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Manchester United are set to sack a coaching staff member who worked under Sir Alex Ferguson for years, according to a new report.

Manchester United goalkeepers struggle for form

United are having a season to forget. After a record-breaking bad start to the season under Erik ten Hag, the Dutch coach was replaced by Ruben Amorim in November. The Red Devils paid over £9 million to release Amorim from his contract with Sporting, but rather than change United’s fortunes as expected, things have only gotten worse.

Amorim has lost six of his first 11 games in charge, which is the worst record of any new United manager since Walter Crickmer in the 1930s. During that period, Amorim’s men have also kept just one clean sheet, that being against Everton, and shipped 21 goals.

As a result of that dismal record, United’s goalkeepers Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir have come under heavy fire, especially given the fact that they’ve both made high-profile errors.

Both have conceded goals directly from corners in recent weeks, which former Premier League striker turned pundit Chris Sutton described to BBC Sport as “under-12s stuff”.

“I remember it happening when I was watching my son play when he was about 15 and he got done off a corner. I told him you would never see it happen to a professional goalkeeper, but it has happened twice in two weeks to Manchester United.You could not make it up.”

United to sack Tony Coton

As a result of their goalkeeping woes, United are now preparing to sack chief goalkeeping scout Tony Coton. According to Football Insider, Amorim has made clear to United’s hierarchy that he has not been impressed by either Onana or Bayindir since he took charge at Old Trafford.

Coton, who brought both players to the club, is now set to pay the price, with Football Insider saying he’s “next in the firing line” for new owners INEOS and Jim Ratcliffe.

The 63-year-old has longstanding association with United. He spent part of the penultimate season of his playing career at Old Trafford in 1996, before returning to serve as the goalkeeping coach from 1997 to 2007 under Sir Alex Ferguson. After a stint as a chief scout for several other teams, he returned to United in 2020 and has remained there ever since.

During his time as United’s goalkeeper coach, Coton was a fly on the wall for some of the most high-profile incidents of Fergie’s tenure as boss, including his infamous bust-ups with David Beckham and Roy Keane.

Writing for the Mail Online in 2017 about Ferguson, Coton lifted the lid on what it was like to work under the legendary Scotsman.

“Sir Alex Ferguson was a master of when to pick his fights,” he wrote. “One of his great attributes was to treat every player the same way.

“It didn’t matter if it was a first-team player on £100,000 a week or an academy kid learning the ropes, he would always deliver a punishment that fitted the crime – and no one was above the law.”

The 2019 summer window was a significant time for Everton Football Club. The Toffees splashed the cash to bring in some expensive stars and also made a couple of sales that helped to fund those incomings.

Attacking midfielder Alex Iwobi joined the club from Arsenal, and striker Moise Kean made an exciting move from Italian giants Juventus. The club also brought Andre Gomes in on a permanent deal after a loan the season prior, and Fabian Delph joined from Manchester City. Idrissa Gueye and Nicola Vlasic were two of the notable outgoings.

However, there was one sale that summer, that of Ademola Lookman, that the Toffees might well wish they had never commissioned.

Why Everton might regret selling Lookman

It has been a fairytale few months for former Everton man Lookman. He has been in phenomenal form for his current club Atalanta, even though he never showed the best of his ability at Goodison Park.

In 48 games for the Merseysiders, the Nigerian winger managed just four goals and two assists, with only one of those strikes coming in the Premier League. Lookman was loaned to RB Leipzig in the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, before making the move to Germany permanent in 2019 for £22.5m.

He bounced around a few clubs after leaving Goodison Park. The former Charlton academy starlet also played for Fulham and Leicester City before finally settling at Atalanta. It is fair to say the winger has taken Italy by storm.

In 96 games for La Dea, he has scored an impressive 43 goals and has 23 assists to his name. After a stellar season in 2023/24, he finished in 14th place in the Ballon d’Or rankings, ranking above the likes of Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka.

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This term, the Atalanta number 11 has 11 goals and five assists in 18 games in all competitions. His latest outing saw him score against Real Madrid in a 3-2 Champions League defeat.

Despite the fact he was playing against the likes of Jude Bellingham, who got the crucial third goal for Los Blancos, Chris Hamill of The Athletic said he was “the best player on the pitch”.

Lookman is not the only player Everton have sold in recent years who is now playing to the same levels as Bellingham. James Rodriguez has been thriving and is surely someone they regret moving on.

James Rodriguez’s life after Everton

The year after moving Lookman on from the club, Everton snapped up James Rodriguez from Madrid for a reported £12m, where he linked up with former manager Carlo Ancelotti, who coached him at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Aged 29 when he made the move to Merseyside, Rodriguez was in his prime years after some tough seasons beforehand. He was excellent for the Toffees, described as a “genius” by football statistician Statman Dave.

In 26 appearances in that famous Blue shirt, the Colombian international scored six times and grabbed eight assists.

Perhaps the attacking midfielder’s finest game for Everton came against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League. Everton won the game 4-2, with Rodriguez getting two goals and an assist.

His stats on Sofascore show just how dominant he was that day, having 74 touches of the ball and creating two chances. In fact, his stats from that entire season were fantastic.

Stat

Number

Starts

21

Goals

6

Assists

4

Big chances created

11

Key passes per game

1.8

Dribbles completed per game

1.5

Duels won per game

4.7

Since leaving Everton for an undisclosed fee, Rodriguez has played in Qatar, for Greek giants Olympiacos, in Brazil with Sao Paolo and finally back in La Liga for Rayo Vallecano.

He was also spellbinding for his country in the 2024 Copa America. The 33-year-old scored once and registered six assists as Colombia reached the final but lost to Argentina.

His form has subsequently seen FIFA nominate the former Madrid midfielder for the Men’s XI in The Best awards. He is nominated alongside the likes of Bellingham for a place in the best men’s side of 2024.

Reflecting on his short career at Goodison Park, Everton fans may well wish they still had Rodriguez at the club. He has been back at his creative best and is getting international recognition alongside players such as Bellingham, which is no mean feat.

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ByBarney Lane Dec 11, 2024

Former India coach, who joins ESPNcricinfo as an analyst for the IPL, says Hardik will struggle to make the national team as a pure batter

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-20222:13

Ravi Shastri: ‘Captaincy might bring out the best in Hardik Pandya’

Former India coach Ravi Shastri – who will join ESPNcricinfo as an analyst for IPL 2022 – believes the national team is still in search of a first-choice allrounder.There has been a lot of focus on India’s T20 cricket ever since they suffered a group stage exit in the last World Cup. With another one coming up in only seven months’ time, the team management will be looking at the IPL for signs of players who can take on that two-in-one role and lend more balance to the XI.”I think the allrounder’s position at No. 6 for sure,” Shastri said on Wednesday. “Ideally someone in the top-five who can bowl two or three overs. That takes the pressure off the captain. It gives him then six and a half bowlers from whom he can choose. That will be one area I’ll be looking at very closely. And of course the fast bowling and fielding. I’m not really worried about the batting. Batting is there.”Hardik Pandya appeared to be the answer to the biggest of those questions but then he suffered a stress fracture of the back and has never been the same again. In particular, he’s not been able to take on his usual bowling workloads but, in a sign of how much he still has to offer, the 28-year old has been made captain of an IPL team for the first time by Gujarat Titans.Shastri on Pandya: ‘If he bowls with even limited success, he becomes an automatic choice in the Indian team.’•AFP/Getty Images

Still, Shastri thinks Hardik will now struggle to break into the Indian T20 side as a pure batter because it is already full of power-hitters. “In the top five, there’s a lot of muscle there. If anyone’s occupying the position Nos. 5, 6 onwards, he’ll have to bring that extra department to the game. That is why from Hardik’s point of view, from India’s point of view, from the Gujarat team’s point of view, it’s extremely important that he strings those two or three overs together because if he does and bowls with even limited success, he becomes an automatic choice in the Indian team.”Shastri said the IPL might also shed some light on who could be the next India captain.”Rohit [Sharma]’s not getting any younger. Neither is Virat [Kohli]. They’ll have to look at who might be the captain two years, three years down the line. So that’s where I’ll be looking at. I’ll be looking at Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals). I’ll be looking at Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders). Very closely. Of course KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants), the way he handles that side. And Hardik for the simple reason if that can energise him in a manner that can make him come out and play with gay abandon.”

Everton are once again finding themselves in a precarious situation for the third Premier League season in a row, with relegation a real threat given their recent form.

The Toffees have only picked up 11 points from their opening 12 outings this campaign, winning just two games in the process.

Last Saturday’s meeting with Brentford pretty much summed up the campaign they’re having under Sean Dyche, drawing 0-0 with Thomas Frank’s side at Goodison Park, despite the visitors playing with just ten men for over 45 minutes after Christian Norgaard’s first-half dismissal.

His side were frustrated in attacking areas, unable to find the back of the net and capitalise on the advantage they were handed – ultimately a familiar story of their season to date.

They have struggled to replicate their end-of-season form from 2023/24 which saw them secure survival despite a combined eight-point deduction, with one area of the pitch undoubtedly contributing to their lowly league standing of 15th place.

Everton’s major issue so far in 2024/25

Goals have been hard to come by for Everton in recent seasons, as seen with their tally of just 41 goals in 38 matches during their near miss with relegation last year.

However, Dyche has been unable to transform their fortunes in the final third in recent months, with goals still hard to come by on Merseyside in the Premier League.

His side have only produced ten goals in 12 matches, with Dwight McNeil the top scorer to date, scoring just three goals – a signal as to how much the Toffees have struggled to create opportunities in attacking areas.

In the league this campaign, they have been presented with 16 big chances, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin missing seven of those on his own, restricting him to a measly tally of just two goals scored.

Dyche’s men have also only averaged four shots on target per 90 since August, the fourth worst of any side in England’s top-flight, which sees their lowly goal tally come as no surprise given the lack of chances directed on goal.

Such records will undoubtedly be a cause for concern to supporters, as they desperately hope to enter their first season at Bramley-Moore in the top division rather than the Championship.

If there is to be a change in fortunes, the 53-year-old could turn to one member of his squad to try and push the club away from any looming relegation threat and maintain his status as manager, with rumours already swirling regarding possible replacements in the dugout.

The man who Dyche must unleash to save his job

Over the summer transfer window, the hierarchy invested money into the playing squad to try and combat their recent issues – most notably in forward positions.

Jesper Lindstrom and Iliman Ndiaye were just additions who arrived at Goodison, but despite the latter registering two goals, Everton’s situation up front still remains the same. In truth, they are missing a figure of the past like Romelu Lukaku, who powered home 87 goals in just 166 games for the club.

As a result, Toffees boss Dyche could turn to fellow summer signing Armando Broja, who – like Lukaku before him – joined on an initial loan from Chelsea on deadline day.

The Albanian international is yet to feature after his temporary signing following a long-term ankle issue, but the 23-year-old has been spotted making his comeback in training over the last couple of weeks.

Broja, who’s previously been dubbed as “dangerous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has proven he’s capable of supplying consistent goals in the Premier League, as seen during a previous loan spell with Southampton in 2021/22.

He managed to register six goals during the aforementioned year, in what was his first taste of top-level football in England, despite his breakthrough at Chelsea. That purple patch as saw the youngster described as “devastating” by Sergio Porrini, the assistant manager of Albania, at the time.

Whilst it’s to be expected that he will take time to settle into the squad on Merseyside after his recent injury struggles, the under-fire boss must unleash the striker over Calvert-Lewin upon his return to full fitness.

Expecting Broja to follow in the footsteps of that man Lukaku may be a tough ask, although as journalist Gab Marcotti previously stated, he “can do a lot of the things Lukaku can do”.

Time is ticking for the former Burnley manager at Goodison following another slow start, with Broja able to dig the 53-year-old out of trouble and get his own career back on track in the process.

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Strauss’ cricket committee has recommended “full independent review” into county game

Andrew Miller04-Feb-2022

Andrew Strauss, the interim director of England men’s team, says that the ECB should not be afraid of being “ambitious, bold and radical” as it seeks to restore the country’s red-ball fortunes in the wake of this winter’s Ashes defeat.Strauss, who took up his position on Wednesday following the sacking of his predecessor Ashley Giles, has set in motion a “full independent review into the role and structure of the domestic game”, amid concerns voiced by Joe Root, among others, that the county game as it stands is not preparing young English players for the rigours of Test cricket.”Anyone that’s coming into this Test team at the minute is doing it in spite of county cricket, not because of county cricket,” Root, England’s captain, had said in the wake of the fifth-Test defeat in Hobart. “Some things need to change over a long period of time, but there are a lot of things that can change quite quickly that would hopefully make a significant impact.”And while Strauss stressed that the county structure is not the sole reason for England’s poor showing, not only in Australia but throughout a difficult 12 months, he acknowledged that it was a “contributing factor” that will come under scrutiny as the ECB embarks on the so-called “red-ball reset” that Tom Harrison, the chief executive, acknowledged would be required to reboot their Test fortunes.”I think it’s very fair to say that you cannot lump the Ashes defeat on the domestic game’s door, it’s a contributing factor,” Strauss said. “I would say that I have spoken to a lot of people in and around the game over the last 18 months. I don’t think there are very many at all who believe the domestic structure is best suited to international cricketers.”A lot of the analysis when you look at the international and domestic game backs that up as well. We need to be ambitious, we need to be bold and be prepared to be radical in the solution to those issues.”What we need to do is best replicate the challenges of international cricket in our domestic game. That is very clear and I don’t think anyone would disagree with that.”Strauss’s recommendations were compiled in his recent role as chairman of the ECB’s cricket committee, which considered the end-of-tour report from Giles and Chris Silverwood, the outgoing head coach, and presented its findings to the board in the wake of an Ashes campaign in which England struggled to compete on equal terms at any stage of the five-match series.Related

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“One of the recommendations that came out of the cricket committee review was for a full independent review into the role and structure of the domestic game, with particular focus on its suitability to produce international cricketers,” Strauss said.”That has gone to the board. We are reaching the next steps on that, which are, if it takes place, what are the terms of reference for that group, and the make-up of the group.”In his previous stint as England men’s director, from 2015 to 2018, Strauss played a key role in establishing the framework for Eoin Morgan’s white-ball team to rise from the ignominy of that year’s World Cup to win the trophy on home soil four years later.While the fruits of that project were plain to see, the longer-term impact on the Test side have become apparent in recent seasons. But Strauss is adamant that England has the wherewithal to thrive across all formats at once, much as Australia have done this winter with their victory at the T20 World Cup ahead of the Ashes.”The focus of that white-ball reset was to try and get the balance between the formats, because prior to that the majority of our focus was on the red-ball game,” he said. “The game is moving more towards white-ball opportunities, the best cricketers in this country are playing a lot of white-ball cricket both in the summer and the winter, so any red-ball reset has to take that into account.”It isn’t about just what happens in the England environment. It is much broader than that. And that’s what it’s going to take on the red-ball side. But, by the way, there is no reason why the men can’t be the best team in both white and red-ball cricket.”We’ve seen it from other teams in the past. India are very strong in both formats. Australia just won the T20 World Cup. We need to have a seat at that table and our ambition has got to be better than both those teams.”

The legspinner will help cover for injuries in the bowling attack

Tristan Lavalette24-Dec-2021Two-time defending BBL champions Sydney Sixers have bolstered their shorthanded attack with the prized signing of Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan.Shadab will be available for the remainder of the season in a timely addition for the injury-hit Sixers, who have lost offspinner Ben Manenti to a season-ending neck injury while frontliner Steve O’Keefe is currently on the sidelines with a calf strain.They have also been left depleted in the pace ranks with English import Tom Curran returning home due to a back injury while compatriot Chris Jordan’s five-match stint has come to an end. In better news, former Australia Test seamer Jackson Bird is expected to return soon and make his BBL season debut as he recovers from an Achilles injury.Renowned for his ability to wickedly turn the ball, Shadab will add dynamism and class to Sixers’ attack as they chase a historic hat-trick of BBL titles. He returns to the BBL after a brief three-match stint with Brisbane Heat in the 2017-18 season.He starred at the recent T20 World Cup with nine wickets from six games, including 4 for 26 against eventual champion Australia in the semi-finals. Shadab, however, was wicketless in his past two T20Is against West Indies earlier in the month.A handy lower-order batter, Shadab averages 18.33 with a strike rate of 136.81 from 64 T20Is and has also scored three half-centuries in his six-Test career.Shadab is the fifth Pakistani to sign in this season’s BBL and joins Melbourne Stars’ trio Haris Rauf, Syed Faridoun and Ahmad Daniyal, and Sydney Thunder’s Mohammad Hasnain.Sixers coach Greg Shipperd said the squad now boasted a trio of exciting young spinners with Lloyd Pope and Todd Murphy also part of the ranks.”All three young men are still learning their craft but have shown at various levels that they can be world class,” he said. “We welcome Shadab’s skills in all three facets of the game and can’t wait to see him get an opportunity in coming matches.”Even though they have had a horror run of injuries, Sixers sit second on the BBL ladder with their next match against crosstown rival Thunder – dubbed the ‘Sydney Smash’ – on December 26 at Sydney Showgrounds.

Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson are the back-up quicks; Mitchell Marsh named in Australia A group

Andrew McGlashan16-Nov-2021

Travis Head and Usman Khawaja are set to battle it out for the final middle-order spot in Australia’s Test side having been included in a 15-player squad for the first two matches of the men’s Ashes next month.Michael Neser, who is recovering from a mild hamstring strain, and Jhye Richardson have been included as the pace-bowling support to Australia’s main three quicks while Mitchell Swepson provides spin back-up to Nathan Lyon.Last week national selector George Bailey endorsed Marcus Harris to open alongside David Warner while Cameron Green is set to retain his spot at No. 6.Related

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“Marcus has been a consistent run scorer domestically and had a strong winter further developing his game with Leicestershire. He is a good player who will be looking to build a strong partnership with David Warner at the top of the order,” Bailey said on confirmation of the squad.”Travis finished last summer strongly, second only to Cameron Green for runs scored, and has again started the season well. He drives the game forward and can put the opposition under pressure with his ability to score quickly.”Similarly, Usman Khawaja has been in great touch. He brings a calm, consistent and experienced component to the batting line up and is a proven run scorer at Test level. He also has the ability to bat across a range of positions in the batting order.”Khawaja, who last played Test cricket during the 2019 Ashes, is currently the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield. Head, meanwhile, had been in line for a recall on the postpended tour of South Africa earlier this year after previously losing his spot midway through the India series.The only player from Australia’s last Test side, against India in Brisbane, who definitely won’t be involved next month is Matthew Wade.An additional group of players have also been selected to make up the Australia A side that will face England at the same time as the opening Test in Brisbane while they will also be involved in the intrasquad warm-up from December 1 to 3.Mitchell Marsh, the star of the T20 World Cup final in Dubai, is among those players while the selectors will take the chance to look at some of the younger top-order batters in Henry Hunt, Bryce Street and the previously capped Matt Renshaw. Nic Maddinson has also been rewarded for his strong domestic form with Victoria alongside team-mate Scott Boland.”This group is well balanced to ensure we are prepared for the many challenges of an Ashes Series. It has a mix of experienced, proven performers and emerging, developing talent,” Bailey said. “We will take this 15-player squad into the opening Test in Brisbane and the pink-ball match in Adelaide, after which we can reassess for the remaining matches.”Australia Test squad Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David WarnerAustralia A players Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Nic Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street

Arsenal scouts have been left impressed by a 20-year-old target who could potentially be the successor to Thomas Partey in north London, according to one report.

Arsenal set for midfield reshuffle in 2025

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side have bought at least one midfielder every single season since the Spaniard’s arrival as head coach, and are almost certain to continue that trend in 2025 as they search for a successor to Thomas Partey.

The Ghanaian arrived from Atlético Madrid in a deal worth £45m back in 2020, but has only shown glimpses of the player he appeared to be in Spain during an injury-hit time at the Emirates Stadium.

He has only managed more than 24 appearances in a Premier League campaign once, and has missed vital chunks of almost every season through various issues. Turning 32-years-old at the end of this season, his £200,000 a week deal in north London will also be up, and it has been reported that he will not be offered fresh terms at Arsenal, leaving as a free agent when his contract expires.

Meanwhile, Jorginho will be 33-years-old and also out of contract, though in his case there is an option to extend his deal by a further year. Nonetheless, there will be a clear gap in Arsenal’s ranks with club-record signing Declan Rice seemingly preferred further forward by Arteta.

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It means that the club have been looking for replacements, and may well now have just found the perfect option.

Arsenal scouts impressed by 20-year-old gem

That is according to The Boot Room, who claim that Arsenal have been left impressed by Brighton youngster Carlos Baleba, and are “scouting” him ahead of the January transfer window.

They are one of several clubs that have been “impressed with Baleba’s recent form” and have to this point “maintained a watching brief” on the 20-year-old, who has kept Brighton’s summer signing Mats Wieffer out of the side with a series of strong performances at the base of midfield.

Still well short of his prime, the Cameroonian midfielder is already giving Thomas Partey a run for his money according to stat site FBRef.

Carlos Baleba vs Thomas Partey 24/25 Premier League

Carlos Baleba

Thomas Partey

Appearances

7

8

Shots on target per 90

0.55

0.25

Shot creating actions per 90

2.93

1.78

Tackles and interceptions per 90

5.09

4.18

Progressive passes per 90

5.45

5.57

Carries into the final third

1.82

0.89

Pass accuracy %

88.5%

87.5%

Key to Brighton’s high-flying form, which sees them just two points behind the Gunners, a move in January seems almost certain to be off the cards, with a summer deal far more likely. However, he won’t come cheaply, with the Seagulls having developed a reputation to extracting the maximum fee possible for their players, something that Chelsea have found out with both Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo.

Should he continue to impress, he could be a costly signing, but one that sets Arsenal’s midfield up for the next decade and seamlessly replaces the departing Partey.

Ex-Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has reportedly "completed paperwork" to switch international allegiance from England to Jamaica.

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Greenwood switches allegiance to JamaicaPlayed one match for EnglandDebut date for The Reggae Boyz revealedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per the , Greenwood has signed all the necessary paperwork to switch allegiance from England to Jamaica. The Marseille forward reportedly took the decision to represent the Jamaican national team after the FA made it clear that he would never be picked for the England team again.

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Greenwood qualified to represent The Reggae Boyz through his father, who was born in the Caribbean nation. Also, his only appearance for the Three Lions came when he was still under the age of 21 in 2020, which allows him to switch allegiances as per FIFA rules. The 23-year-old's international career has been in limbo since he was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault in January 2022. He was later charged with attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but all charges against him were dropped in February 2023.

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Jamaica, now managed by former England boss Steve McClaren, are all set to play two matches next month, however, Marseille won't let Greenwood leave as the matches will be friendlies. He is expected to make his debut for Jamaica during their World Cup qualifying games in June.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MASON GREENWOOD?

The Marseille star, who moved to Stade Velodrome from Man Utd on a permanent deal last summer, will be back in action for his club on Sunday as the French giants face Nice in a crucial Ligue 1 clash.

Newcastle United had a curious summer transfer window in 2024.

They made five signings, although two of those were free transfers, namely experienced goalkeeper John Ruddy and defender Lloyd Kelly. On top of that, the signing of Lewis Hall was an obligatory agreement with Chelsea, following clauses met in his loan contract from the 2023/24 campaign.

The two other signings made by the Magpies were Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos and exciting young centre-forward William Osula, whom they acquired from Sheffield United.

Whilst the Magpies did not exactly spend big, compared to previous windows since the Saudi takeover, they have been linked with a big addition in the summer of 2025.

Newcastle target Premier League attacker

The player in question here is Crystal Palace and England international attacker Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old, who is a crucial player for the Eagles, and made England’s squad for Euro 2024, was linked with a move away from Selhurst Park in 2024, but that did not materialise.

However, according to Football Insider over the weekend, Newcastle are among the clubs interested in prising the Palace star away from London.

Newcastle will not be alone in their quest to sign Eze next summer. The North East outfit are likely to go up against two longstanding Premier League rivals for Eze’s signature with the report noting that Tottenham and Liverpool want him too.

The England international had a £68m release clause in his contract in his contract over the summer which is inactive at the moment but can be activated again in the summer of 2025. That would see Eze become the Magpies’ all-time record signing, beating that of Alexander Isak in 2022, who cost £63m.

Why Eze would be a good signing

The 26-year-old attacking midfielder has been superb for the Eagles during his time at the club. He has so far played 133 times for the South London outfit, scoring 29 times and grabbing 18 assists.

The former QPR man was particularly excellent last season, scoring 11 goals and posting four assists in 27 Premier League games. This term, he has one goal in the first seven games, as well as two in the Carabao Cup to go along with an assist.

He was described as a “superstar” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, who explained that he thinks Eze thrives with less responsibility. He would certainly not be shackled by such an issue in a team that includes the likes of Isak and Anthony Gordon, to name two of the Magpies’ attacking options.

One player who the Eagles’ number 10 could replace in the Newcastle squad is Miguel Almiron. The Paraguayan was in talks to leave St James’ Park last season according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, but ended up remaining at the club. He since has just 30 minutes in the Premier League under his belt this term.

There is no doubt that the signing of Eze would be an upgrade on Almiron, and that is something that is backed up by the stats, courtesy of Squawka. Last term in the Premier League, the England international outperformed the Newcastle number 24 in several key metrics.

Last term, he averaged 2.4 chances created per 90 minutes, compared to just 1.1 from the Paraguay attacker. Not only that, Eze played slightly more forward passes than Almiron, with 8.3 each game, as opposed to 8.1 from the Newcastle man.

Take-ons completed

3.1

1.1

Take-on completion rate

51.88%

51.11%

Through balls

0.4

0.3

Forward passes

8.3

8.1

Chances created

2.4

1.1

Eze is a spellbinding dribbler, who is a master in tight spaces. He is superb at using his quick feet to evade pressure and ride tackles. Last term, he completed 3.1 take-ons per game, with the Newcastle winger far less, just 1.1 each match.

There is little doubt that the Crystal Palace superstar would be an upgrade on Almiron. Whilst £68m is a steep fee, he would improve the side and the Saudi PIF did not exactly spend heavily at St James’ Park in 2024.

There is certainly scope for such a signing, and Eze would be a brilliant way to upgrade the side as Howe looks to guide Newcastle back to Europe.

Worse than Gordon: Newcastle star who lost the ball 13x let his team down

Newcastle United had to settle for a 0-0 draw away at Everton after Anthony Gordon’s costly penalty miss.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 6, 2024