It's no secret at Elland Road that Wifried Gnonto has longed for a move away from Leeds United in the past, the Italian attacker even taking matters into his own hands last year by refusing to don a Whites strip in a bid to get a deal out of the club over the line.

Yet, in the present, Gnonto could be close to securing a new contract extension regardless of the rumour mill this transfer window suggesting that he could have been on the move away from the club and finally back up to the Premier League.

Daniel Farke's Championship promotion hopefuls will wait with bated breath to see if their previously wantaway winger does commit himself to the Leeds cause, knowing that many twists and turns could still possibly occur.

With that in mind, Farke could well still want reinforcements to bolster the right wing spot at the club regardless of whether or not Gnonto stays or departs owing to assembling the strongest possible squad capable of promotion.

Here are three Gnonto upgrades he could well attempt to sign with the clock precariously ticking ever closer to the window slamming shut…

1 Option 1: David Brooks

David Brooks would certainly be viewed as an improvement on Gnonto, the silky Welshman boasting a Championship promotion on his CV which could make him very useful to Farke's plans.

His numbers at second tier level also help, the current AFC Bournemouth attacker helping himself to nine goals and 11 assists from 69 appearances in the division over his career to date.

In contrast, when Gnonto has been selected this season by his German manager, the Leeds winger has only mustered up a single goal and assist for his troubles.

Brooks could also give Daniel James healthy competition if signed, pushing his fellow compatriot all the way for a spot in the starting eleven.

Once referred to as a "wizard" by Bournemouth Echo journalist Jack Tanner for his skilful nature on the pitch, Leeds will be hoping Brooks has more magic up his sleeve when pulling on a Whites strip potentially with the slick 26-year-old arguably an upgrade on Gnonto.

2 Option 2: Manuel Benson

Leeds could well fancy signing Manuel Benson to enhance their squad away from Gnonto this month also, the Burnley winger an absolute revelation at second tier level last campaign under Vincent Kompany.

Scoring 12 times and assisting a further three goals, the Belgian machine was instrumental in his Clarets side lifting the Championship title with an unbelievable 101-points total accumulated come the end of the 46-game season.

Benson could well fancy returning to the second tier to play for Leeds to gain another promotion on his sparkling resume in a similar fashion to Brooks, meaning Gnonto would tumble down the Whites pecking order as a result.

Showboating for fun with the Clarets on the way to that title, the 26-year-old also showed his goalscoring expertise in curling many a wonder strike past a hapless Championship goalkeeper that campaign.

Yet, despite all these heroics, Benson finds himself cut adrift at Turf Moor currently and rumours suggest Leeds are in the driver's seat to land his signature this month subsequently.

Benson could well be a very effective weapon to deploy by Farke when games are tight, with Leeds still very much in the automatic promotion hunt if everything goes to plan and this signing could give them an edge.

3 Option 3: Mateusz Musialowski

Leeds could well go down the route of securing a raw and young talent as opposed to wingers who have been there and done that in the division with this potential buy, the Whites reportedly in for Liverpool starlet Mateusz Musialowski on loan this window.

Joined by Birmingham City now in pursuing the Polish attacker, Leeds will hope they have the advantage of being a positive, attack-oriented club near the top of the league on their side to land the 20-year-old talent over the Blues.

This season for the Reds at U21 level, Musialowski has bagged six goals in all competitions with the youngster even playing as a centre-forward on occasion.

Musialowski's flexibility to play in multiple positions could well be what Farke admires in the Reds youngster considering he hasn't cut his teeth playing senior football yet, giving Leeds another striker option potentially if a leggy Patrick Bamford drops off in form after bursting into life again this year.

Gnonto's minutes in the Whites first team could be even fewer and far between with this loan addition, the 20-year-old a smart buy if a deal can be reached.

With his 27-ball 52 in the final, Mosaddek made a strong case for the No. 7 position in Bangladesh’s World Cup opener on June 2

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2019

Mosaddek Hossain drives on the up•ICC

Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain decided that they had to attack when West Indies’ Fabian Allen came on to deliver the 22nd over, in the final of tri-nation series on Friday. Bangladesh were chasing a revised target of 210 in 24 overs in a rain-curtailed match, and when they needed 27 to win from 18 balls, they saw Allen come back into the attack.Mosaddek had already struck two sixes and a four by then during his 26 off 18, and Mahmudullah, the designated big hitter for Bangladesh, was on 15 off 16 balls. With a title on the line and having not won one in international cricket, the pair knew Allen’s left-arm spin – largely bereft of variations – was their chance to push West Indies back.ALSO READ: Mosaddek’s 20-ball fifty seals historic win for BangladeshMosaddek hammered three sixes and a four on the first four balls of the over that cost West Indies 25 runs and the match was all but over, with Mosaddek finishing on a 27-ball 52. After the match, Mosaddek said that they knew there were batsmen capable of hitting sixes waiting in the dressing room but since they were the last remaining specialist batsmen, it was their responsibility to take Bangladesh home.”With 27 needed from the last three overs, we targeted that [Allen] over,” Mosaddek said. “We wanted to keep ourselves ahead by using this over. [Mohammad] Saifuddin, [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz and Mashrafe [Mortaza] were there after me. Mashrafe can play the big shots. Our plan was to bat till the end. I think everyone understood that we had done the job after that over. It was the turning point.”A turning point it could also be for Bangladesh and Mosaddek himself. With a World Cup coming up, and hosts England having already set a benchmark for big scores, Bangladesh seemed to have been lagging behind on that front, despite winning quite regularly since 2015. Their lack of a big-hitter down the order has often made the difference between a 320-plus score, and a middling 280.With Soumya Sarkar giving them good starts – he scored three consecutive fifties – in this tri-series, and now Mosaddek also revealing himself as a lower-order hitter, it potentially adds a missing piece to Bangladesh’s puzzle.Before Friday, Mosaddek had made only one ODI fifty in 21 innings, but with his quickfire half-century in the final, he made a strong case for the No. 7 position when Bangladesh take on South Africa in their World Cup opener on June 2. He has never had a reputation for six-hitting, but has been regarded as one for the future since his breakout season in the Dhaka Premier League six years ago.”I had to play positive cricket in that tough situation. I tried to play to the merit of the ball,” Mosaddek said of his willingness to bat with similar aggression in the future. “I think we will be playing on better wickets in England. I will try to play these knocks from down the order, which would be helpful to win games.”Mosaddek added that during the 10-minute innings break, the senior players told the rest of the team that if they simply bore in mind their confidence from the previous three matches, they had a good chance of chasing down the target.”After we returned from fielding, Mashrafe and the rest said that we have the batting ability, as we have shown in the tri-series, we would be able to chase down this target if we bat till the end.”Mosaddek signed off underscoring that winning their first title was important but the four wins in a row will play a bigger part in their preparation for the World Cup. “It is pleasing to win a final, especially against a good opponent. It is a big thing for us with the World Cup’s preparations in mind,” Mosaddek said.

Chelsea are set to make a “mind-boggling” offer for a new centre-back in 2024, according to a new report.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues and Todd Boehly were once again busy over the summer, bringing in Mauricio Pochettino as manager and making a number of new signings.

Chelsea summer signings

Axel Disasi (Monaco)

£38.5m

Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal)

£30.1m

Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)

£52m

Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle)

£17.27m

Robert Sanchez (Brighton)

£25m

Moises Caicedo (Brighton)

£115m

Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes)

£23.5m

Angelo Gabriel (Santos)

Undisclosed

Alex Matos (Norwich)

Undisclosed

Diego Moreira (Benfica)

Undisclosed

Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton)

Undisclosed

Dujuan Richards (Phoenix All Stars Academy)

Undisclosed

Romeo Lavia (Southampton)

£58m

Deivid Washington (Santos)

£17.1m

Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution)

£14m

Cole Palmer (Manchester City)

£42.5m

All fees courtesy of Sky Sports

However, it hasn’t led to an immediate impact, with Chelsea once again struggling in the Premier League. After 20 rounds of fixtures, the Blues sit just inside the top half, with eight wins, eight defeats and four draws. As a result, there could be further transfer activity this year, with Pochettino recently hinting at the need for new additions, saying:

"After the first half of the season, we need to check. That is the reality. If we are not receiving enough, maybe we need to do some movement.

"That is the thing to analyse with the sporting directors, to see if we can change this dynamic and improve in the second half of the season. We need to be more aggressive. Then it's a massive assessment and when the transfer window opens, we will see what we can do.”

Chelsea make transfer plan to land dream Boehly move for "complete" star

The Blues could solve their striker problem once and for all…

ByTom Cunningham Jan 2, 2024

Recent rumours have claimed that Chelsea are working on a deal to sign centre-back Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP ahead of Arsenal. Other defensive targets appear to be Benfica’s Antonio Silva and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo, however, Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni is also a player of interest.

Chelsea set to make Bastoni offer

According to reports in Italy in the past 48 hours, Chelsea are set to make a “mind-boggling” offer in the region of €60m (£51.6m) to sign Bastoni, who could “radically change the squad available to Pochettino”.

The report adds that Inter Milan may be tempted to accept the offer which will allow them to keep Lautaro Martinez for longer, although a potential move to Stamford Bridge wouldn’t be until the summer.

Bastoni, a left-footed centre-back, has been with Inter since 2017 after leaving Atalanta and is now valued at a career-high €60m by Transfermarkt. The 24-year-old has now made 183 senior appearances for Inter in all competitions – 19 of which have come during the current campaign – with the defender contributing to 17 goals during his time with Inter. (Alessandro Bastoni stats – Transfermarkt)

He has earned plenty of praise over the last few years, including Serie A expert Conor Clancy, who labelled Bastoni as a “phenomenon” following initial rumours of a move to England.

"He's the best Italian centre-back around. He's a phenomenon. He is going to be the next generation of Italian defence himself."

Chelsea aren’t short of centre-back options at this moment in time, with Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva all available to Pochettino, but come the summer, things could once again look different, so the club may see a move for Bastoni later this year as a key priority, making this one to watch.

The Red Devils stunned their local, all-conquering neighbours thanks to fearless displays from their latest academy graduates

Never write Manchester United off. Never. No one gave them a chance against the all-conquering Manchester City, especially when it emerged that Erik ten Hag was about to be sacked. But after a horrendous Premier League campaign, United took the game to their noisy neighbours and won their first FA Cup in eight years. And they did it thanks to their fearless youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, who were nurtured so well by Ten Hag.

United looked up for it from the first whistle, when Rashford forced Kyle Walker into a lung-busting sprint. Walker won it, but it set the tone, and the next time City were on the backfoot, United pounced. Garnacho seized on a mix-up between Stefan Ortega and Josko Gvardiol to give the Red Devils a shock lead.

The Argentina international was electric, setting up Rashford for a goal that was ruled offside, and the pair combined again for the exquisite second goal, completed by a deft pass from Bruno Fernandes to Mainoo.

City improved after the break after Guardiola made a series of substitutions, but United, marshalled by their superb centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, looked to have weathered the storm.

Then out of nowhere, a slip-up from Andre Onana gifted Jeremy Doku a goal that breathed life into a strangely out-of-sorts City. Of course United weren't going to make this easy, but they survived, giving Ten Hag one hell of a send-off.

GOAL rates United's players from Wembley…

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andre Onana (5/10):

  His calm footwork allowed United to have long periods of possession and settled their nerves. And his shot-stopping was initially spot-on, making two fine saves to deny Walker. He then undid all that fine work by being beaten by Doku at his near post, but he just about got away with it.

  Aaron Wan-Bissaka (7/10):

  A superb performance in what could be his last game for the club. Had a calm first half, was put to the test when Doku came on but passed it with flying colours.

  Raphael Varane (7/10):

  The perfect farewell to what has been an underwhelming time with United. His anticipation and positioning was spot-on, helping keep Haaland quiet.

  Lisandro Martinez (8/10):

  What a difference it makes when your best centre-back is available. The Argentine dovetailed with Onana as United played out from the back with a confidence barely seen this season, and he was at his combative best.

  Diogo Dalot (8/10):

  A fine performance even at left-back. Contained Bernardo Silva and put his body on the line, making plenty of blocks and clearances.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Midfield

  Sofyan Amrabat (6/10):

  The Moroccan has had a fine end to an otherwise poor season and this was no exception. His lack of pace was still visible, but his awareness and intelligence compensated for it.

  Kobbie Mainoo (7/10):

  Rounded off a fine debut season by outshining Rodri in the middle. Excellent on the ball and feisty off it. And produced the calmest of finishes to complete a wonderful team goal.

  Scott McTominay (6/10):

  One of United's quieter players, seeing little of the ball. But his hard work contributed to a famous win.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Alejandro Garnacho (9/10):

  The youngster loves the big occasion and he thrived on the Wembley stage with a superb display, working tirelessly and doing the damage in the final third.

  Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

  An all-action performance, capped by his sumptuous pass to Mainoo for the second goal.

  Marcus Rashford (7/10):

  Lively from the off and dovetailed brilliantly with Garnacho, lighting the fuse for Mainoo's goal. A nice end to a nightmare season.

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• Getty Images
  

  Subs & Manager

  Jonny Evans (6/10):

  Kept the ship tight after replacing Martinez, and finishes the season with another medal for his large collection, most of which was won under Sir Alex Ferguson.

  Rasmus Hojlund (5/10):

  His main task was to chase balls forward and hold the play up. He did a decent enough job.

  Victor Lindelof (N/A):

  Hauled on in added-time to see out the win.

  Mason Mount (N/A):

  Brought on in stoppage-time, making for a nice ending to a season in which he has barely featured.

  Erik ten Hag (8/10):

  Went into the game knowing he'd been sacked behind his back and came out swinging. Made a bold call to drop Casemiro but was right to bring back Rashford. His players played for him and gave him the perfect send off.

Big Picture

Thrill-seekers, “atten-shun!”Here’s a clash of the heavyweights to make the mouth water (assuming the water that’s currently on the Hampshire Bowl outfield deigns to recede in good time, of course). A tussle between two of the hardest-hitting batting line-ups in the tournament, not to mention some of the fastest, nastiest bowlers on display in this World Cup (a prospect that, for differing reasons, has probably taken some seasoned observers somewhat by surprise).All this is due to unfold on one of the best batting surfaces in the country – a venue where England shared 734 runs with Pakistan on their last trip to Southampton in May. And given the fireworks that these two teams laid on in the Caribbean earlier this year, there could be few better settings for what, among other things, could also be seen as an unofficial series decider – with the sides locked at 2-2 after an astonishing one-day leg of England’s tour in February, the winner clearly stands to take it all in terms of bragging rights.The jeopardy of the contest has been heightened by the events of the last few days. Australia’s defeat of Pakistan has propelled their curiously ill-balanced but spirited band of brawlers right into the semi-final mix, while the wash-out between India and New Zealand – the two remaining unbeaten teams – is a blow to those around them who would have been anticipating one or other dropping a full two points up at Trent Bridge.Instead they’ve both consolidated their statuses by a point, which means that if (IF!) there is a positive result in Southampton, the negative effect on the losers will be exacerbated. Certainly England will have earmarked this contest as an “ought to win”, given that their last three fixtures of the group stage are arguably the toughest of the lot, against India, Australia and New Zealand.Meanwhile West Indies, who tripped up from a commanding position against Australia and then were thwarted by the rain against South Africa, will need something more positive than three points to show for their enterprising start to the campaign, especially with fixtures against India and New Zealand still to come, not to mention their next outing, in Taunton on Monday, coming against the Bangladesh team that pipped them in the tri-series in Ireland last month.At ease: Sheldon Cottrell provided the early breakthrough for West Indies•Getty Images

But, as the players themselves will doubtless be reminded, all that matters in this World Cup is the team that’s in front of you on the day. And the dramatis personae on both sides makes for a compelling cast-list. The power of Chris Gayle on the one hand, versus the panache of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow on the other; the silky speed of Jofra Archer versus the brutalist architecture of the fearsome Oshane Thomas.The savagery of Andre Russell’s six-hitting versus the preposterous boundary-plundering of Jos Buttler; the cultured anchor roles that Shai Hope and Joe Root can provide for their respective sides. And not to mention the battle of the captains, Eoin Morgan and Jason Holder, two of the most impressive leaders of men in the world game, whose tactical nous is matched by the degree to which they’ve managed to mould teams in their own image.It could – it should – be some of the most compelling viewing of a World Cup that may be spluttering in the puddles right at this moment, but which has already produced some outstanding match-ups on the days when the heavens have relented. Here’s hoping the clouds can give this contest a break. It’s one that promises to be unmissable.

Form guide

England WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies LWLLW

In the spotlight

It’s all about Jofra, who else? There are “no secrets” in Jofra Archer‘s methods, claimed Floyd Reifer earlier this week, given that he was a regular in West Indies’ age-group teams until his omission for the 2014 Under-19 World Cup prompted a move from Barbados to Brighton, and thence to the world stage. But there will be no shortage of spice when one of the bowlers of the tournament to date lines up against the men with whom he is surely sharing a dressing-room in a parallel universe. The liquid pace that he is able to generate from his near effortless run-up has already produced some startling moments in this tournament, not least the savage bouncer which rattled Hashim Amla’s grille and left him with concussion. And as he admitted in that South Africa match, the adrenalin of his World Cup debut drove his game, and his pace, to rare heights. You might presume that this contest will get his appetite similarly whetted.Trevor Bayliss apparently had a wry smile on his face when asked for his opinion of Sheldon Cottrell‘s victory salutes – though the trouble with the edgiest of quotes is that they get stripped of context as soon as they are laid out on a flat page of words. And sure enough, having claimed that Cottrell’s antics “probably piss me off more than anyone else”, Bayliss laid the groundwork for some extra jubilant send-offs on Friday – “exactly, more salute to come!! Aaaatttennntiooon!” said Chris Gayle on Instagram in response to an ESPNcricinfo post. And no matter what England’s players may privately think of the man himself, there’s clearly something about Cottrell’s methods that place substance over style. He’s scalped five wickets in the tournament to date, including two in four overs on this ground in Monday’s washout against South Africa.

Team news

England’s hopes of fighting West Indian fire with their own fully-loaded arsenal have taken a slight hit with the news that Mark Wood’s dodgy ankle has been playing up again. He is expected to undergo a fitness test on the morning of the game, but with five more group matches to come before the semis, and England reasonably well placed at this early stage of the round-robin, prudence might be the order of the day. Moeen Ali, who missed the Bangladesh match to attend his daughter’s birth, is likely to slot back into the twin spin attack, alongside Adil Rashid.England: (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Jofra Archer.Russell remains the biggest unknown quantity for West Indies on the eve of the contest. He was rested for the South Africa match in a bid to manage his long-term knee problem, and Holder admitted that a decision on whether he plays or not will “boil down to how he wakes up tomorrow morning and feels”. Kemar Roach is a suitable pacy understudy, although he lacks the explosive power with the bat. Evin Lewis also missed the last match after being struck on the hand in practice but is expected to be fit to return in place of Darren Bravo.West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Shimron Hetmeyer, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane Thomas.

Pitch and conditions

The weather in Hampshire has been miserable all week, so it’s a matter of sitting tight and hoping for clearish skies come the toss on Friday. Quite how the pitch will have been affected is anyone’s guess – it hasn’t been seen for days. But given the life that West Indies’ quicks extracted in the 7.3 overs available to them against South Africa, it promises to be another bowl-first day.

Strategy punts

• The tastiest match-up of this contest is surely the resumption of the nascent rivalry between opening batsman and bowler, Gayle and Archer, which has so far been limited to five innings across three T20 campaigns (one BPL and two IPLs). Gayle, true to reputation, hasn’t stood on ceremony, cracking 35 runs from 25 balls faced all told. But he has been dismissed by Archer on two occasions for an average of 17.50.
• By his lofty standards, Gayle’s overall record against 140kph-plus bowlers is less than stellar – he has been harassed by Trent Boult in recent match-ups and was given out three times against Mitchell Starc last week before a decision finally stuck. Another factor will be the importance of running between the wickets on one of the largest playing areas in the competition – rarely a Gayle forte, or that of many of his team-mates for that matter, who prefer to let their six-hitting do the running.
• With no legspinner in West Indies’ ranks, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow may finally be presented with an all-pace new-ball attack at the top of England’s order. Cottrell enjoyed early success against both men in West Indies’ win in Barbados in February.

Stats and trivia

• England may never yet have won the World Cup, but at least they can say they haven’t lost to West Indies in the tournament since they lifted the last of their two crowns in 1979.
• England were the beaten finalists at Lord’s in 1979, when West Indies successfully defended their title. Since then, they have won all five of their encounters across four tournaments – two in 1987, and one each in 1992, 2007 and 2011.
• With 215 runs at 71.67 and a strike-rate of 118.8, Roy has been one of the outstanding performers in this World Cup. His record, however, is a far cry from his role in the 2017 Champions Trophy, when he was dropped after a run of 18 runs in the same number of games.
• The focus on Friday may be on the quicker bowlers on both teams, but one of the most penetrative in recent England-West Indies games has been Holder – who has dismissed Bairstow, Root, Ben Stokes and Buttler on two occasions each.

Quotes

“It is not frustration because we learnt a huge amount about growing our game out in the West Indies. I think it’s important to have days where you are beaten or can’t beat a side because you then look even more into areas of improvement. You almost look outwardly and say, ‘What were we missing today?'”
“I don’t think it will change, that’s just Sheldon. I guess Trevor will just have learn to accept it [smiling].”

As we head into the final days of the January transfer window, Morgan Rogers looks by far the likeliest addition for Aston Villa, who have already signed Kosta Nedeljkovic from Red Star Belgrade in a buy-and-loan-back deal.

After an improved offer, Villa are in fresh talks with Middlesbrough over signing the attacker and are hopeful of completing a deal in the early part of this week. Rogers wants to join and is the top priority for Unai Emery, who's bidding to keep Villa in the Premier League top four.

All the while, though, Villa sporting director Monchi is apparently in talks over yet another player as they continue to display their ambition and flex their muscles in the transfer market.

Villa make contact over Goncalves

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via SportsView, Villa are in talks over Pedro Goncalves at Sporting. The club have apparently been long-term admirers of the Portuguese and have now reignited their interest in the final days of the window.

Monchi and his recruitment team have been in contact with the player's entourage to establish contractual details, but they know a deal won't be easy. Goncalves' current terms run until the summer of 2027, and his release clause stands at £68m.

Goncalves would be "brilliant" signing

Goncalves actually spent two years on the books of Villa's Midlands rivals Wolves, but he only ever made one appearance (as a substitute in the EFL Cup). He would return to Portugal with Famalicao in 2019, and then move to Sporting a year later.

Primarily a central midfielder who can also play as a number 10 and on both flanks, Goncalves has put up some eye-watering numbers during his stint in Lisbon. Across 158 appearances to date, he's been directly involved 111 goals, despite the fact he often takes up a deep starting position.

He won the league's Golden Boot in his first season with 23 goals, and is on course to continue his record of ranking eighth or higher for direct goal contributions every year.

2020/21

26

3rd

2021/22

17

8th

2022/23

26

2nd

2023/24*

12

4th

Goncalves caught the eye of English audiences last season when he scored what proved to be the Europa League goal of the season away to Arsenal, as Sporting dumped the eventual Premier League runners-up out of the competition at the round of 16 stage. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admitted that he'd shown "incredible" perception, vision and execution in his "superb" effort.

Late January transfer at Aston Villa could supercharge Moussa Diaby

A new attacker is a priority for Unai Emery this month.

ByTom Lever Jan 28, 2024

Journalist Zach Lowy, who has covered Portuguese football, says that he'd be a "brilliant signing" for Emery and Villa. It's unclear whether they view him as a summer target or intend to spring a late winter move, and whether they'll be willing to activate his hefty release clause and shell out a club-record fee. This, though, is the kind of deal that could announce their arrival on the Champions League stage, should they get there.

History appears to be repeating itself at Manchester United, with the Red Devils once again heading into the closing stages of a January transfer window in need of a short-term, centre-forward fix.

It was almost four years ago that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer secured the shock deadline day loan signing of former Watford man, Odion Ighalo, while current boss Erik ten Hag also plunged into the market a year ago in order to secure the temporary addition of compatriot, Wout Weghorst – following the prior exit of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Neither deal can be looked upon too fondly – the pair scoring just five and two goals, respectively, across their spells – yet the club merely pulled them off out of necessity, having been in need of an extra body to come in on the cheap.

While not ideal circumstances, it looks as if the Old Trafford outfit could have to continue that trend this time around, with the woes of Anthony Martial – who is set to be out for ten weeks after undergoing groin surgery – sparking the need to find a suitable rival to Rasmus Hojlund.

Man Utd's top scorers in 2023/24 – all comps

Player

Games

Goals

Assists

Goals per 90

Rasmus Hojlund

25

7

1

0.36

Bruno Fernandes

28

6

5

0.22

Scott McTominay

24

6

1

0.33

Alejandro Garnacho

28

5

2

0.27

Marcus Rashford

26

4

5

0.20

Casemiro

12

4

1

0.38

Stats via BBC Sport

Managing to secure someone to compete with the young Dane who won't break the bank is arguably the most obvious stumbling block, with the Premier League side seemingly weighed down by FFP restrictions.

If it is a short-term fix that the club are in need of, it appears they have already identified a suitable target – one with slightly more glamour to his name than the likes of Ighalo and Weghorst.

Man Utd keen on signing World Cup winner

As per a report from The Athletic earlier this month, United are seeking low-cost striking options who could be brought in before the close of the window, having seemingly made contact with Timo Werner, prior to the former Chelsea man's loan move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Werner is not the only German talent that Ten Hag appears to have his eye on, however, the report also outlining that Bayern Munich hero, Thomas Muller is under consideration, with the World Cup winner having been 'watched' by the Red Devils of late.

Although the 34-year-old only recently signed a new deal with the Bavarian giants until 2025, there may well be hope that he can be tempted to make a shock late switch, having seen his game time limited this season with only nine starts from his 22 outings.

Ideally, United would not be turning to an ageing asset to ease their centre-forward woes – following prior experiences with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo – yet such a deal could well be a repeat of the club's prior signing of a certain, Henrik Larsson.

Thomas Muller could be Man Utd's next Larsson

For a player who actually spent just three months in Manchester, Larsson certainly made a strong impression, having been hailed as a "real joy" by manager Sir Alex Ferguson amid his eventual departure in March 2006.

The former Celtic and Barcelona star – who had been a reported target for Ferguson during his days at Parkhead – was signed midway through the 2006/07 campaign on a three-month loan from Helsingborgs, United craving additional firepower to supplement the likes of Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo.

Despite that switch proving rather brief, the Swedish sensation still managed to score three times in just 13 games in all competitions, including scoring the winning goal at home to Lille to send his new side into the last eight of the Champions League.

That impact even led United to try and sign the veteran marksman on a longer deal, with Ferguson admitting he "would have done anything" to keep the forward at the club, although Larsson opted to honour his contract at his parent club, and returned to his native Sweden – a decision that he later revealed he regretted.

While the hope would be that Muller would enjoy a more lengthy stay at the club, perhaps the £339k-per-week asset could cement himself as a cult figure among United supporters, if he can hit the ground running quite as successfully as the Swede.

Much like the 291-goal Larsson – who rocked up in Manchester at the age of 35 – the Bayern man is no spring chicken but could provide a wealth of experience to Ten Hag's youthful forward line, having recorded 500 goals and assists in 688 games for the Bundesliga giants.

For a team who have scored just 24 goals in 21 Premier League games this season, such an addition would seemingly offer more positives than negatives.

Thomas Muller's record vs Man Utd

Described as being "like a machine" by former Bayern defender, Patrik Andersson, Muller has regularly delivered when it matters most at the elite level, most notably boasting a remarkable haul of ten goals and six assists in just 19 World Cup appearances.

At club level, the enigmatic icon has also been a regular thorn in the side of Premier League opposition, including scoring five times in just seven Champions League meetings with Arsenal in his career to date.

As for United, the 126-cap international has only featured against the Red Devils on six occasions in Europe's elite competitions – including twice in the group stage this season – albeit while still managing to chalk up one goal and one assist.

That solitary strike came in the quarter-final meeting between Bayern and David Moyes' side back in 2014, the 6 foot 1 ace showcasing his typically clinical finishing skills to be in the right place at the right to turn home from Arjen Robben's cross.

As it proved, the home side went on to secure a 3-1 win at the Allianz Arena that night to clinch a 4-2 aggregate victory, with that perhaps as close as United have come to reaching the last four of the competition in the ten years since.

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At present, the focus for Ten Hag and his charges will just be doing their best to try and at least qualify for the Champions League courtesy of a top-four berth, with an experienced signing of Muller – in the mould of Larsson – potentially set to help them realise that aim.

The clock is ticking…

Pakistan produced a superb all-round performance to trump the hosts and favourites, and end their own losing run

The Report by Alan Gardner03-Jun-2019

Eoin Morgan is bowled by Mohammad Hafeez•Getty Images

As it happened: England v PakistanA hundred from Joe Root, the first in this World Cup. A hundred from Jos Buttler, at 75 balls the fifth fastest in the history of the World Cup. The disadvantage of losing the toss and being asked to set a target in these quixotic ODI times. The pressure of coming into this game on the back of a hammering at the same ground three days ago (not to mention 11 successive defeats in the format). Pakistan looked cornered, for sure, but they produced the old tiger routine at Trent Bridge to emerge bloodied but unbowed against the hosts and favourites. And, more crucially, with two World Cup points in their pocket.Having opened so smoothly against South Africa, England were given a World Cup reality check – a reminder, in particular, that their vaunted batting line-up cannot make up for sub-par performance with the ball. It had been almost four years since England last lost an ODI chase at home, but this was a record target in World Cups and despite going into the last ten overs needing 91 with five wickets in hand, Pakistan’s death bowling was good enough that the final dozen deliveries were barely even squeaky.Success with the ball has never been more relative: Wahab Riaz’s 3 for 82 would barely have qualified as respectable a decade ago, but his changes of pace at the end ensured England would not wag their way to a last-gasp victory (as well as accounting for Jonny Bairstow at the top of the order). Mohammad Amir, meanwhile, removed Buttler the ball after he had recorded his hundred, to finally send the scales lurching in Pakistan’s direction.In any other era, against any other side, Pakistan’s total of 348 for 8 would have looked impregnable. It was built around solid top-order contributions from Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed, though perhaps decisively aided and abetted by some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding from England.At the halfway stage, there was a sense that this could easily go the way of Pakistan’s unsuccessful attempts to defend 358 and 340 during the ODI series last month (when Wahab and Amir, for differing reasons, were both notably absent). But this was a World Cup encounter, in which the hosts carry the tag of favourites; however often they have pulled off such feats over recent years, there is no such thing as an easy chase of 349.Chris Woakes points towards the crowd after catching Imam-ul-Haq•Getty Images

So it was to prove, though for a while during the stand between Root and Buttler of 130 in 17.3 overs, England had the air of warm favourites (despite history and mathematics remaining firmly against them). That lifted England from the travails of 118 for 4, with both openers falling inside the Powerplay and Pakistan’s part-time spin pairing of Hafeez and Shoaib Malik accounting for the in-form Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes.It could have been worse for England, Root surviving a difficult diving chance to slip on 9 – Babar the would-be catcher, Amir the frustrated bowler – but he otherwise fulfilled his anchor role with aplomb, easing his way to a hundred from 97 balls. Then, with 101 needed and more than 10 overs of the innings remaining, Root threw his hands at a delivery from Shadab Khan and sliced to short third man. The noise from the increasingly rambunctious English sections of the Trent Bridge crowd immediately dropped a level.In fact, there had been equally voluble support for Pakistan, and England had seemed a touch rattled – there were sarcastic claps to the crowd in the field, and then palpable frustration from Jason Roy when his lbw against Shadab in the third over was confirmed on review. Bairstow responded forcefully before feathering behind off Wahab, and it was a sign of England’s uneven effort that his 32 end up being their third-highest score.The DRS could not come to Pakistan’s aid later in the innings, when Buttler was rapped on the front pad by Shadab with just 33 to his name. It was understandable that Sarfaraz had gambled, with Buttler clearly England’s likeliest match-winner; even after Root’s dismissal, Pakistan nerves frayed further when a thin edge off Moeen Ali that could also have seen him stumped was missed by the captain. But Amir had Buttler carving to short third man, while Moeen never got going before being put out of his misery by Wahab.It was an English error that seemed to be magnified in retrospect, as Hafeez took advantage of the life he received on 14 to top-score for Pakistan – and then scuttled one through Morgan’s defences for good measure, as he and Malik ensured that an XI light on frontline bowlers could hold off the modern game’s most enthusiastic chasers.Despite the scorn heaped upon their batsmen after succumbing to 105 all out against West Indies on Friday, Pakistan produced a remarkably resolute response. Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman put on 82 for the first wicket and the middle order then cracked on fluently as only Moeen found much joy among the England attack. How different might things have been, however, had Roy held on to a steepling miscue from Hafeez when he gave Adil Rashid the charge in the legspinner’s second over.Rashid was to end wicketless, hit out of the attack after conceding 43 from five overs as Babar and Hafeez took him on. Jofra Archer, too, endured his toughest outing in international cricket, dealt with dismissively at the death on the way to figures of 0 for 79.While Chris Woakes could not be faulted, claiming four catches and a share of the World Cup record for a fielder, to go with three wickets, his contributions were the exception as England totted up 13 misfields and 17 extra runs donated to the Pakistan cause – enough to have swung the match. Having failed to live up to their billing, Morgan’s side must deal with defeat by a team they had wiped aside 4-0 in bilaterals just a couple of weeks ago. That added pressure of World Cups? Well, it is only going to increase from here.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após dois acessos consecutivos com a camisa do Juventude em 2019 e 2020, o zagueiro Genilson deixou o clube gaúcho e, tendo seu nome disponível no mercado, recebeu sondagens de clubes do Cazaquistão, Azerbaijão e da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro durante as últimas semanas. A informação foi confirmada pelo Futebol Latino.

>Classificação atualizada do Campeonato Gaúcho

Nas duas últimas temporadas, o jogador participou da campanhas de promoção no Campeonato Brasileiro da terceira para a segunda divisão e também no retorno a elite nacional, status que o Alviverde de Caxias do Sul não sustentava desde 2007.

Representante do defensor, Renan Vieira confirmou as sondagens e prevê em breve um desfecho do futuro de Genilson:

– Existe um interesse do mercado do exterior e estamos aguardando alguns contatos para analisar as opções. Enquanto isso, levamos o nome do Genilson para alguns clubes da Série B e alguns mostraram interesse em contar com ele para essa temporada. Estamos analisando isso tudo e devemos definir o seu futuro em breve.

Genilson soma 80 jogos e três gols marcados com a camisa do Juventude em dois anos e meio. Revelado pelo Vasco, o zagueiro também acumula passagens pelo Santa Cruz, Fortaleza, Guarani e Sampaio Corrêa.

Na carreira, o defensor conquistou os títulos do Campeonato Potiguar (2013) e Cearense (2015) e três acessos nacionais, sendo dois pelo Juventude e um pelo Guarani, na Série C de 2016.

Batsman hobbles during fast-paced half-century and will be monitored ahead of Friday’s clash with West Indies

George Dobell in Cardiff08-Jun-2019Eoin Morgan is confident that Jos Buttler will be fit to play in England’s next World Cup match, against West Indies on Friday, but insists he will not be risked if there is any danger his injury could be exacerbated.Buttler did not field in the Bangladesh innings at Cardiff after sustaining a hip injury while batting. But Morgan insists that decision was precautionary and remains optimistic that he will be fit to play in Southampton in just under a week’s time.”There’s no serious concern at that moment,” Morgan said. “He’s going to be monitored over the next 48 hours, but at the moment it’s more precautionary than a situation where he is not able to do his job. I’m quite confident that it’s not a serious injury.”The manner in which Buttler sustained his injury – hitting a perfectly respectable delivery for six over long-on off the back foot – on the way to a 33-ball half-century underlined his value to England. But while his absence would certainly be felt in Southampton, Morgan believes it would be foolish to take any chance with him at this relatively early stage of the tournament.He also played down the prospect of picking him as a specialist batsman on the basis that playing as keeper might be less demanding on his hip than having to get through 50 overs as an out-fielder.”Would we play Buttler as a specialist batsman? It depends on the risk of him making his injury worse in the field,” Morgan said. “If he is a risk going into the next game, it might not be worth it.Watch on Hotstar: How the wickets fell in England’s innings (India only)”In theory the best place to be would be with the gloves on. The worry would be that the high catch went up and he with the gloves would have to take the responsibility to take the catch, and make his hip worse.”There are five days between now and the next game. We’ll use every day as much as we can to get try to get him back on the park.”Meanwhile Morgan described the presence of two fast bowlers in his side as “unbelievable”. Both Mark Wood and Jofra Archer hit 95mph at times during this game, while Ben Stokes (in this game) and Chris Woakes (at Nottingham) have also hit 90mph in recent days. But it is the continuing development of Archer – just six games into his ODI career – which seems to most please Morgan.”The slow nature of the pitch made it more difficult to play them,” Morgan said. “Shorter balls didn’t fly through. On a quick-natured pitch it’s easier to play or get out the way of. It follows you when it’s slower so here it was ideal.”We’ve seen Jofra bowl extremely well at the start of the innings but the way he finished here was also very pleasing. We wanted to bowl them out to improve our run-rate and he wanted the ball in the 44th over.”The England team will now take a couple of days off, with their next training session likely to take place in Southampton on Wednesday.