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Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are set to enter talks again as they look to hash out transfers for Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix, a report says.

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• Atletico after Gallagher for some time
• Move has stalled despite fee agreement
• Clubs to open new talks over double transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gallagher was expected to join the Spanish side earlier this summer after the two teams reached a £33 million ($42m) agreement for the midfielder. However, the deal hit a snag when Samu Omorodion's proposed transfer from Atletico to Chelsea broke down.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to , Atletico must raise more funds before they can bring the England international to the Spanish capital. They have offered Felix to the Blues as part of the deal as they look to offload the Portuguese winger, who spent half a season on loan at the London club before. While Chelsea are open to signing the ex-Benfica star, they want to sign him on a permanent deal on their own terms and must first agree a fee with Atletico.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It was reported earlier this week that Atleti head coach Diego Simeone reached out to Gallagher to assure the 24-year-old that he still wants to bring him to the Spanish capital. The two parties will hope a deal can be worked out soon as they kick off their league campaigns this weekend.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea and Atletico have two weeks to come to an agreement over deals for Gallagher and Felix before the summer transfer window closes. In the meantime, Gallagher is expected to be left out as Chelsea start their Premier League campaign with a game against Manchester City on Sunday,

Erik ten Hag has the "full backing" of Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, even if results worsen.

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• Pressure building on Ten Hag after Liverpool thrashing
• United have lost two of their first three league matches
• Yet Ten Hag in no immediate danger of getting sacked

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Dutchman, who narrowly held on to his job after a disappointing eighth-place finish last season, mainly thanks to beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final, is once again under pressure following a heavy 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford. That result leaves United languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, with just three points from their first three matches and it has been suggested he could become the first manager to be sacked in the division this season.

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  WHAT OMAR BERRADA SAID

  Amid the uncertainty, Berrada made it clear that the club’s leadership remains fully behind the manager.

  “Erik has our full backing and we have worked very closely together in this transfer window," he told reporters. “We’re going to continue working very closely with him to help him get the best results of the team.”

  When questioned about whether the club’s confidence in Ten Hag will remain even if results worsen, Berrada was unequivocal: “Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us, and we’re fully backing him.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ashworth echoed Berrada’s sentiments and went on to emphasize his positive working relationship with Ten Hag. “All I can do is reiterate what Omar says, I’ve really enjoyed working with Erik for the last eight weeks," he said. “I see my job as to support him in every way I possibly can, whether that’s operationally, with recruitment, whether that’s with medical, psychology, training ground flow. It’s just to take as much of that off him to allow him to fully focus on the training pitch and the match tactical plan to deliver success for Manchester United.”

  However, Berrada made it clear that they had no role in extending Ten Hag's contract and it was a decision taken by INEOS “prior to both of our arrivals”.

  When Ashworth was thrown the same question, he replied: "I didn’t start until July 1 so [I had] none whatsoever."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

  The current situation at United draws parallels to past struggles, notably the 1986-87 season when the club endured its worst start in decades. That year, United managed just one point from their first four games, leading to the sacking of Ron Atkinson and the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson, who would go on to become the club’s most successful manager.

  If United fail to secure a victory against Southampton after the international break on September 14, it would make their worst start to the season since 1986-87 and raise further questions about Ten Hag’s future.

Everton have endured a tough couple of campaigns off the field, with the club suffering multiple points deductions during 2023/24, which has threatened the club's ever-present Premier League status.

The Toffees have so far received two separate sanctions, with the club being deducted eight points in total after breaches of the Premier League's FFP and PSR rules.

However, Sean Dyche's side are still outside the relegation zone despite the breaches, sitting two points clear of Luton Town, who occupy the last drop zone place.

The club's solid defensive record is partly to thank for their league position, with the club only conceding 48 times – a tally that is 22 less than Rob Edwards' side.

However, the club allowed one defender to leave Goodison Park in the last couple of years, with the club making the right decision given his recent form during 2023/24.

Yerry Mina's stats at Everton

After joining the club for £28.5m from Barcelona back in the summer of 2018, centre-back Yerry Mina was brought in to bolster the Toffees' defence and push the club towards European football.

He suffered with injuries during the majority of his first campaign on Merseyside, but went on to feature 13 times for the club during his season in English football.

The 2019/20 campaign would be his best on two fronts for Everton, making 29 appearances and scoring twice – both his highest tallies during his stint at the club.

However, Mina's game time would gradually decrease in the seasons following, starting in 2020/21 when the Colombian still made a respectable 24 starts, but still a drop from the season prior.

The former Barcelona centre-back could only muster 20 appearances over the course of the next two seasons, with Mina departing Goodison at the end of the 2022/23 season after his contract expired.

Yerry Mina's stats in 2023/24

After leaving Everton last summer, the now 28-year-old Colombian joined Fiorentina in Italy on a free transfer, with his contract length with the Serie A side unknown.

However, he only made four appearances for the club, none of which came from the start, before leaving after just six months to join fellow Italian side Cagliari in January.

He's since started nine out of ten games in the league for the side who currently occupy 14th place in Serie A as he looks for a more settled home after his Goodison departure.

Despite his impact on Merseyside for the Toffees, the club made the right decision in allowing Mina to leave the club at the end of his contract in July last year.

The centre-back was on a whopping £120k-per-week, as per Spotrac, at Everton, with the club needing to cut costs where possible to try and comply with the Premier League's strict FFP rules.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

His wages alone will save the Toffees over £6.2m per year, which will go a long way to ensuring the club stay within the regulations in the seasons to come.

Given Jarrad Branthwaite's rapid rise to a consistent first-team starting position, the club haven't missed Mina, with the Colombian unlikely to have dislodged the youngster given his form in the Premier League under Dyche this season.

Everton may regret 2023 sale whose value has risen 844% after leaving

He’s excelled away from Goodison Park this campaign.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 11, 2024

The passing of another deadline will be welcomed by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with Wrexham “running out of jokes” for transfer reveals.

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• Busy summer at SToK Racecourse
• Parkinson has bolstered his ranks
• Hollywood co-owners funded deals

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons have enjoyed another busy summer, with Mo Faal becoming the latest addition to Phil Parkinson’s squad. He joins the likes of Arthur Okonkwo, Lewis Brunt, George Dobson and Ollie Rathbone in moving to SToK Racecourse since Wrexham secured promotion into League One.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Each deal completed by the ambitious Welsh outfit has been accompanied by a joke contract that includes fake terms, with said document printed out on social media. Eagle-eyed supporters quickly spotted that new recruits were being lined up for some bizarre tasks.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  That theme has continued with Faal, as his new contract includes the following stipulation: “The player should visit the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at least twice a day.” Wrexham add that their new recruit “must be 6ft 5in.” They then state that “the player will start writing these contracts because we’re running out of jokes”.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Once the summer window closes, the Red Dragons will be unable to bolster their ranks again until January. That will give Reynolds, McElhenney and Co time to come up with some new jokes while focus is narrowed on another promotion bid – which will be caught on camera by the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has dropped a promising update regarding Everton's points deduction appeal, at a time when any positivity feels welcome.

Everton dogged by points deductions

The Blues have had so many hurdles to overcome this season, making life so hard for Sean Dyche and his players, with everything seemingly going wrong at the same time. Everton find themselves in a tough situation on the money front, and they have seen a number of points deductions handed to them, only making their Premier League relegation battle harder.

Back in November, the Merseysiders were hit with a huge 10-point penalty, immediately leading to huge doubts surrounding their top-flight status moving forward, but that tally has since been reduced to six.

Earlier this month, however, Everton then saw a further two points taken away "after they breached the allowed losses threshold of £105million by £16.6million in the three-year period up until the 2022-23 season". They are appealing the decision, however, with the hope the amount will be lessened before the end of the season.

For now, the Blues have to simply focus on staying up, not allowing the situation to act as a distraction, at the same time hoping that the takeover of the club goes through moving forward. That doesn't appear to be getting any closer, though, with 777 Partners still struggling to get a deal over the line.

Journalist drops promising Everton update

Football Insider's O'Rourke has heard from Goodison Park that Everton are hopeful they'll reclaim one point after appealing their latest deduction in a promising update. The report states that "the latest date the Premier League must reveal the verdict was 25 May, but they confirmed that the Merseysiders’ appeal will be heard before the last game of the season – 19 May."

For once, this is some good news for the Blues, even though one point may not exactly be an earth-shattering difference to their current tally. That being said, one point could end up proving key in the relegation fight, so it should be welcomed if it comes their way.

It is a boost that a decision will also be made before the end of the season, however, waiting for it until after the campaign comes to an end would've been a ludicrous situation, leaving not only Everton in limbo but also fellow relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, who have suffered deductions of their own.

Dyche can fill possible Branthwaite hole by unleashing Everton academy star

With Jarrad Branthwaite’s fitness a cause for concern, Sean Dyche may have a possible wildcard replacement…

By
Joe Nuttall

Apr 20, 2024

This season has felt like one bad nightmare at Goodison Park, and it is now a case of getting through it and hoping that more positive times are on the horizon after that.

If Dyche's men can stay in the Premier League beyond this season, overcome their financial issues and see new owners come in sooner rather than later, it could pave the way for far happier times ahead, especially with a move Bramley Moore Dock on the horizon next year.

Having not qualified for a tournament since 2016 and after years of mismanagement, the Republic enter a new era with hope rather than expectation

Heimir Hallgrimsson was officially presented to the press as the new manager of Ireland's men's team on July 11. Before he'd even had a chance to speak, though, Football Association of Ireland (FAI) interim chief-executive David Courell had to address the unfortunate timing of what was a celebratory news conference.

After a painfully protracted process, Ireland had finally found a new permanent coach – the sense of relief was palpable – but Hallgrimsson's unveiling arrived just days after the FAI had apologised to female footballers who claimed to have been sexually harassed and coerced by two former national team coaches during the 1990s, and that needed to be acknowledged.

Courell also had to intervene after Hallgrimsson had been understandably caught off guard by a request for his response to comments made by former Ireland star and assistant coach Damien Duff, who said that he would "raze" the FAI's headquarters at Abbotstown "to the ground" and "probably sack 90 percent of the workforce” because he believed that the organisation required a complete overhaul.

As first days go, it was really quite something. But it felt fitting – and necessary. Hallgrimsson had been given an immediate insight into the enormity of the task ahead of him as he attempts to revive the Republic of Ireland after decades of decline caused by incompetence on a colossal scale.

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  'Fail to prepare, prepare to fail'

  The gross mismanagement of Irish football has been evident for decades. Even when they were qualifying for major tournaments, the set-up was a shambles.

  Roy Keane's dramatic decision to walk out on the national team before the 2002 World Cup is usually attributed to a personal clash of epic proportions with manager Mick McCarthy (a movie is currently being made about the most infamous incident in Irish sporting history and will star Steve Coogan), but it was really rooted in the amateurish way in which the FAI was run – and had been run for many, many years.

  As captain of Manchester United, Keane was accustomed to preparing for each and every game in the most professional manner possible. His motto was "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail", while the FAI were routinely mocked on Irish TV and radio for being unable to "organise a p*ss-up in a brewery".

  An independent enquiry into 'Saipan' exposed many of the FAI's fundamental flaws, but while Keane eventually returned to the international fold after McCarthy's exit, little changed behind the scenes.

  Indeed, Saipan effectively provided the launchpad for John Delaney's ascent to power, propelling him from an Honorary Treasurer treated with serious suspicion to the FAI's undisputed ruler, a CEO that was allowed to treat Irish football as his personal fiefdom for 15 years.

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  The name's Delaney, John Delaney

  Delaney's spell at the helm of the FAI, between 2004 and 2019, was a tale of shocking excess and staggering malpractice, perhaps best illustrated by the opening chapter of the book 'Champagne Football', which reveals that €30,000 (£25,000/$33,000) of the organisation's money went towards paying for the then-CEO's lavish, James Bond-themed 50th birthday party.

  Shortly after Delaney was finally forced to step down, the FAI published revised accounts that revealed what then-Oireachtas (the Irish parliament) committee chair Fergus O'Dowd called a "financial black hole" caused by years of utterly bizarre corporate practices, missing records and shambolic governance. The FAI's liabilities were more than double (€55m) the previous stated figure (€21m).

  The full figures were shocking and rightly enraged everyone within the Irish game, particularly those working at grassroots level. Governmental funding was even suspended, and while it was eventually restored, what little faith remained in the FAI had been shattered, meaning securing more much-needed investment in the already under-funded youth sector had just become even more difficult.

  As Stephen McGuinness, the general secretary of the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland (PFAI), told reporters in 2019, "A generation of players are going to feel the pain for what’s gone on here… The mismanagement has led a generation of players, now and in the next 10 years, to pay for this." Those words have proven sadly prophetic.

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  'Lack of Irish players at the top level'

  When Ireland hosted England in Dublin in February 1995, the Boys in Green were ninth in the FIFA world rankings, their visitors 18th. Ahead of Saturday's clash at the Aviva Stadium, Ireland have slumped to 58th, while the Three Lions have risen to fourth on the back of their run to the final of Euro 2024.

  Consequently, while England have arrived in Dublin without the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer through injury, Lee Carsley will still be supremely confident of getting his interim reign off to a winning start, given the obvious gulf in class between the two teams. Indeed, according to , England's squad is worth just under €1.2 billion (£1bn/$1.3bn) – and Ireland's only €180m (£150m/$200m).

  During a recent episode of 'Stick to Football', Gary Neville asked Keane about Ireland's decline, pointing out that 20 years ago Ireland were able to call upon Premier League stars such as Shay Given, Duff and Robbie Keane – and his former United team-mate agreed that "the lack of players playing at the top level" was a "real problem".

  "Too many Irish players now play in the Championship – or certainly not in the top end of the Premier League," Keane said. "And when you're playing week-in and week-out in the Championship then it's very, very difficult to turn it on for the international team. It's been sad to see but there's not enough players at those giant clubs that always had an Irish connection."

  The question, though, is why?

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  Ferguson the exception

  For an awfully long time, Irish football essentially relied on England to turn its promising players into professionals. Potential stars were scouted by top-flight teams while still in their early-to-mid teenage years, and many immediately moved to England. Some made it, some did not.

  But the point is that they were given access to facilities and a level of coaching that simply didn't exist in Ireland, and still don't, which is the major issue – because Premier League clubs are no longer picking up as many Irish players. Or, to put it more accurately, not as many are making the breakthrough at senior level because of their far greater competition for places at underage level.

  Over the past 10 years in particular, the Premier League has become a financial monster, fuelled by gargantuan TV rights deals. Consequently, its members have more and more money to invest in the recruitment of young players. The net is now cast much wider than it once was, meaning Premier League youth sectors are packed with top talents from all over the world, whereas once they were predominantly made up of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish players.

  Talent can still rise to the top, of course. Evan Ferguson progressed from the League of Ireland (LOI) to the Premier League, but it's worth remembering that he was 14 when he made his professional debut for Bohemians and had already joined Brighton by the time he'd turned 16.

  He still conformed to the old model in that his skills were developed in Ireland but refined in England. What's more, not every young Irish footballer is as freakishly gifted as Ferguson and those that fail in England face a very uncertain future because they often end up returning to a sub-standard set-up back home.

Qualification for next season's edition of the Champions League is no longer an option for Manchester United with four matches left to play in the Premier League.

The Red Devils are 13 points behind Aston Villa in fourth, who have three games left, and it is now impossible for them to catch up with the Midlands outfit.

Erik Ten Hag's side must now compete to secure either Europa Conference League or Europa League football over their remaining clashes, starting with their meeting with Crystal Palace on Monday.

The attention will then turn to the summer transfer window and how Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS can use the market to bolster the playing squad for the manager.

It remains to be seen whether or not Ten Hag will still be the boss next season, with Bayern Munich's Thomas Tuchel having been linked with the job, but that has not stopped the club from identifying possible targets.

Man United's interest in Serie A sensation

A report from Spain at the end of las month named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as one of the players Manchester United are looking at ahead of the next transfer window.

The Telegraph recently reported that almost every player in the Red Devils squad has the potential to be sold, with Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Hojlund being the only exceptions.

This leaves Marcus Rashford's future up in the air, as he is included in the list of players the club are open to offers for, and Kvaratskhelia has been named as one of the stars being eyed up as a possible replacement for the England international.

The aforementioned claim from Spain stated that AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Barcelona's Raphinha, who previously played in the Premier League with Leeds, are two of the other options on their list, as they eye all three wingers to come in if Rashford moves on.

It also stated that Napoli could demand a fee within the region of €80m (£69m) for the Georgia international, who has been a key player for them in Italy this season.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not United are prepared to pay that much for the talented Serie A star, or if they would prefer to go for Leao or Raphinha before they decide to push on with a deal for Kvaratskhelia.

Jadon Sancho, who is on loan with Borussia Dortmund, could have been seen as a possible replacement for Rashford when he returns to Old Trafford in the summer, but Sky Germany's Patrick Berger has confirmed that the forward does not see a future for himself at the club.

The English dynamo does not want to return to the Red Devils, whether Ten Hag is in charge or not, and Dortmund are now set to enter talks to secure a second loan deal, with an obligation to buy in 2025.

United, however, can forget all about Sancho and land a dream replacement, or competition, for Rashford by sealing a swoop for Kvaratskhelia this summer.

Jadon Sancho's form for Borussia Dortmund

The 24-year-old attacker re-joined Dortmund on loan until the end of the season in January and has been slowly working his way back to his best form in Germany.

Sancho made just three substitute appearances in the Premier League during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, after being exiled from first-team training by Ten Hag for a social media post describing himself as a 'scapegoat' after the manager had dropped him for performance-related reasons.

This meant that he arrived in the Bundesliga lacking in match sharpness and that has possibly caused his slow start, in terms of his involvements in front of goal, to his return to the division.

As you can see in the table above, he has been directly involved in three goals in 12 matches – one every four games on average – but has been let down by his teammates with only one assist from almost three xA.

Sancho, due to his issues at Old Trafford and a mid-season loan move, has not enjoyed a prolific season in the final third and his current form does not suggest that he would return to Manchester to be the dream replacement for Rashford, even if it were on the cards.

Why Man United should sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Ratcliffe and his team can forget all about the English forward by allowing him to complete another move to Dortmund next season, whether that is on loan or permanent, and signing Kvaratskhelia to bolster the team's options on the left flank.

The Napoli sensation, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed puts defenders "on ice" with his quick feet, is a left-sided winger who has the quality to deliver goals and assists on a consistent basis.

Last season, as his team secured the Serie A title, the £69m-rated star racked up an eye-catching 12 goals and ten assists in 30 league starts, one goal involvement every 1.36 starts on average.

The exciting whiz also completed 2.2 dribbles per match, which speaks to his ability to put defenders 'on ice' with direct play and quick feet to drive past opposition players.

He has followed that up with ten goals and six assists in 29 starts during the current campaign, which is a return of a goal or an assist every 1.81 starts on average.

These statistics suggest that Kvaratskhelia would be a significantly better option than Sancho, who has averaged a goal involvement every four games in Germany, in the final third for United, based on their respective form this season.

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old sensation has also outperformed Rashford, who has made 31 appearances in the Premier League this term, with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.

The Napoli wizard has offered a greater goal threat and provided more quality as a creator for his teammates, while also being three years younger than Rashford, and these statistics show why United must swoop to sign him.

Ratcliffe could forget all about Sancho by landing the Georgia international as a sensational replacement for Rashford, should the club cash in on him this summer.

Man Utd could help Sancho explode by hiring "crazy" Ten Hag replacement

Jadon Sancho was back to his best in the Champions League semi-finals.

By
Joe Nuttall

May 2, 2024

The winger is scoring goals for fun, but can Pulisic become America’s first ‘World-Class’ men's player?

The term "World-Class" is an overused phrase in soccer, because the reality is this: everyone has a different definition. So right from the start, we're going to lay down a marker and explain how we define World-Class.

It means that a player is considered among the top handful in his main position in the global game. It means the player is producing regularly and consistently, not just in occasional bunches. And it means that any elite team in the world would look at the player's profile and think, "Wow, we'd be lucky to have him."

No American male has reached World-Class status. A few have approached the precipice, to be fair. Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Brad Friedel – they were arguably the closest to reach that status, but even the U.S. men's national team's most decorated stars have been at a level just below the World-Class level.

So the provocative question is this: Can that change this season?

Once mired on the bench at Chelsea, Christian Pulisic has rapidly become prolific for AC Milan. If he continues the way he's started, will we look back at the 2024-25 campaign as the one in which the USMNT's leader played himself into World-Class recognition? GOAL takes a look.

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  Pulisic's hot start

  Granted, it's early. But Pulisic has set an incredible tone in the initial weeks of the 2024-25 season.

  The American star has scored three goals so far, with the most recent coming in AC Milan's Champions League loss to Liverpool. That finish, in particular, was high-quality. After breaking through on the right, Pulisic had both the confidence and quality to slide a shot from a tight angle past Alisson, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world. Beating the Brazilian in that situation isn't easy, but Pulisic did it with style.

  His first two goals came in Serie A, one against Parma and one against Venezia. You can also add in a goal against New Zealand while on USMNT duty during the September international break, too. For club and country, Pulisic is cooking.

  To be sure, this could just be a very good run of form. It could be a hot start that, at some point, will be evened out by a dry spell. Then again, it could be something more – much more – and recent history gives reason to believe just that.

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  Stats on his side

  Numbers don't tell the whole story, but it's worth stating that Pulisic's are pretty damn good.

  Since he joined Milan at the start of the 2023-24 season, no player in Serie A has contributed to more goals than Pulisic. You read that correctly. During that time, he's scored 18 and set up a further 12, establishing himself as arguably the most dangerous player in Italy's top flight.

  Now, that does come with a caveat. Serie A isn't the Serie A of the '90s. It is no longer the best league in the world. AC Milan is good but, based on the Champions League opener against Liverpool, far from great.

  Nonetheless, Pulisic is putting up big numbers for an historic club, one that still could find itself in the Champions League knockouts despite Tuesday's rough start. He's doing it for a legendary team with wild expectations and a realistic dream of Serie A glory.

  So that brings us back to the question: would that be enough to earn him the title of World-Class?

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  The beginnings of prime Pulisic

  Just one day after scoring against Liverpool, Pulisic hit a milestone. Wednesday was his 26th birthday.

  Data generally suggests that age 26 opens the window for attacking players to reach their prime. They aren't quite there yet, but it's when stars aggressively start the climb toward their peak. If history is any guide, that would indicate that we likely haven't seen the best of Pulisic yet.

  Last season, of course, was his best campaign as a professional, at least from an individual perspective. He was one of only three Serie A players to record 15 goals and 10 assists in all competitions last season, joining Rafael Leao and Paulo Dybala. It was a demonstration of what Pulisic can be at his best – especially after several years at his worst with Chelsea.

  The fact is this: Pulisic is still developing. His time spent at the bench at Chelsea certainly hardened his mentality, but the last year or so has shown that there are still features left to unlock. He's added both goals and assists to his game int he last year, and Milan have reason to believe he can add even more of both as they push for glory this season.

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  The closest Americans to World-Class

  American stars have put together some spectacular campaigns at the highest levels of European soccer. There have been players that have been good enough to play in the world's best teams, but World-Class status? That's a difficult argument to make.

  Dempsey was close during his time at Fulham but, due to his club situation, never quite got there. His time at Tottenham was too short to establish himself and, without the Champions League glory to back it up, it's hard to make that case for him. The eye test says he may have been there, but it's hard to go on just eyes.

  Jozy Altidore, meanwhile, absolutely carved up the Eredivisie to the tune of 51 goals in two seasons, but that wasn't in an elite European league. Friedel and Howard had sustained Premier League runs, giving them the longevity and consistency needed, but there were always better goalkeepers. Landon Donovan is the American with the most pure talent, perhaps, but he rarely got to prove it during his loan spells in Europe.

  For years, American soccer has sought after a World-Class star. Pulisic had those expectations thrust upon him at just 16. Is this the season in which he lives up to those aspirations, in full?

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has urged the club's director of football operations, Monchi, to make an offer for a 30-year-old player who he thinks would be a "key" summer signing.

Villa chasing Europe as Monchi begins summer transfer planning

Following Thursday night's disappointing night in Greece, with Olympiacos cementing their place in the Conference League final at Villa's expense, Emery has pleaded for his Villa side to get back on track as they soon host Liverpool on Monday.

Several clubs approach Aston Villa to sign 18 year-old sensation on loan

They could have a rising star on their hands.

By
Ben Browning

May 7, 2024

Jurgen Klopp's side travel to Villa Park knowing they're out of the Premier League title race, and will be playing with zero pressure as they look to end their manager's memorable era on a high.

The Reds will pose a dangerous test for Villa, as they look to seal fourth place and qualification for the Champions League after what has been a phenomenal first full campaign in the dugout for Emery.

“Each day is going to be very important because some players are with a small injury, having pain and there’s not a date when they will come back,” said Emery on team news ahead of Liverpool.

“Like Zaniolo, he’s close but until he’s feeling comfortable with his pain then he’s not available to play. Hopefully, he can progress. Tielemans is close; Álex Moreno has a small injury and he needs some days, maybe he could be available.”

Sealing a spot in world football's most prestigious competition would give Villa real pulling power when the summer transfer window reopens, as the club and transfer chief Monchi already get to work on new signings for next season.

Villa have apparently held talks over signing Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer from Leicester City this week, while Emery could also look to strengthen his defensive options.

Reports from Spain have even indicated that Villa are favourites to sign Mario Hermoso from Atletico Madrid, who is also set to become a free agent when his contract expires in June.

The Midlands giants made a £120 million loss last season, as revealed by their latest financial accounts, a figure which UEFA claims is the highest loss in Europe over that period. PSR rules stipulate that Premier League clubs are allowed to lose £105 million over a rolling three-year period, so it would appear Villa have some work to do balance the books.

Emery tells Monchi to table Aston Villa bid for Reinildo Mandava

Now, other reports in Spain have claimed that they're eyeing another bargain option for their backline. Indeed, it is believed Emery has personally told Monchi to lodge an Aston Villa bid for Reinildo Mandava, who would be the first player from Mozambique to play in the Premier League if they do push ahead with a move.

The versatile defender, who's played at both centre-back and left-back for Diego Simeone this season, has also become a fixture in the Atletico team since January – following his return from an ACL injury.

Reinildo's performances in that time appear to have done enough to turn Emery's head, and reports claim he could cost as little as £8 million.

Lionel Messi has another trophy, the 46th of his record-shattering career, but the Inter Miami star says that is only the “first goal accomplished”.

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• Herons have posted best regular season record
• Ready for playoff action & bid to land ultimate prize
• Continue to make history with star-studded squad

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons, who have pieced together a star-studded squad at Chase Stadium, have landed the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 after posting the best regular season record in MLS. Talismanic captain Messi helped them over that line when bagging a brace in a 3-2 victory away at the Columbus Crew.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Inter Miami continue to make history with Messi on their books, as they have won the Supporters’ Shield for the first time. Their Argentine icon is, however, well versed in the art of trophy collecting as the most decorated player of all-time.

• WHAT MESSI SAID

  Messi’s relentless desire to be the best – which matches that of eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo – means that he will never rest on his laurels or settle for what has already been achieved. After lifting another piece of silverware, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner posted on social media: “First goal accomplished. Very proud of this team, we move forward with the desire to achieve more things together!!”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & INTER MIAMI?

  Inter Miami have two regular season fixtures left to take in – against Toronto and New England – and have had a playoff berth wrapped up for some time. The challenge facing Tata Martino’s side now is to emerge triumphant in the battle for ultimate MLS Cup glory.