Sunderland will hope they can remain in sight of the automatic promotion spots up until May, with Regis Le Bris’ side the third and final challenger to Leeds United at the very top of the Championship tree.

Indeed, the impressive Black Cats sit only three points behind Daniel Farke’s precarious table-toppers, having clinched their 14th victory of the season to date when beating relegation-threatened Portsmouth by a solitary goal last match.

Le Bris won’t be a fool though in expecting his side to be able to keep up the pace with the Whites with what he currently has at his disposal, knowing that his squad is somewhat light on its feet owing to injury troubles.

Therefore, the Wearside outfit could snap up a classy operator in the middle of the park this January to boost numbers. Someone who has previously worked alongside the popular Frenchman could arrive…

Sunderland enquire about midfield signing

According to reports from Italy, the second-tier promotion hopefuls have enquired about the availability of AS Roma outcast Enzo Le Fee, with the enquiry an “explicit” request from Le Bris himself.

After all, the 49-year-old played a key role in the midfielder’s development at the Ligue 1 club, with a reunion now potentially on the cards owing to Le Fee’s lack of game-time under Claudio Ranieri.

This could be seen as a coup on the end of the Black Cats, considering the 24-year-old target cost Roma in excess of £20m to pick up just last year.

Now, he could be lining up for Sunderland as they hunt down promotion glory, with his addition to the ranks perhaps seeing him link up with Jobe Bellingham well, alongside offering a more experienced head away from over-relying on the likes of Chris Rigg to deliver the goods.

What Le Fee could offer Sunderland

Described as an “exciting” player by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Le Fee will be one homegrown talent Lorient are surely proud of, alongside once giving a platform to the likes of Illan Meslier who now plays for Sunderland’s promotion rivals in Leeds.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

He even scored against Paris St. Germain back in 2022 under Le Bris’ tutelage, as Lorient unexpectedly beat a Kylian Mbappe-led PSG 3-1.

A further eight goals and 15 assists came his way across 142 total games before he departed in the wake of his boyhood club’s relegation down to Ligue 2.

Le Fee’s numbers by position (last season at Lorient)
Position played	Games	Goals	Assists
AM	17	2	3
CM	14	3	2
DM	4	0	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, his impressive numbers from his final season at the French club – which saw him tally up five goals and five assists – could stand him in good stead to leave a lasting impression at Sunderland, with his adaptability to play all across the central midfield positions a big bonus.

After all, Le Bris has played the likes of Jobe Bellingham deeper in the middle of the park or as a number ten, and he could well do the same with Le Fee, but the new Frenchman might well complement the 19-year-old more by playing further back to enable the in-demand ex-Birmingham City man more freedom in attack.

The Sunderland number seven has a fierce shot like this in his locker, which means he is wasted by playing in a holding role. Meanwhile, Le Fee – based on the table above – can put together better numbers playing in a more reserved part of the pitch.

Yet, he can do a job in attack when needed, with the 24-year-old a far more well-rounded talent than Rigg too in this role, who does have four league goals next to his name for 2024/25, but isn’t the finished article by any stretch of the imagination.

With the starlet now out injured, Le Bris does need some boosts centrally, with a well-known figure to him in Le Fee perhaps giving his Black Cats side an edge in the ongoing promotion tussle.

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Feb 3, 2025

Ipswich Town have received a permanent January transfer offer to sell a player who Kieran McKenna has previously called “powerful”.

Ipswich Town transfer rumours

The Tractor Boys have been active in the winter market, making Ben Godfrey the club’s first signing of 2025. The former Norwich City defender joined on loan for the second half of the season from Serie A side Atalanta and made his debut for the club against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup.

Next to arrive at Portman Road will be winger Jaden Philogene. Ipswich agreed on a permanent transfer to sign Philogene from Aston Villa, who have since bolstered their attacking ranks with the arrival of Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund.

After Philogene, attention at Ipswich could be on outgoings, with Mckenna admitting defender Harry Clarke could leave on loan before the deadline.

“There’s a possibility that Harry Clarke will go out on loan. Me and Harry have had those conversations. He’s an important player for us, a very good player. He played through some injury at the back end of last season and had a big surgery in the summer, so he’s missed a few months of football.

“He’s had some minutes now in the Premier League, some exposure. But of course, for his age, as a young defender, it’s important to be getting minutes regularly for his progression and his role at the club. If everything is in a good place in the squad over the next week or two from an availability point of view, then there’s a chance that Harry will go out on loan to get some regular playing time, to keep pushing with his development.

“That’s the only one, really. Other than that, the squad is pretty tight at the moment. Everyone’s got a really clear role in the team and I wouldn’t expect too many changes to that in the next couple of weeks.”

One player already out on loan is centre-back George Edmundson, who is at Middlesbrough. There have been reports that Michael Carrick’s side were plotting a permanent January move for the Ipswich man, and it looks as if that offer has been made.

Middlesbrough make permanent bid to Ipswich Town for George Edmundson

According to Football Insider, Ipswich have received and rejected a permanent offer from Middlesbrough for Edmundson. The 27-year-old has been a regular for Boro under Carrick, and reporter Stuart Watson has provided further details on the bid that was made, claiming it was worth £350,000.

Edmundson is out of contract at Portman Road at the end of the season, and it looks as if Ipswich are open to selling for the right price, so it will be interesting if Boro return with an improved offer before the deadline.

McKenna has previously hailed the defender, who he chose to play against Liam Delap last season against Hull City, saying: “I just wanted to put George in tonight. We thought he’s been training really well, has played really well in the cup competitions and I thought his qualities tonight against Liam Delap would be really important.

“There are not many more powerful runners than George so we thought we’d put him up against one of the more powerful runners in the league.”

Former Premier League star Nemanja Matic wants 'box-office' Jose Mourinho to return to England.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Matic wants Mourinho to return to the Premier League
• Hailed the Portuguese coach as 'box-office'
• Matic's Lyon face Man Utd on Thursday

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Matic, who played under Mourinho at Chelsea and Manchester during his time in the Premier League, spoke highly of the Portuguese manager as the midfielder revealed that he wants the 61-year-old to return to England. Mourinho, who has won several titles in England, including three Premier League trophies, last managed Tottenham Hotspur in 2021.

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• WHAT NEMANJA MATIC SAID

  Speaking to , the Lyon star said: "He was the Special One. He has something different to other people and such a strong connection with the players. I can’t explain him in one answer, I’d need to make a full movie talking about him. I have so many stories about him."

  Matic then narrated an incident about the veteran coach as he said: "Well, this isn’t good for me, but we were playing against a team lower in the table at home and it was 0-0 at half time. We were playing badly. He came into the dressing room and started looking around. Instinct told me that he was searching for me. He was. I can’t repeat what he said, it is not fit to repeat. But at the same time, I knew that he wanted the best from me.

  "I knew him well and what he wanted. If you don’t know him well, then you can have a big problem with him. I felt that he liked me and respected me. The feeling was mutual and if you had good results, life was perfect. He’d give you as many days off as you wanted, but you had to give him back on the pitch."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mourinho has been at the centre of several controversies ever since he joined Turkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce. He was recently handed a three-game suspension for pinching the nose of Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk.

  Speaking on the manager's controversial nature, Matic added: "He makes headlines wherever he goes and football without him is not the same; the Premier League is better with Jose in it. He’s exactly what the league is missing; some club needs to sign him. He’s box-office."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEMANJA MATIC?

  The midfielder is all set to face his former club, United, in the first leg of Lyon's Champions League quarter-final clash at home on Thursday.

اعترض مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، على تأجيل قرارات لجنة الاستئناف بخصوص مباراة القمة في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وأعلنت لجنة الاستئناف تأجيل قرارها في التظلمات المقدمة، إلى جلستها المقبلة المقررة يوم 15 مايو الجاري.

وأوضحت اللجنة في بيان رسمي عقب اجتماعها اليوم، أن قرار التأجيل جاء لعدم ورود أسباب القرار المتظلم منه من رابطة الأندية، وهو ما اعتبرته اللجنة عائقًا أمام إمكانية البت في التظلمات نظرًا لعدم اكتمال الأوراق المطلوبة، مما يحول دون دراسة الدفوع المقدمة من جميع الأطراف المتظلمة بشكل وافٍ.

طالع.. خاص | رابطة الأندية تحرج لجنة الاستئناف بعد تأجيل قرار أزمة انسحاب الأهلي

وفي إطار استكمال التحقيقات، قررت اللجنة كذلك استدعاء رئيس لجنة المسابقات برابطة الأندية لسماع أقواله في الجلسة المقبلة، قبل إصدار القرار النهائي، إلى جانب إعلان كافة الأطراف المتظلمة رسميًا لحضور الجلسة.

واستنكر الزمالك، قرارات لجنة الاستئناف، وادعى وجود رغبة مبينة لعدم تطبيق اللوائح والالتفاف عليها.

وأعلن الأبيض، إرساله طلبًا إلى لجنة الاستئناف باتحاد الكرة بتقديم موقعد إصدار القرار النهائي بشأن الأزمة قبل 13 مايو الجاري وهو موعد إقامة مباراة بيراميدز. بيان الزمالك بخصوص قرارات لجنة الاستئناف

الزمالك أولاً

استمراراً للمشهد العبثي وسيطرة العشوائية على القرارات المصيرية من منظومة اللعبة، لم يكن مفاجئاً لإدارة نادي الزمالك استمرار محاولات تعطيل صدور قرار لجنة التظلمات بشأن عقوبات مباراة القمة السابقة.

ويعرب مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، نيابة عن جماهيره العظيمة في كل مكان، عن استنكاره لما آلت إليه الأمور من انعدام العدالة الناجزة، وغياب الشفافية والنزاهة، وتأكد للجميع كيف تُدار المسابقة هذا الموسم من كافة الأطراف، نظراً لوجود رغبة مبيّتة لعدم تطبيق اللوائح والالتفاف عليها لمصلحة طرف بعينه على حساب البقية، مما يمثل إساءة لسمعة الرياضة المصرية.

وفي المقابل، ما حدث الموسم الماضي ليس ببعيد عنا، فوقتها كانت اللوائح واضحة والقرارات حاضرة، بينما الآن أصبح (التسويف) الأسلوب المتبع في ظل مبررات واهية.

ويُعلن نادي الزمالك عن إرساله طلباً إلى لجنة الاستئناف باتحاد الكرة لتقديم موعد إصدار القرار النهائي قبل يوم 13 مايو الحالي حتى تستقيم الأمور وتتحقق العدالة.

وأمام ما يحدث هذا الموسم، فإن نادي الزمالك لن يتوانى عن مواصلة اتخاذ الخطوات المشروعة التي تضمن حصوله على حقوقه وتطبيق اللوائح، مهما كلفه الأمر.

عاش نادي الزمالك

أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر

“My contract is till November 2023. I am fully committed to the BCB for the next 15 months”

Mohammad Isam25-Aug-2022Russell Domingo has reaffirmed his commitment as Bangladesh’s head coach in the Test and ODI formats after reports on Thursday morning said that he had resigned. Domingo and the BCB have both denied those claims, saying that Domingo’s contract remains intact till November next year.Domingo, who is currently in South Africa, said that he would get back to work in October with the Bangladesh A side that takes on Afghanistan A in the UAE, before joining the senior team ahead of their preparation for the India series at home in December.”This is to confirm that all the rumours and speculations that I have resigned from the Bangladesh Cricket Board are not true,” Domingo told ESPNcricinfo. “I am trying to get our cricket to where it needs to be in the one-day and Test format. I will be going to Abu Dhabi in October to work with the A side. I will then join the national team in December. As far as I am concerned, it is business as usual. I will continue the journey that I have started. My contract is till November 2023. I am fully committed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board for the next 15 months.”Earlier this week, the BCB replaced Domingo with S Sriram as the one in charge of the T20I side, although they stopped short of calling Sriram the head coach, using the term “technical consultant”. Domingo said at the time that he was happy with the arrangement as it gave him more time to prepare for the ODI and Test teams, as well as giving him time with his family back in South Africa.Domingo took up the Bangladesh job in September 2019. Since then, he has overseen the ODI side into the second position in the World Cup Super League, while winning a Test in New Zealand. His record in T20Is, however, came under scrutiny after Bangladesh’s underwhelming performance at the T20 World Cup last year. This year so far, the team has just two wins from seven completed T20Is.Bangladesh are currently in Dubai for the Asia Cup. After that, they will play a T20I tri-series in New Zealand that also involves Pakistan, before heading to Australia for the T20 World Cup in late October.

There’s no question that Manchester United are in desperate need of investment this month to try and change their fortunes on the pitch under new boss Ruben Amorim.

However, it’s unclear how much money the 39-year-old will have at his disposal after the previous funds wasted by former manager Erik ten Hag over the summer window.

The Dutchman cost the Red Devils hierarchy nearly £200m with his transfers over the summer transfer window, with multiple of the new additions failing to make the desired impact.

Joshua Zirkzee joined from Bologna for a reported £36.5m, and has only scored four times in 31 appearances for the club, even being dragged off before halftime in the Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle United.

As a result, Amorim has targeted numerous players this month to try and help him in his task of taking United back to their former glory during the days of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure.

United’s attempts to land new players this January

Patrick Dorgu has been a name that has rapidly become known to the United fanbase after their interest in the Leece full-back in recent days – hopefully ending their left-back crisis.

During the early months of Amorim’s reign, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have both had to share the responsibility of featuring out of possession, with a move for the Danish international massively improving the situation.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed yesterday that the Red Devils had submitted a bid in the region of €30m (£25m) for his services, with Dorgu himself wanting a move to Old Trafford.

As for the attacking department, Borussia Dortmund ace Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has once again cropped up as a potential target with Alejandro Garnacho’s future at the club still up in the air.

United would face huge competition from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool for the Englishman’s signature, understandable given his recent form in Germany which has seen him already score 11 times throughout 2024/25.

However, if the club are to make such additions in the near future, departures are just as important, with Amorim desperately needing to clear some of the dead wood out before the end of the window.

The United player who earns more than Dorgu & Gittens combined

The Red Devils’ recruitment in recent times has certainly left a lot to be desired by the fanbase, with extortionate transfer fees and wages paid to players who simply aren’t deserving of the money handed their way.

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro is just one example, costing the club a huge £70m from Real Madrid back in the summer of 2022, also being handed a mammoth £350k-per-week within his contract.

This season, he’s failed to deliver under Amorim, looking way off the pace and subsequently not featuring in a single first-team outing since the Carabao Cup defeat to Eddie Howe’s men over six weeks.

Casemiro isn’t the only one to disappoint in recent times, with left-back Luke Shaw unable to make an impact on the first-team after his recent injury setbacks – not the first time such a situation has occurred in recent times.

The Englishman joined the club for £30m from Southampton back in the summer of 2014, but has since only made 278 appearances in 11 seasons, an average of just 25 games per season.

In the last two years combined, the now 29-year-old has only managed to post a total of 18 appearances, with injuries massively plaguing him and preventing the once-promising star from making an impact under the new boss.

However, it appears that he’s simply never going to overcome his various issues, with the club needing to brutally part ways with the defender and try to offload him in the current transfer window – that is if any club would take a risk on the full-back.

1

Casemiro

£350,000

£18,200,000

=2

Bruno Fernandes

£300,000

£15,600,000

=2

Marcus Rashford

£300,000

£15,600,000

4

Mason Mount

£250,000

£13,000,000

5

Antony

£200,000

£10,400,000

6

Matthijs de Ligt

£195,000

£10,140,000

7

Harry Maguire

£190,000

£9,880,000

8

Luke Shaw

£150,000

£7,800,000

It’s a real shame to see a fan-favourite suffer, but ultimately the hierarchy are just losing millions of pounds in keeping him on the books, especially when considering the fact Shaw pockets a remarkable £150k-per-week in the North West.

His subsequent wage sees him way more than transfer targets Dorgu and Gittens combined, with the aforementioned pair only currently earning £10k and £50k-per-week with their current employers.

It may be an unpopular decision, but given the club’s recent cost-cutting operation in place at Old Trafford, brutal calls have to be made to prevent the Red Devils from losing any more money.

Such funds would go a long way in their scheme, potentially opening up new opportunities for Amorim in the market to land fresh talent to help lead the side in the right direction, which is why the manager should sell Shaw.

Van Gaal flops, Ten Hag disasters: The 10 worst Man Utd players post-Fergie

Man United have had some dreadful players since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 24, 2025

An accomplished century from Rob Yates lifted Warwickshire to a thrilling four-run Royal London Cup win over Sussex at Edgbaston.The victory extended the Bears’ unbeaten start to the group campaign while leaving Sussex with a second defeat to go with their two wins.Warwickshire were lifted to a meaty 314 for six by Yates’ second List A ton, 114 from 111 balls, supported by aggressive knocks from Will Rhodes (76, 70) and Michael Burgess (58, 51). Bradley Currie led Sussex’s bowling with two for 51 while Aristides Karvelas picked up two late wickets to end with two for 44.Sussex’s gallant reply fell short on 306 for seven despite Cheteshwar Pujara’s classy century (107, 79) and Ali Orr’s 81 (102) as Krunal Pandya took three for 51, George Garrett two for 50 and Olly Hannon-Dalby two for 55.After choosing to bat, Warwickshire were given a sound platform with an opening stand of 69 in 15 overs between Yates and Hamza Shaikh. Sixteen-year-old Bears product Shaikh looked comfortable on his debut before he was run out when Yates called for a very sharp single.Related

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Rhodes raced to a 53-ball half-century against a Sussex attack that stuck to their task well in perfect batting conditions and intense heat. With Yates anchoring the innings skilfully, the second wicket added 131 in 19 overs before Rhodes, having just scooped Henry Crocombe for six, ladled the next ball to deep square leg.At 235 for two from 39 overs, Warwickshire were well-placed to go huge but a brake was applied by an excellent over from Currie. He dislodged Yates with one that nipped away to take the edge and, two balls later, dismissed Pandya for a duck in similar fashion.Burgess smote three fours and three sixes vigorous to ensure that his former team would have to chase over 300: a substantial target but about par in the conditions.Sussex’s reply was briskly launched by their young top order. Orr advanced to a 67-ball half-century supported by perky cameos from Harrison Ward (24, 36) and Clark (30, 43) before both chipped catches up to the infield.Orr was closing in on his second List A century when he pulled Pandya to deep square leg. When Tom Alsop chipped Garrett to mid-wicket, Sussex were leaning heavily on Pujara as they started the last ten overs needing 102.Delray Rawlings slog-swept Pandya to deep square and Danial Ibrahim sliced Garrett to backward point but Pujara raced from 50 to 100 in just 22 balls, taking 22 off a Liam Norwell over, to keep Sussex in the game.They needed 20 from the last two overs but, from the first of those 12 balls, Pujara was yorked by Hannon-Halby. A composed last over from Garrett concluded with Karvelas needing to hit the final ball for six – he managed just a single to resounding cheers from a big crowd which had richly enjoyed a fine match.

A Manchester United scout has been spotted watching a 24-year-old goalkeeper whose club is on the brink of a PSR breach in the coming days, according to a recent report.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils will have to remain patient when it comes to this January transfer window, as any business they conduct will likely come towards the latter end of the month as players need to be moved on before any new ones can arrive.

Man Utd make enquiry for £33m Asian star as possible Rashford replacement

Man United and Ruben Amorim have their eyes on a Ligue 1 attacker.

ByBrett Worthington Jan 9, 2025

But that hasn’t stopped United from looking at potential players who they would like to sign this month. It was reported last week that United had sent scouts to watch striker Samu Omorodion in action for Porto the previous weekend. The forward will be well known to Ruben Amorim as he came up against the forward a few times during his time at Sporting. Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic is another player who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in the last week or so.

However, the Serbia’s arrival appears to depend on what happens to Joshua Zirkzee, as the Dutchman will need to go in the opposite direction for Vlahovic to join United. Reports have even gone on to state that the Italian side have made an official cash-plus-player offer, and both Vlahovic and Zirkzee are open to moves this month.

Meanwhile, United are continuing to look for a new left wingback, and according to Fabrizio Romano, they have placed Patrick Dorgu on their transfer wishlist. He now joins Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and PSG’s Nuno Mendes on the list, but those two are considered more expensive than Dorgu.

Man Utd scout spotted watching 24-year-old Leicester player

A new striker and left wingback are not all that United are looking at. According to The Telegraph, relayed by Leicestershire Live, Manchester United have sent a scout to watch Leicester City’s Mads Hermansen this season and could look to capitalise on the Foxes’ PSR breach.

In recent days, it has been reported that Celtic are closing in on the signing of Altay Bayindir, and therefore, the Red Devils could be in the market for a new goalkeeper to provide competition to Andre Onana. Hermansen, who joined the Foxes in July 2023, has now emerged on the club’s radar.

Hermansen had never played outside of Denmark before moving to Leicester, as he came through the academy at Naesby BK youth and then moved to Brondby IF. The 24-year-old was brought to the King Power Stadium by former manager Enzo Maresca, and he was vital in their promotion from the Championship, as he started 44 league games and kept 13 clean sheets.

Apps

60

Goals conceded

72

Clean sheets

14

Leicester currently face uncertainty when it comes to complying with PSR, and they are expected to find out if they have fallen on the right side of the rules next Tuesday.

But given the uncertainty, United have sent goalkeeper scout Tony Coton to watch Hermansen in action for the Foxes in their 2-2 draw with Brighton this season. The Red Devils are aware of his “potential availability” as the goalkeeper is Leicester’s most “likely sale” if they have failed to comply with PSR.

Luis Enrique's band of attacking stars are showing that excitement comes with letting fleet-footed forwards actually take on defenders

English football can't always be fun to watch. Not every match has to be a 'great advert for the Premier League'. Some Sundays just aren't that 'Super' – and that's okay. However, there was something about last week's dreadfully dull Manchester derby that really upset Gary Neville – and it wasn't just the fact that his former club had failed to get one over on their city rivals.

His disappointment ran much deeper than a vested interest in silencing noisy neighbours. As far as Neville was concerned, the dour nature of the draw at Old Trafford was indicative of a more general malaise afflicting the world's most popular championship.

"It really was quite depressing for me because I think we're seeing a lot of these types of games," the former right-back said after making his way from the gantry to the studio. "The Premier League is about thrill, it's about excitement, it's about risk – but there was nothing like that today. It was really disappointing. I apologise even for my commentary; I think it let it get to me. I was boring on there too…

"But this robotic nature of not leaving our positions, of basically being micro-managed to within an inch of our lives, of not having any freedom to take any risks to try to win a football match… It's becoming an illness in the game, it's becoming a disease in the game."

Perhaps Paris Saint-Germain, though, have already discovered the antidote…

AFP'Poor imitations' of Pep

The supposed weakness of this year's Premier League has become a major talking point in recent weeks and months, although the ennui has been primarily caused by a title race and relegation battle both utterly devoid of drama.

In fact, there is ample evidence to suggest that the Premier League is actually more competitive than it has been for some time because of the very obvious rise in quality we're seeing among the mid-table teams, which has resulted in the top clubs dropping points on a far more regular basis. The 'Big Six' is certainly no more, with Manchester United and Tottenham both being regularly embarrassed by the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Fulham.

What Neville is getting at, then, is not a lack of quality or positive narratives at the top tier of English football (such as Nottingham Forest occupying third spot or Newcastle ending their domestic trophy drought), it's a lack of tactical variety and adventure, a homogenisation of play that he suspects is the unintentional consequence of Pep Guardiola's success with a style of football most commonly referred to as 'tiki-taka'.

"We're seeing poor imitations of that across the board now," Neville claimed – and he's by no means the first to do so.

AdvertisementAFPInter restoring Italy's identity

The idea that 'Guardiolismo', as Giorgio Chiellini christened it, has ruined football is nothing new. It's been a topic of great debate in Italy for some years now, with Fabio Capello a firm believer that the country's core values have been lost or neglected in a desperate rush to embrace the Catalan coach's footballing philosophy. However, not everyone jumped on the Guardiola bandwagon, as so thrillingly underlined by Inter's Champions League win over Bayern Munich last Tuesday.

Simone Inzaghi's side carried out something akin to the ultimate Italian job at the Allianz Arena, evoking memories of the glory days of catenaccio with a wonderfully disciplined defensive display punctuated by top-quality counter-attacks, one of which resulted in a late winner from Davide Frattesi. As a rightly ecstatic Inzaghi said afterwards, Inter won because they kept faith with "our football and our principles, which we've been relying on for almost four years now."

It would be wrong, though, to portray Inter as a defensive team; they're the best side in Serie A, meaning they're effectively forced to play on the front foot against deep-lying opponents almost every single weekend. The Nerazzurri are also one of the few teams in Europe to play with two proper strikers, while they have some serious ballers in midfield and their first-choice wing-backs, Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, are fantastic in full flight.

However, while width out wide is a key part of Inter's offensive strategy, they don't carry anything like the attacking threat posed by PSG's wonderful array of wingers, who are presently providing a timely and most welcome reminder of the value of dribbling.

AFP'Never see a player like Ronaldinho again'

There is no longer any room in the modern game for the old-school No.10, magical mavericks in the mould of Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane and Dennis Bergkamp who were effectively allowed to do as they pleased. With the possible exception of Lionel Messi, these free spirits have been shackled within a highly automatised modern game, burdened by the weight of pressing responsibilities.

As Patrice Evra told Rio Ferdinand's podcast, "Everyone wants to play amazingly, but this tiki-taka, only Guardiola can do it. Why does everyone copy him? We have no creativity. We have no geniuses anymore. We've got robots.

"You will never see a player like Ronaldinho again because when he's young, do you know what the coach is going to tell him? 'If you don't pass the ball, I'm going to put you on the bench.' But all football comes from the streets." Nowadays, though, it often looks like it's been formulated in a lab, so sterile has it become.

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AFPElimination of unpredictability

For a long time, there was a very real fear that wingers might go the same way as the traditional trequartista, or at least be transformed into something very different from what was originally intended. As football's finest philosopher Jorge Valdano pointed out, these days academies don't merely refine rough diamonds, they wear them down into just another brick in one big defensive wall, resulting in an "overuse of one- and two-touch passing" while eliminating "the feints, dribbling, and those moments of unpredictability that made football so exciting."

Of course, Guardiola should not be held responsible for killing the game – at its best, his style of play was mesmerising, and it's not his fault that it spawned so many copycats. It was Pep, lest anyone forget, who decided to construct an entire attack around Messi, the most devastatingly effective dribbler the game has ever seen.

However, as we've seen with his treatment of Jack Grealish at the Etihad, Guardiola does not afford wingers the freedom to go and attack defenders whenever they want. Luckily, Luis Enrique is different.

Chelsea have been handed the chance to strike a temporary deal which would be “straightforward” to negotiate, following claims that manager Enzo Maresca has personally set his sights on bolstering one area of the team.

Enzo Maresca requests new midfielder at Chelsea

The Italian could see Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka depart Stamford Bridge before the transfer deadline on February 3rd, according to numerous reports, so a new midfielder for the engine room could be needed sooner rather than later.

Related Chelsea contact £195k-per-week striker as Maresca eyes January transfer

The Italian could lose Christopher Nkunku.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jan 22, 2025

Chelsea’s success this season has partly come from their real strength in depth, with Maresca deploying an ‘A’ team for the Premier League and a ‘B’ team for cup competitions throughout this 2024/2025 campaign.

However, a plethora of Chelsea exits are expected over the final 13 days of this transfer window, with potential departures for Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei and Chukwuemeka threatening to leave Maresca far shorter of options in the middle of the park.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)

January 20

Man City (away)

January 25

West Ham (away)

February 3

Brighton (away)

February 14

Aston Villa (away)

February 22

According to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, Maresca has personally asked Chelsea to sign a new midfielder this month, and they’ve been seriously linked with a move for Man United starlet Kobbie Mainoo as a result.

Chelsea have made an approach to Mainoo’s agents as they look to turn the England international’s head, so the Blues appear to be serious about granting Maresca’s wish and bringing in a new technician for the engine room.

Mainoo, who could cost as much as £100 million to prise away from Old Trafford, would be one of the most headline-grabbing transfers of this window – but his price tag and United’s reluctance to let a star player leave mid-season could mean that his signing is too much to pull off.

If a move for the teenage sensation fails, which appears most likely, then Chelsea do have solid alternatives. One of them, according to a fresh report by Phillips on his Substack, is Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Brazilian only joined Juve last summer, in a £42 million part-exchange deal which saw both Enzo Barrenchea and Samuel Iling-Junior head to Aston Villa, but it is believed he’s keen on returning to England already.

Chelsea offered Douglas Luiz loan deal for January

Phillips writes that Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Luiz on loan from Juve before the end of this January transfer window, and talks would apparently be “straightforward” considering the Old Lady are already in dialogue with Maresca’s side over a move for Renato Veiga.

It is unclear whether the west London club wish to pursue this move, but Phillips theorises that they will at least be considering it behind-the-scenes.

He adds that Man City are considering a deal to re-sign their former ace, though, after being offered the same opportunity – so Chelsea chiefs will need to make a decision quickly.

The £135,000-per-week international bagged 10 goals and 10 assists for Villa in all competitions last campaign, so he could be an astute addition for Maresca as an already-proven Premier League “playmaker”.