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Newcastle United have thrived since the PIF takeover of 2021, with the transfer business under Eddie Howe more or less on the money.

Indeed, the Magpies have got bang for their buck, with Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Sven Botman (injuries aside), all worth significantly more than they were paid for and playing instrumental roles in qualifying for the Champions League or performing within it.

Injuries did dominate throughout the 2023/24 season, pulling Newcastle away from European qualification, but there was one man who exceeded expectations above all others. Gordon thrived.

Anthony Gordon's 2023/24 season

Gordon was crowned Newcastle's Player of the Season last year after an exceptional campaign, posting 12 goals and 11 assists across all competitions and being hailed for his "unbelievable" performances by teammate Guimaraes.

He'd struggled to settle after signing from Everton for £45m in January 2023 but has since gone from strength to strength and earned attention from Liverpool during the off-season, with a deal worth £75m almost being completed before United found alternative means to combat their PSR problem.

Newcastle will be delighted that he still sits on the books, having scored during his side's draw against Bournemouth in August, averaging 2.7 key passes and 5.3 successful duels per game (Sofascore) and entering a regular role for England's national set-up.

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

Goals

11

Assists

10

Touches

44.9

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

Big chances created

16

Pass completion

82%

Key passes*

1.6

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

Ball recoveries*

3.6

Dribbles*

1.5

Total duels won*

5.3

With 13 goals since the start of last season, Gordon is starting to look like quite the prolific presence. Although, there's actually a former Newcastle star sold after Gordon moved to Tyneside who has outscored him since – and in the Premier League too.

The player who's outscored Gordon since leaving

Indeed, Chris Wood flattered to deceive in black and white, but he's enjoyed a renaissance since signing for Nottingham Forest last year.

Wood joined Newcastle from Burnley for a £25m fee in January 2022, having been a steady goalscoring presence in the Premier League under Sean Dyche.

The hulking centre-forward was one of the torch-bearers at the start of the present era and arrived having hit double digits across each of his four full top-flight campaigns with the Clarets, but he fell by the wayside with Newcastle, scoring five goals over 39 total outings.

He was remarked to have looked "a bit lost" during his stay by pundit Tam McManus, scoring only twice across 18 Premier League games across the remainder of the term, also earning quite the pretty penny at £80k per week.

He's loving life at the City Ground. After starting slow due to an injury, Wood served as the attacking centrepiece last year, firing 14 goals home across 31 Premier League fixtures – including a hat-trick at St. James' Park that condemned Newcastle to a bitter winter defeat.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

The 32-year-old has also opened his account for the current campaign with two goals across three matches, crucial in starting the year off unbeaten. This means that he has scored 18 times since moving to Nottingham in January 2023, surpassing Gordon's 14 goals since joining the Toon at the same time.

Wood currently ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90 (0.67), as per FBref, so he's certainly enjoyed a resurgence.

Would he have hit such a vein of form under Howe? It's hard to tell, but Newcastle recouped £15m for his services and have elite strikers in Isak and Wilson. There aren't too many regrets.

Still, he's outscoring Gordon, which emphasises the kind of prolificness that United might have had…

He's like Bruno Guimaraes: Newcastle's top target for 2025 revealed

Eddie Howe is already looking ahead…

1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 12, 2024

It’s been all change at Tottenham Hotspur over the last year and a bit, with club legend Harry Kane moving to Germany and the somewhat unknown Ange Postecoglou being handed the reigns in the same summer.

Since then, the North Londoners have become one of the most exciting teams to watch in the country and have welcomed in a swathe of exciting young talents while finally getting rid of several players who just weren’t good enough.

However, despite the significant changes to the squad over the summer, there are still a few players that Daniel Levy and Ange need to move on as soon as possible, including one who earns more than Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Porro and Bentancur's salaries at Spurs

The Lilywhites signed Porro from Portuguese giants Sporting CP on an initial loan in January 2023 with an obligation to buy for around £39m in the summer, and in the season and a half since, he has more than justified that fee.

So far, the incredible Spaniard has made 59 appearances for the North Londoners, primarily at right-back, in which he has racked up a seriously impressive haul of eight goals and ten assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 3.27 games.

This sensational attacking ability has unsurprisingly made the 25-year-old one of Postecoglou’s most important players, and while it’s a lot of money, he’s undoubtedly justifying his £85k-per-week wage.

Likewise, Bentancur, who joined Spurs for around £21.5m, including add-ons in January 2022, is another player who is arguably justifying his £75k-per-week wage.

Since moving to N17, the “technically immense” Uruguay international, as dubbed by broadcaster Adam Smith, has made 74 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists. While he has had injury problems, Tottenham are a far better team when he’s in the lineup.

Overall, both Porro and Bentancur have proven to be worth their initial transfer fee and wage packet, which unfortunately cannot be said about one of their teammates.

Richarlison's salary at Spurs

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his form in the last two years, the Spurs player who simply isn’t justifying his wage or transfer fee is Richarlison.

The Brazilian forward joined the North Londoners from Everton in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of around £60m, and while that was a significant fee at the time, his form for the Toffees suggested that he might really be worth that much.

For example, in his time with the Merseysiders, the 48-capped international scored 53 goals and provided 13 assists in 152 appearances, but as Tottenham fans will attest, he has not shown that sort of form over the last two seasons.

In fact, in his first campaign with the club, the 27-year-old scored just three goals and provided four assists in 35 appearances, while last season, he did slightly better and ended the year with 12 goals and four assists in 31 games.

Unfortunately, after making substitute appearances in the first two games of the season, the Nova Venécia-born star has since been sidelined with an unknown injury, and it looks like he’ll remain out for quite some time.

Transfer Fee

£60m

Wages (Total)

£90k-per-week (£10.4m)

Combined

£70.4m

Goals

15

Cost per Goal

£4.69m

Assists

8

Cost per Assist

£8.80m

Goal Involvements

23

Cost per Goal Involvements

£3m

So, with everything that has happened over the last two years, it would be hard to argue that the former Everton ace has been worth the £60m the club paid for him, let alone his £90k-per-week wages, which have since amounted to around £10.4m.

Ultimately, while Richalison is a talented player who has done well for Brazil, he has not done anywhere near enough at Spurs, so while it may be harsh, Ange and Levy should look to move him on in January, or failing that, next summer.

Defoe loved him: £26m Spurs signing became the biggest "flop of the season"

It looked like Spurs had signed a world-beater.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 24, 2024

Virgil van Dijk has claimed referee Stuart Attwell made a 'mistake' not sending off Lucas Bergvall during Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

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Referee Attwell makes mistake in Liverpool lossBergvall scores winner after not being sent offVan Dijk and Slot criticise refereeing decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool were handed a shock loss at the hands of Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final in north London after Lucas Bergvall scored an 86th-minute winner. However, the 18-year-old lunged in on Kostas Tsimikas just before the goal and was not sent off by referee Attwell. While the Liverpool left-back was off the field, Bergvall scored on the counter, with the incident drawing a lot of criticism from Van Dijk.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT VAN DIJK SAID

Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk said: "I think it was quite obvious that it was going to be a second yellow.

"Obviously I think it was pretty clear [from what I said to the referee]. It was no coincidence that a minute later he scores the winner.

"He [Attwell] made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that. It was quite obvious I think and everyone on the sidelines knew it was supposed to be a yellow.

"There is a linesman there, a fourth official. There is VAR there and a referee, and he doesn't get a second yellow. I'm not saying this is the reason we lost today, but it was a big moment in the game."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool boss Arne Slot also criticised the refereeing decision that will now force the Reds to try go on a huge offensive in the second leg. The Dutchman told Sky Sports: "It was a good goal, let that be clear, Bergvall stayed calm and finished it off.

"But I don’t think you are interested in that but the moment before [the foul]. I think I saw Ange was sitting here and Spurs weren’t happy with a few decisions on Sunday. People say the decisions even up – I don’t believe that. They may have been unlucky and today the decisions went for them. It was unlucky for us because I didn’t think we were ever going to lose this game.

"Very unlucky, far from ideal starting position. They have a good team and have some players coming back for the second leg but if I lose I prefer to lose with a second leg to come."

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou also provided his thoughts on the Bergvall-Tsimikas incident and told Sky Sports: "Now we've been told consistently in the last few weeks, because I've been screaming about it from the sidelines, because a lot of teams have got away with a lot of fouls with us, without bookings, because the referee plays advantage.

"We've been told consistently that if we play advantage, as long as it's not a cynical foul, then the player does not get cautioned. So that's been relayed to us on a weekly basis. Because we feel like that's been happening."

Eagles reach target off last ball as Aron Nijjar’s rapid 32 sees them home

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2021Tom Westley’s patient innings of 71 led Essex Eagles to a thrilling two-wicket Royal London Cup victory over Gloucestershire at the Bristol County Ground.The home side posted 204 all out in 49.1 overs after losing the toss, rescued from 73 for 5 by Jack Taylor’s battling 62 and a valuable 64 from George Scott.Shane Snater took three wickets in his final over for figures of 4 for 48, but off-spinner Simon Harmer was the pick of the Essex attack with 1 for 22 from his ten overs.In reply, the Eagles made 207 for 8, reaching their target off the last ball of the game. Aron Nijjar saw them home with a rapid 32 not out after Westley had laid the foundation with his 90-ball innings.Needing two to win off the final delivery from Jared Warner, Snater cut a short ball past backward point for four.Gloucestershire’s early slump was much of their own doing, having reached 46 for 1 following the early loss of skipper Chris Dent for a duck.Tom Lace fell to a decent delivery, Ryan ten Doeschate’s first of the game, which nipped back and pinned him leg before for 19.But James Bracey was then run out in a mix-up with Ben Charlesworth, who clipped the ball to mid-wicket and called for a quick single. Charlesworth appeared unsettled by the incident and, having played well to reach 22, offered a tame catch to point off Harmer.Then Graeme van Buuren failed to commit fully to a lofted drive and was caught and bowled by ten Doeschate.Taylor and Scott had no option but to build steadily, taking the score to 98 for 5 after 30 overs. Taylor was first to his half-century, off 71 balls, with four fours and a six. The pair had added 99 when he was caught aiming a big shot to leg off Nijar.Scott’s fifty occupied 75 deliveries, with five fours. He celebrated with a six over mid-wicket off Snater.But the 49th over from the same bowler saw Matt Taylor caught at long-off, Scott edge to short third and Josh Shaw taken at mid-off before Ben Allison ended the innings.Essex lost Alastair Cook with the score on 14, bowled behind his legs by Matt Taylor before left-arm spinner Tom Smith began to make inroads, getting the ball to grip from the Pavilion End.He bowled Will Buttleman with a delivery that straightened and had Michael Pepper well caught by the diving Charlesworth, who had just been posted as a second slip.Westley moved to a sound fifty, made from 65 balls, with five fours, and found a reliable partner in 20-year-old Josh Rymell. Playing his first List A innings, the youngster moved to 30 before being bowled attempting to sweep a full delivery from van Buuren with the total on 120.The experienced ten Doeschate could make only five before lofting a catch to long off to give van Buuren his second wicket and Adam Wheater quickly fell lbw to Taylor.Harmer was stumped advancing to van Buuren before Westley was controversially run out, a bail apparently already dislodged before wicketkeeper Bracey broke the stumps.It didn’t matter because Nijar came in to smack two sixes and two fours, turning the game in the final overs.

Having initially set their sights on a move next summer, Manchester United have reportedly been so impressed by one target after sending their scouts that they’re set to speed things up.

Man Utd transfer news

In INEOS’ and new sporting director Dan Ashworth’s first summer at the helm, Manchester United arguably ticked every box of what they needed to recruit. The Red Devils welcomed a centre-back for the future in Leny Yoro alongside one in his prime in Matthijs de Ligt, whilst also signing an attacking reinforcement in Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte to replace Casemiro and a fresh face at right-back in Noussair Mazraoui. Yet, so far, they’ve been far from convincing.

Jose wanted Man Utd to sign £152m star in the making but got Lukaku instead

He is now considered one of the world’s best

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 20, 2024

Erik ten Hag’s side, despite all of those aforementioned arrivals, once again failed to get near Liverpool in another humiliating defeat at Old Trafford, before they were forced to battle past Southampton in another unconvincing display. They did at least avoid an upset in the Carabao Cup, however, having put seven past Barnsley in midweek.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, INEOS look set to continue their transfer strategy focused on stars for the future. In fact, according to GiveMeSport, Manchester United have been so impressed by Sverre Nypan that they now want to secure his signature in January rather than next summer.

Scouts have reportedly been in Norway to track the midfielder who is also a Manchester United fan in what should only provide the Red Devils a boost in pursuit of his signature. The plan would apparently be to sign the 17-year-old and then send him back on loan to Rosenborg, where he can continue to develop as a key starter in their senior side.

Tipped to be the new version of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong – who has been the topic of Manchester United interest more than once in the past – Nypan could now hand the Red Devils the perfect alternative to the Dutchman.

"Exciting" Nypan proves the change in Man Utd strategy

Before Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ashworth, Manchester United were guilty of signing players past their best and overspending on talents who do not have a long-term future among Europe’s elite, with Casemiro the most recent example of that. Since their arrival though, things have changed.

Instead of signing another Raphael Varane or Casemiro, those at Old Trafford welcomed Yoro and Ugarte in the summer, who will both have a role under Ten Hag for years to come rather than just the one campaign. It’s a strategy that should pay off and one that could continue with the arrival of Nypan to land a cheaper option to De Jong.

A midfielder with an “exciting future” according to Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Nypan will be one to watch in the January transfer window.

A youngster who’s earned rave reviews from Manchester United, Nypan’s move may well be fast-tracked from the summer of 2025 to as soon as the winter window.

The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

The transfer window is officially open, and the games have begun. Negotiations are underway, clubs and agents are posturing and players are deciding their fate.

While some decisions go down to the wire, we already have one U.S. men's national team player on the move – Brandon Vazquez is moving to Austin FC. Who will be the next American player to solidify a transfer, either in Europe or North America?

Could it be Gio Reyna? It seems a market is still taking shape for the young midfielder, who could face more competition at Borussia Dortmund soon. Could it be Ricardo Pepi? Perhaps not, as it seems all involved will wait to see what sort of numbers make sense before making a decision to stay or go.

GOAL tracks all of the American player movements in the USMNT Transfer Notebook, a weekly feature covering the latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool.

Getty Images SportDoes Gio Reyna to Milan make sense?

Borussia Dortmund return from their winter break on Friday with a match against Bayer Leverkusen. In the meantime, they've been linked with Marcus Rashford in a move that would mirror a similar one to sign Jadon Sancho last season. Another attacker may soon be in the team, which is bad news for Gio Reyna.

It's still quiet when it comes to Reyna transfer rumors, although one big one has popped up. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Reyna could be a target of new Milan boss Sergio Conceicao. Milan has obviously become a haven for USMNT stars, and the thought of Reyna joining Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah in Italy is a fun one. Tactically, how would this move work, though?

It'll depend on how Conceicao views Reyna. Is he a winger competing with Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao for a starting spot? Is he a No. 10 that can start centrally and allow Pulisic to thrive out wide? Or is he a No. 8, leaving him competing with a whole bunch of midfield options already in the Milan team?

A move to Milan would feel like Reyna trading one tough situation for another. Maybe Milan's circumstance will be different, but it's still not a guarantee. And the biggest thing Reyna needs is a guarantee of more playing time, wherever that is.

AdvertisementAFPPSV fighting to keep Ricardo Pepi

The offers are coming in hot for Ricardo Pepi, but can PSV actually find a way to keep him?

According to Eindhovens Dagblad, PSV are hoping to keep Pepi this winter, and their plan to do that is by giving him a new contract. That would obviously include a significant raise, one that would convince Pepi to remain with the club, at least for the short-term.

It'll be a tough decision, no doubt. Big bids have come in, although not quite big enough for PSV to be willing to move on from the American star. GOAL confirmed that a Premier League side made a $20.7 million bid for Pepi, while there has also been interest from one of the bigger teams in France. Those will certainly appeal to a player scoring goals for fun, like Pepi is.

Should Pepi stay or go? What are the numbers that will make sense for either side to commit? This is all just getting started, and why Pepi's transfer situation remains one to watch.

Getty'Wright' time for Premier League move?

HajiWright has been out of action for a while, but there are Premier League clubs willing to give him a chance to take a leap forward this January.

According to TBR Football, both Leicester City and Ipswich Town are interested in signing the American striker in January. Both are in the relegation zone, and both can use a boost in the form of extra goals. Wright is reportedly ready to make the move, and Coventry wouldn't be totally opposed to selling if they make a hefty profit on their original £8 million investment.

Wright scored 16 goals last season while providing seven assists for Coventry. He started well this season, too, scoring seven goals in 15 games before an ankle injury knocked him out for several months. It seems neither Leicester nor Ipswich are deterred by that, though.

Wright looks destined for a step up sooner or later. He's done plenty of good work in the Championship, which is usually a good way to earn a Premier League move. The question is if it's smart to take that leap to join relegation favorites with the hope of saving them, or wait until the summer and the stability of a full season?

For now, Wright just needs to get back to playing and sort things out from there.

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GettyMLS an option for Alejandro Zendejas after Brandon Vazquez makes move

Both Brandon Vazquez and Alejandro Zendejas find themselves in odd spots on the international level. Both are very useful players for the USMNT, offering different profiles and skillsets from others at their positions. Yet, both face a difficult path to legitimate minutes in time for the 2026 World Cup given the pure talent of their competitors.

We'll start with Vazquez, who has made his own move. The striker has signed with Austin FC, ending a year-long stay with Monterrey. His time in Mexico started well, with 10 goals across his first half-season, but it fizzled with just four goals during the Apertura.

He'll now head to an Austin FC side where he'll be the main man, but there are still doubts on whether that'll be enough from a USMNT perspective. Can Vazquez keep pace with the likes of Pepi, Folarin Balogun and Josh Sargent while in MLS? Is his physical profile enough to keep him involved as a change-of-pace option? Only Mauricio Pochetino knows but, either way, Vazquez will need to score if he wants to remain in this race – especially given what Pepi is doing in Europe.

As for Zendejas, GiveMeSport reported that Orlando City had a bid rejected by Club America. That comes fresh off Zendejas' starring role in Club America's trophy-winning triumph, making it even more ambitious. What would it say about the balance of power in the region if Orlando can pry away a star from Liga MX's best team?

From a USMNT POV, Zendejas' stock has never been higher. Could this be his best chance to head to Europe? He may not even want to but, with the winger set to turn 27 in February, this is certainly a career crossroads. Both are worth keeping an eye on going forward as moves to MLS could very well be the keys to their 2026 hopes.

Antigua to host three T20Is and five ODIs starting August 31

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2021South Africa Women will tour the Caribbean for three T20Is and five ODIs starting August 31. The tour serves as preparation for both teams, with just seven months to go for the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand.All the matches will be played in Antigua. While the T20Is and the first two ODIs will be hosted by the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, the remaining three ODIs will be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.”It’s fantastic to be able to announce our schedule to the West Indies,” head coach Hilton Moreeng said. “A timely coming back for us to competitive cricket after a lengthy period without game time.”Every ODI series for us carries even more weight as we have our sights firmly set on the cricket showpiece that will be taking place next year, and I believe it is just as important for our hosts as they strive towards qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup.”South Africa last played an international series in India in March, when they won both the limited-overs series in Lucknow. However, a number of top players have had game-time lately. Mignon du Preez, Laura Woolvardt, Shabnim Ismail, Dane van Niekerk, Chloe Tryon and Lizelle Lee are all currently part of The Hundred in England.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn comparison, West Indies are coming off a victorious limited-overs series at home against Pakistan in July. The upcoming series will help them prepare for the World Cup global qualifiers to be held in Zimbabwe this December, after failing to secure a direct entry for the World Cup.West Indies will have their third High Performance training camp, under head coach Courtney Walsh, as part of their preparations for the series. Three of their top players – Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews – are part of The Hundred competition in England, and will likely join the squad ahead of the series.”We are delighted to have more cricket on the horizon as this will be a vital part of our preparations for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers,” Walsh said. “We are at a crucial juncture as we prepare for this big event and again, we want to thank CWI for organising this camp to get the girls up to speed.”We were fantastic against Pakistan last month and we want to bring that winning momentum into this series of matches as well. We are going in the right direction, with the way we want. There is a lot to play for and we will be up for the challenge.”

Lionel Messi is perhaps the best footballer to ever walk the planet and Aston Villa may well have had the new version of the great Argentine once upon a time. Fancy that, eh?

Scoring 737 times at club level with 109 goals for his country, and winning eight Ballon d’Or trophies, he was pretty damn good. The Barcelona legend finally won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, with many marking this occasion as the moment he became the undisputed best of all time.

With such high-profile names, many young players coming through the pipeline at the same club get bundled with expectation to become “the next” version of that player, which often hurts their progression, and puts an unfair pressure on young shoulders.

This has happened to many Premier League youngsters in recent years, with Charly Musonda at Chelsea, Adnan Januzaj at Manchester United, and even Rhian Brewster at Liverpool.

However, there’s one example who played at Villa Park many moons ago…

The early years of Adama Traore

Adama Traore is another player that suffered from this early labeling as “the next Messi”, being at Barcelona.

The 20-year-old (at the time) was compared to Messi when coming through the Barcelona ranks, and was told he was “the fastest in the club”.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

The “speed king” as he was dubbed by the Daily Mail, showed huge promise at a young age, beating players at his own peril. However, the end product had to improve to take a step forward, as Traore made the move from Barcelona to Aston Villa aged 20, for a reported £7m fee.

The winger only managed 12 appearances for the Villans’ first team, scoring once and assisting once in his 262 minutes played.

After not only being at the club for a year, the Spanish winger made the switch to Middlesbrough, joining them for around €8.25m (£7m), which is less than Villa bought him for just one year prior.

Adama's Traore's numbers since leaving Villa

Since leaving Villa back in 2016, Traore’s main problem has always remained, he has all the ability and physical traits to beat his man and get into dangerous areas, but the decision-making and final product continue to lack quality.

Traore has played for several clubs since leaving Villa Park behind, enjoying a two-year stay with Middlesbrough, before moving to Wolves, where he found a home for five years, making 194 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 18 assists.

15/16

1

1

16/17

0

1

17/18

5

12

18/19

1

3

19/20

6

12

20/21

3

2

21/22

1

4

22/23

3

1

23/24

2

3

The 28-year-old also spent a short loan spell on loan with Barcelona during 2022, returning to his ex-club, before leaving Wolves permanently in 2023, to join Fulham on a free transfer.

As you can see from the stats, Traore always struggled to put up consistent goal/assist numbers, only achieving 10+ in two seasons, the highest after that being five G/A in multiple seasons (20/21, 21/22, 23/24). His best season came for Wolves in 19/20, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists in 3,838 minutes.

Looking at the career Traore went on to have, Villa won’t be too disappointed about their decision to sell him, but there will always be a huge “what if” factor around the rapid winger, if he could have added extra quality to his end product, to match that frightening build and speed.

Sold for £15m: Aston Villa hit gold over star who's now worth millions less

They sold him for just £15m

1 ByJoe Nuttall Sep 26, 2024

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has delivered a brutal “won’t waste my time” response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s comments regarding Ligue 1 and the Saudi Pro League.

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CR7 claims Saudi league is stronger than Ligue 1Statement has sparked lively debateEnigmatic Swede disagrees with shock assessmentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo – who has spent time in Portugal, England, Spain, Italy and the Middle East – said: “The Saudi Pro League is better than Ligue 1, of course. I'm not saying that because I play here. I don't care what people think about it. Players should come here and they will see quickly. Just try to do sprints at 38, 39, 40 degrees… Come and you will see. If you don't believe me, come. In France, they only have PSG, everyone else is finished. Nobody can beat them because they have the most money and the best players.”

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Such a bold statement has, unsurprisingly, sparked lively debate regarding the merits of the two division’s in question and where each one stands on the global scale of competitiveness. Ibrahimovic is well placed to offer an opinion having registered 156 goals across four seasons at PSG.

WHAT ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC SAID

The enigmatic Swede is, however, reluctant to grant Ronaldo the kind of bites that he is fishing for, with Ibrahimovic saying: “There is nothing to answer – you can't debate something when there is no evidence for one side. PSG is one of the great clubs of Europe in a very good league. Maybe only Spain and England can for sure say they are a superior league. I can't even reply to a suggestion that the Saudi League is superior – I wont even waste my time.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Ronaldo appears to have ended any talk of returning to Europe in 2025, with a lucrative contract extension set to be agreed at Al-Nassr, while Ibrahimovic is working with USMNT stars Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah as a senior advisor to AC Milan’s ownership group.

Pair score maiden first-class tons for Derbyshire’s highest sixth-wicket partnership but hard work remains

ECB Reporters' Network07-Sep-2021A record-breaking stand between Brooke Guest and Anuj Dal rescued Derbyshire on the third day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Leicestershire at Derby.The pair scored maiden first-class centuries as they passed Derbyshire’s previous highest sixth-wicket stand of 212 by Garnet Lee and Stan Worthington against Essex at Chesterfield in 1932.They added 227 in 73 overs with Guest scoring 116 and Dal 106 to lift Derbyshire from 56 for 5 to 313 for 8 although 65 is still needed to avoid following on.The prospect of Derbyshire frustrating Leicestershire’s bowlers looked unlikely when two wickets fell in the first seven overs of another hot morning.Related

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Simon Harmer takes season tally to 49 as Essex roll Gloucestershire by an innings and three runs

Darren Stevens – aka 'God' – has a hand in hefty Kent victory over Worcestershire

Resuming on 41 for 3, a daunting 487 runs behind, Derbyshire lost Billy Godleman and Matt Critchley with only 15 added.Godleman was drawn into playing at a ball from Chris Wright that moved just enough to take the outside edge and give Harry Swindells his fourth catch.If there was some mitigation for the Derbyshire captain, there was none for Critchley, who launched a loose drive at Ben Mike and edged the ball into his middle stump.At that stage, the chances of Derbyshire getting close to the follow-on target of 378 appeared slim but Guest and Dal showed the application required.A delay caused by one of Dal’s contact lenses falling out did not disturb their concentration as they wore down the Leicestershire attack.Both showed patience and judgement to survive until lunch and they prospered in the afternoon with Guest cutting Mike for his seventh four to reach 50 off 98 balls.Dal drove George Rhodes to the cover boundary to bring up his 50 from 122 balls and Guest swept the off-spinner for four to earn Derbyshire a batting point in the 68th over.There was little assistance for Callum Parkinson’s left-arm spin but he delayed taking the new ball until after tea when Guest survived a strong lbw shout against Wright.His hundred, which came off 221 balls arrived with three fours in an over off former Derbyshire seamer Will Davis, and Dal followed by pulling Mike for his 15th four to reach three figures from 210 balls.The stand ended when Dal miscued a pull and after Alex Thomson was lbw to Parkinson, Guest was caught behind cutting to still leave Derbyshire with work to do on the fourth day.