Newcastle United's ongoing injury crisis is a sign that the club didn't strengthen enough in the summer.

Considering the Magpies were gearing up for their first Champions League campaign in two decades, only recruiting five new players has proven to be their downfall.

Aside from being six points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, Eddie Howe's side are bottom of their Champions League group following consecutive defeats against Borussia Dortmund.

Whilst they can still salvage their campaign and reach the knockout stages, it is a difficult task and the Toon desperately need the January window to rectify a squad that has been decimated by injuries.

With Sven Botman, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar all sidelined, recruiting a new centre-back is a priority and Ousmane Diomande is top of their list of targets.

Newcastle transfer news – Ousmane Diomande

According to the Chronicle, Newcastle could test Sporting Lisbon's resolve by launching a £58m bid for their highly rated centre-back.

After setting a £70m release clause in his contract, Sporting are unlikely to budge on their valuation of the player, but the Magpies could test the waters with an initial bid.

His rise, like his valuation, has been rapid but Newcastle have shown they are prepared to leave the room if agents or clubs demand crazy money.

Considered the most promising African prospect playing in Europe, Diomande is a sought-after commodity and has several clubs chasing him, including divisional rivals Chelsea and Arsenal.

With a bidding war for the 19-year-old likely to ensue, either in January or next summer, sporting director Dan Ashworth will need to work more magic for the Toon to drive him towards St James' Park.

It is clear that Newcastle – like most clubs – are planning for the long-term with their transfers and having risen to stardom for the Portuguese giants this term, Diomande would be a huge upgrade on current defender, Burn.

The stats that show Diomande would be an upgrade on Burn

When Newcastle are blessed with a fully fit squad, Burn has been Howe's first-choice left-back, featuring in that position on 14 occasions this season after establishing himself as a key figure in the squad.

The 31-year-old, who arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2022, has transformed into a cult hero since joining, however, he could become surplus to requirements if the Magpies are to become regular European challengers.

With Newcastle shifting towards a more possession-based style this term, Howe is looking to add a ball-playing centre-back to challenge the likes of Schar and Botman.

Described as "immense" by journalist Antonio Mango with the ball at his feet, Diomande could be the perfect candidate for the job, having showcased his elegance and calmness in possession at Sporting.

By contrast, Burn's 6 foot 6 frame means he never looks comfortable with the ball at his feet and he's showcased his struggles as a ball-playing defender this term.

Statistics

Ousmane Diomande (Premeira Liga)

Dan Burn (Premier League)

Pass completion %

89.6%

82.4%

Shot-creating actions

1.72

0.76

Progressive passes

5.65

3.05

Successful take-ons

0.77

0.10

Carries into the final third

0.96

0.29

Passes into the final third

7.28

2.76

All stats via FBref

Despite operating predominantly as a left-back with the license to push forward, Burn doesn't come close to eclipsing the ability that Diomande has with the ball at his feet.

As delineated by the table above, the "unbelievable" youngster, as dubbed by Mango, beats the Englishman in every possession-based and ball-carrying statistic, including progressive passes, successful take-ons and carries into the final third.

With this in mind, Howe needs to plan for the future by ruthlessly ditching Burn for the Ivory Coast international.

A Premier League match being played in the summer feels like a bizarre complex now but June 20th 2020 is a poignant moment for many at Arsenal.

On a sunny day at the Amex Stadium, Neal Maupay clashes with Bernd Leno, injuring him in the process and provoking one of the strangest domino effects we've seen in football.

The German goalkeeper's injury was a nasty one sustained to the knee as he was ruled out for the rest of that ill-fated season during the pandemic.

His replacement is now a household name in Emiliano Martinez. His career has changed astronomically since Leno's injury over three years ago, grasping his opportunity between the sticks with aplomb.

That term, the Argentine stopper was key to Mikel Arteta claiming his first silverware as Arsenal manager; an FA Cup.

However, Martinez was quickly out the door, joining Aston Villa in search of first-team football with Leno remaining as number 1 at the Emirates. The former's resurgence since has been remarkable. He's won the World Cup with his country and is now officially the best goalkeeper in the world, being crowned as such at the recent Ballon d'Or awards.

Leno couldn't cling onto his jersey, however, leading to Aaron Ramsdale's arrival in the summer of 2021.

Aaron Ramsdale's downfall at Arsenal

When the goalkeeper arrived from relegated Sheffield United for a fee of £24m, eyebrows were raised for all the wrong reasons.

Ramsdale's CV counted back-to-back relegations, something that for understandable reasons didn't sit right with supporters.

However, the former Chesterfield loanee quickly displaced Leno and would become the number 1 stopper for the next two years. His radiant personality, ability to wind up the opposition and make jaw-dropping saves saw him become a cult hero incredibly swiftly.

It looked as though Arsenal had a goalkeeper at their disposal who would sit there competently for the next ten years. Whether it was that ridiculous save to deny a James Maddison free-kick at Leicester or his double stop in the dying embers to keep out Mo Salah and Ibrahima Konate at Anfield last term, the 25-year-old has been immense for the Gunners.

Sadly, his ability has now been called into question. It started last term with a series of mistakes – notably playing out from the back. Both happened to come against Southampton. In the away fixture he was seemingly distracted by a pigeon at his near post, leading to poor positioning. The second, in a pivotal home match that was drawn 3-3, he passed the ball straight to a Saints player which led to a goal.

This term, too, he has been questionable when given an opportunity. In the Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham, the England international looked all at sea and then versus Brentford in the Premier League last weekend was dismal.

He had Declan Rice to thank for a goal-saving block after Bryan Mbeumo robbed him of the ball inside the area and then moments later threw the ball straight to a Brentford attacker after it slipped from his hands. Bizarre indeed.

It's for moments like that which loan signing David Raya has been preferred. He is more assured at coming for crosses and indeed, is more composed at inviting the press from close to his goal.

However, there is now another former loanee who happens to be outperforming Ramsdale in a number of important areas. That happens to be the forgotten Mat Ryan.

Why Arsenal needed to sign Mat Ryan

In the January window of 2021, with Leno out injured, Arsenal required goalkeeper cover. They turned to a surprising face in the shape of Ryan, who had fallen behind Robert Sanchez in the pecking order at Brighton.

It was a shrewd move, luring a boyhood Arsenal fan to north London at low cost on loan. Ryan did little wrong either, although he did play just three times before moving on again later that year. That was when Ramsdale entered the chat.

Since then, the Australian has hopped about to various reaches, leaving Brighton for Real Sociedad, before joining Copenhagen. He now plays his football for AZ Alkmaar who are currently third in the Dutch top-flight.

How Mat Ryan compares to Aaron Ramsdale

Let's get this straight, Ramsdale is undeniably the better goalkeeper. He encompasses the modern style of 'keeping, sweeping out for through balls and is relatively competent with the ball at his feet. The Sheffield-born stopper's ceiling is also a great deal higher.

However, at this moment in time, it's the Aussie who trumps Arsenal's no.1 in some of the areas that Ramsdale has been most criticised for, notably for keeping the ball out of the net and coming for crosses.

1.23

0.83

1.03

68.5%

80.81%

70.7%

30%

41.7%

37.5%

2.63

7.92

5.25

-1.72

1.32

3.19

71%

77%

82%

0.60

1.44

1.18

6.4%

10.5%

10.2%

Of course, there is more to football than a series of numbers but the stats on this occasion do not make for great reading on Ramsdale's behalf.

Raya is evidently the best goalkeeper of the lot in 2023/24, with his save percentage, ability to claim crosses and launch the ball forward with accuracy eclipsing his colleague at London Colney and Ryan.

However, what is equally as damning for Ramsdale is that their former loanee significantly outperforms him in some areas.

Ryan has been particularly impressive at AZ, preventing a whopping 3.19 goals courtesy of his excellent shot-stopping ability while his 82% pass accuracy suggests this is a man who knows how to play out from the back.

It only feels like a matter of time before the former Bournemouth man is moved on. January seemingly cannot come soon enough for a figure who looks more and more dejected each time he's seen.

Pep Guardiola's side are in pole position after a dream weekend, but there is still room for plenty more twists and turns

After spending so much of this Premier League title race as the hunter, now Manchester City are the hunted. The treble-winners began the weekend by thrashing Luton Town 5-1 and then took their place on the sofa to watch Arsenal and Liverpool play their games.

Sunday could hardly have panned out better for Pep Guardiola's side, as Liverpool fell to a shock 1-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace before Unai Emery haunted his former side again as Aston Villa raided the Emirates Stadium and left with a 2-0 win.

City are now in pole position, leading Arsenal and Liverpool by two points after 32 matches, and this is often the period when Guardiola's side home in on their prize. Indeed, in the title races of 2018-19, 2021-22 and 2022-23 combined, City only dropped two points from their final six games when the title was still been in play. They won 15 out of 16 matches, drawing just once.

City's experience and ruthless character has led to many pundits concluding that the league might as well hand the title over to Kyle Walker right now and get the party started. But don't listen to the naysayers; this compelling three-way title race still has plenty to give and is far from over…

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Two points & six games

  Even if the season was heading into the final weekend and City were leading by their current margin of two points, the title race would still be on. So it is absurd to write off Arsenal and Liverpool when the gap is so small and there are still six rounds of games to go.

  The Premier League's history is full of dramatic title collapses. Manchester United were eight points clear with six games left in the 2011-12 season and ended up runners-up to City; Newcastle surrendered a 12-point advantage in 1995-96; and United blew an 11-point lead over Arsenal in 1997-98. Never underestimate the league's capacity for drama and twists.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Champions League distraction

  Arsenal and Manchester City go into this week's Champions League quarter-final second legs with their fates on a knife edge, and the results for either side could have huge ramifications for the title race.

  If City beat Real Madrid and Arsenal go out to Bayern Munich, with Liverpool almost certain to exit the Europa League after their shock 3-0 loss to Atalanta, then Pep Guardiola's side will have three more matches than their rivals to contend with before the end of the season (both Champions League semi-final legs and Saturday's FA Cup semi against Chelsea). That would further drain their tired squad in the title run-in.

  Equally, another agonising exit from Europe's top competition could have a huge psychological effect on City and Guradiola, sapping their confidence at a crucial juncture.

• Getty/ GOAL
  

  Four away matches

  It has been remarked that City have the easier run-in of the three title contenders, with Tottenham being their only top-seven opponent (more on that in a second). But out of their final six games, four of them are away from home, and Guardiola's side are noticeably weaker on the road.

  City have failed to win a third of their away games this season, losing three and drawing two out of 15. That form contrasts with their imperious record at the Etihad Stadium, where they have won 13 from 17 league games and are unbeaten in all competitions since November 2022.

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  City hate playing Spurs

  Every side has a bogey team, even City, and if there's one team that always seems to stick in Guardiola's craw, it's Tottenham. Particularly away from home. Guardiola's first defeat in England came at the old White Hart Lane and he lost his first five visits to the shiny new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without scoring a goal.

  City ended their hoodoo in N17 by knocking Spurs out of the FA Cup in January, but their record there still reads as one goal in six matches. So it's hardly the ideal place for them to visit in their penultimate game of the season on May 16.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has presided over a fantastic start to the campaign at Villa Park and has now reportedly identified a key target ahead of the January transfer window.

Aston Villa's lofty ambitions…

Undoubtedly, the Villans are a completely different proposition this time round from where they were just a year ago as they now look primed for a tilt at trying to bring Champions League football to Villa Park.

Spanish coach Emery deserves an immense amount of credit for the progression he has managed to unearth in the West Midlands; however, Aston Villa's recruitment team have worked hard behind the scenes to bring some extremely talented players to the club, which has coincided with their rapid rise from relegation contenders to currently being situated fourth in the Premier League table.

Amassing 29 points from 14 encounters is a commendable return from the Villans, who find themselves only four points off league leaders Arsenal heading into a congested run of fixtures that will take place over the course of the Christmas period.

Intriguingly, Aston Villa will take on Manchester City and Arsenal this week in quick succession at Villa Park, with both matches likely to indicate how far they can take their lofty ambitions this term by comparing themselves against two of Europe's in-form sides. Manchester United and Chelsea may be slightly more realistic comparisons to Emery's men; however, Mark Bosnich, who played for both clubs, has indicated that he expects the Villans to finish above both clubs, saying:

"I know they had the draw on the weekend against Bournemouth but I thought overall they were again a little bit unfortunate that the disallowed goal they had, I think that would have turned them."

"But I think Unai Emery, you look at his record in this calendar year, second only to Manchester City. So I think Aston Villa definitely will finish above those teams you mentioned (Manchester United and Chelsea)."

On the transfer front, Emery is now reportedly lining up a move for a La Liga star to bolster his options in the final third ahead of the second portion of the campaign.

Aston Villa keen on Abde Ezzalzouli

According to FootballTransfers, Aston Villa have identified Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli as a primary target for the January transfer window after previously targeting the Morocco international in the summer. The report states that Emery has personally scoped out the 21-year-old as a key target to help fill the left-sided forward role in his side and is eager for a deal to materialise.

Abde Ezzalzouli statistics in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

19

Goals

4

Assists

0

Nevertheless, there could be a key obstacle to the move that involves the Villans' President of Football Operations Monchi. Strained relations are believed to exist between Real Betis and the 55-year-old due to an incident in 2022 where he entered the pitch to celebrate a victory over Sevilla in a derby match.

Labelled "extraordinary" by Barcelona boss Xavi, Abde has helped to offer an offensive threat in La Liga this term, taking on around 1.5 shots per match. (Abde statistics – WhoScored)

Come the New Year, adding another source of variety on the left flank could prove to be a masterstroke by Emery as he looks to secure continental qualification in the West Midlands.

Mikel Arteta provided updates on Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard's condition ahead of crucial Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich.

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Arteta's update on Saka and Odegaard Arsenal skipper left the pitch against Aston Villa First leg against Bayern ended in a 2-2 draw WHAT HAPPENED?

The Arsenal captain had to be subbed off around the 80th-minute mark due to a leg injury in the club's 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Premier League during the weekend, while Saka was found limping towards the end of the match.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Now ahead of the club's crucial second-leg encounter of their Champions League quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena, the Gunners boss opened up on the condition of the duo and whether they would be able to play on Wednesday.

WHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Arteta said, "Yeah hopefully. Today we had only less than 48 hours to recover from the game. We have done very little training. We will assess them tomorrow and see how they are."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

After facing the Bavarian giants in the midweek, the North London club will be back in action in the Premier League on Saturday as they take on Wolves in a crucial game.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na zona de rebaixamento do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Bahia terá um longo período para trabalhar, já que o seu próximo confronto será no dia 20 de janeiro e o técnico Dado Cavalcanti vai tentar ajustar a equipe.

+ TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

Diante da folga no calendário, o Esquadrão de Aço ganhou um reforço. Trata-se do meia Rodriguinho, que está recuperado a Covid-19 e fica à disposição do comandante.

Vale lembrar, que o armador foi diagnosticado com o coronavírus no dia 6 de janeiro e não pôde ajudar o time nos duelos contra o Grêmio e Atlético-GO.

+Palmeiras líder e Coritiba na lanterna: confira a classificação do returno do Brasileirão!

Calendário

Com 29 pontos, o Bahia está na 17ª posição do Campeonato Brasileiro. O próximo jogo será contra o Athletico, na Arena Fonte Nova.

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Liverpool ended fears of a slump in form with a convincing victory over Brentford at Anfield to conclude their play before the November international break of the campaign.

Having fallen by the wayside in the Premier League last season, Liverpool are back with a vengeance this year and have mounted a charge against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur for a place at the forefront over the first phase.

Of course, the season is still a long way from approaching the business end, and for now Jurgen Klopp will urge his side to focus on one match at a time (a cliche, but an apt one), deepening the collective understanding and instilling confidence and swagger.

But the recent draw against Luton Town in the English top flight and the abject defeat against Toulouse in the Europa League highlights the work that still needs to be done to lift the squad to its apex.

Against Thomas Frank's Bees, the Reds emphatically returned to winning ways, and that's despite a host of injuries and suspensions that had left the midfield rather threadbare, with exciting youngster James McConnell coming off the bench in the late stage to make his second senior appearance.

One man who retained their starting spot was Dominik Szoboszlai, who served admirably in the engine room once again. While further work will be conducted in the upcoming windows, Szoboszlai's role as the centrepiece in the middle will unquestionably remain the same.

Why Liverpool signed Szoboszlai

The £120k-per-week star made the move to Anfield after Klopp and co met his £60m release clause, and he has manufactured an alacritous return to full strength at the centre of the park, charging Liverpool's exploits this season.

Having warded off rival attention from Newcastle United, Liverpool now wield one of the most robust midfielders in the business, with Szoboszlai playing a central role in RB Leipzig's successive triumphs in the DFB Pokal.

Dominik Szoboszlai: Similar Midfielders
#	Player	Club
1	Gavi	Barcelona
2	Federico Valverde	Real Madrid
3	James Maddison	Tottenham
4	Dani Olmo	RB Leipzig
5	Joelinton	Newcastle
*Sourced via Football Transfers

As the table suggests, he is technically proficient, elegant and powerful, pumping creativity back into Liverpool's system while also recharging the strength of the centre.

Last season, the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were at the epicentre of the woes, and it was imperative for Klopp to get it right in the summer and avoid more misery.

Well, he certainly appears to have made the perfect moves to rekindle the flame, and Szoboszlai will continue to be the life force in the middle after his resounding start to life at Anfield.

Szoboszlai's season by numbers

Across 17 appearances so far, Szoboszlai has posted two goals and assists apiece from a deeper role than he is perhaps used to after serving higher up in Germany.

Nonetheless, he's been fantastic, completing 88% of his passes in the Premier League, as per Sofascore, averaging 2.3 key passes and making 7.3 ball recoveries per game, proving to be an omnipresent figure on the pitch.

As per FBref, the Hungary captain ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for progressive carries, the top 6% for successful take-ons and the top 6% for blocks per 90.

Described as an "artist" by talent scout Jacek Kulig following his creative masterclass against Aston Villa earlier this season, assisting two goals, Szoboszlai offers all the tools Klopp could hope for.

The victory over Brentford emphasised the need to have some kind of replacement though, and given that McConnell is wedging his way into Klopp's reckoning, he could be the man to mould.

Liverpool's next Szoboszlai

McConnell might've earned his first two professional appearances this season, coming in the Premier League and Europa League, but he has scarcely enjoyed much action in that regard.

However, he has starred twice in the EFL Trophy and impressed as Liverpool's development side dismantled Morecambe Town 3-0; across the two outings, as per Sofascore, he completed 71% of his passes, won 55% of his duels, succeeded with 67% of his dribbles, and incredibly made 13 ball recoveries, three tackles and 1.5 clearances and interceptions per game.

While he might be billed as an offence-minded midfielder, there is clearly an innate defensive ability and tenacity that is probably what has prompted Klopp and his team to nurture him to the fore.

James McConnell's style of play

Indeed an attacking midfielder by trade, McConnell is demonstrating a pleasing level of dynamism and, having gone under the radar amid the concurrent rises of the likes of Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic, could bring the all-action ability needed to serve as Szoboszlai's understudy.

Given McConnell's "combative" presence in midfield, as has been remarked by reporter Neil Jones, he could be the perfect foil for Szoboszlai in the centre, maybe even better suited to this specific role than Harvey Elliott.

Elliott's immense potential is without question; the 20-year-old has completed 82 matches for Liverpool, scoring six goals and supplying five assists, and while he is arguably Liverpool's most creative midfielder – after Szoboszlai – his physical work needs attention.

On this note, he ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, but had been criticised for being "outmuscled" when the Reds were at their nadir before the summer.

The same cannot be said for the 'combative' McConnell, and given that he is earning more opportunities to prosper under Klopp's guidance by the month, he could find a big role on Merseyside after the new year.

Szoboszlai, for all his quality, cannot be expected to play all of the time, and Klopp might now be able to save millions by entrusting Liverpool's latest academy star with a place in the senior set-up.

While most of the Indian team joyfully celebrated their victory over Australia in the first Test, Ishant Sharma was visibly upset with the five no-balls he bowled

Melinda Farrell in Adelaide10-Dec-20182:42

‘Our bowlers are fitter and faster’ – Kohli

While most of the Indian team joyfully celebrated their victory over Australia in the first Test, there was one player who was “pissed off”, according to Virat Kohli.Ishant Sharma finished the match with overall figures of 3 for 95, but it was the number ‘5’ in the no-ball column that soured his mood. While it didn’t cost India the match, Kohli said Ishant was conscious of the fact such mistakes could have turned the game Australia’s way.”Ishant was the most pissed off right now,” Kohli said after the match. “We were all celebrating but he was really, really angry with himself and we asked him why and he said, ‘I cannot afford to bowl a no-ball being a senior guy and having played so much cricket in the crunch situation when the umpire could have given that out’.”So that could have been the difference at a more important stage in the series.”After being called for overstepping twice in the first innings, Ishant was still clearly struggling with his run-up in the second. In the first over of Australia’s chase, Ishant bowled a lovely in-swinger that rapped Aaron Finch on the pads but the decision was overturned on review when the replay showed it was a no-ball. When Ishant had splayed Finch’s stumps in the first innings the same side-on slo-mo revealed he was perilously close to overstepping.Ishant was called for another no-ball to Shaun Marsh in the 51st over and then, in a moment that could have been highly significant, Kumar Dharmasena called a no-ball immediately after another delivery that hit Nathan Lyon’s front pad and would have gone on to clip leg stump.Just before the start of that over, Channel Seven showed replays of two no-balls that weren’t called in Ishant’s previous over. It is unclear whether or not the third umpire Chris Gaffaney alerted Dharmasena; Ishant had certainly done enough to raise awareness on his own.But despite the prevalence of overstepping, Kohli was confident Ishant would do the necessary work to rectify the problem and did not believe there was a need to strictly police bowlers’ no-balls during practice in the nets.”It’s not a school-team environment here,” said Kohli. “So, look, guys take ownership of those things but they can commit mistakes. As long as the attitude is right, we look to correct those mistakes.”So this incident that’s happened, I am sure Ishant is going to be obsessed about not doing it again, just like how we improved our batting straight away in the second innings at the top of the order. Guys want to learn as soon as they can, take responsibility themselves, and they are not hiding from it.”It’s not a case of not wanting to talk about it, but they are unhappy themselves that they made a mistake at a crunch situation and, come that situation again, they don’t want to do it. So that’s the most you can ask from any player playing for their country and that’s certainly the right attitude to have.”

Fulham are looking at a deal to sign a new striker in January, and a fresh report has revealed that he’s already in the Premier League.

Aleksandar Mitrovic replacement

Over the summer, Aleksandar Mitrovic left the club and made his big-money move to Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Hilal for a club-record fee, but the hierarchy are yet to purchase a long-term successor, despite thinking they had done so during the previous window.

The Cottagers secured the services of Wolves centre-forward Raul Jimenez, but having scored only three goals to date (Transfermarkt – Jimenez statistics), not to mention that he isn’t getting any younger at 32, he’s not been the direct heir that the top-flight side can utilise.

Related Fulham keeping close tabs on "roaming playmaker"

The Cottagers are one of several clubs in the race to secure his services.

Posts ByChloe Chadwick Dec 5, 2023

Chelsea’s Armando Broja is a new and much younger target that Marco Silva appears to have set his sights on, with the 22-year-old having worked his way up through his club’s various youth ranks to get promoted to their first-team, but he’s not been able to get as much game time as he would have liked.

Albania’s international has made just two starts and four substitute appearances this season in the top-flight (WhoScored – Broja statistics), and the fact that he’s so low down in the pecking order means that chiefs have been alerted that he could be made available for transfer in January.

Fulham eyeing Armando Broja

According to Football Insider, Fulham are considering a move for Broja, but any deal being struck is likely to depend on Chelsea being able to find a suitable replacement before he was to join.

“It is believed that Chelsea star Armando Broja is one name being looked at by Craven Cottage chiefs ahead of the new year. Fulham could step up their interest in the Albania international as they prepare to end their interest in Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy.

"Broja could be a realistic alternative to the Guinea international, but it is unclear if Chelsea would allow him to leave mid-season. It is believed the Blues would have to sign a new striker of their own before allowing the 22-year-old to leave.”

Broja is the "complete" final third package

Since the start of his career, Broja has racked up 54 involvements, 43 goals and 11 assists, in 151 appearances, and while he can be prolific when leading the line through the middle, he’s also comfortable playing in several other areas (Transfermarkt – Broja statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 3, Mauricio Pochettino’s talisman is a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass following his arrival on the professional scene, including everywhere across the frontline and as an attacking midfielder.

According to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Broja is therefore a “complete” striker, and having previously scored at Craven Cottage when playing against Fulham recently, Silva would no doubt love to secure his services and get him on the home side in January, making this one to watch.

The Australia captain says if his team had done better in the key moments in the series opener, the 2-1 scoreline might have been reversed

Andrew McGlashan at the SCG07-Jan-2019After a drizzly end to a Test series where the result had been known four days ago when India walked off with 622, Tim Paine looked back with regret at the series’ opening two days in Adelaide and said he believed if chances had been taken then the 2-1 scoreline could have been reversed.Even though this series has been crammed into a month, as India celebrated in front of a small gathering of fans, it felt a long time ago that India were 5 for 86 on the opening day of the campaign. Cheteshwar Pujara’s masterful hundred – his first of three for the series – lifted India to 250, but that still offered Australia the chance to take a lead. However, to set a trend for the series, they slipped with the bat and ended up conceding a small lead which India converted into a 31-run victory.Although Australia levelled in Perth, the slower pitches in Melbourne and Sydney stymied their ambitions and India were comfortably the better team. One more dry day in the final Test and it would probably have been 3-1.”We honestly feel that we let that [Adelaide] Test slip,” Paine said. “We thought we had a number of opportunities to go well ahead of the game and when those key moments came up India outplayed us to be honest. Looking back now, if we’d won that Test, we win Perth, outplayed in Melbourne then a washout it could have been 2-1 the other way. It’s funny, in a big series of four Tests you go back to a couple of key moments in the very first Test where we let ourselves down and you get to the end of the series and it’s really hard to take.”Paine lauded, and was no doubt envious of, India for having key players take charge of vital moments in the series: Pujara in Adelaide, Bumrah in Melbourne and Pujara again in Sydney.”We are really disappointed. We know we had some guys missing but we honestly felt coming into the series that, in Australia in particular, that we could beat India but, throughout the series, more often than not, when those big moments came up, Virat has scored runs, Pujara has scored runs, Bumrah has bowled a great spell and we couldn’t quite get through those moments.”That’s why India won this series, their best players stood up in the big moments – when they were falling behind in a game one of their good players dragged them back into the contest, or when they were in front of the game they put their foot on us and put us out of the game like they did in Sydney and Melbourne.”Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon emerged from the series in credit, but there were slim pickings elsewhere. It was a series that was always going to challenge the depth of Australia’s batting without David Warner and Steven Smith, but the numbers have been chastening with just eight half-centuries and a top score of 79 by Marcus Harris.It was Harris and Travis Head who Paine picked out as being the gains – while also praising Marnus Labuschagne’s return to the team – and suggested that their chance for exposure at Test level could benefit the team in the future. While it is certainly true that Harris has taken his chance, Head’s series faded after half-centuries in Adelaide and Perth.ALSO READ: How do Australia fix their batting before the Ashes?”From a batting point of view, you look at what Marcus Harris and Travis Head have been able to do they are two examples of guys who might not have played any Test cricket at this stage. They’ve got an opportunity through an unusual situation and I thought both those guys acquitted themselves really well. This India attack was seriously good, I don’t think in Australia we’ve given them enough credit for how relentless they were, it was hard work batting against their attack for seasoned Test players. For Marcus and Travis to show they have got the game to make runs against the best attack in the world is a real positive.””For some of the guys in their third-fourth Test maybe it’s hard to look and say ‘I haven’t scored any hundreds’ but Marcus and Travis showed, and Marnus in the first innings [in Sydney], that they can score runs in Test cricket. Sometimes it’s difficult when it seems so far away, but we have three players there who are one innings away from really breaking through.”Australia’s two most experienced batsmen, Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh, scored one half-century apiece. The squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka will be named on Wednesday and Khawaja’s place is not under threat, but the debate around Marsh will be intense. Paine, who is not a selector, endorsed the pair and also the under-fire bowling unit.”I think everyone in our top seven didn’t play as well as we would have liked. Both of those players we know are absolute class, we know they can score a lot of runs. We have faith in them going forward. The group of bowlers we have in this team have been fantastic for quite a while now. They didn’t have their absolute best series but it’s not easy at this level and that can happen.”