Ernesto Valverde has sent a strong message to Real Madrid, saying Athletic Club "assume" Nico Williams will remain in Bilbao next season.
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أعلن النادي الأهلي، منذ قليل، التعاقد مع أحمد سيد زيزو، لتدعيم صفوف فريق الكرة الأول استعدادًا للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025 المقامة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
وتعاقد الأهلي، مع زيزو في صفقة انتقال حر بعد انتهاء عقده مع الزمالك، بنهاية الموسم الكروي 2024-2025 عقب مباراة كأس مصر بين الأبيض وبيراميدز.
ونشرت منصات الأهلي الرسمية، مقطع فيديو، لتقديم أحمد سيد زيزو لاعبًا في صفوف الأحمر، خلال الدقائق القليلة الماضية.
طالع.. كل الطرق تؤدي إلى الجزيرة.. الأهلي يعلن التعاقد مع أحمد سيد زيزو
وقال زيزو، في الفيديو المنشور عبر منصات الأهلي: “كل الطرق تؤدي إلى الجزيرة، زيزو في أرض التاريخ زيزو أهلاوي”.
ومن المنتظر أن يلتحق زيزو بفريق الأهلي، خلال الساعات المقبلة في المعسكر المقام في الولايات المتحدة قبل كأس العالم للأندية الذي سينطلق خلال أيام.
ويستهل الأهلي، مشواره ببطولة كأس العالم للأندية بمواجهة انتر ميامي الأمريكي، بالمباراة الافتتاحية يوم 15 يونيو الجاري.
ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للأندية، رفقة أندية إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، وبورتو البرتغالي، وبالميراس البرازيلي.
MatériaMais Notícias
Lucas Fernandes está trabalhando pelo retorno ao Botafogo. O meio-campista, com uma lesão muscular, trabalhou com bola na atividade realizada na tarde desta sexta-feira. O camisa 18 está avançando na transição.
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O jogador trabalhou com os atletas que não atuaram e/ou entraram no decorrer para o Atlético-MG, pela Copa do Brasil, na quinta-feira. Lucas, já com chuteiras, fez atividades com bola.
A última partida do meio-campista foi na derrota para o Palmeiras, no dia 9 de junho. Desde então, ele sofreu uma lesão muscular e desfalcou o Botafogo.
Erison, Barreto e Lucas Piazon – que ficou com uma proteção no ombro, local lesionado – apenas correram no gramado e voltaram para realizar trabalhos com a fisioterapia.
O Botafogo enfrenta o Red Bull Bragantino na próxima segunda-feira, às 20h, no Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.
In 1995, Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bosman won his battle in the courtroom, which led to players being able to leave their club on a free transfer as soon as their contract expired.
Before the Bosman ruling, players could not leave their current club when their contract expired unless their club agreed to let a player go for free or received a fee from a buying side.
It placed many footballers in a predicament, most notably Bosman, whose career fizzled out. A five-year legal battle ended in 1995, meaning the players had more power when coming towards the end of their careers, thus changing football forever.
Over the previous 30 years, thousands of players have left their current club at the end of their contract, signing for another without any fee being involved. Additionally, players can also sign a pre-contract agreement when they are heading into the final six months of their current deal.
Several of these free transfers stand out more so than others. As such, we have delved into the memory bank to take a closer look at what we believe are the 12 best free transfers of all time. Involving some of the finest players in the history of the game, many a club has missed out on significant transfer fees.
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ByRoss Kilvington May 27, 2025 12 Gianluca Vialli Juventus to Chelsea (1996)
Gianluca Vialli enjoyed a wonderful 1995/96 campaign for Juventus. Not only did he help the Old Lady win their second European Cup title, but he also scored 14 goals during the season.
Winning Serie A titles with both Sampdoria and Juventus ensured the Italian striker emerged as one of the finest players in the top flight, so it was certainly a signal of intent by Chelsea when they announced Vialli’s signing on a free transfer.
He went on to become their player-manager after the departure of Ruud Gullit, with the Italian ushering in a new era at Stamford Bridge, leading the club to the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup.
11 Esteban Cambiasso Real Madrid to Inter (2004)
Esteban Cambiasso made 67 appearances for Real Madrid between 2002 and 2004, but with the Galactico policy in full throttle, he eyed opportunities elsewhere.
As such, he joined Inter and went on to spend 10 years at the San Siro, enjoying plenty of success along the way. The Argentinian midfielder was a key member of the squad under José Mourinho as they won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League during the 2009/10 season.
Overall, he made 431 appearances for the club – not bad for a free transfer.
10 Steve McManaman Liverpool to Real Madrid (1999)
Having turned down the advances of Barcelona two years prior, Steve McManaman signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid in 1999, joining the club that summer.
The midfielder enjoyed success in the Spanish capital. Not only did he win La Liga twice (2001 and 2003), but he became the first Englishman to win the Champions League with a foreign club, doing so in 2000 (scoring in the final) and 2002.
After four years in Madrid, he returned to England, joining Manchester City. His success on the continent paved the way for countless others over the next few years.
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ByBrett Worthington Jan 30, 2025 9 Michael Ballack Bayern Munich to Chelsea (2006)
Throughout his spells with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, Michael Ballack proved himself to be the finest midfielder in Germany, winning a host of honours with the latter club in particular.
Chelsea signing him for nothing was seen as a major coup, especially considering Ballack had captained Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup.
Despite winning the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his time in west London, Ballack missed out on the Champions League, losing the 2008 final to Manchester United.
8 Raul Real Madrid to Schalke (2010)
Raul is a bonafide Real Madrid legend. Making his debut in 1994, the Spaniard became the talisman of a new era at Los Blancos. Over the next 16 years, Raul would win three Champions League titles, six La Liga crowns and a handful of other trophies.
Furthermore, he scored 323 goals in 741 appearances for the club, ensuring his place as one of the best players in their history. However, all good things come to an end, and when his contract expired in 2010, Raul moved to Schalke.
19 goals in his first season proved his move was a success, especially as he helped the club win the German Cup and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. The veteran forward left in 2012 to join the New York Cosmos.
7 Zlatan Ibrahimović PSG to Manchester United (2016)
Zlatan Ibrahimović’s playing career had taken him from Sweden to the Netherlands, before stops in Italy, Spain and France, enjoying plenty of domestic success in the process.
In the summer of 2016, ex-Inter boss José Mourinho reunited with the striker at Manchester United by signing him on a free transfer – and it proved to be a positive move.
The Swede scored 28 goals in his debut season, winning the League Cup and Europa League, suggesting the move worked out rather well. He moved to MLS in 2018, but the 2016/17 season – in which he won the League Cup and Europa League – was a wonderful one from a personal point of view, ensuring the move worked out.
6 Sol Campbell Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal (2001)
Out of all the free transfers on this list, Sol Campbell’s decision to move across north London from Spurs to Arsenal is the most contentious.
Emerging as one of the best centre-backs in England during his spell with Spurs, it looked as though a move abroad might be the next step for him. That was until Arsène Wenger made his move.
After months of speculation, he joined the Gunners in 2001, and it proved to be the right move for him. Over the next five years, he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.
Despite the acrimonious circumstances, Campbell cemented himself as one of Wenger’s most trustworthy players during that era.
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ByRoss Kilvington Nov 5, 2024 5 Lionel Messi Barcelona to PSG (2021)
At one stage, it looked as though Lionel Messi would play for Barcelona until the day he retired. In the summer of 2021, he finally left the club after they were unable to afford a new deal under La Liga’s financial rules.
PSG didn’t take long to snap him up, as the Argentinian maestro sealed a two-year deal with the capital club.
During both seasons he played for PSG, they won the Ligue 1 title, with Messi scoring an impressive 32 goals while chipping in with 35 assists across 75 appearances.
Unfortunately, failure to lead the club to a historic Champions League crown suggests the move didn’t go as planned, but the former Barcelona star showed there was still life in the old dog with some wonderful performances.
4 Cafu Roma to Milan (2003)
It was perhaps a surprise that Cafu – who had won two World Cups with Brazil – had never played for one of the biggest teams in Europe, but that changed in the summer of 2003.
After six years with Roma, winning the Serie A title in 2001, Cafu joined Milan on a free transfer, despite his advancing years.
It turned out to be one of the best free transfers in history. During five seasons with the San Siro club, the defender won another league title, reached two Champions League finals – winning in 2007 – and claimed a Coppa Italia trophy.
3 Paul Pogba Manchester United to Juventus (2012)
Paul Pogba was earmarked as the next best thing to come out of Carrington, yet he couldn’t turn potential into consistency at first-team level for Man Utd.
Juventus swooped for him in the summer of 2012, sealing a move for the talented midfielder on a free transfer, which turned out to be a lucrative piece of business.
Pogba won four Serie A titles in a row while improving with each passing season, and it wasn’t long before Man Utd came calling to bring him back to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils paid a world-record fee of £89m for the Frenchman, ensuring Juventus made a significant profit to add to their bargain.
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ByRoss Kilvington Jan 24, 2025
The Championship is the perfect breeding ground for clubs to sign players at a relatively modest price and develop them before selling for a vast fortune to teams in the Premier League looking to strengthen.
Previously, only those lingering at the bottom of the top flight would poach players who had shone in the league below.
As time has passed, especially due to the finances involved in the English game, better players have moved to the second tier. This means clubs in the upper echelons have begun to take notice and spend big money to sign Championship players.
These types of moves have increased exponentially in recent years. With this in mind, we have explored the top 15 record sales by Championship clubs over the years.
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ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025
Rank
Player
Sold by
Club joined
Fee
Roméo Lavia
Southampton
Chelsea
Georginio Rutter
Leeds
Brighton
Tino Livramento
Southampton
Newcastle United
James Maddison
Leicester
Tottenham Hotspur
Nathan Ake
Bournemouth
Man City
Harvey Barnes
Leicester
Newcastle United
Ollie Watkins
Brentford
Aston Villa
Jude Bellingham
Birmingham
Borussia Dortmund
Archie Gray
Leeds
Tottenham Hotspur
James Ward-Prowse
Southampton
West Ham United
Ryan Sessegnon
Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur
Moussa Sissoko
Newcastle
Tottenham Hotspur
Joao Pedro
Watford
Brighton
Crysencio Summerville
Leeds
West Ham
Wilson Odobert
Burnley
Tottenham Hotspur
15 Wilson Odobert Burnley to Tottenham (£25m)
Burnley may have been relegated after winning just five games in the top flight last season, but one of the few bright sparks was Wilson Odobert.
The teenager registered six goal contributions for the club, and this alerted clubs in the Premier League, who were looking to take advantage of the Clarets’ relegation.
Tottenham Hotspur won the race, splurging £25m to bring the Frenchman to London. So far this season, he has made just five appearances for Spurs amid injury problems. Hardly money well spent so far.
14 Crysencio Summerville Leeds to West Ham (£25m)
Crysencio Summerville wasn’t someone who was going to linger around for long in the second tier. During his three full seasons at Leeds United, the winger scored 25 goals while chipping in with 12 assists for the club.
After 19 goals last term, West Ham United emerged as the frontrunners to sign the Dutchman, finally securing his signature in a deal worth around £25m.
With just one goal for the Irons thus far, he is finding life a tad more difficult in the top flight.
13 Joao Pedro Watford to Brighton (£30m)
Joao Pedro had some Premier League pedigree before moving to Brighton, featuring 28 times for Watford as they suffered relegation in the 2021/22 season.
The south coast side had seen enough to bid for the forward themselves, especially as he scored 11 times in the second tier the following season. According to reports, Brighton spent just under £30m on the Brazilian, and he has looked like a solid signing thus far.
25 goals across 56 matches certainly represents a success, and he will only get better.
12 Moussa Sissoko Newcastle to Tottenham (£30m)
Moussa Sissoko was one of the few positives for Newcastle United throughout the 2015/16 season amid the club’s relegation.
He played six times for France at Euro 2016, and these displays impressed Spurs, who spent £30m to bring the midfielder to north London.
Spurs got value for money, as Sissoko went on to play over 200 times for the club, although he couldn’t help them win a trophy.
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ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025 11 Ryan Sessegnon Fulham to Tottenham (£30m)
Ryan Sessegnon made his debut for Fulham aged just 16 years and 81 days back in August 2016. Three years and 120 appearances later, Spurs earmarked the youngster as the next big thing.
A fee in the region of £25m was paid by Spurs to bring the Englishman to north London, which totalled £30m with add-ons. On the surface, it looked like it could be a wise investment, but Sessegnon failed to sparkle for the club, scoring just three goals during his spell there.
10 James Ward-Prowse Southampton to West Ham (£30m)
James Ward-Prowse demonstrated his dead-ball skills throughout his Southampton career, and during their relegation campaign in the 2022/23 season, he scored four direct free kicks along with three penalties, and his availability alerted West Ham United.
David Moyes was keen on signing the Championship star, and £30m was enough for Southampton to let him go.
However, it didn’t quite work out for the midfielder at the London Stadium, and he has spent the current season on loan at Nottingham Forest, trying to regain the confidence that was on display at St Mary’s.
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ByLewis Thompson Jun 15, 2024 9 Archie Gray Leeds to Tottenham (£30m)
Archie Gray was among one of the most promising players in the Championship last season. The 18-year-old missed just two league matches as Leeds United reached the play-offs.
His performances convinced Ange Postecoglou to spend £30m on the youngster, who has a bright future ahead of him.
The Englishman has already featured plenty for Spurs this term, filling in across the backline due to several injury problems in the squad. Keep improving, and the initial £30m could turn into a bargain.
8 Jude Bellingham Birmingham to Borussia Dortmund (£30m)
Of everyone on this list, Jude Bellingham has had the best career, yet he is still only 21. He emerged as an extraordinary talent during his spell at Birmingham City, despite making just 44 appearances for the club.
His potential alerted Borussia Dortmund, who reportedly spent over £30m on the midfielder including add-ons in 2020 – and the move worked out fairly well. After three seasons in Germany, Real Madrid came calling and Bellingham can now count himself as one of the finest players in the world.
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ByLuke Randall Feb 29, 2024 7 Ollie Watkins Brentford to Aston Villa (£33m)
Ollie Watkins’ journey from non-league to the Premier League has been well-documented, especially after he scored the winner for England against the Netherlands at Euro 2024.
His spell at Brentford produced 49 goals across 143 matches in the Championship, which led Aston Villa to splash out a club-record fee of up to £33m to bring him to the Midlands.
Fast-forward five years, and the Englishman has scored 80 goals for the club, proving he has been an excellent signing.
6 Harvey Barnes Leicester to Newcastle (£38m)
The Magpies raided the relegated clubs in the summer of 2023, with Leicester City among their targets. They signed Harvey Barnes for £38m – a staggering amount for a Championship player.
The left-winger has already notched up 10 goals for the Toon since arriving 18 months ago. This number would likely have been higher had injury issues not played their part.
England batter relishing the ‘energy’ of each different format, amid fixture congestion
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Jonny Bairstow walks out to bat at Old Trafford•Getty Images
Jonny Bairstow has vowed to continue as a three-format international cricketer but added his voice to those of his team-mates who have expressed their displeasure at a packed calendar.Over the last week, the workloads of international cricketers have come under scrutiny, particularly in England after Ben Stokes urged the authorities to stop considering players as “cars” following his retirement from ODI cricket.”You can’t just fill us up and we’ll go out there and be ready to be fuelled up again,” Stokes said, in the hope that his words would be a wake-up call to create a more manageable schedule. Overnight, Australia batter Usman Khawaja described the physical and mental demands of giving yourself to all international and franchise cricket as “tough”.As it stands, Bairstow will be the only player to represent England in all three formats this summer. He played the four Tests against New Zealand and India, followed by ODIs against India and South Africa, and is currently part of the squad for the three-match T20i series against the Proteas which begins next week. He is also due to play in the first three games of The Hundred for Welsh Fire.Bairstow knows full well how brutal the fixture programme is. However, from his perspective, aged 32 and now a vital cog at No.5 in the Test team, as well as ODI opener and T20i middle-order batter, he still wants it all.”I don’t know if it’s good or bad that I’m one of the last all-format players,” Bairstow told Sky Sports on Friday ahead of the second ODI against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford. “But naturally there are challenges, we’ve seen that over a period of time now. We only had to look at the Test series this summer when there was the one-day squad in Holland at the same time. I think even if you look at the back end of this summer as well, there are the seven T20s in Pakistan that pretty much overlap with the last Test match. And it even goes back to the last World Cup where then you fly straight to the Ashes with a week’s preparation after quarantining, then straight into the Test match.Related
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“But you know me well enough now: I’ll be trying to play all of them for as long as possible. I’ll be going all out for as long as I can. There might come a time when you do have to make a decision for different reasons, but that’s part and parcel of life and cricket, but in the near future I can’t see me making a choice because I’m loving being part of all three squads. They’re all individual squads and they’re great to be a part of. It’s exciting. You go into a new one and you’ve got a freshness and new faces and energy around them, because you’re going into a new format.”Bairstow also added to the sentiments of Stokes and Joe Root, who said the on-field product will suffer if players have to drop formats entirely, or if there is simply more rotation in squads. However, Bairstow was also resigned to the fact that, until their words are heeded by the England and Wales Cricket Board, there is little else they can do.”I don’t think we have a choice, do we?” he said. “The schedule is the schedule. It’s difficult to say if you want to play less but Stokesy has a point in some ways about the overlapping games that there are. There used to be lead-ins to series and training days before games, but there are back-to-back games coming up now.They are trying to fit in different things like the Hundred and everything else. It’s a tricky job for everyone, but Ben mentioned a car and re-fuelling, didn’t he, which I thought was a good analogy. But yes, it does have certain impacts, and if you’re playing everything at full intensity it will take it out of people.”
Luke Procter posted a superb 144 not out, his highest first-class score, as Northamptonshire batted out a draw on the final day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match at Wantage Road.Procter and Ryan Rickelton, who also scored a century, shared a record third-wicket stand for Northamptonshire against Warwickshire of 226 in 51 overs. It was Procter’s third Championship ton of the season, while South African international Rickelton’s 103 came while making his debut in county cricket.Their stand followed a dramatic start to the day. Simon Kerrigan mopped up Warwickshire’s tail with two wickets in just 10 deliveries to give Northamptonshire a 46-run advantage on first innings. The hosts then lost both openers inside four overs to offer the visitors a glimmer of hope.From there though Procter and Rickelton booked in for the afternoon to put any chance of an upset out of the equation. In total Procter hit 19 fours and three sixes in a four-hour stay at the crease (204 balls).Kerrigan was in the groove immediately in the morning, trapping Craig Miles leg before and having Oliver Hannon-Dalby caught behind as Warwickshire closed on 405.In reply, Northamptonshire skipper Ricardo Vasconcelos fell in the first over, caught behind off Hannon-Dalby. Shortly afterwards Emilio Gay followed in similar fashion off Nathan McAndrew to leave the Steelbacks 10 for two in the fourth over.Rickelton had a scare early in his innings when he edged Nathan McAndrew just in front of second slip. But from there he and Procter looked to be positive throughout the morning session. Procter was in a belligerent mood, pulling disdainfully off both McAndrew and Hannon-Dalby and driving sweetly through the covers.Rickelton’s first boundary came when he lent into a lovely cover drive off McAndrew but he targeted teenage left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell too, stepping down the wicket to smash him over long-on for six and reverse sweeping and cover driving for fours.Procter reached his half-century soon after the lunch break, and unfurled some serene drives and cut shots as he got back into his work.Bethell, playing only his third first-class game, obtained plenty of turn and bounce and posed questions for the Northamptonshire batters. He was taken out of the attack though when Procter took advantage of a long hop and a full toss and dispatched both for six.Racing through the nineties, Procter struck Lamb over deep midwicket for another maximum before running three to reach his ton off 126 balls..Rickelton too began in aggressive fashion after lunch, taking five boundaries off Henry Brookes’ first two overs. He went past 50 with a sumptuous drive down the ground and clubbed Matt Lamb for four more in the same direction.He reached his century with two streaky shots off the outside edge before pulling a short ball from Lamb into the hands of deep midwicket. He had faced 167 deliveries and struck 18 boundaries and one maximum.Rob Keogh joined Procter with the score 236 for three and the pair safely negotiated the remaining overs before tea.After the interval Warwickshire turned to their part-time bowlers including the rarely seen medium pace of keeper Michael Burgess who claimed his maiden first-class wicket when Keogh chased a wide one and edged to Miles who was standing in as keeper.There were no further surprises though as Procter and Josh Cobb batted out the remaining overs before the players shook hands on a draw.
Leeds United can be fairly content with their position in the Championship table heading into the second half of the season, with Daniel Farke’s side sat in first place.
Their goal heading into the 2024/25 campaign was automatic promotion, having lost in the play-off final last year, and they are currently on course to achieve that.
However, they are only one point clear of Sheffield United and Burnley in second and third, which means that they are only one more slip up away from potentially being in the play-off positions.
As you can see in the highlights above, Leeds could have been three points clear of their rivals after the weekend if they had not let a 3-1 lead against Hull slip in the last ten minutes.
The Whites know that they will need to be better at seeing out games in the coming months if they want to avoid dropping down into the play-offs, which is what happened last season.
Farke and his recruitment team could look to use the January transfer window, which opened for business last week, to bolster the squad ahead of the promotion run-in.
Leeds eyeing January additions
According to the Daily Mail Online, Leeds are serious about dipping into the market to ensure that they have a team that is ready to get automatic promotion over the line in the second half of the campaign.
The report claims that a centre-back, a full-back, a midfielder, and a striker are all on the agenda for the Whites, who could make up to four signings before February’s deadline, as they look to leave Farke with plenty of options to choose from across the park.
There is no mention of any targets Leeds have in the first three positions, although reports from elsewhere have seen them linked to Hoffenheim forward Mergim Berisha, central defender Ben Godfrey, and Nottingham Forest outcast Andrew Omobamidele.
The Daily Mail Online does, however, reveal that Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman and Aston Villa youngster Louie Barry are both on the club’s radar as potential forward additions.
Leeds, however, appear set to miss out on a transfer for Barry as Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, has reported that Derby County are closing in on a deal to sign the attacker.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It was claimed that the Rams could win the race for his signature because they can offer him guaranteed game time week-in-week-out, which would not be the case if he were to join one of the top sides – including Leeds – in the Championship this month.
It is a shame that the West Yorkshire outfit are unlikely to strike a deal for the former Barcelona and West Brom youngster, as he enjoyed a strong first half of the season.
Louie Barry's form this season
The 21-year-old starlet spent the first half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Stockport County in League One and showcased his attacking qualities week-in-week-out for the third division outfit.
Barry caught the eye of Leeds, as well as Derby and others, because of his impressive goalscoring output whilst playing out wide on the left or through the middle for Stockport, contributing with 15 goals in 23 appearances in the league.
24/25 League One
Louie Barry
Appearances
23
Goals
15
Big chances missed
6
Big chances created
5
Assists
2
Dribbles completed per game
2.3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the English gem rarely missed a ‘big chance’ to find the back of the net but was not as prolific when it came to creating chances for his teammates to score.
Barry, however, has yet to prove that he can step up and do it in the Championship, after just five months of strong performances in the third tier of English football, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to translate his attacking threat over to the second division.
Leeds can, now, move on from the Aston Villa youngster by focussing their efforts on signing the other forward on their radar this month – Dor Turgeman.
Why Leeds should sign Dor Turgeman
Firstly, the 21-year-old star, who is reportedly available for a fee of around £4m this month, would arrive on a permanent deal and come in as a long-term option for Farke, whereas Barry would only have been a short-term fix.
Turgeman, who was described as “very exciting” by The Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson, still has plenty of time left to develop and hone his skills, at the age of 21, and could be a project player for the manager to work on over the years to come.
The Israel international’s form for Maccabi Tel Aviv so far this season also suggests that he could come in as a strong addition to the German head coach’s squad to bolster his attacking options ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Whilst, like Barry, he has not played in the Championship before, Turgeman has played at a higher level in the Europa League this term and contributed with one goal and one ‘big chance’ created in four starts, after three goals in four matches in the qualifying stage.
This shows that the potential is there for him to impact games against high-quality opposition, whilst the young gem, who Maccabi Tel Aviv manager Zarko Lazetić described as “a beast on the pitch”, has also been a star in domestic football for his club.
24/25 Israeli Premier League
Dor Turgeman
Starts
9
Goals
6
Big chances missed
2
Conversion rate
22%
Big chances created
7
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Turgeman has contributed with an impressive 13 goals and ‘big chances’ created in nine league games in the Israeli Premier League so far this term.
These statistics show that he has racked up ten goals in 17 starts in all competitions, to go along with his eight ‘big chances’ created, which speaks to the kind of quality he can provide in the final third.
Therefore, Farke and Leeds could forget all about Barry by landing a £4m deal for Turgeman, who could offer a greater quality on the pitch – given his European exploits – whilst also coming in as long-term, permanent, solution for the club.
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Anderson, Broad recalled but more continuity than change in first squad of Key-McCullum-Stokes era
Matt Roller18-May-2022Harry Brook and Matthew Potts have won their first call-ups to England’s Test squad for the first two Tests against New Zealand, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s anticipated recalls confirmed.Rob Key, England’s new managing director of men’s cricket who was involved in the selection process, said the squad represented “the start of a new era” but there was more continuity than change, with eight of the side that lost by ten wickets in Grenada in England’s most recent Test selected and the three absentees – Dan Lawrence, Chris Woakes and Saqib Mahmood – all ruled out by injury.Related
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Jonny Bairstow is included despite his involvement in the Indian Premier League – his Punjab Kings side are mathematically still in contention for the playoffs but play their final group game on Sunday – and looks set to bat at No. 5. Zak Crawley and Alex Lees will open the batting while Ben Foakes is likely to keep wicket at No. 7.With Joe Root and Ben Stokes confirmed to bat at No. 4 and No. 6 respectively, Ollie Pope has been inked in for a promotion to No. 3 – a position in which he has never batted in first-class cricket. However, Key insisted he had no concerns about Pope’s suitability for a role that Root had filled with success in the Caribbean with two centuries in the three Tests.”If you ask who is the best 1-11, you’d probably put Joe Root down as all of those,” Key said. “After that we feel Ollie Pope is the man. With a lot of these guys, the bet is that with the talent they have, in this environment and these coaches, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes will get the best out of one of our most talented cricketers. Ollie Pope is one of those if we can unlock him, which I think they can. I think he can be a seriously good Test cricketer. I think he’ll do a fine job.”Lawrence has not played for a month due to a hamstring complaint and has been left out of the squad, while Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Haseeb Hameed and Dawid Malan are among the recently capped top-order batters to miss out.England Test squad for New Zealand series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
There is no room for Ollie Robinson in the squad, who has struggled with injury and illness in the early stages of the season, while Woakes, Mahmood, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Matthew Fisher and Olly Stone are among the seamers unavailable through injury.Craig Overton keeps his place ahead of his twin brother Jamie, who has impressed for Surrey in the County Championship, while Jack Leach retains his position as England’s main spinner despite Matt Parkinson’s eye-catching returns for Lancashire.Key chaired the interim selection panel, with Brendon McCullum, England’s new head coach, providing inputs along with Stokes, ECB performance director Mo Bobat, player identification lead David Court and head scout James Taylor.”This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben [Stokes] and Brendon [McCullum],” Key said. “With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month’s Test series.”We have rewarded players in Harry Brook and Matty Potts who have had outstanding starts to the county season, and they deserve the opportunity to stake a claim at this level. It promises to be a mouthwatering series, and I can’t wait for the team to start against a very good New Zealand side. It is a fascinating prospect for everyone connected with the sport in this country.”Matthew Potts celebrates with Ben Stokes•Getty Images
Brook, the Yorkshire batter, is the leading run-scorer in Division One of the Championship this year with 758 runs in eight innings at a remarkable average of 151.60. He has made three hundreds, and his innings of 41 against Lancashire last week was the first time this season he has failed to reach a half-century.Brook made his England T20I debut earlier this year in Barbados and was the PCA’s Young Player of the Year for 2021 after a stunning breakthrough summer in white-ball cricket, but appears to be the ‘spare’ batter in this squad.Potts, the Durham seamer, has also enjoyed a bright start to the Championship season. He has taken 35 wickets at 18.57 across his first six games, 11 more than anyone else in the country, and has impressed his county team-mate Stokes with his ability to sustain his pace across spells.”He’s been involved in the [ECB] pathway, so people like Mo Bobat understand his character, and that’s the one thing that really stood out when people are talking about him,” Key said. “You see the way he runs in, if you’re facing him, you’re in a proper contest. They are the pics I get really excited about. Out of the injury problem that we’ve got at the moment, some good will come out of that, and it may be him.”Anderson and Broad’s recalls after their shock omissions for the tour of the Caribbean come as no surprise: Key revealed at his unveiling that Stokes had pushed for them to return to the squad and the length of England’s injury list leaves them as the only fully-fit seamers with central contracts. At the age of 39 and 35 respectively, Key added that there were no qualms about testing those fitness levels to the max.”I don’t think their workload will be managed actually,” Key said. “I think we’re just going to try and pick the best team we possibly can to try and win the game. We will try and get the most out of James Anderson and Stuart Broad that we possibly can.”I’d rather have them in the side, trying to win games of cricket for England than prolonging their careers for a long time where they can’t impact as much as possible. I think we’ll try and make the most of them while we’ve still got them.”Players in the squad will be available for selection in this week’s round of Championship fixtures which start on Thursday. The squad will come together in a camp at Loughborough next week before travelling to London on May 29 before the first Test on June 2.
A fresh report has emerged on the future of Julen Lopetegui at West Ham United, and his potential replacement at the London Stadium, as the London side continue to struggle in the early stretches of the Premier League campaign.
Though he only arrived over the summer, Lopetegui is already headed firmly towards last-chance saloon in east London after a poor start to the season.
After 11 games, his side sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table with just 12 points to their name, losing five times and conceding 19 goals, among the highest in the division.
It follows a summer in which they laid their ambitions to join the elite in the top flight, spending over £130m on the likes of Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo.
Their summer spending was the fifth-highest in the Premier League, just £1m less than London rivals Tottenham, but they are yet to see any return on their investment as they struggle towards the bottom of the division ahead of their trip to Newcastle United.
|
Premier League’s biggest spenders summer 2024 |
|
|
Club |
Outlay |
|
Chelsea |
£219.6m |
|
Manchester United |
£205.9m |
|
Brighton |
£192m |
|
Tottenham |
£133.5m |
|
West Ham United |
£132.5m |
Their form has seen fingers pointed at Lopetegui, who became the first West Ham boss to lose his first three home games and has fared little better since, with very few truly impressive performances from his side and little indication that results will improve in the future.
Now, an update on his future and potential replacement has been provided.
That comes courtesy of Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, who claims that Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has “switched on a charm offensive to circulate his name around clubs in the Premier League” as he eyes a potential return to the top flight amid rumours he was very interested in the West Ham job.
However, a move to West Ham is unlikely for several reasons, not least because the ex-Chelsea man would be an expensive hire and Lopetegui’s departure would also be costly given his recent arrival.
Meanwhile, the report adds that “as things stand, the club are set to grant Lopetegui more time to turn things around ahead of a favourable run of fixtures in the Premier League”, with the Hammers facing Leicester City, Bournemouth and Wolves all in their next five Premier League games.
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Mourinho has also ruled out a move this season, explaining to Sky Sports: “Let’s make it clear for the next two years, this season and the next, nobody would take me from Fenerbahce.”
However, a future move could well be on the cards, with the Portuguese coach openly revealing his desire to return to a London club.
“I had three clubs in England, Chelsea twice, so in four different periods I’ve coached in England and I loved it. I’ve been so, so lucky to live in beautiful countries and beautiful cities like Istanbul, Rome, Madrid, Milan but my family lives in London. London is home so one day I want to be back, unless nobody wants me.”
For now though, should West Ham opt to part ways with Lopetegui they will seemingly have to look elsewhere to find a new coach.