Barcelona lining up move for "great" Man Utd star Ratcliffe’s ready to sell

Looking to take full advantage of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s stance, Barcelona have now reportedly set their sights on signing a Manchester United star who has already earned the praise of new manager Ruben Amorim.

Man Utd transfer news

With defeats against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest sandwiched in between the shock exit of sporting director Dan Ashworth, before Manchester United needed a late winner to defeat Viktoria Plzen, the difficulty of Amorim’s task has never been clearer.

Attempting to organise the chaos that Erik ten Hag left on the pitch whilst INEOS and Ratcliffe continue to steal the headlines for the wrong reasons away from the action, Amorim desperately needs the January transfer window to arrive.

It’s not just incomings that could take place when 2025 arrives, however, with several names likely to head for the exit door as Amorim looks to mark his own stamp on the current side. And that could yet see one shock player head for the exit door.

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona have set their sights on signing Marcus Rashford, who Ratcliffe is reportedly ready to sell for as little as £40m when the opportunity arrives.

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The academy graduate has struggled to rediscover his best form in the last year or so, which far from helped Ten Hag’s tenure, and it remains to be seen whether he will find a permanent role under Amorim, given his system without wingers.

This comes despite the new manager’s early praise and encouragement for Rashford, telling reporters as relayed by Reuters after a 4-0 victory over Everton: “He can do so much, so he has to continue to improve, he has the ability to do it, he already proved that. But he can play so much better, as can the other guys. Was a good performance, (but) tomorrow he has to recover and start thinking about Arsenal.”

"Great" Rashford needs fresh start

Manchester United may be his boyhood club, but if Rashford is to rediscover his best form then he must do what many before him have decided to do by leaving Old Trafford for pastours new. Old Trafford has seen the likes of Angel Di Maria, Danny Welbeck all those years ago and, more recently, Andreas Pereira all depart before finding their best form in better environments elsewhere. Now, Rashford should do the same.

If it’s Barcelona who come knocking too, then the England international should swing the door straight open and take hold of what should be a dream move for almost any player.

Despite how it ended under Ten Hag, the Dutchman was so often full of praise for Rashford, praising his “great” form at the end of 2022 when he was at his very best in a Manchester United shirt. With Ten Hag gone and Rashford yet to find his form under Amorim, however, a shock exit seemingly looms.

‘Fire still burns’ – Dele Alli backed by Como president after disastrous debut that saw ex-Tottenham star sent off 10 minutes into first appearance for over two years

Dele Alli boasts the full support of Como’s president despite his disastrous club debut, with the ex-England international told a “fire still burns”.

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  • Last appearance was in February 2023
  • Stepped off the bench against AC Milan
  • Dismissed for challenge on Loftus-Cheek
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    After more than two years stuck on the sidelines, as endless questions were asked of his form and fitness, Dele finally returned to action when stepping off the bench for Como in their Serie A clash with AC Milan. He lasted less than 10 minutes before picking up a red card.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Dele was dismissed for a challenge on former Three Lions colleague Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while current England star and AC Milan loanee Kyle Walker pleaded his case once it became apparent – following a VAR review – that marching orders would be given.

  • WHAT COMO PRESIDENT SAID

    More unfortunate headlines have been made on the back of that forgettable cameo appearance, but Como president Mirwan Suwarso is delighted to have Dele on board. He has posted on social media: “The fire still burns. After nearly two years, Dele Alli stepped back onto the battlefield. It takes courage to keep going, to fight through doubt, to silence the noise, and to return, not just to play, but to compete at the highest level once again.

    “Some will talk about the red card. Let them. We saw something else. We saw hunger. We saw resilience. We saw flashes of brilliance. And those of us who watch him train every day know. This is only the beginning. The road back is never easy, but warriors don’t quit. Keep going, Dele. Your best is yet to come. Semm Cumasch.”

  • WHAT NEXT?

    Dele is now working with ex-Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas at Como, with the Spaniard filling his first managerial post. He has led his side to a 13th-place standing in the Italian top-flight, with a seven-point gap separating them from the relegation zone.

Move over Son: Spurs’ 9/10 ace is now becoming Ange’s most important player

Tottenham Hotspur secured a stunning 4-0 win against champions Manchester City at the Etihad, inflicting yet more pain on boss Pep Guardiola.

The victory was City’s first home defeat in 52 matches, with the three points catapulting Ange Postecoglou’s side back into the Premier League top-four race.

A reaction needed to be seen after the embarrassing 2-1 defeat at home to newly promoted Ipswich Town before the international break, with yesterday’s performance way better than any supporter could have ever envisaged.

James Maddison scores for Tottenham

A double from James Maddison, followed by two strikes from former City talent Pedro Porro and a late finish from substitute Brennan Johnson secured three vital points for the Lilywhites.

The meeting in Manchester is evidence that Postecoglou and his side are more than capable of producing stellar displays that many teams in the division wouldn’t be able to contain – but it’s crucial that they build on the performance and start to produce it on a consistent basis.

Spurs’ star performers against City

Birthday boy Maddison grabbed his fourth and fifth goals of the league season during the win, starting the campaign with a point to prove after an injury-hit 2023/24.

The Englishman has already bettered his tally from the previous year, currently sitting as the club’s joint-top league scorer in the opening months of 2024/25.

Maddison won nine of the 12 duels that he contested during the encounter, whilst completing 100% of the dribbles that he attempted and scoring with both of his efforts on target.

Captain Heung-min Son has been on the comeback trail after his recent injury, still yet to recapture his excellent form from last season that saw the South Korean notch 17 goals in all competitions last season.

In the win, the 32-year-old only managed a single effort on goal, losing possession 15 times before being replaced by the goalscorer of the fourth, Johnson.

He also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles during the triumph at the Etihad, ultimately failing to play any real part in the unlikely victory.

As a result, one other current Spurs first-team member may have potentially overtaken the fan-favourite in terms of importance under Ange, with the star producing yet another sensational performance last night.

10 times Tottenham shocked Manchester City

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ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2024 The Spurs player who is more important than Son

Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski has often featured in a more central role for Spurs this season, often partnering Maddison at the heart of the wide during the early stages of the campaign.

However, with Pape Matar Sarr earning a recall for the meeting with Guardiola’s men, the 24-year-old shifted to a more natural right-sided role – one in which he excelled once again.

Kulusevski registered the assist for the opener, playing a peach of a pass into Maddison, who managed to fire home past the helpless Ederson.

He also completed all four of his attempted dribbles, making light work of full-back Josko Gvardiol, who has been one of the most impressive defenders in the division in recent months.

Minutes played

90

Touches

34

Assists

1

Dribbles completed

4/4 (100%)

Pass accuracy

16/19 (84%)

Key passes completed

4

Ground duels won

6/6 (100%)

Despite not registering the assist for Porro’s superb strike, he played an influential role in finding Dominic Solanke, who subsequently set the ball into the path of the Spaniard before he fired home.

As a result of his stellar display in Manchester, the Swede was handed a 9/10 match rating by The Express’ Alex Turk – the highest of any player apart from his two-goal teammate.

It’s been an impressive start to the season for Kulusevski, registering two goals and six assists in his first 18 outings in all competitions – offering that attacking threat for Postecoglou in the final third.

He’s become a reliable figure for the Lilywhites, often the go-to man for creativity, potentially making him a star for many years to come in North London and one that can replace Son as the club’s golden boy.

Move over Maddison: 9/10 hero just had his best game for Spurs v Man City

Tottenham thrashed Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad in an incredible Premier League performance.

3 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 24, 2024

Andrew McDonald appointed as full-time Australia men's coach

Former Test allrounder Andrew McDonald has been officially confirmed as Australia’s new full-time men’s coach and selector for all three formats after signing a four-year contract.McDonald takes over the same roleJustin Langer resigned from messy circumstances in February following an offer from the Cricket Australia board for a six-month contract extension only.McDonald, who has been the senior assistant and bowling mentor since late 2019, took over as interim coach for the Pakistan tour. He led the team to a 1-0 Test series and won praise from Test captain Pat Cummins. Australia lost the ODI series 1-2 but won the one-off T20I in Lahore.McDonald has coached Australia on several tours during Langer’s four-year tenure while the former coach rested, including an ODI series in India in 2020, a five-match T20I tour of New Zealand in 2021, and a five-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka earlier this year.”The journey so far has been particularly pleasing, and I am honoured to be given this incredible opportunity for what is an exciting period ahead,” McDonald said.”The success of the World Cup, the Ashes Series and now Pakistan has been testament to the hard work and leadership of Justin, Pat and Aaron [Finch] along with the players and the support staff.”My plan is to build on the growth, depth and experience of the squad while working collectively with the group and across the game. There are many challenges in the short-term which I know excites the leadership group, the players and the staff. I’d also like to thank my family for their support.”Related

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CA did conduct a global search for a new men’s coach following the departure of Langer via a recruitment firm and sounded out a number of potential candidates including former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, former England coach Trevor Bayliss and current Australia women’s coach Matthew Mott. But McDonald’s popularity with the playing group and the team’s recent results made him an obvious choice, as CA general manager of high performance Ben Oliver confirmed.”Andrew was the standout candidate in a high-quality field of coaches,” Oliver said. “And we believe he’s the best person to help continue the growth of the team over the coming years.”McDonald has vast coaching experience having coached Victoria and Melbourne Renegades to four Australian domestic titles, including completing the Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup and BBL treble in the same season in 2018-19. He has also been head coach of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and was hired as head coach of Birmingham Phoenix for the inaugural Hundred but was unable to coach in person due to Australia commitments.CA did not want to split the men’s job along format lines with McDonald to be the head coach of all three formats. McDonald himself was keen to be the coach of all three formats however that was not raised in discussions with CA until he became the preferred candidate.But given Australia’s heavy touring schedule over the next 18 months including an away Test tour of Sri Lanka, a home T20 World Cup, home Test series against West Indies and South Africa, an away Test series against India, a possible World Test Championship final, an away Ashes and a 50-over World Cup in India, McDonald wanted a coaching structure that allows for him and his assistants to be rested for certain periods.Under such a scenario a senior assistant could well take charge of certain tours or sections of tours that are viewed as lower priority series during that time, and consultants may be used more frequently as was seen when former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori joined Australia’s limited-overs squad in Pakistan as a spin consultant in the absence of Sridharan Sriram.”Once it was decided that I was a preferred candidate then I got an opportunity to sit down with Cricket Australia and the people around that to shape and formulate role,” McDonald said. “But it was a huge part of it. No doubt about it.”I think the great challenge for coaches and players is to manage your workload across the four years, being my term at the moment. But I’d like to think that I’ve got coaching staff around that can step up. We can elevate certain coaches at different times to take on different tours and different challenges and whilst we’re doing that it’s growing the depth of our coaching staff.”McDonald already has Michael Di Venuto, Jeff Vaughan and Sri Sriram in place as batting, fielding and bowling coaches respectively, and praised Langer for making those appointments during his tenure. McDonald seconded Andre Borovec on the tour of Pakistan as an interim assistant with expertise in strategy. But he will need a full-time bowling coach to replace his own role within the coaching structure.McDonald will sit on the three-man selection panel alongside chairman George Bailey and third selector Tony Dodemaide for all three formats.

Hasan Ali six-for leads Lancashire fightback as James Anderson makes low-key return to fray

Gloucestershire stumble after century stand between opening pair

Paul Edwards21-Apr-2022Old Trafford in April. Glimpsed between the behemothic stands and also in the distance, almost every tree displays the frail effrontery of an English spring. In the foreground, though, yet another new building is under construction, one that will replace the demolished Red Rose suite and obscure the pleasant aspect. Three huge mechanical diggers are clearing the ground; their slow, angular and yet very effective motions remind one rather of the old Kent seamer, Norman Graham.But another new-ball bowler commands the attention of most on the ground this morning; he is 39 years young, fitter than most butchers’ dogs and he is playing his first game since January 9, when he blocked it out for a draw in the Sydney Test. Since then, he has been omitted from England’s party for the three-match series in the Caribbean, something that seemed unthinkable until the selectors thought it. All the same, rabbiting about officialdom has never been James Anderson’s preferred mode of communication; he reckons his bowling should get the message across. So there is a pleasing frisson of expectation as he marks out his run up at the end named after him on the ground where he first played for Lancashire 20 summers ago…Related

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But cricket is rarely amenable to our expectations; that is one of its charms. And Australian cricketers are particularly ornery in this regard; that is one of their most endearing characteristics. So when it was confirmed that Anderson would be in Lancashire’s team against Gloucestershire today, Marcus Harris probably viewed it as just the sort of challenge he liked. It would be stretching things to say that the pair are old foes but Anderson dismissed Harris twice in the recent Ashes series and such things are rarely forgotten by either party. However, Chris Dent is one of the most underrated openers on the circuit and his straight drive off Anderson in the 14th over of the match was a highlight of the morning session in which the Gloucestershire openers scored 101 runs in 30 overs.Harris’s approach was especially refreshing. There were two fine boundaries in a Danny Lamb over and when Dane Vilas brought Matt Parkinson into the attack six overs before lunch, Harris deposited the final ball of his sixth over into the crowd at long-off. And it was a proper crowd, too. A couple of the stands at Emirates Old Trafford are shut to allow building work to take place but the pavilion and other stands were thickly populated. Some spectators will have turned up because it was the first day of the first-class season here; others will also have wanted to attend this evening’s AGM. But most of them, including the congenitally discontented, were surely cheered by an afternoon session in which six wickets fell for 69 runs, all of them to Lancashire’s pace attack but none of them to Anderson.James Anderson returned to action for Lancashire•Getty ImagesThat basic statistic illustrates why Vilas’s versatile team are one of the favourites to win the Championship this season. Half an hour after lunch Dent felt for a ball pushed across him by Hasan Ali and edged a catch to second slip, where Steven Croft hung on at the second grab. Three overs later Harris was caught down the leg side by Phil Salt off Saqib Mahmood for 67 and five balls later George Balderson wormed one between James Bracey’s bat and pad. Having lost three wickets for 14 runs in four overs, Gloucestershire proceeded to lose another three for 17 runs in the next ten, two of them to successive deliveries from Hasan, who is already a popular character in the Lancashire dressing room. Miles Hammond gave him assistance when a crass swish edged a catch to Salt but Tom Lace was undone first up by a ball that tailed in to the pads.Anderson, meanwhile, after conceding 21 runs, including a wide and four overthrows, off his first seven overs, found his range and leaked only nine more in as many overs to finish with nought from 30 from 16 overs. That might not satisfy a man whose perfectionism explains his success; yet he will probably not mind leaving this evening’s major plaudits to Hasan, who completed his first five-wicket return for Lancashire – indeed, he took 6 for 47 – when he dismissed three batsmen in the space of 17 balls late on a long-shadowed evening.Before that, however, Gloucestershire’s total had been hoisted well beyond 200 by a 65-run stand between Ryan Higgins, who invariably does something useful for the county in every game, and Zafar Gohar, who batted sensibly for his 27 runs until he tried to smack Parkinson over the Hilton Garden Hotel and was stumped for 27. This gave Salt his fourth victim of the day and completed another decent day’s work for a keeper who had not taken the gloves in a four-day game until last week’s match at Canterbury.Higgins was left unbeaten on 51 when last man Ajeet Singh Dale chipped Hasan to Josh Bohannon but what had been a satisfactory day for Lancashire was spoiled in the final over when Balderson was run out by Gohar’s direct hit from square leg. Luke Wells, who had rightly sent his partner back, held his arms out horizontally as though bemoaning the foolishness of youth, even in a glorious springtime.

بينانت: الكرة الذهبية أصبحت بعيدة عن محمد صلاح.. والأسباب معروفة

علق جيرماين بينانت، لاعب ليفربول السابق، على فرص محمد صلاح في الفوز بالكرة الذهبية هذا العام، بعد موسمه الناجح في قلعة “أنفيلد”.

وجدد محمد صلاح عقده مع ليفربول يوم الجمعة الماضي، لمدة عامين، ليستمر حتى 30 يونيو 2027.

في الوقت نفسه، وصل محمد صلاح يوم أمس أمام وست هام للمساهمة رقم 55 هذا الموسم (32 هدف، 23 أسيست) مع ليفربول، لكن هذا لا يمنع أن فرصه في الفوز بالكرة الذهبية 2025 ليست قوية من وجهة نظر بينانت.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد تكهنات مستقبله.. سلوت يوضح سبب غياب نونيز عن مباراة ليفربول ووست هام

وقال بينانت في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة “Football365”: “خروج ليفربول من البطولات كلف محمد صلاح فرصة الفوز بالكرة الذهبية”.

وتابع: “الإقصاء من دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام باريس سان جيرمان كان ضربة كبيرة، ولزيادة الطين بلة، خسروا بعدها نهائي كأس الرابطة أمام نيوكاسل”.

وأكد الجناح الإنجليزي السابق: “تحتاج إلى الفوز بهذه البطولات لحصد تلك الجائزة، بجانب أن مستوى محمد قد شهد تراجعًا مؤخرًا، خاصة في هاتين المباراتين، وربما يكون ذلك قد وضع نهاية فعلية لحظوظه”.

وأضاف: “هناك لاعبون ما زالوا يشاركون في هذه البطولات ولم ينخفض مستواهم في الدوريات الأخرى، لذلك من الصعب رؤية صلاح يتفوق عليهم الآن”.

واختتم بينانت تصريحاته بالتأكيد على تأثير الإقصاء القاري على نفسية صلاح، قائلاً: “كان واضحًا مدى حزنه بعد الخروج من دوري أبطال أوروبا، وأعتقد أن جزءًا من ذلك يعود لإدراكه أن فرصته في الفوز بالجائزة ربما قد ضاعت”.

Aston Villa battling to sign "brilliant" defender compared to Harry Maguire

Hoping to add some crucial squad depth amid their attempts to balance European and domestic football, Aston Villa are now reportedly battling to sign a Championship defender who’s been compared to Harry Maguire.

Aston Villa transfer news

Whilst the Villans haven’t stolen the same headlines as last season amid their battle to compete on all fronts, Unai Emery’s side have still had some moments to savour, defeating both Bayern Munich and, more recently, Manchester City in convincing fashion. It’s the type of results that once seemed a fantasy and fantasy only, but Emery now has the Midlands club living their reality in dreamland.

Aston Villa may join Premier League race to sign "excellent" £40m attacker

The Villans are competing with the Premier League’s best once again.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 20, 2024

Villa won’t want it to end just yet, however. They’ll be desperate to make it back-to-back top four finishes this season to establish themselves once and for all among the Premier League’s very best.

To do that though, they’ll need to shift their focus back towards the transfer market with rumours already beginning to emerge around just who Aston Villa could welcome in the January window. Names such as Manfred Ugalde have already been mentioned as he continues a fine season in front of goal, but it could yet be a Championship defender who truly steals the headlines.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Aston Villa are now battling to sign Daniel Ballard in a hectic race for his signature ahead of the likes of Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard.

The Sunderland defender has impressed in the Championship and, with or without the Black Cats, looks destined to reach England’s top flight. At 25 years old, a move to a club on the rise such as Aston Villa would be perfectly timed and would hand Ballard a route back to the Premier League for the first time since leaving Arsenal in 2022.

"Brilliant" Ballard could replace Mings

As talented as Aston Villa’s squad is, they’ve got an ageing backline to address sooner rather than later. As things stand, Emery has two centre-backs above the age of 30 in Diego Carlos and Tyrone Mings – with the latter just returning from an ACL injury – and Pau Torres, who is 27 years old and at his best. And whilst that’s no reason to panic, it will become a problem if the Villans don’t add a player of Ballard’s calibre in 2025.

The Sunderland defender is just 25 years old and at the peak of his powers in a rise that Tony Mowbray saw coming during his time at the Stadium of Light. The former Black Cats boss told reporters via Chronicle Live last September: “He’s an outstanding defender, he’s a brilliant footballer. I say we’re lucky to have him, but it was brilliant recruitment to bring Dan Ballard to this football club. He’s a diamond of a lad.

“I’m not sure where his ceiling is but he’s a wonderful footballer and an old-school centre-half who puts his body on the line. And if he plays against a really strong player, he just gets stronger himself.”

Also compared to Manchester United defender Maguire by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Ballard remains one to watch.

Alex Davies, Dom Sibley steer Warwickshire to ten-wicket win over Essex

Champions make short work of small target to get title defence up and running

ECB Reporters Network24-Apr-2022

Dom Sibley helped Warwickshire knock off their target•Getty Images

Warwickshire completed the first victory of their LV=Insurance County Championship title defence by polishing off Essex by ten wickets an hour after lunch on the final day at Edgbaston.Essex resumed on the last morning on 290 for 8, just 73 ahead and needing something special from their last two wickets to stay in the game. But they added only another 33 to be all out for 323 and leave the home side a victory target of 107 in more than two sessions. Both wickets fell to concussion substitute Craig Miles who ended with 4 for 85 while Simon Harmer was left stranded on 75.Openers Alex Davies, who made his first fifty since joining Warwickshire over the winter, and Dom Sibley eased Warwickshire to victory with an unbroken stand of 110 in 37.4 overs. The emphatic win rounded off a strong start to the season for the defending champions after their solid opening-game draw with Surrey.Essex were left to digest their first defeat of the campaign and also the blow of England batter Dan Lawrence’s hamstring injury which is likely to sideline him for several weeks. Tom Westley’s side will also reflect on some careless first innings batting as the root cause of their defeat.Alex Davies made an unbeaten 65 on Warwickshire debut•Getty Images

Miles, who was drafted into the team as concussion sub on Friday afternoon when Liam Norwell took a short ball on the head, proved to have a significant impact on the match. Within minutes of arriving at the ground, summoned from home, he was batting at No. 11 and helped Michael Burgess add 64 for the last wicket.Then he took two important wickets late on the third day and added the final two on the last morning. An inswinger trapped Mark Steketee lbw and an outswinger did for Sam Cook whose edge gave wicketkeeper Burgess his fifth catch of the innings. Harmer ran out of partners, frustratingly as he looked untroubled in the excellent batting conditions.Chasing 107 in a minimum of 85 overs, Davies and Sibley took their time. They acquired eight runs from the first nine overs as Cook and Shane Snater bowled testing new-ball spells, but the true pitch throttled any Essex hopes of triggering the requisite clatter.Warwickshire eased to 50 in the 23rd over after which Davies advanced to a fluent 50 from 107 balls, maintaining his proud record of having scored a half-century in every first-class match he has played at Edgbaston (two for Lancashire and now one for his new county).

USMNT's Folarin Balogun scores hat trick in Monaco friendly in first match after return from shoulder injury

The 23-year-old striker bagged three goals inside 45 minutes as he nears a return to competitive action for the senior team

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  • Folarin Balogun scores hat trick for Monaco "Elites" squad in friendly
  • All three goals scored within 45-minute span
  • USMNT forward on verge of return from shoulder surgery
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    U.S. international Folarin Balogun scored a hat trick for Monaco's "Elites Group' in a club friendly against Brighton's U23 side on Tuesday. The American's three goals all came within a 45-minute span, the club said.

    Ther 23-year-old recently returned to full team training after undergoing shoulder surgery in December. Prior to injury, he made seven appearances for Monaco in Ligue 1 action, recording six starts and scoring three goals.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Balogun has yet to feature under USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino due to the shoulder issue.

    In early October, he scored his third goal of the year in a 2-1 victory over Rennes, but later in the match he suffered a dislocated shoulder that kept him out of both the October and November camps under the Argentine with the USMNT. He returned in late November, and after playing 68 minutes in a match against Marseille on Dec. 1, re-aggravated the shoulder injury – and he opted for surgery as a result.

    This past week – with Balogun unavailable in addition to fellow striker Ricardo Pepi, midfielder Malik Tillman and defenders Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson – the U.S. crashed out of the CONCACAF Nations League finals, falling to Panama in the semifinal match and to Canada in the third-place game.

    If healthy, Balogun will be available for selection for the June international friendlies and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    In 14 appearances with the USMNT, Balogun has scored five goals and recorded three assists.

  • AFP

    WHAT NEXT FOR BALOGUN?

    It's unknown if Balogun will be fit for the weekend when Monaco's senior team take on rivals Nice in Ligue 1 action, but the match presents an opportunity for the 23-year-old to play his first competitive minutes of the calendar year.

برشلونة يحدد أول أهدافه الصيفية من الدوري الإيطالي

كشفت تقارير صحفية إيطالية، أن نادي برشلونة الإسباني حدد أول أهدافه الصيفية، بالتعاقد مع أحد لاعبي الدوري الإيطالي، بطلب من المدرب هانز فليك.

برشلونة ينافس على البطولات الثلاث، دوري أبطال أوروبا والدوري الإسباني وكأس ملك إسبانيا، قبل أقل من شهر على نهاية الموسم، رغم عدم التعاقد مع أي لاعب في ميركاتو الصيف، سوى داني أولمو.

النادي الكتالوني يسعى لتعزيز صفوفه في الموسم المقبل، مستغلًا الانتعاشة المالية المنتظرة بتقدمه تحت قيادة فليك، وتواجده لأول مرة في نصف النهائي منذ عام 2019.

طالع أيضًا.. تقارير: لاعب ثالث يتمرد على هانز فليك في برشلونة

صحيفة “توتو سبورت” الإيطالية، أكدت أن برشلونة يضع عينه على اللاعب الإيطالي مويس كين، مهاجم يوفنتوس وباريس سان جيرمان الأسبق، والذي يتألق مع فيورنتينا هذا الموسم.

ولدى اللاعب شرط جزائي في عقده يمكن تفعيله خلال الفترة من 1 حتى 15 يوليو المقبل، بـ50 مليون يورو، وهو ما يجعل النادي الكتالوني ليس بحاجة للتفاوض مع فيورنتينا.

على الجانب الآخر، يسعى فيورنتينا لبقاء مويس كين، الذي انفجر تحت قيادة المدرب بالادينو بملعب أرتيميو فرانكي، حيث تمكن من تسجيل 23 هدفًا بمختلف المسابقات خلال 39 مباراة، مع صناعة 3 أهداف.

ويسعى برشلونة للحصول على توقيع مويس كين في الصيف، لخلافة روبرت ليفاندوفسكي الذي سيخوض موسمه الأخير مع البلوجرانا، ومع تقدمه في العمر، يبدو أنه لا نية لدى النادي الكتالوني بتجديد عقده.

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