América will face Pachuca in the quarterfinals of the Clausura 2025. The first leg is scheduled for May 7 or 8 at Estadio Hidalgo.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
What a busy January transfer window it was for Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s side brought in five new players to help strengthen the squad ahead of their top-four push and Champions League round-of-16 clash.
Perhaps the most prominent name they signed was Marcus Rashford. The Englishman joined on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season and will be looking to recapture his best form at Villa Park.
Marco Asensio, formerly of Real Madrid, also made a temporary switch to the Villans from Paris Saint-Germain, as did Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi.
There were also two permanent signings for Villa. One of those was Spanish right-back Andres Garcia, and the other was attacker Donyell Malen.
25-year-old Dutch attacker Malen made the move to Villa Park from German side Borussia Dortmund. He cost the West Midlands side £19m up front, with a further £2.5m in potential add-ons.
So far, the former Dortmund star has played two games for Villa. He was on the bench for the 2-2 draw away to Arsenal, played 25 minutes at home against West Ham United and 45 minutes away to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Slowly, he is building up his match fitness.
For Dortmund, Malen went through some impressive purple patches of form. He played 132 times for the club, scoring 39 goals and grabbing 20 assists. Perhaps his finest moment in that famous yellow shirt was a goal and assist away to Real Madrid in the 2024/25 Champions League. Although his side took a 2-0 lead thanks to Malen, they ran out 5-2 losers.
A big call was made this week from Emery, who decided not to include Malen and Garcia in Villa’s Champions League squad for the knockout phase. Instead, the new loanees have all been registered, with only three changes available.
This must surely be frustrating for Malen, given he was one of the few permanent signings at Villa Park in January. He was a big investment last month, so to miss out might be a surprise. However, the Villa squad is still packed with talent, including someone worth far more than the attacker.
The player in question here is Villans academy graduate Jacob Ramsey. The Birmingham-born star has been vital under Unai Emery, having made a big impact in claret and blue so far in the 2024/25 campaign.
This term, boyhood Villans player Ramsey has played 25 games across all competitions, scoring twice and grabbing four assists. Arguably his biggest moment of the season came on his Champions League debut when he scored away to Young Boys.
Villa manager Emery has always spoken highly of Ramsey. Last summer, when the midfielder was linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, the Spaniard said the Villans star “is a very important player” for his side.
Indeed, Ramsey has an impressive record under Emery. In 69 appearances with the Spaniard at the helm, he has found the back of the net 8 times and registered 13 assists. Injuries have affected him in that time, but there is no doubt Emery has got the best out of him.
|
Ramsey record under Emery by season |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
|
Games |
24 |
21 |
24 |
|
Minutes |
1,863 |
1,068 |
1,320 |
|
Goals |
5 |
1 |
2 |
|
Assists |
7 |
2 |
4 |
|
Stats from Transfermarkt |
|||
With all that in mind, it might not be a surprise to hear the Villans academy star is valued at £42.3m according to Football Transfers. That is almost double the amount they paid for Malen, and marks an extraordinary feat for Ramsey given he has never moved clubs, and thus he has never had a transfer fee.
Described as a “magic” player by football statistician Statman Dave, Villa will surely be proud of everything Ramsey has achieved at the club so far. They will no doubt be hoping he can continue that imperious form he has shown under Emery, and that his value will increase, even if he never leaves the club.
Pep Guardiola was not happy with how his side lost the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, giving little away in his post-match conference.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Chelsea have put pen to paper on the signing of a starlet striker, which also comes as his division’s “record transfer” to date, as Todd Boehly and BlueCo once again show they’re not shy about recruiting world football’s brightest young talent.
It was a weekend to forget for manager Enzo Maresca and his squad, who squandered their only remaining opportunity to win a domestic trophy this season.
Chelsea have a 17-year-old "future Ballon d'Or winner" to replace Nkunku
Christopher Nkunku’s career at Chelsea could be ended by the talented youngster.
By
Dan Emery
Feb 11, 2025
Strikes from Georginio Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma cancelled out Bart Verbruggen’s early own goal to hand the Seagulls a deserved 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Amex, meaning the west Londoners are reliant on their participation in the Europa Conference League for any form of silverware.
It was a deeply disappointing afternoon, with Chelsea managing just one shot on target all game – perhaps bringing into question why BlueCo didn’t sign a prolific striker while they had the chance in January.
|
Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Brighton (away) |
February 14th |
|
Aston Villa (away) |
February 22nd |
|
Southampton (home) |
February 25th |
|
Leicester City (home) |
March 9th |
|
Arsenal (away) |
March 16th |
Chelsea held talks with Ipswich over Liam Delap (Simon Phillips), and were linked with a host of other high-profile centre-forwards. However, Maresca will have to wait until the summer to bring in an alternative to Nicolas Jackson, with Christopher Nkunku failing to make an impact at Brighton on Saturday.
“Sometimes I think you need to play games without players to realise how important they are,” said Maresca on Jackson’s absence for Brighton.
“We said many times about Nico: he is important on and off the ball. Off the ball, his intensity is very good and on the ball, he is always a threat. Overall, even without Nico, the game was both.
“We started the game very good. In the first-half, probably the only shot on goal they had was the goal. We controlled, we created some chances and the second-half, more or less it happened the same – probably the only shot on goal was the second goal.
“We had a few chances to draw and we missed. Now, if there is something good after a defeat, it is now we can be focused on the Premier League and Conference [League].”
For the long-term, it has now been confirmed that Chelsea envisage a very bright future for 16-year-old striker Dastan Satpaev.
Kazakhstani first division side FC Kairat announced that Satpaev will be joining Chelsea, after both clubs agreed a league-record deal over the teenager, with the west Londoners paying around £3 million plus add-ons for his signature.
He’s also put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge, and will join Maresca’s side when he turns 18 in the summer of 2026.
The Kazakhstan Under-17s captain is someone who Chelsea have been attracted to by his serious potential, and he could well become the face of his nation if all goes to plan in future seasons.
Who's hot, who's not? INDIVISA ranks all 14 teams across the National Women's Soccer League
The NWSL atmosphere was electric over the weekend, with the Kansas City Current taking care of business once again and 2024 Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga breaking another record.
Chawinga's 52nd-minute goal against the Pride was not only the game-winning finish, but also earned her the nod as the fastest NWSL player to score 25 career goals. The Current are still in first place in the league standings, with San Diego Wave trailing not far behind.
It's currently a four-way tie for second place in the Golden Boot race, with Gotham FC's Esther Gonzalez leading the way with seven goals. Just behind her, Ashley Hatch, Debinha, Temwa Chawinga, and Riley Tiernan all have five each.
So, who's leading the pack, and who's falling short of expectations? INDIVISA presents the latest 2025 NWSL Power Rankings.
Celtic are enjoying a phenomenal season as they sit 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, are in the play-off phase of the Champions League, and have already won the League Cup.
Youth has not played a significant role in their success, though, as 31-year-old midfielder Callum McGregor is the only academy graduate to have started matches on a regular basis for Brendan Rodgers this term.
The Hoops have not been adept at bringing through academy talent into the first-team in recent years, as they lost Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata to Millwall and Watford respectively last summer.
Possibly the biggest example of a prodigious talent that got away, however, is Scotland international Ben Doak, who came through the youth set-up in Glasgow before sealing a move to England.
The teenage sensation made his way through the academy ranks at Parkhead before he made two first-team appearances under Ange Postecoglou at the age of 16 in the 2021/22 campaign.
However, the Scottish giants were unable to convince the young winger to remain at the club beyond his contract at the time and Premier League side Liverpool swooped in to secure his services for a reported compensation fee of £600k in the summer of 2022.
Doak racked up ten first-team appearances in his first two seasons with the Reds before being sent out on loan to Middlesbrough, where he has produced three goals and seven assists in 24 Championship matches in the 2024/25 campaign.
These statistics show that the 19-year-old whiz has made a big impact at the top end of the pitch in the second tier of English football, and that indicates that he could have been a great option for the Hoops to have in their current squad.
Liverpool reportedly put a £30m price tag on his head in the January transfer window, amid interest from Premier League side Crystal Palace, which illustrates how much untapped potential there was for the Hoops with the forward.
They missed out on a terrific talent and a hugely valuable asset by failing to convince him to turn down a move to Anfield to stay in Glasgow and compete for a place under Postecoglou.
Doak, who has been capped six times by Scotland at senior level, has quickly developed into an excellent player at first-team level since his move away from the Hoops.
Transfer Focus
Celtic are now facing an awful repeat of this situation – losing a talented youngster who could go on to great things – as one of their B team stars is set for a move to the Premier League this summer.
According to ExWHUEmployee, on TheWestHamWay’s Patreon, Celtic centre-forward Daniel Cummings is in the process of completing a medical with West Ham United.
The report claims that the Scottish youngster started parts of his medical with the Premier League side on Sunday and that it has continued on Monday, ahead of a summer switch to the London outfit.
Cummings is out of contract at the end of the season and it was reported, in January, that Celtic were due to offer him a new contract to remain at Parkhead on fresh terms.
ExWHUEmployee’s report adds that the Hammers are due to pay a compensation fee for the teenage striker, as he has been trained by the Hoops, but it is unclear as to how much that will be at this point.
It also reveals that West Ham chief Mark Noble, who previously captained the Hammers in the Premier League, was ‘influential’ in convincing the forward to pick a move to the London Stadium.
The Hoops appear to have left it too late to decide to offer the young attacker a contract extension, waiting until the last five months of his deal, and it looks set to sting them as Cummings is now close to a move to England, and it could be an awful repeat of the Doak situation.
The former Celtic winger, as aforementioned, has gone on to become a £30m-rated talent who has proven himself at first-team level in the Championship in England, after leaving Parkhead for a paltry £600k.
Whilst it remains to be seen how much compensation West Ham will have to pay for Cummings, the Hoops are not going to get a multi-million-pound sum for the 18-year-old marksman, but he has the potential to become a hugely valuable asset in the future.
The Scotland U19 international has been in incredible form in all competitions for the academy this season, with a staggering return of 25 goals in 28 matches.
Cummings has been a prolific centre-forward for the B team and U19 side, with 19 goals in 20 Lowland League games and six goals in seven UEFA Youth League outings, and was rewarded with a first-team debut against Aston Villa off the bench at the end of January.
|
Daniel Cummings’ Lowland League career |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
|
24/25 |
20 |
19 |
0 |
|
23/24 |
19 |
12 |
0 |
|
22/23 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
As you can see in the table above, the 18-year-old attacker has continually improved his output in the final third season-on-season in the Lowland League for the B team.
These statistics show that Cummings is on an upward trajectory and that is improving as a player each year, which is a promising sign for West Ham as they are set to sign a prolific teen who is just getting better and better.
Whilst there is no guarantee that the young marksman will go on to become a star in the Premier League for the Hammers, or go on to be valued at £30m like Doak, his incredible form and development for Celtic suggests that the potential is there for him to do so.
Therefore, the Hoops are on the verge of an awful repeat of the Doak situation as they could watch Cummings go to England to thrive, instead of convincing him to stay and eventually emerge as a star in the first-team for Rodgers.
Now worth less than Taylor: Celtic struck gold selling Ange favourite
Celtic appear to have made a wise move by cashing in on one former hero
By
Robbie Walls
Feb 17, 2025
There is a worrying trend emerging of young players deciding that moving down south to develop in England is better for them than staying at Celtic and the Bhoys need to find a way of convincing their best talents that their development is best served at Parkhead if they want to produce quality academy graduates.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have the opportunity to turn a good season into a great one, and the Italian tactician deserves a lot of the plaudits
Champions League qualification and a trophy is the absolute maximum most Chelsea fans could have hoped for from the 2024-25 season, especially after Enzo Maresca took the reins as something of an unknown quantity last summer. Fast-forward nine months, and the Blues stand on the cusp of achieving that unlikely feat.
Although an early-season flourish proved to be misleading, Chelsea have still overachieved under the Italian head coach – claiming a top-four place on the final day of the Premier League season at Nottingham Forest's expense and ultimately not even requiring the fall-back of fifth.
While a return to European football's top table will feel like a trophy in itself, a genuine piece of silverware is up for grabs on Wednesday in the form of the Conference League, and Maresca's men have the opportunity to turn a very good season into a great one.
Glasow Rangers could be set to face the most important period of the club’s recent history over the next few months. With Philippe Clement being sacked last week, the Gers are on the hunt for their fourth permanent manager since 2021.
Only two trophies have been won in that time, and it is clear that this summer could be make or break for the Light Blues.
The recent news of a potential takeover by 49ers Enterprise has given the supporters some hope that the club could enter next season with renewed ambition, but this takeover might not go through until June at the earliest.
If this does happen, then the new manager might be given some financial flexibility in the transfer market, allowing him to bring in a few players which could see the club challenge Celtic for the Premiership title.
Much will depend on who the new boss turns out to be and his plans for the club heading into 2025/26, but just what could a potential starting XI look like at Rangers next term?
GK – Liam Kelly
Against Motherwell, Jack Butland gifted the away side a goal, spilling a weak shot into the path of Luke Armstrong, who slotted the ball into the net.
This isn’t the first mistake by the nine-cap England ‘keeper this season and the new manager might decide to cash in on him this summer.
Liam Kelly might not be the most eye-catching name between the sticks, but he did shine against Celtic at the start of 2025, keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 win and looking composed throughout.
Unless another ‘keeper is targeted, Kelly could find himself as the number one choice next term.
RB – Nathan Patterson
It is time for James Tavernier to finally be sold this summer. The captain has been poor throughout 2024/25 and it is likely the club will end the season trophyless – the sixth time this has happened during Tavernier’s stint.
Nathan Patterson was linked with a move to Ibrox during the winter window, just two years after leaving the Gers in a £16m deal and he could be a major upgrade on the English defender.
Due to injury, Patterson has played only seven times for Everton this season and perhaps a loan spell back at Rangers next term could allow him to gain regular game time.
CB – John Souttar
John Souttar was arguably the most consistent performer for the club before his injury in December, which ruled him out for several weeks.
The Scot has won 65% of his total contested duels this season in the Premiership while being dribbled past 0.1 times per game. If he can maintain this type of form when he returns from injury, then the new manager will find it hard to replace Souttar, that’s for sure.
CB – Bamo Meite
Robin Propper should be sold this summer and a younger centre-back targeted as his replacement.
In January, the Ibrox side were reportedly showing interest in Bamo Meite, who was playing for Marseille.
He has barely featured for the Ligue 1 side and has since moved to Montpellier on loan, but this shouldn’t stop the Gers from making another approach this summer.
Aged just 23, Meite is at the perfect age to come to Rangers and continue his development.
LB – Jefte
It’s safe to say that Jefte hasn’t been at his best recently, but there is no doubting just how talented he is.
Better going forward, as evidenced by his 1.2 successful dribbles and 1.1 key passes per game, the Brazilian must work on his positioning and defensive attributes. If he does, the left-back has a bright future in the game.
CM – Nico Raskin
Nico Raskin has turned his Ibrox career around after it looked as though he was going to simply become a squad member.
Since returning from injury last year, he has dominated the midfield, looking impressive against the likes of Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur.
If Tavernier is sold, the captaincy should be passed onto the Belgian star. That’s a certainty.
CM – Lennon Miller
The Light Blues have been linked with Lennon Miller for a while now, but it could cost the club around £4m to secure his services this summer if they are still interested.
Still only 18, the youngster is the brightest talent in Scotland right now and would instantly slot straight into the starting XI.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
RW – Dario Orosio
Rangers were linked with a move for Dario Osorio last year following his impressive form for Danish side Midtjylland, where he has scored five times and grabbed an assist in all competitions.
With Vaclav Cerny returning to his parent club this summer, adding some strength to the right flank is paramount for success next season. Osorio would be an excellent signing.
AM – Mohamed Diomande
Mohamed Diomande has tended to operate at the heart of the midfield alongside Raskin this term, but perhaps his most effective position is just behind the striker.
Indeed, he has scored twice from this position in just eight appearances, creating six big chances in the process for the Gers. He is someone who will only get better with age.
LW – Oscar Cortes
Oscar Cortes has been plagued by injuries since initially joining Rangers last January. Since then, he has played just 15 times.
When he has featured, the young winger has shown flashes of genius, but he now needs a consistent run in the starting XI. He may be given this chance under the new manager.
If anything typified Arsenal’s calendar year to date it would be their 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
A win in the London derby against the Blues should usually be enough to spark bedlam and a roaring cacophony of sound around the Emirates Stadium.
Yet, this game felt different. Before kick-off, the Gunners were 15 points behind Liverpool and knew the title was out of reach. Still, a win is a win and it’s a vital win at that considering they have recently limped to a 1-0 defeat against West Ham, a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest and a 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
While Mikel Arteta’s men enjoyed a lot of the ball against Enzo Maresca’s side, they were lacking a killer instinct that has eluded them for a lot of 2025. They are missing Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka. It’s hardly a surprise they’ve been so toothless.
So, let us rejoice in Mikel Merino, the makeshift centre-forward who’s been saving Arsenal’s bacon.
When Merino arrived at Arsenal last summer, moving from Real Sociedad, little did he think he’d be playing as a striker in the latter stages of the season. Nor did Arteta, in all fairness.
However, needs must as far as the Gunners are concerned.
Merino has done his job well and must be cut some slack. Before that two-goal cameo against Leicester in February, he hadn’t ever played as a centre-forward.
|
Merino vs Chelsea |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Touches |
22 |
|
Accurate passes |
10/11 (91%) |
|
Shots on target |
2 |
|
Shots off target |
0 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Duels won |
5/15 |
|
Possession lost |
5x |
|
Tackles |
2 |
|
Expected goals (xG) |
0.17 |
|
Stats via Sofascore. |
|
Since being given the reins as the focal point of the side, he has scored four goals in seven games. It’s a pretty decent record but he’s never going to carry Arsenal to trophies playing in that role.
Still, he did an admirable job against Chelsea, leading the press, closing down the defenders and scoring the all-important goal.
Merino has scored a number of different strikes this term, scoring two back post efforts against Leicester and side-footing the ball home from close range against PSV.
This goal, however, was from the near post and it marked Arsenal’s first goal from a corner in what felt like forever. Skipper Martin Odegaard swung the ball in from the right and the Spaniard darted into a good position before flicking the ball past Robert Sanchez.
Merino could have made it two but this time was denied by Sanchez who had a rather topsy-turvy afternoon between the sticks.
The Spain international met the ball at the back post this time and hammered a volley towards the goal that nearly crossed the line but was kept out excellently.
While Merino deserves praise for his performance, one of his attacking colleagues certainly doesn’t.
While this was a pretty laboured 1-0 win for Arteta and his players, there were not many players who actually contributed poorly at the Emirates.
Sadly for Leandro Trossard, his contribution did not amount to much. In fact, it hasn’t amounted to much at all really in recent months.
The Belgian did score in that 7-1 rout in Eindhoven but has really struggled to make a positive impact in the absence of Saka.
Trossard began that aforementioned clash at Leicester as the 9 but has since been moved to the left to accommodate Merino and while his performance on Sunday wasn’t awful, it lacked flair and end product.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
Handed a 5/10 match rating by the Express’ Simon Collings, he noted that it was ‘one of those days for the Belgian. Got into some good positions, but could not make the most of the chances. Frustrating.’
|
Trossard vs Chelsea |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Touches |
37 |
|
Accurate passes |
19/22 (86%) |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Accurate crosses |
0/2 |
|
Shots on target |
0 |
|
Shots off target |
2 |
|
Successful dribbles |
0/1 |
|
Duels won |
4/7 |
|
Possession lost |
8x |
|
Tackles + interceptions |
0 |
|
Stats via Sofascore. |
|
A look at the stats paints that frustrating picture, with the former Brighton star failing to register a key pass, a shot on target, complete a dribble or do anything of note defensively. He also lost the ball every five touches with it perhaps a surprise that Trossard lasted the full 90 minutes.
As a result, once the international break is said and done, Arteta must look at other options. Saka is nearing a return but it will still be too soon for any regular involvement for their star man so it surely has to be a front three of Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri and Merino.
Forget Merino: Arteta must now unleash Arsenal's "best finisher" at CF
With limited options, Mikel Arteta has deployed Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker in recent weeks, but should deploy his “clinical” star vs Chelsea.
1
By
Ben Gray
Mar 15, 2025
Jack Grealish is set to depart Manchester City, and it has been reported that Everton have joined Newcastle in the race for his signature.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |