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Aston Villa have made some impressive signings during the current summer transfer window, using their stature as a Champions League side to lure the likes of Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana to the Midlands.

Unai Emery has missed out on a few players, however, with one recently moving to the Premier League, joining Chelsea – João Félix.

Aston Villa's interest in João Félix

With the signings of Onana and Maatsen signalling a big statement of intent by Villa, Emery was keen to ramp it up a notch by bringing Felix to the club before the end of the transfer window.

As recently as the end of July, Emery was showing plenty of interest in signing the Portuguese star, as reported by Sky Sports news editor Lyall Thomas.

He had spent last season on loan at Barcelona, and it was clear Felix’s future lay away from Atlético Madrid, with Emery viewing the playmaker as a 'dream target'.

Having secured a spot in Europe’s premier club competition, Emery was using that as an incentive to sign the former Benfica starlet, but when Chelsea began to flash the cash, it was all over.

He joined the Blues – 18 months after ending a brief loan spell at Stamford Bridge – for a fee of £46.3m, ending Villa’s pursuit.

The Spaniard could forget all about him by making a late swoop for Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling instead, however.

Raheem Sterling’s 2023/24 season in numbers

As reported earlier this week, Villa have held talks with Sterling over a proposed move to the Midlands before the window slams shut on Friday evening.

The winger, who is earning £325k-per-week at the Blues, would make for a lively addition to the current Villa squad, allowing Emery to add some depth to his attacking options.

Raheem Sterling's Premier League statistics during 2023/24
Goals	8
Assists	4
Big chances created	7
Key passes per game	1
Successful dribbles per game	1.5
Shots per game	1.6
Via Sofascore

His experience in the Champions League could come in handy. During his career, Sterling has scored 27 goals and registered 17 assists in 82 appearances in the competition.

Despite Chelsea’s dismal campaign, Sterling still registered 18 goal contributions in all competitions for the club.

Indeed, when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, the Englishman ranked in the top 8% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.4), while also ranking in the top 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (7.47), showcasing his attacking qualities in a side who were struggling.

These traits could make him a standout performer for Emery should he sign the winger. During England’s Euro 2020 campaign, Gareth Southgate hailed Sterling, saying: "He's been immense for us over three, four years. He knows we have the faith in him, that trust in him. His performances have been electric."

High praise for the winger and there is no doubt he could become key to Villa’s assault on reaching the top four yet again in the Premier League, while also allowing Emery to forget all about the failed capture of Felix.

While he may cost a pretty penny and demand a high wage, Sterling’s abilities would make him more than worth the money.

The next few days could prove to be exciting indeed.

Imagine him & Watkins: Aston Villa hold talks over Bailey & Diaby hybrid

He is available for transfer in the final few days of the window

By
Joe Nuttall

Aug 22, 2024

Glasgow Rangers delivered yet another subpar performance, this time in the League Cup, but the Ibrox side secured a victory which took them through to the quarter-finals.

In front of a sparse crowd at Hampden, St Johnstone more than matched the Light Blues throughout the first half, as the ‘home’ side failed to impose themselves during the tie.

Cyriel Dessers came on for Danilo at half-time, and he opened the scoring not long after joining the game, albeit in controversial circumstances.

The Nigerian had the ball in the net, but the whistle had originally blown for an apparent foul he committed in the buildup. After a VAR review, the referee awarded the goal.

Ross McCausland scored a second late on with a nice finish as the club secured a spot in the last eight.

Several players underperformed yet again, however, with captain James Tavernier continuing to look uninspired throughout the match.

How James Tavernier has performed this season

The Englishman hasn’t quite enjoyed the start to 2024/25 as he would have anticipated, registering just one assist in five matches so far.

Following a campaign which saw the defender score 24 times in all competitions, Tavernier would have looked to have bagged a few times at least at this stage of the season.

James Tavernier's Premiership stats in 2024/25

Goals

0

Assists

1

Key passes per game

2.5

Big chances created

1

Total duels won per game

4

Possession lost per game

25

Via Sofascore

Is this a sign of things to come? Tavernier failed to offer anything positive against the Saints on Saturday evening either, delivering a few crosses into the box without any success.

Journalist Michael McEwan criticised the right-back for his display, saying: “James Tavernier really does have the look of a guy who's going through the motions. Absolutely not a leader.”

Tavernier was given a match rating of just 6/10 by Glasgow World for his performance against the Saints at Hampden.

The £30k-per-week captain saw his bottle collapse towards the end of last term as the Light Blues lost both the Premiership title and Scottish Cup final against Celtic, without putting up much of a fight.

As a result, is it time for Philippe Clement to finally drop the player?

The candidates to replace James Tavernier

The most obvious player in the squad at present is Dujon Sterling. Last season, the former Chelsea youngster showcased his positional flexibility by playing across six positions, including stints at right-back, right-wing and the centre of the midfield for Clement.

While Sterling may not provide as much of an attacking threat in front of goal, his defensive abilities would more than make up for this.

Last season, the 24-year-old won 50% of his ground duels while averaging one tackle per game, despite averaging only 53 minutes each outing.

Another option could be unleashing Adam Devine, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Motherwell.

Again, he isn’t much of a force going forward, but considering he won 70% of his ground duels while losing possession just 5.4 times per game for the Steelmen, suggests he should perhaps be given a chance under Clement.

Tavernier has built up a reputation during his time at Ibrox, but this season could see that being unravelled if these poor displays become a regular occurrence.

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The Light Blues might need cover for the left-back area…

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 17, 2024

Neymar has hit back at "talker" Rodri after the Manchester City star told Vinicius Junior to "pay attention" to become a better footballer.

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Rodri beats Vinicius Jr to Ballon d'OrWinger told to "pay attention" to improveNeymar hits back at Man City manFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rodri was named the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner last month, pipping Madrid's Vinicius Jr to the coveted accolade. After the 28-year-old sent a warning of sorts to the winger, the Brazilian's compatriot Neymar has come to his aid with a dig at the Spaniard.

AdvertisementWHAT RODRI AND NEYMAR SAID

Rodri said this week: “I think he's [Vinicius Jr] an intelligent guy and he'll realise over time that the more he pays attention to the pitch, the better he'll be. Like everyone, he has areas for improvement both on and off the pitch. He's young, I'm sure that people will give him good advice and even more so when he's at Madrid. It's a club with values.”

Then, in an Instagram post, Al-Hilal's Neymar commented: "He [Rodri] became a talker now."

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There has seemingly been some bad blood over this Ballon d'Or award, which started with Madrid boycotting the Paris ceremony when they found out Vinicus wasn't going to win. And it seems these latest comments may just add fuel to the fire.

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While City's Rodri continues his recovery from a season-ending knee injury, Vinicius will be focusing on Madrid's La Liga trip to Leganes on Sunday.

Batsman insists he can still do the job in the shortest format, even though he hasn’t always been in the running for selection

Mohammad Isam25-Mar-2021Ross Taylor has said that he has eyes on the T20 World Cup later this year even though he hasn’t featured in the last two New Zealand squads in this format. He believes there is still enough time to return with the side set to play a lot of matches leading up to the main event in India.Taylor was speaking ahead of the third ODI against Bangladesh in Wellington, having been passed fit following a hamstring injury that kept him out of the first two games.”I think I’ve still got ambitions on the T20 World Cup,” Taylor said. “I think there’s still a lot to go. The selectors have wanted to give these guys the opportunity which is fair enough. This is a good format, especially in New Zealand, for getting these guys into international cricket, if they are not going to play a lot of ODI and Test cricket. T20 is the logical way of bringing them into the side.”In the last two years, Taylor has played 14 out of New Zealand’s 24 T20Is. He made 166 runs with two fifties against India last year, but saw his batting position go to new players like Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips. Taylor said that he was surprised to be dropped from the New Zealand team for the T20I series against Australia, and now Bangladesh. He got to play only four deliveries during the T20I series against West Indies in November last year.”It was a bit of a surprise, getting player of the year and facing four balls. I am not going to lie. You have respect their decision that this is a format to give the guys an opportunity to play.”I feel age is just a number. I am able to do a job that’s required. There’s a lot of cricket to be played in the winter. I will be around somewhere,” he said.After the Bangladesh T20I series at home, New Zealand are likely to play against Pakistan and Bangladesh again during their winter, ahead of the T20 World Cup. On Wednesday, New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said that they haven’t yet ruled Taylor out entirely from their T20 plans.”(New Zealand coach) Gary (Stead) has been working really closely and talking with Ross. Ross sits in behind those current group of incumbents that we’ve got now,” Larsen told stuff.co.nz. “As we said when we didn’t pick Ross originally it was a really tough decision and I’ll say that again because we know his pedigree and the quality. We know and Ross has stated to us that he’s still keen and he thinks he can still contribute. From our side as selectors that’s great. We always take the approach of ‘never say never’. We know he’s sitting there and if we needed to call for Ross then we know he’d be jumping out of his skin.”

Manchester United are believed to be pushing hard to complete the signing of a "really quick" gem this summer, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd transfer news

The current transfer window threatens to be one of the most productive at Old Trafford in years, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to have a big impact as co-owner. It could be a summer of many ins and outs at the club, with Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro already joining, coming in as exciting young prospects.

One player who has been linked with a move away from United before the 2024/25 season gets underway is Mason Mount, who struggled to impress in his first season at the club. It remains to be seen what the decision will be with him, but there is no doubt that more is needed from the 25-year-old.

An upgrade on the frustrating Antony could be required out on the right wing this summer, and Paris Saint-Germain attacker Xavi Simons has emerged as a rumoured target for the Red Devils. He may be looking to leave the Ligue 1 giants and showcased his talents at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands, scoring once and registering three assists at the tournament.

Meanwhile, young Arsenal attacker Chido Obi Martin has been linked with sealing a switch to United, with the 16-year-old a prodigiously young footballer like Yoro. Analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a "monster on the pitch", and he could have a massive future in the game.

Man Utd pushing to sign "really quick" player

According to Romano on X, Manchester United are "pushing" to sign highly-rated Arsenal teenager Obi Martin as soon as possible, as they aim to get a deal over the line with a decision from the Arsenal gem "imminent".

Snapping up Chido could be such a significant coup by United, not necessarily in terms of being an immediate key figure, but because of the incredible footballer he could mature into over time.

At just 16, the Dane is already making waves at Arsenal, with his towering frame allowing him to physically bully similar-aged players, with Ian Wright saying he "looks really quick", and coach Jesper Mikkelsen saying of him:

"Right now he is really dominant because of his physique, but I don't think that is the only reason. His greatest characteristic and challenge is that he really wants to score goals."

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He’s endured a spell to forget at Old Trafford.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 20, 2024

Snatching a major talent away from a huge Premier League rival could make it an even greater signing for United, with Arsenal no doubt wanting to keep hold of him, so snapping him up would feel like a real statement of intent.

With Michael Olise seemingly on his way to Bayern Munich this summer, Crystal Palace have reportedly wasted no time in making their first move to potentially sign an instant replacement.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles will be hoping to pick up where they left off under Oliver Glasner last season come August and have already started their summer business in pursuit of doing just that, welcoming Real Betis defender Chadi Riad and former Lazio attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada. Both players should hand Glasner quite the boost this summer.

Kamada expressed his delight at joining up with former Eintracht Frankfurt manager Glasner, telling the official Palace website: “I’m excited to be joining Crystal Palace, and to be working with Oliver – who is a coach I know well – again. I am looking forward to testing myself in the Premier League, and hopefully the club and I can achieve all of our objectives together.”

Crystal Palace lead race for "special" £55k-p/w gem that Glasner will love

He would be perfect for the Palace manager’s system.

ByTom Coates Jul 1, 2024

As Olise prepares to complete his move to Bayern Munich as per Fabrizio Romano, however, Kamada is unlikely to be the last name through the door at Selhurst Park.

According to TeamTalk, Crystal Palace have submitted an opening bid to sign Jaden Philogene from Hull City ahead of competition from Everton and Ipswich Town. It remains to be seen just how much they tabled, but previous reports suggested that the Championship side value their star man at as much as £20m this summer.

It's certainly a step in the right direction for those at Selhurst Park, who could instantly welcome a replacement for Olise. If last season is anything to go by, Philogene is certainly a player capable of completing the near-impossible task of stepping into Olise's role in South London next season.

"Unbelievable" Philogene can fill Olise void

Selling a star player for profit in the form of Olise before dipping back into the Championship to find the heir to that same star's role is certainly a sustainable model and one that Palace should be praised for. It's part of the reason why they have become a mainstay in the Premier League and the reason why they're now well positioned to cause a few shocks under Glasner and potentially with Philogene arriving.

Goals

12

10

Assists

6

6

Key Passes Per 90

1.67

2.54

Take-ons Completed Per 90

2.79

2.82

Philogene's output and successful take-ons stand out as traits that Crystal Palace will need the most in the absence of Olise. Having a player with such a direct threat to call on can quickly make the difference up against the Premier League's top six, as Palace found out last season when defeating the likes of Manchester United.

Now potentially handed the chance to step back into the Premier League for the first time since leaving Aston Villa on a permanent basis, Philogene will come back with plenty of praise under his belt. The winger attracted plenty of fans during his time at Hull, including former manager Liam Rosenior, who described his goal against Preston North End last October as "unbelievable".

Sergino Dest is proud to have played alongside Lionel Messi, but the USMNT ace has revealed when the Argentine lost his “feeling of fun” at Barcelona.

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• American defender joined Blaugrana in 2020
• Spent one season alongside all-time great
• Messi left for PSG before ending up in Miami

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As a product of the famed La Masia academy, and a record-shattering club legend in Catalunya, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was expected to spend his entire playing career at Camp Nou. That dream died, though, when forced to leave for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2021.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi was a 10-time La Liga title winner by that point, with four Champions League crowns to his name, and bowed out on the back of a seventh Copa del Rey triumph. Tears flowed when bidding farewell to Barca, but Dest says the South American GOAT had stopped playing with a smile by that time.

• WHAT DEST SAID

  United States international Dest, who joined Barca in 2020, has told of the greatest team-mate that he has worked alongside: “Messi, of course. You see him on YouTube, in video games… and suddenly he's there, in front of you. There was a good atmosphere in the dressing room the first year, he made jokes… then that changed and that feeling of fun was lost a bit.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Dest has now severed ties with Barcelona himself, with a permanent move to PSV completed on the back of a productive loan spell. The 23-year-old defender added when asked if he would like to return to Spanish football at some stage: “Yes! I hope so. I am very happy and very grateful at PSV, but I am ambitious and of course I would like to play in one of the five major leagues in Europe again. I think I have the level for it and with hard work and consistency I think I can achieve it, without a doubt. I don't know what will happen, but I would like to return to La Liga in the future.”

A big European club could sign one of Chelsea's first team regulars on loan this summer, according to a surprise report from the continent.

Players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer in rebuild

Ian Maatsen is on the verge of sealing a move to Aston Villa, as the Dutchman potentially becomes Chelsea's second high-profile exit after veteran defender Thiago Silva departed Stamford Bridge for Fluminense.

Chelsea ask Barcelona about signing young forward after Michael Olise snub

He’d be a “great investment”.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 22, 2024

Chelsea agreed a £37.5 million deal with Villa over Maatsen's sale, with reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano explaining earlier this week that the left-back's agents are just finalising the details of his contract.

"Chelsea and Aston Villa reached an agreement for the £37.5m sale of Ian Maatsen on Wednesday and I can say that the “Here We Go!” is expected soon," said Romano to GiveMeSport.

Appearances

16

Goals

2

Assists

2

Minutes played

1,269

"What is missing is the full agreement between Maatsen and Aston Villa on personal terms. There are still some details to clarify but I believe conversations are going very well. The full-back is keen on the move to Villa Park so now we wait for the player’s contract to get finalised. The agents are working on it, and then we should get the final green light on this transfer story."

In terms of who could follow Maatsen out of the exit door, Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, David Datro Fofana, Conor Gallagher, Malang Sarr, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, Omari Hutchinson and Conor Gallagher are players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer – according to various reports.

There have been some reports that left-back Marc Cucurella is not excluded from the conversation either. The Spaniard actually started all of Chelsea's final 12 league games last season, impressing under Mauricio Pochettino, and he has been brilliant for Spain at Euro 2024 as well.

Regardless, it is believed Chelsea could accept bids for Cucurella over the coming weeks, which would at least get his £175,000-per-week salary off the wage bill. They could be looking to recuperate a good portion of the £60 million they spent on signing him from Brighton, if they opt to sell him permanently, but a surprise report from Italy claims he could also depart on loan.

Juventus could sign Cucurella on loan from Chelsea

Indeed, Tutto Juve now say that Juventus could close a loan deal for Cucurella, dependent on certain details. A temporary deal with the option to buy him outright, but Chelsea will need to pay a portion of his wages if he is to swap the Premier League for Serie A.

It would be a bizarre move considering Maatsen's transfer to Villa, uncertainty surrounding Ben Chilwell after his England snub and how Cucurella is tipped to be a perfect fit for new manager Enzo Maresca.

"Maresca has an open-door policy and his philosophy should get the best out of full-backs," said journalist Ben Jacobs. "Marc Cucurella, who thrived in a late-season inverted role under Mauricio Pochettino, is the type of player perfect for Maresca's system."

Manchester United are ready to ramp up their sales this summer, and have made a recent signing available to potential suitors, according to the latest reports.

Ruthless Ratcliffe rebuilds Red Devils

The arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Old Trafford has bought with it the promise of mass change, and that is likely to extend to both Erik ten Hag and his players. Though no decision has officially been made on Ten Hag's future, the Red Devils are holding conversations with alternatives after a difficult Premier League season saw them finish eighth.

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The Red Devils legend isn’t messing around.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Jun 11, 2024

Meanwhile, there are reports that almost everyone is up for sale, with Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial having already said their goodbyes while Casemiro remains a target for Saudi Arabian sides. And he might not be the only Brazilian to leave.

United ready to cut losses on struggling star

Now, it has emerged that Manchester United are willing to sell Antony this summer, but that it may well be easier said than done. The 24-year-old has endured a torrid two seasons at Old Trafford, with his sixteen goal contributions just two more than the number of yellow cards he has picked up at the Theatre of Dreams.

Despite his early struggles, Erik ten Hag revealed he still believed in Antony's ability following a defeat to Brighton back in May 2023, claiming he had the potential to be a "great player".

“I think his passion is a strength,” the Dutchman began. “Of course, until a certain level you have to control it. But you need passion and desire to win your games and to win battles in the game. It’s true, it’s very strong with him.

“He is very ambitious. As I say, don’t go over the top, stay focused on your game and what the game needs. If he is doing that, he is a great player.”

But in the time since that has clearly changed, and the Brazilian has slipped down the pecking order at Old Trafford. He started just two Premier League games in 2024, and didn't even make it off the bench in the final two games of the season, finishing the campaign with just one goal and one assist to his name after 29 outings.

Signed for a massive £86m and handed a luxurious five year deal worth £200,000 per week, his value has deteriorated rapidly with Transfermarkt now suggesting that the Brazilian is worth just £21m, less than a quarter of what the club shelled out for him less than two years ago.

Antony's Manchester United career

Appearances

82

Starts

60

Goals

11

Assists

5

Yellow cards

14

And it is questionable whether or not United would even receive that fee for him, with the 24-year-old having failed to show any of the talent that made him so coveted at Ajax this side of the English channel. If they do though, they are now ready to consider it, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

"At the moment, the situation is really, really quiet", he told GIVEMESPORT. "In case they receive an important proposal, I think it will be considered by all parties."

Any deal to a club outside of Saudi Arabia would likely require Antony to drop his wages too, with few clubs in Europe able to offer the sort of money that he currently pockets at Old Trafford.

Though an altogether unlikely departure this summer then, it speaks volumes to his fall from grace that his exit is even being considered.

سجل فريق باتشوكا المكسيكي، الهدف الثاني أمام نظيره بوتافوجو البرازيلي في المباراة الجارية بينهما الآن في بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

ويشارك فريق بوتافوجو البرازيلي في كأس الإنتركونتيننتال، بعد التتويج بلقب كوبا ليبرتادوريس على حساب أتلتيكو مينيرو، بينما حقق الفريق المكسيكي سي إف باتشوكا، لقب كأس أبطال الكونكاكاف لقارة أمريكا الشمالية.

طالع.. مران الأهلي | كولر يحاضر اللاعبين وتدريبات قوية للحراس استعدادًا لـ نصف نهائي إنتركونتيننتال

وأحرز الهدف الثاني نيلسون ديوزا في الدقيقة 66 من عمر اللقاء من تصويبة سددها من داخل منطقة الجزاء لتغالط الحارس وتسكن الشباك.

وكان أسامة إدريسي قد سجل الهدف الأول لصالح باتشوكا في الدقيقة 50 بعد مرواغة رائعي لمدافعي بوتافوجو وتصويب الكرة في المرمى.

وتستضيف قطر النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال في نظامها الجديد من 11 إلى 18 ديسمبر 2024.

ويتقابل الأهلي مع الفائز من مباراة اليوم بين بوتافوجو وباتشوكا، في كأس التحدي في الرابع عشر من ديسمبر الجاري.

وتأهل الأهلي إلى نصف النهائي، بعد الفوز على العين الإماراتي بثلاثية مقابل لا شيء، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب استاد القاهرة. هدف باتشوكا الثاني أمام بوتافوجو