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Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate has delivered a statement of intent ahead of their Europa League tie with Manchester United.

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• Niakhate sends warning
• Two sides to meet in quarter-finals
• Lyon aiming for major victory

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The French side will square off with Ruben Amorim's men in the quarter final. Speaking to RMC Sport, Niakhate spoke of United's glittering history, but reassured fans that he and his teammates wouldn't be cowed by their surroundings.

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  United are the bookies' favourite for the tournament, and are unbeaten at home in the Europa League this season. They reached the last eight after beating Real Sociedad 5-2 over two legs. Lyon booked their quarter final berth with a resounding 7-1 aggregate victory over FCSB.

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  WHAT MOUSSA NIAKHATE SAID

  Moussa Niakhate told RMC Sport: "We play football to play matches like this, against United, they’re one of the best clubs in history.

  "But we're not going there to make videos or watch Old Trafford, but to qualify. We have the squad to cause them problems. We're here to go all the way."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The two clubs have squared off four times in European competition. Lyon have never beaten United, securing two home draws and losing both fixtures at Old Trafford. Their most recent tie came in the 2007/08 edition of the Champions League. United won the round of 16 tie 2-1 on aggregate.

Thilan Walallawita, Middlesex’s Sri Lanka-born left-arm spinner, will be able to compete during the 2022 county season as a home-registered player, after finally being granted British Citizenship.As a child Walallawita, now 23, escaped the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which decimated large parts of his home country and claimed the lives of over 30,000 Sri Lankans, before moving to England at the age of 12.After developing his game at Potters Bar Cricket Club, Walallawita entered the Middlesex Academy via their age-group set-up, and earned his first professional contract in 2020 after finishing the 2019 season as the club’s leading wicket taker in the Second Eleven Championship.He made both his first-class and T20 debuts later that summer and his List A debut in 2021, all while registered as an overseas player with his citizenship application still pending. Now, however, that status has been resolved and Middlesex confirmed that they will soon be able to register him as a local cricketer.”I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time and it feels like today a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Walallawita said. “I’ve been a part of this county for ten years and since I first started it’s been my ambition to play as a local player – at last that day has come. I can now concentrate fully on trying to cement my place in the side in all formats and lo longer worry about things off the field that have been out of my control.”I would like to thanks the club for all their support through this process and am looking forward to repaying their faith in me by delivering for them on the pitch. Hopefully I can play my part in what we all hope will be a successful period for the club on the field.Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s head of men’s performance cricket, added: “We are absolutely thrilled that Thilan is now in a position to be registered as a local cricketer and his career with the club can continue to thrive.”He is a hugely popular member of the dressing room here, and he has had quite the journey to reach this point. It’s great to see his patience and hard work rewarded in this way and he can now focus on developing and improving his game.”As a left-arm spinner with immense talent, Thilan is a rare breed in modern day cricket, and is someone that we have high hopes for in the game. We look forward to supporting him through the next phase of his career.”Middlesex have also announced the appointment of Jade Dernbach as fast bowling consultant, following the former Surrey and England seamer’s retirement. Dernbach played for Middlesex’s London rivals for 19 seasons before being released last year.”We are thrilled that Jade has agreed to become the club’s consultant batting coach,” Coleman said. “He is a master of his skills, will be a huge asset to the coaching group here and will be of enormous benefit to the pace bowlers we have in our ranks.”Our plan as a coaching group is to bring in specialist consultant coaches to work with the group and the players, to add expertise where we feel it is needed, and in Jade we couldn’t have our fast bowlers in better hands.”We’ve all seen what a brilliant competitor he is and what a fantastic exponent of pace bowling he is, and the relationship he has with Jono from the time he spent with him at Surrey made him the natural choice for this role. We can’t wait to start working with him and our bowlers are excited about the prospect of learning from one of the best in the business.”Dernbach played 64 times for England in the limited-over formats, and finished his career at Surrey as their joint-highest T20 wicket-taker.Dernbach said: “I am delighted to be joining Middlesex Cricket as a bowling consultant for this season. Having spoken to Jono [head coach Richard Johnson] and Coley, the opportunity to work with such a talented squad of players was one that I had to take.”I’m very honoured to be joining such a great club and look forward to working with and helping all the squad to challenge on all fronts this year.”

After another near miss with relegation last season, it was crucial that Everton recruited well over the summer transfer window to try and help themselves pull clear of the drop zone in 2024/25.

The board invested a decent chunk of money into the playing squad, adding much-needed quality in various areas of the pitch to aid their mid-table ambitions.

Jake O’Brien was brought in for £16m from Ligue 1 side Lyon to provide that added defensive quality, but up to now, the Irish international has only featured for 26 minutes in the Premier League.

As for the forward line, Iliman Ndiaye and Armando Broja were both brought into the club, aiming to add goals after their measly league tally of just 40 goals in 38 matches last time around.

The latter is still yet to feature due to various injury issues, but will be hoping that upon his return to senior football, he can offer that threat in attacking areas the Toffees have been desperately missing.

One other player also arrived during the aforementioned window, looking to be a steady Premier League option for Sean Dyche on Merseyside.

Orel Mangala’s stats for Everton

Belgian midfielder Orel Mangala arrived at Everton during the summer on a season-long loan from French side Lyon, the same as O’Brien, despite only joining them permanently just a few weeks prior.

The 26-year-old is currently in his second spell in England’s top flight after previously featuring for Nottingham Forest in their first 18 months back in the division following promotion back in 2022.

Since his move to Goodison, Mangala has featured eight times in the league under Dyche, claiming just one victory in the process, against Crystal Palace.

However, when looking into his stats from his opening few months at the club, he’s produced some impressive numbers that rank him highly within the current first-team squad.

He’s won an average of one tackle per 90 so far this season, along with 1.6 successful dribbles per 90, which ranks him second within the squad above the likes of Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison.

However, he may be unable to retain his starting place under Dyche past January should The Friedkin Group pursue a move for one player in the upcoming window.

Everton targeting January move for midfielder

According to As Roma Live, Everton are plotting a potential January move for midfielder Bryan Cristante to try and bolster the options available to Dyche.

The 29-year-old, who is valued at £17m as per Transfermarkt, has made 12 appearances in Serie A so far this campaign, scoring just once in the 2-1 win against Venezia.

The report goes on to state that with Everton’s prospective owners, The Friedkin Group, currently in charge of the Serie A side, a deal involving striker Beto could take place – seeing the Portuguese forward go in the opposite direction, allowing Cristante to move to Goodison.

The Italian would provide an experienced head in the centre of the park, undoubtedly being an upgrade on current option Mangala despite his impressive start to life on Merseyside.

He’s completed significantly more progressive carries and progressive passes per 90 than the Belgian, with his former boss José Mourinho describing the midfielder as “indispensable” during his time as Roma manager.

How Cristante compares to Mangala in 2024/25 so far

Statistics (per 90)

Cristante

Mangala

Games played

12

9

Progressive carries

1.5

0.7

Progressive passes

6.3

4.1

Passes completed

63

38

Tackles won

1.3

1

Clearances made

1.9

0.7

Aerials won

61%

17%

Stats via FBref

Cristante has also won more tackles and completed more clearances per 90, making him the perfect box-to-box option for Dyche as they aim to fend off relegation once more this campaign.

It would be an excellent addition for the Toffees should they be able to pull off the deal for the £83k-per-week star, adding that needed quality at the heart of the side.

Any move including Beto remains to be seen, with the big-money signing potentially having a significant part to play for the Italian side in a deal that could see Cristante move to Goodison in January.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 20, 2024

Dayot Upamecano is set to follow three team-mates in signing a new long-term deal with Bayern Munich.

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Bayern tying down key playersNeuer, Davies and Musiala recently signedUpamecano set to followFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The central defender is close to penning new terms until 2030, report in Germany, with only the finer details still to be finalised. He was initially out of contract in 2026 but will now be in Munich for the long term.

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Upamecano joins three team-mates in agreeing an extension. Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala have all committed their futures to the Bundesliga leaders, who are establishing a core of impressive young talent.

WHAT FREUND SAID

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said recently: "Upa knows that we definitely want to extend his contract. We have had very good discussions with him. We would like to extend his contract with him as soon as possible."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

Bayern are in a strong position this season, sitting eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and this week beating Celtic to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League. Tying some of their best young talent down to new deals, the future looks bright beyond this campaign, too.

After Shaheen’s five-for, Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique wiped out more than half of target

Mohammad Isam29-Nov-2021Stumps After Shaheen Shah Afridi blew Bangladesh away in the second innings, Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique dashed the home side’s hopes of making a comeback in the Chattogram Test. Afridi took 5 for 32 before Abid and Shafique added 109 runs for the unbroken opening stand, leaving Pakistan with just 93 runs to win on the final day.Abid, who made 133 in the first innings, finished day four unbeaten on 56 while Shafique became the fifth Pakistan player to score two fifties on Test debut. He was unbeaten on 53 off 93 balls with six fours and a six. The pair had put on 146 for the opening stand in the first innings. It was only the second time Pakistan openers put on a century stand in both innings of a Test.Abid and Shafique hardly drove the ball forcefully down the ground, instead focusing on playing shots square of the wicket. They were steady since before the tea break, after Afridi – who picked his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests – helped bowl out Bangladesh for 157. Afridi took out the top three on the third evening, when he had Shadman Islam lbw, Najmul Hossain Shanto caught at slip and Saif Hassan stunned by a chest-high bouncer. In between, Mominul Haque, too, got out playing a soft shot, leaving Bangladesh at 25 for 4.Mushfiqur Rahim’s dismissal off the third ball of the morning compunded Bangladesh’s problems. Hasan Ali bowled Rahim, who shouldered arms to a delivery that nipped back in, following which Liton Das and Yasir Ali tried to revive Bangladesh’s fortunes, but they hardly looked settled. Liton survived a missed stumping and a miscued hoick, while Yasir nearly ran himself out, and inside-edged a couple of boundaries.Shaheen Shah Afridi ended with 5 for 32•AFP/Getty ImagesAfridi put paid to Bangladesh’s recovery at that stage when he struck Yasir on the back of his helmet with a bouncer, around the first hour mark. A concussed Yasir walked off after seven deliveries, and was sent for scans.His concussion substitute, Nurul Hasan, struck three fours before playing a needless lofted shot, straight to long-on. Liton followed him back to the pavilion shortly, trapped lbw by Afridi, who then removed Abu Jayed with another rip-snorter that struck him on the gloves and grille, before reaching wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.Offspinner Sajid Khan wrapped up the innings with his third wicket, when Taijul Islam was stumped for a duck.

The former soccer player turned commentator joined Mic'd Up to discuss the upcoming 2025 MLS season, the success of Liverpool under Arne Slot and more

Keith Costigan is an interesting figure in the North American soccer scene. Born in Ireland, he came to the U.S. on a college scholarship and fell in love with the domestic game. He played professionally with the Portland Timbers in USL, and with the Harrisburg City Islanders, too.

In a world full of overlaps, Costigan worked under assistant coach Mark Pulisic – father of USMNT star Christian – while with the Islanders.

He held training stints with the LA Galaxy as well, but his impact on the domestic game was never on the pitch, rather, it was off it — watching it with a keen eye through a unique perspective.

Costigan is now one of the lead commentators on Apple TV covering MLS, but worked as the voice of the Seattle Sounders for seven years, where he earned two Emmys. Prior, he worked for FOX Sports as the lead play-by-play announcer on the German Bundesliga, while covering the UEFA Champions League, Liga MX, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the European Championships.

It was all unintentional, though, he never had plans to become a voice of the domestic game; it was a "snowball" effect that saw him roll into the position.

"One day, somebody just came up to me and asked me about one of my teammates, Brent Sancho, playing in a World Cup qualifier when I put him in contact with him, and Nick Webster was the guy. And it snowballed into him asking me if I wanted to call the game with him. And I said no, it never, it never crossed my mind. Like, stupid, like I just turned down a great offer. But then he asked again," Costigan told GOAL. "He was like, come on, you should do it. And then I was like, alright, I'll do it…You know, playing the game is great, but obviously, at that level, you're doing it for the love, not for the money. And then? I just started working in broadcasting with FOX, and kind of went from there."

With FOX, Costigan worked on different shows and broadcasts, becoming a familiar face for many fans across North American soccer. Now, though, he is known as one of the most knowledgeable voices around the continent in domestic soccer.

Costigan weighed in on the upcoming MLS season for the Sounders, LAFC, reigning champions LA Galaxy, and Liverpool FC in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

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  ON THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS

  GOAL: The Seattle Sounders recently acquired U.S. internationals Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola from FC Dallas. Will they be enough to lift their attack in 2025, ahead of competing in the FIFA Club World Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup and the domestic campaign?

  COSTIGAN: Yeah, I like them. I talked to [Brian] Schmetzer a couple of weeks ago in Miami, and I was like, great moves. And Schmetzer’s always like, ‘you know, let's see….You know, we're happy with what we're doing,’ but he’s also kind of keeping his cards close to his chest…Jesus Ferreira is a known quantity in the league. He's a top striker for me. So that's a no-brainer… if you have the opportunity to add him, you do it.

  And Paul Arriola is someone that I think kind of lost his way a little bit at Dallas. But he can be a direct attacking threat. Can play a couple of different roles. And I think for me, I don't think the Sounders could have done any better business that you can look at and say they are going to be better. You could maybe sign a foreign player, and in the end, he ends up being outstanding. But that doesn't always work out. So I like the moves.

  I think going into Club World Cup for Ferreira in particular, he's looking at that maybe as a shop window as well because I think he still has desires to maybe go to Europe and to have a motivated player like that playing for the Sounders, it's a good situation. So I think Smith, [Seattle’s GM] Craig Waibel has done a really good job this offseason.

  GOAL: The Sounders Club World Cup group has been dubbed the with the likes of Botafogo, Atletico Madrid and Juventus all competing against them. Have they bolstered their roster enough this offseason for such a competition?

  COSTIGAN: It's funny, I'm working on a paper, I'm doing a sports MBA right now, and the paper is on the finances of football. And one of the things in the finances of football is the more you spend, the more likely you are to be successful. Now, obviously you look at the Manchester United’s of this world, and it doesn't always work out. You could talk about spending more, but you look at the clubs they're going to be playing against, they have much bigger budgets. They have deeper squads. The one saving grace for the Sounders is you're at home, you're on your territory. So that gives you an opportunity, but I think it's going to be really, really difficult.

  I don't necessarily know if you go out and spend 25 million on one player makes you better. You want the collective to work as a group. Sometimes you do that and one player is on so much more money than everybody else, it fractures the squad, etc. So, you know, I think Seattle would be competitive, and if they get out of the group, it will be a shock. Like, I'm not saying I will be shocked, I want them to get out, but if you get out of that group, when you consider the money the other teams have spent, in world football terms, it’s a shock.

  So I'm rooting for them, but you just look at the money of the other teams, the players that they find, you're like, oh, man, this is going to be tough, but it's why we watch the game. It's why we watch the game. And I'm excited to, you know, hopefully, be there for those games as well. And once that whistle blows, anything is possible, particularly when you play in front of your own fans. So it'll be fun.

  GOAL: Seattle's one X-factor heading into 2025 is a healthy Pedro De La Vega, who returned from injury later in the season in 2024, but only managed to appear in 16 league matches. What are the expectations for him in particular, considering the club spent $7.5M for him, and is banking on his prospects?

  COSTIGAN: That's a good question. It's just that they played a game in Marbella [Spain], a preseason friendly. They won 2-0. De la Vega scored and assisted. When I saw that… I'm like, OK, yep, at the end of last season, I saw glimpses. Oh, and there you go. There was a moment against LAFC in the playoffs where he made that run and set up a chance. And I went: I see it.

  Now, we didn't see it enough last year, but he was a young player who came in injured, and when you're playing catch-up like that, it's very, very difficult to find your feet. I expect them to be better. I expect them to be more creative. I expect them to get more goals. And he needs this preseason, so when I saw that performance in Marbella, it made me really happy. but it's also a case of staying fit, being available, getting to know your teammates, and getting to know what your role is…But I don't think there's any doubt, if he stays fit, we're going to see a better Pedro de la Vega…I hope he's right up there with the very best, but, you know, at the very least, I expect him to be a double-figure assist guy this year and chip in with some goals as w ell.

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  ON BRANDON VAZQUEZ

  GOAL: Another American on the move this offseason in addition to Ferreira was striker Brandon Vazquez, who left Liga MX side Monterrey to return to MLS, signing with Austin FC. Was this a good move for both him and , or does it seem like an odd fit from afar?

  COSTIGAN: I don't know. Brandon had some goals down there, but when Monterrey signed him, German Berterame was like the centerpiece of their attack, and it was like the way they play didn't really lend itself to two strikers. So I think again, just like Jesus [Ferreira], Brandon is a known quantity in the league, like he scores goals, you know what you're going to get from him…

  I think he brings quality there. I think he brings a presence he can get on the end of the crosses. But I've watched Austin over the last few years, and the No. 9 role wasn't the issue. I know Gyasi Zardes, and I'm a little bit biased, because I have a friendship with Gyasi as well, but other forwards went in and played. Nobody really scored goals in Austin because they didn't generate that many chances. They were quite defensive. Driussi’s drop-off last year was vast, and he's not going to be there this year. So it signals to me they're going to go a different way. They're going to go a different route. They have a new coach coming in Nico Estevez and he didn't have the greatest of times at his previous club FC Dallas.

  It's an interesting watch, but it's one of those clubs where I think the jury's really out, like, in terms of where they're going to be at…When someone brings up Austin, they go, yeah, they're making moves. But I still have no idea what to expect. Like, if they were down near the bottom of the West again, I would not be surprised.

  GOAL: Mauricio Pochettino came out and adamantly said, no matter where you play, as long as you're playing, I will look at you. Do you think a move back to MLS instead of going abroad perhaps hurts Vasquez's chances in the national team picture, or is he still right in there with this group?

  COSTIGAN: I've worked as a scout for U.S. Soccer and one of the most difficult things you have to do, when you're looking at a player, is take away the context of the level that they're playing at. It's not easy to watch someone and say it will translate, but I think that the very best can pick that out. They can say, this fits what I want to do. His ability fits what I want to do and my goal for the team. So I like hearing that [from Pochettino]…

  I think there are just a few soldiers left that are online that I don't even think have been to Europe in their life and they go “Europe is amazing. You gotta, go, you can’t stay in MLS” – Look at some of the setups in Europe. It isn't that great! The idea that you're going to be a big part of the team, that you're going to have the opportunity to flourish and play is big, but…

  For example, I don't know if Zack Steffen became a better goalkeeper at Man City. I don't know anybody that can tell me that. I remember people telling me Zack Steffen is going to hear from Pep [Guardiola] in practice that he's going to do this and that I'm like… Pep isn’t coming over telling Zack to like, change anything in practice. But I think you know, if a player is in an environment that fosters growth, it allows him to continue to evolve as a player, you have an opportunity to be involved. So Brandon should have no qualms about that. He has to deliver. But I like what Poch said. And I think any rational-minded football person would say the same thing as well.

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  ON CADE COWELL

  GOAL: Another player, like Vazquez, who had left MLS for Liga MX was winger Cade Cowell. Since he signed for Chivas, he hasn't quite found consistency for the club, but still shows glimpses of the pace, size and scoring ability we saw in San Jose. What next for him? Where does he fit in the picture in Liga MX, but also internationally with the USMNT?

  COSTIGAN: Cade is an interesting one. I cover Liga MX a little bit, and the keyboard warriors came after me when he played for the U.S. in one game, and I said, I didn't know when Cade was here, what he actually did to earn a U.S. Men's National Team call up initially. I was like, we're picking a player based on potential, when it's the national team, I think you have to have a bit of a track record, because it's the culmination of everything. Since, I've seen him develop, like last time he played, last time he played for the national team, I said, this is a player that's evolving. I saw him last year with Chivas and I said he's getting better. So he's taking steps…Does that future hold in Liga MX, going to Europe, [or] coming back to MLS? He has to continue to play…He's very Pacey, but sometimes he's one direction for me like he can change direction when the defender forces in one way, but I've seen real improvements in that. So I look at Cade, and I'm like, I wasn't being critical. I was saying, you need to do more. He's starting to do more. I'm excited about where he's going to go, but that must continue – his growth. So I like where he's at now, the most important thing is just to play and continue to become a better player, which he has been doing.

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  ON THE LA GALAXY

  GOAL: The LA Galaxy's 2024 campaign was brilliant, but how does Greg Vanney keep this squad together ahead of a potential MLS Cup repeat?

  COSTIGAN: It's tough. Like, I don't think, you know all the greats will tell you the best time to evolve is when you're when you're at your very best. If you wait, you play catch up. So I think we've seen them start to make moves…

  [Then you have the front tree]in [Gabriel] Pec, wow –what a season. You have a game changer in Dejan Joveljic, you have a No. 9 who will get 15 to 20 goals and in [Joseph] Paintsil, you'll have the same, so you add up the numbers of that front three again, they'll be there or thereabouts, which is what they were this year in the West. Right? They were right up there with number one. I know they lost on the final day of the regular season. I could see LA Galaxy being a third or fourth seed going into playoffs but with Ricky Puig finally back and ready in the mix. They're a man for everyone.

  By the way, Riqui Puig, for me… I know Messi is the greatest. I know I love watching him, but watching Riqui Puig is different, teams hate him and the opposition hates him. He loves contact. He loves winding people up. He's box office for me in MLS. So when he comes back in, if they're there or thereabouts, they're going to be a threat again. And by the way, it's the Galaxy – they make moves. This isn't a club that stands still so…I think it'll be a different Galaxy. But I still think they're a real contender to win it all based on that front three again.

Marcus Rashford is reportedly in line for a shock reunion with ex-Manchester United team-mate Mason Greenwood, as Marseille ask transfer questions.

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• Rashford out of favour under Amorim
• Seeing January move speculated on
• Could join familiar face at Ligue 1 giants

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  England international Rashford has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford under Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim. He is tied to a lucrative long-term contract, but United are open to offers for the 27-year-old forward as they look to raise funds and free up space in their squad for new additions.

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  Rashford has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain on a regular basis, but he could end up in a different Ligue 1 destination. reports that Marseille have expressed interest in reaching another agreement with Premier League giants United.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  They have found considerable value in the £27 million ($33m) deal that saw Greenwood swap Manchester for Marseille in 2024. Rashford may be offered the opportunity to tread a similar path as he looks to get his stagnating career back on track.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Marseille are also said to be monitoring Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel, who is registering on Chelsea’s January transfer radar, with the 19-year-old expected to leave the Allianz Arena in search of the regular game time that he is being denied while sitting behind Harry Kane in Germany.

شهد مقر استاد النادي الأهلي الجديد، اليوم الثلاثاء، حضور محمود الخطيب رئيس مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، لمتابعة سير العمل في استاد الأهلي الجديد.

وكان النادي الأهلي، أقام احتفالية كبرى، يوم 14 فبراير في معبد حتشبسوت بمحافظة الأقصر، للكشف عن تصميم استاد الأهلي الجديد وموعد الافتتاح، الذي سيكون بعد 200 أسبوع، أي ما يقرب من 4 سنوات.

ونشرت الصفحة الرسمية للنادي الأهلي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”، صورا من زيادة الخطيب، بصحبته محمد كامل رئيس مجلس إدارة القلعة الحمراء المنفذة للمشروع من أجل تفقد سير العمل في موقع استاد الأهلي الجديد.

طالع.. بالفيديو | الكشف عن تصميم ستاد الأهلي

وعلى الجانب الآخر، يستعد النادي الأهلي لمواجهة حرس الحدود مساء غد الأربعاء، في إطار مواجهات الجولة 16 من عمر مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويحتل النادي الأهلي، المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 33 نقطة.

Tottenham Hotspur fans can expect to see one of their newest stars fit and firing – potentially even starting – when they welcome rivals Arsenal to N17 next Sunday.

Tottenham vs Arsenal – team news

Ange Postecoglou and Spurs fans will be watching the dreaded international break from behind the sofa in the hope all their stars return free of injury, with a host of Lilywhites jetting off around the globe just three weeks into the new season.

All eyes will of course be firmly on the north London derby when domestic action returns, in what is no doubt the biggest fixture of the weekend and Premier League season thus far, with Ange looking to bounce back from his frustration at the wasted chances in the defeat at Newcastle before the break.

"It's another sore one unfortunately, where we haven't got the rewards for our play. But it's three strong performances from our first three games. The results don't reflect that," the Aussie said on the 2-1 defeat on Tyneside.

"The positives are that our football is good and has been in the past three games. We just need to get our rewards. If we continue to play like that, I know we will get them."

And he'll hope to capitalise on an injury-hit Arsenal squad to get those rewards, with the Gunners set to be missing Declan Rice through suspension and several players through injury. New signing Mikel Merino faces weeks on the sidelines with shoulder damage, while the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also likely to miss out.

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On the Spurs side, the boss can boast a mostly full bill of health outside of Richarlison, and Alasdair Gold has revealed in his latest fan Q&A that there is a big boost on the way as well.

Van de Ven and Solanke set to return from injury

After both Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke missed the clash with Newcastle due to injury, Gold expects both to be fit to take part against the Gunners, with Solanke's return to action a particularly big boost given the wastefulness on display at St James' Park.

"We can only go on Ange Postecoglou's words and he said Dominic Solanke will be ready to face Arsenal. He said last Friday that he was close for Newcastle but they wanted to 'err on the side of caution' and had previously dispelled any suggestion he would miss the North London Derby," Gold told Football.London.

"It sounded the same with Micky van de Ven as he said he was 'close in training this week but with the international break he's not quite 100%'. With a further two weeks of recovery and work under their belts you would imagine both will be in a position to face Arsenal, but we'll get the final word on Postecoglou on Friday."

Spurs fans have barely got to see their new goalscorer in action since his £65m move from Bournemouth in the summer, but he looked sharp in his debut at Leicester, firing three shots at goal, completing three dribbles and creating one chance.

If the Lilywhites are going to punish an Arsenal side who haven't quite got off to the rip-roaring start many in the media predicted this summer, then having Solanke – labelled a "phenomenon" by none other than Ian Wright – leading the line and taking some of the goalscoring burden off Son Heung-min will be a massive help.

It was an interesting summer of transfer business for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Daniel Levy and Co splashed £65m to secure the services of Premier League proven striker and once-capped England international Dominic Solanke, but most of their business looked markedly different in approach.

Instead of bringing in another two or three older players who had the experience of consistently playing in the top flight, the Lilywhites opted to sign several young up-and-coming talents in players like Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Yang Min-Hyeok.

Signings like these might not get the fans off their seats at the moment, but they are all highly rated and have the potential to develop into something special.

Moreover, by focusing on younger players, the club can ensure they don’t miss out on the next big thing, as they did in the mid-2010s when, instead of listening to David Pleat about a future England star, players like Clinton N’Jie and Moussa Sissoko came through the door.

N'jie & Sissoko's Spurs careers

Okay, so let’s start with Sissoko first, as while he had his detractors early on, he did end up spending five mostly successful years in North London.

In fact, while many in the media dubbed him a £30m flop following his underwhelming debut campaign in N17, he quickly improved and soon became a genuinely useful player for Mauricio Pochettino during a period in which he had the club fighting for major honours.

The former Newcastle United midfielder played 202 games for the Lilywhites, scoring five goals and providing 16 assists, mostly from central and right midfield.

On the other hand, N’jie was an unmitigated flop. While he wasn’t egregiously expensive, his £12m fee was still reasonably sizeable for a young forward in 2015.

There wasn’t an enormous amount of pressure on the then-22-year-old at the time, as his job was to occasionally play off the left and be the backup for a then-still-young Harry Kane, but even then, he failed to deliver.

In 14 appearances across his one and only season with the club, he failed to score and provided just a single assist before he was sent on loan to Marseille for the following season. A year later, he eventually joined the French team permanently.

Overall, while Sissoko was eventually a successful signing, N’jie certainly wasn’t, and around the time the club signed the pair, Pleat was telling them to sign an encouraging talent from the lower divisions who could play all over the pitch.

Spurs missed out on Ollie Watkins

Yes, the youngster that Spurs missed out on signing is indeed England international Ollie Watkins.

According to an article from the Athletic, Pleat recommended a number of talented youngsters to Spurs in the mid-2010s, from James Maddison to Dele Alli and a certain ‘box-to-box midfielder’ from Exeter City.

Yes, before he was terrifying defenders up top, the Newton Abbot-raised marksman was, in his own words, a “utility man” who was happy to play anywhere, including but not limited to “left-wing back, centre midfield, right wing, striker.”

However, while he was at one point more familiar with the role Sissoko played, he soon developed into a seriously deadly attacker, and after wowing fans at Exeter’s St James’ Park, he earned a move to then-Championship side Brentford, where yet more impressive form finally earned him a massive £28m move to Premier League side Aston Villa.

Since his move to Birmingham, the dynamic goalscorer has gone from strength to strength and moved from the wing to the centre-forward position, and, so far, he’s racked up 70 goals and 27 assists in 172 games, which explains why the club value him at a whopping £75m.

Appearances

78

143

172

Goals

26

49

70

Assists

17

17

27

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

0.46

0.56

However, he took another step up last season, as in 53 appearances, he scored 27 goals and provided 13 assists, which helped the Villans qualify for the Champions League and booked him a place at Euro 2024, where he scored England’s winner in the semi-final.

Ultimately, while clubs cannot sign every player recommended by their scouts, on this occasion, Spurs would have been better off listening to Pleat and bringing in Watkins alongside Sissoko instead of N’jie.

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