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Manchester United will be looking to continue their recent good form, winning four of their previous five matches, as they face Aston Villa in the Premier League today.

The Midlands side could pose a big threat, but Erik ten Hag will take solace from the fact his side came from two goals down to defeat Villa 3-2 on Boxing Day.

The Dutchman has a few injury problems and will face the clash tomorrow without the services of Lisandro Martínez, who is set to be out for an extended period of time.

Lisandro Martínez injury news

The former Ajax defender enjoyed a wonderful start to his United career during the opening months of the 2022/23 season, making 45 appearances before missing the final couple of months due to suffering a metatarsal fracture.

He returned during the opening weeks of this term, but suffered another foot injury and only made his return against Tottenham Hotspur last month.

His run of bad luck continued against West Ham United. The World Cup winner suffered an injury to his medial collateral ligament in his knee and is expected to be out for the next eight weeks.

Ten Hag will now face a headache over who comes in for the diminutive defender.

Against the Irons, Raphael Varane came on for Martinez, and he should be the one who is unleashed in the starting XI today against Villa, alongside Harry Maguire.

Raphael Varane’s statistics this season

The French defender has a wealth of experience and was lauded as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2019, and he should have no problems filling in for the former Ajax centre-back.

Varane has endured a rather inconsistent season thus far, making 21 appearances in all competitions, yet he has started only 15 times due to suffering a series of injury knocks.

41

2

3

5

8

Against West Ham last week, the Frenchman adapted well to coming on with just 19 minutes remaining, as he won 100% of his aerial duels, made two clearances and completed 94% of his passes, certainly suggesting that he deserves to be unleashed from the start this afternoon.

The 30-year-old also played the full 90 minutes against Villa during the Boxing Day comeback victory. Despite United conceding twice, the former Real Madrid star was solid throughout.

Not only did he win five of his seven total duels, but the defender also made three interceptions and clearances, made two tackles and lost possession only eight times during the 90 minutes, showcasing his defensive solidity.

This performance should be further evidence for Ten Hag that the 6 foot 4 titan is the man to come in and fill the void left by Martinez today.

Another win for United could see the club close in on the top four, and it will further boost their confidence as the fixtures come thick and fast for the Red Devils.

Ten Hag and his charges endured a difficult start to the season, yet if they can end it well, all will surely be forgiven by the Old Trafford faithful, especially if they keep up the recent good performances.

Well, that wasn't in the script, was it?

Arsenal went into their Champions League Round of 16 first leg game against Portuguese side Porto as firm favourites following their genuinely impressive run of form in the Premier League. Still, you wouldn't have known that from the game itself.

Competition

Opponent

Result

Premier League

Crystal Palace

5-0 Win

Premier League

Nottingham Forest

2-1 Win

Premier League

Liverpool

3-1 Win

Premier League

West Ham United

6-0 Win

Premier League

Burnley

5-0 Win

It's not necessarily that Mikel Arteta's men were notably worse than their opposite numbers – neither side were great – they just couldn't create a single threatening attack.

The home side had less control of the game, as evidenced by their 35% possession, but they fashioned the clearer chances and should've gone 1-0 up through Wenderson Galeno in the first half, something he made up for with a 94th-minute wonder strike.

Ultimately, it's not terminal for the Gunners' European ambitions, but it's thrown a wrench in the works and while the entire team were subpar, two players were particularly ineffective.

Bukayo Saka's performance in numbers

The first player who was notably poor today was Bukayo Saka.

Now, Mr Arsenal himself has been in scintillating form of late, so his underwhelming showing against the Dragões was all the more noticeable and certainly won't help his case in the recent discussions on his 'world-class' status.

The Standard's Simon Collings gave the Hale End gem a 5/10 for his showing and described him as 'not really in the game very much' and that when he was, he 'lacked end product.'

It's a harsh appraisal of the usually brilliant 22-year-old, but it's not unfair, and his numbers from the game show that.

In his 94 minutes of football, he registered a paltry expected goals figure of just 0.02, had no shots on or off target, just one that was blocked, only three of his 11 crosses were accurate, and lost possession 13 times.

Minutes played

94

Goals

0

Assists

0

Expected Goals

0.02

Shots on Target

0

Shots off Target

0

Shots Blocked

1

Crosses (Accurate)

11 (3)

Possession Lost

13

Fouls

2

In all, it was a game to forget for the club's talisman, although there was a man on the opposite wing who probably had an even worse night in red and white.

Gabriel Martinelli's performance in numbers

While Saka struggled to have any sort of impact on the game from the right-hand side, Gabriel Martinelli was finding it just as challenging to exert an influence from the left.

Unlike his performance against Burnley last time out, the Brazilian was practically anonymous in Portugal, and when he did have the ball, he struggled to do anything with it.

The former Ituano man was also given a 5/10 for his showing by Collings, who simply described him as 'quiet for much of the game.'

However, while he received the same match rating from the Standard journalist, his numbers from the night are even more worrying than Saka's.

In 94 minutes of action, he registered just 0.01 expected assists, had zero shots of any kind, failed in five of his eight dribbles, averaged a passing accuracy of just 69%, was inaccurate with both of his crosses, lost 16 of his 18 ground duels, and most damning of all, he lost possession 27 times – once every 3.48 minutes.

Minutes played

94

Goals

0

Assists

0

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots

0

Dribbles (Successful)

8 (3)

Accurate Passes

18/26 (69%)

Key Passes

0

Crosses (Accurate)

2 (0)

Ground Duels (won)

18 (2)

Possession Lost

27

Fouls

3

In all, it was not a good day at the office for Arsenal's attackers, and they'll be looking to make amends for their poor performances when Porto travel to the Emirates on March 12th for the second leg.

Pollard has not played an ODI in nearly three years but has featuried in T20Is recently

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Sep-2019In a move aimed at improving West Indies’ standing in limited-overs cricket, Kieron Pollard has been appointed the captain of their white-ball teams with immediate effect. Pollard replaces Jason Holder as the ODI captain and Carlos Brathwaite in T20Is.Pollard, 32, was recently recalled to the T20I squad in the home series against India, but has not played an ODI since 2016. However, West Indies’ poor showing in the World Cup, where Holder’s team won just two matches and finished ninth, led to Cricket West Indies setting up a task force to revamp the selection process, including recommending appointing a new white-ball captain.Incidentally, the current CWI administration, led by Ricky Skerritt, had resuscitated Pollard’s career, which seemed to have gone off the rails under the previous board administration led by Dave Cameron. The differences between Cameron’s administration and some of the senior players, including Pollard and former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo, formed part of a sorry chapter in West Indies cricket. The two players were not included in the 2015 World Cup and were kept out after that too, forcing Bravo to retire in 2017.However, Skerritt encouraged the selectors to pick the right players and, accordingly, Pollard was named among the World Cup reserves, although he wasn’t picked in the final squad.

Pollard would have been a better choice. It’s not that Carlos would not have been a member in the team then… I know Carlos is magnificent as an individual, he is a wonderful guy, highly competitive guy, he will not feel hurt in any way. A lot of guys know that Pollard would have been a great choiceViv Richards

Pollard’s appointment, which was approved by the CWI board of directors which met in Tobago over the last two days, was made public by Skerritt at a media briefing in Trinidad on Monday.Later, in a media statement issued by CWI, Pollard said he was keen to lead West Indies and make the fans believe in the team again. “I’m truly honoured to be appointed captain of the West Indies and I would like to thank Cricket West Indies’ board of directors for placing their faith and confidence in me,” Pollard said. “I can’t wait to work with the coaching staff and players as we start building towards future World Cups and give the fans more reasons to get behind the team.”Pollard’s appointment was one of eight recommendations made by a selection task force, which said CWI needed to appoint a white-ball captain who would be part of the “medium- to long-term selection strategy”. The CWI said the move was aimed at improving West Indies’ position on the rankings table in limited-overs cricket.”The election task force also recommended the immediate introduction of ‘red ball’ and ‘white ball’ captains to support a long-term strategy to focus on the different formats of international cricket. Kieron Pollard is being appointed ‘white ball’ captain for both the ODI and T20I teams with Jason Holder continuing as ‘red ball’ captain for the Test team as CWI seeks to see an improvement in performances and therefore ICC World Rankings as part of the long-term development strategy.”The task force was made up of CWI vice-president Kishore Shallow, CWI director of cricket Jimmy Adams, CWI director and also head of CWI’s cricket committee Enoch Lewis, former West Indies player and national cricket selector to St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association and technical adviser for the Windward Islands Cricket Board Miles Bascombe, and former players, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Philo Wallace.During a media briefing, Skerritt said CWI was following the “best possible practices for best possible outcomes”. Praising Pollard, Skerritt said the allrounder was the right man for job because of “his keenness and commitment to give back to the game”.Skerritt pointed out that he had kept Holder in the loop about the reshuffle and told him he would continue to be a vital cog, including retaining the Test captaincy. “Jason Holder was called by me yesterday morning and we spoke,” Skerritt said while sitting next to Pollard and other CWI officials. “He [Holder] is a very important force and is still going to be our red-ball captain. Holder will now compete for a place in Pollard’s team and use this as an opportunity to become a better cricketer. Pollard is the right man at the right time to take our white-ball teams forward.”Pollard last played an ODI in October 2016 but he has been a part of the T20I side recently. In the three T20Is against India, he scored 58, 8* and 49 to finish as the leading run-scorer in the series. Incidentally, he did not bowl in that series, something he has done in the ongoing CPL where he is the captain of his home team Trinbago Knight Riders.Pollard’s elevation is bound to raise a few eyebrows, but he has his backers too. Among them is Viv Richards, who recently said Pollard was the right man for the limited-overs captaincy.Talking to the (India) Richards said he supported the split captaincy for West Indies with Pollard being one of the leaders. “Judging from what I have seen, Kieron Pollard would have been the best choice as our T20 captain and there are reasons for that. During CPL (in the previous seasons), he was the best with the bat,” Richards said. “Also why I think this may be because a lot of captains were introduced at that time. There were also problems between the board and the players, no disrespect to Carlos Brathwaite but because of those politics, he has fast fallen in captaincy.”Pollard would have been a better choice. It’s not that Carlos would not have been a member in the team then… I know Carlos is magnificent as an individual, he is a wonderful guy, highly competitive guy, he will not feel hurt in any way. A lot of guys know that Pollard would have been a great choice.”It was last year that Pollard returned to the T20I West Indies side after more than a year’s gap as the board wanted to try out some high-profile players before the World Cup. Pollard and a few other players had fallen out with the board earlier for various reasons, the primary one being the clash between playing domestic cricket and overseas T20 leagues.Less than two months after the end of the World Cup, Pollard will now lead West Indies in two formats. His first assignment as captain will be against Afghanistan in November in India where they will play three T20Is and three ODIs before a one-off Test.

Bayern Munich are set to sell centre-back Matthijs de Ligt if their price demands are met, amid contact from Manchester United.

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Bayern ready to sell De LigtMan Utd in contact alreadyAgent working for best solutionWHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern are seeking a guaranteed €50 million (£42m/$54m) for De Ligt, as reported by . That figure would then be further inflated by various add-ons. Agent Rafaela Pimenta is already described as "working on a top solution" and Bayern are claimed to be contact with United.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A move to Old Trafford would see De Ligt reunite with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, under whom he flourished while still a teenager. That past bond, on top of the player's availability, appears to be a motivating factor as De Ligt is "willing" to move to United and Ten Hag "really wants him". But there has been no formal offer from Manchester just yet, although a report suggests a contract proposal has been put to De Ligt.

DID YOU KNOW?

Depending on the size of the add-ons, De Ligt could become the third most expensive centre-back in United history behind Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez. A new central defender is high on the list of transfer priorities this summer following Raphael Varane's exit, uncertainty over Victor Lindelof's long-term future and Jonny Evans not yet re-signed.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR DE LIGT?

While his club future remains the subject of discussion behind the scenes, De Ligt is currently with Netherlands ahead of Tuesday night's Euro 2024 last 16 clash with Romania. He didn't get on the pitch during the group stage, with coach Ronald Koeman preferring to start Stefan de Vrij alongside Virgil van Dijk.

A title-winning manager likened to Man City head coach Pep Guardiola could emerge as a candidate to replace West Ham United boss David Moyes this summer.

Discrepancies over Moyes contract at West Ham

At the moment, there are some discrepancies over the situation of Moyes' potential new contract – with his current deal set to expire at the end of this season as things stand.

Sullivan opportunity to make "statement" West Ham signing for bargain fee

The Hammers could strike a very good move.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 5, 2024

Around a fortnight ago, Moyes himself publicly declared that he was the one holding all the cards at West Ham. Indeed, the Scotsman claimed that a new contract offer was on the table and that he's the one delaying its signing as he weighs up his decision.

"I've had really good conversations with the owners, with David Sullivan and Karren Brady," said Moyes on his new contract situation.

"There's a contract there for me and I'm the one deciding I want to wait until the end of the season. There are plenty of reasons [to wait]. I've got to make sure it's the right thing for the club, for me and my family. I've spoken to the board. I've had a fabulous four years. We'll sort it out but I'm happy to wait."

However, around a week after the statement, very reliable club insider ExWHUemployee suggested this may actually not be the case after all.

“There have been provisional talks over a new deal for David Moyes,” stated Ex.

“However, I’ve been advised that at no point it’s been put forward for signing. The manager possibly was referring to an agreement but that’s provisional, but not in front of him to sign."

Burnley

March 10th

Aston Villa

March 17th

Newcastle United

March 30th

Tottenham

April 2nd

Wolves

April 6th

Amid Moyes' uncertain future, reports suggest that West Ham are exploring potential replacements for their manager, in the event he does leave. Now, according to GiveMeSport, one man technical director Tim Steidten has his eye on is Feyenoord boss Arne Slot.

Steidten eyeing Slot to replace Moyes at West Ham

According to GiveMeSport sources, Steidten is an admirer of Slot, and he's emerged as a candidate to potentially replace Moyes.

The 45-year-old, known for his attacking style and philosophy, guided Feyenoord to their first Eredivisie title since 2017 last season. He's also been likened to Guardiola by members of the Dutch press.

"The best thing about Arne Slot is that he is probably the best attacking coach I have seen in the last 35-40 years at Feyenoord," said journalist Marcel van der Kraan to talkSPORT this year.

"He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time. He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

Derbyshire captain says he hopes side learn from their heavy defeat in the semi-final against Essex

Matt Roller at Edgbaston21-Sep-2019Billy Godleman suggested the Edgbaston pitch had offered “excessive turn” and bemoaned his side’s failure to adapt to conditions after losing their T20 Blast semi-final against Essex.Derbyshire lost eight wickets to spin – four to Simon Harmer, three to Aron Nijjar and one to Dan Lawrence – and struggled badly in the middle overs after flying out the blocks, and Godleman suggested that “the better team won” on the day.”There was excessive turn,” he said, “which obviously provides challenges for hitting boundaries, but our job as professionals is to adapt to whatever conditions we’re given, and try to find a way to be effective.”Unfortunately for us, Essex were a lot better at that today than we were.”Godleman said that he was “slightly concerned” at the interval after Essex had posted 160 for 5 – the highest total across the two semi-finals – and that his side had conceded an above-par total.”I thought the way that Alex [Hughes], Matthew [Critchley], and Luis [Reece] bowled,” he said, “taking pace off in the middle, I could see that it would be difficult against their spinners in the second half of the game. I thought anything over 140 would be difficult.”But Godleman reflected that his side had come a long way in the past three seasons, which have all been under the stewardship of specialist T20 coaches – first John Wright, and then this season Dominic Cork.”We’re very proud, very happy with the accomplishment of making it to Finals Day. It’s obviously bittersweet – you get here, you’re part of the day, it’s such a great atmosphere, and you just think ‘win two games and we’ll lift the trophy’.”I think once these 24-48 hours pass by, the real context of what we’ve done as a club, playing with only one overseas player, giving opportunities to a lot of our talented homegrown cricketers, and being able to beat a lot of the big counties home and away, make it to Finals Day – we’re really proud.”Godleman suggested that his side had taken plenty from their quarter-final loss to Hampshire in 2017, and said that in the future he hoped they would reflect on this defeat as something to learn from in the future.”Two years ago, we made a quarter-final and got beaten quite badly by Hampshire,” he said. “This year, we made a quarter-final, we won it convincingly, and some of the guys who played in the defeat to Hampshire a few years ago really gained from that experience.”Hopefully next year, or in the next 24 months, we can make another Finals Day and draw upon this experience.”

The tournament has provided a stage for a host of players to showcase their talents, and many could be on the move after catching the eye

It is always a risk to sign a player off the back of an impressive international tournament, but that is a gamble a number of clubs will be weighing up as Euro 2024 heads into its final week. A host of names – some lesser-known and some well-established – have been catching the eye in Germany and could be in line for a big move with the transfer window now open.

For some, a switch was an inevitability as they came into the tournament in red-hot form, while others have made a name for themselves at what could be a career-defining European Championship, by seizing the spotlight and shining with the eyes of the footballing world upon them.

But who are those we should look out for in the gossip columns in the coming weeks and months? GOAL looks at the 14 players who have put themselves in the shop window…

GettyJaka Bijol (Slovenia)

Udinese's Jaka Bijol was a defensive rock in Slovenia's unlikely run to the knockout stages in Germany and has placed himself firmly in the shop window with a string of dominant displays at centre-back.

Despite their last-16 penalty shootout exit to Portugal, Slovenia didn't lose a game in normal time at the tournament despite facing England too, as Bijol kept both Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo quiet, winning countless aerial duels and putting his body on the line. He was linked with Roma before the tournament, but will have more suitors now, with Inter and Aston Villa among those now seemingly interested.

AdvertisementGettyRiccardo Calafiori (Italy)

Despite Italy's premature exit, Riccardo Calafiori did enough to make a name for himself at Euro 2024, capturing the imagination with his good looks, throwback long hair and hairband. He was notably absent for the round-of-16 defeat to Switzerland, and the Azzurri will feel it is a case of what might have been had he not been suspended.

A smooth-passing left-footed centre-back, the 22-year-old barely put a foot wrong and has already been linked with several top clubs, including Arsenal – who have forced themselves to the front of the queue – Liverpool and Chelsea. He helped Bologna qualify for the Champions League last term, but their chances of keeping him around are slim at best.

Getty ImagesMarc Guehi (England)

Another defensive star of Euro 2024 so far, Marc Guehi has surprisingly emerged as one of England's best players in Germany. The Three Lions' defensive work has barely come under any scrutiny as they struggle to create chances and score goals at the other end, and that is thanks in no small part to the centre-back.

He has shown a real knack for reading the game intelligently and being in the right place at the right time for his side, though England had to do without him for the quarter-final with Switzerland after he picked up a suspension. This summer is set to get even bigger for him, with the £55 million-rated ($70m) man expected to leave Crystal Palace amid interest from a host of leading Premier League clubs.

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GettyFerdi Kadioglu (Turkey)

Turkey finally lived up to the label of 'dark horses' as they summoned the spirit of 2008 in Germany, reaching the quarter-finalsbefore falling to the Netherlands. It was truly a team effort, but one of their outstanding defensive performers was Ferdi Kadioglu.

The Fenerbahce full-back has caught the eye with his ability up and down the left flank, bombing forward and also contributing defensively. He's versatile, too – capable of playing on the right or at centre-back. He's already being linked with a £29m ($37m) switch to the Premier League, with West Ham, Wolves, Manchester United and Arsenal all linked, with the Gunners having supposedly tabled a bid.

In a light-hearted chat, the pace trio of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav reflect on their recent success

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2019You (Shami) bowl very well in the first innings of course, but this ‘second innings Shami’ nickname that you have got, you’re the best in the world in the second innings. What’s the secret behind that?
Shami: There is no secret. We keep trying to pump each other up, and keep pushing each other, all the fast bowlers. It’s a difficult job, but we push each other, we joke with each other, that feels very nice. When we are on the ground together, we never feel like we aren’t enjoying others’ success. That’s special. There’s lots of things to say, but…What are the things you can’t say? You (Ishant) are a senior after all!
Ishant: No, they don’t treat me like a senior at all [laughter]. There’s no senior-junior here. But like Shami said, we enjoy each others’ success a lot. Yes, there’s healthy competition in the team, which should be there, because that’s when your performance improves. But at the same time, if you enjoy each others’ success, and whatever you spot of the others’ bowling you go and tell them, things become much easier as a team.You’ve played almost 100 Tests. Is this your best phase as a bowler?
Ishant: It’s difficult to say. I’ve been playing for a long time. I’m only 31, but the body sometimes feels old after bowling so much. But yes, the way I’m getting wickets, and bowling in good areas, I’m bowling in different ways, so I’m enjoying it quite a lot.And you (Umesh) are strolling up and bowling 140-145 kph…
Ishant: Come, come, it’s your turn.Umesh: It’s in the genes and handed down by my family. Whatever I’ve learned from my father in childhood, he made me run around a lot and do lots of things, which is why I’ve reached where I am today. I try to maintain it.You guys have changed the face of Indian bowling from the time when new-ball bowlers would bowl a couple of overs and then be taken off…
Umesh: Yes, earlier pacers would bowl only a few overs and then the spinners would come on with turning tracks. But the way all the bowlers are bowling together, we know what our strong point is, what our areas are and we plan that way. We try, for the first 10-15 overs or how much ever we bowl, if we can each take a wicket, then it’ll be better for our spinners. And our confidence is high since we’ll get to bowl again. If we take wickets, we’ll get more bowling, which is good for us.

“The batting coach and captain tell me to just enjoy batting. Lower down, if we can make 25-30 runs, it’s good for the team. If four of us can contribute 100 runs, it’ll be great for the team”Umesh Yadav on his batting

He (Umesh) is bowling well, but what about his batting? The boundaries seem smaller now.
Shami: His power makes the boundaries in India seem small. The team has given him the full freedom – ‘play the way you want’. When we go to bat, we don’t have any restrictions about what we have to do. If you are a batsman, you will naturally try to stay at the crease for as long as you can and score as many runs for the team as possible. That is very good, but for him, he has the freedom that he doesn’t need to stay at the crease or block, he just needs to hit. He can do whatever he wants!We generally show highlights of your bowling, but we were showing your sixes package on air just now…
Umesh: Actually it’s like what Shami said. The batting coach and captain tell me to just enjoy batting. Lower down, if we can make 25-30 runs, it’s good for the team. If four of us can contribute 100 runs, it’ll be great for the team. But in the last match in Ranchi, against South Africa, the captain told me that we need to score runs quickly. He told me to go and do whatever I could. I just tried, and for anyone, if you start middling the ball, your confidence soars. I just tried to carry that forward. I am trying to do whatever my team needs. There have been times, like in England, where I had to stay at the crease and I did that too. But it’s my time to enjoy now, so I’m enjoying.Excited about the pink-ball Test? They say it moves a lot, but how much more will you make the ball do?
Ishant: That Shami has to say, because when he played with the pink ball, he got five wickets in 11 overs. I’ve been asking him, ‘What are you doing that whenever you hit the pads, it’s out. If someone pulls, it’s caught. We’re tired of just beating the bat’ So tell us Shami, we are with just beating the bat! (laughter)Shami: Well… the best thing that is there in my mind is that from the side of the captain and coaches I’ve been given complete freedom.Ishant: That way, even we have the freedom!Shami: And the biggest thing is that I’m bowling with you guys. I don’t even need to think too much. I just need to focus on the one thing you need to do in Tests: put it in a good area. I do just that and you guys make it much easier for me, so there’s no pressure on me.Ishant: We have asked you something else, you’re giving a different answer [laughter]! We are saying that the areas you’re bowling in, we’re bowling in them too. But when you hit the pads it’s in line with the stumps, and when we hit the pads, it’s missing the stumps. Why does this happen?Shami: Well people say it’s biryani [It’s down to the wonders of eating biryani]. No, it doesn’t happen like that of course. But it’s just luck and God’s grace. One thing is that the line and length I’m focusing on is being executed. I’m getting success from that so I try to repeat that.Ishant: Well bowled Shami.Shami: Thank you.

After exceeding expectations during the current Premier League season, it now looks like Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to build on a solid campaign by targeting a new striker.

New striker top of O'Neil's wishlist

Even the most optimistic of Wolves fans were worried about their team's prospects at the start of the season. Now sitting ninth in the table and just three points away from European football, it is clear that Gary O'Neil has done an excellent job since taking over at Molineux.

Wolves missed out on perfect Neves replacement who's now worth £107m

Wolves missed out on a player in 2022 who is now valued at £107m and has a World Cup winners medal

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 19, 2024

Despite their success this season, it is clear that at the top of Wolves' wishlist for the summer could be to sign a new striker. The partnership of Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha has yielded a combined 19 goals in the Premier League however, it is still clear that the side is crying out for an out-and-out number nine.

The recent signings of Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic have failed to hit the ground running with both now playing their football elsewhere and their futures in the Midlands looking uncertain. Regarding incomings, Wolves have previously shown an interest in Bologna's Scottish international Lewis Ferguson as well as coming close to signing Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto during the January window.

Wolves enter race for Nketiah

As first reported by TEAMTalk, Wolves have joined the queue of Premier League sides looking to sign Eddie Nketiah. The Arsenal striker is currently on the radar of Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford with the Midlands outfit now hoping they can convince the 24-year-old to move to Molineux.

With the Gunners seemingly destined to sign a striker this summer, it seems that Nketiah's time in North London may now be coming to an end. The forward has been with Arsenal since his youth however, the Englishman's departure could be key to make space for new signings.

On the fringes of the first team for much of his time at the Emirates, it is logical that Nketiah is now seeking greener pastures as he approaches the peak of his career. Despite struggling for action on the pitch, this season has seen the striker earn his first call-up to the English national team as well as the 24-year-old's first career hat-trick in October's 5-0 victory over Sheffield United.

Hailing Nketiah's performance against the Blades, Mikel Arteta was quick to sing the praises of the England international, telling the press:

“For me, he’s top-level.”

“I’m really happy for him, an academy player to experience in the Premier League a hat-trick. He needs to enjoy the moment. He fully deserves it and hopefully there are many more to come".

“He’s got an eye for goal. You look at the stats from his last 10 years. What he’s done is remarkable and he needs minutes, opportunities and service and if he gets that, Eddie is going to score goals, that’s for sure.”

With Wolves crying out for a striker and with Nketiah likely to be shown the door this summer, bringing the forward to Molineux could be what takes O'Neil's side to the next level.

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy believes hosting Premier League matches in the United States is a necessity for the league's self-interest.

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FIFA mulling hosting league fixtures abroadPremier League & La Liga both keenMurphy supports proposalWHAT HAPPENED?

Murphy strongly advocates for the United States to host Premier League matches, emphasising that such a move aligns with the league's long-term self-interest. New Jersey is home to MetLife Stadium, a massive 82,500-capacity venue, where the 2026 World Cup final will be hosted and the governor is keen to bring Premier League fixtures to its shores as well.

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Executives at NBC Sports, which secured a six-year Premier League broadcasting deal worth $2.7 billion, are advocating for an in-season Premier League match to be played in the United States each year. Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, hinted that the league is open to the idea, stating that the "door looks ajar" for overseas games, though it is not currently part of their official plans.

WHAT MURPHY SAID

When asked about the possibility of hosting competitive Premier League matches, Governor Murphy's enthusiasm was palpable. ViaMurphy said: "I would die for that. And by the way, the exhibitions – we will have Real and Barcelona on August 3, we’ll have to shrink our capacity a little bit for FIFA – every ticket was sold and the game didn’t count. I would love to – I would die – to see what happens in a game that counts. It would sell every ticket and then some.”

However, the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) has voiced strong opposition to the idea and has assured that they would vehemently protest if the proposal sees daylight.

Addressing this backlash, Murphy suggested looking to the NFL for strategies to mitigate fan dissatisfaction. The NFL successfully added an extra game to its season, targeting fans with incentives to balance the additional fixtures. Murphy believes a similar approach could be adopted for Premier League games.

“I’d probably go to the NFL and get their advice," he added. "They added an extra game – it wasn’t explicitly for European or non-U.S. games, but that helped them a lot, because instead of having 16 games where you’ve got eight home and eight away, they took the nine home game crowd, targeted them, and then put a lot of goodies in store (to make it worthwhile).

“I think you’ve also got to make the case to say that this is in their enlightened self interest, even though it may not appear to be in their immediate self-interest. I think you could make the argument that you may not like it today, but ultimately this is good for the game.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

FIFA is considering forming a working group to explore the implications of holding competitive domestic matches in foreign countries. This initiative, reported by , follows a legal settlement between FIFA and U.S. match promoter Relevant Sports. This move signals FIFA's growing interest in expanding football's reach beyond traditional boundaries.

Meanwhile, La Liga is also eyeing the possibility of overseas matches, with preparations underway for fixtures as early as the 2025-26 season. This comes after the league's previous attempt to host a match between Barcelona and Girona in Miami in 2019 was cancelled. La Liga's renewed efforts indicate a broader trend of major football leagues considering international venues to engage global fan bases.