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Trent Alexander-Arnold could be set to finally join Real Madrid with reports suggesting that the Liverpool defender has agreed to move.

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• Alexander-Arnold set to leave Liverpool
• Verbally agreed deal to join Real Madrid
• January transfer still remains unlikely

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Alexander-Arnold has been Real Madrid's biggest target after Kylian Mbappe over the last few years as Los Blancos look to build their new throng of Galacticos. However, the signing of the England international has passed them by over the years as Liverpool have been against his sale.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alexander-Arnold has been linked with a move to Real Madrid this January with Los Blancos keen on tying down a deal despite being able to join as a free agent in the summer, however, the right-back wants to stay at Anfield this season. The 26-year-old has now struck a verbal agreement with Carlo Ancelotti's side as per Marca but it remains unclear whether the agreement means the deal will go through this month.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Real Madrid have already had one bid rejected this winter by Liverpool as the Premier League leaders are not keen on losing Alexander-Arnold midway through the campaign as they feel they can challenge for the Champions League and see through their Premier League title hunt.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

  The England international has remained tight-lipped about his future but reports have suggested that Alexander-Arnold, himself, wants to finish the season as a Liverpool player before waving goodbye to Merseyside.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are ready to construct a Wrexham “cauldron”, with short and long-term plans for stadium redevelopment being revealed.

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• Hollywood co-owners drawing up ambitious plans
• New Kop Stand should be completed in 2026
• Intention is to construct a Premier League venue

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons, with Hollywood co-owners calling the shots and funding an ambitious project, have linked up with leading architects Populous – who have previously worked on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wembley and The Sphere in Las Vegas.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  They have been charged with the task of mapping out a vision for SToK Racecourse. The first part of that plan, which is due to be completed in the summer of 2026, will see 5,500 seats added to The Kop stand – which has been demolished and replaced by a temporary structure that currently houses 3,000 fans.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Delays to that project, which first received a green light in November 2022, have been frustrating but it is now ready to kick into gear. The blueprint for the new Kop includes the option for 2,000 more seats to be added at a later date.

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• WHAT ARCHITECT SAID

  Declan Sharkey, global director and senior principal at Populous, has told of helping to future-proof Wrexham’s iconic home: “When looking at the Kop Stand, the plan was to create a real cauldron. We explored acoustic design, our in-house team going into a lot of detail to ensure that the noise will be like no other. As a League One stadium, which it is at the moment, the atmosphere is incredible. But what the new stand will do is lift that up a couple of notches again. Rob and Ryan have been phenomenal. Their passion, their commitment, their vision for this club has really informed our design process.”

Manchester United spent plenty of money in Jose Mourinho’s second transfer window at the club in the summer of 2017/18. The summer before, they made the two marquee signings of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba and followed those deals up the following summer by spending £138m on three players.

The cheapest of that trio was Victor Lindelof, who joined the club from Benfica for a fee of around £31m. Mourinho then brought one of his former Chelsea players, Nemanja Matic, to the club, who cost the Red Devils £40m. The marquee signing that summer was Romelu Lukaku, who set United back a staggering £75m.

Lukaku’s Man United career

Looking back, it is certainly hard to decide whether the Belgian’s time at Old Trafford was a success or not. On the face of things, his goal record was certainly respectable. The former Chelsea striker played 96 games for the club, scored 42 times and registered 12 assists.

In each of the two Premier League seasons that he represented the Red Devils, the all-time Belgian top scorer found the back of the net on 28 occasions. That equated to 16 goals in 34 games in his debut season, 2017/18, and 12 goals in 32 appearances in his second campaign.

Frustratingly, Lukaku, who now plies his trade at Napoli alongside former United teammate Scott McTominay, did not manage to get his hands on any silverware during his time at Old Trafford. However, he did finish runner-up in the 2017 UEFA Super Cup, a game in which he scored, and the 2017/18 FA Cup Final against former club Chelsea.

There is certainly a good debate to be had as to whether Lukaku’s time at Old Trafford was a success or not.

However, there was a point when they nearly did not even go on to sign the striker, instead turning their attention to one of the best youngsters in the world at that time, Kylian Mbappe.

When Man United missed out on Kylian Mbappe

Yes, believe it or not, the Red Devils actually had made a bid for a then 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe, after he had his breakout season at Monaco. Mourinho’s side placed an offer of around £72m according to the Guardian, but that was rejected, with the Ligue 1 side wanting £100m, which would have been a world record sum.

Mbappe’s second, and final, season in the South of France was simply exceptional and he began to show signs of being the player who many regard as the best in the world today. In total, he played 44 games in all competitions, scoring 26 goals and grabbing 14 assists as Monaco beat Paris Saint-Germain won Ligue 1.

Since then, Mbappe has gone on to do legendary things. He won the World Cup with France in 2018 and became PSG’s all-time top goalscorer after the French giants signed him from Monaco ahead of the Red Devils that same summer.

He left Le Parisians in the summer of 2024, making his long-awaited move to Real Madrid on a free transfer.

He exited the club with 256 goals and 108 assists in just 308 appearances and has already scored five goals in seven games for Los Blancos. Football statistician Statman Dave described him as “unstoppable” for a reason.

United may rue their decision to not sign Mbappe all those years ago. Whilst they would have needed to pay an extraordinary £100m to sign him, he soon rose in value.

At his highest, the Frenchman was worth £168m between December 2018 and December 2019. He is now worth an eye-watering £152m at Los Blancos, as per Transfermarkt, and it seems like that will only rise if he continues this form.

When United fans watch Mbappe score weekly at the Santiago Bernabeu this season, they may wonder what might have been if they had paid the money required to sign him back in 2017.

Man Utd thought they had the next CR7, now he's worth even less than Antony

The talented international just could not make it work at United, and now he’s playing outside of Europe entirely.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 18, 2024

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement has seen several of his new signings settle in well over the previous week or so after two wins in the space of four days.

While the games showed the Ibrox side are at both ends of the spectrum. Against Malmö, the Gers looked impressive, despite the fact they couldn’t finish their chances off. Against Hibs on Sunday, however, the club were far more one-dimensional, struggling to secure all three points at Ibrox.

Nedim Bajrami looks like a really impressive signing by Clement, registering a goal and an assist in just four matches to begin his Gers career.

Neraysho Kasanwirjo also looks promising, being thrown in the deep end against the Swedish side in the Europa League and delivering a solid and measured display.

While these two signings could be inspired, Clement missed out on several players during the summer, most notably Albion Rrahmani and defender Jose Córdoba, who both could have improved the starting XI this term.

Nevertheless, the Belgian isn’t the only coach who has missed out on a transfer target during his spell managing the Light Blues.

Michael Beale brought in a few decent players last summer, with one looking like he could have stayed at the club after a successful loan spell…

Abdallah Sima’s Rangers stats

With Beale losing Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of the 2022/23 season, the Englishman had plenty of shoes to fill.

In came the likes of Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Danilo to try and fill the void, but in reality, the trio offered little indication that they would be the answer, especially during the first half of the season.

Beale did sign Abdallah Sima, with the winger joining on a loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion. He looked like a player who would add some depth to the first-team squad, yet the Senegal gem went on to become one of the most impressive players for the club last season.

In terms of goal contributions, Sima registered 18 in 40 matches, which featured 16 goals and two assists across all competitions. This only ranked him behind Dessers and James Tavernier in the goalscoring charts for the Ibrox side last term.

In the Premiership alone, Sima also created two big chances, averaged 0.8 key passes and succeeded with 1.2 dribbles per game, clearly demonstrating his attacking talents, which often led to him being in the right place at the right time.

Once the season finished, Sima returned to his parent club, but it appeared as though Clement was keen on reuniting with him during the summer.

It was reported that the fee Brighton were demanding for the winger could drop due to him being out of contract next year, which opened the door for the Gers.

In the end, he joined French side Brest on a temporary deal, as the club missed out on him.

It could have been so different for Beale had he signed one of his other attacking targets in the summer of 2023, however, as Jack Clarke was linked with a move north of the border.

When Rangers missed out on Jack Clarke

That summer, Beale saw Clarke as an ideal signing to improve his attacking department. According to Football League World, the Light Blues were showing plenty of interest in the winger, alongside clubs such as Burnley, Brentford and Crystal Palace.

During the 2022/23 campaign for Sunderland, Clarke demonstrated exactly why so many clubs were keen on securing his services. Across 50 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old scored 11 times while registering 14 assists.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Additionally, the winger created seven big chances and averaged 1.7 key passes while succeeding with two dribbles per game, further underlining his attacking qualities in the second tier.

It really is no wonder that his former manager in Tony Mowbray heaped so much praise on the youngster in 2022, saying: “What nobody can deny is the talent he has when the ball is at his feet, how fast his feet are and how wonderful a talent he is. And he’s a joy to work with because he’s a wonderfully happy-go-lucky kid. There’s times I’d like him to be a bit more serious but that’s because he really is a diamond of a lad, we all love him.”

In the end, he chose to remain with the Black Cats, although they once again failed to win promotion to the Premier League last term.

This meant that Clarke would surely be sold, as a talent like his needed to make the step up to a bigger league in order to test himself among the best players.

Rangers were clearly ruled out of the running, which makes Beale’s mistake all the more baffling.

How much Jack Clarke is worth now

After yet another productive season with Sunderland, newly promoted Ipswich Town made an offer for the winger which the club simply couldn’t refuse.

Indeed, Clarke moved to the Tractor Boys for an initial £15m transfer fee, with another £5m in add-ons if certain conditions are met this term.

Since his move to Ipswich, Clarke has played four matches, but he has yet to open his account for his new side.

Clarke has already grabbed an assist, though, while averaging 1.3 successful dribbles and one key pass per game, indicating that he has carried on the momentum he garnered last term.

If he performs to the level he showed at Sunderland, then Clarke could be vital in Ipswich remaining in the top flight. This will see his valuation soar, and the club may be able to make a substantial profit on the youngster.

Sima proved to be a wonderful addition to the Gers squad last summer, but the supporters were only able to see his talents for a single season.

If Beale invested his funds more wisely in 2023, then the club could have had a player such as Clarke in their first-team squad.

Rangers once had the next "Stevie G", he's now worth just £125k after exit

The Light Blues once had the heir apparent to Gerrard on their books…

By
Ross Kilvington

Sep 28, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo's brace helped Al-Nassr thrash Al Wasl 4-0 in the AFC Champions League on Monday.

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• Ronaldo scored a brace
• Duran kept quiet on Al-Nassr debut
• Al-Nassr beat Al Wasl 4-0

• TELL ME MORE

  Al-Nassr looked the more dominant side right from the off as Stefano Pioli handed Jhon Duran his debut in the AFC Champions League fixture. Duran, who completed his big-money move from Aston Villa to the Saudi Pro League side last week, was paired alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in attack.

  The Saudi giants broke the deadlock in the 25th minute courtesy of a long-range strike from Ali Alhassan some 25 yards from goal. Minutes before the half-time whistle, Al-Nassr were awarded a penalty after Sadio Mane's header hit an opposition defender's hand inside the box. Ronaldo took the spot-kick and comfortably found the back of the net to double his team's lead before the break.

  Al Wasl desperately tried to pull one back as they dominated proceedings at the start of the second half, however, Ronaldo completed his brace in the 78th minute against the run of play to secure all three points for his side. Mane chased a through ball down the left side before floating in an inch-perfect cross for the Portugal legend to head home. In the dying moments of the game, second-half substitute Al Fatil scored a fourth goal to ensure a dominant victory for his club.

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  THE MVP

  It was Ronaldo's night as the Portugal icon's brace helped Al-Nassr clinch a comfortable win in the AFC Champions League. The veteran forward, who will turn 40 in two days, remained active on the pitch throughout the game and constantly posed a threat on the opposition box.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Al Wasl defender Salem Al Azizi was at fault for conceding the penalty right at the stroke of half-time which allowed the opposition to head into the break with a two-goal cushion. Al Azizi kept his right arm extended as he tried to mark Sadio Mane inside the six-yard box and the ex-Liverpool star's header ended up dropping onto his arm.

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  WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Pioli's men will be back in action on Friday as they take on Al Feiha in an important Saudi Pro League encounter.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was left frustrated by his side's display in Friday's thumping Premier League defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion.

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• Maresca slams Chelsea performance
• Brighton cruised to 3-0 win
• Blues hit by striker injury crisis

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Maresca rued Chelsea missing an opportunity to apply pressure on the teams above them in the table after slipping to a dire 3-0 loss at the Amex Stadium. But while he described it as the "worst" performance he has seen since joining the club last summer, the Italian apportioned considerable blame to the injury crisis that has left the squad without strikers.

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  Nicolas Jackson missed the game as he continues what is now expected to be a lay-off until April. There was also no Marc Guiu available to stand in. Chelsea still had Cole Palmer on the pitch and Christopher Nkunku – although not a natural No.9 – filled in at the top of the pitch, but somehow failed to muster a single shot on target. Brighton took full advantage of Chelsea's malaise, having already knocked the Blues out of the FA Cup last weekend, and Kaoru Mitoma's goal just under half an hour in set the tone for the night.

• WHAT ENZO MARESCA SAID

  "Probably since I arrived that is the worst performance, especially in the moment we are in," Maresca lamented afterwards, to . "We are fourth in the league and winning tonight you can go one point from third and make the gap to the rest bigger and the performance is not one you want to offer so we are very upset and sorry for the fans that were here.

  "For half an hour I think we were in control but after [Mitoma's goal] we looked like we could concede chances easily and we struggled to create chances. The reason why is because of the injuries in this moment especially with the strikers…important players are out but we need to find a solution. It is difficult when you don't have a proper number nine. So you always have to find a different solution.

  "In the last third we struggled doing things that until a week or two ago we were doing well. This is the worst moment since I arrived but we are still there and we need to finish in the best way."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea, having hit such a rich vein of form in late November that saw them win nine times in an unbeaten 11-game stretch, are struggling for results. It's been just three wins from their last 11 across all competitions, including three defeats in the last four. But they now have a week off to get things right on the training pitch and will look for a reset when they face a tough trip to Aston Villa next Saturday.

Glasgow Rangers decided to lower the average age of their playing squad over the summer transfer window by making moves in and out of Ibrox.

The Light Blues immediately cut a host of experienced stars at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, as Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, and Kemar Roofe were allowed to depart at the end of their respective contracts.

Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen also allowed the likes of Connor Goldson, Todd Cantwell, Scott Wright, and Ben Davies to move on from Glasgow, albeit Davies has only left on loan to join Birmingham City for the season.

Those exits allowed the Gers to dip into the market to sign the likes of Nedim Bajrami, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Oscar Cortes, among others.

The average age of the squad in the 2023/24 campaign was 26.2 and the work done over the course of the summer transfer window has lowered it by almost an entire year to 25.3 this term.

Their work may not be done yet, though, as the Scottish giants have been urged to part ways with another player in the January window – Rabbi Matondo.

Rangers told they should have sold Rabbi Matondo

Speaking to IbroxNews, Derek Ferguson has claimed that the Light Blues should have cashed in on the Wales international ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The former Gers man believes that the winger, who is one of the higher earners in the squad, should have been moved on from Ibrox as part of the summer exodus at Ibrox.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

He told IbroxNews: “Ah! Matondo, he’s one of the highest paid players. He gave one of his best performances against a team that’d been beat by one of the lower-league teams, thats Spartans beating Ross County, then he had a good game against them at Hampden.

“That, plus the other moment that he’s given us was the goal against Celtic. No, Matondo should have been out the door.”

Interestingly, Rangers did have an opportunity to part ways with the former Manchester City man during the last transfer window, as Championship side Norwich City came in for him.

It was reported that the Canaries attempted to sign the forward on loan from the Scottish giants towards the end of the window, and that they saw their enquiry knocked back by the Gers.

Whilst it would only have been a temporary deal to send him to Carrow Road, that move would have given him a chance to go and play regular football.

That could, then, have attracted interest from other clubs to facilitate a permanent exit from Ibrox, either in January or next summer, whether that would have been to Norwich or another team.

Rangers must now rectify their mistake in the summer by finally ditching him in the next transfer window, as he currently earns even more than Tom Lawrence – who has enjoyed a strong start to the season.

Tom Lawrence's form this season

Another Wales international, the former Derby County playmaker has emerged as a key performer for Clement in the number ten role so far this term.

=He has showcased his quality in the Europa League and the Scottish Premiership and has made it clear that he is ready to fight for his future at Ibrox, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.

Lawrence recently scored in the 4-1 defeat to Lyon in the Europa League and created one ‘big chance’ for his teammates before being withdrawn with an injury at half-time.

As you can see in the clip above, his razor-sharp reactions allowed him to find the back of the net to draw his side level in the game at the time.

The 30-year-old dynamo, who turns 31 in January, has also caught the eye with his impressive displays in the top-flight so far this term for Rangers.

As you can see in the table above, the former Championship star has produced six goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in five appearances in the division.

His teammates have let him down at times with their wasteful finishing as they have only scored once from the three ‘big chances’ that he has provided.

Lawrence appears to be on his way to earning an extension on his current £22k-per-week contract, which expires next summer, as he is consistently proving his usefulness to Clement and Rangers with his strong performances in the Premiership and the Europa League.

Why Rangers should ditch Rabbi Matondo

Matondo, meanwhile, is reportedly on £23k-per-week and the Gers must take Ferguson’s advice and move him out of the door in the January window.

As the ex-Rangers man stated, the winger enjoyed one good game against a struggling Ross County – providing two goals and two assists – but has struggled aside from that.

The Light Blues forward has not been able to enjoy a consistent run of form throughout his career at Ibrox so far, as he has endured a string of injury issues. He has missed at least 17 games, including the current campaign, in all three of his seasons in Glasgow.

Matondo has already missed 17 matches in all competitions with a hamstring injury this term and is not expected to return to action until December, after he was absent for 19 games for club and country in the 2023/24 campaign.

Last season, the 24-year-old attacker only made 19 appearances in the Premiership for the Light Blues, which shows that he was only available for half of the league season – due to injuries.

As you can see in the table above, he did contribute with eight direct goal involvements in that time, which is a respectable return from 19 games.

However, Matondo has become a liability at Ibrox because Clement cannot rely on him to perform week-in-week-out, or to be fit for a consistent period of time during a season – as illustrated by his current injury absence.

Therefore, the Belgian boss must now brutally ditch the winger from the club in the January transfer window, if they can take advantage of potential interest from south of the border from the summer.

Rangers could make Cerny unplayable by starting Ibrox ace in new role

The Light Blues could experiment by unleashing the “outstanding” ace in a different position.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 15, 2024

Chase Adams and Maximo Carrizo both scored to lead the U.S. to their 19th appearance at the U17 World Cup

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• US team on to the U17 World Cup
• Adams, Carrizo lead the way with strikes
• U17 tournament held in Qatar

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The U.S. U17 men's national team are on their way to the Qatar U17 World Cup after securing a 2-0 win against Cuba.

  First-half strikes from Chase Adams and Maximo Carrizo were enough to propel the Americans to victory.

  This is the U.S.'s 19th appearance in the top tournament for prospects under 17.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Adams and Carrizo are highly-regarded MLS prospects, shining in the youth academies for the Columbus Crew and NYCFC's, respectively.

  The U.S. made the Round of 16 in the last U17 World Cup in 2023, but bowed out to heavily-favored Germany in a 3-2 loss.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The U.S.'s best finish in the U17 World Cup came in 1999, where it finished fourth.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR U.S. U17s?

  The U17 World Cup kicks off on Nov. 5 and the Americans will await their opponents in the Group Stage.

It’s been an interesting start to the campaign for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have been flawless in the League Cup and Europa League, but have looked a little disjointed in the Premier League.

However, given that it’s only the Australian’s second year in charge, these issues shouldn’t come as a surprise, and with a few more transfer windows under his belt, he could have the personnel to match his game plans.

In fact, based on recent reports, the club look set to sign a dream midfield addition next year, although that could be bad news for Yves Bissouma.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are expected to sign Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso in 2025.

The report claims that the Lilywhites had a €25m – £21m – option to buy the American included in the deal that saw Giovani Lo Celso return to Betis in the summer.

However, Daniel Levy and Co will have to act fast if they want to bring the midfielder to N17, as the story also claims that the option expires in either late June or early July and, after that, the La Liga side will be able to demand whatever price they want.

With that said, by all accounts, this looks like a transfer that will happen, so the Spurs faithful likely have nothing to worry about, although given how well he’s played in Spain, Bissouma should be a little concerned, as the American could be his upgrade.

How Cardoso compares to Bissouma

Okay, so if Spurs act on their option to sign Cardoso, as expected, the fact that he primarily plays as a defensive and central midfielder means he’d likely compete with Bissouma for a place in the starting lineup.

So, with that in mind, how do the pair stack up against one another? Well, when it comes down to the pair’s raw output this season, the Mali international comes out on top with two goals to the American’s zero, but at the end of the day, goals aren’t what make a good holding midfielder, and when we look at their underlying numbers, it’s a very different story.

For example, while the Spurs ace has better passing numbers, the Betis star comes out miles ahead in the majority of relevant defensive metrics, including tackles, shots and passes blocked, clearances, interceptions, ball recoveries and aerial duels, all per 90, which is what you want from your six.

Moreover, something that the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was guilty of last season was picking up unnecessary red cards, and when we compare the pair’s disciplinary record, the 23-year-old “ball winner”, as he was dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, once again comes out on top.

For example, in his 10281 minutes of football across his career to date, the former Internacional gem has picked up 22 yellow cards, averaging one every 467 minutes, and zero red cards or second yellows.

In contrast, the Issia-born Lilywhites man has picked up 58 yellow cards in his 16799 minutes of football, equating to an average of one every 289 minutes, and four red cards – including one-second yellow – which works out as one every 4199 minutes.

Ultimately, Bissouma is a talented footballer, and one who should be playing in the Premier League, but his defensive numbers are notably worse than Cardoso’s, and when we take into account the disciplinary side of things as well, the American looks like he’d be an ideal upgrade.

Ange's "frightening" Spurs star is now worth millions more than Maddison

The talented international has been electric for Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 30, 2024

Birmingham City have been blessed with a number of top talents coming through their academy over recent years, away from the star-studded quality at Chris Davies’ disposal currently in League One.

Jordan James was the latest breakout star from the Blues youth structure when he departed for Rennes this summer, costing the Ligue 1 club a sizeable £4m to pick up, after he had exploded into life for his boyhood club from the middle of the park.

Of course, there is a more notable midfield ace who used to call Birmingham his home as a starlet learning the ropes before a major move took place, in the form of Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham's time with Birmingham

Before all of that occurred for the former Blues youngster, Bellingham was the cream of the crop for the EFL club when it came to top homegrown prodigies rising up the ranks, with the then-teenager making his Birmingham debut back in 2019 at just 16 years of age.

The rest is obviously now history, with Bellingham going on to tally up four goals and two assists from 44 first-team appearances at St. Andrew’s, before leaving his boyhood side behind for Borussia Dortmund only a season into his men’s team development.

At least Birmingham managed to salvage back some pretty pennies from Bellingham’s sad departure though, which even saw the club retire his number 22 jersey, with Dortmund paying up a hefty fee around the £25m ballpark.

Now, the 21-year-old has reached unbelievable heights at the Santiago Bernabeu to fully justify Birmingham’s decision to set aside his number 22 strip, with a sublime 23 goals and 16 assists next to his name now from 52 clashes in Spain.

He would also become a national treasure this summer at the Euros for England by scoring this dramatic overhead kick, further cementing himself as a world-beater away from being adored in Madrid and the West Midlands.

Birmingham haven’t always been so fortunate in raking in lots of money off the back of selling some of their top academy products, however, with this low sale in 2013 no doubt irking those looking back.

Nathan Redmond's time at Birmingham

Nathan Redmond was arguably the original Bellingham before the teenager left his mark on proceedings at St. Andrew’s, having also been launched into the first team set-up from a young age.

He too made his debut in the men’s fold at the tender age of 16 in 2010, before going on to become a regular under the likes of Lee Clark in the Birmingham dug-out.

In illustrious company in the table above with the well-known Bellingham brothers, Redmond would go on to make far more appearances at St. Andrew’s than the now La Liga star managed, with an impressive nine goals and 11 assists notched up from 82 overall games.

You would think that would result in a club having to break the bank to land Redmond’s services, therefore, but in the wake of Birmingham’s disappointing 12th placed finish in the Championship during the 2012/13 campaign, top-flight Norwich City swooped in to land him for a cut price.

The Canaries would land the pacey winger from Clark and co for only £3m, with the Birmingham-born attacker going to become a Premier League regular for both Norwich and then Southampton for many seasons, amassing 276 Premier League appearances mainly donning a Saints strip.

The Blues must wish now that they had driven a harder bargain, but will strive to find their next Bellingham and Redmond in the here and now, with St Andrew’s obviously fertile ground for youngsters to prosper from.

Clotet struck gold selling Birmingham star who's now worth millions less

Birmingham City raked in the cash with this substantial sale.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 24, 2024