Tag Futebol

Cristiano Ronaldo sent an emotional eight-word message to his Al-Nassr team-mates after they crashed out of the King's Cup with a 2-1 defeat to 10-man Al-Ittihad. The Portuguese icon has urged his colleagues to brush off the disappointment and prepare for future battles, as they still have the Saudi Pro League and the AFC Champions League 2 to fight for.

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr beaten by Benzema brilliance

Although Al-Nassr started the game on the front foot, Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s old Real Madrid team-mate turned rival, struck first in the 15th minute after latching onto a slick through-ball from Moussa Diaby. However, Ronaldo, unwilling to let the game slip, soon turned provider. He teed up Angelo Gabriel, who unleashed a thunderous shot into the top corner to make it 1–1 on the half-hour mark. The scales were evenly balanced until Houssem Aouar pounced on a defensive lapse to restore Al-Ittihad’s lead, just before the half-time break. Ronaldo & Co. came out of the tunnel like a team on a mission, and they were lent a helping hand when Al-Ittihad were reduced to 10 men after Ahmed Al Julaydan was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Aiman Yahya. 

Nonetheless, what followed was a storm of frustration. Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane both squandered golden chances to equalise. Whereas Ronaldo, desperate for his 951st career strike, saw his looping header skim agonisingly over the crossbar. Al-Nassr fired 22 shots, with five on target, but couldn’t break down an Al-Ittihad defence that refused to buckle. When the final whistle blew, the dream of lifting the King’s Cup had slipped away once again. Yet moments later, the captain gathered his teammates, offering words not of blame, but of belief to motivate a crestfallen side. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "We stand tall, learn, and move forward together."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGlory continues to elude the king of goals

Since his headline-grabbing move to Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has delivered moments of brilliance, but major silverware remains painfully elusive. His lone triumph so far came in the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. But beyond that, heartbreak has followed as Al-Nassr have stumbled in multiple finals, including domestic cup defeats and early exits from continental tournaments. The club has yet to capture the Saudi Pro League, King’s Cup, or Super Cup under Ronaldo’s watch. For a player decorated with five Champions League titles, one with Manchester United and four with Real Madrid, such near-misses sting deeply.

A rare day off for Ronaldo

Even at 40, Ronaldo’s fire burns brighter than ever. He has been relentless in his pursuit of the 1000-goal mark, a personal milestone that he has set for himself to achieve. However, on Tuesday evening, he couldn't get his act together. He made five attempts to score, but only one of them tested the goalkeeper. His influence in the attacking third was minimal as he was able to create just one scoring opportunity, the assist to Gabriel and even failed to complete one successful dribble or cross. It was a rare off-day for a player who has been in prolific form this season, scoring six goals in six Saudi Pro League matches. He is hungry for more, and earlier this month, at the Portugal Football Globe Awards, Ronaldo made his ambitions clear after receiving the inaugural Prestige Award.

"I want to keep playing for a few years, not many, I have to be honest," he admitted. "I want to thank all my team-mates, for having learned from all of them – and even from this younger generation as well. For me, it's a privilege to be with you. People, especially my family, say, 'It's time for you to stop. You've done everything. Why do you want to score a thousand goals?' But I don't think so. I think I'm still producing good things, I'm helping my club and the national team, and why not keep going? I'm sure that when it's over, I'll leave feeling fulfilled, because I gave it my all. I know I don't have many more years, but I try to enjoy the few I have to the fullest."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyAl-Nassr still leading the way in the Pro League

Despite the disappointment, Al-Nassr’s season is far from over. Under Jorge Jesus, the team has been dominant in the Saudi Pro League, sitting top of the table with 18 points. They are three clear of second-placed Al-Taawoun and a comfortable eight ahead of defending champions Al-Ittihad, the very side that knocked them out of the cup. Their next challenge comes this Saturday at home against Al Feiha, a chance to bounce back on the winning track and to set a reminder that their title chase remains firmly in motion.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com um golaço no jogo de ida e outro na partida de volta, Samuel Xavier foi o principal nome do Fluminense nas oitavas de final da Libertadores. Nesta terça-feira, o Tricolor venceu o Argentinos Juniors no Maracanã por 2 a 0 e avançou de fase na competição sul-americana. Autor de um dos gols, o camisa 2 vive, aos 33 anos de idade, o seu momento mais artilheiro da carreira.

Desde que chegou às Laranjeiras, no início de 2021, Samuel já estufou as redes adversárias seis vezes. Em 2023, já são quatro tentos anotados em somente 37 jogos disputados. Com uma média superior a um gol a cada 10 partidas, Xavier supera os números alcançados em 2014, pelo Ceará, quando também marcou em quatro oportunidades. Naquele ano, porém, o jogador entrou em campo 62 vezes, 25 a mais do que na atual temporada.

A mudança ocorreu principalmente após a chegada de Fernando Diniz ao clube, em 2022. Em seu primeiro ano de Fluminense, sem o treinador, Samuel Xavier disputou 45 jogos, não marcou nenhuma vez e deu somente uma assistência. Já com Diniz, são 77 atuações, seis gols marcados e cinco passes para seus companheiros anotarem, tendo uma média de uma participação direta em gol a cada 11 confrontos disputados.

SAMUEL XAVIER EM 2023

37 jogos
3170 minutos em campo
4 gols
3 assistências
7 cartões amarelos
1 cartão vermelho

RelacionadasFluminensePróximos jogos do Fluminense: onde assistir, datas e horários das partidasFluminense10/10/2023FluminenseANÁLISE: Fluminense não joga bem, mas avança e busca superar ‘barreira traumática’ na LibertadoresFluminense09/08/2023FluminenseDiniz exalta classificação do Fluminense na Libertadores: ‘Temos que comemorar muito’Fluminense08/08/2023

Member of 1970-71 Ashes-winning side was later England bowling coach

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2025

Peter Lever took 716 first-class wickets for Lancashire•Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Peter Lever, the former Lancashire and England fast bowler, has died after a short illness. He was 84.Lever took almost 1000 wickets for Lancashire during his playing days in the 1960s and ’70s. He was capped 17 times in Tests by England, as well as featuring in 10 one-day internationals.He went on to work as England bowling coach under Ray Illingworth, and was inducted into the Lancashire hall of fame last year.Lever’s chances with England were initially limited by strong seam-bowling competition, and he had to wait until the age of 30 for his official debut. He had played for England against the Rest of the World during the summer of 1970, taking 7 for 83 including the wickets of Graeme Pollock, Garry Sobers and Clive Lloyd – but the matches subsequently lost their Test status.Related

'I honestly thought I had killed him'

'If I could do it all again, I'd gamble more'

He played five Tests during the 1970-71 Ashes, taking 13 wickets, as England won 2-0 to reclaim the urn; he was also picked for the first-ever ODI, staged due to the abandonment of the third Test, in Melbourne.Although his involvement thereafter was sporadic, Lever toured Australia and New Zealand again in 1974-75. It was during the Auckland Test that Lever bowled the ball that struck Ewen Chatfield on the side of the head, leaving the New Zealand No. 11 needing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the pitch.Lever was part of the England side that reached the semi-finals of the first men’s World Cup later that year, but he only made one further Test appearance before retiring in 1976.

Leeds United have made a strong start to their Premier League campaign with four points from the first nine available to them.

The 49ers Enterprises oversaw a busy transfer window at Elland Road, and their new defensive midfielder and most expensive summer arrival, Anton Stach, is already proving himself to be a smart signing. Across Leeds’ opening games, Stach has been in the top 6% of players for successful defensive actions.

One signing that hasn’t hit the ground running is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who joined on a free following the expiry of his Everton contract. The former England striker has made two appearances off the bench, with one of them coming in Leeds’ shocking exit from the League Cup on penalties to Sheffield Wednesday. During that game, Calvert-Lewin missed four big chances and, crucially, his penalty in the shootout.

Leeds have already started looking at bringing in a new striker in January, and after going with the budget-friendly route of Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, they’re now considering spending big on a Premier League-proven striker.

Leeds plotting January move for Mateta

As per reports, Leeds are looking at signing Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in the January transfer window and have made him a priority target. Upgrading from Calvert-Lewin to a striker who journalist Rory Smith said was “like original Ronaldo” could be a shrewd move by Leeds.

Caught Offside have claimed that Crystal Palace would want £40 million for Mateta, the same price they wanted for Marc Guehi, and that Leeds sees him as a long-term player who can help cement their place back in the Premier League, with the 49ers looking to test Palace’s resolve with a formal offer.

The report adds that Leeds will face competition from other Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Newcastle United. Newcastle may decide to back off the move if their two new strikers hit the ground running, but Aston Villa have yet to score a Premier League goal this season, so they will likely be on the hunt for more firepower in January.

What adds to the speculation about a potential Mateta departure is that the club are currently unable to get him to sign on to a new long-term contract. Mateta is signed on until 2027, but the report goes on to state that “negotiations over a potential extension have stalled, with talks described as ‘unproductive’ amid internal uncertainty at the club.”

One contributing factor may be the recent high-profile exits from Crystal Palace, including Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, Eberechi Eze to Arsenal and the likely exit of club captain Guehi, either to Liverpool in January when his contract expires.

Mateta could be key to Leeds's Premier League future

Since joining Crystal Palace, Mateta has scored 46 goals in 142 appearances, but most of those have come since the start of the 2023/24 season, when Mateta erupted.

Mateta since joining Crystal Palace

Season

Appearances

G+A

25/26

6

3

24/25

46

21

23/24

39

24

22/23

32

2

21/22

28

8

20/21

7

1

Mateta seems to have found consistency at a high level, which is why he’s become such an in-demand player and was linked in the summer with big moves to Arsenal and Manchester United. 65 goal involvements across the last two seasons make him look like a safe bet despite Leeds needing to splash out £40 million for him.

The Frenchman seems to be a favourite among strikers, with former Premier League and England striker Darren Bent having previously praised Mateta:

“He looks trimmed down… You look good, you feel good, you play good… Sometimes, it can be something as simple as that which triggers everything off.”

With numerous big exits making things look uncertain at Palace, Leeds may be able to tempt Mateta away from them, and if they do that, they could break the cycle of newly promoted teams getting relegated and cement themselves back in the Premier League.

Ilkay Gundogan has lamented Galatasaray's mental fragility following their 5-1 Champions League thrashing by Eintracht Frankfurt. The ex-Manchester City star claimed his side were superior until the German team equalised, after which their "heads were hanging down". Gundogan admitted they "invited" Frankfurt to score and must improve as a group as they look to bounce back from the humiliation.

• Gundogan on Galatasaray's UCL loss

  Galatasaray got off to the perfect start in Frankfurt when Yunus Akgun scored just eight minutes into their first game of the competition. However, a Davinson Sanchez own goal tied the game after 37 minutes, and the Bundesliga club ended the first half with two stoppage time goals to put them fully in control at the break.

  Gundogan has claimed Galatasaray were "clearly the better team" before the mental collapse that resulted in the stunning 5-1 demolition. Speaking to after the match, the former City captain expressed his frustration at the simple mistakes and poor reaction from his side after conceding the equaliser.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Gundogan on Galatasaray's mental collapse

  The 34-year-old midfielder, who joined the Turkish giants in the summer, was positive about his team's initial performance but was critical of their response to adversity. He pinpointed Frankfurt's first goal as the moment the game turned, suggesting his team's spirit broke after the setback.

  "I think we were clearly the better team until the 1-1 score – we even had chances to score the second goal," Gundogan began. "Then we conceded the 1-1 and you could already see on the pitch that their heads were hanging down and that their courage was somehow lacking."

• 'We invited Frankfurt to score'

  Galatasaray conceded two more goals in the second half, with Gundogan admitting the defeat was self-inflicted. He stated that errors at this level will always be punished and that Frankfurt were clinical in taking their chances.

  "It felt like we invited Frankfurt every time we conceded, simply giving them away," a disappointed Gundogan said. "In the Champions League, every opponent has the quality to punish these errors. If you make the first, the second, the third, then you'll be punished at some point. Frankfurt did that coolly today and scored five goals accordingly. It just wasn't good enough overall."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What next for Galatasaray in Europe?

  The heavy defeat is a significant blow to a Galatasaray side that invested heavily in the summer, bringing in established top-level talent like Gundogan and Leroy Sane, who set up their goal, to compete in Europe. The midfielder issued a call for his team to function better as a unit to achieve their objectives. 

  "We have a lot of individually strong players who can play at a very, very high level. We have to manage to bring that to the pitch as a group," he added. The Turkish club's aim remains to qualify for the knockout phase, with seven games remaining in the Champions League's new league stage to turn their campaign around.

Chetry is yet to make her ODI debut but has played four T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2024

Yastika Bhatia injured herself during the WBBL•Getty Images

Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia due to a wrist injury she picked up during the ongoing WBBL. In her place, India have called up Uma Chetry, who is uncapped in the format.Chetry has played four T20Is, all this year. Her debut was against South Africa in July. Earlier this month, she was the second-highest run-getter in the domestic T20 Challenger Trophy with 231 runs at a strike rate of 154.00. She also scored the only hundred in the competition, a 122 off 71 balls.Chetry also has the experience of touring Australia, with India A side in August, even though her returns were underwhelming. In four matches across formats, she scored 7 and 11 in T20s, 16 in the one-dayer, and 2 and 47 in the four-day game.Related

Shafali dropped for Australia ODIs; Ghosh, Punia return

'Just go all out': Rodrigues looks to Australian mindset

Bhatia was the second-highest run-getter for Melbourne Stars – despite missing the last three games – scoring 154 runs in six outings at a strike rate of 104.76. Stars, however, finished at the bottom of the points table with two wins from ten matches.Before her WBBL stint, Bhatia played the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home and scored 84 runs in three innings. She was part of the T20 World Cup squad but didn’t get a game.The first two ODIs against Australia will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane, on December 5 and 8. The third and final match will be played at the WACA ground in Perth on December 11.India Women squad for Australia ODIsHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Saima Thakor, Uma Chetry (wk)

The defending champions were 18 for 4 in their small chase before Hilton Cartwright and the in-form Josh Inglis guided them home

Tristan Lavalette23-Oct-2024

Cameron Bancroft made his fourth single-figure score of the Shield season•Getty Images

Cameron Bancroft’s bid for a Test recall took another hit after a fourth consecutive failure to start the Sheffield Shield season. But Josh Inglis continued to press his case while Hilton Cartwright capped a whirlwind few days to guide Western Australia to a six-wicket victory over Tasmania at the WACA.With WA chasing just 83 runs under sunny conditions early on the final day, Bancroft had a golden opportunity for a confidence boosting innings having scored just eight runs in his first three Shield innings.Related

Cartwright makes baby dash after Bancroft's lean start continues

Victoria steamroll New South Wales but Starc primed for India

'A right-handed version of Warner': Josh Inglis launched into opening debate

But he looked uncomfortable from the get go against probing new ball bowling from quicks Riley Meredith and Kieran Elliott. With the pressure building having scored just two runs from his first 15 deliveries, Bancroft decided to attack but miscued a pull shot off Meredith to fine leg and trudged off with his Test hopes to fill the vacant opener’s slot having seemingly nosedived.”He’s pretty good to be honest…keeping things really simple,” WA captain Sam Whiteman said of Bancroft. “I think it’s a matter of time. Each fail…he’s one closer to a big score. He’s a pretty positive guy.”The low target proved tricky for WA and the tension heightened among the sprinkling of fans when they slumped to 18 for 4 after Whiteman, Mitchell Marsh and Aaron Hardie fell to Elliott, who conjured movement from the grassy wicket.It was a quiet match for Marsh, who had scores of 9 and 6 as a specialist batter at No. 4. He had stated ahead of the match that he would build up his bowling loads, but a return with the ball has been put on hold.There appeared to be some tense scenes between Hilton Cartwright and Tasmania•Getty Images

Inglis and Cartwright steadied the ship with a quick half-century partnership to guide WA over the line. Having scored two game-changing centuries to start the season, Inglis again looked at ease to finish 26 not out from 36 balls.Cartwright remained unbeaten on 39 from 50 balls to cap a remarkable match after he had to dash from the ground at tea on day two when his wife went into labour. He returned on day three to resume his innings on 52 after the birth of his second child in the early hours. Cartwright needed Tasmania to agree for him to return to the crease.There appeared to be tension on the field on day four with Cartwright engaged in a war of words with Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald. They had a lengthy exchange while shaking hands after the match.Tasmania started day four in a forlorn position with a lead of just 80 runs and one wicket in hand. They only added two runs before quick Brody Couch claimed his fourth wicket of the innings after trapping Meredith in front of the creaseAfter a patchy performance in his WA debut against Queensland, Couch was outstanding throughout to finish with match figures of 7 for 83 and touching speeds of 143kph.

It is fair to say that it has been a frustrating summer for Tottenham Hotspur and new head coach Thomas Frank since the transfer window opened for business.

In terms of first-team additions, Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United is the only new player to arrive in the building, along with permanent deals for last season’s players Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel.

The Lilywhites did think that they were on course to seal a deal to sign Nottingham Forest star and England international Morgan Gibbs-White to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

However, the Tricky Trees prepared legal action after what they deemed to be an unlawful approach from Spurs, and they have now agreed a new contract with the player.

Along with missing out on Gibbs-White, Tottenham may also lose captain Heung-min Son this summer amid interest from MLS outfit LAFC, who are willing to pay £15m for the attacker.

A decision will reportedly be made on his future after the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, but the Europa League champions are open to cashing in on him.

Why it could be the right time for Spurs to sell Heung-min Son

Son turns 34 next month and is reportedly the highest-paid player at the club on a wage of £190k-per-week, which means that the club would save a lot of money if they were able to move on from him this summer.

Due to his age, there has been a natural regression in his performances on the pitch for the Lilywhites. His return of 11 goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign was his lowest goal tally since his first year in England in the 2015/16 season.

Heung-min Son’s goal returns for Spurs (all competitions)

Season

Appearances

Goals

24/25

46

11

23/24

36

17

22/23

47

14

21/22

44

24

20/21

49

21

19/20

41

18

18/19

48

20

17/18

53

18

16/17

47

21

15/16

36

7

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Son has consistently delivered in front of goal for the majority of his career in England, but his powers are waning and now may be the right time to move on from him.

The South Korea international may not be able to get back to scoring 20 or more goals a season at the age of 34, given his decline last season, which is why the club should consider accepting the £15m offer from LAFC this summer.

Whilst it would be sad to see Son move on from Tottenham after ten years of service, his exit would create room for new heroes to emerge, and one of those new heroes could be a controversial figure.

Spurs eyeing swoop for Arsenal forward

According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs eyeing up a potential move to sign £45m Arsenal centre-forward Gabriel Jesus.

The report claims that Inter, Milan, Newcastle United, Barcelona, and Spurs are all keeping tabs on his situation at The Emirates, with a view to a possible swoop for his signature.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

It adds, though, that a move in the January transfer window may be more realistic for the Brazil international, because he is currently sidelined with an ACL injury and is not expected back until around October.

This would be a controversial move because Spurs have only ever signed two players from Arsenal at first-team level in their history, William Gallas on a free transfer in 2010, and Laurie Brown all the way back in 1964.

However, Jesus has the potential to be an exciting addition to the squad if Frank can get him fit and firing, as he could be a dream replacement for Heung-min Son.

Why Spurs should sign Gabriel Jesus

If it gets to January and the Brazilian forward is fit and available to step in and play immediately, it is a deal that could be worth exploring for the Lilywhites because of the quality that he can provide on the pitch.

Like Son, Jesus is a versatile right-footed attacking player who is comfortable playing through the middle as a centre-forward or as a winger on the left flank, which means that he could slot in and play in the two main roles that the South Korean star currently plays.

There will, of course, be concerns over the fact that he currently plays for the club’s biggest rivals, Arsenal, but if the player is willing to make the move then it should be welcomed, as he is a Premier League-proven attacker who can make a big impact when fit.

Jesus has scored 76 goals and provided 45 assists in 229 matches for Manchester City and Arsenal combined in his Premier League career to date, which shows that the forward can offer quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Gabriel Jesus’ Premier League career

Season

Starts

Goals

Assists

24/25

6

3

0

23/24

17

4

5

22/23

24

11

6

21/22

21

8

8

20/21

22

9

4

19/20

21

14

7

18/19

8

7

3

17/18

19

13

3

16/17

8

7

4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old attacker has delivered 76 goals in 146 starts in his Premier League career, just shy of one every other start on average.

This shows that Jesus, who was once hailed as “exceptional” by Pep Guardiola, is a consistent and clinical goalscorer when fit and available, which is why signing him could be a worthwhile gamble for Spurs this summer or in January.

The Brazilian attacker could be Frank’s new Heung-min Son as another versatile attacking option who has the potential to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis when at his best.

At the age of 28, he is also almost six years younger than the South Korea international, which means that Spurs could get more out of him in the long-term if they decide to cash in on their captain in order to fund a controversial move for the Arsenal man.

Related Worth more than Gibbs-White: Spurs have struck gold on "unbelievable" star

Tottenham Hotspur have already shown their excellent business with the signing of one star.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Jul 27, 2025

There may be a fair bit of opposition to this, due to the Arsenal part of it, but purely based on Jesus and his quality as a player, it could be a good move for Spurs as Frank’s next version of Son.

After being crowned champions of the world on Sunday, are Chelsea serious contenders to win the biggest prizes next season?

At the weekend, the Blues sprung a massive surprise by demolishing Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium, with Cole Palmer scoring two, near-identical quick-fire goals, before João Pedro added a third on the cusp of half time.

After the win, club captain Reece James stated that the team’s ambition is to be “competing” to win the Premier League and Champions League next season, so could signing a highly-rated player from an historic rival help them achieve this?

Chelsea targeting another wide-forward

Going out the exit door this summer is Noni Madueke.

He left the Chelsea squad ahead of the final to fly back to London so he could undergo a medical ahead of a reported £52m move to Arsenal, which is reportedly set to be finalised this week.

So, as they search for a replacement, Laurie Whitwell of the Athletic is reporting that Chelsea ‘remain in contact’ with Manchester United over the possibility of signing Alejandro Garnacho.

Back in May, manager Rúben Amorim reportedly informed Garnacho “to find a new club”, hence why he’s currently exiled from first-team training at Carrington, alongside Marcus Rashford, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho, recently of Chelsea of course.

After Chelsea paid a £5m penalty fee to not sign Sancho permanently, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reported that the Blues’ priority this summer was to sign a ‘right-footed winger capable of playing on the left flank’.

Jamie Gittens has already arrived from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £48.5m, but already having options in a certain position has not stopped them in the past has it?

Garnacho has reportedly turned down the chance to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, so could the Argentine international be on his way to Stamford Bridge, available for as little as £40m, according to David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror?

How Alejandro Garnacho would fit in at Chelsea

As has been their want since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club three years ago, Chelsea have been busy in the transfer market, particularly when it comes to signing attackers.

João Pedro has been the headline arrival to date, bagging a brace against former club Fluminense in the Club World Cup semis, before also netting in Sunday’s final demolition of PSG.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

Meantime, in terms of wide attackers, Kendry Páez, Estêvão Willian and Jamie Gittens will all arrive at Cobham once pre-season commences, meaning Enzo Maresca will have plenty of options.

Yet, it would appear the Blues aren’t content with their options, now targeting a certain Garnacho.

He impressed last season, despite playing for a generally dismal Manchester United team, with football content creator Liam Canning lauding him as a “superstar” – and Statman Dave asserting that he was one of the two “brightest young talents on the planet”, alongside Lamine Yamal; esteemed company to keep.

Meantime, Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis labels him an ‘outstanding ball carrier’, adding that he is a ‘constant threat in the final third’, while Andy Mitten of the Athletic believes he was one of Man United’s few ‘bright sparks’, particularly impressed by his ‘ability to beat players’.

So, let’s analyse his importance to Manchester United last season.

Garnacho’s 2024/25 statistics

Statistics

Garnacho

Man United rank

Minutes

3,571

5th

Goals

11

2nd

Assists

10

2nd

Shots

146

2nd

Shots on target

52

1st

Shot-creating actions

128

2nd

Attempted take-ons

136

1st

Progressive carries

204

1st

Carries into final third

103

1st

Carries into the box

107

1st

Progressive passes received

429

1st

All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As the table outlines, Garnacho ranked first amongst his Manchester United teammates for all dribbling metrics last season, while second only to Bruno Fernandes in terms of goals, assists, shots and shot-creating actions.

Those metrics, notably carrying, make him particularly alike to the man he could replace in the shape of Madueke.

Yet, just how do they compare? We’ve crunched the numbers.

Garnacho vs Madueke 2024/25 Premier League

Statistics (per 90)

Garnacho

Madueke

Goals

0.3

0.4

Shots

2.3

2.6

Shooting accuracy %

55%

56%

Chances created

1.6

1.4

Shot-creating actions

3.4

3.5

Attempted take-ons

3.7

4.5

Take-on success %

32%

49%

Touches

52.4

47.4

Statistics courtesy of Squawka and FBref.com

As the table emphasises, Garnacho and Madueke’s statistics in the Premier League last season were remarkably similar, with the Argentine most notably coming out on top in terms of chances created.

He also produced a similar number of successful take-ons and was similarly prolific in front of goal.

Madueke’s departure will make way for Estêvão to see some action on the right wing, but perhaps Maresca would like another option on the left, and Garnacho could be his man.

Related £80m Gittens upgrade: Chelsea have looked at signing "one of the PL's best"

Chelsea are hoping to make several more signings in the summer transfer market.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jul 13, 2025

حقق منتخب مصر الثاني الفوز على نظيره التونسي، بهدف دون رد، في المباراة الودية التي جمعت بينهما، ضمن الاستعدادات لبطولة كأس العرب.

واستقبل ملعب هيئة قناة السويس بالإسماعيلية، مباراة منتخب مصر الثاني وتونس في إطار معسكر الإعداد لبطولة كأس العرب.

طالع.. فيديو | أفشة يُسجل هدف منتخب مصر الأول أمام تونس

ونجح محمد مجدي أفشة في تسجيل هدف منتخب مصر الثاني في الدقيقة 30، بعد تمريرة سحرية من مروان حمدي لينفرد بمرمى حارس تونس عبد السلام الحلاوي، ويسدد بقوة في الشباك.

ويستعد منتخب مصر لخوض بطولة كأس العرب، والتي ستقام على الأراضي القطرية في الفترة من 1 ديسمبر المقبل وحتى الـ18 من الشهر ذاته. موعد مباراة منتخب مصر الثاني وتونس وديًا

يستعد منتخب مصر الثاني لمواجهة تونس وديًا، من جديد يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، الموافق التاسع من شهر سبتمبر الجاري، في تمام الساعة التاسعة والنصف مساء بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.