Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany heaped praise on Lennart Karl on Tuesday, explaining his diminutive stature makes it difficult for defenders to get close to him. Kompany also acknowledged Karl's "relaxed attitude" as one of the keys to his dramatic rise. The 17-year-old has made 10 appearances for the Bavarian giants this season and has scored in back-to-back games, setting up a few records.

• Karl's stocks rising after Bayern breakthrough

  Karl has made rapid strides at Bayern Munich ever since he joined the club's youth academy as a promising 14-year-old in 2022. Last season, he made 26 appearances in all for Bayern's Under-17 and U19 outfits, scoring 32 goals and delivering 10 assists. His exquisite displays earned him a place in Bayern's squad for the Club World Cup over the summer, where he made his debut against Auckland City. 

  Ahead of the 2025-26 season, he was promoted to the first team and has made 10 appearances in total already, making three starts and aggregating 291 minutes of action – evidence that Kompany counts on the youngster to become an important piece of the rotational puzzle amid a demanding schedule. He became the youngest Bayern goal scorer in Champions League history last week, backing it up with his second-ever goal in the 3-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach to become the third-youngest goal scorer in club history in the Bundesliga. 

  Although his contract was renewed until 2028 earlier this summer, Bayern are set to reward the talented teenager with an automatic extension until 2029 on his 18th birthday on February 22, 2026. Per reports, he will also start earning a higher salary.

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  Kompany explains why Karl is so unique

  "Lennart Karl, as a young player, brought that magic with him: his relaxed attitude and his goals. That's all good for us," Kompany said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of Bayern's second round clash against Koln in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.

  Asked what makes the teenager, who stands at 1.69m tall, so strong, Kompany said: "Shorter players often have a lot of power in their turns. It's tough for a defender to get close. They don't need a lot of space to cause danger. The key thing is how quickly they can get a shot away. I don't know if it's about size, but Lenni is able to get shots away quickly. Every good player in the Champions League is able to shoot half a second quicker than the others. I believe that makes the difference, not body size."

• Karl receiving praise from former Bayern legends

  Former Bayern Munich winger and club legend Arjen Robben has been tracking Karl's exploits, claiming that the young German is worthy of all the praise he is being lavished with. "Lennart Karl deserves the praise he received, he was superb," Robben told Bayern Munich's official website. "The lad should also enjoy it. The most important thing at that age is to keep focusing on the next game. You have to work on yourself every day and you can't think: 'I've played a great game now, everything's great'. You have to keep pushing yourself in training and not be satisfied with yourself. That's the difference in the really good players staying at the top for a long time. Getting to that point is one thing, but staying at the top is something else."

  Another Bayern legend monitoring Karl's progress at Sabener Street is Lothar Matthaus. In a recent column for , he wrote: "Can Karl follow the path Jamal Musiala took before him? The possibilities are always there; it's up to the player himself, and he needs a coach who trusts him. I think Kompany trusts him based on his recent performances and isn't worried about benching or substituting a seasoned player for him. And I believe Karl will get regular playing time because he's delivered when he's been on the pitch.

  "Karl will be deployed regularly. Vincent Kompany has slowly introduced Karl to the team, with brief appearances in the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup, and last week, his first full 90 minutes in the Champions League. Karl caused a sensation with his goals against Brugge and Gladbach, but he still needs to show up in training every day. He's ambitious and wants to develop – those are the basic requirements.

  "This presents a great opportunity for FC Bayern to integrate another player from the campus into the first team, after [Aleksandar] Pavlovic and [Josip] Stanisic, as Uli Hoeness has always wanted. I believe Karl can become an important player for Kompany, who just extended his contract until 2029."

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  Chelsea, Man City, and Arsenal keeping an eye on Karl

  Karl’s steady rise into the first team has not gone unnoticed, with several Premier League giants reportedly taking interest. According to , scouts from Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City have been tracking the teenage prodigy’s progress. Adding another layer of intrigue is his agent Michael Ballack’s connection to Chelsea, where he starred between 2006 and 2010.

  For the remainder of the season, the priority will be ensuring Karl’s continued development through consistent minutes off the bench and occasional starts. His versatility gives Kompany valuable rotation options, given his ability to play on both wings in the attack and also as an attacking midfielder in the No.10 role. Should his progress persist, a call-up to Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad for next year’s World Cup in the Americas may not be out of reach.

  “He’s a fantastic player. He’s not afraid to dribble. He just has to keep working hard, and he’ll have a great future ahead of him,” Kane told this past weekend. “Who knows? If he plays a bit more from now on and plays like he did [against Club Brugge], then he has a chance [of making it to Germany's squad for the 2026 World Cup]."

Middlesex 159 for 4 (Eskinazi 72, Walter 2-34) beat Essex 156 for 9 (Harmer 41, Helm 4-32) by six wicketsStephen Eskinazi put pointless Essex to the sword as his 72 gave Middlesex their first Men’s Vitality Blast victory of the season.The hosts had lost six wickets in 29 balls to hinder their batting effort, although Simon Harmer’s T20 best for Essex – a brisk 41 – helped his side to a semi-respectable 156.Eskinazi hammered his 23rd T20 fifty in style, but Ben Geddes’ six-fuelled 30 off 11 took the visitors to victory with 15 balls to spare, and kept Essex winless in the competition.After being asked to bat, Adam Rossington gave the Eagles a flyer with 31 off 17 balls, built around five powerfully struck fours and a less convincing six down the ground.With three balls left of the powerplay, Essex were on 60 and cruising but by the end of the fielding restrictions, they were two down and 29 balls later, another four batters had been and gone.The wickets were shared around during the collapse. Tom Helm had Rossington splicing to cover and two balls later, Michael Pepper had feathered behind down the legside. The fast bowler would also see off Shane Snater and Harmer in the final over to return four for 32, an upgrade on his back-to-back three-fors.Josh Little brilliantly bounced out Dean Elgar, while Jack Davies added the stumpings of Paul Walter and Charlie Allison to his two catches, before Matt Critchley reversed to short fine leg.But Harmer rallied the innings and got Essex in the vicinity of par – but still under. The skipper took no risks but quickly accumulated much-needed runs, as he found Luc Benkenstein to stick around for 43 runs.His six over Noah Cornwall’s head was extremely clean, while his final over pull over the ropes couldn’t have been middled better. He fell to the last ball of the innings but his 41 off 28 was invaluable to Essex reaching 156.Eskinazi and Kane Williamson put the chase on control with the former providing the explosives and the New Zealander the anchor in a 97-run salvo for the first wicket. Essex continued their run of not taking a powerplay wicket.Everything looked in hand with Eskinazi’s middle of the bat constantly vibrating as he passed a 35-ball half-century, but a mini-wobble, which included three wickets falling in nine balls, gave Essex hope.Williamson top-edged a sweep to the 45, Eskinazi mistimed a pull to the deep, Leus du Plooy was bowled by a Harmer beauty in a wicket maiden, and Davies picked out midwicket.But that dream of a turnaround evaporated when Ben Geddes deposited Walter in or over the Felsted Stand three balls in a row to take Middlesex within nine runs.Ryan Higgins continued the runs of sixes at the start of the following over before a four two balls later secured the victory.

Manchester United will travel to Anfield on Sunday afternoon, chasing their first win away to the Reds since 2015/16.

If Ruben Amorim’s side are victorious, it will also be the first time they’ve won back-to-back Premier League games under the Portuguese manager.

Last season’s result at Anfield was one of their best there in years. United came away with a 2-2 draw, thanks to goals from Lisandro Martinez and Amad, who scored an 80th-minute equaliser. That was the first time the Red Devils had scored at Anfield since 2018/19.

Amorim spoke about Martinez’s availability in his pre-match press conference, along with other team news.

Man Utd’s team news for Liverpool trip

The number of injuries in the United squad is decreasing as the season progresses, which is important for Amorim. Martinez has been sidelined since February, although the trip to Anfield has seemingly come too soon for the 2022 World Cup winner.

The United boss confirmed that the 27-year-old is not too far off a return to full training, having been back on grass for a few weeks.

Martinez is “almost returning to the training with the team,” said Amorim.

Noussair Mazraoui is another player who United have been without for a few weeks. Amorim clarified that he is unsure of his availability for the trip to Anfield, with the Red Devils gaffer saying, “I don’t know” when quizzed on whether he will feature against United.

Although he wasn’t mentioned in the press conference, Ayden Heaven did pick up a knock on England under-20s duty. However, an article from The Manchester Evening News said United have ‘played down’ any potential issue with the talented centre-back.

As for the other players involved with their national teams this week, Amorim confirmed “they are ready” to play on Sunday. He certainly has a few different options when it comes to the makeup of his starting lineup, with a few selection headaches at wing-back.

Amorim’s secret weapon at wing-back

It has not been easy for Amoirm to land on the right formula at wing-back throughout his stint as United boss.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Patrick Dorgu has tended to be the option on the left flank.

On the right, Mazraoui has played that role well, but it is not a guarantee that he will be involved against the Reds.

That leaves two options for Amorim to go with. Amad is one of those, although he may well choose to go with the more defensive option of Diogo Dalot.

The Portuguese right-back has shown great versatility under his countryman, but right wing-back is surely where he slots in best.

The 26-year-old, who was born in Braga, has played on both flanks for United this season. However, across his six appearances, he’s played four times on the right-hand side, starting there against Arsenal on the first day of the season.

It is for his more defensive approach that he could be a better option than Amad from the start. Dalot would be coming directly up against Cody Gakpo, who is in stellar form this season.

The Dutchman has two goals and two assists in seven Premier League games so far.

United’s number two is a right-back by trade, and certainly offers a lot from a defensive point of view. Compared to Amad this season, he’s won more tackles in the defensive third per game, with 1.08 as opposed to the Ivorian’s 0.2.

Interceptions

0.81

0.4

% of dribblers tackled

100%

42.9%

Defensive third tackles won

1.08

0.2

Key passes

1.62

1.6

Crosses completed

1.08

0.2

Yet, as the numbers in the table show, Dalot does offer a threat going forward, meaning it is not just a defensive-minded selection from the Red Devils boss.

However, he certainly has the defensive nous to lock down Gakpo, one of Liverpool’s biggest attacking threats.

As Statman Dave has said, the United defender is an “underrated” member of the squad.

His ability from a defensive point of view could be key against a threat like Gakpo, as United go on the hunt for a rare win at Anfield.

Man Utd's "£100m + footballer" is becoming the new Hojlund & it's not Sesko

Manchester United simply must manage one player to prevent a Rasmus Hojlund repeat.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 17, 2025

Victory condemns depleted Yorkshire to their third successive defeat in the competition

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Jun-2025Warwickshire Bears condemned Yorkshire to a third successive Vitality Blast defeat as they handed them a six-wicket beating at Edgbaston.The Bears registered their first win of the campaign after Yorkshire, put in, totalled 164 for 7, having lurched from 139 for 2 to 146 for 7 in 17 balls. Dawid Malan (69 not out, 48 balls) and James Wharton (39, 23) set a solid foundation, but the middle and lower orders were scalped by the spinners as Danny Briggs, Jake Lintott and Moeen Ali each took two wickets.Alex Davies (65) and Tom Latham (44) then added 103 for the first wicket and though Matt Milnes (3 for 23) induced a wobble, the Bears reached 168 for 4 with six balls to spare,A heavily depleted Yorkshire team, without Jonny Bairstow (calf strain), Will Sutherland (broken toe) and George Hill (Lions duty), was given a lively start by Will Luxton who hoisted Dan Mousley for six but was bowled trying to do the same to Briggs.Adam Lyth swung Moeen’s third ball to deep mid-wicket but Malan and Wharton quietened the crowd by clearing the ropes five times in a stand of 74 in 43 balls. Malan posted a 32-ball half-century and Yorkshire were motoring nicely but then hit a big pothole (almost as big as some of those on the A435 south of Birmingham) as three wickets fell for one run in eight balls.Lintott had Wharton caught at long on and Matt Revis caught behind sweeping at what would have been a wide. When Dom Bess clipped Moeen to mid-wicket, his and Revis’ ducks had occupied an entire over for no runs.The collapse continued as Briggs ousted Harry Duke lbw and Matt Milnes embarked upon a single in which Malan was not interested and left Hasan Ali with a simple run out in his follow through. Malan, starved of the strike as the clatter unfollowed, scored just eight runs in the last five overs and walked off two runs short of 10,000 in T20 cricketBears openers Latham and Davies took a measured approach to the small target and put 50 on the board in 35 balls and 100 in 65. Revis’ unproductive day continued when he came on for the eighth over and Davies swung his first and third balls for six.The pair set a new record T20 opening stand for the Bears against Yorkshire, surpassing the 55 by Ed Pollock and Ian Bell at Edgbaston in 2018, before Latham heaved Bess to deep mid-wicket. Mousley, back in the Bears’ Blast team for the first time this season, and Davies fell in the same Milnes over to leave two new batters to find 37 from 35 balls.Those new batters were Moeen Ali and Sam Hain, who arrived at the crease with 11,854 career T20 runs between them. Yorkshire were still in the game when Moeen holed out to Milnes with 18 needed from two overs but Hain (24 not out) smote two fours and a six in the first of those overs to see his side home.

With both Leeds United and Burnley picking up Premier League results yesterday, it was up to Sunderland to keep up their end of the bargain today as another newly promoted side managed to stave off an unwelcome defeat.

Thankfully, it played out just like that as Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats battled it out with Aston Villa all match, earning themselves a well-deserved share of the points in the 1-1 draw come the end of the contest.

Sunderland, on another day, could well have buckled under the pressure after Reinildo Mandava received a first-half red card, culminating in the Villans then picking up an easy victory.

Instead, Sunderland stood tall and competed even when reduced to ten, with Wilson Isidor also getting in on the goalscoring action again, as the Frenchman continues to solidify himself as a fan favourite so early into the challenging Premier League campaign.

Why Isidor is a fan favourite at Sunderland

Already, Isidor was a well-liked striker on Wearside, considering he hammered home 13 strikes last season as promotion to the top-flight was achieved.

Now, however, he’s a next level of popular at the Stadium of Light, with this instinctive finish after a clever Granit Xhaka header set him free, his third league goal already on home turf.

That means the energetic number 18 now finds himself in the same conversations as former Black Cats goal machine Darren Bent, with Isidor hopeful of a similarly long-lasting career at the very top of the English game if he can keep up this red-hot streak of form.

Obviously, without the Frenchman’s crucial finish late on, Le Bris and Co. would have been staring down the barrel of a defeat.

But, the clinical attacker was given that platform to be the hero off the back of a heroic defensive display, as the bold hosts put their one-man disadvantage firmly to one side to fight their way to a gritty draw.

The Sunderland star who is as undroppable as Isidor

It shouldn’t be the greatest shock that Sunderland battled well at the back; however, with the newly promoted outfit just fresh off a 0-0 stalemate at Crystal Palace, that saw the Black Cats’ defence tested regularly.

Yet, it takes another level of determined display to be able to seal a result when down to ten men, but with Nordi Mukiele in the heart of defence being valiant once more, the lack of Reinildo on the pitch wasn’t as painful to come to terms with.

Mukiele hasn’t even needed a lengthy amount of time to grow accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, with the French colossus thrown straight into the deep end against the Eagles and Brentford in the previous encounter, only to win a ridiculous 15 duels in total.

The 6-foot-2 centre-back is becoming nearly as undroppable as Isidor by putting in these consistent attritional showings, with his hard-working approach clear for all to see again versus Villa, as the ex-RB Leipzig warrior was constantly put through his paces.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

47

Accurate passes

11/18 (61%)

Key passes

3

Clearances

12

Tackles

3

Total duels won

7/10

Amazingly, before delving deeper into his back-to-the-wall showing, Mukiele also impressed when attempting to carve out openings, with three key passes registered across his near faultless 90 minutes.

Yet, it was his battling nature that really shone through as the likes of Ollie Watkins were regularly kept at arm’s length, as seen in Mukiele winning 70% of his duels and registering 12 clearances to ensure Matty Cash was the only fortunate goalscorer for the visitors.

This never-say-die attitude on display today will stand Sunderland in great stead to beat the drop, knowing they don’t fold when the going gets tough.

After the match, Mukiele was rightly showered with praise, with Sunderland-based journalist James Copley heralding him as “absolutely incredible”, while Sky Sports’ Keith Downe dubbed him a “beast” for his commanding showing.

Further handed a 9/10 post-match rating by journalist Phil Smith – who also affectionately labelled the no-nonsense 27-year-old a “titan” – it really does look set in stone that Mukiele has to be in the heart of the Black Cats’ defence from now on, much like Isidor will feel even more assured that he is Sunderland’s leading man in attack.

Sunderland hit the jackpot on "complete" talent who's worth more than Xhaka

Sunderland look to have secured their own Moises Caicedo, who’s rising in value alongside captain Granit Xhaka

ByWill Miller Sep 19, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Fechado desde o dia 27 de agosto, o Maracanã passa por um processo de recuperação do gramado. Depois de dias de atividades intensas, a pausa está chegando ao fim. O estádio vai receber o primeiro jogo da final da Copa do Brasil, entre Flamengo e São Paulo, no domingo (17), com melhoras significativas nas condições da grama.

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Para conseguir o bom resultado, a Greenleaf, empresa responsável, montou uma programação especial, que contou com cortes helicoidais, descompactação, adubação, pulverização foliar, hormônio nas linhas e irrigação. O descanso do gramado também foi essencial para a recuperação, que correspondeu às expectativas.

+ Torcedores do Flamengo enfrentam longas filas para trocar ingresso da final da Copa do Brasil

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Durante o período de pausa, o Fluminense recebeu o Fortaleza no Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, em Volta Redonda, no dia 3 de setembro. Já o Flamengo enfrenta o Athletico-PR nesta quarta-feira (13) no estádio Kleber Andrade, em Cariacica (Espírito Santo).

Até o momento, 55 jogos foram realizados no Maracanã, o que faz dele o estádio mais utilizado do país. Além da partida de ida da final da Copa do Brasil, o local ainda vai receber a grande decisão da Libertadores, no dia 4 de novembro, e jogos da dupla Fla-Flu até o encerramento do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2023.

Graham Potter has been dismissed by West Ham after only nine months.

Former Chelsea boss Potter was relieved of his duties just two days out from West Ham’s match against Everton.

The Hammers faithful turned on Potter during last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace and the club’s owners have acted with West Ham on the hunt for a fourth manager during the last 18 months.

West Ham statement confirms five coaches to leave with Potter

A statement from the club read: “West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Graham Potter has left the Club.

“Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations, and the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.

“The Club can confirm that Assistant Coach Bruno Saltor, First Team Coaches Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach, Lead Goalkeeper Coach Casper Ankergren, and Goalkeeper Coach Linus Kandolin have also left with immediate effect.

“The Board would like to thank Graham and his coaching staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.

“The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The Club will be making no further comment at this time.”

The Hammers have been linked with Nuno Espirito Santo and Slaven Bilic as possible replacements.

Mohammad Naim, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others to be recalled as Bangladesh rebuild following disappointing Champions Trophy campaign

Mohammad Isam23-Jun-2025

Bangladesh have brought Litton Das back in the ODI side as one of five changes for next month’s three-match series against Sri Lanka – two of the changes were forced as Mahmudullah has retired from international cricket and Mushfiqur Rahim has retired from ODIs. The two made the announcements a week apart following Bangladesh’s early exit from the Champions Trophy, which was also their last ODI assignment.Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said that Litton was given the opportunity in part because he was recently named the Bangladesh T20I captain. Litton made only 35 runs in eight ODIs between the tour of New Zealand in December 2023 and the tour of the West Indies in December 2024 before being dropped, including for the Champions Trophy.”Litton Das was in a bad patch but time is the best healer. He is the T20 captain, so we can consider him till the next T20 World Cup,” Ashraf said. “If someone has to return to form, it is best to spend a long time in the middle. We feel that Litton can take his form from ODIs to T20Is.”Bangladesh squad changes

IN – Mohammad Naim, Litton Das, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud
OUT – Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Nasum Ahmed

The selectors have also recalled Mohammad Naim, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud.”Naim has shown that he can bat with the same intensity as our [recent] white-ball openers,” Ashraf said. “He has done well in the Dhaka Premier League. We also have someone like Soumya Sarkar, who has ten years of international experience. [He has been dropped because] we want to help him recover fully, so that he can come back properly.”Related

Mehidy wants to bring hope back in ODIs for Bangladesh

Top-order batter Naim played the last of his ODIs way back in September 2023, while this is the first ODI call-up for left-arm spinner Tanvir, whose international experience is restricted to six T20Is.Ashraf added that five fast bowlers have been picked to manage the workload of Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana. “We have included five fast bowlers in the ODI side as we have Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed are returning from injuries. We are also mindful of Nahid Rana’s workload management, so we have kept enough options to choose from.”Elaborating on the axing of Sarkar, one of the two active players to be left out from the side along with Nasum Ahmed, Ashraf said, “Soumya Sarkar has had three injuries in the last 12-15 months. He had an ACL injury against Sri Lanka last year. He had a finger injury in West Indies. Recently, he suffered a back spasm when we were considering him for the UAE series. He didn’t recover in time, so he couldn’t play any matches. We couldn’t keep him in the side against Pakistan. We want him to recover fully, and return to consideration.”The three ODIs will be played on July 2, 5 and 8. The first two ODIs will be held at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo while the third match will be held in Pallekele.Bangladesh squad for ODI series vs Sri LankaMehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud

علق حازم إمام عضو مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة الأسبق، على جاهزية الفرق الأربعة المشاركة ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري، موضحًا رأيه في رحيل مارسيل كولر عن تدريب الأهلي في الموسم الماضي.

وقال حازم إمام في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة الون سبورت: “فنيًا أفضل فريق هو بيراميدز، ثم سيراميكا، وبعد ذلك الأهلي والزمالك، وهذا بناءً على أداء الأربعة فرق في الدوري”.

وأكمل: “بيراميدز بعد حصوله على دوري أبطال إفريقيا اكتسب ثقة كبيرة، وأصبح لا يشعر بالخوف بعد فوزه على الأهلي السعودي”.

وأردف: “وجهة نظري أن كولر لم يكن يجب أن يرحل عن الأهلي، فقد ظل مع الفريق لمدة ثلاث سنوات، فاز خلالها بكل البطولات، وخسر مرة واحدة فقط في نصف النهائي أمام صن داونز، وهو فريق قوي”.

وواصل: “أرتيتا مع أرسنال له ثماني سنوات ولم يحصد بطولة، وبعد سبع سنوات بدأ يحصد”.

معلق مباراة الزمالك وبيراميدز في نصف نهائي السوبر المصري 2025-2026

وزاد: “ضغط الجماهير هو من تسبب في رحيل كولر، فهل يُحاسَب المدرب على بطولة واحدة أم على مجمل أعماله؟”.

وأتم: “كولر فاز بأربع بطولات في موسم واحد، ولا يوجد مدرب في العالم يفوز دائمًا، ومنذ رحيله الأهلي أصبح أسوأ”.

Brazilian forward Richarlison has reportedly "given the green light" to a potential move away from Tottenham, with Flamengo making the striker their top target for the January transfer window as they look to bring the national team’s No.9 back home. The Rio de Janeiro natives have been struggling with injuries this season and are keen to explore a blockbuster move this winter.

Flamengo target Spurs striker

Flamengo are preparing an ambitious move for Richarlison as the club searches for a proven centre-forward ahead of the new year. The Brazilian giants are currently short of attacking options, with Pedro injured and Bruno Henrique struggling for form, while recent signing Juninho has failed to convince coach Filipe Luis.

According to Brazilian journalist Fabricio Lopes, the club’s management views Richarlison as their dream signing. He said: "The player Flamengo really wants is Richarlison, formerly of Fluminense. The figures are still negotiable, but they’re far above what other clubs are willing to pay."

The 28-year-old, who has once again been in and out of the Tottenham team this season, is said to have responded positively to the idea of returning to his homeland in an effort to lock down his spot in the 2026 World Cup squad. Richarlison remains under contract with Spurs until the summer of 2027, but with the north London club undergoing a period of change in their hierarchy, there is an understanding that some players may be nearing the end of their time in Lilywhite.

AdvertisementAFPWhy do Flamengo want Richarlison?

Flamengo’s pursuit of the man nicknamed 'Pombo' comes amid a shortage of reliable options up front as they prepare for the second leg of their Copa Libertadores semi-final against Racing Club. Injuries and a sharp drop in form have left the squad thin in attack, with the knock-on effect now effectively pushing the board into moving in the transfer market.

The club had previously made contact with Real Madrid youngster Endrick, but the teenager is keen to stay in Europe and secure a loan move to help his development. With that door shut, Flamengo have turned their attention to more experienced names, and Richarlison has quickly emerged as Plan A.

Richarlison began his professional career with America Mineiro before joining Fluminense, where his performances earned him a move to Watford in 2017. He later joined Everton and became one of the Premier League’s most energetic forwards, known for his aggressive work rate. His time at Tottenham has been mixed, scoring 23 goals in 104 appearances but being marred by several injuries.

Flamengo believe the striker’s experience in Europe makes him an ideal fit to lead the line. That, coupled with his time with the Brazilian national team and ability to deliver in high-pressure matches, are qualities the club feels they have missed this season.

January deal not straightforward

Despite Richarlison’s reported openness to a move, buying him from Tottenham will not be straightforward. The forward joined Spurs in 2022 for a fee in the region of £50 million ($66m) and remains under a long-term deal. Any transfer would therefore require a huge investment from Flamengo, who would likely need to negotiate creative payment terms or rely on sponsorship and external investment to fund the deal. Richarlison’s current market value sits at a reported €25m (£21.3m). That figure alone would make him one of the most expensive signings in Brazilian football history if Flamengo were to match it.

Reports suggest Flamengo are prepared to test Tottenham’s resolve once the January window opens, although a permanent deal remains a long shot unless Spurs agree to a structured arrangement or loan option. Richarlison has featured nine times for Tottenham in the current Premier League campaign, scoring three goals. While he has shown glimpses of his ability, he has yet to secure a consistent starting spot under manager Thomas Frank, who has spoken highly of the forward this season, but is seemingly losing faith in him.

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(C)Getty ImagesPopular figure in Brazil

Unlike other European-based Brazilians who have declined opportunities to return home, Richarlison is reportedly open to the idea of rejoining the domestic scene. The 28-year-old remains a popular figure in Brazil, admired for his commitment on the international stage and his connection with supporters. Since leaving Everton, he has kept an emotional attachment to the club. He is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and would be welcomed home by thousands if he were to make that decision.