Tag Futebol

Newcastle United are now reportedly preparing a move to sign an impressive striker in 2026, who has outscored Nick Woltemade so far this season.

Howe "hugely frustrated" by Tottenham draw

It may now be three Premier League games without defeat for Newcastle, but Eddie Howe couldn’t hide his frustration after Tottenham Hotspur rescued a late draw on Tuesday evening. It could have capped off the beginning of their resurgence following wins over Manchester City and Everton, but ultimately highlighted their frailties instead.

Speaking to reporters at full-time, Howe said: “I think we’re hugely frustrated with ourselves really. That was a game where we had to work really hard for the first goal. I thought we were the dominant team and knocking on the door all through the first half.

“The goal came when it came and I felt then we were in a strong position having been relatively comfortable defensively to then concede the two goals in the way that we did, in the manner that we did. It’s hugely disappointing because we pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.

“Technically, second half, I don’t think we were particularly good, especially when we were leading. When you’re leading and you’ve got the advantage, one or two really quality passes in different moments can make the difference and we went the other way.”

Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs

Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

The Magpies don’t have long to lick their wounds, however. Up next, they play host to Burnley in their third game in the space of a week. Victory there would represent another step in the right direction in a hectic festive period.

As each game comes, Yoane Wissa also edges closer and closer to a comeback. The DR Congo forward opted out of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations to reward Newcastle for their patience, but that may not be enough to prevent those at St James’ Park from reinforcing their frontline in January.

Newcastle preparing Igor Thiago move

While the Magpies are intent on bolstering their youth ranks, notably joining the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea in the race for Cardiff’s Dylan Lawlor, they are also very much thinking about the present.

Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now preparing a move to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford in January after completing their scouting mission.

The impressive forward has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games this season – a number that only Erling Haaland has bettered – and could now seal a well-earned move when the January transfer window arrives.

Minutes

1,101

965

Goals

11

5

Assists

0

1

Expected Goals

8.5

4.5

Whilst there’s no denying that record signing Woltemade has made a fantastic start at Newcastle, Thiago has been on another level. The Brentford star has stepped up to replace Bryan Mbeumo, but could now complete a similar move in another blow for Keith Andrews.

The young manager has been full of praise for his forward this season, telling reporters last weekend: “He is a dream to work with. As a person, his hunger and appetite to get better is impressive.

“He is having a fantastic season, it doesn’t take a genius to see that. The numbers will tell you that, the performances he produces consistently well, how well he has integrated into the way they are playing and with individuals.”

Better than Anderson: £70m "monster" is now open to joining Newcastle

We’ll never forget the beautiful offseason chaos that occurred on Dec. 8, 2023.

At the time, the biggest storyline in all of sports was where two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and his adorable puppy Decoy were going to sign in free agency. Ohtani had just wrapped up his sixth season with the Angels and had two MVP award and three All-Star nods to show for it.

There was no question that Ohtani was going to sign the biggest free-agent contract in baseball history—and likely, North American sports history. The question was … where?

As we all know, Ohtani ended up signing a record-breaking 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million, a contract that included $680 million deferred for a decade. Although Ohtani spending his next 10 years starring at Dodger Stadium seemed like a foregone conclusion that offseason, there were other serious contenders to sign the two-way superstar, including the Blue Jays. In fact, on Dec. 8, 2023, there were inaccurate reports swirling around the internet that Ohtani was on a private flight heading to Toronto—interpreted as an indication he was going to sign with the Blue Jays.

It was debunked an hour or so later, but what a time that was to be online.

Less than two years later, the baseball gods provided us with a storyline almost too good to be true—Ohtani’s Dodgers will attempt to defend their World Series title against the Blue Jays, the team that came oh-so-close to signing the two-way superstar.

Ahead of Game 1 on Friday night, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the flight to Toronto that never was:

Setting the stage: Ohtani’s finalists

As early as the All-Star Game in July 2023, Ohtani’s pending decision dominated the headlines. At the time, Tom Verducci considered the Dodgers the favorites to land Ohtani, followed by—in order—the Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Mets.

In the months following, the Blue Jays crept their way into the Ohtani sweepstakes and surged past the other contenders. By December, Verducci reported the Blue Jays were one of two serious finalists for Ohtani along with the Dodgers, and the Cubs and Giants were “hanging in there.”

Could the Blue Jays actually pull it off and outspend the Dodgers? Well, uh …

Dec. 8, 2023 at 4:01 p.m. ET: The Report

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi broke the internet.

At 4:01 p.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2023, Morosi reported, citing sources, that Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto and his agent would not comment when asked about his travel plans. Morosi made sure to note that as that flight left the ground, Ohtani had not signed any contract with an MLB team.

Earlier that week, it was reported that Ohtani was touring the Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla. There was also a rumor floating around Toronto media circles that Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi made a Friday night reservation for 50 people at a sushi restaurant near Rogers Centre. Certainly, a private jet flying from Southern California to Toronto reportedly carrying the two-way superstar meant he intended to sign with Toronto. Right?

Dec. 8 at 5:11 p.m. ET: The Rebuttal

Well, not so fast.

’s Bob Nightengale—in perhaps the defining moment of his reporting career—shut it down.

“Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto,” he wrote in an X post published at 5:11 p.m. ET. “Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto. Ohtani is at home in Southern California.”

After Nightengale swatted the rumors of a Toronto flight, other reporters confirmed that, in fact, Ohtani was still in the Los Angeles area and not headed north across the border. Morosi, to his credit, issued a heartfelt apology later that night for getting it wrong.

But here’s the thing: There a private flight in the air traveling from Southern California to Toronto. And it was carrying a celebrity—just not a two-way baseball phenom.

Dec. 8 at 5:54 p.m. ET: Jumping the shark

Robert Herjavec, the Canadian billionaire best known for his role on the hit show , boarded flight N616RH out of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., and headed to Toronto on Dec. 8, 2023.

Traveling with his two sons, Herjavec had no idea fans and journalists alike were tracking Flight N616RH through the air. When Herjavec landed in Toronto and was welcomed by a sea of Canadian media, he was beyond confused. He was even asked by a Canadian customs agent whether Ohtani was on the plane.

Just before 6 p.m. ET, a CBC photographer on site at the airport reported that Flight N616RH was carrying Herjavec, not Ohtani.

Later that night, Herjavec himself posted to social media and confirmed the news.

“I’d like to thank the @bluejays organization for signing me today!” Herjavec wrote in an Instagram post. “All joking aside—I’m not @shoheiohtani and he was not on my plane today! Not sure how it all started but I’m calling the jays and seeing if they’ll sign my 5 year old for 600 mil (he WAS on the plane and throws a mean pitch).”

The very next day, Ohtani signed his lucrative contract with the Dodgers. He led Los Angeles to a World Series in his first season with the club, defeating Aaron Judge and the Yankees in five games.

But if Ohtani is going to add a second World Series ring to his trophy case, he’ll have to go through the Blue Jays—the organization that will forever be linked to his free-agent decision.

Chelsea start a massive week with a win at Turf Moor, so is momentum starting to build?

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues proved to be simply too strong for Burnley, prevailing 2-0, with Pedro Neto heading home Jamie Gittens’ cross on the cusp of half time, before Enzo Fernández lashed home the clinching second right at the end.

​​​​​The match was significantly more comfortable than the scoreline would suggest, with the Clarets creating only one big chance and accumulating a miserly 0.44 xG, rarely threatening Robert Sánchez’s goal.

This made it three successive Premier League victories for Enzo Maresca’s side, who’ve now won five of their last six in the league, ahead of a massive week, with both Barcelona and then Arsenal visiting Stamford Bridge over the next eight days.

Despite victory in Lancashire, a few Chelsea players came in for some criticism, one in particular compared to a player who departed for pastures new over the summer.

Why Chelsea sold Noni Madueke

In one of the surprise moves of last summer, albeit this is now a well-trodden path at this point, Noni Madueke departed Chelsea during the Club World Cup to sign for Arsenal for a reported fee of £52m.

Last season, the England international scored 11 goals across all competitions for the Blues, including seven in the Premier League, a tally only bettered by talisman Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, another who was parachuted out.

Thus, it was certainly a surprise that Madueke was the one Chelsea decided to sell, but that has been the business model since Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club and, having signed him from PSV Eindhoven for £28.5m in January 2023, Todd Boehly and the other owners simply view that as a quick profit.

Nevertheless, on the pitch, it could be argued that Maresca’s side have missed Madueke’s direct running and pace, even if he’s not featured for Arsenal since September due to a knee injury.

Having said all of that, a frequent criticism from Chelsea supporters of Madueke was that he was selfish, often going for goal when passing to a teammate would be the better option.

Well, to support this zeitgeist, Madueke attempted 80 shots in the Premier League last season, behind only Palmer, but had the lowest goals – xG figure of any player in the Blues’ squad, ending up with -2.6.

Meantime, he registered just three assists and created only six big chances, suggesting that perhaps the view of supporters – and Martin Keown – was not too inaccurate.

So now, which current member of the Chelsea forward line showed similar levels of selfishness at Turf Moor?

Chelsea's Madueke repeat at Turf Moor

Since the days of Didier Drogba, Chelsea feel as though they’ve found themselves in a never-ending search for a reliable centre-forward; they even twice signed Romelu Lukaku in an attempt to solve this issue.

This summer, after freezing out Jackson, as already mentioned, they put a lot of faith in Liam Delap, making it not ideal that he then missed six successive Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury, as well as another following a red card at Molineux in the EFL Cup on the day of his return.

Back now, Delap has started the last two Premier League matches either side of the international break, but is yet to score since netting against Espérance Sportive de Tunis during the Club World Cup, for what that is worth, and his display on Saturday did not earn rave reviews, with the numbers underlining why.

Shots on target

Zero

7th

Shots off target

1

4th

Expected goals

0.04

10th

Attempted dribbles

Zero

14th

Accurate passes

8

23rd

Key passes

Zero

14th

Duels won

2

21st

Offsides

1

2nd

Touches

20

21st

SofaScore rating

6.2

30th

As the table documents, Delap did not have much impact on the afternoon’s proceedings at Turf Moor.

He attempted zero dribbles, completed just eight passes and won only two of the eight duels he contested, while, in 67 minutes on the pitch, he touched the ball only 20 times, which is 28 fewer than goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, while only one more than his replacement Malo Gusto.

Simon Johnson of The Athletic noted that it is obvious that “Delap is still not fully up to speed post hamstring injury” while, as noted by Taha Hashim of the Guardian, there were multiple occasions when Delap failed to play the ball to a teammate after an opening had presented itself.

Considering Chelsea’s array of attacking options, when Delap is the centre-forward, one of his key responsibilities has to be facilitating attacks and linking up with teammates, as well as score goals of course, neither of which he is doing at the moment.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

If he continues to be both ineffective and selfish, you can bet your bottom dollar that Delap won’t be in the team much longer, because Boehly will probably just buy three other players in his position in January.

Their next Caicedo: BlueCo have signed a "world-beater" for Chelsea

The sensational talent could become Chelsea’s next Moises Caicedo.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

Celtic are in the process of attempting to make Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy their permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers, who left the club last month.

Fabrizio Romano claims that the Hoops are in talks with the French manager over a move to Parkhead, as they look to get a deal done in the days and weeks to come.

Celtic are due to play St Mirren away from home in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday and the club have already confirmed that Martin O’Neill will take charge once again as the interim manager.

Once Nancy is in the building, should a deal get done, it will be interesting to see which players fail to make the cut if he goes with the system he has played in the MLS.

Players Wilfried Nancy might drop from Celtic's squad

Per Transfermarkt, the Frenchman’s preferred formation is a 3-4-2-1 and that would be interesting to see play out with the wide and full-back options that Celtic have.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey played at right-back last time out, but is a centre-back by trade, and could drop into a back three alongside Auston Trusty and Liam Scales.

That would free up a right wing-back spot. Anthony Ralston, who has no assists in 11 appearances this season, does not have the offensive quality to play in that role, so Nancy could use a player like Forrest to be an attack-minded wing-back.

That could see Ralston drop out of the squad, as he is not suited to playing as a centre-back or as a wing-back in that system, but he was only on the bench against Kilmarnock, so it would not be a major change to the squad.

An even bolder move that could be made by Nancy would be to instantly ditch Sebastian Tounekti from the starting line-up for his first match in charge, whenever that ends up being.

Why Wilfried Nancy should drop Sebastian Tounekti

It may seem like a bold call to suggest that the winger should be dropped from the team, because he has provided the supporters with some excitement since his move to the club from Hammarby in the summer.

Earlier this season, pundit Michael Stewart described the Tunisia international Celtic’s “danger man” and claimed that he “unsettles defences”, thanks to his direct and aggressive play out wide.

However, Tounekti has only scored two goals and has failed to provide any assists in 13 appearances in all competitions for Celtic, per Sofascore, which shows that there has been a lack of quality in the final third to back up his exciting build-up play.

The 23-year-old forward started on the left flank against Kilmarnock for O’Neill last time out in the Premiership, and put in a rather dismal display for the Hoops.

Vs Kilmarnock

Sebastian Tounekti

Minutes

78

Shots

2

Goals

0

Key passes

0

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Crosses completed

0/2

Dribbles completed

2/10

Possession lost

23x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti lost the ball a staggering 23 times in 78 minutes on the pitch, without creating a single chance for his teammates in that time.

A wasteful performance like that could see Nancy immediately remove him from the starting line-up, on top of it potentially being a sensible decision for tactical reasons.

If the Frenchman goes with the aforementioned 3-4-2-1, Kieran Tierney or Marcelo Saracchi would offer the width as the left wing-back and Celtic would need a player to play more centrally as a left-sided ten behind the striker, which is not Tounekti’s style.

Instead, those two ten roles may be more suited to Arne Engels, as explained in the linked article below, and Daizen Maeda. This, along with his performance against Kilmarnock, is why Nancy should instantly ditch Tounekti from the starting XI if and when he has his first game in charge.

Related Nancy could turn "world-class" Celtic star into the new Matt O'Riley

Celtic have a “world-class” star who could explode under Wilfried Nancy at Parkhead.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 16, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Marquinhos foi o principal destaque do Fluminense na vitória sobre o Colo-Colo na segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. O atacante abriu o placar para o Tricolor e ainda deu uma assistência para o gol de Germán Cano. Após o apito final, o jogador afirmou ter realizado um sonho ao jogar no Maracanã.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFluminenseGols e melhores momentos da vitória do Fluminense sobre o Colo-Colo pela LibertadoresFluminense09/04/2024FluminenseFluminense vence o Colo-Colo na primeira partida da Libertadores no Maracanã após o título inéditoFluminense09/04/2024FluminenseTricolores reagem ao golaço de Marquinhos pelo Fluminense na Libertadores: ‘Titular absoluto’Fluminense09/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Hoje foi mais um sonho realizado. Estava ansioso para jogar no Maracanã ao lado dessa torcida maravilhosa em noite de Libertadores. Espero continuar ajudando a equipe, seja com gols, seja com assistências. Estou muito feliz e espero manter essa grande fase. Esse ano tem grandes coisas para acontecer

---

disse Marquinhos

Tudo sobre

FluminenseFutebol NacionalLibertadores

A red soil surface at a new Test venue, an early start, and the possibility of bad light in the evening awaits India and South Africa

Karthik Krishnaswamy20-Nov-20256:22

‘Gambhir took the blame because he felt curators should not be blamed’

After the events of Kolkata, how will Guwahati play out? What kind of pitch can we expect at the Barsapara Stadium? What do India, 1-0 down after losing to South Africa inside three days on an Eden Gardens pitch with deadly uneven bounce, want from the surface?Two days out from the second India-South Africa Test, this much can be said about the Guwahati pitch: it is a red-soil surface with an even covering of grass — similar to the one used in Ahmedabad for the first Test against West Indies last month, though less green, and a certain amount of grass is likely to be mown off before the match begins. The pitch was watered on Thursday afternoon.These signs point to certain intentions: for a pitch that provides bounce and holds together well at least for the first two days or so, before becoming increasingly amenable to spin.Intentions, however, don’t always translate to what actually happens when the match begins. And this, according to India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, is what played out in Kolkata.Related

Mystery pitch adds to intrigue in Guwahati's Test debut

Gill ruled out of Guwahati Test, Pant to lead India

India-South Africa Guwahati Test to have tea break before lunch

Formidable to fallible – India slump to 53-year low in home Tests

Gambhir's India – close fights, costly calls, and a growing Test crisis

Four days after India head coach Gautam Gambhir had said they had got “exactly the pitch we were looking for” at Eden Gardens, and that the curator had been “very, very helpful” in providing it, Kotak said this wasn’t what happened. Gambhir spoke as he did, Kotak said, to divert flak away from curator Sujan Mukherjee and onto himself, and that neither India nor the curator had wanted the pitch to behave as it did.”When Gautam came for the press conference after the match and took all the blame on himself — he said we had asked for [that pitch] — he did that because he felt the curators shouldn’t be blamed,” Kotak said. “[…] Every country plays to their strengths. In India that is spin. Ever since I’ve come in, every time, we have the same conversation, that the Test match should go on for four days, four-and-a-half days. All we want is a bit of spin [in the pitch], because spin is our strength.”[…] What happened in the last match, after the first day, you could see that [the pitch] was crumbling, a bit of soil was coming [off the surface]. That wasn’t expected. Even if we had expected that much spin, it was after the third day, or on the evening of the third day. Even the curator didn’t want this. No one wanted what happened.”From the second day, whether the wicket became too dry, or whether — and this is my reading — the top layer became too dry, and the underneath layer was very hard because there was a lot of rolling, and [the pitch behaved as it did] because of this. You can ask the curator, or ask anyone — no one asked for a match that would end in two days, or for square turn.”Well, then.If you read between Gambhir’s lines, Kotak’s lines, all the talk in Kolkata surrounding the lack of watering of the pitch in the days leading up to the Test match, and all the evidence of Test matches in India over recent years, a possible narrative begins to emerge.India want a certain amount of turn on day one to minimise the toss advantage. They ask curators for this. But the visual evidence of the pitch prepared by the curator doesn’t ease their fears of a too-flat surface that renders their spinners ineffective in the first innings should they happen to bowl first.So they begin to meddle, insisting the pitch needs to be drier, to have less grass, to be dry and bare in certain areas… and pretty soon, with India’s anxiety and their lack of belief in (or respect for) an expert’s ability to do his job properly stirred into a pot that initially only contained reasonable intentions, chaos ensues.Given what unfolded in Kolkata, given the result of that Test match, and given the furore that has followed, India may be looking for a certain amount of course-correction in Guwahati.What sort of pitch does that leave us with, then, and what sort of Test match?”The red-soil wicket, generally, if you ask me, will probably have a little more bounce,” Kotak said. “And how much moisture is there, that is important. So that again [depends] on the weather.”In Kolkata also, it was surprising when, actually, the top surface was coming out. No team would ask that we want it to blast [ball causing the soil to explode on impact] on the second day. Anybody would understand that, it is not rocket science. So this wicket probably will play better, I think.”How much seam movement, how much live grass is there at the end of tomorrow evening, before they cover the wicket, and what kind of weather we will have from morning to evening, I also personally don’t know, so it will be very difficult to comment on that, but it should be a good wicket, it should be four-five days of good cricket.”The Kolkata pitch brought both seamers and spinners into play while being excessively helpful to both. Guwahati, if results match stated intentions, could give us one where both seamers and spinners will be in play but will have to work harder for their wickets.Conditions at Barsapara Cricket Stadium at 4.40pm two days before the second Test•Karthik Krishnaswamy/ESPNcricinfoOne other factor could have an effect on the match. On Saturday, Guwahati will become India’s 30th and easternmost Test venue. Play, accordingly, will start at 9am, half an hour earlier than at other Indian venues. This, however, may not necessarily make up for how far east Guwahati is of India’s standard-time meridian. time, or tea-garden time, which governs the working hours in Assam’s tea estates, is a full hour ahead of IST.The early start, then, could mean a little more moisture in the pitch compared to Kolkata (though probably not venues located further west) but it may not make up for how early the sun sets in Guwahati.Piet Botha, South Africa’s bowling coach, suggested that bad light could be a factor. “Probably end of play at 4 o’clock,” he said. “I saw yesterday it was already dark by 4-ish.”Botha felt seamers could get a bit of early help too, drawing a parallel between Guwahati and Durban, which sits on South Africa’s east coast, where Test matches begin an hour earlier than Tests in Cape Town on the opposite coast.”I thought it would be cooler,” he said. “It was quite hot at 9 o’clock. But obviously it will be a little bit more moisture, so I think in terms of the first hour, the new ball should play a role. For how long, we’re not sure.”We’ll have to see. I know back home in Durban, we start at 9 o’clock [typically 9.30am], and sometimes the ball goes around for the first hour, and then it settles down.”To recap: Guwahati will make its Test debut with a red-soil pitch with some grass on it (though we can’t yet be sure how much). There is potential for bounce and carry, and the pitch is not expected to turn alarmingly at least on the first two days. There could be early moisture for the seamers to exploit, and potentially early finishes owing to bad light.All this could help stretch the Test match into day four, if not day five, if nothing unexpected happens. If.

How long will Daniel Farke be given to turn around the ongoing Leeds United mess?

After so much joy at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa was put out of his misery 26 games into the 2021/22 season in the Premier League, mustering up just a measly five victories.

By way of comparison, the German is only two victories away from matching that amount right now, with 15 fewer league games under his belt.

Of course, Bielsa was handed more time in the hot seat due to his iconic status in West Yorkshire, but Jesse Marsch was also given 20 league games the following campaign when the Leeds ship looked to be sinking.

A trigger-happy dismissal might not be forthcoming, then, but Farke will know he needs to turn fortunes around quickly, as a whole raft of players continue to underperform.

Bielsa and Marsch were no strangers, either, to players joining the Leeds ranks and ultimately flopping, with Robin Koch one costly error that must still generate grimaces at the Premier League newcomers.

The numbers behind Koch's move to Leeds

It’s fair to say there were an awful lot of misses in the transfer department when the South American and his Wisconsin-born counterpart occupied their dug-outs.

Faces such as Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, and Rasmus Kristensen all joined for big bucks, and then disappeared when relegation was served up at the end of the gloomy 2022/23 season, with Sinisterra and Adams alone costing a whopping £41m to pick up at the time.

Thankfully, the bruised Whites managed to recoup £40m when selling the disappointing duo to AFC Bournemouth. On the contrary, the aforementioned Koch would return to his native Germany for zilch after a largely woeful three seasons in England.

In the end, Leeds were probably just happy to get their former £12m purchase off their roster, even if it was on a free transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt, with the German only managing to collect a dire ten clean sheets from 73 Premier League appearances.

Once branded as being simply “not good enough” by The Athletic’s Beren Cross and looking like a “fish out of water” by pundit Danny Mills, it really was a transfer saga that hurt Leeds, and it still does, arguably, considering Koch has since returned to his more well-known comforts of the Bundesliga and has excelled. This season, he has two goals from ten league appearances, winning a mighty 5.4 duels won on average, too, for Frankfurt.

For context, the no-nonsense Joe Rodon has averaged 5.3 duels won back in the Premier League, but he’s far from a transfer misfire.

Rather, it’s another expensive defensive recruit who could be deemed Leeds’ biggest disaster signing since Koch

Leeds' biggest disaster since Koch

The most frustrating aspect of Koch’s Leeds career, looking back, is that he had a promising debut campaign in West Yorkshire, even if it was ravaged by injury.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Only 13 starts came his way, but four clean sheets were collected, with a final day showing to close out the 21/22 campaign, even seeing him win seven duels against Tottenham Hotspur.

Unfortunately, Jaka Bijol can’t even cling to any early promise at the moment, having cost £3m more than Koch when leaving Udinese behind.

It should have been a giveaway that the Slovenian might struggle, considering Farke was hesitant to chuck the ex-Serie A titan into his starting XI at the start of the season, with the German eventually chucking Bijol into the Premier League deep-end against West Ham United in late October.

Bijol’s PL numbers for Leeds
Stat	Bijol
Games played	3
Goals conceded	6
Losses	2
Clean sheets	0
Tackles won	3
Duels won	12/19
Stats by Sofascore

He did win six duels against the Hammers as Farke’s men got the better of their relegation rivals 2-1, but his showings against Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest since must be leaving a similarly bad taste in the mouth that the German defender once left.

He found himself in no man’s land when Morgan Gibbs-White had all the time in the world to head home this decisive goal at the City Ground, with the out-of-sorts number 16 only managing to win one lacklustre tackle across both heavy away defeats.

The £45k-per-week defender will surely be fearful for his starting spot moving forward; therefore, as Pascal Struijk waits in the wings, with Bijol also yet to show off his prowess in the air, which saw him bag four goals for Udinese in Serie A action.

If Farke is to persist with Bijol, he could go on to be viewed as a Koch-type weak link for oppositions to hone in on, with a potential relegation on his CV also no doubt making him hard to shift for anywhere near his £15m valuation, like the forgettable 29-year-old.

He does still have time to turn around his Elland Road playing days, but the early signs are not good, as Leeds have been here before with a hyped up European import that never lives up to his high price tag.

Leeds stance on recalling Joe Gelhardt in January as Hull eye Harry Gray

He’s been on fire in the Championship.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 19, 2025

Liverpool have now reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace as the South London club continue their attempts to agree a new deal with the Frenchman.

The Reds could certainly do with an added boost one way or another. They entered the November international break off the back of yet another defeat, this time against Manchester City, and must put their Premier League form behind them against Nottingham Forest this Saturday.

Against Sean Dyche’s side that will be easier said than done, however, and what hasn’t helped Arne Slot is the recent injury news regarding Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz. Both will miss Forest’s visit to Anfield this weekend, with Bradley set to be out for at least three weeks in a major blow.

Slot confirmed the news, telling reporters: “[Andy] Robertson will be with us today. Alisson trained last week and this week so he will be able to play if things work out today.

“We do have some issues after the international break. Conor Bradley is unable to play, Florian Wirtz unable to play. That is far from ideal. Both muscle issues. I don’t expect Conor to be part of the upcoming 22 days, maybe the end unless a miracle happens. Florian maybe should not be that long. Jeremie is out just as long, won’t be available in the next few weeks.”

Without Bradley, the Reds will only have Calvin Ramsay to call on at right-back, unless they decide to pull Dominik Szoboszlai from midfield again. With games coming thick and fast, it’s the last thing they needed.

However, Liverpool’s focus seemingly remains on improving their frontline even further. Despite breaking their transfer record to sign Alexander Isak in the summer, Anfield chiefs have now set their sights on Mateta.

Liverpool eyeing Jean-Philippe Mateta deal

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are eyeing a move to sign Mateta, who has also attracted the interest of Arsenal now that he’s almost into the final year of his Crystal Palace contract.

Better signing than Semenyo: Liverpool enter race for £100m "superstar"

Liverpool are weighing up a 2026 bid for one of the Premier League’s best midfielders.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 21, 2025

The South London club are desperately attempting to tie their striker down to a new deal, but talks are yet to reach a conclusion. The longer negotiations go on, the more encouragement that the likes of Liverpool will have to move in and secure the Frenchman.

PL stats 24/25	Jean-Philippe Mateta	Hugo Ekitike
Minutes	959	632
Goals	6	3
Assists	0	1
Expected Goals	8.1	2.3

Although there will be some concerns that Mateta has underperformed his expected goals, the threat that he creates is clear. It speaks volumes of his quality that he’s outscored Hugo Ekitike so far this season, who many believe has made a solid start to life at Anfield.

Dubbed “amazing” by Palace boss Oliver Glasner, Mateta has become one of the best strikers in the Premier League in the last two years and may finally earn a big move as a result.

Diaz 2.0: Liverpool prepare £88m bid to sign "the best player in the world"

Manchester City and Australia star Mary Fowler has revealed she and another team-mate were the victims of a vile racist prank after their final game for Montpellier. The incident, which occurred in 2020, came after other departing players had received flowers. Fowler, one of only a few players of colour on the squad, called the act "hard to laugh off" and questioned whether it was "just a simple error".

• Racism accusations at Montpellier

  In her recently released autobiography , Man City and Matildas star Fowler revealed she was subjected to racism and differential treatment during her time in France. In her book she recounts how she and another team-mate, Ashleigh Weerden, were handed bananas instead of the flowers that other players received at a farewell presentation. For Fowler, the incident was not a simple mistake, but one of several instances that led her to question if she was being singled out. In her book, Fowler describes how moments like being disciplined for driving home with Weerden made it difficult to believe the discriminatory treatment was unintentional. 

  The struggle was compounded by a club physiotherapist's disbelief of a serious chest pain complaint, and contributed to Fowler experiencing depression, self-harm, and considering leaving professional soccer. This public disclosure follows a period of increasing attention on racism in women's football, with other players also speaking out about their experiences.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Fowler: 'Hard to see it as a simple error'

  Fowler said: "When we got inside the changing room, some of our team-mates questioned why we hadn't received any flowers. A few of the girls laughed about it and then one of the other players came over and handed my friend and me some bananas, saying, 'here have these'. Was it an accident? Was it the only thing in the dressing room she could give us? Did she mean well by it? I’ve tried to justify it in many different ways … But when I add in the many other times at the club when we were left feeling a similar way, it was hard to see it as merely a simple error."

  Fowler didn’t question the actions at the time, but only because she felt unable to, adding: "Instead, we just sat there holding those bananas."

• Injury blow and contract extension

  Fowler has been hugely impressive at Manchester City since joining in 2022. Signed as one of the game's most promising talents, she has made 86 appearances for the club and posted 21 goals and 22 assists. She enjoyed her standout campaign last season, achieving double-digit goals and assists and earning a spot in the PFA WSL Team of the Year. Her season ended prematurely due to an ACL injury in April, but she has signed a contract extension until 2027 while recovering.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Bright future for Fowler

  On signing a her new contract at City, Fowler said: "It's really exciting. City has felt like home for me for quite a while now so to continue this journey with them, I'm really proud to do that. Enjoying my football is a big part of me playing well and City has created an environment where I can flourish. I love working with the girls who are here."

  Man City Director of Football Therese Sjogran added: "Mary’s a really important figure for us on and off the pitch, so we’re delighted she’s agreed to extend her stay at the Club. She’s a tremendous talent, but the way she’s improved each year since joining City speaks volumes of her attitude and hard work off the pitch. We’re excited to see what the future holds for this team, and Mary will be a huge part of that once she’s back to her best after injury."

أعلن منتخب تونس لكرة القدم، مساء السبت، ضم سيف الدين الجزيري، لاعب نادي الزمالك، إلى قائمة نسور قرطاج المشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق بطولة كأس العرب 2025 في قطر، في الأول من ديسمبر حتى 18 من نفس الشهر بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا.

طالع.. فيديو | سيف الجزيري يسجل هدف الزمالك الأول أمام كايزر تشيفز

وجاء استدعاء الجزيري تعويضًا لغياب نعيم السليتي، الذي عانى من إصابة في أوتار الركبة، والتي أدت إلى استبعاده من القائمة.

ويقع منتخب تونس في المجموعة الأولى، إلى جانب قطر وسوريا وفلسطين.

وشهدت الفترة الأخيرة تألق سيف الدين الجزيري مع الزمالك، إذ سجل هدفين في الجولتين الأولى والثانية من الكونفدرالية أمام زيسكو الزامبي وكايزر تشيفز. قائمة تونس في كأس العرب 2025

حراسة المرمى: أيمن دحمان – بشير بن سعيد – نور الدين فرحاتي.

الدفاع: معتز النفاتي – محمد بن علي – علي معلول – محمد أمين بن حميدة – ياسين مرياح – حمزة الجلاصي – مروان الصحراوي – أسامة الحدادي.

الوسط: فرجاني ساسي – حسام تقا – إسماعيل الغربي – محمد الحاج محمود – شهاب الجبالي – محمد علي بن رمضان.

الهجوم: عمر العيوني – سيف الدين الجزيري – نسيم دنداني – ريان عنان – حازم المستور – فراس شواط.