O Fluminense está classificado às quartas de final da Copa do Brasil Sub-20. O Tricolor garantiu a vaga após golear o Vasco da Gama por 4 a 0 na noite desta segunda-feira (4), no Estádio Luso-Brasileiro, e fechar o confronto com 7 a 3 no placar agregado.
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O clássico desta segunda-feira (4) seguiu o manual do confronto de ida e começou bastante movimentado, com chances para os dois lados e indícios de um novo empate. O roteiro só ganhou novos contrastes a partir dos 49 minutos da primeira etapa, quando Lucas Eduardo, do Vasco, recebeu o segundo amarelo e foi expulso.
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O Fluminense soube aproveitar a vantagem numérica para ser soberano por toda etapa final da partida. A goleada tricolor começou a ser construída com Kauã Elias aos 15 minutos, após um vacilo na saída de bola do goleiro Lecce. Aos 17′, Arthur aproveitou outra falha cruz-maltina para ampliar o resultado para o time das Laranjeiras. A classificação foi sacramentada com gols de Agner, aos 32′, e Isaac nos últimos instantes do clássico no Luso-Brasileiro.
Sem perder para o Vasco há quatro jogos, o Fluminense não só ampliou a vantagem no retrospecto do clássico na categoria, mas também encerrou a sequência invicta do Cruz-maltino – que não era derrotado há quatro partidas.
Lionel Messi joined Carlos Vela in an exclusive MLS club after posting a hat-trick of assists for Inter Miami. The Argentine GOAT was at his brilliant best once again as the Herons eased to a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution. When it comes to combined goals and assists in 2025, Messi has burst beyond 40 – a mark that only one other player has passed at the highest level of North American soccer.
What is Vela's MLS goal contributions record?
It appears unlikely that Messi will go on to make more history by eclipsing the achievements of former LAFC striker Vela. The ex-Arsenal frontman posted some incredible numbers in 2019, with the Mexico international involved in 49 goals. Inter Miami have just two fixtures left on their regular season schedule this term.
Messi has helped to guide the Herons towards the playoffs once more, with disappointment having been suffered at that stage 12 months ago after claiming the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking style. That prize has eluded Inter Miami this time around, with the Philadelphia Union being confirmed as the best-performing team in MLS.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementAFPMessi could make history with back-to-back MVP awards
Messi, though, remains in contention to become the first player to claim back-to-back MVP awards. The Revs had no answer to him at Chase Stadium, with the evergreen 38-year-old running rings around Pablo Moreira’s side at times. He racked up three assists on the day, taking him to 17 for the season. Messi has also found the target on 24 occasions himself in MLS – with his goal tally standing at 32 across all competitions.
Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano continues to sing Messi’s praises, having played down talk of a rift between the former Argentina international team-mates, and told reporters after witnessing another masterclass: “He gave us the possibility of opening the score and then securing [the result]. Not only with the pass for Jordi [Alba], but when they [New England] made it 2-1, and in the next play with an assist that only he can give. He keeps showing the ability he has and, more than anything, the ambition and desire to go for more.”
Inter Miami surrender Supporters' Shield crown in 2025
Messi helped fellow countryman Tadeo Allende to get on the scoresheet, as he bagged a brace, with the Argentine winger saying of his illustrious compatriot: “This is routine for him. If he does not punish you all the time with goals, then he punishes you with assists.”
Inter Miami are not overly concerned at surrendering their Supporters’ Shield crown, as they remain in the hunt for ultimate MLS Cup honours, with Mascherano adding on the current state of play in South Florida: “If you look at it, Philadelphia is a deserving winner, but it also had an advantage of having played maybe 10 fewer games [across all competitions] than us. We would’ve loved to reach the final match day with chances to win, but this doesn’t change our objective at all. We want to finish as high as possible and go into the playoffs in the best position we can.”
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GettyMessi to play in Miami but for Argentina
Inter Miami are due to be back in action next Saturday when playing host to Atlanta United. Messi is likely to miss that contest after being included in the Argentina squad that is preparing to play Venezuela in a friendly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on October 10.
Mascherano said of having to shuffle his pack: “We will see who we have available. The reality is that some players are off to be with their national teams.”
Following Inter Miami's 4-0 win over NYCFC Wednesday at Citi Field, manager Javier Mascherano highlighted that the team had accomplished their first objective of the season – securing a place in the MLS playoffs. He added that while some players will get rest, the Herons will also aim to finish as high as possible in the Eastern Conference standings.
Getty Images Sport
A big boost of confidence
Miami proved dominant in their win in New York. Lionel Messi scored twice, Baltasar Rodríguez added a goal, and Luis Suárez converted a penalty as the Herons secured another win, moving up to third in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. Mascherano’s side also notched a rare clean sheet, a feat they’ve struggled with this season.
“We achieved our first goal, it was very important for us. We have to keep pushing forward. We still have two games left, so we’ll try to rotate the squad a bit, but we also want to win and secure the best possible playoff position,” Mascherano said. “We want to fight for the Supporters’ Shield, but first we need to focus on Toronto, recover our players, and keep our mindset that the next match is always the most important.”
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Messi’s team-first spirit
Mascherano also praised Lionel Messi’s unselfishness after the Argentine star once again gave penalty opportunities to his teammates.
“We need goals more than he does, and that’s exactly how he wants it. He likes to share, to involve everyone. Suárez needed to score, and that’s really good for the group,” he explained.
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Valuable clean sheet on the road
Another positive takeaway for Miami was keeping a clean sheet, something the team has only done five times this season.
“The next games we’ll work hard to avoid conceding. That will help us a lot in the playoffs,” Mascherano said.
He also acknowledged the club’s next target, which is climbing as high as possible to secure home-field advantage.
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Traveling to Canada
The Herons look to keep their strong run going in MLS as they visit Toronto FC this Saturday.
England seamer acknowledges whitewash in Australia was big setback in attempt to inspire new generation
Valkerie Baynes07-Mar-2025
Kate Cross attempted to prove her fitness in Australia but did not play a match•Getty Images
Kate Cross believes cultural change must form part of England’s rise from their Women’s Ashes nadir as the team sets out to win back fans as well as cricket matches.Cross admitted there was little positive to say off the back of a 16-nil points defeat at the hands of Australia, as players and staff await the outcome of an ECB review into the tour.”There’s areas that we probably know we need to address from cricket points of view, but also from probably cultural points of view as well,” Cross said. “This review, I don’t know what’s going to come of it, but I’m hoping that these are the things that will get addressed, and pave the way for the next generation to want to play for England.”The result in Australia was particularly disappointing for England in light of the excitement and optimism that the team generated in the course of their home Ashes campaign in 2023, in which they battled back from defeat in the one-off Test to square the series 8-8 with victories in both white-ball legs.”Ultimately I feel like we might’ve lost a few fans in the last couple of months, which is really sad from our point of view,” Cross added. “I think the 2023 Ashes was how good it can be and the 2025 Ashes how bad it can be.”The review, announced by Clare Connor, managing director of England Women’s Cricket, in the immediate aftermath of the Ashes whitewash, has conducted player interviews and is expected to make public its recommendations later this month.Cross brought a unique perspective to her evaluation of the tour, having travelled with a bulging disc in her back, which ultimately kept her sidelined throughout despite repeated attempts to prove her fitness to play.She acknowledged that, as professional athletes, players must accept increased scrutiny of their performances and she hoped people would “fall back in love with English cricket” after a torrid winter for both the women’s and men’s teams, the latter dumped out of contention in the Champions Trophy after two matches.England failed to win a match in the multi-format Women’s Ashes and were comprehensively out-played by hosts Australia, with the tourists’ physical fitness and mental toughness coming under the microscope, particularly in the wake of a row involving Alex Hartley, the former World Cup-winner turned commentator.Related
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“It was unprecedented how poorly we performed over there, I don’t think anyone probably anticipated the Ashes turning out the way it did, and obviously there was a huge disappointment that came with that,” Cross said.”As a group of players now, we don’t know what’s going to come of this review that’s happening at the moment, but I think it motivates you to be a better group of players and a better, I guess, version of yourself.”For Cross, it was a particularly frustrating trip, coming more than a decade on from her breakthrough performance at Perth on the 2013-14 tour of Australia, where her starring role on Test debut helped set England up for their most recent Ashes series win.”My reflections on my trip were quite unusual. I didn’t get to play a game of cricket, but as a 33-year-old getting ruled out of an Ashes series was devastating. So I feel like it’s made me really think about how I want to manage my career now moving forwards and, with the new structure of the tiers in the counties, I’m hoping that I’ll be so well supported with that, that that wasn’t my last Ashes hopefully.England’s players look on as Australia celebrate their Women’s Ashes whitewash•Getty Images
“Ultimately as players, we still want to try and get young girls interested in the game and us losing quite drastically isn’t going to do that. So we’re going to have to have a real look at how we want to portray ourselves as a team moving forward and try and get a bit of love back from our fans because we, or certainly I, felt that we kind of lost a lot of that from our Ashes series, so hopefully we can move in the right direction now.”Her comments suggest an acceptance that the ‘inspire and entertain’ mantra the team has espoused since Jon Lewis took over as head coach in 2022 has become irrelevant amid a rash of poor performances, going back to the group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in October.Cross was speaking at the launch of the Professional Cricketers’ Association Women’s Impact Report, highlighting advances made in the game since 2020. That progress includes equal domestic minimum salaries of £28,000 for men and women from this season, where women’s teams have been aligned with the men’s in a three-tiered county-based structure.But more work remains to be done, including addressing the salary gap between genders in the Hundred, which widened rather than closed this year. While the leading earners in the men’s competition will earn £200,000, an increase of 60%, the top earners in the women’s game will earn £65,000, up 30%. The base salary for men went up by £1,000 on last year to £31,000 compared to the women, who went from £8,000 to £10,000.”I would hope to see that it happens quite quickly, especially with how vocal the players were about the pay gap getting bigger,” Cross said. “It was obviously a disappointment, but I’m always of the bigger picture, that the Hundred has done a lot for the women’s game. It continues to do that. It puts us in a spotlight that we’ve never had before in the domestic game.”So as disappointing as those headlines are, there’s still a lot of great stuff and there’s a lot more money coming into the game now and hopefully that’ll get pushed in the right direction and the gender play gap will continue to get smaller rather than get bigger.”A PCA working group will lobby the ECB on various aspects of the Hundred, which will receive a huge injection of funds through private investment from next season.Daryl Mitchell, PCA chief executive, said: “From our side, I think particularly the announcement of the salaries took us a little bit by surprise this time around, I think the communication needs to improve, particularly in that sort of announcement. What we were shown in October actually, at the players’ summit, was very different in terms of salary bands to what was actually produced and put out publicly.”There’s been some pretty robust discussions about that process, it’s fair to say, over the last couple of months. The ECB have stated it was an interim year with the sale of the Hundred franchises with a view to increase the salaries across the board next year. There’s a lot of things to work through.”
Queensland have notched their first win of the Sheffield Shield season following match-winning bowling displays from Mitch Swepson and Mark Steketee
AAP08-Dec-2024
Mitchell Swepson took four wickets•Getty Images
Legspinner Mitchell Swepson has boosted his hopes of being picked for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka after weaving his magic to lead Queensland to a thrilling 23-run Sheffield Shield win over Victoria at the MCG.Chasing 273 for victory, Victoria were bowled out for 249 late on day three despite the best efforts of Peter Handscomb who made a fighting 78 off 139 balls.Swepson was the key player on Sunday, snaring 4 for 88 from 30 overs to ensure Victoria’s run chase spluttered. Mark Steketee then finished the job, claiming the final two wickets to finish with 3-46.With Australia set to take multiple spinners for the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in January and February, Swepson’s performance was timely. He was spinning the ball so much on the turning pitch that one crowd member even yelled out, “Is that Shane Warne?” after one particularly impressive delivery.Queensland resumed play on day three at 195 for 8 and boasting a lead of 244. The Bulls added 28 before being bowled out for 223, with Steketee reaching 53 but only able to add five runs to his overnight score.Mark Steketee celebrates the winning wicket•Getty Images
Victoria’s chase didn’t start well. Star opener Marcus Harris was out for a two-ball duck when bowled by Tom Straker, and it was 26 for 2 when Jonathan Merlo edged Steketee behind.Campbell Kellaway (30) steadied the ship somewhat, but was clean bowled when Swepson got a delivery to turn sharply out of the foot marks. Swepson nabbed his second scalp when he bowled Tom Rogers for 14, and it was 115 for 5 when Sam Harper fell to Jack Wildermuth.Mitchell Perry became the third player to be bowled by Swepson, and Victoria’s hopes appeared over when Swepson found an edge from Handscomb to leave the home side 183 for 7.But there were more twists and turns to come, with Victoria bravely fighting to 246 for 8 as Sam Elliott (30), Xavier Crone (28) and Fergus O’Neill (13) added handy runs.Victoria needed 27 more runs for victory with two wickets in hand, but when Steketee had O’Neill caught at gully and then trapped Crone plumb in front a short time later, it sparked wild celebrations among the Bulls.Steketee was named man of the match for his scores of 44 not out and 53 to go with his bowling returns of 3 for 32 and 3 for 46.
It’s a curious thing, football’s summer transfer market. So much goes on, rumours and shocks zipping about like so many hoofed clearances in a Sunday League match.
For Liverpool fans, the window has been not so much curious as chaotic, with Arne Slot’s side undergoing an incredible transformation after marching to last year’s Premier League title.
Trent Alexander-Arnold up and left for Real Madrid toward the end of his contract, and so Liverpool signed Jeremie Frimpong. But it is Frimpong’s Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz who is the Scouser’s true heir, signed on for a British-record £116m fee and heralded as “the best midfielder in the world” by former Werkself striker Patrick Helmes. Wirtz, for sure, is a world-class playmaker.
Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili both arrived too. And then along came Hugo Ekitike, leaving Eintracht Frankfurt for Anfield for a £69m initial fee. The 23-year-old has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world.
But with Darwin Nunez a priority target for Al Hilal, sporting director Richard Hughes has set his focus on Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
Why Liverpool might not sign Alexander Isak
Oh, he’s the dream, all right. However, prising Isak away from St. James’ Park this summer will be no easy feat, even though he’s desperate to wrap up his Newcastle career and join the Reds on Merseyside.
Could Liverpool pull it off? Certainly, if Isak is to join Slot’s side this summer, it would require a fee eclipsing that which Leverkusen have chequed in for Wirtz, with Newcastle valuing him somewhere in the ballpark of £150m.
The Premier League champions have already seen a formal offer worth £110m knocked back last week, though this was likely a negotiating tactic from Hughes and FSG to unsettle a player whose heart lies in Liverpool, and who refused to travel with the Toon for their pre-season tour in Asia.
The 25-year-old has now returned to Newcastle’s training facilities and is set for face-to-face talks with Howe.
Last season, pundit Jamie Carragher called Isak “the best striker in the Premier League”, and his 27-goal contribution across Newcastle’s title-winning campaign displays merely the tip of the iceberg of a wide-ranging and expansive skill set.
He’s the dream target, and understandably so. However, Liverpool might fail; Newcastle might fail to find and sign an acceptable replacement.
Thus, an alternative has been lined up.
Liverpool target favouring move to Anfield
According to ESPN, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has made it known to his entourage that he would prefer to sign for Liverpool this summer, should he have to depart from the Santiago Bernabeu.
Rodrygo is no longer considered one of Real Madrid’s untouchable superstars, but Los Blancos will only cash in if their valuation is met, with £78m the figure touted.
Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on Xabi Alonso’s Brazilian star, and with Heung-min Son set to sign for LAFC in the MLS, FSG will need to make a swift decision as to whether they forge ahead with a bid.
Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo
Should Liverpool fail to sign Isak this summer, there’s a case to be made that Rodrygo could be the perfect alternative, and that’s despite him being more of a wide forward than a focal frontman.
Right winger
146
34
31
Centre-forward
84
22
8
Left winger
78
23
16
Attacking midfield
4
–
1
Hailed as “the most talented and the most gifted player” in Real Madrid’s squad by teammate Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo is renowned for his tenacious and industrious work-rate, his technical quality, and his ability to shift between multiple positions.
There’s no question that he could shift between wide and central positions in a manner not dissimilar to Luis Diaz, who last week completed a £65.5m transfer to Bayern Munich.
Diaz operated in a makeshift centre-forward berth under Slot’s guidance last term, notching eight goals and an assist from 15 fixtures in the role.
Luis Diaz
So then, we can see that Rodrygo, a goalscoring wide forward, could emulate the Colombian, whose crispness in possession is also a factor of note.
But then the same can be said of Real Madrid’s versatile forward, who ranked last season among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, as per FBref.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo
Moreover, he missed just one big chance in La Liga last season, as per Sofascore. Albeit he only scored six times after a disappointing year. Given that Rodrygo was routinely played on the right flank, his unfavoured position, such woes are provided some important context.
This all points toward Rodrygo being the perfect, if somewhat left-field, alternative to Isak, for he could replace Diaz while providing a different dimension to Slot’s central striking area too.
Liverpool have, of course, welcomed Ekitike to the fold, and so have a new out-and-out striker to replace Nunez. The Frenchman scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists across all competitions for Frankfurt last season, and pundit Owen Hargreaves said last season that he “looks like the perfect centre-forward.”
With this in mind, losing out on Isak wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, not when FSG have succeeded in packaging Slot’s squad with such a wide array of elite-level quality.
Rodrygo is one of Real Madrid’s “world-class superstars”, so says the great Luka Modric, after all, and he’s demonstrated that he has the ability to score and to assist and to come up with big-game defining moments with regularity.
Rodrygo's Real Madrid career (timeless)
For the moment, it seems as if Liverpool will continue to push for Newcastle’s star striker, but should they fail to break the British transfer record for a second time this summer, it might be worth advancing with a deal for Rodrygo, whose qualities suggest he could become a multi-positional machine for the Anfield side as they chase down more illustrious success.
Chelsea are now ready to offer Blues players as part of a swap deal for an “unbelievable” Premier League and England star, according to a report.
Blues set sights on another attacker
The Blues have already strengthened their forward options considerably this summer, with the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens sealing moves to Stamford Bridge, but Enzo Maresca remains keen on adding another attacking midfielder to his ranks.
The west Londoners have ramped up their interest in a number of playmakers over the past few days, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers being identified as their top target, although there are two other exciting options on the shortlist.
Target
Current club
League G/A in 2024-25
Morgan Rogers
Aston Villa
19
Xavi Simons
RB Leipzig
17
Eberechi Eze
Crystal Palace
16
Maresca’s squad is arguably already bloated, meaning it could make sense to offload some unwanted players in swap deals for new signings, and a new report has revealed the Club World Cup champions plan to do exactly that.
Indeed, according to a report from The Boot Room, Chelsea are ready to offer players as part of a swap deal for Aston Villa’s Rogers, with Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile among the potential options.
Villa have also expressed an interest in Nicolas Jackson, as Unai Emery is keen on reuniting with the former Villarreal man, so it may also make sense to use the 24-year-old as a makeweight in negotiations.
The Blues can arguably afford to get rid of Jackson, given that Delap and Pedro have arrived this summer, with the latter playing a major role in their Club World Cup triumph, scoring three goals throughout the tournament.
Should a swap deal not be possible, Chelsea may have to spend big to get a deal over the line, with Villa reportedly looking to receive over £90m.
"Unstoppable" Rogers could be statement signing for Chelsea
The west Londoners should be in a strong financial position after winning the Club World Cup, having raked in around £85m, meaning they may be able to afford to make another statement signing this summer.
The Villa star would be exactly that, having performed remarkably well across the 2024-25 campaign, proving himself in his debut season in the Champions League by collecting four goals and three assists in 12 outings.
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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has also been left impressed by the 22-year-old England international, describing him as “unstoppable”, and given the attacking midfielder’s age, he still has plenty of time to develop further.
Rogers could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, and it would be an added bonus if they were able to get Jackson off the books as part of the deal, given that Pedro has already proven he is capable of leading the line next season.
Bayern Munich are now believed to be open to selling a Manchester United-linked player in the summer transfer window for £30m, according to a new update.
Man Utd eyeing Gyokeres alternative
The Red Devils and Ruben Amorim are badly in need of a new striker ahead of next season, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee both flattering to deceive leading the attack, particularly the former.
While Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has been a leading option to come in at United this summer, Juventus attacker Dusan Vlahovic has now been mentioned as an alternative option. The Serb has scored 56 goals in 143 appearances for his current club, and could add much-needed quality in the final third.
Dusan Vlahovic in action with Genoa'sKoniDeWinter
While a striker is important for the Red Devils, a new goalkeeper is arguably just as key, following some unconvincing performances from Andre Onana in 2024/25. Porto and Portugal ace Diogo Costa has been mentioned as an option, along with Emiliano Martinez.
On the flip side, there are plenty of current United players who could move on this summer, including Jadon Sancho, with the winger potentially heading to Juve, with the Premier League giants entering talks with the Serie A side.
Bayern Munich ready to sell "monster" Amorim target
According to a new report from Caught Offside, Bayern are now “open” to the idea of selling Manchester United target Joao Palhinha this summer. Amorim ‘is keen to include Palhinha in his wider squad plans’ as he will add ‘to add physicality and experience’ to the midfield.
The Bundesliga champions will demand just £30m for the Portuguese’s signature, following his first season there after joining from Fulham last summer in a deal worth more than £40m.
Bayern Munich's Joao Palhinha in action against Bayer Leverksen.
There are some positives to United signing Palhinha ahead of next season, even though he hasn’t exactly enhanced his reputation in a Bayern shirt.
Appearances
17
Starts
6
Minutes played
667
Tackles per game
1.2
Aerial duel wins per game
1.2
Fouls per game
0.8
Pass completion rate
92.9%
Goal
0
Assists
0
A dominant midfielder who is renowned for his tackling ability and has plenty of Premier League experience, he could represent a younger alternative to Casemiro, having been lauded as “monster” by analyst Marcus Bring in the past.
That said, Palhinha does turn 30 years of age next month, so he may not represent a long-term solution, which is arguably an approach that United need to put a stop to.
Too often in the past, the Red Devils have signed ageing players for big money, from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Edinson Cavani, only to see them arguably fail to back up the hype. For that reason, United should possibly look for a younger option, despite his obvious qualities, in order to build for the future and sign players who can mature into a key starter.
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That’s not to say that Palhinha couldn’t still be effective for a few years, however, and he could add important depth to Amorim’s squad.
Birmingham City were an absolute joy to behold at the very top of League One last season.
Chris Davies’ rampant Blues would only lose three of their 46 league fixtures, leading to a colossal 111-point total being reached, with standout figures such as Jay Stansfield very much raising the excitement levels with a bumper 19 strikes tallied up in third-tier action.
Come the end of their very enjoyable League One marathon, Birmingham would go on to accumulate a mightily impressive 84 goals.
They won’t be receding into their shell when heading back up to the Championship, with plenty of fresh strikers now being linked to make the switch to St. Andrew’s to boost their already frightening firepower, which includes a promising Premier League-bound talent.
Birmingham monitoring situation of £10m striker
According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, the super-confident Blues are now monitoring the situation of Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph.
GIVEMESPORT states that Birmingham have been interested in the Spanish hotshot for some time now, with Davies’ men potentially seeing this opening in the summer transfer window as the perfect opportunity to strike up a deal.
RC Strasbourg are also noted as an interested party- on top of a January £10m bid from Real Betis being mentioned – but Birmingham have successfully flexed their muscles recently to win a similarly expensive striker from a Premier League side.
Of course, Stansfield cost £15m to pick up from Marco Silva’s Fulham last summer, with everyone at St. Andrew’s hopeful that Joseph can go down as an unbelievable success story much like the former Cottagers forward.
How Joseph can be Stansfield 2.0
It was somewhat of a gamble to fork out £15m for Stansfield’s services, considering the electric number 28 only had 21 strikes next to his name in senior action in the EFL before confirming a permanent Birmingham stay.
Now, that lavish fee doesn’t look too steep, with Stansfield an integral part of the Blues’ promotion story.
When moving up a division, Birmingham will be keeping their fingers crossed that Joseph can play an equal starring role, but this time around he could be the exact figure they desire in helping Davies’ men consolidate themselves as a Championship-worthy outfit.
After all, despite fading into the background at times last season under Daniel Farke’s wing, Joseph would still chip in with three goals and three assists in league action. This is a more than respectable return when you weigh up the fact that the 21-year-old only started 11 Championship contests.
With Leeds now in the big time, Joseph will be worrying that his first-team opportunities will become even more sparse. Therefore, a move to St. Andrew’s could be just what the Spain U21 international needs to kick on as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Stansfield, a fellow young striker who was also on the periphery of his then employers, Fulham, before finally becoming a main striker option in the West Midlands.
Leeds
73
6
3
Leeds U21s
33
19
3
Leeds U18s
4
1
1
Spain U21s
11
8
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
That was the case even as Stansfield scored a blistering 38 goals for both the Fulham U18s and U21s combined, with Joseph not that far behind on a healthy total of 20 on the youth pitches at Thorp Arch, away from also hammering home six strikes in the senior ranks.
Staggeringly, Stansfield would only ever reach two senior goals at Craven Cottage, but all of that is firmly at the back of his mind now as Birmingham’s leading star.
The “dynamite” Leeds forward – as he was once glowingly labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango – will want to be held in the same high esteem soon, rather than fighting it out for scraps at Elland Road.
Therefore, another statement striker deal could soon be on the cards at St. Andrew’s, as Joseph possibly joins and fires in the goals to make Birmingham’s transition to Championship life as smooth as possible.
Birmingham City want to beat EFL rivals to sign Klarer 2.0 this summer
Birmingham City could land their next Christoph Klarer by signing this gem from Germany.
Aston Villa have a squad filled with players who shone for the club in the Champions League and Premier League this season.
It’s fair to say, though, that they haven’t been blessed with a natural, god-given talent since Jack Grealish departed in the summer of 2021.
Jack Grealish
The Englishman worked his way up from academy starlet to first-team sensation before leaving for £100m four years ago.
Why Jack Grealish was so good at Aston Villa
The 2024/25 season may not have been his finest at Manchester City, notably left out of the squad by Pep Guardiola for their final match of the season. Yet, he is still 28 and has plenty of football left in him.
“Of course, Jack has to play. That’s the truth. Jack is an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days. And it didn’t happen this season, and last season neither. And he needs to do it with us, or another place. But that is a question for Jack, his agent, and the club. If he stays, we’ll be fine, and he’ll fight like he fought since day one to make a contribution.” – Pep on Grealish.
During his spell with Villa, however, he was one of the finest talents in the country. He scored 32 goals and grabbed 43 assists across 213 matches, leading the club back to the Premier League in 2019.
As the years progressed, it became clear that Grealish was perhaps one of the finest academy graduates to play for the club. In his final season, the Englishman demonstrated his creative talents.
In just 26 top-flight games, he created 14 big chances for Villa, along with averaging an impressive 3.2 key passes and succeeding with 2.5 dribbles per game.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2020/21
27
7
12
2019/20
41
10
8
2018/19
35
6
8
2017/18
31
3
6
2016/17
33
5
5
2015/16
21
1
1
2014/15
24
0
3
While Villa have gone from strength to strength under Unai Emery since 2022, the Spaniard must wish he had a talent like Grealish at his peak to utilise.
With the summer transfer window soon to open, can Emery sign the next best thing for the Midlands side?
Aston Villa could sign their new Grealish
The Villa Park side are showing plenty of interest in a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze after he enjoyed a stunning campaign.
This culminated with the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Man City and this has driven his price up. Indeed, the Englishman is wanted by the Villans and could cost around £65m according to reports, should any club wish to sign him this summer.
The fee would shatter Villa’s record transfer, but there is no doubt Eze would be worth the price.
In the Premier League this season, the 26-year-old averaged 1.7 key passes and succeeded with two dribbles per game. Furthermore, he even created 12 big chances for the Eagles.
These statistics are comparable to Grealish’s from his final league season at Villa, and it suggests Eze has the ability to become their new attacking sensation.
Analyst Ben Mattinson lauded the midfielder as a “superstar” in April 2024. Fast-forward 12 months, and this sentiment certainly continues to ring true with the England international scoring 14 goals and supplying 11 assists during an outstanding season.
Couple that with the flashy and carefree nature that Grealish also exudes, and the Palace sensation with his extra end product certainly has the potential to eclipse what the current City star achieved in the Midlands.
The only stumbling block might be the fact that Eze wouldn’t be playing Champions League football should he move to Villa. If he does, however, there is no doubt that the London-born dynamo can lead Emery’s side to another campaign in Europe’s premier club competition.
The next few weeks could be interesting, to say the least.
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