علق حسن مصطفى لاعب الأهلي والزمالك الأسبق، على أداء حسام حسن في منصب المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر الأول، موضحًا أسباب ابتعاده عن العمل في القلعة الحمراء بالفترة الماضية.
وتأهل منتخب مصر إلى كأس العالم 2026، بقيادة حسام حسن بعد تصدره للمجموعة الأولى من التصفيات، محققا الفوز بـ 8 مباريات والتعادل مرتين دون أي هزائم.
وقال حسن مصطفى في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير “ميجا اف ام”: “حسام حسن دائمًا ما يشارك جهازه المعاون في جميع القرارات الفنية التي يتخذها، ولا يصدر أي قرار بشكل منفرد، ويمنح معاونيه صلاحيات كبيرة في العمل”.
وأضاف: “أنا غيور على منتخبات بلدي بسبب ما تحققه منتخبات المغرب من إنجازات، ورحيلي عن الجهاز الفني للتوأم لم يكن لأسباب فنية، وإنما بسبب أمور أخرى لن أفصح عنها”.
طالع | مدحت عبد الهادي: منتخب مصر لا يقدم مستواه الحقيقي
وأكمل: “كنت أتمنى أن يكون هناك تنسيق بين حسام حسن وحلمي طولان المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني، فيما يخص اختيارات اللاعبين، لكن هذا لم يحدث”.
وأوضح: “انضمامي إلى نادي الزمالك كان السبب في ابتعادي عن التواجد داخل النادي الأهلي طوال الفترة الماضية.”
واختتم: “هناك أشخاص يعملون في الأهلي لم يحققوا ربع ما حققته مع النادي”.
With little threat of being scored off, England’s four quicks were able to chip away at will
Nagraj Gollapudi25-Jul-2020An overcast day. Ball swinging even when 30 overs old. You didn’t need to be a cricket pundit to know it might be England’s day, especially when their four best fast bowlers were operating in tandem.Yet it was the West Indies batsmen that made it England’s day. By showing a total lack of intent. By getting intimidated in their minds even before the ball had pitched. By falling into the trap set. By forgetting they had a bat in hand to defend and strike with intent.West Indies’ batting unit is not the first one to buckle in such conditions. James Anderson can make even a Virat Kohli look like a mug. Stuart Broad can eyeball you and then send you to hell with his nip-backers. Jofra Archer, the smiling assassin, can rip you and snip you to pieces. Chris Woakes can look generous, but kill you softly with his swing.ALSO READ: Roach first West Indian to join 200-club since AmbroseAs a batsman, mentally, you are already thinking all that before you take guard. But the good and the best play the ball, not the man. That is why there are only a few greats. Steven Smith and Kohli, two modern greats, have built their aura by fighting off the mental demons. They have been vulnerable, but they have also improvised quickly.Last year Archer concussed Smith. The Australian finished the Ashes as the best batsman. It takes more than guts to succeed. It takes presence of mind.Most West Indies batsmen on day two at Old Trafford were neither bold, nor wise. Kraigg Brathwaite might have started the series playing the ball late, but here he went chasing a ball that was in the channel. John Campbell shrugged off an early mistake when he poked at a full away-swinging delivery from Anderson, but survived only because Ben Stokes spilled the catch.Campbell has had no forward stride into his strokes so far in the series. In the first two Tests, Campbell had been rooted to his crease and playing with his hands, even to fuller balls that shaped away. Broad said that he was happy because he knew he could easily lure Campbell, something he did successfully in the second Test.Campbell looked to score which allowed him to regain confidence. But as soon as Archer attacked him, Campbell succumbed meekly. Overall, of the nine balls that Archer bowled to Campbell, four were on a length, three full, one short-of-good length, and one short.That last one was the perfect short-pitched delivery, heading for Campbell’s throat when he least expected. The previous five deliveries Campbell dealt with confidently, moving towards the pitch and playing with the full face. Archer left Campbell off balance with the short delivery, just like he had opened up Roston Chase in the second innings in Southampton with a similar nasty delivery.The biggest disappointment though has been Shai Hope, recognised by none lesser than Brian Lara as one of the best talents in the Caribbean. Hope has shown no back bone in the series and he became more and more tentative and negative during his 64-ball stay, the longest by a visiting batsman. Despite standing way out of his crease, Hope rarely showed any intent. His diffidence only created an impression as if he was being suffocated by the discipline of England’s bowling. As the runs dried up, Hope’s body language became defensive and he was eventually gobbled up by and Anderson outswinger.Hope’s struggles have only created more pressure for the middle order. Even Chase, who had looked the strongest mentally, stayed rooted in the crease to a Broad delivery which he should have ideally played on the front foot, but instead ended up being caught plumb.John Campbell drives through the covers•Getty ImagesThe naturally aggressive Jermaine Blackwood paid the price for a scrambled mindset. Coming from wide of the crease, Woakes seamed in a fuller delivery on the middle stump. Blackwood, standing on leg stump, played from the crease instead of taking a forward stride and covering the line of stumps. The ball beat his flourishing bat swing to uproot middle.Late in the day, with the light weakening, Archer placed Ollie Pope at short leg in addition to the leg slip. Shane Dowrich looked nervous. Archer was intent on taking a wicket and banged a short delivery.Dowrich, slouching low, was already playing the short ball in his mind even before it had been pitched. Barring the first innings in Southampton, Dowrich has remained susceptible to the short delivery throughout the series.This ball did not even rise to his waist, but Dowrich had already closed his eyes, turned his face away and attempted to fend the ball one-handed. Luckily for him the leading edge flew high over Rory Burns at short gully. Archer smiled sarcastically in disbelief.To a large extent, West Indies’ batsmen have stayed rooted to the crease, worried by Archer’s short deliveries. This series Archer has got two wickets – Chase and Campbell – with that type of the delivery. As per ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Archer has delivered 49 short-pitched balls giving away just 13 runs. In contrast, during last year’s Ashes, of the 172 short deliveries, Archer earned just one Australian wicket. Smith may have been concussed at Lord’s, but he showed positive intent and was not once dismissed by Archer (as he liked to point out).When West Indies did play with intent, as Jason Holder showed eventually, the pressure was on the bowler. Having been hit for three successive fours by the West Indies captain, Archer sprayed wide or over-pitched. Holder showed the value of playing bold. Archer did not like it, and between smiles exchanged a few words with the fellow Barbadian.Overall, though, West Indies batsmen did not dare on Saturday. The price could be the Wisden Trophy.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would reportedly approve the signing of an all-round player who Son Heung-min thinks is “incredible”, with sporting director Andrea Berta and the Gunners boss now having one eye on the next transfer window.
Arsenal turn attention to next season after PSG defeat
Their 3-1 Champions League semi-final loss to PSG means Arsenal no longer have any silverware to play for next season, meaning attention is continues turning further to Berta’s debut summer at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal "closer to finalising" deal for £85m star with contract semi-agreed
The Gunners have made significant progress ahead of this summer.
2 ByEmilio Galantini May 7, 2025
The ex-Atletico Madrid chief is expected to be very busy in the coming weeks, and a major squad overhaul has already been mooted by sections of the press.
Berta could even orchestrate a summer spend worth up to £300 million on seven signings across the squad, according to GiveMeSport, and it is highly anticipated that forwards will arrive at Arsenal among them.
Liverpool (away)
May 11th
Newcastle United (home)
May 18th
Southampton (away)
May 25th
Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have seriously debilitated Arteta’s forward options and exposed their lack of a potent goalscorer to lead their line, while there are also precious few options on the right-wing behind star man Bukayo Saka.
Some uncertainty also surrounds the long-term futures of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, who’ve been sporadically linked with potential exits from N5, so Arsenal’s forward line could be looking significantly different by the time next season commences.
Arsenal could sign a striker, left-winger and right-winger this summer (GiveMeSport), but Arsenal will only have so much money to spend on high-profile stars and competition is set to be rife for their signatures.
However, one man who could cover a lot of bases in the attacking areas, and a player they’re now believed to be interested in, comes in the form of versatile PSG ace Lee Kang-in.
Lee Kang-in for Paris Saint-Germain
A report from The Sun claimed earlier this week that Berta personally wants Lee at Arsenal, and PSG are prepared to sell the South Korea international who can play as an attacking midfielder, on the right, on the left and even as a striker when required.
Mikel Arteta would "welcome" Lee Kang-in signing at Arsenal
Berta was apparently driving a move for Lee when he was at Atlético, only for the Italian to miss out on his signature to PSG.
Following on from these claims, a Spanish media source now states that Arteta would “welcome” the signing of Lee at Arsenal as well, so it appears both the manager and sporting director are in agreement over his quality.
The 24-year-old has bagged six goals and six assists in all competitions this term, across 44 total appearances, but a fair portion of his minutes have come off the bench.
Enrique, who called Lee a “complete” player, has found real use of him as a utility man at the Parc des Princes, and judging by praise from international teammate Son, he could end up being a very useful addition for Arsenal, even if reports late last year claimed PSG could demand £51 million to let him go.
“Kang-in Lee’s talent is incredible,” Son told Sungmo Lee in 2023.
“I believe he could grow even further. We have to help him not to get too much pressure.”
Also: what would South Africa’s Duckworth-Lewis target have been in the 1992 World Cup semi-final?
Steven Lynch16-Oct-2018The Marsh brothers both made ducks in the second innings in Dubai. Was this a first?asked Chris Mitchell from Australia
The double zeroes of the Marshes in the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai last week was actually the eighth occasion on which a pair of brothers was dismissed for nought in the same Test innings.The first instance was in the first Test ever played in England, at The Oval in 1880, when EM and GF Grace both bagged ducks in the second innings against Australia. Their rather more famous brother, WG, sealed victory with 9 not out, after making 152 (the first Test century ever scored in England) in the first innings.Since then, this family misfortune has befallen Hanif and Wazir Mohammad (for Pakistan against England at The Oval in 1954), Dayle and Richard Hadlee (New Zealand v England at Trent Bridge in 1973), Jeff and Martin Crowe (NZ v England at The Oval in 1983), Andy and Grant Flower (Zimbabwe v Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 1993-94), Bryan and Paul Strang (Zimbabwe v South Africa in Harare in 1995-96), and Mark and Steve Waugh (Australia v Pakistan in Colombo in 2002-03).The smallest contribution by a pair of brothers in a completed Test (four innings) is two runs, by Amar Singh (0 and 1) and Ladha Ramji (1 and 0) for India against England in Mumbai in 1933-34.Which South African Test player had a son who was a leading Aussie Rules footballer?asked Kenneth McLaren from Australia
This unusual combination was provided by the Lawrence family. Godfrey “Goofy” Lawrence was a lanky seamer from Rhodesia who played five Tests for South Africa, all in the same home series against New Zealand in 1961-62. He had a successful time, taking 28 wickets at 18.28, including 8 for 53 in the second match, in Johannesburg. Unusually, Lawrence took wickets with what turned out to be the last two balls he ever bowled in Tests, a distinction I think he shares only with Gerry Hazlitt of Australia in 1912.John Reid, New Zealand’s captain in that 1961-62 series, said: “Lawrence’s tremendous height enables him to make balls lift from the pitch as they move with the swing… [He] is a true, old-time swinger of the ball… Perhaps his most deceptive ball is the one that comes back late in towards the off stump.”South Africa didn’t play very often back then, and by the time of their next series – in Australia in 1963-64 – Lawrence was out of favour. But his son did make it to Australia. Stephen Lawrence, born in South Africa in 1969, played nearly 150 Australian Rules football matches as a ruckman for Hawthorn between 1988 and 1998, winning the Grand Final with them in 1991.What would the target have been in the 1992 World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa if the Duckworth-Lewis system had been in use then?asked John Ross from Australia
That match ended in controversy when a brief rain shower removed two overs towards the end of South Africa’s innings in Sydney – they were 231 for 6 at the time, chasing 253. The competition rules for rain-shortened matches in that World Cup meant the least productive overs from the first side’s innings were discounted. England had bowled two maidens, one of which included a leg-bye, so South Africa’s target was reduced by just one run, becoming an impossible 21 off one ball (there was additional confusion because the scoreboard originally showed a target of 22 off seven balls, later amended to 22 – and then 21 – off one).As for what the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculation might have been, there’s an important consideration which is often overlooked: South Africa bowled their overs very slowly, and only managed 45 in the time available. These days they’d have to complete the overs and be heavily fined, but in 1992 the first innings just stopped. In a match in the 1990s where a team scored 252 in 45 overs, having started out expecting to receive 50, I think South Africa’s DL target would have been increased to 275 (this would vary in later editions of the system; the figures are revised, usually upwards, in line with scoring trends). The subsequent loss of two overs would have reduced that to 265 – so actually they would have been even further adrift. In truth, of course, they’d have known about the higher target and would presumably have batted differently.I asked Professor Steven Stern, who now administers the DLS system after the retirements of D and L, to confirm my figures, which he kindly did. He concluded: “As you rightly note South Africa were never actually chasing 275 and thus their scoring effort was not geared to achieve it. As such, it is more realistic to simply analyse the actual situation South Africa were facing: 253 from 45 overs. In this case, the new target would have been five from one ball (or a four to tie).”There’s more on the match in this Rewind column from 2011.By the Duckworth-Lewis calculation, South Africa would have been looking at a target of five runs from one ball•Getty ImagesI noticed that the record for the lowest total in women’s Twenty20 internationals is now apparently held by Mexico. How long have they had official status?asked Keith Barton from England
Mexico were bowled out for 18 by Brazil in Bogota, Colombia on August 24. Their total undercut the 25 scored only the previous day by Mozambique against Namibia, a continent away in Gaborone, Botswana.The reason for these unfamiliar countries suddenly cropping up on the record lists is a recent ICC ruling that gave all T20 matches between the women’s teams of Member countries full international status. One result of this is that in the table of the smallest totals in women’s T20Is, 20 of the 21 lowest have been set since June this year. The exception was Bangladesh’s 44 against Pakistan in Bangkok in November 2016.This ICC ruling will apply to men’s matches too from next year, so look out for some more unfamiliar names on this type of list.Australia had six lbw dismissals in the fourth innings of their recent Test against Pakistan. Was this the record?asked Anash Chishty from Saudi Arabia
Australia lost eight wickets in the final innings of the recent exciting draw in Dubai, but six of them fell to leg-before decisions. This was actually the 24th instance of six lbws in a Test innings, and the seventh in the fourth innings of a match.There have been two Test innings that contained seven lbws: by Zimbabwe against England in Chester-le-Street in 2003, and by New Zealand against Australia in Christchurch in 2004-05.The most lbws in a Test match is 20 – half the wickets to fall – in the opening encounter between West Indies and Pakistan in Providence in Guyana in May 2011.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
عزز الفرنسي كيليان مبابي مهاجم ريال مدريد، رصيد أهدافه في جدول ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني، بعدما أحرز هدفًا في شباك إسبانيول.
وواجه ريال مدريد خصمه إسبانيول على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة للدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.
وسجل مبابي الهدف الثاني لريال مدريد بشباك إسبانيول في الدقيقة 47 مع بداية شوط المباراة الثاني، بعد تمريرة من فينيسيوس جونيور.
ورفع فيران توريس رصيده في ترتيب الهدافين حيث أحرز هدفين لصالح برشلونة أمام خيتافي، بمنافسات الجولة ذاتها في الدوري الإسباني. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني
1. كيليان مبابي، ريال مدريد، 5 أهداف.
2. فيران توريس، برشلونة، 4 أهداف.
3. فيدات موريكي، مايوركا، 4 أهداف.
4. إيتا إيونج، ليفانتي، 3 أهداف.
5. رافينها، برشلونة، 3 أهداف.
6. تاجون بوكانان، فياريال، 3 أهداف.
7. أدريان ليسو، خيتافي، 3 أهداف.
8. مير، إلتشي، 3 أهداف.
9. روميرو، ليفانتي، 3 أهداف.
10. لامين يامال، برشلونة، هدفان.
11. فينيسيوس جونيور، ريال مدريد، هدفان.
ويمكنك متابعة ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني بشكل محدث من هنا.
da dobrowin： Destaque do primeiro jogo entre CSA e Internacional pela Copa do Brasil, o goleiro Dalberson, que defendeu um pênalti no confronto de ida, falou sobre a expectativa para o duelo de volta desta quinta-feira. O time alagoano foi derrotado por 2 a 1 no Beira-Rio e precisa de uma vitória por pelo menos dois gols de diferença para conquistar a vaga.
-Nós sabemos das dificuldades que vamos enfrentar na partida. O Internacional é uma equipe muito forte, que disputa a série A, a Libertadores e, com certeza, vai nos trazer grandes desafios. Mas, nós vamos jogar na nossa casa, com o apoio da nossa torcida e queremos fazer história. Temos um bom time, acredito que podemos conquistar essa classificação.
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da prosport bet： +Saiba nomes famosos que estarão na série C do Brasileiro em 2023
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A última partida oficial do CSA foi justamente contra o Colorado. De lá pra cá, o Azulão do Mutange vem trabalhando e se preparando com foco na partida decisiva desta noite. Dalberson destacou a preparação feita para a decisão.
-Esse período sem jogos foi importante. Perdemos um pouco de ritmo de jogo, mas ganhamos muito tempo para fazer uma preparação bem feita. Chegamos bem para esse duelo, que é muito importante para o clube. Vamos com tudo em busca da vitória e da vaga para as oitavas de finais – declarou.
CSA e Internacional se enfrentam nesta quinta-feira (27), às 20h00, no Estádio Rei Pelé. Para avançar o CSA precisa vencer a partida por pelo menos dois gols de diferença. Vitória por um gol de diferença iguala o duelo e leva a disputa da vaga para os pênaltis.
We used to associate the adjectives ‘mercurial’ and ‘unpredictable’ with another Asian team, but it’s Sri Lanka who could do better justice to those tags
Sidharth Monga in London15-Jun-2019The wife of Sri Lanka’s once-captain has accused – on Facebook – one of their players of being a political appointment made by the sports minister of the country. That captain – one of the seven ODI captains tried by Sri Lanka since the last World Cup – is not the captain anymore. He has been accused of picking and choosing games, and has been forced to switch between IPL and domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, and is eventually here at the World Cup. Barely.Seven, of course, is more captains than any side has tried between the two World Cups. And they have gone to the event proper with an eighth, a man who last played ODI cricket in the last World Cup. Between the two World Cups they have tried 57 players, more than any other team. Since the Champions Trophy in 2017 – which is when most sides began to firm up their World Cup plans – they have tried 47 players. The next-highest is 37. And yet they have picked five players from outside this pool for this World Cup.Their chairman of selectors for a considerable period in this spell, Sanath Jayasuriya, stands banned from all cricket activities by the ICC for two breaches of its anti-corruption code. The current chairman of selectors, Ashantha de Mel, with whom the coach hasn’t necessarily shared a vision, has been now installed as the team manager for the World Cup. In some parts of the world, this process is known as “clipping wings”. The manager has duly shot off a letter to ICC complaining about all sorts of things, suggesting secret vendetta against them and not against, say Bangladesh or Pakistan.Players from his previous teams swear by this coach even though there have been significant amounts of tough love wherever he has gone. Under Chandika Hathurusingha, Bangladesh made the knockouts in a World Cup for the first time, beat India and South Africa in ODI series at home, defeated Sri Lanka in an away Test, and made the semi-final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. He showed them how good they were. In Sri Lanka, his wish to run the team with similar authority – as someone who has a definitive say in selections – has resulted in the sacking of players he propped up, players the team invested in. Two of the biggest legends of Sri Lankan cricket, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, are so disenchanted and wary of being used as political tools that they are gainfully employed elsewhere.Yet Sri Lanka go to South Africa and become the first Asian side to win a Test series there. Not a T20I series, not the odd ODI, but a whole Test series. That immediately after losing the series in Australia in seven days where they had a failed middle-order batsman returning as a Test opener. Immediately after the Test success, they go on to lose the ODIs 5-0 in South Africa.While we debate whether it is lazy and a convenient stereotype to call Pakistan mercurial and unpredictable, Sri Lanka might just be the Pakistan we are talking of. On the tragicomic front, Sri Lanka have arguably left Pakistan behind. Well, they haven’t leaked information about genital warts on a player yet, but you get the point. Their surges are more subtle than Pakistan’s, not as irrepressible, not as loud, but they turn up when they have no business turning up, just like in South Africa.There comes a time – just like with Pakistan – that this comedy turns depressing for their followers. Saturday morning seems to be that time at The Oval. They have complained about pitches, hotels, training facilities and team coaches. Coaches as in buses, and not men who teach them cricket. Although you can argue they never stopped complaining about them either. They are chasing ghosts, and have convinced themselves of a conspiracy against them in a green pitch at The Oval even though previous similar green pitches here have produced six scores of 300 in eight attempts.WATCH on Hotstar (INDIA ONLY) – Sri Lanka’s collapseOf course, they win the toss and bowl first on a pitch that chasing has been difficult all tournament. Lahiru Thirimanne is diving over the ball. Relay throws are going wild. The pitch is flat. Lasith Malinga is going round the wicket to right-hand batsmen with the new ball. You can’t tell who the captain is. Nobody looks in charge.Not long ago, Angelo Mathews performed push-ups on the field to make a point to the coach who had had him dropped on fitness grounds. He is there on the team list provided by Sri Lanka here, but he is almost invisible. Nobody has a presence. Reading body language can be hazardous at most times, but here they all look positively listless. Over in India, Niroshan Dickwella, the spirit of this side who had no business being anywhere other than England, scores a century against India A.It is instructive that Dhananjaya de Silva has bought them reprieve with the ball. He is a Test No. 3, who has been made to play in all positions from 1 to 9 in his 33-match ODI career. Later in the day, he will get to bat only when the match, which they have a good chance of winning, is all but over as a contest.Suddenly, though, a switch comes on. Isuru Udana starts it with a slower ball to get Aaron Finch out when it is looking like Australia will score 350. Malinga nails a yorker to bowl Steven Smith out. Smith, who rarely gets out bowled. The last time it happened was 20 innings ago. Udana is leaping all around and nailing direct hits off his own bowling to run two batsmen out in the same over.There is one man in the crowd who has refused to stop encouraging Sri Lanka all day, but now they have all found voice. Now you are reminded that while there might not be a band playing, Sri Lanka has a huge support in the stands. There are 30 fewer to chase than what looked likely.Dimuth Karunaratne, the captain and opening batsman without an ODI century to his name, begins to throw his bat around, and everything comes off. Kusal Perera, who only recently played one of the greatest Test innings ever, is being Kusal Perera. Australia’s reaction is to go short, probably going back to the barrage that laid Sri Lanka low in the Tests earlier in the year. Difference in pitches notwithstanding, Perera and Karunaratne show they have put in work on the short ball. There are edges – which happens with starts of such intent – but when they are connecting, they are connecting sweetly. In the Powerplay, they take 40 off 26 balls pitched shorter than a length.WATCH on Hotstar (INDIA ONLY) – Karunaratne’s 97Things are happening that shouldn’t be happening with this team. Australia are burning reviews so they can’t review when they finally have one. Run-out chances are bringing four overthrows. And you have Kusal Mendis and de Silva and Mathews to follow. If “this happened in 1992 too” is Pakistan fans’ meta joke on their so-called mercurial nature, there is talk of Sri Lanka’s chase of 322 against India at the same venue two years ago. More importantly there is reminder of talent in the side, and also outside it. Talent that is getting lost in this dysfunction.It all ends in more dysfunction, though. Senior players take zero responsibility of a run-a-ball chase. Even in failing to being more like Pakistan, Sri Lanka have been like them. They crash all hope spectacularly. Imagine the match when the two come up against each other.
Nottingham Forest are having a brilliant campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo and there is every chance their progress could secure Champions League football, which is bound to appeal to prospective summer targets.
Nottingham Forest could enjoy a transformational summer window
At the beginning of the season, there wouldn’t have been too many Premier League fans who would’ve had Nottingham Forest on their bingo card to finish in the Champions League slots.
Nevertheless, the Tricky Trees have put themselves in a remarkable position with nine matches left to play, potentially paving the way for an exciting market period at the City Ground.
Pushing their level of ambition to the limit, Nottingham Forest have made contact with Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres’s representatives. The Sweden international is viewed as an ideal long-term replacement for prolific marksman Chris Wood.
Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham is also of interest to the East Midlands-based outfit. Securing a mercurial return to Europe’s top table doesn’t seem to be enough for Espirito Santo, so it is no surprise he is aiming to cement their status as one of the most exciting sides in the English pyramid.
While their efforts in the Premier League could reap significant rewards, Nottingham Forest still find themselves in contention for the FA Cup and evidence that silverware is achievable at the City Ground is only likely to further their scope for savvy recruitment.
Nottingham Forest in ongoing talks over signing record £60m+ star for Nuno
He could be a fantastic addition this summer.
ByHenry Jackson Mar 23, 2025
Undoubtedly, the temptation to shell out big fees for premium talent will be on the mind of Evangelos Marinakis. However, value for money appears to be king under Espirito Santo’s reign if their latest target’s contract situation is anything to go by.
Nottingham Forest position themselves for cut-price Yoane Wissa deal
According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are set to reignite their attempts to sign Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and could land the in-form frontman for a ‘reduced price’ of between £15-20 million, as per Pete O’Rourke.
The Democratic Republic of Congo international will enter the final year of his deal at the Gtech Community Stadium this summer and is viewed internally as ‘smart business’ should the Tricky Trees manage to push an agreement over the line.
Yoane Wissa’s excellent season for Brentford
Appearances
30
Goals
15
Assists
2
Shot-creating actions (Premier League)
49
Non-penalty Expected Goals (Premier League)
13.6 XG value
Labelled “remarkable” by Bees boss Thomas Frank, he has also managed to create 17 chances and take 117 touches in the opposition’s penalty area this campaign on league duty, illustrating his capacity to bring others into play.
Stepping forward to fill the void left by Ivan Toney’s departure, Wissa has proven himself as a Premier League starter and may be cashed in on by Brentford to avoid the scenario where he departs on a free transfer in 2026.
Seizing their opportunity, Nottingham Forest will now hope to convince the 28-year-old that committing his future at the City Ground is the best course of action in light of the club’s upward trajectory.
Tottenham Hotspur put in a dominant performance away to struggling Ipswich Town to win 4-1 at Portman Road. The Lilywhites were impressive, and took their chances well, with standout performances across the pitch for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
It was a fast start from Spurs, with Brennan Johnson scoring two goals inside the first half an hour of the game. The Welshman was impressive and managed to fire home two passes from captain Son Heung-min.
Ipswich did get themselves a goal back, thanks to former Chelsea and Arsenal academy star Omari Hutchinson. It was poor defending from the Lilywhites, leaving the Tractor Boys’ attacking midfielder unmarked in the box, for a simple finish.
However, with 77 minutes on the clock, the in-form Djed Spence saw his effort deflect home, after some brilliant quick feet from James Maddison. Dejan Kulusevski made it 4-1 with six minutes of the 90 left, with a wonderful strike. After picking up the ball from a flick-on, he went on a marauding run into the Ipswich half, cut inside on his left foot and curled his shot home.
It was an impressive and dominant showing from Postecoglou’s side, with Johnson one of the standout players in East Anglia.
Johnson’s stats vs. Ipswich
23-year-old Johnson has been in excellent form for much of the season in a Spurs shirt. The Nottingham-born winger has nine Premier League goals this season, in 23 games, including his two strikes against Kieran McKenna’s side.
The first goal was a typical poacher’s finish from the winger this season. He got on the end of a low cross from Son at the back post, deflecting the ball into the back of the net. His second was also set up by his captain, but this was a well-directed effort from 12 yards out, into the right-hand corner.
He has now scored more League goals than any other Spurs player this term, an impressive return from the winger. He was given an 8/10 post-match rating from Alasdair Gold, Tottenham Hotspur correspondent for Football.London, who described his first goal as a ‘trademark’ finish.
Johnson’s stats from Sofascore at the end of the game show just how well he played. The winger had 26 crucial touches at Portman Road, completed 15 out of 20 passes and had an expected goals tally of 1.11xG.
As effective as the Spurs winger was against Ipswich, the same cannot be said for a fellow attacker, who struggled to impact the game.
The Spurs player who struggled vs. Ipswich
In a game where so many attacking players in that famous White shirt stood out, it was a disappointing performance from January signing Mathys Tel, who was leading the line today. The Frenchman was substituted with 15 minutes to go.
Performance in Numbers
His performances warranted a 5/10 rating from Gold after full-time, which was the lowest of any Spurs starter. The journalist said it was a ‘tough day at the office’ for Tel, who ‘didn’t do too much’ with the ball when he managed to get possession.
Indeed, Tel did not see much of the ball during the game. The attacker, whose parent club is German side Bayern Munich, had just 17 touches of the ball, fewer even than Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s 36. Tel also won one duel out of six and had a pass accuracy of 63%.
Tel stats vs. Ipswich
Stat
Number
Touches
17
Pass accuracy
63%
Passes completed
5/8
Ground duels won
1/5
Aerial duels won
0/1
Number of times ball lost
7
Stats from Sofascore
That will certainly be a performance that might worry Postecoglou. There is no doubting Tel’s quality; he was once described as a “talented player” by former Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann.
However, perhaps his adaption to the Premier League will take a few games, which is more than understandable. Assuming he joins Spurs permanently, this is an investment for the future as well as the present.
However, for the Lilywhites’ next fixture, a midweek clash with Manchester City in North London, there is every chance Postecoglou takes him out of the starting lineup to give him respite, in what is a must-win game for his side.
He's playing like Bellingham: Ange must regret selling Spurs' £8m "leader"
The exceptional midfielder is enjoying life away from Spurs.
Being such a big club, Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with some sensational talents over the years.
Luka Modrić, Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, and Son Heung-min have all left their marks on the club and the Premier League as a whole.
However, as with every other ‘big six’ side, the North Londoners have also endured their fair share of transfer flops as well, with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Serge Aurier and Clinton N’Jie all failing to make the grade in N17.
Yet, one of the most disappointing signings the club made in the 2010s was that of Roberto Soldado, a mistake they’d repeat a few years later with a forward who was even worse than Timo Werner.
Soldado's Spurs career
Following the world-record £85m transfer of Bale to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, Spurs had to find a way to replace the goals they had just lost from their team, and they had plenty of money to do so.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
Famously, the club opted to splash the cash on the not-so-magnificent seven of Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen and Soldado, and while the penultimate player on that list came good in North London, the Spanish striker did not.
However, what makes the Valencia-born ace’s time in N17 so much more disappointing is that, prior to his £26m move to England, he was on fire and arguably one of Europe’s most devastating strikers.
For example, in his final two campaigns with his hometown team, the 12-capped international scored an astounding 57 goals and provided 11 assists in just 97 appearances.
However, in the two seasons he spent with the Lilywhites, he was only able to score 16 goals and provide 11 assists in 76 appearances, which makes it easier to understand why journalist Sam Tighe described him as the “flop of the season” early on in his Tottenham career.
Appearances
51
46
36
40
Goals
27
30
11
5
Assists
6
5
5
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.64
0.76
0.44
0.27
After two years of dismal performances, the former Valencia star returned to Spain, signing for Villarreal, where he rediscovered some form and racked up a haul of 12 goals and 19 assists in 55 games.
In all, it’s hard to describe Soldado’s time in England as anything other than a complete flop, so it’s poor luck – or poor judgment – that Spurs made the same mistake with an even worse striker just a year after they sold the Spaniard.
The Spurs striker worse than Soldado
A year after Soldado left the club, Spurs already had their starting number nine sorted thanks to the emergence of Kane, but one thing they lacked was a reliable backup who could challenge the Englishman for his place in the team – absurd, we know.
Tottenham flop Vincent Janssen.
So, the club turned their attention to the continent and paid AZ Alkmaar around £19m for Vincent Janssen, who, at the time, was undoubtedly one of the most exciting and promising strikers around.
After all, in his final season in the Netherlands, he won the Eredivisie Golden Boot and ended up with a ridiculous tally of 31 goals and seven assists in just 49 appearances across all competitions, which worked out to an astounding average of a goal involvement every 1.28 games.
However, what happened to the Spanish striker a few years earlier happened to the young Dutchman, as once he arrived in England and started to earn his £1.36m-per-year salary, his goalscoring ability seemed to all but leave him.
For example, in his debut season, the disappointing forward was only able to score six goals and provide four assists in his 38 appearances, which was a dramatic fall from his output a year prior, and led to Gary Lineker brutally describing him as a “poor man’s Soldado.”
The next season, he was sent on loan to Fenerbahce, but injuries limited him to 18 highly productive appearances, in which he scored five goals and provided four assists.
The Heesch-born poacher returned to N17 for the 18/19 campaign, but a foot injury limited him to just five appearances, in which he scored a single goal, and then, that summer saw his nightmare in North London finally come to an end, as he was sold to Mexican outfit Monterrey for just £6.3m.
That means the once-promising striker left the club with a grand total of six goals and four assists in 42 games, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 4.2 games.
In contrast, Werner, who is widely criticised for his poor displays for the Lilywhites, has managed to produce nine goal involvements in 41 appearances.
While that comes out to a slightly worse average of one every 4.55 games, that has been almost entirely from the wings, meaning there is a strong argument that he’s been a better player for the club than the Dutchman was.
Transfer fee
£19m
Total Wages
£2.7m
Appearances
42
Cost per Appearance
£517k
Goal
6
Cost per Goal
£3.6m
Assists
4
Cost per Assist
£5.4m
Goal Involvements
10
Cost per Goal Involvement
£2.1m
Moreover, when you add up his transfer fee and the wages he earned for the two seasons he spent at the club, the overall cost for the North Londoners was about £21.7m, which breaks down to £517k-per-appearance, £3.6m-per-goal, £5.4m-per-assist or £2.1m-per-goal-involvement – which can hardly be described as value for money.
Ultimately, it’s a good thing that Kane came along when he did, as with Soldado and Janssen, Spurs did not have the greatest track record when it came to signing promising strikers in the mid-2010s.
An incredible Son replacement: Spurs in talks to sign "world-class" star
The immense talent would be a brilliant signing for Spurs.