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Nick Cushing's team were second best from beginning to end as they were knocked out of the European competition

Manchester City went crashing out of the Women's Champions League in a spectacular collapse as they lost 3-0 to Chelsea in the second leg of their quarter-final tie. City held a 2-0 lead heading into Thursday's match at Stamford Bridge, the last instalment of four straight games against the London side, but drowned under the pressure as the Blues sent wave after wave of attack and pummelled their rivals.

City twice came agonisingly close to conceding in the first 10 minutes. Their sleepy defence allowed Lauren James to break through and send a low pass across goal, only for it to bounce out for a corner. A few minutes later, Nathalie Bjorn headed off the post.

The visitors could only hold out for so long and the breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Lucy Bronze's effort hit the post and fell to Sandy Baltimore, who lashed in with a beautiful finish.

Nick Cushing's team managed to slow the game down and apply pressure further up field for a spell, but they would have gone 2-0 down from another Bjorn header, but for a goal line clearance from Vivianne Miedema. Bjorn was not to be denied again shortly afterwards, though, when she met Baltimore's corner and sent it looping over Khiara Keating.

Just before half-time, City fell further behind. James pounced on a horrendous pass from Leila Ouahabi, allowing James to break forward and cut back to Mayra Ramirez, whose sloppy finish found the net. It was almost 4-0 in stoppage time when Ramirez found herself in another great position, but her shot was an easy one for Keating to save.

Chelsea's intensity dropped in the second half but City were still unable to carve out more than one real chance to at least force extra time, despite Mary Fowler and Miedema's attempts to poke their way through.

Kerolin found herself in a promising position in the 90th minute but her shot was more like a pass into the arms of Hampton as Chelsea held on.

GOAL rates City's players from Stamford Bridge…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Khiara Keating (5/10):

  Made a few stops but had no chance of stopping Chelsea's onslaught.

  Kerstin Casparij (6/10):

  Found a lot of space on the right and used it well but lost out to James a few too many times when it came to defensive duties.

  Gracie Prior (6/10):

  Made a great stop to prevent Wieke Kaptein scoring after Mayra Ramirez left Aleixandri in her wake.

  Laia Aleixandri (4/10):

  Didn't look good for the first goal but made a few important stops to keep the Blues at bay.

  Leila Ouahabi (3/10):

  Was well beaten in the air by Bjorn more than once and was shaky overall, culminating in the awful pass that gifted the third goal.

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  Midfield

  Jill Roord (4/10):

  Unable to make any impact in the midfield.

  Yui Hasegawa (4/10):

  Was well bit behind the pace of the game as Chelsea swept by her with ease.

  Vivianne Miedema (7/10):

  Made a crucial goal line stop at 1-0 and was always looking to up the momentum when she got on the ball.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Kerolin (5/10):

  Had a few bright moments but everything just fizzled out for her.

  Mary Fowler (6/10):

  Forced a decent save from Hannah Hampton but should have teed up Miedema instead of a tame effort late in the first half.

  Lily Murphy (4/10):

  Had a difficult time getting on the ball and was replaced at half-time.

• Subs & Manager

  Laura Coombs (5/10):

  Wasn't much of an upgrade on Murphy.

  Jess Park (6/10):

  Provided a bit of a lift in the last 25 minutes.

  Naomi Layzell (N/A):

  Only on for the last five minutes.

  Nicholas Cushing (4/10):

  His team were kept silent throughout and were unable to hold Chelsea back.

30 clubs have won the Europa League since its inception as the UEFA Cup in 1971.

The competition has given an opportunity to those unable to shine in the Champions League to succeed in Europe, with the likes of Atalanta and Villarreal winning their first European trophies in recent years.

But who are the usual suspects when it comes to Europa League glory? As of 2025, 14 teams have won the tournament on multiple occasions. Here, we have listed them all, from least to most successful.

14

Borussia Monchengladbach

2 titles (1975, 1979)

Borussia Monchengladbach were the most dominant force in German football in the 1970s, winning the Bundesliga title five times. During that period, they also won the UEFA Cup twice, first in 1975 and then in 1979.

Monchengladbach made the final in 1973 and 1980, but lost to Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively.

Former Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes was one of the heroes in 1975, scoring two goals in the second-leg final win over Dutch side Twente.

13

Real Madrid

2 titles (1985, 1986)

Real Madrid are the most dominant club in Champions League history, having won European football’s elite club competition a record 15 times.

They’ve also won the UEFA Cup twice, recording back-to-back wins in 1985 and 1986. In 1985, Los Blancos beat Hungarian side Videoton in the final, while the following year, they got the better of German side Koln. Attacker Emilio Butragueno was among those to play in both triumphs.

Given their success in Europe’s premier competition, Madrid last competed in the UEFA Cup back in the 1994/95 season.

12

IFK Goteborg

2 titles (1982, 1987)

IFK Goteborg remain the only Swedish team in history to have ever won a major European title, having scooped the UEFA Cup in 1982 and 1987. Goteborg beat Hamburg in the final in 1982 under the guidance of Sven-Goran Eriksson, before repeating their feat against Dundee United in 1987.

Striker Stefan Pettersson was on the scoresheet against Dundee United, and when he scored again in the 1992 final – this time for Ajax against Torino – he became the first player in UEFA Cup history to score in multiple finals.

11

Parma

2 titles (1995, 1999)

During the peak of their powers in the 1990s, Parma never won the Italian Serie A, but they did manage to win the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup twice each during that decade.

Their first UEFA Cup victory came in 1995 when they beat domestic rivals Juventus. Their second came four years later when they beat Marseille after the arrival of a host of would-be and established superstars like Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram and Enrico Chiesa, scoring some great goals along the way.

10

Feyenoord

2 titles (1974, 2002)

Feyenoord first clinched the UEFA Cup in 1974 when they beat Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

Nearly three decades later in 2002, they won the competition for a second time by beating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a thrilling affair on home soil at De Kuip. No Dutch club has won a major European competition since.

9

Porto

2 titles (2003, 2011)

In 2002, Jose Mourinho took charge of Porto after barely a season of managing at the top level under his belt.

His limited experience proved not to matter, as in his first season in charge at the Estadio do Dragao, he guided the club to their first-ever UEFA Cup. The following year, he left to join Chelsea.

In 2011, this time under the guidance of Andre Villas-Boas, Porto again won the competition, beating Braga in the final in Dublin. A month later, Villas-Boas left for Chelsea.

9 of the best Jose Mourinho quotes

The Special One has had a way with words over the years.

By
Barney Lane

Dec 2, 2024

8

Chelsea

2 titles (2013, 2019)

Speaking of Chelsea, like Porto, the Blues have also won the Europa League twice. The first time was in 2013 when they were managed by Rafael Benitez, beating Porto rivals Benfica in the final.

The second time was in 2019 under Maurizio Sarri, when they thumped Arsenal 4-1 in Baku thanks to a brace from Eden Hazard and goals from Olivier Giroud and Pedro.

7

Eintracht Frankfurt

2 titles (1980, 2022)

Eintracht Frankfurt’s two triumphs in European football’s second-tier competition were separated by a whopping 42 years.

The German club first won the title when it was the UEFA Cup in 1980, and then for a second time in 2022. In the 2022 final, Frankfurt beat Scottish club Rangers on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with Colombian Rafael Santos Borre scoring the winning spot-kick.

6

Juventus

3 titles (1977, 1990, 1993)

Juventus are one of only four clubs to have won the UEFA Cup on three occasions.

The Old Lady first scooped the title in 1977, before winning it in 1990 and 1993. In 1993, Juventus thrashed Borussia Dortmund 6-1 across a two-legged final thanks to three goals from Dino Baggio, two from Roberto Baggio and one from Andreas Moller.

However, Dortmund got revenge four years later in the Champions League final when they beat Juve 3-1 with Moller in their team, with the German having moved between the two clubs in 1994.

5

Inter

3 titles (1991, 1994, 1998)

Inter didn’t win a single domestic trophy in the 1990s, but they did win the UEFA Cup three times.

The 1998 final is best remembered for Ronaldo’s masterclass performance, which saw him run Lazio’s Alessandro Nesta ragged and score Inter’s third in an utterly dominant 3-0 win.

Reflecting on Ronaldo’s performance, Nesta later said: “I have watched that game on video so many times since then, trying to work out what I did wrong. We lost 3-0, but I don’t think now it was my fault. Ronaldo was simply unstoppable.”

Arsenal have now identified an “exciting” £25m player as their top target to strengthen a key position, according to a report.

Arsenal not expecting a busy window

Earlier this month, Mikel Arteta confirmed that he does not expect Arsenal to be busy in the January transfer window, saying: “I don’t expect and never expect January to be super busy.

“But we have to wait and see where we are. Some surprises can come, we are prepared for that if there are some opportunities and we’ll have to see. Hopefully the availability of the squad is going to be better in a few weeks but we’ll have to wait and see.”

However, with Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling now sidelined, Arteta may be forced to enter the market for a new forward to help sustain his side’s Premier League title push, and there are a few options in mind.

The Gunners could be offered the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani on a loan deal this January, amid a lack of consistent first-team opportunities at the Parc des Princes. Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram has also been identified as a major target for Arteta, with the manager keen to bolster his attacking options this winter.

Another position which the Arsenal boss didn’t manage to strengthen during the summer is goalkeeper, failing to bring in a replacement for Aaron Ramsdale. The Gunners missed out on the signing of Espanyol’s Joan Garcia, with recent speculation indicating that Atalanta shot-stopper Marco Carnesecchi could be targeted instead.

However, a new update from The Mirror has confirmed that Garcia remains Arsenal’s top goalkeeper target, as they look to bring in cover for David Raya.

Goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana believes the Spaniard would be the perfect heir to Raya in the long-term, and the player himself is keen on a move to north London, but he is unlikely to come cheap. Espanyol are currently insisting on a £25m fee, which could rise between now in the summer, should he receive a call-up to the Spain national team.

Jesus upgrade: Arsenal pursuing £202k-p/w "superstar" who's just like Henry

Arsenal are on the lookout for reinforcements after Bukayo Saka’s recent injury blow.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 30, 2024

Garcia could be the perfect heir to Raya

Raya is still relatively young for a goalkeeper at 29-years-old, but it is still wise to bring in a long-term replacement, and Garcia is showing signs he could be the perfect heir. Analyst Ben Mattinson has given an overview of the 23-year-old’s qualities, claiming that he is very similar to Arsenal’s current no.1.

The Espanyol star is particularly impressive at stopping crosses, ranking in the 90th percentile per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

The only thing that could put Arsenal off making a move is the price tag, as £25m or above is quite steep for a player unlikely to get much game time initially, particularly when there are other areas of the squad that need strengthening more urgently.

Manchester United's 14-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel capped his debut for the club's Under-18 side with a brace, as they beat Leeds 13-1.

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• Gabriel became youngest-ever player to play for U18s
• Scored twice in a thumping win
• Has nickname of 'Kid Messi'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United's U18s played Leeds on Saturday and ran out thumping 13-1 winners. Gabriel's development has been accelerated due to his talent, and the 14-year-old was introduced as a second-half substitute, with the club 10-1 ahead. He scored twice before full-time, marking the historic occasion, as he became the youngest-ever representative of the age group at United.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In a ruthless display, Victor Musa scored a double hat-trick in the first half, and Jim Thwaites also scored a treble. James Bailey and Dan Armer were also on the scoresheet along with Gabriel. The 14-year-old has already signed with Nike, and has been hailed as having the potential to be one of the best players in the country.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Per the report, Gabriel is in demand, with multiple Premier League clubs and European giants keen to secure his signature. United are thus expediting his progress through the youth ranks. The highly-rated youngster has already been dubbed 'Kid Messi' at Old Trafford.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gabriel will hope to continue proving his worth in the academy. In the meantime, United's first XI face Manchester City this weekend.

It would be fair to say that Chelsea are outperforming the collective expectations regarding how their first season under Enzo Maresca would go.

The Italian coach may continually downplay claims that the Blues are firmly in the Premier League title race, but given that the west London side are second in the standings, two points off Liverpool and four in front of Arsenal, such noise carries weight.

Chelsea have spent freely under Todd Boehly and co, but then other sides across the Premier League have splurged over recent years, spending without the accuracy of the west Londoners.

It’s taken a while, but it’s all coming together, and now Maresca seems to want a top-class centre-forward to complete his dynamic squad, even with the existing options.

Chelsea eyeing new striker

Nicolas Jackson has hit a new level at Stamford Bridge this season, looking every bit the rock-and-roll top-flight superstar at number nine, albeit with his flaws.

He’s curiously regressed in several areas, but then the one that matters, his clinical edge, denotes a remarkable level-up in goalscoring and maturity as a striker.

Chelsea’s resurgence is steeped in the success of the expansive squad, and if Maresca were to welcome a new forward to his team, it would be wise for them to be a regular at number nine.

As per TEAMtalk, Chelsea may have identified their man. The report goes that Chelsea have made contacts with Benjamin Sesko ahead of a potential 2025 move.

With RB Leipzig already knocked out of the Champions League after a torrid group phase, Sesko might be looking for a new platform to take his exciting career to the next stage.

The 21-year-old Sesko might have rejected English clubs such as Chelsea in the summer, opting to sharpen his tools in Germany further, but his sights have always been set on a future move to the Premier League.

Chelsea would only be too happy to accommodate. He wouldn’t come cheap, with Arsenal reported to have been quoted upward of £50m for his sale.

What Benjamin Sesko would bring to Chelsea

Described as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Sesko was a hot prospect last season and it’s no surprise that he had earned interest from Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, but then there’s little question that he’s still got plenty of work to do before hitting his apex.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the Slovakian starlet is rangy and powerful, with two-footedness, aerial dominance and technical distinction even leading to comparisons to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

One of Sesko’s greatest strengths is his ability to move with the times and adapt to the system that he is situated within. Even though he’s still young, Sesko has bagged consistently across his four seasons in top-flight football, as you can see via the table below.

As per FBref, Sesko ranks among the top 17% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored (0.60) per 90, with journalist Antonio Mango even hailing him as a “menace of a striker.”

While he would be expected to jockey with Jackson for a regular starting berth at Chelsea, Sesko would bring a differing skillset that could work nicely in conjunction with the Senegalese, for he has won 62% of his aerial duels in the Bundesliga this term, as per Sofascore, and could shape into one of the continent’s finest over the coming years.

There’s no question that he would instantaneously leapfrog the up-and-coming Marc Guiu, who bagged an emphatic hat-trick for the Londoners this week but still has several years of development ahead of him.

Chelsea are storming through the Conference League group stage and Maresca has been able to afford the bulk of his first-team rest each fixture, such is the paltry quality of the lowest-runged continental competition.

But even so, it’s turning out to be a hothouse for Chelsea’s youngsters and fringe players, who can play regularly and hone their craft. Guiu, 18, is certainly benefitting, having joined from Barcelona for a £5m fee in the summer.

Would Sesko’s potential arrival be to the Spaniard’s detriment? It’s unclear, especially with the Stamford Bridge side pushing to be involved in a more distinguished realm of European football next term. A loan move next season or thereafter could be on the cards and might be a fundamental stage of his development at that.

Chelsea have proven themselves to be cutthroat, prioritising the greatness of the whole, and that’s hardly a bad thing, for the Blues are chomping on the fruits of their ambition over the past few dysfunctional years, finally breaking out into the sunlight and turning toward the loftiest prizes.

Guiu has only played once in the Premier League this season, coming off the bench during the opening-day defeat by Manchester City. Sesko, meanwhile, has contributed seven goals and assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances in 24/25. The difference level is stark.

The teenager’s time will come, but Chelsea need an elite-level player to propel Maresca’s team further into the ascendency, and Sesko is the perfect man to rival and potentially even take the lead from Jackson.

Move over Guiu: 8/10 star just showed why he's the "future of Chelsea"

Chelsea extended their dominant winning run against Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League group stage.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 20, 2024

Rob McElhenney missed out on a reunion with Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham as the Hollywood star watched his team beat Burton 3-0 at home.

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• McElhenney missed out on reunion with Reynolds
• Reynolds made rare appearance
• Red Dragons beat Burton 3-0

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a period of absence at SToK Racecourse, Reynolds finally visited the home of Wrexham on Saturday as the Red Dragons thrashed Burton 3-0 in a crucial League One fixture. The Deadpool star was spotted greeting players inside the tunnel as they headed towards the dressing room after getting off the team bus. He later joined fans in the VIP box to cheer on the Welsh side in a game that had a significant role in the club’s ongoing promotion charge.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Reynolds was present for the League One clash, co-owner McElhenney missed out on the reunion as he cheered for his club from the comfort of his home. The American actor praised the player's performance on social media as Wrexham increased their lead over third-placed Wycombe to six points.

• WHAT ROB MCELHENNEY SAID

  On X, McElhenney wrote: "So, so worth getting up early today."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Phil Parkinson's side will be back in action next Saturday as they take on Wigan Athletic in a League One clash.

Everything you need to know about former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher's salary at Atletico Madrid in Spain

Conor Gallagher finally made a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge after spending almost 20 years with the London-based club, including a number loan spells after coming through the club's youth academy.

The English midfielder chose the Spanish capital as his next destination, joining Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid in one of the blockbuster deals of the 2024 summer transfer window.

Gallagher has done a remarkable job so far playing in Spain, justifying the fact that he is one of the highest earners in the Atletico Madrid squad.

Exactly how much does he earn at the Metropolitano, though? GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

*

• Conor Gallagher's wages at Atletico Madrid in numbers

  Under the terms of his current contract with the club, Gallagher earns £144,736 ($189,469) per week, while his annual salary reaches up to £7.5 million ($9.8m), making him the highest earner in the squad after Jan Oblak and Antoine Griezmann, respectively.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Conor Gallagher	English	£144,736	$189,469	£7,526,271	$9,852,395

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  Top earners at Atletico Madrid

  As aforementioned, Oblak, Griezmann and Gallagher acquire the top three spots in the Atletico Madrid wage-bill, respectively.

  At number four comes Spanish fullback Marcos Llorente, while former Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel rounds off the list at number five.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Jan Oblak	Slovenian	£334,983	$438,516	£17,419,136	$22,802,822
  Antoine Griezmann	French	£201,022	$263,152	£10,453,154	$13,683,882
  Conor Gallagher	English	£144,736	$189,469	£7,526,271	$9,852,395
  Marcos Llorente	Spanish	£133,961	$175,364	£6,965,982	$9,118,939
  Axel Witsel	Belgian	£133,961	$175,364	£6,965,982	$9,118,939

• Top earners in La Liga

  Apart from being the highest earner at Atletico, Oblak is also the fourth-highest paid player across the league, while the other Atletico miss out on a spot in the top-five list.

  The top spot belongs to Barcelona's Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski.

  Following him is Real Madrid's own superstar Kylian Mbappe. Taking the third and fifth spots are two more Madrid players, David Alaba and Jude Bellingham.

  Nationality	Nationality	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual Wages USD
  Robert Lewandowski	Polish	£536,006	$701,667	£27,872,290	$36,486,704
  Kylian Mbappe	French	£502,556	$657,879	£26,132,886	$34,209,706
  David Alaba	Austrian	£361,840	$473,673	£18,815,678	$24,630,988
  Jan Oblak	Slovenian	£334,983	$438,516	£17,419,136	$22,802,822
  Jude Bellingham	English	£334,983	$438,516	£17,419,136	$22,802,822

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  Highest paid players in the world

  Despite the impressive wages on offer in the league, none of the top LaLiga earners make it to the top-five earners list globally as Saudi Pro League players heavily dominate the list.

  Leading the charts are former Real Madrid forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema at first and second spot respectively.

  Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez comes in at number three, followed by Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	£3,216,155	$4,210,425	£167,250,468	$218,942,120
  Karim Benzema	Al Ittihad	£1,608,178	$2,105,213	£83,625,234	$109,471,060
  Riyad Mahrez	Al Ahli	£839,469	$1,098,921	£45,652,372	$57,43,893
  Sadio Mane	Al Nassr	£643,271	$842,085	£33,450,094	$43,788,424
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Al Hilal	£558,038	$730,509	£29,017,956	$37,986,458

Aston Villa opened their account in the Premier League for 2025 with a 2-1 victory over Leicester City, which would have been a welcome result come full-time after drawing their final clash of 2024 in the league.

But, the game would have felt far nervier for the Villans fans watching on when you consider their side’s leakiness reared its ugly head once more, having conceded to a Foxes team who had just two shots on target all afternoon and are lingering near the foot of the division.

Therefore, Emery must surely be using this January transfer window as a way to bolster his options defensively, with this high profile loan signing now rumoured.

Aston Villa enquire about wantaway defender

As per a report by French outlet L’Equipe, Villa have now enquired about signing wantaway Paris St. Germain centre-back Milan Skriniar this month on loan, with the Slovakian defender wanting to leave PSG due to a lack of first-team chances.

Villa are joined by Tottenham Hotspur in their pursuit of the ex-Inter Milan brute according to the report, as Ange Postecoglou attempts to solve his side’s own defensive woes, with Skriniar reportedly keen on playing in the Premier League in the near future away from the French capital.

There will also likely be an option for Emery’s men to make the deal permanent, with a hope that the 6 foot 2 star could be another loan success for Villa away from a major titan like Philippe Coutinho proved to be, before falling down the pecking order in the West Midlands when he joined the club for good from Barcelona.

Why Skriniar could be Coutinho 2.0

Obviously, in the minds of Villa fans now, the deal to bring in the Brazilian attacking midfielder was a major flop, considering the expensive 32-year-old has since been discarded to Vasco De Gama on loan.

But, once upon a time, the ex-Liverpool man was a loved figure by all at Villa Park, with five goals and three assists picked up during his debut campaign after arriving from Barcelona on an initial temporary deal in January 2022.

With hindsight now very much on their side, the Villans might not have subsequently forked out £17m though, with Coutinho only managing one more goal contribution since.

Emery will just pray that Skriniar can come in and be similarly impactful in the short-term – away from worrying about issues regarding tieing him down to a permanent stay – with Villa in dire need of more resolute bodies defensively with Pau Torres now sidelined and their record at the back this season not being particularly rosy.

By three goals more, Villa have conceded the most goals in the current top ten of the Premier League at a worrying 32, with the injury-stricken Torres only keeping two clean sheets from 18 top-flight outings.

Therefore, Skriniar could come to the rescue to help Emery’s men shut up shop more effectively, having actually kept a clean sheet on his last appearance for PSG in Ligue 1 before pushing for a move away.

At the peak of his powers in the Serie A too, Skriniar would make his all defensive hard work look easy, with the 2021/22 season for Inter seeing him average a cool and composed 92% pass accuracy per league contest, whilst also showing off his fierce approach aerially by winning 3.9 duels on average.

Italian football writer Jerry Mancini would even label the Slovak as “incredible” when he was regularly battling away at Inter, with the well-thought-of defender – who journalist Siavoush Fallahi also previously dubbed a “monster” – a presence that could be transformative for a ropey Villa defence.

Of course, this could all prove to be too good to be true much like Coutinho – with the defender’s steep £263k-per-week salary an easy target for concern – but Villa might well deem snapping up this fresh centre-back as a risk worth taking.

Aston Villa chasing a bigger talent than Malen who's a "future superstar"

The Villans are looking to bolster their attack

By
Joe Nuttall

Jan 8, 2025

Fair to say, it’s been an eventful week at Everton.

On Thursday, mere hours before their FA Cup tie at home to Peterborough United, it was announced that Sean Dyche had been sacked, leaving Leighton Baines and club captain Séamus Coleman in caretaker charge, overseeing an unspectacular 2-0 victory.

Remarkably, this is the first time any Premier League club have sacked their manager on the day of a game, prior to kick off, for 30 years.

Then, on Saturday morning, it was confirmed that David Moyes had returned, 13 years after leaving Merseyside for Manchester United, having overseen a whopping 518 matches during his first spell in charge.

With the Toffees currently 16th in the Premier League table, a mere one point clear of the relegation zone, reinforcements are needed, but could the first arrival of the second Moyes-era be imminent?

Everton want to bolster their forward line

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Everton are ‘in talks’ with Olympique Lyonnais over the signing of Ernest Nuamah.

Meanwhile, reports from France on social media claim the deal is only ‘one step away’ with an ‘agreement almost reached between the different parties.’

Numah joined Lyon from Danish Superligaen side Nordsjælland for a reported €30m in 2023, suggesting the Blues are unlikely to get him on the cheap.

However, as noted by Colin Millar, Matt Slater and Matt Woosnam of the Athletic, les Gones have been provisionally relegated from Ligue 1 “following an audit of their finances”, informed they must “satisfactorily improve their financial situation before the end of this season”.

As a result, Nuamah appears set to be sacrificed, although no Everton supporter should consider this a done deal until he has officially put pen to paper.

Transfer Focus

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

That’s because, in the summer, Nuamah was reportedly on the verge of joining Fulham, only to “vanish” part-way through his medical, after breaking down in tears, declaring his love for OL and refusing to move to West London, with American owner John Texter subsequently forced to send an apology letter to the Cottagers.

Fair to say, the Toffees will be hoping to avoid similar complications.

How Ernest Nuamah compares to Dwight McNeil

Ghanian commentator George Addo Jnr on Twitter describes his compatriot as “some talent”, with journalist Owuraku Ampofo adding that he is “a fantastic dribbler”.

Wesley Mak of Opta’s The Analyst labels him as “a multi-functional forward” capable of playing anywhere across the front three, comparing him to West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, another Ghanian attacker who began his career at the world-renowned Right to Dream Academy.

Well, considering Everton are the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers this season, ranked rock-bottom for xG, the Blues need all the attacking reinforcement they can get, but how does Nuamah compare to their joint-top scorer Dwight McNeil?

The table outlines that these two wingers are stylistically very different.

McNeil is much more a creator, hence why he’s accumulated significantly more assists and expected assists while, last season, only eight players across Europe’s “top five” leagues put in more crosses than his 229; Dyche-ball at its finest.

Meanwhile, Nuamah is much more of a dribbler, registering more take-ons and progressive carries, with the Ghanian significantly more of a goal threat, bagging 15 goals during his final campaign at Nordsjælland, on target against such illustrious opponents as Paris Saint-Germain and Eintracht Frankfurt since making to move to Lyon.

Well, considering Everton have scored nil during eight of their last ten Premier League outings, failing to find the net in a whopping 39% of the league games Dyche took charge of, Nuamah will certainly be a welcome addition for all Evertonians.

Could be an awful Lookman repeat: £100k-p/w Everton star in talks to leave

Everton could be set to sell one of their highest earners this month

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 13, 2025

Ex-England star Teddy Sheringham believes Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane could join Chelsea or Aston Villa if he returns to the Premier League.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Kane flying high for Bayern
• Told he is the "finished article"
• Backed to join Chelsea or Villa

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Tottenham and Manchester United forward Sheringham has stated that Kane, 31, still has two to three years left in him at the "top level" and that Chelsea or Villa could make a move for him. He added that the England captain is the "finished article" and will not be short of offers.

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  WHAT SHERINGHAM SAID

  He told : "There'll still be a lot of clubs that will be looking at Harry Kane in the Premier League. He's the finished article and you're still going to get two, maybe three years out of Harry Kane at the top level, the way I see it. I think Chelsea could go for him, Nicolas Jackson has done alright but Kane is the very highest level. You’re also looking at a team like Aston Villa, they might want to go a step further. He is a top player and the finished article, he can give you two or three years so teams will go for him. He is a commodity that people want."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Kane's Bayern contract runs until 2027, the former Tottenham ace does have a release clause in his deal. The Three Lions skipper has repeatedly said he is happy at the German giants but has not ruled out a Premier League return one day. For the time being, he is on the cusp of winning his first-ever trophy as the Bavarians inch towards the Bundesliga title.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Transfer speculation aside, Kane could feature for Bayern at home to Mainz on Saturday in the Bundesliga. If results go their way, they could be crowned champions this weekend.