Neymar has fuelled speculation regarding a possible reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami after revealing that the pair still “talk a lot”.
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Played together at Barcelona & PSGNow in America & Saudi ArabiaRemain close & in regular contactWHAT HAPPENED?
South American superstars from Brazil and Argentina having previously graced the same squads at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. They have won La Liga, Ligue 1 and Champions League crowns together, but are now turning out in different parts of the world.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Both severed ties with PSG in the summer of 2023, as Messi decided to chase the American dream in MLS and Neymar followed Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East and Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal – where he has barely figured due to a serious knee ligament injury.
WHAT NEYMAR SAID
There has been talk of Neymar and Messi being reunited in the States, with fellow former Barca stars Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba already in Florida. The Brazil international has told of his relationship with Messi: “We are far away but we talk, we talk a lot. Even yesterday, he sent me a message but we are happy, we are happy for each other. For the title, he sent me a message when we won here too. I spoke to him, he’s a great guy, he’s a great mirror for me, he’s a great idol. Besides being an idol, he’s a friend I have and we talk a lot.”
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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?
While Neymar is yet to make his mark in Saudi Arabia, as he works his way back to full fitness, Messi has continued to star in MLS – with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner breaking more records and generating MVP talk in 2024.
Kylian Mbappe was at his spectacular best yet again for PSG, however, Luis Enrique believes that Vitinha was the club's player of the season.
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Enrique name his Player of the SeasonSnubs Mbappe in favour of VitinhaMbappe set to depart PSG this summer(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Mbappe's situation and his exit from Les Parisiens saw a lot of questions raised over the relationship between Enrique and the forward, despite the Spaniard's constant praise of the 25-year-old. Enrique has not helped quell the rumours as he chose Vitinha as his player of the season despite Mbappe being involved in a spectacular 51 goals in 48 appearances.
AdvertisementWHAT ENRIQUE SAID
Speaking to the media, Enrique said: "For me, [Vitinha] is the player of the season. If you add up his qualities as a footballer, he is the best in the team and yet all of the players are good, but he is exceptional."
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Vitinha joined PSG in the summer of 2022 from Porto, he had a mixed first season at the club under Christophe Galtier. However, since the start of the season under Enrique, the Portuguese midfielder has been the mainstay and the glue that has held together the system for the Spanish coach.
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WHAT NEXT FOR PSG?
With Mbappe's departure this summer, the Parisian side will be looking for the rest of their players to step up to the plate as they look to keep up their dominance in domestic football and rise to newer heights in Europe.
Arsenal suffered a third consecutive defeat on Sunday as they crashed out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage at the hands of Premier League rivals Liverpool. The Gunners have scored just one goal in that sequence of losses and failed to find the net against the Reds despite firing off 18 shots and creating four big chances (SofaScore). An own goal from Jakub Kiwior and a strike from Luis Diaz punished them at the other end late on.
Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League table but only three teams in the top half – West Ham (33), Manchester United (22) and Chelsea (34) – have scored fewer goals than their 37. They're currently averaging 1.85 goals per game, putting them on course for around 70 at the end of the season, a reduction of 18 from last year.
Even though we've now passed the halfway point of the campaign, no Arsenal player has reached double figures in all competitions, with Bukayo Saka leading the way on nine, and primary centre-forward Gabriel Jesus level with Martin Odegaard on seven (BBC Sport). It's no surprise, then, that Mikel Arteta is considering entering the market for a new striker, with Ivan Toney emerging as a possible target.
Toney the no. 1 option for Arsenal
Writing immediately after Arsenal's elimination from the FA Cup, ESPN's James Olley reported that the Gunners are under "increasing pressure" to bring in a new number nine this month. Toney is Arteta's top target, but the price tag is presenting a problem.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
Brentford are reluctant to sell Toney midway through the season and have thus placed an £80m valuation on his head in the hope of warding off interest. As such, it looks unlikely that Arsenal will be landing their primary candidate this month, with such an outlay impossible while abiding by Financial Fair Play regulations.
Toney gamble not worthwhile
This may not be the worst news for Arsenal, because a move for Toney could be slightly problematic. Yes, he was prolific last season – only Erling Haaland (36) and Harry Kane (30) scored more goals in the Premier League – but signing him would be a gamble.
He's due to return for an eight-month ban for breaching gambling rules when Brentford take on Nottingham Forest later this month (Sky Sports), and Arsenal simply don't know what kind of shape he'll be in. For the kind of money being talked about, the Gunners would expect an immediate impact, and Toney may not be able to provide that in the midst of a title race.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024
Last year, we saw Arsenal priced out of two targets in January, with Brighton rejecting multiple bids for Moises Caicedo, the last of which was worth £70m (Football London), and Chelsea tabling a better £86m offer for Shakhtar's Mykhailo Mudryk (The Athletic).
Arsenal responded by signing Jorginho from their London rivals and Leandro Trossard from the Seagulls for a fraction of the price – a combined £30.5m (Transfermarkt). Perhaps this year we'll see a repeat, where Arteta moves away from the prohibitively expensive Toney to an alternative who offers much better value for money both in the short and long-term.
Aston Villa are believed to be eyeing a move for an exciting attacking player, with club owners NSWE potentially getting him for as little as £13m.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans have done some superb transfer business in recent times, playing a major part in Unai Emery excelling so much as manager, guiding them to third place in the Premier League table currently. The likes of Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, Nicolo Zaniolo and Moussa Diaby all arrived during the summer transfer window, with the quartet having a positive impact to date, adding quality and depth to Villa's squad, leading to wins against the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal.
That's not to say that further signings wouldn't be met with resounding positivity, however, ensuring that Emery's side continue to go from strength to strength, rather than rest on their laurels and risk not kicking on.
Villa have been linked with various players in recent weeks, with Atletico Madrid right-back Nahuel Molina seen as a potential target. Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos is another who has been seen as a possible target in the last few months, among others, should Emery feel that further reinforcements are required in the middle of the park, with two new forwards also wanted at the club in 2024.
Aston Villa eyeing Cyril Ngonge move
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for Cyril Ngonge from Hellas Verona, with the player's valuation around about €15m (£13m).
The Villans are thought to have sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old attacker in action, and he has done well for his current side this season, scoring five goals in 14 Serie A starts, also chipping in with two assists.
It doesn't appear to specify whether a January or summer move to Villa could come to fruition, but the fact that his valuation is low could act as a bonus, making it less of a risk at the same time. Ngonge could be a shrewd signing by the Villans, adding the options in attacking areas that Emery arguably lacks currently, in terms of having strong backup choices, and he could provide competition for Diaby, with the Hellas Verona most commonly used in a right-sided attacking role this season.
Villa have built a genuinely formidable strongest starting lineup, but if they are to go up another level and eventually even become a Premier League title challenger, they arguably need to have top-quality squad players who can fit in seamlessly and help Emery maintain a freshness within his group of players.
Reporter shares new £55m update he’s heard from Aston Villa
Unai Emery could be given a major boost at Villa Park…
BySean Markus Clifford Dec 28, 2023
Ngonge is a six-time capped Belgium Under-19 international, scoring once for his country in that time, and while he is yet to make an appearance at senior international level, a move to Villa, where he could be surrounded by superior players than at Hellas Verona, could raise his profile, and by the looks of things, it is one to watch in the New Year.
Any imminent return of the two players to the Indian set-up has been ruled out with the Supreme Court adjourning the case pertaining to the Lodha Committee reforms
Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jan-2019An imminent return of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul to the Indian set-up has been ruled out with the Supreme Court on Thursday adjourning – without giving a next date of hearing – the case pertaining to the Lodha Committee reforms. Several issues, including the fate of the two cricketers and the BCCI’s elections, are due to be resolved but the court said it would proceed with the case only after the appointment of an amicus curiae to replace Gopal Subramanium, who left that post recently after holding it for several years.The two-judge bench of Justices SA Bobde and AM Sapre has nominated PS Narsimha, senior advocate in the court, to replace Subramanium and said it would hear the case if and when Narsimha accepted the role.The disciplinary issue of the two players is tied to the appointment of a BCCI ombudsman, the board’s final adjudicating authority under its constitution. The post has been vacant since Justice AP Shah finished his term in late 2016 and the Committee of Administrators has asked the court for directions on a new appointment.The BCCI legal team had advised the CoA that the process of adjudicating on the players would involve an initial inquiry to be done by Johri (see sidebar), which would then be sent to an ombudsman whose ruling would be final and binding. This issue saw a split between the two members of the CoA – chairman Vinod Rai said if the court did not appoint an ombudsman, he would consult the amicus curiae to pick an ad-hoc ombudsman, while Diana Edulji said that she would not support any hasty inquiry because that would only amount to a “cover up” exercise. Incidentally, Edulji was present in court today along with her legal counsel.Pandya, Rahul plead guilty
Rahul Johri, the BCCI chief executive officer, conducted an initial hearing with Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul over the phone and submitted the players’ explanations to the CoA on Tuesday. Both have pleaded guilty to the charge of indiscipline and misconduct imposed on them by the CoA over their comments recently on an Indian television chat show. On January 11, the CoA suspended both players and called them home from Australia to face an inquiry. The selectors then named replacements for the Australia series and the New Zealand tour, which starts next week. “The players have expressed deep regret and they have apologised for all they have done,” Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. “They have said that they did it in their naivete. And they didn’t realise [at the time] what they had done.”
The CoA counsels Parag Tripathi and CU Singh told the court appointing the ombudsman was essential, not only to decide the fate of the players but also in that it would remove all the roadblocks for the BCCI and the states to comply with the Lodha reforms.On the other hand, the BCCI members have said it’s their right to pick the ombudsman. The Solicitor General of India, appearing for the BCCI’s government-affiliated members, made this point today when he intervened to say that only the BCCI had the powers to appoint an ombudsman, and it can only be done post elections. The court said that without the new amicus curiae taking charge, no decision could be taken.Legal counsels for various state associations told the court they had applications pending on the recall of the order last August, which had approved the new BCCI constitution as per the reforms. The states still had reservations about a few significant reforms pertaining to the tenure of the office bearers and the disqualification criteria. The CoA, in its tenth status report, had told that court that not one of the 34 BCCI members had become fully compliant.
A bola vai rolar para o primeiro compromisso das equipes em 2021. Por conta das mudanças no calendário realizadas pela pandemia do novo coronavírus, haverá futebol em janeiro. Mais precisamente, nesta quarta-feira: Botafogo e Athletico Paranaense se enfrentarão às 19h15, no Estádio Nilton Santos, pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.
VEJA A TABELA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
O Réveillon do Botafogo não foi bom. Com 23 pontos conquistados, o time de Eduardo Barroca é o 19º colocado e vê o Bahia, primeiro time fora da zona de rebaixamento, a cinco pontos de distância. Para o duelo contra o Furacão, o treinador planeja mudanças no time titular, como o possível retorno de Bruno Nazário no sistema ofensivo.
A virada do Athletico Paranaense foi um pouco mais tranquila. Com 34 pontos, é o 11º colocado da competição. A seis pontos do Z4, ainda não se vê totalmente fora da disputa contra a degola. Contra o Botafogo, o técnico Paulo Autouri, que reencontrará a ex-equipe, não poderá contar com Erick e Márcio Azevedo.
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FICHA TÉCNICA BOTAFOGO x ATHLETICO PARANAENSE
Data/Horário: 06/01/2021, às 19h15 Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Árbitro:Rodrigo Dalonso Ferreira (SC) Assistentes: Henrique Neu Ribeiro (SC) eHelton Nunes (SC) Árbitro de vídeo: Igor Junio Benevenuto de Oliveira (MG) Onde ver: tempo real do LANCE!
BOTAFOGO Diego Cavalieri; Kevin, Marcelo Benevenuto, Kanu, Victor Luís; Cícero, José Welison, Caio Alexandre; Bruno Nazário, Pedro Raul, Kalou. Técnico: Eduardo Barroca.
Suspensos: – Pendurados: Kanu, Diego Cavalieri, Rhuan, Pedro Raul, Marcelo Benevenuto, Matheus Babi e Caio Alexandre Fora: Iván Angulo, Kelvin, Gatito Fernández e Lucas Barros (lesionados)
ATHLETICO PARANAENSE Santos; Jonathan, Pedro Henrique, Thiago Heleno, Abner; Richard, Christian; Carlos Eduardo, Léo Cittadini, Nikão; Renato Kayzer. Técnico: Paulo Autuori.
Suspensos: – Pendurados: Zé Ivaldo, Richard, Jaime Alvarado, Erick, Nikão, Fernando Canesin, Abner, Renato Kayzer, Jonathan e Khellven Fora: Erick e Márcio Azevedo (lesionados)
Palpites: na redação do LANCE!, 50% das pessoas apostaram em um empate; 30% votaram que o Athletico conquistará uma vitória fora de casa e 20% acreditaram que o Botafogo sairá com os três pontos.
The cricketing world may have been denied future glimpses of a unique bowling action – the bowler rotating 360 degrees in his run-up, just prior to delivery – after a signal of dead ball from the umpire. The incident occurred on the third day of a CK Nayudu Trophy (four-day domestic tournament for India’s Under-23 state teams) match between Bengal and Uttar Pradesh in Kalyani, on the outskirts of Kolkata.During Bengal’s second innings, UP left-arm spinner Shiva Singh – a member of India’s victorious team at this year’s Under-19 World Cup – jogged in and completed a 360-degree turn before delivering the ball. Umpire Vinod Seshan promptly signalled dead ball, to the bemusement of Shiva and the UP fielders.ESPNcricinfo understands that the game came to a brief halt as Seshan discussed the incident with his on-field partner Ravi Shankar before telling Shiva and UP captain Shivam Chaudhary that a repeat offence would force the umpires to continue deeming the balls as ‘dead’.
What the Laws say
20.4.2 Either umpire shall call and signal Dead ball when … 20.4.2.7 there is an instance of a deliberate attempt to distract under either of Laws 41.4 (Deliberate attempt to distract striker) or 41.5 (Deliberate distraction, deception or obstruction of batsman). The ball shall not count as one of the over.
Shiva told ESPNcricinfo that this was not the first time he had bowled in this peculiar manner. He claimed he had tried the 360-degree style against Kerala in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (senior 50-overs tournament) last month, and was not pulled up by the umpires.Shiva said he felt his action was perfectly fine and that the bowler – like batsmen, who are permitted to switch-hit – should be allowed an element of surprise. “I use different variations in one-dayers and T20s so I thought of doing the same because the Bengal batsmen were developing a partnership,” Shiva said. “The umpires said dead ball, so I asked “why are you calling it a dead ball?””I delivered this 360-degree ball against Kerala in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well, where it was fine. Batsman always go for the reverse-sweep or the switch-hit against bowlers. But when bowlers do something like this it’s deemed a dead ball.”The comparison, however, is wrong, according to Simon Taufel, the former Elite Panel umpire, who finds a difference in “intent” between a bowler turning 360 degrees in his run-up and a batsman playing the switch-hit. “The intent of the reverse action is different,” Taufel told . “One is necessary to play the shot, the other is not in order to maintain the same mode of delivery.”Taufel said he agreed with Seshan’s interpretation of the incident saying Shiva’s action was unfair. “The umpire is entitled to call and signal dead ball under Law 20.4.2.1 (unfair play) or 20.4.2.7 (deliberate attempt to distract/deceive/obstruct). It’s up to the umpire but one would have to ask why the bowler did this and have to assume the only reason would be to distract or put the striker off. Doesn’t seem right or fair to me. If it is his normal bowling action then maybe a different outcome.”Responding to the situation, the MCC, cricket’s law-keepers, said in a statement that it was up to the umpire to interpret the facts at hand: “Unless the 360 degree twirl was part of the bowler’s run-up for every ball, the umpire may need to consider whether he/she feels that the twirl was done in an attempt to distract the batsman in some way. This is particularly so if there was no apparent advantage to be gained from the twirl, unlike, for example, the bowler varying the width of the release point or the length of his/her run-up, which are entirely lawful.”If the batsman is distracted, he/she is entitled to withdraw from his/her stance and, if the umpire feels there has been a deliberate attempt to distract, then the procedure in Law 41.4 will be followed, including the awarding of 5 Penalty runs.”If the striker has not been distracted, play can continue as normal unless the umpire intervenes and calls Dead ball…”The umpire in this example felt that Law 41.4 had been breached, but it is not clear from the footage or reports whether or not he awarded 5 Penalty runs to the batting side.” ESPNcricinfo understands no penalty runs were awarded.One of the Bengal batsmen said he had faced Shiva’s 360-degree ball in the past as well. “I know Shiva and I’ve played him before, and he has uncanny ways of distracting the batsman,” the Bengal player said. “But I wasn’t fazed by it. The umpire did call it a dead ball and he explained to the UP captain and bowler that under MCC’s latest laws, if the bowler turns around in that manner, then it’s a disturbance or distraction to the batsman. And he told the captain that every time he bowls that ball, it would be deemed a dead ball. The UP captain argued for a few minutes and play continued thereafter.”Shiva is a spinner who is capable of bowling a bouncer because of his strong left shoulder. He has a couple of different actions – sometimes he doesn’t lift his non-bowling arm. Sometimes he walks up to the crease like a zombie, but he’s got good control over them. But even when Shiva turned around and bowled, I wasn’t aware of the distraction rule and if he bowled more than once, I would be totally cool to face him. But the umpire was clear on his action being a “distraction” to the batsman, so Shiva did not repeat that action.”Shiva’s inability to continue with the 360-degree style did not affect the result of the game. UP inflicted an innings win over Bengal in three days, with Shiva taking four wickets in the match.
Should West Indies limit the impact of Rohit, Kohli and Dhawan, they could well become the only team to beat India twice in a home ODI series since October 2016
The Preview by Ankur Dhawan28-Oct-20183:32
Dasgupta: Jadhav as sixth bowling option is important
Big PictureAs West Indies ambled across the finish line in Pune, India ought to have wondered where their own finisher was. Did he not oscillate between Nos. 5 and 6 once upon a time? Is that now a fable from the past? A look at the scorecard will tell you that in those positions he still dwells, at least in body, but not so much in spirit. A little over a hundred required, at a whisker under a run a ball, and Virat Kohli at the other end, was a situation that would have fit MS Dhoni of yore better than his own batting glove. But what transpired in Pune has become characteristic of India in recent times: an inability to close matches without a heavy contribution from two of the top three. It’s not that India have endured too many defeats since the Champions Trophy, but when they have, the failings have been similar.Part of the reason India haven’t had a consistently firing middle order for a while is also because they haven’t needed one. Most times, like in the first ODI in Guwahati , or in Nottingham against England a few months ago, two of the top three went on to get substantial scores. Same was the case during the Asia Cup, except in the final, where India limped to a last-ball win.Since the 2015 World Cup, India’s top three have averaged nearly 62, 16 more than the next best England. But the chasm – sometimes as a consequence, at other times not – between the contribution of the top three and that of Nos 5, 6 and 7 is also by far the widest for India among top teams during the same period.West Indies, on the other hand, made a pleasant discovery that really should have been apparent from the beginning. The key to dismantling India, who are now a stronger force with the ball, is beating their top order. While scoring in excess of 300 was a priority emphasised by their captain, it is ironic, but not entirely surprising, that in the only ODI that they have won so far, they actually fell short of that mark by 17 runs. What they managed, however, was dismissing three of India’s top four for less than fifty, leaving Kohli to fight a familiarly forlorn battle, like he has often had to in recent overseas Tests. Ranked No. 9, West Indies don’t suddenly become favourites against India, who are No. 2 on the table, but should they produce an encore of all the things they did right in the third ODI, they could well become the only team to beat India twice in a home ODI series since October 2016.Ashley Nurse is pumped up after taking a wicket•AFPForm guideIndia LTWWT West Indies WTLLWIn the spotlightThe moth-eaten adage that absence from the side enhances a player’s worth could not have been truer in Kedar Jadhav’s case. His return from the hamstring injury suffered in the Asia Cup final means that India don’t have to bowl out all their premier bowlers should one of them have an off-day. They have been forced to do so in all three matches so far. His bowling remains an inscrutable mystery, as he continues to keep scoring rates down and also pick up crucial wickets as well. The low trajectory with which he bowls makes it difficult to get under the ball unless it is taken on the full. Some of West Indies’ batsmen, who have a predilection for aerial shots over midwicket, could be lbw candidates against his painfully slow grubbers. In his primary role, with the bat, Jadhav has consistently played inconspicuous cameos that have made a discernible difference to India’s totals. His return augers well for a misfiring middle-order.Shai Hope has so far succeeded in playing a role one may have expected the experienced Marlon Samuels to carry out. Amid the cacophony, as wickets tumbled in Pune, he artfully held the innings together and took it deep enough for Ashley Nurse’s cameo to influence the result of the match. In a line-up bristling with impetuous power-hitters, who are a perfect fit for their time, Hope’s match-awareness has been timeless.Team newsRavindra Jadeja was left out for pacer Khaleel Ahmed, perhaps in anticipation of dew. It is likely that he will return, not just because Khaleel was smacked for 65 in ten overs, but also because India’s lower-order needs bolstering. With fitness concerns behind him and match practice under his belt, Jadhav should also walk back into the side, but who goes out for him might be a trickier question for India to answer.India (probable XI): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Rishabh Pant/Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Jasprit BumrahBarring injury, West Indies have little reason to change a line-up that has fared progressively better through the ODI series. In all likelihood, they will field the same side that leveled the series in Pune.West Indies (probable XI): 1 Chandrapaul Hemraj, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmeyer, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Fabian Allen/Ashley Nurse, 9 Obed McCoy, 11 Kemar RoachPitch and conditionsAdministrative issues forced the fourth ODI to be shifted from Wankhede to the Brabourne stadium. Apart from the pin code, it is hard to say what else might be in common between the venues. While the last two first-class matches here were reasonably high scoring, the last of those was a tour match between India A and Australia that took place in February 2017. The last international at the venue was a Test match between India and Sri Lanka back in 2009, where Virender Sehwag came within seven runs of what could have been his third triple hundred.Stats and trivia West Indies’ victory in Pune was only their fifth against India in India since January 2007 Kuldeep Yadav is India’s highest wicket-taker in ODis in 2018. He has 41 from 17 matches, at an average of 18. Nine more strikes and he’ll topple Rashid Khan off No. 1
Arsenal, after eventually missing out on the Premier League title last season, have picked up where they left off to once again battle it out with Manchester City at the top of the football. The Gunners are one of just two sides still unbeaten in the league, with North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur also getting off to a blistering start.
Despite their return to Europe's elite, the Gunners have not taken their foot off the gas, and could yet make further improvements through the transfer market. And that could include the arrival of one particular star, who scouts were sent to watch in La Liga action.
Arsenal transfer news
Gone are the days of Arsenal's squad needing a major overhaul, after many previous mistakes. Instead, the days of building on what is already a world-class squad have arrived, and Mikel Arteta deserves much of the credit for that. The Spaniard has turned a page in the Gunners' history books, writing a new, more successful chapter than that of the last decade. It is one in which many new characters will feature, perhaps including one Valencia player.
The latest Javi Guerra transfer news certainly suggests that could be the case. According to 90min, Arsenal sent scouts to watch the midfielder in the last few weeks after the 20-year-old impressed in Spain's top flight. Valencia sporting director Miguel Angel Corona has been quick to shut down any chance of an exit, however, saying:
"We are fully aware that we have a player with enormous potential for the future and the ability to perform at a good level now. That is why the club have decisively moved him up to the first team in recent months. It is not in our plans to sell him to any club."
If Arsenal do push ahead with a potential deal, then it won't be cheap, either, with Guerra's reported release clause sitting at £86m (€100m), and his current Valencia contract not coming to an end until 2027.
Javi Guerra's stats
Arsenal's interest comes as little surprise, as Guerra's stats speak for themselves. So far this season, the 20-year-old has managed four goal involvements in nine La Liga games for Valencia, with three goals and one assist to his name. He has also managed to keep with some of Arsenal's current options in certain areas this season, too, as per FBref.
Player
Goals + Assists
Blocks
Successful Take-ons
Javi Guerra
4
14
16
Declan Rice
2
14
4
Fabio Vieira
2
0
2
Kai Havertz
2
7
1
Guerra has earned high praise as a result of his performances, including from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who said in his Daily Briefing, via Caught Offside: “Valencia consider him key player for present and future so not something concrete at this stage. More than five top clubs are scouting him but nothing else yet. For sure, he’s an excellent talent with top potential, so one to watch for the future.”
Newcastle United have been leagues above the previous standard since Eddie Howe's arrival two years ago, having turned consistent relegation battles into a fight for European football and success on the continental scene.
The PIF takeover has, of course, been crucial to the transformation, but the Magpies are not the only team in England to boast affluent wealth, and the way that the club has matched monetary value with diligence and implementation has been commendable.
Having escaped relegation with some tremendous form in the second half of the 2021/22 season, last year Newcastle transcended their past performances with sustained brilliance across the campaign, finishing fourth in the Premier League ahead of teams such as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea.
And this season, despite a three-match skid in the early phase, the Magpies are currently situated in sixth place and impressing with their performances, four points off Liverpool in fourth.
The new season has seen several exciting additions join the fold, but one former star, Allan Saint-Maximin, now plies his trade elsewhere after being shipped on in July after four years.
Why Newcastle sold Allan Saint-Maximin
Having signed for Newcastle from French side OGC Nice for an initial £16.5m in 2019 with Steve Bruce as the manager, Saint-Maximin established himself as one of the most exciting wingers in the Premier League, praised for his "breathtaking" performances by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
After 124 appearances, Howe made the decision this summer to grant his departure, and when Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli came calling, he was sold for around £23m.
The 26-year-old whiz offered a very distinctive dimension to the Tyneside club but he was not the most consistent of attackers, and given that the electric Anthony Gordon was signed from Everton in January it isclear that Howe had prepared for his exit.
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
22/23
31
1
5
21/22
37
5
5
20/21
26
3
4
19/20
30
4
7
Statistics sourced via Transfermarkt
As is delineated in the table above, for all of his fleet-footed brilliance, Saint-Maximin never quite chanelled the level of prolificness to cement a starting berth in Howe's expansive, dreamy, vision.
Tricks and weaves from speedsters of Saint-Maximin's ability can threaten the calmest, most immovable of defenders, but there will always come a time when igniting the spark in the final and decisive moment calls for incisive action.
The Frenchman did not marry the facets well enough to win Howe over, and he opted to cash in and replace him with Harvey Barnes, who joined from relegated Leicester City in a £38m deal.
Barnes, while quick and skillful, plays a more direct game and relies on his end product to impress, having scored 13 Premier League goals last season and posting a goal and an assist on his Magpies debut in August.
As per FBref, the 25-year-old ranks among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90 to illustrate this fact.
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But injury struck and the Englishman has been ruled out indefinitely after sustaining an ankle issue in September, not scheduled to return for some time yet.
That unwelcome scenario is compounded by the recent shoulder injury to Jacob Murphy, whose industriousness has left him "so important" to Howe's side, according to The Athletic's Chris Waugh; while a timeframe has not yet been provided, Howe has expressed worry over the extent of the injury.
Such unfortunate circumstances inevitably lead to poignancy over the sale of Saint-Maximin, who would be an important component for the injury-stricken Toon at present.
Allan Saint-Maximin's statistics this season
The 5 foot 8 forward has impressed in the Saudi Pro League so far, plundering two goals and assists apiece from nine appearances – all starts – but a cruel twist of fate has recently seen the £226k-per-week phenom suffer minor ligament damage and now he too faces a spell on the sidelines.
As per Sofascore, he has complemented his direct return with some pretty impressive metrics thus far, completing 86% of his passes, taking 2.1 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game, and succeeding with 59% of his frequent dribbles.
Once hailed as a “wing wizard” by 90min's Graeme Bailey, Saint-Maximin is certainly bringing the magic and while he would likely not be the most prolific of members of the St. James' Park squad right now, he boasts core attributes that would allow him to fill in and play a big part.
Ranking among the top 7% of positional peers in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the past 365 days for assists, the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 20% for progressive passes, and the top 1% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, he clearly offers the skills requisite for success under a manager such as Howe.
His four direct goal contributions actually surpass that of an ever-present member of the Newcastle squad this season, with Miguel Almiron not quite enjoying his richest vein of goalscoring form this season despite maintaining his impressive work rate and intensity.
Miguel Almiron's statistics this season
Last year, Almiron really came into his own after years of ebbing and flowing from form, and he scored 11 times and supplied four assists, with eight strikes coming in a blistering ten-match period in the Premier League, leading journalist Josh Bunting to remark at his “sensational” rise.
This season, the Paraguayan has scored three times from nine appearances across all competitions, and while he has been impressive, the deluge of injuries now demands an upswing in his cutting edge.
Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron.
The £60k-per-week ace is among the crispest passers of the ball in his position, ranking among the top 11% of positional peers for pass completion per 90, but his clinical touch has been lacking a bit since last season's vibrant purple patch.
Saint-Maximin, of course, hardly trumps the 29-year-old in output but he is outperforming him this season – with one more goal contribution – and combining both his direct threat with a creative flair; Almiron is only creating 0.4 key passes per game in the Premier League this term.
Whether Howe rues the sale of the former star is questionable, after all, he was the one that permitted his departure, but there is no doubt that Saint-Maximin would be a valuable asset amid the current injury crisis.