England.
Forster, who stands at a far more imposing 6 foot 7 compared to Bijlow's 6 foot 2 frame, has just one more shut-out on his career total when he was still on the books of the Saints, with 55 clean sheets managed from 162 appearances on the South Coast.
The towering 36-year-old, who is now a reserve option at Tottenham Hotspur, would go on to become an icon in Southampton quarters, before moving away to North London, with the likes of Gavin Bazunu then entering through the door.
Bazunu's serious injury sustained last campaign will open up the door for Bijlow to walk into the building now, however, to finally replace Forster effectively.
The Dutchman's calmness on the ball in the Eredivisie is an obvious standout from the table above, as McCarthy's lackadaisical nature on the ball versus Newcastle proved costly.
Feyenoord's Justin Bijlow
Labelled as being "brilliant" when first making waves at Feyenoord by football journalist Cecilia Lagos, Bijlow will want to make the number one jersey his own at St. Mary's, if a move does get finalised very soon.
After Fernandes: Southampton want perfect £100k-p/w Walker-Peters partner
Southampton are continuing to be busy in the transfer window.
Manchester United’s season began with three points last Friday after they ran out 1-0 winners over Fulham. The Red Devils had some good periods of the game, although the Cottagers had more than their fair share of chances, which they failed to take. It took a debut goal from Joshua Zirkzee to seal all three points, but Erik ten Hag’s side got there in the end.
Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee scores vs Fulham
One area United seem determined to improve this summer is the midfield. It has been a summer in which the Red Devils have drastically overhauled their defence, making three signings, and adding Zirkzee to strengthen up front, but so far the midfield remains untouched.
There has been plenty of rumoured changes in the middle of the park for the Red Devils, with Christian Eriksen and Casemiro linked with a move away, although transfers for the pair have yet to materialise at this stage. Sofyan Amarbat’s loan from Fiorentina also expired at the end of last season, and they are yet to move back in for him.
Ten Hag’s side have been heavily linked with a move for Manuel Ugarte all summer, and although it has taken a while, there seems to be a fair amount of optimism that it will get done. However, there is another midfield deal that now seems incredibly unlikely.
Sander Berge’s proposed summer transfer
The player in question here is Burnley and Norwegian international midfielder Sander Berge. The 26-year-old has been touted for a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks, but that deal now seems in jeopardy and it appears as though he could join Fulham instead.
On Monday evening, it was reported by The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell that a bid from the West London outfit for the Norway international had been accepted by Scott Parker’s Burnley. The Clarets are believed to have accepted a deal worth £20m with £5m of add-ons.
Sander Berge for Burnley.
The 26-year-old was viewed as an alternative to Ugarte this summer, with Fabrizio Romano confirming to GiveMeSport that the Red Devils spoke to the player’s entourage to try and sound out a potential deal.
During the 2023/24 season, Berge was a crucial player for the Clarets, although could not help them survive immediate relegation from the Premier League. He played 37 times for Burnley in the top flight, and whilst he impressed in the middle of the park, was not able to help his side stay in the Premier League.
As per the Daily Mail, the Red Devils had a bid rejected for the Norway international, although it did not match Fulham’s valuation. In order to afford a deal for a midfielder, they may well have to sell players this summer, and one man who could depart the club is academy graduate Scott McTomimay.
McTominay’s value in 2024
27-year-old midfielder McTominay has been heavily rumoured to leave Old Trafford this summer, after an impressive campaign in 2023/24. He was a key source of goals for Ten Hag last term, and enjoyed his best goalscoring season in the Premier League, scoring seven times.
Season
Games
Goals
2016/17
2
0
2017/18
13
0
2018/19
16
2
2019/20
27
4
2020/21
32
4
2021/22
30
1
2022/23
24
1
2023/24
32
7
2024/25
1
0
The Scotland international is a master at crashing the box late, getting onto crosses and firing home from close range. He offers a unique profile to United’s squad and was described as an “absolute monster” by football analyst H over on X.
He often dug Ten Hag and his side out of a hole. Out of those seven top-flight goals, one was an equaliser, one was a winner and on two occasions the Scot scored a brace, getting both the equaliser and winner, as per Transfermarkt. He was hugely effective.
However, with United needing to sell players over the summer to raise funds for a midfielder, he could be on the chopping block before the deadline on the 30th of August. McTominay is certainly of interest to a couple of clubs across Europe.
One of those was, ironically Fulham, who have since moved on to signing Berge, and Italian side Napoli, now managed by Antonio Conte. Indeed, interested clubs will have to meet United’s £30m valuation if they want to sign him, money they can then go and invest into a deal for Ugarte.
That would give the Old Trafford club pure profit, given he is an academy graduate for whom the paid nothing – with that £30m price tag also ahead of the initial £20m fee that Fulham are set to dish out on Berge.
The Red Devils missed the boat on signing Berge this summer, but the opportunity to bring Ugarte to the club remains, and selling McTominay on could be a huge turning point, as Ten Hag looks to reshape the midfield and push his side further up the table.
Better than Berge: Man Utd could sign Casemiro upgrade who's like Pogba
Aston Villa are targeting Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap after his relegation to the Championship, according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook.
Who could Villa sign this summer?
Unai Emery's side enjoyed a rip-roaring finish to the 2022/2023 Premier League season, winning 10 league games and losing just twice since early March.
Their exceptional form in the latter stages saw them finish seventh and qualify for the Europa Conference League, and it's now Villa's task to build upon that and back Emery in the summer transfer market.
According to recent rumours, Villa appear to be targeting central midfield signings, with Fulham's Joao Palhinha, Southampton star James Ward-Prowse and Leicester City's Youri Tielemans linked most recently.
The Villans want to strengthen in defence as well, with Villarreal star Pau Torres, a player who Emery knows well, being repeatedly mentioned by the press.
Arsenal's Kieran Tierney is another player garnering Villa's interest as they look to shore up their back line, with talkSPORT's Crook now saying they're targeting Bella-Kotchap from Southampton too.
Southampton's Armel Bella-Kotchap in action with Fulham's Andreas Pereira
Writing for talkSPORT, the journalist says Emery and co are eyeing a move for the German as he pushes for a move away from the south coast. Southampton are apparently bracing themselves for a bidding war over Bella-Kotchap, as clubs in Italy and Germany are in the mix as well.
It will apparently cost interested sides around £30 million to prise the centre-back away from St. Mary's, but little else is said on whether Villa believe this is a price worth paying.
Who is Armel Bella-Kotchap?
The 21-year-old, who has two caps at international level for Germany, arguably stood out as one of the Saints' shining lights last season during their relegation campaign.
As per WhoScored, he finished the season as Southampton's third-best performing player by average match rating – having made their second-highest rate of interceptions per 90 in that time.
Speaking last August, Saints legend Francis Benail raved over Bella-Kotchap's impact on BT Sport (via The Daily Mail).
"He is one of five or six players that have had an instant impact," said Benail.
"What we've been seeing is maturity beyond their years. He takes up great positions and recognizes danger."
Journalist Felix Keith has called the starlet defender "exceptional" for some of his performances last campaign, and for £30m, he'd come to Villa Park with plenty of potential at just 21.
With the summer transfer window now on the horizon, Tottenham Hotspur will no doubt be looking to strengthen their squad following what has been a turbulent campaign thus far, with the Lilywhites still seeking to find a suitable successor to Antonio Conte in the dugout.
One area that any new manager may well be looking to address is the defensive ranks, with the north London outfit having been particularly porous this season after shipping 62 Premier League goals to date – the sixth-worst record in the division.
While not solely culpable for those woes, one man who has been under the microscope of late is long-serving asset, Eric Dier, with journalist Ryan Taylor having suggested that the 29-year-old is "nowhere near the required level for what Spurs are trying to achieve".
Although it has been revealed that the England international had been playing through an injury in recent months, there will still be concern over the £85k-per-week man's woes, with pundit Alan Hutton only recently stating that he is "not so sure" that supporters would be happy to see the centre-back handed a new contract, amid talk that an extension is on the cards.
As Hutton also noted, the struggling side "need reinforcements" as they look "poor defensively", with Dier, in particular, having 'played poorly since the World Cup', in the words of pundit Tony Cascarino.
Tottenham's Eric Dier
Amid that need for fresh faces, a potential dream target for chairman Daniel Levy could have presented itself in the form of England youth star, Ronnie Edwards.
Who is Ronnie Edwards?
The 20-year-old is a promising centre-back who currently plies his trade for League One side, Peterborough United, with Football League World recently reporting that the one-time Barnet man has been watched by those at N17 for an extended period of time.
The report suggests that the 5 foot 11 ace could be among those to depart London Road this summer following the club's failure to secure promotion to the Championship, with Darren Ferguson's men having squandered a four-goal advantage to crash out in the play-off semi-finals.
While that grim defeat to Sheffield Wednesday would have been particularly disappointing for Edwards and co, the exciting youngster was something of a shining light despite the end result, having been a "one-man defensive wall" in the second leg, according to journalist Ben Jones.
That outing epitomised what has been a fine season for the £2.7k-per-week gem in the third tier, having averaged two tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game from his 42 league outings, while also keeping 15 clean sheets in that time.
Such defensive prowess from the young "Rolls Royce" – as hailed by Peterborough chairman, Barry Fry – is seemingly superior to what Dier has achieved in the top-flight this term, with the 49-cap dud having averaged just 0.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions from his 33 league appearances, keeping nine clean sheets in that time.
With the latter man having spent almost a decade in north London it could well be an opportune time for Spurs to consider acquiring a younger replacement, such as Edwards, to lead the club forward for the foreseeable future.
Todd Boehly's Chelsea reign has certainly been a tumultuous one, with the Blues now certain to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both sacked by the American, who was keen for instant success following an investment of over £550m on new signings.
However, this will not stop Chelsea from spending big again this summer, so long as they can move on some of the deadwood at Stamford Bridge in order to abide by Financial Fair Play rules.
One man who has been linked with a summer move to the Blues is Jules Kounde, in what would be an opportunity for Boehly to avenge his 2022 heartbreak over the Frenchman after he joined Barcelona ahead of Chelsea last summer.
Could Chelsea sign Jules Kounde?
According to Diario Sport, the France international is now keen to leave Camp Nou this summer as Xavi has rarely utilised him in his natural centre-back position, instead playing him as a right-back – or even as a midfielder, as he did in the recent game against Real Sociedad.
The Spanish manager had reportedly promised to play Kounde as a centre-back, and as that has not materialised, he is now considering his future with the La Liga champions, with Barcelona more than willing to sell if he isn't fully committed to the club.
It is suggested that Chelsea would be willing to renew their interest in the 24-year-old and would be willing to pay more than Barcelona paid to Sevilla last summer, with previous reports suggesting that a fee of €75m (£65m) would be enough to see him leave.
Would Kounde be a good signing for Chelsea?
It is easy to understand why Boehly was so keen to sign Kounde last summer given he was rated as one of the best young centre-backs in Europe, and he has only enhanced that reputation with Barcelona and France this season.
Todd Boehly walks outside of Stamford Bridge ahead of a Chelsea game.
In 27 La Liga appearances, the versatile defender has one goal and three assists with a strong 6.97 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which is only bettered by Reece James and Thiago Silva in Chelsea's squad.
While Boehly already has young centre-backs such as Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile at his disposal, Kounde already has experience at the very top level, having won the Europa League with Sevilla and appeared in a World Cup final with France.
Football analyst Marcus Bring dubbed him "sensational" back in 2021, while sports technology manager Alan Feehely labelled him as an "absolute baller" that year, which suggests that he has been highly rated for a number of years now.
While it would be another expensive outlay for Boehly, Kounde has what it takes to be a top defender for the next decade and there will be few opportunities to prise him away from one of Europe's elite clubs, so the chairman must take advantage of his unhappiness at Barcelona and sign him this summer, one year later than originally planned.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting to make a fresh move for Villarreal defender, Pau Torres, with the Lilywhites having seemingly missed out on the exciting centre-back last summer.
What's the latest on Torres to Tottenham?
According to Italian outlet, Tuttosport, the north Londoners are seemingly ready to rival Serie A side Juventus for the signing of the 26-year-old, with the Premier League outfit said to be ready to 'try again' this summer after failing to sign the defender last year.
As per the Daily Mail, Daniel Levy and co were reportedly attempting to sign the 6 foot 3 gem ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, albeit with the Spaniard ultimately staying put with the La Liga side.
The latest indication is that Spurs will push to make another attempt ahead of next season, with the report suggesting that the 23-cap ace could be available for lower than his reported €65m (£57m) release clause, as his existing contract is set to expire next year.
Who could Torres replace at Tottenham?
The signing of the Villarreal rock could well spell bad news for long-serving Tottenham defender, Eric Dier, with the England international only set to find himself pushed further down the defensive pecking order, following what has been a dismal campaign on both a collective and individual basis.
The 29-year-old – who has been at the club since joining from Sporting CP back in 2014 – has formed part of a backline that has shipped 62 Premier League goals so far this term, with that the sixth-worst record of any team in the division.
Tottenham's Eric Dier
Dier, in particular, has had to endure his fair share of the blame for those woes, with journalist Ryan Taylor stating earlier this year that the experienced dud "is just nowhere near the required level for what Spurs are trying to achieve".
As such, bringing Torres into the fold could well be the defensive upgrade that Tottenham are evidently in need of, with the left-footed ace having enjoyed another solid campaign in Spain so far, with his average match rating of 7.06 – as per Sofascore – far greater than what Dier has achieved in the Premier League (6.86).
The notable difference between the pair is their ability in possession, with the Spain international ranking in at least the top 3% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes, progressive carries and successful take-ons, proving just why he is "wonderful on the ball" – as per talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Dier, by contrast, is far less comfortable at playing out from the back as he ranks in just the bottom 41% for progressive passes, the bottom 25% for progressive carries and only the bottom 20% for successful take-ons – a stark illustration of the contrasting abilities of the pair.
Torres is also no slouch when it comes to carrying out his defensive duties as he has averaged 1.3 tackles per game in La Liga this season and won 66% of his ground duels, while the current Spurs man has averaged only 0.9 tackles per game and won just 52% of his ground duels.
While it is yet to be seen just who will be in charge next season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Levy would be wise to give any new manager a welcome gift with the signing of Torres.