In January 2022, Manchester City agreed a deal to sign Argentine forward Julian Alvarez from River Plate, one that saw him remain in Buenos Aires until the end of the European season and join in the summer.
In January, Pep Guardiola's side reached a similar agreement with the Primera Division side, this time for midfielder Claudio Echeverri. Echeverri will stay in his homeland until the end of the year, and then Guardiola will have the option to integrate him into his first-team squad from January.
Now the reigning Premier League champions are finalising another move ahead of the 2024/25 season, with Savio set to join from City Football Group club Troyes. There were bids from other clubs in England as well as teams in Germany, but he'll be moving to the Etihad instead.
Savio deal timeline emerges
Fabrizio Romano has now provided a new update on City's move for Savio, confirming that the deal will be done and dusted by the end of February – within the next three weeks.
The two parties are drawing up the relevant documents, and once they're signed, Savio will be clear to join up with his new club for pre-season training in July.
"Beautiful" Savio can become complete under Guardiola
Savio first joined the CFG in 2022 when he moved from Atletico Mineiro to French club Troyes, and he was subsequently loaned to PSV, where he only played eight first-team games. This year, though, he's enjoyed a breakout season at Girona, starting 22 out of 23 La Liga games for the surprise title-chasers.
Man City could now lose player with "great qualities" this week
Another European club “want to sign” him and their transfer window is still open.
ByHenry Jackson Feb 5, 2024
He's scored seven goals in all competitions – five in the league and a couple more on his side's run to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals – but it's his assist numbers that really standout. In the entire Spanish top-flight, only Real Madrid's Toni Kroos is able to match them.
La Liga most assists 2023/24
Rank
Player
Club
Assists
=1
Savio
Girona
7
=1
Toni Kroos
Real Madrid
7
=3
Alex Baena
Villarreal
6
=3
Antoine Griezmann
Atletico Madrid
6
=3
Yan Couto
Girona
6
=3
Nico Williams
Athletic Club
6
Savio also leads La Liga for successful take-ons (62) and sits second for carries into the penalty area (47), so he has all the ingredients to become a complete winger, especially under the tutelage of a manager like Guardiola.
Barcelona sporting director Deco may have hoped to sign him, having publicly marveled at his "beautiful" playing style and "technical quality", but City have flexed their muscles to strike an exciting deal.
Surrey sprung a surprise during the final session of the day to round up eight Kent wickets for just 91 runs
Daniel Norcross at Beckenham21-May-2019
Sean Dickson is congratulated on his hundred•Getty Images
In deciding on the readiness of young players to compete at the highest level, it is often said “if they’re good enough, they’re old enough”. Seldom though do you hear people opining that “if he’s good enough, he’s young enough”. In the 41-year-old Gareth Batty and the 37-year-old Rikki Clarke, Surrey quite definitely possess two of the more mature players on the circuit; yet they are both very much young enough.With this match drifting listlessly to what already seemed an inevitable high-scoring draw, Surrey’s gnarled old pros, longer in the tooth than your average walrus, broke the game open with a pair of interventions after tea.On Monday, it was Darren Stevens assuming the role of Yoda. This time, with Kent cruising comfortably at 227 for 2 on a placid pitch offering nothing to the bowlers since before lunch on day one, it was Batty to whom Rory Burns turned, much as Princess Leia did to Obi Wan Kenobi.Batty was, it seemed, Surrey’s “last hope”. The pitch was offering little by way of turn, but Batty summoned his most seductive Jedi mind tricks in assuring first Heino Kuhn and then Ollie Robinson the very next delivery that “these are the balls you are looking to edge”. Two arm balls, albeit with a little more bounce than either batsman was expecting, assisted by two very sharp Ben Foakes catches had suddenly thrown this somnolent, soporific match wide open.Wiaan “agent” Mulder came in to face the hat-trick ball but knew “the truth was out there”, just on a length outside off stump and spoiled the fun with the middle of a stoutly defensive bat.What Mulder didn’t see coming was the leaping left hand of Will Jacks at gully who dived impossibly far to snatch the ball an inch off the ground to an audible collective gasp from this now thoroughly engaged crowd. Jacks repeated the trick in the first over of a new spell from Clarke to remove Alex Blake, and when Stevens, who had survived two mighty close shouts for lbw off Clarke was finally put out of his misery by umpire Graham Lloyd, Kent had lost five wickets for 33 runs.All the while, Sean Dickson, who scored 318 the last time Kent played a first-class fixture at Beckenham, was looking on aghast from the other end. Just three hours earlier he and Zak Crawley had been busy compiling an untroubled, and often attractive opening stand of 128.Crawley really does look the real deal. Against a seam attack of Morne Morkel, Clarke, Sam Curran and the distinctly brisk Conor Mckerr, he appeared to have all the time in the world. Granted, there was little happening off the pitch, and neither did it swing, much to the surprise of the odd luminary in the commentary box, but there are few more testing attacks than Surrey’s and it came as a surprise when he was spectacularly castled by Clarke for 63, pushing out at a ball he should have been defending and losing his middle and off stumps in the process.Just as Clarke had sprung that first surprise, it was down to Batty to deliver the second when he too removed the middle stump, this time of Daniel Bell-Drummond who was attempting to run the ball down through third man. It was both too close to him and way too full. An ugly drag back ensued. Those Jedi mind tricks again. Frustration, disappointment and unfulfillment again from a player who has promised so much for years, at least since that terrific hundred against the touring Australians in 2015.The second new ball was taken as soon as it was available. Curran immediately accounted for Dickson, getting him caught strangled down the leg side to end an unspectacular but highly efficient innings from the opener in rather unfortunate circumstances. The last two wickets soon followed, the final one to another quite brilliant catch from Jacks at short leg to give Morkel his only wicket. Surrey’s catching had been exemplary, even spectacular on occasion.One bad session had produced eight wickets for just 91 runs. What at one time looked like a possible first-innings lead had resulted in a deficit of 145 runs. It is frequently the challenge for promoted sides to maintain intensity across the full duration of a match in this highly competitive top tier. Kent’s squad in large part lack Division One experience. Experience, though, is something Surrey have in abundance, and Batty and Clarke were quite simply the difference. Young enough? You bet.
أعلن مكرم دبوب المدير الفني لمنتخب فلسطين عن تشكيل لاعبيه في مباراة اليوم أمام كوريا الجنوبية والتي تجمع بينهما ضمن تصفيات آسيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.
ويحل منتخب فلسطين ضيفًا على نظيره كوريا الجنوبية بملعب “سول” ضمن مواجهات المجموعة الثانية.
ويتواجد منتخب فلسطين في المجموعة الثانية التي تضم إلى جواره منتخبات عمان وكوريا الجنوبية والأردن والعراق والكويت.
طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة فلسطين وكوريا الجنوبية اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم.. والمعلق
الجدير بالذكر، أن منافسات الدور الثالث من تصفيات قارة آسيا تقام بحضور 18 فريقًا تم تقسيهم على ثلاث مجموعات، بواقع 6 فرق في كل مجموعة.
ويتأهل صاحبا الصدارة والوصافة من كل مجموعة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم مباشرة، فيما يصعد أصحاب المركزين الثالث والرابع للمرحلة الرابعة من المنافسات.
وشهد تشكيل منتخب فلسطين مشاركة وسام أبو علي مهاجم فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي، والذي تألق مع القلعة الحمراء في الموسم المنقضي وحقق لقب الهداف بالدوري المصري.
كما تواجد عمر فرج المهاجم المحتمل انضمامه إلى صفوف الزمالك خلال الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، على دكة البدلاء. تشكيل فلسطين اليوم أمام كوريا الجنوبية
حراسة المرمى: رامي حمادة.
خط الدفاع: ميلاد تيرمانيني، كاميلو سالدانا، ياسر حمد، مصعب البطاط.
خط الوسط: عطاء جابر، جوناثان زوريلا، عدي خروب، عميد ماهجنا.
وفي الهجوم: وسام أبو علي، تامر صيام، عدي الدباغ. بدلاء فلسطين أمام كوريا الجنوبية
براء خروب، توفيق علي، محمد درويش، علي ربعي، محمد باسم، موسى فيراوي، محمود أبو وردة، سامر زبيدي، زيد القنبر، سامر الجندي، عمر فرج.
عقد رئيس نادي برشلونة، خوان لابورتا، مؤتمراً صحفياً اليوم داخل قاعة المؤتمرات بالنادي الكتالوني للرد على أسئلة الصحفيين.
وأجاب لابورتا على عدة أمور تخص النادي الكتالوني سواء من الناحية الاقتصادية أو الجانب الرياضي للنادي.
اقرأ ايضاً.. برشلونة يتلقى ضربة موجعة في التوقف الدولي بإصابة لاعب جديد
وقال خوان لابورتا: “منذ 3 سنوات، كان هناك خطر على النادي، لأنه لم تكن هناك سيطرة. لقد كنا موضع ثقة، وعملنا من أجل التعافي الاقتصادي، واستعادة برشلونة للهيبة المؤسسية، وتعزيز لاماسيا، تم إنجاز العمل والشكر إلى الأشخاص الذين وثقوا بنا”.
وأضاف لابورتا: “جميع أعضاء برشلونة شكلوا جبهة موحدة للتغلب على الهجمات القادمة من كل مكان على النادي، الاعتداءات ستستمر، مثل قضية نيجريرا التي تظهر أحيانًا، لكن العدالة تثبت أننا على حق في كل مرة”.
وأكد رئيس برشلونة: “العلاقات مع ريال مدريد سيئة، لقد تدخلوا في قضية نيجريرا وهذا غير مقبول. هناك أيضًا دعاوى قضائية ضد الصحفيين”.
وعن هانز فليك: “نحن سعداء للغاية بالمدرب الذي لدينا. إنه محترف رائع للغاية. فخور وسعيد أيضًا بالفريق الذي لدينا. وأيضًا مع لاماسيا، وهو الدليل الذي قلناه في الحملة الانتخابية. إنه محور مشروعنا الرياضي وأصادق عليه”.
وتابع لابورتا: “نحن سعداء جدًا بديكو وعمله. ديكو هو السبب وراء تعيين هانسي فليك كمدرب لنا وقد قام بعمل رائع”.
وواصل لابورتا: “نحن نطلب من فليك استمرارية العمل والاحترافية، أن يكون المدرب الذي يعيش يوماً بيوم، مع كل هذه القوة، نطلب منه أن يقدم لنا كرة القدم التي نحب، نحن متفقون على ذلك، وهو يضع الأسس لتحقيق هذه الأهداف”.
وقال لابورتا حول ميركاتو برشلونة الصيفي: “نحن راضون جدًا عما فعلناه في السوق، كان أولمو هو الأولوية وأخبرنا ديكو أنه سيحسن الفريق وقد حققنا ذلك وأنا سعيد جدًا بوجوده في الفريق وأيضًا بأدائه”.
وأشار لابورتا: “تشافي شخص أقدره كثيرًا. اعتقدت جنبًا إلى جنب مع زملائي في مجلس الإدارة، أنه كان علينا إعطاء الفريق دفعة جديدة. كان هذا قرار النادي”.
وأكد لابورتا: “لدينا فريق ذو قيمة سوقية أكبر بكثير مما كان لدينا في عام 2021، وتم تخفيض متوسط العمر، وتم اتباع مبدأ النظر إلى لا ماسيا أولاً”.
وأوضح قائلاُ: “عقد نايكي سيكون الأعلى في العالم، وأريد أن أعلن أننا أنهينا العام المالي 23-24 بنتيجة إيجابية. حققنا رقمًا قياسيًا تاريخيًا من حيث الرعاة والإيرادات مع BLM”.
وكشف: “في النهاية، لم نرغب في توقيع عقد القميص مع نايكي كي لا نتسرع، لأننا كنا بالفعل نمتلك العرض على الطاولة، ولكننا أردنا الاستمرار في تحسينه. رأينا أن لدينا صيغًا أخرى لتسجيل اللاعبين ونحن في عملية تحسينه، ولكن يمكنني أن أعلن الآن أننا سنحصل على أفضل عقد في عالم كرة القدم”.
وعن موعد العودة إلى كامب نو أشار لابورتا: “في نهاية العام لكنني لا أريد تحديد تواريخ، نحن مقتنعون بأن هذا حقيقة واقعة ونتقدم بشكل جيد على الرغم من العقبات التي نتغلب عليها، نأمل أن نتمكن بحلول نهاية العام من اللعب، بسبب اللعب في مونتجويك خسرنا 100 مليون يورو”.
وعن السوبرليج أكد لابورتا: “السوبرليج لا يزال في حالته الحالية. وبهذا المعنى يتم العمل حتى يمكن إطلاقه. حقيقة وجوده تجعل الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم يتحرك وتم توزيع 500 مليون يورو إضافية بين الأندية”.
Arsenal believe that an Olympic gold medallist would be the ideal signing for manager Mikel Arteta, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Edu making 2024 transfer plans at Arsenal
Both sporting director Edu and Arteta, who famously work in tandem to identify transfer targets, are now in full preparation for the looming January transfer window.
"Keep an eye" – Reporter teases Arsenal move for Aguero-esque £20m striker
He’s been likened to Man City’s all-time top goalscorer.
ByEmilio Galantini Dec 21, 2023
Arsenal are in good stead when it comes to their Premier League form, sitting top of the table with 12 wins from their opening 17 league games, but injuries to key players are always a lingering concern.
Arteta has just Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus to choose from as his natural striking options right now, while midfielder Thomas Partey has proved unreliable when it comes to his fitness this term.
As per a recent report from The Independent, Arsenal are looking to sign a new midfielder and striker in January, as they attempt to solve a few of these glaring issues.
Ivan Toney
20/12/2023
Boulaye Dia
16/12/2023
Dusan Vlahovic
30/11/2023
Marcos Leonardo
24/11/2023
Santiago Gimenez
28/10/2023
The Gunners are reported favourites to sign Brentford star Ivan Toney as one option, with the Englishman looking like he'll be front and centre to one of January's most gripping transfer sagas.
Meanwhile, in terms of the midfield, one player who's been very regularly mentioned is Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz.
The Brazilian has starred under Unai Emery at Villa Park this season, making 16 appearances while scoring five goals and assisting two others. Luiz, according to WhoScored, is one of Villa's best-performing players per 90, with Arsenal taking real note of his exploits.
Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz
Recent reports have suggested that Arsenal are set to push for the former Man City ace in 2024, with Edu in particular being a big fan.
Fabrizio Romano shares "information" on Luiz
In his latest Daily Briefing column with CaughtOffside, reliable journalist Romano has added some more detail on the club's interest.
It is claimed that Arsenal are huge admirers of Luiz overall and believe he's simply "perfect" for Arteta, but a move may be very difficult to pull off in January as Villa are not exactly keen to do a deal.
“Fans have been mentioning latest reports on Douglas Luiz and talks over a move to the Emirates Stadium, but my information remains the same," said Romano.
"Arsenal like Douglas, he’s considered the perfect player for their ideas in midfield, but Aston Villa have no plans to sell. No changes so far, despite rumours.”
Luiz, who won an Olympic gold medal with Brazil in 2020, has been a real gamechanger for Emery and it was always a tall order to prise him away during a crucial season for Villa.
There is little doubting he'd reinforce Arteta's midfield to no end, but the Spaniard may have to wait till later in 2024 to strike a move.
Aggie Beever-Jones, Maika Hamano and Kadeisha Buchanan were all on the scoresheet for the reigning champions as they responded to Sunday's FA Cup exit
Chelsea will go into their huge Women's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on a high after goals from Aggie Beever-Jones, Maika Hamano and Kadeisha Buchanan saw the Blues beat Aston Villa 3-0 to return to the top of the Women's Super League table.
It was always going to be tough for Villa to get a result on Wednesday, but that difficult task quickly became near-impossible when goalkeeper Anna Leat was sent off for handball with less than four minutes played. Sjoeke Nusken was alert to a sloppy pass and her first-time shot caused Leat to panic and dive to save, despite being well out of her box.
It took less than 15 minutes for Chelsea to take advantage, Niamh Charles' cross and Beever-Jones' clever finish capping a nice team move, and it was two before the break when Hamano met Ashley Lawrence's delivery at the back post for her first goal for the club.
The Blues added to that lead just past the hour when Kadeisha Buchanan converted Catarina Macario's corner, and that sealed a win which took the reigning champions back to the top of the table and saw them bounce back from two cup defeats in quick succession ahead of Saturday's huge European tie.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Hannah Hampton (6/10):
Had one real save to make at the end of the game and handled the situation well to preserve her clean sheet.
Ashley Lawrence (7/10):
Got forward well. Showed great strength before delivering the teasing ball for Hamano's goal.
Kadeisha Buchanan (8/10):
Held down the fort when Carter got forward and did some good defending from the front when further up the pitch, too. Great header to make it three.
Jess Carter (7/10):
Sensed opportunities to join the attack and took them, her driving runs from defence causing Villa another issue.
Niamh Charles (7/10):
Was a great outlet down the left all night and whipped in the cross which Beever-Jones turned into the opening goal.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield
Sophie Ingle (7/10):
Kept everything ticking over nicely from the base of the midfield, with her pass to Kirby in the build-up to the first goal a particular highlight.
Sjoeke Nusken (7/10):
Read play well all night, most notably to pounce on Corsie's poor pass and produce the shot that led to Leat's sending off. Should've had a goal or two with the positions she got herself in.
Fran Kirby (8/10):
Most of what Chelsea did well went through her. Classy display.
GettyAttack
Aggie Beever-Jones (8/10):
Really clever finish to break the deadlock. Set the tone for another strong display in which she caused Villa problems.
Catarina Macario (8/10):
So much to like about this performance on her first start for the club. Positioning, movement off the ball and how she contributed to the build-up play was all superb, while her consistently good set-pieces got her an assist.
Maika Hamano (8/10):
A livewire on the left, linking up well with Charles to really test Villa's right-hand side. Deserved her goal and showed good instincts to get it.
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GettySubs & Manager
Guro Reiten (6/10):
Replaced Charles in an unfamiliar left-back role before the hour but didn't create a weak link. Supported the attack while also doing her defensive duties well.
Mayra Ramirez (6/10):
Had 20 minutes or so to make an impact and had some bright moments without adding to the score.
Erin Cuthbert (6/10):
On at the same time as Ramirez and was immediately looking to make things happen, ensuring there was no drop in energy.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (N/A):
On for the final few minutes.
Emma Hayes (8/10):
Her rotation allowed some players to rest ahead of the Barca clash, it gave others well-earned starts and, above all, got her team the win they needed.
Arsenal have reportedly made an approach to sign a club's striker likened to Gabriel Jesus, during talks for another one of their "monster" players.
Arteta's transfer plans for 2024
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu are apparently planning to shore up two main areas of the squad next year – centre-midfield and the striker area.
Thomas Partey's injury woes this season, coupled with rumours the Ghanaian could even leave in January, have apparently motivated Arsenal to look at alternative options for 2024.
Aston Villa star Dougla Luiz is attracting interest from Arteta yet again, while Brazilian midfielder Andre is also admired by Arsenal in their search for more midfield options.
"The Partey situation, in terms of having to replace him, has been in the background at Arsenal for a year now," said reporter Dean Jones to GiveMeSport recently.
"So the club definitely have targets identified at varying levels of cost that they can turn to. Andre is an interesting one here because there definitely has been attention dedicated to his situation and if he is going to make a move, it makes sense that it will be in January because of the way the calendar works in Brazilian football.
"There is the obvious link of Edu that connects Arsenal and the Brazilian, so that could prove helpful and he certainly seems more attainable than the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Douglas Luiz in the January window."
Amid Arsenal's hunt for a new midfield man, reports also suggest a new striker joining is very possible in 2024.
Brentford star Ivan Toney is repeatedly linked with a move to north London as one example, coming as Arteta has just Jesus and Eddie Nketiah to turn to as natural options right now.
Summer signing Kai Havertz was brought in as a makeshift option, but the German has come under criticism at times for not exactly firing on all cylinders.
Arsenal make approach for Matheus Reis
The north Londoners, according to a report by Calciomercato.it, are broadening their search for a new target man to outside of Europe. Indeed, it is believed Arsenal have made an approach for Matheus Reis of Fluminese, during talks over signing Andre.
The young forward, who Calciomercato.it likened to Jesus and Marcos Leonardo, has a £44 million release clause in his contract with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City all asking for information on Reis.
The £44m figure in his exit clause is one that doesn't scare the quartet of English sides, according to this report, with the suggestion being they're all willing to pay this fee. Either way, Arsenal have been urged to sign a striker, with former defender Mikael Silvestre saying it would provide a much-needed balance. The ex-Gunner told GGRecon (via The Express):
"Right now you have Eddie Nketiah at the club alongside Gabriel Jesus, but signing a third striker could present them with a luxury that could be useful at this level, especially when you consider the amount of games that Arsenal could potentially play this season."
Aston Villa's rise to prominence in recent seasons has been astonishing, from hanging onto their Premier League status on the final day in 2020 to finishing seventh by the end of the 2022/23 campaign and earning a spot in this season's Europa Conference League group stage.
However, player recruitment has arguably been the most impressive component of Villa's success. It took a couple of years to get right but Villa are now seeing their intelligent acquisitions in the transfer market bearing fruit.
The likes of Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa, Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara were signed for relatively cheap and have become mainstays in the first-team.
Nevertheless, the club have also invested in talent for the future and one player in particular is knocking on Unai Emery's door looking for a regular first-team spot.
How much Aston Villa signed Jhon Duran for
The Midlands club managed to win the race for Chicago Fire starlet Jhon Duran last January after the teenage sensation found the net eight times in 27 MLS appearances. Additionally, Duran had registered 14 goal contributions in 28 games in all competitions with the Fire, which is quite an impressive feat for such a young player, and even earned himself three caps for Colombia.
Duran had been tipped for stardom for a number of years before the striker made his way to Villa Park, having been named on The Guardian's list of the top 60 best youngsters in the world in 2020 during his time with Envigado back home.
English giants Liverpool were even linked with Duran at one point but it was Emery's emerging army that won the race in the end, completing his move to Aston Villa for a fee worth up to £17.5m.
The youngster featured just 12 times in his debut half-season in English football and failed to bag a single goal. However, the Colombian still earned himself huge plaudits from the likes of TV pundit Clinton Morrison, who admitted that Duran looks "outstanding".
Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran.
Jhon Duran's stats this season
Already this season, Duran has outperformed his tally from the previous term. The 19-year-old has converted four times in 11 appearances under Emery this season, including twice in the Premier League, although Duran has yet to start a single game for Villa in the top flight in the current campaign. All six of his appearances in the league have been as a substitute.
Recently, Duran came off the bench during a home game against Crystal Palace with the game locked at 1-0 to the visitors. The starlet scored a sensational half-volley which sparked a 3-1 comeback for the hosts.
The rest of his goals have come in the Europa League, but it's now time for Emery to start trusting the expensive, young attacker to start games in the league and the Spanish coach could push Duran up the pecking order surprisingly above summer signing Moussa Diaby.
Emery has often opted to deploy a 4-4-2 this season, with Diaby or Leon Bailey being utilised in a front two alongside Ollie Watkins. However, despite Diaby receiving three times more minutes than Duran this season, the latter has scored more goals and has statistically performed better for Villa when it comes to overall threat inside the penalty box.
Goals
1.2
0.24
Expected Goals
0.66
0.25
Assists
0
0.24
Expected Assists
0
0.20
Shots
4.8
2.28
Shots On Target
2
1.1
Key Passes
1
2.05
Touches In Penalty Area
6.5
5.73
Carries In The Final 1/3
1.5
1.2
Stats via FBref.
Duran is more of a goalscorer as opposed to a creator but has been much deadlier in the final third than Diaby this season despite the Frenchman being signed during the summer for £51.9m. Starting Duran would also ease the burden off Watkins to score Villa's goals and could make the Midlands even more potent up top than they already are.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are currently enjoying a strong run of form as they completed a fourth match without defeat in succession on Saturday.
Gary O'Neil's side battled back to secure a spirited 2-2 draw at home to Champions League side Newcastle United at Molineux, with goals from Mario Lemina and Hee-chan Hwang earning a point for the team.
The Old Gold had beaten Manchester City and Bournemouth – both by a 2-1 scoreline – either side of a 1-1 draw with Midlands rivals Aston Villa prior to last weekend's clash.
However, they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League – in 12th – and have lost more matches (four) than they have won (three) as it stands, which suggests that there is still plenty of room to improve.
Gary O'Neil takes Wolves to Selhurst Park on Sunday
The January transfer window is around two months away from opening for business and O'Neil is reportedly already looking at potential signings to bolster his squad.
Sunderland star Jack Clarke is a reported target for the club ahead of the second half of the campaign and the manager could land his new Pedro Neto in a swoop to sign the former Tottenham Hotspur prodigy at the start of next year.
Wolves' interest in Jack Clarke
TEAMtalk recently claimed that Wolves are one of a number of Premier League interested in a deal to sign the talented maestro during the next window.
Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Burnley, Brentford, and Brighton are all also said to be keen on the English sensation, with Palace and Brighton said to be ready to push on with a move for the ace.
The report also stated that the Clarets made multiple attempts to sign Clarke during the summer transfer window as the Black Cats rejected their offers for his services, one of which came to £10m.
Sunderland forward Jack Clarke.
This indicates that O'Neil would face serious competition for the English wizard if they decide to press on and make a swoop for him, as a host of top-flight clubs appear to be lining up to welcome him to their stadium.
It remains to be seen exactly how much it would take for Wolves to secure his services on a permanent basis in January but his form at Championship level this season suggests that he has the potential to be a fantastic signing, if the price is relatively reasonable.
Jack Clarke's statistics this season
The right-footed dynamo has been a consistently brilliant performer for Tony Mowbray's side so far this season and is proving himself to be an outstanding performer in the second tier.
He has showcased his terrific ability to punish opposition teams with his goalscoring ability from a left wing position. No other Championship player has scored as many goals (nine) as Clarke has this term, which illustrates how impressive he has been in front of goal.
Sofascore rating
10
Goals
One
Assists
One
Penalties won
One
Key passes
Five
Dribbles completed
Eight
Clarke's most recent performance for Sunderland (via Sofascore)
To be the top goalscorer in the league in spite of playing out wide shows that the Sunderland star can provide a significant and consistent goal threat in support of a number nine, which could take the scoring burden off his starting centre-forward.
The flying winger has racked up his nine league strikes from 6.01 xG (Expected Goals) and this shows that the standard of his finishing has been impressively high, as he has overperformed based on the quality of chances that his teammates have provided him with.
Clarke has only registered one Championship assist in his 14 appearances during the 2023/24 campaign but that is not a fair reflection on the creative quality the gem has produced out wide.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke.
The 22-year-old magician has created four 'big chances' and accumulated 3.01 xA (Expected Assists) to go along with 2.1 key passes per game across those 14 games.
This suggests that his Sunderland teammates have let him down in front of goal as they have not been able to make the most of the fantastic opportunities that the star forward has been able to create for them.
Clarke, who journalist Josh Bunting hailed as "unplayable" and able to play passes that are a "nightmare" to defend against, has also showcased his eye-catching dribbling ability.
The 5 foot 11 nightmare ranks within the top 1% of Championship wingers for progressive carries (8.04) and successful take-ons (3.39) per 90 this season, which shows that he is an outstanding dribbler who can constantly cause problems for opposition defenders.
His aforementioned statistics also show that he has the ability to punish teams with goals and assists at the end of his surging runs, rather than having the drive without the end product.
Therefore, Clarke could be O'Neil's next version of Portuguese forward Neto, who has enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2023/24 campaign with the Old Gold.
Pedro Neto's performances this season
The 23-year-old talent has been a menace to opposition defences at Premier League level this term with a whopping seven assists in ten appearances.
Interestingly, though, Neto has only created 2.63 xA to earn those seven assists, which is less than Clarke has racked up for Sunderland despite having one assist to his name.
This suggests that his Wolves teammates have been clinical in front of goal as they have been able to outperform the quality of chances that the Portuguese youngster has provided them with.
Pedro Neto
The former Lazio man has only scored one goal in those ten outings and could take the next step in his development by improving his output in that area of his game.
However, his return of eight goal contributions in ten matches is an impressive one, as he has averaged a goal or assist every 1.25 games on average. Meanwhile, Clarke has managed one every 1.4 outings with his nine goals and one assist in 14 Championship appearances for Sunderland.
Therefore, O'Neil could land another winger who has the ability to score or assist goals on a regular basis to bolster his attacking options for the second half of the season by securing a deal for Clarke.
Although it remains to be seen whether or not the English gem will be able to translate to Premier League level, his sensational form this term suggests that it is a gamble worth taking.
As they did in the T20 series, India have taken an early lead on the back of some magic from Kuldeep Yadav and will be confident of inflicting a rare home series defeat on England
The Preview by Andrew McGlashan13-Jul-20182:13
Dasgupta: Buttler must bat higher up the order
Big PictureIs this looming as a summer of torment by spin for England? The signs are heading that way. The weather continues to be hot, the pitches are dry and there are some masterful tweakers in the opposition. Eoin Morgan was putting on a brave face after his side succumbed to Kuldeep Yadav for the second time in a couple of weeks – and there is an element of truth in his comments that England won’t see many of his style – but they need a swift response at Lord’s.They showed it was possible during the T20 series, winning Cardiff after Kuldeep’s matchwinning haul at Old Trafford, with such effectiveness that Kuldeep didn’t play the deciding match in Bristol. How India manage their new wunderkind will be fascinating; he has the potential to cause all manner of problems.But it wasn’t only the impact of Kuldeep that was a concern for England. Their formidable record over the last few years has been built on the immense batting that can either set a huge target or chase one down. Now they are facing an opposition who can do the same. Chasing 268 there posed no scoreboard pressure on India, but the way they cantered to victory suggested that another 100 runs would have been well within grasp as well. There has been a challenge laid down to England’s bowlers as well as their batsmen.England will hope that the venues for the next two matches – Lord’s and Headingley – will provide conditions more conducive to them, but they are facing a side who appear to have most bases covered.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first) England LWWWW India WWWLWIn the spotlightBen Stokes has rarely had to work harder for his runs than in Nottingham. His 102-ball fifty was the second slowest by an England player in ODIs since 2001 and by 39 balls Stokes’ slowest in ODIs. Until his reverse sweep against Kuldeep – just as England wanted a late push – he was at least able to survive, even if not always convincingly but could not put the pressure back on India’s bowlers. Some rustiness is to be expected after a lengthy lay-off but England need him to move through the gears quickly.Virat Kohli is a man on a mission this tour – and he’s starting to tick with the bat. His 75 at Trent Bridge included some supreme shots, it was a surprise when he was beaten by a neat legbreak from Adil Rashid and stumped for just the third time in his career. Kohli has only played two previous matches at Lord’s – an ODI in 2011 and a Test 2014 – making 41 runs in three innings. His chance of a defining moment will come in August during the Test series, but do not be surprised if he graces the famous ground with something special this weekend.Teams newsEngland tend not to overreact to a defeat so they could easily go with the same XI. Dawid Malan is now a permanent member of the squad after Alex Hales’ injury while Sam Curran and Jake Ball are there if they want to freshen up the pace attack.England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Mark WoodThe only change India are likely to consider is bringing back Bhuvneshwar Kumar if he has recovered from his back niggle. He would replace Siddarth Kaul.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 KL Rahul, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Siddarth Kaul, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsLord’s generally produces true pitches for one-day cricket although the bowlers can be in the game. England’s last outing there, albeit on a grassy surface that is unlikely to be seen this time, saw then 20 for 6 against South Africa. There was turn on offer in the recent Royal London Cup final. The forecast is for another warm, sunny day.Stats and trivia MS Dhoni remains 33 runs short of 10,000 in ODIs. Kuldeep Yadav needs five wickets to reach 50 in ODIs. If he does it with another five-wicket bag at Lord’s he would become the second fastest man to the milestone (22 matches) after Ajantha Mendis The last time England lost two consecutive ODIs was 35 matches ago in January 2017 when they faced India in Pune and Cuttack; their last ODI series defeat at home was against Australia in 2015Quotes”You have to give credit where it is due, he did bowl well and we need to clarify our plans and commit to them and just be better.” Eoin Morgan on the Kuldeep factor