Dele Alli is back in the Como squad after suspension as Cesc Fabregas sends out a rallying call ahead of the derby against Monza.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Dele picked up a red card on his return
Lasted just 10 minutes against Milan
Ready to make a comeback after serving his ban
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
The English midfielder, who joined the Serie A outfit in a bid to revive his career, saw his first appearance cut short in sensational fashion against AC Milan. Having been introduced off the bench by head coach Fabregas, Dele was shown a straight red card less than 10 minutes later after an aggressive challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Advertisement
GOAL
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Dele’s former England teammate and AC Milan loanee Kyle Walker tried to intervene with the referee, pleading against the decision. Despite his protests, the official stood firm, and Dele was sent down the tunnel, leaving Fabregas’ side to finish the match a man down.
WHAT FABREGAS SAID
In a further boost to Como’s preparations, Fabregas provided a relatively clean bill of health for his squad. While a few players are still managing minor concerns, most of the team is available for selection, including Dele.
"They are all ready, except Azon who is a bit tired, Van der Brempt is slowly recovering," he said. "I haven't seen him in the sprint yet, but this week he did very well. The more players we have, the better it is also for the competitiveness. They are all here, Nico Paz and Dele Alli are back after the suspension".
Fabregas also sent out a strong message to his squad before the match. He added: "Many teams have struggled against Monza, as Alessandro Nesta’s side play good football and much like us, they have fewer points than they would deserve. In order to stay in Serie A, you don’t have to win every game, but if you are not winning at the 88th minute, you must at least avoid defeat. We have improved, but there is a long way to go yet. I’d say we are only 25 per cent there in the Como project, but first of all we need to secure our Serie A safety. After that, we must realise that the expectations are going to go up and we must adapt to the various opponents in the league. There is no comparison with Serie B, there is so much more quality here, whereas last season we could afford to run more risks.”
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT FOR COMO & DELE?
With Como sitting 13th in the Serie A table, Fabregas understands the stakes are high. Although his team is currently seven points clear of the relegation zone, every fixture counts in the tightly-contested bottom half of the table and none more so than a showdown with basement dwellers Monza.
For Dele, this weekend’s derby offers a fresh start, a chance to make headlines for the right reasons. His debut may have been marred by controversy, but there’s still a sense of anticipation surrounding what the former Tottenham star can bring to Como’s midfield.
Not even the bitterly cold conditions away at Dingwall can stop this red-hot Celtic side right now, with the Scottish champions powering to a 4-1 win over Ross County to extend their mammoth lead at the Premiership summit.
January is still in its infancy, yet Brendan Rodgers’ men already look to have two hands on the title, with Saturday’s triumph ensuring the Hoops now rest 18 points above bitter rivals Rangers, following the Ibrox side’s draw away to Dundee in midweek.
Celtic managerBrendanRodgerscelebrates after winning the League Cup
It must be said, however, that it wasn’t quite plain-sailing for the Parkhead outfit against Don Cowie’s side, with Jordan White having cancelled out Kyogo Furuhashi’s opener from the spot, following a clumsy challenge from Alistair Johnston.
To their credit, as they always do, the league leaders rallied to put the game to bed late on, with Kyogo grabbing his second of the game on the 81st-minute mark, prior to Arne Engels and Luke McCowan rubbing further salt into home wounds in stoppage time.
Evidently far from a perfect performance, yet Rodgers – who was without the likes of Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda – will no doubt have been impressed by at least a handful of his star men, including Kyogo.
Kyogo's game in numbers vs Ross County
It would be foolish not to focus in on Celtic’s two-goal hero, with the Japanese marksman looking razor-sharp in something of a new role, having operated off the focal point of Adam Idah in attack.
Seemingly given the licence to drift and drop deep to get involved in the play, the 29-year-old – who has only averaged 13.7 touches per game in the league this season – chalked up 53 touches this time around, as per Sofascore, with Rodgers finding a novel solution to fill the void of Kuhn and Maeda.
Having gone close to getting off the mark initially, only to see his close-range effort denied by the impressive Jordan Amissah, the former Vissel Kobe man then took his chance just before the break, after pouncing on Johnston’s whipped cross in expert fashion.
Celtic’s number eight was again the beneficiary of a perfect delivery late on after meeting Engels’ cross to header home, with that taking his total tally to 85 goals in 162 games for the club to date.
While the transfer rumour mill continues to swirl – amid that bizarre talk of a move to Atlanta United – hopefully, Kyogo will be staying put beyond the February deadline.
90 minutes
2 goals
53 touches
1 key pass
63% pass accuracy
4 shots on target
2 ‘big chances’ missed
3/4 dribbles completed
5/8 ground duels won
1/3 aerial duels won
18x possession lost
Meanwhile, the in-demand striker wasn’t alone in catching the eye on Saturday afternoon, with club-record signing, Engels, also pulling the strings in the centre of the park.
Engels showed why his value has soared
Tasked with replacing Matt O’Riley upon his £11m arrival from Club Brugge, the Belgian playmaker has certainly risen to the challenge in recent months, with his performance away at Dingwall having been particularly influential.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
Indeed, as stated above, the 21-year-old produced a delightful, reverse pass to pick out Kyogo to make it 2-1, while then showing real character to convert from the penalty spot at the second attempt, after initially being denied by the charging Amissah.
Engels – who now has six goals to his name in a Celtic shirt – was also a real creative outlet throughout the 90 minutes after registering five key passes in total from his 104 touches, having also enjoyed a solid 86% pass accuracy rate.
With Kyogo vacating the space out wide, the youngster also regularly drifted into that right channel in order to make his mark, having attempted 11 crosses in total. It was, in truth, an all-action display from the man in the middle.
It is for no reason then that Engels seemingly boasts a soaring market value, with CIES Football Observatory deeming him to be worth as much as €26m (£22m), thus marking a rise of 100% in relation to his initial £11m fee.
Not that Rodgers and co will be looking to cash in so soon into his stay in Glasgow, yet that remarkable rise indicates that perhaps Celtic have actually struck a bargain, even after forking out so heavily.
Bigger deal than Engels: Rodgers plots Celtic move for Kuhn 2.0
Celtic are reportedly interested in the star who would cost more than Arne Engels did.
Tottenham Hotspur have a “complete” centre-back on their agenda for the January transfer window, according to reliable Standard Sport journalist Dan Kilpatrick, as technical director Johan Lange silently works on Spurs’ recruitment plans for the winter.
Ange Postecoglou shares January update after Radu Dragusin injury
Minutes away from added time in their 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, Spurs supporters were given a nightmare sight, with their only fit senior centre-back in Radu Dragusin forced off through injury.
Tottenham eye January move for £204k-per-week player who may join on loan
He would greatly strengthen Postecoglou’s ranks.
By
Emilio Galantini
Dec 27, 2024
The Romanian picked up an ankle problem at the City Ground, which could leave manager Ange Postecoglou without a single fit senior centre-half for their looming Premier League clash against Wolves on Sunday.
Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures
Date
Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)
December 29
Newcastle United (home)
January 4
Arsenal (away)
January 15
Everton (away)
January 19
Leicester City (home)
January 26
Postecoglou shared an update on Dragusin’s condition via his latest pre-match press conference, and the Australian says it is still too early to determine the extent of his issue, or whether he’ll be eligible for Wolves.
Ben Davies has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury, while both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are not expected to return until 2025. Postecoglou says Tottenham are working hard on potential January recruits amid this injury crisis at N17, as he pleads for reinforcements to strengthen the squad.
“Not in years but I think in the context of where we’re at at the moment I think it is an important one,” said Postecoglou when asked if this January is the most important transfer window in recent memory for Spurs.
“I think if we add what we need to add, and it fits the bill in what we’re trying to do… our league position is not great, but it’s super tight. and we’re not that far off. Like I say, we’re in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and still in great position in Europe and there’s the FA Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur managerAngePostecoglou
“There’s still everything to play for us this year to make it a season where we can have success. But we need some help, the players need some help more importantly, and the club is working really hard to try make that happen.”
Lange working "under the radar" as Tottenham target Abdukodir Khusanov
According to Kilpatrick and Standard Sport, Lange is likely to make “under the radar” signings in January, but a firm target for the Lilywhites is RC Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
The young Uzbekistan international has impressed for Lens in Ligue 1 and could be available for around £25 million, according to other reports, which also suggest that Tottenham have come forward for Khusanov already in their search for central defensive options.
Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele in action with RC Lens' AbduqodirKhusanov
The reliable Kilpatrick confirms that Khusanov is indeed a January target for Tottenham, but they’re not alone in their admiration, as Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United also have the 20-year-old on their radar heading into next year.
“Kodir is very, very fast,” said Lens head coach Will Still on Khusanov’s ability.
“He’s an athlete. We joked that when he went to the Olympics, he could have done all sports with Uzbekistan, he’s so complete.”
Tottenham Hotspur have made a fresh approach to sign a £60m-rated Premier League player, according to one journalist.
Spurs and Ange eye more signings after Kinsky
Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy have already secured Spurs’ first new addition of 2025, bringing in goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague.
The shot-stoper has already made and impressed on his debut, keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final.
Attention now seems to be on more additions, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano previously saying that Spurs could be “busy” with two or possibly three signings.
“They have already told the manager that they will do something. So I expect January to be busy for Spurs,” Romano said to GiveMeSport before the January window opened.
“I think it could be two signings, maybe three, I’m not sure, but it will depend on opportunities. But Tottenham are exploring options, Tottenham are actively working on scouting and following players. So I think for Tottenham it will be a busy month.”
With a goalkeeper already secured, further additions could come higher up the pitch, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani heavily linked with a move to north London.
Spurs are actively exploring a possible move for Kolo Muani, whereas in midfield, Tottenham have also been offered Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, who is reportedly “frustrated” with his current employers.
Tottenham ready to pursue £29m January deal with key meeting this week
Daniel Levy is gearing up to do “business” with one club.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Jan 9, 2025
As well as exploring the market in Europe, a number of Premier League players have also been mooted as Tottenham targets in 2025.
Spurs held internal talks over a move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite before the turn of the year, whereas Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes was wanted last summer. Now, it looks as if a move for Gomes, valued at £60m by those at Molineux, is being considered once more.
Tottenham make fresh approach for Wolves star
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, Tottenham are among the clubs who have made contact to ask for “fresh” information over a deal to sign Gomes. Wolves will only consider selling for a huge fee, though, with rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United also named in the update.
Gomes is a central midfielder who can also play in a holding role if needed and has seen his Transfermarkt value rocket to a career high €40m. The Brazil international joined Wolves in January 2023 and came in for plenty of praise from Micah Richards last year, with the pundit saying Gomes is “going to the top”.
“We have to give a quick shoutout to Gomes of Wolves. Oh my word, what a player he is by the way. I didn’t have the team-sheet and I didn’t have my glasses on and I was thinking, “who’s this guy?” I couldn’t even see until I got my glasses on but Gomes, he is a player by the way.
“Obviously, we don’t get to see Wolves too much on TV. We see them on Match of the Day. Seeing him up close and personal, his touches, his anticipation when he’s winning the ball back and his weight of ball forward. Sorry Wolves fans, he’s going to the top that lad.”
Whether or not his next move is to Spurs remains to be seen, but it appears as if Gomes is a Premier League player in demand currently.
Sunderland have reportedly made contact to sign an “incredible” winger alongside their move for Leicester forward Tom Cannon.
Tom Cannon to Sunderland latest
The Black Cats have already made their first signing of 2025, bringing in midfielder Enzo Le Fee on loan from AS Roma until the end of the season. A move will become permanent in the summer should Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League from the Championship.
Regis Le Bris doesn’t want to stop there, though. Talking recently, the manager admitted that Sunderland are targeting a versatile forward to provide competition to the likes of Patrick Roberts, Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda.
“Probably, we’ll have a target for the 11, 9, 7 position. A versatile player will be useful for us because we have two injuries on the left side at the moment, for the example.
“We know for example that Wilson has been really good, Eli really good, Pat really good – but we have only had three main players in these positions. Others have been involved, but not as much. So another forward could be important for us, yes.”
Sunderland now seriously interested in signing 21 y/o forward in January
Regis Le Bris wants to sign a player Sunderland are already aware of.
ByBrett Worthington Jan 14, 2025
That man appears to be Leicester City’s Tom Cannon. Reports have revealed that Sunderland have made a bid to sign the attacker on loan with an obligation to buy for £13m should they go up.
Cannon has been on loan at Stoke City, however, the Foxes have now recalled the forward ahead of a potential move to the Stadium of Light or Bramall Lane, with promotion rivals Sheffield United also interested.
However, alongside Cannon, Sunderland appear to have made their first move for another addition in the final third.
Sunderland also make enquiry for "incredible" winger with Cannon
According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Sunderland have made an enquiry to sign Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo. Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday have done the same, however, an unnamed European club have agreed a deal to sign Matondo on loan.
It looks as if Sunderland haven’t had the answer they wanted in their pursuit of the “incredible” attacker, with Matondo capable of playing on the left wing, right wing or as a second striker.
He’s been at Ibrox since 2022 after joining from FC Schalke and has made 67 appearances for the Scottish giants, scoring eight goals and registering 12 assists.
The 24-year-old ticks the box when it comes to a versatile attacker wanted by Le Bris, but it looks as if he’ll be heading elsewhere this month, leaving the Black Cats to look at alternative targets.
Australia’s captain said their collapse from 298 for 5 on the second morning was “an opportunity missed”
Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Jul-2022They won an attritional series in Pakistan, and dominated Sri Lanka in what was essentially a two-day win last week. But this loss in Galle, by an innings and 39 runs, might be a “reality check” for an Australia team intent on improving their long-form cricket in Asia.So said captain Pat Cummins, after the second Test hurtled to a conclusion on the fourth evening – Australia collapsing to 151 against spin inside 41 overs.”Some batters went out with a really clear plan, and you just get a ball with your name on it earlier than you would’ve liked,” Cummins said. “It’s a good reality check for people touring over here that it’s really hard. So many positives out of last week, that we did find methods that work. One small hiccup doesn’t mean you have to change everything. And it makes for more learning than after a win.Related
Australia left to regret their reviews…again
Jayasuriya's 12-wicket haul, Chandimal's 206* give Sri Lanka series-levelling win
Stats – Dream debut for Prabath Jayasuriya and a record knock by Dinesh Chandimal
“I think half our batting line-up and half our bowling line-up hasn’t played a lot over here in the subcontinent. So the experience on these two vastly different wickets [in the two Tests], I think we got a lot of lessons out of it to take to India next year.”Cummins pointed to the second morning as a session in which Australia let the match slip. Although they had won the first day, ending at 298 for 5 at stumps, they then lost their last five first-innings wickets for 35 runs, finishing at 364 all out. This was after Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne had hit hundreds, and while Smith remained at the crease, the wickets fell at the other end.”That was probably an opportunity missed. The way we set up the game on day one, we were hoping to get 400-plus, which history suggests here puts you in a really good position,” Cummins said. “Unfortunately none of us hung around with Smith long enough to get up to the 400-plus, which meant even if we were out there for 180 overs you were kind of level at the turn.”Dimuth Karunaratne and Pat Cummins pose with the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy, which they shared•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia’s second-innings collapse took less than two sessions, after they started 190 runs behind. Usman Khawaja and David Warner put on 49 to begin, suggesting the surface remained decent for batting. But then they lost 10 wickets for 101.”Certainly as the game went on the footmarks started to react a bit more,” Cummins said. “A fresh bowling side always makes a bit of a difference as well. So it all happened pretty quickly, and unfortunately we were on the wrong side.”The plan had been to just bat. It was still close to five sessions left in the game. I think if we were behind by just over 100 we were still in the game, but 200 probably put it beyond us. We were trying to bat for the rest of the day then come up with a plan for tomorrow.”Australia’s tour has come in the backdrop of a crippling economic crisis and a major political crisis in Sri Lanka. Cummins and the Australia team have made efforts to reach out and understand the situation better, even making appeals for fundraisers. On day two of this Test, large protests were seen on the fort overlooking the ground, and at the central intersection at Galle, which is right outside the stadium.”We’ve got protests round the ground, it really hits home how lucky we are to be travelling the world but also in some ways it’s more than just being here to play cricket, you can see the impact it can have. It hasn’t been lost on our group, something we speak about quite a bit.”You couldn’t escape the protests on Saturday. We got lots of messages from back home, just saying ‘How is it? Hope you’re ok.’ And we felt totally fine.”
O estatuto para a criação da Libra (Liga de Futebol Brasileiro) foi assinado por oito clubes – seis da Série A e dois da Série B. Neste primeiro momento, 14 equipes da primeira divisão não fecharam questão. Na noite desta terça, o grupo publicou carta para explicar as razões disso.
>> Investimento faz emergentes pedirem fatia maior na liga
RelacionadasFutebol NacionalInvestimento de R$ 1 bilhão na nova Liga faz emergentes pedirem fatia maior do bolo para assinarFutebol Nacional03/05/2022BotafogoCEO do Botafogo é favorável à Liga, mas pede cautela: ‘Não podemos errar’Botafogo03/05/2022Futebol NacionalOito clubes assinam estatuto de nova liga brasileira de futebol; anúncio pode acontecer em 12 de maioFutebol Nacional03/05/2022
No texto, os clubes ressaltam a importância de criar a liga, mas consideram insuficiente a redução na diferença de receitas na proposta inicial – liderada pela empresa Codajas com o banco BTG Pontual. Segundo o documento, a diminuição na disparidade apresentada está “aquém do ideal, o que pode ser facilmente atingido por meio do diálogo”.
Os oito clubes que assinaram o estatuto da liga são: Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo, Red Bull Bragantino, Flamengo (Série A), Cruzeiro e Ponte Preta (Série B).
Confira abaixo a íntegra da carta:
“Os clubes signatários receberam, na última sexta-feira, a convocação para a reunião realizada nesta terça-feira (03/05/2022) em São Paulo, com o objetivo de discutir os termos da criação da Liga de futebol profissional brasileira.
Os clubes prontamente se dispuseram a comparecer ao encontro, a despeito da convocação emergencial, demonstrando, com isso, que estão absolutamente cientes e engajados na formalização da entidade, com ampla adesão das Séries A e B.
Entre as muitas razões para a formação da liga está a premente necessidade de se elevar o nível de qualidade do futebol brasileiro, resgatando seu protagonismo no cenário mundial. O caminho para alcançar este objetivo é, sim, a construção de um campeonato forte, com clubes revitalizados e um padrão de equanimidade nas condições de disputa.
A ideia da liga tem o mérito de prever maiores receitas para os clubes, que poderiam conviver em um ambiente mais equilibrado financeiramente. Porém, as condições apresentadas para a incorporação das agremiações à Liga ainda não permitem exatamente o cumprimento do objetivo principal, que é a busca de uma equanimidade entre os clubes.
O documento apresentado e por ora assinado apenas por alguns Clubes apresenta regras de distribuição de receitas que pouco reduzem a atual disparidade de divisão de receitas. Há sim ali uma redução da diferença, mas ainda aquém do ideal, o que pode ser facilmente atingido por meio do diálogo.
Entre as várias questões a serem discutidas, os aspectos principais são o percentual previamente definido para a distribuição de receita igualitária, o limite a ser estabelecido como diferença de receita entre o primeiro e o último clube da competição. Há, ainda, outros pontos a serem debatidos, sobretudo no que tange ao critério de engajamento, mas que podem ser objeto de aprofundamento após o efetivo ingresso dos Clubes signatários na Liga.
Os clubes signatários desta carta se dispõem a assinar a formação da Liga tão logo seja possível uma análise aprofundada sobre os critérios mencionados, além de outros, de menor impacto e que podem ser analisados no momento oportuno, mas igualmente importantes, razão pela qual confiam que, até a próxima reunião, com possíveis avanços no entendimento de solucionar tais pontos será possível chegarmos a uma adesão de Clubes em maior número e com isso a formalização da Liga com muita força e unidade.
Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson believes David has a “very rare” skill while Aaron Finch said his time will come
Alex Malcolm09-Jul-2022
Tim David hits one straight during his 11-ball 34•BCCI
Australia are the current T20 World Cup champions and have not lost a T20I series this year. But less than 100 days out from their home title defence starting there is one major question hanging over their squad. How do they fit Tim David into a settled winning team?David has represented Singapore, but is eligible and keen to play for Australia and has spoken with Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey.Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson, who was unveiled on Friday as the T20 World Cup trophy ambassador for the 2022 tournament in Australia, believes they have to find a way simply because David is an asset too valuable to ignore.”I hadn’t really seen much of him at all up until the IPL and seeing what he did there is something that I haven’t seen for a long time,” Watson said. “For a young guy coming in and just dominating and just hitting the ball like I haven’t really seen in the past. So you just find a way.”It’s hard with Australia being the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. But with someone like that, the power that he has and the composure as well under pressure situations is something that’s very, very rare.”Related
'He could actually win you a World Cup' – Ricky Ponting pushes Tim David's case
Aussies in the T20 Blast: who stood out during the group stage?
Tim David looms large in Australia's plans despite Sri Lanka absence
Tim David: T20's new superstar arrives in England after IPL breakthrough
Watson saw David up close while he was an assistant coach at Delhi Capitals in the recent IPL. He watched him smash 34 off 11 balls to help guide Mumbai Indians home against Capitals after they needed 65 off 31 at one stage. The result meant Capitals missed the playoffs.David has continued his excellent form in the Vitality Blast in England for Lancashire to help them reach finals day. He has scored 387 runs at a strike-rate of 180 in 15 innings, with two stunning half-centuries. Only Alex Hales (193.78) and Rilee Roussouw (189.17) have higher strike-rates of those with more than 200 runs in the tournament, but both have batted exclusively in the top three while David has only twice batted higher than No. 5.David was not considered for Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka with the side selected prior to his run of form in the second half of the IPL. Australia captain Aaron Finch has been asked the question repeatedly about David over the last few months and believes his time is coming sooner rather than later.”I think it’s important that that time will come for Tim,” Finch said. “He’s such a valuable asset. Guys with that much power who can bowl a few overs, are good in the field, they will slot into a lot of T20 sides. So I think there’s going to be opportunities there no doubt, especially with the amount of cricket that’s going to be played over the next sort of three months until that World Cup starts.”Australia do not play another T20I until September when they will make a brief 10-day tour to India for a three-match series. Those games are wedged between six home ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, starting in late August, and five home T20Is against West Indies and England in early October, prior to the World Cup warm-up games ahead of the tournament.David’s chance might come on that trip to India as Australia’s only three-format batters, David Warner and Steven Smith, could well be rested given the India series will be played in foreign conditions to the World Cup and both will have huge Test workloads following the tournament.World Cup squads will probably need to be named by mid-September, so Australia may need to make an early call, although there is often room for late changes. The other quirk around David is that he is on the edge of the Australian system without a state contract and has been confirmed in the CPL for St Lucia Kings, with that tournament running through September, although it is likely he would forgo that deal should an international call-up emerge.David did have a rookie contract with Western Australia for one season in 2018-19 and played one Marsh Cup game for Tasmania last season without a contract. Watson has publicly raised some valid questions about the potential negative flow-on effects of picking a player like David for Australia from outside the state system.But Cricket Australia’s high-performance team does not see it as an issue at the moment and is looking at ways to contract T20 specialists in the future without forcing them to forgo franchise cricket to remain tied to the domestic system. David is the latest case study but Dan Christian and AJ Tye have both been picked for Australia’s T20I side in recent years without a state contract.Smith appears the most vulnerable in Australia’s settled line-up. He did make 37 not out off 27 balls in Australia’s last T20I against Sri Lanka in Pallekele but it was the first time he had struck at over 135 in 12 T20I innings dating back to September 2020. But Australia’s hierarchy have a lot of faith in his T20 ability and believe he will be of value in Australian conditions.
Since Ruben Amorim arrived, he has implemented an entirely new system, playing a 3-4-2-1, using three central defenders, and using wing-backs instead of natural full-backs and wingers.
However, with the current composition of Manchester United’s squad, the Portuguese coach has had to get experimental with his selection, starting more defensive full-back options as wingbacks, or even tasking natural wingers to take the extra defensive responsibility such as Amad Diallo.
But with the transfer window now open, many would expect the Red Devils to acquire a better-suited wingback option for their left side, someone who can fulfil the role to its maximum potential.
Man United keen on signing PSG star
According to reports from Pete Hall for the i paper, Manchester United are interested in PSG star, Nuno Mendes, and the Portuguese defender is also keen on being reunited with Amorim at Manchester United. The reports also suggest talks over a new deal at PSG recently broke down, which could make a deal more feasible.
Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their fourth goal withNunoMendesand Marco Asensio
However, it is likely United will have to make sales in order to bring players through the door, with big names such as Marcus Rashford potential players who could leave in the upcoming transfer window.
The 22-year-old full-back has made 16 appearances for PSG so far this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists and totalling 1,257 minutes played, displaying the attacking output Amorim is after from his wide defenders.
Nuno Mendes vs Diogo Dalot comparison
In the absence of Luke Shaw, Amorim has had few left wing-back solutions, the most common of which has been Diogo Dalot starting on his unnatural side. Another option has been Tyrell Malacia, who returned from a long-term injury which had kept him out for 499 days (missing 70 matches).
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
With the common injuries to Shaw and Malacia, picking up Mendes from PSG, who has been described as “one of, if not, the best LB in the world” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, would see Amorim finally able to fully rely on his left wingback for the output required in all phases of play.
Mendes vs Dalot comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)
Mendes
Dalot
Goals
0.05
0.03
Assists
0.20
0.07
Progressive Carries
3.41
1.69
Progressive Passes
7.83
3.76
Shots Total
1.09
0.75
Key Passes
0.78
0.89
Shot-Creating Actions
3.64
2.32
Tackles
2.09
2.28
Interceptions
0.90
1.27
Stats taken from FBref
When you compare Mendes with Dalot, you can see the extra attacking quality he could add to the side, whilst not losing the defensive qualities that the latter brings. The PSG star averages more shots per 90, more progressive actions by far (both carries and passes), and averages more shot-creating actions per 90.
Not only are the underlying attacking metrics better, but his output of 0.05 goals per 90 and 0.20 assists per 90 is also better, and this is whilst playing in a back four, with slightly less attacking responsibility than he would have in Amorim’s United system.
Luke Shaw
Adding a direct wing-back who can provide width, and knows the role Amorim wants from him already, would see the overall quality increase within the system, as many can clearly see currently, the new boss is struggling to get a tune out of certain players in new roles.
He's like Haaland: Man Utd could sign "monster" Rashford & Zirkzee upgrade
Manchester United desperately need reinforcements within the final third in January.
This season continues to be a roller coaster for Arsenal and their fans.
All the optimism and excitement brought about by the win over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby last Wednesday was entirely undone by the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday, which has left them six points adrift of Liverpool in the Premier League.
For once, the defence and midfield were more to blame for the dropped points than the frontline, but that doesn’t mean attacking reinforcements still aren’t essential for this team to reach their true potential this season and beyond.
Arsenal’s recent form
Competition
Opposition
Result
Premier League
Aston Villa (H)
2-2 (D)
Premier League
Tottenham (H)
2-1 (W)
FA Cup
Man United (H)
1-1 (L on Pens)
League Cup
Newcastle (H)
2-0 (L)
Premier League
Brighton (A)
1-1 (D)
So, recent reports linking the club with another goalscoring forward are no surprise.
Arsenal chasing Serie A striker
The player in question is not the much-talked-about Dušan Vlahović, who has been consistently touted for a move to the Emirates; it’s someone even better.
Indeed, according to a recent report from Italian outlet Play.it, Arsenal are ‘crazy’ about the idea of signing Inter Milan star Marcus Thuram.
The report has revealed that Mikel Arteta and the Gunners have been longtime admirers of the French forward and ‘would like to bring him to the Premier League right away.’
However, Inter are understandably unwilling to sell the star forward this month, and if the North Londoners are to secure his services in the summer, it could cost them up to €70m, which is about £59m.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It might be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given how well Thuram has played this season, it’s one worth fighting for, especially since he’s even better than the club’s other Serie A target, Vlahović.
How Thuram compares to Vlahović
So, if Arsenal are currently interested in both Vlahović and Thuram, who should they splash the cash on, and how can we determine which one is the better centre-forward?
Well, the first thing we should do is look at their raw output from this season, and this is an area where the Inter ace comes out looking far more impressive than his Serbian rival.
For example, in just 26 appearances, totalling 1749 minutes, the “world-class” Frenchman, as dubbed by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer, has scored 14 goals and provided six assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.30 games or every 87.45 minutes.
In contrast, the Juventus star has scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 24 appearances, totalling 1880 minutes this season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 132.28 minutes.
Unfortunately for the former Fiorentina star, the one-sided nature of this comparison only grows when we take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.
Thuram vs Vlahović
Statistics per 90
Thuram
Vlahović
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.58
0.50
Actual Non-Penalty G+As
0.96
0.27
Progressive Passes
2.23
0.88
Progressive Carries
2.05
0.95
Shots
2.77
3.48
Shots on Target
1.50
1.02
Passing Accuracy
73.1%
67.6%
Key Passes
1.39
0.61
Passes into the Penalty Area
0.96
0.20
Shot-Creating Actions
3.43
1.91
Goal-Creating Actions
0.66
0.07
Tackles Won
0.42
0.07
Successful Take-Ons
0.66
0.27
Ball Recoveries
2.71
1.55
Aerial Duels Won
1.87
1.76
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Serie A Season
For example, in almost every relevant metric, the former Borussia Mönchengladbach star comes out ahead, including but not limited to actual and expected non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot and shots on target, goal and shot-creating actions, key passes, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, Arsenal’s need for a lethal attacker has become impossible to ignore this season, and while Vlahović would undoubtedly be a brilliant addition to the Gunners’ squad, Thuram appears to be more effective than him in practically every department.
Therefore, while it’ll cost them an arm and a leg, the North Londoners must do what they can to bring the Frenchman to N5 this year.
Imagine him & Nwaneri: Arsenal target £10m gem to form Saka & Odegaard 2.0
The incredible prospect will be brilliant for Arsenal.