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Chelsea could be forced into green-lighting the sale of a "sensational" player this summer at 50 per cent less than their desired asking price.

PSR concerns motivate Chelsea sales before June 30

According to a report by reliable journalist Matt Law in The Telegraph last month, rival clubs believe the west Londoners need to raise around £100 million from player sales before June 30 – or risk being in breach of Profit and Sustainability rules.

Meeting in next few days as Chelsea set for talks to sign £210,000-p/w star

He’s firmly on their agenda this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 9, 2024

Chelsea recently posted losses of around £90 million in the 12-month period leading up to June 30, 2023 – which follows on from the £121.4 million loss for their previous financial year.

This comes amid heavy spending from Mauricio Pochettino's side on transfers, with Chelsea spending over £400 million on new signings last summer. Reports suggest chairman Todd Boehly could splash the cash further on a marquee new striker like Victor Osimhen, but it would appear they're sailing pretty close to the wind.

Moises Caicedo

£115 million

Enzo Fernandez

£107 million

Mykhalo Mudryk

£88 million

Wesley Fofana

£72 million

Marc Cucurella

£58 million

As per PSR regulations, clubs are allowed to make a £105 million loss over a three-year period, though Chelsea's financial statements indicate that they're actually above the limit from these past two years alone.

As a result, a fire-sale of players is expected at Stamford Bridge in an effort to balance the books. Chelsea could even sell star men like Conor Gallagher, with the Englishman's future uncertain as he slowly enters the final year of his contract.

Another regular who's up for an exit nomination is Raheem Sterling. According to recent reports, Chelsea will look to sell Sterling and potentially sign a replacement in RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo.

There are a plethora of other players facing uncertain futures as well, a lot of whom are currently out on loan elsewhere. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, David Datro Fofana and Armando Broja are all away from west London serving temporary stints, and it is very likely they will all be put up for sale this summer.

Chelsea forced into Broja discount as they look to sell striker

Broja is a curious case, as it is believed Chelsea were demanding as much as £50 million for his services at one point.

As relayed by journalist Dean Jones, writing for Sportslens, Chelsea could now be forced to sell Broja for £25 million instead – given that his loan spell at Fulham hasn't exactly gone to plan.

The Albanian has found himself playing second fiddle to Rodrigo Muniz at Craven Cottage, which is surely a waste of his potential to come good. Broja enjoyed a terrific season on loan at Southampton not too long ago, which prompted Saints legend Francis Benali to brand him a "sensational" player.

Dean Jones has confirmed that he has been sacked by Islamabad United as head coach, with former captain Misbah-ul-Haq all but having replaced him. The signing of Misbah – who is also Pakistan’s head coach and chief selector – has led to the five other PSL franchises raising objections, bringing up the issue of a potential conflict of interest given his multiple roles.Jones confirmed his sacking via a video message on Twitter, where he expressed his disappointment while also recalling his stint with the team, with whom he won two titles. It is understood, however, that his removal had been on the cards for more than a year and ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier that Misbah was expected to take over. Islamabad are yet to officially announce Misbah’s appointment, but they have had him on board weeks before he signed up for the Pakistan job. It is also understood that the PCB, who had earlier promised to form a policy against holding dual jobs in the same set-up, had agreed to Misbah having multiple jobs within the same organisation.The PCB is now facing significant pressure from the other franchises to discuss the issue. One of the possible solutions floated is to bar Misbah from participating in the selection process on the PSL draft day. Franchises have also objected Misbah’s presence in the dressing room as head coach with Islamabad.The PCB’s chief executive officer Wasim Khan had earlier contended that allowing Misbah to coach at the PSL would ultimately be to “Pakistan’s benefit”. It is also understood that during his time in PSL he will not get a salary from the PCB for his role with the Pakistan national team.Last year, the PCB, under Mani, had removed chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq from the PSL player draft committee because of a potential conflict of interest since he was involved in a talent-hunt programme run by one of the tournament’s franchises, Lahore Qalandars. Tauseef Ahmed, who was part of the national selection committee while also serving as Islamabad United’s spin coach, was also left out of the PSL draft committee.The dual-role issue had also cropped up with former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur, who was also head coach at Karachi Kings for three of his four years in the national job. Similarly, Azhar Mahmood was bowling coach of Pakistan as well as Karachi Kings. The contract signed by them with the PCB originally allowed them to take up dual roles but after Mani took charge as PCB chairman, he came down against it. Arthur, however, has now been removed from the role by Karachi Kings.Misbah’s previous stint with Islamabad had ended on a bad note after he backtracked on his agreement to be their mentor for the 2019 edition. He was picked as a player instead and went on to play for Peshawar Zalmi. Before changing his decision, Misbah reportedly offered Islamabad his services as a player but the franchise was not keen to have him in that role.

The sky is blue, the grass is green and Arsenal have scored four or more in a game again.

It was only a couple of months ago that Mikel Arteta's side were in the midst of a goalscoring crisis, with just a single goal coming from 63 shots at one point.

However, in the intervening months, the Gunners have quickly turned into the most lethal team in the country and, after dispatching Sheffield United 6-0 on Monday night, currently possess a goal difference of plus 45 – the best in the league.

It was the sort of performance in which each and every player could leave the pitch with their heads held high, but there were two in particular who deserved to be singled out for praise, the first of which was the captain.

Martin Odegaard's game in numbers

Yes, Martin Odegaard put in what might be one of his best performances of the season at Bramall Lane last night and was justly rewarded with the Man of the Match award.

The mercurial midfielder was involved in practically every aspect of the game, whether through his silky passing, thunderous shots or tireless pressing. He was everywhere, and the Sheffield United players will be having nightmares for weeks.

The Norwegian's brilliance was recognised by the Standard's Simon Collings' who gave his performance a 9/10 on the night, writing that he 'ran the show in midfield' and that the Blades 'couldn't lay a glove' on him.

It's a very complimentary assessment, but one backed up by the numbers, as in Odegaard's 95 minutes of action, he scored a goal, registered 0.21 expected assists, took a mammoth 115 touches, made four key passes, was accurate in both of his attempted long balls, created one big chance and succeeded in all three of his dribbles.

Martin Odegaard's game in numbers

Minutes

95

Goals

1

Expected Assists

0.21

Touches

115

Key Passes

4

Accurate Passes

84/93 (90%)

Long Balls (Completed)

2 (2)

Big Chances Created

1

Attempted Dribbles (Successful)

3 (3)

All Stats via Sofascore

In all, it was about as close to a perfect game as fans will see from their 25-year-old wizard, and while he fully deserves all the praise he's received, there's another starter who deserves just as much credit.

William Saliba's game in numbers

The other player in question is French international and "Rolls-Royce of a defender", as dubbed by The Athletic's Aaron Catterson-Reid, William Saliba.

Now, from looking at the score alone, fans might assume that the 22-year-old had very little to do on the night, and while that might be somewhat true from a defensive point of view, that doesn't mean that he was just sitting in the Arsenal half twiddling his thumbs all game – far from it.

In fact, when looking at his statistics from the match, it becomes quite clear that he was busy throughout, as in his 95 minutes of action, he took 180 touches, was accurate in 169 of his 174 passes, won two of his three duels, lost possession just six times, made one clearance and one interception.

The standout statistics are the number of touches and passes made by the Bondy-born "monster", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and while they're impressive in isolation, they are even more remarkable when compared to the historical data.

William Saliba's game in numbers

Minutes

95

Touches

180

Accurate Passes

169/174 (97%)

Duels (Won)

3 (2)

Lost Possession

6

Clearances

1

Interceptions

1

All Stats via Sofascore

According to Orbinho, the head of Optajoe, the Frenchman's 169 passes ranks as the most completed by an Arsenal player in Premier League history, surpassing Santi Cazorla, who held the record previously and sitting behind just three Manchester City players for the most passes in a Premier League match ever.

Incredibly, that tally of passes also happened to be more than the entire of the Sheffield United team combined (142) on the night, a stat that truly sums up Arsenal's dominance in Yorkshire.

In all, while it might not look like the former Saint-Étienne man was doing much considering the score, he was very much involved in the game, so Collings' 6/10 rating and assessment that he was 'rarely called upon' doesn't entirely ring true.

Ultimately, Odegaard fully deserves all the praise he received for his unreal performance last night, but Saliba should also get recognition for his contribution with the ball at his feet.

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton is under the belief that Tottenham "will have always been in contact" about signing a speedy player for 2024/2025.

Spurs chasing new forward deal for Postecoglou

As reliably reported, a position which Spurs are eager to strengthen this summer is out wide.

Tottenham laying groundwork to sign marquee striker with Paratici contacts

The Italian advises Spurs on a consultancy basis.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 6, 2024

Despite the presence of Timo Werner, Bryan Gil, Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Manor Solomon in their squad already, it is believed Tottenham are admirers of both Wolves star Pedro Neto and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace heading into the summer.

Manager Ange Postecoglou doesn't appear to favour Gil in his starting line up, leading to rumours that the Spaniard could in fact leave N17 this summer, while the consistently-injured Manor Solomon could quit Spurs if they end up bringing in two wingers (Dan Kilpatrick).

This would free up space for a new wide attacker for next term, and a decision must also be made on the long-term future of Werner.

Spurs 3-1 Crystal Palace

7.68

Spurs 3-2 Brentford

7.36

Spurs 2-1 Brighton

6.91

Spurs 1-2 Wolves

6.66

Man United 2-2 Spurs

6.64

The German, signed on loan from RB Leipzig in the winter transfer window, bagged his first Spurs goal against Crystal Palace last weekend and has registered a further two assists so far during his time at N17.

His deal is thought to contain a £15 million buy-option, something which may well entice the wider Tottenham recruitment team if Werner can display the kind of form which motivated Chelsea to splash £47.5m on him in 2020.

Hutton thinks Spurs will "always" be in contact over Werner deal for 24/25

Now, speaking to Tottenham News, former Lilywhites defender Hutton has suggested that Spurs will always have been in contact over signing Werner permanently for 24/25.

“I think they will have always been in contact about it,” said Hutton.

“I don’t think that will change between now and the end of the season, they will always be monitoring that situation. It always goes back to the same thing for me, he needs more than one opportunity to score a goal.

"You see Eze, fantastic free-kick but before that Werner has a great opportunity one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he shows amazing speed and that’s what he’s all about getting into position.

“Sometimes I just think when he has too long to think about it, I never feel confident that he’ll score. If that was Son, I’d put him down to score. But he got his goal and he’s off the mark. Well done, it’s good for him and good for the club, but I think they’ll be monitoring the situation from now until the end of the season to see if he’s a guy that can fit in long-term or not. Then they’ll have to make the decision."

كشف أحمد مجاهد، رئيس اللجنة الثلاثية لإدارة اتحاد الكرة السابق، سبب إعلان ترشحه لانتخابات اتحاد الكرة على منصب الرئيس في هذا التوقيت، مشيراً إلى أنه يوجد سبب واحد سيجعله ينسحب.

وقال أحمد مجاهد في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر” عن إعلان ترشحك للانتخابات: “منذ فترة طويلة قلت يوجد مجلس إدارة للاتحاد، وقلت لن أتحدث عن الانتخابات إلا بعد الأولمبياد والمجلس يحدد خارطة الطريق وتحديد موعد للجمعية العمومية، لذلك اخترت هذا الموعد للإعلان”.

وتابع: “أعضاء الجمعية العمومية مرحبين بتواجدي بمجرد ما استطلعت رأيهم، وقائمتي ستكون بين الخبرة والشباب بمجرد الإعلان عن موعد الانتخابات”.

طالع أيضاً.. “بقائمة متوازنة”.. أحمد مجاهد يعلن ترشحه لانتخابات اتحاد الكرة

وأفاد: “سبب وحيد سيجعلني لا أترشح لانتخابات اتحاد الكرة وهو ترشح هاني أبو ريدة، لا أستطيع أن أترشح أمامه”.

وأكمل: “اتحاد الكرة يحتاج إلى تجديد حقيقي وفعلي، يجب أن نغير ما يحدث في الكرة المصرية، توجد تجربة الدوري السعودي والمغرب، نحتاج إلى مواكبة كل ما حولنا، أفضل أن أترشح كرئيس لاتحاد الكرة أو لا أترشح نهائيًا”.

واستكمل: “ليس لي علاقة بأزمة كهربا مع الزمالك، كهربا خالف عقده مع الزمالك ولذلك تعرض للغرامة من الاتحاد الدولي”.

وواصل: “شيكابالا وقت تسليم درع الدوري قال لي أنت أهلاوي، لكن المراقب والحكم كتبوا أنه شتمني لذلك تم إيقافه في ذلك التوقيت”.

وأوضح: “مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة الحالي ظلم لأن عمرهم ما اشتغلوا مع بعض ولا اختاروا بعضهم رغم أنها قائمة موحدة، أعطى لجمال علام انسانيًا 9 من 10، لو سألت علام نفسه لن يكون راضي عن فترته في الجبلاية”.

وأشار: “رابطة الأندية ليس من حقها تغيير نظام بطولة الدوري ولكن تدير المسابقة فقط، الرابطة خطوة تحتاج إلى بعض التصليح وتهذيب في الإجراءات والأداء”.

وبسؤاله هل أنت ضد الأهلي؟ أجاب: “أنا اتولدت في الأهلي، منذ أن كان عمري 10 سنوات كنت أشجع الأهلي وأحضر المباريات في الثالثة شمال، الأهلي ملايين تشجعه ومؤثر في الرأي العام، وأن تكون ضده ليس منطقيا، وكذلك نادي الزمالك، لا ينفع أن يكون أحد ضد الناديين”.

وأثني: “أعظم من لمس الكرة في مصر محمود الخطيب، ومجدي عبد الغني واحد من أفضل لاعبو خط الوسط في تاريخ كرة القدم المصرية فقط”.

وأكد: “أحب حسام البدري وأحترمة جدًا، ومقدر تمامًا أنه كان حزينا بسبب رحيله، كنت أرى الكرة المصرية تحتاج إلى نقلة، كنت أرى كارلوش كيروش سيقدم شيئا كبيرا للكرة المصرية، وهذا لا يقلل من قيمة حسام البدري، وكيروش درب ريال مدريد ومانشستر يونايتد أنا متواجداً لمدة 35 سنة داخل مجال الكرة لم أرى أحد بهذا التركيز وهذه العبقرية، كيروش 100% رحل لأنني من أتيت لتدريب المنتخب، هو نفسه أرسل لي رسالة وقال لي ذلك”.

وأتم: “معترض على تعيين ميكالي وعلى راتبه، برادلي كان متواجداً وحقق 18 نقطة وخسرنا 6-1 من غانا ورحل عن منتخب مصر، نهاية ميكالي كانت الخسارة 6-0 من المغرب في الأولمبياد، والنهاية لم تكن جيدة بجانب الاختيارات فوق السن، كان يوجد الكثير من المشاكل، كان يجب عدم التوقيع لمدة 4 سنوات، أتحدى أن هناك دولة في العالم تعطى له من أول يوم هذا المقابل المادي الذي سيحصل عليه ميكالي ولمدة 4 سنوات وما تعجبت له موافقة صريحة من الجهة الإدارية”.

Arsenal continued their recovery in the Premier League last night with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, although the last five minutes were presumably nervier than Mikel Arteta would have hoped for.

Emile Smith Rowe started ahead of Kai Havertz in midfield, and while he wasn't poor by any stretch of the imagination, he wasn't great.

This position could develop into a problem for the Gunners in the long term, although it would appear as if Edu and Co are looking to address it as soon as possible, as the latest player touted for a move to N5 could slot right in and become their own James Maddison.

Arsenal go hunting in the Championship

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT earlier this week, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Arsenal have "sent some scouts multiple times" to watch Leicester City's dynamic midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

However, the Italian journalist also confirmed that the Gunners weren't the only side to have done so, revealing that "three or four clubs have done the same."

He confirmed that Brighton & Hove Albion have already bid around £20m to secure the 25-year-old's signature, but that was quickly rebuffed by the Foxes, who value their star at closer to £40m.

While that would be a lot of money for the Gunners to spend on a Championship player, his performances this season suggest that he could make a significant impact at the Emirates.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could replicate James Maddison's impact on Spurs

Now, the first thing to note is that no, Maddison and Dewsbury-Hall do not play the same role or position in their sides, with the former occupying a more attacking midfield role and the latter a central role, but that is not the point.

When the Lilywhites signed the England international from Leicester for £40m in the summer, they required a new number ten, and the former Norwich City ace has undeniably come in and made that role his own – scoring three goals and providing six assists in just 11 league games.

In the Gunners' case, they need a new central midfielder to come in and challenge Havertz and Smith Rowe for the starting left-eight role, and based on his performances in the Championship for Leicester City, there is every chance he could make that role his own.

Described as a "revelation" by former manager Brendan Rodgers, the 25-year-old has been like a man possessed in the second tier, scoring ten goals and providing nine assists in just 26 starts, which is a significantly more impressive haul than Havertz's four league goals and one assist in 14 starts.

In the case of Smith Rowe, while he started against Forest, he has played 374 Premier League minutes across the last two seasons, so trying to compare where he is today to the Foxes star would be pointless.

This is also true when looking at their underlying numbers, as using the Hale End star's numbers from two seasons ago wouldn't be a fair representation of where he is now, but when comparing the other two, who comes out on top?

Well, rather unsurprisingly, it's the "dangerous" Dewsbury-Hall, as described by his manager Enzo Maresca, who comes out on top in essentially every metric relevant for a modern eight, and by quite some way.

Dewsbury-Hall

Havertz

0.64

0.33

0.35

0.21

0.35

0.07

6.29

4.29

4.18

1.57

0.90

0.21

5.23

2.28

0.78

0.21

0.94

0.71

0.98

0.50

1.45

0.50

5.51

4.79

For example, the gulf in the number of progressive passes and carries the pair produce per 90 is vast, as is the number of shot and goal-creating actions they produce per 90.

Arsenal could land £18m Nketiah upgrade in "the final hours"

The 31-year-old has a wealth of experience that could help fire the Gunners to the title.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 31, 2024

While there is every chance that Smith Rowe could rediscover his scintillating form of the 2021/22 season when he registered 12 goal involvements in 21 league starts, that could take some time, and if Arsenal want to challenge for the title this year, they need a player to come in and have a Maddison-esque impact, which is precisely what Dewsbury Hall could provide.

Tottenham Hotspur are way ahead in the race to conclude transfer business in January, having wrapped up deals for Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner earlier this month and now focusing on concluding their efforts with a new midfielder.

Ange Postecoglou will want to combat the absences of Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Biossouma (both at AFCON) and the expected departure of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and a new target has been lined up.

Related Every Premier League player at 2023 AFCON

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Posts ByBrogan Clasper Jan 5, 2024 Spurs eyeing midfielder this month

According to Turkish outlet Star Gazetesi – via Football 365 – Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is willing to change his course of action in the transfer market and forge ahead with a move for Fenerbahce playmaker Sebastian Szymanski, with Postecoglou said to be a very keen admirer of the player.

Chelsea's Conor Gallagher has been the No. 1 target this month but it's increasingly unlikely that he will be allowed to leave this month, with Levy now willing to 'do anything' to land Szymanski.

Related Incredible goal scorer 1 of 3 Richarlison upgrades Spurs could sign in 2024

The Brazilian dynamo has been in fine form of late but Tottenham will still push for a new centre-forward.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jan 23, 2024

Valued at €35m (£30m), the Poland international has been in fine fettle over the past few years and has reportedly convinced the Lilyewhites to send scouts to watch him in action.

Sebastian Szymanski would banish Giovani Lo Celso

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, Tottenham have demonstrated their ability to succeed in the Premier League once again after enduring a difficult year that resulted in a lowly eighth-placed finish and Harry Kane's sale to Bayern Munich.

But Postecgolou's appointment has changed all and there is now a real sense that a glowing new chapter has arrived, with the lack of depth the main reason behind a decline in form before the festive period.

Star playmaker James Maddison is soon set to return from injury after a few months on the sidelines and while Szymanski would not disrupt the England star's playing time, it could spell the end for Giovani Lo Celso, who is out of contract in 2025 and has been linked with a move away this season despite enjoying some success in the first-team.

The Argentine is one of the most creative midfielders around and ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, pass completion and progressive passes, the top 8% for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

However, the 27-year-old has only started four Premier League matches under Postecoglou's leadership despite Maddison's injury and this could pave the way for his exit, with Szymanski the perfect replacement.

Described as an "exceptional" talent by scout Antonio Mango, the 24-year-old signed for his Turkish side in the summer after winning the Dutch Eredivisie with Feyenoord last term,

Since the summer, the creative gem has posted 12 goals and 14 assists across 33 appearances and contributed defensively with an average of 2.3 tackles and 4.3 duels in the Turkish Super Lig, as per Sofascore.

Sebastian Szymanski: Key Characteristics

Strengths

Weaknesses

Long shots

Aerial duels

Key passes

Pass accuracy

Taking set-pieces

Through balls

Defensive contribution

Source: WhoScored

This shows that he can produce the kind of rounded displays requisite for success in the Premier League, and given Lo Celso's relentless tackling, this is a good thing.

He also ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Turkish top-flight for goals, the top 5% for assists and the top 14% for shot-creating actions per 90, so his attacking approach clearly isn't too shabby either.

Lo Celso is doing a good job this term but Szymanski is younger and just as dynamic, if not more so, and he would be a great addition to a fast-rising Tottenham team.

Kent captain suffers injury in opening over of Royal London Cup game in Cardiff

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2019Sam Billings could miss the rest of the season after being told the shoulder dislocation he suffered at Cardiff on Thursday will require surgery*. Kent have put his recovery timescale at “three-five months”.Billings’ return to action for Kent, having just flown back from India, lasted a matter of minutes. He was quickly ruled out of England duty, having been picked for an ODI in Dublin next week and the subsequent T20I against Pakistan, with Ben Foakes called up in his place.Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, revealed the extent of Billings’ injury with an update on Friday afternoon.”Sam has seen a specialist this morning, where he underwent a scan to assess the extent of his injury,” Donwton said. “The scan highlighted significant damage to his shoulder, meaning he will require surgical intervention. This surgery has been scheduled for next week and it is anticipated that he will be back to fitness within three-five months.”I know I speak for everyone at Kent when I say we really feel for Sam. To have picked up this kind of injury ahead of what was set to be an exciting summer is tough. However, I have no doubt that his dedicated professionalism and strong mindset, will see him working hard behind the scenes to return back to fitness as soon as possible.”Billings, the Kent captain, had returned to the team for his first county fixture of the season, against Glamorgan in the Royal London Cup, after completing his stint with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.However, he was hurt attempting to stop a shot in Harry Podmore’s first over of the match. In obvious pain, Billings was left prone on the outfield for several minutes, and was administered oxygen before being helped off the field.Kent later confirmed that he had been taken to hospital, where the shoulder was relocated, and returned to Sophia Gardens afterwards.Billings had not been included in England’s 15-man squad for next month’s World Cup, but was likely to be one of the batting reserves. England already have a number of injury concerns, particularly among their batsmen, as they build towards the World Cup opener against South Africa at The Oval on May 30.Jason Roy is missing for Surrey in the latest round of Royal London Cup games after suffering back spasms earlier this week, while Eoin Morgan also sat out the same fixture for Middlesex after complaining of sore shins before the toss.Kent’s other England selection, Joe Denly, was not included for the trip to Glamorgan after suffering a back spasm while batting against Gloucestershire on Tuesday.Alex Hales, meanwhile, has been put on indefinite leave by Nottinghamshire for personal reasons, but is expected to link up with the England squad for a pre-season training camp in Cardiff this weekend.*1530 GMT, April 26 – This story was updated with news of Billings’ scan results

MatériaMais Notícias

Uma foto da possível nova camisa do São Paulo para a próxima temporada vazou na internet nesta sexta-feira (26). Na imagem, dá para ver algumas diferenças em relação a camisa da última temporada.

São Paulo bateu na trave no Brasileirão! Lembre títulos que o Tricolor passou perto de vencer

A foto não exibe a camisa com os patrocínios, e destaca um novo estilo de gola, com as cores vermelho e preto. A marca da Adidas também voltou a ser na cor preta, e as linhas nos ombros passou a ter a cor vermelha.

RelacionadasSão PauloNovo técnico do São Paulo, Crespo aparece no BID e estreia domingoSão Paulo26/02/2021São PauloEsquema 3-5-2 dá certo contra o Flamengo e pode ser ‘pilar’ de Crespo no comando do São PauloSão Paulo26/02/2021São PauloLuciano termina Brasileirão como artilheiro e quebra jejum de 19 anosSão Paulo26/02/2021

Linda camisa! Modelo segue a primeira linha dos times da Adidas. https://t.co/8Dyk4sdqoV

— Gabriel Santos (@ga_obiel) February 26, 2021

VEJA COMO FICOU A CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO BRASILEIRÃO

O lançamento da nova camisa está previsto para acontecer no começo do mês de março. O São Paulo deve estrear no Paulistão ainda com o uniforme ‘antigo’.

O Tricolor, comandado pelo argentino Hernán Crespo, que fará sua estreia no clube. joga diante do Botafogo-SP, no próximo domingo (28), às 19h, no Morumbi, pela 1ª rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

Nottingham Forest have now played six matches without picking up a win, losing five in the process.

The latest defeat occurred last Friday in a 2-0 home loss to Spurs, which puts Forest 17th in the Premier League with 14 points from 17 games.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that Steve Cooper has just been sacked by Forest, with ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Espirito Santo set to take charge immediately, according to the Mirror.

Nuno Santo’s managerial stats

The 49-year-old manager is best known for his time at Wolves, where he coached his side to a Championship title and consecutive seventh-place finishes following that promotion. He brought European football to the club, making it all the way to the Europa League quarterfinals in 2020.

Most recently, Santo has been coaching in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad, where he was sacked last month following a run of five Saudi Pro League games without a win. However, two of the three trophies of the ex-Spurs boss' managerial career occurred in Saudi Arabia.

The table below is an overview of Santo’s career, showing his win rate and experience.

Nuno Santo's managerial record

Club

Matches

Wins

Al-Ittihad

53

37

Spurs

17

9

Wolves

199

96

Porto

49

27

Valencia

62

32

Rio Ave

80

32

Stats via Transfermarkt

How Nuno Santo can get the best out of Anthony Elanga

Santo’s approach to football is very reminiscent of Jose Mourinho’s, with the defensive side of the game prioritised before any form of attack can be considered. This is a slightly tedious way of playing, which means that when results are going your way, it's good, but when the team is losing, it can be extremely uninspiring.

However, a player who can thrive with Santo at the helm is ex-Manchester United forward Anthony Elanga. The £25k-per-week Sweden international has been effective for Forest since being signed for £15.1m in the summer, particularly from the bench – with the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal where he got an assist and the 1-0 win versus Chelsea where he scored the winner springing to mind.

Overall, the 21-year-old has contributed six goals in just 11 starts this season, and with the right system, the new boss could unearth his next Diogo Jota – a player who scored 53 goals and contributed 27 assists under Santo's watch in 169 outings.

Just like the Liverpool player did under Santo at Wolves, Elanga can feature off the left as a winger, playing off a target man such as Taiwo Awoniyi, the equivalent of Jota’s Raul Jimenez, or even as a lone striker if needed.

This system could easily be replicated at Forest, with Santo having similar players who fit the successful mold. Elanga would most likely feature behind the Nigerian attacker on the left, partnering Morgan Gibbs-White in the attack of the preferred 3-4-2-1/3-4-3.

Elanga is at his best when he has space to run into, using the “electric” pace that Paul Robinson recently praised him for to breeze past opponents on the counterattack. The United academy graduate is the definition of an athlete, and Santo’s sit-in, soak-up-the-pressure, and go approach would suit Elanga perfectly.

The main difference between Jota and the Forest winger is that the former Wolves player displayed more natural goalscoring traits, but with focused training from Santo on finishing and potentially chance creation, there is no reason why Elanga cannot even surpass the Wolves version of Jota.