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Everton have been brilliant defensively under boss Sean Dyche, with the Toffees having the joint-best defensive record of any side outside the Premier League's top four – tied with Manchester United on 29 goals conceded.

The club have also kept the joint second-most clean sheets in the division, with Arsenal the only side in England's top flight to register more this season.

The Toffees' six-point deduction earlier this campaign, has seen the club linger around the Premier League's relegation zone, with the defensive record a huge boost in the club's battle to avoid the drop.

However, it's the Toffees' attack that has prevented them from pulling further clear of any danger, with Dyche's side only scoring 29 times in 28 games this campaign, with only bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United scoring fewer.

The club could've benefitted from a former player who they sold back in 2019, with the forward currently enjoying a brilliant goalscoring campaign.

Henry Onyekuru's stats at Everton

After finding the net 22 times for KAS Eupen in 2016/17, Everton forked out £7m on attacker Henry Onyekuru, with the Nigerian having huge potential to be a star after his breakthrough campaign aged just 20.

The club wanted him to gain consistent first-team minutes to continue his development, with the Toffees loaning the youngster out to Anderlecht for the 2017/18 season.

Onyekuru excelled once more, scoring ten goals in his 27 appearances away from Goodison, but his form wasn't enough to warrant a first-team place, with the winger leaving the club on loan once more.

He spent the next campaign at Turkish outfit Galatasaray, continuing his excellent form in front of goal – contributing with 16 goals as he helped the Istanbul outfit claim the Süper Lig title in 2018/19.

Despite scoring 26 times over his two loan spells away from the club, Everton failed to receive a work permit for Onyekuru, with the club deciding to sell the then 22-year-old to Monaco for £12m – leaving Goodison without making a single appearance.

Henry Onyekuru's stats in 2023/24

Four years on from his Everton departure, Onyekuru is now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, starring for Al-Fayha, who sit 8th in the Saudi Pro League.

He joined the Saudi side back in August 2023, with the 26-year-old impressing in his 24 league appearances this campaign.

His tally of ten goals this campaign, ranks him within the top ten goalscorers within the division – behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and former Newcastle United and Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Despite being a lower-quality division, the Nigerian attacker has outperformed current Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin with the 27-year-old scoring just three goals in the same number of appearances.

Appearances

24

24

Goals

10

3

Assists

3

1

Big chances missed

8

12

Average rating

7.33

6.60

Calvert-Lewin has failed to hit the heights he's achieved in recent seasons, with the striker's xG of 5.29 expected goals in the Premier League reflecting that he's missed multiple big chances, scoring two goals less than he should have based on the opportunities he's had in front of goal.

Onyekuru has proven himself to be a consistent goalscorer wherever he's been. It's a real shame that he couldn't receive a work permit during his time at Goodison, with the Nigerian's goalscoring record being of use to Dyche's side given their lack of goals this campaign.

A low Manchester United offer for Matthijs de Ligt has reportedly been rejected by Bayern Munich.

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Man Utd make lowball De Ligt offerBayern reject first bid for the defenderBundesliga side need to make salesWHAT HAPPENED?

United have been after De Ligt's signature all summer long and, as per , they have had a reported lowball offer of €35 million (£29.4m/$38.1m) turned down by Bayern Munich, who want a fee north of €50m (£42.1m/$54.4m) according to multiple sources.

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The Red Devils have already signed one centre-back in the form of Leny Yoro. However, they are still convinced to make at least one more centre-back acquisition after the departures of Willy Kambwala and Raphael Varane this summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has spoken in length about the need to make sales this summer before they can make any more signings, with the Bavarians having spent a total of €127.5 million (£107.3m/$138.8m) on Hiroki Ito, Michael Olise and Joao Palhinha.

He said [via ]: "No new players will come if no one goes first. Max [Eberl] and [sporting director] Christoph Freund know very well that new players can only come to FC Bayern if a few prominent players leave. If theoretically no one leaves, we have three more players. Money doesn't come out of anyone's ass at Bayern. It is possible that a defender will leave. De Ligt is Dutch, and the manager of Manchester United is Dutch. I would have no problem with him staying. Personally, I wouldn't sell Upamecano."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

The Red Devils will likely increase their bid for De Ligt soon but if the transfer talks continue for too long, Bayern could be forced to decrease their asking price as they look to trim the squad.

Endrick has been given some advice after looking “nervous” in a Clasico clash with Barcelona following his transfer to Real Madrid.

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Teenager taking on new challengeBlancos have high hopes for youngsterEager to impress during pre-seasonGetty ImgesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian wonderkid is considered to be the hottest of prospects and has completed a €35 million (£30m/$38m) switch to Santiago Bernabeu after celebrating his 18th birthday. A loan move has been ruled out for the youngster, with the plan being to give him plenty of game time in 2024-25.

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Endrick is being eased into the Blancos fold by Carlo Ancelotti but has made little impact through early outings, including a 2-1 friendly defeat to Barca in the United States. Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told reporters after that contest: “Endrick has a lot of strength, a lot of power. And maybe he needs to be a little calmer. I'm not saying he's nervous, but it's normal that you're playing with Madrid in big games and you get a little more nervous. But you can see in training that he scores a lot of goals and has a lot of strength.”

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Arda Guler, fresh from starring for Turkey at Euro 2024, is another exciting starlet on Real’s books. Courtois added on the 19-year-old playmaker, who is preparing for his second season in Spain: “He's a different Arda compared to last year. After his knee injury, he's worked hard in the gym and you can see that he's a different guy physically. He's good at attacking, he's good at passing. We have a lot of good players and they're going to fight for positions and that's what helps Madrid to be Madrid and win trophies.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Alongside Endrick, Real have added World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe to their ranks this summer. He joins an attacking unit that also includes Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and England international superstar Jude Bellingham.

The primary laws applied to determine the fairness of Renshaw’s catch were 19.4 and 19.5, which concern the fielder and the ball being grounded

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jan-2020Matt Renshaw pulled off a spectacular, dynamic fielding effort on Thursday that took place beyond the boundary at the Gabba to get rid of Hobart Hurricanes opener Matthew Wade.Responding to a powerful lofted stroke from Wade, Renshaw ran to his left at wide long-on and caught the ball overhead with reverse-cupped hands a yard inside the rope, but then lost his balance as he skipped over the rope. But Renshaw’s brilliance, as well as presence of mind, were highlighted as he lobbed the ball before he jumped over the ropes and then skipped again to sort of spike the ball back into play for Tom Banton, who completed the catch.The laws used

Law 19.4.2 The ball in play is to be regarded as being grounded beyond the boundary if:
– a fielder, grounded beyond the boundary as in 19.5, touches the ball;
– a fielder, after catching the ball within the boundary, becomes grounded beyond the boundary while in contact with the ball, before completing the catch.
Law 19.5.1 A fielder is grounded beyond the boundary if some part of his/her person is in contact with any of the following:
– the boundary or any part of an object used to mark the boundary;
– the ground beyond the boundary;
– any object that is in contact with the ground beyond the boundary;
– another fielder who is grounded beyond the boundary, if the umpire considers that it was the intention of either fielder that the contact should assist in the fielding of the ball.

Law 33.2.1 A catch will be fair only if, in every case either the ball, at any time or any fielder in contact with the ball,is not grounded beyond the boundary before the catch is completed.
Law 33.2.2.4 A fielder catches the ball after it has crossed the boundary in the air, provided that the conditions in 33.2.1 are met.

Wade was as dumbstruck and clueless as Ben Cutting, the bowler, when this sequence ended. Neither of them was aware whether it was out or not. Even the third umpire initially ruled not out, but reversed his decision upon studying the replays, and probably, the laws, which were changed first in 2013 and updated in 2017 to encourage fielders to go for such dynamic fielding efforts.The primary laws applied to determine the fairness of Renshaw’s catch were 19.4 and 19.5, which concern the fielder and the ball being grounded. The key thing for the match officials to determine was if Renshaw’s first contact with the ball was inside the boundary – it was – and whether his feet were not touching the ground beyond the boundary when he lobbed the ball back in for Banton – they weren’t. He came out clean on both counts.ALSO READ – Maxwell criticises boundary-catch law change”I was just worried about where the rope was and trying to keep it in,” Renshaw told the host broadcaster, describing the catch. “They always say play to the whistle in warm-up games. I made sure I played the whistle. I was trying to pass it to myself and luckily my twin Bants [Tom Banton] was over there ready to catch it as well. Just tried to play the whistle and keep the ball up and made sure I was in the air. But there was a fair bit of luck I reckon.””Pretty good,” was how Wade marked Renshaw’s brilliance. “I had no idea of the rule really – once he hit outside the field of play I didn’t know if he was allowed to touch the ball or not,” Wade told the host broadcaster. “Umpires said he was, and once they told me he was allowed to (go) outside the field of play and tap it back in, I knew I was out. It was pretty good work – I’m not sure he would’ve been able to have done that a few years ago, Renshaw.”

Aston Villa are thought to be eyeing up a move for a Premier League teenager following his bright start in the top flight.

Aston Villa transfer rumours

It is shaping up to be a memorable first full season in charge for Unai Emery, with the Villans currently on course for a top-four finish.

The club are also still competing in the Europa Conference League, but away from the pitch, NSWE and Monchi appear to be looking ahead to the upcoming transfer window, despite backing Emery in the past two windows.

Aston Villa signings 2023/24

Fee

Pau Torres (Villarreal)

£33m

Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen)

Undisclosed

Youri Tielemans (Leicester City)

Free

Rico Richards (West Bromwich Albion)

Free

Nicolo Zaniolo (Galatasaray)

Loan

Morgan Rogers (Middlesbrough)

Undisclosed

Kosta Nedeljkovic (Red Star Belgrade)

£6.5m

Joe Gauci (Adelaide United)

Undisclosed

Lino Sousa (Arsenal)

Undisclosed

A plethora of names have been linked with moves to Villa Park, with speculation increasing over a free transfer for Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso.

Leeds United star Crysencio Summerville is another rumoured target, whereas a sensational return to the Midlands for Jack Grealish has recently been mooted. Alongside possible big-name signings, Villa could also look at some young, homegrown talent, and their latest target fits that bill.

Aston Villa eyeing Ollie Arblaster move

According to The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones, Aston Villa are monitoring Sheffield United teenager Ollie Arblaster ahead of a possible move.

West Ham United are also keen on the midfielder following what has been an eventful campaign. He began the season out on loan with Port Vale, where his ‘outstanding’ performances as well as an injury resulted in him being recalled by Chris Wilder in the New Year.

The Blades boss gave Arblaster a Premier League debut off the bench against Arsenal and has since started in draws with AFC Bournemouth and Fulham, turning out in defensive and central midfield roles.

The 19-year-old was recently rewarded with a call up to England’s Elite squad, formerly England U20s, and was praised by former Sheffield United forward Carl Asaba. He called Arblaster “brilliant” for the impact he has made for the Blades, saying:

"His performances are brilliant. The way he played against Bournemouth was great. To deal with all the hype of the England Elite squad and then to go and score, it's just brilliant.

"He will get a great reception from the lads. I remember when I was here and we had Phil Jagielka breaking into the youth ranks and coming through. When we saw him after international duty, we were full of praise and admiration.”

Aston Villa gifted chance to sign £100m player for Emery this summer

NSWE could get a player worth nine digits for a much lower fee this summer.

ByBen Goodwin Apr 1, 2024

Should the Blades suffer likely relegation from the Premier League, then perhaps a move to Villa Park for Arblaster could be one to watch, although they may have to act fast with West Ham also keeping an eye.

Slovenia is a small but dynamic nation that has produced talent that shines both nationally and globally, leaving a lasting impression on its home country. Despite having a small population, they have produced football players who have thrived in elite European leagues and international competitions, taking Slovenian football to new heights.

Since separating from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, they have twice qualified for the FIFA World Cup and twice for the UEFA European Championship, although they have never advanced past the group stage in a major competition.

Slovenia defeated Algeria 1-0 at the 2010 World Cup to record their first, and thus far, only victory in a major competition. However, they have produced several impressive results, including a 1-0 victory over Italy in a 2006 World Cup qualifier, which was the only loss Italy suffered throughout that World Cup campaign.

With that, here is the list of who we believe are the ten greatest Slovenian footballers, based on their overall impact at either club or international level during their careers…

1

Branko Oblak

1965-1985

2

Jan Oblak

2009-present

3

Darko Milanič

1986-2000

4

Samir Handanović

2003-2023

5

Zlatko Zahovic

1989-2009

6

Milivoje Novaković

1999-2017

7

Robert Koren

1996-2017

8

Džoni Novak

1988-2003

9

Josip Iličić

2007-present

10

Boštjan Cesar

2000-2020

10 Boštjan Cesar 2000-2020

Boštjan Cesar is well-known for his position as a central defender. Cesar has received recognition throughout his career for his commanding physical presence on the field, which was helped by his towering height.

After starting his professional career in Slovenia with NK Olimpija Ljubljana, Cesar went on to play for teams in some of the major divisions in Europe. One of his teams was Dinamo Zagreb, where he achieved great success, winning the Croatian First League. After that, Cesar relocated to the Italian Serie A and spent several years playing for Chievo Verona, eventually rising to be one of the team’s main players and a favourite among the supporters because of his dedication and on-field exploits.

The 41-year-old is the most-capped player for Slovenia, having accrued 101. He featured in the 2010 World Cup and captained the Slovenian side at times throughout his career.

9 Josip Iličić 2007-present

Josip Iličić is renowned for his technical prowess, adaptability and remarkable ability to score goals from midfield positions.

The peak of his club career came with Atalanta in Serie A, when he played a crucial role in the team’s domestic and European success. Iličić demonstrated his capacity to compete on the greatest stages at Atalanta with his exploits in the Champions League, especially his incredible four-goal performance against Valencia in the 2019/20 season.

During his time at Atalanta, he scored 60 goals and laid on 46 assists, which has helped his overall career tally reach 150 goals and 94 assists.

Appearing 86 times for the Slovenian national team, he also won Slovenian Footballer of the Year in 2019.

8 Džoni Novak 1988-2003

Džoni Novak was praised for his technical prowess, adaptability and a capacity to impact the game from a variety of places on the field.

His stints as a player in France and Germany were the high points of his club career, showcasing his ability to compete at the top levels of European football. Operating as a left-midfielder and at left-back for the majority of his career, he managed to produce seven goals and laid on 17 assists, as well as becoming a Greek and Slovenian league champion.

He appeared at Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup for Slovenia, making 74 appearances for his country.

7 Robert Koren 1996-2017

Robert Koren is highly regarded for his leadership abilities, remarkable midfield intellect, and scoring prowess.

His best club stint was at Hull City, where he helped the Tigers return to the Premier League in 2013, scoring and assisting 50 goals in his time up north.

The 42-year-old received 62 caps for the Slovenian national team, with some of them coming during the 2010 World Cup. His influence for his country was rewarded when he was handed the captain’s armband.

6 Milivoje Novaković 1999-2017

Milivoje Novaković is a name that quickly rose to fame in Slovenia, with his goalscoring abilities catching the eyes of many.

The pinnacle of Novaković’s club career was his tenure at FC Köln in the German Bundesliga, where he made a name for himself with his clinical finishing, aerial skill and ability to hold up play. He scored 82 goals and assisted 25 in 176 appearances.

He’s also the second-highest goalscorer for his country, with 32 goals to his name in just 80 appearances.

5 Zlatko Zahovic 1989-2009

Explosive forward Zlatko Zahovic significantly impacted the club and the international scene during his playing career. Zahovic made 248 appearances at club level, contributing 71 goals and 35 assists. As well as this, he won nine trophies in stints at FC Porto, Benfica, Olympiacos and Partizan Belgrade, becoming one of the most decorated players in Slovenian history.

Zahovic currently holds the record for the most goals for Slovenia with 35. He also appeared at the 2002 World Cup and scored three goals at Euro 2000.

4 Samir Handanović 2003-2023

Slovenian goalkeeper Samir Handanović had a distinguished career, having made significant contributions at club and international level.

With 719 career appearances to his name, Handanović established himself as one of Serie A’s most dependable and steady goalkeepers, particularly with Inter. His quick reflexes, command of the penalty area and superb shot-stopping abilities were crucial to Inter’s defensive prowess and helped them win several league and cup titles.

Regarding the international arena, Handanović amassed 81 caps for Slovenia. He took part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup where Slovenia performed admirably but narrowly failed to advance from the group stage. Handanovic also won three Slovenian Player of the Year awards during his career.

3 Darko Milanič 1986-2000

The multi-decade career of Darko Milanič is characterised by accomplishments as a player and manager. He was a reliable defender, mostly for the Slovenian national team and Sturm Graz in Austria. It’s safe to say he became a significant figure in Sturm Graz’s history in the late 1990s and early 2000s by winning numerous Austrian Bundesliga titles and Austrian Cups.

Milanič represented Slovenia in competitions such as the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2000, earning 45 caps for the national team. They don’t make many like him, with his leadership and defensive solidity making him the first name on the teamsheet for a number of years for Slovenia.

In England, he is perhaps most noted for briefly being the Leeds United manager, with Milanic lasting just over a month at Elland Road.

2 Jan Oblak 2009-present

Jan Oblak has made a name for himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, especially because of his incredible achievements with Atlético Madrid. Since joining Atletico in 2014, Oblak has established himself as a key member, with his exceptional shot-stopping ability, dominant presence in the penalty area and adeptness in one-on-one scenarios, helping the Spanish club achieve great success.

Oblak has kept over 200 clean sheets in his time in the Spanish capital, which has been essential to the team’s accomplishments, including the La Liga title in 2020/21, the Europa League in 2017/18, and Los Rojiblancos’ run to the Champions League final in 2016.

Oblak now has 76 caps and has been a central figure for the national team. He has also won the Slovenian Player of the Year award four times.

1 Branko Oblak 1965-1985

Branko Oblak (not related to Jan) is a legendary football player who represents a generation of players with exceptional skill and vision on the pitch.

During his club career, he made a significant impact at Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, Hajduk Split and Olimpija Ljubljana. He enhanced his legacy with Bayern Munich in the mid-1970s when he helped the team win the Bundesliga in 1980.

Oblak also competed in significant competitions such as the Euro 1976 and the 1974 World Cup, earning 46 caps as one of few Slovenians of that generation to turn out for Yugoslavia.

Batsman had been told to force his way back into selection contention through “weight of runs”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2020Temba Bavuma pitched his case for Test selection with a career-best first-class score of 180 on Thursday, before suggesting that he had grabbed his opportunity to spend time in the middle “with both hands”.Faced with an improbable fourth-innings target of 430, Bavuma resumed his innings on 41 after Lions were reduced to 98 for 4 overnight in their four-day game against Dolphins. He reached a fluent 50 soon before lunch, and celebrated with a punch of the air after bringing up his 15th first-class hundred from 153 balls.Wickets continued to fall around him, and he was eventually the last man out, miscuing Senuran Muthusamy’s left-arm spin to Andile Phehlukwayo at cover, who took a sharp catch. His 180 was the second-highest score in the fourth innings of a franchise match in South Africa, beaten only by Dean Elgar’s 189 not out in 2009.ALSO READ: Absent Bavuma highlights SA’s ever-present transformation issues”From a personal point of view, it’s always awesome to contribute to the team,” Bavuma told . “I have been someone who has been trying to rack up those big scores, fortunately today was that opportunity and I was able to grab it with both hands.”It was massive [to get time in the middle]. It feels like I hadn’t played cricket for ages to be honest, the last game I played was last week, but before that it was a T20 game [on December 1].”It was nice to be out in the middle, in the middle is where you can practice and practice and practice. You can set your goals and that stuff, but what matters is what you do in the middle, where you’re able to get your mind in the right space.Bavuma suggested that he had felt in good form even in the first innings, when he was caught at silly mid-on via the inside edge.”Not to be arrogant or anything, but I felt good even in the first innings,” he said. “It was a good wicket – yes the wicket deteriorated quite quickly, but I felt it was a good wicket. You had to have good plans against the spinners, and they were lucky in that they had guys that turn in away and guys that turn it in, that always kept you on your toes as a batter.”If you had your plans, stuck to your plans, there were definitely runs out there. I felt good from the first innings – soft dismissal from me, getting out to the right-arm offie [Prenelan Subrayen] – second innings, I tried to make things right.”Bavuma’s timing could hardly have been better, having been told publicly by Faf du Plessis that the only way to force his way back into the Test team was through “weight of runs”. It comes at the end of a long lean run with the bat: while he made two first-class hundreds for Northamptonshire in the County Championship last summer, his most recent ton on home soil came in the Cape Town Test of 2016, more than four years ago.Bavuma’s absence from the ongoing series against England has been a major talking point, with South Africa again missing their transformation targets in the Port Elizabeth Test. Du Plessis said on the eve of the game that he was “not getting in a battle with myself and Temba over who plays and who doesn’t”, while assistant coach Enoch Nkwe described him as a possible replacement for du Plessis as captain in the long term.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and defender Levi Colwill have spoken about Enzo Fernandez's return to the squad after recent controversy.

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Fernandez back with Chelsea squad after Copa AmericaMidfielder has been caught up in racism stormChelsea players say issue has been dealt withWHAT HAPPENED?

Fernandez is back with his club side for pre-season following a summer where he made headlines for all the wrong reasons after footage emerged of the midfielder singing a racist chant during Argentina's Copa America celebrations. The video was condemned by team-mates, including Wesley Fofana, and Chelsea subsequently instigated disciplinary proceedings.

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The saga threatened to derail Chelsea's season before it had even begun. However, Fernandez issued a swift apology on social media and has since met face-to-face to talk to his team-mates after rejoining the squad. Maresca and Colwill have now been asked about the mood within the squad and have opened up on how the situation has been dealt with internally.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

The Chelsea boss told a press conference: "To be honest, we all feel very comfortable. Enzo is back, he had a chat with all of us to clarify there were not any bad intentions. The lads all accepted. Since last night, everything was like before; they were together, all laughing – normal situation. The meeting was between Enzo, some of his mates, Wesley was there. They spoke with each other. It is normal sometimes the first reaction is not good. They know Enzo better than me and they know he is a good guy. There is nothing more to add. We all make mistakes. Enzo apologised already four or five times. Since yesterday's session, last night, the situation is completely normal. It is what I expected. There were no bad intentions. They are all good people, but all of us sometimes can make mistakes."

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WHAT COLWILL SAID

Colwill also spoke about Fernandez. He added: "We are a team. We move forward together. Everything that happens stays between us and we are really excited ahead of the new season."

Aston Villa remain interested in signing Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid as Unai Emery looks to strengthen his squad.

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Aston Villa look to Felix to bolster attackEmery's side have already made eight signingsFelix on loan at Barcelona last seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

After already making eight signings this transfer window, including Amadou Onana from Everton and Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, Unai Emery is aiming to bring Felix in, to help bolster his squad ahead of Champions League football. According to The Mirror, the deal remains on, despite there being little movement over the past few weeks.

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With Villa qualifying for the Champions League, they have wasted little time in trying to recruit quality to their ranks. European football could be a key factor in attracting Felix to the Midlands, but an agreement on wages and a transfer fee could prove difficult. Although, with Julian Alvarez set to arrive at Atletico Madrid, Felix could be the one to pay the price.

(C)Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Felix is one of Atletico's biggest earners, and when he arrived on loan to Barcelona in the 2023-24 season he had to reduce his salary in order to seal his dream move. While in Catalonia he scored seven goals and assisted three more in 30 games. It is likely a similar act of generosity is going to have to happen again if the 24-year-old is going to leave Madrid this summer.

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WHAT NEXT FOR FELIX AND ATLETICO MADRID?

Atletico seem keen to offload Felix, as they themselves also conduct a transformational transfer window, bringing in Alvarez and Chelsea's Conor Gallagher. The Portuguese will either have to fight for his spot under Diego Simeone or look for a way out. Aston Villa could provide that and after finding ways to get around their PSR issues, they could make another big statement in the window.

If Erik ten Hag's future wasn't up for debate before Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday, then it very much is now.

Saturday evening marked another chapter in the Old Trafford circus with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now left to pick up the pieces from a bizarre series of events.

This wasn't how the opening act of his tenure with United was meant to go. This was a new dawn, hopes of a brighter future had swarmed over the 20-time English champions. Alas, football very rarely follows the script.

After a fourth straight game in which the Red Devils had failed to win in the Premier League, it left them ten points behind Aston Villa in the race for fourth, a gap that could widen if the Villans beat Arsenal in Sunday's late kick-off.

The pressure clearly getting to Ten Hag, he remarkably stormed out of his press conference post-match. He did so having 'thrown Garnacho under a bus' – in the words of Mark Goldbridge – for some of his post-game comments.

The Dutchman's style of play was also criticised by full-back Diogo Dalot, who said: "It's been one of our concerns, maybe [we need to] try to be more compact as a team – don't try to make the gap between defenders and midfield too big,"

It doesn't bode well, therefore, for the former Ajax boss' future in English football.

Erik ten Hag replacement lined up

A number of successors have been discussed in recent weeks with Thiago Motta at Bologna thought to be on the list and even ex-Chelsea man Graham Potter.

Considering how the latter left his role at Stamford Bridge, that is unlikely to excite many in the northwest. However, the thought of Julian Nagelsmann may do.

According to TEAMtalk, the German boss – who was described as "the coaching wonderkid" by scout Jacek Kulig – is of increasing interest to Ratcliffe at Man United.

At the moment, Nagelsmann is in charge of the German national team and therefore any move is unlikely to happen before the European Championships have concluded this summer.

However, the latest is that he has ‘received an offer’ to take the job at an unnamed Premier League club from the start of next season. That's according to Sport1.

Man Utd could hire "special" Ten Hag replacement who plays a 2-7-2 system

Man Utd are looking at a manager whose formation has been described as a 2-7-2.

ByMatt Dawson Apr 9, 2024 What Julian Nagelsmann could bring to Man United

Nagelsmann has been a name on the lips of the elite teams for a host of years now.

Currently participating in his first international job, the 36-year-old had enjoyed nearly two seasons with Bayern Munich where he won the league in his debut campaign before being given his marching orders.

Thomas Tuchel replaced him and we all know how that's played out. Bayern have failed to win the Bundesliga for the first time in 11 years and risk going trophyless unless they can win the Champions League.

Thus, it would seem that German top-flight glory is not a foregone conclusion, so Nagelsmann deserves some credit for his achievements there.

After all, he has been labelled the "best young coach in Europe" by reporter Josh Bunting for a reason. What is that reason? Well, he's been around the block for nearly a decade now despite his young age.

At 28, he became Hoffenheim's youngest manager in their history when he took over in 2015 and duly proved his worth, securing Champions League qualification with the club.

But, how does he do it? What's the young manager's style and philosophy?

Well, it certainly bodes well for fixing some of Man United's biggest issues. While at Leipzig, the young coach preferred to play with limited width. That may not necessarily address the form of, let's say, Marcus Rashford, but it could address the ridiculous hole in the centre of the pitch.

United's midfield has been an issue all season long. Kobbie Mainoo has emerged to great success but Casemiro – who "looks like he's playing in Soccer Aid" – in the words of Jamie Redknapp has been a major reason for the club's downfall. He always looks rather leggy and as such, a constant stream of pressure is applied by opposition teams in central areas.

As the above video suggests, "overloading the centre is another favoured Nagelsmann tactic" with "possession and domination key to success".

So, first things first, Nagelsmann would need an upgrade on Casemiro in order to apply his previously described 'high octane' style of play.

Interestingly, he also seems to maintain high standards in the dressing room. The same cannot be said for Ten Hag. He's already fallen out with Jadon Sancho and a war of words could be set to follow with Garnacho too.

The German boss, however, likes to keep his feet on the ground. Speaking to the Bundesliga's official channels, he once said: "I don’t tell the players who's starting [a match] until we're in the dressing room at the stadium.

"It maintains morale. There's a danger, particularly with young players, that they'll spend too long in front of the TV the night before because they'll be thinking: 'I'm not playing tomorrow'. Even though I'm not the kind of person to criticise players for their actions, I don't want anything getting out before a game."

So, he maintains discipline, plays through the centre of the pitch and has a reputation as one of the great young managers around. What's not to like? He's even dealt with the pressure at Bayern pretty well. This would be a fine replacement for Ten Hag should Ratcliffe choose to go in a different direction.