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Alphonso Davies is reportedly close to signing a new contract with Bayern Munich, despite interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid.

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• Several clubs interested in Davies
• Star out of contract next summer
• Bayern close to confirming new contract

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , talks between Davies and Bayern have reached an advanced stage after the 24-year-old made some key concessions to the club in terms of salary expectations. The Canada international is contracted until July 2025 and some of Europe's biggest clubs began circling after Bayern refused to match his demands in the summer. However, reports suggest the two sides have reached an agreement and Davies is ready to commit to his future at the Allianz Arena.

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  Many clubs have reportedly been interested in Davies, with Madrid initially seen as the favourites to land his signature for some time, while Barcelona and United entered the picture recently as they look to strengthen at full-back.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bayern remain unbeaten in the league this season and Davies has missed just one of those games. Kompany's side have conceded just nine goals in 11 Bundesliga matches with the Canadian in the starting XI.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Bayern will hope to recover from their midweek DFB-Pokal elimination by getting back to winning ways in their home fixture against relegation scrappers Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday 7 December.

Enzo Maresca and his new Chelsea side begin their Premier League campaign by facing last year's champions, Manchester City, on Sunday.

Having already lost to them 4-2 in pre-season, Chelsea will be hoping to flip the script, and not come away from the game only scoring two goals, despite creating five "big chances".

On the day, Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu both spurned massive opportunities and if the Blues want to beat the best teams in the league, they will need to convert their big chances, hence the growing interest in a striker acquisition, particularly Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen has scored 65 goals in Serie A in his 108 appearances for Napoli, also providing 16 assists in that time. The 2022/23 Golden Boot winner is now very highly regarded and is seen as one of Chelsea's top targets.

Chelsea transfer news

According to French football expert Jonathan Johnson, via CaughtOffside, Lille striker Jonathan David, could be a story to keep an eye on going into the final weeks of the summer transfer window.

The expert stated that "it is possible that Chelsea or Tottenham could revisit their interest" in the forward before the window concludes.

The 24-year-old doesn't look like he is going to sign a new contract with Lille, and therefore, they will want to resolve his situation in order to avoid him leaving the club on a free next summer.

David made 47 appearances for Lille in all competitions last season, scoring 26 goals, providing nine assists, and totalling 3,615 minutes played.

David vs Osimhen comparison

Jacek Kulig described David as "superb" back in 2021, alluding to his excellent second half of the 2020/21 campaign, where he scored 11 times in 25 games.

David has shown his goal-scoring ability over the past few years, bagging 85 goals in his 185 games for Lille, including a 26-goal in 40 game season in 2022/23. So, he clearly find the back of the net, but what else can he provide?

David's best asset is his clinical finishing, and composure in front of goal, and this is massively backed up by his metrics. Averaging 0.66 goals per 90, whilst accumulating 0.66 xG per 90, and scoring at a rate of 0.21 goals/shot ratio.

Not only this, but the Canada star does this by taking fewer shots than Osimhen, averaging 2,76 shots per 90, whilst actually averaging more shots on target, despite having almost one whole fewer shot per 90.

One area Osimhen clearly dominates, though, is with his box presence, averaging over two more penalty area touches per 90, and more than double the number of aerials won per 90. This is a profile Chelsea have been lacking for some time now, and David, whilst being a clinical finisher, doesn't bring that same physical profile of an Osimhen.

That said, David – whom journalist Tony Marinaro described as "one of the best strikers in the world" – would offer Chelsea a much cheaper alternative to Osimhen, whilst bringing a higher level of clinical finishing.

The main question, though, would be whether he offers enough in the finishing department, to abandon their desire for a box dominator.

He's like Henry: Chelsea could sign a £100m Omorodion & Osimhen alternative

Chelsea looking at Omorodion alternatives

By
Connor Holden

Aug 12, 2024

Manchester United sacked Dan Ashworth just five months after signing him from Newcastle United, and the compensation fee has now been revealed.

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• Man Utd part ways with Dan Ashworth
• Signed Ashworth just five months ago
• Red Devils compensation to Newcastle revealed

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester United announced that they had parted ways with sporting director Ashworth on Sunday evening. It has been revealed that the Red Devils made the decision after the working relationship deteriorated between the top brass after the decision was made to sack Erik ten Hag and Ashworth is said to have failed to “provide clear, compelling arguments for who to bring in”.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manchester United brought Ashworth to Old Trafford in the summer as INEOS looked to overhaul the way the club's sporting department was run under the Glazer family's ownership. It has now been revealed by The Times that the Red Devils paid close to £5 million ($6.3m) which is quite a ways off from Newcastle United's original demand of £20 million ($25.5m).

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  After spending £200 million on five players during the summer transfer window, United has very little money to invest in the January window. Although just three of the acquisitions (Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui) were made after Ashworth's hiring, it is probable that he was informed of the club's efforts to recruit Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro. Out of all the signings, only Mazraoui has succeeded at Old Trafford.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  It remains uncertain what Manchester United want to do with the vacant sporting director slot as they enter the January transfer window. As such, the player recruitment duties may now fall to Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox and new boss Ruben Amorim.

Pep Guardiola confirmed that Ruben Dias will be out for up to one month with a muscle injury he sustained in the derby loss to Manchester United.

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• Dias missed five matches in November with calf issue
• Picked up another muscle injury against Man Utd
• Likely to remain sidelined for a month

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dias, who has featured in 19 matches across all competitions this season and started in 12 of City’s 16 Premier League games, picked up a muscle injury late in the match against United. He had missed five matches in November due to a calf injury but it had been smooth sailing for the Portuguese defender until that setback.

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  Adding to Guardiola’s selection concerns is uncertainty over the availability of goalkeeper Ederson. The Brazilian is a doubt for the Villa clash and in his absence Stefan Ortega, who started three Premier League matches earlier this season when Ederson was benched, could once again take his place between the posts.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  At a press conference on Friday, Guardiola said, "Ruben is out for a long time and Ederson, I don’t know if he will be ready for tomorrow. It will be three to four weeks (for Dias). In the 75th minute against United, he felt something muscular, he is so strong and wanted to stay on the pitch and now he is injured."

  Despite the disappointing news regarding Dias and Ederson, Guardiola provided an encouraging update on defenders John Stones and Manuel Akanji. Both players have resumed training and may be available for selection against Villa.

  "Manuel and John, they are back training the last two days, so that’s good for us," he said. "I don’t know yet (if they will start on Saturday). Yesterday (Thursday), was their first training session."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  This injury means Dias will miss several important games, beginning with Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa. The defender is also ruled out for City’s Boxing Day clash against Everton at the Etihad, a trip to Leicester on December 29, and the home fixture against West Ham on January 4.

Glasgow Rangers have just over a week left to complete their remaining business before the summer transfer window officially slams shut next Friday.

The Light Blues have added Jefte, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, Vaclav Cerny, Robin Propper, Clinton Nsiala, and Liam Kelly to their squad so far.

There could be further additions to come before the deadline passes, though, after the Gers failed to qualify for the Champions League and failed to win on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership season.

It appears as though Philippe Clement's side still needs more quality to come into the group and they are now reportedly eyeing up a new winger to bring it.

Rangers eyeing swoop for Serie A whiz

According to a reporter in Italy, the Scottish giants have enquired about a deal to sign Fiorentina winger Josip Brekalo before the end of the window.

The journalist claims that the Light Blues have 'asked' for information about the Croatia international, as they look to bolster their options out wide.

Rangers are seemingly eyeing a swoop for the 26-year-old star and this latest update reveals that the player could move on from Fiorentina in the coming days, which suggests that they have a chance to secure his services.

The £34k-per-week wizard has the potential to be an excellent partner for current Gers striker Cyriel Dessers in the final third this season if they can get a deal over the line this month.

Why Brekalo would be a dream for Dessers

The Croatian ace spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Hajduk Split in his home country and caught the eye with his impressive attacking displays.

After a return of one goal and zero assists in 11 outings in the Serie A in the first half of the season, Brekalo registered a sensational eight assists in 12 HNL starts for Hajduk Split.

The Fiorentina loanee, who was once hailed for his "lovely" technique by journalist Josh Bunting, completed 1.9 dribbles and made 2.6 key passes per game in the HNL, to go along with two goals.

As you can see in the table above, no Rangers midfielder managed more than Todd Cantwell's 1.7 key passes per game in the Scottish Premiership last term, and three of those players – Cantwell, Borna Barisic, and John Lundstram – are not currently in the first-team squad.

This suggests that Brekalo could come in and be a huge creative presence for the Gers if he can translate his form in the HNL over to the Premiership.

Dessers, therefore, would love the winger as his statistics suggest that the Croatian wizard would create chances for the striker on a regular basis.

The Nigerian marksman scored 16 goals in the Premiership last season and has started the current campaign with three goals in five appearances in all competitions.

Rangers could forget about Hagi in swoop for "terrific" £3k-p/w gem

The Light Blues are in a difficult position with the Romania international this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 20, 2024

Brekalo arriving at Ibrox (Hampden for now) would provide the centre-forward with another source of creativity to derive goals from in the coming months, which is why they could be an exciting pairing for the Light Blues.

It is fair to say that Everton have made a poor start to the new season. The Toffees have played two games in the Premier League so far, losing 3-0 to Brighton at home and suffering a 4-0 loss away to Tottenham Hotspur.

There is still time for Sean Dyche’s side to get new signings in the door, however, with the transfer window still open for another two days. They have recently been linked with one man who could add plenty of experience and creativity in attack.

Everton target Premier League defender

The player in question here is Newcastle United and England international right-back Kieran Trippier. According to a report from The Athletic, the Toffees are ‘among the clubs showing interest’ in signing the defender before Friday’s deadline.

The report explains that the 33-year-old’s ‘future is in the balance’ at the moment, but if he does depart St James’s Park, Everton are one side who could make a move. Football Insider recently reported that a bid of £15m would be enough to acquire his services.

Why Trippier would be a good signing

Although the former Spurs full-back has fallen out of favour under Eddie Howe in recent weeks, there is no doubting his quality on the ball. During his time at Newcastle, Trippier has played 93 games, scoring four goals and registering 23 assists.

That included ten assists in just 28 top-flight games last term. That was the joint 3rd most in the Premier League and four more than the leading Everton player for assists as per Sofascore. That would be the difference Trippier could bring to Goodison Park; quality in the final third, particularly from crosses.

Over the past two seasons, he has statistically been one of the Premier League’s best crossers, and can often be seen marauding down the right wing looking to whip crosses into the penalty area. Moments like these led Sky Sports presenter Dougie Critchley to describe him as "the best right back in Europe".

According to FBref, he ranked in the top six for crosses into the penalty box last season, with 19, and second in the 2022/23 campaign, with 26, bettered only by Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, as per FBref.

In terms of his numbers per 90 minutes on FBref, the 33-year-old averaged 0.68 crosses into the penalty box, which ranked him in the 78th percentile, and 8.89 crosses which placed him in the top 2%.

This is certainly something that Dominic Calvert-Lewin can benefit from. The 27-year-old had a tough campaign last season, scoring seven goals and grabbing two assists in 32 Premier League appearances.

For a number of years, the Toffees number nine has been renowned as one of the biggest aerial presences in the Premier League. Over the last 365 days as per FBref, the Everton striker has won an average of 5.68 aerial duels per game, which ranks him in the top 7% of strikers in Europe. He also has a 49.5% success rate, placing him in the 73rd percentile.

Given Trippier’s crossing ability, which is among the best in the Premier League, and Calvert-Lewin’s proficiency in the air, it could be a match made in heaven.

With the Toffees yet to score a league goal this season, it could be a smart move to make to help bolster their attacking output and avoid a relegation fight once again.

He's a dream for Harrison: Everton make approach for late signing

Sean Dyche could be a busy man before the transfer window slams shut…

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 26, 2024

Pep Guardiola is "swimming for his life" as he seeks a solution to Manchester City's crisis, claims Dwight Yorke.

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• City enduring miserable spell of form
• Have slipped to fifth in Premier League
• Guardiola's side face Villa on Saturday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City's harrowing 2-1 defeat to rivals Manchester United last weekend means Guardiola's side have just one win in their past 11 games in all competitions. The Catalan doesn't appear to have the solution to City's problems, which began at the end of October, and he's clearly feeling the pressure.

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  Guardiola committed his future to the Etihad Stadium side last month but the rebuild will be more exhaustive than he would have imagined. Never before has the 53-year-old experienced a situation like this, according to former Manchester United forward Yorke, who believes he is "swimming for his life" right now.

• WHAT YORKE SAID

  "As a manager, you try to analyse Pep over the years. You look to him as the standard-bearer and he's quite right, he's never been in this position, so it's an uncharted water for him. We have to see him swim for his life in many respects," Yorke, head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national team, told sportslens.com.

  "Someone of his ability and huge success, it just shows you how the game changes and how difficult it is to operate at the top of the game as a manager. Even though he is a student of the game, continuing to learn, there is always something unexpected that challenges you."

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• 'PEP IS TO BLAME'

  Yorke argues that Guardiola's own stubbornness is preventing him from getting City back on track.

  "He is to blame for what is happening at City. Part of the reason City haven’t won many games recently is because Pep is stubborn," he added.

  "This is my take on it, I might be wrong, and I’m not saying this lightly, but when you're that great a manager, you become set in your ways in terms of how you set your team up. If you divert from those ideas, if you start changing and chopping, going away from your philosophy and ideas, it creates uncertainty within your players’ minds and doubts start to creep in.

  "After a couple of games where City have lost, you think, ‘okay, I get what he's doing,’ but he's got players on the bench and he’s not using them. He doesn't make changes until it’s too late, even when he’s getting beaten. Normally a manager would not panic, but they would at least try to make some changes to get back into the game, but sometimes he leaves his best players on the bench, and people are scratching their heads."

Paul Pogba wore a vintage Zinedine Zidane Juventus shirt as he did keepy-uppies in a beach at Dominican Republic.

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• Pogba donned Zidane Juventus shirt
• Did keepy-uppies on a beach
• Will return to competitive football in March

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Manchester United and Juventus star Pogba is on holiday in Cabrera, Dominican Republic as he did keepy-uppies on a deserted beach while wearing a vintage Bianconeri shirt with Zinedine Zidane written on its back. The Frenchman shared a photograph and video on Instagram with the caption: "Meditation."

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  The French midfielder had his doping ban reduced last year following an appeal to the Court of Sports Arbitration (CAS) and he will now be able to start training with a team at the start of the new year and will be allowed to return to action in March. Once his ban was reduced, he terminated his contract with Juventus on mutual terms and is currently a free agent.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 31-year-old has started training on his own and has hit the gym to get back to his best shape before returning to football. Last month, his wife Maria Zulay shared a photo of the player hard at work on Boxing Day.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

  The French World Cup winner has been linked with a move to several clubs including teams in the Saudi Pro League and the MLS. He has also been tipped to join Marseille and reunite with former United team-mate Mason Greenwood in Ligue 1. It remains to be seen where the midfielder eventually heads to.

The summer transfer window officially slammed shut last week and Celtic can now fully focus on the squad that they have at their disposal, until January at least.

Brendan Rodgers knows the players he will be able to work with, barring injuries or suspensions, over the next few months, which will surely come as a relief after a summer of speculation.

The Northern Irish head coach lost Matt O'Riley, who joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, but was also able to bolster his side with a host of new additions.

Deadline day last Friday saw three players walk through the doors at Parkhead, with Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, and Auston Trusty all coming in on permanent deals.

The Hoops had already added Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo, Alex Valle, Viljami Sinisalo, and Kasper Schmeichel to the group prior to that trio of signings.

Bernardo and Idah had already been on loan in Glasgow during the 2023/24 campaign and Celtic moved to bring them both back to Scotland on permanent deals.

The Irish centre-forward was snapped up after catching the eye in the second half of last season and he will be hoping to push Kyogo Furuhashi for his starting spot.

Adam Idah's Celtic form

The 6 foot 3 attacker joined on a short-term loan deal from Norwich City at the end of the winter transfer window to bolster Rodgers' attacking options.

It did not take him long to make his mark in Scotland as the young marksman hit the ground running and impressed with his performances in the Scottish Premiership.

The 23-year-old number nine produced nine goals and two assists in 19 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, eight of those goals came in the Premiership, despite him only starting five times, and this illustrates his impact in the final third in such a short time.

Idah also scored a 90th-minute winner in the SFA Cup final against Rangers at Hampden Park in the last appearance of his loan spell, reacting to Jack Butland's weak parry to slot the ball into the back of the net.

Celtic decided to sign him permanently after that impressive loan stint and they reportedly agreed a £9.5m deal, with a guaranteed payment of £8.5m, to land the striker from Norwich.

However, he has started his second spell at the club with zero goals in two appearances and the Irishman may need to watch out as the club have another Irish centre-forward out on loan who could be unearthed as a Kyogo upgrade instead of Idah – Johnny Kenny.

Johnny Kenny's impressive loan form

The Ireland U21 international, who only turned 21 in June, is currently on loan with Shamrock Rovers and has caught the eye with his performances in the final third.

Celtic signed the young marksman in the January transfer window of 2022 after he had produced 12 goals and two assists in 34 first-team matches for Sligo Rovers as a teenager.

Kenny fired in three goals in six matches for Celtic B in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign and was deemed too good for academy football, as he was sent out on loan to Queen's Park the following season, where the youngster failed to score in 12 outings.

Shamrock Rovers then swooped in to land him on loan in January 2023 and the forward racked up five goals and one assist in 30 Premier Division matches, with 17 starts in total.

As you can see in the table above, Kenny has upped his game in 2024 and emerged as a prolific scorer in the Irish top-flight, with 11 goal contributions in 13 starts.

The 21-year-old attacker, who was hailed as a "different animal" to last year by manager Stephen Bradley, also managed two goals in three Champions League qualifiers this season, which means that he has scored 12 goals in all competitions in 2024.

His terrific form in front of goal this year should come as a warning to Idah, because it shows that Celtic have another incredibly talented young striker who could develop into being an upgrade on Kyogo, if he can translate his current form over to the Premiership.

Why Celtic may need an upgrade on Kyogo

Despite his impressive strike against Rangers in the first Old Firm clash of the season at Parkhead last weekend, the Japan international's powers have been waning over the past 12 months.

The 29-year-old marksman had failed to score in the first three Premiership matches of the season before his goal against the Gers, and has missed six 'big chances' in his four outings.

This suggests that his finishing has been wasteful so far this term and that is in line with his form from the 2023/24 campaign under Rodgers.

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo's form in front of goal suffered a steep decline from the 2022/23 season under Ange Postecoglou to the following year under the Northern Irish boss.

The experienced forward scored 13 fewer goals and missed eight more 'big chances', which illustrates how incredibly wasteful the Japanese attacker in the Premiership.

Kyogo turns 30 in January and his declining form may eventually open the door for another striker to step in and take over as the first-choice centre-forward, unless he can rediscover his prolific touch in Scotland.

Sold by Rodgers: Celtic may have lost their own version of Bogusz

The talented young prospect moved on from the Scottish giants this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 5, 2024

Whilst Idah, who has just been signed for a minimum fee of £8.5m from Norwich, may feel like he is first in line, the ex-Canaries man should be wary of Kenny and his impressive displays for Shamrock Rovers, as the youngster has outscored (12) both Idah (nine) and Kyogo (ten) in 2024.

Ashley Young and his son Tyler shared a touching moment before their respective sides Everton and Peterborough United locked horns in the FA Cup.

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• Everton face Peterborough in FA Cup
• Ashley Young & son Tyler on bench
• Father and son could play each other

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Before Everton hosted Peterborough in the third round of the FA Cup on Thursday, 39-year-old Ashley and 18-year-old son Tyler came together on the Goodison Park pitch for a pre-match chat. Both Youngs were named on the bench but they could line up against each other late on in this cup encounter.

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  Young has enjoyed a glittering career, winning trophies for Manchester United and Inter Milan, and also playing for Aston Villa and Everton. If his son can get anywhere near that, he will have done himself proud.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Both Youngs will hope to help their respective teams reach the fourth round of the FA Cup on Merseyside on Thursday night. Everton will then continue their search for a new manager after sacking Sean Dyche before kick-off.