Amad Diallo says he is having one of the "best weeks" of his life after scoring his first Manchester United hat-trick and signing a new contract.
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England legend Paul Gascoigne has revealed which current Three Lions player he wanted to get a signed shirt off from.
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Gascoigne wanted England player's shirtWent into changing room to get itPreferred to over Palmer and BellinghamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Newcastle United star Gascoigne was asked who he believes the best player in the current England team is. Previously, Manchester United hero Wayne Rooney named Phil Foden as England's "best player" and it seems Gascoigne agrees with him. This is despite Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham, for instance, starring for Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT PAUL GASCOIGNE SAID
He told Metro: "I really like Jack Grealish, because of the fact that if he lost the ball a couple of times, he still wants the ball. He doesn’t go hiding. But I watched Phil Foden not long ago. He was s*** hot. He was unbelievable. What a player and that last England game, I couldn’t resist it. I just went into the changing room and asked Foden to give us a shirt. He signed it for my agent’s son. He’s been unbelievable at Man City and is one of the players they rely on to produce. Sometimes that’s not good for him, because he’s such a young kid as well. He’s only young and he’s got kids.
"Looking at the England squad, you’ve got Bellingham, Grealish, Rashford. They’ve got a really strong squad. But Foden, they always say people with left foot in football are always going to be brilliant. But I really like Foden, he’s quality and he’s got a good engine on him."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite the praise of Gascoigne, Foden has largely struggled to replicate his form for Manchester City in an England shirt. The 24-year-old underwhelmed during Euro 2024 and this season his form for his club has gone backwards. But his talent and ability is undeniable.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
Foden will hope to be picked for Thomas Tuchel's first England squad in early 2025 but before then, his City side travel to Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
West Ham have had many players come through the ranks with extreme hype, labelled the next Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, or even Bobby Moore.
However, living up to such high expectations is never easy, setting an unrealistic representation for fans before they have even kicked a ball at senior level. We have seen this on many occasions, where the pressure is too much for young shoulders, and can have a negative effect on the player.
One player who failed to live up to the hype at West Ham was academy graduate Reece Oxford, who was seen as the cream of the crop.
However, now Oxford finds himself at Augsburg in Germany, whilst Declan Rice, who came through the academy at a similar time, is now playing for Arsenal.
Declan Rice's time at West Ham
Declan Rice made 32 appearances for the West Ham U21 side, having been released by Chelsea in 2013 for allegedly ‘being too small’. Strange, right?
The now towering midfield figure of Rice then broke into the senior squad at West Ham in 2017, making his debut against Burnley on the last day of the 2016/17 campaign.
The English midfielder went on to make 245 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 15 goals, providing 13 assists, and totaling 20,580 minutes played.
Rice became club captain in 2022, skippering the side to their first major honour in 43 years, and won “Hammer of the year” three times in 2020,2022, and 2023. The England international was then sold in 2023, joining Arsenal for a huge fee of around £105m.
So, how have they set about replacing him? The likes of Edson Alvarez and Carlos Soler have arrived but the solution may well lie in the academy.
West Ham's next Declan Rice
West Ham already have an extremely talented midfielder emerging through the ranks, who could take over the mantle left by Rice.
The name is Lewis Orford, a young talent who has made 91 appearances for the U21 and U18 sides combined, scoring 19 goals, providing 29 assists, and totaling 6,985 minutes played.
The 18-year-old has already been described as a player who is “beyond his years” by journalist John Brewin, noting that the youngster reminds him of both Rice and Michael Carrick.
Goals + Assists
0.16
Progressive Carries
2.59
Progressive Passes
6.62
Passes into Final Third
6.60
Tackles
2.22
Blocks
1.20
Interceptions
1.63
Aerials Won
0.95
These are the metrics Rice put up in his final season with the Hammers, and the sort of numbers they are looking to replace. Orford has the quality on the ball to produce these high progressive passing and carrying numbers, whilst still putting in the defensive shift, completing tackles and interceptions in the middle of the park.
Brewin has previously spoken of Orford’s ability to also arrive in the box and take shots, which is similar to another academy graduate in Lampard. This would certainly add extra goal threat from midfield, and long shot ability in order to score goals, or win corners from deflected/saved strikes.
West Ham have been looking to replace Rice, making big midfield signings such as Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Guido Rodriguez, but they could have the heir to his throne right there in the academy set up.
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Aston Villa’s start to the 2024/25 season has been something of a mixed bag for the Midlands club so far. They won their first game, securing all three points in a tough away trip to West Ham United, thanks to goals from Amadou Onana and Jhon Duran. However, their first home game of the campaign ended in a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal.
The Villans have a huge season ahead, with a return to the Champions League, and have already made eight signings as they look to improve their squad.
Aston Villa were targeting Serie A striker
The player in question here is AS Roma and England international striker Tammy Abraham.
According to a report from Football Insider, the Villans had been plotting ‘a formal move' to hijack Abraham’s proposed switch to AC Milan, if Jhon Duran departed Villa Park, suggesting that an offer could arrive for the Serie A-based marksman.
The Midlands club ‘believe the striker will choose them’ if they manage to agree terms for a deal with Roma to sign their former loanee, who is deemed to be at the top of their list to replace Duran.
Sadly, any such move will now not come to fruition with the player agreeing a move to Roma in the final hours before deadline day.
Why Abraham would have been a good signing
Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, he missed much of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which he picked up at the start of the campaign. He did make it back to full fitness for the final few games of the season, playing eight Serie A games and getting a goal and an assist.
The season prior to his injury saw the England international in fairly good form. In 2022/23, Abraham managed to find the back of the net on eight occasions in 38 Serie A games, also registering four assists in that time.
As has been previously alluded to, the Roma centre-forward has had a spell at Villa Park before, on loan from Chelsea in 2018/19 when they were in the Championship. It is fair to say the striker was superb, playing 40 games, scoring 26 times and registering three assists. There are certainly good memories of the attacker for Villa fans during his first spell at the club.
Had he returned to the club this summer on a permanent deal, he could have formed a deadly partnership with Morgan Rogers. The enterprising attacker has had a superb start to the season. He put in a “phenomenal” performance against Arsenal last Saturday, as former England goalkeeper Ben Foster said on his YouTube channel, CyclingGK.
Rogers could have been a dream option in behind Abraham, who has a natural instinct in front of goal, as he showed the Villa Park faithful during his first spell at the club. Against the Gunners, the former Man City academy player played two key passes and created one big chance as per Sofascore.
Stat
Number
Touches
48
Passes completed
19/28
Ground duels won
8/10
Dribbles completed
5/7
Key passes
2
Big chances created
1
Getting Abraham – who has been dubbed "outstanding" by journalist Henry Winter – on some of the end of those chances would have been a recipe for success under Unai Emery.
He is a “superb centre-forward”, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, and has elite movement off the last line and inside the penalty box. Given Rogers’ superb creativity in the final third and Abraham’s excellent goalscoring record in a Villa shirt, the pair no doubt would have linked up beautifully together.
Rogers ran the show against one of the best sides in the league, and pairing that up with the Roma striker could have helped them a great deal in their quest to reach the Champions League knockouts and finish in the top four once again.
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After clinching a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Leicester City are in talks to reunite new manager Steve Cooper with one of his former players.
Foxes on the hunt for new attacking stars
The story that has been attracting the most attention at the King Power Stadium surrounds the Foxes' ongoing pursuit of Matias Soule. A deal for the Juventus winger has been in the works for a number of weeks with the latest development suggesting that Leicester have submitted a bid in the region of £21million for the player.
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Despite the Foxes' clear interest in the player, Soule could be drawn towards extending his stay in Italy with Roma also said to be in talks to sign the player. Recent claims in the press have stated that Soule only wants to join the Serie A side which may throw a spanner in Leicester's transfer plans this summer.
If they cannot get a deal for Soule over the line, Leicester have been looking at deals for other wide players including AC Milan ace Alexis Saelemaekers. The Foxes have reportedly opened negotiations for the Belgian winger who can also operate in the centre of the pitch.
With Leicester clearly not afraid of lining up alternatives to Soule, it looks as if the Foxes have approached a fellow Premier League side about one of their wantaway stars.
Leicester open talks to sign Reiss Nelson
As first reported on the X account of Fabrizio Romano, Leicester City have opened talks with Arsenal over a potential deal to sign Reiss Nelson. Romano claims that the negotiations in question surround an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy the winger further down the line, with the Foxes confident they can persuade the player to join.
Despite spending his entire career at the Emirates, Nelson has never quite managed to cement himself in the Gunners' starting XI, often having to settle for cameos off the bench. The course of the previous season saw the 24-year-old make just 15 appearances in the Premier League, failing to register a goal or assist during this time.
Irrespective of his recent struggles, Nelson is a player who spent his youth career touted as one of England's most promising prospects. Playing his way through the Three Lions' youth set up, the winger became a fixture of the national team, earning praises for his performances.
One person that Nelson really managed to impress was former England manager and current Leicester boss Cooper. Speaking in a press conference back in 2022, Cooper took the opportunity to heap praise on Nelson after he scored twice against his Nottingham Forest side:
“[Reiss Nelson] and I always had a strong relationship. He was a standout player for England U17s. It’s good to see him doing well, I just wish it wasn’t today.”
With the new Leicester boss already a big fan of the player, there is a good chance that Nelson could be lacing up at the King Power by the time the next season begins.
MatériaMais NotÃcias
Titular do CRB e em alta no clube alagoano, o lateral-esquerdo Guilherme Romão pediu intensidade máxima do elenco na sequência da Série B. Segundo o jogador, o alvirrubro vai com tudo para crescer nesta reta final de temporada.
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Neymar passou Pelé! Veja quem mais vestiu a camisa da Seleção Brasileira
– O grupo tem trabalhado muito no dia a dia para melhorar o rendimento em campo e para evoluir nestas próximas semanas. Teremos muitas decisões pela frente e precisamos estar preparados. – disse o defensor.
CRB VAI SUBIR? VEJA TABELA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DA SÉRIE B
Segundo o defensor, sua fase tem sido especial na equipe alagoana.
– Estou feliz com o crescimento que tive. Tenho trabalhado muito para evoluir e para melhorar meus números no clube. Estou muito focado para esses próximos meses. – concluiu.
O Guarani será o próximo adversário do CRB, na sexta-feira (15), às 19h, noEstádio Rei Pelé.
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O Fluminense segue imparável no Campeonato Carioca feminino. Na tarde deste domingo, o Tricolor goleou a Cabofriense por 6 a 0 em partida válida pela 4ª rodada da Taça Guanabara, a primeira fase da competição, em Xerém. Ronaldinha e Bia fizeram dois gols cada, enquanto Jessica Bahia e um tento contra completaram o placar.
Foi a quarta goleada do Fluminense em quatro jogos disputados. Consequentemente, o clube das Laranjeiras chegou a 12 pontos. A questão é que todos os outros três grandes do Rio – Botafogo, Flamengo e Vasco – também venceram as quatro primeiras e ficam à frente do Tricolor pelo saldo de gols.
O Tricolor construiu a goleada ainda no primeiro tempo, indo para o intervalo com 4 a 0 de vantagem no placar. Na etapa complementar, o Fluminense baixou o ritmo, mas suficiente para aumentar os dÃgitos e confirmar uma importante vitória.
Na 4ª colocação, o Fluminense já retorna aos gramados na próxima quarta-feira às 15h nas Laranjeiras para enfrentar o Serra Macaense, que ainda não venceu no torneio estadual.
Sporting CP have confirmed that Manchester United want to pay Ruben Amorim's €10m (£8m/$11m) release clause to appoint him as their new manager.
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Amorim poised to replace Erik ten HagDutchman sacked earlier this weekSporting issue statementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?
Sporting CP have issued a statement confirming that United will pay the €10m release clause in Amorim's contract as they bid to appoint him as the replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman was relieved of his duties earlier this week and the club have moved quickly as they attempt to secure a successor.
AdvertisementWHAT SPORTING SAID
Sporting's statement read: "Manchester United FC expressed an interest in hiring coach Rúben Amorim, with the Board of Directors of Sporting SAD referring to the terms and conditions set out in the employment contract in force between the Company and the coach, specifically the respective termination clause and the amount of Euro 10,000,000.00; 2. Manchester United FC expressed an interest in paying Sporting SAD the amount of the aforementioned clause."
AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
United are hoping to finalise the appointment of Amorim ahead of Sunday's Premier League showdown with high-flying Chelsea at Old Trafford. Ruud van Nistelrooy will take interim charge of their Carabao Cup tie against Leicester on Wednesday.
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WHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM?
Though he was tight-lipped when previously asked about the United job, Amorim is expected to provide a clearer update on his future after Sporting's League Cup quarter-final with Nacional on Tuesday night.
Everton will want to build on their 15th-placed finish in the Premier League next season, with the club needing to dip into the market to improve Sean Dyche’s squad.
The Toffees produced a great end to the campaign, winning five of the last eight matches to secure another season of top-flight football, despite receiving a total of eight points deducted during the 2023/24 campaign.
However, the club’s biggest issue on the field was highlighted, with the lack of goals evident during the 38 outings in the Premier League.
Dyche’s side only managed to score two or more goals in a game on ten occasions, accumulating a tally of just 40 goals – an average of just 1.05 goals per game, the second-lowest in the division narrowly ahead of relegated Sheffield United.
Only two players within the squad managed to score more than five goals, with £25m signing Beto failing to reach such heights following his big-money move to Goodison from Udinese last summer.
However, the Merseysiders are already targeting attacking alternatives ahead of the summer window, including one player who could prove to be excellent value for money following his impressive stint in England during 2023/24.
According to Sport BILD via Sport Witness, Everton are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing TSG Hoffenheim forward Jacob Braun Larsen this summer.
The Danish talent scored six times during his loan spell at Burnley last season, finishing as the Clarets’ top scorer in a campaign where they suffered an immediate return to the Championship.
The Toffees aren’t alone in the pursuit of the 25-year-old, with Julen Lopetegui’s side also interested in bringing Bruun Larsen back to England ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Unlike his move to Turf Moor, a deal for the former Borussia Dortmund man is likely to be a permanent one, with the report claiming he’s on the German club’s ’cut list’ and could be available for as little as €10m (£8m).
He would certainly be a shrewd addition to Dyche’s side, transforming his attacking and finally allowing the Toffees’ boss to forget about one player who failed to shine on Merseyside.
Jack Harrison spent the previous campaign on loan at Goodison from Leeds United after the Whites dropped back into England’s second tier after three years back in the top flight.
The 27-year-old Englishman featured 29 times for the Toffees in the Premier League, scoring just three goals in an all-round disappointing season for the forward.
However, after Daniel Farke’s side failed to claim promotion in the play-off final a couple of weeks ago, it was reported that the Toffees would look to re-sign the wideman on loan for next season.
Given his lack of impact and the availability of Bruun Larsen, Dyche’s side simply must forget about a reunion, with the Danish attacker producing high tallies in the vast majority of areas last term, proving why his former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre claimed that he "has the nose [for scoring opportunities]".
|
How Bruun Larsen and Harrison compare in 23/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Bruun Larsen |
Harrison |
|
Games |
32 |
29 |
|
Goals + Assists |
6 |
6 |
|
Shots per 90 |
3.1 |
1.4 |
|
Percentage of shots on target |
33% |
27% |
|
Pass accuracy |
72% |
65% |
|
Goals per 90 |
0.4 |
0.1 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
When comparing the duo on FBref, they both have produced the same amount of goals and assists combined, but the former Burnley loanee has a higher goal per 90 average – a real key for Dyche’s side given their recent lack of goals.
Bruun Larsen also averages more shots per 90, whilst putting 6% more of his efforts on target, potentially having the ability to transform the Toffees’ dire record in front of goal.
The “superb” forward, as dubbed by ScoutedFTBL, has impressed in the Premier League and with the quality in the Everton ranks, he could be able to thrive once more, with the £8m fee touted a bargain for a player of his talent.
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Manchester United ended the 2023/24 season in perfect fashion, with a historic FA Cup final triumph over Mancunian rivals Manchester City. It was their famous academy which ultimately decided the game, with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, both Carrington graduates, scoring the goals which won the Red Devils their 13th FA Cup.
Outside of that impressive triumph, last campaign was quite bleak overall for United. The Old Trafford side did manage to qualify for European football, but through their FA Cup triumph rather than accomplishments in the Premier League; their eighth-place finish was initially not enough to secure them continental qualification.
There are still question marks over Erik ten Hag’s future as manager, too. As per Tyrone Marshall of the Manchester Evening News, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team are still conducting their end-of-season review surrounding the Dutchman’s performances across the 2023/24 season. Those in charge of making the final call want to 'make sure it is a considered decision'.
Unsurprisingly, this has stalled United’s summer transfer business somewhat. Moves for the likes of Michael Olise are not progressing as they would have hoped. However, there is one player United are targeting who could be a relatively easy deal to complete.
Man Utd target Ligue 1 defender
The player in question here is OGC Nice and French defender Jean-Clair Todibo. The 24-year-old France international is thought to be a target for the Red Devils and could leave INEOS-owned Nice to join another of their clubs, the newest acquisition United.
According to a report from L’Equipe, United are one of several clubs interested in signing Todibo this summer. The Frenchman is valued at around €25m (£21m), which is considerably less than the £55m that the French side wanted for Todibo in January.
United will have to beat off interest from four other clubs in the summer if they wish to sign Todibo. Firstly, two English clubs are interested in the 24-year-old, namely Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. The report suggests that Italian side Napoli and Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid are also considering testing the waters for Todibo.
Given United and Nice’s co-ownership, it might make the deal easier for the Red Devils to get over the line. However, the amount of competition makes it more complicated, and not a guarantee that United bring Todibo in this summer.
Why Todibo would be a good signing
Todibo was a key player for Nice last term, featuring 33 times in all competitions, with 30 of those games coming in Ligue 1. The 24-year-old helped to keep 15 out of Nice’s 17 clean sheets in the French top flight, which were the most in the division.
If there is one aspect of Todibo’s game that stands out, it is his work when in possession of the ball. Football analyst H described Todibo on X as a “top technician” who is “unbelievably calm in possession”.
This certainly reflects when looking at his Fbref stats. The Frenchman averages 5.09 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 15% of centre-backs across Europe. Not only that, he averages 75.64 passes completed per 90, which ranks him in the top 6%.
The 24-year-old, who has two caps for France, is also a confident ball-carrier. He averages 76.28 carries per 90, and 1.09 progressive carries per 90. This places him in the top 2% of centre-backs and the top 17% of centre-backs across Europe respectively. Furthermore, Todibo’s 0.92 attempted take-ons per 90, and subsequent 0.54 successful take-ons per 90, rank him in the top 6% and the top 4% respectively amongst centre-backs in Europe. He oozes confidence on the ball, as his stats reflect.
Defensively, the 24-year-old is a good dueller. He averages 1.97 tackles won per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 17% of centre-backs. Whilst this isn’t necessarily the best metric to measure centre-backs with, it still shows he is confident when making a tackle or competing for a duel. This is further proven by the 3.26 combined tackles and interceptions that Todibo averages per 90, something which ranks him in the top 19% of centre-backs.
One of Todibo’s biggest strengths as a defender is ball recoveries. He is a quick defender, capable of defending wide areas well, and this is demonstrated in his very impressive ball recovery numbers. On average, the Frenchman wins 7.20 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 3% among centre-backs.
Statistically, his weakest area defensively comes in the air. Standing at 6 foot 2, this may come as a surprise to some, yet, Todibo’s aerial duel win rate is surprisingly poor. He wins just 1.32 aerial duels per 90 on average, which ranks him in the 13th percentile.
This may not pair well with United’s first-choice left-centre-back Lisandro Martinez, who Todibo would surely partner. As per Fbref, the Argentine averaged just 1.36 aerial duels won in the 2022/23 Premier League season, which ranks him in just the 7th percentile.
However, it could still be a complimentary duo. Martinez is a fantastic defender and in 2022/23, averaged 6.98 ball recoveries per 90, 2.17 blocks per 90 and 3.70 combined tackles and interceptions per 90. This placed him in the top 9%, 6% and 14% respectively amongst Premier League centre-backs.
Stat (per 90)
Todibo
Martinez
Ball recoveries
7.20
6.98
Tackles and interceptions
1.97
3.70
The World Cup winner is also a superb progressive passer. He averaged 0.3 through balls per 90 in the 2022/23 campaign, which ranked him in the top 1% of centrebacks. His line-breaking passes have been crucial for United, as shown in the stats.
With Martinez’s supreme progressive passing and Todibo’s impressive carrying skills, it could be a defensive pairing that suits United well. Their deficiencies in the air could be an issue, but the Red Devils could hope to mask that with tall midfielders such as Scott McTominay.
If this is a deal United can get over the line, they could be looking at their centre-back pairing for the next seven years in Todibo and Martinez. For a fee of just £21m, it could prove to be a superb piece of business from INEOS.
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