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With just one day to go until the transfer window slams shut, Aston Villa are reportedly plotting to end their summer as it started by pursuing an impressive reinforcement.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have undoubtedly been among the winners in the summer transfer window, welcoming the likes of Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana, who eased any blow caused by Douglas Luiz's departure to Juventus. Heading into their first appearance in the modern Champions League, those in the Midlands have built Unai Emery a squad which could yet be at the centre of some shocking upsets.

Now in the final stages of a busy window, Villa may not be done there with arrivals, especially on the attacking front.

He's like Salah: Aston Villa chasing late move for Joao Felix upgrade

Unai Emery may have some more transfer business to conduct between now and the Friday evening deadline

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By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 29, 2024

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are plotting a late hijack to sign Tammy Abraham from AS Roma if Jhon Duran leaves before the window closes. The forward reportedly prefers a return to Villa Park, where he spent the 2018/19 season on loan, despite reportedly closing in on a move to AC Milan.

Villa aren't the only club interested either, with West Ham United also reportedly in negotiations with Roma over a deal for the England international throughout the summer, only to so far miss out on his signature. As the window closes, Abraham will undoubtedly be one to keep an eye on.

"Incredible" Abraham would complete Aston Villa attack

As if Ollie Watkins isn't a dangerous enough option in his own right, signing Abraham would complete Emery's frontline once and for all, particularly if it's in the absence of Duran. The Roma forward has been there and done it in the Premier League and at Villa Park, making a return something that certainly makes sense on paper this summer.

Tammy Abraham 2018/19	Aston Villa stats (via Transfermartk)
Appearances	40
Goals	26
Assists	3

It was during a clinical season at Villa Park that Abraham set course for a starting place at Chelsea, where he earned significant praise from then-manager Frank Lampard.

Lampard previously told Sky Sports: "It's the work ethic behind the scenes that gets him in such good nick. He's not just an incredible handful for defenders – he's running them, he's holding the ball up, he's controlling it, he's got good feet – he's also getting his goals, which is brilliant for him. I trusted in Tammy at the start of the season. I felt it was his time to come back to Chelsea."

Of course, Milan's pursuit of Abraham's signature makes any deal that much more difficult to chase, but Villa would be wise to at least attempt a headline-stealing hijack for the forward this week.

Chelsea are meticulously planning for a 7,000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan in -11 degrees weather for their Conference League clash with Astana.

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• Chelsea gearing up to travel to Kazakhstan
• Testing conditions await them in Almaty
• Maresca likely to rotate heavily for ECL clash

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, typically serves as the venue for Astana FC's home matches. However, due to ongoing renovations at their primary stadium, the game against Chelsea has been relocated 1,200 kilometres south to Almaty. The new location and its sub-zero conditions, ranging between -6 and -11 degrees Celsius, add another layer of difficulty for the Premier League side.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  To optimize their travel plans, Chelsea have received special permission from UEFA to conduct their pre-match press conference and training session in Surrey. This adjustment eliminates the need for pre-match events to take place in the host country, allowing Enzo Maresca's team to focus on their preparations before embarking on the arduous journey.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  Maresca has been proactive in managing his squad amid the packed fixture schedule. Following Chelsea's impressive 4-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday, Maresca gave the players a much-needed day off on Monday. The Italian is expected to rotate his squad heavily for Thursday’s game, maintaining his pattern of making significant changes between matches.

  "Some of them will be here and some of them will fly with us. More or less, we try to manage in the same way we have done before today," he said.

  "We have many young players, 17 players with us, and the rest will be here with us. Eight hours is not a normal time for a game, you know, but we have to go there, we have to play, try our best and thinking also about the next game."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea’s trip to Almaty will involve an eight-hour direct chartered flight. The route has been carefully planned to avoid airspace over conflict zones, including Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East. Despite the significant time difference – Kazakhstan being five hours ahead of the UK – the team plans to stick to their home time zone. The match, set for 8:30 p.m. local time, will be treated as a 3:30 p.m. kickoff for the players to minimize disruption to their routines.

The Punjab Kings captain says the team bowling second shouldn’t have such a “huge disadvantage” because of dew

Hemant Brar18-Apr-2021KL Rahul, the Punjab Kings captain, feels there should be a provision to change a wet ball during the second innings of a T20 game, especially in dewy conditions else the bowling team faces a “huge disadvantage”.Defending 195 against the Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, the Kings’ bowlers struggled with the dew, forcing Rahul to even check with the umpires if the ball could be changed. The playing conditions didn’t allow that and the Capitals went on to win the game with ten balls to spare.”I think that [the ball change] will really be fair to the team bowling second, and I am not just saying that because I am on the losing side,” Rahul told Star Sports at the post-match presentation. “I think that’s only fair that the team bowling second doesn’t have such a huge disadvantage. Our bowlers try and practice their skills with the wet ball, but when you go out in the middle with the pressure it’s always difficult. I did ask the umpires to change the ball a couple of times, but again, it’s not in the rulebook, so that’s how the game goes, we’ve got to take it.”Related

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The dew has been a big factor at the Wankhede, making it easier to chase totals in night games as the ball comes better on to the bat in the second innings. Moreover, spinners too struggle to grip the wet ball and find it hard to get any purchase from the surface, as was seen on Sunday when the ball slipped from Jalaj Saxena’s hand during his delivery stride and landed behind him. Rahul said his side expected those challenges but it’s not easy to overcome them.”It was not something that was unexpected. When we come to Wankhede, we know that bowling second is always a challenge. We, as a bowling unit, tried to prepare for such conditions as well, but, again, it does get a bit difficult in a game situation, and especially when you are bowling against quality batters.”Mayank Agarwal, who scored a brilliant 36-ball 69 for the Kings, also said that dew made batting easier in the second innings.”It wasn’t as easy [in the first innings] as it looked in the second innings,” Agarwal said at the press conference after the game. “I thought the Delhi Capitals batted exceedingly well and also there was as dew factor. We cannot do much about it as players. It just boils down to execution under pressure and practising that. That’s as much as you can do as a player. Those are the things that are in our control. Obviously, we cannot do much apart from that.”In the five games played so far at the Wankhede Stadium in IPL 2021, the side winning the toss has opted to chase every single time. On four occasions, they ended up winning the game. The Rajasthan Royals, the only side to lose after winning the toss, came within a shot of chasing down 222 against the Kings.The Kings have played their three games at the Wankhede so far and were asked to bat first on all three occasions after losing the toss.After the Chennai Super Kings’ first game this season, their captain MS Dhoni had also stated that 7.30pm IST starts were giving an advantage to the team bowling first. His reason: when you start at 8pm, the dew has already set in, thus not giving the chasing side any real advantage.

England captain expects to offer more opportunities to fringe selections to expand player pool

Andrew Miller22-Mar-2021Eoin Morgan says his eyes are set firmly on the bigger picture after England’s 3-2 series defeat in the T20Is against India, with the opportunity to develop consistency and grow his team’s pool of available players being his primary motivation going into the three-match ODI leg of the tour in Pune on Tuesday.Despite their crowning glory at Lord’s in 2019, Morgan acknowledged that England’s record in ODIs since the World Cup final has been “average”, but insists that this week’s series is not merely a “consolation prize” for the tourists after their losses in both the T20Is and the Tests that preceded it.In September, Australia condemned Morgan’s 50-over team to their first bilateral series loss since their last tour of India in 2016-17, and in August, Ireland chased a record 329 to seal a memorable seven-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl. In all, England have won four and lost four of their completed ODIs since 2019, and had their most recent series, in South Africa before Christmas, cancelled without a ball being bowled.In mitigation, England have not been able to call upon their first-choice XI in ODIs since the World Cup, with the constraints of Covid on the one hand and the prioritisation of the forthcoming T20 World Cup on the other leaving the 50-over team as more of a developmental squad. Ben Stokes, for example, has not featured in an ODI since his Player-of-the-Match performance in the World Cup final.This week’s squad will be weakened by the absence of Jofra Archer, whose troublesome right elbow is undergoing further treatment, while neither Joe Root nor Chris Woakes – two other integral members of the World Cup-winning XI – are currently involved in the 50-over squad due to the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy.And as consequence, Morgan called on the fringe members of his squad, in particular, to embrace the learning opportunities in “alien conditions”, both to push their names forward for the T20 World Cup in October, but also for England’s long-term goal of defending the 50-over crown in India in 2023.”We’ll see guys given opportunities, more so than the T20 series,” Morgan said. “It’s going to be exciting, three games at the same ground against a very strong Indian side is a huge opportunity for everyone to get back out there, in the frame of mind and the pace of 50-over cricket, and for guys who want to make their case in both formats.”With a World Cup around the corner, playing any cricket is a huge opportunity for guys who have been here on the fringes and not made selection so far. When you score runs or take wickets away from home, there is always a huge incentive to try and push your case forward.”The one player in England’s set-up with the most to prove in the coming days is arguably Moeen Ali. He sat out the entire T20I series, despite having missed the final two Tests last month to prepare for the white-ball campaign, and has taken a solitary wicket in ODI appearances since losing his place in the starting XI during the 2019 World Cup.Eoin Morgan wants England to learn from their defeats, every bit as much as he is targetting outright victory in India•Getty ImagesThough Morgan was unable to confirm whether he would be a guaranteed starter in Tuesday’s first match, he insisted that Moeen remains an integral member of England’s white-ball set-up, and that the set-backs that he has endured this winter – including a positive Covid diagnosis in January that undermined his comeback to the Test team in Sri Lanka – had not reduced his importance to the team.”He takes them in his stride,” Morgan said. “The little period Mo spent at home before this series has done him the world of good. He has come back refreshed and with plenty of energy. He is a very relaxed guy who always has a reasonable perspective on life and sport and the role that it plays within society. So he is travelling really well.”Anybody who is an all-rounder and makes the squad is extremely valuable to our side,” he added. “I know he has not played but that’s been circumstantial. The pitches we played on just haven’t turned and that obviously limits the contribution a finger-spinner might make in the game.”Reece Topley, who made his ODI comeback against Ireland last summer, is another player who may be able to advance his case for October, having also been a non-playing member of the T20 squad this week, while Liam Livingstone – with his versatility as a spin-bowling allrounder – could come into contention for a middle-order berth, four years after his last England appearances.”We see the 50-over format between the two T20 World Cups as a building block for our squad,” Morgan said. “And that’s not compromising performance at all. We feel we have an extremely strong squad outside of our final XI regardless of format, so it will present opportunities for guys like that.”Trying to envisage where 50-over cricket will be in three years ‘time is quite difficult,” he added, of the challenge of planning ahead to 2023. “So the challenge for us is always trying to explore and push the limits as much as we can, given the conditions.Related

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“In conditions that are a little bit alien to us, like India, it’s nice to get out of your comfort zone and learn more about your team and your players, to make mistakes and learn from them.”Reflecting on the disappointing end to England’s T20I campaign – in which India overturned a 2-1 deficit with back-to-back victories in the final two games – Morgan said that the experience had still been invaluable for his side’s development, and that the urge to avenge that loss was not really a motivation for his team in the coming days.”Even though we didn’t pick up the trophy, we learned a huge amount,” Morgan said. “It has been an extremely productive tour so far in white-ball cricket, the biggest picture always being the World Cup in both white-ball formats. You don’t always have to win every series in order to win a World Cup. You continuously need to get better, need to be tested as a side, need to fail in order to learn. That involves losing, which isn’t fun but it is part of the journey.”

The duo added 216 as Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s first-innings ton and two four-fors went in vain

Hemant Brar07-Feb-2021Debutant Kyle Mayers scored a magnificent 210 not out as West Indies pulled off the fifth-highest successful chase in Test cricket, and highest in Asia, nailing down 395 for a miraculous three-wicket win on the final evening in Chattogram.In a display of exemplary temperament and power-hitting, Mayers struck 20 fours and seven sixes during his 310-ball stay at the crease. When he hit the winning run, a hurried single to mid-on, only 15 balls were left in the Test. During the course of his innings, he became only the sixth batsman to score a double-century on Test debut, and also the sixth overall to score a double-ton in the fourth innings of a Test. Unsurprisingly, Mayers is the only one on both lists.Related

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For the most part of the final day, Mayers was accompanied by fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner, who himself struck a gritty 86. The duo added 216 for the fourth wicket and kept Bangladesh wicketless for the first two sessions of the day.That left West Indies needing 129 in a minimum of 33 overs in the final session. Bonner, who had survived a stumping chance against Nayeem Hasan before tea, hit Taijul Islam for a six in the first over after the interval but was lbw on the very next ball. Jermaine Blackwood too fell soon after. After slog-sweeping Taijul over long-on for six, he went for another big hit against Hasan, only to be bowled for 9.With West Indies 292 for 5 and the target still 103 runs away, Bangladesh had their hopes renewed. Suddenly there were four men close to the bat. But it also meant there were many gaps in the outfield and Mayers and Joshua Da Silva took advantage of that, hitting a four each in one Hasan over. A few minutes later, when Mayers pulled Hasan over deep midwicket for a six to bring the target down to 76, Bangladesh were forced to spread the field once again.Mayers was at his striking-best when the last hour commenced. With 61 required at that stage, he backed himself to clear the boundary-riders and scored 49 by himself, in just 40 balls, bludgeoning five sixes and a four. Taijul, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, no one was spared. In a 100-run stand with Da Silva for the sixth wicket, Mayers’ contribution was 80.The credit must go to Da Silva as well who played a perfect foil to Mayers and must have calmed the nerves in the dressing room. He was eventually bowled for 20 when the target was just three runs away. Kemar Roach also fell on the same score – caught at leg slip off Miraz, who ended with a hundred and eight wickets in the match – but by then the result was sealed.Bangladesh, however, will rue the chances they missed and the reviews they didn’t take, apart from losing Shakib Al Hasan to a thigh injury on the second day of the Test.West Indies started the day on 110 for 3, and in the first hour alone there were at least three opportunities Bangladesh should have been converted into wickets. Mayers was on 47 when Taijul got one to straighten from around the wicket to hit the batsman on the pads. There was a loud appeal for lbw but umpire Richard Illingworth deemed it not out. Bangladesh didn’t opt for the review but replays showed Mayers would have been out had they done so.Shortly afterwards, Miraz induced an outside edge off Mayers bat but this time Najmul Hossain Shanto put it down at first slip. The resulting single took Mayers to his fifty.Bangladesh missed another opportunity to overturn an on-field decision when Hasan got one to turn sharply from outside off and ping Bonner’s pads. Illingworth once again ruled it in the batsman’s favour. Replays, once again, confirmed he was wrong. Bonner was on 25 at that point.Kyle Mayers gets a hug from fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner during their double-century stand•BCB

The Bangladesh spinners were also guilty of not bowling enough full-length deliveries, allowing Bonner and Mayers to wait on the back foot and adjust to whatever turn and bounce the pitch offered.Mayers was the aggressor right from the start, cutting and pulling spinners to the square boundaries. When Rahman was brought into the attack, he welcomed him with a four and six off successive deliveries. Bonner, meanwhile, was happy to keep his end occupied. By lunch, their contrasting approaches led to the comparisons with Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant’s knocks in India’s win against Australia in Brisbane last month.The two, however, seemed to have switched roles in the second session. In the second over after lunch, Bonner cleared his front leg and lofted Taijul over mid-on. It fetched the batsman four runs but the impact was such that Bangladesh went on the defensive after that shot. For the next few overs, they had just one close-in fielder, either a slip or a short leg, for spinners.With a single off Hasan, Bonner brought up his half-century, in 164 balls. Bangladesh opted for the second new ball after the 81st over and seemed to have found success immediately when umpire Sharfuddoula gave Bonner lbw off Taijul. Bonner, though, knew he had got an inside edge and got the decision reversed.But Mayers found himself stuck. Having reached 90 in 146 balls, he took another 32 balls to bring up his maiden Test hundred. And it was a streaky boundary between slip and gully, via an outside edge off Rahman, that took him to the landmark.What followed was a slew of loose shots from Mayers, all in that Rahman over. He was beaten outside off twice in the next two balls and, a ball later, miscued two consecutive lofted attempts. Luckily for West Indies, both fell away from the fielders. It took a message from the dressing room at the end of the over for Mayers to regain his composure, which he didn’t lose till the end of the match.

لا حديث في الوقت الحالي يعلو فوق صوت اقتراب النجم المصري عمر مرموش، من مغادرة صفوف آينتراخت فرانكفورت والانتقال إلى بطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، مانشستر سيتي.

ويسعى مانشستر سيتي جاهدًا إلى الحصول على خدمات عمر مرموش، مع وجود تقارير صحفية تشير إلى حدوث اتفاق بين الطرفين حول الشروط الشخصية لتلك الصفقة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وجذب عمر مرموش انتباه كبار أندية أوروبا بعدما تألق في الموسم الحالي رفقة فرانكفورت، حيث سجل 18 هدفًا وصنع 12 في مختلف المسابقات.

ولم يكن مانشستر سيتي النادي الوحيد الراغب في ضم مرموش، حيث هناك أندية مثل ليفربول، آرسنال، مانشستر يونايتد وبرشلونة.

ولكن هناك نادِ واحد قد يعض أصابعه من شدة الندم، مع اقتراب عمر مرموش من صفوف مانشستر سيتي، حسبما ذكرت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية.

وأوضحت أن ذلك النادي هو نوتينجهام فورست الذي كان يرغب في ضم مرموش، الصيف الماضي.

وأشارت إلى أنه في الوقت الذي يجب أن يشعر فيه مالك نوتينجهام فورست، إيفانجيلوس ماريناكيس، بسعادة كبيرة بشأن صفقاته الأخيرة، ولكن يجب أن يتألم في كل مرة يسمع فيها اسم مرموش واقترابه من مانشستر سيتي مقابل 50 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

وأفادت بأن مرموش كان على رأس قائمة أهداف نوتينجهام الصيف الماضي، مع امتلاك المدير الرياضي للنادي جورج سوريانوس روابط ممتازة في كرة القدم الألمانية.

وتقدم نوتينجهام بعرض قيمته 20 مليون جنيه إسترليني لضم مرموش في ذلك الوقت، ولكنه لم يتخذ الخطوة النهائية لشرائه من فرانكفورت.

ويكن المدير الفني لفريق نوتينجهام فورست، نونو سانتو، الحب تجاه العمل بفريق متماسك، حيث يُعتقد أنه أخبر مسؤولي النادي الصيف الماضي بكونه ليس في حاجة إلى إضافات جديدة.

وترى الصحيفة أنه ليس من العدل القول إن نوتينجهام فورست ارتكب خطأً بعدم ضم مرموش، كونهم في المركز الثاني ويمتلكون مهاجمًا مميزً مثل كريس وود.

ولكن مع اقتراب مرموش من مانشستر سيتي مقابل 3 أضعاف المبلغ الذي طرحه نوتينجهام، يمكن لإدارة النادي الشعور بالندم.

وتغزلت الصحيفة في صاحب الـ25 عامًا، الذي يتمتع بقدمين سريعتين تتناسبان مع سرعته على أرض الملعب، وقدرته على إنهاء الهجمات، في تذكير بمواطنه محمد صلاح، والذي حذر من إجراء المقارنات بينهما.

وقال صلاح في تصريحات سابقة: أرى مرموش لاعبًا رائعًا، لديه موهبة كبيرة، يتعين علينا الابتعاد عن المقارنات حتى تسير الأمور بشكل جيد بالنسبة له، يجب على الناس التوقف عن مقارنة مرموش بي”.

وأضاف: “إنه يبدأ رحلته، لقد حققت الكثير في مسيرتي وهذا يضعه تحت الكثير من الضغوط، وأنا متأكد من أنه لا يحب ذلك، دعه يستمتع برحلته ونجاحه”.

من جهة أخرى، قالت الصحيفة نفسها إنه سيكون أمرًا مثيرًا للاهتمام أن نرى كيف سيتم استخدام مرموش في صفوف مانشستر سيتي، مع وجود مهاجم بالفعل هو إيرلينج هالاند.

ورغم أنه سيكون من النادر بشكل نسبي تواجد ثنائي هجومي تحت قيادة بيب جوارديولا، إلا أن مرموش وزميله هوجو إيكتيكي يمثلان ثنائيًا رائعًا في فرانكفورت، حيث ساهما في 20 هدفًا و11 أسيست.

وبينما يميل إيكتيكي إلى اللعب في الوسط، فإن مرموش يحب التجول في كل مكان، كما أنه ماهر على صعيد تنفيذ الركلات الحرة، حيث سجل 3 أهداف في 3 مباريات متتالية بتلك الطريقة، وسبق أن فعل ليونيل ميسي وأليساندرو ديل بييرو ذلك مرتين.

وكانت رحلة مرموش أكثر صعوبة مقارنة بـ ميسي ودي بييرو، حيث انتقل من وادي دجلة إلى فولفسبورج في 2017، ولكن تلك الخطوة لم تنجح، ثم قضى موسمًا على سبيل الإعارة مع سانت باولي، قبل عودته إلى فولفسبورج حيث عانى قبل انتقاله إلى فرانكفورت.

ولم يسجل مرموش آنذاك سوى 8 أهداف في 62 مباراة في الدوري الألماني، قبل انضمامه إلى فرانكفورت في 2023، مع العلم أن آينتراخت يتمتع بسجل مثير للإعجاب من حيث تطوير المهاجمين، مثلما حدث مع لوكا يوفيتش وهالر وكولو مواني، ليرحلوا في صفقات كبرى بعد ذلك.

ويُعد إيكتيكي شريكًا مثاليًا لـ مرموش، فهل ستكون له علاقة مماثلة مع هالاند في مانشستر سيتي؟ هكذا تساءلت “ديلي ميل”.

ويجب الأخذ في الاعتبار كذلك أمور أخرى تخص مرموش، مثل معدل تسديداته الذي بلغ 4 كل 90 دقيقة، وهو أمر جيد، مع إمكانية تحويل اثنين منهم إلى هدف، حيث يسجل ما يقرب من 20 % من تسديداته إلى أهداف، وهو أمر مطابق تمامًا لـ هاري كين.

وسجل مرموش 13 هدفًا هذا الموسم، مقارنة بمعدل تهديفي متوقع بنسبة 7.5، يشير هذا إلى تغير أرقامه التهديفية مقارنة بما كانت عليه قبل انضمامه إلى فرانكفورت

ولكن هل هو مستدام؟ سجل مارموش 13 هدفًا هذا الموسم من إجمالي 7.5 هدف متوقع. يشير هذا إلى لاعب في سلسلة من الأهداف الرائعة التي قد تتغير أحواله – كما تغيرت أرقامه المهنية قبل الانضمام إلى آينتراخت.

ولا تقتصر جودة مرموش على التسجيل، حيث صنع 7 أهداف هذا الموسم في الدوري الألمني، وصنع في المتوسط 6 فرص في المباراة الواحدة وراوغ داخل منطقة الجزاء 4 مرات تقريبًا في اللقاء الواحد.

ورغم أنه سيبلغ من العمر 26 عامًا الشهر المقبل، إلا أن مرموش لم يخض مباراة كاملة إلا في عدد أقل من 100 مرة في مسيرته.

وتُعد كل صفقة كبيرة بمثابة مخاطرة، حتى بالنسبة لنادي مثل مانشستر سيتي، وربما يكون الأمر هكذا تحديدًا نظرًا لمعاناتهم هذا الموسم، خاصة إنه يعاني من نقص الأهداف الناتجة عن خط هجومه.

وهنا تجدر الإشارة إلى القوة الذهنية لـ مرموش، الذي تغلب على الصعوبات في سنواته الأولى في ألمانيا، كما إنه يتحدث الإنجليزية بطلاقة، وهي علامة مشجعة للمستقبل.

وسبق أن صرح مرموش: “لم تكن خطوة سهلة أن أترك عائلتي وأصدقائي وأنتقل إلى ألمانيا، لم أكن أعرف اللغة، ولم أكن أعرف الطعام، كل شيء، لكن كان لدي دائمًا هذا الحلم بأن أصبح لاعب كرة قدم محترف”.

وتمكن مرموش من تحقيق ذلك الطموح منذ فترة طويلة، وأصبح ناضجًا الآن بدرجة كافية لقبول تحدي مثل مانشستر سيتي.

واختتمت الصحيفة تقريرها المثير بقولها إن محمد صلاح كان يبلغ من العمر 25 عامًا عندما انضم إلى ليفربول من روما، وهو الآن يحتل المركز الرابع في قائمة هدافي النادي، وإذا كان مرموش قادرًا على أن يكون قريبًا من مواطنه، فإن قيمة صفقة انتقاله إلى مانشستر سيتي، 50 مليون جنيه إسترليني، ستكون مُنفقة بشكل جيد للغاية.

كان صلاح يبلغ من العمر 25 عامًا أيضًا عندما انضم إلى ليفربول من روما، وهو الآن يحتل المركز الرابع في قائمة هدافي الفريق على مر العصور. إذا كان مرموش قادرًا على أن يكون قريبًا من مواطنه، فإن مبلغ الـ 50 مليون جنيه إسترليني سيكون مبلغًا منفقًا بشكل جيد للغاية.

Now that the dust has settled, it’s fair to say that Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign would have been disastrous had they not won the FA Cup.

There were plenty of negatives and few positives, with one of those being the development of Alejandro Garnacho.

The Argentine became an irreplaceable figure in the starting lineup last season, boasting seven goals and four assists in 30 Premier League starts.

Luckily for the number 17, United are on the lookout for attacking reinforcements who without doubt could take him to the next level.

Man Utd want to sign a new striker

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Man United are set to make a move for Joshua Zirkzee.

It’s mentioned that a bid is currently being prepared after positive talks have taken place between the respective parties.

The Dutch attacker has a £34m release clause in his contract this summer, which is ideal for the Red Devils due to their ‘limited budget.’

However, they will have to beat the likes of Arsenal and AC Milan to his signature, which could prove to be a difficult task.

Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg, meanwhile, suggests that he is now the top target for INEOS.

How Zirkzee could improve Garnacho

Prior to last season, Zirkzee wasn’t exactly a name at the top of wish lists around Europe, but that’s certainly not the case anymore.

Under the influence of Thiago Motta, the 23-year-old exploded during his second campaign at Bologna, becoming a crucial player as they achieved Champions League football.

Operating as a lone centre forward in a 4-2-3-1, the former Bayern Munich ace made 32 Serie A starts, and his performances most definitely impressed.

Zirkzee netted 11 goals across the campaign, which made him Bologna’s highest goalscorer in the league, ahead of Riccardo Orsolini.

Hojlund vs Zirkzee 23/24 League Stats
Stats (per game)	Hojlund	Zirkzee
Goals	0.42	0.36
xG	0.32	0.29
Passes completed	12.68	23.16
Progressive passes	1.38	2.81
Key passes	1.17	1.4
Shot-creating actions	2.42	3.16
Touches (mid 3rd)	10.93	20.49
Successful take-ons	0.75	1.70
Via FBref

However, as you can see in the table above, the number nine provides much more than just goals, despite the fact that he’s an incredibly clinical finisher, as shown by his xG to goal ratio.

The prospect of playing alongside Zirkzee will certainly excite Garnacho, due to the 6 foot 4 centre forward’s brilliant creativity and link-up play, something that's finely represented in the clip below.

Unlike Rasmus Hojlund, who is often a passenger in matches, the Dutch striker seems to always be involved in play, whether that’s by dropping deep to progress the ball or acting as a wall to bounce passes off in and around the box.

This is why analyst Ben Mattinson has labelled him “one of the most complete ST’s in 23/24,” and his ability to bring others into dangerous areas would certainly make the effervescent Garnacho thrive.

Zirkzee is also an extremely technical player who can dribble with the ball and play passes in behind the opponent. Considering he’s an “insane athlete” as well, according to Mattinson, this is rather impressive.

Having a striker that can drop deep and pick up the ball would enable Garnacho to find himself in high and wide positions where he can get 1v1 with his full-back, whereas at the moment, he’s often isolated with a lack of service.

Furthermore, Zirkzee’s movement towards the ball would also create space in behind, which would give the Argentine more opportunities to make forward runs in a similar fashion to how Harry Kane and Heung-min Son used to operate at Tottenham.

Therefore, it’s quite obvious that signing the Dutch sensation for just £34m is a steal, not just because of his quality and influence on Garnacho but also because of how he’s still nowhere near his true potential.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1

By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou is ready to give his players an earful once they return from the international break amid their poor start to season.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Postecoglou disappointed with players
• Tottenham on a run of poor form
• Australian ready to 'explode' at players

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tottenham have suffered a poor start to the season as they have won only three of their opening seven Premier League games. Before the start of the October international break, Postecoglou's side dropped a two-goal lead as they went on to lose 3-2 to Brighton.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the loss coming just before the start of the international break, Postecoglou failed to get enough time to debrief his players after the disappointing collapse in Brighton. The Australian head coach has now revealed that he is ready to 'explode' once his players return to prepare for their next match.

• AFP
  

  WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

  Speaking to , Postecoglou said: "You never know if [the international break] is good or bad. Maybe for the players, it was good, but I don't like sitting on a loss.

  "There can be a tendency to over-analyse things. It wasn't a good one. The first half was unbelievable, but I didn't like the second half and what we looked like. It wasn't the loss, it was the manner I wasn't comfortable with. I've been sitting on it for 10 days, I'm ready to explode once they get back in the building and that will be my therapy."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

  Postecoglou's side currently sit ninth in the Premier League standings but will hope to begin their rise further up the table when they take on West Ham on Saturday, October 19.

Glasgow Rangers head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been hard at work in the summer transfer window so far, with three deals already completed.

Oscar Cortes has joined on a second loan from RC Lens, left-back Jefte has been signed from Fluminense, and centre-back Clinton Nsiala will join on from AC Milan at the start of next month.

The Gers are also reportedly closing in on the signing of Hamza Igamane on a permanent deal to bolster Philippe Clement's options at the top end of the pitch.

Scotland international Tommy Conway, who is currently away at the European Championship in Germany, has also been linked with a move to Ibrox.

The Light Blues are now said to be closing in on the signing of another player to add to the club's midfield ranks ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Rangers closing in on SPFL star

According to Rangers Review journalist Chris Jack, former Aberdeen central midfielder Connor Barron is "expected" to sign for the Scottish giants.

The reporter claims that the Gers look to have won the race for his signature amid heavy competition from teams in England and Italy this summer and are now on track to finalise a deal for the talented youngster.

His contract with the Dons expired at the end of last month and Rangers will need to agree a compensation fee with the Scottish Premiership club, as he is only 21.

Sky Sports have backed up Jack's claim by reporting that Koppen and Clement are 'closing in' on the signing of the SPFL star, whilst they add that former Motherwell shot-stopper Liam Kelly is also poised to join on a free transfer to compete with Jack Butland.

Barron now looks set to link-up with his new teammates when the team return for pre-season later this summer and he could form an exciting partnership with Nicolas Raskin in the middle of the park next season.

Why Connor Barron and Nicolas Raskin could be dominant

With Ryan Jack and John Lundstram having departed on free transfers at the end of last month, there is a vacancy in midfield for the ex-Aberdeen star to walk into.

Mohammed Diomande is capable of playing further forward in midfield and that could see Barron and Raskin paired as the double pivot at the base of Clement's side, with the Ivorian possibly playing ahead of them.

The former Dons star, who was hailed as "very impressive" by Scotland U21 boss Scott Gemmill, could thrive next to the Belgian ace as they are both fantastic out of possession.

Appearances

29

18

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

2.7

Ball recoveries per game

5.3

5.3

Ground duel success rate

53%

52%

Aerial duel success rate

68%

59%

As you can see in the table above, both players win the majority of their battles on the deck and in the air, which means that they can form a dominant midfield pairing that would be difficult for opposition teams to get the better of for Rangers next term.

Barron, 21, and Raskin, 23, are also two young midfielders with plenty of time left ahead of them to develop as players over the coming years, which means that they could be an immediately effective pairing whilst still having room to grow further.

Rangers could ditch Goldson by signing a star who was once "generational"

The Light Blues are reportedly in the race to sign the central defender this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 19, 2024

Therefore, this could be an excellent piece of business by Koppen if it becomes official in the coming due to his proven Premiership quality and potential to be a brilliant partner for the club's current Belgian metronome.

A record five Americans featured on the teamsheets for the UCL match, with three starting – here's what we learned

The Juventus vs. PSV UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday was one for the record books when it comes to the U.S. men's national team.

An unprecedented five Americans showcased in the match, as Weston McKennie and Tim Weah featured for Juventus while Malik Tillman, Richard Ledezma and Ricardo Pepi all played a role for PSV. The UEFA Champions League is arguably the best club competition in the world and this was the first time five Americans took the pitch in a single match.

The match also displayed the difference in quality between Serie A and Eredivise as Juventus were able to largely cruise past PSV in a 3-1 win. Goals from Kenan Yildiz, Weston McKennie and Nico Gonzalez earned them three points, while PSV scored a late goal back from Ismael Saibari.

Here are GOAL's biggest takeaways from Tuesday's match.

AFPMotta gives McKennie a chance to prove himself

McKennie opted to stay at Juventus this season, leaving more questions than answers. After a summer filled with transfer drama, speculation over his future in Turin and rumors galore, the 26-year-old signed a contract extension with the Bianconeri and announced his commitment to the club through 2026 in late August.

He then went as an unused substitute in their first two Serie A matches of the season. Matchday 3 saw him earn 23 minutes off the bench, but in their fourth of the campaign, he again went as an unused sub.

More questions came about, especially after he stayed in Turin during the September FIFA international window, missing a camp with the USMNT (which was in the process of hiring Mauricio Pochettino as its new head coach). However, Tuesday marked a change in the pattern. His first start, his first moment to impress – and boy, did he.

A rock in the midfield, McKennie also was an attacking threat, bagging the second of the match en route to victory. The moment his strike hit the back of the net, the camera panned to a smiling Motta who was beaming; it seemed like a potential turning point for McKennie and the manager.

The Italian trusted McKennie in their first UCL match of the campaign, and he repaid him. You cannot ask for much more.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRichy Ledezma struggled under the lights

The 24-year-old American midfielder-turned-defender, has emerged out of the shadows in place of an injured Sergino Dest this season, struggled mightily on the big stage. On Juventus' opening goal, he was beaten rather stupendously by Yildiz, who danced past him to fire home what was a brilliant opener.

Ledezma earned his sixth-straight start for PSV after a really solid beginning to the season, but in his biggest test yet, he faltered. There were moments where he impressed, especially in forward transition with moving the ball, but in 1v1 defending, he found himself exposed more often than not.

Tuesday's match underscored how different the UCL will be in comparison to the Eredivisie this season for the Dutch side – and for Ledezma, it was a wakeup call if he wants to continue starting in that right back spot and potentially gain USMNT call ups.

AFPChiesa exit doesn't guarantee Weah minutes

Federico Chiesa's move to Liverpool in August opened up a starting spot in the attack for Juventus this season. Many thought it would immediately go to Weah, but the signing of Argentine international Nico Gonzalez has proved to be a larger roadblock for him than expected.

Weah started their Serie A opener on Aug. 19 and even scored a lovely goal – but he was forced off through injury, missing the September international window before returning to the pitch this past weekend for the .

He earned 23 minutes off the bench in a 0-0 draw with Empoli, and 21 off the bench Tuesday evening. Perhaps it's too early to read into the situation, especially with his three-week layoff, but it's now become certain that nothing is a given on the right wing under Motta.

Weah will have to fight for minutes every week if he wants to feature regularly in their XI. If he doesn't, he might find playing time hard to come by.

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Getty ImagesTillman and Pepi lacked drive

Overall, it was an evening to forget for PSV. Nobody played particularly well. Neither Pepi or Tillman stepped up, despite both featuring in the match, and that's a problem.

Tillman logged 90 minutes, starting from the opening whistle, while Pepi came off the bench in the 77th minute. The Dutch side earned a stoppage-time consolation goal, but neither were involved.

In 13 minutes off the bench, and stoppage, Pepi had just four total touches. Tillman, meanwhile, created just two total attacking chances across the entire match. Neither took the opportunity handed to them.

The UCL is a platform where moments are made and in a contest between five Americans across the board, the two PSV attackers underwhelmed the most, and left a ton be desired.