Tottenham Hotspur are now set to pursue a summer move for a “special” England international who will be available for free at the end of the season, according to a deadline day report.

Frantic deadline day for Spurs

It has been far from an ideal season for Tottenham up to this point, and Ange Postecoglou was determined to try and rectify his side’s issues by bringing in multiple new signings on an extremely busy deadline day.

Mathys Tel’s U-turn was perhaps the biggest twist of the day, with the Bayern Munich forward ultimately opting to move to north London, despite previously making it clear he had no interest in the move.

Postecoglou will be glad to have strengthened in some key positions in the latter stages of the January transfer window, having also signed Lens defender Kevin Danso after hijacking Wolverhampton Wanderers’ move, but he did not get a new central midfielder through the door.

One player on the list of targets is Lille’s Angel Gomes, who is set to stay at Lille for the remainder of the season, before leaving as a free agent in the summer upon the expiration of his contract.

Rather than making a transfer deadline day move, Gomes has decided to see out the remainder of his deal with the French side before making a decision about his future in the summer, and he is unlikely to be short on options.

Spurs and West Ham United want to sign the midfielder for free in the summer, taking the opportunity to complete a bargain move for a four-time England international.

Tottenham also held talks to sign "powerful" forward before Mathys Tel

Spurs are racing to confirm a deal for the Frenchman before 11pm.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 3, 2025 What Gomes could offer Tottenham

The English midfielder has most commonly been utilised as an attacking midfielder since his days in the youth team at Manchester United, and he has amassed 52 goal contributions in 107 games from that area of the pitch.

Lauded as “special” by French manager Jocelyn Gourvennec, the former United man has also impressed with his passing ability for Lille, ranking in the 97th percentile for his pass-completion rate per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Manchester United (h)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (a)

February 22nd

Manchester City (h)

February 26th

AFC Bournemouth (h)

March 9th

The £11.3k-per-week midfielder’s emergence on the international stage is a real indication of his quality, and having been a key player for Lille for a number of years now, he could now be ready to take the next step in his career by signing for a big Premier League club.

Gomes being available on a free transfer is an added bonus for Tottenham, and Postecoglou will be hoping his winter transfer window additions can help his side turn the corner, to stand them in good stead to attract the highest calibre of player this summer.

Aston Villa are gearing themselves up for a tough second half of the campaign, challenging not only in the Premier League but also the Champions League, looking to give a good account of themselves in the European competition, whilst also aiming to qualify again through their league position.

Unai Emery’s side are the closest to neutral for goal difference in the division, scoring 34 goals, and conceding 35 goals, leaving them with a -1 goal difference. In terms of their goal-scoring numbers, Villa are tenth. They are only averaging 12.6 shots per game which is the seventh fewest in the division.

This suggests Emery’s side are struggling at the top end of the pitch this season in comparison to last campaign, averaging 13.6 shots per game and scoring 76 goals (sixth most).

This has already sparked investment in the forward department, bringing Donyell Malen to the club, but Villa could add yet another player to the mix, who could be even better than Malen for them.

Aston Villa in the race to sign another forward

With reports of Arsenal wanting striker Ollie Watkins before the deadline slams shut next Monday and Jhon Duran facing interest from Saudi Arabia, it could well be that Monchi is in need of bringing a new forward to the club in the coming days.

Well, according to reports from Haber Sarikirmizi (relayed by SportsWitness), Aston Villa are now in the race to sign Galatasaray winger, Baris Alper Yilmaz. The reports suggest that the aforementioned Monchi ‘wants him very much.’

Transfer Focus

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

The Turkish attacker has also been linked with West Ham and Nottingham Forest in this window. West Ham reportedly had a £25m offer on the table, which was rejected by Galatasaray, telling them to return in the summer instead, which suggests it would take a larger fee to convince them to part ways in January.

Yilmaz has made 30 appearances so far this season, scoring 11 goals, providing two assists and totalling 2,394 minutes played. The 24-year-old has played in a variety of positions too, playing as a left-winger, right-winger, centre-forward and even a right back and left back.

How Yilmaz compares to new Aston Villa signing Malen

Malen made his first Aston Villa appearance against West Ham from the bench, having made 21 appearances for Dortmund prior, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 957 minutes played.

How well he does only time will tell, but could the Villa recruitment team land a quick-fire upgrade on the Dutchman? Quite possibly.

Goals

0.43

0.38

Assists

0.04

0.23

xG

0.32

0.47

xAG

0.32

0.11

Progressive Carries

5.26

2.99

Progressive Passes

2.81

2.06

Shots Total

2.96

2.82

Key Passes

1.93

0.41

Shot-Creating Actions

5.26

1.96

Successful Take-Ons

1.58

1.44

When comparing Yilmaz to Malen, both would be most likely to get their minutes from the right wing, but they are both versatile enough to fill in for others across the front line. With Duran looking more and more likely to be sold this month, Malen could deputise as a centre-forward when Watkins isn’t available, should he not move to the Emirates Stadium.

Both players are direct, looking to impact the game with a high volume of actions (creating shots and taking shots) and looking to provide output.

One area Yilmaz does prove to be ahead of Malen is in progressive metrics, dropping deeper to help facilitate in build-up with his progressive passing and carrying quality.

The sale of Duran could allow Aston Villa to fund a move for Yilmaz, bringing two versatile forwards to the club who can give Emery different options in attack, whilst continuing to start Watkins as the main striker, ensuring everyone is happy with their share of minutes.

Better than Disasi: Aston Villa in advanced talks to sign a "quality" star

Aston Villa are looking to strengthen their backline this winter.

ByConnor Holden Jan 29, 2025

da bet7k： Leeds United endured a relatively quiet transfer window throughout January, keeping hold of all of their key players, but also failing to make any new additions in their hunt for Championship promotion.

da jogodeouro： With just a couple of months left of 2024/25, there’s hope that such a decision not to pursue any targets doesn’t come back to bite Daniel Farke with a return to the Premier League expected at this point.

The Whites currently sit top of the pile with just 15 matches to go, with a huge falloff needed if they are to repeat last season’s form which saw them miss out on promotion at Wembley.

However, despite losing various first-team members after their play-off final defeat, Farke has done a superb job in replacing the talents and building a squad more than capable of winning the league title.

The base of the side has relatively been the same, undoubtedly contributing to their success on the pitch in recent months, with the German worthy of huge praise for his work at Elland Road.

Leeds United’s current midfield options in 2024/25

After such high-profile departures of the likes of Georginio Rutter and Archie Gray last summer, there were funds available to the boss to improve his side all over the pitch, with the central midfield department just one area which benefited from the investment.

Ao Tanaka arrived in a £3.5m deal from German outfit Fortuna Düsseldorf, being an unknown quantity to many, but has cemented himself as a regular starter since his summer move.

The Japanese star has since featured in 28 of the 31 league outings this campaign, frequently partnering captain Ethan Ampadu after his return to action following a lengthy layoff with a knee issue.

Joe Rothwell arrived on loan from Bournemouth, mainly as a backup, but has since forced his way into Farke’s starting XI, featuring 28 times – the same as Tanaka – highlighting his importance during his temporary spell in Yorkshire.

The aforementioned trio are good enough to start for the vast majority of sides in the division, not to mention Bulgarian star Ilia Gruev, who like Ampadu has missed large spells of the campaign, but has recently returned, showcasing the club’s strength in depth.

At one stage in another player’s career, it appeared as though he could’ve been the future of the club, but he was sold very early on in his time at Elland Road – a decision that has since proved to be a masterstroke.

Where Are They Now

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

Expand Collapse The former Leeds star whose value has crashed

After breaking onto the scene during the 2016/17 campaign, midfielder Ronaldo Vieira was seen as a player with a huge future at Leeds, potentially being the player to play a key role in their Premier League ambitions.

He made 38 appearances across all competitions as a baby-faced 18-year-old, producing performances way beyond his tender years, scoring his first professional goal in the win over Norwich City.

Vieira would follow up his superb debut campaign with another impressive season at Elland Road in 2017/18, a year which would end up being his final at the club.

The midfielder racked up another 32 appearances, but it wasn’t enough to push the Whites towards a play-off place, ending the campaign in 13th place – with Victor Orta cashing in on the youngster in the summer.

He joined Italian side Sampdoria for £7m, a decision which disappointed the fanbase, but one that’s proven to be a great call given his lack of progression since.

Vieira, now aged 26, has massively struggled with injuries, halting his progression at the top level, still featuring for Sampdoria nearly seven years after his transfer, with the Italian side now in the second tier.

He’s only managed over 20 appearances once in the last seven seasons, highlighting how much injuries have impacted his once-promising career, with his market value plummeting as a result.

Vieira’s stats for Sampdoria in Serie B (2024/25)

Statistics

Tally

Games played

11

Goals & assists

0

Pass accuracy

78%

Errors leading to goals

1

Duel success rate

41%

Fouls committed

14

Successful dribbles

2

Stats via FotMob

The Englishman is now only valued at £300k as per Transfermarkt, a decrease of over 95%, with Orta certainly making the right call despite the anger around his departure at the time.

Vieira still has plenty of time to make amends for lost time, but it’s safe to say he’s nowhere near reaching the levels many expected him to after his arrival on the scene as a teenager.

It’s certainly a shame that he’s been unable to extract the best out of the skill set which saw him thrive in Yorkshire, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the hierarchy conducted excellent business cashing in on him when they did.

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Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Feb 6, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur starlet Mathys Tel was introduced off the bench in their crushing Carabao Cup defeat away to Liverpool on Thursday evening, but the Frenchman was one of very few who showed flashes of quality at Anfield.

Mathys Tel impresses as Tottenham crash out of Carabao Cup

Ange Postecoglou’s biggest game of the season so far couldn’t have gone any worse on paper, with Arne Slot’s side swiftly and ruthlessly overturning their 1-0 first leg deficit to reign 4-1 victors on aggregate.

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The Austrian comes in as much-needed centre-back cover.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Feb 6, 2025

Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk handed Liverpool a comfortable 4-0 win and booked their place in the final at Wembley against Newcastle United, all while dealing a seismic blow to Postecoglou, who was just two games away from a piece of major silverware at Spurs before kick-off.

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (home)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

One small silver lining for the Lilywhites was Tel’s flashes of brilliance and overall positive performance, after coming off the bench to replace Richarlison, who was forced off with yet another injury.

Tel was spotted waving his Tottenham teammates on against Liverpool and encouraging them to get forward, while there were also glimpses of his real tidyness on the half-turn and attacking flair at times.

The 19-year-old, going off this cameo alone, could be crucial in helping to ressurrect Postecoglou’s stuttering campaign. Beyond 2024/2025, the question remains – will Tel still be a Spurs player next season?

Journalist shares what Tottenham are actually planning for Mathys Tel

Tottenham are convinced they’ve signed a “generational talent” in Tel, with journalist Dean Jones now sharing what the future holds in store for him after Spurs signed the attacker on loan with an option to buy.

According to Jones, speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, Tottenham fully intend to sign Tel permanently, but the reporter personally doubts whether Postecoglou’s newest recruit wants the same thing.

“At the end of the day, even if it was a dry loan, which it was going to be, in that moment, I spoke to Tottenham and I wrote a story about it. It was like Tottenham still, I think I tweeted it, I think, rather than wrote about it, it was like, Tottenham still intend to make this a permanent signing,” said Jones.

“Like, this isn’t what they want, like they’ll do it. If this is the way to do it, then all they’ll do over the following months is try to convince him that this is the place for him.

“I still feel like the player doesn’t fully want to leave Bayern Munich, and even if he does really well here at Tottenham, he might see it as, well, if I do really well, I can play for Bayern Munich again. So maybe I’m being cynical about that, but I get that impression. He didn’t really want this transfer to happen, did he?

“It was only when Man United pulled out that it came back on the table because he wanted to go there.

“Yeah, I mean, there is an element, I imagine, that he really did want to go out and get minutes, whether that meant he wanted to depart Bayern permanently or not, it is a different question. But I’m quite interested with this whole Ange Postecoglou getting on the phone and basically being like, look, this is how I see you fitting into my system. This is where I foresee you getting minutes.”

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2016Kolkata Knight Riders’ openers used the extra life well, posting 50 in the sixth over•BCCIRobin Uthappa was also given a life when Parthiv Patel missed an easy run-out opportunity•BCCIBut this time Knight Riders could not capitalise on it for long; Uthappa holed out to Kieron Pollard at long-on just three balls later•BCCIShakib Al Hasan departed soon after, before McClenaghan finally had his man when Gambhir top-edged a pull to Pollard at mid-off•BCCIMcClenaghan could have picked up more wickets had Tim Southee not dropped catches off consecutive deliveries in the 19th over•BCCIYusuf Pathan chipped in with 19 off 8, including four fours, to take Knight Riders’ final total to 174 for 5•BCCIAfter Parthiv was dismissed early in the chase, Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu put on 59 off 34•BCCIAfter Rayudu’s departure, Sunil Narine picked up the wickets of Krunal Pandya and Jos Buttler to reduce Mumbai Indians to 106 for 4 in 13 overs•BCCIRohit kept batting fluently, though, keeping the chase on track with an unbeaten 68 off 49•BCCIKieron Pollard, who marched out at the fall of the fourth wicket, added the finishing touches. He pummelled 51 off 17, including two fours and six mighty sixes, to see his side home with two overs to spare•BCCI

Leeds United’s late show against Sunderland on Monday night handed Daniel Farke’s side a huge step towards ending their stint in the Championship come the end of the season.

The victory over their promotion rivals moved them seven points clear of third place, with just 13 games to go, extending their unbeaten run in the league to 15 in the process.

Pascal Struijk’s two efforts off the bench demonstrated the importance of substitutes for the Whites this campaign, with every player, whether it be a starter or an impact player having a say in their ambitions of returning to the Premier League.

It’s safe to say the disappointment of last season’s play-off final defeat is firmly in the rearview mirror, potentially going one better in securing automatic promotion given the current buffer they’ve built in recent weeks.

However, the fact Farke has been able to do so after numerous key departures over the summer has made the German’s job at Elland Road all the more impressive.

Crysencio Summerville’s stats at Leeds in 2023/24

After relegation to the second tier in 2022/23, winger Crysencio Summerville was handed a crucial role in the first team to try and secure Leeds an immediate return to the top flight.

He’d previously been an impact player in the Premier League the season prior but cemented his place as a key performer for Farke in his debut campaign at the helm.

The Dutchman would register 20 goals and nine assists in his 46 league outings, producing countless moments of magic and subsequently claiming the Championship Player of the Year award.

However, after such a successful stint, coupled with the failure to claim promotion, Summerville would depart to join West Ham United last summer in a deal worth £25m.

Losing such a talented player was always going to be a blow for the supporters, but it appears that the club have done a superb job in landing a replacement for the youngster – aiding their chances of returning to the top flight this year.

The Leeds star who’s now a £25m star in the making

Players like Summerville don’t come around very often possessing a skill set that not many talents are capable of replicating – making any replacement have a huge task on their hands.

However, Manor Solomon arrived on loan from Tottenham over the summer, with supporters not knowing what to expect after his lack of impact in North London.

Regardless of the expectations placed on his shoulders, it’s safe to say the Israeli international has exceeded beyond anyone’s imagination, registering seven goals and seven assists in his 26 Championship games to date.

The 25-year-old has popped up at key moments for Farke, including the 2-0 win over Norwich City, in which he registered a goal and an assist, playing a vital role in the triumph against the manager’s former side.

Despite his lack of impact in previous seasons, he was labelled as a similar player to Summerville in 2022/23 by FBref, matching or bettering the Dutchman in numerous key areas.

Solomon, who’s previously been dubbed a “monster” by one analyst, matched the former Whites fan-favourite for goals, whilst also posting a higher shot-on-target rate – showcasing his clinical edge in attacking areas.

Games played

19

28

Goals scored

4

4

Shot-on-target rate

64%

31%

Pass accuracy

85%

75%

Progressive passes

3.8

2.9

Take-ons completed

3

1.5

Take-on success rate

51%

40%

He also completed more take-ons per 90, subsequently achieving a higher success rate, evidently a better dribbler than Summerville – something which has aided his efforts in the final third this season.

Whilst he’s only on loan in Yorkshire this campaign, supporters will be hoping that, regardless of which division they will be playing in next year, Solomon joins the club on a permanent basis.

Should he do so, the Israeli could well be the club’s next big-money sale, following in the footsteps of Summerville – having a huge impact on the first-team, whilst also pocketing a pretty penny in the process.

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ByDan Emery Feb 19, 2025

And just like that, Tottenham Hotspur miss out on another chance for silverware.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to Anfield for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final last night, and while they did so with a 1-0 advantage, they won’t be heading to Webley Stadium next month.

The North Londoners were unable to keep Liverpool at bay and never looked even remotely like scoring themselves, so while the hosts eventually ran out 4-0 winners, it could have easily been more.

With all that said, the Lilywhites have to now dust themselves off and go again, as they still have two more chances to win a trophy this season, although to give the team the best chance of doing so, Postecoglou must drop one of his star players for new boy Mathys Tel.

Why Tel has to start

So, while Tel did get his first run out in a Spurs shirt late into the first half last night, the main arguments for why he should be starting the FA Cup game on the weekend, and the Premier League games after that, do not stem from his somewhat underwhelming performance.

In fact, they don’t even really come from what he did with Bayern Munich prior to his move this season, as Vincent Kompany hardly gave him any game time. Instead, they stem from his outrageously impressive form last season.

For example, despite still only playing 1406 minutes of first-team football across 41 appearances, the young Frenchman racked up a brilliant haul of ten goals and provided six assists.

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

That means that, in a season in which he was just 18 years old at the start, the player Spurs believe to be a “generational” talent, per journalist Graeme Bailey, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the Sarcelles-born ace sits in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for total shots, the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 14% for assists and more, all per 90.

In short, the Bayern loanee is an exceptionally exciting attacker who could and would inject some much-needed dynamism into Spurs’ frontline, and therefore, he must start in place of a veteran for the foreseeable future.

The Spurs star Postecoglou must drop

The unfortunate reality of last night’s dismal display is that you could probably make a case for why most of the starting lineup shouldn’t keep their place for the game against Villa on the weekend.

However, the manager is not blessed with the squad depth to make wholesale changes and, stars like Dejan Kulusevski have shown earlier this season that, at his best, he’s unplayable.

Therefore, the player that Postecoglou should be looking to drop in place of Tel is none other than club captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korean superstar is an icon of both the team and the league, but last night was yet another game that seemingly passed him by, as while he rattled the crossbar in the dying embers, he was unbelievably ineffective for practically the entire match.

It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who gave the winger a 4/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘struggled to make any inroads’ against the Reds’ steadfast defence, which is also borne out in his statistics.

Minutes

93′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (0)

Passing Accuracy

10/17 (59%)

Key Passes

0

Touches

29

Crosses (Accurate)

3 (0)

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Lost Possession

13

Dribbled Past

2

In his 93 minutes on the pitch, the former Bayer Leverkusen star failed to have a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his attempted dribbles, maintained a dismal passing accuracy of just 59%, played no key passes, took just 29 touches, failed in 100% of his crosses and long balls, lost four of five ground duels and 100% of aerial duels, lost the ball 13 times and was dribbled past twice.

Ultimately, it was a diabolically poor performance from the captain, and given the fact he’s set to turn 33 in the summer and research carried out by The Athletic revealed that wingers see a dramatic decline in their ability to take players on at 30, it seems incredibly unlikely that we’ll ever see him back to his best.

Therefore, to give the team the best chance of finally lifting some silverware this season, Postecoglou must drop Son from the starting lineup and replace him with the incredibly dynamic, unpredictable and exciting Tel, especially ahead of Villa on Sunday.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 7, 2025

Where do Manchester City go from here?

On Sunday, the Sky Blues were steamrollered 5-1 by Arsenal, completely capitulating after Erling Haaland had headed home a second-half equaliser, conceding a few seconds after kick off and then three times more after that.

This is the first time Man City have conceded five open-play goals in the same Premier League match since 2008. It is the heaviest defeat of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career and means the Citizens have now conceded more goals this season than Manchester United, despite the fact their neighbours are languishing in 13th.

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ByRoss Kilvington Nov 27, 2024

After Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Leyton Orient, they’ll face Real Madrid twice, Newcastle, Liverpool, Spurs and then Nottingham Forest, so things certainly don’t get much easier, with opposition teams continuing to exploit Man City’s right-sided weakness.

Manchester City's current right-back options

In early January, following the 8-0 demolition of Salford, Guardiola revealed that club captain Kyle Walker had asked to leave the club and “explore options abroad”, with the 34-year-old joining A.C. Milan on loan a week or so later, debuting for I Rossoneri by starting Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina, which ended 1-1.

In terms of arrivals during the winter window, as noted by Philip Buckingham of the Athletic, Man City spent £178m, which he points out is more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined, and “four times” as much as the next highest-spending side, who were Wolves.

The Sky Blues recruited centre-backs Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah, the latter immediately loaned out to Lens, as well as striker Omar Marmoush and central midfielder Nico González, the Spaniard arriving on deadline day from Porto for a reported £50m.

However, no right-backs were signed, neither to replace Walker in numerical terms, nor to fix a position that had already been problematic.

20-year-old Rico Lewis is the most obvious option for this position, and earlier this season Guardiola praised the youngster, labelling him “so intelligent”, adding “he’s playing because he’s playing really good”.

Well, in more recent weeks, he hasn’t been playing, seeing just 18 minutes of action across the last four Premier League games, introduced at Ipswich with the score already 6-0, not starting any of the last seven matches in any competition.

Instead, having been trialled as a left-winger earlier in the campaign, Matheus Nunes has started all seven of those fixtures at right-back, with Guardiola claiming the Portuguese international is making a lot of progress as a full-back.

However, Michael Cox of the Athletic describes Nunes as an “uncomfortable… makeshift right-back”, while Graham Ruthven of Forbes adds that he “doesn’t have the defensive instincts of a natural full-back”.

In short, Manchester City’s right-back situation is a mess, exacerbated by the fact they may have sold their best option for this position last summer.

Manchester City may have let their best right-back depart

Back in August, João Cancelo joined Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal for a reported £21m, but his Man City career had been over long before this, loaned out to both Bayern Munich and then Barcelona following a falling out with Guardiola, with Richard Martin of Goal believing the “final straw” came in January 2023.

In his pomp, Cancelo was “one of the best if not the best attacking full-backs in world football”, as noted by Phil Foden, and there are signs that the Portuguese defender is rediscovering his best form in Saudi Arabia.

Cancelo has impressed in an Al-Hilal shirt, with an article in Breaking the Lines claiming his “consistent performances” have “validated the investment”, the right-back himself saying “I am at home… people have shown me very important love and hospitality, and this is something I appreciate”.

While on international duty with Portugal in November, Cancelo claimed he “thought [the Saudi League] would be much easier”, adding that the perceived lack of intensity “is a myth…you wouldn’t know because you’ve never played there”.

So, let’s see how his statistics this season compare to Nunes.

Appearances

16

27

Minutes

2,164

1,717

Goals

2

3

Assists

10

8

Big chances created

16

10

Tackles won

30

32

Interceptions

29

17

Aerial duels won

53%

50%

Ground duels won

50.4%

53.7%

Crosses

94

53

Average Sofascore rating

7.65

7.47

As shown in the table, Cancelo comes out on top in most metrics, both in and out of possession, with the obvious caveat being that he is playing at a lower level; global football rankings believe the Premier League to be the strongest league in the world, with the Saudi Pro League ranked at 31st.

Nevertheless, only one defender has accumulated more assists in the Saudi Pro League, while much of Cancelo’s best work has come in the AFC Champions League, racking up five assists in seven appearances, scoring against both Al-Rayyan and, most recently, Persepolis on Tuesday night.

Thus, these performances suggest Guardiola may rue the day he cast Cancelo aside.

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1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 4, 2025

Celtic progressed through to the next round of the SFA Cup on Saturday thanks to a narrow 2-1 victory over Scottish Premiership rivals Kilmarnock at Parkhead.

Callum McGregor and Daizen Maeda scored the goals for the home side to secure their progression in the competition, either side of an equaliser from Bobby Wales.

The Hoops made it more difficult for themselves than they needed to by missing several opportunities to find the back of the net to put the game out of sight.

67HailHail criticised centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi for being ‘guilty’ of spurning chances to score in the match, which has been a consistent theme throughout the season.

Kyogo Furuhashi's struggles this season

The Japan international has scored ten goals in 22 Premiership outings this term and does offer a constant threat at the top end of the pitch with his movement and instincts in front of goal.

However, his lack of quality in the final action has been an issue, as the former Vissel Kobe star has failed to make the most of the high-quality chances that the team has created for him.

Kyogo Furuhashi (24/25)	Premiership	Champions League
Appearances	22	6
xG	14.14	2.07
Goals	10	1
Big chances missed	17	3
Stats via Sofascore & WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo has significantly underperformed against his expected tally, with 11 goals from 16.21 xG in the Premiership and the Champions League combined.

Brendan Rodgers could stick with the experienced attacker and hope that his form in front of goal improves, but the January transfer window also provides the boss with an opportunity to potentially sign an upgrade on the Japanese striker.

Celtic were recently linked with an interest in Lille centre-forward Mohamed Bayo, who is looking to find regular game time in the second half of the season, and his finishing ability could improve the team.

Transfer Focus

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

Why Celtic should sign Mohamed Bayo

The 26-year-old star, who was once described as one “of the best players in Africa” by European football expert Zach Lowy, joined Lille from Clermont Foot in the summer of 2022 and has only started 25 times in Ligue 1 since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which shows that he has not had regular game time to showcase his quality in front of goal.

He has scored two goals from 2.02 xG in three league starts for Lille so far this season, making the most of the chances that have come his way, but his best form came during his days with Clermont Foot.

In the 2021/22 campaign – the last time he made more than 20 league starts – Bayo scored 14 goals and only missed 11 ‘big chances’ in 27 starts in Ligue 1, which speaks to the clinical finishing he can provide at his best.

The Guinea international, who is valued at £3.4m by Transfermarkt, showcased his quality in a major European league but has been unable to replicate it in recent years, due to his lack of game time.

Bayo, who scored 22 goals in 34 starts in the 2020/21 Ligue 2 campaign, is an effective finisher, as illustrated by his statistics, and this suggests that he has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Kyogo if Rodgers can get him back to his best.

Celtic submit huge bid to sign "incredible" upgrade on Maeda at Parkhead

Celtic have already had a £10m bid turned down by the Premier League side.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 19, 2025

The Lille outcast may just need a run of regular games, which he has not had at his current club, to get back to his Clermont Foot form, which is why the Celtic target could be an excellent addition and a potential upgrade on Kyogo, due to his ruthless nature in front of goal.

Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy have been rather underwhelming on the tour of New Zealand

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton22-Mar-20170:53

The search for form in South Africa’s top order

If batting problems are the subject under discussion in this series, New Zealand are the side worse off. They have a misfiring opener in Tom Latham and are without their most experienced player, Ross Taylor. But South Africa are not without issues. Despite the coming of age of Dean Elgar, the nuggety approach of Temba Bavuma and the sensation that is Quinton de Kock, they have three senior players – Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy – who desperately need runs.”All batting units at international level will have one player struggling for form but that’s okay because you can’t just be relying on that one player,” South Africa coach Russell Domingo said. “That’s why it’s a batting unit and that’s why it’s a team – the team has got to try and help that player get out of those slumps. We’ve got maybe two or three players who are feeling that pressure at the moment. That’s a little bit of a concern. It’s always easier to just have one but when you’ve got two or three who are maybe searching for a bit of form, a bit of runs, it does become more challenging.”

Stephen Cook

Scores on this tour (Tests only): 3, 0, 3, 11
Innings since last hundred: 7
Hundreds this season: 2Stephen Cook’s judgment around the off stump has been suspect•AFPThere is no getting around the fact that Stephen Cook does not score pretty runs, but now he has added ugly dismissals to his CV as well. He has been the first man out on all four occasions in this series and to the same kind of delivery – the outswinger. He has both left the wrong ball (first innings in Dunedin) and gone fishing after it (both innings in Wellington). And though he would have survived had he reviewed the caught behind in the second innings of the first Test, one can’t help but wonder for how long?Cook looks increasingly edgy at the crease, perhaps even worse than he did in Australia, where his first four innings yielded 75 runs. He could be banking on the knowledge that he came through that rough patch and scored a century in the second innings of the day-night Test in Adelaide and topped that up with another at home against Sri Lanka. Judging by how he hit the nets on Wednesday, when only fielding drills were compulsory, Cook seemed to know he couldn’t rely on those statistics for too long.”He hits more balls than anyone else in the world so he is going to be here even if no-one is allowed to be here,” Domingo said.Cook might not lose his spot just yet considering the only reserve batsman in the squad is Theunis de Bruyn, who usually plays in the middle order. Quinton de Kock moving up seems unlikely as well, given his responsibility as wicketkeeper. And as far as future prospects go, Aiden Markram, the 22-year-old opener with an average of 41.38 from 28 first-class matches, may need a little more time to mature.Hashim AmlaScores on this tour (Tests only): 1, 24, 21, 38*
Innings since last hundred: 4
Hundreds this season: 1Hashim Amla has looked better as the tour has gone on, but he doesn’t have that big score yet•Getty ImagesIt might be sacrilege to even suggest Hashim Amla is losing his touch but an unusually lean season says something needs addressing. He has struggled with footwork (first innings in Dunedin, when he was bowled through a bat-pad gap) and concentration (soft dismissals in the second innings in Dunedin and first in Wellington) issues, which could be the consequence of limited-overs cricket affecting his Test match play.Amla gave up captaincy last January, in the same match that he scored a double-ton. Another century two games later hinted that he had been freed up, but a lean tour of Australia and struggles against Sri Lanka – broken briefly by a hundred in his 100th Test – brought the doubts back. Amla has looked better as the New Zealand series has gone on, and given his sterling record in England, where South Africa play next, they will not even consider going without him.JP DuminyScores on this tour (only Tests): 1, 39, 16, 15*
Innings since last hundred: 4
Hundreds this season: 2JP Duminy has been getting out to both the short and the full balls•AFPJP Duminy began as a Test player with immense promise but somewhere along, he has turned into one that frustrates the fans. After 44 matches, he still averages under 35 and his six hundreds are spaced out through significant periods of under-performance.Duminy has had a poor tour of New Zealand, across formats. In the Tests, he was bounced out on the pull (first innings Dunedin), pinned in front playing all around an inswinger (second innings Dunedin), caught off a half-volley (second innings Wellington) and he has no excuses.Since AB de Villiers’ absence, Duminy has been promoted to No. 4 and he had early success, scoring a cathartic century against Australia in Perth. He revealed he had considered retirement last summer but was persuaded to stay on by then-selector Ashwell Prince, and Faf du Plessis has not stopped praising his game since. Duminy went on to score a century against Sri Lanka too but has not been unable to build on those innings. Although, his bowling adds to his value, it will not be enough to keep him in the side if his low scores continue. If de Bruyn is to come into the XI, Duminy is the likeliest man to make way.Two days ago, Duminy opted out of the IPL so he could have a little more time to work on his game, a sign of commitment to the national cause”He has made that decision based purely on freshening up from the mental aspect side of things but also family commitments. I suppose in the long run it is in the best interests of JP Duminy and also South African cricket,” Domingo said.Unless the results start to show soon, Duminy may end his career as a nearly-man and South Africa will have to look elsewhere.