Tag Futebol

West Bromwich Albion have already displayed an outside-the-box approach with their transfer activity this summer.

Whilst Nathaniel Phillips is a well-known name to most Championship fans, Aune Heggebo is definitely more of an unknown entity to the average supporter. Yet, West Brom have gambled on the former Brann goal machine to come good on English shores, having spent £4.7m on the Nordic striker.

It remains to be seen whether Heggebo will go on to be a rip-roaring success in England, but his blistering goal record in his native Norway is definitely encouraging to look at.

Why Heggebo could be a success at West Brom

After all, Erling Haaland infamously hails from the same nation, with the lofty attacker now one of the most feared strikers in world football after beginning his career in Scandinavia.

Of course, nobody will be anticipating Heggebo to storm into his new environment and be as instantly clinical as the Manchester City powerhouse, but the signs are there that he could be a lethal finisher at the Hawthorns if he can manage to navigate the step-up well.

In total, for Brann, the £4.7m forward would power home a potent 51 goals from 146 games, with the Eliteserien outfit no doubt putting up a valiant fight to try and keep their star asset around for longer.

Unfortunately, whilst £4.7m is a steep amount to splash in go, West Brom’s lavish spending has been overshadowed somewhat by near neighbours Birmingham City routinely flexing their muscles.

Across the Midlands, the £10m forked out on ex-Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi around the same time has certainly sent a message to the division’s best clubs.

However, the Baggies could shoot back into the limelight if they manage to get another left-field piece of business over the line, with a new target perhaps going down as Ryan Mason’s very own Kyogo if all clicks into place.

West Brom's answer to Kyogo

Before being renowned as a venomous goal threat with 85 strikes next to his name at Celtic, Kyogo would have been viewed as a bold pick-up by the Hoops, considering the Japanese gem had only ever played in the comforts of the J League, before Glasgow came calling.

West Brom might well look to tap into the Asian markets themselves with their next summer buy, with reports from earlier in the month suggesting that the Championship side had bid £1.1m for Jeonbuk Hyundai attacker Jeon Jin-Woo.

Games played

163

182

Goals scored

32

66

Assists

20

36

Jin-Woo might well follow in Kyogo’s footsteps in establishing himself as a menace up top when making the same daunting geographical leap, having amassed an electric 52 goal contributions plying his trade in Korea for both Jeonbuk and ex-employers Suwon Bluewings.

The brand-new Birmingham buy was able to devastatingly reach double Jin-Woo’s goal tally when starring for the likes of Vissel Kobe, but the two-time South Korea international will surely feel less nervous about taking that next step to the Baggies, knowing others have moved to the United Kingdom and thrived in some challenging environments.

To help the 25-year-old even more, Mason will also have Heggebo available for selection in attack, who will be equally eager to hit the ground running in his fresh location.

It does remain up in the air how well West Brom will do next season, with Mason also being a rookie manager away from their daring summer business, but Jin-Woo could become a firm fan’s favourite at the Hawthorns if he manages to excel in the English game to the same lofty heights Kyogo managed in Scotland.

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حذر توماس توخيل مدرب منتخب إنجلترا من أن الأسود الثلاثة سيكونون مستعدين للضغط البدني الذي ستفرضه صربيا يوم الثلاثاء في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وسيكون لقاء منتخب إنجلترا ضد صربيا هو التحدي الأصعب في طريقها لنهائيات كأس العالم الصيف المقبل، ومن المتوقع أن تكون المواجهة عدائية بين المنتخبين.

وقال توماس توخيل عن لقاء صربيا خلال تصفيات أوروبا لكأس العالم في تصريحات نشرتها “إيفنينج ستاندرد”: “سيكون اختبار جيد ونتطلع له”.

وأضاف: “نشعر أننا مستعدون لمواجهة هذه الأجواء والقوة البدنية وستكون مباراة حماسية ومهمة للغاية في المجموعة وسنكون مستعدين لها”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. جاتوزو: سنحترم مهنتنا أمام الكيان الصهيوني.. ونواجههم بمزيد من الألم

وواصل: “تحدثنا للتو عما نريد بنائه لنكون أكثر وضوحاً في لعبنا وما هي أنماط لعبنا وكنا نعمل على ذلك طوال الأسبوع”.

وتابع: “سنخصص الساعات القادمة لمباراة صربيا، علينا التكيف مع الظروف الصعبة والتغلب عليها، ولنر كيف ستكون أرضية الملعب وكيف ستسير المباراة”.

وأتم تصريحاته: “سنكون مستعدين لكل شيء، سنواجه نفس التشكيلة، كتلة دفاعية 5-4-1 مع جودة فردية في الهجوم ومهاجمين طوال القامة يتمتعون بلياقة بدنية عالية، اختبار كبير قادم يوم الثلاثاء”.

وأكد توخيل أنه كان من المرجح أن يتم إخراج هاري كين من التشكيل الأساسي ضد أندورا ويمنح واتكينز مهاجم أستون فيلا الوقت في الشوط الثاني، ولكنه اضطر لإجراء تبديل لاستبدال جويهي، والذي قال بين الشوطين إنه شعر بألم في فخده، وسيبدأ مهاجم بايرن ميونخ بشكل أساسي ضد صربيا في بلجراد.

Derby County have now opened talks to sign an “unbelievable” defender, who is set to be available on a free transfer at the end of the month, according to a report.

Derby set to strengthen in defence

Derby survived the drop by the barest of margins last season, and they have their defence to thank, keeping clean sheets in four out of their last eight games to ensure Championship football will be played at Pride Park once again next season.

In the end, John Eustace wasn’t left to rue the decision to leave Blackburn Rovers for the Rams, but a club of their stature will have far loftier ambitions than merely surviving in the second tier, and the manager is looking to put his own stamp on his squad.

Despite the stellar defensive efforts at the back end of last season, one position in which Eustace appears to be particularly keen to strengthen is centre-back, with the likes of Blackburn Rovers’ Danny Batth and Birmingham City’s Dion Sanderson of interest.

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According to a report from Derbyshire Live, a League One centre-back has also been identified as a target, namely Lincoln City’s Paudie O’Connor, with Derby recently opening talks over a deal for the defender.

O’Connor’s contract is set to expire at the end of the month, meaning he is able to leave the Imps on a free transfer, and there are a number of clubs interested in his signature, with Huddersfield Town and Barnsley also being linked.

Wycombe Wanderers are currently believed to be in pole position for the Lincoln centre-back, but a move to Pride Park could be more appealing, given that Championship football will be on offer next season.

Derby need new centre-back after Phillips departure

The Rams’ defence was not the main problem last season, considering they shipped fewer goals than Coventry City, who reached the play-off semi-final, but it is clear they will need to bring in a new centre-back this summer, as Nat Phillips has returned to Liverpool.

Phillips was a regular starter whenever fit, making 32 appearances in the Championship last term, and he even scored a vital goal away at Hull City in the penultimate match of the season, which proved to be crucial in Eustace’s side avoiding the drop.

As such, it could be a difficult task to replace the 28-year-old, but there are some signs that O’Connor could be up to the task, having previously been lauded as “unbelievable” by teammate Jack Moylan.

The Lincoln captain was a key player for the Imps last season, making 45 appearances in all competitions, during which time he also proved himself to be a real attacking threat, picking up three goals and five assists in League One.

As such, the Irishman could now be ready to test himself at Championship level, and he would be a low-risk addition to the Derby squad on a free transfer.

Tottenham Hotspur will let Mathys Tel go back to Bayern Munich this summer if they can sign a highly-rated forward, according to a report this week, with Spurs holding a “concrete” interest heading into the first summer window on June 1.

Tottenham's option to buy Mathys Tel may be renegotiated

After a mixed first season at Spurs for Tel, with the Frenchman bagging just three goals and an assist in 20 total appearances so far, there are suggestions that chairman Daniel Levy will seek to bring his costs down.

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The Lilywhites have an option to buy Tel permanently for around £42 million, which was negotiated when Spurs signed the versatile attacker on loan in January, but Levy apparently wants to renegotiate the fee needed to make him a Tottenham player next term.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

GiveMeSport and some reports from Germany indicate that Spurs will enter discussions with Bayern over a fresh deal for Tel, with the former claiming Ange Postecoglou’s side wish to bring his price down to somewhere around the £30 million mark.

The 20-year-old has displayed flashes of real promise during his time in N17, but there are arguments that Tel needs to improve his consistency and output in front of goal, so it will be intriguing to see whether Levy can whittle down Bayern’s asking price or move on to other targets.

Interestingly, credible reports this week have started linking Tottenham with another Bayern star – £242,000-per-week winger Leroy Sane – who is out of contract this summer as things stand.

Super-agent Pini Zahavi was pictured meeting with Bayern chiefs again over the prospect of a new deal, and the lengthy ongoing saga surrounding whether he’ll remain has motivated Premier League sides to consider him.

The 29-year-old has reportedly been offered to many clubs in England (Graeme Bailey), while some German media sources claim that Tottenham are currently the strongest contender to sign Sane on a Bosman deal (Sport Bild).

Tottenham unlikely to sign Mathys Tel if they seal Leroy Sane deal

The likelihood of them sealing a deal for the “dangerous” ex-Man City forward will have a knock-on effect when it comes to Tel’s future, according to Bundesliga insider Christian Falk.

Falk tells FC Bayern that, if Tottenham manage to sign Sane, they’re “unlikely” to pursue a permanent deal for Tel.

Spurs are said to hold a “concrete” interest in the former, and his agent Zahavi has a “very close” relationship with Levy, who is actively looking to find a suitable landing spot for his client if they cannot agree fresh terms with Bayern.

While Vincent Kompany’s side are attempting to restructure Sane’s initial contract offer to better suit the German, there remains a strong possibility that he chooses a move to London, especially considering his family currently reside in the English capital.

Omar Marmoush has been a revelation since making the move to Manchester City in the January transfer window. The Egyptian star joined for £59m at the back end of the winter window, and has been in scintillating form ever since.

In 14 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side so far, he has managed to score seven goals and register one assist. That included a fantastic hat-trick against Newcastle United, which came in the first half of a 4-1 win in the space of 15 minutes.

Perhaps, with the goals Marmoush has scored in a City shirt so far, he could be on track to be as prolific as Sergio Aguero was for the East Manchester side.

Aguero’s Man City career

“We cannot replace him” were Guardiola’s words when Aguero departed the Etihad Stadium at the end of the 2020/21 campaign. Well, that didn’t turn out to be entirely true, with Erling Haaland and, more recently, Marmoush, providing the goals that the legendary striker brought.

In his prime, few were better than Aguero. He scored an extraordinary 260 goals for City in 390 games, notching up 64 assists in that time, too. Only four players in Premier League history scored more goals than the former Argentina international, who bagged 184 Premier League goals.

At one stage, Aguero was described as “the best striker in the Premier League” by a man who knows what that means, Alan Shearer. There were six seasons in which he scored 20 or more goals in one top-flight campaign, including his first, in 20211/12.

However, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and Aguero’s final season for City showed just how much he struggled. He only managed six goals in all competitions in 2020/21 and became more of a squad player under Guardiola.

A decline of a club legend like that is always sad to see, and unfortunately, City fans could be seeing a similar thing with another player currently at the club.

Man City’s new Aguero

Perhaps a bigger legend than Aguero in City colours is Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian legend recently announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season, and has been linked with a move to MLS side Chicago Fire on a free transfer.

His time at City has been nothing short of extraordinary. De Bruyne has been the spearhead of all the success the club has experienced under Guardiola, with the icing on the cake, of course, the iconic treble in the 2022/23 campaign.

His current record in that famous Blue shirt is phenomenal. The City number 17 has played 415 games for the club, scoring 107 goals and registering 177 assists. It is no surprise that football statistician Statman Dave once described him as a “genius”.

The 33-year-old enjoyed his best individual Premier League season in 2019/20. That year, he managed an outrageous 13 goals and 20 assists in 35 games, scooping up the player of the season award for his incredible campaign.

However, his decline this season has been steep. The Belgian has struggled with injuries this term, and, like Aguero, has become more of a squad player. He has only played 33 times in all competitions, with five goals and eight assists to his name.

De Bruyne record in 2024/25 campaign
Stat	Games	Minutes	Goals	Assists
Premier League	22	1279	3	7
Champions League	7	397	0	0
FA Cup	3	198	2	1
Community Shield	1	1	0	0
Stats from Transfermarkt

We have still seen quality from De Bruyne in his final season as a City player, despite his decline. That included a fantastic free kick against Crystal Palace in their most recent Premier League outing.

With that being said, it is a shame to see such a legend of the game in the final throes of his Premier League career. He has given so much to the game and has been sensational in a City shirt for years.

Their fans will no doubt want to see him end on a high in the final weeks of his time at the club.

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By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 14, 2025

Since his IPL debut in 2008, Karthik has missed only two games, and scored 1000-plus runs for two teams

Sampath Bandarupalli23-May-2024257 Dinesh Karthik retires from the IPL as the second-most capped player of the league, alongside Rohit Sharma with 257 appearances, and only behind MS Dhoni’s 264.2 Karthik is the second-most prolific wicketkeeper in the history of the IPL with 174 dismissals, behind Dhoni’s 190. Karthik has 137 catches and 37 stumpings in the IPL with the gloves, both behind Dhoni’s 148 catches and 42 stumpings.4097 Runs by Karthik while batting at No. 4 or lower in the IPL are the second-most behind Dhoni’s 5047. Karthik batted at No. 4 or lower in 204 innings, and at No. 3 on 30 occasions but never opened the batting.1565 Runs scored by Karthik during the death overs (17-20) in the IPL. Only Dhoni (2786) and Kieron Pollard (1708) have scored more runs during this phase in the IPL. Karthik scored those runs at a strike rate of 186.97, and hit 91 sixes across the 837 balls faced.