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For a while when West Indies trained on Tuesday, the men designated to put up sponsor boards around the edges of the first tier above the dressing rooms waited and watched to see if the batters would stop hitting the ball in the direction. After a while, it became amply clear this was part of a skills-specific training routine. They stopped and enjoyed a power-hitting show for a good 40 minutes, before they got to work again.Big hits routinely flew off the blade, one after the other. If Nicholas Pooran tried to hit them 80 meters, Odean Smith went 85. Romario Shepherd gunned for 90. The white-ball destroyers who’ve thrilled audiences around the world surfaced. Balls were disappearing into the empty stands routinely.After a while, Kieron Pollard walked out with his weapons and whacked them big. Over the past week, he’s worked on repairing his ankle that was sore due to fluid accumulation. On match-eve, he declared himself fit, and even proved it by not just flexing his muscle in hitting big but also completing regular drills. If the weekend was about relaxing and soaking in multi-million-dollar bids at the IPL auction, the last two days have been about training hard and ironing out areas they want to focus on. Two long sessions later, West Indies are confident heading into the series opener on Wednesday.”It’s down to execution,” Pollard asserted. “That’s the conversation we’re having. Being precise in what to do and being as accurate as possible. We’re clear and have worked on specific things in the nets. Skill-sets of the group are different. One thing you can be rest assured of, we have put in the work to get it right.”Related

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Barring Kyle Mayers, Dominic Drakes and Shepherd, the allrounders, the rest of the squad have had a taste of conditions in India, either from earlier or during the ODIs. They may have been thumped in the ODIs, but Pollard insisted every bit of learning has been taken onboard and there are no hangovers from the IPL auction euphoria.”Every time you get an opportunity to represent your team, you want to do well,” he said. “The IPL auction is done and dusted. To be selected there, you should have done something great on the field. When the IPL comes, we will deal with that. For now, it’s about representing the West Indies and putting our best foot forward. From a one-day perspective, it didn’t go how we wanted it to. Come tomorrow, hopefully we can deliver the plans we have.”West Indies have now lost back-to-back ODI series, to Ireland and India, but go into the T20Is with the confidence of having beaten England 3-2 at home. Pollard termed it “confidence boosting”, but felt there were weaknesses they got away with.”For us, it’s about consistency,” he said. “We had a good series against England. A couple of times with the bat and at the back end of the innings, we could have been better at executing. Our fielding performance, we can take it up a notch. That is an area we need to improve. And try to be as consistent as possible from a batting perspective. We have not been consistent at all. That’s a fact. We want to put it right in the limited opportunities in the shorter format of the game. It’s about continuing to improve in all facets and executing to the best of our ability.”Kieron Pollard trained and did all his fitness drills•Associated Press

Pollard hinted at continuity at the top, which means Mayers could line-up to open alongside Brandon King. Mayers, who made his mark in a record-breaking Test match chase in Chittagong last year on debut, is just four T20Is old, but brings multi-dimensional skills with his ability to chip in with a few overs of medium pace.”I’m very impressed, he’s aggressive in nature and is doing tremendously, and has improved a lot from the first time I interacted with him in the 2013 CPL,” Pollard said of the 29-year-old. “He’d done well in the Test arena, in a couple of T20s too. We want that to continue, for him to give that impetus. He is clear what he has to do for the team. We look forward to consistent performances. We know he can give us a few overs with the ball as well.”Some captains don’t like talking about individuals, particularly if they aren’t chosen. Pollard is the exact opposite. He was asked what it would take for Shimron Hetmyer to make a comeback. The big-hitting Guyanese batter was signed for INR 8.5 crore last weekend by Rajasthan Royals, but finds himself out of the white-ball setup on fitness grounds. Coach Phil Simmons has made it clear he will only return if he passes the required parameters.”I think the coaches have spoken on their assessment of Shimron,” Pollard said. “I miss Shimron when he is not around. He is a young player and a superstar in his own right. He will get it right and get back to the West Indies squad pretty soon. I will be looking forward to having him. We know what he can do as an individual and he has a bright future. You can never write off a guy who is 25. My love for Shimron is paramount, and he knows that, and we all know that. It is a matter of time for him to do all that is necessary to get back to the team. We will welcome him with open arms.”What about Pooran, another big name with a big reputation, but with the kind of returns that may make you tear your hair out. “He is still trying to find his foot to become consistent and perform as an individual before thinking about leadership,” Pollard said. “He is in a good space. We have had a lot of conversations. He has got different opportunities at different times. We can see what he can do, and that is exciting.”The T20 set up has long been about the Gayles, Pollards, Russells, Bravos and Narines. Pollard, however, sees big things going forward with what he terms an “exciting group” that is ready to step up and take over the mantle.”What I see is that these guys are all wanting to do well,” he said. “Odean Smith, Drakes, Hetmyer, Romario – these are the guys we look to, to take our cricket forward. Some of the guys are selected in IPL and if they can use that experience to enhance their cricket, and get some expertise from the coaching staff, it augurs well for us in that aspect. They will be soaking in the knowledge, so it is exciting times for us going forward.”

It’s the most fear-inducing fixture of the season. Of any season. Real Madrid will meet Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, with Anfield desperate for revenge against the Spanish giants.

Liverpool’s track record against the La Liga and Champions League holders is, admittedly, not great. Across eight recent meetings, the Reds have been beaten seven times and drawn once, with that goalless affair merely the second leg of a quarter-finals tie that had already seen a 3-1 loss inflicted.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool, however, stand as good a chance as any iteration from the past decade in ending the hoodoo and continuing their perfect start to the Champions League campaign, with four victories claimed from as many group stage matches.

Los Blancos, conversely, have lost two of their opening matches in Europe’s elite competition and will be desperate to claw their way back into the ascendency with a statement win on Merseyside.

The visitors are nursing a host of injuries to key players, but Liverpool have some absences of their own to contend with.

Liverpool team news

First, the negatives. Alisson Becker is not yet ready to return from his injury layoff, but then Liverpool have a more-than-able deputy in Caoimhin Kelleher. Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota’s continued absences will weaken the Reds’ frontline too.

Left-back Kostas Tsimikas has picked up a knock in training so Andy Robertson will retain his starting role despite flattering to deceive against Southampton on Sunday. Trent Alexander-Arnold, however, has trained and could play a part.

In any case, it’s not like Real don’t have issues of their own. Namely, Vinicius Junior has picked up a hamstring injury and faces several weeks out. Carlo Ancelotti will put Kylian Mbappe in his favoured left wing role though, so there’s a debate to be had if that area of the field is actually weakened.

Liverpool will look to exploit the absence though, and while Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez should form two parts of the attacking triptych, and though Luis Diaz would love to start, Cody Gakpo could retain his berth, especially since he could serve the visitors with a reminder of Vini due to his style of play.

Cody Gakpo is Slot's own Vinicius Junior

According to FBref, Real Madrid’s Brazilian sensation is one of Gakpo’s most tactically similar players, albeit the 24-year-old is operating at a higher level than Liverpool’s Dutch forward.

Cody Gakpo vs Vinicius Junior (past 365 days)

Stats (per 90)

Gakpo

Vinicius Jr.

Goals scored

0.44

0.61

Assists

0.26

0.31

Shot-creating actions

4.44

4.44

Pass completion

78.5%

73.2%

Progressive passes

4.15

2.99

Progressive carries

2.79

6.98

Successful take-ons

1.80

3.21

Tackles + interceptions

2.06

0.95

Stats via FBref

Both left-sided players capable of performing in a central striking role, Gakpo’s fluency and tactical intelligence have seen him go from strength to strength under his compatriot Slot this season, only posting six goals and two assists across 18 matches in all competitions but receiving just nine starts.

Conversely, Vini has obliterated Spanish and Champions League grounds over the past several months, claiming 12 goals and eight assists from 18 matches.

Gakpo’s dynamism, his protean attacking threat, could provide the Anfield spectacle with the Vini-esque figure to set it alight. Once hailed for his “special skill set” by former Reds assistant manager Pep Lijnders, the Netherlands international has the talent and big-game aura to step up and make the affair his own from the left.

Like Vinicius Jr., Gakpo’s blend of technical soundness and fast pace could exploit the Madrid side’s lack of options at right-back. Dani Carvajal is out for the season with an ACL injury and Fede Valverde played there in a makeshift role during the 3-0 victory over Leganes at the weekend, scoring and producing the kind of creative display that would cause problems.

However, he’ll have to contend with issues of his own, should he be pitted against Gakpo. As it is, Lucas Vasquez, 33, would be the defensively-sounded choice, but even so, this is hardly ideal for the away team.

Mbappe will pose a real threat, and you can’t shake the feeling this might be the match he targets to make his true introduction to life in Real white, but Slot’s frontline is as good as it gets.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 26, 2024

Arsenal have opened talks with the representatives of an “exciting” forward, who is said to be one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

Latest Arsenal transfer news

The Gunners are clearly keen on bolstering their attacking options as we approach the January transfer window, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško recently being named as potential targets for Mikel Arteta. Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is also on Arteta’s radar, with reports suggesting a bid of £46m has already been knocked back, highlighting the manager’s desire to strengthen his frontline after a mixed start to the campaign.

Arsenal fan and YouTuber Joel Beya has also echoed this sentiment, insisting the club urgently need to sign a striker if they are to compete for major honours this season, with Kai Havertz now without a goal in his last three Premier League appearances.

The north London club have long been reliant on Bukayo Saka to weigh in with goals and assists, with the England international appearing in every single Premier League game during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns as well as 35 of 38 fixtures last term.

The 23-year-old has made a solid start to the current season too, averaging more than one goal contribution per-game in the Premier League, but there are now indications that Arteta is looking to bring in a back-up option on the right flank.

Arsenal keen on Geovany Quenda

According to reports from Spain, the Gunners have already opened talks with the representatives of Sporting CP youngster Geovany Quenda, who is described as a ‘revelation’ and one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

However, there may be stiff competition for the 17-year-old’s signature, as there are a number of other Premier League clubs in the race, including Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. Despite the £84m release clause included in Quenda’s contract, Arsenal – and the other suitors – are willing to spend big to get a deal over the line, as they are aware of the enormous talent that he possesses.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has waxed lyrical about the starlet in the past, describing him as “one of the most exciting talents in Portugal”, and he has since gone on to impress considerably at senior level. The Bissau-born ace scored a stunning goal for Sporting against Porto in the Super Cup prior to the ongoing season, making it 3-0 to the reigning Portuguese champions, although they remarkably went on to lose 4-3.

Since then, the Sporting academy graduate has gone on to establish himself in the first team, chalking up 10 appearances in the league so far this season, which is an impressive feat given that he is still only 17 years old.

Arsenal may already have their own star boy in Saka, however Quenda is clearly showing signs that he could go on to be a top player at the highest level, so it is exciting they are in the mix for his signature.

However, Arteta’s priority in the January transfer window should be a new striker, given that Havertz has hardly been prolific in front of goal this season.

It’s been an interesting start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have looked incredible in moments, such as the wins over Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City, but have looked tepid in others, such as the defeat to Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Galatasaray last night.

Now, the Australian did put out a heavily rotated side last night, and once the likes of Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski came on, they looked a lot better, but it’s a sign the squad isn’t deep enough.

The North Londoners need to find themselves another prolific attacker who can challenge the former Bournemouth star for starts, and the good news is they were linked to the perfect candidate in the summer, someone who has been likened to their tormentor last night, Victor Osimhen.

Spurs' attacking options

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s look at some of Spurs’ current attacking options, starting with the man of the moment, Solanke.

The Englishman joined the club for £65m in the summer, and while he endured a slow start to life in North London, he has started to look like the player we saw last season in recent games.

In all, the former Liverpool prospect has racked up a reasonably impressive tally of six goals and two assists in 14 appearances for his new side, which makes him the second-highest goalscorer at the club and the joint-most productive with Brennan Johnson.

1

Johnson

7

16

2

Solanke

6

14

3

Maddison

3

14

3

Sarr

3

16

3

Son

3

10

The former Nottingham Forest ace also endured a slow start to the campaign, but following his match-winning goal against Coventry City in the League Cup, he has been in sensational form and now has seven goals and one assist to his name in 16 appearances.

Unfortunately, not all the club’s attacking talents have been as productive, with Richarlison scoring once and providing one assist in seven games and Timo Werner producing the same underwhelming tally in 12 appearances, making it clear that Postecoglou needs to be supplied with more talented forwards to take his squad to the next level.

Fortunately, Daniel Levy and Co should already be familiar with one player who’d be the perfect addition, a player who’s been in electric form, who would genuinely rival Solanke and has been compared to Osimhen.

The sensational attacker Spurs should sign in 2025

So, the player in question is none other than RB Leipzig phenom Loïs Openda, who was linked with several clubs over the summer, including Spurs, over a potential transfer worth around £84m.

Now, that is an enormous sum of money and would represent a record for the North Londoners, but the good news is that his release clause will reportedly drop to just €80m – £68m – in the summer, so if they can get through the season, they’ll be able to get their hands on a sensational talent for a cut-price fee.

With that said, before we examine his unreal attacking output, let’s address this comparison to Osimhen.

It stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, in the last 365 days before creating a list of the ten most comparable players for each individual in those competitions.

This method has concluded that the Nigerian poacher is the second most similar striker to the Leipzig star, and to get a better understanding of how that conclusion was reached, you can examine some of the underlying metrics they ranked closely in, including but not limited to expected goals plus assists, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Expected Goals + Assists

0.93

0.84

Shots

3.94

3.86

Shots on Target

1.97

1.63

Passing Accuracy

66.4%

66.9%

Key Passes

1.17

1.05

Shot-Creating Actions

2.80

2.45

Goal-Creating Actions

0.43

0.36

Successful Take-Ons

0.67

0.73

Aside from his similarities to the Serie A winner, Levy and Co should also be looking to sign the “terrifying” attacker, as journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor dubbed him, for his sensational output.

In just 59 appearances for Leipzig, he has scored 34 goals and provided 11 assists, which equates to an outrageously impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.31 games.

Ultimately, to really progress under Postecoglou, Spurs need to add more genuine world-class attacking talent to their ranks, and based on his form in Germany and Lens before that, Openda looks like the perfect candidate.

Brennan Johnson 2.0: Spurs want to sign dream £30m Werner upgrade

The exciting winger would be an excellent addition to Spurs’ squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 6, 2024

Jordi Alba has explained a dream that he shares with Lionel Messi, as contract extensions at MLS Cup hopefuls Inter Miami are hinted at.

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Barcelona greats contract through 2025Future decisions yet to be madeIconic figures want to grace new stadiumFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

As things stand, all of the Herons’ former Barcelona heroes are only tied to terms through the 2025 campaign. Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets also have less than 12 months left to run on their respective deals in Florida.

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There are, however, options for 2026 that can be taken up and further talks to be held, with Inter Miami preparing to move into their new 25,000-seat Freedom Park stadium next season. That big move has captured the imagination of some illustrious performers.

WHAT JORDI ALBA SAID

Alba has told of future plans for Messi and Co: “I’d love to play at the new stadium, all of us, with Leo, Busi and Luis. It’ll be spectacular. As of today, I’m just going year by year, to see how I feel physically, mentally. So we’ll see, but yeah, it’d be great.”

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Ex-Spain international Alba is delighted to be playing with Messi again in the United States, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner still going strong at 37 years of age. Alba added: “Other teams try everything they can to stop Leo. In the end, stopping him is difficult. But they show a lot of respect to him, to all of us. For them, it’s also a privilege to be able to play against Leo. It’s not every day you get to share a pitch with the best player in history.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Oeste e Flamengo fizeram um jogo repleto de emoções no encerramento do Grupo 29 da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior. Os paulistas abriram 3 a 0 no primeiro tempo, mas os Garotos do Ninho reagiram após o intervalo e empataram em aos 45 minutos da etapa final, com Cassiano. Com o 3 a 3, o Rubro-Negro avançou para a próxima fase como primeiro colocado da chave.

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Popó e Tite, duas vezes, marcaram os gols do Oeste na primeira etapa – todos até os 16 minutos. Depois do intervalo, Victor Hugo, Mateusão e Cassiano fizeram os gols do Flamengo e deixaram tudo igual no placar da Arena Barueri.

O Flamengo atuou com uma equipe muito alterada em relação às rodadas anteriores, quando venceu o Forte (ES) e o Floresta (CE). Sete jogadores e o técnico Fabio Matias voltaram ao Ninho para a disputa do início do Estadual. Desta forma, o time não repetiu as atuações consistentes sob o comando de Luiz Felipe, fazendo um primeiro tempo ruim e reagindo após o intervalo.

Classificados em primeiro lugar do Grupo 29 da Copa SP de Futebol Júnior, o Flamengo enfrentará o Náutico na próxima fase. O Oeste, por sua vez, terá o IbraChina como adversário. As partidas serão disputadas nesta quinta-feira.

PASSEIO DO OESTE NO PRIMEIRO TEMPO

Aproveitando os erros defensivos do Flamengo, o Oeste logo abriu o placar. Em rápido contra-ataque aos seis minutos, Popó recebeu dentro da área e, com liberdade, fez o seu quinto gol na Copinha. Aos nove, o goleiro Bruno errou na saída de bola e o camisa 9, dessa vez, serviu de garçom para Tite ampliar: 2 a 0.

À vontade no jogo, o Oeste fez o terceiro na sequência, aos 16. Em escanteio cobrado pela direita, Tite estava ligado no lance e aproveitou o rebote do travessão para encaminhar a vitória sobre o Flamengo ainda no primeiro tempo. Ofensivamente, o time da Gávea pouco produziram antes do intervalo.

REAÇÃO DO FLAMENGO NÃO É SUFICIENTE

Mais do que as três substituições feitas por Luiz Felipe, o Flamengo voltou do vestiário com outra postura, e a reação foi imediata. Depois de algumas chances, Victor Hugo recebeu na área e, como um legítimo centroavante, tocou na saída do goleiro Alê para o gol 3 a 1 aos nove minutos da etapa final. Aos 13, Mateusão desviou cobrança de escanteio e colocou o time de vez no jogo: 3 a 2.

Com a bola rolando, o Flamengo passou a dominar o jogo, ocupando o campo de ataque e criando boas oportunidades. O gol de empate, contudo, insistia em não sair. O Oeste resistiu até os 45 minutos, quando Cassiano – uma das trocas feitas na etapa final – aproveitou cruzamento da esquerda e deixou tudo igual.

A comemoração efusiva dos rubro-negros quase terminou em confusão entre os bancos de reservas das equipes. O clima já estava quente dentro de campo, esquentou ainda mais, mas a partida terminou mesmo com o placar em 3 a 3.

FICHA TÉCNICA
OESTE (SP) 3X3 FLAMENGO

Data-hora: 11/01/2022, às 21h45 (de Brasília)
Local: Arena Barueri, em Barueri (SP)
Árbitro: Robson Silva Santos (SP)
Assistentes: Danilo Nogueira da Silva (SP) e Igor César Bertozzi (SP)
​
Gols: Popó (1-0, 6’/1ºT), Tite (2-0 e 3-0, 9′ e 16’/1ºT), Victor Hugo (3-1, 9’/2ºT), Mateusão (3-2, 13’/2ºT) e Cassiano (3-3, 45’/2ºT)

Cartão amarelo: Índio, Negueba, Tite e Alan (OES); Mateusão (FLA)
Cartão vermelho: Não houve.

OESTE (Técnico: Marcondes Paiva)
Alê; Matheus Índio (Rodrigo, 23’/2ºT), Favorito, Alan e Luan Vitor; Negueba, Diogo Freitas (Lucas Porto, 23’/2ºT) e Motta; Kauã Jesus, Popó (João Felipe, 32’/2ºT) e Tite

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Luiz Felipe)
Bruno; Breno (Samuel, 30’/2ºT), João Victor (Igor Jesus, Intervalo), Otávio e Lucas André (Kayque Soares, Intervalo); Richard; Petterson (Cassiano, 39’/2ºT), Victor Hugo e Pedrinho (Kayke David, Intervalo); Mateusão e Pedro Arthur (Carlos Daniel, 30’/2ºT)

Manchester City were left frustrated in their efforts to break down Inter at The Etihad in the opening game of the Champions League season on Wednesday night.

Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a 0-0 draw by the Serie A champions as they failed to breach Yann Sommer’s goal and did not create a single ‘big chance’ for Erling Haaland to test the Switzerland international.

Savinho and Jack Grealish were selected to start on the flanks and they both ended the game with zero shots on target and zero ‘big chances’ created for the team.

The Spanish head coach will surely want more from his wide players for the rest of the season, particularly after Jeremy Doku and Grealish combined for six Premier League goals last season.

Finding high-quality wingers to consistently provide quality in the final third has not always been an easy task for the Cityzens, as illustrated by their addition of Scott Sinclair in the 2012/13 campaign.

How much City paid for Scott Sinclair

Roberto Mancini wanted to add to his options in the wide areas ahead of the 2012/13 season and eventually opted to bring in the English attacker.

It was reported that the Premier League side splashed out a fee of £8m to sign the Team GB winger from fellow top-flight outfit Swansea in the summer of 2012.

The 23-year-old whiz took the number 11 shirt and was looking to step his game up a level after a return of eight goals and four assists in 38 Premier League games for the Swans in the 2011/12 campaign.

Unfortunately, however, Sinclair was unable to break into the City side on a regular basis and did not convince Mancini that he was good enough to start week-in-week-out.

The former Swansea star ended the season with zero goals and zero assists in 15 appearances in all competitions for the club, including 11 outings in the top-flight.

Sinclair then spent the following season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, producing zero goals and one assist in eight Premier League games, before playing four times for Manchester City in the first half of the 2014/15 campaign.

The English winger was sent out on loan to Aston Villa for the second half of that season, racking up three goals in 12 games, before the Villans signed him permanently for a reported fee of £2.5m in the summer of 2015.

This shows that City had a howler with the £8m signing as he did not produce a single goal or assist for the club in the Premier League before moving on for a £5.5m loss three years later.

That particular deal was even more frustrating for the Cityzens when you consider that they had been interested in signing another forward before they signed Sinclair – Lille sensation Eden Hazard.

Manchester City's interest in Eden Hazard

In May of 2012, The BBC reported that Manchester City and Manchester United were both in talks with Lille over a deal to sign the 21-year-old star.

The Belgian wizard had claimed that he would be playing in Manchester in the 2012/13 campaign, before the end of the previous season, and that made it appear as though City and United were the only two clubs in the race for his signature.

Lille were willing to cash in on their star forward, for the right price, but did not want to sanction an exit for the attacker until their final Ligue 1 match, which meant that the Red Devils and the Cityzens had to bide their time and wait to secure a deal.

However, Chelsea then won the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich on penalties in the final, at the end of May and that convinced the Belgium international to sign for the Blues, seemingly turning down Manchester City and Manchester United in the process.

Hazard reportedly completed a £32m move from Lille to Stamford Bridge and revealed that the club’s success in the Champions League made him decide to sign for them, whilst adding that the youthful nature of the squad was appealing to him.

The 21-year-old star ended up being one that got away for City as he went from strength to strength in the Premier League for Chelsea, whilst Scott Sinclair struggled at The Etihad.

Eden Hazard's soaring value

The £32m that the Blues reportedly splashed out on the Lille phenomenon turned out to be a huge bargain because he was a star in England for the following seven years.

Hazard hit the ground running in London with a return of 13 goals and 21 assists in all competitions during his debut campaign with Chelsea, and he followed that up with 17 goals and eight assists in his second season.

The Belgian magician, who was hailed as a “wizard” by the late Ray Wilkins, went on to score 110 goals and assist a further 85 in 352 appearances for the club in all competitions before his exit in 2019.

His best return for goals and assists in a single Premier League campaign had to wait until his final season with the Blues in the 2018/19 term.

Appearances

37

Goals

16

Big chances created

18

Assists

15

Key passes per game

2.5

Dribbles completed per game

3.7

As you can see in the table above, Hazard was a regular provider of both goals and assists in the top-flight, with 31 direct goal contributions in 37 appearances.

His incredible form that year convinced Spanish giants Real Madrid to swoop in and sign the Belgian sensation for a reported fee of up to £130m in the summer of 2019.

This meant that Chelsea got seven years of fantastic service, over 100 goals, and a profit of just shy of £100m out of their £32m deal to sign Hazard ahead of Manchester City in 2012.

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2 ByDan Emery Sep 19, 2024

He was, therefore, one that got away for the Cityzens as they missed out on a hugely talented and valuable player before signing Sinclair, who struggled at The Etihad, as an alternative wide option.

Manchester United players have reportedly been hunting a dressing room mole at Old Trafford, with the source of shock leaks said to be well known.

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• Information leaking out of Old Trafford
• Doing the collective cause few favours
• Senior stars know who is responsible

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• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Big decisions on the selection front have been made public long before team sheets drop at the so-called Theatre of Dreams. A prominent presence inside the Red Devils camp has been responsible for passing information on to those outside of United’s inner circle.

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  The Red Devils, who have slipped to 14th in the Premier League table, will be hoping to avoid any unwelcome distractions when returning to action on Sunday with a trip to Anfield and a meeting with arch-rivals Liverpool.

Celtic’s board showed their faith in manager Brendan Rodgers during the recent summer transfer window with the money that they spent on incoming signings.

The Hoops agreed a club-record fee of £11m to sign central midfielder Arne Engels from Bundesliga side Augsburg to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

A new centre-forward was also needed, after Hyeon-gyu Oh’s permanent move to Genk, and the club splashed the cash to re-sign Adam Idah for Rodgers.

23/24 Premiership

Adam Idah

Appearances

15

Starts

5

Goals

8

Big chances missed

7

Conversion rate

27%

Minutes per goal

76

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international made a big impact in the final third during his loan spell in Glasgow during the second half of last season, with eight goals in five Scottish Premiership starts.

That convinced the Hoops to agree a deal worth a reported £9.5m, £8.5m of which is guaranteed, which could make him the second most expensive addition in the club’s history behind the £11m for Engels, if those add-ons are achieved.

Despite the big money spent on the 6 foot 3 marksman, Kyogo Furuhashi has once again started the season as Celtic’s first-choice centre-forward.

Kyogo Furuhashi's form under Brendan Rodgers

The Japan international plundered an exceptional 27 goals in 31 starts in the Premiership during the 2022/23 campaign under Ange Postecoglou, prior to Rodgers’ return last summer.

He had showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis in the Scottish top-flight and the Northern Irish boss may have been excited about what they could achieve together at Parkhead.

Unfortunately, Kyogo’s form fell off significantly under Rodgers and he has failed to replicate his performances from the 2022/23 season since then.

Kyogo Furuhashi’s decline

Premiership

22/23

23/24

Appearances

36

38

Goals

27

14

Minutes per goal

86

179

Big chances missed

16

24

Conversion rate

31%

14%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese forward could not hit more than 20 goals in the 2023/24 campaign, after his sublime exploits the previous year.

It was not down to the quality of chances that were created for him, however, as Kyogo missed eight more ‘big chances’ along the way to scoring 13 fewer goals.

Despite his struggles last term, and the signing of Idah, the 29-year-old forward has started the current campaign as the first-choice number nine.

Kyogo scored his first goal of the season against Rangers, with a clever finish from distance past Jack Butland, and has produced one goal and one assist in four games in all competitions so far.

One former Celtic player, who was sold by Rodgers last year, who is currently outscoring the Japan international this season is Swiss flop Albian Ajeti.

Celtic's Albian Ajeti nightmare

In the summer of 2020, then-Hoops manager Neil Lennon swooped to sign the Switzerland international from Premier League side West Ham United.

The Scottish giants splashed out a fee of £5m to sign the striker, who took a wage cut on his £60k-per-week salary, on a four-year contract at Parkhead.

Ajeti had failed to provide a single goal or assist in 12 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions during his time in England, but that did not put Lennon or Celtic off spending £5m on the 23-year-old.

The young attacker was given plenty of opportunities to shine by the Hoops boss in his first season, with 30 appearances in all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign.

Ajeti produced an unremarkable return of six goals and four assists in those 30 outings, as he failed to live up to his £5m price tag and did not do enough to convince Ange Postecoglou, who arrived at the end of that term, that he was good enough to feature regularly.

The Australian boss only handed him 17 appearances during the 2021/22 season and the Swiss forward managed three goals and one assist in that time.

Postecoglou then sent him out on loan to Sturm Graz, where he produced four goals and one assist in 23 matches, before Rodgers arrived last summer and opted to cash in on the striker.

In September 2023, Turkish side Gaziantep swooped in to sign the centre-forward for a reported fee of £500k – a sizeable loss on the £5m Celtic paid for him.

What happened to Albian Ajeti

The now-27-year-old striker currently plays for Swiss giants Basel in his home country after a relatively short spell with Gaziantep in Turkey.

Ajeti scored one goal in five matches for the Super Lig outfit before being allowed to join Basel on a free transfer at the start of February this year.

The £5m Celtic flop endured a rough start to his second stint with the Swiss side, scoring one goal in six matches in the second half of last season, but has started the current campaign on fire.

In fact, Ajeti is currently outscoring Kyogo Furuhashi at league level and in all competitions with his impressive start to the season for Basel.

The Switzerland international has finally hit his stride as both a scorer and a creator of goals after a difficult few years at West Ham, Celtic, and Gaziantep.

24/25 season

Ajeti (Super League)

Kyogo (Premiership)

Appearances

6

4

Goals

4

1

Big chances missed

1

6

Assists

3

1

Big chances created

5

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Ajeti has scored three more goals and missed five fewer ‘big chances’ than Kyogo at league level this season.

He has also created five more ‘big chances’ and registered three two more assists, which shows that the forward has been more of an asset to his team as a creative threat in the centre-forward position.

Along with his outstanding performances in the Super League, Ajeti produced two goals and one assist in one Swiss Cup outing last month, which means that the striker has racked up six goals and four assists in seven matches in all competitions.

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It will now be interesting to see how Kyogo and Ajeti compare by the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and if the ex-Celtic flop can continue his fine form.

Over the years, Manchester United and Everton have both had some legendary players represent each club. Historically, they are both two of English football’s biggest football clubs and some of the best players to grace the domestic game, both before and during the Premier League era, have represented them.

No doubt the most famous of them all is Wayne Rooney, who burst onto the scene for Everton in 2002/03, before joining United in 2004/05. He is the Red Devils’ all-time top goalscorer, with 253 goals in 559 games, and also scored 28 times for his boyhood club, in two spells with the Toffees.

Another famous player to grace both Old Trafford and Goodison Park is Mark Hughes. The Welshman played 467 times for United, getting on the scoresheet on 163 occasions. Whilst he only played 18 games for Everton at the end of his career, Hughes still got on the scoresheet for the Toffees once.

Other players to play for both clubs include Ashley Young, Romelu Lukaku and Andrei Kanchelskis. With the transfer window in full swing, there have been rumours recently linking United to another Everton player, who could add his name to a list filled with iconic players.

Man Utd target Everton striker

The player in question here is England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 27-year-old has impressed for the Toffees when injuries have not troubled him, and with his contract set to expire in 12 months, has been constantly linked with a move away this summer.

Indeed, journalist Joe Thomas, talking to fan-led Everton YouTube channel Royal Blue, "wouldn’t be surprised" if United made an approach for the striker in the final days of the window. He believes that the Red Devils "might put a cheeky bid in" for the striker as the end of the transfer window draws ever closer.

The England international has already been subject to a transfer saga this summer. He came close to moving to the North East and joining Newcastle United. However, the Magpies decided to end their interest in the player because the £40m Everton were charging proved to be too costly.

With that being said, Thomas believes that the centre-forward could now cost clubs far less, given Everton’s need to sell him so they do not lose him for free at the end of next season. The journalist reports United may need to spend just £15m to tempt Everton into a sale this summer.

Why Calvert-Lewin would be a good signing

Sadly for Calvert-Lewin, his 2023/24 campaign was slightly hampered by injuries. The former Sheffield United man missed six games last term in total, although he still played 32 games in the Premier League, getting seven goals and two assists.

Indeed, the striker’s injury record could be cause for concern for Erik ten Hag and United, especially when you consider just how much they struggled with injuries as a squad last season. In the 2021/22 season, the Englishman missed 34 games due to injury, and 29 games the following campaign.

Adding the Sheffield-born striker to their squad would be a good piece of business for the Red Devils should they want to bring in some more Premier League experience, however. United arguably lack such experience up front at the moment, with new signing Joshua Zirkzee 23 years of age and yet to play in the Premier League, and Rasmus Hojlund just 21 with one season of English top-flight football under his belt.

With that being said, the young Denmark international did a good job during his first season wearing that famous red shirt. He played 43 times, scoring 16 goals, which included ten in 30 games in the Premier League and five in six in the Champions League.

Should United bring Calvert-Lewin to Old Trafford this summer, he could prove to be an experienced alternative to Hojlund and Zirkzee, as the former gets his minutes managed better and the latter beds into the Premier League.

How Calvert-Lewin compares to Hojlund

Indeed, despite scoring fewer goals in the top flight in slightly more appearances, Calvert-Lewin’s experience compared to Hojlund is certainly reflected in his stats from last campaign, according to FBref.

Firstly, Everton’s number nine registered far more expected goals than the Dane. He had 12.9xG across the whole season and averaged 0.54xG per game. In contrast, Hojlund posted 7.6xG throughout the season and just 0.32xG each game.

Calvert-Lewin is arguably better suited to fashion goals from dire scenarios than the ex-Atalanta star. He averaged 0.25 goal-creating actions per game, with Hojlund averaging slightly less, at just 0.17 shot-creating actions.

Calvert-Lewin vs. Hojlund shooting stats PL 2023/24
Stat	Calvert-Lewin	Hojlund
Goals	7	10
xG	12.9	7.6
xG per game	0.54	0.32
Shots on target per game	1.16	0.83
Shot creating actions per game	0.25	0.17
Stats from FBref

If there is one area that the 27-year-old England international excels in, it is contesting aerial duels. He won 5.68 aerial duels per 90 minutes last term and had a win rate of 48.8%. This is far superior to Hojlund, who on average won just 1.04 aerial duels each game, a win rate of just 27.8%.

The 21-year-old’s main strength is running the channels rather than being a hold-up striker, which is the way Ten Hag utilised him often last season. In fact, that was also noted by Adam Bate, a football analyst for Sky Sports, who said ‘Hojlund would prefer to be running channels, finding space with his movement, than making it stick’.

Should the Dutchman prefer his side to play that way, adding Calvert-Lewin to their squad would certainly help. He is superb at playing with his back to goal, winning those duels in the air, and controlling the ball on his chest, head or thigh. That is largely thanks to his large 6 foot 2 frame and the impressive height he can reach when jumping. He is a threat in the box from set-pieces, too.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described the Everton striker as a “monster”, and should United bring him in, he could add versatility and experience to a strike force that currently has a lack of experience in the top flight.

For just £15m, signing Calvert-Lewin could be a deal that United shouldn’t miss out on this summer.

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