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Tottenham Hotspur are said to have identified a potential replacement for Cristian Romero in a marquee centre-back, as they begin working on potential successors for the Argentine in the event he departs this summer.

Cristian Romero linked with high-profile move to Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid are widely reported to be in the market for another defender this summer, so much so that they’ve allegedly earmarked Romero as a top centre-back target as they look to the Premier League for options.

Tottenham manager target ready to leave club with Postecoglou sack "closer"

An update has emerged on the 59-year-old’s future.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Feb 12, 2025

The Galacticos have been left short of defensive options on more than one occasion due to injuries this campaign, prompting the La Liga giants to consider bolstering their backline ahead of 2025/2026.

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (away)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Romero is on Real’s shortlist of potential centre-back signings, alongside Arsenal star William Saliba, but chairman Daniel Levy won’t be letting him go on the cheap.

Indeed, it is believed by some media sources that Spurs have slapped a mammoth £150 million price tag on Romero, while other reports suggest Tottenham are ready to make the World Cup winner their highest-paid player to fend off Madrid’s interest.

The former Atalanta star has been a very sore miss for under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou, who’s suffered without both Romero and Micky van de Ven to reinforce their high line, and his injury is taking more time to heal than previously expected.

“Romero is a bit of a tricky one. We are not really sure yet. There is still some work he needs to do,” said Postecoglou on Romero recently.

“It’s just a slower healer with him, and it is one we are looking at on a week-to-week basis. Again, he has been out for quite a while. As with all the other long-term ones, we are just taking our time.”

Tottenham eye Antonio Silva as potential Cristian Romero replacement

While Spurs are not eager to sell the 26-year-old any time soon, they’re making contingency plans in the event they’re forced to do a deal with Real or any other interested club.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, writing for The Boot Room, Tottenham are working on replacements for Romero, and have identified marquee Benfica defender Antonio Silva as a target.

The Portugal international’s contract includes an £83 million release clause, but there is always the possibility that the Lilywhites can negotiate a fee far lower than this valuation.

Silva, still just 21-years-old and an impressive performer in the Primeira Liga, could be worth the effort – especially going by Jan Vertonghen’s verdict on the player.

“The boy will be a legend,” the former Tottenham man said via Record. “If he keeps doing what he’s been doing, he has everything to be one of the best defenders in the world in a year or two.”

West Ham United chiefs are growing concerned over one player’s form behind-the-scenes, which has even prompted manager Graham Potter and co to make summer transfer plans.

West Ham set for extended break after FA Cup defeat

Potter’s side won’t be in action this weekend after Aston Villa knocked them out of the FA Cup third round, meaning the Hammers are currently enjoying a break before their next Premier League clash at home to Brentford next weekend.

West Ham already looking at signing Ferguson alternative in £40m striker

The Republic of Ireland international may not stay beyond 2024/2025.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 6, 2025

It has been an impressive start to life in the dugout for Potter, despite some results going against West Ham, with their overall performances going on a real upward trajectory when compared to Julen Lopetegui’s time in charge.

Brentford (home)

February 15th

Arsenal (away)

February 22nd

Leicester City (home)

February 27th

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

Everton (away)

March 15th

They were arguably unlucky not to come away from Stamford Bridge with at least a point against Chelsea, and they even took a lead in the first-half courtesy of captain Jarrod Bowen.

West Ham also strengthened in January by recalling midfielder James Ward-Prowse and signing striker Evan Ferguson on a temporary deal from Brighton. This time off will allow Ferguson in particular to settle into his surroundings, with Potter thrilled by both men’s arrivals in east London.

“I’m happy,” said Potter on Ferguson and Ward-Prowse.

“The players that we’ve got out at the moment are significant for us. When we get them back — which we will, hopefully, soon — that makes a difference to us. To get the two characters that we did, Evan and James, I think they will help the team improve training every day.

“I think he’s [Ferguson] had a few weeks off and then played 20 minutes or so at the weekend. We’ve got some time now until the next game, so we’ll help him in training.

“That’s our challenge now: to make sure that he’s fit, that he’s helpful, and that he’s enjoying his football, because he’s a talent.”

West Ham's transfer plan amid worries over Emerson Palmieri

However, it is not all plane sailing at Rush Green right now, with £95,000-per-week left-back Emerson Palmieri attracting internal criticism.

According to former senior Irons scout Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, West Ham are worried over Emerson’s form, so much so that they’re planning to sign a new left-back in the summer.

“They’ve brought in Wan-Bissaka who has done exceptionally well for them,” he told Football Insider.

“So their priority is on the other side, at left-back. I know they’re not 100% sold on Emerson, there have been concerns about his performances. Because of that, Wan-Bissaka has sometimes been forced to move over and play at left-back.

“They’re looking to bring in a new left-back to solve that problem. In terms of targets, I’m not sure, but I know it’s a position they’ve been looking at since before January, even though their focus was elsewhere in the window.

“I’d expect that to be a position they look to address in the summer.”

The Scottish Premiership table doesn’t lie, with reigning champions Celtic sitting pretty at the summit courtesy of a commanding 13-point lead over their closest title ‘rivals’.

That said, the shock 3-0 defeat away at Ibrox – as well as Tuesday’s thrilling 3-3 draw at Dundee – has shown that this Hoops side is far from the finished article, with Brendan Rodgers in need of further reinforcements if he is to kick on in the remainder of 2025.

While the midweek trip to Dens Park may have exposed the Glasgow side’s woes defensively, with Auston Trusty notably coming under fire from his manager, the attacking unit could also do with a fresh lick of paint, particularly amid reports that Luis Palma could be on his way before the month is out.

With Adam Idah having now failed to score in any of his last ten league outings – while Yang Hyun-jun has registered a measly total of six goals and assists in 49 total games for the club – the need for additional firepower is evident, with Rodgers far too reliant on the attacking trio of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi. That triumvirate have netted 42 goals between them in 2024/25 in all competitions.

Thankfully, it would appear that new signings are set to lie in store for the Parkhead giants, all being well, with Rodgers and co seemingly looking to make a move for what could prove to be their next Jota…

Celtic's attacking transfer target

As reported by Daily Mail journalist Stephen McGowan, the Old Firm side are said to be weighing up a bid for Real Valladolid sensation, Raul Moro, with the 22-year-old also earning admiring glances from Ajax.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

As per the report, the Dutch outfit are yet to firm up their interest in the promising Spaniard despite publicly confirming their admiration for the young winger, thus offering Celtic the chance to pounce should they so desire.

Any deal this month would require a significant offer, however, with Valladolid having set an asking price of around £8.5m.

That figure would be just behind what Rodgers forked out for both Idah (£9.5m) and Arne Engels (£11m) over the summer, as well as with the £9m signing of Odsonne Edouard back in 2018, thus potentially making it one of the biggest deals during his time at Parkhead should it go through.

Celtic could land the next Jota

Whether Celtic can edge the mighty Ajax to Moro’s signature remains to be seen, although it is certainly an encouraging sign for Rodgers and Co to also be in the equation, with the £17k-per-week forward deservedly catching the eye of late.

Indeed, the fleet-footed talent has been earning rave reviews ever since his days in the Barcelona youth set-up, no less, with his agent Junior Minguella having previously said of his time at La Masia:

That likeness to the great Argentine stems most notably from Moro’s diminutive 5 foot 6 frame, as well as his elite dribbling prowess, shown by the fact that he averages 1.9 successful dribbles per game in La Liga this season.

Stat (*per game)

Jota (2022/23)

Moro (2024/25)

Games

33

18

Goals

11

3

Assists

11

1

Big chances created

13

4

Pass accuracy*

80%

75%

Key passes*

1.9

1.5

Tackles*

1.2

0.8

Interceptions*

0.4

0.5

Successful dribbles*

1.5

1.9

Possession lost*

14.5

11.4

To put that into context, as indicated above, former Celtic talisman, Jota, was ‘only’ averaging 1.5 in that regard during his final season in the Premiership, indicating just what a wizard Moro truly is down the flanks.

While the former Lazio starlet – who, like Jota, also primarily operates on the left flank – does only have three goals and one assist to his name thus far in 2024/25, it is worth remembering the relatively limited impact of Jota in the senior game, before his move to Glasgow.

The Portuguese sensation had scored just three goals and registered only two assists in 34 games for Benfica, while also, ironically, enduring a mixed loan spell at Moro’s current side, Valladolid, where he scored just twice in 18 appearances.

The 25-year-old would then go on to rip up Scottish football with 54 goal involvements in just 83 games in that famous green and white shirt, with Moro – who has 13 goals and assists in 50 games in total in Spain – boasting all the credentials to potentially emulate his fellow winger.

Rodgers does already have Kuhn and Maeda to call upon in those wide roles, yet, as mentioned previously, quality competition and cover certainly needs to be on the agenda.

Celtic make enquiry to sign exciting star who could be their next Tim Weah

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is seeking to improve his squad in January, so could a 21-year-old star be arriving in Glasgow on loan this month?

Jan 16, 2025

Merengues and Culés faced off in the Legends Clásico at the Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca

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Márquez is Javier Aguirre’s assistant with for MexicoMárquez played 242 games for BarcelonaRepresented El Tri in five World CupsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Rafael Márquez, former Barcelona player and current assistant to Javier Aguirre with the Mexican national team, took part in the Legends Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid – a match that featured iconic names such as Figo, Marcelo, Iker Casillas, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol, and Rivaldo.

The "Kaiser," who played for the Culés from 2003 to 2010 after a successful stint with AS Monaco in Ligue 1, shared that his move to Barcelona sparked a shift among fans.

"Because of me, a lot of people switched from Madrid to Barcelona – but that’s just how it is, and I’m grateful for all the love they showed me and my teammates," said Márquez.

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have the largest global fan bases outside their home country, with 15.6% and 10.4% of international support respectively, placing them ahead of Manchester United (9.8%). That is is according to a report by the Chiliz Group, which surveyed fans across eight countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT RAFAEL MÁRQUEZ SAID

Rafael Márquez won 12 titles with Barcelona before moving to MLS in 2010, when he signed with the New York Red Bulls. Reflecting on the fierce rivalry between Spain’s two most popular clubs, he said, "More than anything, it’s about enjoying this match. Games against Real Madrid are always different. It’s a pleasure to be here with my people, in my country, and to say that I once shared the field with my teammates on this pitch."

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Márquez played 242 matches for Barcelona between 2003 and 2010. During his time with the club, the Mexican center-back scored 13 goals and provided 13 assists.

With the Culés, he won four LaLiga titles, two Champions Leagues, one Club World Cup, two Spanish Super Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, and one Copa del Rey. He is remembered for being part of the historic sextuple-winning Barcelona side under Pep Guardiola during the 2009–10 season.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

El Tri will face Switzerland on June 7 at the University of Utah's stadium, and then take on Turkey on June 10 at Kenan Stadium in North Carolina. Both matches will serve as preparation for the Gold Cup.

Players not being able to sustain the amount of cricket they’re being expected to play will force changes, ICC chair believes

Osman Samiuddin27-Jul-2022The growing, unsustainable burden on players could eventually force boards into making the global cricket calendar a more manageable one, according to ICC chairman Greg Barclay.Barclay was speaking after the conclusion of the ICC’s AGM where the Future Tours Programme (FTP) has been going through the final stages before it is published, and where a major thread of discussion among members has been around the balance in the calendar between T20 leagues and international cricket.More relevantly, he was speaking just over a week after Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, decided to retire from ODI cricket, at just 31, blaming what he said was an unsustainable workload. Stokes’ decision came 16 months out from England’s defence of their World Cup title, which he was vital in securing in 2019.Related

Zimbabwe, Ireland, Afghanistan look up to ICC working group to address lack of Tests

New FICA report highlights T20 shift from country to club

Full Members concerned over idea of nine overseas players per XI in UAE league

ICC: 'The volume of ODIs and T20Is in the calendar is very much up to every member'

ICC FTP: Bangladesh land Test and ODI jackpot in 2023-2027 cycle

The new FTP, from 2023-2027, has not been made public yet, though ESPNcricinfo has a copy of a near-complete draft. The calendar, as it stands, is marked by an unrelenting schedule of ICC events and bilateral cricket and, increasingly, unofficial windows which are being earmarked by boards for their own T20 leagues; that is apart from a two-and-a-month window for the IPL, which is all but formalised.”The fact is that we have a limited amount of time in the calendar,” Barclay said. “There’s 365 days in a year, there’s more cricket being played through ICC events, through bilateral cricket, a proliferation of T20 leagues so there is a lot of pressure on that calendar. Are we at a tipping point?”I’m not sure but it is an issue for members to work their way through. There’s a lot of cricket to fit in there and it’s simply not all going to fit. It’s not an issue so much for this organisation [the ICC], but certainly for members to try and work their way through optimum outcomes is going to be a challenge.”What they also need to take into account is that the players themselves will simply not be able to sustain the amount of cricket they’re probably going to be expected to play so that’s going to force some changes as well.”

“The one thing over the last few days is the commitment to international cricket and bilateral cricket is as strong as it has ever been. But each of them [the boards] has to manage that balance between domestic competitions, their international schedules and the management of their players.”Geoff Allardice

The ICC believes it has witnessed a strong commitment to the international game among members at this AGM. But for a growing number of members that commitment is clearly tussling with a newfound zeal for their own domestic products, whether a T20 league or the Hundred. Both CA and ECB have carved out – or tried to – little windows for the BBL and the Hundred in this FTP.”There are a number of members who are putting particular attention on their domestic leagues,” Geoff Allardice, the ICC CEO said. “The one thing over the last few days is the commitment to international cricket and bilateral cricket is as strong as it has ever been. But each of them has to manage that balance between domestic competitions, their international schedules and the management of their players. Each of those boards is in a slightly different situation. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to that balancing situation and each country attacks it slightly differently.”If something does eventually give way, the speculation has been on ODI cricket. Without the context of the Super League in the next cycle, the format is back to being a bilateral staple. But that has not been evident just yet, and not in the draft version of the FTP.”We talked a fair bit about the structure,” Allardice said. “One of the things about the three formats and the way they are incorporated in the FTP is that members and fans in countries have slightly different preferences for formats. At this stage, there was some discussion about the mix of formats, not specifically ODIs in the calendar. Countries are still scheduling a healthy number of ODIs as well in their FTPs, so in the FTP you won’t see significant changes to the number of ODIs, or proportion being played.”The Super League has been scrapped because the 2027 World Cup has been expanded into a 14-team event; that has rendered a 13-team Super League redundant. The current cycle of the league has been hit by severe disruptions because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has prevented it from really taking off.That might be rectified as we approach the end of league, with nine months still left, a number of series still to be played out and a number of big-name teams potentially having to play a qualifier to get into the 2023 World Cup.One of those could be South Africa, who did not help their own cause by pulling out of a three-match ODI series against Australia, in order to get their own T20 league off the ground. The ICC had no say in the fate of that series, and is not yet clear on how points will be awarded, but is looking forward to a tight fight for qualification towards the end.”We’ve still got nine months in the window available to complete the Super League,” Allardice said. “The ICC’s role in that competition is to say here are the eight teams you are playing against. The timing of those series and how those series are scheduled is between the two members to resolve.”We saw the announcement by CA and CSA and as we head to the end of the competition we will deal with that. Whether Australia and South Africa have come to some arrangement around making up some series – there may be some discussions still going on – the competition still has nine months to run and we’ll be dealing with [how the points are to be awarded] towards the end.”The ODI Super League was a way to provide context to ODIs. It has another nine months to play out and I’m sure as we approach cut-off date, the last couple of spots in 2023 will become quite exciting.”

Arsenal are one of the best teams in the Premier League, with ample quality to capitalise on Manchester City’s downfall and clinch their first title in two decades.

However, injuries have been a key factor in stuttered results this term, and with Liverpool flying so high at the top of the table, Mikel Arteta knows that an emphatic run of form needs to be maintained throughout the new year.

In fairness, the Gunners started with a bang on New Year’s Day, dispatching Brentford in their own backyard to move within six points of the league leaders, and now, against Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal need to extend a winning run on the road.

Brighton started on strong footing under 31-year-old manager Fabian Hürzeler but have failed to win any of their past seven matches, falling into tenth place, 12 points away from Arsenal.

24/25

Premier League (H)

1-1 draw

23/24

Premier League (A)

3-0 win

23/24

Premier League (H)

2-0 win

22/23

Premier League (H)

3-0 loss

22/23

Premier League (A)

4-2 win

Arsenal might have a number of key absences, but Arteta will be confident that his side can build on their promising run of form against the Seagulls, losing one of their past five matches in all competitions and avoiding defeat in each of their previous four visits to the AMEX.

Arsenal team news

Jurrien Timber joins his teammates on the sidelines as he serves a one-match ban, meaning that Thomas Partey will probably return to right-back as Ben White works toward a comeback from injury at the end of January.

Further up the pitch, Kai Havertz will be looking to restore his starting presence in the team after overcoming illness, though Bukayo Saka is of course still out for an extended period.

Raheem Sterling and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also out in a further weakening blow to Arsenal’s right-hand side.

Many fans will hope to see Ethan Nwaneri playing from the outset after his impressive start at the Gtech on Wednesday, but the 17-year-old may be better off entering the fray after the interval. Here’s why.

Why Arteta should drop Ethan Nwaneri

Arsenal have a bit of a habit of producing starboys, with Saka establishing himself as one of Europe’s best forwards under Arteta’s wing and posting nine goals and 13 assists across 24 matches this term.

Saka, 23, has been a treat for the Emirates crowds for several years now, but in Nwaneri, Arsenal might have a talent capable of rising just as high.

Described as an “absolute diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Nwaneri made his first Premier League start in Saka’s stead at Brentford, impressing with his silky passing, energy and progressiveness, notably making two key passes and completing two of his three attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.

However, Arteta needs a clinical edge against a Brighton side that is susceptible to a poor piece of defending, largely due to being stretched by their own expansive style of football.

Saka’s absence heightens the need for added potency, and though Gabriel Martinelli and the in-form Gabriel Jesus bagged last time out, it might be wise to unleash Leandro Trossard for this one.

Leandro Trossard could send Brighton packing

Trossard has been a shrewd signing indeed over at the Emirates, scoring 22 goals and assisting 15 more across 94 appearances for Arsenal, only starting 50 of those matches.

As per Understat, Brighton are underperforming their goal concession rate by 2.49, meaning that their somewhat shaky backline are actually keeping out more goals than has been expected from the opportunities provided to their opponents.

This calls for someone like Trossard, who can ease Jesus’ burden at number nine and ensure he plays freely in search of goals but also crucial link-up connections.

As per FBref, the Belgian ranks among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored (0.53) per 90, suggesting that his skill set could indeed be the secret recipe for success on the South Coast.

Trossard might not have been in the finest form recently, with only one goal scored across his past 13 Premier League matches, but there’s no denying his enduring ball-striking ability, still only missing three big chances this year having scored three goals, creating six big chances moreover.

Last season, journalist Sam Dean waxed lyrical about the 29-year-old’s natural-born goalscoring edge, saying: “Leandro Trossard may not be Arsenal’s most skilful, quick or powerful forward. But he is their most deadly.”

As previously stated, there’s also the matter of Nwaneri coming on and influencing the play from a bit deeper, carrying forward with electricity and threading balls forward to, say, Trossard to latch onto and fizz into the bottom corner.

Arteta will be reluctant to drop Martinelli after his recent improvements, tentative though they may be, while Jesus is in inspired showing right now and it would be ludicrous to pull the same goal threat out of the side – especially in Saka’s continued absence.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nwaneri must be eased into the side, not overburdened and allowed to foster his precocious qualities as he works toward Premier League stardom.

Trossard is the man for the job against his former club…

Imagine him & Jesus: Arsenal targeting "one of the best wingers" for £48m

The sensational talent would make Jesus and Arsenal far more dangerous.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 3, 2025

أعلن نادي برشلونة قائمة الفريق المستدعاة لمباراة نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا أمام ريال مدريد، والمقرر خوضها غدًا السبت.

ويستقبل ملعب “لا كارتوخا” في مدينة إشبيلية، كلاسيكو برشلونة وريال مدريد بنهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا.

وشهدت قائمة برشلونة مفاجأة بين اللاعبين الذين تم استدعائهم من قبل المدير الفني الألماني هانز فليك.

ويتواجد حارس المرمى الألماني مارك تير شتيجن، للمرة الأولى في قائمة برشلونة منذ الإصابة التي تعرض لها بقطع في أوتار الركبة خلال مباراة برشلونة وفياريال، يوم 22 سبتمبر الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشيزني: خسرت معركتي ضد الإدمان .. ومن فضلكم لا تفعلوا مثلي قائمة برشلونة لمباراة ريال مدريد في نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا

حراسة المرمى: مارك تير شتيجن، فويتشيك تشيزني، إيناكي بينيا.

خط الدفاع: باو كوبارسي، رونالد أراوخو، إينيجو مارتينيز، جول كوندي، إيريك جارسيا، أندرياس كريستنسن، جيرارد مارتن، هيكتور فورت.

خط الوسط: جافي، بيدري، فيرمين لوبيز، داني أولمو، فرينكي دي يونج، بابلو توري.

خط الهجوم: فيران توريس، باو فيكتور، لامين يامال، رافينها، أنسو فاتي.

ويغيب عن برشلونة المهاجم البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي للإصابة والتي تعرض لها إثر المشاركة أمام سيلتا فيجو.

Aston Villa haven’t experienced such a crisis in confidence since Steven Gerrard was in the Villa Park hot seat, when winless runs were the norm in the West Midlands under the unsuccessful manager.

Indeed, the Liverpool icon turned Villa boss would bow out from his managerial duties at the club with just two wins registered in the Premier League at the start of the 2022/23 season, leading to Unai Emery taking on the reins.

Now, the Spaniard has his work cut out for him with no victories in his last eight.

But, it wasn’t all doom and gloom with Gerrard at the helm looking back, considering the 44-year-old did sign off on some exciting signings during his brief tenure.

Best Gerrard signings at Villa

The obvious place to start here is Lucas Digne, who remains in the first team to this day under Emery, after being purchased for £25m in January of 2022 by Gerrard.

This season alone, the 31-year-old has amassed 16 appearances in all competitions, with two assists also coming the ex-Everton full-back’s way to prove his worth to Emery’s current troops.

Gerrard also sanctioned the standout purchase of Phillippe Coutinho when he was in charge, using his Anfield connections to lure the Brazilian back to England on a permanent £17.2m deal.

The 32-year-old showed flashes of his quality under this previous regime, with six goals and three assists tallied up overall, but now finds himself out of the first-team picture and out on loan in his native Brazil.

Whilst there were minor success stories under the now Al-Ettifaq boss’ stint, there were also some really poor acquisitions that entered the building, which is definitely the case with this forgettable Villa recruit.

Dendoncker's time at Villa

The dud in question here is former Wolverhampton Wanderers star Leander Dendoncker, who swapped Molineux for nearby Villa in September 2022 for a bumper £13m.

There was plenty to justify Villa forking out this amount to win the Belgian at the time too, who had caught the eye in the West Midlands for the Old Gold before moving on, with 12 goals accumulated over 159 clashes from the middle of the park.

Gerrard also intensified the fanfare around the 29-year-old’s arrival by stating that he was “delighted” to welcome Dendoncker to the club when the signing was unveiled, with many at Villa Park hopeful that the fresh face was going to be a success…

But, much like the arrival of Jan Bednarek on loan around the same time, who Gerrard was also excited by, the ex-Wolves man would go down as a flop, with the 6 foot 2 midfielder now on loan at RSC Anderlecht and suffering the same fate as Coutinho in the process.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

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Unfortunately, to date, Dendoncker has only pulled on a Villa jersey a slim 36 times over the course of two lacklustre seasons, with only eight Premier League contests coming his way under Emery last season.

With talk that the 29-year-old could be permanently moved on very soon, it feels very likely that no more games will be gifted to Dendoncker at his parent club, especially when you consider the options the Spaniard has at his disposal in midfield over the forgotten Gerrard buy.

Emery will just hope he can turn around Villa’s drop in form, unlike his predecessor, with games coming thick and fast in December, away from focusing in on Dendoncker’s precarious future at the Premier League strugglers.

Related Aston Villa may join 2025 race to sign "talented" £40m Premier League ace

He’s a man in demand…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Dec 1, 2024

While you can’t guarantee what the results are going to be, you can be sure that watching Tottenham Hotspur play will result in 90 minutes of pure entertainment at the moment.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are still struggling to put their inconsistent streak behind them, but continue to play some of the most aesthetically pleasing and attacking football in the Premier League, as evidenced by their league-high haul of 23 goals.

In fact, the North Londoners are scoring so frequently across all competitions that even some players you wouldn’t usually associate with scoring are finding themselves surprisingly high up in the club’s top goalscorers list, including one player who’s recently been compared to a sensational international with an enormous valuation.

Spurs' top goalscorers

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s look at Spurs’ actual topscorers, and coming in at number one is the club’s most inform attacker, Brennan Johnson.

The Welsh international endured a slow start to the campaign that even saw him deactivate his Instagram account following abuse from so-called fans.

However, following a late winner against Coventry City that kept the team in the League Cup back in September, he has been utterly unstoppable and currently has an impressive tally of seven goals and one assist in 17 appearances for the club.

Just behind him is record-signing Dominic Solanke, who also had a bit of a plodding start to life in North London but has since found his shooting boots and has six goals – including a brace against Aston Villa – and two assists to his name in just 15 appearances, which has been enough to earn him another call-up to the England squad.

Now, once we get into third place, there are three players all tied on three goals a piece, including the usual suspects of James Maddison, who also has four assists in 15 games, and club captain Son Heung-min, who has three assists to boot in his 11 games so far.

However, the final name to make it into the club’s top three scorers for the season so far is probably not someone most fans would expect to see so high up, even though they are immensely talented and could one day earn the club a huge payday.

Spurs' surprise scorer

So, the Spurs ace who is currently tied on three goals for the season so far is Pape Matar Sarr, who has found the back of the net against Qarabağ FK and Ferencvaros in the Europa League and scored a screamer against Manchester City in the League Cup.

However, while it’s certainly a bonus for Postecoglou and Co to see the talented midfielder help out with goals here and there, that is not what makes him such a unique talent.

Instead, it’s his ability to help his more senior teammates run games from the middle of the park thanks to his impressive technical ability, surprising physical strength, general football intelligence, and ability to carry the ball forward into dangerous areas.

He showed a number of these traits in his sensational performance against Aston Villa just over a week ago, which earned him a 9/10 rating from football.london’s Alasdair Gold and led to GOAL’s Mitch Fretton calling him a “monster,” which wasn’t even hyperbolic, as he made three clearances, two interceptions and blocked one shot during his 90 minutes on the pitch.

On top of him now cementing himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet in N17, the Senegalese international has also now won comparisons to a certain rival player worth a fortune: Declan Rice.

Yes, according to FBref, which looks at players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues before creating a ten-man list of the most comparable players, the Englishman is the fourth most similar midfielder to the Lilywhites star.

To better understand how this conclusion was reached, we can examine the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked very closely, metrics including but not limited to progressive passes and carries, non-penalty expected goals per shot, passes into the penalty area, successful take-ons, miscontrols and ball recoveries, all per 90.

Progressive Carries

2.04

2.61

Progressive Passes

7.55

6.52

Non-Penalty Expected Goals per Shot

0.07

0.07

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.61

0.98

Successful Take-Ons

0.41

0.65

Miscontrols

0.82

0.65

Ball Recoveries

6.12

5.11

Now, while the Spurs faithful might not be too keen on their exciting midfield talent being compared to one of those lot down the road, their opinions may change when they notice the Gunners ace’s valuation of €120m per Transfermarkt, which comes out to about £100m.

If Sarr continues to play as well as he has been this season and is as similar to Rice as the data and analytics suggest, then given the fact he’s still just 22 years old, it does not seem impossible that he, too, will one day be worth £100m or more.

Ultimately, even if a fee that high never makes it into Daniel Levy’s hands, Tottenham have clearly got an incredible talent in Sarr.

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The incredible talent could help transform Spurs’ season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 12, 2024

Netherlands lost their last eight wickets for just 64 runs, costing them the opportunity to level the series.

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2022A century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and four wickets for Mujeeb Ur Rahman helped Afghanistan beat Netherlands by 48 runs to wrap up a series win with an ODI to spare.In the second of three matches in Doha, Afghanistan batted first after winning the toss, and despite the early loss of Usman Ghani, got off to a solid start thanks to an 83-run partnership between Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah. The Dutch bowlers found wicket-taking a challenge, and that stand was followed up by 106 runs added for the third wicket, with Hashmatullah Shahidi scoring a half-century.Once Shahidi was bowled by debutant Ryan Klein, Afghanistan struggled to tee off, but cameos from Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan meant they managed to get up to 237. Fred Klaassen and Phillippe Boissevain took two wickets each.The chase began with the early loss of Musa Ahmed and Colin Ackermann. A 90-run stand between Scott Edwards and Bas de Leede pushed Netherlands up to 125 for 3, but once that stand was broken, Afghanistan began to take control again.Pieter Seelar’s run out saw the lower middle order come in, but strikes from Rashid and Mujeeb meant Afghanistan were burrowing deep inside the Dutch tail. Once Edwards fell for 86, there was little resistance from the rest, and by the time Mujeeb bowled No. 11 Vivian Kingma, Afghanistan had wrapped up a comfortable win. The Netherlands lost their last eight wickets for just 64 runs, costing them the opportunity to level the series.