Liverpool have had something of a golden generation come through their academy over the last few seasons with players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Conor Bradley arriving through their ranks.

Although the Reds' academy has always managed to produce Premier League talent, notably Steven Gerrard, it feels as if, thanks to Jurgen Klopp's focus on developing youth players, the academy's recent talents have almost been first-team ready from young ages.

For example, this season, the German has handed youngster James McConnell his senior debut for the Reds and even gave him his first start for the club, which came against Norwich in the FA Cup fourth round.

However, this was unfortunately cut short as the defensive midfielder was taken off the pitch in the 79th minute due to an injury he sustained.

Bradley is another academy graduate of Liverpool's who has had a stellar start to the 2023/24 season thus far.

After winning all three of Bolton's player awards last season, the Northern Ireland international has managed to carry his purple patch of form with him through to this season.

The right-back has played a total of nine times for the Reds this season and has managed to contribute to a total of six goals during that time. This all comes after the defender has only recently returned from an injury which kept him sidelined for around five months.

Thanks to his recent performances, in the Premier League alone, the youngster is the proud owner of an 8.5 rating on WhoScored, which, when compared to Alexander-Arnold, whose rating sits at 7.18, shows how well Bradley has performed.

The amount of games played between the pair does need to be taken into account, but, his performances for someone who is just 20 years old is remarkable.

However, unfortunately for some players, graduating from the academy isn't all sunshine and rainbows, with this being the case for former Liverpool starlet, Rhian Brewster.

Rhian Brewster's rise from the Liverpool academy

Brewster was one of the most talked about prospects within the Reds' academy. The youngster spent the majority of his youth career at Chelsea between 2008 and 2015. One of his former coaches even claimed it took the West London club all of ten seconds to decide to sign him.

"I remember Rhian’s first match, I asked him to stand in midfield. He was clueless and had no idea what I was asking," they said via Goal.

"He stood on the edge of the area in this seven-a-side game, looking like he didn’t know what was going on. All of a sudden, the kick-off happened and the ball went to him and I thought, ‘What’s he going to do?’

"And the first thing Rhian did in the first ten seconds was take the ball past every single player, walk it in, pick the ball up and put it on the spot again. Martin came over and stood next to me and asked where he was from. It was at that exact moment, he decided Rhian had to be a Chelsea player."

However, despite being with Chelsea since 2008, the youngster chose to join Liverpool following his former coach, Michael Beale taking up a role in Merseyside and recommending the youngster to the higher-ups of the club.

Despite being just 15-years-old when he joined the Reds, he quickly made himself at home. Brewster's U18 debut came just two days after Klopp's appointment and, even then, the German alluded to him as a "special kid".

Just two years after arriving in Merseyside, now being just 17-years-old, the striker made his debut for Liverpool's U23 squad, even managing to score the second goal in a 3-0 win.

Speaking on his performance, then Liverpool U23's manager, Mike Garrity spoke about the strikers' involvement in the win against Ipswich.

"I just thought it was the ideal opportunity to throw him in and see what he’s about. We’re delighted that he got his goal," he said to the Liverpool ECHO. "He did very well. He’s got a lovely personality and is a great character. He’s a wise old owl [for his age]."

Despite only just making his debut for Garrity's squad, he was already being held in high regard and was made out to be the next "Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler."

"You can see bits of Rushy [Ian Rush] in him, the way he runs, the way he closes people down. Also, bits of Robbie Fowler in his finishing," said Jason McAteer to Sky Sports. "If he turns out half as good as those two, I'm sure we've got a real player on our hands."

Receiving this level of plaudit at such a young age undoubtedly added pressure onto the youngster. Despite these comparisons, the striker managed to make his senior debut for the Reds in 2019.

Rhian Brewster's senior career in numbers

Although his youth career was full of goals, with the striker scoring 22 times in a mixture of competitions, his senior career has left much to be desired.

Brewster managed a total of four Premier League appearances for the Reds during his tenure with the club and failed to score a single goal during that time.

Despite his lack of goal-scoring ability for the Reds, this didn't stop Swansea from coming in for the striker during the 2020 January transfer window on a loan deal until the end of the season.

By the striker joining the Welsh club, he was reunited with his former England U17's coach Steve Cooper, where he had his most prolific spell in his youth career.

Brewster scored a total of eight goals in the U17s World Cup winning campaign and left the tournament with the golden boot award.

It also seems as if history repeated itself as, whilst on loan to Swansea, Brewster managed to bag a total of 11 goals with one even coming in the play-offs.

How Brewster has performed after leaving Liverpool

That stellar season with the Swans resulted in South Yorkshire club, Sheffield United, spending around £23.5m in 2020 to acquire his services, which, at the time, broke their transfer record.

Brewster still plays there to this day and has appeared in nine Premier League games for the Blades this season.

However, things haven't gone quite as you'd expect them to have. Despite making a total of 73 appearances for Sheffield United, the striker has only scored five goals and assisted one during that time.

His last goal came all the way back in 2022 when he managed to slot one past Stoke City on the 10th October. This is a major fall from grace by the attacker, and he hasn't yet lived up to the hype that was surrounding him in his earlier days.

Granted, the hamstring injuries that the striker has been faced with whilst at the Blades need to be taken into account as they have forced him to miss a total of 75 games for the South Yorkshire club.

However, when fit, Brewster should have been doing better and producing stronger numbers as he is one of the focal points of Chris Wilder's attack.

The striker is still just 23-years-old, so there is still plenty of time for him to turn his career around, however, he will want to do this sooner rather than later.

This week is guaranteed to be busy both on and off the field for Aston Villa who are attempting to finalise things in the January transfer window after a dismal 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

Fortunately, Unai Emery has confirmed that outgoings and incomings are on the agenda.

Indeed, they do look as though they are finally set to conclude one deal with Morgan Rogers on his way to Villa Park, as per Fabrizio Romano. However, Villa's hunt for reinforcements won't stop at the Middlesbrough star in 2024.

A record-breaking move for Aston Villa

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa are still interested in signing Pedro Goncalves.

The 25-year-old has a £68m release clause in his contract, which runs until 2027. That would make him a club-record buy following the purchase of £51.9m Moussa Diaby last summer.

As a result, unless significant outgoings occur before the deadline, any deal for Goncalves will have to be completed in the summer.

How Pedro Goncalves compares to Bruno Fernandes

Today, Bruno Fernandes is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, as highlighted by the fact he created the most big chances in the entire division last campaign.

Since his move to Manchester United for an initial fee of £46.5m in January 2020, the Portugal international has become the United captain and registered 130 goal contributions in 214 games.

Another midfielder who is a creative master and could follow in the same footsteps as Fernandes by swapping Lisbon for England in January is Goncalves, and Emery will be hoping that the Portuguese dynamo could have a similar impact on his team.

Therefore, let's look at Goncalves' style of play and his statistics from the 2023/24 Liga Portugal season. His percentages below account for where he ranks among positionally similar players in the Portuguese top flight.

Goncalves: 2023/24 Season
Metric	Stats (per 90)	LP Percentile
Goals	0.40	Top 15%
Assists	0.40	Top 7%
Shots total	3.20	Top 11%
Key passes	2.29	Top 11%
Progressive passes	6.12	Top 11%
Tackles	1.60	Top 19%
Stats via FBref

On the evidence of the above, it is easy to see why Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed Goncalves the "new Bruno Fernandes," with the 25-year-old boasting incredible goal-scoring and assist statistics.

Although he has been excellent this season with 11 goals and ten assists, what's most impressive is the fact that he's performed at this level for years, as highlighted by his astounding 113 goal contributions in 159 games for Sporting.

Furthermore, the former Wolves gem, who's been labelled "phenomenal" by football analyst Antonio Mango, is one of the most versatile players in Europe, as this season he has played on both wings, as an attacking midfielder, a box-to-box centre midfielder, and even a defensive midfielder.

Goncalves' intelligence, work rate, and ability to get stuck in allow him to do this, which would make him a perfect fit for Emery's side, who play with intensity and positional freedom in the midfield.

This versatility means he could feature as the second striker just behind Ollie Watkins, in the inverting left-midfield role that John McGinn operates in, or even next to Boubacar Kamara as a direct replacement for Douglas Luiz, who could be on the move this summer.

As you can see, Goncalves' skillset is very similar to the creative marvel that is Fernandes, and he could just become Villa's own version of United's number eight. Although the fee is rather steep, his quality and vast attributes make it seem like fair value.

From the match Australia weren’t expected to win to one they’re not expected to lose, how quickly things can change during the Ashes

The Preview by Valkerie Baynes13-Aug-2019Big PictureFrom the match they weren’t expected to win to one they’re not expected to lose my, how quickly things can change during the Ashes.Australia were given little hope of breaching Fortress Edgbaston and that was before they slumped to 122 for 8 on the first day of the series opener. What might have happened had Steve Smith not produced the innings of his life with a match-saving century, not to mention backing it up with another ton in the second innings? What might have happened had England not lost pace spearhead James Anderson to a calf injury after he had bowled just four overs? But look deeper. The first Test was much more than a few sliding-door moments and what ifs. Sides don’t win matches by 251 runs on the back of fortune alone.The vastly experienced Peter Siddle was sound in his support of Smith where others had failed, his innings of 44 crucial to Australia’s early recovery effort. Matthew Wade’s 110 came amid a more rounded batting performance by the Australians in the second innings, when Travis Head, Usman Khawaja and No. 8 James Pattinson all joined Smith in getting among the runs. Then there were Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins whose 10 wickets between them in England’s second innings shut out Siddle and Pattinson, who had contributed to a well-balanced bowling performance in the hosts’ first innings.England were not without their performers, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes putting Australia under intense pressure early on while Rory Burns’ timely maiden Test century came as Joe Root – batting a place higher than his preferred No. 4 – and Ben Stokes posted fifties. But Anderson’s injury and Moeen Ali’s poor returns left England’s bowling too thin. That is the area England have sought to address by calling on Jofra Archer and Jack Leach for the second Test at Lord’s. In the aftermath of defeat at Edgbaston, England coach Trevor Bayliss had rued England’s dearth of pace in the absence of Anderson and Mark Wood, who is dealing with side and knee complaints, and that was before Olly Stone was ruled out for at least two weeks with a recurrence of a back stress fracture.It is in the management of pace stocks that this series may be won and lost, and where Australia appear to have the edge on England at this stage. With the “luxury” of six fit fast bowlers, as Australia coach Justin Langer put it, the tourists have opted to rest Pattinson for the second Test in favour of either Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc. England, meanwhile, will be hoping Archer remains free of the side strain he suffered in the World Cup final and which kept him out of the first Test – and there is every indication he is fully fit – while looking to Leach for a reprise of his happy memories at Lord’s, this time with the ball after his 92 as nightwatchman earned him Player of the Match honours at the same ground against Ireland last month.Form guideEngland LWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWDLIn the spotlightMan of the moment – again – Jofra Archer finds himself in what is fast becoming a familiar position of England X-factor, and he hasn’t even made his Test debut yet. That latter point will be moot come Wednesday morning as Australia set about trying to implement Langer’s instructions to “keep wearing him down”. But, injury notwithstanding, Archer doesn’t cut the figure of a man who gets worn down. From his whirlwind rise as soon as he qualified for England to stepping up in the tense Super Over of an eventual World Cup triumph, Archer has done all that has been asked of him in his short international career. Yes, it is a huge ask to expect a 24 year old whose only red-ball cricket in 11 months was last week’s second XI appearance for Sussex against Gloucestershire which convinced selectors of his fitness following injury, to be the sole reason England can avoid going 2-0 down in the Ashes. He is one man and, even as Smith discovered amid his first-Test stardom, it takes more than that – ask Lyon, Cummins, Siddle and Wade. But there is no doubting that, with or without the injured Anderson, Archer is a massive plus for England.David Warner had a quiet start to the Ashes with scores of two and eight, never mind that he should have been out when he wasn’t and he was out when he shouldn’t have been. He does win points for the way he handled the heckling from the Edgbaston crowd with good humour and a thick skin and while that doesn’t count for anything on a scorecard it can be seen as an important step in a return to Test cricket that is as much mental as it is physical. Now Warner needs to make like Smith and let his bat do the talking. He did just that during the World Cup in front of English crowds, so it is not a big stretch at all to expect him to transfer that to the Test arena and if he does, England could face double the trouble.Team newsJack Leach had a lengthy bowl in the nets on Test eve, while Archer put in a brief but fiery burst, suggesting there won’t be much in the way of surprises in the England team. Sam Curran looks most likely to miss out from the 12-man squad, although the weather is set to play a key role in that decision.England: (possible) 1 Rory Burns, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Joe Root, 4 Joe Denly, 5 Jos Buttler, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jonny Bairstow, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Jack Leach.Hazlewood looks set for a return to the ground where he took 3 for 68 and 2 for 20 in his best performance of the 2015 Ashes, replacing the resting Pattinson. Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – both left out of the Ashes opener at Edgbaston – were included as Australia named a 12-man squad on match eve with the prospect of a fresh and firing Pattinson at Headingley looming with just a three-day turnaround between fixtures. Whether both Hazlewood and Starc play is another matter, however, after Siddle’s performance with the bat in the first Test.Australia: (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Cameron Bancroft, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steve Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Matthew Wade, 7 Tim Paine (capt/wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.Pitch and conditionsNot nearly as verdant as the lush greentop that welcomed players on the eve of England’s Test against Ireland, this Lord’s pitch is reminiscent of the one which hosted the gripping encounter between England and Pakistan in 2016. Pakistan won that match by 75 runs on the penultimate day after legspinner Yasir Shah added four second-innings wickets to his six from the first innings as the tourists claimed the 10 scalps they needed on what turned out to be the last day’s play. The weather does look like playing ball, with cool temperatures and rain expected, particularly on Wednesday.Stats and trivia Australia have the chance to go 2-0 up, a position from which only one Test series in history has been lost (Australia defeated England 3-2 in the 1936-37 Ashes after trailing 0-2). England have lost six of their last seven Tests against Australia with one draw. Lord’s is a happy place for Australia, who have won six of their last 10 Tests against England at the ground. Before defeats in 2013 and 2009, Australia’s previous loss there was in 1934.Quotes”We’re in English conditions, we really back ourselves to perform and to come back strong after last week. We’ve proven that we do that time and time again when we when we’ve been defeated, especially at home. I’m expecting a big response from the boys. Last week will have hurt everyone, and everyone will be absolutely desperate to go and win this week. And I expect nothing less.”

“I would have thought it would be in different circumstances. Nonetheless I’m really proud to be part of this Test side. I’m rapt to be playing international cricket again and to have a second opportunity, to have the captaincy is a great honour as well. It’s certainly one I didn’t want or expect but doing the job now, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

Ending the window in dramatic fashion, Fulham took advantage of Chelsea's U-turn to sign Armando Broja on loan in a deal reportedly worth up to £4m. After welcoming the forward, however, the Cottagers are now reportedly set to lose one of Marco Silva's other attacking options, as a European club stop off in London as part of a double swoop.

Fulham transfer news

After putting pen to paper on the loan move, Broja told FFCtv: "It feels amazing. I'm really happy to be here and I can't wait to get started, meet the players and manager and play for the fans.

"The fans always play a big role and I can't wait to go to Craven Cottage and meet them all. I'm going to work hard for the team and create a real bond. I'm really honoured and excited to be here."

The arrival of Broja looks likely to have a knock-on effect elsewhere, however, with the London club now set to lose an attacking option after the conclusion of the January transfer window. According to Fabrizio Romano, Galatasaray have reached a verbal agreement to sign Carlos Vinicius on loan from Fulham until the end of the season in a double deal that will also reportedly see them sign Nottingham Forest's Serge Aurier.

Swapping Vinicius for Broja, Silva will hope that the latter gets firing straight away to finally hand Fulham a consistent goalscorer once more.

"Strong" Vinicius struggled at Fulham

After a year and a half at the club, Vinicius' loan move away from Fulham comes at the perfect time. Truth be told, the forward has struggled since completing the move, with Aleksandar Mitrovic's exit failing to provide the former Tottenham Hotspur man a springboard into Silva's starting role. Given the praise that Jose Mourinho once held for Vinicius, Fulham fans may have been left frustrated by his form.

Appearances

48

Goals

8

Assists

3

Mourinho previously said via To the Land and Back during the forward's loan spell at Spurs: "He is a big boy, a strong boy, and needs to be more physical in the Premier League but I am happy. It is good for the team to have that because for example last season if Harry Kane needed a rest – we couldn’t and because Vinicius is here, the squad is much more balanced."

Vinicius will now hope to rediscover his best form at Galatasaray, before potentially returning to finally make a significant impact back at Craven Cottage in the next campaign. It could be a vital few months for the striker's career.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka's future at Manchester United looks somewhat uncertain. In the January transfer window, Al-Nassr explored a deal to sign the right-back alongside midfielder Casemiro after football director John Murtough flew out to Saudi Arabia to explore some possible sales.

That transfer didn't materialise in the end, but it's been suggested that United will look to use Wan-Bissaka as a bargaining chip in their pursuit of Crystal Palace star Michael Olise. The Red Devils have triggered the 12-month extension option in the player's contract, but they may have done so with a view to sending him back to his former club.

In the meantime, United have been looking at alternative options to play on the right side of their defence, and Erik ten Hag is said to be an admirer of fellow Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong at Bayer Leverkusen, although so too is Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. Frimpong will be available for just £34m this summer thanks to a release clause in his contract, and United may be one of the sides to activate it.

Frimpong prospects are "concrete"

Speaking to The United Stand, Fabrizio Romano has now provided a Frimpong to Man Utd update. He says that scouts at Old Trafford "really appreciate" the former Celtic man, and are of course aware of his exit clause.

There's a "concrete" chance that he'll leave Germany and move to England in the summer, because "he would love to try" playing in the Premier League. Now it remains to be seen whether United are the club to convince him.

"Amazing" Frimpong needs licence to thrive

Frimpong has been putting up what Romano himself has called "insane" numbers for Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen this season as part of an "amazing" partnership with opposite wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo. As you can see in the table below, the duo lead the way among all defenders in Europe's big five leagues for goal involvements, with Frimpong's strike in Saturday's 3-0 win over title rivals Bayern Munich his 12th contribution of the season.

Rank

Player

Club

G+A

1

Alejandro Grimaldo

Bayer Leverkusen

17

2

Jeremie Frimpong

Bayer Leverkusen

12

3

Kieran Trippier

Newcastle United

11

=4

Federico Dimarco

Inter Milan

8

=4

David Raum

RB Leipzig

8

=6

Achraf Hakimi

PSG

7

=6

Yan Couto

Girona

7

=6

Franck Honorat

Borussia Monchengladbach

7

=6

Pedro Porro

Tottenham Hotspur

7

10

Robert Skov

Hoffenheim

6

The 23-year-old is also a ferociously good dribbler, leading the league for carries into the penalty area, so his threat down that right-hand side is certainly multifacted. Stylistically, though, there would be questions for Ten Hag to answer.

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Frimpong has largely been a defender in name only, playing more like a right midfielder in Xabi Alonso's system at BayArena. Indeed, when compared to full-backs in the big five leagues over the past year, he ranks in the bottom five percentiles for tackles, interceptions and clearances. Interested clubs should be aware that, to get the best out of him going forward, you may need somebody else who can do his job defensively.

Raphinha hit back at Ronaldinho's criticism of Brazil and revealed that the former star had asked Vinicius Jr. for tickets to watch Copa America.

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Ronaldinho slammed Brazil for their poor formVowed to not watch Copa AmericaRaphinha says former player wanted ticketsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Barcelona forward responded robustly to recent criticisms from football legend Ronaldinho regarding the current state of the Brazilian national team. Ronaldinho, known for his illustrious career and magical skills, had voiced strong disapproval of Brazil's current squad and labelled it as "one of the worst teams". He also vowed that he would not watch the Selecao in action in Copa America as he is fed up with the poor performances of the team.

In an Instagram post, Ronaldinho wrote: "That's it folks, I've had enough. This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer. It's getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT RAPHINHA SAID

In a revealing statement, Raphinha disclosed that despite his harsh words, Ronaldinho had asked Vinicius Jr. for tickets to watch Brazil live in the United States.

"Vinicius told me that Ronaldinho had requested tickets to see our games," Raphinha told reporters.

Raphinha's comment has added a layer of irony to the situation, suggesting that Ronaldinho's public criticism might not fully align with his private actions.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Raphinha did not shy away from directly addressing Ronaldinho's comments. "It's surprising to hear such strong words from someone we all look up to," Raphinha said.

"We respect Ronaldinho for what he has achieved, but this is a new generation with different strengths. We need encouragement and constructive criticism, not just negativity. We are working hard to bring glory back to Brazil. I think you must know more than I do, he never made such a statement [to us]. On the contrary, he always showed his support for the team. I consider him an idol, a reference. Everyone in the team, not just the players, but everyone who works here, sees him as a reference. It has been a hard blow for us. Obviously we do not agree. It's my third year and I see dedication, desire, [and] pride in wearing the shirt. I do not agree with what was said, I totally disagree, each one has quality, merit."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BRAZIL?

With players like Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo leading the charge, and Raphinha's unwavering belief in the team's potential, Brazil aims to overcome any challenges and critics. The clash of generations, exemplified by the exchanges between Ronaldinho and Raphinha, adds an intriguing narrative to Brazil's Copa America journey. They will play their first match against Costa Rica on June 24.

Newcastle United have found out the hard way just how difficult it can be to compete on all fronts without squad depth this season. The Magpies failed in their recruitment last summer, before stalling due to FFP in January, but now look ready to splash the cash again in this summer's transfer window.

Newcastle transfer news

Last summer, Newcastle endured what quickly proved to be a disastrous window, welcoming Sandro Tonali, who was almost instantly hit with a lengthy ban for breaching betting rules, Harvey Barnes, who's shown flashes but had injury problems, Lewis Hall, who has struggled to break into Eddie Howe's side, and Tino Livramento – the only standout.

PIF will be hoping to have learned from their lesson ahead of this summer when they could add depth to their attack. Newcastle fans have already been forced to watch Anthony Gordon lead the line due to Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson's injuries this season, showcasing the need for a fresh face to compete for a place in Howe's attack.

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With reports indicating that Newcastle could sign another top striker this summer, Genoa's Albert Gudmundsson has already been mentioned as a player that the Magpies are leading the race for alongside Tottenham Hotspur. But it could yet be a different forward who arrives in the coming months.

According to Football Transfers, Newcastle have registered their interest in Jonathan David, who LOSC Lille reportedly value at around €50m (£43m). Those at St James' Park aren't alone in their interest either, with Brentford apparently looking to replace Ivan Toney with David this summer, should the Englishman depart. Meanwhile, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea have all also reportedly registered their interest.

It could be some battle to sign David this summer and one that Newcastle will hope to win in an attempt to add crucial depth to their attacking options.

"Phenomenal" David can solve Newcastle dilemma

If Newcastle want to take a permanent seat at European football's top table, then adding quality in depth will be the key. And that's something that David would bring. The Magpies would suddenly have three very capable goalscorers in Wilson, Isak and the Canadian, should they push on for his signature this summer. David is certainly rated by the likes of MLS commentator Maximiliano Bretos too…

When looking at the attacking options of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota all to choose from when it comes to leading the line, Newcastle would be attempting to mirror such success by adding a versatile option to their attack in the form of David. Here's how the Lille man, who can play anywhere in the front three, has compared to Wilson and Isak so far this season…

Goals

8

10

7

Assists

1

0

1

Expected Goals

8.6

10.1

7.2

Key Passes

17

12

7

When the summer arrives, PIF could finally make up for moments of recruitment to forget by handing Howe the final piece to his attacking puzzle at St James' Park.

Afghanistan’s wristspinners, together with Mohammad Nabi, combine to prevent Bangladesh from building any momentum in mammoth chase

The Report by Mohammad Isam08-Sep-2019Afghanistan are four wickets away from a remarkable Test win over Bangladesh after they reduced the hosts to 136 for 6 at stumps on the fourth day. A third bout of rain, however, forced the players off an hour before the scheduled close of play. The start of the morning session was delayed by two hours while the lunch break was extended by 40 minutes, both due to spells of rain. There is more rain in the offing on the fifth day, leaving the visitors with what looks like some tight sessions to squeeze through the remaining wickets.Afghanistan did a good job of taking the six wickets on the fourth day. Left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan made twin strikes immediately after the lunch break. Liton Das missed a delivery that spun back at his pads from over the wicket, while Mosaddek Hossain was caught at wide long-off in an attempted inside-out shot to a wide delivery.Soon, Mushfiqur Rahim fell to Rashid Khan for the second time in the game, and the sixth time in nine innings across formats. After he had struck a few boundaries with the sweep, Mushfiqur was lbw after missing the ball on the forward press. Mominul Haque, who scored 52 in the first innings, became Rashid’s second victim when he too was given lbw to a legbreak that spun back sharply from around the wicket.Shortly before the tea interval, Rashid dropped Shakib Al Hasan’s return catch, but on the other side of the interval, Bangladesh lost two more wickets in quick succession. Mohammad Nabi removed Shadman Islam, who had lasted 114 balls for his 41, before Mahmudullah completed the Test with a pair of sevens, this time getting caught at short leg off Rashid.Shakib remained unbeaten on 39 off 46 balls, as he walked off in the rain with Soumya Sarkar, demoted all the way down to No. 8 due to a batting order shake-up, who is yet to open his account.The day’s first two hours and ten minutes were lost to rain, after which Afghanistan added 23 runs to their overnight 237 for 8. They were bowled out for 260 in their second innings, with Afsar Zazai remaining unbeaten on 48 off 110 balls. After half-centuries from Ibrahim Zadran and Asghar Afghan on the third day, Zazai stretched Afghanistan’s score by resuming on 34 before Yamin Ahmadzai was run out for 9 and Zahir handed a catch to forward short leg for a two-ball duck.

For Championship promotion-chasers Leeds United, the emergence of Archie Gray has without doubt been one of the stories of the season. Gray has started 30 out of 34 games under Daniel Farke in the league this season, including Friday's memorable comeback win over the leaders.

Only three Leeds players – Ethan Ampadu (3,060), Islan Meslier (2,843) and Georginio Rutter (2,788) – have played more second-tier minutes for the club than Gray's 2,707, and unsurprisingly, he leads the way for all teenagers in the division. His nearest challenger is Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham, and he's a considerable way back on 2,471.

While Gray broke through as a midfielder, he's mostly played as a right-back this season, lining up there 22 times in all competitions, including in the dramatic win against Leicester on Friday. Leeds had interestingly signed a potential competitor on the final day of the winter transfer window in the form of Burnley's Connor Roberts, who arrived on loan until the end of the season, and the Welshman announced himself in the best way possible against the Foxes, scoring off the bench after replacing Junior Firpo.

Now, some comments from Hay in the build-up to the match have emerged, and it looks like the 49ers ownership group – together with the manager – got their January decision making just about spot on.

Roberts forcing Gray to get "even better" – Hay

Speaking on The Square Ball Podcast before Friday's mania, The Athletic's Phil Hay said that people at the club were conscious of ensuring that Gray's development wasn't obstructed by any January addition. Signing a versatile veteran who can support the teenager rather than compete with him was the objective, and based on what happened on Friday night, they pulled it off to perfection.

“It was one of those things when they were looking for a right-back in January, I remember somebody at the club saying this, they were very conscious of wanting a good right-back, and they got Connor Roberts who is very good, but not wanting that to immediately compromise Gray’s minutes, they still wanted Gray to be in the team and him to be playing.

“Actually if anything, he’s got better since Roberts came in and made it impossible for Farke, it would have to be a fitness thing, to get Roberts into the team.”

Leeds 3-1 Leicester proves 49ers' transfer genius

Farke proved the owners' decision to target experienced support for Gray was an act of genius with what he did on Friday, bringing on the fresh legs of Roberts for Firpo, who was struggling, and shifting Gray over to the other flank.

The two combined to flip the game on its head, and Gray, who also provided an assist in the 4-0 win over Swansea City, has been phenomenal since Roberts arrived, showing precision in possession, knowing when to take risks and winning the vast majority of his individual battles.

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches

350

Passes attempted

228

Passes completed

187

Pass completion

82%

Dribbles attempted

10

Successful dribbles

6

Dribble success rate (%)

60%

Tackles

12

Ground duels contested

28

Ground duels won

19

Ground duel success rate (%)

68%

In the end, it may be looked back on as the transfer that pushed Leeds on to become genuine challengers to what previously looked like a stroll to the title for the Foxes. With Roberts now fit and firing, the manager is free to use Gray exactly if, when and how he chooses, rather than being forced to run him into the ground week in week out at right-back only.

Southampton's rocky form in the Championship continued at home to Millwall this weekend just gone, the Saints losing 2-1 to the Lions who find themselves precariously just above the second tier relegation spots.

It's been a noticeable drop-off for Russell Martin's men who at one point looked dead set on an immediate return to the Premier League via the automatic promotion route, with Leeds United now occupying second place with a five-point advantage when fast-forwarding to the present.

Southampton do have a number of young talents on their side who can make a difference however to cut through the current doom and gloom, with former Manchester City winger Samuel Edozie impressing the St. Mary's masses in the 2-1 defeat at 21 years old when replacing an injury-stricken Ryan Fraser.

There's another starlet on the South Coast who could go on to be the most impressive one of them all, the attacking midfielder in question striving to be Southampton's next Adam Lallana if given a chance to succeed at senior level.

Ussumane Djalo's statistics at youth level

Once touted for a mega £8m away from FC Porto, with the likes of Manchester United and Everton sniffing about in the January transfer window, Southampton managed to acquire Ussumane Djalo's services at the start of this month on a youth loan surprisingly.

Able to play in a traditional central midfield role, on top of playing further forward in a position more accustomed to that of Lallana in his Saints prime in attacking midfield, Djalo shone at youth level in Portugal before relocating to the South Coast on loan.

The skilful creator would bag two goals and pick up a further two assists from 11 Porto Youth League appearances, helping himself to one of those assists against FC Barcelona U19s in the UEFA Youth League last year as Porto romped home to a 4-0 victory.

Onto six appearances for the Portugal U19s now as well, it could well be time for Djalo to cut his teeth at a senior level for Southampton soon.

The Portuguese starlet has only managed to make one appearance in the youth fold at the Saints since joining this month, but with a predicted bright future in the game, he could well go on to be a hero akin to Lallana if given time to shine.

Only at the club on loan – with a view to making the deal permanent – he could well be the long-term option in the centre of the park when Flynn Downes returns back to West Ham United come the end of the Championship campaign.

Djalo could be the next Lallana

Djalo is very much a midfielder with an eye to attack and shine going forward, as was Lallana when he dazzled at St. Mary's over various goal-filled seasons.

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The current Brighton veteran would amass 60 goals for the Saints in total, exiting the south coast club as a legend with 265 appearances tallied up.

Lallana's humble beginnings in the Saints youth set-up didn't stop him from excelling when making the leap to the first team, making his debut at just 18 years of age.

It could well be viewed as an outlandish claim to say Djalo could ever reach Lallana's heights, but with Djalo bagging three goals at international level for Portugal to date and with his two goals for Porto's youth side next to his name, the 19-year-old could well eventually burst into life for the Saints to then nail down a starting spot.

If that was the case, Southampton could rest a little easier over the prospect of Downes upping and leaving to head back to the London Stadium as well – Djalo adept at also playing in the centre of the park, as opposed to just being an attack-minded player.

Martin could utilise plenty of his young Saints talents such as Edozie and Jayden Meghoma in this midweek's FA Cup clash at Liverpool, with Djalo itching to be in the 38-year-old boss' plans soon if he does stay put beyond the end of this season.