Chelsea have been told the pros and cons of signing Victor Osimhen, with Emmanuel Petit saying the Nigerian striker “reminds me of Diego Costa”.
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Blues still in the market for a No.9
Linked with Nigerian star for some time
Comapred with Premier League title winner
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues have been in the market for a proven No.9 across several windows. Nicolas Jackson has been filling that role at Stamford Bridge, but questions continue to be asked of the Colombia international – who has nine goals to his name this season in what has been an injury-hit campaign.
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Osimhen has seen a move to Stamford Bridge speculated on for some time, with his impressive strike rate at Napoli and during a loan spell with Turkish giants Galatasaray making him of obvious appeal to teams across Europe.
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Petit is not entirely convinced that the 26-year-old is what Chelsea need, amid questions of his character, but admits that “a fighter” is cut from the same cloth as former Blues frontman Costa – who helped the club to two Premier League titles between 2014 and 2017.
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WHAT EMMANUEL PETIT SAID
Ex-Chelsea midfielder Petit has told : “My concerns with Victor Osimhen would be with his personality and character, it can be a great thing for the team if it fits in, but it can also be difficult in other teams.
“We all know his qualities and what he can bring to the team, he can score goals and bring character, he reminds me of Diego Costa in that sense, he is a fighter. In terms of personality and character it can be a lot, but he is very versatile, but there might just be better options on the market this summer.”
West Ham United have now been told a key condition of them potentially signing Brighton forward Evan Ferguson in January, with multiple reports linking Julen Lopetegui’s side to the Republic of Ireland starlet.
West Ham thrashed 5-2 by Arsenal as Julen Lopetegui faces sack
Lopetegui is a man under ever-increasing pressure, especially after their 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal, with the away side 4-0 up after half an hour after cutting through West Ham like a knife through butter.
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It was a Premier League record-equalling opening 45 minutes of goals, and while West Ham did threaten an exceptional comeback by notching two back, Gunners star Bukayo Saka put the result beyond all doubt with his penalty deep into first period stoppage time.
Lopetegui was left “frustrated” by their lacklustre defending and some of the decisions that went against them, but did praise his players for showing the “character” to compete in stages.
“Overall, I am frustrated with the first-half. We deserved two goals, but they didn’t deserve five,” said Lopetegui on West Ham’s 5-2 defeat to Arsenal.
West Ham’s next five Premier League matches
Date
Leicester City (away)
December 3
Wolves (home)
December 9
Bournemouth (away)
December 16
Brighton (home)
December 21
Southampton (away)
December 26
“We were unlucky in the decisions, in my opinion. The first goal, I think it was a block. We were unlucky. We have to do better for sure. We didn’t make good decisions in a defensive way – that’s why it was a strange match.
“The team showed character to compete. We were unlucky with the decisions today. We asked before the match, the referee with the block, as a coach we have to know the limit.
“This week we have to do better in our individual actions, in a defensive way.”
Lopetegui’s men next face Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City tonight at the King Power Stadium, and it is surely a must-win game for the Spaniard. FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao is now being seriously linked with the West Ham job, and while Hammers chiefs are hesitant to axe Lopetegui so early, there is alarm within the London Stadium over their dismal form right now (The Guardian).
West Ham told Brighton condition of potential Evan Ferguson deal in January
Amidst their on-field struggles, West Ham are planning to sign a striker in January, following Niclas Fullkrug’s struggles with injury since his £27 million arrival from Borussia Dortmund.
Brighton striker Ferguson is on West Ham’s radar heading into January, with reports suggesting the 20-year-old could depart on loan in the winter after falling behind Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro in the Amex pecking order.
GiveMeSport have shared an update on their pursuit of the Irishman, sharing one condition of a potential temporary deal for interested sides, including West Ham.
They write that Brighton are likely to only green-light a straight loan for Ferguson, and they’re not inclined to negotiate a buy option clause, meaning his maximum stay in east London would be for six months.
The Seagulls clearly see a bright future for Ferguson, going by this update, and it is believed they’ve not fully signed off on his January exit just yet – despite his lack of consistent game time under Fabian Hurzeler.
Other reports have claimed that the price tag to sign him permanently would be around £60 million, and it is very debatable whether West Ham could afford that next summer anyway.
A reta final da fase de grupos da Copa do Nordeste está agitada e os clubes brigam para garantir uma vaga no mata-mata.
Em Alagoas, a dupla CRB e CSA dão show dentro das quatro linhas e brigam pela liderança das chaves.
No grupo A, o Fortaleza lidera a competição, com 12 pontos. O CSA vem logo atrás com 11 pontos. Nos próximos dois jogos, o Azulão precisa vencer ambos e contar com o tropeço do Leão.
Na chave B a situação é bem parecida. Com 12 pontos, o Ceará é o líder, porém o CRB vem logo atrás. O cenário é o mesmo. Para o time alagoano ficar com a liderança, ele precisa vencer seus compromissos e contar com ao menos um tropeço do adversário.
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Chelsea and Tottenham will not have to have their European ties rescheduled after UEFA decided to make an exception to its same-city guidelines.
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Tottenham and Chelsea in EuropeClubs avoid fixture reschedulingUEFA makes exception to usual ruleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to , UEFA defines a 'clash' as when two teams can't compete on the same day because they share the same stadium, or city, or are within 50km of one another. However, after Tottenham and Chelsea reached the last 16 of the Europa League and Europa Conference League respectively, the London sides – whose grounds are around 16km away from each other – have been given the green light for both home matches to go ahead on March 13.
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Both Tottenham and Chelsea have strong chances of winning these respective European competitions in a season that has proven to be eventful for both sides. And now that these matches don't have to be rescheduled, that is a small boost for the Premier League sides.
DID YOU KNOW?
Tottenham will face either AZ or Real Sociedad in the last 16 of the Europa League, while Chelsea will come up against either Real Betis or Copenhagen in the same stage of the Conference League.
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AFPWHAT NEXT?
The draws for both competitions will be made on Friday, with the Europa League one commencing at 12pm and the Conference League one beginning an hour later.
“We looked at all the issues, including feedback from players and, in terms of the interview, the impressive interview that Mr [Michael] Smith gave”
Firdose Moonda18-Oct-2021
Roger Telemachus said previously at the hearings that he was unfairly overlooked for the job of Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland coach•EMPICS via Getty Images
Roger Telemachus was passed over for the job of Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland coach in favour of Michael Smith because Smith offered a more impressive interview, and not due to racial discrimination. That’s according to Dolphins CEO Heinrich Strydom, who testified as a responder at Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) Hearings and addressed allegations that Telemachus was unfairly overlooked.Telemachus took aim at CSA’s coaching hiring policy when he appeared at the SJN in July and specifically mentioned the appointment of the national coach Mark Boucher, while also discussing his own situation. He worked with the Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland team for seven seasons, during which time they won two trophies, and has since been appointed head coach of the Western Province Academy.Strydom explained how Telemachus and Kwa-Zulu Natal cricket parted ways ahead of the restructured 2021-22 season, which reduced the number of jobs available in the system. South Africa did away with the franchise system and now have a 15-team provincial system, effectively reducing the total number of teams, and thus of head coaches, from 21 to 15.”Mr Telemachus’ contract with the KZN Cricket Union ended in April 2020 but at the end of that season, which was interrupted and abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we decided to offer him a one-year extension until the conclusion of the 2020-2021 season, which he accepted. I can categorically state that no expectation was created that he would be re-employed once this extension had expired. For the 2021-22 season, the position of coach and assistant coach for the KZN Inland team became available and the positions were advertised in terms of KZN cricket employment policies. Mr Telemachus applied for these positions but was unfortunately unsuccessful.”The decision not to appoint Telemachus was made by a four-person panel, who interviewed all the candidates for the job and included the Dolphins convenor of selectors, who is also the cricket committee chairperson, the cricket services manager for KZN Inland, the coaching manager for KZN-Inland and a human resources administrator. Strydom was also due to attend the interviews but was unable to after a Covid-19 scare. Strydom confirmed that all members of the interview panel are of colour.When asked why Smith, who was previously a high-school coach at the elite school Maritzburg College, was preferred over Telemachus, who holds a Level 4 coaching qualification, Strydom said: “In terms of the committee’s feedback, they felt Mr Smith’s presentation was very impressive and he adhered to all the requirements they have, so that’s why they want to go with him,” Strydom said.He also said Smith’s experience at the Pakistan Super League – he has worked with Islamabad United as batting coach – and in his personal capacity gave him an edge. “Michael Smith has coached various provincial and international players on a one-on-one basis. He has also been involved in the Pakistan Super League, where he has worked with international players and coaches. We felt from an experience point of view, even though he has never been a full-time head coach for a provincial team, he has worked with international players and the feedback we got regarding him was very positive,” Strydom said.Ombudsman advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza pressed Strydom to explain why a candidate who did not have Telemachus’ playing and coaching experience was preferred over him if race was not a factor. “We did not just look at the issue of experience. We looked at all the issues, including feedback from players and, in terms of the interview, the impressive interview that Mr Smith gave. All those things were considered. We made an appointment which was felt was the best to take KZN-Inland forward,” Strydom said.Related
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Ultimately, Strydom conceded that KZN-Inland opted not to employ Telemachus based on his record, rather than his credentials. “We had seven years with Mr Telemachus of which our average position of where the team finished was ninth (out of 13) in the T20s, eighth in the List A competitions and seventh in the three-day competitions. In the last three years we won two trophies but over the seven years, it’s quite a modest performance record which had to be taken into consideration,” Strydom said. “And from various interviews and employee feedback reviews, where we had players who had been coached by him, a lot of players had a strong view that KZN has been overly accommodating to Mr Telemachus in this regard due to his performance and record over many years.”Contrastingly, Smith had overwhelming strong feedback from those he had worked with. “Mr Smith worked with various people all over the world. It was easy to get feedback from people about their experiences. The thing that stood out was the impressive interview and his plans in taking KZN Inland forward,” Strydom said.Strydom was asked to respond to an assertion by Telemachus that Strydom had told Telemachus that Smith brought more value and credentials to the post, which Strydom denied, although he recalled a conversation in which he thought he had cleared the air with Telemachus. “We had a conversation when he phoned me and he was quite aggressive in his tone in terms of why he didn’t get the job. I can’t remember the exact words I used, but the interview panel decided that Michael Smith was the best candidate to take KZN Inland forward. Even after that he said he understood and it was all good. To my surprise, the SJN was used as a platform to criticise the process we undertook.”Responding testimony at the SJN will be heard for the next two weeks before Ntsebeza submits his report to CSA at the end of November.
O Flamengo iniciou a venda de ingressos para a partida contra a Portuguesa, que acontece no Estádio Luso-Brasileiro, às 21h35, pela primeira rodada do Campeonato Carioca, no site flamengo.superingresso.com.br. Os rubro-negros terão direito a 3.500 lugares, enquanto o torcedor da Lusa, a 500.
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>Joia do Flamengo solta pipa com David Luiz e tira sarro do zagueiro; assista
O sócio-torcedor pagaR$ 20,00 pelo ingresso. Já o valor para o público geral é deR$ 50,00 (meia R$ 25,00). Também vale destacar queos sócios do programa Nação que compraram ingressos para o Pacote Maracanã Temporada 2020 e fizeram a opção de manter o pacote válido para 2022 já estão com as entradas garantidas, de acordo com o total de ingressos comprados no pacote. Apesar de a partida ser disputada no estádio Luso Brasileiro, o jogo em questão já está incluso no carrinho de compras.
Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW
CONFIRA OS HORÁRIOS DE ABERTURA DE CADA PLANO:
24/01 (10h) – Pacote Maracanã Temporada 2020 (check-in gratuito sujeito à disponibilidade de ingressos) 24/01 (16h) – Encerramento do check-in
24/01 (17h) – Maior do Mundo / +Paixão / Paixão 24/01 (18h) – Mais Querido / +Amor 24/01 (19h) – Sempre Contigo / Amor / +Raça 24/01 (20h) – Jogamos Juntos / Raça 24/01 (21h) – Onde Estiver 24/01 (22h) – Nação Jr. / Público geral on-line 25/01 (10h) – PDV’s
26/01 (15h) – Encerramento das vendas online
Abaixo, veja mais informações divulgadas pelo site oficial do Flamengo para a compra de ingressos:
O QUE É NECESSÁRIO PARA COMPRA E TROCA DE INGRESSO
Caso seja maior de 18 anos, para compra e retirada dos ingressos é necessário apresentar os seguintes documentos:
– Voucher impresso, preenchido e assinado (apenas para troca de ingressos comprados pela internet); – Documento oficial e original de identificação com foto; – Documento que comprove o benefício da compra de ingresso de meia-entrada (se houver). – Original e cópia do comprovante físico ou digital da carteira de imunização contra a Covid-19 com as duas doses (ou dose única, nos casos indicados pelo fabricante).
Caso seja menor de 18 anos, para compra e retirada dos ingressos é necessário apresentar os seguintes documentos:
– Voucher impresso, preenchido e assinado (apenas para troca de ingressos comprados pela internet); – Documento oficial e original de identificação com foto; – Documento que comprove o benefício da compra de ingresso de meia-entrada (se houver).
VEJA OS PONTOS DE COMPRA E RETIRADA DE INGRESSOS
Maracanã – Bilheteria 2 Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. (GRATUIDADE / VENDA / TROCA) Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. (VENDA / TROCA)
Gávea – Balcão ao lado do setor de cobrança – Somente Sócios do clube Avenida Borges de Medeiros, 997 – Lagoa – Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00.
Gávea – Bilheteria externa (SOMENTE RETIRADA DE GRATUIDADE) Praça Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora, s/nº – Lagoa – Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00.
Espaço Rubro-Negro – (Gávea) Avenida Borges de Medeiros, 997 – Lagoa – Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00.
Espaço Rubro-Negro (Quitanda) Rua da Quitanda, nº87 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00.
Espaço Rubro-Negro (Shopping Nova América) Av. Pastor Martin Luther King Junior, nº126, Bloco 1 Loja C – 1º piso – Del Castilho, Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00.
Nação Rubro-Negra (Downtown) Avenida das Américas, nº500 – Bloco 3 loja 114 – Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00.
Espaço Rubro-Negro (Shopping Nova Iguaçu) Avenida Abílio Augusto Távora, nº1111 – Espaço comercial 3096 – Luz, Nova Iguaçu – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00.
Espaço Rubro-Negro (Ilha Plaza Shopping) Av. Maestro Paulo e Silva, 400 – Jardim Carioca, Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Dia 25/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 17h00. Dia 26/01/2022 – Horário de 10h00 às 20h00.
Rajasthan Royals were in sight of a tall total when they were 100 for 1 in 11 overs, on the back of Evin Lewis’ breakneck half-century. However, his dismissal triggered a terminal collapse as Royals lost 8 for 49 – and their heads – to be restricted to under 150 on a fresh Dubai track. Royal Challengers Bangalore then hunted down the target with ease to consolidate their position in the top half of the points table, with seven wins in 11 matches.Royals, on the other hand, subsided to their seventh defeat in 11 games. Despite the loss on Wednesday, Royals could still qualify for the playoffs if they win their remaining three games.They might have still harboured hopes of a comeback when Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli fell either side of the powerplay, but KS Bharat and Glenn Maxwell forged a 69-run partnership to dash all of that. Royal Challengers ultimately sealed victory with seven wickets and 17 balls to spare, also giving their net run-rate a leg-up.Heavin’ Lewis With Royals having two left-handers at the top, Kohli matched them up with Maxwell’s offspin. Maxwell had won a similar match-up against Krunal Pandya at the same venue on Monday, but this time Lewis and Yashasvi Jaiswal immediately dumped him out of the attack by taking 13 off his first over. Lewis then cranked up to top gear, lining up debutant George Garton for two sixes and a four. In the next over, he heaved a slower ball from Harshal Patel over mid-on to rush Royals past fifty within five overs.The Royal Challengers Bangalore players congratulate Shahbaz Ahmed•BCCI
Jaiswal rode in Lewis’ slipstream, making 31 off 22 balls in a 77-run opening partnership before Dan Christian had him scooping a catch to extra-cover. Even that didn’t slow down Lewis as he heaved his way to a 31-ball half-century – his first in the IPL and his fifth fifty-plus score since the start of CPL 2021.The cataclysmic collapse It was Garton who began the collapse in the 12th over when he bowled a 106.3kph slower ball into the pitch. It kicked up from back of a length and drew a top edge from Lewis, with Bharat snagging the catch. Legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed then took over, messing with Royals’ middle order.
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Chahal had Mahipal Lomror stumped with a wrong’un before having Liam Livingstone hole out to long-on with his trademark wide, loopy legbreak. Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia tried to target Shahbaz, Royal Challengers’ seventh bowling option, but both picked out the boundary riders in the 14th over. Patel, who had earlier taken a pasting from Lewis, tricked the lower order with his assortment of slower balls.Bharat and Maxwell step up With the ball sliding onto the bat nicely in the early exchanges, Kohli and Padikkal held nothing back, hitting four fours each in a powerplay that produced 54 runs. Mustafizur Rahman then shook up the Royal Challengers briefly with his skillful change-ups. After he bowled Padikkal in the sixth over of the chase, Riyan Parag effected a direct hit in the seventh to leave Royal Challengers at 58 for 2.Bharat then combined with Maxwell to settle the chase. He slog-swept Chris Morris for six, pumped Lomror down the ground for four, and even reverse-swept Rahul Tewatia for four, which had Kohli up on his feet and cheering wildly from the dugout. As for Maxwell, he laid into Morris, smashing 24 off nine balls from him. Bharat holed out for 44, but Maxwell glided to his fifty and wrapped up the chase along with AB de Villiers.
Mason Greenwood ended 2024 in style at Marseille and will now rival Canada international Jonathan David for the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award.
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Forward moved to France in summer of 2024
Has reached double figures for goals scored
Canadian striker has also been in fine form
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The former Manchester United winger opened the 2024-25 campaign with a flurry of goals, before then enduring a four-match barren run. After rediscovering his spark, Greenwood has taken his tally for the season to 11 and counting.
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Two of those efforts were registered in the final month of the last calendar year, as he helped Marseille to collect seven points from three fixtures. Greenwood was on target in wins over Monaco and Saint-Etienne, with the first of those efforts being a nerveless last-minute penalty.
DID YOU KNOW?
Greenwood’s exploits are being recognised, as he sits on the three-man shortlist for the latest Player of the Month award. He is joined in the hunt for that prestigious prize by Lille’s Canadian forward David – who has 17 goals this season – and Lyon’s highly-rated midfielder Rayan Cherki.
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WHAT NEXT?
Greenwood is no stranger to individual awards, having been named Getafe’s Player of the Year during a productive loan spell in 2023-24, and will be back in action after the French winter break on Sunday when Marseille play host to Le Havre.
Eddie Howe and Newcastle United have had a relatively quiet summer so far, given the investment the club have had in previous seasons. The Magpies have brought five players into the club, although one of those was John Ruddy on a free transfer and the other was Lewis Hall, who made his 2023/24 loan deal from Chelsea a permanent move.
Indeed, with just a few days left of the transfer window, the Magpies seem likely to pursue new signings, with their chase for Marc Guehi ongoing. However, if they fail to sign the Crystal Palace man, they could turn to another option.
Newcastle target Bundesliga defender
The player in question here is Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba. According to a report from The Athletic, ‘dialogue was initiated’ between the Magpies and the 25-year-old’s representatives over a potential transfer.
His name, along with Chelsea’s French defender Axel Disasi ‘have been floated as potential alternatives’ to Guehi, who could now stay at Selhurst Park beyond this summer. Tapsoba is valued at £29.8m by Football Transfers.
Why Tapsoba would be a good signing
Last season, the Burkina Faso international was crucial to Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, as they won’t on an unbeaten domestic run, winning the DFB Pokal and the Bundesliga title. He played 46 games in all competitions, although he did miss a short period of time due to national team commitments for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Should the Magpies get a deal for the Burkinabe centre-back over the line this summer, he could prove to be the dream partner for Dutchman Sven Botman. Frustratingly, the former Lille defender has been sidelined with an aggravation of an anterior cruciate ligament injury that he picked up in March, and will not be back until October.
However, the 24-year-old has been a key player for Howe throughout his time at the club, despite his injury issues. He featured 36 times in the Premier League during his debut season in 2022/23 and played 17 top-flight games last term, missing two spells thanks to his injury problems.
Together, Taposoba and Botman could certainly become a top-class centre-back duo. They are both an ideal age profile, at just 25 and will be around for many years to come. Not only that, the Leverkusen centre-back is right-footed, with Newcastle’s number four preferring his left foot, the ideal balance for two centre-backs.
Indeed, their FBref stats also suggest the two defenders would definitely make a complimentary pairing. It is important to note that, for this comparison, Taposoba’s stats from 2023/24 have been used, whilst stats from Botman’s 2022/23 season have been under consideration.
The pair averaged a high amount of ball recoveries per 90 minutes, with the Burkinabe defender completing 7.54 and Newcastle’s Dutch defender slightly less, with 5.24. Indeed, the Leverkusen man also ranked highly for combined tackles and interceptions, with 2.5 compared to Botman’s 2.07.
Tapsoba and Botman defensive stats prepared
Stat (per 90)
Tapsoba
Botman
Tackles & interceptions
2.5
2.07
Ball recoveries
7.54
5.24
Clearances
2.24
3.63
Blocks
0.91
1.27
Aerial duel win %
51.3%
65.2%
Stats from FBref
On the ball, Tapsoba is simply mesmerising. The 25-year-old averages 7.07 progressive passes and 2.11 progressive passes per game. In contrast, Newcastle’s number four averaged 2.51 progressive passes and just 0.23 progressive carries, although carrying out from the back is not something Howe instructs his centre-backs to do.
Tapsoba is a “complete and dominant” centre-back, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, and that is certainly reflected in the stats.
Should Newcastle get this deal over the line – instead of targeting Guehi – he could be the dream partner for Botman in the present and future.
Newcastle line up late move for £40m Wilson upgrade
Glasgow Rangers have little more than a week to complete any business that they want to do before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been a busy man over the last few months, with plenty of players moving in and out of Ibrox since the end of last season.
Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Jack, and Borna Barisic all left as free agents, whilst Connor Goldson has been sold on a permanent basis to Aris.
Meanwhile, Liam Kelly, Clinton Nsiala, Vaclav Cerny, Connor Barron, Hamza Igamane, Jefte, Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, and Robin Propper have all been signed to add to the squad.
Philippe Clement recently revealed that the Scottish giants must sell players before they are able to bring more in, and claimed that a number of current Gers outcasts know that they have been free to leave for a while.
This means that the Light Blues will need to find new homes for some of the players on the fringes of the squad in order to free up space for further additions, and one player who must be moved on is Ianis Hagi.
The latest on Ianis Hagi's situation at Rangers
The Romania international has been 'bombed' to the B team this summer and has not been part of Clement's first-team plans since his return to Glasgow from a season-long loan spell with Alaves.
According to Football Scotland, the two-footed attacker has never requested to move on from Ibrox and still has a desire to perform for the club this term.
The report claims that Hagi has never asked to seal a transfer to another club and that his omission from the squad has been Rangers and Clement's doing, rather than because of the player's actions.
Rangers winger Ianis Hagi warming up.
All parties must now find a solution before the window slams shut next week as it has been made clear that he is not part of the team's plans, which means that a transfer appears to be the best option.
Hagi spent last season on loan with Alaves in LaLiga and struggled to find his best form, with a return of zero goals and two assists in 22 appearances.
He missed 69 matches through injury between January 2022 and January 2023 with a knee injury and made the move to Spain on a temporary basis to get back to playing regular football.
That could explain why the 25-year-old whiz did not contribute with goals and assists on a consistent basis in the Spanish top-flight, as the Gers loanee is still recovering from that long-term issue.
Unfortunately, Clement has seemingly decided that the attacking midfielder, who has produced 16 goals and 21 assists in 99 matches for Rangers, is not a part of his plans moving forward.
The Belgian boss could forget all about the Romanian ace, should he depart before the end of the window, by swooping to sign one of the club's reported transfer targets as his replacement.
Rangers' interest in Premier League starlet
Earlier this month, Football Scotland claimed that the Gers are one of the teams interested in signing Chelsea attacking midfielder Leo Castledine.
The report stated that the Light Blues have already made contact with the Premier League giants to discuss a potential swoop for the 19-year-old starlet.
It was revealed that the Scottish side would be keen to take the teenage maestro on a season-long loan with an option to make it permanent next summer, although there is no mention of how much they would be prepared to pay as part of that arrangement.
Leo Castledine for Chelsea.
However, Chelsea would prefer to send him out on a straight loan deal as they view him as one of their most promising talents, and Scottish Premiership outfit Aberdeen are one team that would be willing to take him on loan.
The outlet added that there is also interest in Castledine from sides in the English Championship in the player, who was nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award last term.
This means that Rangers do face plenty of competition, in Scotland and England, to sign the talented young player before the window slams shut next week.
Why Rangers should sign Leo Castledine
Clement and Koppen must push to win the race for his signature, whether that is on loan or on loan with an option to buy, because he could be a brilliant replacement for Hagi.
The 19-year-old is an attacking midfielder and could come in if the Romania international can find a new club before the deadline, given his current status in limbo at Ibrox.
Castledine has only made one senior appearance for Chelsea in his career and this means that it would be a gamble of a signing for the Gers, but one that could pay off big time if he can fulfill his potential.
He is a number ten who can contribute with goals and assists on a regular basis for his side, on the basis of his form for the Blues at academy level.
U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed his "terrific" knack for finding space between the lines to make things happen in the final third, which is backed up by his statistics in the U18 and U21 teams for Chelsea.
Leo Castledine
Chelsea academy
U18
U21
Appearances
47
46
Goals
18
14
Assists
6
10
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, Castledine has been a regular provider of goals and assists for the Premier League side's academy in recent years.
In the 2023/24 campaign, the £3k-per-week magician plundered a stunning ten goals and nine assists in 18 Premier League 2 matches, more than one goal contribution every game on average.
These statistics show that the Rangers target has the potential to be a fantastic attacking talent for Clement if he can even come close to translating those returns to first-team level with the Gers in the Premiership and the Europa League.
Imagine him & Diomande: Rangers identify "baller" as new target for Clement
The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a swoop for the Premier League starlet.
By
Dan Emery
Aug 18, 2024
He is an exciting young talent who could come in and allow the manager and the supporters to forget all about Hagi, who could move on in the next ten days, this summer.