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Tottenham Hotspur are "informed on the conditions" required to land an exciting forward described as being "born to score", per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Tottenham Hotspur news – what is the latest?

It has been a real summer of ups and downs for the Spurs faithful this year, with brilliant signings and painful departures.

On the positive side of things, the club have been able to genuinely improve elements of the first team with the signing of the ever-exciting James Maddison and the Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

The arrival of Manor Solomon, whilst not necessarily improving the first eleven, is clearly still a positive addition and should help to strengthen the squad as a whole.

Read the latest Tottenham Hotspur transfer news HERE…

However, for as good as those three are and as convincing as Ange Postecoglou has been, the exit of club talisman Harry Kane is an enormous blow to the side's attacking output, an output that the current crop of forwards do not seem equipped to replace.

With that in mind, it appears that Spurs have identified one of Europe's most exciting and prolific goalscorers as the man who could potentially come in and help the team find those 20-plus goals a season they are bound to lose in the absence of Kane, Gift Orban.

According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, the north Londoners have "appreciated" the youngster for some time now and are well aware of what is required to bring him to N17 this summer.

He explained the situation on his Here We Go podcast, saying:

"Orban is appreciated, Tottenham are informed on the conditions of the deal so let's see if they decide to bid. At the moment, they have not sent any bid. I saw some rumours saying it's close or something like that; no, there is no bid yet. It can't be close without a bid.

"Tottenham know the conditions of the deal, [they have] been following the player for a long time. I told you this two weeks ago on here that they like Gift Orban, but at the moment nothing else evolved yet."

How many goals has Gift Orban scored?

It has been a rapid rise to fame for the 21-year-old former Stabæk striker, with prolific form propelling him to the forefront of transfer lists across the continent.

So far, the Nigeria under-23 star has scored 44 senior club goals and provided nine assists in just 50 appearances in Belgium and Norway, which is only 37 fewer than Richarlison's 81 career goals at club level.

In his 16 league appearances for Gent last year, the "superb finisher" scored 15 goals, provided two assists, won four Man-of-the-Match awards and averaged a genuinely impressive match rating of 7.40, per WhoScored.

With a goal involvement on average every 85 minutes in senior football, it isn't hard to see why Spurs are interested in the player that football talent scout Jacek Kulig described as "born to score."

With Kane out the door and their current crop of forwards struggling in front of goal, the Lilywhites need to do what they can to secure Orban's services before he inevitably joins one of Europe's super clubs and continues to score for fun on the biggest stage.

Wrexham star Jacob Mendy marked his African Cup of Nations debut with a dismal error which proved costly in a 1-0 defeat to Guinea on Friday.

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• Mendy missed an interception before the goal
• Gambia can only qualify as a best third-placed team
• Hopes of progression hanging by a thread

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mendy made his first appearance in the tournament for Gambia on Friday night, in a game that his country really needed to win. Having lost to Senegal in their opening match, Gambia needed a victory to have any chance of progressing as either group winners or runners-up.

  However, Mendy missed an interception in the build-up to Aguibou Camara's goal in the 69th minute that gave Guinea all three points.

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  The AFCON does allow third-placed teams to qualify for the knockout stages, with the four best third-placed teams progressing. Gambia can still qualify through that path, but they would need to beat Cameroon on the final matchday of the group stage, on Tuesday, and hope that three points is enough for progression.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mendy has been a key player for Wrexham this season, playing as a right-back and a left-back, and has made 19 appearances in League Two. He has scored two goals and registered five assists in that time.

Despite bolstering the ranks this summer, Newcastle United still look to be in the hunt for further midfield signings, and have identified Brazilian prospect Victor Hugo for transfer.

What's the latest on Victor Hugo to Newcastle?

That's according to Brazilian outlet Bola VIP, who claim that the midfield talent has left the Magpies enamoured after his performances in his homeland, with the Premier League outfit 'monitoring' his progress.

It's even believed that Eddie Howe's side will now look to invest in the dynamic midfielder, with a formal offer for the 19-year-old now said to be forthcoming.

Newcastle are expected to table a bid of €24m (£21m) for Hugo and expand the Brazilian core of their centre, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton already plying their trade at St. James's Park.

Who is Victor Hugo?

Guimaraes is not only Newcastle's starring Brazil international but one of the most impressive stars in the Premier League.

The magnitude of his arrival to orchestrate the long-awaited Tyneside renaissance cannot be understated, and each of his 57 appearances for United have succeeded in continuing the ascent since his £40m move from Lyon in January 2022.

His arrival coincided with the genesis of Newcastle's turnaround, just a few months on from the affluent PIF takeover and Howe's deployment in the managerial role, and he is now renowned as the centrepiece of the club's midfield, hailed as "magnificent" by Alan Shearer.

Hugo will hope to emulate his senior peer and utilise his own positional versatility, having played centrally in offensive and defensive roles this term – as well as occasional stints out wide.

Described as the "steering wheel" of his side for his sway over the Fluminense system by journalist Rodrigo Lima, Hugo might be in the early phase of his career but is already attracting attention for his performances.

As per Sofascore, the teenage talent has produced an average match rating of 6.98 in the Brazilian top-flight this year, scoring a goal and assist from 15 appearances (just five starts), completing 88% of his passes, forging 1.1 tackles per game, winning 63% of his ground duels and succeeding with 72% of his attempted dribbles.

He bears the emblem of prodigious talent and is a rising star with a variegated ability to allow him to thrive at the highest level, also ranking among the top 3% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions – behind the big European five – for progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, which could serve him well on Tyneside if he does put pen to paper this summer.

Guimaraes plays more of a deep-lying role than his countryman, but thrives among a multitude of midfield roles and would be an apt mentor for Hugo to absorb the fruits of his craft, having been described as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn for his impact at the club.

And he also ranks among the top 13% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and successful take-ons, indicating his superlative technicality, which could be passed on to someone like Hugo.

Howe is making all the right moves to consolidate his squad's success last term and continue the meteoric rise into the fresh campaign, one that will hold heightened expectation and a return to European competition, and while Hugo would initially serve as an understudy of sorts, it might be the perfect time to sign him on and mould him into a first-rate phenom.

Manchester United are reportedly in talks to sign Real Madrid defender David Alaba this summer, seeing him as a strong option to come in at the back.

How old is David Alaba?

The Austrian, who is now 31 years of age, has enjoyed a glittering career, enjoying a huge amount of success along the way.

Alaba has won an incredible 10 league titles during his career, as well as three Champions League crowns, with endless silverware coming his way at both Bayern Munich and Madrid. Not only that, but he has been named Austria's Footballer of the Year an eye-catching eight times, showing just how much he has stood out as the best player in his country.

The defender is contracted to Madrid until the summer of 2026 and has continued to be a key man there in recent times, starting 21 La Liga matches last season, mainly in more of a centre-back role, as he has become accustomed to in the latter part of his career.

It could be that Alaba is allowed to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the current transfer window, however, which is where United come into play, as they continue to eye up important summer signings.

Could Man United sign David Alaba?

The Faithful MUFC relayed an update from Spain, who claimed that Alaba could possibly seal a move to Old Trafford this summer, with Madrid saying "OK" to a move happening and the player himself potentially "accepting the offer" from the Reds.

The parties are believed to be "in talks" over the transfer, while United manager Erik ten Hag is "obsessed and wants to have him under his command."

At 31, there is an argument to say that Alaba isn't quite the force he used to be – only natural, given his age and some of the injuries he has had – but he remains a top-level footballer who could be a fascinating short-term signing by United.

His ability to play at both centre-back and left-back would be great for squad depth, with such versatility an invaluable attribute to have, and he has even turned out in various midfield roles on more than 100 occasions during his career.

The winning mentality that Alaba possesses could be invaluable, too, enhancing United's hopes of trophies moving forward, and the fact that he was hailed by Pep Guardiola during their time together at Bayern, highlighting just how highly he was thought of.

The Austrian is on a huge £370,000-a-week, but you could argue that he may not come in as a guaranteed starter for United, considering Lisandro Martinez is excelling in the left-sided centre-back role and Luke Shaw is the first-choice left-back, but he could push those individuals hard, ensuring they remain at their best level, bolstering the club's high-quality defensive options even further.

There may be some who have their concerns, due to Alaba not being a young signing with a high long-term ceiling, but additions of this ilk can be so priceless, as Casemiro has shown, having joined United at the age of 30, and by the looks of things, a move is one to keep an eye on.

Ellie Roebuck has opened up on a "really tough" period that has seen her lose her starting spot at Manchester City and her place in the England squad.

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• Roebuck opens up on "really tough" season
• Goalkeeper lost City starting role
• 24-year-old suffered England snub

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Roebuck has not featured for City since May, when she was sent off against Manchester United in a WSL clash. City boss Gareth Taylor has since instilled 19-year-old Khiara Keating as his number one, with Roebuck's lack of minutes costing her a place in the Lionesses' squad in November.

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  The reasons behind Roebuck's relegation to the bench at City are unclear, and at times this season she has been absent from the matchday squad despite being fit. After committing the 24-year-old from her England squad last month, Sarina Wiegman said the goalkeeper needs to try and "find opportunities."

• WHAT ROEBUCK SAID

  Speaking to about her situation, Roebuck said: "I make no bones about it, it's been a pretty tough few months of the season. I'm just head down, working as hard as I can, and I'll continue to support the team. Working hard is all I can control.

  "I want to be playing football, that's what I do, it's my job, my love, my passion."

  When asked if her desire to return to the England squad will impact any decisions on her future, Roebuck said: "Definitely, that's a huge priority for me. It's the greatest honour to play for the national team, it was really tough for me not to make the last camp. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't on my mind."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ROEBUCK?

  Roebuck looks unlikely to win back her starting spot at City any time soon, but there have been no concrete reports linking her with a move away from the club in January. She'll continue to try and impress Taylor on the training pitch while City fight in the WSL and WSL Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur could enter back into the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Daichi Kamada, according to Graeme Bailey.

Who is Daichi Kamada?

Across five years with the club, the Japanese attacking midfielder made 179 appearances, scoring 40 and assisting 33 in all competitions.

The biggest moment of the player's tenure at the club is undoubtedly winning the side's first-ever European trophy in 2022 when they defeated Scottish side Rangers on penalties to win the Europa League.

His first introduction to English football was a memorable one, with his brace for Frankfurt against Arsenal in the Europa League in 2019 being the result that saw then-Gunners gaffer Unai Emery sacked.

His manager in Germany, Oliver Glasner, was full of praise when asked about Kamada:

"I've only rarely encountered such an intelligent player out on the pitch. Daichi's sense of anticipation for where dangerous spaces will open up is excellent. I trust him to find the spaces opposing teams give us."

Former manager Adi Hutter shared Glasner's sentiments, stating: "I have to admit he’s really surprised me – in a good way! He’s come on leaps and bounds, not just as a player but his character has really come to the fore, too."

Following the announcement that he wouldn't be renewing his deal with Eintracht Frankfurt, a host of clubs were reportedly interested, however, AC Milan were the side that seemingly had won the race for the highly coveted Japanese midfielder.

In recent days though, reports have surfaced suggesting that following the overhaul in the Milan hierarchy that saw names such as Paolo Maldini lose their jobs, the deal that would've seen Kamada head to the San Siro has since collapsed, which opens the door for clubs previously interested to try again.

One such club who may put their hat back into the ring is Tottenham. The club have held an interest in the player for a number of years, dating back to 2021, and now he is available for free they could make their move.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, journalist Bailey stated that Spurs have long held an interest in Kamada, whilst also mentioning that the eye for Japanese talent that new manager Ange Postecoglou has could also be a factor in pushing forward a move.

"I love this player, Daichi Kamada on a free transfer is an interesting one. Milan did the deal, but they delayed it for weeks and weeks and they haven’t approved it. Dortmund like him, Inter and Napoli are liking him. Tottenham and Newcastle liked him before.

"Ange Postecoglou knows all about the Japanese players and there’s none better than this guy, on a free it wouldn’t surprise me to see Tottenham getting back involved in this. He could be an outstanding pickup for any Premier League team on a free transfer, he really could.”

Would Kamada fit in at Tottenham?

Despite the recent signings of James Maddison and Manor Solomon, Kamada would still be a fantastic fit at Spurs.

The 26-year-old is incredibly versatile, having played in all three frontline positions as well as both attacking midfield and central midfield throughout his career, which would give the north London side an added boost to two areas of the pitch.

Kamada is also an incredible attacking threat, sitting in the top 1% of all midfielders across Europes top five leagues for non-penalty XG, whilst also sitting in the top 10% for non penalty xG + xAG.

According to FBref, some of his best comparisons include Nicolo Barella, Federico Valverde and Ilkay Gundogan, putting the Japanese player into some esteemed company.

As Bailey stated, Postecoglou has experience and pedigree in working with and getting the best out of Japanese talent, with the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate recent success stories, and the opportunity to work with a player who has been called the "next Shinji Kagawa", could be a massive opportunity for both parties.

Newcastle United are believed to be chasing Juventus winger Federico Chiesa after qualifying for the Champions League and now boasting an allure to rival any on the European stage.

What's the latest on Federico Chiesa to Newcastle?

That's according to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), revealing that Aston Villa have now joined the race for the Italy international, who has spent the 22/23 campaign reintegrating into competitive action following a long-term injury.

The report continues to state that the interest of Magpies' sporting director Dan Ashworth for the winger dates prior to that of AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, who is expected to join the ranks at St. James's Park on a €70m (£60m) deal, as per Fabrizio Romano.

While a variety of valuations have entered circulation for the touted star, the Old Lady are believed to have transfer-listed the 25-year-old for €60m (£51m) after financial difficulties resulting in a detrimental ten-point deduction have left the Serie A side scrambling to recuperate what they can.

How good is Federico Chiesa?

Before suffering a horrendous ACL injury in January 2022, Chiesa was riding the crest of a wave and had been instrumental in his nation's triumph in the European Championships the previous summer, earning an average Sofascore rating of 7.05 after scoring two goals, completing 80% of his passes and averaging 2.4 shots per match.

An "exciting" footballer, as per Dean Jones, he has also scored 18 goals and supplied 14 assists across the season-and-a-half before the bitter setback, and while the 41-cap gem has impressed in the closing weeks of the recently-concluded term – registering four direct contributions from his final five league matches – he will be desperate to rekindle his former free-flowing form.

And he could do just that on Tyneside, slotting into a thriving outfit that can offer the Champions League football that has been taken from chastened Juve, and perhaps offer a clean slate from which he can return to prominence on the right flank of Eddie Howe's system.

A veritable "wizard", as the £153k-per-week ace has been called by Liverpool insider DaveOCKOP, Chiesa could be Howe's answer to Bukayo Saka, with the Arsenal prodigy's performances over the duration of the 22/23 Premier League season a defining factor behind Arsenal's – ultimately unsuccessful, albeit impressive – title challenge against Manchester City.

Saka, who has been dubbed "the best right winger in the world" by GOAL correspondent Charles Watts, scored 14 goals and laid off 11 assists in the Premier League last season, having also scored seven goals for England since last summer.

The discussed pair are listed as comparable players via FBref. Chiesa ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 15% for progressive carries, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for tackles per 90.

Saka, comparatively, ranks among the top 21% for goals, the top 23% for assists, the top 10% for progressive carries, the top 5% for touches in the attacking box and the top 28% for tackles per 90.

It paints the picture that while both are supremely creative and expert ball carriers, they aren't afraid of the dirty work either, tracking back to help out their defensive colleagues.

With Chiesa still not back at the peak of his powers, it's a daunting prospect for opposition to imagine just how "potent" – as stated by Rio Ferdinand – he could yet become, and at Newcastle, he could rise to the fore and rival any positional peer on English shores with the calibre of his performances.

Faf du Plessis praised his team for fighting hard through the difficult phases of the second Test, after they overcame a score of 94 for 6 in the first innings to win comprehensively on the third day

Firdose Moonda in Wellington18-Mar-2017

At 1pm on Friday, South Africa were at risk of losing a Test. By 7pm on Saturday, they had won it. It took them just 30 hours to turn things around and they did it the full 360 degrees.”It’s happened a few times this season where we’ve been in impossible situations and then there’s one or two guys putting their hand up and making the impossible very possible,” Faf du Plessis said. “Lunch time yesterday felt like not too long ago, and now we’ve won a Test match so just that shift in pressure was really well handled.”South Africa were 104 for 6 at lunch on day two, with Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock, the last two recognised batsmen, at the crease. In a stand of 160, they took the score over 250 and put South Africa in the lead. Their fightback was underlined by self-assured batting that, even in the trickiest of situations, they stuck with. Bavuma was cautious and rode the bounce, while de Kock was aggressive. Together, they scored at a rate of 4.13 to give South Africa the advantage.”We’ve found this ability to have a lot of faith in our batting line-up, whoever they are, to stand up to pressure situations. Quinton and Temba hadn’t been in massive run-spells these last couple of games, so for both of them to do it at a critical time says a lot about them mentally,” du Plessis said. “And it was the way they played [that was impressive]. To counter-punch and put the pressure on the opposition was remarkable.”An obdurate last-wicket stand of 57 tipped South Africa over 350 and gave them a match-winning lead, but they did not expect things to come so quickly on the third day. With the southerly wind slicing through the city, South Africa expected being on the field to be uncomfortable at best, impossible at worst.”It was a challenge for us. What we asked for this morning was real hard cricketers. Mentally we needed to be very strong, to be ready to be challenged and pushed to extremes because it’s not conditions we are used to. There were no excuses; the wind and the cold were never going to be excuses. Just real, hard Test cricket and that’s what they produced.”Du Plessis lauded his spinners, particularly Keshav Maharaj, who took his second five-for in as many games•Getty Images

The seamers were rotated in short spells and they all seemed to find their rhythms unaffected. Vernon Philander was unlucky not to be rewarded for a probing effort and Kagiso Rabada had his pace up to the mid 140s again, but it was Morne Morkel’s new-ball spell that broke New Zealand. He removed both Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, the man South Africa see as “a big threat in terms of holding that batting unit together,” as du Plessis has consistently explained. “To get him cheaply obviously helps. We knew if we could get a few early ones we could really put them under pressure.”Morkel then had a third, Neil Broom. He completed a comeback that should see him retained as a certainty in the starting XI for the tour of England in July-August.”It was a bit of a punt as he’s been away from the game for so long. But I knew what I saw from him. Every time he’s bowling, he’s getting better. In the second innings he hardly bowled a bad ball. His consistency is there and he’s getting his pace back up. Today with the new ball, [he] was as tough as you could face. I was standing in the slips and it looked nasty. A lot of bounce with good intensity and pace. When he’s on like that, he’s a real handful,” du Plessis said.By the time Morkel was done with New Zealand, he had opened them up for Keshav Maharaj, who surpassed all expectations with a second five-for in as many matches.”It is surprising given the conditions – cold and not a lot of spin,” du Plessis said. “But I thought both spinners bowled incredibly well. Their control and consistency meant the New Zealand batsmen just couldn’t get away. Their run rates were very low. The pressure that created chances for wickets. When spinners are contributing like that, it makes the seamers’ lives much easier, especially with us having to rotate the seamers quite often because we only have three.”The other spinner was JP Duminy, whose low returns with the bat were masked by the career-best 4 for 47 he took in the first innings. Du Plessis still thinks Duminy has an important part to play in South Africa’s Test side, with both bat and ball, and hopes Hamilton will be the place where he proves that.”What was really good for me was the way JP bowled in this match,” du Plessis said. “That confidence from the bowling was something I was looking for. We gave him a little bit more responsibility and he got through it really well. He didn’t score a hundred in the second innings but the way he played looked really good. It’s the way he plays at his best with positive body language.”

Arsenal have held talks with Leicester City over a summer move for right-back Timothy Castagne, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Mikel Arteta has identified the need for a new right-back, and Real Valladolid's Ivan Fresneda is seen as a viable option, with a decision about whether to step up the pursuit of the Spaniard set to be made soon, amid interest in other players.

Talks over Joao Cancelo have reportedly progressed, and the Gunners are likely to launch a bid of £35m in the coming days, however that figure is slightly below Manchester City's valuation, with the Champions League winners set to hold out for £45m.

Castagne has also recently emerged as an option for Arsenal, with it being reported they are keen to sign him following Leicester's relegation from the Premier League, and there has now been an update on their pursuit of the right-back.

Taking to Twitter, Tavolieri has now claimed the north London club are "going for" the Belgian, however he is only being considered as a back-up option for Fresneda, who remains their top target.

Talks have commenced with Leicester regarding a potential deal, with the journalist also claiming the move "could develop quickly", even though the 27-year-old is not the Gunners' first choice.

Is Timothy Castagne leaving Leicester?

After the Foxes' relegation to the Championship, they are set to lose a number of key first-team players, with journalist Dean Jones claiming they will find it "almost impossible" to keep hold of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Castagne.

The defender would almost certainly fancy a move to the Emirates Stadium, considering Champions League football is on offer next season, and there are some indications he could be a solid addition to the Arsenal backline.

Hailed as "brilliant" by members of the media, the £65k-per-week full-back ranks highly for a number of key defensive metrics over the past year, including clearances, averaging 3.04 per 90, which places him in the 91st percentile.

That said, the Belgium international does not offer much in the way of attacking contributions, sparsely showing the desire to get on the ball and take the game to the opposition, placed in just the 13th percentile for successful take-ons.

As a back-up option who could be brought on to help preserve a lead, Castagne could be a good signing for Arsenal, but he is not well-rounded enough to be a regular starter.

What happens next for EA Sports following their split from FIFA? Well, the potential is 'limitless'

EA Sports FC will hit screens across the world in 2023 in what will be EA Sports' first football video game title since their split from long-standing partner FIFA in 2022.

The conclusion of a three-decade-long association sparked plenty of intrigue in the community, with fans of the famous FIFA franchise now eagerly anticipating what EA has in store.

EA Sports Vice President of Brand, David Jackson, recently spoke to the Footballco Business Podcast about what the future holds for the new game and his excitement about the "limitless" potential he feels has now opened up for them since the parting of ways with FIFA.

Here, GOAL brings you a few things we learned from the conversation.

Getty'Limitless potential' of EA Sports FC

The split from FIFA has ostensibly freed EA Sports up in a business sense and, accordingly, they are now much more flexible in terms of how they can respond to the desires and needs of the gamers who play their game. Crucially, this has facilitated a 'mindset shift' among the creative teams as they seek to expand horizons.

"We think that the growth potential there is immense," Jackson told the . "We now have limitless potential to explore new areas that some of our players are already asking for, in terms of the ability to maybe integrate broadcast highlights or content, or different access points into the game, different modes within our product is really interesting.

"But the main one – the one that we've spoken most meaningfully about with our studio team – is that it's a shift in mindset. You know, you move away from renting the farm for so long then you begin to own it and you think differently about how you curate that experience and how you build it. There are no limits on the imagination of our creative teams now and that manifests in a few ways.

"FIFA, as I said, was a fantastic partner and it authenticated and verified our platform very early on in our existence as being the de facto, authentic football experience. But, as the scope and scale of our business grows, we need to have freedom of genre, modality of play, or platform choices for our great football experience."

This means that EA Sports now has "the opportunity to explore the broadest possible dimensions of global fandom" within their game, with avenues also potentially opening up in terms of apparel, consumer goods and the realm of technology broadcast.

AdvertisementEA SportsInspiration behind new triangle logo

In any rebrand, configuring the most striking and memorable logo is a key aspect and EA Sports FC has settled on a triangular motif. So where did that particular three-pronged theme come from?

Total football, tiki-taka and Ted Lasso have all formed part of the conversation since the launch of the new logo, as Jackson explains: "Triangles are the language of the beautiful game, when you think of [Johan] Cruyff, Pep [Guardiola] and all the stuff Ted [Lasso] imagined in his weird fever dream (a reference to the tactical revelation that comes to Coach Lasso in season three).

"When we spoke to our studio team and they were talking about the triangle idea, one of the guys actually said that the very atomic unit of our game – the smallest polygon that makes up the game – they're all triangular.

"Then the very obvious one is the player indicator symbol that sits above every athlete's head in every game and that was the one that really nailed it for us. That's a symbol that is unique to our platform. Even if you put a triangle above the heads of players on a highlight reel, it would start to look like FIFA."

EA SPORTSWomen's football 'phenomenally important'

A lot more emphasis has been placed on women's football in recent iterations of FIFA and that will expand in EA Sports FC, so it is likely that we will see even more women's teams and players in the game.

Jackson said: "It's phenomenally important for us that we elevate and accelerate women's football through our platform. I think the opportunity is immense and the opportunity for us to establish a platform for women's football to grow and scale is meaningful."

He added: "There's lots of new content coming to the platform. Even in FIFA 23, we added a bunch of leagues and we'll continue to do that. People can expect that to grow and scale because we think that we can access a brand new demographic through that content and we can serve players with the content that they love and they're beginning to kind of start a lifelong love affair with those leagues."

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GettyJoin the Club

In naming the new game 'EA Sports FC', the rebrand invites players to "join the club". In essence, in a world where loyalties increasingly lie with individual players, EA is privileging a community connection.

"Interestingly, the EA Sports FC name has been with us since 2011," says Jackson. "FC is a constant in the world of football, it's a fairly universally translatable suffix for a football club. The thinking and the theory has been with us for a while."