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Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson believes the FA should have hired an English manager, calling Thomas Tuchel’s appointment a “sad indictment”.

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Tuchel hired to replace SouthgateHowe & Potter were linked with roleGerman eyeing World Cup gloryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel’s appointment as the new England head coach has been labelled a “sad indictment” by Parkinson, who believes English managers aren’t getting opportunities at the highest level of the game. Eddie Howe and Graham Potter were linked with the post vacated by Gareth Southgate, but the FA turned to former Chelsea boss Tuchel.

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The German has signed an 18-month deal to lead England through the 2026 World Cup. Parkinson isn’t the only person to question the decision, with Jamie Carragher saying “it doesn’t feel right” that the role went to a foreign coach. Ultimately, the FA chose the manager they believe gives them the best opportunity to end England’s lengthy wait for World Cup glory.

WHAT PARKINSON SAID

“Ideally, I would like an Englishman to manage England; I don’t think anyone would steer away from that," Parkinson told William Hill. "However, there wasn’t an obvious English candidate and I can understand why the FA made the decision to go with Thomas Tuchel. He’s managed in the Champions League, he’s got silverware to his name, and he’s been on the touchline in those top-end games, making key decisions when it matters most. I think he’ll be a good appointment, but everyone is a bit 50/50 between respecting that he’s a good manager and also being disappointed for the English managers.”

The 56-year-old added: “Our coaching courses and St. George’s Park are revered around Europe and around the world. It’s a little bit of a sad indictment that we haven’t got enough English managers at the top end of the game. Eddie Howe is a good example, he’s got a really big job now with Newcastle. But there’s still not enough opportunities for English managers at the top level. Nothing is given to you in football, though, you’ve got to earn those jobs.”

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Tuchel won’t take up his new position until January 1, with interim coach Lee Carsley overseeing England’s November fixtures. The first time that the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach will lead his new side in a match will be in March.

Trio are asymptomatic but medical staff will continue to monitor their health, CSA says

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2020A South African player has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the upcoming limited-overs series against England.The player and two others considered to be close contacts by South African team medical staff have all been placed in isolation in Cape Town. All are asymptomatic but doctors will continue to monitor them, Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Wednesday.CSA said about 50 tests were carried out on players and support staff before entering their biosecure base in Cape Town ahead of back-to-back series against England, due to start on November 27 with the first of three T20Is, followed by three ODIs. All matches will be played between Newlands and Paarl.”One player has returned a positive test result and two players were considered close contacts based on the risk assessment undertaken by the medical team,” the statement said. “All three players have been placed in immediate isolation in Cape Town as part of the COVID-19 protocols. While all players are asymptomatic, CSA’s medical team will monitor them to ensure their health and well-being.”At this stage, none of these players will be replaced for the tour, but two replacement players will be included into the squad for the purposes of the inter-squad practice matches that will be played on Saturday, 21 November.”England’s squad have arrived in South Africa to begin their preparations and will play a 50-over warm-up on Saturday in Cape Town. An ECB spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that all Covid-19 tests carried out on the England squad members had returned negative results.

With goals against Arsenal and Paris FC, the 22-year-old has made a fast start to the season. Can she maintain it ahead of the European Championship?

There is only so much you can learn from pre-season, but one of the biggest takeaways from Manchester City's summer tour of Australia was that no matter how head coach Gareth Taylor envisaged fitting Vivianne Miedema into his starting line-up, it could not come at the expense of Jess Park, the 22-year-old playmaker who has marked herself out as someone capable of playing a crucial role for both the Cityzens and England for many years to come.

On Sunday, as City opened their new Women's Super League season away to an Arsenal side expected to be a title rival, Park underlined just why so many felt that way. With the scores level at 1-1, she snatched a loose ball out of the air and, from 20 yards, showcased remarkable technique to fire it into the top corner to give City the lead.

While Miedema, the WSL's all-time top goal-scorer, came to the fore in the women's game as a No.9, in recent times she has been more prominent in a No.10 position she seemingly prefers. That is where she has been slotting into this City XI, but that is also where Park has made her own mark for the club.

Taylor took a risk on Sunday by playing them both, something which contributed to Arsenal carving out a number of chances on the counter and eventually taking a point from the game, which ended in a 2-2 draw. But goals from Park and Miedema also showed the reward such team selection brings. The young England star has a big future for club and country – and the City boss has no small role to play in ensuring she can thrive alongside his marquee summer signing.

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  Attack-minded approach

  In a way, it wasn't a surprise to see both Park and Miedema in City's line up on Sunday. After all, they briefly played in the same midfield in pre-season and both started, and scored, in the 5-0 thrashing of Paris FC just a few days earlier. Plus, they are two of City's best players, so it made sense for both to be involved from the get-go in such a big game.

  However, the defensive risk that a midfield featuring two very attack-minded players presents was evident throughout the match. The gap from City's centre-backs and Yui Hasegawa, in holding midfield, to Miedema and Park in their more advanced positions was often huge and there for Arsenal to exploit when they recovered the ball. That's not to say City's playmakers don't work hard and commit to their defensive work, more that they have a lot of ground to make up because of the structure of the midfield and the demands of the team's pressing.

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  'Have to be on the front foot'

  No one will have had a better view of that than Taylor, who took a seat right up in the top tier of the Emirates Stadium for the first hour of the match. "It's tough," he said of the space. "We understand that we give up some territory when we press the way we do. We press a lot with our wingers, that's no secret, and then obviously you can be kind of disjointed with the back four and Yui, but the players have to do it. We have to be on the front foot.

  "I think our pressing wasn't on it today, whereas in Paris on Wednesday, it was phenomenal and it just allowed us to dictate the pace of the game and play almost like a half-pitch practice, and that was our intention today. At times we did that. When we got it right, we forced them into mistakes that allowed us to maintain possession then around the edge of their box. We were close to it today and it's always like half a metre here or there that we're not quite in the right positions. But there's plenty to build on, for sure."

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  High risk, high reward

  What is a concern is that, because City are one of the best teams in England, most opponents will attempt to play on the counter when they come up against them, and they will be further encouraged by the gaps they saw appear in the Arsenal game on Sunday, particularly when the Gunners beat the press.

  What are Taylor's alternatives? He could beef up the midfield with a player not as attack-minded as Miedema or Park and drop one of them to the bench. He could push Miedema into the No.9 role at the expense of Khadija Shaw, who won the WSL Golden Boot last season. He could move Park into a wide role, where there is already ample competition in Chloe Kelly, Lauren Hemp, Mary Fowler and Aoba Fujino. Essentially, if he wants Park and Miedema in the same team, in roles that they excel in, without sacrificing something significant elsewhere, it is only with some risk.

  Many thought it would be a case of one or the other and that, given her world-class talent, Miedema would win that battle for inclusion in a first-choice XI. However, that Taylor is choosing to play both underlines just how important Park is to his team. That is a real testament to the work she has put in throughout 2024.

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  Patience is a virtue

  After all, 12 months ago, Park wasn't starting for City. Through the first 13 weeks of the 2023-24 WSL season, she had made just nine appearances, all from the bench. Her total game time stood at just 151 minutes.

  She kept working hard though, approaching those opportunities with a determined attitude while taking her chances to shine in the League Cup, in which she made five starts, scored two goals and registered one assist before City were eventually defeated by Chelsea in the semi-finals.

Mikel Arteta is now personally "working hard" to try and convince a £58,000-per-week player to join Arsenal.

Edu and Arteta targeting new midfielder for Arsenal

The Gunners' midfield could look very different by the first match day of next season.

Arsenal table formal bid to sign £52 million man who's "perfect" for Arteta

The Gunners are moving quickly pre-summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 15, 2024

Indeed, it is believed Arsenal are open to summer offers for Thomas Partey, with the Ghanaian's contract set to expire next year. Fitness issues, combined with the good form of some teammates, have unfortunately reduced Partey's role in comparison to previous seasons.

Uncertainty surrounds his future at the Emirates Stadium as a result, with fellow midfielder Mohamed Elneny also looking set to leave when his deal runs out this summer. Arsenal have been doing some legwork on signing a possible replacement for Partey already, despite the summer window not opening until June 14.

Arsenal's rumoured midfield targets since the beginning of 2024
Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Amadou Onana (Everton)
Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
Manu Kone (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Reports claim sporting director Edu and Arsenal chiefs have initiated contact with Bruno Guimaraes and his reps about joining for 24/25, but sealing a deal for the Brazil international would be both expensive and complicated, with Manchester City also lurking for a deal.

His Magpies contract will include a £100 million release clause, but only temporarily. As first revealed by Fabrizio Romano, Guimaraes' exit clause will be valid from the last week of May to the beginning of the final week of June, making it a race between the two title chasers.

A much more astute alternative for a cheaper price could be Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi. The Spaniard's contract includes a £52 million release clause, which would be half the price of Guimaraes, and he's even been called the "perfect midfielder" for them.

“My personal feeling is that Zubimendi would be fantastic," said Romano on which midfielder Arsenal should sign. "Even if [Amadou] Onana and Douglas [Luiz] have the advantage of both already knowing the Premier League. Zubimendi is fantastic player, he can help with his vision, quality and intelligence on the ball – he’s the perfect midfielder."

Arteta "working hard" to convince Zubimendi to join Arsenal

According to a report by The Boot Room this week, Arsenal's manager is now taking things into his own hands when it comes to bringing in the 25-year-old.

They claim Arteta is personally "working hard" to tempt Zubimendi into joining Arsenal, and the Sociedad stalwart is said to be the club's top choice to reinforce their midfield.

Other reports claim Arsenal have already bid for Zubimendi pre-summer, so it would appear they're attempting to grant the 42-year-old's wish for Zubimendi's arrival.

He's on around £58,000-per-week according to Football Transfers, so it wouldn't take much to improve his salary, as double that amount wouldn't even put him in touching distance of Arsenal's highest earners.

Derby County managed to win promotion back up to the Championship by being wheeler-dealers to a degree, in the market for cheap gems who would then go on to show their immense worth.

The likes of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, James Collins, Sonny Bradley and Curtis Nelson were all purchased for £0, with Paul Warne's side having the last laugh over these deals with their final position in the automatic promotion spots in League One.

That named quartet will now long to be etched into Pride Park folklore even further by starring in the division above and taking Derby to the next level, joining this cult hero in the history books potentially who was a diamond found in the rough all the way back in Derby's Premier League hay-day of the nineties.

Paulo Wanchope's time at Derby

Wanchope would arrive onto the scene at Derby in 1997 as an unknown entity from his native Costa Rica, a bold signing from the then Premier League Rams for a fee in the region of £600k.

The exciting gem would never look back, however, after arriving in England as a flashy new import with 25 goals mustered up from 77 games which included 13 in just one top-flight season during the 1997/98 campaign.

Player

Games played

Goals scored

1. Dean Sturridge

127

35

2. Paulo Wanchope

72

23

3. Malcolm Christie

92

22

4. Deon Burton

118

22

5. Franceso Baiano

64

16

Wanchope's debut goal for the Rams, even if he didn't go on to become the club's second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, would have been enough for him to become a cult figure alone with a silky solo run going unchallenged by multiple Manchester United shirts before the Costa Rican maverick simply stroked the ball home at Old Trafford.

Going on to play for both West Ham United and Manchester City after the Rams, where the goals didn't dry up with a combined 44 strikes registered for those clubs, Derby reaped the rewards for risking it all by giving Wanchope a chance relocating over from South America.

If this same golden move went through in today's inflated market, Derby would still be thanking their lucky stars that a deal went through when looking at what Wanchope's value would now be via TotallyMoney's Transfer Index.

Going up to the second tier now, Derby will aim to replicate this absolute steal by recruiting even more impressive cheap gems.

Wanchope's value in 2024

According to TotallyMoney, Wanchope's deal would still stand at a reasonable £5.5m with the bank not depleted too much at Pride Park in the process.

That would still be viewed as an unbelievable piece of business on the end of the Rams, who have splashed far more expensive amounts on the likes of Matej Vydra up top, who was signed for £8m in 2016 and only managed to net two more goals than the cheaper and more beloved Wanchope.

The now 47-year-old former Rams great still keeps tabs on how Derby are doing under Warne, stating that he believes the ex-Rotherham United manager can steer the team back to playing Premier League football over time in a recent interview.

Before any talk becomes too over-the-top, Derby will be more than happy with just surviving in the Championship for the time being after nearly going bust not too long ago.

Still, if they do return to the top flight eventually, they would love to have someone as daring as Wanchope in their ranks enthralling supporters with mazey runs and crucial goals.

Everton made it five Premier League games unbeaten yesterday when they beat Chris Wilder's Sheffield United side 1-0 at Goodison Park.

Sean Dyche's side secured all three points after Abdoulaye Doucoure's first goal in 2024 was enough to edge past the already relegated side, with the Toffees able to claim a fourth win in their last five matches.

The win sees the club occupy 15th place in the Premier League, 14 points clear of Luton Town despite suffering an eight-point deduction for multiple PSR breaches this campaign.

Had the club not received any sanctions during the current season, the Toffees would sit in 12th place, level on points with Brighton and Hove Albion, who sit within the top half of the division.

Despite already securing survival, Dyche's side produced an excellent display, with one player in particular showcasing his rapid development under the boss at Goodison.

Jarrad Branthwaite's stats against Sheff Utd

In what has been his breakthrough campaign at the club, centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite has impressed for the Toffees, starting all but three of the club's Premier League matches.

The youngster featured for the entirety of the outing, starring alongside fellow defender James Tarkowski as he has done on each occasion he's started in the Premier League during 2023/24.

During the victory, Branthwaite won 100% of the aerial duels he contested, whilst also completing 46 passes at a competition rate of 87%.

He also managed to complete two long passes, managing to find a teammate on every occasion, with the 21-year-old demonstrating his ability to play out from the back.

Minutes played

90

Passes completed

46/53 (87%)

Long passes completed

2/2 (100%)

Clearances

3

Tackles

4

Aerials won

3/3 (100%)

However, Branthwaite also showcased his talents defensively, winning four tackles – the second-most of any Everton player behind Amadou Onana – whilst making three clearances and contributing to the club's 13th clean sheet in the league.

The defender also received an 8/10 match rating for his display from Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley, with the sky being the limit for the former Carlisle United youngster.

Why Branthwaite is becoming Everton's best player

There's no denying Jordan Pickford has been a pivotal part of the club's recent form, with the goalkeeper part of the defence that has kept the second-most clean sheets in the Premier League this campaign.

Dyche's side have also conceded just 49 times this campaign, with only the top three of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool boasting better records in 2023/24.

However, when taking into consideration that this is Branthwaite's first full season of top-flight football in England, he's excelled and taken the league by storm at Goodison.

Within the Toffees squad. the 21-year ranks second for interceptions, clearances and blocks – with only experienced defender Tarkowski getting the better of the youngster.

He's also proved to be a threat at the opposite end of the pitch, scoring on three occasions, including a crucial goal in the win over local rivals just a couple of weeks ago.

After such an impressive season, it's no surprise to see his name being linked with big clubs such as Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag's sold holding a keen interest in the defender ahead of the summer.

Whilst any deal for the youngster would see the club make a huge profit on his £1m transfer, they must do everything to keep hold of the centre-back with Branthwaite undoubtedly set for big things.

He's been a real key to the Toffees' excellent defensive record, with the club unlikely to be able to reinvest a huge fee on a replacement given their recent struggles with PSR.

Los Blancos were held to a 1-1 draw by Mallorca in their opening La Liga match of the season in what was a frustrating evening for their forwards

Jude Bellingham does not mince his words. Though less than two months removed from his 21st birthday, the Real Madrid midfielder does not see himself as some junior member of the Blancos' dressing room. Rather, Bellingham not only leads with his performances, but also with how he deals with team-mates, as his former Borussia Dortmund colleagues will attest to.

So when footage emerged of the England international in conversation with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo at half-time of Madrid's opening-day draw with Mallorca on Monday morning, it didn't come as a shock to see Bellingham admonishing the attacking trio for their profligacy in front of goal.

"You three, you need to finish the attack, because the running back… is f*cking hard," Bellingham seemed to say, before instructing some of the best forwards in world football to make space for themselves and shoot, rather than look for an extra pass around the penalty box.

He had a point, as the numbers from Sunday's encounter make for underwhelming reading. Madrid mustered just 13 shots over the course of the 90 minutes, with only five on target, and didn't create a single 'big chance'. Mallorca actually beat them when it came to expected goals (xG), with Vinicius in particular guilty of overplaying in attacking areas.

The world-class attack that was meant to take La Liga by storm, then, failed to click on opening night. It was disjointed, and while all four players were involved in Madrid's opening goal, it required some individual brilliance from Rodrygo to finish off what was otherwise a bit of a messy move.

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  What went wrong?

  Signs that this might happen could be seen during Madrid's win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in the days that preceded their league opener. For all of their brilliance on the night, Madrid's four attacking players all prefer to occupy the same spot on the pitch, in that they are all right-footed and like to drift to the left-hand side before cutting inside.

  Admittedly, they do go about it slightly differently from one another. Vinicius, to his credit, can go left or right, while Bellingham looks to duck and weave both vertically and horizontally. Mbappe, by contrast, prefers to make a beeline toward goal, while Rodrygo cuts, feints and releases. Still, starting points are everything in football, and space needs to be exploited when it is created. However, if there is no one there to exploit it, that's when attacks break down.

  On more than one occasion on Sunday, all four of Madrid's most prominent attacking players were within a 15-yard radius of one another. Ancelotti's side had control of possession, but Mallorca's defence were able to crowd out some of the planet's most devastating players because they were all so easy to keep track of.

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  Mbappe should know better

  No one is entirely blameless for Sunday's effort, and all four players should be tactically intelligent enough to find new spaces to thrive in. But Mbappe, the summer signing on the astronomical wages, should be an expert when it comes to these things.

  The France captain was placed into the ultimate tactical limbo by virtue of putting on a Paris Saint-Germain shirt from 2021-2023, as that meant sharing a pitch with both Lionel Messi and Neymar. Two different managers tried to get the trio to become a wholesome unit, and neither really could. Mbappe, once again, liked the left side of the pitch, but so did Neymar, while Messi would occasionally float over there, too.

  It was Mbappe's duty in that team to find the spaces where the other two weren't, and make the kinds of clever runs that would unlock opponents. It worked, in some cases, as PSG won a lot of games, and it was more the team's defensive shortcomings – which the attacking triumverate absolutely contributed to – that proved their undoing in the Champions League.

  Mbappe, then, has first-hand experience of trying to compromise and come up with solutions alongside other world-class talents. This may not be a dressing room of comparable large personalities – no one can really out-ego Neymar – but he should be able to use his experience from Parc des Princes to his benefit now.

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  Post-Kroos problems

  It's fair to point out, too, that Madrid's attackers were not the only players who under-performed at Son Moix on Sunday.

  Fede Valverde, complete with bleached blonde hair and a new No.8 shirt that meant he could have been mistaken for Toni Kroos, had one of his worst performances for over a year, which in part could have been down to the loss of the German star.

  This was the first truly competitive game Madrid have played since Kroos' retirement, and though Aurelien Tchouameni was tidy enough in possession, he didn't offer the same incision as his former team-mate. Valverde perhaps felt he needed to take that role on himself given Bellingham was more occupied with supporting the attack, but the Uruguay international misplaced too many passes and lacked some of his trademark stamina as the hot temperatures sapped him of his energy.

  As much as getting the four most forward-thinking players to gel is a priority for Ancelotti, ensuring his midfield are able to control games now Kroos has gone and Luka Modric is a bit-part player is arguably as important.

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  Potential solutions

  So aside from Bellingham's advice of "finishing attacks", how do Madrid ensure these teething problems do not grow into something more concerning?

  Well, it's worth first remembering that these are early days for everyone involved. Bellingham and Mbappe were both on holiday when Vinicius and Rodrygo were playing in the United States on Madrid's pre-season tour, and so even if you consider the Super Cup a competitive game – which takes a certain amount of generosity – the quarter have shared the pitch for just over 150 minutes. This is nowhere near enough of a sample size to make any sincere judgments.

  That said, there are some potential quick fixes. Perhaps the most obvious – and most harsh – would be to bench Rodrygo and throw another midfielder into the team. Eduardo Camavinga, who is currently nursing a minor injury, would be the ideal player to come in and provide energy alongside Tchouameni in a box midfield, with Valverde and Bellingham further forward behind Mbappe and Vinicius.

  It will also be important for Dani Carvajal to be as involved going forward as he was last term. With most of Madrid's attacks going through Vinicius and Bellingham on left, right-back Carvajal was left with acres of space to gallop into, where he could either stay on the touchline to spread the opposition defence or drift inside to create an overload in the penalty area. The result was a career-best campaign for the 32-year-old, who contributed six goals and five assists in all competitions, including the opener in the Champions League final.

  So far in the opening couple of games of 2024-25, Carvajal has held his ground far more, with Mbappe coming in for Kroos meaning there is far less defensive cover against opposition counter-attacks. Ancelotti needs to ensure that one of his most potent – and surprising – forward threats from last season isn't being neutered by his change in system.

Joshua Zirkzee has revealed he will bring a "pure game" to Manchester United, with fun style full of "nutmegs, chops and backheels".

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Zirkzee reveals he prefers to have flair in his gameDutchman looking to excite fans with 'fancy footwork'New United striker describes himself as a No. '9.5'WHAT HAPPENED?

Zirkzee has opened up about the style of play he will bring to United, preferring to play in a "fun" way with a balance of flair and tricks as well as relying on his intelligence and "intuition". The big money arrival is aiming to make the game enjoyable to watch for fans with dribbling and skill while also helping the team by dropping deep and pressing.

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Zirkzee joined United last month to add depth and competition alongside Rasmus Hojlund up front and the ex-Bologna man's added pace and flair will balance the hold-up play preferred by the Dane. The Dutch forward was soon joined at Old Trafford by Leny Yoro, but the defender recently picked up an injury that will keep him out of action for at least three months.

WHAT ZIRKZEE SAID

Zirkzee told : “I want to play a pure game. Nutmegs, chops and backheels are moments that belong in football. That style has value for me. It's the soccer kid in me because it’s supposed to be fun too, isn't it?

“You have to pick the right moments. It's intuition. I think I have excellent skills. I spent a lot of time on that as a kid. But if I lose the ball, I want to regain it immediately with the team. But the fancy footwork is part of my game at the end of the day.

“I occasionally drop down to midfield. I don't do that for myself but to help the team. I am what I call a false striker. Not a No. 9, not a No. 10. I am a 9.5! That's my game. Maybe I'm a little different than others. But being different is good, right?”

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Manchester UnitedWHAT NEXT?

Zirkzee recently returned from his extended break after featuring for Netherlands at Euro 2024, but the 23-year-old is due back in Manchester in the coming weeks. The new arrival is not expected to make his debut in the Community Shield against rivals Manchester City on August 10 and will be eased into action by Erik ten Hag.

La Liga, the premier football league in Spain, is well-known for its players' lightning-fast reflexes, creative tactics, and technical prowess. Even in a league that has produced some of the best football players in history, speed is still a vital component that can decide a game in a matter of seconds.

Of course, we've seen the likes of Jude Bellingham get recognition for the fantastic goalscoring ability he has been displaying in his first season in Spain, but now it's time to give recognition to the players who possess high speeds, who perhaps don't get as much of the limelight.

With that being said, we have taken a look at the top 10 fastest players in La Liga this season, as of November 2023, courtesy of Samba Foot…

Disclaimer – top speed data isn't as available in La Liga compared to the Premier League, so the information below may not be 100% fact.

Rank

Player

Club

Top Speed (km/h)

1

Vinícius Júnior

Real Madrid

36

2

Andrei Ratiu

Rayo Vallecano

35.6

3

Inaki Williams

Athletic Bilbao

35.4

4

Assane Diao

Real Betis

35.4

5

Samu Omorodion

Alaves

35.4

6

Marvin Park

Las Palmas

35.2

7

Savio

Girona

35

8

Thierry Correia

Valencia

35

9

Dodi Lukebakio

Seville

34.9

10

Alberto Moreno

Villarreal

34.9

Top 15 Fastest Football Players in the World in 2024 (Ranked)

Who has recorded the fastest speeds this year?

ByStephan Georgiou Oct 18, 2024 10 Alberto Moreno Top speed – 34.9 km/h

Alberto Moreno is a name that many Premier League supporters will recognise, as he spent a part of his football career at Liverpool.

However, unlike his inconsistent performances at Anfield, he's actually been rather impressive at his current club, Villarreal. He's managed to start 45% of the club's games in La Liga this season, in which he's amassed one goal and one assist.

Regardless, there's no doubting that he's a livewire at left-back, having clocked in at 34.9 km/h.

9 Dodi Lukebakio Top speed – 34.9

Dodi Lukebakio secured a move to Spanish club Seville back in the summer transfer window after impressing in the Bundesliga. He hasn't exactly set the La Liga alight in what is his first season, with just three goals and one assist to his name, but he has excited fans and terrified defenders with his pace both on and off the ball.

His pace is evident having clocked in at an impressive 34.9 km/h already.

8 Thierry Correia Top speed – 35 km/h

Another full-back on the list now, is Valencia's Thierry Correia.

The Portuguese defender has made the right-back position his own this season when he's been fit and ready, as he has had his fair share of injury issues and time out of the squad.

He has two assists to show for his performances, as well as eighth on this list as he clocked in at a rapid 35 km/h.

7 Savio Top speed – 35 km/h

Savio is a name that Premier League fans will soon know, as he's already signed on the dotted line to join Manchester City.

The Brazilian teenager has really caught the eye at Spanish side Girona, and it doesn't take a genius to see why, as he's scored 10 goals and assisted seven in 33 appearances in all competitions.

Operating as a winger, the talented youngster looks to make use of his pace to beat defenders, which has seen him clock in at 35 km/h.

6 Marvin Park Top speed – 35.2 km/h

Marvin Park is currently on loan at Las Palmas from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

At 23 years of age, you would have thought he'd have broken into the Real Madrid side by now if he's to have any kind of future at the club. And, his performances so far this season certainly won't have caught the eye of his parent club as he's only assisted twice and is yet to open his goalscoring tally from the right wing.

Despite his struggles, he does feature in this list, having clocked in at an impressive 35.2 km/h

5 Samu Omorodion Top speed – 35.4 km/h

Samu Omorodion is a Nigerian-born striker who currently plays his football for Alaves.

Despite being just 19 years of age, Samu has already secured himself the main role leading the Spanish club's line, and he's rewarded the manager for his faith, having scored nine goals in La Liga.

With time still to grow and develop even more, it's scary to think that the teen is already reaching speeds of 35.4 km/h.

4 Assane Diao Top speed – 35.4 km/h

Assane Diao is a player who has attracted the attention of Real Madrid, with rumours circling earlier on in the season.

It's not hard to see why, as at just 18 years of age, he's already a regular in the Real Betis first-team, and has even scored four senior goals, which have come in the Europa League, La Liga and Copa del Rey.

However, he has a lot more to his game than just trickery and a knack for scoring goals, as he's already reached speeds of 35.4 km/h.

3 Inaki Williams Top speed – 35.4 km/h

Now, Inaki Williams is a name that FIFA and EA FC fans will be familiar with, as a constant nuisance to defend against in games over the years.

He's been a nightmare for La Liga defenders to defend against too in the current campaign, with his tally now sitting at 11 goals and five assists in 30 games in all competitions.

There aren't many players in world football who can keep up with the 29-year-old on his day, which is why he comes in at third position in the list after clocking in at a speed of 35.4 km/h.

2 Andrei Ratiu Top speed – 35.6 km/h

Coming in at number two is Andrei Ratiu. The Romanian full-back has been on the fringes at current club Rayo Vallecano so far this season, which probably suggests that his pace is his biggest asset. He's started just 15% of the Spanish club's domestic league matches and has no goal contributions to show for it.

Despite his inconsistencies and struggles for regular minutes, he did clock in at 35.6 km/h when given the opportunity.

1 Vinícius Júnior Top speed – 36 km/h

At number one, you could have guessed it. It's Vinícius Júnior.

The Real Madrid attacker has established himself as one of the best forwards in world football with his performances over the past few seasons, and the current campaign further backs it up. At the time of writing, he has 18 goals and eight assists to his name in just 28 appearances for Los Blancos, with plenty of time still to improve on that record.

As a constant nightmare for even some of the best defenders in world football, not just in La Liga, it comes as no surprise to see him sitting pretty at the top of the list, having clocked in at a scary pace of 36 km/h.

Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw with Ajax in the first leg of their Europa Conference League last 16 clash shows just how far they have progressed over the previous 18 months.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Midlands outfit were struggling under Steven Gerrard, being slowly dragged towards a relegation dogfight.

That was until Unai Emery arrived. The Spaniard has rejuvenated the club, leading them to a seventh place finish last season, which gained them entry into Europe.

He has taken things up a notch this season as the Villa Park side are currently occupying fourth spot in the Premier League table, five points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, who they play on Sunday.

A win will see them extend their advantage to eight points and Emery might start to dream of seeing his team face off against the elite.

Being able to sign players such as Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, and Youri Tielemans has helped the club, but he will now have to move on some deadwood on, in order to free up funds for future signings to bolster the squad.

Villa have been good at moving players on in the past when their performances have started to dip, with one example being striker Jonathan Kodjia.

How much Aston Villa paid for Jonathan Kodjia

The club had been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2015/16 campaign, having been present in the division since its inception in 1992.

New boss Robert di Matteo sought to secure promotion at the first time of asking and spent lavishly that summer. Ross McCormack arrived for £12m and Jonathan Kodjia joined for a staggering £15m from Bristol City.

The move was a record for the Championship at the time, but it was clear the Italian manager was delighted to have him on board.

Aston Villa's transfer activity in the summer of 2016
Player	Club signed from
Ross McCormack	Fulham
Jonathan Kodjia	Bristol City
James Chester	West Brom
Aaron Tshibola	Reading
Pierluigi Gollini	Hellas Verona
Mile Jedinak	Crystal Palace
Tommy Elphick	Bournemouth
Albert Adomah	Middlesbrough
Ritchie De Laet	Leicester City
Via Transfermarkt

"We are really pleased to have secured the services of Jonathan,” said the former Chelsea boss upon announcing his latest arrival.

"He is a proven goalscorer and hopefully he'll play an important part in what we hope will be a successful season for the club."

During the 2015/16 campaign, Kodjia had scored 18 goals in the second tier and if there was anyone who could give Villa a lift following their relegation, Kodjia was certainly someone who could offer plenty of goals.

Jonathan Kodjia’s Aston Villa statistics

Heading into the season with a striker partnership of McCormack and Kodjia, Di Matteo knew that goals shouldn’t be a problem.

After a few months, however, it was only one of these players who was putting in excellent performances, and it wasn’t McCormack. He eventually joined Nottingham Forest on loan, but the Ivorian was starring in the second tier.

Across just 36 league matches, he found the back of the net 19 times, although Villa finished in 13th position, a staggering 18 points off the playoff positions, while Kodjia’s goals counted for roughly 40% of their 47 efforts in the Championship that term, showcasing how important he was for them.

He only managed one goal the following season, yet this was due to suffering an ankle injury which kept him out for 14 matches, while another injury to his ankle during the 2017/18 season saw him miss 24 matches in all competitions.

The striker bounced back during the following campaign, scoring nine goals while registering three assists in the Championship as Villa were promoted via the playoffs, ending their three-season stay in the second tier.

The player had been previously hailed as “proven” by former manager Di Matteo and while injury issues had derailed his progress between 2017 and 2019, a fresh start in the Premier League was his main challenge.

Unfortunately, the Ivory Coast international failed to score in any of his six Premier League matches and was criticised by former Villa forward Darren Bent, who stated that Kodjia was “way too inconsistent” in the top flight.

Considering how impressive a start to life he made at the club in 2016, his performances gradually got worse and in January 2020, he was sold to Qatari side Al-Gharafa midway through their first season back in the top division.

What Jonathan Kodjia has done since leaving Aston Villa

The centre-forward got off to a promising start in the Middle East, scoring seven goals in his first ten matches in the Qatari league, adding another 11 in 20 matches during the 2020/21 campaign as he began to put his recent injury issues behind him.

Kodjia joined Umm Salal – another Qatari side – ahead of the 2022/23 season, but his spell there was less promising, scoring only four times in all competitions, and it was not long before he was seeking a move back to Europe.

Having started his professional career in France, the striker joined Ligue 2 side FC Annecy last summer, but the move has not worked out well.

Not only has the former Villa frontman failed to score during his spell in the French second tier, and he also ranks in a lowly ninth position in the squad for shots on target per game (0.3), along with ranking ninth for successful dribbles per game (0.5) and sixth for total shots per game (1.1).

These statistics prove that his performances in front of goal have clearly been lacking a killer edge, which is backed up by his failure to score a single goal for the side so far.

Despite his incredible first few months at Villa Park, Kodjia’s goal output began to dry up – with injuries at fault primarily – and he failed to showcase his true talents once they were promoted to the Premier League in 2019.

Selling him in 2020 was seemingly the correct call, especially with his form since departing, and he is certainly entering into the twilight years of his career.

Emery will want to take note of moving on a player swiftly when they are not performing in order to maximise profits and several players could be entering into their final few months as a Villa player ahead of the summer transfer window.

The club have come a long way since spending £15m on Kodjia back in 2016, but the move eventually proved to be a poor one in the long run.