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Manchester City’s Champions League campaign is over.

On Wednesday night, Pep Guardiola’s side were hammered by Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, with Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick seeing the holders easily progress; Nico González’s first goal for the club in stoppage time scant consolation.

It’s pretty indisputable that this Champions League campaign was an abject failure for the Citizens, this their earliest elimination since 2013, with their only victories in the competition coming over Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Prague and Club Brugge.

So, once again, Man City’s transfer strategy is coming under intense scrutiny; did the reigning Premier League champions let their answer to Mbappé go?

Kylian Mbappé's Real Madrid career so far

When the world was watching on Wednesday, Mbappé really came to the fore, scoring all three as Real Madrid swatted Man City aside, the 17th Champions League hat-trick by a los Blancos player, which is a new competition record.

The Frenchman now has 27 goals to his name this season, on target every 113 minutes on average, which certainly isn’t bad, but it hasn’t been all plain sailing since he made the move to the Spanish capital.

Earlier in the season, Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian argued Mbappé’s arrival had disrupted the ‘balance of the forward line’, adding that the Frenchman ‘cut a frustrated figure’ during October’s 4-0 Clásico defeat at the hands of Barcelona, in which he was caught offside eight times, a record-breaking amount.

In November, Didier Deschamps decided to leave les Bleus’ captain out of his squad for Nations League fixtures against Israel and Italy, citing ‘non-sporting problems’, which Mbappé later revealing he’d been struggling with a “mentality issue” throughout the season.

Nevertheless, speaking on the La Liga weekly podcast, former Man United and Wimbledon striker Terry Gibson believes the concerns surrounding Mbappé’s early season form were overblown, and that expectations were merely set ridiculously high when he signed.

Now, having scored 18 goals since the start of December, he is being widely praised, with Adwaidh Rajan of BBC Sport noting he’s gone from ‘adapting’ to ‘thriving’, teammate Jude Bellingham, speaking to TNT Sports after Wednesday’s win, described him as “brilliant” and “dangerous”, while Mbappé himself says he wants to “define an era” and “make history at Real Madrid”.

Man City had no answer to Mbappé on the night, but did they recently sell their own version, a decision they’re being made to regret?

Man City sold their answer to Mbappé

Mbappé wasn’t the only big-name striker who arrived in the Spanish capital last summer because, across the city, Atlético Madrid bought Julián Álvarez from Manchester City for a reported fee of £81.8m.

Chalkboard

At the time, this was viewed as an excellent deal for Man City, with Richard Jolly of the Independent noting they got great value for Erling Håland’s ‘second-choice’, while Steve Price of Forbes added that the Argentine became the Sky Blues’ record-sale.

However, this isn’t so much the case anymore, with Dermot Corrigan and Thom Harris of the Athletic documenting that Álvarez has ‘hit the ground running’ at Atleti, adding that nobody is questioning his transfer fee anymore.

His recent Panenka penalty in a Madrid derby, that finished 1-1 at the Bernabéu, takes Álvarez’s tally to 17 goals for the season, leaving los Colchoneros third in La Liga, just a point behind both Barça and Real Madrid, hence why Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show described this as Europe’s best title race.

Interestingly, FBref deem Alvarez to be a similar player to Mbappe among La Liga forwards, so let’s analyse how their first seasons in Madrid compare.

Statistics

Mbappé

Álvarez

Appearances

37

37

Minutes

3,043

2,385

Goals (per 90)

0.77

0.64

Assists (per 90)

0.09

0.15

Goals – xG

0

+3.7

Shots per 90

4.64

2.75

Shots on target %

50.6%

46.6%

Shot-creating actions

111

83

Goal-creating actions

14

12

Touches per 90

37.48

38.15

Take-on success %

44.7%

54.4%

As outlined by the table, Mbappé ranks higher than Álvarez for most metrics, but only just, with the Argentine coming out on top when it comes to assists per 90, take-on success % and touches, admitidly the latter is only marginal.

In this season’s Champions League, only one player, namely Barça’s Raphinha, boasts a higher goals – xG figure than Álvarez’s +3.8, underlining how clinical he has been; for reference, Mbappé’s figure of -1.7 leaves him 862nd, out of 870, in this statistic.

Alex Kirkland of ESPN claims Álvarez could become Atlético’s ‘next great striker’, following in the footsteps of Diego Costa, Radamel Falcao, Diego Forlán​​​​​​​ and current teammate Antoine Griezmann.

Meantime, Charlotte Coates of BBC Sport believes Guardiola made a ‘mistake’ letting Álvarez leave, with the manager himself admitting “it could be a problem”, having previously described the Argentine as “incredible”.

So, would Man City have beaten Real Madrid if they’d had Álvarez in their ranks? Perhaps not, but it is still looking more and more like a mistake to allow him to depart.

Forget Dias: Pep must axe 5/10 Man City star after "hall of shame" display

Manchester City exited the Champions League with a 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid last night.

2 ByEthan Lamb Feb 20, 2025

Queens Park Rangers have now joined the race to sign an “outstanding” Championship midfielder before the transfer deadline, according to a report.

QPR's winning run comes to an end

QPR had been on an impressive four-game winning streak in the Championship until the weekend, when Sheffield Wednesday emerged as 2-0 winners at Loftus Road. The Rs are now down to 13th in the table after their first league defeat in 2025, but they are still just six points off the top six, meaning there is plenty left to play for.

Perhaps in light of their resurgent form, the Hoops have been quiet in the January transfer window, but they have been looking at strengthening in attacking areas over the past week or so.

QPR now chasing "brilliant" forward who's scored two Champions League goals

Marti Cifuentes is keen to strengthen his attack before the January transfer window closes.

ByDominic Lund Jan 22, 2025

Marti Cifuentes’ side have been in contact with Chelsea over signing attacking midfielder Harvey Vale, while they are also believed to be one of the clubs chasing Celtic forward Luis Palma, who is keen on leaving the Scottish side this month.

Bringing in new attacking options appears to be important to Cifuentes, but a new report has now revealed QPR have also joined the race for a defensive midfielder, having identified Hull City’s Xavier Simons as a target.

Simons has attracted the interest of a number of clubs, and he is now said to be choosing his next destination, with Swedish side AIK also in the running for his signature. AIK are reported to be in the final stages of negotiations over a move, but it remains to be seen whether the £3.5k-per-week midfielder gives the green light.

QPR’s upcoming Championship fixtures

Date

Millwall (a)

February 1st

Blackburn Rovers (h)

February 4th

Coventry City (a)

February 11th

Derby County (h)

February 14th

Portsmouth (a)

February 22nd

Simons performing well in the Championship

For large parts of the ongoing campaign, the Englishman has been a regular starter for Hull, and he has performed well on a number of key attacking and defensive metrics over the past year. The 21-year-old places in the 92nd percentile for clearances per 90, while also placing in the 88th percentile for non-penalty goals, indicating that he is a well-rounded midfielder.

Former Hull boss Liam Rosenior was also full of praise for the former Chelsea man after an impressive display against Fulham in the FA Cup, saying: “He was outstanding – for a young player to play central midfield as well which is tactically against them, their movements and their rotations, is very difficult.”

The only concern over signing the midfielder is the fact his role in the Hull team has diminished in recent weeks, being used on a more sporadic basis.

If the Tigers are willing to sanction Simons’ departure this winter, he may not yet be at the level to play for a club with play-off aspirations, but he is still very young and has plenty of time to develop.

MatériaMais Notícias

Neste domingo (15), ocorreu mais uma rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série D. Destaque para o grande número de empates, foram sete no total. Outro fato a ressaltar é o inferno astral que vive o Santa Cruz. Mais uma vez derrotado, desta vez para o Jacuipense pelo placar de 2 a 0. A Cobra Coral está em 7º lugar na sua chave. Confira os resultados deste domingo:

RelacionadasFutebol InternacionalEx-Flamengo, Reinier se despede do Borussia Dortmund e se mostra animado para ‘próxima batalha’Futebol Internacional15/05/2022VídeoLANCE! Rápido: São Paulo consegue a virada, Cruzeiro assume a ponta da Série B e mais!Vídeo15/05/2022Fora de CampoBenja vê críticas ‘exageradas’ a Paulo Sousa após empate no Castelão: ‘Flamengo jogou bem’Fora de Campo15/05/2022

>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

Grupo 1
Amazonas 2 x 2 São Raimundo-AM
Humaitá 2 x 1 São Raimundo-RR

Grupo 2
Fluminense-PI 0 x 0 4 de Julho

Grupo 3
Globo-FC 0 x 2 América-RN
Icasa 2 x 2 Sousa
Retrô 1 x 1 Afogados

Grupo 4
ASA 2 x 3 CSE
Jacuipense 2 x 0 Santa Cruz
Juazeirense 0 x 2 Atlético-BA

Grupo 5
Brasiliense 2 x 1 Ceilândia
Iporá 0 x 0 Grêmio Anápolis
Ação-MT 1 x 2 Operário-GV

Grupo 6
Caldense 1 x 1 URT

Grupo 7
Pérolas Negras 0 x 1 Paraná
Oeste 2 x 0 Santo André
Portuguesa-RJ 1 x 1 Nova Iguaçu

MatériaMais Notícias

Foi na raça, mas o Coritiba arrancou uma vitória épica em cima do Fluminense neste domingo ao derrotar o adversário por 3 a 0.

– VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

Na etapa inicial, o Coxa foi surpreendido pelo Tricolor e desceu para o vestiário com o placar adverso em 2 a 0.

Nos 45 minutos finais, a postura da equipe comandada por Gustavo Morínigo foi completamente diferente e a virada aconteceu.

O atacante Léo Gamalho foi o principal personagem ao anotar dois gols, um deles aconteceu nos acréscimos do confronto e definiu a vitória.

Libertadores

O triunfo heroico em cima do Fluminense colocou o Coritiba na 5ª colocação, com 7 pontos, situação que deixa o Coxa na zona de classificação da Libertadores.

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The visitors’ depth is being tested by injury but the pressure will be on Sri Lanka’s top order

Andrew McGlashan13-Jun-2022 • Updated on 14-Jun-2022Big pictureWelcome back to the five-match ODI series, although, maybe, for the last time? Not since before the 2019 World Cup has there been a bilateral contest of this length in the men’s format. For Sri Lanka and Australia, it’s an extended opportunity to work on their games ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup, but these matches will have no bearing on qualification as they aren’t part of the one-and-done Super League (just nod and accept, it’s a cricket thing).There will be a glut of ODIs over the next nine months as FTP and Super League commitments are completed before the cut-off date. Australia have been particularly light on in the 50-over game since the pandemic; they did not play a single match at home last season and have had just two series -against West Indies and Pakistan – since late 2020.This will also be the first time they have had the majority of their first-choice ODI squad together in more than 18 months – Adam Zampa is missing on paternity leave – so while injuries have created some complications, it marks a moment where planning for the World Cup in India can start to get serious, in conditions that at times may not be a million miles away from those at the tournament. It is a chance for Andrew McDonald and Aaron Finch to start forming the style of one-day cricket they believe can be successful (early hint: expect an aggressive outlook with the bat that started in Pakistan).Related

Australia's twin ambitions: win the ODIs, prepare for Tests

If ODIs feel irrelevant now, just wait till the next FTP cycle

Australia will rotate through their fast-bowling depth, which is being tested with Kane Richardson now ruled out of the ODIs with a hamstring injury. Mitchell Starc will miss at least the first two matches, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will be managed. There may also be some different batting combinations tried. Travis Head’s successful return in Pakistan means there are no shortage of top-order options, and when Mitchell Marsh is fit and Cameron Green ready to bowl, the all-round depth is well served.Sri Lanka have named a 21-player squad, which may seem a touch excessive for a home series but at least means they can tick the all-bases-covered box. Their ODI cricket remains inconsistent and they are currently outside the automatic-qualification zone in the Super League. They have won their last two series, at home against South Africa and Zimbabwe, but have dropped what could be vital games in both. This will be the first ODI series under new coach Chris Silverwood.As ever, when facing Australia in subcontinent conditions, there will be a temptation to go with a spin-heavy attack, but Sri Lanka’s prospects will come down to whether their batting order can perform consistently. The record-breaking finish to the chase in the final T20I was a timely confidence boost. There is also significant excitement around uncapped 19-year-old allrounder Dunith Wellalage, and he may get a chance in the XI.Recent form(last five matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka WLWWL
Australia LLWWLKusal Mendis has to do well with the bat if he wants to remain the No. 1 contender for the wicketkeeper-batter’s position•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlightIf Kusal Mendis is given the nod as the wicketkeeper [see below], he will need to repay the faith with the bat. In the six ODIs he has played in the last two years, he has a top score of 36 and there are no shortage of candidates to take the gloves with Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella also part of the large squad. An ODI average of a tick under 30 from 80 innings feels underwhelming for a player of Mendis’ talent.Pat Cummins is among a group of senior Australia players returning to ODI colours since late 2020. He left the IPL early to recover from a hip injury, which Finch revealed he had been carrying for the last 12-14 months. These one-day matches will also act as his tune-up for the Test series in Galle. Cummins’ only previous cricket in Sri Lanka came when he was part of the 2012 T20 World Cup.Team newsNineteen-year-old Wellalage, a left-arm spinner who bats pretty well, seems likely to debut on Tuesday, joining a spin attack that comprises Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. This means Chamika Karunaratne is likely to be the second seam option behind Dushmantha Chameera.Sri Lanka have a few options on the wicketkeeper-batter front. They could keep Mendis in place, though he wasn’t particularly effective with the bat in the T20Is. Charith Asalanka will likely move down to his familiar No. 5 position in ODIs. Word from captain Dasun Shanaka is that they will keep the six batters, two allrounders, three bowlers combination from the ODIs. Bowling-wise, Hasaranga, Chameera and Theekshana are pretty much certain to play.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Maheesh TheekshanaAustralia’s injury list is growing with Kane Richardson the latest casualty. Jhye Richardson has been preferred ahead of a second frontline spinner in Mitchell Swepson. Finch said they were keen to use Alex Carey at No. 5 to provide another left-handed option in the middle order.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Alex Carey (wk), 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Ashton Agar, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Jhye Richardson, 11, Josh HazlewoodPitch and conditionsAlthough the last T20I became a reasonably high-scoring game, there were also times when both sides struggled with the bat. The day-time element to the ODIs could be a factor. In the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe series earlier in the year that was held entirely in Pallekele, the opening match saw Sri Lanka chase down 297 reasonably comfortably before Zimbabwe defended 302 and were then bundled out for 70. There is a chance of storms interrupting play.Stats and trivia Warner, Smith, Cummins and Maxwell have not played an ODI since facing India in late 2020. The last bilateral ODI series between the two teams was in Sri Lanka in 2016 when Australia won 4-1. National selector George Bailey was Player of the Series then.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly entering the market for new centre-backs in January, and one target is now becoming more tempted to leave in 2025 as Spurs add him to their shortlist.

Spurs target new centre-back after triple injury blow

As things stand, Radu Dragusin is manager Ange Postecoglou’s only natural senior central defensive option right now – with trio Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies all sidelined through injury.

Related Tottenham make approach to sign "very fast" £25m centre-back in January

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Postecoglou has been forced to deploy versatile summer signing Archie Gray at centre-back to partner Dragusin in the last few games as a result, and while the teenager’s done well in a very unfamiliar role, Tottenham’s current injury crisis has exposed the lack of depth in their squad.

Speaking ahead of their blockbuster Premier League clash at home to Liverpool, Postecoglou dropped a transfer hint and suggested that Spurs could go into the market for more experienced players to complement the likes of Gray.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games

Liverpool (Home)

Nottingham Forest (Away)

Wolves (Home)

Newcastle United (Home)

Arsenal (Away)

“Moving forward, we probably need to err on the side of getting a little bit more experience, just to help the group, because we’ve got very few at that kind of sweet spot in terms of ages,” said Postecoglou in his latest press conference.

“And we want to give the guys in their teens or early twenties the opportunity to keep growing. We need to make sure we put quality around them, so how we allocate the next resources may shift a little bit. But I’d hate to be sitting here now and saying we had an opportunity to sign Archie Gray at 18, and we passed it up because maybe we could have got a player who helps us for a couple of years.”

Postecoglou has held recruitment meetings with technical director Johan Lange ahead of January, by his own admission, and reports suggest that Spurs could go after a fresh centre-back option.

There are many potential options for Spurs in this regard, with French newspaper L’Equipe claiming that Tottenham have entered the race for RC Lens starlet Abdukodir Khusanov, who his club are attempting to sell in the winter as they attempt to raise funds.

Postecoglou has also asked Tottenham to consider a move for Getafe’s Omar Alderete, as per Spanish media sources, and they’re also believed to hold an interest in Feyenoord star David Hancko.

David Hancko open to leaving Feyenoord as Tottenham eye move

The Slovakia international was a key player for Arne Slot during his time at Feyenoord, and has continued to be a mainstay, but he’s now considering a fresh chapter away from the Eredivisie side.

That is according to TEAMtalk and journalist Rudy Galetti, who report that Hancko is open to leaving Feyenoord as Tottenham express an interest in signing him.

This transfer appears to be more likely for the summer as things stand, though, and despite contrary reports of a reduced price tag, TT write that Hancko will cost around £41 million to sign in 2025.

That being said, the 48-cap star has a glowing reputation and could be worth the investment, especially if Postecoglou is after proven reinforcements at the back.

“He is so stable and can basically do anything. I just think he is a top defender all-round,” said ex-Feyenoord ace Tim de Cler to SoccerNews.

“I think he can easily handle a club just below the top six in Europe. Then I’m talking about a club like Atlético Madrid or Liverpool. He can certainly handle that.”

Interim coach reveals Finch has been working on his movement and that Australia are “building a team around him as a captain” for T20 title defence

Alex Malcolm04-Apr-2022

Aaron Finch was out for his second successive duck in ODIs•AFP/Getty Images

Australia interim coach Andrew McDonald is in no doubt that captain Aaron Finch will lead Australia’s T20 World Cup title defence later this year on home soil despite Finch’s current lengthy form slump.Since the start of the last T20 World Cup in the UAE in October 2021, Finch has played 12 T20Is and three ODIs without making a half-century. Across 15 innings, including both formats, he averages 15.73 with a strike rate of just 97.92.Related

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McDonald yet to look beyond interim role in Australia's future

He also has nine single-figure scores in those 15 innings including back-to-back ducks in the last two ODIs against Pakistan. But McDonald said there was no question internally about Finch’s place heading towards the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.”From my end, there’s no conversation around the fact that he won’t be there,” McDonald said. “His form can ebb and flow like most players can and his ability to work through these patches has been significant in his career. We had the same conversation about David Warner leading into the T20 World Cup last time.”All these conversations are going to happen. Do we think he’s still good enough to play at this level? 100%, yes, and I think that’s as simple as it gets for us.”We’re building a team around him as a captain. It’s a pretty significant pillar to be discussing about not being at the T20 World Cup. From our end, we think he can still play at this level.”There is nothing new about Finch’s current woes. He was trapped lbw in his first three balls in each of the last two innings in Lahore. Shaheen Shah Afridi pinned him with a shin-high full toss first ball in the second ODI and Haris Rauf trapped him plumb with a reasonable straight delivery angled in at middle stump in game three. Rauf tried the exact same delivery to Marnus Labuschagne two balls later and the No. 1 Test batter clipped it wide of mid-on with ease for a boundary to highlight the clear differences in balance and footwork between the two players.Finch put his hand up in the aftermath of the ODI series loss to Pakistan, identifying that he was struggling for runs, and McDonald noted that the pair has been here before many times dating back to their time working together at Victoria and Melbourne Renegades.”He’s disappointed with his current form, there’s no doubt about that,” McDonald said. “Obviously that plays out on the big stage, but he’s currently probably not moving the way that he wants to move in terms of his mechanics.”That’s something that we probably need to rectify, and he’s working on it at training. It’s like anything, we’ve been down this path before. Sometimes, he can sort of get his legs crossed over a little bit and gets a little bit too much weight on that left leg.”It’s not an uncommon thing. So, hopefully we can work through it, albeit the timeframes in between these games over here haven’t created the time that you would like to be able to have to work on that.”Common theme creeping in there, but something that he’s been able to work through before, and we’re really, really confident that he’ll be able to work through that as his career continues.”Finch has one more innings on this tour, in Tuesday night’s one-off T20I, to find some touch before joining Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.McDonald himself doesn’t yet know if he will lead Australia’s coaching group at the T20 World Cup despite being the warm favourite to take over the vacant head coaching position full-time, following the departure of Justin Langer.McDonald, who was the senior assistant, was seconded as interim coach for the Pakistan tour at short notice. Cricket Australia was initially expecting to have a full-time coach appointed by late March but the demands of the tour have meant that McDonald has had limited discussions with CA regarding the role, his candidacy, and what it will look like moving forward.”Obviously, the congested Test series didn’t allow that but with a few more gaps in amongst this one-day series, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to Cricket Australia,” McDonald said. “Whether that then becomes a follow-up conversation, we’ll wait to see.”It’ll be pretty much like the other people that have no doubt spoken to Cricket Australia as well. Within that, there was no great detail or clarity on what the role would look like. So that’s probably something that will be built in the next few steps. However many steps are there to the process.”I don’t really want to openly share what I think the job should look like because that might put people in difficult situations through the process. I think once the process is done, then I’m happy to talk about what I think it should look like, if I don’t have the job, or if I do have the job.”That’s something for later on down the track. I don’t really want to weigh into it while that process is going on.”

A move to MLS or Saudi Pro League could be on the cards for Paul Pogba, who returns after serving an 18-month doping ban.

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Pogba now a free agent after serving ban for doping Has been linked with a move to either MLS or SaudiLast played a game on September 4, 2023 Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Paul Pogba took a significant step toward his return to professional football on Tuesday, March 11, as the former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder completed his 18-month ban, imposed during the 2023-24 season after testing positive for a banned substance.

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Pogba failed a drug test following the Udinese-Juventus game on August 20, 2023, as it was revealed that a non-endogenous substance was found in his test results, leading to a provisional suspension on September 11, 2023. He was slapped with a four-year ban for doping by the Italian Anti-Doping National Tribunal on February 29, 2024. On October 4, 2024, the ban was reduced to 18 months, which meant that he could begin training from January 2025. His contract with Juventus was mutually terminated in November 2024.

According to Italian outlets and (h/t Football Italia), Pogba's most likely destinations remain the Major League Soccer (MLS) or the Saudi Pro League. After spending time with his family in Miami, Pogba could be considering a move to David Beckham's Inter Miami or the wealthy Saudi Pro League, where French stars like N'Golo Kante and Karim Benzema play for Al-Ittihad. Not just that, but former Juventus director Pavel Nedved has recently joined Al-Shabab as a sporting director, too.

DID YOU KNOW?

The last time Pogba played a full 90 minutes was almost exactly three years ago, on March 12, 2022, during Manchester United's 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

While there is no confirmation regarding where Pogba will play next, there has been speculation about the World Cup-winning French midfielder returning to Manchester United for his third stint. In fact, former Red Devils striker Dwight Yorke was ready to give him another opportunity at a United side that is experiencing inarguably their worst season since the turn of the millennium.

“It's an interesting take. I would give Paul Pogba a third chance, definitely, because of what United currently have and because of what we know he is capable of producing," Yorke said last month.

“Obviously, with two months left, I would say, let's have a look. Give him a contract. You've got time here to prove yourself. You can come and play and help us out with the situation I’m sure Pogba would be very keen. Maybe he might want a long-term deal because of the security.

“I can see why his name has been mentioned because United have struggled, and Pogba is a damn good player. Even though he’s 31, I think he's far better than what we have now. And if you're going to get a player for free, who's far better than all our players in midfield, then you do it.”

With the January transfer window now fast approaching, Tottenham Hotspur are being linked with a number of possible targets. Among those rumoured to be interesting the Lilywhites are Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson, Rayo Vallecano defender Andrei Ratiu, and Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.

Real Madrid youngster Arda Guler has also been recently linked with a move to North London. The 19-year-old playmaker enjoyed a fine breakthrough season at the Santiago Bernabeu last year, scoring six goals in just 12 games, before going on to star for Turkey at the summer’s European Championships, helping them to an unlikely quarter-final run.

Guler has found minutes for Madrid hard to come by, however, since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe in the summer, and it is now believed Tottenham are prepared to offer the player a way out in January by way of a loan move. TNT Sports Commentator Ian Darke thinks Guler would be a “fantastic” signing for Ange Postecoglou.

“He’s a very good young player. He just can’t get in the Real Madrid side because they’ve got Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr. and Mbappe.”

Reijnders next up on Spurs shopping list

Of all the players reportedly on the Spurs’ radar, perhaps the most exciting is AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders. The Dutchman has been one of Milan’s most outstanding players since moving to the San Siro from AZ Alkmaar last summer. Most recently, he put in a Man of the Match display as Milan thumped Real Madrid 3-1 in the Champions League, scoring his side’s third and final goal.

As a result of his good form, Reijnders has caught the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real and Spurs.

Bid made: Liverpool considering "crazy" deal to sign "complete" midfielder

A Reds player could head in the opposite direction.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 5, 2024

Understandably, however, Milan are keen to hold on to the 26-year-old, and, according to Calcio Mercato, are already working on preventative measures to keep him at the club. The publication reported this week that Milan are working on offering Reijnders a contract renewal that would double his annual wages from €1.7 million to €3.5 million until 2030, amid interest from Spurs and others.

Calcio Mercato claim that Milan have already started talking with Tijjani’s father, who is also his agent, and are confident that the deal will soon be finalised.

Rijkaard praise shows why the world is chasing Reijnders

After Reijnders’ goalscoring display against Madrid, Milan and Netherlands legend Frank Rijkaard was full of praise for the midfielder.

“I hope Reijnders becomes one of the best midfielders in the world, I truly believe he’s on the right path. I really like his way of playing. He’s becoming more and more important for Milan as time goes by.

“He can cover all the roles in the middle of the pitch and he’s really generous too. He never stops running for the team and always gives everything his all. With the quality he has, he is really good at creating dangerous chances for his teammates and always starts the move well.”

Leeds United are currently attempting to fight their way out of the Championship at the second time of asking, after they just fell short last term.

The Whites lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final, after finishing third in the division, and are currently sitting in third place once again, in the final international break of the calendar year.

Daniel Farke has a few players in his squad whose respective futures may depend on what happens between now and the end of the season, as Junior Firpo and Sam Byram are both set to become free agents next summer.

With this in mind, perhaps, Leeds are reportedly looking into the market to find a new left-back option to come in and bolster their playing squad.

Leeds interested in English full-back

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are interested in Gent left-back Archie Brown and are one of a number of clubs eyeing the young dynamo up.

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The report claims that the Whites, Brentford, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea are all lining up moves for the 22-year-old ace ahead of the January transfer window.

It states that he is on the radar of the aforementioned clubs but does not reveal how much the Belgian giants would demand in order to part ways with Brown, who was once dubbed “complete” by former head of scouting Samuel Cardenas, midway through the season.

TEAMtalk adds that Leeds may need to earn promotion to the Premier League to win the race for his signature, which could mean that they need to hope that the left-back remains at Gent until next summer.

If they can secure a deal to bring the former Derby County man to Elland Road, whether that is in January or next summer, then he could form an exciting partnership with Largie Ramazani.

Why Leeds should sign Archie Brown

The 22-year-old, who scored the winner against Molde in the Europa League recently, is six years younger than Firpo and nine years younger than Byram and this means that he has far more long-term potential for Leeds than the two players who are out of contract next year.

This means that he could be the first-choice left-back for the club for many years to come, and the Englishman could develop alongside fellow youngster Largie Ramazani, 23.

The summer signing from Almeria, who is currently out injured, has scored three goals and provided one assist in six Championship starts on the left flank this term, and is another player – like Brown – who is young and has plenty of potential to develop and improve.

Appearances

14

Goals + assists

3

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.1

Dribbled past per game

0.4

Duel success rate

55%

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old ace has been in fine form for the Belgian side at left-back in the Pro League this season, rarely being dribbled past and winning the majority of his physical duels.

This suggests that wingers find it difficult to get the better of him and he could, therefore, provide a solid platform for Ramazani to then thrive going the other way, knowing that he has a solid defender behind him to deal with opposition forwards.

Given their respective ages, Farke could have his starting left-hand side for many years to come by bringing in Brown to play behind the Belgian starlet, which is why they could be an exciting duo, full of potential, for the Whites.

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