Ollie Palmer has played down the role that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney played in his decision to sign for Wrexham.
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Rap superstar Drake has aimed a cheeky jibe at Lionel Messi when placing a $300,000 bet on Canada to upset Argentina in the Copa America semi-finals.
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Mauricio Pochettino is still yet to discover his best starting XI since taking over the managerial role at Chelsea in the summer.
In fairness to the Argentine boss, the Blues’ spending habits over the last few years have not made it an easy task, with the club having enough players to field another full lineup.
However, some players have taken it upon themselves to prove why they deserve to be in the first team, with Cole Palmer being the perfect example – the Englishman providing 21 goals and assists in just 29 games for the club.
On the other hand, some have struggled to adapt to the league, with one individual, in particular, failing to live up to his hefty price tag and expectations.
Prior to his move to England, Mykhalo Mudryk was one of the most exciting wingers in Europe, with his goal and two assists versus RB Leipzig in the Champions League for Shakhtar Donetsk putting him firmly on the map.
That game was actually the Ukrainian’s only start during the European campaign, but Chelsea still saw enough to fork out an astonishing £88m for the inexperienced winger in January 2023.
The young forward was already a fan favourite at the Blues after turning his back on rivals Arsenal, who were also highly interested in signing the fleet-footed prospect last year.
The Chelsea faithful will have hoped for the “Ukrainian Neymar” to live up to his nickname, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig comparing the pair due to their “pace, dribbling, technique, ball control, creativity, and flair.”
On Mudryk’s first start, the Blues did see glimpses of his quality as he came on as a second-half substitute at Anfield and caused havoc against both James Milner and Trent Alexander Arnold, completing 2/3 dribbles and winning 6/8 ground duels while also showing his raw side when he missed two big chances.
Nevertheless, it was a positive start for the 5 foot 9 whiz, but since then, it hasn’t exactly gone according to plan.
Fast forward to today, and Mudryk hasn’t started any of Chelsea’s last six games, without even getting a minute in all of their last three – scoring three goals and registering two assists in 19 games this season.
Although the record isn’t terrible, that is still worse than Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling, who have seven and six league goals apiece this season and are the direct competitors to Mudryk’s left-wing role.
Sterling, in particular, has come in for his fair share of flak during his time at Stamford Bridge – notably being dubbed "too clumsy" by former Blues defender Frank Labouef – although as his recent goal against former club Manchester City showcased, the Englishman can still produce on the big occasion.
Some fans, pundits, and journalists have been extremely critical of Mudryk’s showings since joining the club, which is expected given his ridiculously high cost. Journalist Alex Batt didn’t hold back on his evaluation of the 23-year-old, who he dubbed a "flop" and a "disgraceful signing.”
Mudryk’s FBref scouting report from the last 365 days also indicates that he ranks among the lowest for some key metrics across Europe's top five leagues.
|
Mudryk's Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats |
Mudryk |
League Percentile |
|
Goals |
0.20 |
Bottom 61% |
|
Shots total |
1.96 |
Bottom 69% |
|
Progressive passes |
2.48 |
Bottom 79% |
|
Shot-creating actions |
2.94 |
Bottom 85% |
|
Successful take-on % |
40.0% |
Bottom 74% |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Overall, the signing of Mudryk – who has been dubbed "absolutely useless" by talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor – could turn out to be one that sums up Todd Boehly’s era at Chelsea. Spending a ridiculous amount of money doesn’t always bring instant success or quality, as proven by the Ukrainian thus far.
In truth, the winger is still young and has plenty of room to develop, but unless there’s a drastic improvement, he will never justify the fee Chelsea once spent on him.
Leeds United had a squad clear out last summer following their relegation from the Premier League, as they allowed a number of first-team players to move on either permanently or on loan.
The likes of Rasmus Kristensen, Jack Harrison, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson, and Marc Roca all left on loan, whilst Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo were sold, and Luis Sinisterra has since been sold to Bournemouth.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Whites will go on to regret any of the decisions made on any of those departures in the years to come.
Famously, Leeds lived to regret their decision to cash in on French forward Eric Cantona to bitter rivals Manchester United in November 1992, as they had a big shocker with him.
It was reported that the attacker did not have the best relationship with then-manager Howard Wilkinson, having had a falling-out with the boss, and that opened the door to an exit from Elland Road.
They were not prepared to rule out a move away from Yorkshire for the gem due to the 'toxicity' around him at the club, which allowed the Red Devils to swoop in and sign him for just £1m.
It was reported to be £1.6m at the time of the move before it was later revealed that the actual fee was £600k less, with the initial valuation given to temper the frustration of Leeds supporters.
In less than one full year at the club, Cantona had racked up 14 goals and five assists in 34 appearances in all competitions, and The Mirror claimed that high-profile stars within the squad could see the potential he had.
Unfortunately, that was not enough to make up for the fractured relationship with Wilkinson, and Leeds had to watch on as the France international went on to become a legend in England with Manchester United.
The legendary star hit the ground running at Old Trafford with a terrific return of nine goals and 11 assists in 22 Premier League matches during the 1992/93 campaign.
Cantona then plundered a staggering 18 goals and 12 assists in 34 outings in the top-flight throughout the subsequent season, which earned him the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in the division, which shows how highly he was rated by his peers.
|
Eric Cantona (Manchester United) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Premier League |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
|
1992/93 |
22 |
9 |
11 |
|
1993/94 |
34 |
18 |
12 |
|
1994/95 |
21 |
12 |
5 |
|
1995/96 |
30 |
14 |
11 |
|
1996/97 |
36 |
11 |
12 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
As you can see in the table above, the former Leeds star consistently provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals to help United to win four Premier League titles in those five seasons.
The mercurial talent, who former teammate Peter Schmeichel claimed "oozed confidence", ended his playing career with 81 goals and 62 assists in 183 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions.
Leeds, therefore, had a big shocker when they sold him for £1m, even with his less-than-ideal relationship with the manager, as he went on to win a Player of the Year award in the top-flight and played a crucial role in their rivals winning four of the next five league titles.
Women's soccer at the Games gets underway on July 25 and GOAL has all the information as the 12 nations involved announce their player lists
Emma Hayes' first tournament in charge of the United States women's national team might be the big talking point going into the women's football event at this summer's Olympic Games, but it is Spain that is the team to beat after triumphing at last year's World Cup.
It's an absolutely stacked tournament. Canada is out to defend its Olympic title, Australia comes into the Games after reaching the semi-finals at Tokyo 2020, while heavyweights such as Germany, Brazil and hosts France add even more star power to a tournament that, unlike in the men's game, is a senior – and thus highly valued – event.
It all kicks off on July 25, meaning there is not long to go now and, as such, all 12 nations involved have announced their 18-player rosters. GOAL has all the information you need to know about the squads for the Olympic women's football tournament at Paris 2024…
Tottenham are priming an unseen talent of theirs to become a future first-team star, according to a pundit this week.
In a recent statement to the press, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou spoke of his desire for the Lilywhites academy set up to improve.
Senior Tottenham source says club chiefs think forward is a "bargain"
Lilywhites officials believe he could be an astute summer signing.
By
Emilio Galantini
Mar 19, 2024
Bright talents like Oliver Skipp, Dane Scarlett, Troy Parrott and Jamie Donley have come through in recent years, with the north Londoners also bringing in fresh talent from outside N17.
Tottenham sensationally hijacked Barcelona's deal for Lucas Bergvall on January deadline day, and the Swede will fully link up with Spurs this summer when coming back from a loan spell at Djurgardens IF in his homeland.
Postecoglou, though, says his side will continue in their efforts to both improve Tottenham's production line and attract fine talent from abroad.
"It's like anything in life, you can try to sell a vision of something to someone but if there's tangible physical evidence of it [it's easier]," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's youth policy.
"Anyone who has watched us since I've joined will have seen the aspirations we have to be the kind of team we want to be. That's not just me saying it, we're actually doing it. OK, we're not the finished product by any stretch but we're giving young players an opportunity: Destiny, Pape and Micky [are] all guys in their early 20s who have already played significant roles.
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Tottenham's next league fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Luton Town (home) |
March 30th |
|
West Ham (away) |
April 2nd |
|
Nottingham Forest (home) |
April 8th |
|
Newcastle United (away) |
April 13th |
|
Arsenal (home) |
April 27th |
"So we're building a team. From our perspective it's pleasing and hopefully we become a club which is a preferred destination for talented young players. I've said the other day, there aren't too many hidden gems around. Everyone knows who the talents are. Hopefully our point of difference. I've always felt your football is your biggest selling point beyond anything else. Hopefully we're showing evidence of that which is helping us.
"I think we've got a lot of work to do in our academy and [academy director] Simon Davies is certainly one that is putting a lot of emphasis and priority there."
The likes of Tottenham starlet Mikey Moore are already garnering quite a reputation, but another who the club apparently rate highly is keeper Josh Keeley.
According to Spurs pundit John Wenham, who also regularly breaks academy news on his Lilywhite Rose social media channels, Tottenham may well be priming Keeley to become a future first-team star – with the youngster currently on loan at Barnet.
“I expect Keeley to jump up a couple of divisions next year after his loan this season," said Wenham.
“They like him at Tottenham, you wouldn’t have Vicario checking in on his progress if the club didn’t think he was important. They do like him a lot and it looks like he is being primed to one day become a first-team star at Tottenham.”
The Red Devils' tour of the United States has exposed the team's many weaknesses and left the squad depleted just as things start to get serious
Manchester United’s pre-season began with a dismal defeat to Rosenborg in Norway and Erik ten Hag telling his players their performance was “not the standard for top football” while telling them off for not being fit. It ended with a crushing 3-0 loss at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool in South Carolina.
In between there were wins over Rangers and Real Betis as well as a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, which came with the twin blows of Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro suffering long-term injuries. Many of the team’s most important players did not feature at all after going deep at the European Championship and Copa America, and they now have less than a week to fine tune themselves for the Community Shield against Manchester City.
United beat City the last time they met in the FA Cup final, when they staged a huge shock which ultimately led to Ten Hag keeping his job. United, though, now feel very much like the underdogs heading into Saturday, especially after City thrashed Chelsea 4-2 in their final pre-season game.
At best, the pre-season feels like a waste of time, albeit one United could not control due to so many big hitters missing it. At worst, it feels like a it has drained already tight resources and dampened the mood ahead of the new campaign.
While Everton have endured a turbulent few months off the field, with the club receiving a six-point deduction, manager Sean Dyche has done a great job this season, giving the Toffees a fighting chance of retaining their Premier League status once again.
Dyche's side currently sit in 16th place, four points clear of the drop one with a game in hand. However, that could change in the coming weeks, with the club set to have a hearing next week over their alleged PSR breach which could result in yet another points deduction.
The financial problems behind the scenes at Goodison Park have prevented Dyche from bringing in any major signings, with the club still trying to cut losses as and where they can.
However, the club are still paying one player within the current first-team squad a hefty weekly wage despite his lack of contribution so far in the Premier League this season.
Since his £30m move from Burnley back in 2017, defender Michael Keane has gradually fallen further down the pecking order, with the now 31-year-old looking past his best.
However, the former Manchester United defender was a good addition at the time, albeit for a huge amount of money.
Keane impressed in his first season at Goodison, starting 30 times throughout the campaign, helping the Toffees secure an eighth-place finish in the Premier League.
The defender remained a crucial part of the Toffees' backline for the 2018/2019 campaign, with Keane making 33 appearances in the top flight and looking to be worth every penny of his £30m pricetag.
His place as a starting centre-back would remain until the 2022/23 season, with the defender having to settle for less game time after the arrival of James Tarkowski, with Keane only featuring 12 times in the Premier League last season.
Despite his lack of match action, the defender would score a screamer in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham at Goodison Park, a goal that would clinch a vital point in the Toffees' bid for survival.
His minutes have decreased further this campaign, with the 31-year-old only making seven appearances in England's top flight and featuring for just 402 minutes under Dyche.
The "liability", as once labelled by pundit Trevor Sinclair on talkSPORT's breakfast show in April 2022, currently earns £80k-per-week at Goodison – a ridiculous amount of money for a player given his game time this season.
His current weekly wage is nearly four times more than youngster Jarrad Branthwaite, with the 20-year-old earning just £15k-per-week.
|
Players who earn less than Michael Keane at Everton |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Weekly wage |
|
Vitaliy Mykolenko |
£58k-p/w |
|
Beto |
£50k-p/w |
|
James Garner |
£30k-p/w |
|
Dwight McNeil |
£25k-p/w |
|
Jarrad Branthwaite |
£15k-p/w |
|
Stats via Spotrac |
|
Branthwaite, who's just received his first senior England call-up, certainly deserves a new contract at the club to reflect his importance to the side, with the former Carlisle youngster making 25 appearances – subsequently being subject to interest from Manchester United.
The club should look to offload Keane this summer, with the defender having one year left on his current contract at Goodison. His lack of game time so far this campaign is evidence that Dyche favours the likes of Branthwaite and Tarkowski over the 6 foot 3 defender, with Keane looking past his best in recent times.
The club should look to use the money from any sale and wages offloaded in Keane's potential transfer and put it towards tying Branthwaite down to a long-term deal this summer, to help fend off interest from Erik ten Hag's side or any other potential interested parties.
Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi-Martin has opted to leave the Gunners and is being linked with a move to Manchester United.
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Tottenham are thought to be confident of signing their top attacking target this summer, with talks underway.
Spurs have been busy in the two transfer windows since Ange Postecoglou’s arrival, with Daniel Levy and co bringing in a plethora of new players. Despite this, Postecoglou has admitted that his side still needs time in the market and on the training ground before they are at their best.
"We've got a lot of work to do still on the squad and I don't think we're anywhere near where we want to be. It probably will take a little bit more than three windows to get there, for sure.
"I certainly don't think we're one or two players away from getting to where I want us to be, nowhere near it. Some of that will be natural evolution. Some of it hopefully means we continue to get the improvement we've had this year from some of our players. If that happens over the next 12 months, then we'll be in a great position."
Tottenham ready to offer "important sum" for Serie A star as price tag set
The north Londoners are prepared to spend.
By
Emilio Galantini
Mar 28, 2024
You could make an argument that Tottenham are yet to replace Harry Kane, with the likes of Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner playing out wide. Tottenham are more likely than not to make Werner's loan deal permanent in the summer, but a new centre-forward appears to be of interest in north London.
Reports suggest that Tottenham are likely to sign an attacker this summer, and there have been a number of targets mentioned. For example, Union St. Gillosie striker Mohamed Amoura is a reported option for Spurs at a rumoured price of around £17 million, while more well-known names like Brentford star Ivan Toney are said to be in Spurs’ thinking as well.
Another name that has been mentioned is Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez. Spurs were thought to be among the favourites for his signature, and a promising new update has now emerged.
According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham have already made contact with Gimenez and are planning a summer swoop, with the Mexico international their top target to fill the No.9 position. In fact, it is claimed that Spurs ‘are confident of landing the Feyenoord frontman this summer and talks are intensifying’.
The report adds that Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, Lille’s Jonathan David, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson and Toney are alternative options.
Gimenez is still just 22 years of age and made the move to the Netherlands from Mexico outfit CD Cruz Azul in 2022. Since then, the left-footed striker has been on an upward trajectory which has resulted in rumours of a move to Spurs and even Real Madrid. This season, Gimenez has been in impressive form, scoring 24 goals and registering five assists in 35 appearances.
|
Santiago Gimenez's best performances 2023/24 |
WhoScored rating |
|---|---|
|
Ajax 0-4 Feyenoord |
10/10 |
|
Excelsior 2-4 Feyenoord |
9.31/10 |
|
Feyenoord 6-1 Almere City FC |
9.26/10 |
|
PEC Zwolle 0-2 Feyenoord |
8.55/10 |
|
FC Utrecht 1-5 Feyenoord |
8.42/10 |
He has also been hailed by former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt, who highlighted the player's speed as a specific attribute.
"He’s back here in the middle of the defenders and he’s really fast. Watching the keeper before he shoots, the rest. In my opinion, he is currently the best striker in the Eredivisie."