افتتحت أمس الجمعة مباريات الجولة السادسة والعشرين من الدوري السعودي للمحترفين “روشن” موسم 2024-2025.
واستهل فريق الهلال مشواره في الجولة في فخ الخسارة أمام منافسه النصر في مباراة الديربي التي أقيمت أمس على ملعب المملكة أرينا.
وفي مواجهة أخرى أمس تمكن التعاون من الفوز على الخلود بهدفين دون رد، وحقق الاخدود الفوز على العروبة بهدف دون مقابل
تشكيل النصر أمام الهلال في الدوري السعودي.. رونالدو وماني في الهجوم
واستكملت مواجهات الجولة اليوم الأحد بعدة مباريات أبرزها مباراة الأهلي والاتحاد، والتي انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 2-2.
ومن المقرر أن تُختتم الجولة غداً الإثنين، حيث يلاقي الفيحاء نظيره الفتح، ويلعب الخليج مع الرائد، بينما سيتواجه فريقي الوحدة والشباب.
ويتصدر الاتحاد جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 62 نقطة، ويأتي الهلال بالمركز الثاني، ولديه 57 نقطة، فيما يتواجد النصر بالمركز الثالث، وفي جعبته 54 نقطة. جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي
1- الاتحاد – 62 نقطة
2- الهلال – 57 نقطة
3- النصر – 54 نقطة
4- القادسية – 52 نقطة
5- الأهلي- 49 نقطة
6- الشباب – 43 نقطة
7- التعاون – 37 نقطة
8- الاتفاق- 36 نقطة
9- الرياض – 34 نقطة
10- الخلود – 31 نقطة
11- الخليج – 30 نقطة
12- ضمك – 28 نقطة
13- العروبة – 26 نقطة
14- الفيحاء – 25 نقطة
15- الأخدود – 23 نقطة.
16- الفتح – 22 نقطة
17- الوحدة – 20 نقطة.
18- الرائد – 18 نقطة
يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري السعودي محدث باستمرار من هنا
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed a much-needed boost as one of his star players closes in on a return from injury, according to a report.
Arsenal injury doubts ahead of crucial Liverpool match
This Sunday, the Premier League title-chasing Gunners take on fellow major contenders Liverpool in a blockbuster bout – which will surely go a long way in determining 2024/2025’s eventual champions.
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By
Emilio Galantini
Oct 25, 2024
Arne Slot’s Reds are in absolutely excellent form – winning seven of their opening eight league matches so far this season – while Arsenal were unbeaten before their 2-0 slump at Bournemouth last weekend, a match which also saw star defender William Saliba sent off.
As a result, the north Londoners will be without Saliba this weekend as they prepare to host Liverpool at the Emirates. That is a big blow for Arteta, who could also be without another centre-back in summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, after the Italy international was forced off during their Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night.
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games
Date
Liverpool (home)
October 27
Newcastle United (away)
November 2
Chelsea (away)
November 10
Nottingham Forest (home)
November 23
West Ham United (away)
November 30
Takehiro Tomiyasu could be out for a few weeks, following a recurrence of his knee injury which had kept him out since pre-season, before he made his first and only appearance of the campaign against Southampton just prior to the international break.
Jurrien Timber is an Arsenal doubt to face Liverpool as well, so it looks as if Arteta could be very short defensively in the worst case scenario. Meanwhile, uncertainty also surrounds Bukayo Saka and his involvement against the Merseysiders, with the £195,000-per-week star missing their last two games after picking up a leg injury on international duty with England.
“We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available but it’s very uncertain,” said Arteta on Saka, Timber and Calafiori ahead of Liverpool.
“He [Calafiori] needs some more tests. Yesterday he had some, today he’s going to have some more and after that we will know. Last time we thought it was really bad and he ended up playing two or three days after, so let’s see how it is.
“He [Saka] has done a bit of training on the grass. How far we can get him to Sunday, that’s a different question. We have another day, which is a good thing, but we’ll see.
“Timber, again, it’s the first session that he could have some involvement. He’s been out for a while, we expected him to be further back than where he is at the moment but, again, we have to wait and see.”
Another player who could be set to miss their crucial encounter tomorrow is captain Martin Odegaard, who’s been unavailable since he suffered ankle ligament damage in Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria in September.
Boost for Arsenal as Odegaard closes in on injury return
As per the Associated Press, via Daily Mail, it is believed Odegaard is “nearing a return” from his ankle injury in a boost for Arsenal, but Arteta has not said whether he will be fit in time for Liverpool.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder wasn’t able to play a part in many important fixtures – including away games at Tottenham and Man City – and Arsenal have done very well to cope without his presence.
Odegaard has bagged 23 goals and 17 assists for Arsenal in the Premier League alone since the beginning of 2022/2023, playing a key role in their very close races with Man City.
The former Real Madrid ace’s return is imperative, and while we have no exact date, this whisper he is close will come as some much-needed good news.
Celtic went into the international break off the back of a 2-1 win away from Parkhead against Ross County in Dingwall in the Scottish Premiership.
The Hoops have won all seven of their games in the top-flight so far this season, and the penalty they conceded on Sunday was the first goal they had let in in the division.
Brendan Rodgers will now be hoping that the players who have jetted off to play for their respective countries come back without any injury issues and full of confidence.
Meanwhile, the group of stars who did not go away on international duty went over to Ireland to take on Sligo Rovers in a friendly earlier this week.
Scott Bain, Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh, Alex Valle, Luis Palma, Luke McCowan, and Hyun-jun Yang all started for the Hoops, alongside youngsters like Francis Turley and Lewis Dobbie.
Palma was the star of the show for the Scottish giants with a hat-trick in a 3-2 win, with two of his goals coming in stoppage time with the score at 2-2 heading into the final minutes.
This week may have also brought some bad news for the Honduras international, though, as the club are reportedly eyeing another winger…
Celtic's interest in Chile international
According to The Boot Room, Rodgers has a Celtic interest in Dario Osorio and that the Scottish giants ‘admire’ the FC Midtjylland wide player.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The report claims that the Hoops and Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers are both interested in the 20-year-old talent, but they are far from the only suitors.
It states that Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Newcastle United have also been keeping tabs on the Chile international.
His form at international level and in the Danish top-flight for Midtjylland has seemingly attracted the attention of clubs across Europe, with The Boot Room adding that teams in Spain and France are keen on the impressive youngster.
This means that Celtic would likely face plenty of competition from a host of clubs if they decided to make a swoop for the versatile winger in the January transfer window.
The outlet does not, though, reveal how much money his current team would demand if any team were to make a move for him at the start of next year.
Irrespective of whether or not a transfer to Parkhead is currently viable or not, the news that the club are looking at potentially signing another winger should come as bad news to Palma, who is looking to break into the starting XI.
Luis Palma's Celtic struggles
Rodgers swooped to sign the forward from Greek side Aris for a reported fee of £3.5m and the attacker enjoyed a terrific start to life in Glasgow.
The Hoops sensation recorded an impressive return of five goals and nine assists in his first 16 games in the Premiership for the Scottish giants in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, which suggested that he was on course to be the club’s new Jota – who had left to join Al-Ittihad a few months prior.
2024, however, has not been a kind year for Palma in the league. He racked up just two goals and zero assists in 12 appearances in the Premiership during the second half of last term.
Celtic stars Matt O'Riley and Luis Palma.
He has only featured twice in the division so far this season, both times as a substitute, and is yet to record a goal or an assist for the champions.
This means that the 24-year-old attacker has only been directly involved in two goals in 14 league appearances in the Premiership since the start of the year, which is a relatively poor return when you consider his initial start to life in Scotland.
The former Aris star, who has been an unused substitute in both Champions League games so far, still has over two months to go before the January transfer window to force his way back into the starting XI, ahead of Daizen Maeda or Nicolas Kuhn, but it does not look likely on current form.
His friendly hat-trick against Sligo Rovers does, at least, show that he is motivated to perform and still fight it out for his Celtic career, which will be pleasing for Rodgers, but the club’s interest in Osorio will still be bad news for the forward.
Why Celtic's interest in Osorio is bad news for Palma
The Hoops wanting to bring another flanker to the squad, particularly one who has spent the majority of his career playing down the left side, will not be music to Palma’s ears.
Firstly, their interest in Osorio suggests that they are not currently happy with the quality or depth of their options on the wing, with Yang and Palma currently being the back-up options to Maeda and Kuhn.
Secondly, the arrival of another player in his position would see the Honduras international’s chances limited even further, which could make it harder for him to break back into the starting XI.
Osorio has started the current season with one goal and two ‘big chances’ created in five appearances in the Superliga, along with 2.1 completed dribbles per game.
The 20-year-old starlet, who was described as a “flamboyant” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also caught the eye with his performances for the Danish side last term.
Appearances
23
Starts
15
Goals
8
Big chances missed
0
Big chances created
4
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Osorio produced eight goals and four ‘big chances’ created in just 15 starts, without missing a single ‘big chance’ in front of goal.
This suggests that the Chile international, who is valued at €7m (£6m) by Transfermarkt, can provide quality as a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank, at least in the Danish league.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not he can translate his strong form over to Scotland, Celtic’s interest alone is enough to be of concern to Palma, who may have to consider his future at Parkhead if they bring in another player in his position when he is already behind Maeda in the pecking order.
Got Soro instead: Celtic once wanted to sign a £27m star in the making
The Hoops were interested in a deal to sign the midfielder from the Premier League.
The allrounder bagged 6 for 38 as Victoria were bowled out for 199
Andrew McGlashan27-Oct-2021Sean Abbott pressed his case for a place in Australia’s Ashes squad with a six-wicket haul and 19-year-old legspinner Tanveer Sangha enjoyed an impressive debut as New South Wales took control on the opening day against Victoria.It has been a long wait for both these teams to get their season underway after numerous attempts were thwarted by border closures. Abbott wasted no time in making an impression with four wickets in the first session before Sangha, who has been part of Australia’s T20I squad this year, shone in the middle of the day.Abbott was part of the Australia bubble last season and is likely to be included in the enlarged squad this season especially after the retirement of James Pattinson. However, he told the that he would leave the squad to be at the birth of his first child due at Christmas.”It’s an Ashes summer and I was in the Test tour to South Africa that didn’t happen and the one here against India as well so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it,” Abbott said after play. “I’ll be honest I was very nervous today, didn’t quite know where the first ball was going to go, but a few of us mentioned that we were quite nervous this morning having to wait so long to play some cricket.”Nic Maddinson was the mainstay for Victoria before he was last-man out for 87 after managing to add 53 for the last two wickets.Related
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Abbott, who has been working to put on some pace pre-season, had got the better of the mini Test battle with Marcus Harris when the left hander was caught behind in the sixth over. Close to lunch he then cleaned up Peter Handscomb and made it clearly New South Wales’ session when James Seymour, who had fought hard for two hours, was trapped in front.Abbott’s fourth came shortly after the break when Matt Short edged to slip before the innings was rebuilt by a 62-run stand between Maddinson and Jonathan Merlo.Then Sangha was introduced on a pitch offering turn and bounce and only had to wait until his third over to strike as he lured Merlo out of his crease, found the edge as the batter tried to adjust with Peter Nevill taking a sharp catch.Sangha’s second was another excellent delivery as he found Sam Harper’s edge with a leg-break and shortly before tea he had Mitch Perry caught at bat-pad with Victoria losing 4 for 20.Senior spinner Nathan Lyon claimed one wicket in his 22 overs and was briefly taken to by Maddinson who sent him for two sixes. Maddinson also latched on to Sangha as he cut loose with the last two wickets for company but the return of Abbott wrapped up the innings.Victoria were able to make inroads in the final 18 overs when Scott Boland removed Daniel Hughes, who played across a delivery from round the wicket, and Matthew Gilkes gave it away in the last over of the day with a wild drive against Short’s offspin.
New Como signing Dele Alli was in the stands on Saturday to watch the Serie A team slip to a 2-1 defeat to high-flying Atalanta.
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Dele has joined Como on 18-month deal
Yet to make his debut for club
Watched Saturday's defeat to Atalanta
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Dele signed for Como earlier in January after being invited to train with the club following his departure from Everton. Manager Cesc Fabregas has said the club "believe in his potential" after handing the 28-year-old an 18-month contract, with an option to extend for an additional 12 months, at the club.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Dele is yet to debut for Como but will be hoping he can force his way into Fabregas's plans for the rest of the season. The midfielder did not even make the squad for Saturday's match against Atalanta but was in the stands to watch the game alongside new team-mate Sergi Roberto.
DID YOU KNOW?
Como took the lead in the match through former Real Madrid midfielder Nico Paz, but Atalanta hit back to seal the win thanks to two goals from Mateo Retegui.
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WHAT NEXT FOR DELE
The 28-year-old will continue to train at Como and try his best to find some first-team minutes. The midfielder has not played competitively for almost two years but does now have a chance to reignite his career in the Italian top flight. Como are back action on Saturday against Bologna.
Arsenal have been slammed over plans to wear a special jersey in support of Gabriel Jesus ahead of the north London derby against Tottenham.
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Jesus nursing an ACL injury
Arsenal wore special shirts during warm up
Teammates eager to show solidarity with striker
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WHAT HAPPENED?
According to the the Gunners discussed wearing unique shirts featuring the Brazilian forward’s name, his No.9, and a 'get well soon' message ahead of the game, in solidarity with their sidelined team-mate after he suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury during their FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on Sunday. The severity of the injury means he will miss the remainder of the season, leaving his colleagues eager to show support in this difficult time. Mikel Arteta's men did ultimately don the special kits while warming up for the derby, including a message which read: "Stay strong Gabby".
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WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
While the gesture to honour Jesus is undoubtedly heartfelt, it has drawn criticism from rival fans.
@UnitedMax_ wrote: "Cringe club back again 🤣."
While @Common_SensePod wrote: "F*cks sake, he's not dead."
A Rangers fan, @GarryCarmody wrote: "The game couldn't be more gone if it tried."
Nonetheless, there were a couple of fans who welcomed the gesture.
@user84848384 wrote: "People are actually mad at showing support to a player who’s just suffered his like third major knee injury in a few years, you lot are so weird."
@xAlexTHFC seconded him and said: "That’s incredibly touching. What a beautiful club. Wow. Unbelievable. Hope you get through this terrible situation. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The loss of Jesus has left Arsenal in a vulnerable position as they approach a crucial stage of the Premier League season, as his absence creates a significant void in the team’s attacking line-up, which is already stretched thin. With Eddie Nketiah sold to Crystal Palace last summer and Reiss Nelson out on loan at Fulham, Arsenal’s options up front are limited. Kai Havertz, while capable, is not a natural striker, adding to the team’s challenges as they pursue the league title.
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Arsenal’s return to Premier League action against Tottenham in the north London derby is a crucial test for Mikel Arteta’s side. With the added trouble of Jesus’ injury, the match is set to be a defining moment in the Gunners' season as they aim to chase down Liverpool, who are six points ahead of them in the title race.
Former England batter says he would back player withdrawals from “insane” schedule
George Dobell23-Jun-2021
Kevin Pietersen was a member of England’s disastrous Ashes party in 2013-14•Getty Images
Kevin Pietersen has branded the prospect of England’s cricketers not seeing their family for four months during this winter’s Ashes as “absolutely insane”, and said he would support anyone who pulled out of the tour.Those players involved in both the T20I and Test squads are facing the prospect of several months away from home at the end of the year, with an Ashes tour following the T20 World Cup. Combined with Australia’s tough Covid-19 protocols, which render it almost impossible for casual visitors to travel to the country, it has raised the prospect of players either withdrawing from the series or England continuing the rest-and-rotation policy which has been utilised in recent months.Responding to a Daily Mail article which outlined the issue, Pietersen wrote on Instagram: “Any England cricketer that pulls out of this winter’s Ashes trip will have my full support. To not see your family for four months is absolutely insane. Complete and utter madness!”An Ashes tour is hard enough and to do it without your family for all or part of it, is just stupid.”After the last 12 months or so, the players deserve their families whenever they want. And to those who say, ‘they get paid loads, so suck it up’, just be quiet. An Ashes tour is a tough tour. Players need all their comforts and be happy.”I would 100% pull out if I couldn’t see my family for four months!”Darren Gough, the former England fast bowler who has also worked as a consultant coach with the current team, replied with the comment: “Me 2 buddy”.Related
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As things stand, the England squad is expected to leave for a limited-overs tour of Bangladesh on or around September 20. While some players are likely to be rested for that trip – and the brief series in Pakistan which follows – the games will be used to fine-tune plans for the T20 World Cup which follows in October. The Test squad – as well as Lions players and those involved in the Big Bash – are then expected in Australia in the second half of November before the Ashes starts on December 8. It is scheduled to finish about six weeks later in Perth.It is understood that Cricket Australia are currently lobbying the Australian government of the behalf of the ECB to allow a dispensation for families of the Ashes squad. According to the report in the Daily Mail, the ECB are prepared to pay for a charter flight to ensure families are able to attend. But at this stage there are no guarantees and a recent spike in cases in Sydney will do nothing to improve chances.If there is no dispensation, it seems highly likely England will continue to rest and rotate their players. That has raised the real prospect that they will not field their strongest team at times during the Ashes series. Chris Silverwood, England’s head coach, has previously confirmed he would be prepared to rest players from the series if the need for bio-bubbles was sustained.Earlier in the week, Jos Buttler admitted there weren’t “any perfect answers” to the issues presented by England’s never-ending touring lifestyle in the time of Covid, but reiterated his support for the rest-and-rotation policy.Pietersen, the former England captain, was a member of the 2013-14 Ashes squad and witnessed at first hand the burn-out of Jonathan Trott. He has long called for more sympathetic treatment of players.
Fast bowler says simulating game fitness by playing a Test is much better compared to preparing in the nets
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2021
Trent Boult was “itching” to be out there after sitting on the sidelines during the first Test•PA Images via Getty Images
Trent Boult wasn’t expecting to play the ongoing second Test at Edgbaston “initially” but hopes that bowling against England compared to preparing in the nets will put him in “good stead” for the World Test Championship final against India starting June 18 in Southampton.”Initially I wasn’t expecting to play this game but everything fell into line, and I gave myself that chance to get out there and I think I’ll definitely be better off for that head out,” Boult said after the second day’s play. “It’s one thing loading and getting through numbers in the nets but to simulate that kind of game fitness and having to come back three, four or five times in a day…There’s no real other way to do that. So I’m hoping it puts me in good stead [for the WTC final].”The toes are a bit sore but that’s what happens when you ram into the shoes for 30 overs. I’m excited about what lies ahead next week in Southampton but equally excited with the opportunity here over the next couple of days.”Related
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Boult was initially not going to play the second Test but relaxed quarantine rules in the UK after his arrival from New Zealand meant he came out of quarantine sooner than expected and started bowling in the nets while the first Test was on at Lord’s. His inclusion was among the six changes New Zealand made for Edgbaston, although three of them were forced by injuries.Leading the bowling attack now, Boult sent down 29 overs in England’s first innings for figures of 4 for 85 by dismissing Rory Burns, James Bracey, Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Boult said he found it hard to sit on the sidelines after his quarantine ended and was eager to “get out there”.”What worked really well was the travel went well and I managed to get out of isolation in the UK quicker than was expected,” he said. “As you can imagine, I was very excited with the prospect of playing the second Test. I felt like I gave myself the best chance with preparing with that week back at home and then getting straight into it here. Hopefully, we can get the job done and win a very important series.”I found it pretty hard to sit on the sidelines there at Lord’s last week, it’s such a historic ground. The boys were on fire out there and I was itching to be out there, to be honest.”New Zealand will now be spoilt for choice for bowling options going into the WTC final next week after Tim Southee picked 6 for 43 in the first innings at Lord’s, and Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner also collected three wickets apiece in the match. At Edgbaston, Matt Henry also chipped in with three wickets in the first innings with his pace and swing that accounted for Dom Sibley to break the opening stand, and then send back Joe Root four overs later.”Healthy competition,” Boult said about their pace-bowling options for the WTC final. “The boys are very excited about the prospect, but they’ve put in a lot of hard yards not just over the last couple of weeks but over a couple of years of a Test Championship cycle. Some hard calls will have to be made but the big picture is the collective goal of lifting the world title.”
Rashid Khan will re-join Lahore Qalandars for the remainder of this year’s Pakistan Super League, which is due to resume in Abu Dhabi in the first week of June.Khan played the first two games of the Qalandars’ season in February before leaving the competition to fulfil his international commitments with Afghanistan against Zimbabwe, and was initially expected to be unavailable for the rescheduled second half of the season due to his contract with Sussex in the T20 Blast.”I am excited to be back with PSL and Lahore Qalandars,” Khan said in a Qalandars media release. “I had couple of good games with them earlier and the team went off to a good start, I am hopeful to help them continue with the momentum.”Khan is based in the UAE, where the rest of the tournament will now be played, and said that restrictions on travel to the UK had affected his availability for the Blast. “I am really looking forward to joining up with my teammates at Sussex upon completion of the PSL,” he said in a Sussex release. “Whilst the travel restrictions in place have been a big factor in delaying my arrival, it is fortunate I am still able to play some high-level cricket before heading to Hove later in June.”Sussex said in a club statement that he will travel to the UK directly after the conclusion of the PSL, or whenever the Qalandars are eliminated. They have also registered David Wiese and Travis Head as overseas players, who are expected to fill their two available slots in the playing XI before Khan’s arrival.The Qalandars had initially signed Shakib Al-Hasan in Khan’s place in the first of two replacement drafts last month. Shakib has now pulled out of the competition.
The upcoming season is set to be a massive one for Tottenham Hotspur as Ange Postecoglou looks to build on his first year in the hot seat and lead the North Londoners back into the Champions League.
However, with the clubs in and around the Lilywhites strengthening this summer, Daniel Levy and Co must act swiftly to ensure they bring in some more quality additions to the first team before the transfer window slams shut.
The good news is that it appears as if that's precisely what they're doing, as the latest star touted for a move to N17 would be a real game-changer and someone who could form a brilliant partnership with one of last summer's pricey signings, Brennan Johnson.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are "pushing" to secure a deal for Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke.
The Italian has claimed that the clubs are currently negotiating a potential deal following the "green light" from the Englishman.
Romano does not mention a potential price, but a separate report late last week revealed that the Cherries may be willing to accept £60m for their star striker this summer.
Signing Solanke would undoubtedly represent a significant investment for Tottenham, but given his incredible form last season and the fact that he could be brilliant alongside Johnson, it may be one worth making.
Why Solanke would be a great signing for Johnson
So, the reason Solanke would be a "dream" signing, as dubbed by former manager Gary O'Neil, for both Tottenham and Johnson, specifically, is the same: his output.
Postecoglou had his team playing some tremendously entertaining attacking football at points last season, but come the end of the campaign, six teams had scored more goals than them, which indicates that there is a finishing problem within the squad.
This problem is borne out in the squad's statistics, as out of the entire team, only Son Heung-min and Richarlison scored over ten goals, despite the plethora of talented wingers in the team, such as the former Nottingham Forest ace.
Kieffer Moore and Dominic Solanke celebrate for Bournemouth.
So, if the North Londoners could introduce a clinical finisher into the team, they may see their collective goal tally and the assist tally of their creative players increase, and the Cherries ace could be that clinical number nine.
For example, in his 42 appearances for the South Coast club last season, he scored 21 goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.68 games.
Appearances
42
Goals
21
Assists
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.59
This tally would have made him Spurs' top goalscorer and second most productive player overall, so imagine how much more effective he would've been playing alongside a player like Johnson, who managed to rack up ten assists despite his teammates' finishing problems.
Ultimately, signing Solanke is going to cost Tottenham a pretty penny, but to make the most out of Postecoglou's progressive system, they need a clear focal point in attack, and that is precisely what the Englishman would provide them. Therefore, Levy and Co should do everything possible to get this deal over the line.
Spurs struck gold on "influential" star who's worth far more than Solanke
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