Category Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

Além da confusão no entorno do Mangueirão, onde dois torcedores do Corinthians foram atingidos por rojões, a organização para a entrada dos visitantes para o jogo contra o Remo, realizado na cidade de Belém, no Pará, também registrou problemas. A capacidade total foi ocupada e impediu até mesmo que corintianos com ingressos em mãos entrassem no local da partida. Cerca de 40 mil pessoas estiveram por lá.

De acordo com informações levantadas pela reportagem, essa confusão era prevista por conta do movimento contrário à divisão do estádio, como aconteceu em encontros entre o Remo e outros clubes da elite do futebol nacional em outros anos. Apenas 10% da carga foi disponibilizada para a Fiel.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansTorcedores do Corinthians são feridos com rojões antes do jogo contra o Remo pela Copa do BrasilCorinthians13/04/2023CorinthiansCássio reconhece jogo ruim do Corinthians, mas afirma: ‘Temos condições de reverter’Corinthians12/04/2023CorinthiansATUAÇÕES: Lázaro erra nas escolhas, Corinthians sofre pane coletiva e se complica na Copa do BrasilCorinthians12/04/2023

+Lázaro erra nas escolhas, Corinthians sofre pane coletiva e se complica na Copa do Brasil

Outro problema foram os altos valores cobrados inicialmente aos visitantes, que foram impedidos pelos órgãos regulamentadores. Por fim, as mudanças de preço causaram confusões e a quantia cobrada, mesmo assim, foi considerada alta: R$ 200.

Em contato com o LANCE!, o presidente do Remo, Fábio Bentes, garantiu que a carga de ingressos vendida foi abaixo da lotação do estádio. O mandatário disse que o clube sempre foi contrário a decisão de barrar os torcedores e confirmou que a instituição abriu um Boletim de Ocorrência para que a Polícia Civil apure o ocorrido.

– Temos tranquilidade em afirmar que a carga vendida para o jogo hoje foi abaixo da lotação do estádio. Tinham espaços, principalmente nas cadeiras, dos dois lados, também nas arquibancadas. Tivemos a preocupação de fazer os espaços ao receber as informações que os portões tinham sido fechados. A decisão não partiu do clube e somos contra essa decisão. Registramos um boletim de ocorrência e pedimos que a Polícia Civil apure o ocorrido – disse Fábio Bentes em pronunciamento.

O presidente do Leão também alega que a torcida corintiana ocupou parte da arquibancadaque não estava prevista.

-Houve situação de ocupação de parte da arquibancada pela torcida do Corinthians que não estava prevista. Queremos entender como isso foi autorizado. Até então, os 10% mínimos do visitante estavam previstos para ficarem na cadeira B, e foram direcionados para a arquibancada sem a nossa concordância – explicou Fábio Santos

Em campo, o Remo dominou o Corinthians e venceu por 2 a 0, com gols marcados por Richard Franco e Muriqui. O confronto de volta acontecerá no próximo dia 26 de abril, na Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo. O Leão pode perder por até um gol de diferença para ficar com a classificação às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. Em caso de triunfo por dois gols do Timão, a decisão irá para os pênaltis.

اتخذ نادي نيس الفرنسي قرارًا بشأن المحترف المصري محمد عبد المنعم، فيما يخص قائمة الفريق في بطولة الدوري الأوروبي، موسم 2025/26، مرحلة الدوري.

وأجرى الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، يويفا، مراسم قرعة مرحلة الدوري من بطولة الدوري الأوروبي، الموسم الجديد، يوم الجمعة الماضي.

وأسفرت القرعة عن 8 متنافسين لـ نيس في تلك المرحلة من البطولة، وهم: “روما، بورتو، براجا، فناربخشة، فرايبورج، لودوجورتس، جو أهيد إيجلز، سيلتا فيجو”.

وأرسل نيس قائمة الفريق المستدعاة للمشاركة في مرحلة الدوري من الدوري الأوروبي، لـ يويفا، حيث شهدت استبعاد محمد عبد المنعم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هل يعود محمد عبد المنعم إلى الأهلي بعد إصابة الصليبي؟

وتعرض محمد عبد المنعم لإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي في أبريل الماضي، ولم تُحدد مدة غيابه حيث يتوقف الأمر على تعافيه التام، ولكن يبدو أن نيس شعر أنه لن يكون لائقًا حتى نهاية مرحلة الدوري من البطولة، ليقرر استبعاده.

وفي حال تأهل نيس إلى دور الـ16، يمكن للنادي تحديث قائمته بإضافة 3 لاعبين كحد أقصى، حسب قواعد يويفا، ومن ثم يمكنه إدراج محمد عبد المنعم في ذلك الوقت إذا كان جاهزًا للمشاركة.

وانضم محمد عبد المنعم إلى نيس قادمًا من الأهلي، في أغسطس 2024، وشارك في 18 مباريات في مختلف المسابقات مع الفريق الفرنسي.

Glamorgan 370 for 3 (Northeast 186*, Carlson 77, Root 67) vs MiddlesexIn a dank start to the year, few would be able to state with any confidence that they’ve yet heard their first cuckoo of spring. But cock an ear to the shires on this cold grey day in April, and you’d hear loud and clear the mocking laugh of the Kookaburra – an invasive species in these parts, and one that’s been flown in direct from the Antipodes to disrupt the habitat of county cricket’s native seamers.By the close, Glamorgan’s own man from the south east, Sam Northeast, was laughing longest and loudest. Ashford in Kent is not quite so far flung as the Eucalypt forests of Queensland, but for Middlesex’s toiling bowlers, Northeast might as well have been Ricky Ponting at the Gabba in 2002-03, for all the effortless dominance he exerted after being handed first use of a characteristically flat Lord’s deck.For it was a case of four washouts and one wipeout on the opening day of the 2024 County Championship. The legendary status of the Lord’s drainage meant that London’s morning downpours were never likely to cause the issues encountered at Derby or Old Trafford, but when Toby Roland-Jones won the toss for Middlesex and chose to bowl first, he could not have envisaged a first-day scoreline of 370 for 3 grinning back at him, or that his incorrectly calling counterpart would be sitting pretty on 186 not out from 266 balls.Perhaps, like Nasser Hussain in that fateful Brisbane Test 20 years ago, TRJ’s was an instinctively defensive decision, borne of his team’s memories – almost exactly a year ago to the day – of being reduced to 4 for 4 by Essex’s Jamie Porter and Sam Cook. More likely, though, it was an unthinking assumption that the ball, any ball, would do enough talking to fast-track Middlesex’s bid for an instant return to the top flight.Not so fast. Although the impact was more apparent at Lord’s than elsewhere, if you squinted through the clouds that enveloped this first day of county action, a common theme emerged, with many of the contests reflecting precisely the type of clear-skied Ashes scoreline that this ball-switching experiment has been designed to do away with – a smattering of breakthroughs within the first 15 or so overs, including Ethan Bamber’s snicking-off of Zain-ul-Hassan for this year’s maiden Championship wicket, then scant reward and a lot of hard yakka thereafter.Billy Root notched a fifty after moving up to open the batting•PA Photos/Getty Images

Both Billy Root and Kiran Carlson might have had designs on centuries of their own when each fell to a glaring misjudgement – with Root’s waft across the line to a decent deck-hitting delivery from Henry Brookes giving Middlesex’s new signing his first and only scalp in 12 energetic but under-threatening overs.Northeast did had a moment of luck on 11, when Max Holden spilled him at backward point off Bamber, but he could hardly have made it count with more aplomb. With a short boundary down the hill to the Mound Stand, he peppered his drives as the shine went off the ball and the Kookaburra’s more slender seam resolutely refused to grip.Notwithstanding a schoolboy hundred for Harrow versus Eton in 2007 (when Gary Ballance, no less, had been a team-mate), in three previous Championship matches at Lord’s, dating back to his first-ball duck for Kent as a 21-year-old in 2011, Northeast had mustered a total of 50 runs at 10.00. Now, en route to what he later described as a “bucket-list” century, he rushed past that total from just 51 balls in a joyous spring offensive. At the other end, Root was scarcely any more sluggish in getting to his fifty from 63 balls, in a second-wicket stand of 129.And, in a direct rebuttal of one of the most pervasive pre-season narratives, by mid-afternoon, the home attack was being carried by the unlikely spin twins of Josh De Caires and Leus du Plooy, a man who might already be feeling a touch of buyer’s remorse after his high-profile move from Derbyshire. Du Plooy even found some purchase in his six exploratory overs, including a snorter that bit past the outside edge to clip the back pad, but it wasn’t enough to dislodge a free-flowing Glamorgan captain.By the time he’d flicked the under-used Ryan Higgins off his toes for the 26th and final four, Northeast had romped along to 179 from 241 balls, and with almost an hour of the day still remaining, he seemed odds-on to rack up a remarkable first-day double-hundred.Instead, with the second Kookaburra offering perhaps just a fraction more assistance than the first, he took his foot off the throttle as the close approached – as is the wont of a man who, two seasons ago, racked up the Championship’s most recent quadruple-century. At the rate this innings has progressed, and with the new ball already primed for its mid-life crisis at the age of 16 overs, there’ll be plenty more where those have already come from.”I plan to be very greedy on day two,” Northeast said at the close. “It’s been a fantastic day and I’m not sure we could have dreamt of it this morning. I want to lead from the front, so it is a nice way to start that, but I’d like to be walking away from here with a victory, that’s the most important thing.”It’s been a good toss to lose at the minute. I would have had a bowl as well, but that’s the way things go. We’ll see what it’s like when our bowlers get on it. We were expecting the wicket to do a little bit more, maybe that is the Kookaburra ball. We may have to get a bit imaginative with how we go about things.”Brookes added: “The Kookaburra is different. You don’t get as much movement and the ball doesn’t stay as hard for as long, but it’s here to stay for a few games this year so we have to work hard with it, see what movement we can get and do things a little bit differently.”

Upul Tharanga, the former Sri Lankan opener, has been appointed as the new chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) selection committee, the board has confirmed. He will head a five-member committee which includes Ajantha Mendis, Indika de Saram, Tharanga Paranavitana and Dilruwan Perera.The move comes in the wake of Sri Lanka’s underwhelming 2023 World Cup campaign, which had them win only two out of nine games and subsequently miss out on qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy.Their first assignment will be picking the squad for Sri Lanka’s home series against Zimbabwe in January, which will be followed by a series against Afghanistan. In the medium term they will be keeping a keen eye on the T20 World Cup in June.The new committee, which will be in place for a two-year term, is among the youngest ever appointed to such a post at SLC. While de Saram at 50 is the oldest of the lot, Paranavitana and Dilruwan are both 41, with Tharanga and Mendis younger still at 38.Tharanga, Dilruwan and de Saram also turned out to play first-class cricket as recently as this year. Paranavitana meanwhile last played domestically in 2020, having retired from international cricket that same year, while Mendis has followed up his 2019 retirement by frequenting the legends circuit.The decision over the new committee was taken after SLC had nominated a list of names to Sri Lanka’s newly appointed sports minister Harin Fernando. Under Sri Lanka’s sports law, the sports minister is solely vested with the power to appoint selection committees. It is understood that SLC was in favour of the outgoing committee, headed by Pramodya Wickramasinghe, carrying on in the lead up to next year’s T20 World Cup, however Fernando decided fresh faces were in order.During his tenure, Wickramasinghe had overseen a youth-driven overhaul with several senior players eschewed in favour of a core of younger players. Results of the move were mixed, with Sri Lanka unexpectedly lifting the 2022 T20 Asia Cup, to go alongside home series wins against Australia, South Africa and India. But this was juxtaposed by abject showings in the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup.As such, much of the discourse surrounding Sri Lanka’s recent form has been striking the right balance between youth and experience, and so this will likely be among the foremost areas set to be addressed by the new committee in picking their first squad.

Dawid Malan says team have “hell of a lot to play for” in remaining group games

Matt Roller31-Oct-2023

England have lost five games out of six in the tournament so far•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

England have arrived in Ahmedabad knowing that they must win at least one of their next three games – not only to restore pride but to ensure that they are spared the ignominy of missing the cut for the next global men’s 50-over event in 2025. Failing to mount a challenge for the World Cup is one thing; failing to qualify for the Champions Trophy would be quite another.The England set-up were blindsided when the ICC confirmed on Sunday that a change in the qualification process had been ratified – but not announced publicly – in November 2021. Pakistan, the hosts, will be joined by the other seven highest finishers at the World Cup, with England dead last after five defeats in six matches.There has been significant institutional change at the ECB in the two years since, with a new chief executive, chair and managing director in place. But realistically, after a seven-year era of unprecedented white-ball success since 2015, the prospect of finishing outside the top eight would not have registered with England’s management.Related

Morgan says England head coach aspirations 'far-fetched'

Bangladesh reset their batting, but it's come too late for World Cup of regret

2025 Champions Trophy qualification at stake during ODI World Cup

England in battle to secure Champions Trophy participation

Australia talking points: Starc, middle-order tempo and allrounders

England play Australia on Saturday before fixtures against Netherlands and Pakistan on November 8 and 11 respectively, and the Netherlands game in Pune already looks like a potential qualification decider. The Dutch have a proud history against England, beating them in the 2009 and 2014 World T20s, and will be desperate to turn them over once more.It is not lost on England’s players that they need to finish this World Cup strongly – even if, with 11 out of 15 squad members aged 30-plus, many of them will not be involved in two years’ time. “People’s jobs are being scrutinised and players’ careers are being scrutinised,” Dawid Malan said on Tuesday. “We have a hell of a lot to play for in the last three.”The last thing you want – if the decision gets made to move on from players – is that we haven’t done well enough to give other players the opportunity in future to play in big tournaments. That’s what you play the game for: you want to be in the Champions Trophy and the World Cup, things like that.”Dawid Malan is England’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup•Getty Images

England are not mathematically out of the World Cup, but their players are realistic about their semi-final prospects. “It’s definitely not going to be a situation where we just go through the motions because we’re potentially out of this World Cup,” Malan said. “We have a lot at stake and a lot of pride for England to be in that Champions Trophy in two years’ time.”Malan told the BBC that, at 36, he is “pretty sure I’ll be done” as an England player before the 2025 Champions Trophy. “It feels a long way away,” he said. “Two years feels a long way away. I am playing as well as I’ve played, but whether that decision is mine or someone else’s, we’ll find out.”Criticism of England has grown with every defeat and Malan found himself playing down various perceived issues: he denied that central contracts had been a major distraction, said that it was “fair” for Eoin Morgan to lay into their underperformance, and suggested it was up to the players to take the heat off head coach Matthew Mott.Malan is England’s leading run-scorer at this tournament with 236 at 39.33, 140 of which came in their only win, against Bangladesh in Dharamshala. “I feel like I am playing well, but just finding ways of getting out,” he said. “We just can’t get anything going with the bat and get a score on the board. I can’t put my finger on it.”He also confirmed recent reports that he will not play in the County Championship for Yorkshire next year. “I’ll probably try and play as much white-ball cricket as I can for the rest of my career,” Malan said. “It’s prioritising spending a bit more time at home because my winters are so busy with internationals or franchise tournaments.”

One final push. The Premier League title race has entered the last stretch, and Liverpool’s advantage at the summit is almost unassailable.

Barring a dramatic decline, Arne Slot’s Reds will be crowned champions by May, second-place Arsenal trailing 12 points behind. Focus is already being turned ahead to the summer transfer window, with the gaffer sure to want to avoid any bouts of second-season syndrome.

Liverpool need reinforcements in a range of zones. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expected move to Real Madrid should give rise to a concerted approach for a successor, but it’s on the other flank that bringing someone in is a more pressing need.

It’s early days yet, but Milos Kerkez is the name on most fans’ minds.

Liverpool's interest in Milos Kerkez

Liverpool have been linked with Bournemouth’s Kerkez for several months now, Slot having grown concerned about Andy Robertson’s decline and Kostas Tsimikas’ unshakeable reputation as the second-fiddle man.

Kerkez has been a “revelation” for the Cherries this season, so says Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, bringing a potent and sparky style to the left side of Andoni Iraola’s backline.

Now, things are starting to shift. As per The Times, Bournemouth will demand a fee of £45m for their 21-year-old star this summer, who has three years remaining on his current deal.

In short, chairman Bill Foley is ready to play hardball, even if the Hungarian, good friends with Dominik Szoboszlai, wants the move.

However, FSG rarely place all their eggs in one basket and could move for a different up-and-comer, one who might even have a higher ceiling than Liverpool’s ostensible top target.

Liverpool eyeing Kerkez alternative

Kerkez is a talented guy, but he’s not the only exciting left-back on the market. According to Football Insider, Liverpool are also interested in Ajax star Jorrel Hato, 19, and have been informed that a £40m bid would convince the Dutch giants to sell.

Hato’s propensity to impress across central and wide defensive berths makes him an attractive proposition indeed for Slot’s Liverpool. For one so young, £40m is a tall order but the lofty potential is clear.

However, Arsenal, Chelsea and Los Blancos are all keen too, so the Anfield side will need to act swiftly if they are to complete the signing of a supertstar in the making.

Why Jorrel Hato would be perfect

A buccaneering defender, Hato is aggressive and brave, rooted in his defensive virtues but eager to travel about and progress play forward.

Described as an “exceptional athlete” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Hato has been something of a revelation for Ajax, who are nine points clear at the top of the Dutch Eredivisie, two seasons without winning the title.

Already, he’s featured 104 times for the first team, racking up four goals and nine assists, with Mattinson unsurprisingly highlighting his “insane quality on the ball”.

FBref have the data to back it all up: the teenager ranks among the top 20% of full-backs across relevant leagues over the past year for ball recoveries and the top 6% for through balls per 90.

While Hato wouldn’t come cheap at £40m, it may be that he would make a better signing than Kerkez, for Hato could be shaped by Slot’s craftsman hands, nurtured into a player capable of serving across multiple defensive roles.

At 6 foot, the Dutchman is a powerful and commanding player, perhaps with a more structured style of play that could see him dovetail into Slot’s system without eliminating a natural attacking edge that has actually topped Kerkez’s own haul this term.

Jorrel Hato vs Milos Kerkez (2024/25)
Stats (* per game)	Hato	Kerkez
Matches (starts)	24 (23)	29 (29)
Goals	2	2
Assists	6	5
Touches*	66.6	57.8
Pass completion	90%	81%
Big chances created	5	6
Dribbles*	0.3	0.6
Ball recoveries*	4.0	4.6
Tackles + interceptions*	2.8	2.6
Clearances*	2.0	2.7
Duels (won)*	4.5 (55%)	3.8 (51%)
Stats via Sofascore

Hato might have the properties to perform as a centre-back in the long run, but he’s played the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign as a full-back and would be the perfect understudy for Robertson, 31, next season.

Well, understudy with a view toward leapfrogging the veteran. Hato’s tactical qualities lend themselves to success across multiple roles, but he’s got the ball-playing ability and sinewy athleticism to pass the tests the Premier League has to offer and indeed flourish in the years ahead.

Robertson, indeed, may be flagging but has still served as a starting member of a potentially title-winning team, completing 89% of his passes in the Premier League.

His style of play has worked so well for Liverpool over the years, though, that it might be that Hato’s somewhat similar approach could bear dividends for the Reds as they move into their second iteration under Slot’s wing next season.

Harking back to the table above, Hato is showing signs of being a more able and reliable defender than Kerkez, who is no rookie himself, with an endless gas tank and an unwavering sense of tenacity besides.

Such prodigal talent has seen Hato become one of Europe’s most exciting youngsters. Indeed, last month, he became a part of his side’s prestigious 100 club, the youngest to achieve the feat at 18 years old – Matthijs De Ligt was the previous holder at 19 years and 199 days.

The exciting thing is that he’s got so much potential still to tap into. With Slot, his compatriot, guiding him to the fore, it could be a match made in heaven for Liverpool as they look to get even better next year.

Transfer Focus

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

A tough ask; they are heading for the Premier League title, after all. But to consolidate this position of strength under Slot’s management, this is just the type of signing needed. Kerkez is great, Hato’s just better, and a mite cheaper at that.

Slot is already brewing Liverpool's very own homegrown Frimpong

Liverpool’s vice-captain looks set to join Real Madrid at the end of his contract this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 1, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have now held talks with the agents of a “sensational” £40m striker, who is attracting widespread interest from Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Spurs widening striker search

Tottenham are one of many big Premier League clubs looking at bringing in a striker this summer, with both Dominic Solanke and Richarlison struggling with injuries at times this season, which has left Ange Postecoglou lacking options in attack.

Moise Kean is the latest player to be shortlisted, with Spurs now monitoring the former Everton man, who has enjoyed a very impressive campaign with Fiorentina in the Serie A, while a ‘super’ bid could be made for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

The Lilywhites have also started to make moves for Lille striker Jonathan David, who will be available for free in the summer, but with a number of Europe’s top clubs vying to sign the Canadian, it could prove to be very difficult to get a deal done.

Levy playing "leading role" to sign "world-class" player for Tottenham at half-price

The Spurs chairman has been working on a deal “for weeks”.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Mar 28, 2025

Another striker who is attracting widespread interest is Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, in light of a solid debut campaign in the Premier League, and a report from The Boot Room has revealed Tottenham have now held talks with the forward’s agents.

Barring Manchester City, the rest of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ hold an interest in Delap, with Newcastle United also in the race for his signature, which means a deal will not be easy to complete.

Man City own a 20% sell-on clause on their former forward, which means they will pocket a tidy sum from any sale, with the Tractor Boys looking to hold out for around £40m.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Chelsea (a)

April 3rd

Southampton (h)

April 6th

Eintracht Frankfurt (h)

April 10th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

April 13th

Eintracht Frankfurt (a)

April 17th

"Sensational" Delap impressing in a poor side

Ipswich are now nine points from safety, following a four-game losing streak in the Premier League, but their one shining light this season has been Delap, who has regularly been amongst the goals.

The Englishman has 10 goals and two assists to his name in 28 Premier League outings, which has led to high praise from some members of the media, having been dubbed “sensational” by GOAL writer Jacob Schneider.

Roy Keane and Daniel Sturridge have also been very impressed by the 22-year-old, with the former describing him as an “aggressive” striker.

Given his age, Delap could be a steal at just £40m, so it is exciting news that Tottenham have made initial contact, but with so many other clubs in the race for his signature, it may be difficult to win the race if they don’t seal Champions League qualification via a Europa League triumph.

Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of a defender, having stepped up their interest in recent weeks, but there may be competition for his signature from one of their London rivals, according to a report.

Blues keen to strengthen in defence

The Blues have set their sights on multiple defenders ahead of the summer transfer window, with Flamengo right-back Wesley Franca now emerging as a target, having held talks over a deal for the Brazilian in recent days.

On the opposite side of the backline, Enzo Maresca’s side could look to bring in Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin, having started to work on a deal, though there is set to be stiff competition for his signature from a number of Premier League clubs.

Maresca is clearly keen to bolster his options at full-back, and the manager is also driving a move for Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who could be brought in as a replacement for Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea "doing work" on signing "top-class" £20m ex-Tottenham player

The west Londoners are now interested.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 8, 2025

Signing a new goalkeeper may be an important task this summer given the catalogue of errors Sanchez has made this season, but there is also a desire to strengthen in the centre-back department.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of Feyenoord’s David Hancko, having stepped up their interest in the centre-back over the past few weeks.

However, there may be competition for Hancko’s signature, with Tottenham ramping up their interest of late, while Atlético Madrid and Juventus are also named as potential suitors – and he is said to be enticed by the idea of joining the Italian club.

Feyenoord would be willing to sanction the defender’s departure for £42m this summer, making him a relatively affordable option should the Blues choose to formalise their interest in the summer.

"Freak technician" Hancko could be a solid signing

The Feyenoord star has received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who has lauded him for his ability to drive the ball forward from defence.

The former Sparta Prague man’s attacking ability is underlined by his impressive goal and assist record in the league over the past five seasons.

Season	League appearances	Goals	Assists
2020-21	24	5	2
2021-22	30	7	5
2022-23	34	2	4
2023-24	34	5	2
2024-25	23	3	2

Journalist Diederik de Groot has also described the Slovakia international as the “best defender” he’s ever seen at Feyenoord, and he has been in impressive form this season, emerging as one of the most consistent performers in the squad.

Hancko has certainly earned the chance to prove himself in the Premier League, and a £42m fee seems reasonable, so Chelsea should continue to monitor his performances before potentially launching a bid in the summer.

Shifting their focus towards the summer transfer window, Manchester United are now reportedly seriously considering a move worth over £66m to sign a midfield reinforcement.

Man Utd transfer news

More than almost anyone in the Premier League, Manchester United desperately need reinforcements. If the remaining months of Erik ten Hag’s reign began to expose the quality of the current side, then Ruben Amorim’s first few months have revealed all.

The former Sporting CP boss has quickly been forced to realise the reality of the situation he has joined, often left to work with square pegs in round holes. His 3-4-2-1 system simply has not worked with the current squad and, in truth, that should have been a given.

Amorim arrived to use a system that was relying on wing-backs in a squad without natural solutions until Patrick Dorgu joined. He also arrived to use a system which does not use wingers in a squad built around Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho. So, even on paper, United’s struggles should have always seemed likely.

Their own Rogers: Teen Man Utd ace can be "pushed closer to the first-team"

Man Utd need to fill the void of Amad Diallo, who is out for the rest of the season.

ByJoe Nuttall Feb 21, 2025

It’s a problem that INEOS must fix when the summer arrives and hand their new manager players who suit his system – perhaps starting with a Premier League midfielder.

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are now seriously considering an €80m (£66.3m) chase to sign Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace. Just back from a hamstring injury, the England international is gradually working his way towards full fitness and his best form, perhaps just in time for the summer transfer window to arrive.

At his best, Wharton helped to transform Oliver Glasner’s side in the second half of last season before seeing injury disrupt his first full campaign at Selhurst Park. Reportedly maintaining his pricey valuation nonetheless, Manchester United will have to raise an impressive sum if they are to sign the midfielder this summer.

"Great" Wharton needs time

Fresh from injury and yet to complete a full season in the Premier League, Wharton should maintain his patience and avoid joining what could quickly turn into a nightmare move at Manchester United.

Several players in the past have instantly regretted completing such moves and given that Palace are currently above the Red Devils in the Premier League, Wharton would need to question whether it’s a risk worth taking this summer.

Praised by Glasner last season, the Austrian told reporters when asked about Wharton: “[As coaching staff] we tell him, or give him, one or two tips and he tries to do it. He has a great quality and he’s fit, which is unusual as he [is] playing almost every single minute of every single game.

“He always shows great performances with his passing, with his solutions and with his hard working in central midfield together with Will Hughes, it’s very important for us. He’s at the beginning of a great career and we will support him as good as possible.”

Another question is whether Manchester United can even afford such a hefty deal. Their financial limitations are no secret and they must sell before they can even think about reaching Wharton’s reported price tag.

Chelsea’s season is in danger of spiralling out of control.

On Saturday evening, the Blues suffered a third successive Premier League away defeat, this time beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa.

Enzo Maresca’s side have now won just two of their last ten league outings, relinquishing their place in the Champions League spots.

Out of both domestic cups too, this season, which seemingly promised so much, could ultimately be deemed a failure, with the Blues’ ongoing centre-forward crisis once again a talking point.

Chelsea's continued striker issue

As noted by Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport, despite spending in excess of £1.5bn since Todd Boehly’s takeover, Chelsea are ‘threadbare’ in attack ‘with no fit strikers to call upon’.

That’s because Chelsea are enduring a striker shortage, given that Nicolas Jackson will be sidelined until April ‘due to a muscular injury’, while Marc Guiu suffered a ‘bad knee injury’ against West Ham.

Even before this, there were question marks over Chelsea’s centre-forward position, with Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports stating he believes they do not have a striker good enough to win the Premier League title.

So, for now, Christopher Nkunku is leading the line, but he certainly isn’t earning rave reviews.

Louis Sealey of the Metro described his display at Villa Park on Saturday as ‘non-existent’, while Barry Glendenning of the Guardian outlines how he spent the majority of the evening ‘gesticulating in frustration’.

Meantime, Malik Ouzia of the Evening Standard notes that he continues to be the ‘least threatening of Chelsea’s attackers’, which is far from ideal considering the Blues’ lack of alternatives.

So, given Chelsea’s ongoing search for a reliable goalscorer, do they regret allowing one to leave?

Former Chelsea striker now among the goals

Many may have actually forgotten that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a Chelsea player not too long ago. Described as “world-class” upon his arrival at the Bridge by Behdad Eghbali, he ended up making just 21 appearances for the Blues, scoring only three goals, before quickly departing for Olympique de Marseille a year later.

During one season with les Phocéens, the Gabonese striker actually scored 30 goals in just 51 appearances, but departed OM to become the latest big-name player to move to the Saudi Pro League, joining newly-promoted outfit Al-Qadsiah.

Well, with Aubameyang spearheading their attack, Al-Qadsiah are currently third in the Saudi Pro League which, according to Hussain Almaskati of New of Bahrain, is ‘defying expectations’, with a Saudi Gazette report describing his performances as ‘sensational’.

So, let’s see how Aubameyang compares to Chelsea’s two most-used strikers: Nkunku and Jackson.

Aubameyang vs Nkunku & Jackson 24/25

Statistics

Auba

Nkunku

Jackson

Appearances

21

33

24

Minutes

1,863

1,493

1,778

Goals

12

13

9

Minutes per goal

155

115

198

Assists

2

4

5

Shots per 90

3.54

2.72

3.27

Shots on target %

45.5%

55.3%

47.6%

Big chances missed

10

13

15

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com & Sofascore

As outlined in the table, it’s actually Nkunku who boasts the best statistics, but this must be caveated.

The Frenchman has scored 13 goals this season, but only two have come in the Premier League, on target seven times in the Conference League, as well as bagging a hat-trick against Barrow in the EFL Cup.

Of course, Aubameyang is plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League which, according to Global Football Rankings, is the 31st best league in the world, while the Premier League is top of these rankings, which provides some perspective.

Nevertheless, the fact the 35-year-old has missed fewer Opta defined big chances than both Nkunku and Jackson this season suggests he could have helped the Blues had he stayed.

Related Better than Jorgensen: Chelsea will regret letting "world-class" GK leave

Chelsea goalkeepers Robert Sánchez & Filip Jörgensen continue to endure a miserable season so did the Blues let their best shot-stopper leave on loan?

Posts ByBen Gray Feb 23, 2025