Real Madrid are all set to chase to Tottenham Hotspur defenders in the summer as they look to bolster their backline.
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Madrid planning Spurs raid in summerEyeing moves for two Spurs starsWant to bolster their defenceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Los Blancos are planning to sign three defenders in the upcoming transfer window as injuries to David Alaba and Eder Militao exposed their lack of depth in the backline in the 2024/25 campaign. They are strongly linked with a move for Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, and TEAMtalk now reports that they are keen on signing Tottenham's World Cup-winning centre-back Cristian Romero.
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Romero, whose current contract runs until 2027, does not have a release clause in his existing deal, but the North London side will reportedly demand a fee in the region of £60million ($77m). Other than Romero, the Spanish giants also have their eyes on another Spurs defender, Pedro Porro, whom they have kept on their shortlist in case they miss out on Alexander-Arnold.
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Carlo Ancelotti is also keen on signing young Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Manchester United were linked with a move for the English centre-back last summer, however, they eventually ended up signing Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich. The Toffees are likely to demand over £70m ($90m) in transfer fees for their star player.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
Carlo Ancelotti's side will be back in action in La Liga on Saturday as they take on Villarreal away from home.
Chelsea managed their most impressive victory of the season, defeating Tottenham in a 4-3 thriller, after going 2-0 down inside 11 minutes.
Two slips from Marc Cucurella saw Spurs take an early 2-0 lead, and all looked lost early on, but Enzo Maresca’s men dug deep, and fought their way back into the game.
Jadon Sancho made it 2-1 in the 17th minute, cutting inside on his right foot and finding the far bottom corner, restoring some calm into the game. But it was in the second half, when Maresca made a tactical tweak, that the Blues went on a rampage, scoring in the 61st minute (Cole Palmer), 73rd minute (Enzo Fernández), and the 84th minute (Palmer), making it 4-2.
Heung-min Son scored a consultation goal in the 96th minute, but Chelsea took all three points, now sitting second in the Premier League with two points of breathing space ahead of Arsenal.
It was the main man himself who had a huge hand in Chelsea’s comeback as Palmer yet again broke a record.
The record-breaking Cole Palmer
Palmer slotted two penalties into the back of the net against Spurs, the second one being a cheeky chip down the middle, setting the new record for most penalties without missing in Premier League history. His 12 consecutive penalties put him one ahead of Yaya Toure, who managed 11.
But it wasn’t just his two goals, the 22-year-old also managed 69 touches in the game, making four key passes, completing three of his six crosses, making two of his three long balls attempted, taking three shots (all on target), and winning eight of his 10 ground duels.
Palmer has now made 17 appearances for the Blues this season, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in 1,350 minutes played. But, there was one other man who was even better than Palmer against Tottenham, and that is someone who has only made nine appearances this season.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
Jadon Sancho's performance in numbers.
Jadon Sancho was awarded an 8/10 match rating by Football London, after scoring the important goal to get Chelsea back in the game, making it 2-1.
Starting on the left for Chelsea, the 24-year-old winger was dangerous throughout, cutting inside on his right foot for the goal, but also finding clever passes into the box, such as the one leading to Caicedo being taken down for a penalty, which Palmer converted to make the game 2-2.
Jadon Sancho vs Tottenham
Stat
Sancho
Minutes
90
Touches
66
Accurate passes
47/54 (87%)
Goals
1
Key Passes
2
Shots
3
Successful Dribbles
3/4
Ground Duels Won
3/5
Stats taken from Sofascore
Sancho was “absolutely dazzling” on the evening in the words of one content creator, looking to drive at Pedro Porro every time he got the ball, completing three of his four dribbles (75%), finding clever passes inside to the runners in the box, such as Fernandez, Caicedo, and even Marc Cucurella at one point.
His ability to link play, combine with others in tight spaces, and also provide that moment of quality when applying the final touch (shot or pass), makes him incredibly threatening out wide for Chelsea, and he is clearly impressing Maresca with this.
If Chelsea continue to perform at this level, they are certainly putting themselves in the conversation for the Premier League title race. Whether they go all the way or not remains to be seen, but you can’t count them out based on what they have shown so far this campaign.
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Crystal Palace are now keen on signing a “brilliant” attacker who is available on a free transfer, according to a report.
Palace improving
After a concerning start to their Premier League campaign, Palace’s results have picked up in recent weeks, collecting eight points from their last four outings.
Most recently, the Eagles played out a 2-2 draw with reigning champions Manchester City, indicating they have turned the corner under the helm of Oliver Glasner. However, the manager may still be keen to strengthen his squad this January.
As it stands, Glasner’s side are only just above the bottom three, meaning their improved form will need to continue if they are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle towards the back end of the season.
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To make sure they avoid the dreaded drop, Palace have started to run the rule over potential January signings, and it was recently reported that they believe Man City’s James McAtee will be available this winter, most likely for a fee of around £20m.
McAtee is not the only player on the shortlist, as the Eagles are said to have made an approach to sign Chesterfield striker James Berry-McNally, who is valued at around £5m by his current employers.
Crystal Palace’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Date
Brighton (a)
December 15
Arsenal (h)
December 22
Bournemouth (a)
December 27
Southampton (h)
December 30
Chelsea (h)
January 5
Palace targeting Ryan Kent
It is clear that Glasner is looking to strengthen his attacking options this winter, and another target has now entered the frame, with reports from Spain detailing that Palace are among the teams interested in signing free agent Ryan Kent.
However, there is set to be stiff competition for Kent’s signature, as Ipswich Town and Leicester City are also said to be keen on the winger, who most recently played for Fenerbahce.
Given the Englishman’s contract status, he is available on a free transfer, which makes him an attractive option for the three Premier League clubs, who are all looking to add depth to their squads.
The 28-year-old is also well-liked due to his versatility in attack, which allows him to play on the wing and in more central roles.
It is fair to say the winger was unimpressive during his time in Turkey, picking up just one goal and two assists in 19 appearances in all competitions, but he could yet be a decent signing for Palace.
The former Rangers man was exceptional during his time north of the border, weighing in with 33 goals and 56 assists in 218 appearances, so if he is able to get back to that level, he will almost certainly improve the Eagles.
Once hailed as “brilliant” by journalist Josh Bunting, Kent has proven he is capable of making the step up to the Premier League in the past, so it is exciting news that Palace are in the race for his signature, particularly considering it is a low-risk move.
West Bromwich Albion will use this international break as time to regroup and refocus, after only picking up one win from nine in all competitions recently.
That rare victory did come about last match away at Hull City in the Championship, as a quickfire double from Karlan Grant and Josh Maja sealed a 2-1 win for Carlos Corberan’s visitors.
Tom Fellows celebrates for West Brom.
Whilst Maja and Grant obviously impressed, academy product Tom Fellows failed to ever get going against Tim Walter’s men, leading to an early second half subsitution that saw Lewis Dobbin replace the out-of-sorts winger.
Still, with five assists next to his name this season in league action, the Baggies won’t want to lose their homegrown gem anytime soon – with Everton previously interested – knowing all too well what it feels like when a former prodigy goes on to reach dizzy new heights away from the Hawthorns.
Morgan Rogers is one of the most notable examples…
What Morgan Rogers has done since leaving
Rogers briefly called West Brom his home as a promising prodigy, before going on to star for near neighbours Aston Villa.
West Brom were ultimately powerless to losing Rogers when he did exit in 2019 – as the allure of Manchester City proved to be understandably strong – with the 22-year-old now a top performer for Villa many years down the line.
Off the back of helping himself to an impressive three goals and three assists this season in all competitions for Unai Emery’s outfit, Rogers has even won himself a senior England call-up, as the young attacking midfielder continues to go from strength to strength at Villa Park.
West Brom will curse even more now that Man City swooped in and stole Rogers before he could come good at the Hawthorns, with this unbelievably not the only time a one-time Baggies academy player has gone on to make a name for himself in the senior game after waving goodbye to the club.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Tim Iroegbunam's career since leaving West Brom
Tim Iroegbunam’s departure from the Championship club would have hurt equally as much as Rogers upping and leaving, with the central midfielder on the books of his boyhood employers for a substantial amount of time, having joined the academy structure after playing locally in Sutton Coldfield.
Like Rogers, however, Iroegbunam would fail to make a senior appearance at West Brom, leading to the 6-foot ace seeking out pastures new, with Villa once more laughing in the face of their near neighbours when snapping up the 21-year-old in 2022.
Villa (first team)
19
0
0
Villa U21s
23
1
1
Queens Park Rangers
32
2
0
Everton
8
0
1
Looking at the table above, the Birmingham-born midfielder did make somewhat of an impression on the Villa masses after this move, with Iroegbunam making 19 first-team appearances for the Villans during his time there.
He would truly come into his own in the men’s game when on loan away from the Premier League club, with a spell at Queens Park Rangers seeing him bag two goals in the Championship, leading to the Hoops boss at the time Gareth Ainsworth heralding the youngster as “top class.”
Former QPR loanee Tim Iroegbunam.
Everton clearly saw lots of potential in the 21-year-old’s performances, forking out £9m to win his services this summer, with Iroegbunam exciting in flashes at Goodison Park today.
Still worth £8m according to Transfermarkt, with the ex-Baggies prodigy helping himself to one assist from eight Toffees clashes, West Brom must wonder now if they could have done anything differently in attempting to keep the midfielder around for longer.
Tim Iroegbunam for Everton
He could be of use to Corberan right now, considering the Baggies squad is somewhat threadbare and Iroegbunam showed he can handle the fast-paced division at QPR, but West Brom are just left with what could have been much like Rogers.
West Brom once let academy star leave for £0, now he’s outperforming Mowatt
West Bromwich Albion must now regret letting this youngster leave.
Tourists yet to make a call on whether Stokes will play first Test
Valkerie Baynes28-Nov-2021England’s cricketers are hopeful that the discovery of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Australia won’t impact the Ashes Tests – or their families’ travel plans, Ashley Giles says.But Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, admitted the touring party were at the mercy of the Australian authorities ahead of talks on the issue on Sunday.”We’re obviously hoping it won’t affect anything,” Giles told reporters via Zoom from Brisbane. “There are going to be changes to those border controls in terms of our families being able to travel and we clearly hope that’s not going to affect us. But we are in the hands of national and local governments.”Related
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England’s players had expressed concerns before leaving for Australia over beginning the tour with 14 days’ quarantine in Queensland and the effects on them and their families. Different states have now introduced new travel restrictions in response to the latest variant and Western Australia Cricket Association chief executive Christina Matthews has described the chances of the fifth Test going ahead in Perth as “50-50″ given the state’s stringent rules on travel.”We always knew things could change,” Giles said. “I guess we hoped things would change positively as we went through the series but as we’ve been aware over the last two years with variants, things can also change negatively.”Can we prepare for everything? It’s not really possible actually because of the big moving parts even around quarantine times and rules around different states. We will do everything we can to make sure the families are accommodated and of course that the players are happy.”The England squad plan to play a four-day warm-up match against England Lions on Tuesday, with the Test players who were involved in the T20 World Cup due to travel to Brisbane from their quarantine base on the Gold Coast on the morning of the match, along with head coach Chris Silverwood.Rain ruined England’s first, three-day, warm-up against the Lions, with further thunderstorms forecast for Brisbane this week.”It’s not perfect preparation and it’s been extremely strange having some of our group so close but yet so far away,” Giles said. “They’ve been in bubbles now for a long period with the World Cup and then coming here for 14 days. They’ve been very well looked after here but it is still a bubble and it’s still quarantine down there for them.”I’m certainly looking forward to getting the head coach here. Chris particularly must feel a real strange detachment being so close but so far away from a squad that’s preparing for an Ashes. [It’s] not ideal but the Australians are in the same boat and we’ve just got to try and do it better than them.”Ben Stokes looks on during an England Ashes Squad nets session at The Gabba•Getty ImagesGiles said England were yet to make a call on whether Ben Stokes would play in the first Test, starting on December 8, after nearly five months out of the game to prioritise his mental health, during which time he was also nursing a serious finger injury.”Ben seems to be going well and it’s just great having him around,” Giles said. “We’ve still got to be steady with him, he hasn’t played a lot of cricket lately and, going back to that prep period, it’s not ideal for anyone, but particularly the guys who haven’t had a lot of cricket under their belt. We’ll just keep building him up and see where we are at the end of this four-day game.”I’m hopeful and I would always like to be confident. We’ve just got to treat Ben carefully, as we would with anyone else who has been in that position of not having a lot of cricket under their belts. He will be a difficult man to hold back if he is ready to go.”
Attempting to make up for a disappointing summer transfer window, Newcastle United are now reportedly battling the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea to sign a young gem they’ve been desperate to welcome to St James’ Park since he was just 16.
Newcastle transfer news
Whilst the Magpies deserve credit for how they’ve started the season, losing just once in the Premier League, it hasn’t taken long for their squad depth – or lack thereof – to catch up to them. Without Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson against Everton at Goodison Park, Eddie Howe was forced to rely on former Toffee Anthony Gordon to lead the line, who missed from the penalty spot to send Newcastle on their way with just a point rather than all three.
It’s depth that Newcastle must solve when 2025 arrives in a problem that sporting director Paul Mitchell seems well aware of, given recent rumours. Ahead of the January transfer window, the Magpies have already been linked with moves for the likes of Antoine Semenyo and now a star for the future.
According to O Jogo via Sport Witness, Newcastle are now battling to sign Roger Fernandes from SC Braga, who they were desperate to sign in 2022 when the winger was just 16 years old. Now 18 years old and even better, Fernandes has attracted the interest of Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa, among others, in a race that Newcastle will hope to win when 2025 arrives.
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A player who is even reportedly on the radar of Portugal manager Roberto Martinez ahead of a potential call-up at just 18 years old, Fernandes could quickly emerge to become the ultimate replacement for Miguel Almiron at St James’ Park.
"Exciting" Fernandes would replace Almiron for years to come
Whilst the likes of Jacob Murphy have stepped up to offer Howe an upgrade on the out-of-favour Almiron, Newcastle would be wise to turn towards a future star in Fernandes if they want to sign a permanent solution on the right-hand side. Just 18 years old, the Portuguese winger is already making his mark on senior football, with two goals to his name so far this season to follow last campaign’s total of six goals and 11 assists in all competitions.
Dubbed “one of the most exciting talents in Portugal” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig last season, Fernandes remains one to watch amid such high interest from around European football.
As Almiron potentially bows out, Fernandes could arrive to hand Howe an attacking boost for years to come at St James’ Park.
O torcedor do Palmeiras já pode adquirir o seu ingresso para acompanhar presencialmente a estreia da equipe na temporada, contra o Novorizontino, no próximo dia 23, às 16h (de Brasília), no estádio Jorge Ismael de Biasi, em Novo Horizonte (SP), pelo Campeonato Paulista.
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Estão à venda pela internet, através do site www.totalticket.com.br/novorizontino, e na loja Sport Billy, na cidade interiorana, os bilhetes para o jogo. A comercialização no palco do duelo começa na próxima terça-feira (18).
A carga total colocada a venda é de 11.800 ingressos. Os palmeirenses ficarão no setor destinado aos visitantes, cuja entrada é feita pelo portão 3 do estádio. O valor da entrada é de R$ 100 (inteira) e R$ 50 (meia).
Para entrar no estádio, os torcedores deverão portar o comprovante de esquema vacinal completo contra a Covid-19 (dose única ou duas doses).
Já quem tiver apenas a primeira dose (no caso de vacinas que precisam de duas doses) precisa apresentar resultado negativo do teste PCR realizado até 48 horas antes do jogo ou resultado negativo de teste antígeno com até 24 horas de antecedência.
Para crianças com idade abaixo da autorizada para vacinação, deve ser apresentado resultado de exame RT-PCR (feito até 48 horas antes do jogo) ou antígeno (feito com até 24 horas de antecedência).
O uso de máscara é obrigatório durante a partida.
Serviço:
>Loja Sport Billy Endereço: Rua Quinze de Novembro, 737 Centro – Novo Horizonte/SP Telefone: (13) 99609-1928 Horário de Funcionamento: segunda a sexta-feira, das 9h às 11h30 e das 13h às 17h, e sábado, das 9h às 13h
>Estádio Jorge Ismael de Biasi (a partir de 18/01) Endereço: Av. Domingos Baraldo, 2870 Vila Patti – Novo Horizonte/SP Horário de Funcionamento: terça a sexta-feira, das 9h às 18h, e sábado, das 9h às 15h.
TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2022 clicando aqui
> Confira o caminho do Verdão no Mundial de Clubes-2022 clicando aqui
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.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
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.
Gary O'Neil and his Wolves side have had a tough start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, losing to Arsenal and Chelsea already, before getting a draw against Nottingham Forest to gain their first point of the season.
One area Wolves were looking to recruit over the summer was midfield, once dominated by a Portuguese trio of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes. The central department at Molineux has certainly lost a lot of quality in the past few years.
Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves.
Neves made 48 appearances for Al-Hilal last season in all competitions last season, scoring seven goals, and providing 12 assists in 4,073 minutes.
While Andre was signed from Brazilian shores, they must lust after the return of one player, in particular. That man is midfield sensation Vitinha.
Vitinha's time at Wolves
Vitinha spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Wolves, making 22 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing one assist in his 711 minutes played. That sole goal – a long-range stunner – came against Chorley in the FA Cup.
The midfielder played alongside the likes of Neves and Moutinho under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, finishing 13th in the Premier League that season.
The Portugal international initially came through the ranks at Porto, making 59 appearances for their senior team either side of his loan to Wolves, before earning a move to PSG in 2022, joining the club for around €40m (£33.7m).
vitinha-wolves
Since then, he's certainly become a fine young talent, one that's currently valued at £76m by the Parisiens.
Vitinha vs Neves comparison
Vitinha is now a key figure at PSG, making 46 appearances last season for the French giants in all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing five assists.
It's safe to say he's been pretty good. So good in fact that he's incredibly among the Ballon d'Or nominees for 2024. That's a far cry from that wintery night in Chorley, isn't it?
Whilst Vitinha is now entering his prime years, his ex-colleague Neves is currently spending his final playing years in Saudi Arabia. The duo are playing at different levels, but Wolves could certainly do with the passing qualities of either one of these midfielders right now. Here's how they compare…
Stats (per 90 mins)
Vitinha
Neves
Goals
0.23
0.14
Assists
0.13
0.02
Progressive Carries
1.86
0.84
Progressive Passes
7.84
6.51
Shots Total
1.80
1.80
Key Passes
1.66
0.96
Passes into Final Third
7.10
6.03
Tackles
1.60
2.36
Interceptions
1.11
1.54
Vitinha has really started to establish himself as one of the best passers in Europe, completing 7.84 progressive passes per 90, thus ranking within the top 7% of midfielders on the continent for that statistic.
Neves, in his final season at Wolves, averaged fewer progressive passes per 90 (6.51), fewer passes into the final third per 90 (6.03), and fewer key passes per 90 (0.96). Those are number which shows the level Vitinha is currently performing at in France.
An area Neves still outperformed the former loanee when comparing these two seasons is on the defensive end making more tackles and more interceptions per 90. To put those statistics into context, we can compare them to the current duo at Molineux.
Wolves' midfield pairing consists of Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes, who are both brilliant players in their own right. However, Lemina is better known for his off-ball work, averaging 2.82 tackles per 90, whilst Gomes also offers similar assets going box to box, leaving them with a lack of passing quality in the middle.
Vitinha is the exact type of player Wolves could use in midfield to balance things, control games better, and bring their talented attackers such as Matheus Cunha into the game more.
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