Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo continues to "brighten up every game" and remains capable of scoring "amazing goals", claims Paulo Sergio.

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Showing no sign of slowing downGOAT status already securedRemains a source of inspirationFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has earned all-time great status as a result of his ability to illuminate almost any contest that he graces. A remarkable career has taken him from Sporting to Saudi Arabia via Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

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At 40 years of age, CR7 is showing no sign of slowing down. He has hit 32 goals through 36 appearances for Al-Nassr this season and continues to chase down 1,000 in total before any thought is given to retirement.

WHAT PAULO SERGIO SAID

Fellow Portuguese Paulo Sergio, who is also in the Saudi Pro League as manager of Al-Okhdood, remains in awe of Ronaldo. He has told : “Cristiano is a flag bearer for the championship. He drives all the marketing around this league, gives it a lot of visibility and continues to score amazing goals and brighten up every game he takes part in.”

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Ronaldo helped to break down barriers when moving to the Middle East in 2023, with Paulo Sergio impressed with how quickly the Saudi league has developed since his previous stint with Al Taawoun in 2019. He added: “At the time, it was already a championship with a lot of good players. Now, with permission to play with eight foreigners and with a very strong investment in football, it is a well thought out and structured project. Top-notch players are coming here, who would certainly be playing in the best championships in Europe.”

Once again turning their attention towards future stars, Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on signing another Premier League gem alongside Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho this month.

Chelsea transfer news

A side building for years to come, a young Chelsea squad are beginning to fall away from their early season form as defeat at the hands of struggling champions Manchester City exposed for all to see.

Despite taking the lead within the first three minutes through Noni Madueke, who took full advantage of Abdukodir Khusanov’s nightmare start in a Man City shirt, Chelsea eventually found themselves on the end of a 3-1 defeat with another Robert Sanchez mistake at the heart of proceedings.

Such a defeat won’t stand in the way of Chelsea’s transfer plans this month, however, with Garnacho the name threatening to steal the headlines. Out of favour at Manchester United, a swap deal between himself and Christopher Nkunku has reportedly been discussed, which would see the Blues kill two birds with one stone.

It’s then at Stamford Bridge that Garnacho could be joined by another young Premier League talent. According to reports in Spain, Chelsea now want to sign Jermy Monga from Leicester City in another move with the future in mind.

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Still just 15 years old, Monga is quite the prospect and perhaps the future of Chelsea’s attack should they get their deal over the line. Appearing for Leicester’s U18s this season – scoring once and assisting three times in four appearances – the teenager is ahead of schedule in his development and seemingly destined for the top.

In one swoop, Chelsea could land two wingers capable of playing a part for years to come at Stamford Bridge with Monga eventually joining what would be a Garnacho at the peak of his powers when he’s ready for senior football on a consistent basis.

Monga is one to watch

Throughout Premier League history, Stamford Bridge has been the place to be for young players. Whether it’s been John Terry, Frank Lampard or now Cole Palmer, all made the switch to join up with the West London club at a young age before stealing the show in their own rights. Now, Monga could follow that same path from Leicester to Chelsea glory.

The young winger is certainly one to watch given his current trajectory and when the time comes, he’ll have quite the decision to make regarding his future. There’s undoubtedly space in Chelsea’s youth side for a starring winger these days too following the exit of Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool last summer.

By signing Monga, those at Stamford Bridge could be instantly making up for Ngumoha’s exit, which looks likely to become their latest transfer regret as he continues to progress at Anfield.

Maintaining their transfer policy, Chelsea are gradually transforming into a side to be feared with several stars destined to have their say for years to come in the Premier League.

Josh Hazlewood believes it would make for more stability if Australia’s next ODI captain was available for as many matches of the format as possible rather than regularly switching between leaders.Hazlewood has previously been vice-captain of the Test side and is a now an integral part of the ODI and T20I teams, after an outstanding 18 months in white-ball cricket, but said he had given no thought to the potential of following Pat Cummins’ path into captaincy to replace Aaron Finch.Cummins has been linked to the ODI job and on Tuesday did not rule it out but said workloads would need to be managed. If, as seems likely, Finch finishes his T20I career as well after the World Cup, Australia will need new captains in two formats. David Warner’s captaincy ban is set to be reviewed by Cricket Australia which would open the door for him finishing his international career in charge, while Steven Smith is another candidate along with Alex Carey for the one-day side.”With the quicks we are probably going to rest here and there so it’s not like Patty with the Tests playing every game, hopefully barring injury, [we will] probably use those moments in white-ball to rest,” Hazlewood said at the launch of Australia’s T20 World Cup kit. “That could create a reshuffle of captaincy and vice-captain all the time so you probably want someone there who is stable and playing every game, makes it a lot easier I think.”Related

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Finch will not be easy to replace as a captain, but Hazlewood was confident the transition could be managed because most of the Australia side are now senior players at international level.”We’ve got a good relationship with Finchy, the bowling attack has been pretty similar for however long he’s been captain really,” he said. “We know each other really well and [he’s] pulling the strings out there on the field, discussions with the strategy teams and coaches.”Think all the teams feel they are quite senior and there are a lot of guys who take leadership upon themselves in the middle when they were doing their skill. There’s quite a lot of experience and think it will be quite easy for the next captain to come in and seamlessly transition.”While Finch has been constantly backed heading into the T20 World Cup title defence, if he does not score runs during Australia’s lead-up – which begins with three matches in India next week followed by series against West Indies and England – his form will continue to hang over the team, particularly amid the ongoing discussion over how Tim David fits into the side, assuming all the first-choice players overcome their various injuries.However, Glenn Maxwell said that what Finch brings as captain is a crucial part of the T20 side and also praised the way his personal struggles with the bat had not impacted him in the field during recent weeks.”Think we saw it a lot least year in the UAE, thought he was outstanding with our whole bowling group, brilliant with the strategy side of it and the way he keeps the group nice and calm,” Maxwell said. “It’s a very underrated thing in T20 cricket, you think it’s all helter-skelter…but he’s really good tactically, don’t discount his value as captain.”Once he gets out on the field and takes control of the team he’s just so focused on the job and almost forgets about what’s happened earlier in the day or what he has to do later. He’s been able to focus on the job in hand really well. That’s a credit to him.”Obviously it wasn’t the easiest time over the last little bit in one-day cricket, but his attitude never changed and the professionalism he brought to the team was brilliant. We are very thankful, when he took over the job it was a pretty tough time and he took care of the group and got them out the other side. We are all really proud the way he led us.”

Liverpool now hold concrete interest in signing an “exceptional” £50m winger to replace Mohamed Salah this summer, with a report dropping a new update on the Egyptian’s future at Anfield.

Reds assessing options to replace Salah

Of course, every Liverpool fan will be hoping Salah extends his stay at Anfield beyond the end of the season, but it is by no means a guarantee, amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, meaning Arne Slot has started to assess potential replacements.

At one stage, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo was deemed the player most likely to replace the 32-year-old, with the Merseyside club said to be willing to make an offer of £42m to get a deal over the line.

Earlier in the January transfer window, the Reds also made an approach to sign AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, offering the Cherries a player plus-cash deal involving Ben Doak.

Semenyo is not the only Premier League forward Slot is considering as a potential replacement for Salah, however, with TEAMtalk revealing there is concrete interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo in light of the forward’s impressive performances this season.

There may be competition for Mbeumo’s signature, however, with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also very keen, and Liverpool’s interest is said to be intertwined with the situation surrounding Salah’s long-term future at Anfield.

If the forward decides to extend his stay on Merseyside, the Reds may choose to wait at least another window or two before pursuing a new right-winger, but if he chooses to move on this summer, they could step up their pursuit of the Brentford star.

With Neymar leaving Al-Hilal to sign for Santos, the Saudi Pro League side could push to sign Salah this summer, having identified him as their top target, as they want to replace the Brazilian with another big-name player.

Related Liverpool make enquiry over "outrageous" £20m star who's wanted by Man Utd

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Posts ByDominic Lund Jan 29, 2025 Mbeumo improving year-on-year

The Cameroon international played a key role for the Bees in their rise from the Championship to the top flight, scoring 23 goals across two seasons in the second tier, and he has since gone on to prove himself as a top player in the Premier League.

This season has been the France-born winger’s most impressive by some way, having amassed 17 goal contributions in the Premier League, most recently finding the back of the net in Brentford’s 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace.

That said, the £50m-valued forward, who has been described as “exceptional” by members of the media, is yet to prove himself at the very highest level, and it would be a risk to bring him in to replace Salah.

All being well, the Liverpool talisman will commit to a new contract to secure his long-term future before the end of the season, as truth be told, it is extremely unlikely the Reds will be able to find any player capable of replicating his attacking numbers.

It has been a busy transfer window so far for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have made three new first-team signings, and have not been afraid to spend big money. The most notable addition has been Omar Marmoush, who joined the club for £59m from Eintracht Frankfurt.

They have also made two new additions at centre-back. One of those was Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who cost £33.6m up front with add-ons on top of that. City also bright in young Brazilian centre-back Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, who cost the Premier League champions £29.6m.

The Citizens might not be done with transfer business yet, however, because they have recently been linked with a new addition in midfield.

City target new midfielder

The player in question here is Porto and Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez. The 23-year-old has impressed with the Portuguese side this season and now could be in line for a departure before the January transfer window slams shut on Monday.

According to a report from journalist Fabrizio Romano, the reigning Premier League champions have made a ‘formal approach’ to Porto to enquire about signing the Spaniard this month.

However, this may be a tough deal for the Citizens to get over the line. Porto are hoping to keep their midfielder beyond the 3rd of February and will demand an ‘important transfer fee’ or he will stay at the club.

Gonzalez – who reportedly earns £18k-per-week, as per Capology – has a £50m release clause in his contract, and it seems like City will need to meet this to sign him.

Why Gonzalez would be a good signing

It has been an impressive season for Gonzalez so far for Porto. In 29 games for the Dragons this season, he has seven goals and six assists, good numbers from midfield.

Perhaps his most important goal contribution came against Sporting in the Supertaca Candido de Oliveira, the Portuguese Super Cup. He scored a crucial goal in a 4-3 win, helping his side to the trophy.

Gonzalez, an “elegant” midfielder according to football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, came through Barcelona’s esteemed La Masia academy. He played 37 times for the La Liga giants, scoring two goals and two assists before departing the club, first on loan to Valencia and then making the permanent move to Porto.

If the Citizens got this deal over the line, he could be the second coming of Rodri. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has been injured for much of the season, although he is “the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far” according to Guardiola.

It has been an extraordinary few years at City for Rodri. He has played 260 times for the club, chipping in with 56 crucial goals and assists.

Undoubtedly his most important strike came in the 2022/23 Champions League final against Inter, where the midfielder scored the only goal to seal the treble for City.

There are certainly similarities between the two midfielders, even if Gonzalez is a more offensive player than Rodri. Both are Spaniards who have had experience playing at a big club in La Liga before making a move to further their career. Of course, the similarities could extend even more if Gonzalez joins City.

Even though they are different types of players, with Gonzalez a more advanced midfielder, you can still see some statistical comparison between the pair, from the 2023/24 Champions League, courtesy of Squawka.

For example, the Porto man had an average pass accuracy of 87.01% and won five ground duels per game. In comparison, Rodri managed a 91.88% pass accuracy and won 4.2 ground duels per game.

Stat (per 90)

Gonzalez

Rodri

Pass accuracy

87.01%

91.88%

Ground duels won

5

4.2

Lay-offs completed

1.5

1.2

Tackles made

2.4

1.9

Ball recoveries

3.4

6.8

There are lots of similarities between Gonzalez and Rodri, even if the pair are not stylistically the same. They both look after the ball well and work hard without possession, and, of course, both hail from Spain.

Although £50m is a big investment for City, this could be a brilliant signing to add to the quality in midfield.

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Pragmatic refusal of risky chase annoys Lancashire but improves survival prospects

Paul Edwards08-Sep-2022
The 277th Roses match ended at Emirates Old Trafford this evening when rain interrupted Yorkshire’s studious non-pursuit of 302 in 84 overs to beat Lancashire. Rarely can a county have shown so little interest in a target. When the players came off the field for the final time, the visitors were 102 for 3 after 63.2 overs with Tom Kohler-Cadmore on 34 not out after resisting 159 balls and Will Fraine unbeaten on 18 after blocking to death 83 deliveries. It was a low-key conclusion to a match that had been significantly interrupted on its first three days and played on a sleepy pitch whose lifelessness was only truly transcended by the brilliance of Luke Wells on the third afternoon.However, context is all and Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson was quick to defend his side after a result that keeps them in sixth place in Division One, 25 points ahead of eleventh-placed Warwickshire with both teams having three games to play. In other words, Gibson’s team are not yet safe from relegation but they are a damn sight safer than they would have been if they had risked a dart at the target with an under-strength batting order and cocked the job up. Did the fourth innings of this game make for tough watching at times? Certainly. Did it make tactical sense in the context of a six-month season. Yes to that, too.Understandably, perhaps, Lancashire’s head coach, Glen Chapple took a different view. “We set them 302 in 84 overs which for me is 50-50 game,” he said. “I don’t know what more you can do. It was a flat enough pitch to block if you wanted to but that was a fair target. We’d have got 300 on that no problem, but we can’t judge how positive teams are going to be.””I’m proud of the lads with the way we batted today,” Gibson responded. “Another team could have capitulated today.”But maybe we could all profit in these fervid times from celebrating a game that is comfortable with contrasting tempi and diverse formats. “It is on T20 nights like these where…the true Roses match increasingly resides,” wrote my colleague David Hopps in June as he reviewed Lancashire’s four-run victory in the Vitality Blast. Perhaps so, but maybe the indefinite article would have been a wiser word-choice.For while the Roses match does, indeed, have a secure home on those hot summer nights, it also belongs to this late afternoon in early September with Championship points at stake, rain threatening and spinners like Tom Hartley and Matt Parkinson probing like malevolent dentists. Blast or Champo? It is not a binary choice. Help yourself to both and let us hope the current integrity of both competitions is not polluted by unnecessary reform, well-meaning or otherwise.And the crowd at Emirates Old Trafford did have some biff and bang to amuse them on this high-clouded Mancunian day. That was on offer when Lancashire scored 77 runs in ten overs before the declaration this morning for the loss of Dane Vilas, bowled by Dom Bess for 28, and George Lavelle, caught by Will Fraine off Jonny Tattersall for a single. However, the home side’s batting order has had a vaguely Hanoverian aspect of late, so George Balderson succeeded Lavelle on a day that had already seen Vilas shovel the ball directly behind him and Tattersall take the second – and last? – first-class wicket of his career.The random eccentricities continued when Lyth was dropped at short-leg by Josh Bohannon off the first ball of Yorkshire’s innings but neither the suffering bowler, Tom Bailey, nor Will Williams could make any immediate breakthroughs with the new ball. Indeed, it was the 12th over before Lyth’s careless drive nicked a catch to Lavelle and Lancashire’s morning got much better twenty minutes later when George Hill edged Tom Hartley to second slip, where Vilas took a sharp catch.In retrospect, though, Yorkshire’s lunch score of 30 for two represented their weakest moment of the day. For over an hour in the afternoon session Fin Bean batted with perfect composure to make 25 in two hours and it took a ball that bounced high out of the rough from Tom Hartley to bring about his downfall, George Lavelle taking the catch to complete a dismissal that heartened the watching Simon Sutcliffe, the former Warwickshire bowler who coached both Hartley and Lavelle at Merchant Taylor’s School, Crosby.”I think Fin’s had a very good debut,” said Gibson. “Even though he didn’t go on and get a hundred or a fifty, he faced a lot of balls and spent a lot of time in the middle. Those innings will do the world for him going forwards into the rest of the season.”Bean did indeed bat well twice in this match and his innings on the final afternoon set the tone for Kohler-Cadmore and Fraine’s stroke-starved siege. When their opponents were 81 for 3 after 48 overs, Lancashire asked for the ball to be changed but that is generally a certain sign that the fielding side does not like the shape of the game. Yorkshire were 84 for 3 at tea, at which point Kohler-Cadmore and Fraine’s stand had yielded 17 runs in 19 overs. On the resumption another 18 were scored in 10.2 overs before a shower of rain interrupted play and, as we soon discovered, ended the whole shebang.

Jude Bellingham had a rough night as Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League, joining Harry Kane and Eric Dier in exiting the competition.

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• Bellingham struggles as Madrid lose
• Kane & Dier score for Bayern Munich
• Both teams go crashing out of UCL

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Madrid had a mountain to climb already having lost 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Arsenal, with England star Bellingham failing to impress as they went down 2-1 at home. Instead, Vinicius Junior got the goal, while strikes from Bukayo Saka, who also missed a penalty, and Gabriel Martinelli gave the Gunners the victory.

  Meanwhile, Kane fired Bayern to the lead in the second half, taking on a pass from Leon Goretzka, squaring up to Federico Dimarco and eventually blasting into the net, pulling the German side level on aggregate after their 2-1 loss in Munich last week.

  Inter pulled level soon after through Lautaro Martinez and then went ahead with a Benjamin Pavard header. While Kane's fellow England and former Tottenham team-mate Dier equalised for the German side, it was not enough as they went crashing out of the competition at the quarter-final stage.

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  HOW DID THE MEDIA RATE KANE & BELLINGHAM'S PERFORMANCES?

  Giving him a 4.5, wrote of Bellingham's performance: "He didn't have much of an input at the start. In his first appearance, he delivered a goal-scoring ball from the left that none of his team-mates believed in. But much more is expected of him in such a demanding match. In the second half, he started getting into more trouble than advisable, which is also nothing new. More heart than head in one of those games where he's supposed to make a difference."

  "Kane had the frenzied Bayern fans in the venerable San Siro dreaming of a 'small miracle', slamming the ball through Dimarco's legs into the far corner for the much-celebrated lead," wrote .

  The outlet continued: "Dier restored hope with his header and equalized to 2-2. But another goal eluded him, and Inter held on to the tie, sealing not only the end for Bayern—but also for Thomas Muller," with the Germany legend playing his last Champions League match for the club."

  said of Dier: "Five minutes before half-time, his sluggishness was clearly noticeable. Thuram almost played him into knots, and shortly thereafter, he received a yellow card 30 meters from the opposing goal… After an hour, he saved Bayern from conceding another goal with a stunning sliding tackle. He didn't always look solid defensively, but his goal gave Bayern renewed hope."

  The same outlet said of Kane: "He made a rather sluggish impression in the first half hour and didn't seem particularly quick to act. He only woke up a bit towards the end of the first 45 minutes…and in the 52nd minute, he sent the visitors' section of the San Siro into a frenzy. He received a pass on the inside right flank in the penalty area, calmly laid the ball on his right foot, forcing his opponent Dimarco to lunge, and coolly shot through Dimarco's legs into the far corner. Deliberate, composed, world-class. However, in the tighter phase, he wasn't as present as one would hope from a top star in a top game."

• WHAT ARE THE FANS SAYING ON SOCIAL?

  Arsenal fans enjoyed seeing Bellingham struggle while Declan Rice thrived once again against Madrid, with @wowzers69696 writing on X: "Declan Rice and Bellingham are on the same pitch and Declan Rice is levels above. This guy is f*cking ridiculous."

  "Rice has put Bellingham to shame over these two legs," @UtdEIIis said.

  Of course, some spectators couldn't help but laugh at the fact that two former Tottenham players were involved in their European demise.

  @NimaTavRood wrote: "Dier with a great header. Kane, Dier, Crouch, Bale etc what is it with Spurs players scoring at the San Siro??"

  @MenInBlazers asked: "Harry Kane and Eric Dier on the scoresheet for the same team in the Champions League. What in the Spurs 2019 is going on?!"

  @AldoLFC chimed in with: "Harry Kane & Eric Dier both scoring for Bayern as they are knocked out of Europe is quite funny. You can take the players out of Spurs but ………."

  @bjon_bbttr added: "So Kane really gonna not win anything when with Bayern again?"

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The European dream is over for Bayern and Madrid but they are both aiming for domestic glory. Bayern have a six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga and will be confident of maintaining that when they face Heidenheim this weekend, while Madrid take on Athletic Club on Sunday.

Sheffield United are interested in signing an “incredible” attacking player before the end of the January transfer window, according to a new update.

Latest Sheffield United news

The Blades still have time to add to their squad this month, as Chris Wilder eyes reinforcements who can increase his side’s chances of sealing promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

Jonjoe Kenny has emerged as a leading target for United, with Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg reporting that the club are in “advanced negotiations” with Hertha Berlin over the signing of the right-back, who could make a return to England after previously playing for Everton.

Queens Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne has been a key player for his side this season, but the Blades are also believed to be eyeing him up in January. He is out of contract at his current club at the end of this season, meaning they may be happy to sell now rather than lose him on a free transfer.

Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence is another possible option for United, with the 31-year-old backed to complete a move to Bramall Lane. He remains at Ibrox for now, though.

Sheffield United eyeing move for "incredible" striker

According to a report from Spain, Sheffield United are interested in signing former Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who is now playing for Sevilla.

The Blades are far from the only club showing a willingness to snap him up, however, with Panathinaikos and Watford both mentioned in the report, too. Meanwhile, Leeds United looked set to sign him at one point recently, but that move hasn’t materialised as of yet.

Iheanacho could be a signing of real intent by the Blades, given his pedigree as a top-level attacking player down the years, scoring 42 goals in 196 appearances in the Premier League, as well as netting 15 times in 55 caps for Nigeria.

Brendan Rodgers is under no illusions as to what a top-quality player the 28-year-old, waxing lyrical over him during their time together at Leicester City back in 2021: “Over the last few months Kelechi has been absolutely incredible. It wasn’t just his goal but his work-rate, he wants to press the game. He has no ego whatsoever and he works so hard.”

Leicester City

232

61

34

Manchester City

64

21

7

Sevilla

11

3

0

At 28, United wouldn’t be signing a player on the wane, which would feel risky, with Iheanacho still very much at peak age in his career, being capable of being a key man from the off.

To pip Leeds to the Nigerian’s signature would also feel sweet, considering they are locking horns with them in the Championship promotion battle, and he could be a difference-maker between now and May.

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Iheanacho has only managed five starts in La Liga this season, so he may well want a move away from Sevilla as well, so it could be a match made in heaven for him and the Blades.

Vitor Pereira will firmly believe that his Wolverhampton Wanderers side can beat the Premier League drop, having overseen a big 2-0 win over Aston Villa last time out.

The relegation-threatened Old Gold were full value for that victory come full-time, having restricted Unai Emery’s away side to just one big chance all game.

Whilst Pereira would have pleased with Matheus Cunha picking up another goal to add to this Premier League resume for the season, this dogged display at the back would have impressed him even more.

Already, it seems as if fresh recruit Emmanuel Agbadou has taken to the English game like a duck to water, with the ex-Stade De Reims ace now set to be joined by a new face in the heart of defence.

Wolves' deadline signing of Djiga

Right at the death of the window, Pereira added in another new defensive body in the form of Red Star Belgrade star Nasser Djiga, with the options now available to the Portuguese head coach looking plentiful.

Indeed, in the centre-back spots, the ex-Al Shabab manager has the aforementioned Agbadou that he can rely on who won a startling 18 duels recently against Arsenal, on top of rocks such as Matt Doherty and Toti Gomes who performed in a similarly valiant manner versus Villa.

Stat

Agbadou

Doherty

Gomes

Minutes played

90

90

90

Goals conceded

0

0

0

Touches

40

42

53

Accurate passes

23/27 (85%)

23/26 (88%)

32/40 (80%)

Possession lost

5x

5x

9x

Clearances

7

7

4

Blocked shots

1

0

0

Interceptions

2

3

2

Tackles

1

3

2

Total duels won

2/4

4/7

6/9

As can be seen looking at their glowing numbers above, Pereira might well feel inclined to stick with this formidable trio moving forward, with a back-to-basics approach keeping Villa very much at bay.

With the added presence of Djiga to come – who boasts five clean sheets in league action this season playing in Serbia – all of this positivity could unfortunately signal the end of this stalwart’s time at Molineux who hasn’t featured since December.

The Wolves star who needs to be sold

Indeed, Craig Dawson’s playing days at the Old Gold had already started to unravel, with the 34-year-old only making three Premier League appearances during Pereira’s tenure to date.

Only keeping one clean sheet during his 15 league games this season too, with Gary O’Neil once regularly picking the Wolves number 15 when still in charge, it does feel as if the end is in sight now for the top-flight veteran in the West Midlands.

After all, if rumours are to be believed from deadline day, the lowly top-flight outfit were willing to offload Dawson to Leicester City in exchange for former Old Gold star Conor Coady to return, before settling for the acquisition of Djiga.

That won’t exactly fill the £45k-per-week asset with much confidence that he can win back a starting spot under Pereira, therefore, with the Portuguese manager more than vindicated in his decision-making at this moment in time to try something fresh at the back, over reverting back to Dawson’s leaky displays.

Whilst Dawson will lament falling down the pecking order, new Wolves buy Djiga will hope he’s given plenty of opportunities to impress moving forward, having also bravely tallied up 5.5 ball recoveries on average this season playing for Red Star.

Once labelled as “outstanding” when at the top of his game in England by journalist Matt Law, Wolves fans will take no joy in the sad decline of their 61-game servant, but will realise all these fresh arrivals coming in means his Old Gold expiry date is near.

Worth more than Munetsi: Wolves have hit the jackpot on "high-energy" star

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Everton won’t have spent long licking their wounds after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Bugbear opponents Bournemouth, for the Merseyside derby is merely one day away.

David Moyes has bigger fish to fry. Ending an overlong wait for a trophy will have been shelved somewhere in the Scottish manager’s agenda, but the coming months of the current campaign must be used to safely avoid relegation from the Premier League and build a foundation for coming years of success.

With three wins from three in the top flight, Moyes is flying, making tweaks to shift away from the monotony of Sean Dyche’s struggles.

Despite the attacking struggles at Goodison Park, Everton have found a saviour in Iliman Ndiaye.

Iliman Ndiaye could be Everton's saviour

Ndiaye, 24, has bagged three goals from three recent Premier League matches, taking an already exciting start to life on Merseyside and stating that he can be a talisman under new management.

As per FBref, the Senegal winger also ranks among the top 8% of positional peers in the Premier League this year for successful take-ons per 90 and the top 19% for pass completion, perfectly illustrating his layered threat.

Dyche’s Everton tenure came crashing down in the end but his £15m signing of Marseille’s talent has served as a shining light for a team that may now begin to change their narrative in the Premier League.

More firepower will be needed over the coming transfer windows, however. Believe it or not, Everton actually had a better version of Ndiaye in their ranks but failed to unlock his full potential. He’s now a superstar.

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Expand Collapse Everton must regret selling Ndiaye upgrade

Causality is a very real thing in football, and the truth is that Ademola Lookman would not be the same player that he is now had he never left Everton.

But the club’s conditions precluded him from doing so and had Moyes been at the helm instead, in a different world, Everton may have got so much more out of Atalanta’s trophy-winning sensation.

It was Everton who gave Lookman his first big break, paying £11m to Charlton Athletic to claim the then 19-year-old’s signature in January 2017.

Lookman, then lacking the potency and sharpness that he has crafted in recent years, managed to net just four goals for the Toffees, playing 48 times.

Still, a promising loan spell with RB Leipzig later prompted the German side to fork out £22.5m for the dynamic winger, who had failed to win over former manager Marco Silva. In hindsight, it was the wrong move, for Lookman now boasts elite status.

Ademola Lookman – Career Stats by Club

Club

Apps

Goals

Assists

Atalanta

105

46

25

Charlton

49

12

3

Everton

48

4

2

Leicester

42

8

5

Fulham

35

4

4

RB Leipzig

24

5

4

Stats via Transfermarkt

Remember, last summer Atalanta were understood to be open to cashing in on their Ballon d’Or nominee and had priced the Nigeria international at €70m (roughly £58m), which stands as a whopping £35m increase from the fee that Everton accepted to jettison him off to the Bundesliga.

He could have banked Everton quite the pretty penny or indeed plied his trade in Moyes’ team as their star man. Ndiaye is fantastic, full of life and energy, but he’s not on the 27-year-old’s level yet.

Indeed, while Lookman’s career highlight is rightly the hat-trick that won Atalanta the Europa League last season, he’s also been immensely consistent in front of goal, scoring 31 goals and supplying 17 assists across all competitions over the past two years, a whopping 31 more goal involvements than Ndiaye over the same time frame. Specifically, broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos hailed Lookman for his “monster year” of 2023/24.

Moreover, he’s not only a marksman. FBref record that he ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and progressive carries and the top 2% for tackles per 90.

The full package, the winger attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain last year and is undoubtedly one of the finest former Everton stars currently kicking balls about today.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Feb 7, 2025