Tag Futebol

Leeds United boast a wealth of youth talent, many of whom have been handed their big break in the first team in recent years.

Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch and now Javi Gracia all have employed academy graduates, whilst acquired talent like Wilfried Gnonto also have earned acclaim for their sensational performances that belie their youth.

However, amongst all this academy production, one name has been somewhat pushed to the wayside despite his immense potential.

Cody Drameh was widely seen as one of the shining lights of the Whites' youth setup, with the expectance being that he would soon hold down their right-back spot for the foreseeable future.

However, having been shipped out on numerous loans and seemingly replaced in the market, his hype has died somewhat.

Given his sparkling displays during his current spell away from the club, he is surely playing his way back into contention, especially given the underperformance of his rivals in his role.

How is Cody Drameh playing at Luton Town?

The 21-year-old joined Luton Town in January as one of many questionable decisions made by Marsch, however, the young defender is currently proving why he boasts more than enough talent for a starting spot in a Premier League team.

This came almost exactly a year after he was handed his first loan, as he was sent to Cardiff City where he too was a big hit. Drameh would even win the young player and player of the season awards after just six months in the Welsh capital, an outstanding feat.

His boss at the time, Steve Morison, reserved special praise for the relentless dynamo, as he noted: "He is like a Duracell Bunny, isn't he? He just keeps going and going."

Meanwhile, this season Ayling has endured an average rating of 6.71, a slight depreciation from his supposed successor in Rasmus Kristensen. The Denmark international has only mustered a slightly improved 6.87 rating himself, marking both out as disappointments.

To compare this with their young counterpart, who has marked himself out as both an outstanding creative and defensive threat in the Championship, they will surely be fearing for their positions in the squad.

Drameh is earning a 7.11 average rating for the Hatters, where he is recoding 1.8 key passes alongside 3.3 tackles and 2.0 clearances per 90, via Sofascore.

He is the standout with regard to form, and his youth makes him a thrilling prospect that would surely get fans excited too. Should Gracia keep the Yorkshire outfit up and retain his place in the dugout, his first port of call next season must be to ditch Ayling for the sensational youngster who has earned his big chance.

Bradman’s image may be that of a stodgy, almost puritanical man, but his grand love and care for the game’s well-being were undeniable and would be useful now

Christian Ryan26-Aug-2008

	We are fools if we forget Don Bradman – especially now, at the moment of massive upheaval © AFP

Tell you one opinion we haven’t heard in the whole Twenty20 debate: Don Bradman’s.We haven’t even heard anyone wonder what Bradman would have thought about Twenty20 were he around to blow out his candles, unflashily but effectively, for a hundredth time. He’s Out, all right, out of our minds. Nowadays if an Australian under 65 offers to show you his Bradman impression, chances are he won’t fetch a hunk of wood and feign to tickle the first ball wide of mid-on for a single. More likely he’ll impersonate Ian Chappell’s impersonation of Bradman, as aired on the doco, a stern man uncrossing his arms and leaning bolt forward in his chair, a picture of weaselly unlisteningness, answering suggestions that players get paid a fairer share of the gate-takings with a gravelly whine. “Oh no, son, we can’t do that.”Almost as much as we remember him for 99.94, we remember him for what he didn’t do and wasn’t. Wasn’t a punter, wasn’t a beer drinker, wasn’t a joker, a swearer or a spinner of coarse dressing-room yarns. Wasn’t a human, almost – the 1931-32 South Africans believed he did not sweat. Unflattering is the image we now see emerging. A boy who’d sooner knock a ball against a rainwater tank than tramp Bowral’s streets with his pals and a kerosene tin for a wicket. A Masonic Lodge-going man, tirelessly meticulous, not unlike Australia’s last prime minister in his tastes and fancies, a man who too often for comfort used words like .”It behoves all of us to realise we are the custodians of the welfare of cricket and must guard its future even more zealously than its present.” Bradman wrote that, in 1939, a plea for cricket to adapt to the “quickening of modern tempo” and “more Americanised” way of life. What makes the most famous 30-year-old in the Empire write an essay like that? What makes him go to meetings? Cricket offers young men an outdoorsy alternative to the desk-bound drudgery of meetings. Bradman was 12 when he attended his first, the annual general meeting of Bowral Town Cricket Club. At 17 he was appointed the club’s honorary secretary. Honorary – that is, unpaid – was the nature of his four or so decades as a state and Test selector, as a national board delegate, as a two-time board chairman, as a state association president and vice-president, as an immovable fixture, like an old white sightscreen with flat tyres, on the Adelaide Oval’s ground and finance committee.What persuades a man to endure all those phone hook-ups, all those meetings? Care for the game’s well-being makes a man do that. It was Bradman’s overriding characteristic. It is not noticeably the overriding characteristic of the current lot of administrators.Bradman was not always right, but he was always there. He was there for chucking and the South Africa question. He was there the last time an undersized newcomer walked in and took over, confessing his love for 50-over cricket, for its faster running, nimbler throwing, readier risk-taking. It was not so grand a love as his love for Test cricket. And it was not a blind love, for he fretted about the easy singles in the middle overs – “one can get bored to death” – and about the easy money too: “With so much money at stake I doubt if the modern professionals enjoy their cricket as much.” But love it was.

	What persuades a man to endure all those phone hook-ups, all those meetings? Care for the game’s well-being makes a man do that. It was Bradman’s overriding characteristic. It is not noticeably the overriding characteristic of the current lot of administrators

Ideas hit Bradman – and stayed hit – long before most others. Night-time Tests seemed sensible. Television assistance for umpires seemed practical, except on lbws. Lbw rules needed to be loosened to make the batsman’s life harder and the bowler’s plight less thankless. The emphasis on averages was a “curse”. (Easy, perhaps, for someone averaging as near as heck to 100 to say.) Back in the early sixties, when batting slugs were making the game a chore and scaring crowds away, he addressed the Australian players on Gabba Test eve. “The selectors,” Bradman told them, “will look in kindly fashion on players who play aggressively.”Four-and-a-half days of dashing strokes, daring field settings and mad haring between wickets followed. Then, at tea, with Australia 6 for 109 in pursuit of 233, Bradman asked the captain, Richie Benaud, what his intentions were. Win or draw?”We’re going for a win,” Benaud said.”I’m very pleased to hear it,” Bradman said.Two hours later a Test was tied and cricket seemed like fun again.Maybe, years after, he missed the coming menace of rising player dissatisfaction. Probably Chappell’s depiction of whiny, weaselly unlisteningness is about right. But once change bashed the door down, Bradman did not flinch. Bradman did not sledge Kerry Packer or his World Series Cricket or the couple of dozen Australians who signed up to play it. His first thought was to protect Test cricket’s brand, and one way of accomplishing that was to recruit a long-retired 41-year-old captain of upstanding character and limitless devotion. Bob Simpson went to lunch with Bradman feeling unsure. He left feeling honoured, flattered and largely persuaded.Even when Bradman was an old man, a selector of no one and chairman of nothing, cricket felt his caring hand. Players who met him memorised every second of it. Captains scoured his words for special meaning, and found it. Dining with Australia’s Test players in his eighties, unflustered by their raised hands and staring eyes, he urged them to do what they could to make cricket better, and proposed: “We are all custodians of the game we play.” Mark Taylor, as chivalrous a leader as any Australian captain of old, thought often of that.Steve Waugh went round to 2 Holden Street, Kensington Park a fortnight before Bradman turned 91. The same conversational traits that used to settle arguments and silence fellow boardmen struck Waugh: the knowledge, the opinions, the aura, the inquiring mind. Waugh made special note of the lack of Bradmanarama on display, just a painting above a fireplace, and the state of the old man’s hands – never once hit, apparently, in all his Test days.”How is that possible?” Bradman replied: “You only get hit on the hands if you miss the ball.”

	Steve Waugh, seen here mourning Bradman’s death in Mumbai with Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne in 2001, was impressed with his predecessor’s knowledge, opinions, aura and inquiring mind © Getty Images

Nineteen months later Bradman was dead, and Waugh was in Mumbai for the beginning of a Test series. Rather than cancel it, Waugh suggested they play it – and play it in the spirit Bradman would have wanted. India won 2-1, and the series, we now know, was as gripping and unpredictable as any since Australia hosted West Indies in 1960-61, another grand drama played out in the spirit and shadow of The Don.No shame to say we miss him. We are fools if we forget him – especially now, at the moment of massive upheaval. If he were still here, Twenty20’s rows of cheery spectators would surely please him. He’d see the enjoyment on the players’ faces, and he’d probably like that too, although he might wonder, as he did once before, whether people playing for such loot could possibly have as much fun as people playing for the pure love of it. Bradman himself, in 11,000 minutes at the Test batting crease, hit six sixes, a tally equalled in the 57th minute of the first Twenty20 international and overtaken in the 58th. Even so, you suspect he’d relish the risk-taking, the shots seemingly invented with a tennis racquet, or a meat cleaver, in mind.But Bradman’s favourite thing of all was Test cricket’s cut and thrust. Clout and tonk, which is the Twenty20 way, he’d perhaps find less fulfilling. Bradman was ever awake to the struggles of bowlers. So the trawling in, in, in of boundary ropes might irritate him. No matter how bedridden he was, for he’d have turned 100 this week, you fancy he would do something to stop today’s supersonic bats, a curse that makes bowling feel more like fetching and which no living administrator seems to have noticed.And if a cricketer ever demanded the wages of the European soccer pro, or wished that his board might stop sending him to places unglamorous and un-lucrative, like Pakistan, or decided that he preferred biff-and-pocket to cut-and-thrust so could the board please stop scheduling so much of the quaint five-day stuff… Well, if the day ever came when a player said that, you imagine Bradman might have seven words for him: “Oh no, son, we can’t do that.”It would be kind of refreshing, wouldn’t it, to hear an administrator tell a player that.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly look to the market to strengthen his side in January and reports have emerged indicating the German and owners FSG are in pole position to sign a new target.

Liverpool's successful rebuild…

Back in the summer, the general consensus in and around Anfield was that a squad rebuild would be necessary if the Reds were to realise their ambitions of being able to compete with the likes of Manchester City at the top end of English football.

Big changes occurred during the last window, with the likes of experienced heads Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Roberto Firmino among others leaving the club to make way for new arrivals. Freshening up his engine room, Klopp moved to acquire Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo, which looks to have worked a treat on Merseyside, with Liverpool sitting second in the Premier League standings with 27 points from their first 12 fixtures.

Additional work may well be needed in January to bolster squad depth in key positions and according to Football Insider, Klopp seemingly isn't finished strengthening his midfield arsenal as of yet and a move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips could now be on the cards. The report states that Serie A giants Juventus have also thrown their hat in the ring to try and land the England international; however, his preference would be to remain in the English top flight at this stage.

Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane is also mooted to be a target for Liverpool and the 27-year-old has revealed that he is delaying talks over a new contract with the German champions to focus on the current season, as he said:

"I haven’t given it any thought. The club wants to have discussions but at the moment I want to concentrate on the season. Bayern will be my first point of contact, everything else will take care of itself."

Now, a fresh report has suggested that a new defender could also be on the way to Anfield come the New Year when the market re-opens.

Liverpool's last five results – all competitions

Competition

Opponent & result

Venue

Premier League

Liverpool 3-0 Brentford

Anfield

Europa League

Toulouse 3-2 Liverpool

Stadium de Toulouse

Premier League

Luton Town 1-1 Liverpool

Kenilworth Road

EFL Cup

Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool

Vitality Stadium

Premier League

Liverpool 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Anfield

Liverpool lead Goncalo Inacio chase

According to new reports from Spain, Liverpool are favourites to sign Sporting Club defender Goncalo Inacio, who has a release clause of €60 million (£52.5 million) present in his current terms with the Portuguese giants. Nevertheless, the Portugal international is also being courted by the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid; however, Liverpool's plans to install Inacio as an 'undisputed starter' could give them the edge in negotiations.

This term, Inacio, who has previously been labelled a "sensation" by Football Talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been ever present for Sporting, racking up 17 appearances across all competitions for his current employers (Inacio statistics – Transfermarkt).

Now, a move to Anfield could beckon for Inacio as Liverpool aim to wrestle the Premier League crown from Manchester City between now and next May, making this one to watch.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou will undoubtedly rue his side's two-match slump in the Premier League before the November international break, but despite the recent strife will remind his squad that Manchester City are just two points ahead in pole position.

Spurs had undergone a dramatic transformation this summer after finishing eighth in the top flight last year, missing out on European football – something that prompted Harry Kane to depart for Bayern Munich as a by-product.

But the arrival of Postecoglou has changed everything, with the Australian instilling confidence and cohesion and reviving the attacking prowess of this Tottenham team.

After ten matches, Tottenham were top of the table with eight victories and zero losses, but a chaotic, controversy-strewn contest against Chelsea last week unravelled the gains made, sending it spiralling into the murk.

While losing to Mauricio Pochettino's side was a blow, it was hardly the most detrimental element of a bitter evening, with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven both sustaining injuries to rule them out until the new year.

Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero also received their marching orders, with such a raft of setbacks playing into Wolverhampton Wanderers' late turnaround at the weekend.

Talented as this Lilywhites crop may be, the recent malaise has stripped bare the lack of depth that will make challenging against a forbidding behemoth of Man City's stature something tricky.

Nonetheless, Spurs remain in an excellent position, and Postecoglou will know that if his side can battle their way to January, the winter transfer window can be used to bolster the ranks.

Tottenham transfer targets – Ruben Neves

According to TEAMtalk, a rule set to be implemented in the Saudi Pro League could have a knock-on effect for Tottenham's transfer plans, with Al Ittihad winger Jota now likely to remain at the club with the number of foreign players allowed in a matchday squad changing from six to ten.

Such could now ignite Jota's career in Saudi Arabia and close the door on a January departure, but Postecoglou still appears eager to sign in January and could yet raid the opulent division for a former Premier League star.

Indeed, the report continues that Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves is on Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's radar, with Arsenal and Newcastle United also interested in the Portugal ace.

Neves joined Al Hilal from Wolves for £47m in the summer after six years of service, though reports stemming from Portugal last month claim that the 26-year-old 'dreams' of returning to English shores.

Ruben Neves' style of play

It's generally accepted that Tottenham's squad is a little thin, and while the backline requires priority, regardless of Van de Ven and Romero's current absences, support must be spread across the pack to truly cement a place at the forefront of the Premier League.

And Neves, who is a tried and tested star in the division, would be the perfect addition, especially considering he has expressed a willingness to head back from Saudi Arabia now half a season into his new chapter, having been hailed as "incredible" by former teammate Hugo Bueno.

#

Player

Club

1

Ismael Bennacer

AC Milan

2

Fabian Ruiz

Paris Saint-Germain

3

Youri Tielemans

Aston Villa

4

Thiago Alcantara

Liverpool

5

Thomas Partey

Arsenal

*Sourced via Football Transfers

Slick in passing and tenacious in the tackle, the £300k-per-week machine has been hailed as an Old Gold "hero" by the likes of journalist Matt Maher for his central role in guiding Wolves to the Premier League and securing a spot away from the danger zone, even leading the club to European endeavours.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 17% of midfielders for interceptions, the top 4% for blocks and the top 2% for clearances per 90 in relation to his European peers, highlighting the defensive strength that would only enhance Postecoglou's system, installing steel framework, of a sort, to shape and structure the fluency and effectiveness in transition.

Neves scored 30 goals and supplied 13 assists across 253 appearances for Wolves; for a deep-lying midfielder, this is not a half-bad return, especially given the ferocious snap of his skilful ranged strikes.

Since signing for Al Hilal, the 5 foot 10 gem has been in fine fettle, having chalked up 17 appearances, scoring two goals, supplying an assist and having yet to taste defeat.

As per Sofascore, he has been an omnipresent figure on the pitch in the Saudi Pro League, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 2.2 key passes, 2.3 tackles and 6.3 ball recoveries per game and taking 84 touches per game, very much the fulcrum.

He would bring a fresh sense of dynamism to Tottenham's midfield and indeed some much-needed depth, and Postecoglou has to throw the kitchen sink at this deal, else risk his signature winding up at a rival, such as Arsenal or the Magpies.

Why Tottenham should sign Ruben Neves

Neves would not only bring mettle and technical prowess to the fold, but he would also offer leadership and resilience to aid the development of players such as Pape Matar Sarr, immensely talented and perhaps strengthened by a mentor of Neves' ilk.

It would also represent a statement of intent from Postecoglou, much like when Maddison was signed from Leicester City for £40m in the summer.

The England international has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season and earned the Player of the Month award for August, having now posted three goals and five assists from 11 matches.

Crucially, Postecoglou felt that Tottenham needed a new first-rate playmaker to fuel his vision, and clinched Maddison's services with no European football, despite the vested interest of Eddie Howe's Newcastle.

Newcastle had been in pursuit of the former Fox for multiple transfer windows before cooling their attention this year, but must rue that decision after the 26-year-old's performances have led him to be "on the verge" of becoming a world-class phenom, according to pundit Jermaine Jenas.

Signing Neves could bring similar fruits, replicating the momentous addition of Maddison and infusing even more quality to edge Tottenham toward an illustrious position at the very top.

Tottenham Hotspur have been named as a possible Premier League destination for one young star who's left them "very impressed".

Will Spurs replace Hojbjerg?

Over the last month or so, there have been many reports suggesting that Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could depart north London as early as the January transfer window. Despite being a mainstay under Antonio Conte last season, and throughout his entire stay at Tottenham really, the Dane is no longer a lynchpin of their midfield as both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are preferred by new boss Ange Postecoglou.

Hojbjerg scored four goals and assisted five others over 35 league starts last term, but this season, he's not even started a single top flight match; making all six of his appearances from the bench. As a result, there have been suggestions that Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is a target for Tottenham, among others. A new midfielder appears to be on the Spurs agenda if Hojbjerg quits in the winter window, while Spurs are rumoured to be targeting a new striker and new central defender for 2024 as well.

Postecoglou's side have started the season remarkably well; tasting victory in five out of a possible seven league matches so far while scoring 17 goals. However, there may still be some gaping holes to fix in the squad, as injuries to key players could threaten to ruin their exceptional early-season form. Ivan Perisic, Brennan Johnson, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Alfie Whiteman, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon have all found themselves injured at Spurs recently.

If one of James Maddison, Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero – Tottenham's arguable star players right now – are sidelined, Postecoglou would be in big trouble.

Quinten Timber transfer news

A new option who may emerge for Spurs, as per journalist Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers Podcast, is Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber; who would seemingly come in as a potential alternative to Hojbjerg. The brother of Arsenal star Jurrien, he already has a very interesting connection to the top flight through Tottenham's arch rivals.

Timber has been in brilliant Eredivisie form this campaign, scoring one goal and assisting three others in seven Dutch top flight starts. According to WhoScored, the 22-year-old is among Feyenoord's best-performing players per 90 this term, a fact not lost on Tottenham.

Dribbling

Aerial duels

Tackling

It is believed that Spurs are "very impressed" by Timber's form, and Bailey urges supporters to "keep an eye" him potentially making a move to England.

“I like Quintin Timber in this role, and so do the teams who have been watching Feyenoord, the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Tottenham, Arsenal, they have all been very impressed by this young lad, he’s more a midfielder than his twin brother, so let’s keep an eye on him, could we see Timber’s brother in England? I wouldn’t rule it out." said the 90min journalist.

The Dutch midfield ace facing off against his brother would make a rather intriguing development.

اعترف روبن أموريم المدير الفني البرتغالي لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي مانشستر يونايتد، أنه المسؤول عن ما يقدمه الشياطين الحمر، مشيرًا إلى أن هذا هو أسوأ أداء في تاريخ النادي.

مانشستر يونايتد خسر بثلاثية مقابل هدف أمام برايتون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مساء اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة 22.

طالع أيضًا | “غير مقبول ولن أتغير رغم معاناة المشجعين”.. أموريم يعلق على هزيمة مانشستر يونايتد أمام برايتون

صاحب الـ39 عامًا، يتوقع المزيد من المعاناة بعدما تعرض الفريق للهزيمة الرابعة في آخر خمس مباريات على أرضه ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال روبن أموريم في تصريحات نقلها الموقع الرسمي للدوري الإنجليزي: “نحن ربما أسوأ فريق في تاريخ مانشستر يونايتد”.

وأضاف: “أعلم أنكم تريدون عناوين رئيسية، لكنني أقول ذلك لأننا يجب أن ندرك، هذا هو العنوان الذي يمكنكم أن تسخدموه، نحن نستحق ذلك”.

وأضاف: “لقد فزنا بمباراتين في 10 مباريات بالدوري الإنجليزي، تخيل شعور مشجع مانشستر يونايتد الآن، من حق الجمهور أن يشعر بالحزن”.

وأشار: “لقد تعاقد النادي مع مدرب جديد، ويخسر أكثر من المدرب السابق، لك أن تتخيل ذلك. نحن بحاجة إلى النجاة من هذه اللحظة، وأنا أعلم ذلك، ويمكنني تحمل المسؤولية”.

مانشستر يونايتد هذا الموسم سجل أسوأ سجل في تاريخه على أرضه منذ 131 عامًا، حيث لم يخسر الفريق 6 مباريات على ملعب أولد ترافورد في 12 مباراة افتتاحية، منذ موسم 1893-1894.

ويحتل مانشستر يونايتد المركز الثالث عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بعد 22 مباراة، ويتواجد أقرب إلى منطقة الهبوط بـ 10 نقاط، أكثر من مراكز التأهل للأبطال بـ 12 نقطة.

جدير بالذكر أن أموريم مع مانشستر يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي، حصل على 11 نقطة في أول 11 مباراة.

Arsenal are one of the many clubs looking towards the January transfer window to bolster their squad, as Mikel Arteta aims to keep his title-challenging trajectory going in preparation for the second half of the 2023/24 season.

The Gunners have struggled with injury considerably after just 12 Premier League games played, leaving the manager and Edu in a position to once again consider the depth in quality at the club.

A host of names have been speculated to be of interest to the north Londoners, with a report from the Mirror explaining that Arteta will hope to strengthen his side’s midfield in particular this winter.

Arsenal transfer targets – Joao Neves

According to news in Portugal, Arsenal are one of the clubs to have been ‘seduced’ by Benfica teenager, Joao Neves, who is excelling in defensive midfield in Liga Portugal.

A report from O Jogo, relayed by Paisley Gates, claimed that both the Gunners and Liverpool are impressed by the 19-year-old’s rise to prominence with the Eagles, however, his talents won't be easy to come by.

In January 2022, the Portuguese champions reaped the benefits of selling to English clubs, as Benfica received £106.8m from Chelsea for the signing of Enzo Fernandez, with Neves’ price set to be of a similar calibre.

As relayed by O Jogo, the teenager has a release clause of €120m (£105m), with the club making it clear that such figure is the only price they would allow their starlet to depart for, but why is he worth so much?

What Joao Neves could offer to Arsenal

In the 2023/24 edition of Liga Portugal, no midfielder averages more touches per 90 (97.07) than the Portugal international, and as a player who loves to be on the ball, the defensive maestro has a lot to show for it.

Lauded as a “sensational” asset to his boyhood club by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Neves, with his playing style credited as that of a “box-to-box phenomenon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in his scouting report of the teen.

Described as a “perfect midfielder” by Kulig, the 2004-born dynamo is hailed for his ability to hold himself in physical battles, as well as staying “one step of the opposition” when it comes to progressing play.

For Arsenal, the signs shown by the youngster make for encouraging viewing, particularly with reference to the individual the Gunners seek to complete their midfield.

After signing Declan Rice in the summer, there was hope that the Englishman could thrive alongside Thomas Partey, however, his Ghanaian counterpart has struggled to stay fit, with rumours also rising to suggest his future in north London is under threat.

Joao Neves

Declan Rice

88.0%

91.2%

7.07

6.96

1.56

1.41

1.80

0.53

3.12

2.11

0.96

1.41

2.16

1.50

1.92

0.97

As portrayed in the table above, Neves could be the perfect suitor to partner the £105m star going forward, with his ability to progress and act as the anchor putting the Benfica starlet in good position to be Rice’s partner in the engine room pivot at the Emirates.

The Tavira-born sensation treasures his strengths in progressing into the final third, as well as being an accomplished tackler, holding the keys to allow the Englishman to roam forward – something that could well take him to the next level as a midfielder.

Kulig stressed that it could be “incredible to think” of just how good the 19-year-old could become, making Arsenal’s reported interest an exciting prospect, as the eye-capturing midfielder continues to showcase his fearless edge in his homeland.

Claret and blue is one of the most famous colour combinations in all of English football, and Aston Villa & West Ham United are perhaps the two clubs most synonymous with these colours.

Both sides have enjoyed huge successes over the years and a number of players have played for both Villa and the Irons.

Here is Football FanCast's list detailing some of the best players to play for both of these teams in the Premier League era.

John Carew (Aston Villa 2007-2011; West Ham United 2011-2012)

English football fans will remember John Carew best for his time with Aston Villa, but he did have a season at the Boleyn Ground as well.

Carew joined Aston Villa in January 2007 as part of a swap deal with French side Lyon, with Milan Baros being the man to go the other way.

The Norway international reached double figures for league goals on three occasions with Villa, his highest tally being 13 from 32 appearances in the 2007/08 season.

Carew may have failed to make a long-lasting impact on the West Ham faithful but he is certainly a hero of yesteryear at Villa Park.

Carlton Cole (Aston Villa 2004-2005; West Ham United 2006-2015)

If you want a striker that is loved by all West Ham fans, look no further than Carlton Cole.

Cole scored 40 times in the Premier League for the Hammers, on top of an additional 14 during their time in the Championship.

One of his most famous goals for West Ham came at Wembley Stadium, giving them the lead in the play-off final against Blackpool. A young Tom Ince struck back before Ricardo Vaz Te wrote himself into club folklore with the winner.

Prior to arriving in east London in 2006, Cole had a loan spell at Villa from Chelsea, where he made 27 league appearances, scoring three times.

Joe Cole (West Ham United 1998-2003, 2013-2014; Aston Villa 2014-2016)

Next up is Carlton’s namesake Joe Cole, another attacking player that the West Ham fans will have fond memories of.

Cole scored that superb goal against Sweden in an England shirt at the 2006 World Cup and also won three Premier League titles in Chelsea blue. Before that, though, he played for his beloved West Ham just like Frank Lampard did.

The 41-year-old was named Hammer of the Year in 2002/03, a campaign which saw him play all but two top-flight games, scoring four times. However, he was unable to help steer the Hammers clear of relegation. Cole also scored in a 3-2 FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest that season.

Joe Cole returned to Upton Park a decade after he first left, and after one season there, joined Villa in 2014 in what was a relatively unsuccessful spell for all concerned.

James Collins (West Ham United 2005-2009, 2012-2018; Aston Villa 2009-2012)

Welsh defender James Collins was with West Ham for a long while, though he spent three years at Aston Villa while the Hammers were relegated and promoted back to the Premier League.

He first broke through into professional football as a Cardiff City player, with his first transfer taking him to the English capital.

Collins wasn’t used as regularly as he may have liked, and so, with the 2009/10 season already underway, he jumped ship to the other team in claret and blue.

The centre-back made nearly double the number of appearances for West Ham as he did for Villa, and so is better known for playing for the former. His second spell with Villa isn't one many will recall due to the fact that he only signed a short contract and then got injured almost immediately.

Rachel Daly (West Ham United 2020; Aston Villa 2022-present)

Moving over to the Women’s Super League, where Aston Villa fans must have been on cloud nine watching Rachel Daly last season.

The striker arrived from NWSL side Houston Dash and picked up the Golden Boot having taken up a centre-forward slot for Carla Ward's side. Daly’s 22 goals were rivalled closely by Khadija Shaw of Manchester City, but it was the England star that prevailed.

Daly had been playing her club football in the US for the best part of a decade when she arrived on loan at West Ham in 2020, so fans this side of the pond weren’t used to watching her in action regularly.

Four goal contributions in less than 800 minutes represented a very solid stint in east London, but West Ham didn’t make the move permanent and it was in Birmingham where the European Championship winner truly came to the fore.

Stewart Downing (Aston Villa 2009-2011; West Ham United 2013-2015)

Stewart Downing played over 400 times for Middlesbrough and is a club legend there, as well as representing both halves of this claret and blue duo.

Aston Villa came first for Downing, making the move in 2009 from Boro following their relegation. He was always a player with a bright creative spark that could also find the back of the net himself, and that shone through during his time Villa Park.

Downing’s 11 goals and 13 assists for them is slightly better than his record of seven and 11 respectively for West Ham, with both of these returns coming in 79 outings, remarkably enough.

Marlon Harewood (West Ham United 2003-2007; Aston Villa 2007-2010)

Marlon Harewood played for a number of different clubs but only made more appearances than in his West Ham tenure with Nottingham Forest. The City Ground was his home as a youngster and made the move south to London in his mid-20s.

Alan Pardew was the man to sign Harewood for the Hammers, and he had an instant impact, scoring 17 and assisting 11 on the way to play-off promotion out of the Championship.

Harewood’s form continued up front in the top flight, including a hat-trick against who else but Aston Villa.

After four years with West Ham, the forward joined the West Midlanders but was unable to replicate his form in front of goal. Harewood scored five league goals in the 2007/08 season before spending the majority of 2009 on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United.

Thomas Hitzlsperger (Aston Villa 2001-2005; West Ham United 2010-2011)

After playing youth football in his home country of Germany, Thomas Hitzlsperger joined Aston Villa.

His professional debut came at Villa Park against Liverpool, and following a loan spell with Chesterfield, he was deemed ready to be a regular. Hitzlsperger made over 100 appearances in a Villa shirt, including 10 in the EFL Cup, scoring four goals in that tournament alone.

He left Villa for Stuttgart where he received a lot of praise from the powers that be in Germany in the form of 52 international caps.

The midfielder from Munich spent a single season at West Ham between 2010 and 2011 and was unable to make a notable impact, in truth.

Danny Ings (Aston Villa 2021-2023; West Ham United 2023-present)

Danny Ings is still a West Ham player currently and the jury is still out on him from the London Stadium faithful.

His injury issues have continued over from earlier in his career and the feisty striker has been unable to provide capable support to Michail Antonio, let alone challenge him for a starting spot under David Moyes.

Ings joined West Ham from Aston Villa, and it was definitely the latter club who got the better end of the deal.

He contributed to 22 goals in 52 Villa appearances and then the club from Birmingham secured an eight-figure fee for his services, recouping most of their outlay for him when signing from Southampton in 2021.

David James (Aston Villa 1999-2001; West Ham United 2001-2004)

At the other end of the field, David James also played for both of these clubs, with a mixture of fortunes.

Injuries and relegation struck during his time with West Ham, so Aston Villa perhaps chose the perfect time to sell once again.

James, who earned 53 caps for England, made a combined 186 appearances for these two teams, which is a decent tally no matter what.

Liverpool and Portsmouth were probably his more famous clubs, however, while it has to be said that he was prone to an error here and there.

Thomas Tuchel heaped praise on veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and called him "one in 20 million".

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Tuchel hails 'world class' NeuerPraised the player staging epic comebackExperienced skiing injury in 2022WHAT HAPPENED?

The Bayern Munich manager hailed the German goalkeeper for staging a remarkable comeback after his injury setback in 2022. Right after Germany's exit from the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Neuer experienced a freak skiing accident that kept him out of action for 10 months.

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Speaking to reporters, Tuchel said, "A comeback like Neuer's after his broken leg can only be achieved by one in 20,000, one in 20 million players. It's a great gift to be able to experience him like that. Neuer (37) is absolutely world-class in all areas and his comeback cannot be valued highly enough – even in view of all the setbacks he had to suffer on the way back. To be so clear, so open to the whole journey and never to lose conviction… I'm certainly one of the 19,999 who wouldn't have been able to do that. That's just great."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 37-year-old returned to action in October last year and since then has appeared in 17 Bundesliga matches thus far where he managed to keep seven clean sheets. On Friday, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann named the custodian in the national team squad as they are set to face France and Netherlands in international friendlies later this month.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

The Bavarian club will play their final game before the international break on Saturday against Darmstadt in the Bundesliga. Interestingly, it was the same opponent against whom Neuer had played his first game for the club since returning from injury on October 28.

Jenni Hermoso has dedicated Spain’s Nations League triumph to herself after enduring a testing few months in the wake of a World Cup kissing scandal.

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Caught in a storm after World Cup winLooking to move on from scandalHas another trophy for the collectionGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 33-year-old forward found herself at the centre of a sporting storm following a non-consensual clinch with former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales during the medal ceremony which accompanied the capturing of a global crown in Australia.

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With a legal and social battle now over, Hermoso – who currently plies her club trade in Mexico for Tigres – is free to focus on her football once more. She has another major honour for the collection, with Spain seeing off France 2-0 in the final of the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League.

Getty ImagesWHAT HERMOSO SAID

Hermoso told after that contest when asked who she would like to dedicate the title to: “I'm going to be very honest. It has been difficult for me to stay strong all this time and I continue to improve myself. Of course I remember my mother, my brother… but I have fought a lot and I am going to dedicate this victory to myself no matter what. Because I think I deserve it.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Hermoso added on the long-running Rubiales saga that she hopes will deliver positive change in Spanish football: “It has been a long process but the most important thing is that the player knows that she comes only to enjoy football.”