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Aston Villa and Argentina star Emiliano Martinez has retained the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or awards.

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• Aston Villa 'keeper wins award for second year in a row
• Beats likes of Donnarumma, Lunin and Maignan
• World Cup winner honoured once again

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper has again been honoured with the Yashin Trophy, the award presented to the best goalkeeper of the year, which is selected by former Ballon d'Or winners. It has been running since 2019, and has been won by Alisson Becker, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Thibaut Courtois, and Martinez himself, who was first given the award in 2023.

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  The Argentine won the World Cup in 2022 and played a key role once again last season as his country won the Copa America. He kept a clean sheet in five of the six games, including the final, as they beat Colombia 1-0. He also kept 15 clean sheets for Villa in all competitions as his side remarkably qualified for the Champions League.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Martinez began his career at Arsenal but only made 38 first-team appearances for the club before moving to Villa in 2020. In Birmingham, he has made 171 appearances, and has made the No.1 shirt his own.

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• THE FULL YASHIN TROPHY RANKINGS

  Martinez finished first, and Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon finished as runner-up. In third was Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin, while PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma and AC Milan's Mike Maignan round out the top five. In sixth was Inter Milan's Yann Sommer, while Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is on loan at Valencia from Liverpool, was seventh. Porto's Diogo Costa, Mamelodi Sundowns' Ronwen Williams and Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel rounded out the top 10.

Aston Villa look intent on strengthening their squad ahead of the 2024/25 season, which will see the Midlands outfit play in the Champions League.

Unai Emery certainly hasn’t rested on his laurels, already signing Lewis Dobbin from Everton, while Ian Maatsen has seemingly sealed a move from Chelsea.

The pair won't be the only arrivals in the Midlands this summer, as Emery eyes a swoop for a former Premier League player…

Aston Villa look set to raid Sporting Club

According to a report from Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness) earlier this month, Villa have been linked with a move for Pedro Goncalves recently as they seek to bolster their attacking options.

Bayer Leverkusen have had an offer of £25m rejected as the Portuguese club demand a much higher transfer fee, something which could potentially be a stumbling block for Emery.

Might Goncalves want a second crack at the Premier League, however, as he made just one appearance during a spell with Wolves at the start of his career.

A move for the 26-year-old would allow Emery to sign a perfect player for Maatsen to link up with, as well as bringing in an upgrade on Morgan Rogers.

What Pedro Goncalves could offer Aston Villa

Signing Maatsen could be a shrewd piece of business, but by adding Goncalves to his squad, the Spaniard could form an impressive duo on the left wing.

Last season, the former Wolves starlet scored 18 goals while grabbing 17 assists across all competitions. 18 of these goal contributions came from the left wing, which suggests this is the position he is most comfortable performing in.

During his loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, Maatsen created three big chances, averaged 0.5 key passes and succeeded with 0.8 dribbles across just 16 Bundesliga matches, proving that he loves to get forward whenever possible, something which could work in Goncalves’ favour.

Emery signed Rogers in January from Middlesbrough after he enjoyed an impressive start to the season, but he failed to really replicate this sort of form in the Midlands.

Indeed, when compared to his positional peers across similar leagues, the youngster ranked in the top 8% for assists per 90 (0.42) yet ranked in the lowest 88% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.11) and the lowest 60% for total shots per 90 (1.97).

In comparison, Goncalves ranked in the top 12% for non-penalty goals (0.38), the top 3% for assists (0.42) and the top 9% for total shots (3.15) per 90, which certainly proves he would be a major upgrade on the current Villa gem.

Aston Villa could sign "the new Bruno Fernandes" in £25m swoop

This player could become a “superstar” under Unai Emery.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 22, 2024

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed Goncalves as “incredible” way back in 2021 and since then, he has improved both his performances and statistics season after season.

The chance to play in the Premier League and compete at the top end of the table, plus participation in the Champions League, could give Emery an advantage in his pursuit of the winger.

Much will depend on the fee Sporting Club demand for their prized asset in the coming weeks.

Jude Bellingham praised Vinicius Junior's attitude and labelled him Real Madrid's 'inspirational leader' after his sublime display against Osasuna.

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• Vini bags hat-trick against Osasuna
• Brazilian moving on from Ballon d'Or
• Bellingham also on the scoresheet

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vinicius Jr played like he has a point to prove as Real Madrid bounced back from back-to-back defeats to thump Osasuna 4-0 on Saturday. The Brazilian winger was instrumental, scoring a hat-trick in a statement display as he moves on from losing the Ballon d'Or award last month.

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  It was also a pleasant afternoon for Bellingham, who scored his first goal of the season for his club. The 21-year-old endured a slow start to the campaign as he battled injury and accommodated new team-mate Kylian Mbappe, but he'll hope to kick on from here and reach last season's heights.

  The England international was full of praise for Vinicius after the win, praising his attitude and labelling him Real Madrid's "inspirational leader".

• WHAT BELLINGHAM SAID

  "I am proud of him for how he behaves on the field, he is a leader for us and we look to him for inspiration and when he plays like that he is unstoppable," Bellingham said.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM AND VINICIUS?

  The duo will head off for their respective international camps, with England in Nations League action while Brazil have two World Cup qualifiers to come. They'll reunite for Real Madrid's clash with Leganes on November 24.

Sunderland supporters would have felt somewhat flat after watching their side's latest pre-season outing, as the Black Cats succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of non-league neighbours Gateshead.

Jack Clarke scored in the run-out, but it was a disappointing day at the office for the Wearside outfit all the same, with Regis Le Bris keeping a closer eye now on what players he wants to keep and who he could potentially offload after viewing that loss.

Nazariy Rusyn, who has been linked with a switch away from Sunderland after just one lacklustre campaign, could find he's out of the team when the new Championship season gets underway, especially if the Black Cats decide this move is necessary.

Sunderland could go back in for EFL ace

It had been widely reported previously that Sunderland, alongside a whole host of other EFL clubs, were eyeing up a move for Burnley attacker Scott Twine this transfer window.

However, all that talk has gone quiet now, with football journalist Alan Nixon stating via his social media recently, that no team interested in the 25-year-old ace had fielded a bid that has satisfied the Clarets.

The in-demand Burnley man could be the answer to Sunderland's prayers going forward, after going through the entire 23/24 season desperately wanting a talisman to lead the line, if they cough up an acceptable sum that Scott Parker and Co would deem as being enough.

What Scott Twine could offer Sunderland

Bagging plenty of goals out on loan away from Turf Moor last season in the second tier, Le Bris signing Twine could bring to a close Rusyn's brief time in England already, as the Frenchman attempts to leave his mark on a Sunderland team that really needs reinvigorating.

Twine will aim to reach the dizzy heights he managed when he was still on the roster at Milton Keynes Dons during the 21/22 campaign at the Black Cats, which saw him sucker punch Plymouth Argyle in one frantic League One encounter with four strikes all of his own making.

He would finish the season with a remarkable 33 goal contributions from 50 games in total, leading to Burnley swooping in to snap up his services, with injuries now plaguing his time in Lancashire.

When fit, Twine has managed to bag nine goals from 49 games at the level, with two strikes managed last season under the watchful eye of Liam Manning at Ashton Gate, who allowed for the 25-year-old to soar when the pair were together at MK Dons.

Manning even described Twine as a "terrific" talent when he was still on the books at Milton Keynes, with the Robins previously named as another side wanting to snap up the injury-prone gem this summer, away from Sunderland being keen.

Despite the fact the ex-MK Dons man has rarely played as an out-and-out centre forward across his EFL-dominated career, he could be moulded into one by Le Bris with Sunderland just crying out for a goalscoring presence to lead the line, after Rusyn helped himself to a meagre two goals from 21 Championship games up top.

Twine suits a second striker spot more so, which could even mean Jobe Bellingham has more competition in this spot soon, but his record of 43 EFL goals to date could well mean he's shoved into the deep end as Sunderland's next centre-forward experiment.

Imagine him & Browne: Sunderland can land the "finished article" for £0

Sunderland are seriously bolstering their central midfield options this summer.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 11, 2024

Arsenal Women have confirmed their Champions League game with Bayern Munich is now at a new venue after making way for the men's Carabao Cup tie.

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• Arsenal women's game vs Bayern moved
• Clashes with men's team Carabao Cup tie
• New venue found for the Gunners

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal fans weren't best pleased when the club announced their scheduled Champions League clash with Bayern at the Emirates on December 18 would no longer be held there, with Mikel Arteta's side's Carabao Cup quarter-final match against Crystal Palace taking its place. Now, the Gunners have revealed that the encounter with the German giants will be held at Meadow Park – a place that has been their main home ground for many years but changed earlier this year – on the same date instead.

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  WHAT ARSENAL SAID

  A club statement reads: "We can confirm that our UEFA Women’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich will take place at one of our familiar home venues for our women’s team, the Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park, Borehamwood on Wednesday, December 18. This follows engagement with UEFA in recent days, who have granted special dispensation for the match to be played there, given the unique combination of factors that required a new venue following our men’s team’s home draw in the Carabao Cup quarter-final. We thank members of our supporter groups throughout this time who offered valuable feedback which was reflected in our dialogue with UEFA. We also thank UEFA for their collaboration to find a workable outcome. Supporters who have already purchased a ticket will automatically receive a full refund and a 24-hour priority access window to purchase a new ticket for this fixture at Meadow Park. This window will open at 2pm on Tuesday, November 26, with tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis (subject to availability). We would like to recognise these supporters and their commitment to following us on our Women’s UEFA Champions League campaign. As a gesture of goodwill, we would like to offer a complimentary ticket for a future WSL match at Emirates Stadium this season, or a £20 retail voucher that can be redeemed at The Armoury or on Arsenal Direct. We will make direct contact with these supporters later today. We thank our supporters again for their patience and understanding."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Given that Arsenal's women's team have an average home attendance at the Emirates of nearly 34,000 this season, and had more than 60,000 watch them play in one game last term, playing at the 4,500-capacity Meadow Park is a big step down for them. Given that Arsenal were drawn at home in the cup, though, it has seemed unavoidable.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Arsenal's women's side are next in Champions League action on Thursday when they host Juventus at the Emirates. The Gunners won the away game 4-0 last week.

Barcelona's return their newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou has reportedly been delayed until February due to UEFA regulations.

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• Barcelona's Camp Nou return delayed till February
• UEFA regulations postpone return date
• Will become the fifth-largest stadium in the world

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following their record-breaking La Liga title win in the 2022-23 season, Barcelona announced that their home stadium Spotify Camp Nou would be undergoing a massive renovation. The Catalan club also announced that they would not return to the stadium in Les Corts until the 2024-25 season and would play at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic, just outside the main city. Delays had hit the stadium last year, and Barcelona had announced their plans to return to the stadium by November end. However, the club has now informed their season ticket holders that the return has been pushed to February.

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  The club asserted that a UEFA regulation that forbade teams from switching stadiums during the first round of the Champions League was a significant contributing element. Barcelona will host Atalanta on January 29 in the last round of the new Champions League group stage. Barcelona cited the expense of simultaneously maintaining two locations as justification for delaying their domestic return to Camp Nou.

• WHAT BARCELONA'S STATEMENT READ

  In a statement to season ticket holders, Barcelona said: "Due to UEFA regulations preventing a change of stadium in the initial phase of the Champions League and the logistical difficulties and cost of maintaining two large capacity venues operational at the same time, the Club has decided to continue playing its home games at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys until the end of the initial phase of the Champions League.

  "Therefore, the games against Valencia and Alaves in weeks 21 and 22 of La Liga, as well as the game in week eight of the Champions League against Atalanta will be played at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  As per the Daily Mail, Barcelona's renovation of the Spotify Camp Nou cost the club £1.25 billion ($1.58bn). The overhaul of the stadium will give Camp Nou a capacity of 105,000, making it the fifth-largest sports stadium in the world after Narendra Modi Stadium in India, Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea, Michigan Stadium and Beaver Stadium in the United States.

Newcastle United are interested in signing a towering 20-year-old striker in a potential £10m deal, according to an update from journalist Alan Nixon.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies continue to be linked with some stellar names in the summer transfer window, one of which is believed to be Chelsea star Noni Madueke. The winger is seen as an upgrade on both Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy on the right flank, in what looks like a key position to focus on for Eddie Howe.

Meanwhile, Kieran Trippier isn't getting any younger and will need to be replaced at right-back sooner rather than later, and Nottingham Forest ace Neco Williams is reportedly seen as an option to move to St James' Park this summer. His current club are desperate to keep hold of him, however, so it may not be easy for them to strike a deal.

Centre-back also remains an important area of focus for Newcastle in the next few weeks, as their options there currently feel limited and AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw remains a target. In fact, the Magpies are said to be preparing a fresh offer for the 22-year-old's services, seeing him as a strong addition who could come in and be a long-term option alongside Sven Botman.

Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah is also seen as a possibility at the heart of Howe's defence, with a summer exit from Stamford Bridge feeling on the cards, and the fact that he can also play at right-back could be looked at as another reason to acquire his signature ahead of next season.

Newcastle plotting £10m move for 20 y/o striker

According to a new claim from Nixon on Patreon [via Give Me Sport], Newcastle are keen on signing Sheffield United striker William Osula this summer. The Magpies could have to pay as much as £10m for his services, however, with the Blades not wanting the youngster to leave on the cheap. It is seen as a surprising potential piece of business, but one that could be completed in the near future.

Osula isn't exactly the huge name that many Newcastle supporters will want to see linked with bolstering their attack, but it could be that new sporting director Paul Mitchell sees him as a great long-term option.

The youngster has made 21 appearances in the Premier League already, and while he has failed to both score and assist in that time, the fact that he has been trusted to play in the world's most famous division at such a young age suggests he has plenty of talent and potential.

6 foot 4 Osula has won six caps for Denmark's Under-21s, netting once in that time, outlining his pedigree as a young international footballer, and he has been hailed as a "serious player" by ITV Football in the past.

Newcastle struck gold on "magnificent" ace who's worth more than Gordon

He has been linked with a move away this summer

By
Joe Nuttall

Jul 28, 2024

The young Dane wouldn't be coming in as an immediate starter, but long-term planning is essential, and he could end up maturing into a fantastic option for Newcastle over time.

Wayne Rooney is dealing with a major injury crisis at Plymouth and may have to cope without any reinforcements in January.

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• Rooney struggling at Plymouth
• Missing five key players amid cash crunch at the club
• Plymouth are currently 21st in Championship

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Plymouth are looking to attract new investors in order to inject cash into the team ahead of the upcoming January transfer window, however, any such new deal has to be first approved by the EFL. The situation means Rooney looks to have little chance of being able to bring in reinforcements in January to strengthen the squad. Amid the cash crunch at the club, the manager is also dealing with a major injury crisis as he is currently missing the services of five key players including captain Joe Edwards, goalkeeper Conor Hazard and forwards Ibrahim Cissoko, Morgan Whittaker and Muhamed Tijani, according to .

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  The Manchester United legend has endured a tough start to his journey with the Championship side as the team have managed to win just four out of their 18 outings thus far and are languishing in the relegation zone. It is believed that the ex-England international could face the sack if things do not improve in their next couple of fixtures.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Earlier this month, reports emerged that the club's home fixtures against Oxford and Swansea could prove to be make-or-break for the 39-year-old, however with Oxford's visit on Saturday getting cancelled, Rooney got some much-needed breathing space to shake things up at the Pilgrims.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PLYMOUTH?

  Rooney's men, who have won just one game in their last nine outings, will aim to get back to winning ways on Tuesday as they take on Swansea in the Championship.

Wolverhampton Wanderers entered the 2023/24 campaign off the back of Julen Lopetegui's departure from the dugout, crying of damage that might sink the ship.

Gary O'Neil's appointment after being dismissed from his successful one-term stint on the South Coast with Bournemouth has been nothing short of masterful, with the 41-year-old instilling his vision and seeing the Old Gold comfortably avoid relegation, something that plenty thought was a formality only 11 months ago.

And all that despite a summer 2023 exodus that saw key figures such as Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes sold. As such, Wolves have not found themselves shaken by PSR frustrations – unlike some divisional rivals – and Pedro Neto, who is valued at £60m, is the only player expected to be sold.

However, a transfer market is a capricious beast and Molineux plays host to a wealth of top talent. Matheus Cunha is one of the club's most marketable and attractive stars, and is thus attracting interest from a host of suitors.

Transfer interest in Matheus Cunha

Many players have stepped into the Premier League scene and initially struggled to find their feet, only to later bloom into awe-inspiring superstars. Cunha is certainly on the way to achieving just that.

Joining from Atletico Madrid in December 2022 on an initial loan deal, Cunha's stay at Molineux became permanent after just three fixtures, completing a €50m (£42m) move.

The difference between his level across the 2022/23 campaign, under Lopetegui, and last year's term with O'Neil at the helm has been staggering, pretty much raising his game across every metric to earn praise for his "immense" displays from analyst Raj Chohan.

The 25-year-old was as potent as he was prolific last season, playing an instrumental role in O'Neil's success. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 14% of forwards for assists, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.

All this is wrapped up in a "complete" skillset – as he has been praised to possess by Lopetegui in the past – that has arrested the attention of Manchester United.

According to Caught Offside in June, the INEOS had been willing to raise Cunha's £60k-per-week wages by double with a summer transfer, but after landing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £34m, it's unlikely that he will move to Old Trafford. Arsenal are also interested, though, so Wolves would be wise to bolster their attacking force.

It would take a talented, technical forward to replace the Brazilian talent, and that's why Wolves simply have to act on their interest in Chelsea's Armando Broja this summer.

Why Armando Broja could replace Matheus Cunha

Wolves will hope that Cunha remains on the books for the forthcoming season, but after being ruled out for the remainder of the club's pre-season tour this week after picking up a hamstring injury, the need for competition is heightened.

Broja, who starred for Albania at Euro 2024, would be a worthy stand-in, with Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg claiming in June that the Midlands side – who were keen on signing the striker in January – are "concretely interested" in acquiring the £25m-rated Chelsea man once again.

Everton, more recently, have displayed their own vested interest in the 22-year-old, who is holding out on a transfer to AC Milan but may not get his wish.

Proving his worth in England's top flight while on loan with Southampton in 2021/22, the 6 foot 3 Broja has the presence and frame to succeed at the front of a team such as Wolves, described as an "animal" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell.

Broja has struggled to find the kind of shooting form that would see him rise to prominence over the past year but he's still showcased his technical quality, ranking among the top 1% of forwards for pass completion and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.

This points toward the kind of link-up play and overall fluency-enhancing style that would allow Broja to perform in Cunha's role – or something thereabouts.

Recent misfortunes might dissuade some Old Gold supporters desperate to see their team succeed, but it's important to remember that Broja was injured with a long-term injury during the 2022/23 season with Chelsea and spent much of last year on the periphery, moving on loan to Fulham in January but failing to score and not being handed a starting role by Marco Silva.

At the heart of it, this is a talented forward who has yet to realise his lofty potential but has already proved his athletic strength and commanding aura on the Premier League pitch. At Wolves, he could find a more fitting ground to grow into his skin, away from the bloatedness of Stamford Bridge's ranks.

Cunha – and indeed Hwang Hee-chan – operate effectively at the central point of O'Neil's frontline but both have skills that are well utilised elsewhere, and Broja would provide the Wanderers with a real focal point.

Currently, Wolves interest in the Albania international is latent, but the call for a new centre-forward remains and January target Broja could be the winning ticket for a second season of success and stability.

Wolves continuing to monitor £10m titan who'd be great for Toti

Gary O’Neil looks to add another defender to his squad this summer…

By
Ross Kilvington

Jul 29, 2024

Vazquez, who has four goals in 11 appearances for the USMNT, could move back to MLS after just one year in Liga MX

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• San Jose in talks to sign Brandon Vazquez
• Scored nine goals in Liga MX for Monterrey in 2024
• Had stints at Atlanta, Cincinnati at beginning of career

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  San Jose are in talks to sign USMNT striker Brandon Vazquez from Liga MX side Monterrey, according to Tom Bogert. Only preliminary discussions have been held, as the Liga MX side are unwilling to part with their striker before the end of the season. A fee of around $8.5 million would reportedly be required to get the deal done, and other MLS clubs are interested in securing his signature.

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  Vazquez has extensive MLS experience. The USMNT forward started his career at Atlanta United, before moving to FC Cincinnati in 2020. He scored 32 goals for the MLS club, and made the MLS All Star team in 2022. He was among Mauricio Pochettino's first two USMNT squads, and has totaled 11 appearances for his country.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  San Jose are looking to retool this winter after bringing in former USMNT manager Bruce Arena in a dual general manager-head coach role. Any deal would require a designated player spot, which the Earthquakes currently do not have available.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VAZQUEZ AND SAN JOSE?

  Vazquez is in the midst of Liga MX playoffs, and will likely be in the mix Saturday as his side look to overturn a 2-1 aggregate deficit to Atletico San Luis in the semifinal. Discussions for Vazquez are expected to continue, with MLS preseason to begin in the new year.