Category Uncategorized

Sunderland’s rollercoaster ride of a Championship season reached new highs this mid-week, with the Black Cats now three points clear at the top of the league after a determined win away at Luton Town.

It wasn’t a vintage performance from Regis Le Bris’ men by any stretch of the imagination – with the Hatters registering 19 shots to the away side’s lesser nine – but the Wearside outfit managed to dig deep in the end to clinch another three points in a dogged 2-1 victory.

Of course, there was some magic in the attacking areas for the away masses to hang onto at Kenilworth Road, as Romaine Mundle and Chris Rigg dazzled down the wings for the league leaders all night long.

Rigg & Mundle's performances vs Luton

With Wilson Isidor having a quiet time of things versus the Hatters as the lone striker, it was time for both Mundle and Rigg to come to the fore for their side to ensure another three points was forthcoming, and they very much delivered.

Rigg would open the scoring with a calm finish under pressure, with the 17-year-old only registering one shot all game but coming up trumps when it mattered, alongside his equally clinical teammate scoring this sublime winner past a helpless Thomas Kaminski to seal the hard-fought win.

Demonstrating their no-nonsense approach defensively with a fierce Trai Hume tackle kickstarting the move, Le Bris’ men also showed off their quality in attack with the finish, after Mundle left various Luton shirts in the dust before hammering home the goal.

Now sharing seven goals between them in the Championship this season, both on-fire forwards will be crucial as matches come thick and fast, with Sunderland aspiring to stay at the top of the second-tier pile for as long as possible.

Away from both the teenage starlet and the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster picking up those all-important strikes, it was also very much a night for the defenders to shine, as Chris Mepham in particular stood firm to whatever Luton threw at him in an imperious showing.

Mepham's performance in numbers

To win promotion out of the unforgiving league that the Championship can be, Sunderland know that the entertaining attacking performances have to meet in the middle with some resolute displays at the back, with the decision to pick up the Welshman on loan from AFC Bournemouth helping them to enhance that staunchness in their game.

Starring alongside another experienced EFL head in Luke O’Nien in the centre-back spots, Sunderland could well have the makeup of a back four that knows how to shut up shop when needed, with the new Black Cats number 26 almost faultless at points at Kenilworth Road in thwarting the likes of Carlton Morris and Co.

Mepham’s numbers vs Luton

Stat

Mepham

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

57

Accurate passes

32/41 (78%)

Clearances

11

Blocked shots

1

Interceptions

1

Total tackles

2

Total duels won

10/12

Stats by Sofascore

Mepham definitely wasn’t the flashiest performer on the ball, but he more than made up for an odd wayward pass here or there with a combative display that shut out the Hatters over and over again in the second 45 minutes, winning ten of the duels that fell his way.

Moreover, the Welshman would clear the ball away from danger 11 times in total as the clock nervously ticked down, with his partner in the heart of defence in O’Nien also tremendous in that respect with six of his own clearances managed.

His manager would wax lyrical after the 2-1 win about his side’s battling spirit, with Le Bris ensuring that Mepham is picked week in week out if he keeps up these stellar displays, knowing he has a promotion up to the Premier League on his CV with the Cherries.

Winning himself an 8/10 match rating after the contest by Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith, who labelled his presence as key as Luton ‘bombarded’ the Black Cats, the ingredients look to be there in Le Bris’ XI to give promotion a real go.

Three points clear now at the top of the league, confidence will be sky high at the Stadium of Light, as another league win is eyed up when Oxford United come to Wearside on Saturday.

Related Sunderland wasted £10m on Black Cats dud who earned more than Ballard

Sunderland fell victim to lot of a transfer blunders around this time.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 18, 2024

Manchester City have reportedly been left 'surprised' by the lack of recognition Erling Haaland’s new contract has received from the Premier League.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Striker has penned 10-year dealOften used as face of the divisionMasters yet to make any commentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The prolific Norwegian striker, who already has two top-flight titles in England and a couple of Golden Boots to his name, has penned a stunning 10-year deal at the Etihad Stadium. Those terms are intended to keep him in his current surroundings until 2034.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Haaland agreeing such a contract is considered to be a major coup not just for defending champions City, but the Premier League as a whole. The 24-year-old frontman is often used as the face of global marketing campaigns that help to promote English football around the world.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Richard Masters, as chief executive of the Premier League, would have been expected to comment on a deal that is big news for the brand that he controls. Haaland’s agreement has however, as reported by the , been met with silence by those at EPL headquarters.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT?

That has come as some surprise to City – who made Premier League history last season when claiming a fourth-successive title triumph – but they have been locked in a 115-charge Financial Fair Play battle and other legal arguments with the English authorities and are still waiting to discover what punishments, if any, they will face when it comes to supposed financial misconduct in Manchester.

MatériaMais Notícias

Ela está voltando! Depois de a pandemia impedir a realização da edição 2021 da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, a principal competição de base do Brasil está perto de seu início na temporada 2022 e o Corinthians já sabe as datas e os horários de seus jogos na fase de grupos, todos em São José dos Campos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians crê em assédio do mercado externo por Róger Guedes, mas confia em permanênciaCorinthians17/12/2021CorinthiansCorinthians pagará teto salarial a Paulinho, e parceiro auxiliará com demais valores; entendaCorinthians17/12/2021CorinthiansCorinthians eleva média de idade do time ‘ideal’ com chegada de PaulinhoCorinthians16/12/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

GALERIA
>Relembre 15 momentos marcantes de Paulinho pelo Corinthians

A participação do Timão no torneio de base começará no dia 4 de janeiro, quando enfrenta o Resende-RJ, às 21h30, no Estádio Martins Pereira. Depois, pela segunda rodada do Grupo 15, o Alvinegro terá um duelo diante do River-PI, no dia 7 de janeiro, às 21h45. Para fechar essa fase inicial, a equipe corintiana encara o São José-SP, dono da casa, às 20h, do dia 10 de janeiro.

Todos os jogos do Corinthians terão transmissão do sportv.Na primeira fase da Copa São Paulo, os times se enfrentarão dentro de cada grupo e os dois primeiros colocados de cada chave avançarão ao estágio seguinte da competição, a partir da qual os confrontos serão eliminatórios.

Grupo 15 – Sede em São José dos Campos

4/1 – Corinthians x Resende-RJ – 21h45 – Estádio Martins Pereira – sportv
​7/1 – River-PI x Corinthians – 21h45 – Estádio Martins Pereira – sportv
10/1 – São José-SP x Corinthians – 20h – Estádio Martins Pereira – sportv

Fabian Allen threatened to win the match with four late sixes but Starc kept Andre Russell quiet

Peter Della Penna14-Jul-2021

A career-best night with both bat and ball from Mitchell Marsh ensured Australia got off the mark in the series as Mitchell Starc stymied Andre Russell at the death to clinch a four-run victory over West Indies.After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Marsh propelled Australia to 189 for 6 with 75 off 44 balls, his third half-century in four innings this series. Defending the total, Marsh followed it up with 3 for 24 including a prized trio of scalps – Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons and stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran – to stunt momentum in the West Indies chase.Needing 11 off the final over and with Russell on strike, after Riley Meredith had been taken for four sixes by Fabian Allen in the 19th, Starc came around the stumps and bowled four leg stump yorkers that Russell could not get under to elevate and – with only the tail left in at the non-striker’s end – resulted in turned down singles on each occasion. On the fifth ball, Russell flubbed a knee-high full toss well short of the rope at deep midwicket before a boundary on the final ball made a cosmetic adjustment to the final margin. It also meant Pooran’s perfect record as captain to start the series was no more.Marsh continues hot batting formOne of the few bright lights in this series for the visitors, Marsh has continued to impress in his audition for the No. 3 role ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year. Entering in the second over after the fall of Matthew Wade, Marsh lit up the scoreboard with a Vine-esque loop of inside out lofted drives over extra cover.He brought up his third half-century of the series off just 24 balls with another such shot for six off Allen in the ninth over. Having dominated the early stages of his century partnership with Aaron Finch, who had been missed on 2 when an edge went between keeper and slip, rain disrupted Marsh’s momentum when the players were taken off the field shortly after Marsh’s half-century at the end of the ninth over. When play resumed, Finch seized control of the stand to clatter five boundaries in the space of nine balls across the 10th and 11th overs to bring up his own 34-ball half-century, ending a run of bad form in the first three matches of the series.Watch cricket on ESPN+

West Indies v Australia is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the match.

Hayden Walsh Jr sparks fightback with the ballBy the time the innings finished, the Hayden Walsh Jr’s series-leading wicket tally stood at 11 after adding another three to bring them back into the game. He dismissed Finch with a googly to break the Marsh partnership at 114 after the Australia captain missed a heave across the line. Walsh Jr put himself on a hat-trick when he took a straightforward return catch next ball after Alex Carey played through too early on a leg stump half-volley to produce a leading edge back to the bowler.He rounded off his haul a few overs later with perhaps his best work of the night. Finding some turn with the legbreak, Ashton Turner overstretched prodding forward and Pooran made up for a sloppy fumble on a straightforward stumping two nights earlier to complete a sharp dismissal on this occasion.Marsh’s bowling best thwarts West Indies victory chargeSimmons got the chase off to a fiery reply alongside Evin Lewis as the pair added 62 off the first 28 balls. Simmons got momentum moving in the second over off Meredith with a six and two fours through the leg side before Lewis had yet to face a ball. Lewis joined the party in the fourth over against Dan Christian by thumping two fours followed by two sixes over mid-on and backward square.After Lewis fell to an ambitious shot backing away to Adam Zampa in the fifth, Simmons continued his supreme touch, shuffling across his stumps to flick a pair of boundaries over fine leg off the medium pace of Meredith in the seventh over. A single to start the eighth brought up a 28-ball half-century before Marsh struck for the first time, inducing a catch from Gayle to long-on.Simmons was still humming but Andre Fletcher and Pooran stuttered after arriving in the middle overs. After Zampa bowled Fletcher in the 11th, Marsh returned for a double-strike in a magnificent 16th over in which he conceded just one run. He removed Pooran for 16, caught skying to long-off, before Simmons pulled the next ball flat to Moises Henriques for a sterling catch sliding along the rope at deep midwicket for 72.Marsh’s work with bat and ball on the night looked like it might go to waste at the end of the 19th when Allen smoked four sixes off the penultimate over bowled by Meredith. But Meredith struck back on the final ball getting Allen to edge a wide delivery behind leaving 11 for Russell to get off Starc in the last. In the end, vintage yorker accuracy from Starc allowed the visitors to prevail.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na hora em que o sistema de som da Neo Química Arena anunciou o nome de Sylvinho após enumerar todos os jogadores da escalação do Corinthians para o clássico contra o Santos, os aplausos anteriores aos atletas deram lugar às vaias da torcida, ainda insatisfeita com o desempenho do técnico na derrota por 1 a 0 para o Flamengo, na última quarta-feira, no Maracanã. Neste domingo, porém, o seu time exibiu boa atuação, venceu por 2 a 0 e entrou no G4 do Campeonato Brasileiro, posto que o clube não ocupava há dois anos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansSylvinho exalta vitória corintiana e boa atuação de Gabriel após atleta se abalar com críticas: ‘Somos vidraça’Corinthians21/11/2021VídeoVÍDEO: Veja os melhores momentos do clássico entre Corinthians e SantosVídeo21/11/2021CorinthiansCorinthians volta ao G4 após 2 anos e Sylvinho diz: ‘Realidade é muito mais positiva do que quando encontramos’Corinthians21/11/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

GALERIA
>Veja até quando vai o contrato de cada jogador do Corinthians

E antes das vaias recebidas e do triunfo em Itaquera, o treinador teve uma semana conturbada, na qual voltou a enfrentar fortes críticas dos torcedores e viu até a sua filha, Taty Mendes, ir às redes sociais para protestar contra mensagens de ódio direcionadas à ela, ao seu pai e ao seu irmão após o revés no Rio de Janeiro. Ao comentar esta pressão que vem sofrendo, o comandante afirmou estar acostumado com a mesma desde os seus tempos de jogador.

– Sou um profissional do futebol, como atleta tive 15 anos. Somos pessoas públicas, estamos acostumados com críticas, sem problemas. Existe o Sylvio profissional que se preocupa em trabalhar 12 horas por dia no CT. Nossa preparação foi normal, boa, e a prova foi o resultado final em campo. Uma vitória absolutamente merecida – disse o comandante, em entrevista coletiva.

Em seguida, Sylvinho valorizou o desempenho do Alvinegro no Brasileirão, no qual conseguiu conduzir a evolução de uma equipe que antes era cotada a lutar contra o risco de rebaixamento e que agora está fechando a zona de classificação direta para a fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores.

– Pressões ocorrem. O trabalho foi muito bem feito, estamos entregando números positivos. Temos a terceira melhor defesa do campeonato (com 32 gols sofridos, empatado com o Cuiabá), aliada com um dos times mais disciplinados. É um time leal, toma poucos cartões amarelos, proporciona que o jogo tenha 60%, 65% de bola rolando, é bom para o espetáculo, para o entretenimento. Competimos, somo leais, e os números vão indo – completou.

SEM EUFORIA APÓS ENTRADA DO TIME NO G4

Ao mesmo tempo em valorizou os números corintianos, o treinador procurou conter a euforia com a entrada do Timão no G4 ao projetar os últimos quatro confrontos que a sua equipe terá pela frente nesta reta final do Brasileirão.

– Entrar no G4 nesse momento, no qual cinco meses atrás era impensável, é trabalho, é suor, e isso não acabou, vai até 9 de dezembro, até a última rodada, os jogos vão ficar ainda mais difíceis – previu o comandante, que tenta focar apenas em seu trabalho enquanto recebe críticas de torcedores insatisfeitos.

– Minha preocupação maior e única é trabalhar, me dedicar, são 10, 12 horas por dia no CT, com alegria, alinhado com todas as áreas do clube, apoiado pelo presidente, pela diretoria e também pelos atletas. Nosso ambiente interno é extremamente positivo, muito bom, e os atletas tem ecoado isso nas entrevistas – destacou Sylvinho, no comando alvinegro desde o final de maio.

Nesta reta derradeira do Brasileirão, o Corinthians voltará a campo na quinta-feira, quando terá pela frente o Ceará, às 20h, no Castelão, em Fortaleza, pela 35ª rodada. Em seguida, o time fará dois jogos em casa, no próximo domingo, contra o Atlético-PR, e no dia 5 de dezembro, diante do Grêmio, antes de viajar até Caxias do Sul para fechar a sua campanha contra o Juventude, no dia 9.

continua após a publicidade

“The world stops a little bit,” a visibly emotional Tim Seifert said as he recounted his experience of testing positive and then being treated for Covid-19 in India earlier this month.Seifert, the only overseas player to test positive during IPL 2021, has since recovered and is currently serving his isolation period at a hotel in Auckland after flying back from Chennai, where he was for around two weeks.”That was the toughest time, getting told that I have Covid,” Seifert said during a media interaction on Tuesday. “The world stops a little bit. I couldn’t think what was next. That’s the scary part. You hear about the bad things, I thought it was going to happen to me. It was tough.”Related

• Tim Seifert is prepped and ready

• Saha, Mishra, Krishna recover from Covid-19

• Covid-19: Remembering the ones we have lost

• Could Sri Lanka potentially host the remainder of IPL 2021?

• When and where can IPL 2021 be rescheduled to?

With the IPL postponed indefinitely after 29 matches in early May following a number of positive cases in some of the team bubbles, Seifert was all set to return home with the other members of the New Zealand contingent. They were flown to Delhi on a chartered flight after returning negative tests on May 6. But Seifert tested positive when another test was done the next day, prior to their flight to New Zealand.”I had a tiny cough, at the time I thought it was just a bit of asthma,” he said. “My heart sank straightaway, really (when the test came out positive). I just went up to my room while everything kind of got sorted out, what were the processes next.”Reality hit him hard when the rest of the New Zealanders, who had cleared their tests, left India. But, the fact that he had an exciting few months to look forward to after his recovery, helped him cope with the situation.”You only really hear about the bad things – watching the media or talking to people”•AFP/Getty Images

“That was kind of when it sunk in, when everyone left and I was the only overseas player left in India, that’s when it got real for me,” he said. “Once a few days had gone by, everything had kind of calmed down a little bit, the New Zealand boys had gone, then I just knew it was a time of getting through it, looking at the positives – getting married in two months, so that’s exciting.”And I think my fiancée is quite happy that I’m back a bit earlier so I can help planning for that. So you had to look at the positives, it was just the tough time of the unknown really.”India has been hit by a massive second wave of the virus, with the surge in cases leading to a shortage of beds and oxygen in hospitals across the country. The depressing updates made it worse for Seifert, but opening up to people about it helped him, he said. As did not having to actually spend time in a hospital.”The news is all about a lack of oxygen, you don’t know if you’re going to be in that situation,” he said. “It’s just the whole unknown of what Covid is, how you’re going to react to it. I was healthy. I had the energy to get out of bed. I was happy with the situations and plans.”One of the toughest bits on being told I had Covid was you only really hear about the bad things – watching the media or talking to people. It’s always the negative side of it. But a lot of people that have got over it, talking to people that have had it helped me as well.”I’m feeling good. Lucky enough through the few weeks now, feeling good the whole way through. On the whole, physically and mentally feeling good. It’s been tough some days being in quarantine. Been in a hotel room about 25 days straight, that has had its toll sometimes mentally.”Seifert could barely hold back his tears as he thanked Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum and the Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming, both New Zealanders, for staying in touch with him and helping him through their network of friends in India.”It was the first time being involved for me in IPL in India. They [McCullum and Fleming] had all the connections. They were the closest guys other than the players that I felt comfortable talking to about the situation. They were there for me,” he said. “It definitely was hard and I couldn’t thank Brendon and Fleming enough, they made everything a lot easier.”Making sure things would be put in place and the KKR, the CSK support staff, management, CEO of KKR, they made life easy for me to know that everything would be alright and when that time was to come home, they would do everything to get me home safely and on time.”

Big picture

Two matches, two high-octane finishes, with two centuries from two players who needed big numbers to their names, and one spirit-of-the-game debate that will keep us talking long after the dust settles on Wednesday. With honours even, the third match is a finale in the truest sense and will decide who earns a series win.For South Africa, this is the chance to claim a third trophy in nine series under coach Mark Boucher, and a second this summer. For Pakistan, it’s the opportunity to win a series against a top-seven ODI team for the first time since 2013 when they beat South Africa at home. Both teams could also use World Cup Super League points, but South Africa will have to try to get them without almost half of their first-choice team.Five key players – Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi – have left the squad for the IPL which means a complete change to the pace pack and the absence of the chief protagonist in the controversy. de Kock will not be around to take in the conversation around whether his gesturing to the non-striker’s end when Fakhar Zaman was run out at his ends amounted to wilful deceit. Both Zaman and the match officials didn’t think so and to them, at least, the matter is closed. So is the question of whether Pakistan would have successfully chased 342. They didn’t get there but showed enough fight and will fancy their chances against a less-experienced South African attack in the decider.With the three main quicks gone, South Africa will lose out on the combined experience of 114 ODI caps. The replacements, likely to be Lutho Sipamla, Daryn Dupavillon and one of Beuran Hendricks or Junior Dala have a total of 14 caps between them, so Pakistan could see that as a potential area to exploit.

Form guide

South Africa WLWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan LWLWW

This was never expected to be a series for spinners with only one wicket between Tabraiz Shamsi and Shadab Khan and with the latter ruled out with injury, it’s the former that’s under our microscope. Shamsi shot from the hip in defence of de Kock and got into a few Twitter tangles, but those are not kinds of webs he’ll want to be weaving. Shamsi has been South Africa’s second-most expensive bowler so far and will want to show he can play a holding role if required. Otherwise, Shamsi will know that Keshav Maharaj, who enjoyed strong domestic returns over the past two summers, is an alternative South Africa may want to consider in more seamer-friendly conditions.With Nortje away at the IPL, Haris Rauf has the opportunity to finish as the series’ leading wicket-taker. He currently has five to his name, two behind Nortje’s seven, and has made breakthroughs at crucial times. In the first ODI, Rauf got rid of David Miller immediately after he reached fifty; in the second, he accounted for both de Kock and Temba Bavuma as they went in search of boundaries. Thought Rauf has been more expensive than he might like – both he and Mohammad Hasnain have conceded at 6.3 runs an over – he has taken a wicket every four overs, while Hasnain only has one in every ten. After four ODIs, Rauf looks like a player who could create a regular spot for himself in Pakistan’s XI.Janneman Malan is likely to replace Quinton de Kock•Associated Press

South Africa will have to make five changes to their XI – two in the top six and the entire pace pack – following the departure of players to the IPL. That will mean a new opening partner for Aiden Markram with Janneman Malan getting an opportunity after many considered him unlucky to miss out in the first place. Kyle Verreynne will replace David Miller with Heinrich Klaasen likely to remain at No. 6 and take over the wicketkeeping duties. South Africa’s big conundrum is how to make up for the absence of Rabada, Ngidi and Nortje. Sipamla and Dupavillon are expected to slot in and a decision is to be made between left-armer Hendricks and a second spinner in Maharaj.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Kyle Verreynne, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Beuran Hendricks/Keshav Maharaj, 9 Daryn Dupavillon, 10 Lutho Sipamla, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiPakistan have one enforced change after Khan was ruled out of the tour with a toe injury. Usman Qadir will step into his place. They may also make a change to their No. 6 position, with Asif Ali’s scores of 19 and 2 necessitating a switch. Haider Ali could earn his third ODI cap. Hasan Ali, who was declared fit ahead of the series but has yet to play a game, could also be called on, likely in place of Hasnain.Pakistan (probable): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Danish Aziz, 6 Asif Ali/Haider Ali, 7 Usman Qadir, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Hasnain/Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf

The series moves back to Centurion where the early morning conditions offered something for the quicks and batting eased out later in the day. The slightly cooler and wetter weather may narrow that gap, with rain expected overnight and at some point on the game day. The temperature will hove in the upper and mid-20s as the season changes.

Stats and trivia

• Imam-ul-Haq could become the second-fastest player to 2000 ODI runs. He is currently on 1909 from 42 innings, two innings behind Hashim Amla and three ahead of Zaheer Abbas. Earlier in the series, Babar Azam became the fourth-fastest to 2000 runs, in 45 innings.
• The last time South Africa lost a series decider was in 2015 in Bangladesh. Since then they have won 13 out of 16 bilateral ODI series, including beating New Zealand (2015 & 2017), India (2015), England (2016), Australia (2018) and Pakistan (2019) in the final match of a series.

Quotes

It’s a massive loss but in saying that, it’s an opportunity for the guys that are on the fringes. In 2023, we are going to play a World Cup. We want to see if our big names get injured, that we’ve got someone who can step up.

Glasgow Rangers are just 24 hours away from their first Premiership match of the 2024/25 season as the Old Firm side look to begin the campaign with a bang.

Philippe Clement has managed to fill the void left by Connor Goldson, luring Dutch centre-back Robin Propper to Ibrox just in time for the tie against Hearts – the 30-year-old joining from Eredivisie side FC Twente, where he had been captain.

The 6 foot 3 defender becomes the ninth signing of the summer transfer window, but there will surely be a few more in the coming weeks…

Rangers interested in former Chelsea midfielder

According to Football Scotland, the Light Blues are showing interest in Dutchman Marco van Ginkel, who has emerged as a target for Clement recently.

The 31-year-old is available on a free transfer having departed Vitesse at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He would certainly add some experience to Clement’s midfield.

Player

Club signed from

Connor Barron

Aberdeen

Jefte

Fluminense

Mohamed Diomande

FC Nordsjaelland

Oscar Cortes

RC Lens (loan)

Vaclav Cerny

Wolfsburg (loan)

Liam Kelly

Motherwell

Clinton Nsiala

AC Milan

Robin Propper

Twente

Hamza Igamane

AS FAR

The Belgian coach is also keen on bringing Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri to Ibrox, but could the Dutch midfielder be a better option?

Why Marco Van Ginkel would be an upgrade on Hannibal

The Man United youngster may have youth on his side, but the 2023/24 campaign was hardly productive. Indeed, he made just 17 appearances, scoring once, for both the Old Trafford side and during a loan spell with Sevilla.

A promising talent? Yes. But Clement now needs a few players who have plenty of experience in the game. Van Ginkel certainly fits the bill.

The midfielder made the headlines when he joined Chelsea back in the summer of 2013, becoming José Mourinho’s first signing during his second spell at Stamford Bridge,

The maverick Portuguese boss held the youngster in high regard, going as far as seeing Van Ginkel as the long term successor to Frank Lampard in the Chelsea midfield, having lauded him as "one of the best prospects" at the time of his arrival in west London.

Game time was promised, but it didn’t work out for him at the Blues, making just four appearances before finally leaving the club permanently in 2021 following a series of loan moves.

He returned to his first club, Vitesse, two years ago and enjoyed a wonderful spell for the Dutch side, playing 45 matches while scoring nine times and registering four assists.

The 31-year-old ranked first among his teammates for goals and assists (nine) in the Eredivisie last term, along with ranking sixth for shots per game (1.9) and first for big chances missed (six), meaning he could have had a few more goals if he was more clinical in the final third.

When compared to fellow midfielders in the men’s next 14 competitions, Van Ginkel ranked in the top 2% for total shots (2.61), non-penalty goals (0.27) and touches in the opposition penalty area (3.71) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

These statistics clearly showcase his attacking abilities from the heart of the midfield, which could give Clement a dangerous option in that area of the pitch.

On a free transfer, it is certainly a move which makes a lot of sense. The Dutchman still has a few more years left in him and a move to Scotland could see the player thrive.

Rangers register interest in £5m star who's a dream Roofe replacement

The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the centre-forward.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 1, 2024

With their return to the Premier League just 9 days away, Southampton have missed out signing a forward who could have replaced Che Adams, despite reportedly making direct contact with the player.

Southampton transfer news

It's been quite the summer of arrivals for Russell Martin and his side, featuring a couple of returning faces alongside plenty of fresh talent. The likes of Adam Lallana, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and Flynn Downes have reunited with the Saints, whilst Ben Brereton Diaz, Charlie Taylor and others have completed moves in hope of handing those at St Mary's a further boost.

In talks: Southampton moving to sign "amazing" Mara replacement

Southampton could freshen up their attacking options even more with this purchase.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 7, 2024

Brereton Diaz expressed his delight at completing the move, telling Southampton's official website: “I’m absolutely buzzing. It’s been smooth these past couple of days, and I’m happy to get everything sorted and signed. I’m really excited to meet everyone, it’s great to be involved with this great club.

“Watching the club when I was younger, it was always in the Premier League. Obviously last season, the way the team played, they went down but they bounced straight back up as a team. Also the gaffer as well – everything has aligned together, and I think it’s an amazing club. I can’t wait to get started.”

It looked as though the Chile international would joined by another attacking reinforcement too. According to Eduardo Burgos of Diario AS, Southampton were in direct contact with Alejo Veliz over a season-long loan move from Tottenham Hotspur. Negotiations were reportedly underway, but La Liga side Espanyol emerged to seal a deal from under their noses.

"Powerful" Veliz would have replaced Adams

Amid all of the arrivals, Adams quietly headed for the exit door upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the last campaign. But as quiet as his exit was, Southampton still need to replace the Scotland international, which is where Veliz would have come in. The Spurs youngster is yet to really make things stick on loan or in North London, but the opportunity to work under Martin could have changed that.

Nonetheless, the 20-year-old has returned to La Liga, where he earned plenty of praise from former Sevilla manager Quique Sanchez Flores: “He has a lot of desire, he’s powerful, he comes from a club in Argentina where they are pure fire, and I think he’s going to give us a lot. We are going to have a lot of faith in him."

Southampton, meanwhile, must now turn their attention elsewhere to replace Adams. A player who brought plenty of Premier League experience and an added eye for goal, Saints could be left struggling if they fail to replicate the Scot's quality this summer.

It has been a busy window for Everton Football Club so far during the summer of 2024. The Toffees have had several incomings and a few outgoings, including one notable sale which helped the club to a healthy profit and has given them more money to reinvest into the squad.

Amadou Onana is the player in question here. The Belgian departed Goodison Park for the Midlands and Aston Villa. The Villans paid £50m to acquire his services, a very healthy profit for the Merseysiders, who spent £33m on Onana from Lille in 2022. Everton have also sold Lewis Dobbin to Villa and Ben Godfrey to Italian Side Atalanta.

In terms of incomings, the Toffees poached a Villa man themselves. Tim Iroegbunam joined the club at the start of the window, with Iliman Ndiaye also switching to Goodison Park from Marseille.

Most recently, Everton have added Napoli winger Jesper Lindstrom to their side, who joins the club on a season-long loan with an option to buy. Rumours have been circling that the Toffees may once again turn to Serie A to add a player who could form a dream partnership with their new Danish winger.

Everton target Serie A midfielder

The Serie A player in question here is Juventus and United States of America midfielder Weston McKennie. The former Leeds United loanee is thought to be out of favour under new manager Thiago Motta, and could now depart the Allianz stadium this summer.

According to Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato, a way out of Turin this summer for McKennie could come from the Toffees, with the Premier League side having seemingly already made contact regarding a move. The report states that the 'latest proposal' came from Goodison Park, although they do clarify that 'there hasn't been a concrete offer' at this stage from Everton.

Indeed, Sean Dyche’s side are not the only Premier League club to have offered McKennie the chance to leave the Old Lady this summer. Aston Villa had an offer on the table for the American, but he decided to turn down the Villans deal, having rejected a salary worth around €5m (£4m).

In terms of a price for McKennie this summer, Everton must meet Juve’s asking price of €20m (£17m). The report explains that there 'is no other way' for Juve to agree to sell McKennie this summer.

Why McKennie would be a good signing

The 25-year-old midfielder was an important player for Juve under Massimiliano Allegri last season, despite the fact he is not in Juve’s plans in 2024/25. McKennie played 34 times in Serie A, grabbing an impressive seven assists in that time.

Should the Toffees sign the American this summer, he could form a special partnership with their new winger Lindstrom. The Dane is an impressive dribbler, who uses his lanky frame to help breeze past opponents.

With Lindstrom being a right-footed right-winger, he often likes to hold width and get crosses into the box. We could well see McKennie operate in the half spaces on the right and Lindstrom keep width for the Toffees on the wing.

The Dane struggled in front of goal last season for Napoli and did not score for Gli Azzurri. However, he clearly has an eye for goal, having scored seven times and grabbed four assists in 27 games for Eintracht Frankfurt the previous campaign.

McKennie’s proficient creativity could help Lindstrom find his best form and form an exciting partnership with the Dane. Aside from his seven assists, McKennie’s FBref stats show just how dangerous he can be in the final third. His average of 0.24 assists each game placed him in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe.

Last season for the Old Lady, McKennie averaged 1.42 key passes per 90 minutes, which ranked him in the top 23% of midfielders in Europe. Not only that, the American averages 0.97 passes into the penalty area, ranking him in the top 25%.

McKennie creative passing stats

Stat (per 90)

Number

Assists

0.24

Expected assists

0.11

Key passes

1.42

Passes into final third

1.8

Passes into penalty area

0.97

Stats from Fbref

McKennie is certainly an “underrated” player, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him. That is certainly shown in his creative stats last season. Should the Toffees do this deal, they could be signing the perfect player to unlock Lindstrom and create a dream partnership to help push them up the table.

Related Dyche already has an upgrade on £50k-p/w Everton star who could be sold

The Toffees are still looking to offload numerous first-team players.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Jul 27, 2024