Some Liverpool fans have been reacting on social media after Jordan Henderson returned to training ahead of the Reds’ Premier League clash with Manchester City.
The 55-cap England international had been forced to sit out Liverpool’s Champions League win over KRC Genk during the week through illness, having been sent home by the club’s medical staff at the ground.
Henderson has now returned to take up a full participation in the Reds’ pre-Man City sessions at their Melwood facilities, and is expected to start when Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues arrive at Anfield on Sunday looking to reduce the deficit at the top of the table, according to The Times.
The £140,000-per-week midfielder’s return is seen to be a positive update for Jurgen Klopp, who confirmed Henderson’s availability on Friday at his pre-game press conference, along with adding that Virgil van Dijk is fit to play after missing training on Thursday.
Some Liverpool supporters are not reacting in a positive voice to The Times’ suggestion that Henderson will start on Sunday, as a few appear keen to see the Three Lions man’s place taken by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Henderson has started eight of his ten Premier League appearances this season, only sitting out the Reds’ 3-1 win over Newcastle United in September.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, meanwhile, scored against Genk on Tuesday night, as he rippled the back of the net for the second time in a week after riffling home against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.
Here are some of the messages shared in response to news that Henderson is expected to start against Manchester City…
Former Charlton player John Salako has commented on the Addicks’ current season and Lee Bowyer’s influence as manager.
The club have been dropped in a sticky situation after three senior players, including Lyle Taylor, announced they would not be playing for Charlton again this season. Bowyer spoke to talkSPORT about the difficult news and revealed the striker is worried about the ‘risk of injury’.
Championship sides have returned to training ahead of a proposed June 20 resumption. Salako has praised the manager’s performance at the hilt of the club so far this season.
“Lee has done an incredible job, he really has,” the 51-year-old told London News Online. “He is a passionate lad who has done an amazing job with a strict budget.”
The Addicks are currently in the relegation zone after a promising looking season took a steep turn and the club tumbled down the table. When the games resume, Charlton must try to climb their way out of the drop-zone, without influential goalscorer Taylor.
“Lee needs some reinforcements, he needs some quality players coming in, they have got to spend money,” Salako said. “He is in a tough job and it will be disastrous if they go down because League One is a tough place to be.”
As it stands, Bowyer could risk losing ten players in the summer, including Taylor and Chris Solly. It will be a tough ride for the Addicks this season as they try to secure their survival in the Championship.
But there is no doubt that Bowyer has done a fine job to keep the club competitive in trying circumstances. Indeed, they have spent just £203,000 on new players this season (Transfermarkt) which is nothing compared to the majority of other clubs in the second tier, for example Leeds have spent over £27m.
How are you feeling ahead of the return of the league, Charlton fans? Join the conversation in the comments below!
Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen looked to overhaul the playing squad during the summer transfer window.
There was a clear emphasis on lowering the average age of the squad with their work, when it came to allowing stars to leave and bringing talented prospects in.
Experienced campaigners Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, Connor Goldson, Scott Wright, Jon McLaughlin, and John Lundstram, among others, were allowed to move on from Ibrox.
Meanwhile, young talents like Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Oscar Cortes, Hamza Igamane, Mohammed Diomande, and Jefte have been brought in.
This suggests that Rangers are looking to develop and improve young players to increase their value, whilst getting fantastic performances on the pitch, to then sell them on for a profit in the future.
Selling talent for big money has not been one of the club's strengths in recent years. As per Transfermarkt, the Light Blues have only sold one player – Calvin Bassey – for more than €15m in their history, whereas their rivals Celtic have cashed in on seven players for more than €15m.
This shows that Rangers have a lot of work to do to catch up with their neighbours and their blunder with Ryan Kent is a great example of what not to do.
Ryan Kent's first season with Rangers
Former Light Blues manager Steven Gerrard returned to his former club to sign the English winger on a season-long loan move from Liverpool in the summer of 2018.
The Reds youngster arrived at Ibrox off the back of a disappointing 2017/18 campaign, in which he produced zero goals and two assists in 17 games for Freiburg and Barnsley combined.
Kent hit the ground running in Glasgow, though, with a return of six goals and nine assists in 43 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants.
The left winger racked up six goals and six assists in 23 appearances in the Scottish Premiership before the top six split, which showed that he could provide regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a wide position.
His performances in the division earned him the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award, which speaks to how impressive his displays were during his loan spell.
Gerrard and Rangers then opted to pursue a permanent deal for the Liverpool winger and managed to agree a fee of £7.5m to snap him up on a four-year deal in the summer of 2019.
The deal was a guaranteed fee of £6.5m, with a further £1m in add-ons, and it was a huge investment by the Gers in a player who had enjoyed a terrific first season at the club.
Ryan Kent's soaring value
Kent's soaring market value and his performances on the pitch over the subsequent two years suggested that the Light Blues played a blinder by signing him for £7.5m.
The 2019/20 campaign was not an extraordinary year for the forward, with eight goals and four assists in 33 matches, but it proved that his goalscoring threat in his loan spell was not a flash in the pan.
He then exploded in the 2020/21 season with a sensational return of 13 goals and 14 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for Gerrard, including four goals and assists combined in ten Europa League outings.
Appearances
37
Sofascore rating
7.23
Goals
10
Big chances created
9
Assists
9
Key passes per game
1.8
As you can see in the table above, 19 of those goal contributions came in the Premiership as Rangers won the title without losing a single match.
The English forward's exceptional performances as a scorer and a creator of goals earned him a place in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year that season.
Kent's superb showings in Scotland attracted interest from down south and it was reported in the summer of 2021 that Leeds United had an offer of £11m rejected and that they were lining up a £15m swoop for his services.
However, the Light Blues ultimately turned down the Whites' advances and kept hold of the attacker instead of cashing in on him when his value was double what they paid Liverpool for his services.
Rangers blundered with Ryan Kent
The decision not to accept the offer from Leeds turned out to be a howler from the Scottish giants as Kent's performances on the pitch declined.
In the 2021/22 campaign, a season in which Giovanni van Bronckhorst replaced Gerrard in the dugout, the winger produced just three goals in 46 matches in all competitions, along with 11 assists in the Premiership.
rangers-ryan-kent-everton-premier-league-transfer
That was a serious decline from the 13 goals he scored under the former Liverpool midfielder in the 2020/21 title-winning season for Rangers.
Kent, who was once dubbed "unplayable" by journalist Andrew Dickson, followed that up with a return of just three goals and ten assists in 44 matches in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, with all of those contributions coming in his 29 outings in the Premiership.
This shows that the winger was unable to recapture the electric form that saw him produce 13 goals and 14 assists in his best year with the club.
In the summer of 2023, Kent's contract with the Gers expired and Michael Beale could not agree an extension with the Englishman, which meant that he walked away for nothing.
This meant that Rangers lost a star who was once valued at a whopping £15m, and a player they paid £7.5m to sign in 2019, left the club for £0 to sign for Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Therefore, the Light Blues blundered with Kent as they did not cash in on him when his value peaked and his performances declined after that, before they ended up losing him for nothing.
The £300k Rangers signing who was sold for more than Bajrami is worth
The Light Blues played a blinder by developing and selling this midfield wizard.
1 ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2024
If they are going to go down the route of developing young players under Clement in the years to come, Rangers will need to improve the timing of their sales and know when the right time to cash in on a star is, so that they avoid a repeat of the Kent disasterclass.
There's a worrying sense of Groundhog Day creeping into the Premier League – none more so than for Manchester United.
At the summit, a Rodri-less Manchester City look as imperious as ever, while at the bottom, the three newly promoted sides – all of whom are yet to record a win – appear destined for the drop.
As for Erik ten Hag's men, the start to the current campaign has been little different from the last few years, with the Red Devils already playing catch up after winning just one of their opening three league games.
Season
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
2022/23
2-1 loss vs Brighton (H)
4-0 loss to Brentford (A)
2-1 win vs Liverpool (H)
2023/24
1-0 win vs Wolves (H)
2-0 loss vs Spurs (A)
3-2 win vs Forest (H)
2024/25
1-0 win vs Fulham (H)
2-1 loss vs Brighton (A)
3-0 loss vs Liverpool (H)
It would be unfair to write the Dutchman off so soon into the new season, yet in this City-dominated era, a poor start is simply terminal for any slim hopes of a title challenge.
Not that anyone is expecting United to compete for the league crown, yet with over £600m spent under Ten Hag's watch, you'd like to think that the club would be progressing toward the end of their 11-year barren run. As evidenced on Sunday, however, they couldn't be any further away.
In truth, that 3-0 loss to a dominant Liverpool side was a humbling and bordering on embarrassing one for the former Ajax boss, with his opposite number and compatriot, Arne Slot, already fashioning a serious-looking outfit after only three games in charge. Ten Hag, meanwhile, is now into his third season.
With six of his signings in the starting lineup at Old Trafford, there's no getting away from this being a Ten Hag team, with the 54-year-old – who was, for most, rightly kept on following the FA Cup final – inevitably feeling the heat having come so close to the axe over the summer.
It's fair to say that INEOS' public dalliance over the manager's future has not been helpful, with the one-time Utrecht coach – who also saw his backroom staff ripped up this summer – now looking like a dead man walking.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag after winning the FA Cup.
There is still a chance to turn things around, although for one Ten Hag's key lieutenants, Casemiro, time already looks to be up…
Casemiro's game in numbers vs Liverpool
There was a real sense of irony that arguably the difference in the game came down to the two men operating in the number six berth for their respective sides, with one of the few ex-Ajax players not to have reunited with Ten Hag – in the form of Ryan Gravenberch – stealing the show in the centre of the park.
While the Netherlands international looked composed and controlled as the heartbeat for the visitors, Casemiro was anything but, with the Brazilian hauled off at half-time following two costly errors in possession.
Stat
Gravenberch
Casemiro
Minutes played
90
45
Touches
61
45
Pass accuracy
84%
70%
Key passes
0
0
Big chances created
0
0
Ground duels won
6/9
2/5
Aerial duels won
1/1
1/1
Dribbled past
0
2
Successful dribbles
1/2
1/1
Error leading to goal
0
2
Possession lost
11x
14x
Having fired an aimless pass in the direction of Kobbie Mainoo for the game's opener, the former Real Madrid great then meekly ceded the ball to Luis Diaz for the away side's second, collapsing onto the ground in the slim hope of earning a foul.
Despite looking leaner and sharper against the likes of City and Fulham in the early weeks of the campaign, this latest performance was a reminder of just why the club were so keen to move him on earlier this window, with only a waning interest from Saudi Arabia having prevented his departure.
There is perhaps a sense that the 32-year-old is merely being left exposed by the manager's tactics, although not even the harshest Ten Hag critic could blame the Dutchman for Casemiro looking so utterly panicked in possession.
What is worrying is that with new man Manuel Ugarte potentially set to take "months" to get up to speed – as per Ten Hag – the five-time Champions League winner may have to remain in the side due to a lack of alternatives, with Christian Eriksen the only other fit, senior midfielder, outside of Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes.
That lack of depth is an issue on its own, as too are Casemiro's lingering woes, although the one-time Porto man's shortcomings could be masking an even bigger problem that is brewing at the Theatre of Dreams – the lack of quality and consistency in attack.
Man Utd's bigger problem than Casemiro
Casemiro was culpable for gifting the lead to the Merseysiders on Sunday, but it is worth remembering that it is goals that win games – and United just can't muster any.
Last season, the Red Devils finished with a negative goal difference for the first time since 1989/90, having scored just 57 times in the top flight, ranking them tenth in the division in that regard.
Those shortcomings in front of goal don't look to have changed even after the £36.5m addition of Joshua Zirkzee this summer, with the Manchester side only netting three times in four games so far this term.
While the loss of new number nine Rasmus Hojlund to injury in pre-season hasn't helped matters, the young Dane is himself hardly a surefire guarantee of goals, even despite ending 2023/24 as the club's top scorer with 16 in all competitions.
Even with the caveat of the former Atalanta man not being named on the bench at the weekend, the distinct lack of attacking options who could come on and change the game was undoubtedly concerning, with Ten Hag left with a trio of Amad, Antony and teenager striker, Ethan Wheatley.
In the case of Wheatley, the club's 250th academy debutant is yet to score for the first-team, while for Antony, there had even been rumours of a late exit on deadline day, with the £86m man continuing to stink the place out having registered just 16 goals and assists in 83 games for United to date.
Dan James, for instance, chalked up 18 goal involvements in 74 games.
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As for Amad, while excitement is brewing over the Ivorian starlet – having scored against Brighton and Hove Albion – the 22-year-old remains a player of potential rather than guaranteed, consistent output, after making just 25 first-team appearances for the club in three-and-a-half years.
The lack of experienced attacking depth has only served to heighten the pressure surrounding the likes of Marcus Rashford, although on the evidence of the season so far, the Englishman may never get close to those highs of 2022/23 again, where he netted 30 times across all fronts.
Simply looking devoid of confidence – as shown by his unwillingness to take on Ibrahima Konate in the second half – the once-breathtaking winger is now a sad sight, with Ten Hag needing to take him out of the firing line.
In his defence, however, Rashford could well have had two assists on Sunday had the aforementioned Zirkzee taken his chances, with the 23-year-old heading straight at Alisson, before guiding an effort wide soon after.
After scoring only 12 times in Italy last season, the 6 foot 4 marksman is arguably not the out-and-out goalscorer that was required, ensuring much will once again have to be asked of young Alejandro Garnacho, albeit with even the dynamic Argentine 'only' netting ten times in 50 appearances in 2023/24.
Not that there should have been any doubts over dispensing with Jadon Sancho – who only scored 12 times in 83 games for the club – but it would seem as if United have left themselves rather short in the attacking ranks, with it difficult to see just where the goals will come from this season.
At the weekend, Liverpool, by contrast, had the likes of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo to call upon off the bench – with new man Federico Chiesa watching on – while even Sancho's new side, Chelsea, look to have a wealth of attacking talent at their disposal, with the likes of Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson.
Quite how United have been left in this predicament after their mammoth spending in recent times is rather headscratching, with the continued failure to fire likely to ensure that we are in for another long season at Old Trafford.
Fingers crossed that things truly ignite following the international break, but this all feels very much like the beginning of the end, rather than the start of something new for Ten Hag under the INEOS regime.
Let's hope he can prove us wrong…
Not just Casemiro: Man Utd must drop 4/10 star who lost 100% duels
Manchester United were in dismal form as they were brushed aside by Liverpool.
Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways when the Premier League returns this weekend, but first they will be hoping their players can return injury-free from the international break.
And one of their youngsters in particular has had a more than decent break from domestic proceedings, breaking one goalscoring record for his nation and already closing in on another one.
Man Utd must regret selling £9m star who's now miles better than Casemiro
The star has been a real hit after departing Old Trafford.
ByEthan Lamb Sep 9, 2024 Man United players away on international duty
The Red Devils have several players away playing for their countries in this two-week international break, and they will be praying their players can return fit, firing and full of renewed confidence.
Erik ten Hag has a side full of established international players, so it isn’t any surprise to see that four of the his five new signings are away with their countries – Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs De Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui.
Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes have just finished their international duty with Portugal, with their pair both impressing in the last two weeks, as Dalot scored in Portugal’s win over Croatia last week and Fernandes scored in their 2-1 win over Scotland on Sunday evening.
Ten Hag will be keeping an eye on Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo, who will both be looking to keep their place in England's starting XI against Finland on Tuesday night.
Lisandro Martínez and Alejandro Garnacho will be hoping to play a significant part in Argentina’s match against Columbia on Tuesday, but the United boss is likely just praying they return to Carrington on time and fit. United also have James Scanlon away on international duty with Gibraltar, and the young man will be returning to Old Trafford full of confidence.
James Scanlon scores for Gibraltar vs Liechtenstein
Scanlon, who has yet to make his senior debut for Manchester United or even permanently break into the under-21 line-up, has however burst onto the international stage with Gibraltar and is definitely catching the eye.
The 17-year-old has now earned six caps for Gibraltar's senior side, and the winger grabbed his first goal for his country by scoring against Liechtenstein on Sunday, becoming his country's youngest ever scorer and prompting one MUFC academy writer to say "this is nuts".
Scanlon, who played in United’s pre-season this summer, is remarkably already now just five goals away from becoming his country’s record goalscorer, as that currently stands at six, with Liam Walker currently leading the way.
Liam Walker
6
Roy Chipolina
5
Reece Styche
3
Tjay De Barr
3
Lee Casciaro
3
Jake Gosling
2
Joseph Chipolina
2
James Scanlon
1
Stats as per Transfermarkt
Scanlon has been on the books at Old Trafford since joining the club from Derby County in March 2021, and since then, he has been working his way up the club’s youth teams. The 17-year-old has played 33 times for the under-18s, during which he has scored 11 goals and recorded five assists. Scanlon has also played ten times for the club’s under-21s.
The United gem was used as a right-back during pre-season, but the 17-year-old’s preferred position is more advanced, with him being a more natural winger who likes to score goals and create chances for his teammates. Scanlon is now just six games into his international career and could become the country's leading goalscorer very soon, as he needs just five goals to equal the leading tally.
Tottenham Hotspur could be set to add to their acquisition of Dejan Kulusevski this summer, but likely without the same fanfare his deal commanded.
What's the latest on Clement Lenglet to Tottenham Hotspur?
That's according to journalist Alasdair Gold, who spoke on his YouTube channel about Ange Postecoglou's first transfer window in north London.
Having already made the loan of their Swedish winger permanent, he claimed that they could be set to replicate this by bringing in Clement Lenglet from Barcelona, who spent last term in N17 too.
He noted: "Do you know what, speaking to people in the club, they haven’t ruled out going back for Clement Lenglet. I know they did a farewell last week, and as a formality they included Lenglet, so he just left at the end of his deal.
"Barcelona want him out, and there have been suggestions that he could be available for as little as £4-5m now."
Did Clement Lenglet impress at Tottenham?
Whilst this might seem a fine cut-price option for someone of his pedigree, his recent years in both Spain and England have proven why the Catalan giants are so keen to expel him from their ranks.
A 6.67 average Sofascore rating in his final season in Catalonia outlines such disappointment, which he carried over during his loan spell last campaign.
Under Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and later Ryan Mason, the Frenchman maintained a 6.65 average rating in the Premier League, recording just 0.7 interceptions and winning possession an abysmal 0.1 times per game, via Sofascore.
ange-postecoglou-manager-spurs
Such consistent mediocrity has been outlined by various journalists during a career which boasts four major honours including a piece of international silverware.
Back in 2021, writer Jonathan Johnson boldly wrote: "Lenglet. A complete & utter liability of a defender." A year later Muhammad Butt would supplement this, branding the 28-year-old as "terrible".
Whilst the permanent signing of Kulusevski made sense, given he had shown signs of true quality that he could bring to Postecoglou's team, Lenglet is without such performances.
During his first six months in north London, the 23-year-old dynamo recorded 13 goal contributions in just 18 league games, whilst Lenglet's final eight league showings only saw him surpass a miserable 6.8 rating on two occasions.
With the Australian manager still fresh in his new post, the fanbase remains hopeful that his new regime can be the one to finally turn this stuttering club around.
However, with a potential disaster signings such as this, essentially accepting their place as an average side, they seem set to uphold their failures and mirror the mistakes that led to one of their worst league finishes in over a decade.
West Ham United should reinvest some of the money they make off of a potential Declan Rice sale this summer on Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse, Dean Jones believes.
Following their relegation to the Championship, the Saints are expected to lose their skipper this summer, and there have been a number of sides taking an interest in the free-kick specialist.
The Europa Conference League champions have recently emerged as a team interested in acquiring his services, The Evening Standard has reported, but the Saints will only consider selling Ward-Prowse for the right price.
What's the latest West Ham transfer news?
Following their Europa Conference League win earlier this month, David Moyes' side have been busy looking at ways to strengthen their side as they prepare for a Europa League return next season.
With Rice's departure looming, they've identified a number of different potential successors for the Englishman, with L'Equipe recently reporting that Ligue 1 side Marseille are expecting the club to make a bid for former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi.
The Telegraph have also revealed that both Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire may potentially be on their way to West Ham, with Manchester United wanting to include the pair in a potential deal to land Rice.
With numerous potential moves in their eyesight, Ward-Prowse was recently added to the list of potential midfielders that could join the Hammers as they lose their prized asset, and while Southampton's asking price for their skipper may have initially been a problem, the money made on selling Rice could be used in a deal, according to Jones.
What has Dean Jones said about West Ham and James Ward-Prowse?
While West Ham may not initially have the funds to match Southampton's asking price for Ward-Prowse, Jones believes the money generated from selling Rice this summer should be reinvested into a deal for the Saints captain.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: "There was earlier talk that clubs might try and get him for £25 million. I mean, that just can't happen. So West Ham, if they get the chance to reinvest the Rice money that they'll eventually get, then James Ward-Prowse would be a really good spot for them to push some of that cash.”
How does James Ward-Prowse compare to West Ham United's current midfielders?
The Southampton man would immediately become West Ham's best creative midfielder, if Rice is to leave, with Ward-Prowse's average pass success rate of 85.3, higher than every other midfielder in the side.
In terms of key passes made a game, the 28-year-old's average of 1.9 a game, dwarves everyone in the Hammers side, with Aaron Cresswell's 1.4 the closest.
With the Hammers scoring from 11 set pieces last season, adding a specialist like Ward-Prowse to the squad will only boost that number even higher and the club would reap the benefits almost immediately.
No one at West Ham scored more than the nine Premier League goals that the Saints captain bagged last season, and with goals being a huge problem for the club, he'd help fix that issue.
Labeled "exceptional" by former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, Ward-Prowse would be a strong addition to the Hammers team and go a long way into replacing a club icon like Rice.
Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos, with the player’s agent approaching those at Villa Park.
What’s the latest Aston Villa transfer news involving Ramos?
Villa have already made a start on their summer transfer plans by reaching an agreement with Youri Tielemans, who will officially become a Villa player on July 1 when his Leicester City contract expires.
The club have now brought in former Sevilla sporting director Monchi as Villa’s president of football operations and he will work closely with manager Unai Emery.
A new attacker was previously the club’s top transfer priority, and it looks as if a new striker could arrive over the coming months to rival or possibly partner Ollie Watkins during Emery’s first full season in charge which will include Europa Conference League football.
According to The Sun, Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes is working hard to get Ramos a Premier League move, with Manchester United offered the striker’s services.
However, Mendes has also approached Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham, with Benfica set to demand £80m for Ramos, a figure which would smash the transfer record at Villa Park.
Ramos is just 21 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-forward who has seen his Transfermarkt valuation rocket from €8m to a career-high €50m over the past two years.
Sponsored by Nike and under contract until 2026, the Portugal international progressed through Benfica’s academy and has now made over 100 senior appearances for the club. He has scored 41 goals and provided 16 assists during that time, with 19 of his goals coming in Liga Portugal last season.
Ramos, dubbed a "monster" in the media, has also starred on the international stage, scoring a hat-trick in last year’s World Cup in Qatar after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting XI.
You can see why a move for Ramos could appeal to those in the Midlands, especially with Watkins linked with a move to Manchester United in recent days. Villa enjoyed a brilliant resurgence under Emery but scored just 51 goals in their 38 Premier League games in 2022/23, the fewest out of the top 10 sides.
Therefore, bringing in someone like Ramos to bolster the club’s attacking ranks could be an extremely shrewd move, however, should a move materialise over the coming months, you’d expect he would arrive at a big cost, with many expecting immediate results.
Arsenal legend and BBC pundit Ian Wright has had to deny allegations of being arrested after scammers used AI to create false images of him.
Was Ian Wright arrested?
The Match of the Day presenter has become a well-loved TV personality within the world of football since retiring – having been an adored player, too.
After all, he netted a whopping 185 goals in 288 appearances for the Gunners which was a club record until it was eventually beaten by Thierry Henry.
He also spent time in his career with other former clubs such as Crystal Palace, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Burnley.
In recent times, he’s cemented his status as an all-round lovely guy by showing his class as a strong and vocal advocate for women’s football, and recently slammed the broadcasting issues ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – with Fifa threatening a blackout because of low offers for the broadcast rights from the biggest European footballing countries.
With all that in mind, it must have come as a shock to some when images emerged online of him supposedly being arrested. Some friends of Wright’s were so stunned, he has since revealed people were calling him about it.
Well, in a new video shared on his Twitter account, he’s now clarified that it’s all a strange scam where people “superimposed” him into an odd situation.
Wright explained: “Listen, I’m getting so many calls. People think I’ve been arrested. They’ve superimposed me with handcuffs. Look at me [laughs] this is a scam! People are scamming you.
“I ain’t been arrested. I’ve not done anything to get arrested. Foolishness! Watch these people scamming you!”
He also shared some of the fake photos.
It’s certainly a bizarre story and perhaps a little worrying that some of his friends did seem to be convinced by AI that these images were actually real.
However, it’s good to see that Wright has responded in typical style, laughing it all off with a smile on his face.
The presenter recently made history with Shaun Wright-Phillips, becoming the first father and son punditry team to appear on Match of the Day.
So don’t worry, we’re far more likely to see him appear on TV in the future than in a prison cell.
"They go around the world buying up the best young players and they're going to carry on doing that,” reflected Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol during Todd Boehly's excessive January spending at Chelsea.
The latest addition to enforce this strategy is Kendry Paez, who has joined the Blues from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle for £17m.
The 16-year-old will join his new club in the summer of 2025 when he reaches his 18th birthday.
Although given Chelsea’s mind-boggling and horrendous slump into mid-table mediocrity, the signing of a relatively unknown South-American entity may not provide the excitement that many fans are currently craving, but the youngster is an extraordinary talent, with a huge future ahead of him.
Who is Kendry Paez?
The teen is a record breaker and the new, up-and-coming jewel of Ecuadorian football. He is the youngster debutant and goalscorer of his nation’s top flight when he netted on this joyous occasion in a 3-1 victory in February.
Internationally, the playmaker has also excelled – at the 2023 South American U17 Championship in March 2023, he was captain of his side, scoring twice and assisting six. Due to his string of impressive performances, he was named the top talent at the Next Generation Trophy last year.
The teen was promoted to a higher age group and he recorded four goal involvements at this summer’s U20 World Cup.
His current manager Martin Anselmi has heaped praise upon the generational gift and said: “In Kendry we find someone daring. A boy who asks for it. He doesn’t care who is in front of him.
“He is a different type of player. It is not normal for a 15-year-old boy in the first division to have earned the respect of the soccer world in such a short time.
“He runs, recovers, interprets the game, he is very intelligent. All his movements are trained, he carries them out perfectly, understands the game very well.”
Is Kendry Paez shades of Jamal Musiala?
A mesmeric dribbler with impudent vision and magical close-control, as well as a youth career in West London – the two prodigies share an abundance of similar traits, but the minor difference is that Musiala left Chelsea at the age of 16, whilst his positional peer is joining at the same age.
The German has expertly displayed his incredible skill over the past two seasons and in a World Cup match against Costa Rica, he was at his untameable, hypnotic best.
Jamal Musiala
The sensation recorded a ridiculous 13 successful dribbles, the second-most ever recorded in the tournament’s history and this type of raw ability is something that Chelsea have painfully lacked in forward areas and will hugely benefit Mauricio Pochettino.
Paez will have another two years to develop in his homeland and when he returns he is likely to be an unstoppable force.
To summarise his similarities to Musiala, the teen boasts "incredible class" – as lauded by scout Jacek Kulig – with an innate skill for unlocking a defence.
Like the German, Kulig notes Paez's strongest attributes as his technique, dribbling and ball control, all qualities that set Chelsea's former academy product apart in the current day.