Manchester United’s form in the Premier League so far this season has been nowhere near good enough for where the club should expect to be.

There are only four teams between the Red Devils and Southampton at the bottom of the table, with the Saints still two points behind Derby’s all-time low tally of 11, as they sit 15th in the division.

They have lost 12 of their 26 matches in the Premier League, winning just eight, and they needed a big comeback against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday to avoid it becoming 13.

It is not as simple as pointing to one reason, whether that be the ownership, Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim, or the players, as to why United have been so poor in the Premier League.

Instead, it is a combination of a number of factors and recruitment, both in terms of their signings and their decisions on who to sell, has been an influential factor in that.

One strand of recruitment United have let themselves down with has been their treatment of academy talent, as they have allowed some top players to move on from Old Trafford after coming through the youth system.

Man United's academy graduate mistakes

Firstly, United sold academy graduate Scott McTominay to Napoli for a reported fee of £25m last summer and the Scotland international has scored six goals in 28 matches in the Serie A this season.

Meanwhile, no current player for Amorim has scored more than six league goals, with Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes tied on six, which suggests that the club could have benefitted from his attacking talent this season.

A year prior to McTominay’s exit, United allowed Anthony Elanga to join Nottingham Forest for a fee of £15m, after a return of four goals and four assists in 55 matches for the Red Devils at first-team level.

The club were not patient with the Sweden international and the Tricky Trees have benefitted from their impatience, as the winger has been in terrific form over the past 18 months or so at the City ground.

Starts

25

20

Goals

5

3

Big chances created

14

7

Key passes per game

0.9

1.4

Assists

9

8

As you can see in the table above, Elanga has provided a huge threat as a creative force for Forest with his ability to provide his teammates with ‘big chances’ to score.

This suggests that the 22-year-old whiz, who has more assists than any United player in the Premier League this season, is another one who the club let leave too soon.

Perhaps the most famous example of United allowing an academy graduate to leave too soon, however, was when Sir Alex Ferguson failed to convince Paul Pogba to stay in 2012.

Manchester United's Paul Pogba blunder

The French maestro came up through the academy system at United and made three appearances in the Premier League during the 2011/12 campaign, before his contract came to an end that summer.

Ferguson revealed that the 19-year-old starlet had agreed to join Juventus a “long time ago” before his move was made official in the summer of 2012. The legendary boss said: “(It) is disappointing. I don’t think he showed us any respect at all, to be honest.”

Perhaps his lack of minutes in the first-team, with three league outings, is what convinced Pogba to decide to ditch Manchester for Turin, and that possible blunder by Sir Alex allowed Juventus to land him for a compensation fee of £800k.

Of course, after 179 appearances, 34 goals, and 32 assists, for Juventus in all competitions, United later swooped to bring him back to Old Trafford in a world-record £89m deal.

This shows that the Red Devils made a huge mistake with Pogba as they had to pay a world-record fee to sign a player they had on their books in the academy and lost for just £800k, because he developed into a fantastic player during his time in Turin.

Amorim may, now, have repeated a similar blunder by allowing Marcus Rashford to move on from the club in the January transfer window, instead of spending more time with him to help him get back to his best in a red shirt.

Marcus Rashford's form since leaving United

The England international, who has scored 138 goals in 426 matches for United, was sent out on loan to Aston Villa in the winter window, and the Premier League side have the option to sign him permanently for £40m.

Rashford played 15 times for United in the first half of the season and contributed with four goals and four ‘big chances’ created, which is a fairly unremarkable return for a player of his quality.

Amorim omitted him from the matchday squads and claimed that the attacker’s lack of intensity in training was the reason behind his lack of minutes on the pitch.

Whilst there is absolutely blame to be placed at Rashford’s door, as he should have put the work in at training to earn his place in the squad, the Portuguese head coach was also quick to move on from the attacker instead of spending time to help the player improve in that aspect of his work.

Minutes

45

65

45

Shots on target

1

1

0

Dribbles completed

6/3

2/4

2/4

Key passes

4

0

3

Big chances created

2

0

2

Assists

0

0

2

As you can see in the table above, Rashford, who has been described as “unplayable” by analyst Raj Chohan, has caught the eye already for Villa.

The English speedster has already created four ‘big chances’ in three Premier League games, whilst Bruno Fernandes (11) is the only United player with more than five ‘big chances’ created in the entire season so far.

These statistics suggest that Unai Emery is getting the best out of Rashford and that he has seen enough from the star in training to consistently select him, which is why Amorim should have given the forward more time to show that to him at Old Trafford.

Now, Villa could, potentially, sign a sublime talent at Premier League level for a fee of just £40m, which United could go on to deeply regret in a similar way to how they did when Pogba left for just £800k.

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However, Rashford turns 28 later this year and it seems unlikely that he will return to United – should Villa exercise their option – for a world-record transfer fee in the future.

Promising legspinner hopes to return from a stress fracture before the end of the BBL season and impress Test selectors

AAP08-Dec-2022Young Sydney Thunder legspinner Tanveer Sangha is racing the clock to play in the BBL this season and put his name forward for Test selection ahead of a busy international cricket schedule.The 21-year-old has been sidelined with a stress fracture in his back but is hoping to return before the end of the Big Bash League season.”It was definitely a big blow,” Sangha told reporters on Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.”But I’m going to try and come back as quick as I can.”Related

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The promising legspinner has already been involved in the national set-up, playing for Australia A against Sri Lanka A in June, and has been touted as a potential long-term replacement for Nathan Lyon when the legendary offspinner eventually retires.With Australia set for a four-Test tour of spinners’ paradise India in February, Sangha would’ve been hoping for a big BBL season to impress selectors.But he insists Test cricket is the least of his worries at the moment.”I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself,” he said. “I’ve got a long career ahead so I just want to focus on my body right now so I can prevent it from happening in the future.”Todd Murphy has impressed in Sheffield Shield cricket•Getty ImagesAnother potential bolter for inclusion in the Test squad is BBL cross-town rival Todd Murphy.Despite having played just seven first-class matches, the 22-year-old Sydney Sixers offspinner has impressed for Victoria in his young Sheffield Shield career.Sixers teammate and fellow spinner Steve O’Keefe backed Murphy for selection for the India tour but the youngster was a bit more circumspect.”I would absolutely love to (play in India),” Murphy told AAP. “But that sort of stuff will take care of itself.”I’m still only young in my first-class career so if that opportunity arose I’d be stoked but if it doesn’t it’s not going to worry me either.”The Sixers are blessed with a formidable spin roster this season, with Murphy set to line up alongside veteran O’Keefe, exciting Afghan legspinner Izharulhaq Naveed and Lyon when he returns from Test duties.Murphy says he can’t wait to have his mentor Lyon back in the squad.”The week or two I had with him last year at the Sixers just to be able to compare things and just chat about spin bowling was awesome,” he said. “We stay in touch and he’s been really good to me and always said that if you need anything he’s willing to help out.”Both Murphy and Sangha will be familiar with Indian conditions having spent 10 days on a coaching tour of Chennai in August.Sangha says the experience has left him in good stead if he is given the opportunity to play cricket in India for Australia.”If I do go over there, I know I have some sort of basic knowledge, a few tips and tricks I can use on slower wickets,” Sangha said.

يستعد النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، للإعلان عن الإعلان عن التعاقد مع صفقة جديدة لتدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي خلال الساعات المقبلة، قبل كأس العالم للأندية.

ويواصل الأهلي، تدعيم صفوفه استعدادًا للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية المقامة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

ونشرت الصفحات الرسمية للأهلي عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي فيديو ترويجي استعدادا للكشف عن الصفقة.

طالع.. لاعب وحيد يغيب عن ودية الأهلي أمام باتشوكا استعدادًا لكأس العالم للأندية

ومن المتوقع أن تكون الصفقة التعاقد مع أحمد سيد زيزو، لاعب الزمالك بعد انتهاء عقده مع القلعة البيضاء، حيث توصل لاتفاق مع الأحمر ومنتظر الإعلان الرسمي.

وكانت بعثة الأهلي قد وصلت إلى مدينة ميامي مساء الخميس، بعد رحلة طيران استغرقت أكثر من 15 ساعة، بدأت من مطار القاهرة الدولي، مرورًا بمطار دبي كمحطة ترانزيت، قبل الوصول إلى الولايات المتحدة.

وينطلق معسكر الأهلي في إطار التحضير للمشاركة التاريخية في نسخة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، التي تقام في أمريكا خلال الفترة من 14 يونيو إلى 13 يوليو، بمشاركة 32 فريقًا لأول مرة.

ويخوض الأهلي منافسات البطولة ضمن المجموعة الأولى التي تضم إلى جانبه فرق إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، وبورتو البرتغالي، وبالميراس البرازيلي.

ويستعد الأهلي لخوض مباراة ودية أمام فريق باتشوكا المكسيكي يوم 8 يونيو الجاري، في إطار التحضير لمواجهة إنتر ميامي في افتتاح مشواره بالبطولة.

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Former Liverpool and Aston Villa star Stan Collymore has explained why West Ham United could be the ideal landing spot for a big-name forward, with the player in question facing an uncertain future at this current club.

West Ham making summer transfer plans

Having ended the January window with the addition of Evan Ferguson on a six-month straight loan deal, Graham Potter and the Hammers hierarchy are already believed to be making some plans for the summer.

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This includes potential strikers, in the event they don’t or can’t make Ferguson’s loan a permanent move, with Man United striker Rasmus Hojlund believed to be on West Ham’s list of targets.

West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Brentford (home)	February 15th
Arsenal (away)	February 22nd
Leicester City (home)	February 27th
Newcastle United (home)	March 10th
Everton (away)	March 15th

On the pitch, West Ham have made a fairly solid start under Potter, with performances improving overall despite some results not going their way.

The east Londoners take on Brentford at home in three days, their first taste of action since a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last week, and West Ham’s squad will be refreshed for the occasion.

Stan Collymore tips West Ham to sign Man City star Jack Grealish

A rival player who’s also seen precious few minutes recently is Man City and England forward Jack Grealish.

The ex-Villa captain started City’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League last night, and looked bright before he was forced off with yet another injury. Grealish, who cost Pep Guardiola’s side £100 million in a club-record deal, cut a frustrated figure – going straight down the tunnel after being replaced by Phil Foden – with some reports suggesting he could be facing his final months at the Etihad Stadium.

Collymore, speaking to GOAL, has explained why Grealish could leave Man City to join West Ham as a potential landing spot.

“No. I sincerely hope not. I think Jack’s output is nowhere near the required level,” said Collymore on the prospect of Villa re-signing Grealish.

“If you look at the two players that have been brought in, [Marco] Asensio and [Marcus] Rashford, they can play either side of Ollie Watkins. There is a question mark over both – can they do it, will they do it? They have got pedigree.

“Jack, really, going to Manchester City and being a part of the treble-winning team – even then he wasn’t the main man, that was Kevin De Bruyne. He was good but not great. Last season, a stat of scoring one goal in just over a year… I don’t think he goes past people any more. [Jeremy] Doku when he first came into the team did that, [Omar] Marmoush you imagine will do that.”

Collymore then added that he could see the £300,000-per-week winger at West Ham as an alternative destination.

“Jack might end up going somewhere like Saudi because I’m struggling to see a top four, five or six team that would take him. The traditional top four or five, wages and fee would be a problem.

“If you are an aspiring club, Newcastle could go and buy anybody that’s young and hungry and fresh, likewise Villa. If you are one of the clubs like Bournemouth and Brighton, you probably couldn’t afford him. You could probably see him at a club like West Ham, bizarrely, because they have got the money and London as clout.

“I’m absolutely sure that Unai Emery won’t be going anywhere near Jack Grealish. Great emotional story, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

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A Suécia bateu o Brasil por 3 a 1 nesta terça-feira em amistoso de preparação para a Copa América Feminina, que começa em julho. A equipe de Pia Sundhage abriu o placar, mas não soube controlar as ações com o resultado a favor e sofreu a virada das suecas.

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PRIMEIRO TEMPO
A Seleção Brasileira teve dificuldades para construir no primeiro tempo. A Suécia ficou mais com a bola e as brasileiras tentavam aproveitar os espaços do adversário, começando as jogadas pelo corredor esquerdo, que foi bem marcado pelas suecas. A primeira etapa terminou sem gols, até pela boa marcação da equipe de Pia Sundhage.

DEBINHA MARCA!
Na volta do intervalo, a Seleção conseguiu em um lance com a bola no pé, ter calma e abrir o placar da partida. Aos cinco minutos da segunda etapa, Fe Palermo recebeu na direita, carregou e enfiou para Debinha, que entrou na área e bateu na saída da goleira.

A VIRADA!
Apesar do gol brasileiro, a Suécia se impôs no jogo e imprimiu maior volume de jogo. Assim, achou o gol de empate e o da virada em dois minutos. O primeiro, aos 20 minutos, veio dos pés de Johanna, que driblou a defesa brasileira e marcou um belo gol. O da virada, aos 22, veio pela esquerda, Andersson cruzou na medida para Hurtig marcar de cabeça.

PRA FECHAR!
Para coroar a vitória das suecas, a equipe marcou mais um gol no fim do jogo para ampliar o resultado. Aos 44 minutos, a seleção da Suécia tabelou no meio e, de primeira, Blomqvist enfiou para Blackstenius sair em velocidade e bater de cobertura na saída da goleira brasileira.

The USMNT defender shared his frustrations about missing international duty and outlined his perspective on what the team needs to improve

• Dest maintains regular communication with USMNT coaches
• Emphasizes need for complete commitment from squad
• Identifies work rate and creative spark as key areas for improvement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  After being sidelined for nearly a year with an ACL injury, Sergino Dest finally made his comeback for club and country earlier in 2025, and it has many excited for the 24-year-old’s future. However, that spell out has seen Dest miss out on a lot of chances to impress. But Dest acknowledged that while he stays in regular contact with Mauricio Pochettino's coaching staff.

  “I’ve had conversations with the assistant coach, and they’re watching me, we keep in contact, but yeah, it’s different,” Dest told when asked if he’s in touch with the USMNT coaches. “It’s different to meet them all in person, be at the camp, be with the players again, and I miss the players again because the last time was March 2024."

  He added, "And it’s been way too long, and we have a World Cup coming up, and I want to spend as much time with the players to be in the best shape with the team to be ready for the World Cup."

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• WHAT SERGINO DEST SAID

  Dest also touched upon what he believes the USMNT lacks and what they need to do before the 2026 World Cup.

  “I feel like we have some work to do as well. I don’t know, I'm willing to work 100 percent with the whole team cause that is our spirit, and I think you know if we’re our best version, if everybody gives 100 percent and maybe some creativity,” Dest added when asked what he thinks the USMNT lack.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The USMNT has struggled to find consistency under new coach Pochettino since his appointment in the Fall of 2024. Injury absences to key players like Dest, Tyler Adams, and others have complicated the transition, with the team showing concerning deficiencies in creativity and attacking threat. Dest's identification of work rate and creativity as areas needing improvement aligns with Pochettino's recent assessments as well.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The USMNT will come together at the end of the 2024-25 season for the 2025 Gold Cup, with Dest likely to be a part of the squad for the tournament. That will be the last section of competitive action that the team will have prior to the 2026 World Cup, beyond regularly scheduled friendly games.

Manchester City were unusually active during the recent January transfer window in reaction to the club’s disappointing performances on the pitch this season.

City are 20 points off Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table, they have already been knocked out of the League Cup, and they exited the Champions League before the last 16 stage.

Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, and Vitor Reis were all added to Pep Guardiola’s side to bolster his squad ahead of the second half of the season, and beyond.

Marmoush, who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported fee of £59m, was the headline addition of the window and announced himself to The Etihad crowd with a stunning first-half hat-trick against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The Egypt international scored 15 goals in 17 matches in the Bundesliga during the first half of the season and will be hoping to continue to impress in front of goal with the Cityzens.

He could, potentially, be viewed as the eventual replacement for Argentine centre-forward Julian Alvarez, who moved on from The Etihad last summer.

How much Man City sold Julian Alvarez for

The Premier League champions decided to cash in on the World Cup winner at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and raked in a reported fee of £82m from Atletico Madrid for his services.

Guardiola revealed that the 24-year-old star had asked to move on from the club as he wanted a “new challenge”, and had potentially become frustrated by playing second-fiddle to Erling Haaland in the centre-forward position, which often forced him to play in a deeper position.

It was a blow for Manchester City, though, because the Argentina international had just come off the back of a haul of 19 goals and 13 assists in 54 appearances in all competitions last season.

That came after the young marksman had found the back of the net 17 times in all competitions during his debut campaign with the Premier League side, after his move from River Plate for a modest fee of £14m.

Alvarez made the move to Atletico Madrid to play under Diego Simeone and has, so far, enjoyed a strong first season with the Spanish side in the 2024/25 campaign.

The former Manchester City centre-forward has racked up 20 goals and five assists in 39 appearances in all competitions, including six goals in eight outings in the Champions League.

Guardiola may, now, have some regrets about cashing in on the young attacker, instead of trying to convince him to change his mind about wanting to move on from The Etihad, as he lost a terrific striker who offered a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch as an alternative to Haaland.

However, a sale the Spanish head coach may rue even more was the one that saw Liam Delap move on from the club, after his impressive progression in recent years.

Liam Delap's progression at Manchester City

The England U21 international joined City from Derby’s U18s in the summer of 2019 and immediately hit the ground running with a return of seven goals and six assists in 11 U18 Premier League matches during the 2019/20 campaign.

Delap was handed a huge chance to impress in the first-team against Bournemouth in the League Cup at the start of the 2020/21 season and scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win for City.

He dropped back down to the academy, however, after that goal and ended the campaign with an exceptional return of 24 goals in 20 Premier League 2 games for the U21s.

Liam Delap’s Man City career

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

U18

17

11

7

Youth League

2

0

0

U23

36

35

9

First-team

6

1

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Delap was incredibly prolific at youth level for City and showed promise in the first-team set-up, with one goal in six matches.

Where Are They Now

Expand Collapse

The English forward also spent time on loan in the Championship, playing for Stoke City, Preston North End, and Hull City. It was his form with the Tigers – a return of eight goals in 31 league matches – that earned him a move to Premier League side Ipswich Town.

Why Manchester City must rue selling Liam Delap

City and Guardiola allowed Delap to join the Tractor Boys for a reported fee of £20m, with £15m guaranteed, and they should rue selling him as he could have been the perfect Alvarez replacement.

The Cityzens were left with Haaland as their only natural centre-forward option when the Argentine forward moved on last summer, but they already had a fantastic young number nine on their books who could have come into the squad, without costing City a penny.

Delap, who FBref have as a statistically similar player to Jean-Philippe Mateta, Moise Kean, and Benjamin Sesko, has caught the eye in the Premier League for Ipswich this season.

The 22-year-old marksman has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 26 appearances in the top-flight for the struggling side, who currently sit in the relegation zone.

He has been a shining light in a dismal campaign for Kieran McKenna’s team, as he has proven that he has the quality to be a reliable goalscorer at Premier League level.

24/25 Premier League

Liam Delap

Appearances

26

xG

7.95

Goals

10

Conversion rate

20%

Big chances created

3

Assists

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Delap has been ruthless with the chances that have come his way in front of goal, as the young gem has outperformed his xG by roughly two goals.

The “one-man battering ram,” as described by Opta Analyst, has also won 44% of his aerial duels and completed 1.2 dribbles per game, which shows that he can also offer a physical and front-foot presence at the top end of the pitch.

Alvarez scored 11 Premier League goals last season and is currently on nine in LaLiga for Atletico, which suggests that Delap – given his return of ten top-flight strikes already this term – can provide a similar goalscoring threat.

Related Man City hit the jackpot on £76m ace who has genuine Ballon d'Or potential

The Man City star has been brilliant this season

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 28, 2025

Therefore, Man City should rue cashing in on the 22-year-old forward before they provided him with a chance to stake a claim for a regular place in the first-team squad, as he could have been the perfect – homegrown and free – replacement for Alvarez.

In what would see them get one over on their top six rivals, Manchester United are now keen to sign an attacking star who’s currently Tottenham Hoptspur’s top target this summer.

Man Utd and Spurs battling on and off the pitch

So much of Manchester United’s season has mirrored Tottenham’s. Both find themselves languishing in the bottom half, both have been left to rely on the Europa League for any chance of turning their season around and both are now in desperate need of summer reinforcements. When the summer transfer window does arrive, it would also come as little surprise if the two ‘big six’ sides found themselves operating in close quarters, either.

After admitting that nothing could turn their season around, Ruben Amorim will at least be hoping that the lure of Old Trafford is still enough to see the Red Devils secure their targets ahead of the likes of Spurs even in Manchester United’s current state.

On that front, the rumours are already coming thick and fast. According to Caught Offside, Manchester United now want to sign Antoine Semenyo in a move that would see them beat Spurs to their top target this summer. The Lilywhites are even reportedly lining up a bid worth €40m (£34m) to sign the winger Bournemouth value at £50m ahead of the transfer window.

Sold by INEOS, now outscoring Zirkzee: Man Utd must rue losing £25m "hero"

Man Utd may wish they kept hold of this star

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That doesn’t look set to discourage United, however, who caught a first-hand glimpse of Semenyo’s quality earlier this season when he scored in a stunning 3-0 victory for Bournemouth. Handing Noussair Mazraoui a torrid time, the versatile full-back ended the defeat with just five defensive actions and a 50% duel-success rate.

Semenyo, meanwhile, found himself wheeling away in celebration after scoring the final of his side’s three goals to stun Old Trafford just after the hour mark.

"Powerful" Semenyo has earned big move

Whilst there would be plenty of irony involved if Semenyo set his sights on a big move this summer and found himself at a club currently on a crash course hurtling towards a bottom half finish, Manchester United’s name still carries plenty of weight. As they look to rebuild under Amorim, picking apart sides like Bournemouth would be a good place to start.

Semenyo has certainly earned a chance to move onto a top six side too, scoring nine goals and assisting another five in all competitions for the Cherries so far this season. Receiving plenty of praise as a result, analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed the winger the “perfect instant-impact winger” who also possesses “powerful ambipedal ball striking”.

Semenyo certainly looks likely to have a decision to make this summer, but whether that results in a trip to Old Trafford remains to be seen.

Real Madrid legend Raul has reportedly been approached by Premier League-bound Leeds despite Daniel Farke leading the club to promotion.

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Raul set to leave CastillaLeeds are interested in the Spaniard

Villarreal and Schalke are also in the mix

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Spanish outlet , Raul is weighing up a new chapter in his managerial career as he prepares to leave his role in charge of Real Madrid Castilla, with a compelling offer already on the table from Premier League newcomers Leeds. Despite steady progress and internal support, he has repeatedly been passed over for promotion to the senior bench, most recently missing out to Xabi Alonso following Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to step down at the end of the season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Leeds' offer to Raul may seem surprising given Farke’s recent success, but the move could be viewed as a forward-looking contingency by the Leeds hierarchy should the transition back to top-flight football prove rocky. However, his coaching experience is largely limited to Castilla and youth-level tournaments such as the UEFA Youth League, which he won in 2020.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sources close to the situation suggest that more clubs could enter the race in the coming weeks, particularly as managerial vacancies begin to open up during the summer reshuffle. A couple of them have already shown serious interest, including Villarreal in Spain and Schalke in Germany, both of which have historical ties to the former forward.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

Raul's appointment at Leeds would mark a significant step into senior football management and bring global attention to Elland Road. However, it will be a tough call to remove Farke from the hot seat, especially after guiding the team to the English top flight.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com os investimentos de John Textor, o Botafogo está preparado para ser protagonista na próxima janela de transferências. Neste sentido, o clube já se antecipou e encaminhou uma contratação para 2023. Trata-se do volante Marlon Freitas, destaque do Atlético-GO nas últimas três temporadas.

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Para analisar o momento e as características do atleta, oLance!conversou com Arthur Barcelos, da Rádio Sagres e TV Serra Dourada, um afiliada do SBT em Goiânia. O jornalista ressaltou o poder de liderança de Marlon Freitas no Dragão.

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– A principal característica do Marlon no Atlético é a liderança técnica e comportamental. Ele tem uma liderança muito grande sobre o time, e isso passa muito pelo protagonismo que tem nas saídas de bola e na construção das jogadas. Os passes decisivos são quase sempre dele, seja uma inversão de jogo, um passe longo, uma enfiada de bola e até a assistência, o passe final – disse, e emendou:

– Defensivamente, ele até melhorou um pouco a média em desarmes e interceptações, mas normalmente é um jogador que não se destaca por ter bons números defensivos. Um outro problema é a parte comportamental, porque às vezes perde um pouco o equilíbrio e fica exaltado – completou.

Revelado nas categorias de base do Fluminense, Marlon Freitas chegou a disputar 27 partidas com a camisa tricolor, mas não conseguiu se firmar. Ele também teve passagens peloSTK Samorin, daEslováquia, noFL Strikers, dos Estados Unidos, e por Criciúma e Botafogo-SP.

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Mas foi no Atlético-GO, a partir de 2020, que o jogador começou a deslanchar na carreira. Com a camisa rubro-negra, o volante já atuou em 135 jogos, com 12 gols e 16 assistências. Números que mostram a importância do atleta no meio de campo goiano, mas que pode ainda melhorar se finalizar mais, segundo Arthur Barcelos.

– Técnica/taticamente, talvez falte um pouco mais de presença dele na zona de finalização, porque é um jogador com bom chute e tomada de decisão, mas é que ele também é muito importante atrás da linha da bola no Atlético – frisou.

Arthur salientou que Marlon Freitas pode se adaptar ao Rio de Janeiro, por ser local onde nasceu, e tornar-se um dos rostos do novo projeto do Botafogo. O volante tem qualidades para se firmar e ser importante nessa reconstrução.

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Na temporada, Marlon é o atleta com mais assistências pelo Dragão (3, no total), segundo dados do “Footstats”. Ele também lidera os números de passes certos, viradas de jogo e desarmes da equipe, sendo um expoente do meio de campo atleticano.

– Eu até imaginei que o Marlon fosse dar um salto ainda maior que o patamar do Botafogo hoje, em um time que já está na Libertadores agora. Mas obviamente que, através da nova direção, o Botafogo tem condições de voltar a esse nível e o Marlon pode, inclusive, ser um dos rostos desse projeto. Imagino até que ele enxergue assim também, além de ser o Rio, onde ele cresceu – pontuou, e disse em seguida:

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– Ele sempre foi muito respeitado pela torcida do Atlético pela liderança e participação em alguns momentos decisivos do time nos últimos anos, mas ele até chegou a ser vaiado recentemente por um ou outro erro. Mas foi só uma parte, a grande maioria gosta bastante dele, e será uma figura difícil de substituir não só em campo, mas também fora. Ele foi, provavelmente, o melhor jogador do futebol goiano desde que chegou ao Atlético. Ninguém teve a consistência dele nesses três anos – concluiu.