O Botafogo já está buscando alternativas após a recusa de Eran Zahavi. Pelo menos foi o que garantiu John Textor, proprietário da SAF do Glorioso. O norte-americano afirmou, após a partida contra o Fluminense neste domingo, que o clube já trabalha com novos nomes.
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+ Textor deseja reunião com Irmãos Moreira Salles e revela planos de novo local de treino para o Botafogo
Sem revelar mais detalhes, o empresário afirmou que o clube precisa ser assertivo, mas “deixou escapar” que os jogadores que vêm sendo analisados possivelmente são estrangeiros. Vale lembrar que ele também disse que vai continuar buscando atletas de alto calibre, como James Rodríguez e Cavani.
– É como uma lista de Natal (os jogadores avaliados), muito longa. Temos uma equipe de scout muito legítima, estamos cada vez mais profissionais. Quando me perguntam se temos um plano B, não é que ficamos esse tempo atrás do Zahavi e não temos nada. Temos um plano B e um plano C. É preciso ter equilíbrio, há um limite de estrangeiros, temos que gastá-la com alguém que realmente faça a diferença. Tem que ser alguém que transforme o clube – afirmou.
Apesar das recusas recentes de Zahavi e James, Textor não perdeu as esperanças com a próxima janela de transferências, que abrirá no dia 18 de julho.
– Estou ansioso para a janela. Muitos jogadores (do Botafogo) evoluíram muito, como o Kayque, sempre mostrou muita coisa mas não esperava que ele fosse fazer o que está fazendo. As lesões estão nos matando, assim como os cartões amarelos. Não tínhamos um dos nossos melhores jogadores hoje (domingo), precisamos de todo mundo saudável para passar desse período (até a janela) – finalizou.
تم الكشف عن معلق مباراة الأهلي وباتشوكا المكسيكي الودية، ضمن استعدادات الأحمر للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، المقامة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
ويخوض الأهلي منافسات البطولة العالمية بنظامها الجديد، حيث يتواجد ضمن المجموعة الأولى إلى جانب إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، وبالميراس البرازيلي، وبورتو البرتغالي.
طالع.. هل يكون زيزو؟.. الأهلي يستعد للإعلان عن صفقة جديدة
وأعلنت قناة أون سبورت، الناقلة للمباراة عن تولي التونسي رؤوف خليف، مهمة التعليق على مباراة الأهلي وباتشوكا المقررة خلال ساعات.
وتُقام المباراة يوم الأحد الموافق 8 يونيو 2025، على ملعب “تشيس ستاديوم” في الولايات المتحدة وتنطلق صافرة البداية عند منتصف الليل بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية، في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت الساحل الشرقي للولايات المتحدة.
ومن المنتظر أن تنقل قناة أون سبورت المباراة بشكل حصري على شاشتها.
Everything you need to know about Gianluigi Donnarumma's salary details playing for PSG
Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma came through the ranks at AC Milan, spending six seasons with the Serie A side's senior team between 2015 and 2021.
In 2021, Donnarumma delivered stellar performances for Italy as they went on to win the Euros, with the shot-stopper playing a crucial role in the penalty shootout to defeat England in the final. This earned the Italian star widespread praise and a big-money move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain. Donnarumma also finished 10th in the Ballon d'Or rankings that same year.
Since his move to PSG, he has established himself as the club's undisputed number one and has consistently proven his value as a leader at the back.
Donnarumma's current contract with PSG runs until 2026, though given his strong performances, a contract extension appears likely. In addition to being a key member of the squad, Donnarumma also earns a substantial salary, ranking as one of the top earners at both the club and across the league.
But exactly how much does he earn?
GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!
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Gianluigi Donnarumma's wages at PSG in numbers
Gianluigi Donnarumma's current contract with PSG in Ligue 1 provides him a weekly salary of £208,169 ($279,108), making him the sixth-highest paid player at the club.
His annual salary totals £10.8 million ($14.5 million).
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Italian
£208,169
$279,108
£10,824,763
$14,513,640
AdvertisementAFPTop earners at PSG
Ousmane Dembele is currently the highest-paid player at PSG. He is followed by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with Marquinhos in third place. Lucas Hernandez and Achraf Hakimi are also among the top earners, with both receiving the same salary.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Ousmane Dembele
French
£297,548
$393,131
£15,472,512
$20,442,812
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Serbian
£270,438
$357,312
£14,062,794
$18,580,245
Marquinhos
Brazilian
£222,235
$293,756
£11,561,405
$15,275,324
Lucas Hernandez
French
£218,202
$288,296
£11,346,509
$14,991,396
Achraf Hakimi
Moroccan
£218,202
$288,296
£11,346,509
$14,991,396
Top earners in Ligue 1
PSG's influence in Ligue 1 is clear from the list of the league's top earners. PSG players hold the top thirteen positions, with Adrien Rabiot from Lyon at fourteenth.
Player
Club
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
£297,548
$393,131
£15,472,512
$20,442,812
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Paris Saint-Germain
£270,438
$357,312
£14,062,794
$18,580,245
Marquinhos
Paris Saint-Germain
£222,235
$293,756
£11,561,405
$15,275,324
Lucas Hernandez
Paris Saint-Germain
£218,202
$288,296
£11,346,509
$14,991,396
Achraf Hakimi
Paris Saint-Germain
£218,202
$288,296
£11,346,509
$14,991,396
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AFPHighest paid players in the world
PSG dominates Ligue 1, but none of their players rank among the top five highest-paid footballers worldwide.
The top five are all from the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo leads with a high salary at Al Nassr.
Karim Benzema, his former Real Madrid teammate, is second. Riyad Mahrez, formerly of Manchester City and now with Al-Ahli, is third.
Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are in fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Karachi could be the likeliest alternative, with the first Test as well as the subsequent ODIs all scheduled there
Danyal Rasool23-Dec-2022The second Test between Pakistan and New Zealand is likely to be moved out of Multan because of the severe fog and smog expected in the area in early January. ESPNcricinfo understands that formal talks are on between the two boards on the matter. The game is scheduled to begin on January 3.While it is not yet clear what the new venue will be, Karachi could be the easiest to switch to, since it is the venue for the first Test between the sides, which begins on December 26, and conditions there are expected to be better.Multan hosted the second Test between Pakistan and England in early December, and while there were no visibility-related interruptions then, air quality was notably worse than it was in Rawalpindi, where the first Test was played. The flight to Multan was, in fact, delayed by almost four hours because of fog, and visibility early in the morning was significantly lower than normal.However, the sun did burn away most of the fog by the time play started, at 10am local time, and there were no delays on that front. Since then, though, Multan has been overcast and that is expected to continue. On several occasions over the past week, the motorway from Lahore to Multan has been closed to traffic for several hours due to foggy conditionsLahore cannot be an alternative venue for the same reason, with visibility even lower and air quality levels comparable to the worst in the world. On Friday, Lahore’s AQI read 500, according to IQAir. That’s around 25 times above the acceptable level. Forget visibility, playing cricket there could be a health hazard too.That effectively leaves Karachi and Rawalpindi as the only realistic options, with facilities in the rest of the country not equipped to host Test cricket at such short notice.The three-match ODI series that follows the Tests will also take place in Karachi, so shifting the second Test there would mean that the entire tour is held in one city.
Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to fight for the signature of an “amazing” in-demand striker, with talks potentially set to commence in the coming weeks, according to a report.
Spurs in need of a striker
Prior to Dominic Solanke’s return from injury, Ange Postecoglou experimented with a number of different options in attack, but none of the replacements have managed to consistently find the back of the net.
Richarlison has scored just two Premier League goals this term, having also struggled with injuries, while Mathys Tel has just one goal in six games since arriving on loan from Bayern Munich until the end of the season.
As such, there are clear signs Postecoglou will need to bring in a new striker this summer, and Spurs have identified a number of potential targets, although they have recently been dealt a blow in their pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Spurs now stepping up interest in "world-class" £42m goalscoring defender
Tottenham are one of two Premier League clubs very keen on signing the centre-back.
ByDominic Lund Mar 9, 2025
Arsenal are said to have overtaken Tottenham in the race for Sesko’s signature, which means Postecoglou’s side may be forced to move on to other targets, and a report from Spain has now revealed they are ready to fight it out for Lille’s Jonathan David.
David is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, given that he is available on a free transfer at the end of the campaign, and there may be competition for his signature from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Lille's Hakon Arnar Haraldsson andJonathanDavidafter the match
The English clubs view the Canadian as a perfect target, given the level of his performances in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, and talks are expected to start in the coming weeks, although it is unclear whether Spurs specifically will start negotiations.
"Amazing" David on fire in the Champions League
Lille still have a good chance of progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals, having drawn 1-1 with Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their round of 16 tie, and their striker has been one of their key players.
The Canada international has scored six goals in nine games in Europe’s elite competition, while also providing two assists, showcasing he is capable of performing at the very highest level.
After scoring against Montpellier at the weekend, the 25-year-old is remarkably now on 32 goal contributions in all competitions this season, indicating he very much deserves a move to one of Europe’s top clubs.
The Lille star has impressed in Ligue 1 for quite some time, being lauded as “amazing” by journalist Rick Westhead during the 2022-23 campaign, at which point he was outscoring the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Given that David is set to be available on a free transfer, he could be the perfect striker target for Tottenham, but they may find it very hard to compete for his signature, unless they manage to qualify for the Champions League via a Europa League triumph.
The last couple of years have been rough for Tottenham Hotspur.
The North Londoners were finally forced into selling club icon Harry Kane, and while Ange Postecoglou’s side have still been able to score plenty of goals, the results have been inconsistent at best.
Fortunately, with the signing of Dominic Solanke, it appears as if the club have found their new starting number nine for the next few years, as after two and a half campaigns of injuries and lacklustre displays, it’s become crystal clear that Richarlison is not that.
The Brazilian forward can never be accused of not trying, but he’s simply not clinical enough in front of goal, and now his valuation has fallen below that of a former youth player the club lost almost seven years ago who is now a regular starter in the Premier League.
Richarlison's Spurs career
Spurs decided to pay Everton £60m for Richarlison in the summer of 2022.
Former Everton forward Richarlison
While it was probably too much at the time, it wasn’t totally absurd, as in just 33 appearances for a subpar Toffees side, he managed to score 11 goals and provide five assists.
However, it didn’t take long for the move to look like a mistake, as by the end of his first campaign with the Lilywhites, the Nova Venécia-born forward had only managed to rack up a paltry record of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances, which comes out to a dire return of a goal involvement every five games.
His sophomore season in the capital wasn’t quite as bad as the 27-year-old marksman managed to score 12 goals and provide four assists for Postecoglou’s side, but injuries limited him to just 31 appearances and have been a constant problem during his time in N17.
For example, the former Watford star has already missed 33 games for the club this term, but even when he has played, he’s been underwhelming; in the 14 first-team appearances he’s only been able to make for the Australian, he’s only scored three goals and provided one assist.
In all, a mix of persistent injuries and disappointing performances have seen Richarlison’s valuation plummet since 2022, as according to Football Transfers, the Brazilian is only worth up to €38m, which comes to about £32m, or £28m less than he cost the club two and a half years ago.
Moreover, the former Goodison Park icon is now worth millions less than an academy player Spurs lost back in 2018.
Appearances
35
31
14
Games missed due to Injury
11
10
33
Goals
3
12
3
Assists
4
4
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.20
0.51
0.28
The Spurs academy star worth millions more than Richarlison
While this season has been something of a disaster for the first team, one of the few positives has been the emergence of academy stars like Mikey Moore, who’s already scored for the first team, Jamie Donley, who’s tearing it up for Leyton Orient and Lucá Williams-Barnett, who looks like he could be a future superstar.
Moreover, it looks as if the club will be keeping a hold of all three young stars for some time to come, which they weren’t able to do with Noni Madueke.
The Barnet-born dynamo was a part of the Lilywhites’ youth set-up until the summer of 2018 when he joined Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven, despite the North Londoners’ best efforts.
In the Netherlands, the youngster went from strength to strength and, in 80 first-team appearances, racked up an impressive haul of 20 goals and 14 assists, which was good enough to secure a £30m move to Chelsea in January 2023.
Despite initially struggling to assert himself in West London and break into the starting lineup, the “elite talent,” as was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is now a key member of Enzo Maresca’s first team squad.
Appearances
80
74
Goals
20
17
Assists
14
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.42
0.32
Before the potential hamstring injury he picked up on Friday, he had racked up a brilliant tally of eight goals and four assists in 38 appearances, totalling 1653 minutes.
That comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or every 137.75 minutes, which is why Football Transfers now value the Englishman at up to €58m, which comes to about £48m, or £16m more than Richarlison is now worth.
Ultimately, Spurs did try to keep a hold of Madueke in the past, so his exit cannot really be blamed on them, but it’s still likely frustrating for them to see him flourishing at Stamford Bridge, while one of their most expensive attacking signings most certainly is not.
Sold for £8m: Spurs' "dreadful" Poch flop is now outscoring Kulu & Maddison
The talented attacker just couldn’t get to grips with life at Spurs.
Ian Wright hailed Arsenal Women after their Champions League victory over Barcelona as he believes the triumph "saved the club from embarrassment".
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Arsenal crowned European championsEdged out Barcelona 1-0Wright wants a victory parade in North LondonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal etched their name into European football history once again as they secured the Women’s Champions League title in Lisbon, defeating Barcelona 1-0 in a tightly contested final. This marks the North London side’s first continental triumph since 2007, ending an 18-year wait and reviving the club’s glory days in women's football.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Swedish forward Stina Blackstenius, introduced from the bench, netted the game’s only goal to stun a Barcelona team that had dominated the tournament in recent years. With three Champions League titles in the past four seasons, the Catalan giants entered the final as firm favourites, but Arsenal defied the odds.
WHAT WRIGHT SAID
Arsenal legend Wright, who was present at the Estadio José Alvalade for the final, didn’t hold back in his praise for the women’s team. Speaking to after the match, Wright emphasized the importance of the victory not only in sporting terms but also for the broader morale of the club.
“Saved the club from the embarrassment of getting nothing this season when we played so well in the season with the men," he said.
“The ladies have saved the club, we have got something to celebrate. Of course they need a parade, they have beaten Barcelona in the Champions League [final], no one gave them a chance. Even I was saying it was going to be tough because they average four goals a game!
“So we needed to score goals to make sure that we beat them, in the end it was only one but everybody wrote them off. They deserve everything they are getting, all the accolades because this is a magnificent achievement. Look how far it’s come, I remember the Champions League being at Boreham Wood, look where we are and Arsenal winning it, it’s amazing!”
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Arsenal’s return to the final after nearly two decades had all the makings of a fairytale, especially against a Barcelona side many assumed would dominate. Yet, under the guidance of head coach Renee Slegers, the Gunners displayed tactical discipline and unwavering belief. And with that, the Gunners can celebrate not only a historic win but the pride of a club that refused to be overlooked.
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.
Imagn
14Chicago Stars
Prior Ranking: 13
Result: Lost 2-0 to North Carolina Courage
Ramifications: The Chicago Stars suffered another loss, dropping their record to 1-7-1, and sitting in last place. The Stars have struggled all season to compete on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they've conceded a league-worst 19 goals and have only scored five goals all season.
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13Utah Royals
Prior Ranking: 14
Result: Drew Washington Spirit 3-3
Ramifications: Earning a point on the road at Audi Field was a strong result for Utah, which sit just above the Stars in the league standings with a 1-6-2 record. The Royals managed to get three goals, scoring first against a strong Washington Spirit side. The game went back-and-fourth through the final minutes, and this was a different Royals side than we've seen all season.
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12Houston Dash
Prior Ranking: 11
Result: Lost to Portland Thorns 4-1
Ramifications: The Houston Dash fall this week after conceding four goals against the Thorns. It was a defensive nightmare for the Dash, wich struggled to possess and stop the Thorns from breaking through each line. The Dash are in 12th place in the league standings and have a lot of work to do to get above the playoff line.
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11Racing Louisville
Prior Ranking: 10
Result: Lost to Seattle Reign 1-0
Ramifications: The scoring power that we saw from Racing Louisville was hardly present against Seattle this. Louisville managed to play the Reign to a fairly even game, dominating the possession and even taking 20 shots to the Reign's four – however only one shot was actually on frame.
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.
Callum McGregor
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.
Ben Doak's untapped Celtic potential
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.
Celtic set to lose teen star
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.
Why Daniel Cummings could be Ben Doak 2.0
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.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have a tough assignment up next in the Premier League, against the in-form Everton. Whilst the gap between the Old Gold and 18th-place Ipswich Town is five points, Wolves will surely want a big three points to keep them well above the relegation zone.
This has, historically, been a good fixture for the West Midlands outfit. As per Transfermarkt, they have lost just four top flight games to Everton since their first season back in the Premier League in 2018/19, winning seven and scoring 21 goals.
So, with history on their side and a win needed, Wolves may well go into this game quietly confident. However, Vitor Pereira will be without his star man, Matheus Cunha.
Why Wolves will be without Cunha vs Everton
Last Saturday saw Wolves travel to Bournemouth in a tough assignment in the FA Cup. Despite taking the Cherries to penalties after a 1-1 draw, the Old Gold were defeated and ultimately eliminated from the FA Cup.
It was Cunha who got on the scoresheet, for this sublime strike on the hour mark.
The defeat was disappointing for Wolves, who fought hard but could not overcome a high-flying Bournemouth side. Defeat aside, the most frustrating part of the day for Wolves was Cunha’s red card.
He was sent off for violent conduct, after “fighting and kicking out at him before aiming a headbutt”, as BBC Sport put it. It means the Brazilian will miss three games, starting against Everton, although he will be absent for games against Southampton and West Ham United, too.
However, the FA have further charged him, claiming he “acted in an improper manner”. If found guilty, Cunha will miss a fourth game, a huge relegation six-pointer away to Ipswich at the start of April.
Looking in the shorter term, Wolves will definitely be without Cunha for the clash with the Toffees this weekend. He is a huge loss for Pereira’s side, but perhaps he could soften the blow by starting another deadly forward in his place.
Wolves’ perfect Cunha replacement
The Old Gold are a little depleted in attack going into the Everton game. Not only are they without Cunha, but Portuguese duo Goncalo Guedes and Rodrigo Gomes are only just returning from injury – albeit with the pair deemed “ready” to feature, according to Pereira. Either way, it could be a chance for Hee-chan Hwang to step up.
Chalkboard
The 2023/24 campaign was incredibly impressive from South Korean international, Hwang. In 29 Premier League games, he managed to get on the scoresheet on 12 occasions and grab three assists, too.
However, the former RB Salzburg attacker has struggled to replicate that form this season. He has scored just two goals in 17 top-flight appearances. They are the only times he has found the back of the net in any competition.
Despite his tough campaign this term, the 29-year-old has proven he can offer a source of goals in the top flight. In fact, last term, there were plenty of his stats, as per Squawka, that are comparable with Cunha.
For example, the Brazilian averaged 0.5 goals per 90 minutes, compared to 0.6 for Hwang. The South Korean attacker also had a better take-on success rate, with 54.55%, with Cunha averaging a 51.2% take-on success rate.
Stat (per 90)
Hwang
Cunha
Goals
0.6
0.5
Conversion rate
34.29%
20.69%
Chances created
0.7
1
Take-on success rate
54.55%
51.2%
Ground duels won
3.8
5.3
The Old Gold number 11 might fancy his chances of scoring against Everton should he come into the side at the weekend. He scored past the Toffees as recently as 2022/23, in a 1-1 draw at Molineux.
Replacing Cunha is obviously never going to be easy for Pereira. But, having someone like Hwang in the squad is certainly helpful. Statman Dave once described him as the “perfect modern forward”.
Perhaps he can help replace the goals Cunha brought to the side, and help Wolves earn a crucial three points against Everton at the weekend.
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