The summer of 2024 will represent much change at Liverpool Football Club. For the first time in nine years, the Reds will experience a new manager taking over the reins, with Jurgen Klopp departing following the end of the Premier League season.

His replacement is former AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord manager Arne Slot, who will take charge of a club outside of his native country the Netherlands for the first time in his career. Klopp confirmed the appointment after Liverpool’s last Premier League game when he began a chant at Anfield in Slot’s name.

As with any summer, speculation has begun to ramp up for Liverpool about who they could sign. However, this transfer window feels slightly different, given the appointment of Slot, and there is more uncertainty surrounding the club.

At this current stage of the summer, the amount of money at Slot’s disposal in the 2024 transfer window has not been confirmed. However, he will no doubt look to strengthen the squad in a few areas to bolster his side ahead of a vital first summer at Anfield.

There were rumours recently that Mohamed Salah might leave Anfield in the summer, although they were squashed recently, with neither the club nor player considering a departure. However, there is one player who Liverpool have targeted to be Slot’s first incoming at the club.

Liverpool’s first summer transfer target

The man in question here is RB Leipzig and Spain midfielder Dani Olmo. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder is highly thought of in the Liverpool ranks, and he could well be the first signing under Slot this summer.

According to reports in Spain, the Reds “have begun to move” for Olmo. The Spain international has a £51m release clause in his current contract, although that is rumoured to expire on the 15th of July this year.

It's stated that Liverpool are not the only club hunting Olmo’s signature this summer. They believe that fellow English clubs Manchester City and Manchester United are interested, with European giants Bayern Munich and Barcelona also wanting to bring him to their respective clubs. The amount of interest in Olmo is perhaps unsurprising, given his impressive form in the 2023/24 season for Leipzig.

Indeed, there's a suggestion that Olmo’s preference this summer is to join Barcelona, yet that might not be a possibility for the 26-year-old. Their financial issues are persisting after some tough years on the fiscal side of things. Barca might not have the luxury of spending £51m on Olmo, no matter how much they, or the player, want the move. Enter Liverpool, who are poised to sign him if he can’t join Barca.

Why Dani Olmo would be a good signing

The biggest red flag when it comes to signing Olmo is the fact he has struggled with injuries over the course of the season.

He has missed 29 games for Leipzig and Spain in 2023/24, the most he has missed in a single campaign and did not play the last few games. However, Olmo has been named in Spain’s provisional Euro 2024 squad, suggesting he is over his latest fitness issue.

Dani Olmo 2023/24 injury record
Injury	Days out	Games missed
Knee injury	37	11
Acromioclavicular joint dislocation	53	16
Muscle injury	18	2
Stats from Transfermarkt

Injuries aside, however, there is no doubt that Olmo is a fantastic footballer, a sentiment that legendary Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola shares. Following Olmo’s goal for Dinamo Zagreb against the Cityiens in 2019, Guardiola described his countryman as “incredible”, explaining that “he has a bright future”, and that he can one day “play in the strong leagues in Europe”.

Olmo has impressed this season for Leipzig, despite his limited game time. The Spaniard has played 25 games in all competitions, scoring eight goals and registering five assists. He registered a hat-trick in the German Supercup against Bayern Munich at the start of the term to secure Leipzig the trophy.

Interestingly, there are some similarities between Olmo and the La Liga player of the season, Jude Bellingham. According to Fbref, Olmo averages 1.99 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to Bellingham’s 1.87 key passes per 90 minutes.

Not only that, the Spaniard averages 3.79 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, with Bellingham averaging 3.85 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes. There is little difference in their goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, too, with the Leipzig number seven averaging 0.5 per 90 minutes, and the Englishman 0.51 per 90 minutes.

However, where Olmo really excels is when carrying the ball. He is a wonderful, fluid dribbler and uses his body to roll defenders with ease, just like Bellingham excels in. He is superb on the half turn and is able to glide past defenders once he has received the ball, with his impressive close control helping him keep possession.

In fact, he is actually statistically better than the Ballon d'Or contender when carrying the ball. Olmo averages 3.73 progressive carries per 90 minutes, 3.04 carries into the final third per 90 minutes, and 1.12 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes.

In comparison, Bellingham averages just 3.31 progressive carries per 90 minutes, 2.84 carries into the final third per 90 minutes and 1.01 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes. The only area the Englishman pips the Liverpool target in is completed take-ons per 90 minutes, with the former averaging 1.95, compared to Olmo’s 1.93.

Signing the Leipzig star could give Liverpool their answer to Bellingham, who they targeted last summer, although pulled out of a deal before his move to Real Madrid. Instead, signing the Spanish sensation could add a like-for-like option to their squad, raising the technical ceiling given Olmo’s excellent ability on the ball.

For £51m, it could certainly be a deal that offers a great option for Liverpool this summer, and start the Slot revolution in the best possible way. It would not be an easy deal to do, given the other clubs targeting him, but he would be a superb signing, and, as Guardiola said, they would be signing an “incredible” player if they brought him to Anfield.

Liverpool eyeing up “world-class” £50m star who’d finally unlock Nunez

Arne Slot would wield quite the frontline by getting his hands on this long-time Anfield target.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 28, 2024

Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui has had minor surgery after suffering heart palpitations.

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• Mazraoui suffered heart palpitations
• Full-back has had corrective surgery
• Will be out for a few few weeks

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The right-back was substituted at half-time against Aston Villa on Sunday with coach Erik ten Hag later explaining that he had to be taken off and would be sent to be examined. He subsequently withdrew from the Morocco team this week.

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• AFP
  

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  Mazraoui has now undergone corrective surgery, according to , after he experienced palpitations. He is expected to be out of action for a period, but United hope he will be available again in a matter of weeks.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mazraoui has made 10 appearances in all competitions since joining the Red Devils from Bayern Munich alongside fellow ex-Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt in the summer window. He is expected to make a full recovery as his condition is said to be fairly common.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mazraoui will continue his recovery in the wake of his surgery while United gear up for their match against Brentford on October 19. The Old Trafford club are unbeaten in their last five matches.

قرر هيرفي رينارد، المدير الفني لمنتخب السعودية استبعاد لاعب من قائمة الأخضر من منافسات بطولة كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26”.

وكان منتخب السعودية قد حقق فوزًا صعبًا على اليمن مساء أمس بنتيجة 3-2 في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في إطار لقاءات الجولة الثانية من مرحلة المجموعات.

ويتواجد منتخبا السعودية واليمن في المجموعة الثانية التي تضم إلى جوارهما العراق والبحرين.

ونشر الحساب الرسمي لـ منتخب السعودية عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “X”: “استبعد المدير الفني للمنتخب الوطني هيرفي رينارد اللاعب ياسر الشهراني من معسكر الأخضر في دولة الكويت المشارك في منافسات كأس الخليج 26”.

طالع | ترتيب المجموعة الثانية في كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26” بعد خسارة العراق وفوز السعودية

واختتم: “وذلك بناءً على التقرير الطبي المقدم من الجهاز الطبي للمنتخب، والذي أكد حاجة اللاعب لبرنامج علاجي وتأهيلي يمنعه من المشاركة في المباريات القادمة للبطولة”.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب السعودية أمام منافسه العراق مساء السبت المقبل في ختام لقاءات مرحلة المجموعات من بطولة كأس الخليج 2026 “خليجي 26”.

المدير الفني للمنتخب الوطني " @Herve_Renard_HR " يستبعد "ياسر الشهراني" للإصابة 📝 🔽#معاك_يالأخضر pic.twitter.com/pFmdTifRkz

— المنتخب السعودي (@SaudiNT) December 26, 2024

“I have been very fortunate I haven’t been smacked around yet, but that’s going to come unfortunately”

Shashank Kishore24-Oct-20207:36

Has Chris Morris fixed RCB’s death bowling issues?

Six weeks into IPL 2020, Chris Morris has been hailed as the change Royal Challengers Bangalore needed. He provides spark with the new ball, cleans up lower orders at the death, gives them an imposing presence on the field with his rocket arm, and brings with him the potential to be a finisher. To understand why he has been such a key part of the jigsaw, let us rewind to December 2019.It is the build-up to the mini-auction in Kolkata. The Royal Challengers want Morris at any cost. At each of their mock auctions, the price for him has shot through the roof. However, Mike Hesson, the director of cricket, keeps going. It isn’t out of desperation, but because of their innate belief on an X-factor player.Forget about having someone of the skillsets Morris has – 140kph plus, can turn up at the death and nail yorkers, besides hitting big from the outset. The Royal Challengers have struggled to just have a consistent allrounder in their set up. In 2016 and 2017, they had Shane Watson. Then in 2018 and 2019, they had Marcus Stoinis. Neither thrived, for a variety of factors – not least being the chop-and-change policy they’ve since shelved for consistency. Kolkata Knight Riders have Andre Russell. Mumbai Indians have Kieron Pollard. Chennai Super Kings have Dwayne Bravo. There’s a reason the Royal Challengers want him.On auction day, the Royal Challengers enter the bidding at INR 1.7 crore, and go right through to the end. They even discuss among themselves the prospect of placing a next bid after raising the paddle at INR 10 crore. Mumbai Indians back out, Hesson and Katich quietly celebrate. They’ve got their man.Fast-forward to September 2020. Royal Challengers have just finished their mandatory quarantine, and are training at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Morris is among the last to turn out to bat, after an exciting first net session with the ball. As Morris swings hard, he feels a pull in his stomach and immediately knows something is off. A precautionary scan reveals a strain to the stomach muscle. It’s just week one, and while there’s three weeks to go for the tournament to begin, Morris isn’t part of much of the build-up. But because he’s such an integral member of the squad, they’re giving every opportunity to put himself back on the field.Chris Morris celebrates a wicket with Isuru Udana•BCCI

Sending him home after spending tons and tons of hours of time and energy at the mock auction, real auction, over numerous zoom sessions Hesson and Katich conducted in preparation for the season – both in March and August – individually to ensure all their players are up for it mentally, wasn’t even an option. It’s this sentiment of being made to feel wanted that seals Morris’ bond with his new franchise, his fourth in the IPL after the Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils.”Give me somebody who doesn’t like the feeling of being wanted – whether in sport, in a relationship or just in life in general,” Morris asks. “It’s just nice to feel important. The medical staff were incredible. For them to get me back on the park was really good. I’ve never had that type of injury before. It was a new thing for me.”The Royal Challengers’ physio office in their hotel wing is open at 7am every day. Players zoom in and out for their sessions, and Morris is regular. Six weeks of exercises, rehabilitation, rest – where he doesn’t try to risk himself to the extent of having a swing on the golf simulator – is all worth it. Morris is fit, and the Royal Challengers are readying themselves to bring him into the competition five games in. It may seem all good now in hindsight that they waited on him, but Morris himself was full of apprehension as he raced against time to be fit.”I didn’t know what to expect or how long it was going to take,” he says. “We worked really hard. It was a tough four and half weeks for myself and the medical team. We grafted in the gym, we grafted on treatment tables. It was day-in, day-out. I had the machine in my room treating myself throughout the night. Literally, I would wake up every two hours and ice myself throughout the night. It was a hard graft and here we are. We are happy to be playing. As a medical team, they were all happy I can get back on the field and start playing.”Morris immediately impressed in his first outing, against his former team Super Kings, by opening with 3 for 19 off his four overs. Since then, he has delivered one telling performance after another. So far, he has nine wickets in six outings. More than 50% of his 120 deliveries so far have been dot balls. His powerplay economy is an outstanding 4.5, with his death-overs economy pegged at 6.38.Chris Morris has been a valuable addition to RCB•BCCI

His Smart Economy of 3.67 is second-best to team-mate Washington Sundar. This component factors in the match economy, the phase of the game where he bowled and the pressure on his team after he bowled his overs. All of this points to something having worked for him lately. For Morris, this isn’t about the technical adjustments he has made. It’s mental. And it revolves around the philosophy that the next ball is the most important ball he’ll bowl.”Ah, I think I’m in a blessed position, to be honest,” he says. “So, there are high pressure points that you want to be in as a cricketer. That’s where you want to get tested as a cricketer. You get to bowl fast, bowl yorkers and smash sixes (laughs). What more do you want? I have been very fortunate. I haven’t been really smacked (around in IPL) yet, but that’s going to come unfortunately. That’s the nature of the beast — the IPL.”I just have to keep my clarity. The moment you lose clarity of what you want to do, that’s when everything gets side-tracked. The bounce-back ability needs to be good. As a new-ball and death bowler, you are going to get hit for six, you will get inside-edges for fours. It is about how you fix the next ball. If the next ball gets hit for a six, then just bowl the next, keep repeating, give your best. You have to continue to get better. Like I said, I’ve been very lucky, I have got wickets, I haven’t been hit for runs. I hope it continues, if it doesn’t it is about how you limit it. It is a tough game, but I enjoy doing it.”Morris agrees all the change in thought process has taken a while coming. A forced break due to Covid-19 somewhat hampered his plans. At 33, he’s more than past the halfway stage of his career, but Morris isn’t on the lookout to make up for lost time. Having been injured at various times in his career, experience, he says, has taught him to look at every opportunity as a blessing and how not playing with the fear of injuries and with a clear thought process of what he wants to execute in every game helps him balance out the good days with the bad.Chris Morris dives forward for a brilliant catch•BCCI

“I haven’t had muddled messages coming around,” he says. “It’s like ‘this is what I want to do’, ‘this is how I want to do’, and then you execute. If something goes wrong, you then go on to Plan B, because we have a Plan B. Or else, Plan C. What has worked for me is a lot of clarity and what the execution needs to be. We do a lot of homework. Everything that happens behind the scenes, we work so hard that by the time we get to the game, we know what we want and then it’s up to us to execute. Our plans are very clear.”Once you’re clear about what you need to do, it’s a lot more easier for Virat (Kohli) to worry about field placements and stuff because most of us know what to do by the time we get to the top of our mark. Playing under Virat is very good. The biggest thing for me is he expects excellence, he expects you to put the work in because he puts the work in. Like I said, behind the scene we’re putting all the work in. We’re thinking about the game even before we get into the game. So it’s been really good to play under him. He just exudes that energy that he wants to win all the time, like just want to get into the game. That’s what his attribute to the team is apart from performance. “Clear plans, hard work and fitness aside, Morris is soaking in the experience of mentoring young Indian fast bowlers. In an age where ‘mentorship’ is loosely thrown around every senior player, the Royal Challengers have walked the extra mile in ensuring senior members of their squad spend time with their paired-up juniors. It doesn’t necessarily revolve around just skillsets or fitness. It can be life lessons too, chats about what makes them tick, what doesn’t. How their life is back home outside of cricket. Incidentally, these were the lessons Morris says he learnt from “legend” Dale Steyn, who he now can call a friend. Morris couldn’t have imagined, when he was growing up in the diamond town of Kimberley, wanting to bowl fast, that he could even have a conversation with Steyn. Today, he has shared dressing rooms with him at South Africa and now at the Royal Challengers.Chris Morris had a big impact in his comeback match•BCCI

“Dale is a legend. Why I have been lucky is because he is not just a mentor, he is actually one of my friends,” he says. “I pinch myself every now and then and say, Dale is my friend. We love to spend time and do things together. We are also very similar in our interests of sport. We also have similar music tastes. So, we click very well and we speak a lot of rubbish together. I’m very lucky not just to have him in the change room but also as my mate. His inputs have been so important and valuable. For me, more important for me with Dale is not the stuff that we talk on the field but more the stuff the stuff we talk about off the field, in life in general. For a guy who’s been playing since he was 20 and to almost being 47 now, I’m joking. For him to be 38 and still do what he does is incredible. The stuff that we talk about and the stuff he brings to the team is invaluable.”What about life in a bubble? Surely that would’ve been challenging in the midst of a demanding tournament?”It’s been different, at the beginning I honestly thought it’ll be a lot worse, I will get bored and lose my mind, but luckily we’ve got a good bunch of guys,” he says. “The RCB management have been unbelievable by putting together that team room. That has been amazing. We’ve got a pool to ourselves, we’ve got a private beach. We had a barbeque [last week], all of us outside. It was awesome with cricket on the big screen. We’ve got a golf simulator, so we have got everything that we want. We’re lucky with the way RCB has spoilt us players, and all the effort they have put in to keep us happy and comfortable has been incredible. So for us, the bio-bubble has been really cool, a lot of fun and hopefully if we get to spend an extra week, hopefully we do, it’ll be quite nice.”

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is personally eyeing a £90 million Barcelona duo, with his transfer plans starting to take shape ahead of the summer.

Signings Chelsea could make for Maresca this summer

The window's opening on June 14 is fast approaching, and reports suggest that Maresca is set to be backed by Chelsea chiefs, following his appointment to replace Mauricio Pochettino before next season.

Maresca wants to make £75,000-per-week ace the heartbeat of Chelsea's team

The Italian has already got his preferred players in mind.

ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2024

Chelsea have made an offer to Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo as one potential option to bolster Maresca's backline, with the Englishman out of contract at the end of next month and able to sign for the Blues on a free deal.

Meanwhile, it remains the case that co-Chelsea sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are targeting a prolific new striker as well. Indeed, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea could make five signings for Maresca when the window reopens.

"They like his ideas and believe he’s a very positive coach – a dynamic, modern, young manager obsessed with possession football to control a game," said Romano on Chelsea's appointment of Maresca (via his Dailybriefing).

Games managed

53

Wins

36

Draws

4

Losses

13

Points per match on average

2.11

"I said last week when Chelsea were considering firing Mauricio Pochettino that this was the kind of manager they wanted, and here he is. And remember – it will be a busy summer for Chelsea, with around five signings, maybe less, maybe more, but for sure they are looking at goalkeepers, maybe or one or two centre-backs, and they’re also looking at central strikers and wingers. Chelsea will be busy, and Maresca will be involved.

"Of course, one signing is already agreed and that’s for talented Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian – everything is being reviewed and signed for this big signing for the future, who will join in 2025 from Palmeiras."

Some reports have claimed that La Liga could be a fruitful talent pool for Stamford Bridge chiefs, and specifically Barcelona. Chelsea are targeting centre-back Ronald Araujo as one example, with the likes of Jules Kounde and Raphinha also linked.

Kounde is thought to command a £43 million price tag, while Raphinha could leave Barcelona for around £47 million. The £90 million duo, as per reports in Spain, are now on Maresca's personal radar.

Maresca personally wants Kounde and Raphinha at Chelsea

A Spanish report this week claims Maresca wants both Kounde and Raphinha at Chelsea, as he identifies his summer targets behind the scenes. The former Man City backroom staff member is apparently set to make "significant" demands, with Maresca looking to reshape Pochettino's squad in his own image.

Raphinha bagged nine goals and 11 assists across his appearances in La Liga and the Champions League last season, with 25-year-old France international Kounde starting 32 Spanish top-flight matches as a mainstay under Xavi.

Since the arrival of new manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have worked quickly in the transfer market.

Tosin Adarabioyo became the first signing of the Italian’s era, and it looks set that a striker will be the next priority target, with Marc Guiu up next.

Plenty of household names have been linked with a move to the Blues, but there are some players who are ready to depart.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a current Chelsea player who could head for the departure lounge this summer.

Omari Hutchinson could leave this summer

According to a report from Football.London, Omari Hutchinson could be on his way out of Stanford Bridge before next season.

It’s said that Ipswich Town are ready to make an offer for last season’s loanee, which is expected to be around £20m.

The Blues will demand a higher fee than that, potentially around the £30m mark, and for Hutchinson, a move away is a ‘serious option.’

However, what may concern the Chelsea faithful is that he has previously hinted that he's keen to depart and permanently stay with the Tractor Boys.

Hutchinson could be Chelsea’s own Cole Palmer disaster

While spending the 2023/24 season at Portman Road, Hutchinson developed into one of the finest attackers in the entire Championship.

Despite only starting 20 league games, the Jamaican played a huge role in helping Kieran McKenna’s side earn promotion, particularly towards the end of the campaign.

Overall, the winger made 44 appearances, and across these matches, he scored an impressive ten goals, including three in the final three matches of the season.

On top of that, Hutchinson provided five assists, and he finished the campaign as the club’s fourth-highest goal contributor, despite his fewer minutes.

Hutchinson vs Madueke vs Mudryk 23/24 League Stats

Stats (per 90)

Hutchinson

Madueke

Mudryk

Goals

0.41

0.43

0.29

Assists

0.16

0.17

0.11

Shot-creating actions

3.81

4.36

3.43

Successful take-ons

2.05

3.16

2.23

Progressive carries

5.99

6.50

5.25

Tackles

2.21

1.37

1.20

Via FBref

As you can see from the table above, Hutchinson proved to be just as influential for his side as Mykhalo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, who’ve operated on the flanks for Chelsea.

The 21-year-old was the catalyst for plenty of attacking scenarios for Ipswich, whether that was by using his elite vision, weaving past defenders, or simply having intensity off the ball.

This is why football scout Antonio Mango labelled him an “outstanding” talent, yet it also makes him similar to Cole Palmer, in regards to his ability to win a game on his own.

Last season, Palmer joined Chelsea for £40m from Manchester City in search of game time, and his development under Mauricio Pochettino was sublime.

The versatile attacker scored 22 goals and registered 11 assists in the Premier League while also picking up the Premier League Young Player of the Season Award, and the sale of a homegrown product looks to have been a huge mistake by Pep Guardiola.

Now, given the quality of Hutchinson, Chelsea are at risk of repeating City’s woes if they do sell the creative gem, especially off the back of a season where he progressed brilliantly.

Although the competition in the Chelsea attack is extremely strong, Hutchinson has more than enough talent to have a future at the club, but if he does leave, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his departure become a Blues howler in the future.

Related No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea

Chelsea are set for a busy summer with plenty of signings expected.

Posts ByTom Lever May 29, 2024

Erik ten Hag has confirmed he will hold imminent talks with INEOS after Manchester United's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday.

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United drew at Villa ParkTen Hag under immense pressureInsists United are progressingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United drew 0-0 at Villa to confirm their worst ever start to a Premier League season. The club have now taken just eight points from seven games, a tally that leaves them 14th in the table. They have won just one of their last five league encounters.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As a result of a terrible opening to the season, Ten Hag has accepted that he will need to speak with INEOS but has also, bizarrely, claimed that his side are moving in the right direction. Ten Hag was reportedly given two games to save his job, against Porto and Villa, but has seen United draw both, leaving his future up in the air.

WHAT TEN HAG SAID

Ten Hag was asked if INEOS' attendance at Villa was a concern and replied: "So I don’t have any idea that is different, because they should have told me. We communicate very open, very transparent.

"I speak continuously with them and just after the game I have to do my job, talk with the players, manage the players and answer questions from you. We always talk. Every week, I would say every day we talk, so I expect I will speak with them."

He added, to the BBC: "I think the performance of United was very good. Defending and in possession we controlled the game. We had that resilience, the whole season. We conceded three against Tottenham because we were down to 10 and we still went for the win. But for the rest this is our fourth clean sheet. This tells you we are in a good direction."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

After the international break, United face Brentford on October 19. It remains to be seen if Ten Hag is in charge.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na última terça-feira, Gabigol foi eleito o “Cara da Rodada” 18 do Campeonato Brasileiro. O atacante ganhou o prêmio após marcar três dos quatro gols da elástica vitória do Flamengo sobre o Santos, na Vila Belmiro, no último sábado. A votação popular ocorreu pelo twitter oficial do Brasileirão.

>ATUAÇÕES: Gabi comanda vitória do Fla sobre o Santos e recebe a maior nota

RelacionadasFlamengoFlamengo mira premiações e passaporte para finais em setembroFlamengo31/08/2021FlamengoNo sub-16, Mateus Pipino revela desejo de fazer história pelo Flamengo e inspiração em DiegoFlamengo31/08/2021FlamengoGarotos do Ninho recebem e ouvem palestra de Tinga no Ninho do UrubuFlamengo31/08/2021

Gabi concorria com Nino, do Fluminense, que terminou com 3,7% dos votos, Lucas Kal, do América-MG, que terminou com 3,8%, e Jô, do Corinthians, que terminou com 35,1%. Dessa forma, o centroavante do Rubro-Negro Carioca ganhou a votação com 57,4% dos votos.

> Veja a tabela do Brasileirão

Inclusive, das cinco finalizações de Gabi que encontraram a direção do gol, três balançaram as redes. Ainda vale destacar que, com muita movimentação durante todo o confronto e com um hat-trick, o camisa 9 também se garantiu na Seleção do Torcedor da 18ª rodada do Brasileirão.

Agora, o Flamengo só volta a campo no dia 12 de setembro, um domingo, contra o Palmeiras. As equipes se enfrentarão no Allianz Parque, em partida válida pela 20ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Ele que é o dono da festa. Aí, @papatinho… Quando ele tá loiro, exqueeeece! Barba, cabelo e bigode para ser eleito pela torcida o #CaraDaRodada 18! Lil Gabi em ação igual James Bond. @Gabigol, do @Flamengo! pic.twitter.com/8tPOlcn5UX

— Brasileirão Assaí (@Brasileirao) August 31, 2021

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and the focus will, understandably, be on who Celtic could sign to bolster their squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers secured two domestic trophies in his first year back at Parkhead, winning the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup, but is still looking to improve his side.

The Hoops have been linked with moves for Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers, Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden, and Dundee star Luke McCowan, among others.

However, Rodgers could also strengthen his squad by unleashing some of the talented young players who were out on loan last season, and there is one such prospect who could be the manager's own version of Yaya Toure.

Yaya Toure's style of play

The former Manchester City and Barcelona star was an incredibly powerful box-to-box midfielder who could provide quality in and out of possession.

His strength on and off the ball coupled with his terrific surging runs and fantastic end product in the final third made him a menace to Premier League teams for many years.

Toure racked up 80 goals and 37 assists in 316 appearances throughout his time in England with the Cityzens, which is an average of one goal contribution every 2.7 games.

The 6 foot 2 titan also won 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game throughout his career at club and international level – showing that he was also willing to get stuck in to win possession back for his side.

Who Celtic could make their own Yaya Toure

21-year-old midfielder Bosun Lawal could be unearthed as Rodgers' own version of the retired Ivorian star by unleashing him in the first-team next season.

Like Toure, the Ireland international stands at an imposing 6 foot 2 in the middle of the park and Omer Riza, one of his former coaches at Watford, described him as a "powerful" talent who has the qualities to be "like" the former Premier League sensation.

His form at the base of Fleetwood's midfield in League One last season backs that claim up as the towering colossus showcased his quality in and out of possession.

Starts

40

Goals

6

Goals from outside the box

3

Assists

2

Big chances created

6

As you can see in the table above, Lawal provided an attacking threat from the middle of the park with six goals and six 'big chances' created in 40 matches, with half of his strikes coming from outside of the box.

In the clips above, you can see that Toure was also partial to a goal from distance and the Irish ace could offer a similarly exciting presence on the edge of the box.

Lawal also made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game, 0.2 more per game than the retired legend averaged in his career, and provided a dominant force in midfield.

He won 54% of his duels on the deck and a staggering 74% of his aerial battles, which shows that opposition players rarely got the better of him in physical contests.

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If the 21-year-old colossus can carry his exceptional form in League One over to the Scottish Premiership next season then he could become Rodgers' own version of Yaya Toure in midfield with his qualities on and off the ball, as well as his physically imposing presence.

If anyone thought that Birmingham City's relegation to League One would lead to a quiet summer they'd be dead wrong. Despite dropping down a division, the Blues are already opening talks for a signing with proven quality in both the second and third tiers of English football.

Blues build League One ready squad

In the wake of their relegation to League One, Birmingham have wasted no time rebuilding their side ready for life in the third tier. The Blues' recent retained list has seen a number of fan favourites shown the door at St Andrew's in order to make way for new signings.

First team players released

Neil Etheridge

Gary Gardner

Scott Hogan

Marc Roberts

Ivan Sunjic

First team players returning to parent clubs

Emanuel Aiwu

Oliver Burke

Andre Dozzell

Cody Drameh

Jay Stansfield

With a slew of players leaving the club this summer, it feels almost inevitable that the Blues' higher ups will quickly get to work bringing in new talent. Birmingham made their first signing of the summer when Ryan Allsop made the switch from Championship side Hull City.

The 32-year-old goalkeeper kept ten clean sheets in the league last season as the Tigers narrowly missed out on the playoffs. In bringing in a high level Championship keeper, it is clear that the Blues are building not just for next season in League One but hopefully the following season back in the second tier.

With this in mind, it now appears that Birmingham have opened talks for another player that has bags of experience across the Football League.

Blues open talks for Plymouth defender

As first reported by Football Insider's Wayne Veysey, Birmingham have opened talks to sign Plymouth Argyle defender Dan Scarr. Sources have told the outlet that the Argyle defender is in West Midlands club’s affordability range owing to the fact that he is out of contract in the summer of 2025.

Scarr may be a familiar name to some of the St Andrews' faithful, with the centre back making one appearance for the Blues back in 2018/19. Since leaving Birmingham in 2019 Scarr has gone to make a name for himself in the Football League, in particular during his 109 appearances for the Pilgrims.

The 29-year-old made himself a fan favourite at Home Park during the 2022/23 season, appearing 35 times as Argyle lifted the League One title. Scarr then went on to feature 31 times the following campaign as his side staved off relegation from the Championship.

The defender also earned significant plaudits from the coaching staff at Argyle with former coach Steven Schumacher singing the praises of the Englishman in an interview back in 2023, telling the press: "Dan Scarr was great when he came on. He did what he always does, he gets himself in the way. He's similar to Bolts, he heads everything.

"He defended really well, he was calm enough on the ball and didn't make too many errors. I'm really pleased to have him back."

If Birmingham are to get a deal for Scarr over the line, they will be picking up a quality League One centre back that is more than comfortable stepping up to the Championship.