Given Celtic’s business model of buying young players at a low cost, providing them a platform on which to perform and ultimately selling them on at a profit, the Hoops experience more squad turnover than most.

Matt O’Riley is a prime example of this transfer strategy, arriving from Milton Keynes Dons for just £1.5m in January 2022, before being sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £25m last summer, a joint-record sale for a Scottish club, alongside Kieran Tierney’s move to Arsenal in 2019 and Jota who joined Al-Ittihad in 2023.

This merry-go-round has seen plenty of top-quality strikers donning the famous Hoops during the last decade or so, including Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard, Giorgos Giakoumakis and current first-choice centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi to name but a few.

Celtic do often get their recruitment right, particularly at the top end of the park, but this certainly isn’t always the case.

Celtic's worst-ever transfer window?

Following the summer window in 2020, Celtic put out this now infamous “Just sitting there thinking… what a window” tweet, mocking former striker Charlie Nicholas, who had criticised the club’s recruitment, but it turned out he was right.

Of the players pictured, Vasilis Barkas, Shane Duffy and Albian Ajeti were massive flops, Diego Laxalt was underwhelming, David Turnbull was decent, albeit but didn’t live up to his potential, and Mohamed Elyounoussi was sporadically impressive, but without much consistency.

The Hoops’ poor recruitment in 2020 actually extended back to the pre-pandemic January window too, paying £2m for Ismaila Soro’s services from Bnei Yehuda, while Patryk Klimala arrived from Jagiellonia Białystok for £3.5m.

Given that the world shut down and football was suspended mere weeks after his arrival in Glasgow, Klimala made just four appearances, totalling 101 minutes, during his first half-season at Celtic, but there was optimism he could have an impact the following year after an impressive showing in pre-season, most-notably scoring the goal below against Nice.

He then netted on the opening day of the Premiership season as the Bhoys hammered Hamilton Accies 5-1, on target shortly after being introduced as a substitute.

This though, was very much not the start of something, with Klimala scoring just three times in 28 appearances during what proved to be a catastrophic campaign, as Neil Lennon’s team ended up trophyless, finishing a whopping 25 points behind Rangers, with 20/21 still the only campaign since 2010/11 in which Celtic have not been crowned champions.

The Polish striker unceremoniously departed in April 2021, described as “surplus to requirements” by Noel Whelan in Football Insider, sold to New York Red Bulls for $4.8m, with Celtic remarkably getting their money back, despite his unnoteworthy stint in Glasgow, with Klimala becoming something of a globe trotter subsequently.

Patryk Klimala's post-Celtic career

Similar to Celtic, the New York Red Bulls almost certainly regret paying £3.5m for Klimala’s services.

He was actually their top-scorer with eight in 2021, as the New Jersey-based franchise finished 14th in the overall Major League Soccer standings, scoring just 14 goals in 63 appearances overall, losing his starting spot as RBNY improved in 2022.

As a result, the following January, he was sold to Israeli-based club Hapoel Be’er Sheva, scoring a miserly four goals in 23 outings, before his contract was mutually terminated towards the end of 2023 following the escalation of the Israel–Hamas war.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

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Śląsk Wrocław, back in his native Poland, took a chance on Klimala, but this did not pay off, failing to score in any of his 11 Ekstraklasa appearances for the Militarians, so much so that he was disregarded to their reserve side, who ply their trade in the Polish fourth-tier, unsurprisingly scoring four in four at that level, including a hat-trick against Górnik Polkowice, but this would prove to be just the start of his scoring spree.

In September 2024, Klimala joined A-League side Sydney FC and, despite now plying his trade on the other side of the world, he appears to have found a home.

Now 26 years old, he’s scored seven goals in 11 outings for the Sky Blues, bagging the winner on his A-League debut, which just so happened to be a Sydney derby against Western Sydney Wanderers.

He was on target in another Sydney derby victory in late November too, before continuing his scoring spree in defeat at Central Coast Mariners on Sunday, as the Sky Blues sit sixth in the A-League standings.

Patryk Klimala’s career by numbers

Club

Goals

Minutes per goal

Jagiellonia Białystok

11

211

Celtic

3

227

New York Red Bulls

14

289

Hapoel Be’er Sheva

4

281

Śląsk Wrocław

0

N/A

Sydney FC

7

135

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As outlined by the table, the striker has flourished at the start of his life Down Under so, while this doesn’t suggest Celtic should have kept hold of him, it does emphasise that just because a player doesn’t work out at one club, or four in this case, it doesn’t mean they won’t thrive at the right level and in the right environment.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Dec 8, 2024

The South Africa head coach says the batters lacked intent and belief

Mohammad Isam24-Mar-2022

Boucher on South Africa’s batting – “It was almost like we went out with the fear of getting out, rather than going out to set a total”•Getty Images

South Africa’s head coach Mark Boucher has said that his side’s “fear of failure” played a role in their defeat in the ODI series against Bangladesh. Boucher repeated the phrase several times during the post-match press conference, adding that the team lacked belief in playing spin, something that he considered they did well in Sri Lanka last year.The home side were bowled out for 154 in 37 overs, with offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz getting Bangladesh the initial breakthrough of Quinton de Kock’s wicket, while Shakib Al Hasan kept things steady later in the innings. Taskin Ahmed took eight wickets in both of South Africa’s losses, but Boucher believed that if they handled Mehidy and Shakib better, they could have won this series.Related

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“We lacked the intent today,” Boucher said. “After we got off to a very good start today, we went to sleep. It is certainly not the way we want to play. We wanted to take the game forward after a good start. We just didn’t manage to do that. I think they bowled well but you have to take some risks to create scoring opportunities. It was almost like we went out with the fear of getting out, rather than going out to set a total. The way the wicket played, it was over 300.”I think (the ODI side needs) belief in the way we want to play. We played spin well in Sri Lanka, but when we came to South Africa where the conditions helped the spinners, we went back to the old way of playing. We are still having a lot of chats, to try to get the guys to believe that this is the way to play spin in turning conditions.”It was almost Indian-sort of conditions in our home country. We want the guys to be proactive, but they didn’t do it today. We have been working on our shot selection. The guys know they have the armory to do that, but it is one thing to understand that you got it, but it is another thing to execute it. There seem to be a little bit of a block and fear of getting out, rather than understanding that the game is about runs and try to put the fear of failure out of your mind.”Boucher said that that the lack of pace offered by Bangladesh’s spinners was the key difference between how they played spin in Sri Lanka, and against India at home, and how they handled Bangladesh.”If you look at where we have come from, we always had problem playing spin. We worked hard to score all around the wicket. We have to be nice and aggressive, but also smart when playing spin. Certain players like Rassie (van der Dussen) did it against India in Paarl.”He took the game on, and it changed the whole state of the game. Bangladesh’s spinners bowled really slowly against us, so it is always difficult to run down and hit the ball over the top. We have the skillset to do it. I just think that the belief was not there maybe against this type of bowling. We almost went into our shells in this series.”Boucher, however, conceded that South Africa were outplayed by Bangladesh, which has set off some alarm bells for their direct qualification to the 2023 World Cup. Currently, South Africa are in ninth position in the ICC ODI Super League points table.”The alarm bells are always there. We are putting ourselves under pressure but we have to come to the party. I certainly believe that if we rock up, we stick to our game plans, we arrive with confidence, we can beat anyone in the world. We have shown that in the T20 World Cup.”It is basically the same personnel in our one-day team as well. We have a lot of things to talk about. We have beaten those teams (India, England, Australia) before. We have to beat them again to qualify (to the World Cup).”

Hardik Pandya led from the front in all three departments – scoring an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls, picking up a wicket and effecting a run-out – to set up a 37-run win for Gujarat Titans at the DY Patil Stadium. With four wins from five games, Titans are now at the top of the points table in IPL 2022.After being put in, Pandya and Abhinav Manohar added 86 off 55 balls for the fourth wicket to pull things away from Rajasthan Royals. Pandya and David Miller then ransacked 47 off the last three overs to further widen the gap.Jos Buttler started the chase in style, but the other Royals batters failed to turn up. Lockie Ferguson was superb, picking up 3 for 23. Rashid Khan was economical, giving away only 24 from his four. And IPL debutant left-arm seamer Yash Dayal finished with 3 for 40 after going for 33 in his first two overs.The only worry for Titans, at the moment, will be Pandya walking off the field with a thigh issue in the middle of his third over, the 18th of Royals’ innings.A mixed start for Titans
With Trent Boult missing out with a niggle, James Neesham opened the bowling for Royals. Matthew Wade took advantage of that and struck three fours – two off full tosses on either side of the pitch and the third off a short and wide delivery.Royals, though, had him run out in the very next over when Shubman Gill pushed one towards cover for a quick single but Rassie van der Dussen charged in, swooped low and nailed the direct hit at the striker’s end. Wade was well short.Kuldeep Sen had a returning Vijay Shankar caught behind but Pandya took him on, smashing him for three successive fours in the fifth over.As soon as the powerplay ended, Sanju Samson tried to sneak in an over from Riyan Parag as well. Pandya welcomed him with a straight six before Gill pulled him to the square leg boundary for four. But Parag had the last laugh when Gill got too greedy and holed out to long-on.Hardik Pandya scored his second straight unbeaten half-century•BCCI

Pandya-Manohar stand revives Titans
At 53 for 3 in the seventh over, Royals seemed to have the upper hand. More so when the next four overs went for only 24. But Pandya and Manohar then stepped on the gas. In the 13th over, Manohar hit Yuzvendra Chahal’s consecutive balls for a four and six. In the 14th, Sen ended up conceding three fours, the second of which brought up Pandya’s fifty off 33 balls.R Ashwin too, came in for the punishment. Pandya launched him for back-to-back sixes. Chahal removed Manohar for a 28-ball 43 after conceding another six but now the stage was set for Miller. Sen paid the price of that as Miller hit him for three fours and a six in a 21-run 19th over. Pandya then struck a six and four off Prasidh in the final over to apply the finishing touch.The Buttler show
Buttler got Royals to a flier, hitting Mohammed Shami for three fours in the first over of the chase. Dayal was next in the line. Buttler hit him for two fours and a six over fine leg, but Dayal responded by having Devdutt Padikkal caught at slip for a first-ball duck.After a quiet third over, Buttler once again got stuck into Dayal, this time hitting him for three fours and a six. At the end of four overs, Buttler had scored 48 out of the 49 runs Royals had on the board.Lockie Ferguson bowled a rampaging Jos Buttler with a slow yorker•BCCI

Ferguson turns the tide
Ashwin, who was promoted to No. 3, launched Rashid for a straight six. However, Ferguson sent him back – courtesy of an excellent, low catch from Miller at cover – for a run-a-ball 8. Four balls later, Buttler shuffled across and helped Ferguson over fine leg for a six, bringing up his fifty off just 23 balls. But Ferguson struck again, this time with a slower yorker to castle Buttler. That left Royals 65 for 3 after the powerplay.Another excellent piece of fielding saw Samson’s back. The batter punched one towards mid-off for a quick single but couldn’t beat Pandya’s direct hit. After three boundary-less overs, van der Dussen edged Dayal behind, leaving Royals 90 for 5 in the 11th over.Shimron Hetmyer tried to keep the chase alive, hitting Shami for a six and a four before holing out to long-on in the same over. In the last seven overs, Royals needed 76 with Parag and Neesham at the crease. But Ferguson returned in the 16th over to dismiss Parag. Two overs later, Pandya had Neesham caught and bowled with a slower one to all but seal the game.

Pochettino trimmed his USMNT roster from 60 down to 23, with some obvious picks and surprise omissions

With the 2026 World Cup just 15 months away, the U.S. men's national team player pool continues to take shape. It's still evolving, of course, as Mauricio Pochettino continues to learn about his group ahead of his fourth camp in charge.

But with his 23-man CONCACAF Nations League roster, Pochettino did offer some insight into where things stand on the road to 2026.

On Tuesday, U.S. Soccer announced Pochettino's team as the USMNT trimmed a 60-man preliminary list down to just 23. Many of the notable names were there: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, for example. Several, such as Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna, are back on the team – but for the first time under Pochettino. There were January camp and MLS stars, too, fresh off their big wins two months back.

Still, while 23 from the 60 did receive that call-up, that means 27 did not. There were surprises among that list of omissions, players that many expected would be involved as the USMNT pushes for a fourth consecutive Nations League crown, starting with a March 20 semifinal against Panama.

For those among the 27, this will certainly be a reminder that World Cup spots are on the line. It should be a reminder for the 23 who made it, too.

GOAL looks at the winners and losers from the USMNT's Nations League squad selection.

• Getty
  

  WINNER: Gio Reyna

  Despite everything that has gone on over the last few years, Reyna has generally stepped up for the USMNT. He'll get that opportunity again in this camp as, once again, Reyna returns to camp in need of a jolt due to his club situation.

  Reyna hasn't played much for Dortmund this season – including subbing in late in the team's Champions League victory over Lille on Wednesday. When he has, he generally hasn't been at his best. The USMNT midfielder has seemed to lack confidence, a player that hasn't quite figured out how to impact a game with this Dortmund team as assembled. In that sense, it's a risk to rely on him in games of this magnitude.

  In other ways, though, it isn't risky at all. Reyna has shown time and time again that he can separate his club form from his international form. He was named Best Player at the Nations League tournament just last year. He scored in the 2021 final, provided assists in the 2023 final and then, again, last year scored to earn that Best Player nod. More than anyone, Reyna has dominated this particular competition, and that's regardless of his club form.

  Now he'll relish the chance to work under Pochettino for the first time and, perhaps, the last time in a while. Because of the Club World Cup, Reyna would likely not be available for this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup if he remains at Dortmund. That fact has to be taken into account, too, even if his Dortmund future is far from certain.

  "I think one of the reasons to call him is because was a great opportunity," Pochettino said. "If not, it's going to be difficult to see him."

  This run under the USMNT boss could ignite him for Dortmund. Reyna has generally performed when he puts on a USMNT shirt, and If he does that again this camp, it'll be a huge step forward under the new coach.

  "I think his talent is there," Pochettino said, "and it's good to feel and see how he can help."

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• Getty
  

  LOSER: Brenden Aaronson

  Pochettino insisted that Aaronson's omission wasn't about form, it was about numbers. The reality is this, though: when you're in good form, the numbers seem to work in your favor, don't they?

  After a strong start to the season with Leeds, Aaronson has taken of a step back recently, scoring just once since the start of the new year. Leeds, of course, have kept on rolling and look bound for promotion. In fact, Aaronson and Leeds defeated Millwall 2-0 on Wednesday, retaining their spot atop the English Championship. The American played all 90 minutes and put on a brilliant midfield performance.

  He needs to keep turning in those high-caliber efforts. In the end, Pochettino broke down the numbers in terms of roster spots. After impressing in January camp, Diego Luna was in. So, too, was Reyna. Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic can play as a No. 10, too. There were other spots in the squad to address and, as a result, Aaronson was left out.

  The question is: now what? This certainly isn't a death blow for Aaronson's USMNT, but it is definitely a red flag. Aaronson is experienced and he certainly adds something to the national team but, going forward, he'll need to deliver more. He spoke to GOAL in the fall about adding more goals and assists to his game, and those would clearly help his case.

  Aaronson is fighting for his place , and this exclusion showed just how hard that fight will be for the next year or so.

• Getty Images
  

  WINNER: January campers

  For those who consider January camps a waste of time, here's the contrary evidence.

  Patrick Agyemang and Luna were the two big winners of that camp and, based on those performances, both are in this team. Neither have overwhelmed in the early MLS season, but they haven't had to. Luna, in particular, is someone that Pochettino has been tracking for some time and believes is ready to take a big leap forward.

  "He's a player that we followed from the day that we signed with the USA national team," Pochettino said. "We want to give another possibility, not only in January camp, but to have continuity. He's a player that can provide different things during a game and it's important for him to feel that confidence from us. He was good in the January camp and that's why we wanted to provide the possibility of joining us again."

  Luna and Agyemang aren't the only ones, though. Brian White is one of the more surprising inclusions on the roster after he, like Agyemang, was among the goalscorers in January. He's the biggest beneficiary of the USMNT's striker injury crisis and now, at the very least, he'll get a chance to win an international medal at age 29 in his first non-January call-up.

  "To have [Josh Sargent] and have Brian White and, of course, Patrick Agyemang, it's a good competition that then provides the national team with a good three strikers competing to play in a very important tournament," Pochettno said.

  Zack Steffen fits in that group, too. After several frustrating years out of the picture, Steffen was given a chance at January camp, too, and he passed with flying colors. He beat out Drake Callender, Matt Freese, Ethan Horvath and Diego Kochen for the third goalkeeper spot, likely due to his performance against Costa Rica a few weeks back.

  It goes to show that January camp, even in its current form, has its value. It's still a launchpad, even if it launches fewer careers than before because of the rise of Americans in Europe. Let this show that those games pay dividends.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Alejandro Zendejas

  While Aaronson's exclusion was a bit easier to explain, Zendejas' is hard to justify. He's in the form of his life at Club America, scoring and assisting for fun for the Liga MX champions. It wasn't enough, though, as Zendejas, too, was among those left out of the team.

  On form alone, it's hard to justify. After leading Club America to an Apertura title with four goal contributions in the final three games, Zendejas has been on fire to start the Clausura campaign. He has five goals and five assists in the first nine games of the new season. Again, though, it wasn't enough.

  Pochettino went in a different direction. Pulisic and Weah are the obvious starting wingers, so no issues there. Reyna and Luna, meanwhile, could play as inverted wingers if needed. Yunus Musah, too, is listed as a forward, which does indicate one of the ways Pochettino could use the versatile AC Milan regular.

  It all left Zendejas as the odd man out, despite him proving regularly on the club level that he can be a match-winner. It'll be a tough pill to swallow for the 27-year-old winger, but all he can do at the moment is keep playing well ahead of a potential return later this year.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil appears to be hanging onto his job by a thread after his side were smashed 4-0 by Everton in the Premier League earlier this week.

The Telegraph’s John Percy has reported that the English head coach will not be sacked before the clash with fellow strugglers West Ham United on Monday night, however.

Wolves are currently 19th in the table and have won just two of their 14 matches in the division, with both wins coming in November – against Southampton and Fulham.

With O’Neil under mounting pressure at the Molineux, the Old Gold board are reportedly looking at potential replacements for O’Neil in the dugout.

Wolves eyeing former Premier League managers

According to The Telegraph, Wolves are eyeing up Graham Potter, Rob Edwards, and David Moyes in the event that they decide to part ways with their current head coach.

The report claims, however, that there are doubts over whether or not Potter, whose last job was at Chelsea, would be willing to take on a relegation battle midway through the season.

It also states that Edwards, whose Luton team are 19th in the Championship, is an outsider in the running to replace O’Neil at the Premier League side.

This suggests that Moyes, who Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once said he admired for his long career and calm head in the dugout, could be the most likely candidate at this moment in time.

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Wolves could, now, land a big upgrade on the struggling O’Neil by deciding to move for the out-of-work tactician to help them to avoid relegation from the top-flight.

Why David Moyes is an upgrade on Gary O'Neil

The former Manchester United head coach, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, is an experienced boss who has managed in 19 Premier League seasons.

His team finished in the top half of the table in 13 of those 19 seasons, with West Ham, Everton, and Manchester United, and this shows that he knows how to manage a successful side at that level, whilst he has also excelled in Europe – winning the Conference League with the Hammers in 2023.

Since FBref started collecting xG data in the 2017/18 campaign, no Moyes team has ever finished inside the bottom four for Expected Goal Difference, which essentially shows how well the team is coached by the quality of chances they create minus the quality of chances that they concede.

Whereas, O’Neil finished 14th with Wolves last season but his side were 17th on Expected Goal Difference, with -21.00, and his Bournemouth side avoided the drop in 15th in the previous campaign despite finishing bottom on Expected Goal Difference, with -25.3.

This means that the Englishman’s teams, in both of his full seasons as a manager to date, have struggled in the Premier League, conceding far more high quality chances than they create, and that appears to finally be catching up with him this term.

Club

Games

Wins

Draws

Losses

West Ham (2nd spell)

230

103

43

84

West Ham (1st spell)

31

9

10

12

Sunderland

43

8

7

28

Real Sociedad

42

12

15

15

Man Utd

51

26

10

15

Everton

518

221

134

163

Preston

211

103

53

55

Moyes has a proven track record of coaching teams well in the English top-flight and has shown, with Everton and the Hammers, that he can take them to the next level to finish in the top half to compete in Europe, which is why he would come in as a big upgrade on O’Neil.

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ByKelan Sarson Dec 5, 2024

Newcastle United’s success has been wonderful. Supporters could never have dreamt of Champions League nights and consistent attacks toward the uppermost echelon of the Premier League table while languishing under Mike Ashley’s rule.

But the tycoon has been gone from Tyneside for several years now, and the pointers suggest that the Magpies are going to enjoy lofty heights for many years to come.

Eddie Howe has fashioned an outfit that it greater than the sum of its parts. St. James’ Park is home to some top-class players, of course, but the crop has grown as one through these exciting seasons of growth.

Newcastle have burgeoned, and while he’s not the… flashiest player in the squad, Joelinton embodies the development of his side, for he too has reached a level unseen after the dreary early days of his United career.

Joelinton's Newcastle resurgence

You’d have to credit Steve Bruce with the creation of this hybrid form of Joelinton, who was a flop, the floppiest of flops, in the seasons following his club-record £40m transfer from Hoffenheim.

Well-known manager Julian Nagelsmann had heralded the Brazilian as a “beast who is a nightmare to defend against” back in his German days, but he fell by the wayside in the Premier League, unable to adapt to the pace and intensity of the English game.

The striker-turned-roving-number-eight has been a fundamental part of Newcastle’s football under Howe’s wing, bringing a monstrous and unyielding style to charge the midfield and serve as a counterpoint of sorts to the music that Bruno Guimaraes creates with his technical command.

An effective Premier League striker he was not, but the 28-year-old has now completed 107 appearances under his manager across a four-year period, and is patently a midfielder of real importance within the Toon set-up.

His influence is emphasised through the data revealed by FBref. Over the past year, Joelinton ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for goals scored, the top 16% for progressive carries, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 19% for tackles per 90.

Effective in front of goal now that it’s not his chief responsibility and capable of bull-like penetrations into the danger area, Joelinton has been hailed for his reshaping by journalist Antonio Mango, who said: “the way he’s transformed himself is extraordinary.”

He’s also a key defensive component, for he has averaged 2.5 tackles and 5.9 successful duels per Premier League match, as per Sofascore, this season.

The complete midfielder? It certainly feels like he has it all in his locker when he’s on his a-game in black and white, and Howe must be chomping at the bit to repeat the club’s feat in sculpting such a player from raw parts.

Though he’s hardly struggling in his current deployment, Lewis Hall could be the next Magpie to bloom into a fresh role down the line.

Lewis Hall could be Howe's own Joelinton

Hall is doing quite the job at left-back for Newcastle, with Alan Shearer even claiming that he was “blown away” by the 20-year-old during his negation of Bukayo Saka’s quality during the 1-0 victory over Arsenal just shy of a month ago.

Sources close to Newcastle suggest that Hall has been told that his immediate Newcastle future will remain at left-back, despite the ace having plied most of his youth trade in central midfield. But he can thrive in the engine room again; it’s something that Howe should consider.

He’s showing that, like Joelinton, he can make the requisite tweaks to become a polished player capable of operating in the centre of the field, with analyst Raj Chohan already noting that the dynamo’s “defensive level is rapidly improving.”

Lewis Hall vs Premier League Full-backs (24/25)
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Assists	0.10	Top 32%
Shot-creating actions	2.67	Top 18%
Passes attempted	71.71	Top 8%
Progressive passes	5.96	Top 13%
Progressive carries	1.85	Top 42%
Ball recoveries	5.55	Top 11%
Tackles + interceptions	3.60	Top 35%
Blocks	1.85	Top 4%
Clearances	3.29	Top 25%
Aerial duels won	1.64	Top 13%
Stats via FBref

His statistical data, pulled from Premier League performances this season, show that Hall is turning into a robust and reliable option down the left channel, not the most active ball carrier but not shy of wading into the deep end when called upon.

The nuts and bolts of his skill set stem from technical quality and creativity, mixed against an ever-improving defensive spread that makes a telling comment on his faculty for success in midfield.

​​

Hall, hailed for his “sensational” showings by content creator Pete Davey, might spend some time on the defensive left flank over the coming campaigns, but he’s still so young and has all the properties required to become a superstar in the centre.

Newcastle’s decision to sign him from Chelsea, who he cut his teeth with as a youth, for a £28m fee in August after he spent the 2023/24 season on loan at St. James’ Park is proving to be a brilliant one, even if it was met with scepticism initially.

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With nine top-flight starts to his name already this term, averaging 1.3 key passes and 4.5 ball recoveries per game, Hall is becoming one of Newcastle’s most important members.

Who’s to say that he couldn’t emulate Joelinton though, and step into midfield down the line to help propel Newcastle even further forward?

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By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 27, 2024

Christian Eriksen hinted at a Manchester United exit in the summer as the midfielder addressed a potential return to Ajax.

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Eriksen has only a few months left in his contractThe midfielder is already seeking a fresh challenge Could reuntite with Ajax for a second stintFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 33-year-old midfielder, who joined United in 2022, signed a three-year deal following a short but impressive stint at Brentford, which marked his return to professional football after recovering from a cardiac arrest suffered during Euro 2020 while representing Denmark.

Since joining the Red Devils, Eriksen has made 99 appearances, scoring seven goals and playing a crucial role in helping the club secure the FA Cup last season under Erik ten Hag. However, reports suggest that United will not be offering an extension, leaving the experienced midfielder in search of a new club ahead of the 2025-26 season.

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Speaking to , Eriksen revealed that he is yet to decide on his future.

“I haven’t thought about it that much. It’s the same principle as last time, the contract expires in the summer, so in my head I’m prepared to find something new. I’m actually fine with that, whatever it is, it’s not something I’ve decided yet,” he said.

"Before my cardiac arrest, I spent years in England, then moved to Inter and thought I'd never come back. Two years later, I was back in England, and now it's almost been four years here. Careers don’t always follow a set plan. I don’t have a checklist of things I must accomplish—I’ll take things as they come and decide what’s best for me and my family."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

One possible destination for Eriksen could be Ajax, the club where he spent five successful years before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. Last summer, Ajax were linked with an interest in bringing him back, and their sporting director, Alex Kroes, confirmed that discussions had taken place. When asked about the possibility of a return to the Dutch club, Eriksen refused to dismiss the idea.

“No, I’m not closing the door on anything,” Eriksen explained. “I’ll see what comes up and whether it’s something that fits. That was last summer. We’ll have to see where they stand this summer. Of course, it’s also about the interest from the other side and not just from the player.”

DID YOU KNOW?

While Eriksen remains open to new challenges, he has ruled out a return to Denmark's Superliga or a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

"I am not going to the USA – we are not going that far," he confirmed. "We would like to stay in Europe, but it is too early to go home to Denmark. I feel like I have some good years abroad left."

تغزل أسطورة نادي آرسنال، تييري هنري، في النجم المصري محمد صلاح بعد أدائه في مباراة الأمس ضد وست هام، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث حقق ليفربول فوزًا صعبًا.

وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الثانية والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز ليفربول بهدفين لهدف، ليقترب خطوة أخرى نحو لقب البطولة.

وتمكن محمد صلاح من صناعة هدف ليفربول الأول، بطريقة رائعة، لزميله لويس دياز.

وأصبح محمد صلاح بذلك أكثر اللاعبين مساهمة في الأهداف في تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي، خلال موسم واحد، بنظامه الحديث المكون من 38 مباراة.

وساهم محمد صلاح في 45 هدفًا في الموسم الحالي من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث سجل 27 هدفًا وصنع 18.

وقال تييري هنري، في تصريحات لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية: “محمد صلاح مثل النبيذ الفاخر، إذا كنت تبحث عن شيء، وسعيت إليه، ستنجح في النهاية”.

اقرأ أيضًا | “يستطيع التصرف بفمه”.. تييري هنري يوضح الفارق بين فان دايك ومحمد صلاح

وأضاف: “يمكن النظر إلى طريقة لعبه مؤخرًا، طريقة سلوت في بناء هذا الفريق، ما يقدمه حاليًا هو شيء أسطوري، هذا هو الواقع”.

وتفوق محمد صلاح على رقم تييري هنري، كأكثر من ساهم في الأهداف في موسم واحد في الدوري الإنجليزي.

ويتواجد تييري هنري في تلك القائمة، حيث سبق له المساهمة في 44 هدفًا في 2002/03، وكذلك ساهم في 39 هدفًا في موسم 2004/05.

وعندما أخبره جيمي كاراجر بتحطيم محمد صلاح رقمه، وكذلك إيرلينج هالاند (2022/23)، قال: “أنا لم أكن أعلم ذلك، كما سبق وأن أخبرتك، لم أكن أعرف!”. 

 

MatériaMais Notícias

O LANCE! errou o nome do empresário do criador de conteúdo para internet Iran Ferreira, o Luva de Pedreiro, em postagem nas suas redes sociais. Ao contrário do que foi divulgado, Bernardo Pontes não faz parte da equipe do Luva de Pedreiro. O verdadeiro agente de Iran Ferreira é Allan Jesus. Pedimos desculpas a Bernardo Pontes pelo engano.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is personally eyeing a La Liga club’s “superior” star player, who is currently regarded as their saving grace amid the side’s lacklustre start to the campaign.

Tottenham target new winger amid Timo Werner uncertainty

Right now, it is currently undecided whether Spurs will take up the £8.5 million option to buy RB Leipzig loanee Timo Werner permanently at the end of this season – leading to reports that the Lilywhites are targeting long-term potential replacements for the German.

£80m Tottenham star set to leave as Levy eyes "very ambitious" replacement

Ange Postecoglou’s could be severely weakened in 2025.

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Werner has got a goal and two assists to his name in all competitions this season, with the 28-year-old getting on a Spurs scoresheet for the first time since March during their 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

The former Chelsea star has been criticised for his wasteful finishing in front of goal, which has become a recurring theme, with Werner failing to repeat his prolific 34-goal haul in all competitions for Leipzig back in 2019/20.

“I mean, Timo Werner. Timo Werner whatever he did in Germany, he has been unable to do in two spells in England,” said ESPN pundit Craig Burley after his gaping missed chances against Manchester United earlier this season.

“His end product was once again atrocious, and that adds to the pressure that goes on a team defensively when you are just not finishing teams off. It wasn’t just Timo Werner, but if he starts the next game after the international break, I will be very surprised.

“A young 17-year-old in [Mikey] Moore is probably going to come in his place. Brennan Johnson has come through a tough time when people were talking about his end product. He gets six goals in six.”

Tottenham vs Fulham

December 1

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Tottenham vs Chelsea

December 8

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 22

Tottenham have refused to rule out the possibility of keeping Werner beyond this campaign, but it is believed the likes of Denmark winger Andreas Skov Olsen of Club Brugge are being monitored as possible long-term stand-ins (GiveMeSport).

Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo, a player dubbed the “Japanese Messi”, is also a target for the north Londoners as they weigh up replacements for Werner should they decide not to activate his buy-out clause.

Postecoglou eyeing Real Valladolid star Raul Moro for Tottenham

According to GiveMeSport, another winger in Tottenham’s thinking is Real Valladolid sensation Raul Moro.

The Spain Under-21 international, who can play on either flank, has bagged three goals and an assist for Valladolid in all competitions – with members of the Spanish media branding Moro their “superior” star player in a relegation-threatened team at the foot of the table.

Now, GMS writes that Moro is on Postecoglou’s personal radar at Tottenham, with the club sending scouts on missions to assess the 21-year-old ahead of a potential move this winter.

The forward would also cost around the £9 million mark, which makes this a very doable mid-season transfer financially.