Wolverhampton Wanderers fans must be sensing a change is desperately needed at Molineux in the manager department, especially after Monday night’s defeat to West Ham United.

That was the third straight defeat the Old Gold had tasted in Premier League action, which leaves them with just two wins next to their name in a lowly 19th spot, as Gary O’Neil attempts to cling onto his job position for dear life with a basement clash versus Ipswich Town up next.

He might not be so lucky to last until that big game at the foot of the league, however, with a number of rumoured names being lined up to replace the 44-year-old now.

Managers who could replace O'Neil

Although talkSPORT have come out and said that it’s looking likely that O’Neil will still amazingly be in charge for this tie with Kieran McKenna’s men, there must surely be some movement on Wolves’ end now in putting together a list of replacements if the plug is pulled soon.

Rumours had circulated that West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan was in some conversations to oust the former AFC Bournemouth boss from his precarious job post, with the close geography between the two sides one obvious factor behind the link.

Of course, the Spaniard has also made the Baggies regular promotion contenders in the Championship, with the 41-year-old perhaps ready for a test up a level at nearby Wolves.

There had also been some talk of David Moyes being lined up to replace O’Neil, but one face really would be an ideal successor to O’Neil if a move could get off the ground, with the manager in question an improvement too on Corberan.

Wolves could look to appoint "genius" manager

It had been reported that the relegation-threatened Old Gold were holding talks with Graham Potter to come in before Monday night’s defeat to the Hammers, with the temptation to appoint the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss even more palpable now after this crushing loss.

Even West Ham have been eyeing up Potter in their attempts to get rid of Julen Lopetegui, but it’s much more pressing for the Old Gold to improve on O’Neil, with the 49-year-old offering the West Midlands side a lot more than their under-pressure boss.

Whilst he will still feel the agony of how poorly his spell at Chelsea went, Potter managed to oversee an impressive ninth-placed finish for the Seagulls during his final full campaign at the South Coast, alongside also lifting his side way above the bottom three during his first two seasons.

Wolves fans will take some comfort in the fact Potter has been there and done that when it comes to relegation battles, with a hope he could also help the Old Gold soar back into the top half of the league standings over time, having captivated fans at Brighton with some exciting displays of attacking football when things were all going smoothly.

Manager

Matches

Wins

Losses

Draws

Potter

374

144

114

116

Corberan

220

88

61

71

O’Neil

87

25

16

46

Sourced by Transfermarkt

It’s clear looking at the table above that Potter boasts more experience than both Corberan and O’Neil, with Potter even boasting 41 Premier League wins next to his name as a manager that could get the best out of the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri using his expansive 4-2-3-1 set-up.

Whereas, Corberan wouldn’t be able to make Wolves quite so entertaining, as his Baggies side have only found the back of the net 21 times in the Championship this season to date, where he has also only collected a weak six wins from 19 league outings.

A beloved figure throughout his time on the South Coast before his exit to Chelsea – leading to suggestions that he was a “genius” by journalist Sam Morton – Potter will hope he can repair his managerial reputation at the Molineux helm if he is decided to be worthy of replacing O’Neil.

Of course, O’Neil hasn’t officially been let go of yet, but with faces such as Potter readily available, it might not be long you presume until a decision on the 44-year-old’s future is finally out there.

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Andrew Gale and Rich Pyrah have agreed compensation with Yorkshire after winning their case for unfair dismissal.Gale, the former captain and head coach, and Pyrah, who spent more than a decade on the Yorkshire playing staff before becoming bowling coach, were among 16 members of staff abruptly sacked last year in the wake of Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.They were subsequently part of a group of former Yorkshire employees who won a preliminary employment tribunal hearing in June.Yorkshire’s accounts revealed that the club had set aside £1.9 million for compensation and legal affairs, with Gale set to receive a six-figure settlement, according to the .A Yorkshire statement said: “On the December 3 2021, the Yorkshire County Cricket Club Limited took the decision to dismiss its coaching and medical staff. The club has acknowledged that its dismissals of that group of employees was procedurally unfair.”After meaningful dialogue between the club and the legal advisers acting on behalf of Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah the parties can confirm that acceptable terms of settlement have been reached.”The financial terms of the settlements are confidential and no further public statement will be made about the terms.”Yorkshire have also reportedly agreed an out-of-court settlement with Ian Fisher, the club’s former strength and conditioning coach.

وسط أجواء منافسات كأس العالم للأندية، تحدث ماركو ماتيرازي، نجم منتخب إيطاليا وإنتر ميلان السابق، عن أبرز المشاهد في البطولة، ما بين تألق بعض الفرق العربية وطموحات الأندية الأوروبية، متوقفًا عند أداء الأهلي المصري، ومستوى الهلال السعودي ضد ريال مدريد.

إلى جانب ذلك تحدث عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح، جناح فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، وحظوظه في الكرة الذهبية، كما علّق ماتيرازي على واقعة شهيرة جمعته بزيدان في نهائي مونديال 2006، مؤكدًا أن ما حدث حينها أصبح من الماضي.

وقال ماتيرازي في تصريحات لبرنامج “الكرة مع فايق”، عن زيدان: “لا، لم يحدث تواصل بيني وبينه، هذا لا يعنيني، ولا توجد أي مشكلة معه الآن، في رأيي أن ما حدث في الملعب ينتهي بعد اللقاء”.

وتحدث مدافع إنتر ميلان السابق عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح وتألقه مع ليفربول، قائلًا: “هو أسطورة، كنت أعرفه عندما كان في إيطاليا، وعندما غادر إلى ليفربول افتقدنا أحد أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، لقد سجل الكثير من الأهداف مع ليفربول، وهذا ليس سهلًا على أي لاعب، بالطبع، هو لاعب ممتاز”.

وإذا كان صلاح ظُلم بعدم حصوله على الكرة الذهبية، حتى الآن أضاف ماتيرازي: “عادة الكرة الذهبية يحصل عليها أفضل لاعب، وهو يستحق الفوز بالجائزة، ويستحق على الأقل التواجد ضمن قائمة المرشحين”.

وعن تقييمه لأداء إنتر ميلان في كأس العالم للأندية، أفاد: “أول مباراة مع مدرب جديد بعد نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا أمر صعب، تورام لم يلعب، واللاعبون الجدد لعبوا وكان عليهم أن يفوزوا، دافعوا بشكل جيد وسيطروا على المباراة، الآن إنتر عليه أن يفوز بالمباراة القادمة لكي يمر للدور المقبل”.

وتابع: “ليس سهلًا، لأنهم تعادلوا في المباراة الأولى، عليهم أن يحاولوا الفوز، وإلا سيعودون إلى بيوتهم”.

طالع الفرق المتأهلة لدور الـ16 من كأس العالم للأندية (محدث باستمرار)

أما عن رحيل سيموني إنزاجي من إنتر إلى الهلال، فعلق ماتيرازي: “إنزاجي كان يريد أن يفوز بنهائي دوري الأبطال، ولكن لم يحدث، وخاض مغامرة جديدة في السعودية، الهلال لعب بشكل جيد، ومعه فريق ممتاز ولديهم مدرب ممتاز”.

وفي تعليقه على مواجهة الهلال أمام ريال مدريد، أردف: “توقعت هذا الأداء، نعرف مبابي، وهو يمثل 25% من خط الهجوم، وغيابه كان مؤثرًا، لكن الهلال لعب مباراة ممتازة، ولم يسمحوا لمدريد بالحصول على الكرة”.

وكشف ماتيرازي عن استمرار علاقته بالمدرب البرتغالي جوزيه مورينيو: “لا زلت على تواصل معه، وسنظل عائلة حتى الموت”.

وأكد ماتيرازي أن خروج إنتر ميلان من دور المجموعات في كأس العالم للأندية سيكون مفاجأة، قائلًا: “لو ودع إنتر البطولة من دور المجموعات ستكون مفاجأة، لأننا كنا نقول إننا نريد الفوز باللقب”.

وعن رأيه في الأهلي المصري، أوضح: “هو أحد أفضل الفرق التي حصلت على دوري الأبطال، خسروا عددًا من الفرص أمام إنتر ميامي، وكانوا يستحقون الفوز وأهدروا ركلة جزاء”.

وتابع: “إنتر ميامي لم يكن في المستوى، الأمر الآن ليس سهلًا، لكن في كرة القدم لا يجب أن تفكر في تعقيد الموقف، بل في الفوز بالمباراة، ويمكنهم الفوز (أمام بورتو) دون النظر لنتيجة المباراة الأخرى بين بالميراس وإنتر ميامي”.

وبخصوص النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي، قال ماتيرازي: “ميسي هو ميسي، هو الملك وأحد أفضل اللاعبين في كرة القدم، سجل هدفًا من كرة ثابتة في المباراة الأخيرة، يستطيع تغيير النتيجة في لحظة، هو أسطورة في كرة القدم”.

وسُئل عن الجيل القادم من النجوم، فاسترسل: “مبابي ولامين يامال، الأخير لاعب ممتاز، لأنه يلعب بسهولة، بدون عرق، ولديه لمسة سحرية لكرة القدم، يستطيع أن يفعل ما يريد بالكرة، حتى وسط ثلاثة لاعبين يستطيع أن يُسجل، أعتقد أن لامين أحد أفضل اللاعبين”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ريال مدريد يترقّب مصير مبابي في كأس العالم للأندية

وعن كيفية تعامله مع لامين يامال لو كان لاعبًا حاليًا، قال: “لا أعرف، بالطبع لا بد أن يكون 2 ضد 1 وتحاول أن تقطع عليه اللعب قبل أن يبدأ، لأنه سريع جدًا ويستطيع فعل أي شيء بقدميه اليمنى واليسرى، هو يلعب بسهولة بكلا القدمين، وهذا صعب على أي مدافع.”.

وبسؤاله عن الفريق الذي يرشحه للفوز بمونديال الأندية، أجاب: “ليس سهلًا، ربما اختار فريقين، باريس سان جيرمان أو أحد الفرق البرازيلية”.

واختتم ماتيرازي تصريحاته باختياراته المفضلة في كرة القدم: “أفضل مدرب في العالم، أنشيلوتي، أكثر فريق يُمتعني كرويًا، إنتر ميلان، وأفضل مدافع في العالم حاليًا؟ فان دايك”.

Aaron Finch has conceded there was “no excuse” for his painfully slow innings against Sri Lanka in Perth which heaped the pressure on Australia’s run chase until they were rescued by Marcus Stoinis.Finch could barely contain his frustration as he crawled to 31 not out off 42 balls in Australia’s seven-wicket win on Tuesday night. The match will be remembered for the Stoinis fireworks display at the death, with the allrounder cracking an unbeaten 59 off 18 balls.But Finch’s scratchy performance did not go unnoticed, with former Test star Mark Waugh labelling it “torturous”.At one stage, Finch had scored four of 15 balls. During a stretch of play in which he was totally bamboozled by paceman Lahiru Kumara, the 35-year-old quipped to the umpire: “Happy to take any ideas if you know how to hit that”.Related

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Things only got slightly better for Finch as his innings wore on. He was dropped on 23, was lucky to survive a series of bottom and inside edges that only narrowly missed his stumps, and he shouted a frustrated “oh my god” at the death following yet another mistimed shot.Finch’s innings – at a strike rate of just 73.81 – was the slowest of any consisting of 40 or more balls in men’s T20 World Cup history.”Obviously my innings was unusual, it was poor,” he said. “I just couldn’t hit the ball…they bowled a hard length, it was tough. It’s such a big ground you feel as though it’s hard to just stand and deliver, especially with a bit of extra bounce and when the ball’s seaming slightly you feel it’s just not quite as easy to hit the middle of the bat, but that’s no excuse for the way I played, but it was nice to get the two points.”Aaron Finch could never get going•AFP/Getty Images

The under-fire Finch, who retired from ODIs last month, has passed 50 in just one of his past 18 innings in official international matches, averaging only 11.88 in that time across all formats.Finch’s most recent score of note came in a warm-up match against India last week, when he made 76 off 54 balls. Stoinis praised Finch for seeing out the win until the very end.”That new ball was doing a lot. From what I could see from the boundary, it was definitely the hardest time to bat,” he said. “It was just important that he saw that through and was there to hit the winning runs.”However, Waugh argued that Finch’s innings made it very difficult for him to be retained as an opener for the England match on Friday and called for Cameron Green, who is now in the squad as a replacement for Josh Inglis, to be recalled in place of Pat Cummins and partner David Warner at the top.”I’d bring Cameron Green in and I’d bring him in for Pat Cummins, and I’d let Cameron Green open the batting,” he told radio station . “That’s the one change I would definitely make. I know it’s a bit of a gamble, it leaves your bowling a bit short.”But I think Cameron Green can bowl four overs as good as any of the other bowlers at the moment. Aaron Finch’s innings was torturous. I don’t think he can open the innings in the next game. If he plays, I don’t think he can open.”

Azhar Ali’s early steps in captaincy will be analysed extensively but he needs time to step out of the large shadows of Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi

Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2015On Monday afternoon, Shahid Afridi arrived in Dhaka along with three other members of Pakistan’s T20 squad. When he reached the reception of his hotel two hours later, he was engulfed by a crowd of journalists, photographers, cameramen, fans and security persons.Afridi spoke briefly to the reporters before being whisked away to his room. “This is a young team,” he said. “It takes time to get everything right. You have to give them time.”Pakistan’s ODI players have been in Bangladesh for a week already, but none of them have attracted this sort of fan and media attention. Given that they’ve just lost a series to Bangladesh for the first time, it’s fair to call this Pakistan ODI outfit the weakest they have sent to these shores. And possibly the most anonymous too, given the retirements of Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq from the 50-over format.But they haven’t gone away completely. Afridi is the T20 captain. Misbah, the Test captain, will arrive with Pakistan’s other long-form specialists on the day of the third ODI. Azhar Ali, the new ODI captain, will welcome their presence in the dressing room, but it will be another reminder of the shadows he seeks to emerge out of.After Pakistan’s loss in the second ODI, Azhar was asked about the pressures of taking over from Misbah.”He was a terrific ambassador for Pakistan and he led exceptionally well,” Azhar said. “I played with him a lot, definitely taking over [from] him is not easy; the way he led Pakistan for 4-5 years. It has been a long time. When the time goes, things will settle down. When the team starts performing, it gets easier. I am very hopeful that in the near future we will be a very, very good team.”Azhar has plenty on his plate as it is – managing the team’s transition; injury worries within the squad; the weakening of Pakistan’s historical dominance over Bangladesh; and last but not least his own place in the ODI team, to which he has returned after nearly two years out – and his way of dealing with them, so far, has been to try and be in the thick of things.He rushed in from his position behind the bowler, mid-on or mid-off, after nearly every delivery, and often walked his bowlers back to their mark. He was there for a pat on the back at the end of the over or to consult with the bowler if he wanted to review a caught-behind or leg-before decision. The first time he asked for a review in his captaincy tenure, he overshot the 15-second stipulation.Every time the ball went to the boundary, the camera panned to Azhar, and on most occasions he showed enough self-awareness to keep his expression inscrutable. In both matches he held his own with the bat, latching on to every short ball and giving them a fair clump.Still, every time Pakistan fell in trouble, the mind traveled to a time, not too long ago, when they would be bailed out by a few Afridi thumps or smoothened by Misbah’s batting or captaincy. Bangladesh has been at the receiving end of both. On Friday when Pakistan were chasing 330, it was hard not to think of Afridi’s 25-ball 59 at the same ground last year, in a similar-sized chase that Pakistan pulled off.In 2011 it was a Misbah-Umar Akmal partnership that bailed Pakistan out of a rut in Chittagong. The following year it was Misbah’s calmness as captain that helped Pakistan clinch the Asia Cup against a Bangladesh side that fought tooth and nail in the final.Misbah was Pakistan’s ODI captain from May 2011 to the end of this year’s World Cup. He led in 87 matches and Pakistan won 45 of them. He made 27 of his 42 fifties as captain.Overall, Misbah’s was a moderately successful record on paper but his leadership was of the sort that will be talked about for years to come. Azhar’s infancy as a leader will be chewed over, and whether or not it is fair to him will not matter in this day and age of instant gratification. As he has said a number of times already, this young Pakistan team needs time. He will need that time too.

Despite picking up a gigantic 11 draws from 21 Championship contests so far this season, Carlos Corberan’s West Bromwich Albion are still very much in the conversation for promotion.

The Baggies’ 2-1 loss to Watford last weekend was amazingly their first defeat in 13 games, as Tom Cleverley’s Hornets just about got the better of the stern away side through a Vakoun Bayo brace.

Corberan will want his troops to immediately bounce back when Bristol City travel to the Hawthorns this coming Sunday, but will know this clash will be yet another contest that Daryl Dike won’t be deemed fit for as his nightmare in the West Midlands goes on.

Dike's continued injury issues

Dike hasn’t donned a Baggies strip since going down with an unfortunate Achilles tendon injury versus Ipswich Town back in February, with the American well-known to those in the treatment room at this point.

Staggeringly, the ex-Barnsley man has been absent for a colossal 117 games due to recurring injury troubles since making a bumper £7m move a reality.

Thankfully, Corberan has been able to rely on the likes of Josh Maja and Karlan Grant to fire in the goals this season whilst Dike remains sidelined, with Maja boasting ten goals on his own in the Championship whilst Grant has an ever-growing five next to his name.

The Spaniard will be glad that this duo in question have found their shooting boots, having had to wave goodbye to Brandon Thomas-Asante this summer after he switched allegiances to Coventry City.

But, that sale doesn’t hurt as much now when you consider Thomas-Asante’s ongoing struggles with the Sky Blues.

Thomas-Asante's time at West Brom

The ex-Salford City attacker was a top performer for West Brom on his day, with the 25-year-old wearing the tag of being the club’s top scorer last season in the second tier when powering home 11 strikes.

In total, Thomas-Asante would score 21 times for Corberan’s men across 78 games, which would pique the interest of fellow Championship side Coventry this summer on their hunt for some fresh blood up top.

In the end, Thomas-Asante would live up to then West Brom manager Steve Bruce’s glowing words after his arrival at the club in 2022, who stated that the striker would be of “great value” as a “young” and “hungry” option to call upon.

But, although Bruce was ultimately justified in dishing out these compliments, the Ghanaian has since gone on to look goal-shy in his new surroundings, whilst Corberan and Co simply just get on with business with Maja and Grant to call upon.

Stats (*per game)

Thomas-Asante

Maja

Grant

Games (starts)

20 (7)

21 (21)

21 (19)

Goals

1

10

5

Assists

1

2

2

Big chances missed

1

10

3

Shots*

1.0

1.8

2.0

Minutes per goal

794

167

314

Key passes*

0.4

0.9

1.0

Big chances created*

1

6

4

Touches*

12.3

27.0

35.3

Worryingly for the 25-year-old, he has only been able to find the back of the net once from 20 clashes in the league this season, with that solitary strike coming all the way back in October versus Blackburn Rovers.

To pile on the misery even more, Thomas-Asante – as per Transfermarkt – has a lesser transfer value than the aforementioned Dike, with the ex-West Brom man only worth £2.4m when contrasted next to his injury-prone counterpart’s slightly higher £2.6m price tag.

Dike will pray that he can make a miraculous recovery from injury soon to become a key part of Corberan’s side again, but Thomas-Asante – on the contrary – will worry that his game-time at Coventry will only lessen now with Frank Lampard in charge.

Whilst it could’ve been a sale that damaged the Baggies severely, the promotion chasers show no visible scars from the departure now, as another playoff finish continues to be eyed up.

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Stokes, Brook and Curran in the runs as Pakistan are beaten by six wickets at Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2022England 163 for 4 (Brook 45*, Stokes 36) beat Pakistan 160 for 8 (Masood 39) by six wicketsLiam Livingstone signalled his World Cup readiness with a comeback cameo of 28 from 16 balls – including one massive six that sailed clean out of the stadium – as England capped their tournament build-up by thrashing Pakistan by six wickets at the Gabba.Livingstone sat out each of England’s preceding 10 T20Is against Pakistan and Australia as he nursed an ankle injury sustained during the Hundred. But in a contest that was reduced to 19 overs a side by rain, he slotted into a middle-order that blazed 12 sixes to Pakistan’s one, to romp to victory with 26 balls to spare.Despite the inconvenience of the fixture – described by David Willey as one they “could have done without”, given they now face a five-and-a-half hour flight to Perth ahead of their tournament opener against Afghanistan on Saturday – England made optimal use of the game-time, not least Ben Stokes, who struggled with the bat against Australia but found his range on this occasion with 36 from 18.Chasing 161 for victory, the contest was sealed in comprehensive fashion by Harry Brook (45 not out from 24 balls) and Sam Curran (33 not out from 14). With Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali both opting not to bat after featuring in the field, the only first-choice batter to miss out was Alex Hales, who made 9 from 13 balls, but Phil Salt, the alternative opening partner to Buttler, managed only 1 from 3 alongside him.For Pakistan, only Shan Masood could match England’s explosive approach with the bat, as he opened the innings in the absence of both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and responded with a hard-hitting knock of 39 from 22 balls.However, from a comfortable 67 for 1 after 6.2 overs, Pakistan lost their next five wickets for 57 to slump to 124 for 6 after 14.4, whereupon only Mohammad Wasim’s 26 from 16 could revive their hopes of a competitive total. England rang the changes in the field with as many as eight bowling options, including a three-over burst from Mark Wood, and two wickets for Willey.Pakistan’s fielding endured an off day, with several dropped chances undermining their prospects, as England completed (albeit in an unofficial capacity) their fifth win in as many completed T20Is, following back-to-back wins to defeat Pakistan 4-3 on their recent tour of the country, and last week’s consecutive eight-run wins over Australia.”I think everything we wanted to get out of today, we did,” Buttler told Sky Sports after the match. “It’s great to see Liam Livingstone back on the field as well after a significant injury, and getting some overs into Chris Jordan as well. He’s coming back from broken finger. Brook and Curran getting some time in the middle as well … we tried a few different things that guys were wanting to experiment with. And this is the perfect time to try to do that.”

As the international break arrives, Everton have reportedly turned their attention towards the future and landing not one but two young stars from Scotland in a double swoop.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees will welcome the international break with open arms having gone three games without victory in the Premier League after the ultimate stalemate against West Ham United. It had looked as though they finally turned a corner under Sean Dyche but recent results suggest that they’re far from out of trouble just yet, making further reinforcements all the more important.

On the transfer front, names such as Bright Osayi-Samuel and Tariq Lamptey have already been linked with a move to Goodison Park as The Friedkin Group look to make an instant impact on arrival.

Lamptey would be a particularly interesting deal. Once the next talented right-back coming through English football, Lamptey struggles to break into the Brighton & Hove Albion side these days, leaving the door ajar for an exit in 2025. In pursuit of rediscovering his form through game time, Goodison Park could be an ideal location. It’s not just current stars that the Toffees are targeting, however.

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Everton are now plotting a double swoop to sign Cole and Dylan Williams from Scottish side Airdrie after sending scouts to watch the twins in action.

Revealed: When Everton's takeover could be completed

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1

By
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Two players for the future at just 16 years old, Everton’s focus on youth should benefit them in the long term, especially as they aim to push beyond relegation scraps and gradually back towards the top half where they belong. Already named on the bench for Scottish Championship side Airdrie, the Williams twins are certainly ones to watch.

Williams twins are ones for the future

There’s plenty of famous siblings in football – be it Gary and Phil Neville or more recently Inaki and Nico Williams – and now the Williams twins may well follow in suit should they complete a move to Everton. Both midfielders, their own dream will undoubtedly be to form a partnership at the heart of a top flight side, which Everton could pave the way for.

Still incredibly young players, they will have it all to think about if the Toffees come calling. A place in the academy would likely await, of course, before a path towards the first team is formed. With Crystal Palace also reportedly interested, however, the twins could yet deal those in Merseyside the ultimate blow.

Whether it would be a good time to be joining Everton remains to be seen. When Dan Friedkin arrives, the hope will be that one of England’s oldest clubs finally climb away from relegation concerns and become a go-to side for young players once again. As things stand, however, a move to Goodison Park is one with far too many risks for one young player to complete, let alone two already making their way in senior football.

A few weeks ago you’d have said that Arsenal needed to throw the kitchen sink at strengthening their squad in the January transfer window.

The Gunners were sinking without a trace and had plenty of issues in the squad. Those, however, largely came about as a result of several injuries.

Chief among them was Martin Odegaard’s absence. The captain missed 12 matches due to an ankle injury but since his return to the starting lineup against Chelsea a few weeks ago, Mikel Arteta’s men are now back in form.

Since the last international break, Arsenal have scored 13 goals in three games, evoking memories of that remarkable run at the beginning of the year when the Londoners scored 21 goals across consecutive league matches with West Ham, Burnley, Newcastle and Sheffield United.

So, are new recruits in January still necessary? Certainly.

Arsenal looking to sign Bundesliga winger

If there is one area of the Arsenal squad that could still do with more depth it’s in the wide areas.

That was a problem area during the summer window but until the 11th hour, they decided not to do any business.

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A market opportunity came about as a result of Chelsea’s inflated squad. Raheem Sterling was available on loan, and having been a player who’s worked with Arteta before, the Gunners were happy to bring him in.

You sense that Sterling’s long-term future does not lie at the Emirates Stadium and reports ahead of January suggesting Arsenal could sign a new winger only substantiate that claim further.

According to reports from Sky Germany this weekend, Borussia Dortmund forward Jamie Gittens is on the radar of several teams including the Gunners.

It’s reported that they are not alone in their pursuit of the Englishman who has also attracted the interest of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.

What makes Gittens so special

A former product of the Chelsea and Manchester City youth academies, Gittens has followed the Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho route to stardom by trading English football for the Bundesliga.

It’s safe to say that’s been a phenomenal decision as the young 20-year-old is making waves during what has been a real breakout season at Dortmund, starring not just in domestic action but in the Champions League too.

Gittens has already scored eight goals and supplied four assists this term with four of those goals coming on the biggest of continental stages.

Perhaps most impressive was his performance against champions Real Madrid. The German side may have lost 5-2 but the English wonderkid was a rare bright spark.

So, what could “England’s next superstar” – as he was dubbed by one German outlet – offer the Arsenal team?

Predominantly a right-footed left winger, he would provide fine competition for the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

In truth, he could be a far more explosive asset than the Belgian in particular, with Gittens possessing a Bukayo Saka-like ability to make something happen out of nothing. Here’s how the two compare in league action this season.

Goals

0.46

0.51

Assists

0.93

0.38

Pass success %

76.2%

78.5%

Key passes

3.33

1.14

Passes into final 3rd

0.93

0.89

Carries

32.6

27.7

Progressive carries

5.19

6.33

Successful take-ons

2.04

4.81

Tackles

1.57

1.65

So, there are some key differences here. Saka has been one of the best creators in European football this term – registering a ridiculously high number of assists per 90 minutes.

While Gittens doesn’t perhaps have that level of creativity just yet, like his fellow countryman, he’s an elite-level ball carrier. The very fact he ranks within the top 5% of positionally similar players in the Champions League this term of successful take-ons says it all.

One area they are particularly alike is their ability to press and win the ball back, attempting a very similar number of tackles from the flanks.

Gittens is, of course, still very raw but all of the foundations are there for the English talent to blossom into a Saka-like winger, albeit from the opposite flank. This would be a very exciting signing for Arsenal if they could pull it off.

Not just Saka: £27m star is becoming one of the best in Arsenal's history

One of Mikel Arteta’s signings is fast becoming one of the best players we’ve ever seen at Arsenal.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 1, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da winzada777： Está cada vez mais difícil pensar no time titular do Botafogo sem a presença de Jeffinho. Apesar da contratação de Luís Henrique para o ataque e o recente retorno de lesão de Victor Sá, o jovem tomou conta do setor e vem sendo o destaque do Glorioso.

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Praticamente todas as jogadas ofensivas da equipe passaram pelo camisa 47 no empate em 2 a 2 com o Juventude no último domingo. Quase sempre partindo da ponta esquerda, o time se concentrou naquele lado para tentar assustar o Ju.

Jeffinho contribuiu com uma assistência para o gol de Gabriel Pires, mas também contribuiu ativamente na jogada do gol de Junior Santos – a bola resvala na defesa antes de chegar até ao atacante do Botafogo, o que não conta, teoricamente, como assistência.

De qualquer forma, o jovem foi o principal expoente do time, dando seis dribles (de onze tentativas) e vencendo 13 duelos (de 21). Para efeito de comparação, Victor Sá, o ponta que atuou do outro lado, acertou apenas um drible em duas tentativas e venceu seis duelos em dez disputados – quase três vezes menos de envolvimento de Jeffinho na soma dos quesitos.

– Jeffinho está num processo evolutivo, chegou num patamar diferente daquilo que é exigido hoje. Temos que achar em conjunto ferramentas para ele sobreviver no jogo e se destacar. É um jogador com muito talento, está evoluindo cada vez mais e aprendendo a jogar em equipe. Há um ou outro momento que ele não consegue fazer bem, mas é um jogador que não estava habituado a esse nível. Não podemos esperar que em um mês ele esteja pronto para atacar e defender, transitar com a intensidade que se exige. É um menino que vai evoluir cada vez mais, um grande profissional, sério, honesto e dedicado – destacou Luís Castro sobre o atacante.

O time ainda passa por problemas na finalização das jogadas, mas Jeffinho definitivamente não é um desses. O camisa 47 se confirma, jogo após jogo, como uma revelação e um grande achado do clube na temporada.