Chelsea and chairman Todd Boehly by extension sent delegates to one club over the weekend, with an £83 million defender and alternative to Wesley Fofana on their potential transfer agenda ahead of 2025.

Chelsea targeting new centre-backs for Maresca

Enzo Maresca’s side have enjoyed an impressive start to the new Premier League season, most recently getting back to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

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Their only top flight losses of the campaign came against title-chasing Man City and Liverpool, which is a good example of the stellar job done by Maresca so far. In the background, Boehly, BlueCo and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are identifying potential squad upgrades for the Italian.

One item on their to-do list, according to reports, is to bring in a new central defensive option who can complement, or even compete with, Fofana and Levi Colwill – who have both formed an impressive partnership at the heart of Maresca’s back line so far.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Man United (away)

November 3

Arsenal (home)

November 10

Leicester City (home)

November 23

Aston Villa (home)

December 1

Southampton (away)

December 4

Chelsea are monitoring Robert Renin as one option, with the Brazilian currently on a loan spell at Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia from Russian Premier League giants Zenit St. Petersburg.

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo is also a target for Chelsea, with some reports suggesting that the west Londoners are prepared to make a “significant” bid for the Uruguay international.

This comes after a previous claim by journalist Simon Phillips that Chelsea are scouting South American centre-backs, as Boehly and co take a particular interest in centre-backs from that region of the globe.

Another very highly-rated South American on their radar, and the radar of many other elite clubs, is Palmeiras starlet Vitor Reis. The 18-year-old could cost as much as £83 million to prise away from Brazil, the value of his release clause, with Reis attracting attention from Arsenal and Real Madrid as well.

Both the Gunners and Galacticos have already approached Reis’ club and representatives ahead of a potential move (The Athletic), with Liverpool, Barcelona and Chelsea also expressing an interest in him.

Chelsea send scouts to watch Reis ahead of potential move

Now, The Boot Room claim Chelsea sent scouts to watch Reis in action over the weekend.

The Blues had delegates running the rule over him during Palmeiras’ 2-2 draw with Fortaleza in Sao Paulo. Chelsea gem Estevao, who is set to fully link up with the club in 2025, got on the scoresheet during this encounter – but west London employees also had their eyes firmly on Reis.

It is believed the teenage sensation could be signed as an alternative to Fofana, and Chelsea are “huge admirers” of Reis. Interestingly, the player only made his professional debut in June, featuring in a 3-0 loss to the same team that Chelsea watched him against on Saturday.

Reis has since become a regular, with journalist Oliver Mason writing for the Rio Times that he is the young defender shaping Palmeiras’ future.

“Naturally you bowl a little shorter here but you don’t want to be drawn into bowling too short”

Tristan Lavalette02-Dec-2021It’s a question that dogs England ahead of every Ashes tour: can their attack master the Kookaburra ball like their favoured Dukes back home?The Kookaburra, which swings considerably less than the Dukes used in the UK, has unstuck England’s bowlers over the years on batting-friendly Australian pitches, which are generally harder and bouncier.England have not won a Test in Australia since their famous 2010-11 Ashes triumph, and to break that drought, they will need to crack open Australia’s top order led by Steven Smith and David Warner, who have put pedestrian bowling from the tourists to the sword over the years, and the latest star in Marnus Labuschagne.Allrounder Chris Woakes was one such quick, who struggled in England’s 4-0 thrashing in 2017-18, finishing with ten wickets at 49.50 from four Tests. He and some of England’s less experienced exponents of the Kookaburra are likely to counsel James Anderson and Stuart Broad – veterans of Ashes tours though with mixed success overall with the ball – ahead of the first Test at the Gabba on December 8.Related

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“The Kookaburra is very different to the Dukes and what we’re used to back home,” Woakes said on Thursday in Brisbane as England were finally able to get some time in the middle with the rain staying away. “We have a good amount of experience from guys who have been here before. We touch base with those guys to see what’s worked in the past.”The vagaries of the Kookaburra have traditionally been tough for England’s bowlers to grasp, exacerbated on this tour thus far by the lack of match practice due to Brisbane’s poor weather.”It’s about trying to experiment. Getting the ball to move sideways is probably the biggest challenge,” Woakes said. “Trying to work different things, like how we hold it. Trying to get the ball to move off the straight is quite important.”Woakes, who bowled superbly on his return to Test cricket against India at The Oval after an absence of a year, added that England’s quicks, excellent exponents of swing, had to be prepared to adapt with ball in hand amid conditions more conducive to bounce – traditionally a main characteristic of the Gabba. But a key, according to Woakes, would be not going overboard with short-pitched bowling, which has perennially undone overeager bowlers in Australia.”You have to be willing to change your game… different ball, different conditions [to England],” he said. “You do get good bounce here. Trying to extract that as much as possible. Naturally you bowl a little shorter here but you don’t want to be drawn into bowling too short. [It’s about] trying to utilise that bounce.”

علق كيليان مبابي لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ريال مدريد الإسباني، على تأهل ناديه السابق باريس سان جيرمان إلى ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وفاز باريس سان جيرمان على ليفربول وتأهل لدور الـ16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، في الموسم الأول الذي يخوضه النادي بدون مبابي.

وسُئل كيليان مبابي عن مستوى باريس سان جيرمان، وعما إذا كان أفضل هذا الموسم بعد رحيله.

وأجاب في تصريحات لصحيفة “لو باريزيان” الفرنسية: “هذا ليس شيئًا يقلقني، أنا أشاهد جميع مباريات كرة القدم، وبالطبع من بينهم مباريات باريس سان جيرمان”.

طالع أيضًا | مبابي: لست أفضل من رونالدو وكريستيانو.. والألقاب أهم من الأهداف

وأضاف: “أتمنى لهم التوفيق حقًا، لكنني أركز على ريال مدريد وهدفي هو تحقيق الثلاثية التاريخية، خاصة وأن هذا الأمر لم يحدث من قبل مع النادي”.

وشدد: “أحاول ألا أفكر في أي شيء آخر حتى أكون جاهزًا بنسبة أكثر من 100% مع النادي وتحقيق الألقاب الممكنة هذا الموسم”.

وعند سؤاله عن المشاكل بينه وبين رئيس النادي ناصر الخليفي، قال ضاحكًا: “سأصافحه إذا تلاقينا، لا تتخيلوا أنني سوف أبصق في يدي قبل مصافحته”.

وأكمل: “مواجهة باريس سان جيرمان؟، لقد لعبت في باريس لمدة 7 سنوات وكانت هناك بعض اللحظات الاستثنائية، وممتن لذلك”.

واختتم بالحديث عن النزاع القانوني بينه وبين باريس سان جيرمان، قائلا: “الأمر في أيدي المحامين، سيتم حله قريبًا ولا أشعر بالقلق أبدًا، وليست لدي أي مخاوف بشأن ذلك”.

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim are interested in signing an £84 million youngster from the new manager’s former club, according to a new report.

The Red Devils have two games remaining under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy before Amorim arrives as manager next week. The first priority for the Portuguese will be to get to grips with his new squad and get some positive results on the board, but transfer plans are being made.

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Van Nistelrooy will obviously not become the new United manager, but the Dutchman has made it clear that he would like to continue in his assistant role. This will be a decision that is probably made between him and Amorim as they meet each other next week, but the United players are keen for van Nistelrooy to remain at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Amorim’s arrival at United could be Marcus Rashford’s last chance of rescuing his career at the club. That is because United are considering the sale of Rashford as they remain concerned about his performances. The Englishman has struggled for form last season and this season, and now Amorim will be tasked with a “last-gasp assessment” of the winger.

The Red Devils could already have his replacement in mind as they are keeping tabs on Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior as he continues talks over a new contract at the Spanish giants. But Amorim and United also have their eye on another player who could replace Rashford, and it is someone the Portuguese knows well.

Amorim behind Man Utd's pursuit of Geovany Quenda

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United are interested in signing Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda and Amorim is keen to bring him to Manchester. The 17-year-old joined Sporting’s academy in 2015 but didn’t make his first team debut until this season.

Quenda can operate mainly on the right-hand side, but he also has the ability to play central as well as on the left. That could make him the perfect long-term replacement for Rashford, whose future at Old Trafford looks in doubt.

The 17-year-old is considered one of Sporting’s hottest prospects, and his performances this season have caught the attention of United, as well as Manchester City and Liverpool. The Red Devils even had scouts in place to watch Quenda in Sporting’s recent game against Famalicao, where he scored, and they were also present against Sturm Graz in the Champions League, but he only played six minutes.

Apps

16

Goals

2

Assists

1

United will not be able to buy Quenda until April at the earliest, as he is only 17 and will have to wait until he turns 18 before he can move. Therefore, a transfer would have to wait until the summer.

The winger has a €100 million release clause in his contract, which is roughly £84 million, and this is said to be considered too high, but Sporting are very reluctant to allow Quenda to leave, and with them not willing to accept anything less, it puts United out of a move right now.

The Netherlands have a number of players of South African origin, plenty of whom have played professional cricket in South Africa

Firdose Moonda25-Nov-2021

Roelof van der Merwe plays for the Titans in South African domestic cricket•Peter Della Penna

Colin Ackermann and Roelof van der Merwe have provided Dutch captain Pieter Seelaar with intelligence on South African personnel and playing conditions respectively as Netherlands look to exploit local knowledge for the upcoming three-ODI series. They have five South African-born players in their squad and one South African-born coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, and are making the most of their insiders.”Colin is the most recent of our players who has played first-class cricket here in South Africa, so he actually ran me through all the players (in their squad) that I didn’t know before,” Seelaar said. “And Roelof – I don’t know how long he has been playing for the Titans and he knows SuperSport Park inside out. He has given me the ins and outs of how the dimensions of this ground work and where a lot of runs will be scored and where the wicket taking options are. That was quite helpful in our planning.”The two sides play the first two games at SuperSport Park, on Friday and Sunday, before moving up the road for the third ODI on December 1 at the Wanderers, where they may not have someone to provide the same lowdown, but it’s fairly well-known what to expect. Conditions should favour the quicks at both venues and the Dutch have a South African-born speedster who will want to make full use of the pace and bounce on offer. “Brandon Glover is one of the guys that can bowl with a bit of fire, he has got a bit of pace about him. He is going to enjoy not bowling in the same slow conditions we have in Europe but can actually bowl with fire here on bouncier, pacier wickets,” Seelaar said.But it’s not just the South Africans that Seelaar hopes people will have their eyes on as the series unfolds. He tipped Vivian Kingma, who missed the T20 World Cup with injury, to also find pitches to his liking. “He has now come back to full fitness and is bowling with great discipline and great control and I look forward to seeing him take the new ball,” Seelaar said.Related

Ryan Campbell: Every Associate country is wondering what next?

It’s not just optimism around individual players that Seelar has, but hopes for the team as a whole, who are looking to move up the World Cup Super League points table. “We do have the aim of trying to take points away from this series. We want to beat South Africa, at least once,” Seelaar said. “We are not here to just say that it’s nice to get a couple of games in. Hopefully we can get some results and some respect from fans all over the world to see that the Dutch are here to play some good cricket and take the fight to South Africa. We really want to meet the challenge head on.”Not least because the next 18 months could present the last opportunities for a team like Netherlands to get regular game time against the bigger nations. Seelaar echoed his coach Ryan Campbell’s disappointment at the scrapping of the World Cup Super League but committed to making the most of the time they have left. “It’s massively disappointing for us, not only for us but for the whole of Associate cricket. We don’t know what the future holds. We’ve still got 21 games left in the competition and it’s up to all of us to leave a mark and say that Associate cricket belongs on the biggest stage,” he said.The two sides play three ODIs, with the first two on Friday and Sunday, and the third Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Andre Nel has parted ways with Essex after three seasons as the club’s assistant head coach and bowling coach.Nel, 44, arrived at Chelmsford in March 2019, having previously worked with Easterns, the South African National Cricket Academy and Phantoms.In his first season with the club, Essex won both the County Championship and Vitality Blast double, then backed up that achievement in 2020 with victory in the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy, beating Somerset in the final at Lord’s after the season had been rearranged due to the Covid-19 outbreak.Essex missed out on a chance to defend their titles in 2021, when they failed to qualify for Division One of the Championship’s three-tier conference system, but they still picked up the Division Two title instead, beating Northants inside two days in their final match of the summer.I’ve absolutely loved my three years back at Chelmsford and I’m grateful for the support myself and the team have received during this time,” Nel said.”I’m leaving with some fantastic memories that will stay with me forever. The success we experienced in 2019 will always be special to me, whilst I’m also really proud of our accomplishments with the Bob Willis Trophy and Division Two title in 2020 and 2021, respectively.”I’d like to thank the club for the opportunity to come back, the other coaches and players for their relentless hard work and the members and fans for their unrivalled loyal support.”Essex Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, added: “Andre has been a great asset to the club over the last three years and has helped us achieve some great things.”His knowledge and skillset have been extremely beneficial to our bowlers, whilst I have no doubt he will go on to experience more success as a coach elsewhere.”He will be missed but his departure allows the club and me to re-examine our coaching structure and move forward with a strong appointment for next season.”

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure has gotten off to the best possible start. They have been in superb form in both the Premier League and Champions League, having lost just once, to Nottingham Forest at Anfield. In the top flight, they are top of the table, on 18 points from seven games so far, having conceded the fewest number of goals in the competition, with just two.

This all comes off the back of a quiet transfer window, where the Reds made just one signing; winger Federico Chiesa joined the club from Juventus for just £12.5m. Despite a slow first transfer window in Slot’s first summer, they have already been linked with their first signing in 2025.

Liverpool target Bundesliga winger

The player in question here is Borussia Dortmund and Germany winger Karim Adeyemi. The 22-year-old has impressed so far this term for the German giants and could depart the club within the next 12 months.

According to a report from Sky in Germany, Liverpool are the side showing an early interest in the attacker. The report states that the Reds see him as a replacement for legendary winger Mohamed Salah.

However, they are not thought to be alone in this chase for Adeyemi. Sky in Germany state that several other clubs are interested, but do not go as far as naming those sides. At this stage, a price is unclear, although Spanish sources indicated that a fee of €50m (£42m) could be required.

Why Adeyemi would be a good signing

It has been a wonderful start to the new season for German international Adeyemi. He has played eight games in all competitions so far, scoring five goals and grabbing five assists in that time. That includes two goals and three assists in five Bundesliga appearances, and a Champions League hattrick against Celtic.

Adeyemi is a superb option to replace Salah, whose contract is up next season. Whilst he is one of their all-time great players, scoring 217 times and registering 94 assists in 359 games, there are some similarities between the pair.

The most obvious one is the fact that both are left-footed and whilst the German has predominantly played on the left wing for Dortmund, a switch to the right-hand side should not be too difficult to make, especially if Slot wants to keep the same dynamic as he has with Salah.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Adeyemi is an electric player, described as “devastating” by football analyst Ben Mattinson. Indeed, this is true given his pace; the Germany international is one of Europe’s quickest players. He has clocked in at 36.3km/h this season, the fifth-quickest player in the continent, as per Speeds Database.

The 22-year-old could also become the new version of former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane. The Senegalese attacker is one of the great Premier League players in the modern day, and scored 120 goals with 42 assists in 269 games in that famous red shirt.

Not only is he a quick, tricky winger, just like Adeyemi, but their career paths are also remarkably similar. Before moving to one of Europe’s big five leagues, with Mane joining Southampton and the German moving to Dortmund, they both played for Austrian outfit RB Salzburg. Both players had a fantastic record for the club during their time there.

Adeyemi & Mane RB Salzburg career compared
Stat	Adeyemi	Mane
Games	94	87
Goals	33	45
Assists	24	32
G/A per game	0.6	0.88
Stats from Transfermarkt

Adeyemi would certainly hope to replicate Mane should he join Liverpool. Like with Salah, there are key similarities, including a likeness in profile and the fact they have both played for Salzburg. The youngster would surely love to have as good of a record as Mane in Red, and win major trophies, including the Premier League and the Champions League.

For ‘just’ £42m, this signing seems like it could be a masterstroke from Liverpool. Adeyemi is one of the most exciting talents in Europe and could become even better if he switches to Anfield.

£216m duo sign: Liverpool starting XI if Trent, Salah & Van Dijk all leave

Let’s take a look at this worst-case scenario, shall we?

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 9, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Minutos após a demissão do técnico Sylvinho do Corinthians, o presidente do clube, Duílio Monteiro Alves, foi a publico oficializar o desligamento do profissional.

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Em um rápido comunicado, o mandatário corintiano agradeceu os serviços prestados e justificou a atitude como uma correção de rota.

> GALERIA – TIMÃO ATIVO PARA SE LIVRAR DE ATLETAS FORA DOS PLANOS
​> TABELA – CONFIRA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO TIMÃO NO PAULISTA

-Após o jogo, nos reunimos no vesitário, eu e a diretoria de futebol, e entendemos ser o momento de interromper o trabalho do nosso treinador e o momento de fazer uma correção de rota.Vim aqui para comunica-los, e aproveito para agradecer todo o empenho do Sylvinho, todo o trabalho, dedicação ao Corinthians – disse o presidente corintiano.

A parte mais forte do estafe do Timão sempre foi favorável a permanência de Sylvinho, inclusive o próprio Duílio, mas após a derrota, de virada, para o Santos, em plena Neo Química Arena, na última quarta-feira (2), pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Paulista, a situação ficou insustentável que nem mesmo o presidente conseguiu intervir.

Na temporada passada o agora ex-treinador do clube alvinegro já era alvo de críticas da torcida, principalmente a uniformizada, que mais de uma vez solicitou publicamente a demissão do profissional. Contudo, Duílio e os seus dois homens fortes, o Diretor de Futebol Roberto de Andrade e o Gerente Alessandro Nunes sempre se manifestaram favoráveis em dar uma sequência de trabalho a Sylvinho.

De acordo com o próprio Duílio, a direção de futebol se reunirá novamente já nesta quinta-feira (3) para discutir o futuro do clube e buscar um novo profissional para comandar a parte técnica.

The former USMNT star joined Mic'd Up to discuss the upcoming MLS season, his love of the game and U.S. World Cup dreams

The plan was for Maurice Edu to sit down with GOAL for 20 minutes to talk MLS. That's not what happened. Things snowballed quickly. That's what happens when Edu gets talking about soccer – sometimes he just gets lost in the moment.

So that 20 minutes turned into an hour and a half. Talk about MLS turned into talk about his love of Arsenal, his respect for DeMarcus Beasley and his dream of someday going to Europe and celebrating a U.S. men's national team World Cup triumph right in the faces of anyone who ever doubted.

Around the 50-minute mark, Edu finally gets to the heart of it all. He finally finds a way to explain why, after all of these years of dedicating his life to soccer, he still loves talking about this stuff so much.

"I use the word 'pure' because there isn't a better description," he says. "That's what it is. There's nothing external. You're just going and playing because you love it. You're good at it, sure, but you still get lost in the moment. When you get older, playing professionally, that still happens and you put pressure on yourself. There are more consequences, but I still love it when the game feels pure."

He felt that love as a player during a career that took him to a World Cup alongside club stops in Canada, Scotland, England and Turkey. He feels it now, too, as an analyst for MLS Season Pass on AppleTV. Edu loves watching the American game grow.

"I have to be on so often that, when I get that opportunity to just watch a game and be a fan… Man, I try as much as I can to just enjoy it," he says. "You can't ever lose that. Obviously, it's difficult but, man, when I'm calling games, if there was a camera on me, you'll see I'm still in the moment."

Edu weighed in on the upcoming MLS season, his thoughts on the league's young stars and his USMNT dreams in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL U.S. taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

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  ON THE MLS SEASON

  GOAL: The MLS season is nearly upon us. Somehow it's felt more chaotic than usual. There have been big coaching changes, big signings and big sales. It seems that the league is a bit more open than ever. Is that how you feel about things after this offseason? What are you looking forward to seeing?

  EDU: I think the biggest thing going into any season for me is who the defending champion is, and how they respond to that. That's the Galaxy, and they have a direct rival, LAFC. What's their response? You've seen a power shift in the league since LAFC's entrance where they've been top dog and have taken that market share in LA, right? During that time, the LA Galaxy were going through a rough patch. This year, the LA Galaxy climbed back and they did it in impressive fashion. I'm excited to see where the Galaxy go from here. Obviously, Riqui Puig will miss the start of the season, so how do they fill that void but, then, looking across the city, how does LAFC respond?

  Inter Miami will always have a spotlight on them, and rightfully so because they have the best player that's ever played the game in Lionel Messi. They have [Javier] Mascherano as head coach now, yo. If we're talking about coaches, I'm intrigued to see how this coaching carousel plays out now that that's done. And we have some big coaches like Rony Deila in Atlanta, and he's already won an MLS Cup with NYCFC. Gregg Berhalter in Chicago, a club that needs a revival.

  Bruce Arena, that's another one. He's gone to San Jose and already shaken things up. When Bruce wen to New England, they were in a similar situation where no one was talking about them. It's a tall task, but if there's someone who can do that with San Jose, you'd be a fool to bet against Bruce.

  GOAL: There's just so much starpower in the league now, and it's gotten to a point where Charlotte FC can sign Wilfried Zaha and people don't even bat an eye. Signings like that would have been league-altering a decade ago and now it feels like every team can go out and do that.

  EDU: I'm excited about where the league is right now. Charlotte can get Zaha and that's obviously ambitious from their standpoint as they bring in a top, top player. But last year, LAFC brought in [Olivier] Giroud and Hugo Lloris. These are World Cup winners in the league. You have the best player that's ever played the game in Messi playing with all of his boys in Miami. The league is also in a place where they're selling players, like Diego Gomez going to Brighton, right? It all speaks to the global visibility of the league. You're constantly in a shop window. The Cucho Hernandez story is incredible, too. How does Columbus replace him?

  I love the fact that there are players creating a space for themselves. The conversation is just as much about foreign transfers as the American players and how they're developing and growing. For years, we've been talking about why you can't just buy a player within the league, and you're already seeing that happen, too. There's wheeling and dealing and, now, as we get to the first game of the season, we're just getting to the exciting part.

  The reality is you can't sit still anymore. I keep talking about global exposure, and you don't want to be the team left sitting there while everyone else gets better. That's on-field production, fanbase, atmosphere… everything. You can't be the one team left out or sitting on your hands. It puts pressure on teams to assemble something.

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  ON AMERICAN SOCCER'S RISING STARS

  GOAL: One thing that's always a talking point with MLS is the league's rising stars. Not long ago, you were that guy: No. 1 pick, highly-rated and, ultimately, headed to Europe. Obviously so much has changed, but when you look at the rising stars in this league, how do you assess them?

  EDU: First of all, a lot has changed since my day. The opportunities have now heightened in a way that I can't describe. One, MLS as a league has grown and there's a lot more conversation and talk and eyeballs even before the Apple deal. Now, when you factor in Apple, you're in a global shop window. Every game, people can see you. Messi is here, too, so just have the attention on the league. That, in tandem with the national team having players have success in Europe, that puts a spotlight on the U.S. market. You put it all together and then fast forward to all of these massive moves and you see that there is opportunity for these young players.

  It's one that, if I had it when I was a young player, I'd salivate at that. If you have success here, you're not worried about "Is a scout watching?" or "How can I make sure people see my game?" If you're doing well, you're going to be seen. It makes me excited, man. I'm excited because the level is better now. Players in this league now play at a level that better prepares them for that jump, which is a whole process because it does start from scratch when you get to Europe.

  Maybe they can break into teams a little bit quicker because they've earned that. There's a little bit more respect given and more trust in our players. You still have to be ready when your name gets called, but this is a great time to be playing. Guys like Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Obed Vargas… these are players within the league that we've been talking about

  GOAL:You moved to Europe at a young age. People don't realize how hard that is. Obviously it helps that you moved to a club like Rangers, that has everything together, but what do you remember about your decision to go to Europe and what that time period was like for you?

  EDU: The biggest part that was helpful for me was that DeMarcus Beasley was there. He's a guy I knew from the national team and a guy I looked up to. He helped me so much in just settling on and off the pitch. At Toronto FC, I was one of the first names on the team sheet. I had just broken into the national team, had gone to the Olympics, so I was used to playing every game.

  You go to Europe and you're not always playing and you're like, "What the hell did I sign up for?" That took a bit of time, but it was valuable to have Beas there because I could pick his brain. Nowadays, there are more resources that help make the situation smoother, but it still forces you to mature and grow. If you're a young kid, you'll have to grow up relatively quickly. It's all part of the process and it makes the journey more rewarding when you do have success.

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  ON CAVAN SULLIVAN

  GOAL: You mentioned rising stars there, so I have to ask about Cavan Sullivan. There's just so much hype and pressure, but he doesn't seem too phased by it. When he's on the field, he never looks out of place, which is a compliment to a player that's so much younger than everyone else on the field. What do you see in him and what do you make of everything that's happening with him at his age?

  EDU: Cavan, to me, is like Freddy [Adu] to me when I was coming up. I remember Freddy was three years younger than me, and I remember the first time I saw him play. I never thought he was younger because everyone was like "Who is this kid?" It was ridiculous what he was doing. You see the talent there and then you start seeing that talent against grown men. Obviously there were challenges physically, but you could tell he was a footballer. I see similarities in Cavan. I don't want to put too much pressure on him and make that kind of comparison because maybe it is unfair. I want him to go down his own path, but the talent is there.

  Man City recognized that and made the move. He seems to have – and top, top players have this – a persona of confidence that's borderline arrogance. He comes off the bench and he's not coming off think he needs to fit in. He plays like it's no different than the game he played just a few days ago for his MLS Next Pro team. He gets the ball and tries to do the same thing in that game with the professionals. He has no fear. I love that. He has his brother Quinn, and I think it's important for him to have someone he can trust, someone who can check you at times. That's so valuable for a young kid. This league is littered with young talent, man, and, again the opportunity is in front of them. It's enormous.

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  ON THE USMNT

  GOAL: You obviously had a big national team career and got to live those moments at the highest level. Now, you have that first-row seat to what these guys are doing now. What's it like watching the USMNT once your playing career is over? Does it feel different?

  EDU: Before anything else, I was a fan. As a young kid, I wanted to play for the national team because I was a fan. When I fell in love with the sport, I had my club team I supported, Arsenal, but before anything, I was a fan of the national team watching the World Cup in 1994 and then seeing the young guys like Beas and Landon [Donovan]. I remember just thinking that I wanted to do that, to experience that. Fortunately, I was able to.

  The passion, as a fan, is heightened when you wear the shirt. When you become part of it, it's a different level of pride because you feel a part of it in a different way. Now, I still feel like I'm a part of that fraternity. Guys paved the way for me, and I hope my generation paved the way for this group that is playing and doing its thing. When I watch, I'm a fan first and foremost.

  I want them to have success. I want to walk around abroad wearing a Tyler Adams or Christian Pulisic or Weston McKennie or Mark McKenzie jersey and talk sh*t to someone in England or Italy or France because we just won the World Cup. That's my dream. When I watch them, I watch them through that lens because I desperately want them to be successful. I want them to fulfill that potential. I want this group to succeed and the next group and the group after that.

  GOAL: Everyone on the outside always compares generations but, when you actually see guys interacting, it doesn't seem like there's any animosity or jealousy. Jozy Altidore was at USMNT camp in the fall, and so many players made sure to go show him love. That has to be special as a member of that fraternity.

  EDU: I want all of the guys after me to be Hall of Famers. I want these guys to be the best we've ever seen but, at the same time, I do love the dynamic. You have to bet on yourself. If you ask me if I think my generation can beat this generation, I'll always say yes. If you ask any athlete that question, they better say that. If not, I can't trust you. They might be a better team on paper but, if you asked me when I was on Philly if we could beat Barcelona, one thousand percent they were better than us, but I'll always bet on myself.

  Someday, though, the USMNT will win a World Cup and, when that moment comes, you won't be able to tell me anything at that point. I'll be all over the world celebrating.

Leeds United could now sign a German free agent instead of Cheikhou Kouyate, according to a new transfer report.

Leeds looking at signing midfield free agent

The Whites and Daniel Farke are preparing for Friday night’s Championship clash with rivals Sheffield United as domestic football returns following the international break.

Leeds were dealt two huge injury blows before the break, with club captain Ethan Ampadu and fellow midfielder Ilia Gruev suffering serious knee injuries that look likely to keep them out until 2025.

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As a result, Farke now has just Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell as his senior midfield options, with teenager Charlie Crew, who is yet to make a senior start, also available to Leeds. Therefore, Leeds have been looking at the free-agent market, and Farke shared a transfer update regarding a signing in midfield.

“It won’t last a few more weeks, we won’t bring a player end of November. If we make a decision it will be pretty quickly. We spoke about profile that’s important. Potential candidates already working on their fitness level behind closed doors. We do also our homework, but we’ll just be there when a deal makes sense.

“I spoke about challenges in October and I’m not usually a big fan but the situation is a bit special and unique. Sometimes you need a Plan B and not be so strict. I think we have to be professional and check it. It would definitely be beneficial. We need a player that is convinced of his challenge and fully aware of his role here and good character.

“Good solution in terms of contract, too. We can’t afford to spend a fortune on this deal. There are a few boxes that have to be ticked. We’re not too far away. We want to lead this club in a sustainable way and do things out of panic in a crazy way. If we haven’t brought a player in the next two weeks then we won’t bring one.”

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road is Kouyate. Reports over the past seven days have claimed that Leeds agreed a deal to sign Kouyate, although recent rumours have since suggested the Whites have pulled out of a deal.

If it isn’t Kouyate who arrives, it seems the 49ers Enterprises and Farke have a German alternative.

Leeds could sign German free agent instead of Kouyate

According to Football Insider, Leeds are now set to welcome an unnamed German free agent to Thorp Arch this week. The report adds that the player is set for a trial with the Whites, with a move for Kouyate seemingly off the cards. Farke and his coaching staff will take a close look at the unnamed player and could offer him a contract, should he impress.

After Sheffield United, Leeds host Watford, travel to Bristol City and entertain Plymouth Argyle, where Farke and the club will have made a decision on a free agent, going off his recent comments.