They might have dropped points last time out, but Arsenal are flying this season.

They sit four points clear atop the Premier League table and second in the Champions League, with four wins and four clean sheets in as many games.

One of the stars of the Gunners’ impressive campaign so far has been Declan Rice, who has been as crucial going forward as he has been in keeping those clean sheets.

Therefore, fans should be delighted about reports linking them with another top-quality international who’d be a Rice-type signing.

Arsenal target Rice-Type signing

The transfer window is still over a month away, but Arsenal are starting to be linked with some exciting players again.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, stories are once again touting Real Madrid’s Rodrygo for a move to the Emirates following a disappointing start to the season.

A cheaper, lesser-known, but nonetheless exciting wide option the Gunners have been linked with is Lyon’s Malick Fofana, who has been catching the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

However, while either attacker would be an exciting addition to the team, neither could be described as particularly Rice-esque, unlike Elliot Anderson.

Yes, according to reports from Spain, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in the Nottingham Forest star.

In fact, the report has revealed that North Londoners are set to enter the bidding war for the England international, who has a price tag of between £100m and £120m.

It could therefore be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Anderson’s immense ability, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as it would be a Rice-type signing.

Why Elliot Anderson would be a Rice repeat for Arsenal

Now, there are obviously some differences between Rice and Anderson, from their playstyles to career paths, but were the latter to join Arsenal, there would be many parallels with the former’s move as well.

For example, it would be another example of the Gunners going out and spending north of £100m on a top-quality central midfielder from a non ‘big six’ Premier League team.

Moreover, like the former West Ham United captain was at the time of his move, the Forest ace is now an established and vitally important player for England.

In fact, ahead of his side’s win over Serbia, Thomas Tuchel described the 23-year-old as a “key player” for the Three Lions and “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.”

The fact that he is such an incredible central midfielder is another obvious trait he shares with the Gunners’ number 41, as is his versatility.

For example, since moving to the City Ground, the former Newcastle United gem has made 25 appearances in central midfield, 20 in defensive midfield, five in left midfield and three in attacking midfield.

In other words, like the former Hammers star, the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by one commentator, could play wherever Arteta wanted him to in the middle of the park, and as a result, form relationships with a host of Arsenal players.

Finally, on top of also taking corners, the Whitley Bay-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has some incredible underlying numbers to his name, proving that the comparisons to Rice are fully justified.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for ball recoveries, the top 3% for tackles in the defensive third, the top 4% for carries into the penalty area, the top 7% for successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ball Recoveries

7.42

Top 1%

Dribbles Challenged

3.32

Top 2%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.16

Top 3%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

1.61

Top 3%

Carries into Penalty Area

0.70

Top 4%

Fouls Drawn

2.14

Top 6%

Outswinging Corner Kicks

1.18

Top 7%

Successful Take-Ons

1.21

Top 7%

Penalty Kicks Made

0.03

Top 9%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.03

Top 10%

Tackles

2.89

Top 11%

SCA (Take-On)

0.16

Top 12%

Corner Kicks

1.96

Top 13%

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.16

Top 13%

Tackles Won

1.61

Top 13%

Dribblers Tackled

1.39

Top 13%

Crosses

3.35

Top 14%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.64

Top 14%

Penalty Kicks Won

0.03

Top 15%

Ultimately, while it would cost a king’s ransom, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Anderson, as he’s an excellent player and could have a Rice-type impact on the team.

Arsenal lost 'one of the world's best', now he's outperforming Saka & Eze

The incredible international is now playing better than Arsenal’s Eze and Saka.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 14, 2025

Chelsea have made an approach to sign a former Real Madrid sensation, and it is believed that the west Londoners could even strike a deal in January.

Enzo Maresca’s side, despite some shock defeats at home to Brighton and Sunderland recently, have made a solid start to the season overall — losing just once in their last nine matches and climbing up to third in the Premier League table.

However, even taking into account their form on paper, not to mention Chelsea’s near-£300 million spend in the summer, there are suggestions that Maresca is dissatisfied with his current squad and could look to upgrade key areas in the winter.

Rank

Club

Gross Spend

Sales

Net Spend

20.

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£202.5m

+£65.8m

19.

Brighton

£67.7m

£127.5m

+£59.8m

18.

Brentford

£92.8m

£152m

+£59.2m

17.

Wolves

£105.6m

£126.5m

+£20.9m

16.

Chelsea

£296.5m

£314.4m

+£17.9m

Chelsea have lost all of Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwil, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo to injury at various points already this season, with Maresca reportedly prioritising the addition of a new centre-back in January.

Now that injury-ridden midfielder Romeo Lavia is also set to be out for “at least” a month with a quadriceps injury (Fabrizio Romano), Chelsea are said to be looking at new midfield options ahead of 2026 as well.

Nico Paz now keen to join Chelsea with approach made to Como

Indeed, it is reported by TEAMtalk that Chelsea have identified Como starlet Nico Paz as their most viable January midfield target, with Maresca looking to strengthen his squad in the engine room as well as further forward.

Chelsea have apparently opened discussions with both the Serie A club and Paz’s representatives through direct enquiries, as they look to address squad depth issues that have been exposed by recent injury problems.

The Blues are actively compiling a shortlist of midfield reinforcements, with Lavia’s latest injury lay-off prompting urgent action.

Paz, who came through Real’s academy system and is valued at around £62 million, has emerged as the leading candidate to arrive at Stamford Bridge in January ahead of both Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton and Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo.

What makes the potential deal particularly encouraging for Chelsea is the player’s own enthusiasm about the move. Paz is understood to be genuinely interested in a transfer to England and sees Chelsea as an ‘ideal’ next career step.

His technical ability on the left foot and creativity is said to have caught the eye of Chelsea’s scouting department, who believe he fits perfectly within their current recruitment philosophy.

The young Spaniard represents exactly the type of signing Chelsea have been targeting under BlueCo’s leadership – a player with high potential who ticks multiple boxes in terms of age profile, quality and future sell-on value.

However, Paz still won’t be an easy signing by any means.

Real Madrid basically own the player in practice if not officially, possessing full matching rights on any deal for him, not to mention a 50 per cent sell-on clause and multiple buy-back options worth just £8 million for the summer of 2026 and £8.5m in 2027.(Football Italia).

This means that Xabi Alonso’s side have a massive say over Paz’s future, so Chelsea may even have to negotiate with the La Liga giants alongside Como to make this deal happen.

India won the Super OverIn regular play, Pathum Nissanka’s 107 off 58 balls and Kusal Perera’s 58 off 32, cancelled out a rapid 61 from Abhishek Sharma, and a 49 not out off 34 from Tilak Varma. India hit 202 for 5. So did Sri Lanka.In the Super Over though, Sri Lanka were very clearly out of steam on all fronts. First, they didn’t send Nissanka out to bat, choosing Kusal Perera (who sliced one to deep backward point first ball), Dasun Shanaka (who struggled with Arshdeep Singh’s wide yorkers), and Kamindu Mendis (who has never been an explosive T20I batter) out instead.Between these three, they managed a total of two runs. Suryakumar Yadav would almost laughingly put the first ball of their Super Over – bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga – through cover, to claim three first ball. This meant India went through to the Asia Cup final undefeated, and were really only tested in this match, in which they rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube.Perhaps their aura had lost a little of its shine, but India pushing through to a victory even when Sri Lanka’s top order was batting beautifully, will be something India will take heart from ahead of the final against Pakistan.India’s innings, meanwhile, had gone smoothly. Abhishek produced another spectacular start, striking up a 59-run partnership with Suryakumar who contributed only 12 off 13 to that stand. Later, Tilak and Sanju Samson would put on 66 together.Pathum Nissanka celebrates his maiden T20I century•AFP/Getty Images

Nissanka’s 127-run partnership off 70 balls, however, was the biggest of the tournament. It got Sri Lanka within sight of victory. But the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line.What happened in the Super Over

• Sri Lanka are required to bat first in this Super Over, but Nissanka, their best batter of the tournament, is not picked to come out straight away. (We’re sure, at this stage, that he will come in if a wicket falls, though.)
• Perera and Shanaka are sent in instead, with Arshdeep tasked with bowling this over, in the absence of Bumrah.
• Perera slices the first ball, a wide yorker, to deep point, where substitute fielder Rinku Singh takes a good running catch.
• Kamindu Mendis, who does not have a track record of scoring quickly against high-quality opposition comes out next, even though Nissanka is just sitting there in the dugout. Predictably Kamindu struggles to get more than an edge to the next Arshdeep ball, and they scramble a single.
• Shanaka can’t really hit Arshdeep’s wide yorkers either, and attempts a bye off the fourth ball.
• Arshdeep appeals for the caught behind while wicketkeeper Sanju Samson runs Dasun Shanaka out at the striker’s end.
• But because Arshdeep has appealed for the catch, the umpire gives Shanaka out. (The umpire’s finger is raised only after the run out is completed, but according to the rules, the out decision effectively overturns the run out.) Shanaka awake to this loophole, immediately asks the umpire: “It’s a dead ball, right?”, just after he reviews the caught behind decision.
• It turns out Shanaka is correct as per the laws. Because he had been wrongly been given out caught behind, he is exonerated from the run out, even though the stumps were broken before the umpire’s finger was raised.
• Shanaka gets to live another ball and perhaps propel Sri Lanka to a competitive Super Over score.
• Shanaka top edges one to deep third very next ball, ending Sri Lanka’s Super Over.
• India score three first ball and win.

Abhishek Sharma rocks the powerplayAlthough opening partner Shubman Gill was dismissed off the ninth ball of the innings, the tournament’s best batter still scythed his way through the powerplay. His best powerplay over came against Dushmantha Chamera. Abhishek came down the track and crashed him over long off off thifd ball, before raising the fifth ball over short fine leg’s head, then slicing the next one over short third.Abhishek Sharma brought up his third successive fifty•Getty Images

It only took Abhishek 22 balls to get to fifty. By the end of the powerplay, India were 71 for 1. Abhishek eventually miscued a Charith Asalanka half-tracker to deep midwicket, in the ninth over. His 61 came off 31 balls.Nissanka’s sublime inningsNissanka had scored heavily in the group stage, but had been quiet in the first two Super Four games. In this match, he exploded. He hit Hardik Pandya through point for four first ball, lifted other seamers over deep midwicket, and hooked others over backward square leg. He hit his fifty off 25 balls, and just continued to attack through the middle overs, as Perera also scored rapidly.Nissanka became Sri Lanka’s fourth T20I centurion (among men) at the end of the 17th over, when he thumped Arshdeep into the sightscreen. He got there of 52 balls. His eventual 108 off 58 is Sri Lanka’s highest individual T20I score.

A significant update has now emerged regarding Raphael Wicky becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, as the Championship side look to find the right replacement for Rob Edwards in the near future.

The exit of Edwards to Wolves has knocked Boro for six at an important point in the season, but it is vital that they don’t allow it to derail their Championship promotion push in the coming weeks and months.

A number of candidates have already been mentioned as potential options as the Englishman’s successor, including former Young Boys manager Wicky.

It has been claimed that Boro are serious about appointing the 48-year-old as their next boss after he impressed during talks, although he is far from the only candidate being mentioned for the job.

Former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a contender for the Championship side, with the Dutchman reportedly given Gareth Southgate’s endorsement, following their time working together with the England national team. Steven Gerrard, Gary O’Neill and Carlos Corberan are some of the other names to have been thrown around.

Wicky keen on taking Middlesbrough job

Now, according to a fresh claim from The Northern Echo, Wicky is keen on becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, with the Swiss very much in the mix to come in.

He is said to be one of a host of overseas bosses who are “interested” in taking charge at the Riverside Stadium, following his exit from Young Boys last year, having spent two years at the club.

Wicky stands out as a strong option for Boro, with journalist Graeme Bailey describing him as an “impressive” individual, following a successful managerial career to date.

He won both the Swiss league title and Swiss Cup with Young Boys in the 2022/23 season, outlining his winning mentality, and at 48, he is still a relatively young manager who will bring fresh ideas to the Riverside.

It remains to be seen if the 4-4-2 diamond-playing Wicky will ultimately be Boro’s pick as their new boss, but the fact that the job appeals to him can only be a good thing, and his trophy-winning pedigree isn’t something that should be ignored.

Middlesbrough now considering move for ex-QPR manager recommended by Southgate

He’s been out of a managerial job since 2022.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

It is vital that the club don’t rush into the decision, however, instead ensuring that they have the best possible choice of manager to hopefully spearhead their return to the Premier League, rather than making a quick call and bringing in the wrong man.

How Middlesbrough feel about Raphael Wicky as Swiss manager holds Riverside talks

Rocchiccioli was the most successful Australian bowler, picking up 3 for 159

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025Devdutt Padikkal scored his seventh first-class hundred to lead India’s response as the first four-day game in Lucknow ended in a high-scoring draw.India A resumed the day on 403 for 4 with Padikkal on 86 and Dhruv Jurel on 113. Jurel could add only 27 to his overnight score but Padikkal carried on. Along with Tanush Kotian, he added 41 for the sixth wicket. Padikkal hit 14 fours and a six in his 150 before falling to Corey Rocchiccioli’s offspin.Soon after that, India declared their innings, on 531 for 7, one run behind Australia’s first-innings total. The Australian openers, Sam Konstas and Campbell Kellaway, came out to bat for 16 overs, in which they added an unbroken 56.Just like the previous three days, rain once again interrupted play on Friday.”Unfortunately, the rain probably didn’t help us over the four days,” Rocchiccioli said. “I think if there were no rain, it probably would have allowed for a result somewhere along the line. But it was an invaluable experience with the group that we have picked. The players who have played here… first hit out for some of them in a while. So to be able to play in some foreign conditions, learn your game a little bit better, have some really good conversations in the change rooms, I think has helped everyone be better for these conditions and move forward to the next game.”Rocchiccioli was the most successful Australian bowler, picking up 3 for 159 in 36.1 overs. Apart from dismissing Padikkal, he got rid of Shreyas Iyer and Kotian.”Look, there’s actually probably no direct plan,” he said when asked about the Iyer lbw. “I was just hoping to land the ball on the stumps. I probably didn’t bowl my best leading into that moment. Luckily enough, one sort of spun and took his pad. He is obviously a really big player that we looked at a lot during the pre-game, but there was nothing there that I thought was a weakness or anything. I just knew that I had to bowl good balls and ask good questions and I was lucky enough to have the wicket at that moment.”The second four-dayer will also be played in Lucknow, from September 23.

Both teams went in with spin-heavy attacks, which means Kuldeep, Varun, Muqeem and Abrar all feature

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2025

First-time Asia Cup captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha at the toss•Associated Press

Toss The toss in Dubai turned out to be a formality with Pakistan surprisingly choosing to bat first after Salman Agha called it right. Dubai has usually been a venue for chasing under lights. The chasing team has won the last three T20I meetings between these two sides at this venue – Pakistan twice and India once. Yet Pakistan have decided to bat first and trust their spinners to defend the total.India were looking to bowl anyway. And they have retained the XI that they used in their first game against UAE, which meant Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were both part of their attack again. Pakistan also stuck with their XI from their game against Oman, meaning Haris Rauf remained on the bench.Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hasan Nawaz, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Sufiyan Muqeem, 11 Abrar Ahmed.India 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.

MatériaMais Notícias

O ano de 2023 vai chegando ao fim e é hora de fazer o balanço da temporada dos principais clubes do futebol brasileiro. Em ritmo de retrospectiva, nos propusemos a analisar a atuação dos times do chamado G12 no mercado este ano.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

De maneira geral, pudemos notar que quanto mais consolidada nacionalmente está a equipe, menos contratações ela fez. Prova disso são Palmeiras e Flamengo, times que se acostumaram a disputar os principais títulos do continente nos últimos anos e tem elencos reconhecidamente fortes. A atuação dos dois clubes no mercado foi pontual: o Verdão contratou apenas dois jogadores, enquanto o Rubro-Negro trouxe quatro reforços.

Da mesma forma, as equipes mais cotadas para ocupar as posições mais baixas da tabela do Brasileirão se notabilizaram por contratações em excesso, muitas vezes sem critério. É o caso do Santos, que realizou 20 contratações no ano, das quais poucas se salvaram. O Vasco, equipe que se salvou na última rodada do Brasileirão, foi pelo mesmo caminho e se reforçou com 26 jogadores. A diferença é que entre as contratações estão jogadores fundamentais para salvar a equipe do rebaixamento, caso do argentino Vegetti.

Com relação ao perfil, o destaque fica por parte dos grandes astros repatriados da Europa, muitos deles que fizeram a diferença para as suas equipes. No Grêmio, Suárez foi fundamental para levar o Grêmio, que tinha acabado de disputar a Série B, ao vice-campeonato brasileiro. No São Paulo, Lucas Moura e James Rodriguez chegaram quase ao mesmo tempo, mas tiveram rendimentos distintos. Também não podemos esquecer o retorno de Marcelo ao Fluminense, parceria que rendeu um título inédito ao clube.

Sem mais delongas, veja a seguir o Top-3 de melhores contratações do futebol brasileiro no ano de 2023. A escolha dos jogadores levou em consideração os resultados que o atleta entregou na temporada, o nível de suas atuações e quanto custou ao clube.

Pablo Vegetti (atacante) – Vasco da Gama
Contratado por apenas 1,1 milhão de dólares (cerca de R$ 5 milhões na cotação da época), o “Pirata” foi fundamental para livrar o Vasco do risco de rebaixamento. O atacante chegou ao Gigante da Colina no final do primeiro turno do Brasileirão e marcou 10 gols em 21 jogos disputados – média de praticamente um gol a cada dois jogos. Considerando desempenho, resultado e a relação custo-benefício, é impossível deixar o atacante de fora dessa lista.

➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Vasco da Gama em 2023

Marcelo (lateral-esquerdo) – Fluminense
Após conquistar tudo o que era possível na Europa, o lateral-esquerdo retornou ao clube que o revelou com uma missão muito específica: ajudar o Fluminense a vencer a inédita Libertadores. Logo no início da temporada, mostrou a que veio com gol na final do Cariocão sobre o Flamengo. Vale destacar que o jogador não apenas elevou o nível técnico do Tricolor como assumiu o papel que se esperava dele de líder no vestiário. No final das contas, deu tudo certo: o Fluminense venceu a Libertadores e Marcelo foi um dos destaques da equipe no torneio.

➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Fluminense em 2023

Luis Suárez (atacante) – Grêmio
O quarto maior artilheiro em atividade no mundo disputou o Brasileirão de 2023. Apenas essa frase já poderia servir de justificativa para colocar Suárez em nosso Top-3, mas o uruguaio foi além. Com 29 gols e 17 assistências na temporada, o jogador levou o Grêmio de recém-promovido da Série B a vice-campeão do Brasileirão. Apenas na competição nacional, o atacante foi responsável por 44% dos gols do Imortal. Faltaram títulos, é verdade – Suárez venceu apenas um Gauchão e uma Recopa Gaúcha – mas o “gostinho” de Champions League que o uruguaio deixou no futebol brasileiro já valeu a pena.

➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Grêmio em 2023

Menções honrosas – Lucas Moura (São Paulo) e Paulinho (Atlético-MG)
Dois jogadores que chegaram aos seus clubes a custo zero e poderiam integrar o Top-3 com facilidade, mas ficaram de fora no detalhe. Lucas retornou ao São Paulo depois de 11 anos na Europa e foi decisivo para a conquista inédita do Tricolor na Copa do Brasil. Se o clube do Morumbi não tivesse se poupado após o título, muito provavelmente o atacante teria se destacado mais e integraria a lista principal.

Paulinho, por outro lado, foi constante durante toda a temporada. Autor de incríveis 31 gols no ano, o jogador formou uma dupla de ataque mortal ao lado de Hulk. Balançou as redes 20 vezes no Brasileirão e terminou a competição no topo da artilharia. Só não integra nosso top-3 por conta da instabilidade do Galo na temporada, o que fez com que o atacante terminasse o ano sem títulos de expressão.

➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do São Paulo em 2023

➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Atlético-MG em 2023

Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações de outros clubes do futebol brasileiro

➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Botafogo
➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Corinthians
➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Cruzeiro
➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Flamengo
➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Internacional
➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Palmeiras
➡️ Veja o Top-3 de melhores contratações do Santos

Agora, queremos saber a sua opinião, torcedor: quais foram as três melhores contratações do seu clube na temporada 2023? Clique no post abaixo e comente!

كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن أبرز الغيابات التي سيواجهها الأهلي في رحلته إلى المغرب لملاقاة الجيش الملكي الأسبوع المقبل، مؤكدًا أن غياب الحارس الأساسي محمد الشناوي هو الأبرز، إلى جانب غيابات أخرى ستجبر الجهاز الفني على بعض الترتيبات الخاصة.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الإثنين: “من أبرز الغيابات عن الأهلي في مباراة الجيش الملكي بداية الأسبوع المقبل، هو محمد الشناوي، وبعد ظهور نتيجة الأشعة تأكد تمامًا أنه لن يشارك ولن يسافر مع الفريق”.

وأضاف: “قد يقول البعض إن الأمر لا يمثل مشكلة بوجود مصطفى شوبير ومحمد سيحا، وكذلك حمزة علاء، لكن الحقيقة أن حمزة غير مقيد إفريقيًا، فقد رحل ثم عاد ويتمرن مع الفريق، لكنه لن يُقيد رسميًا إلا في يناير المقبل، أما الحارس الصاعد حازم جمال فهو مقيد، وهو حارس جيد، ولذلك أرى أن الأهلي يجب أن يسافر بثلاثة حراس مرمى إلى إفريقيا”.

وتابع: “دعونا نتذكر موقفًا أصعب بكثير مرّ به الأهلي في نهائي إفريقيا أمام الوداد، حين أُصيب محمد الشناوي بشد عضلي، ثم أُصيب علي لطفي أيضًا، وفاجأنا المدرب كولر حين دفع بمصطفى شوبير في مباراة الذهاب بالقاهرة، حينها شعر الجميع بالقلق، لكن اللاعب قدّم مستوى مميزًا وكانت تلك هي شهادة ميلاده الحقيقية أمام جماهير الأهلي”.

طالع أيضًا | شوبير ينتقد الجماهير بعد الهجوم على لاعب الأهلي: “براحة عليه شوية”

وأكد: “أي حارس مرمى يجب أن يكون مستعدًا في أي وقت، فهذا مركز شديد الحساسية، وقد يجد نفسه فجأة أساسيًا، وبما أن الشناوي غير موجود، فإن الأمر محسوم”.

وانتقل للحديث عن غيابات أخرى قائلًا: “محمد شكري أيضًا لم يحالفه الحظ؛ فقد بدأ يحصل على مباريات وظهر بصورة أفضل كل مرة، لكنه تعرّض لشد عضلي ولن يسافر، والأمر ذاته ينطبق على أحمد عبدالقادر، فهو الآخر لن يكون ضمن البعثة”.

وأضاف: “لكن الأهلي لن يدخل في أزمة كبيرة، لأن اللاعب كوكا أثبت نفسه في مركز الظهير الأيسر، وأصبح أساسيًا ونال إعجاب الجماهير، ومع ذلك فهو يشعر بالاستياء لأنه لم ينضم إلى المنتخب، رغم أنه يقدم مستوى ممتازًا”.

واختتم: “يجب أن ندرك أن كوكا ليس علي معلول، ولا سيد معوض، ولا محمد عبدالوهاب، ولا ربيع ياسين، ولا محمد عمارة، ولا جيلبرتو، ولا فتحي مبروك؛ فهؤلاء جميعًا أسماء كبيرة في مركز الظهير الأيسر، لكن الأهلي يضطر إلى إشراك كوكا في هذا المركز، واللاعب يجتهد ويقدّم أقصى ما يستطيع”.

England have been eliminated from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in spectacular fashion, losing 4-0 against Austria in the round of 16. Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez's red card shortly after the Young Lions fell behind early in the second half proved to be a crucial moment, with Austria eventually going on to run up the score-line in the latter stages of the knockout tie.

England collapse in Qatar

At the Aspire Zone in Qatar, where the world's best teenage players have been performing for the past couple of weeks, England proved no match for an Austria side enjoying what is already their country's best ever performance at this age-restricted tournament.

Austria took the lead two minutes into the second half when Hasan Deshiksu managed to dribble his way into the penalty area and squeezed a shot between Jack Porter and the near post, something the Arsenal goalkeeper will no doubt be disappointed with. Then came Rodriguez's red card, which handed Austria an advantage they made sure to fully take.

Johannes Moser doubled the lead from the penalty spot after 70 minutes, before adding an Austrian third less than 10 minutes later. As England collapsed, the fourth goal came from defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe in the closing stages, tapping in on the line after Porter had saved an initial attempt.

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Based at Red Bull Salzburg feeder club FC Liefering, Johannes Moser scored twice to help fire Austria in the quarter-finals, where they will face Japan. The 17-year-old midfielder was playing regularly at frst-team level in Austria's second tier prior to this tournament and his 2025 is only getting better.

Getty ImagesThe big loser

Lyon's Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez was guilty of missing a hatful of chances in England's shock opening group stage defeat to Venezuela, ironically the country he switched allegiance from to play for the Young Lions, and was again at the centre of things for the wrong reasons here.

His dismissal, the result of a late challenge on Austrian goalkeeper Daniel Posch, wasn't the only reason England are out of the tournament. But it certainly didn't help, coming at a poor time right after falling behind with almost half the game still left to play. From that moment, England were up against it and the momentum was firmly with Austria for the rest of the tie.

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Juventus face fresh uncertainty as contract talks with Kenan Yildiz hit a standstill, with the highly-rated forward demanding a pay rise far beyond the club’s current offer. His dip in form, ongoing knee issues and the team’s faltering attack have complicated negotiations, while top European clubs circle and Yildiz weighs his long-term future amid Juventus' struggle for stability.

• Yildiz's drop in form amid contract talks

  Juventus entered the post-Igor Tudor phase with renewed expectations under Luciano Spalletti, but the 1-1 draw against Fiorentina again exposed a team struggling to convert potential into performance. Central to the disappointment was Yildiz, a player once heralded as Juve’s next attacking leader, yet now fighting both form and fitness.

  Yildiz has scored only goal in his last 12 matches which was a late strike against Udinese in a match Juve were already leading by a goal. The decline is striking when compared to his early-season output where he had produced two goals and four assists in four games. Since then, something has come undone.

  Against Fiorentina too, the 20-year-old drifted through the match with little spark. Part of the issue stems from the knee problem he has been nursing for weeks. Yet Juventus continue to lean on him heavily, starting him in nearly every match as he is both important and the team's lack of alternatives.

  Spalletti defended him, noting the team’s slow tempo offered “little vertical service” to their forwards, but as reality stands Juventus look blunt, and Yildiz looks burdened.

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  Yildiz's contract demands surplus to Juve's capabilities

  Talks over a contract renewal with Yildiz have reached a standstill. The Turkey international signed a long-term deal in August 2024 till 2029 following a breakthrough but the need to renew it again was felt by the club after other European giants started to circle the player.

  Yildiz’s current contract earns him around €1.5 million a year, a figure dwarfed by Dusan Vlahovic’s €12 million and far below the salaries of Europe’s elite young talents. According to , his camp is now demanding a raise into the €5-6m range which reflects his growing profile and market value.

  Juventus, however, deem the request too steep. A recent meeting between new CEO Damien Comolli and Yildiz’s representatives ended with no agreement, leaving both sides publicly calm but privately frustrated. Giorgio Chiellini summed up the mood with a cautious pause during the Social Football Summit in Turin.

  "Yildiz renewal? Calm down. Calm down. Everyone has the will: with balance and calm, everything can be done," said the director of football strategy.

  But behind the scenes, balance is proving elusive. With Premier League giants and Real Madrid all monitoring the situation, the Turkish forward knows his value is rising and that a bidding war could exceed €100m next summer. Meanwhile, Juve know losing him would be disastrous for their project.

• Injury struggles and a visible dip in form

  Yildiz’s downturn in form has coincided with a knee issue that surfaced in late October, diagnosed as patellar tendinopathy, an overuse condition that directly affects acceleration, sharp turns, and explosive movements, all central to his playing style. The first signs emerged ahead of Juventus' league game against Lazio, when Yildiz requested rest due to discomfort in his left knee. The problem became serious enough that he was unable to feature in Spalletti’s debut match in charge, a 2-1 win over Cremonese on October 27.

  Although the injury required only a short spell on the sidelines, it has forced Juventus to significantly adjust his workload. Yildiz returned to the squad by early November and was deemed fit enough to feature against Sporting CP in the Champions League, but since then his involvement has been carefully managed, with reduced minutes and a more conservative approach from the medical staff.

  Spalletti has acknowledged the challenge of balancing protection and performance, admitting that Juventus “must play in a way that supports players like Yildiz,” while also managing an injury that can quickly worsen under heavy load.

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  Juventus' season and Why Yildiz matters

  Yildiz’s contract saga comes at a turbulent time for Juventus. The club parted ways with Tudor in October after an eight-match winless run and a slide to eighth in Serie A. Massimo Brambilla filled in briefly before Spalletti was appointed to restore order.

  Spalletti has brought structure, but Juventus still look mute in the final third. Despite heavy attacking investment in the summer, performances remain colourless and inconsistent. The draw with Fiorentina symbolised a wider issue of promising players not being unlocked.

  And that is why his renewal matters far beyond salary. A player they believe can lead the next four to six years of the club’s rebuild. But to retain him, Juventus must offer more than money. They must offer a convincing competitive project, both domestically and in Europe.