Vesper

Here comes Sergi Altimira Remember back in 2023 when Ramón Planes signed Sergi Altimira for Getafe, left that position to take up the same one with Real Betis, and then signed Altimira again for his new club in the same summer? Maybe not, but you’ll understand the takeaway. Ramón Planes was a big fan of the then 21-year-old midfielder. The ex-Barcelona Sporting Director didn’t stay long at Betis either, but he did leave a handful of interesting recruits before moving again. One of those — Johnny Cardoso — has already been spun for a roughly 20 million euro profit, and in his place it’ll now be over to Altimira to help pick up some of that midfield slack. The good part about that is that Altimira can already do much of what Cardoso did. Maybe not to the level of the American, but not a long way behind either. Like Cardoso, the 23-year-old is an excellent recuperador. Reading the development of play to be able to intercept, being rangey enough to cover ground and pick up loose balls, and with an improving physicality at the top level, Altimira looks primed to become one of the better midfielders in LaLiga on that front. He’s already good — and already grown a lot. Playing at a high rhythm and going box-to-box for 90 minutes is coming easier to him too. In the opening weeks, we’ve seen the importance of that on the defensive side, but also in how he can weaponise it for Betis in an attacking sense. Against Alavés, Altimira’s interventions to cut attacks short were frequently followed up by smart passes to tee up transitions going the other way. There was a maturity to his defensive contribution, followed up by intelligent decisions, that wasn’t quite there 12 months ago. And in a team with searing speed and ball carriers in Rodrigo Riquelme, Ez Abde, Aitor Ruibal, and potentially Antony — as well as mobile no. 9s — that’s a big thing. Betis don’t need him to become a midfield general who runs the game in possession. Johnny Cardoso never was and look where he ended up. But if Altimira can sustain this level of performance as a midfield anchor, capable of providing balance and sprinkling enough smart use of the ball, that fee Ramón Planes paid for him back in 2023 will start to look very modest.

I posted a detailed story about it long before the post you replied to did

Gustaf Westman designs IKEA plate to serve meatballs "like they're sitting on little thrones" https://www.dezeen.com/2025/08/19/gustaf-westman-ikea-meatball-plate/ Swedish designer Gustaf Westman has revealed the first piece from his upcoming IKEA collaboration, an elongated plate designed to serve and display the Swedish furniture company's classic meatballs in a row. Dubbed the "first-ever dedicated plate" for the retailer's meatballs, Westman's design has a cheerful turquoise-blue colour. The porcelain serving plate was designed with a central indentation that is wide enough to fit "the perfectly sized meatball", IKEA said, of which the company sells one billion every year. Westman aimed for the design to honour the Swedish tradition of serving meatballs for Christmas. "I love designing objects for a specific function – it brings a touch of humour and makes them instantly easy to grasp," the designer said. "In Sweden, meatballs mean Christmas, and this plate is my way of honouring that tradition." "The design is simple, lining up the meatballs so each one is visible, like they're sitting on little thrones," he added. In true IKEA tradition, the plate comes with assembly instructions, showing how to cook the meatballs before placing 11 of them on the rectangular plate. IKEA suggested that the blue porcelain plate could also be used for serving other foods, such as olives, cheese and fruits. "While it was created with meatballs in mind, it works just as well for many other dishes," Westman said. The plate is the first piece from Westman's upcoming IKEA collaboration, with the full line set to be released on 9 September. The collection is set to include 12 pieces that playfully reimagine tradition. "This collaboration is about taking the traditions of gathering in the home and reimagining them through playful and unexpected designs," IKEA of Sweden creative leader Maria O'Brian said. "Partnering with Gustaf Westman was the perfect way to do that, and together, we've created a bold, expressive design that uses an unconventional shape and colour to give this Swedish staple a well-deserved new stage." Westman also recently unveiled another playful food design, a handbag-style baguette holder, and collaborated with car brand Mercedes-Benz to create a pink car with an integrated tent and picnic table. The images are courtesy of IKEA.

Studio GOGO's Lego jewellery is "made to be played with" https://www.dezeen.com/2025/08/20/studio-gogo-jewellery-lego-ring-design/ Plastic Lego bricks replace gemstones in these customisable rings by Berlin jewellery brand Studio GOGO, allowing wearers to change up the design as they see fit. Crafted from recycled silver, Studio GOGO rings consist of a simple band and a central plate that carefully replicates the shape and size of a Lego tile. The rings can be worn unadorned or stacked with the wearer's choice of Lego bricks to suit their current tastes. Studio GOGO's earliest pieces were centred around the classic two-by-two square tile, but the range has since expanded to incorporate cross-shaped, rectangular and circular tiles. "My pieces are made to evolve with you, to be played with, customised and maybe even passed down," studio founder Thanh-Truc Nguyen told Dezeen. "At the heart of my jewellery is the belief that meaning, memory and creativity belong in the things we wear every day." Nguyen began her career designing one-off jewellery pieces, but got the idea to make Lego-compatible jewellery during a school project on modular ring design. "At the time, I put it aside, thinking the concept wasn't particularly original, as I had seen similar ideas out there," she remembered. "But years later, I came back to it and something had shifted. I had always seen its potential. But back then, I was focused on creating something entirely new. Over time, I realised that originality isn't about being first, but about adding your own voice." The making process begins with Nguyen digitally producing a master model of her design, which is then used to create a silicone mould. Next, wax is injected through the mould to form individual rings, which are cast in silver using the lost-wax technique. Nguyen makes and refines each ring by hand in her Berlin workshop, using files, callipers, clamps and an arsenal of other tools to perfect the size and surface texture. "My designs demand an extremely high level of precision," she explained. "Tolerances are tight; even a deviation of a tenth of a millimetre can affect fit and function." Studio GOGO will soon expand its collection to include Lego-compatible bracelets and necklaces. The toymaker's plastic bricks have long been a source of inspiration for architects and designers across disciplines. Earlier this year, British architect Peter Cook collaborated with Lego to create a domed Play Pavilion in London's Kensington Park, while NASA is currently working on replicating the shape of the bricks using 3D printers and meteorite dust to build on the moon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNyn44bUBJv/?img_index=1

he should have been off with a 2nd yellow but Pool is a golden child club

4th youngest to score an EPL goal of any sort

Rio broke Wayne Rooney's EPL record by one day he is now the youngest player ever to score a match winner

great game

if we had Rio now we certainly would not need to buy Garnacho or Gittens

ffs Rio wins it 16yo who they stole from us

11 added minutes

Tottenham plot transfer hijack; can pip Chelsea to 22-year-old attacker Xavi Simons https://tothelaneandback.com/2025/08/26/tottenham-plot-transfer-hijack-can-pip-Chelsea-to-22-year-old-attacker/ Tottenham Hotspur have been on the hunt for a new attacking midfielder ever since James Maddison suffered an injury. The former Foxes playmaker tore his ACL in a pre-season game against Newcastle United and is out for the foreseeable future. To make matters worse, second-choice number 10, Dejan Kulusevski is also out now with an injury. The Swede has been missing since the start of pre-season and there is no clarity on when he is expected to be back this season. Thomas Frank is currently being forced to play Pape Matar Sarr as the number 10 in the opening games of the Premier League season. The Senegalese international is playing as a box-crasher but is not as creative as the injured options. Since the transfer market is still open, signing a new player is a realistic possibility. Now, as per Caught Offside, Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a transfer hijack and could pip Chelsea to the signature of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons. The 22-year-old Dutch playmaker has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for almost the entire summer. However, with Chelsea still not getting their sales over the line, a move for him is currently in the hold. Johan Lange & co. are now looking to swoop in and make the most of this opportunity. Although Chelsea still remain frontrunners for Simons’ signature and have a verbal agreement in place with the player, there isn’t long left to go in the transfer window. This has created a small window of opportunity that Tottenham should be taking. The ex-PSG attacker is an excellent player in his own right and has been on RB Leipzig’s most influential players in the past couple of seasons. He is very versatile and can play in an array of positions in the attack. Frank can initially use him as a #10 to fill the void but can also use him on the left-wing or through the middle once injured players return. Signing Simons would be a massive statement of intent from Tottenham. However, with Chelsea having a verbal agreement in place, it might not be easy to convince the Dutchman and let’s wait and see how it plays out.

2 2 Osula

Arsenal plot move for £80m Chelsea transfer target Morgan Rogers after Kai Havertz injury https://metro.co.uk/2025/08/20/arsenal-plot-move-80m-Chelsea-transfer-target-kai-havertz-injury-23960955/ Alarm bells were ringing when Havertz did not train with his teammates in an open session at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. And it now appears that the German international has suffered a knee injury, although the severity is not yet known. The summer signing of Viktor Gyokeres means Arsenal don’t, for now, have to deploy Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker as they did for large parts of last season. However, reports do suggest that the Gunners are considering going back into the market to provide themselves with additional cover for the injured Havertz. And according to The Sun, Villa and England star Rogers is a name prominent in their thoughts. Mikel Arteta’s side were credited with interest in Rogers earlier in the summer window, but may step up their interest in the wake of Havertz’s injury. Rogers, who started Villa’s first game of the season against Newcastle, has become a vital cog in Unai Emery’s side and registered 18 goal contributions in the Premier League last season. And having let Jacob Ramsey depart to Newcastle for £40million, Villa are in no need to sell such a key player and could demand as much as £80m for Rogers. The versatile 23-year-old can play across the midfield and is also highly thought of by Chelsea, who have been linked with a move should their pursuit of Xavi Simons prove unsuccessful. Rogers, who joined from Middlesbrough in January 2024, signed a new contract in November last year, which does not expire until the summer of 2030. Elsewhere, Arsenal have also been keen on signing a new left-winger before the transfer deadline, but may have to sell first to raise funds for a move. Leandro Trossard was linked with a move away from the Emirates at points this summer, but the Belgian now appears set to sign a new contract on improved terms. The Gunners were also linked with a move for Eberechi Eze earlier in the summer, but the Crystal Palace midfielder now looks set to join Tottenham in a deal worth around £60m. After their opening weekend victory over Manchester United, Arsenal host Leeds United at the Emirates on Saturday as they look to continue their perfect start to the season.

yep red

ankle breaker he has to go

on Gordon that was nasty

I would give a red card

fat boy cam on Simon Hooper, lolol

Konate is garbage no clue why he is so highly rated

nil 1 out of nowhere

Enzo Maresca warned he’s made a £55m transfer mistake at Chelsea https://metro.co.uk/2025/08/25/enzo-maresca-warned-made-a-55m-transfer-mistake-Chelsea-23995682/ Chelsea may have downgraded in one position over the summer despite spending £55million on a ‘talented’ player. That is the opinion of Liverpool star Danny Murphy after watching the Blues’ impressive 5-1 thrashing of West Ham last Friday. In a much-improved performance from their Premier League opener at Crystal Palace, the Club World Cup champions looked back to their best, with summer signings Estevao and Joao Pedro catching the eye. However, not every new star has come flying out of the traps, like Jamie Gittens who has joined from Borussia Dortmund in a much-hyped £55m transfer. The winger started the goalless draw against Palace but was hauled off after just 54 minutes for Estevao and subsequently benched for the West Ham clash. And when Cole Palmer was injured in the warm-up, it was Estevao whom Enzo Maresca put into the starting XI, with Gittens only coming on in the 77th minute when the game was already done and dusted. One of the most highly-rated young English talents in the game right now, big things are expected of the 21-year-old who effectively replaced Noni Madueke in the Chelsea squad after he moved to Arsenal for £52m. Some believe the small loss is worth it, but Murphy doesn’t think Gittens is currently superior to Madueke, nor will he be in the future. ‘It will be interesting with Gittens to see how he does,’ the former midfielder said on talkSPORT. ‘They paid the same money for him as they got for Madueke. My gut feeling is that Madueke has probably got a bit more. ‘He might prove me wrong; we’ll have to wait and see. Both talented players, of course. ‘I would have understood it more if they got more for Madueke and bought him [Gittens] for less, thinking he can become better. I don’t see that one personally.’ Gittens’ next chance to impress will come on Saturday when they host west London rivals Fulham in the early kick-off. Maresca has said that the England U21 star is among a trio of players who need time to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League, saying: ‘Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Estevao, Jamie Gittens are all fantastic players. ‘You can see that Liam and probably Joao are a little bit more ahead of the rest, but the reason why is that they were already here in England. ‘Jamie needs to adapt a little bit, Estevao needs to adapt, Jorrel Hato, as well, needs time to adapt. But overall, we are very happy with all of them.’