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Chelsea left Old Trafford with no points for their Premier League tally and a sense of frustration after being defeated by a Manchester United side who have fallen by the wayside under Ruben Amorim.

Not quite, actually. United played with coherence and tenacity against the Blues, even if Robert Sanchez was dismissed in the opening stages and then the Red Devils came together to rise two goals to the good.

That was not a team who played as if they were directionless and lost under their Portuguese tactician with his controversial formation. Could it be coming together? Time will tell, and consistency must be the order of the day if the Premier League giants truly wish to enter the ascendancy once again.

If this is truly going to be the case, and Man United are going to succeed under Amorim and challenge for silverware of the highest level once again, as is their due, then Bruno Fernandes is essential to reaching lofty goals.

Fernandes continues to inspire

Hardly a revelatory statement. Fernandes has been Manchester United’s talisman supreme right from the moment he shook Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s hand and signed for the club in an initial £47m deal.

The Portuguese Magnifico has been a pillar of strength throughout the turbulent river of a journey over the past five years, and against Chelsea, he scored his 100th goal for the club on his 200th Premier League appearance.

Operating in a different, deeper role than has been the norm this season to accommodate Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system. It’s been somewhat rocky, but the 31-year-old continues to inspire and he has since been singled out by podcaster Adam Joseph for being a “truly special player” with a “remarkable” ability to maintain his fitness and form and presence as a leader.

To think that the captain came close to leaving his ship this summer, having been offered a lucrative package to leave Europe and forge a new career over in the Saudi Pro League.

Ultimately, Bruno opted to stay – a further illustration of his commitment to putting this club back on their perch. However, he can’t do it alone, and while Amorim and INEOS have completed a series of exciting summer signings, there’s an existing member of the squad who has the potential to step up and become a leader in his own right over the coming years.

Man Utd's future talisman

Fernandes isn’t quite a veteran of the game, but having turned 31, he’s certainly one of the most experienced superstars in the Premier League.

On the other end of the spectrum at Manchester United is Amad Diallo, whose breakout year in red last season has put his name on the map.

Signed from Atalanta for a £19m fee as a teenager in January 2021, the versatile winger had completed a series of loan spells before coming into his own last year, scoring 11 goals and assisting ten more across 41 matches in all competitions. His performances led journalist James Copley to hail him as a “wizard” when on the ball.

The six-cap Ivory Coast international has much still to learn, but he provided the Red Devils with a different attacking dimension last year, offering a focal point from across the wide positions.

Amad Diallo – Career Stats by Position
Position	Apps	Goals (assists)
Right winger	128	42 (35)
Attacking midfield	33	10 (3)
Centre-forward	22	9 (1)
Left winger	20	9 (4)
Data via Transfermarkt

He might not be on Fernandes’ level yet, but he can surely reach such a position with careful work over the coming campaigns, recorded by data-led platform FBref to rank among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries, the top 6% for ball recoveries and the top 5% for tackles won per 90.

FBref also note that Amad’s most statistically comparable players are Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as well as Marcus Rashford, who needs no introduction.

It was the 23-year-old who kept his composure to strike a vicious blow on an unforgettable occasion in last season’s Manchester derby. No such luck this year, but he did play an important role in claiming all three points against Chelsea, nestled behind Benjamin Sesko in the first half, alongside Bryan Mbeumo.

His continuing rise can be examined through his market valuation, which in recent years has skyrocketed up to something in the ballpark of £46m, data provided by Football Transfers. That’s over double the fee United first paid for him, so it seems they got this deal right.

As a reference point, Football Transfers also note that Fernandes is worth around £41m, which isn’t a fair reflection of his actual worth within the United squad nor indeed what Saudi suitors were willing to pay during the summer transfer window.

But, in any case, Fernandes no longer carries the same staggering price tag as he once did, having passed the barrier of his twenties over a year ago now.

Amad, eight years his junior, showed signs of a certain quality that would allow him to take the skipper’s proverbial place when the fateful day of his departure does arrive, having even been singled out as a “candidate for the Ballon d’Or” in the future by former Fiorentina goalkeeper Giovanni Galli in the past.

Tonight’s ceremony will not include the Ivorian’s name, but if Man United manage to rise to the fore once again, and Amad maintains a presence as one of the club’s biggest stars, he might just make good on such one-time praise in the coming years.

Earns as much as Mbeumo: Man Utd must sell star who's "nowhere near it"

Manchester United still need to make a series of changes in the forthcoming transfer markets.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 19, 2025

Former Chelsea star Diego Costa reignited his feud with former Liverpool enemy Martin Skrtel during a charity match between the Blues and the Reds. Costa, who was infamous for his flaring tempers during matches, has not changed and it was evident in his antics during the game, which was deemed to be a friendly encounter for a noble cause. Costa spent three years at Stamford Bridge between 2014 and 2017.

• Costa reignited feud with Skrtel

  Costa started upfront for the retired Blues stars, while Skrtel led the Liverpool side in the charity clash, which was a star-studded affair. It all started when another Blues legend, Eden Hazard, fed the former Spain international striker with a pass. As Costa tried to go past Skrtel, the ex-Reds star caught him on his legs with a fierce challenge. The striker immediately lost his temper and confronted the Slovak, but the duel was stopped by the linesman.  

  But the fight was far from over as he soon kicked Skrtel on the back of his leg, while challenging him from the break. Skrtel was visibly furious with the challenge as he pointed his finger at Costa and said something angrily, before the referee brandished a yellow card at the striker to warn him. It was supposed to be a friendly clash for charity, but Costa made sure it wasn't short of any drama. 

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• Watch Costa vs Skrtel duel

• Costa's battles with Skrtel

  This is not the first time that the Chelsea and Liverpool players clashed on the field. The pair famously came to blows in 2015 during a Carabao Cup clash between the two Premier League giants. Costa was charged with violent conduct by the FA after he allegedly stamped on both Skrtel and fellow Reds defender Emre Can during the match at Stamford Bridge, which led to a three-match ban for the Spain international. In the first half, Costa fouled Can, which sparked a furious reaction from the German midfielder. Then, in the second half, Costa stamped on Skrtel inside the penalty area.   

  Then Reds boss Brendan Rodgers had heavily criticised Costa for his harsh challenge, as he had said: "He could easily hurdle over the young player and he directs his studs right on to his ankle, which could've been nasty."

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  Liverpool's hot and cold start to title defence campaign

  Arne Slot's side kicked off the 2025-26 campaign on a high as they maintained a 100 per cent win record across all competitions. However, things went south after their loss against Crystal Palace. That defeat led to two more losses against Galatasaray in the Champions League and Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend, as they lost their position at the top of the table to another title favourites, Arsenal. The Merseyside club will next face old foes Manchester United in a derby in the Premier League on October 19.  

كشف مصدر داخل النادي الأهلي، عن موافقة الدنماركي ييس توروب، المدير الفني للمارد الأحمر، على التجديد للاعب الفريق والاستمرار ضمن كتيبة القلعة الحمراء خلال الفترة المُقبلة.

وعلم بطولات، أن ييس توروب أبدى موافقته على تجديد الأهلي لـ أحمد عبد القادر، وأن هناك جلسة بين اللاعب ووليد صلاح الدين مدير الكرة ستعقد خلال أيام من أجل حسم الاتفاق.

وتجدر الإشارة إلى أن أحمد عبد القادر منذ عودته من الإعارة في نادي قطر القطري، لم يشارك مع الأهلي تحت قيادة مدربه السابق مارسيل كولر، وترددت أنباء عديدة عن غضب اللاعب وقراره بالرحيل عن القلعة الحمراء نهائيًا.

طالع أيضًا | صدمة بشأن موعد عودة إمام عاشور للمشاركة مع الأهلي

وفجر الإعلامي أحمد شوبير مفاجأة في وقت سابق، عندما أكد أن نية اللاعب هي الانتقال لنادي الزمالك، وأنه بالفعل جلس مع بعض المسؤولين في القلعة البيضاء من أجل الاتفاق وارتداء القميص الأبيض فور رحيله عن النادي الأهلي.

ولكن بعد أن رحل مارسيل كولر، ثم خوسيه ريبيرو، عاد اللاعب للمشاركة من جديد تحت قيادة عماد النحاس، المدرب المؤقت السابق، وظهر بمستوى مميز أقنع به ييس توروب، ولذلك وافق الأخير على أن يستمر اللاعب ضمن صفوف الأهلي خلال الفترة القادمة.

Tottenham’s statement signing of the summer was undoubtedly their £52 million deal for playmaker Xavi Simons, who signed a potential seven-year contract at Spurs after joining from RB Leipzig in the final days of the window.

The deal was penned for an initial five years with the option of a further two, coming as one of the longest player contracts in Tottenham’s history, and perhaps a real indicator as to how highly they rate the Dutchman.

Mohammed Kudus

£55 million

Kota Takai

£5 million

Mathys Tel

£30 million

Joao Palhinha

Loan

Kevin Danso

£21 million

Xavi Simons

£52 million

Randal Kolo Muani

Loan

Daniel Levy, who has now resigned after the shocking announcement of his departure on Thursday, led a recruitment team of CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici in pursuit of a much-needed playmaker before Monday’s transfer deadline.

After two very public and humbling failed attempts to sign one, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze rejecting moves to Tottenham in dramatic late fashion, Spurs finally landed on Simons after an impressive two years in the Bundesliga.

In doing so, the Lilywhites gazumped Chelsea’s deal for the 22-year-old, saving some face after Gibbs-White’s bizarre saga and Arsenal’s hijacking of Eze.

Simons, who came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy before moving on to PSG and then Leipzig, bagged 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 total appearances for the latter side.

The Netherlands international is famed for his “silky” skills and creativity in the final third, which is exactly what Thomas Frank is crying out for after injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

The former ruptured his ACL in pre-season and won’t be back until 2026 as a result, while Kulusevski wasn’t named in Tottenham’s 22-man Champions League squad as the Swede is expected to return in December.

Tottenham dealt Xavi Simons worry as "concern" arises for Thomas Frank

Simons was unveiled before a delighted Spurs crowd before their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth prior to the international break, prompting excitement as supporters anticipate his imminent debut.

However, Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard has also sent a warning to Tottenham about the player.

Based off some “talk” he’s heard from German circles, Simons’ body language and attitude have sometimes come into question.

According to Mick Brown, Tottenham also spoke with Aston Villa about signing Morgan Rogers, but given just how unobtainable he proved to be with an £80 million price tag, Simons is a more-than viable alternative with a huge ceiling.

تحدث نجم نادي أتلتيكو مدريد، عن تفاصيل استغناء نادي ريال مدريد عنه، وذلك عندما كان لا يزال لاعبًا صغيرًا في أكاديمية النادي الملكي.

وتوارد على أكاديمية ريال مدريد العديد من اللاعبين، والذين انضموا إلى صفوف أتلتيكو مدريد فيما بعد ليصبحوا من نجوم الروخي بلانكوس.

ومن بين أبرز لاعبي أتلتيكو مدريد في الوقت الحالي والذي كان من خريجي أكاديمية ريال مدريد، هو بابلو باريوس، لاعب خط الوسط.

باريوس تألق بشكل واضح مع شباب أتلتيكو مدريد، ليتم تصعيده فيما بعد للفريق الأول، حيث بات عنصرًا أساسيًا ولا غنى عنه مع النادي الإسباني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أمير عادل: سوروب اختار الأهلي في الوقت المثالي.. وقد يصبح مدربًا تاريخيًا

واعترف باريوس في تصريحات نقلها ”Tribuna.com”، بأنه ليس لديه أي مشكلة مع استغناء ريال مدريد عن خدماته.

وقال باريوس: ”تقبلت الأمر بتلقائية، كنت صغيرًا جدًا وسأظل ممتنًا دائمًا، فبفضل ذلك وصلت إلى ما أنا عليه الآن”.

وعن فترته مع ريال مدريد: “كنت في السابعة من عمري، لعبت في ريال مدريد كقلب دفاع وقد أعجبني ذلك، سجلت أهدافًا حتى وأنا في قلب الدفاع، عندما تكون صغيرًا تلعب من أجل التسجيل بغض النظر عن مركزك”.

وأوضح: ”رحيلي عن ريال مدريد لم يسبب لي أي مرارة على الإطلاق، حتى أن لدي العديد من الأصدقاء المدريديين”.

وعن أهم لحظة له في مواجهة أتلتيكو مدريد وريال مدريد، اختص باريوس لقاء الديربي الأخير في الدوري الإسباني، والذي فاز به أتلتيكو مدريد بنتيجة 5-2، حيث اختتم: ”لا أعرف إن كان أفضل لقاء لكنه كان يومًا رائعًا، لقد استمتعت به حقًا، كان الفريق ممتازًا وسارت الأمور على ما يرام، كان يومًا مثاليًا”.

Cross fails to recover in time from back spasms as MacDonald-Gay wins first Test cap

Firdose Moonda15-Dec-2024Close South Africa 17 for 0 trail England 395 for 9 dec (Sciver-Brunt 128, Bouchier 126, Mlaba 4-90) by 378 runsNat Sciver-Brunt scored the fastest hundred in women’s Tests, off 96 balls, eclipsing debutant Maia Bouchier who had briefly held the England record for herself, with a 124-ball effort in a show of batting dominance in Bloemfontein.England finished on their ninth-highest score and were well on track to post a new record until a South African comeback late in the day clipped their tail. South Africa took 6 for 96 in the third session and left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba claimed a career-best 4 for 90, as the surface started to show early signs of turn. That will only delight England’s spin pair, Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone, who will know that in hot weather, the surface’s deterioration will accelerate.With overhead cloud and the floodlights on, there was also some movement on offer and Heather Knight hoped her seamers would make inroads when she declared with England nine-down, leaving South Africa with six overs to face. Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch got through them on 17 without loss and will resume in what’s forecast to be blue, windless conditions on day two.Maia Bouchier made a century in her first Test innings•ECB/Getty ImagesOn what has historically been referred to as the flattest track in the country, Knight opted to bat first and England made full use of the batter-friendly conditions. Four of their first five partnerships were worth more than fifty runs. Their third-wicket stand of 174 off 172 balls between Bouchier and Sciver-Brunt demonstrated the best of their attacking mindset, which saw them score at a shave under five runs an over for the first two sessions and left South Africa out of ideas.Wolvaardt used eight bowlers in the first session-and-a-half and all of them struggled with their disciplines. They conceded 47 fours and two sixes in the first two sessions (and 59 fours overall) and their ground fielding was poor, with several balls slipping through the hands or under the body.South Africa will look back on the two chances they had early on and identify them as their best to take a wicket. Marizanne Kapp appealed for an lbw against Tammy Beaumont on the second ball of the morning, which was given not out by debutant umpire Kerrin Klaaste. With no DRS, South Africa could not review. Beaumont was on four at the time and dismissed for 21 when she pulled Ayanda Hlubi to Sune Luus at midwwicket to give Hlubi her first Test wicket. Bouchier could have been gone soon after when she had a mid-pitch mix-up with Knight but Tumi Sekhukhune’s throw to the striker’s end was wide. Bouchier was on nine at the time.Sekhukhune, picked as the third seamer, was only introduced in the 26th over but immediately found some swing. She could have had Bouchier on her second ball, when the England opener swung wildly over square leg but Kapp misjudged the catch and the ball went for six to bring up Bouchier’s fifty. After she raced to 43 off the first 45 balls she faced, Bouchier spent 25 deliveries working toward her half-century and showed the patience required for this format. England went to lunch on 103 for 1.South Africa enjoyed some success soon after the interval when Sekhukhune dismissed Knight lbw with the third ball of the session, but then it was the Sciver-Brunt show. She opened her account with a gentle push that beat Mlaba at mid-on and raced away for four and the runs kept coming in boundaries. There was at least one in every over, and Bouchier took three off a Dercksen over that put her into the 80s. She entered the 90s with a six straight down the ground off Sekhukhune and reached her century five overs later when she slashed a wide Chloe Tryon delivery through third.While that was happening, Sciver-Brunt had galloped to a 46-ball half-century, the second fastest in Test cricket, and was on 68 off 66 balls by the time Bouchier got to a hundred. Sciver-Brunt continued to move through the gears and offered a half-chance when she inside-edged Nadine de Klerk to fine leg but otherwise looked in complete control. As much as South Africa offered up some poor deliveries on the pads, Sciver-Brunt manufactured some excellent shots, read the length well and raced to hundred with a quick two off Luus. It was her second Test hundred, after an unbeaten 169 not out in her previous Test against South Africa at Taunton in 2022.Nonkululeko Mlaba claimed a career-best four-for•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesBouchier was dismissed in the next over before tea when she lashed at a Mlaba ball that turned a touch. Luus, at slip, reacted quickly to take the catch above her head to the right. Another wicket came two overs after the break when Mlaba got one to grip, turn and take Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s edge. England were 299 for 4 in the 63rd over.South Africa continued with a post-tea squeeze and the next 15 overs only cost them 56 runs, at below four runs an over. Sciver-Brunt’s scoring rate slowed down dramatically. After her hundred, she scored 28 runs off the next 47 balls but was keen to keep things going. She was well outside her crease at the non-striker’s end when Amy Jones drove the ball back to Mlaba who deflected it onto the stumps. The run-out cameras (of which there are only two instead of the usual four) were not needed and Sciver-Brunt walked.Despite removing her, South Africa did not take the second new ball when it became available and kept the spinners in operation with the old ball. Mlaba found appreciable turn from the Loch Logan end and bowled Dean off the under-edge. In her next over, Amy Jones skied her in the region of mid-off, where Kapp had to judge the swirling chance well to give Mlaba a career-best fourth wicket.The second new ball was taken after 90 overs and given to Kapp, who had only bowled six overs in the first session. She was on the money from the get-go and bowled England’s second debutant, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, for 11 with a delivery that angled in and squirted past the inside edge. Hlubi bowled Ecclestone when she missed a flick. Lauren Bell faced three balls before Knight called the innings closed, 20 minutes before the scheduled end of the day.

In quite the twist, Newcastle United are now reportedly the frontrunners to land one of their top targets who has given PIF the green light to move forward with the deal.

Howe: "Complex" Isak situation "far from ideal"

Whilst Newcastle continue to chase transfers of their own, the saga of the summer has been threatening to unfold between Alexander Isak and those at St James’ Park. After deciding to train away from the club and at former side Real Sociedad, it looked as though the Swede had done enough to open the door to his exit as Liverpool came calling with an opening offer.

Ultimately, however, the Reds didn’t do enough and have since had the door slammed in their face by Newcastle, who are demanding as much as £150m to sell their star man. Liverpool’s offer worth £110m was, therefore, always likely to be turned down.

Whilst some around St James’ Park may celebrate Liverpool’s latest stance, it’s Eddie Howe who has been left to pick up the pieces of the Isak saga.

He told reporters when asked about the situation: “I think from my situation, I am very much removed from everything that is happening back home. I was made aware there was a bid yesterday. That bid was turned down before I heard about it.

The Newcastle boss then went on to say when asked if he knows where Isak is: “I know where he is through the media, so I think from that perspective it’s difficult for me to go into any detail. The situation is far from ideal. It is quite complex. I think that is all I have got to say.”

Meanwhile, as that situation continues to unravel, another key factor in any potential deal has reportedly progressed in Newcastle’s favour.

Sesko chooses Newcastle

Delo, the number one newspaper in Slovenia, has revealed Benjamin Sesko ‘has made a decision’ and ‘will continue his career with Newcastle United’, while also confirming the rival interest from Manchester United.

And according to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Newcastle have now matched Sesko’s price-tag with a blockbuster “formal bid” worth as much as £70m. Jumping ahead of Manchester United in unexpected fashion, the Magpies could now solve their striker problem with what would become their biggest ever signing.

After a summer of rejections, the news that they are now leading the race to finally sign the striker that they’ve been craving will be music to the ears of all those in Tyneside.

He's Sesko 2.0: Newcastle ready to battle for £60m "absolute powerhouse"

Newcastle United track one of Europe’s hottest talents after Benjamin Šeško setback

ByWill Miller Aug 2, 2025

There’s still a way to go, of course, but there’s no doubt that Sesko would be an excellent addition. Described as “special” by former Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell, the towering forward looks destined for the Premier League.

Fair to say, West Ham United supporters are not coming into the new season with sky-high optimism.

Last time round, the Hammers finished 14th, only just above the disastrous duo that was Manchester United and Tottenham, while their tally of nine home league defeats was the most they’ve endured since being relegated in 2010/11.

Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui in January, but this did not lead to an upturn in results, winning just five of his 19 matches in charge.

Thus, Potter will be under pressure to make a fast start to this season, but will need some new recruits if he’s to achieve this, potentially with his eye on an attacker reminiscent of a West Ham fans’ favourite of yesteryear.

West Ham's search for a new attacker

So far this summer, in a very unpopular move amongst the Hammers’ support, star winger Mohammed Kudus has departed to join fierce rivals Tottenham for a reported fee of £55m, becoming the first player to make such a move since Scott Parker in 2011.

Meantime, left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf has arrived from Slavia Prague for around £19m, but this has done little to get supporters back on side.

Well, that could change because, according to a report by Jack Johnson for talkSPORT, West Ham have made contact with Leicester City over the possibility of signing Bilal El Khannouss.

They add that Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Monaco also ‘hold a concrete interest’, while adding that the Moroccan international’s contract contains a £22.5m release clause, activated following the Foxes’ relegation to the EFL Championship.

Transfer Focus

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

Loïc Tanzi of L’Équipe claims that El Khannouss has no intention of playing in England’s second-tier, prioritising a return to the Premier League, so could he soon swap the East Midlands for the East End of London?

How Bilal El Khannouss would improve West Ham

After arriving from Genk for £21m last summer, El Khannouss managed to impress during his debut campaign in the Premier League, despite plying his trade in a generally hopeless Leicester side, who infamously failed to score in nine successive home league matches, an unwanted new top division record.

The table below outlines the Moroccan’s importance to the Foxes last season.

Minutes

2,182

7th

Appearances

32

4th

Goals

2

5th

Assists

3

3rd

Shots

30

4th

Goals – xG

+0.7

4th

Progressive passes

128

1st

Key passes

42

1st

Passes into the box

31

1st

Shot-creating actions

78

1st

Successful take-ons

34

2nd

Take-on success %

56.7%

2nd*

Progressive carries

73

2nd

Carries into the final third

45

1st

*minimum 13 attempted.

As the table outlines, El Khannouss was very much Leicester’s creator in chief last season, ranked first for a variety of passing, chances created and dribbling statistics.

Ben Mattinson of Breaking the Lines notes that he ‘boasts the vision to spot impossible passes’, adding that he ‘oozes composure’ and is capable of a match-winning moment at any time, asserting that it’s only a matter of time before he is plying his trade for one of ‘Europe’s biggest outfits’. Writing on X, Mattinson has described him as “a player made for the big stage”.

Well, that last part sounds just like arguably West Ham’s greatest player of the modern era, does it not?

When Dimitri Payet joined the Hammers from Olympique de Marseille for just £11m in the summer of 2015, no one could’ve forecast what would happen next.

In 60 appearances in claret and blue, the France international scored 15 goals and registered 22 assists, with Josh Fordham of talkSPORT asserting that he is ‘easily the most talented player’ of the club’s modern history.

Meantime, Roshane Thomas of The Athletic outlines how the “world-class” Payet “entertained supporters” with countless jaw-dropping moments, before forcing through an acrimonious return to Marseille just 18 months after arriving.

So, could El Khannouss be the next Payet? Let’s compare the pair to find out.

Goals

2

9

Assists

3

12

Shots per 90

0.9

2.3

Big chances created

8

16

Key passes per 90

1.3

4

Successful dribbles per 90

1.1

2.2

Dribble success %

59.6%

57%

Average SofaScore rating

6.91

7.68

Of course, Payet’s statistics are more impressive, but this should not come as much of a surprise, given that, as noted by Harry Sherlock of Goal, he was one of the best players in the Premier League in the 2015/16 season, so much so that he was on the Ballon d’Or nominees list.

El Khannouss is certainly yet to hit those heights, but his numbers are comparable, especially when it comes to chances created and dribbling, so he too has the potential to light up the London Stadium.

He’d be amazing with Bowen: West Ham in contact for "sensational" £34m star

West Ham are looking to add goals to their side this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 17, 2025

أعلنت الشركة المتحدة للرياضة، عن حصولها على حقوق إذاعة مباريات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا لكرة اليد للموسم الرياضي 2025-2026، وهي البطولة التي تُعد الأقوى عالميًا على مستوى بطولات الأندية في كرة اليد.

وجاء ذلك في إطار حرص الشركة المتحدة للرياضة على توفير أفضل خدمة رياضية وإعلامية لجمهور الرياضة في مصر والوطن العربي، من خلال متابعة كوكبة من أبرز نجوم كرة اليد على المستوى العالمي.

وتُذاع مباريات البطولة عبر شاشة قنوات أون سبورت بداية من دور المجموعات وصولا إلى الفاينال فور لتحديد ترتيب المربع الذهبي وبطل أوروبا.

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وتُعد بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا لكرة اليد من أقوى البطولات على مستوى الأندية، حيث تشهد مشاركة نخبة من الأندية التي تضم بين صفوفها ألمع نجوم اللعبة، يتنافسون جميعًا للفوز بالكأس الأغلى.

وتشهد بطولة الموسم الحالي مشاركة 9 لاعبين مصريين في أندية: “فيزبريم المجري – باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي – برشلونة الإسباني – سبورتنج لشبونة البرتغالي – كيلسي البولندي”.

It is the dawn of a new era for Glasgow Rangers after Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises officially completed a takeover of the club last week.

They have immediately invested £20m into the club and will now oversee the search for the team’s next head coach, after Barry Ferguson stepped away at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

The former Scotland international was appointed as the interim boss after Philippe Clement was dismissed in February, and he only won six of his 15 matches in all competitions in the dugout at Ibrox.

Ferguson, whose team was held to a 2-2 draw by Hibernian on the final day of the Scottish Premiership campaign, failed to do enough to convince the board that he was the man for the job moving forward.

The 49ers and new sporting director Kevin Thelwell are now tasked with finding a manager who can bring glory back to Ibrox, after four seasons without a Premiership title.

One of the first items on the agenda for any incoming Rangers head coach should be convincing Nicolas Raskin to remain with the Gers beyond the summer.

Why Nicolas Raskin could leave Rangers

The Belgium international could move on from Ibrox in the summer transfer window, as Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Leeds United are both reportedly interested in the central midfielder.

Raskin has attracted interest from elsewhere due to his impressive performances for the Gers during the 2024/25 campaign, which led to him winning the club’s Men’s Player of the Year and the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year awards.

The 24-year-old star was deemed to be the best player at Ibrox this season and there are now teams who want to test how he would adapt to Premier League football next term.

Rangers, however, should be doing everything in their power to keep hold of the Belgian talent during the summer transfer window, because they will need as much quality as possible to finally beat Celtic to the Premiership title.

The former Standard Liege star is tenacious out of possession, as he averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and won 57% of his duels in the league this term, but the Light Blues star also provides plenty of quality on the ball.

24/25 Premiership	Nicolas Raskin
Appearances	33
Touches per game	68.4
Goals	4
Big chances created	9
Assists	10
Pass accuracy	87%
Dribbles completed per game	1.0
Dribble success rate	68%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Raskin is a player who thrives on the ball with his ability to both score and create goals from a central midfield position, whilst being efficient as a passer and a dribbler.

This suggests that the Belgian star would, therefore, love a manager who is committed to a ball-dominant style of play, which is why he should be pleased with the latest update on the Rangers manager search.

The latest on Russell Martin to Rangers

According to the Daily Mail, former Southampton head coach Russell Martin is one of the ‘main contenders’ to land the vacant managerial position at Ibrox.

The report claims that the former Scotland international, who had a loan spell with Rangers during his playing career, and Davide Ancelotti are the two main contenders for the role.

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It adds that Francesco Farioli, who recently left Ajax, and Brian Priske, most recently of Feyenoord, are also still in the running, but they are not as high up the list as Martin and Ancelotti.

The Daily Mail claims that the ex-Saints head coach was set to fall out of the race for the Rangers job when he was being lined up for the Leicester City position, but they have yet to sack Ruud Van Nistelrooy, so he remains in contention to replace Ferguson at Ibrox.

Appointing Martin as the first head coach of the 49ers era could be good news for supporters who want to see Raskin remain at the club, as the central midfielder could be a perfect fit for the Scottish tactician.

Why Nicolas Raskin would love Russell Martin

Analyst John Walker hailed Martin’s style as “exciting” and “total football”, due to the ball-dominant nature of how he wants his teams to play, and that could suit the Belgium international perfectly.

As aforementioned, Raskin is a technically brilliant footballer who constantly looks to make things happen from a central midfield position, with passes, dribbles, goals, and assists, and he could have plenty of chances to influence games in this manager’s system.

The clip above, from his time at MK Dons, is a flavour of the way Martin’s teams play, with plenty of short passes under pressure and movement off the ball to provide players with multiple passing options at all times.

Raskin would be a perfect fit for the way the ex-Norwich City and Rangers centre-back likes to coach his sides, because of his dynamism off the ball and his quality in possession.

Russell Martin’s attacking style of play
23/24 Championship	Southampton	League rank
Pass accuracy	87.7%	1st
Passes into the penalty area	594	1st
Progressive passes	2556	1st
Shot-creating actions	1255	1st
xG	79.8	2nd
Points per game	1.89	4th
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Martin successfully deployed a possession-based system to get Southampton promoted out of the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, building a team that was incredibly dominant when it came to passing forward and creating high-quality chances.

These statistics suggest that Raskin, who created nine ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, would thrive in his system as a midfielder who would constantly have chances to dictate play and create even more opportunities for his teammates with the dominance that the style of play creates.

Therefore, the Belgian midfielder could be more inclined to stay at Rangers for another year because of the prospect of thriving in a side coached by Martin, as it could help him to take his game to the next level ahead of a bigger move next year.

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