اختتمت منافسات الجولة الـ 33 من مسابقة الدوري السعودي اليوم الخميس، بإقامة 3 مباريات أبرزها لقاء النصر أمام الخليج.
وتمكن لاعبو النصر من خطف فوز هام أمام الخليج بثنائية نظيفة، في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ضمن لقاءات الدوري السعودي.
وأقيمت مباراة النصر والخليج على ملعب الأول بارك ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة والثلاثين من مسابقة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين موسم 2024-2025.
وسقط الهلال في فخ التعادل أمام الوحدة بهدف لكل فريق، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم على أرضية استاد عبد الله الفيصل.
وعقب الفوز في لقاء اليوم ارتفع رصيد النصر إلى 67 نقطة في المركز الرابع من مسابقة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين، بينما توقف الخليج عند 37 نقطة بالمركز العاشر في جدول الترتيب.
كما تأكد بقاء الخلود في الموسم الجديد من الدوري السعودي بعد الفوز على حساب الفيحاء بثنائية نظيفة، سجل آليو ديانج لاعب الأهلي المعار الهدف الثاني لصالح ناديه.
وتمكن فريق الاتحاد من الفوز على الشباب بنتيجة 3-2، في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما مساء أمس.
ويتصدر الاتحاد جدول ترتيب دوري روشن السعودي برصيد 80 نقطة، بينما يأتي الهلال في المركز الثاني، ولديه 72 نقطة، والقادسية ثالثاً بـ68 نقطة.
رابطة الدوري السعودي تعلن أسماء المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب.. موقف رونالدو
جدير بالذكر أن الاتحاد حسم لقب الدوري السعودي للمرة الرابعة عشر في تاريخه، قبل جولتين من إسدال الستار على الموسم وذلك بعد وصوله لـ 77 نقطة بفارق 6 نقاط عن الوصيف الهلال، مما يعني حسم اللقب لصالحه رسميًا.
وانتهت المباريات بخسارة الأهلي على ملعبه ووسط جماهيره على يد الاتفاق بثلاثية مقابل هدف وحيد. جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي
1- الاتحاد – 80 نقطة.
2- الهلال – 72 نقطة.
3- القادسية – 68 نقطة.
4- النصر – 67 نقطة.
5- الأهلي – 64 نقطة.
6- الشباب – 57 نقطة.
7- الاتفاق – 47 نقطة.
8- التعاون – 45 نقطة.
9- الرياض – 38 نقطة.
10- الخليج – 37 نقطة.
11- الخلود – 37 نقطة.
12- الفيحاء – 36 نقطة.
13- ضمك – 35 نقطة.
14- الفتح- 33 نقطة.
15- الوحدة- 33 نقطة.
16- العروبة – 30 نقطة.
17- الأخدود – 28 نقطة.
18- الرائد – 21 نقطة.
يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري السعودي محدث باستمرار من هنا
Glasgow Rangers won’t take many positives from their weekend draw at Easter Road, especially considering the Ibrox side led 2-0 and 3-2 at stages during the game, yet they still managed to draw 3-3.
Defensive issues ensure the Light Blues won’t win the Premiership title this season, as Robin Propper and Dujon Sterling struggled against Hibs on Sunday afternoon, failing to deal with the opposition in the final third.
Despite the dropped points in Edinburgh, one player stood out among the underperformers for the Gers – Hamza Igamane.
The striker has been one of the stories of the season for the club. Eyebrows were raised last summer when Philippe Clement spent £1.7m on the youngster, who joined from AS FAR in Morocco.
Fast-forward seven months down the line and Igamane is showing up plenty of the established first-team players at the club.
Hamza Igamane’s season in numbers
The 22-year-old arrived in Glasgow nursing a small injury which meant he took a few weeks to eventually make it into the senior squad for a match. His debut came at Parkhead during the final stages of a 3-0 defeat. Talk about a baptism of fire for the striker, who hadn’t played football outside of Africa before.
It didn’t take him long to make his mark, especially in Europe. Across the four matches between October and December, Igamane not only started twice, but he scored four goals and grabbed one assist.
Alongside his goals, the centre-forward has averaged 1.3 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles per game, as well as averaging 1.5 shots per game and this has seen his confidence skyrocket.
Over the festive period, if it was not for Igamane, Rangers would certainly have slipped further behind Celtic. That’s a certainty.
The Ibrox side were trailing 2-0 against Motherwell during their last game of 2024 before the striker netted twice to ensure a point was secured.
Hamza Igamane
As mentioned, his three-goal salvo against Hibs over the weekend should have been enough for the club to gain all three points, but it wasn’t to be.
His displays recently have even attracted plenty of attention, as Igamane could perhaps be the next big thing to leave Ibrox for a major profit.
Indeed, Everton reportedly sent scouts to watch Rangers against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League just before Christmas and it surely won’t be long before a club submits an offer to test the Light Blues’ resolve.
Hamza Igamane’s stats for Rangers this season
Metric
Europa League
Premiership
Goals
4
7
Shots per game
1.5
2.6
Big chances created
0
4
Assists
1
0
Successful dribbles per game
1.3
1
Via Sofascore
Clement will be looking to add some more players to his squad between now and the end of the winter window. With defenders the obvious priority due to the injury issues plaguing the club, could the Belgian also make a move for a striker too?
One name has been linked, and he could be a dream rival for Igamane, no doubt about that.
Rangers could sign Igamane rival this month
Towards the end of 2024, South African publication SNL24 claimed that the Ibrox side were monitoring striker Iqraam Rayners ahead of making a potential move when the winter window opened.
“There has been an enquiry about Iqraam (Rayners) from Rangers of Scotland,” a source told SNL24. “I don’t think there has been an offer from them at this stage. What I know is they have shown interest and they continue monitoring him.”
Much will depend on what budget Clement has to play with this month and whether or not he may have to move on some deadwood in order to free up space in his squad.
Rayners is certainly a late bloomer, but if he did make the move to Glasgow, the 29-year-old could rival Igamane for the place in the starting XI, especially after a solid start to the season.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Since moving to Mamelodi Sundowns last summer, the South African hitman has been on fire, scoring 13 goals across just 19 games in all competitions, which works out as a goal every 1.46 matches.
A strike rate like this wouldn’t go a miss at Ibrox, that’s for sure. The question is, could Rayners transfer the form he is showing in his homeland to Scotland should he secure his dream move this month?
His success throughout 2024 was praised by journalist Joshua Hendricks, who said: “Rayners has netted an impressive 23 goals across all competitions in 2024, outscoring every other top-flight player. This milestone marks his best scoring year yet, with 11 goals at Stellenbosch and 12 at Mamelodi Sundowns.”
Domestically, Rayners averages 1.7 shots per game, succeeds with 75% of his dribble attempts and has created one big chance. More importantly, perhaps, is his clinical nature in the opposition box.
Indeed, throughout the South African Premier Division season, Rayners has missed just one big chance, while his goal conversion rate currently stands at 40%, indicating how impressive he has been in front of goal this term.
At international level, the striker was also in fine form. Across ten games for South Africa during the calendar year, Rayners managed to find the back of the net on four occasions, including two in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations as South Africa went through the entire campaign undefeated.
Following Igamane’s success after making the move from Africa to Scotland in recent months, Clement will be hoping that Rayners could replicate this success should he secure a permanent move to Rangers.
If so, the Gers might just open up a new market which could see more players from Africa link up with the club shortly, going on to shine before leaving for a big profit.
The manager has both Igamane and Danilo to call upon, with the pair shining over the festive period, but Rayners would add some stiff competition.
The club need to make a signing sooner rather than later and diving back into the African market could see the Light Blues sign another gem.
Imagine him & Igamane: Rangers could land Hagi 2.0 in "incredible" star
Rangers will be looking to make a few signings this month…
O Fluminense está escalado para enfrentar o Athletico-PR no estádio Raulino de Oliveira, às 21h deste sábado, pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão. A principal novidade é a presença de Yago Felipe na lateral-direita, no lugar de Samuel Xavier. Com isso, Martinelli volta a ganhar espaço entre os titulares.
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> Fluminense na lista: veja quais são as maiores torcidas do Nordeste
Dessa forma, o Fluminense vai a campo com: Fábio; Yago Felipe, Nino, David Braz e Pineida; Wellington, André e Martinelli; Nathan, Luiz Henrique e Cano.
VEJA AFICHA TÉCNICA DO JOGO
Data/Hora: 14/05/2022, às 21h Local: Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, Volta Redonda (RJ) Árbitro: Ramon Abatti Abel (SC) Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil (FIFA-SC) e Éder Alexandre (SC) VAR: Vinicius Furlan (SP) Onde assistir: SporTV, Premiere e tempo real do LANCE!
أعرب شوقي غريب المدير الفني للمريخ السوداني، عن سعادته بعد الفوز الذي حققه فريقه على الجمارك الموريتاني بهدفين مقابل هدف، في أول تجربة رسمية مع الفريق بعد توليه المسؤولية، موجهاً رسالة إلى جماهير وإدارة الفريق الأحمر.
وحقق فريق المريخ السوداني الفوز على الجمارك الموريتاني بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما علي ملعب شيخو بيديا بالعاصمة نواكشوط ضمن منافسات الجولة 26 من مسابقة الدوري الموريتاني.
وأكد شوقي غريب في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي لفريق المريخ السوداني: “لاعبو المريخ نفذوا برنامجهم التدريبي الذي تم وضعه منذ 10 أيام وكانت النتيجة هي الفوز أمام فريق قوي”.
طالع أيضاً.. علي معلول يوجه رسالة إلى كولر بعد رحيله عن الأهلي
وتابع: “الفوز أمام الجمارك الموريتاني هو بداية الطريق خاصة وأننا كجهاز فني تعاهدنا مع إدارة المريخ على استعادة اسم شعبية النادي وإرضاء الجماهير”.
وأشار: “أوجه الشكر لمجلس إدارة النادي بقيادة عمر النمير رئيس نادي المريخ السوداني، على مساندة الفريق والجهاز الفني”.
وأتم: “أتوجه أيضاً بالشكر الكبير للاعبين خاصه وأنني لم أشعر أنني غريب عن الفريق، فأنا أشعر أنني أجلس مع إخوتي، وأعد الجماهير بتقديم أفضل العروض في المباريات القادمة في المسابقة”.
Rivals watch with slumped posture as Liverpool continue to move inexorably toward the Premier League title, or so it would seem.
The thing is, those of an Anfield persuasion know the agony of coming within a whisker of the biggest prizes over so many hard-fought years under Jurgen Klopp’s leadership.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp bows out
The road is long and winding and Liverpool are bound to meet more adversity before reaching the finish line and claiming the gold prize, be that in the Premier League, Champions League or somewhere else.
Arne Slot has already earned his flowers, whatever happens over the coming months. To inherit Klopp’s squad and lift it even higher is something special, and he will have won over even the most doubtful of Reds supporters, convincing them that he is the man for the job over the coming years.
Arne Slot – Liverpool Record as Manager
Competition
Matches
W
D
L
Points (per game)
Premier League
17
13
3
1
39 (2.47)
Champions League
6
6
0
0
18 (3.00)
Carabao Cup
3
3
0
0
9 (3.00)
Stats via Transfermarkt
Liverpool are flying high but they aren’t infallible. December has been a successful month but it has exposed some defensive fragilities that need to be managed.
Liverpool looking at left-backs
While Liverpool are unlikely to do anything drastic and sign a left-back this winter, it does appear to be a priority position and will be the first port of call when action is taken to improve Slot’s squad.
Recent reports claim that Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, 21, is on the radar but that Manchester United are in the driving seat. Liverpool may need to move for alternative targets if the need for a full-back intensifies.
Well, as per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the Anfield side have been sounding out a potential move for Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Bayern Munich'sAlphonsoDaviescelebrates scoring their fifth goal
It’s understood that FSG have been in talks with the Canada international’s representatives in recent weeks and have ascertained that he would be interested in moving to the Premier League.
However, Real Madrid are also in the picture, and though Slot’s side could snap him up on a free transfer, Davies’ £178k-per-week salary would likely need improving, placing him within the highest echelon of Liverpool’s earners.
What Alphonso Davies would bring to Liverpool
Andy Robertson has shrunk into a modus operandi that lacks his former vigour and energy. Noise concerning his decline is perhaps a little too loud, but as correspondent David Lynch says: “Robertson’s luck just hasn’t been in this season, but it would also be fair to say he has been at the scene of the crime for a lot of poor Liverpool moments.”
Liverpool's Andrew Robertson leaves the pitch after being shown a red card
The 30-year-old has clearly run himself into the ground across years of tireless service on Merseyside, and while he will want to continue his Liverpool journey over the next few years (at the least) bringing a player of Davies’ ilk in could be a game-changer, injecting potency while maintaining the creative and technical quality on offer.
Davies is a rampant dribbler, sure, but he is also a confident distributor and an accurate ball-winning defender. The complete package, some might say.
Andy Robertson vs Alphonso Davies (2024/25)
Match Stats*
#
Matches (starts)
13 (12)
Goals
1
Assists
2
Touches*
84.2
Pass completion
92%
Key passes*
1.6
Ball recoveries*
6.3
Dribbles*
1.8 (51%)
Tackles + interceptions*
2.1
Ground duels (won)*
4.9 (58%)
Stats via Sofascore
Davies’ former teammate Ivan Perisic has described him as a “miracle” in the past, such is the absurd nature of his physical qualities, his speed and potency.
He’d be the perfect Robertson upgrade, with his style seemingly perfect for the thriving Cody Gakpo too.
Imagine him & Cody Gakpo
Gakpo has grown into a key player this season, having notched ten goals and four assists across 26 appearances, of which only 15 have come from the outset.
Robertson is still a solid and accomplished left-back with an elite range of passing that creates a link between him and the attacking wideman, be that Gakpo or Luis Diaz, but Davies would reinvent the flank and instil a new level of dynamism across the years of his Liverpool career.
Bayern Munich'sAlphonsoDaviesin action with Bayer Leverkusen's Nordi Mukiele
As per FBref, Davies ranks among the top 3% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 9% for progressive passes and shot-creating actions, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.
Davies’ pace and relentless ball-carrying moves would be perfect for the Dutch winger, whose ability to cut inside and rifle swooping shots into the corner of the netting is proving to be a real asset for title-chasing Liverpool.
Gakpo’s beautiful goal against Leicester City on Boxing Day set the tone in the second half as Liverpool staged a comeback. Just imagine if this Arjen Robben-esque wideman had a tireless bundle of energy deployed behind him. The two could work in devastating flux.
Of course, one of the most pressing concerns on Liverpool fans’ minds will be whether Real Madrid can be defeated in this transfer battle. There’s a very plausible and not-too-distant future that sees Davies partner Trent Alexander-Arnold on the Los Blancos flanks.
But given that the Bayern star is willing to try his hand in the Premier League and Liverpool are performing at a level that would tempt any first-class player across the globe, this could be a statement signing for Richard Hughes to complete, speaking to the globe that Anfield is one of the finest and most attractive outfits around.
From a tactical standpoint, Slot will feel that he has the acumen to raise Davies’ skillset even higher. Paired with Gakpo on the left, it could be a recipe for destruction. Liverpool are Europe’s team to beat right now but such an acquisition could actually ensure a similar level is maintained across the Slot era.
Nunez upgrade: Slot keen on Liverpool deal for "complete" £77m star in Jan
Liverpool’s Dutch boss is interested in strengthening his side’s frontline in 2025.
Fair to say, things are going rather well for Chelsea right now.
On Sunday, despite being 2-0 down inside 11 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Blues fought back to beat fierce rivals Spurs 4-2 in some style.
Jadon Sancho’s stunning strike got the comeback started and then Enzo Fernández lashed home the go-ahead goal from the edge of the area, with Cole Palmer also converting a pair of penalties, the second of which was an outrageous, audacious Panenka that capped off a memorable comeback.
Enzo Maresca continues to insist Chelsea are not in the title race, but the Blues are now clear of both Manchester City and Arsenal in second, a mere four points adrift league-leaders Liverpool, albeit having played a game more.
They will be seeking a fifth successive Premier League victory when West London rivals Brentford visit Stamford Bridge next Sunday and, with this followed by games against Everton, Fulham, Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and then Wolves, Chelsea appear likely to be hanging around the title conversation a little while longer.
Chelsea's excessive spending on forward players
Since Todd Boehly, José E. Feliciano and Behdad Eghbali purchased Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in the summer of 2022 for a reported £4.25bn, the club have been rather active in the transfer market haven’t they?
Since July 2022, a total of 39 senior players have arrived at the club, costing in excess of £1bn in transfer fees.
When looking at attackers alone, the Blues currently have nine in their first-team squad, acquired for £347m.
Chelsea’s current attackers
Player
Reported transfer fee
Cole Palmer
£42.5m
João Félix
£45m
Mykhailo Mudryk
£62m
Pedro Neto
£54m
Noni Madueke
£28.5m
Jadon Sancho
Loan + £25m
Christopher Nkunku
£53m
Marc Guiu
£5m
Nicolas Jackson
£32m
First-choice centre-forward Nicolas Jackson was much maligned last season, but still scored 17 goals in all competitions, with Rúben Díaz of Opta’s The Analyst arguing that his first campaign at Stamford Bridge “has actually been a success”.
Approaching the midway point of this campaign, Jackson has taken his game to another level, netting eight times in the Premier League already, leading to wide-spread praise of the Senegalese international, including from Sean Walsh of Goal, who asserted he is now “London’s best striker”.
So, does Jackson’s impressive form mean Chelsea won’t dip into the market for a striker in 2025? No, almost certainly not.
Chelsea looking at Nicolas Jackson rival in 2025
According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all remain interested in Dušan Vlahović.
Bailey claims Juventus may be forced to sell in the near future, struggling to pay his £200k-per-week wages, while his contract expires in June 2026 meaning, if he cannot agree a new deal in Turin, next summer would be la Vecchia Signora’s last opportunity to recoup a big fee.
Vlahović has perennially been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal ‘actively attempting to sign’ the Serbian striker back in January 2022, according to David Ornstein, but instead moved to Juventus from Fiorentina for a reported fee of £63m.
Vlahović has scored 50 goals in 118 appearances for I Bianconeri, on target nine times this season to date, most notably bagging a brace as ten-man Juve fought back from a goal down to defeat RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Analyst Ben Mattinson described him as an “insane ball-striker” and his second goal at Red Bull Arena emphasises why.
Nevertheless, Vlahović has been heavily criticised for his performances this season, struggling to fit into Thiago Motta’s new style, with his manager saying the striker “must accept criticism” back in September, with Parshva Shah in Goal adding the centre-forward certainly hasn’t “hit the levels expected of him” since swapping Florence for Turin.
So, could a move to West London next summer reignite his career, and how does Vlahović compare to Nicolas Jackson?
Vlahović vs. Jackson 23/24 & 24/25
Statistic
Vlahović
Jackson
Appearances
67
60
Minutes played
4,721
4,709
Goals
30
25
Expected goals
27.5
26
Shots
205
135
Shots on target %
34.1%
48.1%
Shot-creating actions
104
126
Progressive carries
52
96
Take-ons attempted
56
135
Touches
1241
1337
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com
The table underlines that, stylistically, Vlahović and Jackson are very different strikers.
At one end of the scale, the Serbian is a pure-centre-forward, having fewer touches, and significantly fewer dribbles but attempting vastly more shots, leading to him having scored marginally more goals during a near-identical number of minutes.
On the flip side, the Senegalese striker gets involved in build-up play more frequently, hence why he’s attempted an exponentially higher number of dribbles and progressive carries, racking up many more touches as well as shot-creating actions.
Nevertheless, the fact Vlahović and Jackson are so different could be exactly why Chelsea are interested in signing the Juventus front-man, adding an extra dynamic to their already free-scoring forward line.
8/10 Chelsea star was even more 'dazzling' than Palmer vs Spurs
Chelsea secured a memorable victory over Tottenham.
Chelsea have been contacted by a club who wish to send their £23 million player back to Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca and co dealt a potential transfer headache by this situation.
Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei could leave Chelsea soon
The January transfer window is fast approaching, and BlueCo will have a few key decisions to make on fringe players who are no longer in Maresca’s long-term plans.
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Despite reports in September that Maresca was under pressure to play Ben Chilwell more often, thereby increasing his chances of finding a suitor in the next transfer window, the Englishman has been reduced to just 45 minutes in all competitions this season.
The £200,000-per-week defender, it is safe to say, remains out of Maresca’s thinking, and it is widely believed that Chilwell is one of the main contenders to depart west London in January.
Southampton (away)
December 4
Tottenham (home)
December 8
Brentford (home)
December 15
Everton (away)
December 22
Fulham (home)
December 26
Chelsea have held exit talks with numerous clubs regarding Chilwell already, according to reliable media sources, and the Englishman is apparently a man in demand across the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga heading into next month.
Midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is also looking to leave Chelsea ahead of January, with the 20-year-old failing to make a single Premier League appearance this season and playing just 63 minutes in total.
Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.
Cesare Casadei finds himself in a similar situation, and reports in Italy are linking the midfielder with high-profile moves to the likes of AC Milan and Juventus in his homeland.
This is despite some praise from Maresca earlier this season, who previously expressed happiness over his countryman’s role.
“I am very happy with the way he is playing. I had Cesare last year, and he was playing a little bit in different position,” said Maresca on Casadei in October.
“This year, we are using him like a holding midfielder. The reason why is because I think we go in the direction where the middle you need physical players. Cesare is very big, physically strong and helps us when we want to press. On the ball, he is improving a lot. Tonight he played one touch, so we are very happy. For him, it’s the same as the rest; many things he can do better but he is in the right direction.”
Southampton tell Chelsea they want to send Lesley Ugochukwu back from loan
Now, according to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea may now have to find another new home for midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu – who is currently on loan at Southampton.
The Frenchman, who cost BlueCo around £23 million to sign from Rennes on a seven-year deal, has struggled for game time under Russell Martin – leaving him in limbo as he seeks to properly kickstart his career in England.
Southampton have told Chelsea they want to send Ugochukwu back and terminate his loan early, and the Blues are also eager for him to rack up more minutes elsewhere.
Maresca’s side are now working to find him a new club behind the scenes as a result, so this could be one to watch in January.
Chelsea are willing to splash the cash to secure the signature of another one of their teenage transfer targets, according to a new report.
Chelsea transfer news
Under the stewardship of Todd Boehly, the Blues have evidently been focussing on strengthening their squad with younger players, given that all of their summer acquisitions were 25 or under, and they continue to be linked with up-and-coming talents.
Enzo Maresca is said to be personally driving a deal for Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi, with the manager trying to pip Juventus to his signature, while they have also set their sights on another Bundesliga star.
Reports suggest that Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is another option being considered, with talks already being opened ahead of the January transfer window. Both Adeyemi and Wirtz are capable of playing on either wing, although the latter specialises through the middle. As such, it is evident that Maresca is looking to bolster his attacking options in the near future.
Chelsea eyeing Geovany Quenda
With that in mind, it is clear to see why the Blues are now being linked with a move for Geovany Quenda, as reported by Spanish sources. The 17-year-old winger is said to have attracted the attention of a number of the Premier League’s top clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United, and the report details that he is now one of the most sought-after players in Europe.
At the moment, however, it is Arsenal that appear to have taken the most concrete steps towards securing the Sporting CP man’s signature, having already opened talks with his representatives. Although there is a £84m release clause in Quenda’s contract, the clubs in question are willing to spend big to secure his signature, as they are all well aware of the enormous talent that he possesses.
Geovany Quenda for Sporting vs Manchester City.
It will clearly be very difficult for Chelsea to win the race for the Portuguese winger’s signature, given the level of interest, however if they are able to get a deal over the line he could prove to be a fantastic acquistion.
The starlet was recently hailed as an “unreal talent” by Statman Dave for his performance in Sporting’s emphatic 4-1 victory against Manchester City, during which he provided an assist for Viktor Gyokeres’ opening goal and achieved a 7.3 SofaScore match rating.
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This season, the Sporting academy graduate has very much burst onto the scene, having already chalked up 10 league appearances, and he has particularly impressed with his dribbling ability. Over the past year, the Bissau-born youngster has averaged 5.14 progressive carries per 90, which places him in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers, while he is also in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons.
If Quenda continues to develop at his current rate, it seems likely he will attract even more attention from Europe’s top clubs, so if Chelsea are able to get a deal over the line then it would be a huge signal of intent as they look to start competing for major honours once again.
West Ham United’s academy has produced some simply incredible players over the years. The Hammers boast players who could be considered some of England’s best, including midfielder Frank Lampard, who played 179 times for the club before moving to London rivals Chelsea where he made his dynasty.
They also brought through two players who ended up having success under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Michael Carrick was one of those players, and he played 154 games in Claret and Blue, before joining Tottenham Hotspur and United just two years later.
Defender Rio Ferdinand, who made 150 appearances for the Hammers, followed a similar path, going to Old Trafford via their bitter rivals Leeds following his move from East London.
In more recent times, Declan Rice is one of their most notable academy graduates. He played 245 times for the club, winning the Europa Conference League in 2022/23. Mark Noble, who retired the season prior, racked up 550 appearances on Claret and Blue.
As good as these players were for the Hammers, they have failed to hold on to some of their talented academy stars in recent years.
The West Ham academy graduates who left the club
Over the past four years, there have been two notable departures from the West Ham academy. The first of those was 24-year-old Jeremy Ngakia. The London-born defender left his boyhood club to join Watford in 2020 after he could not agree on a new deal with the Hammers.
After playing for the East London outfit at both under-18 and under-21 level, Ngakia played five times for the first team in the 2019/20 campaign. His debut came against Liverpool in the Premier League, and he made a further four appearances, all of which came consecutively. However, he never played again for the Hammers despite those outings and joined Watford the following summer.
Another major loss for West Ham in recent years came this summer. They lost striker Divin Mubama, who saw his contract in East London expire at the end of last season. He made the move to Manchester City, who paid their Premier League rivals compensation to bring him to the Etihad Stadium.
Divin Mubama
Mubama made 18 appearances for the Hammers’ first team, scoring once in that time. He was also part of the under-18s side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2022/23, helping his side to the final after a hattrick in the semi-final against Southampton.
It was certainly frustrating to lose both of these talents, but losing Sonny Perkins was arguably an even bigger loss, given how highly rated he was.
Perkins was supposed to be West Ham’s superstar
Perkins was one of the most highly-rated youngsters at West Ham during his time at the club. Although he is predominantly a centre-forward, Harry Brooks, a private coach for the England under-18 side, compared to him legendary Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta:
In total, the Hammers academy graduate made three first-team appearances at the London Stadium, all in 2021/22. Two of those came in the Europa League for a total of 99 minutes, and he made a three-minute cameo in the Premier League, his only top-flight appearance to date.
Much to the fury of those in east London, the 20-year-old joined Leeds on a free transfer in 2022 following the expiration of his contract, signing a three-year deal at Elland Road. However, things haven’t quite worked out for him for the Whites, for whom he has played just four times.
He has been out on loan twice during his time at Leeds. After a loan to Oxford United, the striker is currently at Leyton Orient in League One on a temporary basis, although things have not worked out for him so far for the club. He has just three goals and two assists in 15 games.
Competition
Games
Goals
Assists
League One
8
1
0
EFL Trophy
3
1
0
Carabao Cup
3
0
1
FA Cup
1
1
1
The Hammers may have been kicking themselves for letting such a highly-rated talent like Perkins leave the club two years ago. With that being said, he has really struggled since departing the London Stadium, and West Ham fans may be watching from afar hoping the man once compared to Iniesta can get his career back on track.
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A hat-trick, a four-over return without giving up a run, a controversial boundary call that rescued the defending champions and scintillating performances from IPL stars were among the many highlights from the group stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 competition.As the caravan moves to New Delhi for the knockouts, amid worsening air quality that has left the local administration contemplating a lockdown, here’s a quick look at those made it and those who missed out.
Group A
Defending champions Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, led by the in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad, both made the cut on the back of four wins in five matches. However, Maharashtra have to play the pre-quarterfinal despite finishing with a better net run rate than TN because head-to-head is the first criterion for teams tied on points. When the two sides met, TN comfortably defended 167 despite Gaikwad’s 30-ball half-century.Maharashtra won’t have Gaikwad’s services from here on, as he is part of India’s T20I team for the New Zealand series. TN, who endured a massive slice of luck en route in the group stage, won’t have any such worries, having a full squad to choose from.In what proved to be a turning point, a final-over umpiring gaffe resulted in Odisha being denied a boundary. M Ashwin’s feet were in contact with the rope even as he went beyond the line to push the ball back in – and Odisha lost the match by one run. Punjab were the closest among the other sides to qualification, but eventually lost out after going down to TN.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Group B
Bengal stole the top spot from high-flying Karnataka in the final group game, but both sides made it through to the knockouts without any hiccups. Both sides will be missing key players because of either India A or national duties. Bengal will be without Abhimanyu Easwaran and Wriddhiman Saha, while Karnataka will be without Mayank Agarwal, K. Gowtham, Devdutt Padikkal and Prasidh Krishna.Shreevats Goswami, controversially left out of the group stages, has an opportunity to make amends as he returns for the knockouts. Goswami was left out due to Saha’s availability, despite being among the top three run-getters in the tournament for the side in three of the last five seasons.Mumbai was the nearly-side from this group, having finished with three wins in five matches. Although captain Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 286 runs in five games at a strike rate of 133, including four half-centuries, they couldn’t capitalise. Prithvi Shaw’s poor form – 107 runs in five innings, 83 of which came in their final game against Baroda after being knocked out – didn’t help matters either.Deepak Hooda’s move to Rajasthan has paid big dividends•BCCI
Group C
Rajasthan were the undisputed leaders, maintaining an all-win record to blaze into the knockouts, even as Himachal staved off competition from Andhra and Jharkhand to squeeze into the knockouts as the second side from the group.Much of Rajasthan’s running was done by their new signing Deepak Hooda, alongside established hand Mahipal Lomror. Hooda, who moved from Baroda after a spat with Krunal Pandya last year, top-scored with 291 runs in five games, including an unbeaten 39-ball 75 after walking into bat at 10 for 2 to help beat Jharkhand. More than the four half-centuries he struck, his strike rate of 175 stood out. Ravi Bishnoi, the legspinner, impressed with the ball, picking up eight wickets in five games.Himachal, meanwhile, were propped up by Rishi Dhawan, who finished the group stages with 14 wickets, third-best. This included his career-best figures of 6 for 23 that helped pip Jammu & Kashmir in a thriller after his 26-ball 45* had set the game up in the first place.
Group D
Gujarat topped the pool with four wins in five games, on the back of clinical batting performances, led by Priyank Panchal. However, their designated captain won’t be available for the knockouts because of India A commitments, along with Arzan Nagwaswalla, the left-arm fast bowler who picked up seven wickets. Piyush Chawla, who featured in just one game at IPL 2021, proved why he isn’t a spent force yet. He picked up five wickets in as many games and was economical, conceding at just 6.42 per over.The Sanju Samson-led Kerala took the second spot, after overcoming stiff competition from Madhya Pradesh. Both sides managed three wins, but Kerala pipped them on head-to-head, in the team’s final league engagement, making light work of a 172-chase courtesy stroke-filled half-centuries from Samson and Sachin Baby. Meanwhile Venkatesh Iyer, who made it to the India’s T20I side on the back of a breakout IPL season, managed just one half-century at the top of the order in five outings for MP.Akshay Karnewar was devastating in the Plate Group•Prakash Parsekar
Group E
They named two captains and two squads prior to departure, the kind of confusion and chaos not new to Hyderabad cricket. But on the field, they managed to turn a corner, winning all five games to make the quarterfinals. Tanmay Agarwal, the captain, is currently the tournament’s highest run-getter with 302 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 150, while left-arm seamer CV Milind leads the wicket charts with 16 scalps, including a best of 5 for 8 that helped defend 147 against Uttar Pradesh.Saurashtra were the second qualifiers from the group, with four wins in five games. While Jaydev Unadkat led the wicket charts, Sheldon Jackson, who returned to his home state after a stint with Puducherry at the end of the 2020-21 season, left his imprint with the bat, top scoring with 221 runs in five matches. Their only loss was in a last-over thriller against Hyderabad, where Unadkat joined Prerak Mankad at 67 for 6 and then put on a near century stand to set up a defence of 173. Hyderabad won by two wickets with three balls to spare. Hanuma Vihari, who returned to home like Jackson, from Andhra, had underwhelming returns, 57 of his 94 runs coming in one innings alone.
Plate Group
Two-time Ranji winners Vidarbha proved no match for the rest of the pack, as they emerged runaway winners from this group. Meghalaya and Tripura fought hard to post four wins in five games, but couldn’t close out games against Vidarbha.Vidarbha’s Akshay Karnewar, the ambidextrous spinner, broke the record for the most economical figures in T20 cricket when he produced a return of 4-4-0-2 against Manipur. He became the first player to bowl four maidens in four overs in men’s T20 cricket, bettering Pakistan pacer Mohammad Irfan’s returns of 4-3-1-2 in CPL 2018. A day later, Karnewar claimed a hat-trick against Sikkim returning figures of 4-1-5-4.