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Wolverhampton Wanderers could be closer to easing their goal scoring woes, as the club have been linked with a goal machine ahead of the summer transfer window.

Julen Lopetegui must find the solution to get his team firing, with Wolves being the lowest scorers in the Premier League, netting just 31 goals in 38 games.

Seeking and recruiting an established goalscorer is difficult for some of the world’s more financially lucrative teams and even more so for the Spaniard, who is facing a difficult summer following the revelation of Wolves’ FFP issues.

The Midlands club shouldn’t give up all hope, as news has emerged linking a goal machine to a potential move to Molineux.

What’s the latest on Georges Mikautadze to Wolves?

As reported by French outlet le10sport, FC Metz striker Georges Mikautadze is rumoured to have gained interest from Wolves.

The Georgian forward, who is valued at €20m (£17m) is wanted by Olympique Lyonnais and Burnley as well as in the Midlands, as stated in the report.

At just 22-years-old, the link could be an exciting one to everyone at Molineux as there is potential for Lopetegui to get his hands on an established goalscorer that won't break the bank.

What could Georges Mikautadze bring to Wolves?

The Lyon-born striker has lit up Ligue 2 this season, making an emphatic 31 goal contributions in 36 appearances for Metz, scoring 23 himself and assisting eight, as per Sofascore.

The Georgian international is the league’s top scorer, averaging a goal every 130 minutes of play and acting as a deadly talisman for his side.

Wolves’ highest-scoring players this season are Ruben Neves and Daniel Podence, who have both scored six goals and neither are strikers, showing the quality that the Metz forward could make in terms of just adding goals alone.

Having been lauded as a “Georgian killer” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 22-year-old has a lot more to his game than just putting the ball in the net and could benefit Lopetegui’s side through his passing and creativity.

As per Sofascore, the Lyon-born forward averages 1.5 key passes per game, as well as creating seven big chances on top of having strengths in dribbling, as noted by WhoScored.

The same outlet also points to his style of play being his liking towards running at players, being a threat on the counter-attack and enjoys playing long balls, as supported by him completing 81% of his long balls this season – as per Sofascore.

At 5 foot 9, the dynamic forward is nimble and agile, making him a real handful for defenders, which is shown by his huge goal contribution this term alone.

Wolves could get themselves a bargain at a critical time, and one that could benefit the future of Lopetegui’s side and end their dreadful form in front of goal as of late.

Manchester United could finally part ways with Anthony Martial this summer, with The Sun reporting that the club are prepared to offload the player during the summer transfer window.

Who are Manchester United selling this summer?

The Red Devils have often toiled in front of goal in the Premier League this season, with the club still having only produced 52 goals over the course of 36 games so far. It means that come the end of the campaign, with only two games left to play, they could have one of the lowest rates in the top half of the division. Currently, only Aston Villa have a lower total in the top ten.

It means that boss Erik ten Hag may look to add a striker to their ranks this summer transfer window, with reports already suggesting that the Dutchman has identified his midfield and his forward line as the two main areas that will need replenishing when the season comes to a close.

However, it could now also mean a shuffle in attack, with the manager now seemingly ready to offload one of his current forward options to boot. That man is Anthony Martial, with The Sun reporting that the Red Devils are ready to listen to offers for his services when the window opens. It also adds that the player has only one year left on his current deal – meaning that unless they manage to sell him on for a fee this summer, he may end up leaving Old Trafford for nothing next year.

Martial has been United's highest-scoring out-and-out centre-forward this season in the Premier League but has only managed a haul of five goals. In comparison, Marcus Rashford has bagged 16 efforts and is the only player to hit double digits in the entire squad. Wout Weghorst, who was brought in on loan to try and help in attack back in January, is yet to bag a single strike in the top flight.

Are Man United selling Anthony Martial?

Martial bagged 17 goals in one campaign for the club back in 2019/20 and it looked as though the player would become a real force to be reckoned with. His tally has since dropped season on season, though – as has his amount of appearances.

A year after that impressive haul, the Frenchman could manage only four goals in 22 games. He was then shipped off to Sevilla, where he struggled to feature, playing just nine league games, and returned to Old Trafford to play a further eight times, scoring just once more.

However, the talent is there if United, or any team, can just tap into it. Even former professionals believe it, with ex-United man Lee Sharpe admitting that he feels Martial can be "unplayable" and added that he can be "that good" for the Red Devils.

But United are in need of goals right now, and with Martial having not been able to bag them with regularity, it looks as though he could end up usurped at Old Trafford this summer.

Arsenal have enjoyed a season as one of the Premier League’s best, sitting at the top of the pile for the majority of the campaign.

April’s disappointing form saw the Gunners get chased down by Manchester City but hope does still remain in north London that Mikel Arteta’s side can still win their first league title since 2004.

With just three games remaining, Arsenal have reached new heights this season, guaranteeing Champions League football for the 2023/24 campaign and a top-two finish for the first time since 2016.

What’s most impressive about Arteta's side, is that they are the joint-youngest squad in the top flight, level with Southampton with an average age of just 24.4.

The club’s three highest goalscorers are under 25, with 24-year-old captain Martin Odegaard netting 15 goals this season, level with 21-year-old Gabriel Martinelli, and in third is Hale End graduate Bukayo Saka with 14 goals.

To see young players flourishing is one thing, but to see them lead and maintain the success of a team at the summit of the Premier League is an incentive for those in the club’s academy, as a glimpse of the opportunities that could open for them in the future.

Several academy names have featured in first-team training this season, the most recent addition being Portuguese midfielder Mauro Bandeira.

Who is Mauro Bandeira?

Since joining Arsenal’s academy at the age of 13, Bandeira has worked his way through the system and currently plays for the U21s in the Premier League 2’s division one.

The 19-year-old prodigy has scored three goals in the league this season, making 20 appearances.

The Loures-born player is versatile in his positioning and has featured four times this campaign at right-back when called upon.

Once described as a “lively” presence in the engine room by journalist Layth Yousif, the young midfielder signed his first professional deal last summer and took the number 41 in the senior team.

Most recently, the teenage talent made the trip to St James’ Park with the Arsenal first-team squad, showing how he is valued at the club by Arteta.

With talk surrounding Granit Xhaka’s potential departure in the summer getting louder as the season draws to a close, the Swiss international could leave a vacancy to be filled in the heart of the pitch.

The Gunners aren’t afraid to place talented young stars above big names, and Bandeira could be one for the future as he embodies the skill set imposed on the current squad by the 30-year-old.

In the Football League Trophy this season, Bandeira has averaged a Sofascore match rating of 6.83, as well as winning over half of his duels per game (56%) whilst maintaining a passing accuracy of 81% – showing his ability to function in both areas of the engine room.

While speculation grows around Arsenal’s desire to sign a defensively-minded midfielder in the transfer window, the club may have the chance to explore the academy next season, especially with even more fixtures inbound with European involvement.

Only time will tell if the young Hale End gem will follow in the footsteps of those before him, however, Arsenal is the club to be at for young players under Arteta’s management.

Justice (retired) AP Shah, the BCCI ombudsman, has asked the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) vice-president Dilip Vengsarkar and managing committee member Pravin Amre to respond to allegations of conflict of interest relating to their coaching assignment

Arun Venugopal21-May-2016

Justice (retired) AP Shah, the BCCI ombudsman, has asked the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) vice-president Dilip Vengsarkar and managing committee member Pravin Amre to respond to allegations of conflict of interest relating to their coaching assignments. While Vengsarkar and Amre have been asked to respond by June 1, the BCCI has been asked to reply by May 24.The complaint has been filed by Nadeem Memon, a former curator of the Wankhede Stadium and a former managing committee member of the MCA. In Memon’s complaint, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, he has contended that Vengsarkar and Amre were in conflict by virtue of their roles as National Cricket Academy (NCA) director and Delhi Daredevils assistant coach respectively. He also pointed out that Vengsarkar ran a private academy.”I would like to bring to your notice that Vengsarkar runs a cricket academy for junior cricketers in Mumbai and Pune,” Memon wrote. “It baffles me that how it is not a conflict of interest despite Vengsarkar not making any financial gains from his post as NCA director.”Although Vengsarkar has agreed to do the NCA job honorary, it would dangerous to ignore the conflict of interest. The former India skipper can very well favour boys from his academy at the NCA. There is no guarantee that Vengsarkar wouldn’t be tilted towards Mumbai players.”Vengsarkar was appointed as NCA director last November, while Amre joined Daredevils ahead of the 2015 IPL season.It is understood the BCCI has asked the MCA’s officials, members and coaches to submit declarations relating to any possible conflict of interest relating to their roles.

اعترف التشيلي، مانويل بيليجريني، بإغراء الكرة السعودية للتعاقد معه، مشيرًا إلى أنه لا يستبعد التدريب في دوري روشن خلال الموسم المقبل.

المدير الفني لـ ريال بيتيس، تولى قيادة العديد من الأندية، أبرزها ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي من قبل، ويقدم موسمًا جيدًا مع نادي ريال بيتيس حيث يحتل المركز السابع برصيد 28 نقطة.

وفي تصريحات لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، قال بيليجريني: “لقد تلقيت عرضًا من المملكة العربية السعودية، كان عرضًا به الكثير من المال. لقد قلت نعم للصين قبل ذلك بعد الرحيل عن مانشستر سيتي. انتظرت خيارات من ميلان أو حتى موناكو، لكن في النهاية وافقت على عرض الصين”.

طالع أيضًا.. رونالدو يوجه رسالة للاعبين خارج السعودية ويؤكد: سنكون ضمن أفضل 5 دوريات في العالم

وأضاف: “لقد كان عرضًا اقتصاديًا رائعًا، سمحوا لي بتغيير كل شيء هناك، الفريق والمعسكر التدريبي، بالإضافة للتعرف على الصين واليابان وفيتنام بشكل أكبر”.

هيبي شينا فورتون هو النادي الصيني الذي دربه مانويل بيليجريني، خلال الفترة من أغسطس 2016 حتى مايو 2018.

وواصل: “في الصيف تلقيت عرضًا من الدوري السعودي وكان مغريًا، ولكنني لم أكن حرًا، كذلك كنت أشعر بالسعادة في ريال بيتيس، مثلما حدث معي في ملجا، لقد اتصلوا بي وأخبرتهم أنني لن أفسخ عقدي مع ريال بيتيس، لم يكن الوقت المناسب للمغادرة، رغم أنهم كانوا على استعداد لدفع الشرط الجزائي”.

المدرب التشيلي كان قد ارتبط بالانتقال إلى الدوري السعودي لقيادة النصر، لتدريب كريستيانو رونالدو، الذي كان هو مدربه الأول في ريال مدريد عام 2009.

After previously premature suggestions that Manchester United were potential title contenders, the reality is that Erik ten Hag's side are now set for a scrap just to secure a top-four berth, following another abject display on the road against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Goals from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson secured a deserved 2-0 win for the Magpies on the day at St James' Park, with the visitors having now won just three of their last nine Premier League games.

A major concern for United at present will be their shortcomings in attack, with the Carabao Cup winners having now failed to score in each of their last three top-flight games, having also been rather lifeless before Fulham's late implosion in the FA Cup quarter-final clash prior to the international break.

While there will undoubtedly be focus on the woes of January arrival, Wout Weghorst, who has scored just twice in 19 successive starts for the club, the Dutchman was not the only forward player to have distinctly underwhelmed on Tyneside, with teammate Marcus Rashford also proving rather "anonymous" – as per journalist Thomas Hammond.

How did Rashford perform against Newcastle?

Having enjoyed a well-earned rest over the past week or so after pulling out of the England squad through injury, the 25-year-old would likely have been hoping to get back firing again against Eddie Howe's men, although was ultimately something of a spare part in truth yesterday.

The previously prolific marksman – who has 27 goals in all competitions this season at club level – produced a "really bad" display against the Tynesiders, according to journalist Thomas Alencar, with his 6.1 match rating, as per Sofascore, the worst of any United player.

That grim rating was frankly warranted as the £200k-per-week ace lost 100% of his ground duels and squandered possession on ten occasions as a marker of his woes both defensively and offensively, while his tally of 31 touches was even lower than that of teammate David De Gea (42) in the sticks.

Such a surprising lack of impact – which also saw Rashford fail to complete his two dribble attempts nor register a single key pass – was seemingly noted by his manager post-match, with Ten Hag stating that his side offered "nothing" down the left side.

The Englishman's grim outing was epitomised late on as he merely passed the ball straight into the gloves of compatriot Nick Pope after attempting to slide a teammate through on goal, having been merely 'ineffectual' on the right or left flank, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

While Rashford had previously appeared something of an "unstoppable" attacking weapon – as per his manager – on the evidence of recent games the academy graduate has been more of a blunt instrument, having now gone three league games without a goal, while also coming up short against the Cottagers.

The 5 ft 11 gem's last goal came in the Europa League, second-leg win away at Real Betis, although even that stunning effort had come following what was a 'sloppy' individual display, as per Luckhurst, with concern perhaps brewing that the wide man is beginning to lose momentum following what has been a breathtaking individual campaign to date.

Perhaps it is merely a case of injury or the result of simply being overworked, yet Rashford has not looked like his usual self in recent games – albeit with a brief downturn in performances perhaps expected after a relentless run of standout showings over the past few months.

With the Manchester native having largely shouldered the goalscoring burden on his own this season – with Bruno Fernandes the only other player to reach double figures for goals in all competitions – it now appears time for someone else to step up to the plate.

Trying to see just who that might be, however, seems rather difficult at present…

Newcastle United are believed to be interested in signing Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota during the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Frustrating season for Jota

The Portuguese star has been an impressive player for the Reds, scoring 34 goals in 99 appearances overall, but this has been a frustrating season for him.

Jota suffered an injury against Manchester City midway through the campaign that ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup and he has struggled for rhythm since returning recently.

In fact, the 26-year-old hasn’t scored for Liverpool since their 2-2 draw away to City last April.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing up move

According to Football Transfers, Newcastle ‘admire’ Jota and are considering making a move for him this summer, with his versatility appealing to Eddie Howe.

Liverpool are reluctant to let the forward leave, but an offer in the region of £60million could apparently sway them.

The Verdict: Keep hold of him

Jota’s goalscoring touch may have deserted him for the time being but the Reds must keep hold of him this summer, having been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Jurgen Klopp.

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The £140,000-a-week forward is someone who is a vital part of Liverpool’s attack, whether it be his eye for goal, his pressing from the front or his ability to play across the attack.

Granted, there is huge competition for minutes now that Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo have arrived, but rotation is key and Jota has to be considered a key member of the Reds’ future.

Seeing him join a fellow top-four rival makes little sense, especially as he is still only 26 years of age and could have the prime years of his career ahead of him.

Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson has been praised for his ‘cracking’ equaliser during the Premier League game vs Everton by journalist Paul Taylor.

The Lowdown: Honours even

The Reds were the hosts at The City Ground on Sunday afternoon where Steve Cooper and his side played out a 2-2 draw with the Toffees with the home goals coming either side of the break.

The Welshman was at the double for the Midlands outfit, with the leveller being smashed into the top corner from inside the box following a neat one-two with Ryan Yates in the build-up.

The Latest: Taylor’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Taylor couldn’t speak highly enough of Johnson’s finish to bring Forest equal for a second time. He wrote:

“Johnson swaps passes with Yates, before hitting an unstoppable shot high into the net to make it 2-2. Cracking goal, that. Certainly feels like a vital one.”

The Verdict: Best player on the pitch

Forest needed to get something out of yesterday’s game to continue their climb away from relegation and that was only possible thanks to the contribution of Johnson.

The 21-year-old was awarded a match rating of 8.3, which was higher than any other player across both teams, making him the best-performing individual on the pitch.

Cooper’s dynamo also recorded a 100% successful dribble rate, completing four from four, whilst completing all but three of his passes (SofaScore).

Johnson has been key to Forest’s success so far this season, and after this performance, he will undoubtedly continue to be for the remainder of the 2022/23 term.

Chelsea are the team to ‘keep an eye on’ regarding a summer move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Juventus open to sale

The Serbian’s contract at the Allianz isn’t set to expire until 2026, but it’s been reported that his side are open to a sale to fulfil his desire of competing in the Champions League next season after the Old Lady were hit with a points deduction.

The Blues are one of several Premier League and European clubs to have been made aware of the 23-year-old’s availability, so a move to Stamford Bridge could potentially be on the cards.

The Latest: Jacobs’ comments

Speaking to TEAMtalk, Jacobs name-checked Chelsea alongside two of their top-flight rivals in the race for Vlahovic:

“Dusan Vlahovic will be available on the market from Juventus in the summer and Manchester United are not really the club on the radar for him at the moment. But you definitely should keep an eye on Chelsea. They’ve got a few names in that position, but he’ll be one of them.

“Arsenal have had a long-standing interest in Vlahovic but at the moment, they’ve not made any contact. But watch, where the more Premier League clubs come in for Vlahovic, people start to realise that a very decent opportunity on the market could become available.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Vlahovic is currently Juventus’ top-performing attacking player so Chelsea need to act fast should they want to beat their fellow competitors to his signature.

The Nike-sponsored forward has eight goals and two assists to his name in 14 Serie A outings so far this season where he’s averaging 2.7 shots per 90 minutes (WhoScored).

The Belgrade native has also earned three man-of-the-match awards for those performances, highlighting his importance in Massimiliano Allegri’s starting XI.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Vlahovic would be able to add a different dimension up top for Graham Potter, who will be hoping that he can reinforce his attacking department this summer.

Aston Villa could reportedly look to pip Southampton to a late move for SC Braga forward Vitinha.

The Lowdown: Vitinha profiled

Vitinha is 22 years of age and is primarily a centre-forward but can also play in a deeper second-striker role. Valued at a career-high €15m by Transfermarkt, Vitinha has progressed through Braga’s academy and has scored 28 goals in 67 senior appearances for the Portuguese side.

The forward, labelled as ‘prolific’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, signed a new contract until 2027 just last year, but it looks as if a move to the Premier League could be on the cards.

The Latest: Transfer update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Foot Mercato in the last few hours regarding Vitinha.

They claimed that Southampton are ready to activate the player’s €30m release clause but add that Villa are ‘also in the game’ for the striker and the fee is ‘affordable’ for the Villans.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Unai Emery has wanted Villa chiefs to sign another striker, a winger and a midfielder after bringing in defender Alex Moreno and teenager Jhon Duran earlier this month, but as we know, that has yet to materialise, with Duran and Ollie Watkins the only centre-forward options after parting ways with Danny Ings.

Therefore, signing someone like Vitinha, who is going from strength to strength and has four goals in five Europa League games this season, could be a smart move.

It may come at a relatively big cost, but with NSWE promising Emery a ‘huge’ budget at Villa Park, you’d like to think the funds are there, possibly making this one to watch in the coming hours.