Despite Manchester United's 14th league loss of the season, Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney hope that Erik ten Hag is not sacked this summer.
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Al-Nassr gained their 25th Saudi Pro League win of the season as they defeated Al-Akhdoud thanks to a brace and late winner from Marcelo Brozovic.
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Manchester City are now in formalised talks to let go of one of their first-team men on a mandatory loan-to-buy deal once the January transfer window opens, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.
Despite coming under pressure in the Premier League over recent weeks, Pep Guardiola's men will now concern themselves with the challenge of trying to become Club World Cup champions out in Jeddah as they prepare to face Japanese giants Urawa Reds on Tuesday.
As per The Manchester Evening News, the Citizens have elected to take six youngsters out to the Middle East as they aim to bring home the trophy for the first time in their history, including Justin Oboavwoduo, Joel Ndala, Jacob Wright, Max Alleyne, Mahamadou Susoho and Micah Hamilton.
Man City plotting move for "passing master" to replace Kalvin Phillips
The former Leeds star has not had the desired impact at the Etihad.
By
Chloe Chadwick
Dec 16, 2023
Fluminense and Al Ahly will compete in the other semi-final for a place in the showpiece occasion to decide the winner on Friday evening; however, the Sky Blues will also have an eye in the background on the transfer window in light of their inconsistent domestic form. Midfield has been identified as an area where potential movement could occur come the New Year and Fulham enforcer Joao Palhinha has reportedly become a target, with a £50 million swoop said to be in the pipeline for the Portugal international.
Both Chelsea and Liverpool have previously been linked with a move for the 28-year-old, who came close in the summer window to completing a £65 million move to Bayern Munich; nevertheless, both Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino are now reluctant to add more bodies to their respective engine rooms.
Now, one man could also be set to head out of the door at the Etihad Stadium once the market opens again for activity at the beginning of 2024.
According to transfer insider Romano, Juventus have entered talks with Manchester City over a deal for England international Kalvin Phillips, with the Serie A giants keen to propose a loan agreement with an option to buy; however, the Citizens are keen to make his exit a "mandatory" feature of negotiations.
Of course, the 28-year-old, who has previously been labelled a "Rolls Royce" by journalist Josh Bunting, has been a peripheral figure for Manchester City this term, registering a solitary goal in nine appearances across all competitions (Phillips statistics – Transfermarkt).
Undoubtedly, Phillips has been linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium for a long time and he could now have the chance to revive his career elsewhere following a disappointing spell in the North West.
|
Kalvin Phillips' statistics over the last 365 days (FBRef) |
||
|
Per 90 minutes |
Percentile (vs positional peers) |
|
|
Passes attempted |
86.05 |
98th |
|
Pass completion |
92.2% |
99th |
|
Clearances |
2.14 |
93th |
|
Touches in attacking penalty area |
1.97 |
75th |
|
Aerials won |
1.65 |
81th |
Juventus now could well be the perfect platform for the ex-Leeds United star to ensure he is involved in Gareth Southgate's plans next summer in Germany at EURO 2024.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou will be delighted that his squad have shaken off a dismal run of form to craft a two-match winning streak in the Premier League.
After 17 matches, Spurs have 33 points and are one point off fourth-placed Manchester City; at this point last season, Antonio Conte's side had 30 points but endured a terrible late-season collapse to languish to an eighth-place finish.
Spurs could land very own Declan Rice with bid for £30m “superstar”
Ange Postecoglou could sign a future world-beater with a January move for this teenage talent.
By
Angus Sinclair
Dec 20, 2023
Postecoglou will be determined to ensure that doesn't happen, but recent injuries and the effect that they have had illuminates the need for January reinforcements, with some exciting names lined up.
According to the Daily Telegraph's Mike McGrath, Tottenham are "stepping up" their interest in Genoa centre-back Radu Drăgușin, with the Romanian ace impressing in the Serie A.
While Genoa would be reluctant to part with their star at the 2023/24 season's midpoint, it's understood that a fee of around £26m would be enough to tempt manager Alberto Gilardino to sell.
However, the Italian outfit are eager to tie the titan down and have presented a contract extension to combat the recent interest – with Manchester United also listed as suitors – and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy must be tactful to weave through the obstacles and secure his signature.
Drăgușin has chalked up 59 appearances for Genoa, scoring five goals, since signing from Serie A giants Juventus on an initial loan deal with an option to buy in 2022, since making the move permanent and cementing a spot as now of Italian football's biggest prospects.
The 12-cap Romania international has started all 16 of Il Grifone's league fixtures this season, demonstrating his mettle and strength as a defensive rock with an average of 3.2 ball recoveries and 4.6 clearances per game, also winning 67% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 15% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 14% for touches in the attacking box, progressive passes received and aerial duels won per 90.
What this signifies is a proclivity for progression that will serve him well should he join Postecoglou's fluid, forward-thinking squad, corroborated by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who has referenced his ever-improving "complete" skill set.
Should Drăgușin complete a move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, he could be the perfect partner for Micky van de Ven, serving as the understudy to star defender Cristian Romero.
The left-sided Van de Ven signed from Wolfsburg for £43m in August to bolster the newly-appointed Postecoglou's backline, with former head of Ajax talent development Ruben Jongkid claiming that he has "world-class potential" and "never seen" speed for a centre-half.
With the "dominant" – as also said by Kulig – Drăgușin's robustness and physicality somewhat mirroring Romero's game, he could slot right in alongside Van de Ven, whose athleticism is underpinned by his ranking among the top 9% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.
Postecoglou has made it known that his preference is to sign young, exciting talents who can be moulded and shaped under his guidance, to his own style, and Drăgușin fits the bill in this regard.
Aged just 21, he would probably not expect to play every match of the Premier League season with Romero and Van ve Ven so formidable when partnered up, but he would be a marked improvement on Eric Dier and Ben Davies. However, the latter has proved his worth when called upon this term.
With Postecoglou's managerial prowess showcasing his ability to compete with the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta, the Australian manager must now be provided with the tools to erase any cracks in his Tottenham edifice, fortifying and buttressing his fortress with impactful, lasting signings.
West Ham's Lucas Paqueta has been charged with four instances of spot-fixing and the Hammers fear the forward's career could potentially be over.
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Glasgow Rangers enter 2024 in a much better position than first anticipated just a few short months ago.
Under Michael Beale, the Ibrox side had missed out on Champions League qualification and had lost three of their opening seven Scottish Premiership matches.
Fast-forward three months, however, and the Gers have won their first trophy since May 2022, secured progression into the knockout stages of the Europa League, and are beginning to mount a title challenge – all under Philippe Clement.
The Belgian was appointed in mid-October and has made a major impression thus far. With the winter break ensuring the players get a couple of weeks' rest, thoughts now turn towards the January transfer window.
The Light Blues need to add some reinforcements across several areas of their squad and the 49-year-old coach will have plenty of ideas for new signings.
Fabio Silva has already joined the club. The question is, who will be next?
According to Sky Sports, the Gers are interested in making a move for Nottingham Forest defender Scott McKenna in the current transfer window.
The defender is available to move, and it is not only Rangers who appear keen to bring him north of the border, as Celtic are also looking to add to their defensive options ahead of the second half of the campaign.
The Scot is entering the final few months of his Forest contract, which means he could move for free in the summer, yet it is reported that any potential swoop this month would be on an initial loan deal.
McKenna’s Forest spell is looking like it will end in acrimonious circumstances after the club banned both him and fellow defender Joe Worrall from first-team training last month.
Both players were told to find new clubs in the January transfer window, and it has not taken long for Rangers to show interest in the Scotland international.
While Clement has a plethora of defensive options to call on, it looks as though he is currently planning for the future and McKenna could be an ideal replacement for Leon Balogun, who will surely depart once his contract expires in the summer.
Clement could land dream Goldson partner in Rangers deal for £20k-p/w titan
Rangers could eye a new signing or two in the January transfer window
By
Ross Kilvington
Dec 8, 2023
The Gers have enjoyed some previous success in recruiting from England over the previous few years and by making a concrete offer for the former Aberdeen defender, Clement can sign Connor Goldson 2.0 for the Ibrox side.
Goldson was also an outcast at a Premier League side when the Gers came calling. Steven Gerrard managed to prise the defender away from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2018 as he embarked on rejuvenating the whole club.
The Englishman did not take long to become a mainstay in the first team, missing just three games due to injury in his first four full seasons.
Goldson was one of Gerrard’s finest performers during their historic Premiership title-winning side of 2020/21 as the club conceded just 13 league goals, taking the British record from Chelsea, who conceded 15 during the 2004/05 Premier League season.
The former Brighton defender was a titan during that campaign as he won a staggering 6.8 total duels per match – a success rate of 71% – along with being dribbled past just 0.2 times per game and keeping 26 clean sheets across 38 matches.
The 31-year-old is still thriving at the heart of the defence and helped his side win the League Cup against Aberdeen before Christmas, allowing him to complete a full set of domestic medals.
Overall, Goldson has played nearly 300 times for the Light Blues since 2018 and, with a contract running until 2026, don’t be surprised to see him make over 400 appearances before he departs.
|
Domestic statistics during 2022/23 |
Connor Goldson |
Scott McKenna |
|---|---|---|
|
Accurate passes per game |
69.4 |
27.8 |
|
Total duels won per game |
5.4 |
2.9 |
|
Interceptions per game |
0.8 |
0.6 |
|
Dribbled past per game |
0.4 |
0.2 |
|
Possession lost per game |
9.5 |
8.2 |
McKenna can not only forge a solid partnership with the current Gers player, but he may just be the next version of Goldson.
The 27-year-old machine faced Goldson many times during his spell at Aberdeen, and it was his performances in the north-east that led to Forest stumping up a fee of around £3m, with £2m in add-ons, to lure him to the Championship.
Following a maiden season where he played just 25 games, the 2021/22 campaign was a much better affair for the defender.
The centre-back featured in all but one league match and played the full 90 minutes as they defeated Huddersfield in the play-off final to earn promotion to the top flight for the first time in the 21st century.
McKenna ranked third among the squad for accurate passes per game (37.4) during the promotion-winning season along with ranking fourth for clearances per game (3.5) and sixth for accurate long balls per game (2.1) which suggests that he was a crucial member of the first team.
He continued to rank highly for his passing attributes during his debut Premier League campaign, finishing third for accurate passes (27.8) and fourth for accurate long balls (1.9) per game, indicating that he was able to successfully pass his way out of trouble.
The Scot was even dubbed “incredible” alongside teammate Willy Boly in February 2023 by writer Callum Castel and, having played a part in keeping Forest in the top flight, it looked as though he was on course for a contract extension.
It has not quite worked out like that, and it is unlikely the defender will ever play for the club again, having not even made the bench for new manager Nuno Espírito Santo’s opening three games in charge.
In fact, his previous match for the club was a 1-1 draw against Burnley in September, and it is clear the £20k-per-week titan needs a fresh start as soon as possible.
With European football to look forward to plus the chance of winning two domestic trophies during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, a move to Ibrox could reinvigorate the defender.
With the chance to secure him on an initial loan move before securing McKenna on a free transfer, the move makes perfect sense for Clement as he looks to add not only quality, but also more homegrown options to his first team squad.
He could arrive as the club's next version of Goldson, as a dominant defensive option who has not been able to establish himself in the top-flight of English football, and go on to become a hero for the Gers.
The Belgian may not be the right appointment for the German side, but the fiasco says more about the Bavarians than his job credentials
Bayern Munich, winners of 33 Bundesliga titles, six European Cups, 20 German Cups, and by far the biggest club in their country, have hired the manager of Burnley, a team who have just been convincingly relegated from the Premier League.
Vincent Kompany's deal to become the new Bayern coach has now been made official, and his appointment is as surprising as they come. This is a manager who has just four years of coaching experience, one of which came in the English second division. He has never coached a Champions League game, and his sole European campaign ended with a Conference League qualifying loss.
Kompany shouldn't be faulted for taking the job, even if it feels like a massive jump. He is a promising manager, who, at 38, still has the chance to become a great one. Give him a few seasons at mid-level clubs, let him build on and further mould his ideas, and he might someday be ready for a job as big as the Bayern one. But this all feels like it's happening way too soon.
More broadly, though, it speaks to the mess that Bayern are in. The Bavarians have burned through managerial targets since making the decision to let Thomas Tuchel go at the end of the season in February. After months of scouring Europe for potential targets, hunting down big names, and failing over and over again, they are left with a manager who seems underqualified and unprepared for a job of this magnitude.
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have been told that they'll never surpass the two footballing greats – Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
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For some, title hopefuls Arsenal splashing out £105m in order to secure the signing of Declan Rice may have been seen as a potential overpayment, with the Englishman not exactly the man to make the difference in the final third – scoring just 15 goals in 245 games in all competitions for former club, West Ham United.
As it has panned out, however, the 25-year-old has since proven that those funds were certainly invested wisely, with pundit Jamie Carragher even going as far as to suggest that the eye-watering fee now looks like a 'bargain', such has been the midfielder's impact at the Emirates.
Writing in his column for The Telegraph last month, Carragher added to that claim by describing the former Hammers skipper as 'probably the most influential player in the Premier League this season' while also pointing out the likeness between Rice and a certain, Roy Keane, due to his undeniable 'presence' in the centre of the park.
While initial hopes that the midfield maestro could help lead the Gunners to the title have been rather tempered amid a difficult run of form over the festive period, if the north Londoners are to enjoy success this season, the £105m man will be crucial to it.
The only issue is, however, that Mikel Arteta has yet to find a convincing partner for Rice in the centre of the park, with the jury still out on whether Kai Havertz is the best fit in that left eight role, while Thomas Partey has proven rather unreliable once again this season due to injury.
As such, whether it is this month or over the summer, Arteta and Co may need to consider forking out to sign another midfield sensation, with one standout target having already emerged on the table from the Bundesliga.
According to a report from TEAMtalk earlier this month, Arsenal are believed to be one of the clubs who are showing an interest in Bayern Munich sensation, Jamal Musiala, albeit with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all interested in securing his signature.
Much like Rice – who was let go by the Blues at the age of 14 – the German international was also once on the books in west London, yet could now be set to seal a return to the Premier League, amid that raft of elite suitors.
Hopes of signing the one-time England youth star have been bolstered by the fact that he is yet to sign a new deal with the Bundesliga champions, opening up the possibility that the 20-year-old could depart in the near future with his existing contract set to expire in 2026.
While the suggestion is that the Stuttgart-born starlet could still command a fee of around €100m (£87m), as Arsenal have found with the addition of Rice, such a signing could be worth every penny for the Gunners – not least due to his apparent likeness to Rice's Three Lions colleague, Jude Bellingham.
The 6 foot playmaker – who previously played alongside Bellingham in England's youth ranks – has operated on the flanks at times during his stint in Bavaria, although like the current Real Madrid hero, he also has the flexibility to feature in a number ten berth, or in a deeper, creative midfield role.
That versatility is seemingly part of the reason that Musiala bares such a similarity to the Golden Boy winner, with FBref stating that the latter man is the fourth-most similar player to the Bayern gem among their fellow attacking midfielders in Europe's top five leagues, while also being the most similar among their fellow midfielders.
Such a likeness is particularly illustrated by the duo's innate ball-carrying ability, with Musiala ranking in the top 1% among European midfielders for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, while Bellingham ranks in the top 3% and the top 1% for those same two metrics, respectively.
Not only do the pair have that knack for being able to breeze their way up the pitch with a silky, jinking run, but they also have the quality to provide an end product at the top end of the pitch, with the two youngsters both ranking in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, while Musiala just edges it with regard to shot-creating actions (top 2% vs top 4%).
Of course, it is Bellingham who is truly flourishing this season in Madrid with 17 goals and seven assists in just 25 games, yet his German counterpart has still caught the eye, racking up ten goal involvements in just 19 games.
In fact, Musiala's record of 64 goals and assists in 144 games for his current side is not too far off what the former Dortmund man has achieved in his career to date – registering 79 goals and assists in 202 senior games – further proof of the potential diamond that Arsenal could have on their hands.
That addition could be a welcome one for Rice, in particular, with the £240k-per-week ace having thrived alongside Bellingham under Gareth Southgate at international level of late, hailing his young teammate as the "future of English football".
With Rice operating in a deep-lying role in front of the back four, it has allowed Bellingham the freedom to roam in a more advanced role to help link up with the forward line, with the one-time Birmingham City ace notably registering two assists against Italy on his most recent England appearance.
|
Musiala's Bundesliga season by numbers |
|---|
|
11 games (8 starts) |
|
5 goals |
|
2 assists |
|
3 'big chances' created |
|
1.4 key passes per game |
|
2.0 tackles won per game |
|
83% pass accuracy rate |
|
2.9 successful dribbles per game |
|
1.2 fouls won per game |
|
7.43 avg. match rating |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
The hope will be that Arteta can fashion a similar partnership utilising Rice and Musiala alongside each other at the Emirates. The current Gunners star can offer the protective screen as he ranks in the top 8% for interceptions per 90, while once he regains possession he could then feed Musiala ahead of him, as he ranks in the top 9% for progressive passes per 90.
As previously indicated, the playmaking genius – who was previously described as the "Messi of the future" by compatriot Lothar Matthaus – has the creative quality to then wreak havoc in the final third, allowing him to combine with the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka to devastating effect.
Ray Parlour: Arsenal could find their new Ian Wright by signing £100m star
Ray Parlour has claimed that the Gunners’ leading target shares a likeness with the legendary ‘Wrighty’
By
Robbie Walls
Jan 19, 2024
While for some the thought of signing such a talent may seem like a pipedream, if a deal can be wrapped up in 2024, Arteta can put together a midfield duo that would likely be the envy of the rest of the Premier League.
Wayne Rooney revealed how he managed to easily "wind up" Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
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