Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League took a huge blow on Saturday evening when they drew 2-2 with Aston Villa.

The win over Spurs in midweek was forgotten about swiftly with Mikel Arteta’s men left to rue some missed opportunities and lapse defending.

That hasn’t been Arsenal in recent seasons. They’ve been incredibly tough to score against and they’ve scored goals regularly.

This isn’t any ordinary season though. From the moment Declan Rice received a red card against Brighton for ‘delaying the restart’, bad luck and obstacles have been an all too regular occurrence.

This doesn’t look like it’ll be Arsenal’s season, yet it’s difficult to pin things on Arteta.

There’s been red cards, there’s been injuries, there’s been obscene misfortune. Still, the Gunners need to play better football.

Where things went wrong for Arsenal against Aston Villa

One of the main problems facing Arteta’s men in recent weeks has been their ability to dominate yet still concede.

Against Tottenham, Arsenal had all of the ball in the opening quarter of the game but still found themselves behind.

Therefore, when the hosts went 2-0 up on Saturday, there was confidence in the air that the Gunners would get the job done. They did not.

Although Jurrien Timber performed admirably in the absence of the injured William Saliba, they really missed the Frenchman’s box presence. They also missed Timber’s astuteness at right-back.

It was a header from one of the smallest men on the pitch – Youri Tielemans – that got Villa back into things when a cross from Lucas Digne on the left was headed home.

It was another cross, this time from the right, that led to Ollie Watkins’ equaliser, peeling away at the back post and beating David Raya via the crossbar.

The defending wasn’t great but Arsenal could have done more to force things in the final third.

Leandro Trossard stood up when it mattered, assisting both of the Arsenal goals but he didn’t get much help from the traditional orchestrator in this team, Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian was a notable underperformer this weekend, supplying just one key pass, not winning a duel and also losing possession 18 times.

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He wasn’t the worst in Arsenal colours though…

Arsenal’s worst performer against Aston Villa

While Odegaard should take criticism for not doing enough, blame must also be passed in the direction of Thomas Partey.

With Timber forced to play at centre-back, it meant Partey deputised as a right-back again. While his play in the build up was largely fine, actually providing more key passes (2) than Odegaard, his defending left plenty to be desired.

He was playing out of position but attracted criticism for his part in both Villa goals. A switch of the ball found Digne on the left and Partey could only dordle out towards him and didn’t close him down adequately. The ball ended up being inch-perfect for Tielemans.

His marking for the Villa second goal in which Watkins found the net was then described as “schoolboy-level” by Arsenal reporter Oli Price Bates.

The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid gave a more scathing assessment of the Ghanaian’s display, suggesting it was “abysmal”. It was hardly a surprise given those reviews that he earned such a low 4/10 match rating from the Express.

Partey vs Aston Villa

Minutes played

90

Touches

87

Accurate passes

55/68 (81%)

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

0

Ground duels won

4/5

Aerial duels won

4/4

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

Fouls

1

Possession lost

18x

Stats via Sofascore.

His overall numbers suggested that was the case too, losing possession on 18 occasions and only attempting one cross from his right-back role.

He only made one tackle, one interception and was adjudged to have made an error that led to a shot. This wasn’t his finest night at the office and you can perhaps understand why given he was out of position.

That said, it’s an experiment Arteta needs to give up with. Providing Saliba is fit for their next Premier League outing then Partey must be given the boot from the starting XI.

Related 0 duels won, 0 dribbles, 0 shots: 5/10 Arsenal star dropped a 'stinker'

Arsenal dropped more points in the race for the Premier League title against Aston Villa.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Jan 18, 2025

Manchester United are eyeing a summer move for Wolves front-man Matheus Cunha as the Old Trafford club continue to struggle for goals this term.

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Cunha has release clause worth £62.5mMultiple Premier League clubs tracking the strikerBrazilian has scored 15 goals in 29 games in 24/25Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

United have struggled for consistency up front this term. With high profile signings Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund failing to nail down the number 9 position, as they have scored just six league goals between them, the Old Trafford club are considering triggering the Brazilians' £62.5 million ($82m) release clause. With Cunha under contract until 2029, Wolves are under no pressure to settle for a lower price.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 25-year-old's form has caught the attention of multiple Premier League clubs. It is believed Newcastle, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Spurs are keen on signing Cunha come season's end.

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Cunha has impressed since making a permanent move to Molinuex in 2023. He has scored 15 goals in 29 appearances this season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MATHEUS CUNHA?

Cunha will lead the line for Wolves in their home fixture against Tottenham on Sunday. The following week, the Brazilian will line up against another of his suitors, as Wolves travel to Manchester to face the Red Devils on Easter Sunday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a repercussão pelos seguidos episódios de racismo em jogos da Libertadores, a Conmebol oficializou as mudanças no Código Disciplinar. Agora, estão previstas punições mais duras contra atletas e clubes “cujos torcedores insultem ou atentem contra a dignidade humana de outra pessoa ou grupo de pessoas por motivos de cor de pele, raça, sexo ou orientação sexual, etnia, idioma, credo ou origem”.

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No caso do ato de racismo ser por parte de atleta ou oficial, o “Artigo 17: Discriminação” prevê suspensão de, no mínimo, de cinco jogos ou por um período de tempo mínimo de dois meses. No caso dos clubes, a sanção prevista é de uma multa mínima de 100 mil dólares.

O artigo ainda explica que, se as circunstâncias do caso requerem, o Órgão Judicial competente poderá impor sanções adicionais à Associação Membro ou ao clube, jogador ou oficial responsável.

Além disso, se proíbe qualquer forma de propaganda de ideologia antes, durante e depois do jogo. Aos infratores dessa disposição, serão de aplicação as sanções previstas nos pontos citados acima.

Chelsea have now made contact to sign a new defender for Enzo Maresca as they look to fill the void left by Thiago Silva at Stamford Bridge, it has been reported, but they face competition for his signature.

Chelsea's defensive woes

Injuries to both Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana have seen Chelsea’s Premier League form take a significant dip in recent weeks, and have prompted something of a defensive crisis at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues opted to recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan spell at Crystal Palace, and he has filled in at the heart of defence in recent weeks. However, he is not believed to be in Maresca or the club’s long-term thinking.

Indeed, it is claimed that Chelsea are ‘likely to sell’ the defender at the end of the season in a move that would spark need for yet further upheaval in defence, with Axel Disasi also out of favour at Stamford Bridge and likely to leave.

Clearly missing Fofana, Chelsea have considered making a move to sign a new defender this January amid links to Marc Guehi, but Chalobah’s return may well have pushed that move further down the line.

Chelsea with and without Fofana (Premier League 24/25)

With Fofana

Without Fofana

Games

12

11

Wins

7

4

Defeats

1

4

Goals conceded per game

1

1.64

Points per game

2.08

1.36

They have also been linked with moves for young defensive duo Tomas Araujo and Castello Lukeba, and now a new name has entered the frame with the Blues reportedly already in contact over a potential move.

Chelsea make contact over "world-class" defender

That comes as Caught Offside report that Chelsea have “registered an interest” in Feyenoord defender David Hancko as they look to fix the centre of their defence. The centre-back was linked with a move to Liverpool last summer but never made the switch to the Premier League, though he could do so 12 months on.

According to the report, both the Blues and Tottenham have “asked for information” on the centre-back, who one Dutch journalist dubbed “world-class” last April.

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It is added that the 27-year-old is unlikely to move in January, but that clubs are already queuing up to land him in the summer. To that end, it is claimed that “he is expected to have an asking price of around €50million” [£42m] amid interest from the Premier League as well as Juventus and Atletico Madrid.

It is clear why Chelsea would want to sign the left-footed defender. Having failed to replace Thiago Silva properly since his Stamford Bridge exit, Hancko was considered the most statistically similar to the Brazilian back in January 2023, and the Slovenian defender has only improved his game since then.

However, Chelsea may well have to move fast, with Juventus believed to be hot on his trail too. Would he be the right man for Maresca, or should the Blues be looking to add another young talent to their side?

West Indies are yet to figure out their team combination and preferred style of play for the upcoming T20 World Cup, their head coach Phil Simmons has admitted.Whether T20 stalwarts Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine will be available for that tournament or not is still unclear, while Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen and Sheldon Cottrell have all been left out of recent squads because of different reasons. Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd were also unavailable for some games in the white-ball series against India because of injury.Related

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West Indies’ team management, perhaps, missed a trick by not pairing up Akeal Hosein, the left-arm fingerspinner, with Hayden Walsh Jr, the legspinner, in the T20Is against India. In contrast, India played three spinners in the first T20I in Tarouba, and in the final game in Lauderhill, to take advantage of the slow, two-paced tracks. Off-spin-bowling allrounder Roston Chase, who was also West Indies’ anchor in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, has since dropped down the pecking order. And until the home series against India, Shimron Hetmyer was out of the squad on fitness grounds.The three-match T20I series against New Zealand, which begins with the first match in Kingston on August 11, will be West Indies’ last before they announce their squad for the T20 World Cup, for which they by competing against Zimbabwe, Scotland and Ireland in Group B in the first round.”It’s difficult,” Simmons said after West Indies suffered an 88-run drubbing in the final T20I against India. “But I think we have three more matches [against New Zealand]. After that we will sit down and make decisions as to who fits into the way we want to play.”I think the three matches will be important for a lot of players as well as some players who will be rested. But, in general, after that we will have to make a decision.”West Indies’ batting was particularly poor in Florida, where they were dismissed for 132 and 100 in the two T20Is. Simmons called for greater game awareness and application from his batters. I think the major lesson is that we gave away our wickets a little bit too cheaply,” he said. “And if we continue to bat [deep], we will be up there with the run rate, but we keep losing too many wickets and we’ve got to learn from this series.”The main thing is we need to bat in a format. We need to be able to bat for the six overs [of the powerplay] and know how we are batting in that. We need to stop losing wickets and once we stop losing wickets, we’re going to make big scores. We have the players – Hetty [Hetmyer] showed he is back to form, we have Rovman [Powell], we have [Nicholas Pooran], who has done a little bit as we went on in the series, but nobody has been consistent throughout the series. So, I think that is what we need now – consistency and understanding the situation of the game and knowing how we play that.”Obed McCoy went from returning the best T20I figures by a West Indian to conceding the most runs by a West Indian in T20Is•Associated Press

There are concerns for West Indies on the bowling front too and against top teams like India, they need to fire with both bat and ball, Simmons stressed.”It’s always going to be difficult playing against India. It’s the best T20 team in the world – man for man,” Simmons said. “But we showed in glimpses that we are capable of competing – sometimes with the ball and sometimes with the bat. Probably, we never put everything together. That’s the lesson we are going to take from this. We have to put everything together on the day to beat the top teams.”After taking 6 for 17 in St Kitts – the best figures by a West Indies bowler in T20Is – left-arm seamer Obed McCoy went in the other direction, leaking 66 runs in the first T20I in Florida, the fourth of the series – the most runs conceded by a West Indies bowler in a men’s T20I. Simmons, however, backed McCoy to bounce back against New Zealand.”We all know that he has excellent skills,” Simmons said. “But there’s a lot of bowlers around the world who have excellent skills and go for runs on one day and bowl well the next day. It’s how he comes back from it. He’s shown that he can bowl; so, he will come back from it.”

ريال مدريد في ورطة كبيرة بعد أن أصبح من الممكن أن يغيب لاعبه عن كأس العالم للأندية 2025 والتي ستقام في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتنطلق بطولة كأس العالم للأندية في الفترة من 15 يونيو حتى 13 يوليو، ويلعب ريال مدريد ضمن فرق المجموعة الثامنة والتي تضم الهلال، باتشوكا وسالزبورج.

ولكن بحسب شبكة “ريليفو” الإسبانية أن جود بيلينجهام يعاني من إصابة في كتفه منذ نوفمبر 2023، مما يهدد مشاركته في البطولة المهمة.

على الرغم من الألم، استمر بيلينجهام في اللعب بفضل استخدام دعامة ثقيلة على كتفه الأيسر، لكن هذا الحل المؤقت لم يحل المشكلة بالكامل، مما جعل الجراحة ضرورة لا مفر منها.

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كانت تأمل إدارة ريال مدريد أن يتمكن بيلينجهام من اللعب في كأس العالم للأندية، إلا أن الجراحة في الوقت الحالي قد تعني غيابه عن البطولة، حيث يستغرق التعافي أكثر من شهر.

الأمور قد تصبح أكثر تعقيدًا إذا قرر النادي تأجيل الجراحة إلى ما بعد كأس العالم للأندية، فإن إجراء العملية قبل البطولة سيعني غيابه عن الحدث بأكمله، لذلك، يفضل النادي إجراء الجراحة بعد البطولة.

ما يضاعف الورطة هو التوقيت الحساس للجراحة، حيث يترقب الجميع مباراة الكلاسيكو ضد برشلونة في الدوري الإسباني، في حال خسر ريال مدريد فرصه في المنافسة على اللقب، قد يتم اتخاذ قرار بإجراء الجراحة فورًا.

هذا القرار يحمل مخاطره، حيث أن غياب بيلينجهام عن كأس العالم للأندية سيكون ضربة قاسية للفريق، اللاعب كان أحد أبرز العناصر هذا الموسم، واستبعاده سيكون بمثابة خسارة كبيرة في البطولة.

إدارة النادي تجد نفسها في مأزق، حيث يسعى الفريق للفوز بالبطولة مع الحفاظ على صحة بيلينجهام، التوقيت هو العامل الحاسم في هذه الأزمة، والفريق بحاجة إلى اتخاذ القرار الأنسب في أقرب وقت.

It would be hard to describe this season as anything other than a disaster for Tottenham Hotspur so far.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are in the bottom half of the table, have a seemingly ever-growing injury list, and while there is still a chance they beat Liverpool in their upcoming League Cup semi-final, it’s a very slim one.

Moreover, while the club are the second-highest scorers in the league, players like Timo Werner continue to disappoint.

So, fans should be excited by recent reports linking the North Londoners to someone who would be the perfect upgrade on the German, someone so talented they have even been compared to the incredible Eberechi Eze.

Tottenham Hotspur news

According to a recent report from the Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham are one of several clubs who have enquired about Barcelona’s Dani Olmo.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that fellow Premier League sides Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal are keen on the Spaniard, while Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich have also shown interest.

Interestingly, the report claims that while the player, who cost Barça £51m in the summer, has his heart set on staying, he may leave for free if the Catalan club fails to register him by January 3rd, which looks to be a real possibility.

Due to the level of competition, it could prove to be a difficult transfer to get over the line, but given Olmo’s sensational ability, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he’s won comparisons to Eze and would be a dream Werner upgrade.

How Olmo compares to Werner and Eze

So, before we look at how Olmo compares to Werner, let’s examine this comparison to Eze and where it has come from.

It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Spaniard over the last 365 days.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair ranks closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, tackles won, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.35

0.29

Progressive Carries

2.32

2.88

Shots

3.47

3.82

Shots on Target

1.16

1.22

Passing Accuracy

76.1%

74.5%

Tackles Won

1.01

0.94

Successful Take-Ons

2.17

2.09

However, he shares another similarity with Eze, which is also one of the reasons Spurs should sign him: his positional versatility.

For example, like the Crystal Palace star, the £149k-per-week “genius,” as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, can play in multiple positions on the pitch but specialises in attacking midfield and out on the wings, which is why he could be an ideal Werner upgrade.

To see how much of an upgrade he’d be on the German wideman, we only need to look at their raw output since the start of last season.

For example, since the start of last season, the 26-year-old dynamo has scored 14 goals and provided six assists in 40 appearances, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every other game.

In contrast, the RB Leipzig loanee has scored five goals and provided seven assists in 51 appearances across the same period, which comes out to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.25 games.

Ultimately, if Spurs find themselves with an opportunity to sign Olmo this month, they must take it, as he’d be an instant upgrade on Werner as an option off the left, and he’s good enough to fight for a place in the midfield as well.

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Tottenham Hotspur will consider hiring an “impressive” new manager if they decide to sack Ange Postecoglou, and one who’s been talked about as a head coach to potentially step into Pep Guardiola’s shoes at Manchester City.

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Injuries to key players have seriously handicapped Postecoglou this term, with 10 senior stars currently sidelined right now, but there are also serious question marks surrounding the Australian’s open style of play and tendency to leak goals.

This was on full display in their latest defeat, a 3-2 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, where they went 3-0 down at half-time. Calls for Postecoglou’s sacking have intensified in the wake of Spurs’ loss on Merseyside, with reports suggesting that Tottenham have shortlisted potential managerial targets in the event they decide to part company.

Leicester City (home)

January 26

Brentford (away)

February 2

Man United (home)

February 16

Ipswich Town (home)

February 22

Man City (home)

February 26

However, for the time being, it appears the 59-year-old retains backing from his club’s board.

“The Tottenham hierarchy, as far as I understand it, continue to back Ange Postecoglou,” said David Ornstein on NBC Sports this week.

“They believe in him to turn this around. Of course, results are far below expectations, and they feel that they should have won more matches than they have lost. But that doesn’t mean that Ange Postecoglou is on the brink or he’s about to go.

“I think they still support him, and their reasons for that will be largely down to the injuries that he has suffered.”

Tottenham face a crucial return to Europe against Hoffenheim on Thursday, alongside their all-important Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg clash away to Liverpool soon afterwards, and these matches may well go a long way in determining whether chairman Daniel Levy sticks with the ex-Celtic boss long-term.

Tottenham set to consider Andoni Iraola if they sack Postecoglou

As per TEAMtalk, Spurs are indeed doing their due diligence on potential future replacements for Postecoglou if they do eventually decide to sack him.

One of their possible targets is Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, who has guided the Cherries through an incredible 2024/2025 campaign without their former star striker Dominic Solanke, who departed for Tottenham last summer.

High-flying Bournemouth are serious contenders to qualify for Europe and even sit just three points off a Champions League place, with Iraola’s excellent campaign in the dugout turning heads at N17.

TEAMtalk state that Tottenham will consider appointing Iraola if they sack Postecoglou, with the 42-year-old even tipped by some to potentially replace Guardiola at City, such is his growing reputation right now.

The Spurs hierarchy are said to be real admirers of Iraola, who has also been widely praised for his “impressive” job at Bournemouth over the last two seasons.

“It’s incredibly impressive and credit to Iraola,” said former Man City defender Nedum Onuoha on the BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast.

Meanwhile, Como manager Cesc Fabregas added:

“I remember I went to see [Radamel] Falcao one day in Madrid, and he told me to come and watch a training session [with Iraola’s Rayo Vallecano side],” said Fabregas.

“I went there and I really liked it. I really liked the session, I saw exactly what he’s trying to do.

“He communicates really well with the players. He has a really good structure. I liked the setup of the training session, the format in which he builds it from a lower intensity to a higher one, and the concept that he was giving to the players.”

A striker has been at the top of Enzo Maresca’s shopping list ever since he arrived as Chelsea manager, with this January undoubtedly no different.

The Blues recruited well over the summer window, landing the likes of Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho, subsequently improving the threat in wide areas alongside Cole Palmer.

However, no deal was completed for a new focal point, leaving Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu as the two out-and-out strikers at the Italian’s disposal.

The Senegal international has been the number one option in the Premier League during 2024/25, scoring nine times in 19 matches – the second-highest tally behind star man Palmer.

Despite his form in front of goal, it may not be enough to secure his regular starting role, with the hierarchy already looking for attacking reinforcements in January.

Chelsea’s hunt for a new striker in January

Although we’re only a week into the transfer window, numerous names have been touted with a move to Stamford Bridge, including Ipswich Town star Liam Delap.

The 21-year-old joined the Tractor Boys for £20m from Manchester City in the summer but has wasted no time in impressing, scoring eight times in his first 19 top-flight matches in 2024/25.

Such interest has captured the interest of the Blues board, with the Englishman just one of many attackers currently on their radar.

However, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is a name that continues to be linked with a move to West London, but Maresca’s side aren’t alone, with Arsenal also in the hunt for the Serbian international.

The 24-year-old has scored seven times in Serie A to date, but could be allowed to leave the Old Lady should any side fork out €75m (£62m) during the January window.

However, despite the interest in the aforementioned players, the hierarchy should reignite interest in another attacker who would undoubtedly improve their front line and potentially be their own version of a Premier League star.

The player who could be Chelsea’s own Haaland

Erling Haaland has been the leading marksman in England’s top division since his move to join Pep Guardiola’s side ahead of the 2022/23 season – finishing as top scorer in both of his two seasons in England.

The Norwegian has been a constant menace to the backline of every side in the Premier League, registering a staggering 111 goals in just 125 appearances – including 16 this time around despite the Citizen’s recent decline in form.

Every club wishes they could have a clinical scorer, with Haaland having such quality in abundance, but the Blues could land their own version of the superstar in the form of Benjamin Sesko in January.

The Slovenia international was widely linked with a move to the Bridge in the summer, but a deal was never completed, which saw the 21-year-old remain at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

He’s continued his impressive form into the current campaign, scoring 11 goals across all competitions – leading to yet more rumours over a move to join Chelsea during the ongoing window.

At the end of December, TEAMtalk confirmed the club were in contact with the German side over a potential move, with Arsenal and Manchester United also waiting in the wings.

The striker would be a superb addition for the club, finally ending their hunt for a new number nine, whilst aiding their ambitions of securing a top-four finish come the end of May.

Sesko had previously been dubbed the “new Erling Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with the comparison more than just their huge frame, pace and aerial ability when delving into their respective stats from 2024/25.

Whilst the City ace has massively outscored the Leipzig man, the “monster” Slovenian, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has a higher shot-on-target rate, proving that he’s more accurate with the chances he’s presented within the final third.

How Benjamin Sesko compares to Erling Haaland in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Sesko	Haaland
Games played	15	20
Goals & assists	8	17
Progressive carries	1.7	0.6
Progressive passes	2	0.7
Shot-on-target accuracy	54%	52%
Pass accuracy	67%	66%
Take-on success rate	48%	40%
Aerials won	2.8	1.5
Aerial success rate	58%	52%
Stats via FBref

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90 and won more aerial duels, making him the perfect all-round focal point that the Blues have desperately been hunting for in the past six months.

Whilst it’s unclear how much any deal for Sesko would set the club back, it would be a superb deal regardless given his talents, not to mention his potential to improve given his tender age.

If he does manage to get anywhere close to the level of Haaland should he make the move to England, he would be worth every penny – handing Maresca a deadly finisher to boost their title credentials in the years to come.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Jan 7, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo has branched out into the world of “action movies”, with the Portuguese superstar revealing his new career move.

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• All-time great is still going strong at 40
• Continues to expand his business empire
• Two films ready, with another on the way

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  At 40 years of age, the legendary frontman is beginning to draw up plans for when his playing career comes to a close. There is no sign of that happening any time soon, with the all-time great still plundering goals for Portugal and Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo does, however, have a vast business empire away from football. He has also built up a record-shattering following on social media – with his toe being dipped into video production after launching the UR Cristiano YouTube channel.

• THE GOSSIP

  The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward has now gone one step further by teaming up with filmmaker Matthew Vaughn – who has previously worked on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, X Men: First Class and the Kingsman series.

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• WHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO SAID

  Ronaldo has said: “This is an exciting chapter for me, as I look ahead to new ventures in business.”

  Vaughn added: “Cristiano has created stories on the pitch that I could never have written, and I look forward to creating inspiring movies with him – he’s a real-life superhero.”

  Ronaldo and Vaughn are said to be “disruptive champions at their game and will now combine the world of sport and storytelling through the launch of UR-MARV, an independent joint venture film studio embracing innovative technology, with a nod to tradition.”