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Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus has seriously impressed since arriving in a £55 million deal from West Ham in the summer window, and he’s now drawing comparisons with a Spurs legend.

Kudus made headlines this summer as the first player to transfer from West Ham to Spurs since Scott Parker in 2011 — effectively ending a 14-year unofficial transfer embargo between the fierce London rivals.

The move generated plenty of buzz, and with it, a weight of expectation that Kudus has so far handled with a blend of flair, work rate and dynamism.

Since then, Kudus has set about proving he belongs at the heart of Tottenham’s rebuild under Thomas Frank.

His first telling contribution on paper came at Leeds, where a deflected low finish from the Ghanaian opened his goal account and delivered the Lilywhites a crucial 2-1 win — all whilst ending their pre-international break curse and the home side’s year-long unbeaten run at Elland Road in the league.

Used primarily as an inverted right-winger, Kudus has routinely tormented full-backs with an outstanding dribble completion rate — quickly becoming the side’s most dangerous attacking outlet.

Kudus has completed more successful take-ons per 90 than any other winger in the Premier League, according to WhoScored, and is currently the division’s fifth-best performer by average match rating.

Mohammed Kudus

3.6

Iliman Ndaye

2.7

Yankuba Minteh

2.6

Jeremy Doku

2.4

Bukayo Saka

2.3

via WhoScored

The former Ajax sensation also has five assists to show from his opening nine Premier League matches, outshining fellow new arrival Xavi Simons, who has struggled to match Kudus’ scintillating form in the final third.

The early signs are that Spurs have acquired a genuine difference-maker, and he’s now drawn a very intriguing comparison with ex-fan favourite Mousa Dembélé, even if the latter played a completely different role.

Supporters look back on Dembele and remember him fondly as a real linchpin of Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield, with the Belgian making nearly 250 appearances before he departed for the now-folded Guangzhou City in China.

Mohammed Kudus draws Mousa Dembele comparison at Tottenham

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit John Wenham explained exactly why Kudus is a regen of Dembele at Tottenham — specifically talking about his strength on the ball.

Frank has been equally blown away by Kudus since his arrival at N17, calling his one-v-one ability “crazy”.

Like Dembele, Kudus is remarkably difficult to dispossess, with the agility to spin away from challengers and the power to carry the ball through deep midfield areas or wide channels.

The feeling among coaches and analysts is that Kudus could become a more advanced and goal-threatening Dembele, with journalist Alasdair Gold also making that comparison in early October.

The sky appears to be the limit for him right now, and midfielder Joao Palhinha has some stern competition for the ‘best summer signing’ accolade as we slowly approach the halfway point of 25/26.

Tottenham told Xavi Simons "reality" as Thomas Frank already gets one thing wrong

أكد النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو، لاعب فريق النصر السعودي، أن كأس العالم 2026 ستكون الأخيرة له.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا، والمكسيك، منافسات كأس العالم 2026، في ملف مشترك بين الدول الثلاث.

وشارك رونالدو مع منتخب بلاده البرتغال في كأس العالم قطر 2022 والذي شهد توديع فريقه للمسابقة التي توج بها المنتخب الأرجنتيني في النهاية على حساب فرنسا.

وأجاب البرتغالي عندما سُئل عما إذا كانت كأس العالم القادمة ستكون الأخيرة له في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي إن سبورتس: “بالتأكيد نعم”.

اقرأ أيضًا | الظاهرة رونالدو يرد على تصريح كريستيانو “أنا الأفضل على مر العصور”

وأضاف رونالدو خلال منتدى سياحي في المملكة العربية السعودية: “سأبلغ الحادية والأربعين من عمري، وأعتقد أن هذه هي اللحظة المناسبة”.

رونالدو الفائز بالكرة الذهبية خمس مرات تابع الحديث حين سُئل عن مستقبله، ورد: “بصراحة، عندما أقول قريبًا، أعني على الأرجح عامًا أو عامين آخرين”.

وأشار رونالدو: “في كرة القدم، أحاول الاستمتاع بالأهداف، عمري 40 عامًا، وأحاول الاستمتاع باللحظة، أشعر أنني في حالة بدنية جيدة، أريد الاستمرار في التسجيل ومساعدة الفريق، هذه هي حياتي”.

West Ham United chairman David Sullivan has held talks with a top candidate to replace Graham Potter, with the tactician seemingly making his demands crystal clear.

The managerial candidates to replace Graham Potter at West Ham

Potter has recorded the second-worst win percentage of any West Ham manager in Premier League history, behind only Avram Grant, with pressure mounting on the Englishman as he faces a stay of execution.

David Moyes, who guided West Ham to successive European campaigns and ended their 43-year wait for a major trophy during his time at the London Stadium, could even be the man to put one of the final nails in Potter’s coffin this weekend.

In a real piece of irony, Moyes’ Everton side, who are faring much better than West Ham right now, may have a big say in whether Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board elect to hand Potter a P45.

Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League	Win percentage
9. Sam Allardyce	30.7%
10. Julen Lopetegui	30%
11. Gianfranco Zola	27.8%
12 Graham Potter	26.1%
13. Avram Grant	18.9%
via StatMuse

It is hard to see Potter remaining in the West Ham hot seat if they suffer a humbling defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with club insider ExWHUemployee previously reporting that, if he does survive past that point, the ex-Chelsea boss is likely to be sacked after their trip to Arsenal.

West Ham are deep into their contingency plans to replace Potter, and there are a number of very interesting names under consideration.

Sullivan, as ever, is dipping into the free agent market.

Former West Ham midfielder Gary O’Neil is a favourite for the potential job, according to Miguel Delaney, with another ex-Hammer in Slaven Bilic — who was in charge between 2015 and 2017 — also in the frame.

Bilic is even said to be making plans for his West Ham backroom, in the event he is chosen as a short-term option until the end of the season, and Sullivan is believed to be personally in favour of bringing the Croatian back to East London (Pete O’Rourke).

Managers who are already in work haven’t been definitively ruled out, either. West Ham have internally discussed the possibility of appointing Scott Parker, following his rise to the Premier League with Burnley, but one man stands out above all the aforementioned names.

Nuno Espírito Santo's demand after holding West Ham talks with Sullivan

Former Tottenham, Wolves and Nottingham Forest boss, Nuno Espírito Santo, is believed to be the favourite to succeed Potter as things stand.

As per the reliable ExWHUemployee, Nuno has already held talks with Sullivan over a potential move to West Ham if Potter leaves, and the Portuguese’s stock is at an all-time high after making history at Forest last season.

However, according to Sports Boom, West Ham face another roadblock in pursuit of Nuno, following some reports that ‘legal issues’ are delaying his arrival too (Pete O’Rourke).

The outlet reports that Nuno’s big wage demands are a hindrance to West Ham and could prove to be a real obstacle, with Bilic ready to join the Irons as an alternative.

Why West Ham must not give up on Nuno

Nuno guided Forest back to Europe for the first time since 1995, and if it wasn’t for a public fallout with Evangelos Marinakis, he’d still be at the City Ground now.

The appeal for West Ham is obvious. Nuno steered Forest away from the drop zone in his first season, transforming them into a robust, hard-to-break-down outfit with a clear counter-attacking identity.

He also helped to fix Forest’s glaring set-piece weakness, something which has really plagued West Ham this season, having conceded 7 of their 13 Premier League goals so far directly from corners.

Managing to get the best out of his players, Forest ended up being last season’s major surprise package thanks to Nuno’s work, and the 51-year-old’s availability as a free agent makes this potential appointment an arguable no-brainer.

MatériaMais Notícias

Celebrado mundialmente como país do futebol, o Brasil é a morada de icônicos palcos do esporte. O mais famoso deles é o Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, conhecido popularmente como Maracanã.

continua após a publicidade

Com capacidade para quase 80 mil espectadores, o local já recebeu duas finais de Copas do Mundo (1950 e 2014), além de ser atualmente a casa de Flamengo e Fluminense.

O Lance! separou uma lista com os 10 maiores estádios do país, levando em consideração a capacidade de público de cada um deles. Confira:

10º – Beira-Rio

Capacidade: 50.942 espectadores
Local: Porto Alegre (RS)
Proprietário: Iniciativa privada – Sport Club Internacional

9º – Parque do Sabiá

Capacidade: 53.350 espectadores
Local: Uberlândia (MG)
Proprietário: Governo Municiapal

8º – Mangueirão

Capacidade: 53.645 espectadores
Local: Belém (PA)
Proprietário: Governo Estadual

7º – Arena do Grêmio

Capacidade: 55.662 espectadores
Local: Porto Alegre (RS)
Proprietário: Iniciativa privada – Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense

6º – Arruda

Capacidade: 60.044 espectadores
Local: Recife (PE)
Proprietário: Iniciativa privada – Santa Cruz Futebol Clube

5º – Mineirão

Capacidade: 61.846 espectadores
Local: Belo Horizonte (MG)
Proprietário: Governo Estadual

4º – Castelão

Capacidade: 63.903 espectadores
Local: Fortaleza (CE)
Proprietário: Governo Estadual

3º – Morumbi

Capacidade: 66.975 espectadores
Local: São Paulo (SP)
Proprietário: Iniciativa privada – São Paulo Futebol Clube

2º – Mané Garrincha

Capacidade: 72.788 espectadores
Local: Brasília (DF)
Proprietário: Governo Distrital

1º – Maracanã

Capacidade: 78.838 espectadores
Local: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Proprietário: Governo Estadual

Tudo sobre

BrasilLancepediaMané GarrinchaMaracanãMineirão

William Saliba revealed how he's already "taken revenge" against Enzo Fernandez for the World Cup defeat with Arsenal. The French defender, now a pillar at both Arsenal and for Didier Deschamps’ national side, says France aren’t intimidated by anyone, not even Lionel Messi’s world champions.

• World Cup final loss still haunts Saliba

  Saliba may have been an unused substitute when France lost the 2022 World Cup final to Argentina on penalties, but that night still burns in his mind. The two nations are once more the favourites heading into the global showpiece event in the United States and the defender wants to beat the Albiceleste. 

  "The World Cup is in eight months. What sets us apart from Spain and Argentina is that they won the major competitions before the 2022 World Cup and the Euro," he told reporters during this Wednesday’s press conference in the France camp at Clairefontaine. "But they don’t scare us. I already hope we qualify and get our revenge at the World Cup."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Score settled in the Premier League

  Since Fernandez’s £107 million ($143m) switch from Benfica to Chelsea in February 2023, six weeks after his World Cup triumph, the Argentinian has endured a miserable time against Arsenal. The Blues, once the dominant London force, have found themselves repeatedly outclassed by Mikel Arteta’s slick, fearless side. The numbers don’t lie. Arsenal have lost just one of their last 12 meetings with Chelsea in all competitions, winning eight and drawing three.

  It’s a complete reversal of fortunes. Not long ago, Chelsea were the bullies of London, smashing Arsenal in cup finals and league clashes alike. But under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have flipped the script. Now it’s Arsenal who dominate the derby, and Saliba is at the very heart of their new golden era. The towering Frenchman has become one of the most reliable defenders in Europe, elegant on the ball, ruthless in duels, and impossible to intimidate.

  Asked if he’s already settled a score with Fernandez domestically, Saliba couldn’t resist a sly smile. "So far, I haven’t lost to him with Chelsea," he said. "So, yes, I’ve had revenge with Arsenal on Chelsea. But it’s clear that, of course, when a team beats you, even if I hadn’t played against Argentina because I was on the bench, it’s the same thing. When a team beats you, the only thing you’re waiting for is to play them again. And if we do things well and qualify, I think we’ll have a way to get our revenge. Even if it’s not what we want, to go to the World Cup and necessarily get our revenge, we just want to win. But if we come up against them [Argentina], of course, we’ll be happy to get our revenge."

• Saliba: The ice-cold leader

  Arteta’s faith in Saliba is absolute. From once being sent out on loan three times, to Saint-Etienne, Nice, and Marseille, the young centre-back has risen to become one of the most valuable players in the Premier League. When Arteta first took charge in December 2019, Saliba was little more than a promising teenager with raw talent. But after years of perseverance and self-belief, he’s earned his manager’s total trust, and a bumper new contract to match. Saliba now pockets £250,000 per week, making him Arsenal’s third-highest earner, behind Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz. The Gunners’ wage bill has ballooned to £328 million a year, with seven stars banking over £200k weekly, including new arrival Viktor Gyokeres. To outsiders, that’s eye-watering money. But for Arsenal’s board, it’s a worthwhile investment.

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• AFP
  

  All eyes on 2026 World Cup

  Being benched for the World Cup final was a bitter pill to swallow. Now, with Euro experience under his belt and back-to-back stellar Premier League campaigns, Saliba has become one of Europe’s elite defenders. Deschamps’ faith in him has only grown, and France’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup could be confirmed as early as Monday. All they need is Iceland to draw with Ukraine on Friday, and wins against Azerbaijan and Iceland themselves, to book their ticket. Argentina, meanwhile, have already qualified, topping the CONMEBOL standings with 38 points from 18 games. It sets the stage for a possible rematch, and Saliba is itching for it.

Pakistan are trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, this despite a number of first-choice NZ players unavailable due to IPL commitments

Vishal Dikshit20-Mar-2025

New Zealand have been clinical in both T20Is so far•AFP/Getty Images

Big Picture: Can Pakistan stop New Zealand’s charge?Even against a depleted New Zealand squad, Pakistan’s revamped T20I side managed to hit a new low of getting bundled for 91 in the series opener. Even against a New Zealand side without the flying Glenn Phillips, Pakistan have been handing out catches incessantly through the two games so far – for all ten dismissals in the first game and eight out of nine in the second.If this new-look Pakistan side wants to keep the five-match T20I series alive in Auckland on Friday, they need to step up on all fronts and prove to the world – and even perhaps to themselves – that it’s not all doom and gloom with less than a year to go for the next T20 World Cup.Pakistan themselves are a depleted side, in the early days of learning to live without Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in this format, and without the injured Saim Ayub. It’s still early days to judge the new opening pair of Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris, but their inability to cope with the pace and bounce in Christchurch before poor shot selections in Dunedin doesn’t bode well.Related

Pakistan slide feels like a terminal, slow decline

Neesham, Allen, Seifert 'very hungry' to play for NZ as 2026 T20 World Cup prep begins

Rauf backs Pakistan's youngsters: 'Give them 10 to 15 matches, that is how they become players'

Salman Agha’s blitzy 46 off 28 and cameos from the experienced Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi down the order in the second game helped them to 135 for 9 in a rain-reduced 15-overs-a-side game. However, the ineffectiveness of their bowling attack – which holds a lot more promise than their batting – to contain the New Zealand batting places a big question mark over who can really help them keep the series alive.New Zealand’s openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen were devastating in both games, exemplified by Seifert carting Afridi around for 26 runs in an over in the second game. Given the sunny forecast in Auckland, Pakistan will first hope they win the toss, which they haven’t so far this series, and then try to remove the openers early to test their middle order.New Zealand have not had much to worry about so far; their bowlers have worked like a well-oiled machine in favourable conditions and even though they put down three catches in the first match, they have held on to 18.Pakistan will also be desperate to lift their hopes after a forgettable home Champions Trophy campaign and put an end to their five-match losing streak in T20Is, which started in Zimbabwe in December last year.Form guideNew Zealand WWLWW
Pakistan LLLLLJames Neesham picked two wickets in the second T20I•Joe Allison/Getty Images

In the spotlight: James Neesham and Hasan NawazAfter last playing T20Is in the 2024 T20 World Cup, James Neesham returned to the side in the absence of the stars that are in India for the IPL. He got to play only in the second game, picking two wickets towards the end and scoring just 5 in the chase before holing out. Once a game-changer in New Zealand’s white-ball squads, Neesham has fallen out of favour in ODIs but he has committed himself for next year’s T20 World Cup. The onus remains on him to prove that form is something he can turn around quickly, especially in home conditions, as he has not scored over 40 in the format since December 2023.Hasan Nawaz has had as poor a start to his international career as anyone could: two ducks in two games. It’s the nature of dismissals in both games that might disappoint him and the team management as he dished out wild swings to miscue the ball on both occasions. The 22-year-old came into this series with runs for Lions in Pakistan’s Champions T20 Cup, finishing second on the run-scorers’ list and with the second-most sixes, too. The challenge now will be to keep his place in the Pakistan XI for the remaining games and try to earn his runs in more hostile conditions.Mohammad Ali has been carted for 59 runs in five overs across the two T20Is•Getty Images

Team newsSince it’s a five-match series and there was a quick turnaround between the first two games, New Zealand rested Kyle Jamieson and Tim Robinson to bring in Ben Sears and Jimmy Neesham for the second match. They could bring Jamieson back and rest Jacob Duffy for the third game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Seifert, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 James Neesham, 6 Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell (capt), 8 Zakary Foulkes, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Jacob Duffy/Ben SearsPakistan changed the mix of their bowling attack to pick fast bowler Haris Rauf for legspinner Abrar Ahmed for the second match. Mohammad Ali has been expensive in both games, leaking nearly 12 runs in both games put together. Abbas Afridi is the one option in their squad if they wish to replace Ali.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Haris (wk), 2 Hasan Nawaz, 3 Salman Agha (capt), 4 Irfan Khan, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Jahandad Khan, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Mohammad AliPitch and conditionsEven though New Zealand bowled in the first two games and won both, the last four matches (barring a tie between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 2023) in Auckland were won by teams batting first. Eden Park in general is known as a high-scoring ground and with no rain predicted for Friday, and temperatures expected to dip below 20 degrees at night, the crowd should be entertained for a full 40 overs.Stats and triviaFinn Allen has scored 433 runs in 11 innings against Pakistan in T20Is, the most by him against any opponent, including two fifties and a hundred. He is already in the top five list of batters to score most runs against PakistanIf he plays on Friday, Ish Sodhi will become joint second-most capped player for New Zealand in T20IsHaris Rauf needs two more to reach 200 international wickets

Giants ended their losing streak to post their second win of this WPL

Shashank Kishore27-Feb-2025

Ash Gardner scored 58 to take the team home•BCCI

A close finish was in the offing. Gujarat Giants (GG) were stifled early in a small chase. Then came an expensive ninth over that went for three fours and a six as Ashleigh Gardner took on rookie Prema Rawat. It turned the scales the way of GG emphatically, as a tricky chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned into a canter.It left RCB winless at home in three games so far this season. It also meant three sides – RCB, GG and UP Warriorz – are now tied on four points. This lights up the prospect of a tight finish to the group stage next week in Lucknow and Mumbai.Perry’s rare failureShe came into the tournament under a hip injury cloud, but her batting form didn’t seem to suggest any problem. Coming in on the back of 90*, 81, 7 and 57, Ellyse Perry was out for the first duck in her WPL career when she mistimed Gardner to Tanuja Kanwar at square leg off her fourth ball. That wicket, coming on the back of Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s lbw in the first over to Deandra Dottin, left RCB 16 for 2 in two overs.Gautam sizzles; Mandhana fizzlesIt was an uneasy stay at the crease for Smriti Mandhana, repeatedly squared up and beaten on the outside edge by 21-year-old Kashvee Gautam, one of the brightest Indian fast bowlers on show in WPL 2025. Mandhana struggled against late movement as Gautam’s first two overs went for just four. All that pressure led to a wicket at the other end when Mandhana was predictably out to spin yet again when she slog-swept Kanwar to Harleen Deol at deep midwicket for 10 off 20 balls.Kashvee Gautam has been the brightest young Indian fast bowler at the WPL•BCCI

Ahuja injects momentumDuring the season spent away at rehabilitation after a back injury last year, Kanika Ahuja set herself clear goals. She didn’t want to be known as a “five-ball batter” in the WPL anymore. She worked hard on her power game, shades of which were on display on Thursday as she laid into Priya Mishra, the legspinner.She read the googly off the hand and her manner of stepping out to imperiously loft her twice in the over, including the first six of the innings, spoke volumes of her growth. Ahuja would repeat that two overs later when she stepped out to launch Gardner. Her 33 off 27 before falling to Kanwar led to another RCB slip-up. Georgia Wareham’s cameo of 20 then helped them to 125 for 7, their joint-lowest total in the WPL.Renuka gives RCB hopeGG went with a third opening combination in five games. Dayalan Hemalatha, the latest to join the game of musical chairs, did little to repay the faith following scores of 9, 0 and 4 in her precious three innings. Having been reprieved early when Wyatt-Hodge misjudged a catch at mid-off, she was out stumped looking to heave Renuka Singh for 11. Mandhana’s decision to bowl Renuka out up top paid dividends when Beth Mooney holed out to deep midwicket as GG were reduced to 32 for 2 in the seventh.Gardner tees offA 19-run over off Rawat in the ninth turned the tide for GG as Gardner fed off Rawat’s inexperience, expertly using the depth of the crease to pull, while also showing her driving abilities when the ball was tossed up. The surge in momentum was such that even Deol’s brain fade in trying to hit out against Wareham didn’t lead to any panic.Litchfield reverse-sweeps away to gloryPhoebe Litchfield, playing in only her second game of the competition, exhibited tremendous game awareness and played a succession of reverse sweeps to negate Sneh Rana’s threat to quickly offset any pressure, while ensuring the required rate swiftly went down. She was also aided by some luck when Richa Ghosh put her down on 11 off Rana with GG needing 39 off 42.This didn’t affect her tempo or her adventurousness, which also greatly helped Gardner, who hit Wareham for back-to-back sixes on her way to her third half-century of the season, this time off 28 balls. Gardner and Litchfield’s 51-run stand off just 36 ensured the match was won with 21 balls to spare, greatly helping GG boost their net run-rate even though they stay fifth.

شهدت مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد، إصابة أحد لاعبي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي السماوي، خلال منتصف الشوط الأول، في المواجهة التي تجمعهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويواجه مانشستر سيتي نظيره برينتفورد، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج” على ملعب “جيتك كوميونيتي ستاديوم”، في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

في الدقيقة 20، سقط رودري على أرض الملعب فجأة وظهر على وجهه علامات الحزن، بسبب عدم استطاعته استكمال المباراة، وخرج وحل نيكو بديلًا له.

ويمتلك مانشستر سيتي 10 نقاط ويحتل المركز الثامن في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، بينما يتواجد برينتفورد في المركز الـ14 برصيد 7 نقاط.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | هالاند يسجل هدف مانشستر سيتي الأول أمام برينتفورد

وسجل الدولي النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند، الهدف الأول لصالح مانشستر سيتي في الدقيقة التاسعة من عمر المباراة.

ومرر جفارديول تمريرة طويلة وانطلق إيرلينج هالاند نحو الكرة، وتغلب على سيب فان دن بيرج وناثان كولينز وسدد بقوة في مرمى الحارس كاويمين كيليهر.

Leeds United are on the verge of playing their first match in the Premier League for more than two years as they prepare to welcome Everton to Elland Road on Monday night.

The Whites won the Championship title with a staggering haul of 100 points last season, and now have to show that they have what it takes to avoid an instant relegation back down to the second tier.

Daniel Farke watched on as the two teams that came up alongside Leeds put in contrasting performances on Saturday, with Burnley losing 3-0 to Tottenham and Sunderland smashing West Ham United 3-0.

The West Yorkshire outfit will be hoping for closer to Sunderland’s fortunes, as they look to kick off the new season with three points on the board in front of their home supporters.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin arrived on a free transfer on Friday, having left Everton, and it remains to be seen if he will make his debut in the match.

Leeds do, however, still need to sign an attacking midfielder before the end of the window to provide Calvert-Lewin, and others, with chances to find the back of the net.

Why Leeds need to sign an attacking midfielder

Whilst Farke has promised not to rigidly stick to his principles, following his struggles at Norwich, getting relegated from the Premier League in the past, the German boss will not abandon the way he wants his teams to play.

This means that the 4-2-3-1 formation, which was the go-to for Leeds in the Championship, may get plenty of use in the top-flight in the current campaign.

With this in mind, the Whites need to sign a new option for the number ten position because Brenden Aaronson may not have what it takes to make the step up, after scoring one goal in 36 games in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, per Sofascore.

Bristol City (A)

0

0

Burnley (H)

0

0

Sunderland (A)

0

0

Sheffield United (H)

0

0

Coventry (H)

0

0

Coventry (A)

0

0

Burnley (A)

0

0

Sunderland (H)

0

0

Sheffield United (A)

0

0

Bristol City (H)

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the USA international also failed to deliver a single goal or assist in his ten appearances against the other five teams in the top six in the Championship last season.

Aaronson has not shown enough in the final third to suggest that he has Premier League quality, which may be why the Whites have recently been linked with an interest in Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss.

The Morocco international, who has delivered two assists in two Championship games this season, is not the only attacking midfielder on the club’s radar, though.

Leeds have interest in Dutch playmaker

According to EFL Analysis, Leeds United have an interest in £14m-rated Sheffield United attacking midfielder Gustavo Hamer, as they look to bolster their squad before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Championship champions are ‘huge admirers’ of the former Coventry City sensation, and that PSV have also been linked with the midfield star.

Transfer Focus

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Speaking to EFL Analysis, though, journalist Graeme Bailey said: “I don’t think that they ever wanted Gus Hamer to go, and as it’s looking now, there’s certainly a good chance that he stays.

“He’s the captain and I think, despite the scoreline against Bristol City, Ruben Selles actually got them playing some wonderful football and it looks as if that system will suit Hamer.”

These comments suggest that it will not be an easy deal for Leeds to do before the window slams shut, because the Blades are not actively looking to cash in on their captain.

Why Leeds should sign Gustavo Hamer

The Whites should be pushing to convince them to part ways with Hamer, though, because he would be an even better option than El Khannouss to play in the attacking midfield position for Farke.

Both attacking midfielders have played in the Premier League in teams that were relegated from the division at the first time of asking, but it was the Dutchman who showed more potential to deliver in a better team.

Appearances

36

32

xG

2.97

1.31

Goals

4

2

Big chances created

10

8

xA

4.55

3.11

Assists

6

3

As you can see in the table above, Hamer scored twice as many goals and registered twice as many assists in the top-flight in comparison to El Khannouss in his season in the division with Sheffield United in the 2023/24 campaign.

These statistics suggest that the Blades star, dubbed “outstanding” by Chris Wilder, would be more suited to hitting the ground running at Elland Road as a solid number ten option for Leeds, because he has shown that he can deliver goals and assists at a fairly impressive rate at that level.

Hamer, who scored a sensational goal from the halfway line against Birmingham City this month, also delivered ten goals and eight assists in all competitions for Sheffield United last season, per Sofascore, in their Championship campaign.

El Khannouss, meanwhile, has yet to score more than three goals in a single season in all competitions in his career, per Sofascore, which means that he has yet to prove himself as a consistent goal threat.

This suggests that signing Hamer would be less of a gamble for Leeds, because he has proven more in his career and delivered more impressive performances at Premier League level, and that is what the Whites need as they look to avoid relegation this season.

Therefore, the Sheffield United star would be a way better option than El Khannouss for Farke’s side this summer, because he appears to have a much greater chance of hitting the ground running and making an instant impact on the pitch in the top-flight as an attacking midfielder.

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ساهم محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول الإنجليزي في فوز الريدز ضد إيفرتون بهدفين لهدف على ملعب أنفيلد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وارتفع رصيد ليفربول للنقطة 15 في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد إيفرتون عند النقطة السابعة في المركز الثامن.

ونجح النجم المصري محمد صلاح في صناعة أحد هدفي ليفربول في المباراة، حيث صنع الهدف الافتتاحي الذي سجله لاعب خط الوسط الهولندي ريان جرافينبرخ في الدقيقة العاشرة.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ماكينة صناعة أهداف لا تتوقف.. إحصائيات رائعة لـ محمد صلاح في الدوري الإنجليزي

وعزز المهاجم الفرنسي هوجو إيكتيكي تقدم ليفربول بالهدف الثاني الذي سجله بصناعة لاعب خط الوسط الهولندي ريان جرافينبرخ في الدقيقة 29.

وفي الدقيقة 56 سجل إدريسا جايي لاعب خط الوسط السنغالي هدف إيفرتون بتسديدة لا تصد ولا ترد من داخل منطقة الجزاء.

وفي تصريح لمدرب ليفربول آرني سلوت بعد الفوز ضد إيفرتون عن موقف بعض اللاعبين من المشاركة ضد ساوثهامبتون في كأس رابطة المحترفين الإنجليزية، فقد أكد غياب المصري محمد صلاح.

وقال سلوت في تصريح لشبكة “آنفيلد كريست” عن اللاعبين الخمسة الذين لعبوا 90 دقيقة 3 مرات هذا الأسبوع وهم صلاح وفان دايك وسوبوسلاي وجرافنبيرخ وكوناتي: “أستطيع أن أخبركم الآن أنكم لن تروهم يوم الثلاثاء، إذا كان ذلك سيفيد ساوثهامبتون فإنهم سيعلمون ذلك”.

وأضاف مشيداً بعمل محمد صلاح اليوم: “لقد قدم أداء جيد للغاية والآن ربما يكون في دائرة الضوء أكثر بسبب هذه الأهداف والتمريرات الحاسمة، وحتى لو لم يقم بذلك فإنه يلعب بشكل جيد حقاً، ومن الجيد أنه بعد ست مباريات يوجد شئ أكثر إيجابية من الموسم الماضي”.