Ryan Reynolds may be on Wrexham transport duty in Vancouver, with the Hollywood star jokingly offering to pick players up in his “uncle’s minivan”.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Les Bleus' talisman was forced off in their opening game of the tournament on Monday, and his country now face a potential reckoning in his absence
This was surely a far cry from how Kylian Mbappe envisaged his return to the European Championship stage; yet to get off the mark in the continental tournament, he would have had Austria in his sights ahead of France's Euro 2024 opener. As it was, Les Bleus would require a first-half own goal to edge their Group D rivals, and their talisman was forced off after a sickening collision left him with a broken nose.
The French camp is now anxiously awaiting the prognosis of the injury, which may require surgery, with a blockbuster group-stage clash with the Netherlands to contend with on Friday. The worst-case scenario is that Mbappe will be sidelined until the quarter-finals, if France get that far, and he will need to wear a protective mask regardless.
But irrespective of whether he is available or not, the blunt performance against Austria demonstrated once again that the World Cup runners-up need their supporting cast to step up, and their skipper's potential absence will only intensify that need.
West Ham United have reportedly reached an agreement with an attacking target as they look to seal some late January signings.
The Hammers and David Moyes secured their first addition of the winter window last week when Kalvin Phillips joined on loan from Manchester City. Talking after putting pen to paper at the London Stadium, the new no. 11 said:
“I’m really pleased to be here. There’s always been a lot of speculation about me moving to West Ham, so I’m really excited to get going now.
“There’s so much to look forward to in the second half of the season for the Club and I can’t wait to be part of it. There’s an unbelievable group here and if I can come in and add the quality that I know I’m capable of, I’m sure we can give the West Ham fans plenty to be excited about between now and the end of the season."
The holding midfielder may not be the only signing of the month, though, with plenty of speculation regarding additions in the final third. Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has been mooted as a target, as has young forward Ibrahim Osman from FC Norsjaelland.
Another rumoured target has been winger Jota. Recent claims suggested that a loan deal was close for the Portuguese attacker, and there’s now been a breakthrough in talks with the player.
According to journalist Santi Aouna, West Ham and Jota have now reached an agreement over a London Stadium transfer. He adds that the Hammers and Al-Ittihad are holding “positive talks”, with the player waiting to travel to England.
Things haven’t exactly gone to plan in Saudi Arabia for the 24-year-old following a big-money transfer from Celtic. In total, he has only made 11 appearances for Al-Ittihad, playing just 511 minutes of action.
However, West Ham only have to look at his time in Scotland to see what an impressive player Jota is, with the winger netting 28 times and registering 26 assists in 83 Celtic games. Jota also came in for praise from Alan Hutton while at Celtic, with the former full-back waxing lyrical over the winger.
“He’s still developing. He’s probably only going to get better, I think he can get better. What he’s done this season has been incredible, for him to come from his parent club, where he’s not really been playing. Benfica are a big club in their own right but to come to another club where there’s a lot of pressure, to perform at such a young age, he’s stood up to that task.
“Jota’s that player fans want to see. He’s exciting, he takes people on, he makes things happen, he scores goals and ticks all the boxes.”
Brenden Aaronson played “like a wasp in a bottle” at Leeds and was “too lightweight” for the Premier League, but he is ready for a second chance.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Glasgow Rangers moved to within goal difference of the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox on Tuesday night.
The Light Blues secured all three points thanks to goals from Rabbi Matondo and Todd Cantwell, either side of an equaliser from Bojan Miovski, as Philippe Clement's side moved to 58 points – level with Celtic ahead of their game on Wednesday.
Whilst the two goalscorers will get the plaudits, and rightly so, for their strikes to win the match for the Scottish giants, they were not the only impressive performers for the Light Blues.
Central defender John Souttar was brought into the starting line-up for the injured Leon Balogun and showed what he is all about with an excellent display for the Gers, as he was the real hero on the night.
Ross McCausland took advantage of a slip from a defender and drove towards the box before lashing an effort at Kelle Roos, who was forced to parry the ball straight to Matondo for the opening goal.
However, the Welsh whiz then missed a huge opportunity to make it 2-0 before half-time. He skipped past two defenders with a brilliant piece of skill but took far too long to get his shot away, with Cyriel Dessers in space to his right, and slipped at the vital moment.
Cantwell was the eventual match-winner as the former Norwich City star was the quickest to react to a save from Roos to bundle the ball into the back of the net on the rebound.
The English whiz also created two chances for his teammates but did lose 100% (3/3) of his duels throughout the game, as Aberdeen found it too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.
Souttar's centre-back partner, Connor Goldson, had a nightmare for the away side's goal as Miovski got the better of him far too easily from a long ball but the Scotland international avoided any such issues.
The former Hearts titan was colossal at the back for the Gers as he dealt with the majority of the problems that Aberdeen caused through their attackers.
|
John Souttar |
Vs Aberdeen (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Duels won |
Ten |
|
Duels contested |
15 |
|
Clearances |
Four |
|
Blocks |
One |
As you can see in the table above, the Light Blues monster dominated the opposition in physical battles as he won two of his three on the deck and eight of his 12 in the air.
His ability in the air was needed towards the end of the match as the Dons piled the pressure on after Dujon Sterling's red card reduced the hosts to ten men, as the towering defender won his duels to prevent flick-ons and knock-downs around the box.
Souttar was also composed in his use of the ball. He completed 87% of his attempted passes (74/85), six of his ten long passes, and 100% of his attempted dribbles (1/1).
The 27-year-old enforcer's vital defensive work played a key role in the win as the Gers won by a slender one-goal margin, which meant that any slip-up at the back could have resulted in points being dropped.
Instead of slip-ups, Souttar's footing was assured throughout and that is why he was the real hero of the night for Clement with his outstanding performance, starring alongside Matondo and Cantwell.
Lionel Messi cannot use injury as an excuse for his Panenka penalty miss, as the Argentina superstar “felt well” on his return to Copa America action.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Manchester City have been rocked by the news that a "world-class" star could leave to join a European giant this summer, according to a new transfer update.
Pep Guardiola may have built one of the greatest squads in the history of English football, but he is always on the lookout for new signings, in order to keep his current players on their toes.
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been linked with a move to the Etihad at the end of the season, with the Hammers unlikely to keep hold of him after he nearly moved to Manchester last summer.
Young Brazilian sensation Savio is expected to join from Girona in the summer, with the 19-year-old a forward with a bright future, currently on loan in Spain from another City Football Group club in Troyes.
It is also vital that City retain the services of the most important players at the club, not least star striker Erling Haaland, whose future has been in the news at times of late. They are confident that they can tie him down to a new deal, though.
Another crucial figure is now being linked with a move away from the Etihad in the summer transfer window, however, in an update that will concern many supporters.
According to Telefoot on X, Bernardo Silva could leave Manchester City for Paris Saint-Germain this summer, having even "agreed" to join them last summer.
"Another avenue studied: Bernardo Silva, who already agreed to join Paris last season, before being retained by Pep Guardiola at City. The Portuguese is still in PSG's little papers."
Bernardo has been a sensational player for City ever since arriving from Monaco back in 2017, producing so many memorable moments along the way and winning five Premier League titles. For that reason, it doesn't bear thinking about him moving on, considering he is still only 29 years of age and in his prime as a player.
|
Bernardo Silva's key Man City stats |
Total |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
336 |
|
Goals |
63 |
|
Assists |
63 |
He has rightly been hailed as a "world-class" footballer by Dion Dublin, and meanwhile, Guardiola has spoken about him in the most glowing way possible in the past, even comparing him to all-time great Lionel Messi:
"He is an extraordinary player, he made two great goals. The action from the second goal looks like Messi, Messi has done that many times. Everyone is so happy to have him here."
Bernardo is the perfect midfielder for City, not only possessing the elite technical brilliance to thrive in such a special team, but also having an incredible engine and winning mentality, allowing him to dig deep in big games and act as a nuisance to opponents.
Manchester City now eyeing £200m double deal for “bulldog” and “strong” player
The Premier League champions are not messing around…
By
Tom Cunningham
Jan 19, 2024
It does feel as though the Portuguese is linked with a move away every year, only to end up staying put, and the hope is that the same thing happens this summer, with his current City deal not expiring until 2026.
Argentina have offered a cautious injury update on Lionel Messi after the captain missed the Copa America win over Peru with injury.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Ange Postecoglou was backed last summer in the transfer window as Tottenham Hotspur completed a number of signings to bolster their squad.
At this moment in time, they appear to have hit the mark with a host of those additions, including the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, and Guglielmo Vicario, who have all been influential figures for the Australian head coach.
However, Spurs have not always got it right when they have dipped into the market to splash the cash on new signings. Davinson Sanchez, whose value plummeted by £29m during his time at the club, is one example of their failures over the years.
Another piece of business Tottenham had a howler with was the signing of central midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, who is still contracted to the club, from Lyon in the summer of 2019.
Spurs reportedly paid a staggering club-record fee of £63m to sign the French whiz from the Ligue 1 side in an attempt to improve Mauricio Pochettino's team.
However, he failed to initially establish himself as a regular starter for the Argentine head coach with 12 starts in 21 appearances in the Premier League during the 2019/20 campaign.
That changed the following season, though, as Ndombele started 28 of his 33 league outings for Tottenham and chipped in with three goals and two assists from a midfield position.
Supporters can be forgiven for thinking that his emergence that year would be a platform for him to kick on and progress as a Spurs player but that is not what happened.
The French flop, who ex-Tottenham defender Alan Hutton described as "expensive", only started six league games during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign before being sent back on loan to Lyon for the last six months of the season.
The initial fee of £63m was already a huge amount of money for Spurs to pay but they have also had to pay his astonishing wages, which contributes to how much the signing has drained from the club.
He is reportedly on £200k-per-week, which works out at around £10.4m-per-season, and, therefore, cost the Lilywhites £20.8m in wages across his first two seasons in England, along with £5.2m for the first half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Lyon then brought him back on loan and paid a fee of £1.2m for that temporary deal, although it is unclear exactly how much they contributed to his wages as it was reported that the player had to pay the difference between what the two clubs were willing to do.
The France international was then sent out on loan to Serie A side Napoli for the 2022/23 season, and only €3.5m (£3m) of his £10.4m salary were covered by the Italian team.
This meant that Spurs still had to splash £7.4m in wages for the central midfielder that term, which took the overall total to £95.2m including his wages and transfer fee, with £1.2m taken away for the fee Lyon paid to sign him on loan, by the end of last season.
Ndombele was sent out on loan once again last summer as Turkish giants Galatasaray swooped for him and agreed to pay €3.1m (£2.6m) of his wages.
|
23/24 Super Lig |
Tanguy Ndombele |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
16 |
|
Starts |
Four |
|
Goals |
Zero |
|
Assists |
One |
|
Sofascore rating |
6.75 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
This means that Tottenham will only pay £7.8m of his salary by the end of the 2023/24 season, and he is still contracted through to the end of next term.
Therefore, Ndombele will have cost the club at least £103m, given it remains unclear how much his loan spell with Lyon came to, by the summer with the transfer fee and wages combined.
There is no guarantee that they will be able to offload him permanently to get rid of the £10.4m due in the final year of his contract, so that figure could continue to rise.
Pochettino and Daniel Levy made a huge blunder with the signing of the French midfielder back in 2019 as it was a costly mistake, as evidenced by the financial outlay for just one season of regular starts in almost five years.
In recent years, Aston Villa have cashed in on multiple academy graduates for handsome fees – sales which can be written off as pure profit in their books, helping them to comply with Financial Fair Play rules.
In 2022, they offloaded Carney Chukwuemeka to Chelsea for a fee of around £20m, and 12 months on, they banked more than £12m from Aaron Ramsey's move to Burnley. Cameron Archer's switch to Sheffield United, another newly-promoted Premier League side, was a further £18m boost for the coffers.
Despite that, Villa have work to do to ensure they comply with the league's Profit and Sustainability Rules. It's been reported that Unai Emery may have to part with a first-team player before 30 June, the end of the financial year, to keep the club on the right side of the line.
The I's chief football correspondent Sam Cunningham reports that Villa's wage-to-revenue ratio stood at 92% last year, 12% more than UEFA will allow from next season. Villa are in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 1980s, but the associated windfall won't necessarily solve their problems.
To reduce that wage bill and boost their profits, Villa may have to sell the jewel of their academy in Jacob Ramsey, who's attracting interest from top-flight competitors Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, with Cunningham reporting there's a "good chance" he is sold.
Ramsey may only have started seven league games this season, but he's only been available for 15, and Villa fans won't need any reminders of how special a talent he really is.
|
Most goal involvements by players aged 21 or under – Premier League 22/23 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Club |
G+A |
|
1 |
Bukayo Saka |
Arsenal |
25 |
|
2 |
Gabriel Martinelli |
Arsenal |
20 |
|
=3 |
Jacob Ramsey |
Aston Villa |
13 |
|
=3 |
Michael Olise |
Crystal Palace |
13 |
|
5 |
Brennan Johnson |
Nottingham Forest |
11 |
Voted young player of the season and players' player of the season in 2021/22, he was then named the league's best academy graduate last term after notching 13 direct goal contributions.
Aston Villa's next Grealish is the “second biggest flop of all time”
The star is now playing his football in Qatar.
By
Tom Lever
Feb 27, 2024
The 22-year-old has played 16 times for England at under-21 level, including three appearances on the road to European Championships glory last summer, and looks destined to be a full international for his country in the future.
In a sense, though, this is the price of success for a club like Villa. If you want to spend like a Champions League club – and they rank between Man City and Liverpool in the five-year net spend table, despite selling Jack Grealish for £100m in 2021 – then you need to sell like one too. Ramsey isn't the only player who could go, but because he didn't cost a penny, he's the outstanding candidate at this stage.