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Manchester United's start to the season has been a fairly messy one on multiple fronts.

On the pitch, United have made a shaky start to their Premier League campaign. Two unconvincing home wins and two defeats away to continue the side's woes on their travels have left them in the bottom half of the table going into the international break.

Off the pitch hasn't been much better either. Delays in the transfers they've conducted meant the side rushed to make three signings on deadline day. Frustrations in the fanbase has also continued to build with rumours that the Glazer family are planning to take the club off the market after months of sale negotiations.

Just when supporters thought they may be a break in the drama surrounding the club thanks to the two-week break, they were wrong.

Jadon Sancho, who is yet to start a game this season, came out and criticised manager Erik ten Hag following their late 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

Why have Sancho and Ten Hag fallen out?

Sancho was conspicuous by his absence after the former Man City academy player was left out of the squad for the trip to the Emirates. His manager revealed after the game that the winger hadn't been selected "based on performances in training."

This comment clearly irked Sancho, as he took to social media to dispute these claims.

The Englishman, who joined the Red Devils for £73m, said the following:

"Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue. I have conducted myself very well in training this week."

Sancho continued by claiming he's "been made a scapegoat for a long time" and in a possible attempt to appease the Old Trafford faithful by saying "I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!"

It has since come out that tension has been brewing between player and manager for a long time.

Taking to his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano cleared up a few of the details surrounding this latest saga. "He [Sancho] believes there is something else not related to his training performances and this is why he was not selected."

"Ten Hag believes that he did his best for Sancho to help him in a difficult a moment last season."

While the Dutchman may believe he looked after his player when he took a substantial break from the team, it later surfaced that the tension may stem from this.

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reported that Sancho and his camp were unhappy as Manchester United "did not obtain permission to publicly confirm that his mental state was suffering." However, Ten Hag does not believe he did anything untoward and felt he was supportive of the player through this period.

Sancho's outburst last week has seemingly not gone down well with his teammates. ESPN states that "the players accept and respect Ten Hag's firm approach because it applies without exceptions to squad members, regardless of their status, and that Sancho's reaction has gone down badly within the dressing room."

How many goals has Sancho scored for Man United?

Sancho has not lived up to expectations since signing in 2021. He has only registered 12 goals and six assists in 82 games.

Last season, the former Dortmund star achieved a Sofascore rating of just 6.85. This was below the likes of Antony, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, who all play in similar positions to the England international.

Ten Hag has shown he can be ruthless when players are not behind him. Case in point, Cristiano Ronaldo. It remains to be seen if Sancho receives similar treatment.

If he does though, there may be someone waiting in the wings ready to step up and take his place. That person is Amad Diallo.

When did Amad join Manchester United?

Amad officially signed for the club in January 2021 after a £37m deal was agreed with Atalanta the previous summer.

The winger only made five appearances for the Italian club, scoring once in that time. But his performances in their youth set up was enough to convince the United hierarchy to splash the cash to bring him to the North West on a £29k-per-week deal.

Amad came highly recommended and with a lot of potential. Former Italian goalkeeper Giovanni Galli revealed to Football Italia the moment he first laid eyes on the electric forward.

Translated via the Daily Mail, Galli said "Amad was tremendous. Great technical skills, outstanding personality. They [Amad and his brother] They were on another level."

He made a bright start to life at his new club, scoring on his Old Trafford debut in a 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the Europa League.

He went on to make a handful of appearances for the club before it was decided he needed more first-team experience in order to develop.

Diallo joined Scottish side Rangers on loan during the 2022 January transfer window. He once again got off to a flyer, scoring on his debut. However, things didn't continue in that trajectory. He ended up making 13 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times and was not involved in the side's historic run to the Europa League final.

His lackluster loan spell left people wondering if he was ready to make the step up at a club the size of Manchester United.

A second chance came knocking the following season, and it was an opportunity Amad took with both hands.

How did Amad Diallo do at Sunderland?

The young winger made the loan move to Sunderland last summer and his performances made himself a fan favourite with the Mackems.

With the Black Cats returning to the Championship after a four-year stint in League One, they were looking to make an impact. Diallo helped massively with that. He scored 14 goals and registered four assists as Sunderland managed to make the play-offs.

In the play-offs, Amad showed up in style, scoring a screamer against eventual promotion winners Luton Town.

Sunderland's number 16 made such an impact with his exhilarating displays, that he was named PFA Fans Championship player of the season. He truly is the "very special" talent that ITV pundit Courtney Sweetman-Kirk suggested.

He had arrived and done enough to convince people that he was ready to move to the next level.

Amad's Career Stats

Atalanta

5

1

0

Manchester United

9

1

1

Rangers

13

3

0

Sunderland

42

14

4

What happens next for Amad?

The 21-year-old returned to Manchester following his loan spell and played an important part in the early pre-season games. His energy and direct attacking flair were impressive to see. It showed a player full of confidence following his most productive season of his professional career.

Unfortunately, the attacker's development was cut short after suffering a knee injury during the club's tour of the United States.

United confirmed in a club statement that "unfortunately, he has also been ruled out of the first part of the 2023/24 campaign, and we await further details on his estimated recovery date, with the home league clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers up first for Erik ten Hag's Reds on Monday 14 August."

It is since believed the youngster has undergone surgery on his injury, which will slow down his recovery.

The problem has not only prevented him from being part of United's squad in the early season, but has also meant he has missed out on a potential loan deal, with many rumoured suitors pulling their interest.

With the latest developments surrounding Sancho, Amad's injury may be a blessing in disguise. After all, his trickery down the flanks paints him out as the perfect replacement.

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O Santos realizou neste sábado, o último treino antes de enfrentar o Botafogo,no domingo, às 18h15 (de Brasília), no estádio Nilton Santos, o Engenhão, pela 11ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Os jogadores realizaram um trabalho de posicionamento, seguido de treino regenerativo. Em seguida, a equipe viajou para o Rio de Janeiro, local da partida de amanhã.Vale ressaltar que ninguém testou positivo para Covid-19 antes da viagem.

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O técnico Cuca tem dúvidas para montar o ataque santista. Sem Soteldo, que está suspenso, a tendência é de que Lucas Braga fique com a vaga do venezuelano. Kaio Jorge, recuperado da Covid-19, está à disposição. Outro retorno é o do lateral-esquerdo Felipe Jonatan, que volta de suspensão.

Com isso, uma provável escalação éJoão Paulo; Pará, Lucas Veríssimo, Luan Peres e Felipe Jonatan; Alison, Diego Pituca e Carlos Sánchez; Marinho, Lucas Braga e Raniel (Kaio Jorge).

O Santos é o sétimo colocado no Brasileirão, com 15 pontos conquistados e quer a vitória para se aproximar dos primeiros colocados.

Everton are looking at concluding two transfers in the coming days with Sean Dyche, Farhad Moshiri and co seemingly busy as the market nears its conclusion in a few weeks' time.

Who do Everton want to sign?

Reports on Sunday afternoon suggest that Everton's interest in Leeds winger Jack Harrison is now 'very advanced'. That said, he is not the only forward on Dyche's radar after the season kicked off this weekend.

Indeed, according to Football Insider on Saturday, they are working on securing Portuguese attacker Beto on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, with talks advancing over the past few days.

The Toffees have been monitoring his situation all summer but were reluctant to meet his €30m (£26m) price tag, though an initial short-term contract could work in their favour.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Everton's Premier League campaign began with a 1-0 home defeat to Fulham this weekend, accentuating the need for offensive reinforcements despite the signings of Arnaut Danjuma and Youssef Chermiti.

Everton could repeat the signing of Richarlison by luring Beto to Goodison Park, with the Brazilian leaving the club for Tottenham Hotspur in a £60m deal last year but departing as one of the club's most distinguishable stars of recent memory.

How many goals did Richarlison score for Everton?

Arriving from Premier League rivals Watford in 2018 for £50m, the 26-year-old scored twice on his competitive debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers to kickstart a 53-goal haul across 152 outings while plying his trade on Merseyside, with former manager Carlo Ancelotti claiming he is "among the best forwards".

Standing at 6 foot, the 44-cap star – with 20 goals for Brazil – is not the tallest of forwards but utilises his aerial dominance superlatively, ranking among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.

Hailed as a "warrior" by former Spurs boss Antonio Conte, the £90k-per-week gem brings an imposing element to his game and this is something that Beto could replicate under Dyche's wing on Merseyside, with the 52-year-old's management style focussing heavily on aerial dominance and dogged determination.

How good is Beto?

Standing at 6 foot 4, Beto is a taller figure and has averaged 1.8 shots and 2.2 aerial wins across the duration of his career, as per WhoScored, but has hit double-digits across all four league campaigns of his career, including 22 goals across his two years in Serie A.

The 25-year-old also ranks among the top 20% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 10% for clearances and the top 25% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, illustrating his Richarlison-like tenacity and relentlessness that could slot into Everton's system seamlessly.

He has been lauded for his "quality" and intelligence by journalist Josh Bunting, and his ten league goals and 1.8 shots per match last term, as per Sofascore, were not bettered by Everton forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Neal Maupay and Demarai Gray.

With journalist Sam Tighe also waxing lyrical over the ace's ability to "spook defenders", claiming that makes the opposition panic with his brutish presence and physicality, he could emulate Richarlison in his imperious former role at Goodison Park, and could perhaps finally restore some offensive verve to the Toffees' frontline.

Opener Snell Patel digs in with Pujara to make maiden first-class ton; Pankaj Singh leaves Haryana in tatters

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2017

AFP

Unbeaten centuries from Snell Patel (156*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (115*) justified Saurashtra’s decision to bat first against Gujarat as they went to stumps on 311 for 1 on the opening day in Rajkot. Gujarat’s lone success of the day came in the 24th over when Piyush Chawla had Robin Uthappa (30) caught behind to extend his poor run of scores in this season thus far.But, Snell and Pujara adeed 252 runs to ensure Saurashtra sustained their dominance. Having been dismissed for 94 against J&K, Snell ensured he got his maiden first-class hundred shortly after tea. Pujara, on the other hand, followed up his double hundred in the previous game with his 43rd first class hundred. Snell and Pujara scored 21 and 15 fours respectively even as Gujarat’s bowlers toiled away.Team Rajasthan captain Pankaj Singh’s three-wicket burst reduced Haryana to 99 for 7 on a truncated day in Lahli where only 44 overs were possible. Not long after being sent in, Haryana lost openers Shubham Rohilla and Guntashveer Singh were dismissed within the first six overs by left-arm seamer Aniket Choudhary, who conceded only 13 runs from his 10 overs.From 10 for 2, Haryana slipped to 34 for 3 as left-arm spinner Mahipal Lomror had Chaitanya Bishnoi lbw. There was a mini-recovery through Rajat Paliwal (32) and SR Chauhan (28), but Pankaj got into the action by dismissing the pair in successive overs. Haryana ambled to 93 for 6 when bad light stopped play. Two more overs were possible after resumption, during which Haryana lost their seventh wicket.Shubham Khajuria (101) and Puneet Bisht (101*) propelled Jammu & Kashmir to 357 for 6 against Jharkhand on the opening day at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur. Opener Khajuria’s 153-ball effort included 10 fours and four sixes and he was the sixth batsmen out with the score on 208 in the 57th over. Bisht brought up his century off 108 balls with 18 hits to the fence. He shared an unbroken seventh-wicket stand worth 149 with Owais Shah, who was 79 not out. Left-arm spinner Sonu Singh and offpsinner Sunny Gupta picked up two wickets each for Jharkhand.

Manchester United would be willing to apply a slight "discount" on the asking price of Harry Maguire should a club that he wants to join come in for him this summer, claims Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

Is Harry Maguire leaving Manchester United this summer?

After a slow start – one dominated by takeover talk – the transfer window has been a relatively straightforward success for United this summer.

The deal to sign Mason Mount from Premier League rivals Chelsea might've dragged on longer than fans would've liked, but with the fee rising to just £55m, it could yet ultimately work out in their favour.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Following Mount's arrival, the club turned their attention towards Inter's highly rated No 1, Andre Onana, signing the Cameroon international for £47m.

With two new first-teamers already sorted before August and the potential of a deal for Atalanta star Rasmus Hojlund, the club now have the luxury to focus on selling a few players – one of whom could be former captain Maguire.

The 30-year-old has had a rough couple of years at Old Trafford, practically becoming the poster boy – fairly or unfairly – of United's defensive frailties in that time.

This period of misfortune was compounded by the removal of the club's captaincy earlier this month, a move that – whilst feeling inevitable – signalled what may be considered as the end of the former Leicester City star's time with the Red Devils.

According to BBC Sport, the three-time European champions are willing to let the Sheffield-born star leave this summer if he so wishes, but they have also rejected a £20m offer from West Ham United as they value him at £40m – half of what they paid for him four years ago.

However, there is reportedly some flexibility on his valuation should a club that the player wants to move to come in for him this summer, per Sky Sports' McAdam.

He explained the situation on Sky Sports News, saying:

"Manchester United are looking for around £40m, but they would be prepared to compromise slightly if there was a club that came to the table and Harry Maguire was keen to join them – so there could be a little bit of a discount, shall we say.

"But it's still going to be in and around £40m."

How good is Harry Maguire?

It can be rather easy for footballers to quickly pick up reputations for being a liability or the weak link; someone the fans blame for every little mistake.

Think Shkodran Mustafi at Arsenal, Timo Werner at Chelsea and certainly Maguire at United.

That said, these players weren't really good enough for their teams, but they also weren't quite as disastrous as fans of that team would have you believe.

In Maguire's case, it's hard to argue that his last two seasons have been anything but a massive disappointment, and yet when you look at his numbers, things don't look anywhere near as bad as you might have initially thought they would.

According to WhoScored, the England international averaged a match rating of 6.59 across his 16 league appearances last season and a solid, if unspectacular, 6.65 across his 30 appearances the season before that.

While nothing amazing, his underlying numbers are also what you would expect and want from a Premier League centre-back.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 6 foot 4 titan sits in the top 11% for blocks, the top 12% for aerial duels won, the top 13% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 17% for attempted passes, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 16% for progressive passes received per 90.

His national team performances have also been brilliant over the last few years, making it into Sky Sports' Team of the Tournament for the previous World Cup and the official Euro 2020 XI.

These consistent performances for the Three Lions led to manager Gareth Southgate saying: "What are his strengths? Well, he's technically a fantastic footballer with the ball.

"He's a very strong leader in the team. His physical stature, the aerial challenge is one – we haven't got anybody else with that physical presence.

Ultimately, while he hasn't lived up to the expectations that came with his record-breaking transfer four years ago, he hasn't been quite as bad as some have made out, and leaving United might just be what's best for all involved.

Manchester United are thought to be closing in on a deal to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.

Are Man United signing Sofyan Amrabat?

The Red Devils have bolstered Erik ten Hag’s squad this summer by already bringing in Mason Mount from Chelsea and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan.

A new striker is also on the way to Old Trafford in Rasmus Hojlund. Serie A side Atalanta have been holding out for a cash-only deal, and the two clubs have struck a deal in the region of around €70m. Hojlund has agreed on a five-year deal in Manchester and is set to undergo a medical and finalise a transfer on Tuesday.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

Another player who has been heavily linked with a move to the Red Devils is Amrabat. The 26-year-old previously worked under Ten Hag at FC Utrecht, making 50 appearances under the Dutchman, contributing to 11 goals, and with Amrabat into the final 12 months of his Fiorentina deal, a reunion could be on the cards.

Personal terms were agreed over a move to Old Trafford early last month, and by the looks of things, a deal is close.

The Faithful MUFC relayed an update from The Mirror regarding Man United and Amrabat. The report claims that the club are closing in on a £26m agreement to sign the midfielder and is expected to arrive to bolster Ten Hag’s option in the middle of the park and take pressure off key man Casemiro. It is added that if a deal can be concluded this week, then Fred could soon be on his way out.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat?

Amrabat is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play in a box-to-box central role if needed. The Morocco international has been with Fiorentina since 2020 and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation, a figure which has rocketed following last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Dubbed a “monster” in the centre of the pitch by reporter Carlo Garganese, he caught the eye after helping Morocco reach the semi-finals and was praised by former England manager Fabio Capello.

"If I have to name one name, besides the well-known Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, it would be Amrabat. He is essential for balance and a great runner. I read that he covered more than fourteen kilometres against Spain. I see him as the Gennaro Gattuso of Morocco."

The Nike-sponsored midfielder has plied his trade in the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy during his career, making more than 250 senior club appearances.

Capped by his country on 49 occasions, Amrabat appears to be in his prime and is a player who Ten Hag already knows, even if it was earlier in his career, so a transfer could prove to be a shrewd one, especially with Champions League football back at Old Trafford next season.

A quality in-depth squad could help United build on a positive first year under Ten Hag, and it looks as if Amrabat is on his way to Manchester to provide competition and potentially play alongside Casemiro.

Sunderland's search for a new striker has gone continental as the Championship side have reportedly targeted a move for Sochaux striker Eliezer Mayenda.

What players have Sunderland signed this summer?

The Black Cats were quick off the mark in bringing in a quartet of players each aged 20 or under, as centre-backs Nectarios Triantis and Jenson Seelt, attacking midfielder Jobe Bellingham and striker Luis 'Hemir' Semedo all arrived last month.

Manager Tony Mowbray has made clear he is after another goalscorer ahead of the new campaign, though, having seen Amad Diallo return to parent club Manchester United, while Ross Stewart will not be fit enough for the start of the season.

That effectively leaves the untested Hemir, who did not play any minutes at senior level for Benfica, as Mowbray's only real recognised centre-forward to start against Ipswich Town on August 6.

The Wearside outfit were priced out of a move for Ellis Simms, who starred on loan at the Stadium of Light in the first half of last season, and they are also reported to have missed out on Rijeka's Matija Frigan.

However, French publication Foot Mercato suggests Sunderland are very interested in signing Mayenda, who made the breakthrough at Sochaux in Ligue 2 last season.

Who is Sochaux striker Eliezer Mayenda?

Mayenda has been capped once by Spain at U17 level, but it is in France he has learned his trade. The 18-year-old came through Sochaux's academy and played 15 times in the French second tier last season, scoring once.

That goal return is pretty underwhelming on the face of it, but he only played 292 minutes – as per FBref – which is the equivalent of a little over three full matches.

Indeed, his goal return of 0.31 every 90 minutes was bettered only by three Sunderland regulars in the Championship last season, though the teenage talent's sample size is of course a lot smaller.

While clearly a player of high potential, talk of Sunderland signing Mayenda may not exactly get supporters' pulses racing.

However, the same was very much true when the Black Cats signed Stewart from Ross County in January 2021. The Scotsman was far from a prolific scorer at that stage, having netted just 15 times in two-and-a-half seasons with the Staggies.

That return included just two goals in 19 appearances in the first half of the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership season, and he would net only two times in 11 League One outings upon joining Sunderland.

But Stewart truly kick-started his career in 2021-22 when scoring 24 times in 46 games to fire Sunderland to Championship promotion. The 26-year-picked up from where he left off last season by scoring 10 and assisting three in 13 games, before being struck down by a season-ending Achilles injury in January.

That team-high return of 0.86 goals or assists per 90 minutes – Simms was next highest with 0.56, for perspective – will be tough for Stewart to match once he is back up and running for Mowbray's side.

Mayenda also cannot be expected to score and assist at that rate should he join, but Sunderland clearly see something in the 5 foot 11 youngster, who could well become the Black Cats' latest transfer success story.

Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta are keen on signing Montpellier forward Elye Wahi but face stiff competition for his signature, according to reports out of France.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners have been very busy so far this transfer window as sporting director Edu attempts to back Arteta with marquee additions. Arsenal fell just short of the title to eventual treble-winners Man City last season, despite being in pole position for much of the 2022/2023 campaign.

In response, they've taken swiftly to the transfer market, having put pen to paper on deals for the likes of Kai Havertz from Chelsea, defender Jurrien Timber and a club-record £105 million deal for Declan Rice from West Ham United.

The latter player represents a significant signing for Arteta in particular, with the 24-year-old becoming England's most expensive ever player ahead of both Jack Grealish (Man City) and Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid).

More signings haven't been ruled out, either, as the north Londoners maintain an interest in Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia among others, Though reports suggest they're now looking more at outgoings to balance the books, it is believed Arteta and co are eyeing an electric young striker.

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, both Arsenal and Newcastle hold an interest in signing Wahi from Montpellier this summer. It is believed the Frenchman is being targeted by both sides, but they may need to hurry and formalise that interest if they're serious.

Strasbourg, recently bought by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, will attempt to sign the 20-year-old who is also on the list of Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt – if the latter side manage to sell Randal Kolo Muani.

Sharing more on Arsenal's interest, the outlet explains that the north Londoners also have to make a sale before moving for Wahi.

Foot Mercato wrote:

"On the England side, Arsenal (which must sell Folarin Balogun) but also Newcastle (always on the lookout for a good shot) are also on the lookout,"

"Trained at the club, the seventh top scorer in Ligue 1 during the 2022-2023 financial year is, in any case, on the verge of a new challenge in his young career."

How good is Elye Wahi?

The promising young attacker, who bagged a brilliant 19 goals and five assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season, has been praised by members of the media and club chiefs alike for his sky high potential.

"He was two or three years ahead of his peers in terms of what he could do," explains Pierre Ville, former Suresnes club president, to GOAL.

"He quickly outclassed them.

"During a tournament that we hosted, I saw him score a volley with the ball falling vertically out of the sky, like watching [Zinedine] Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, but the boy was just 11 years old!"

Meanwhile, journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos has called Wahi a "real beast" of a forward who will "definitely explode".

Ramos wrote on Twitter:

"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season. A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."

Chelsea are keeping tabs on Emiliano Martinez this summer, according to a report from Football Transfers.

How many games has Emiliano Martinez played for Aston Villa?

The 30-year-old has become a first-team regular for Aston Villa since his switch to the Premier League outfit back in 2020/21, having struggled to get frequent minutes at former club Arsenal. He missed only two games in the entirety of the 2022/23 season, playing 36 games for the Villans and conceding only 38 along the way. It meant he had a rate of just 1.09 goals against per 90 – his best ever in a full season.

Martinez then is currently at the top of his game it seems – and that is why bigger clubs are now sniffing around the shot-stopper. According to a report from Football Transfers, there is indeed interest in his services this summer, with Chelsea set to battle Man United to try and snap up the goalkeeper.

With Mauricio Pochettino now in charge at Stamford Bridge, it has led to the player being placed on the side's transfer radar as the former Spurs boss is believed to be a personal admirer of the player. The Premier League side though are yet to launch an official offer – United have not done so either as of yet.

It's unclear just how much a potential deal for Martinez might cost. There is no fee mentioned in the report and with no official bid lodged yet, there is no estimation as to how much a transfer may set one of the interested parties back. Transfermarkt suggest that his value is currently around the 28 million Euro mark (or £24m), which wouldn't be a huge amount if that was the case, but would still represent a profit on the player for Villa.

What has been said about Emiliano Martinez?

Considering how much he may cost, it may be worth Chelsea actually launching a bid for his services soon. Football journalist Josh Bunting called him "incredible" because of his performances for Argentina and added that he always "delivers" in "real pressure" moments.

Martinez is clearly a leader who thrives on the biggest stage then and that would suit the Blues down to the ground, as they look to try and push on and become the trophy-winning force they have so often been in the 21st century.

Leeds United striker Rodrigo's agent is scheduled to hold a meeting regarding his client's imminent exit from Elland Road, according to journalist Beren Cross.

When did Rodrigo join Leeds?

Rodrigo first arrived in Yorkshire back in 2020 from Valencia and he’s since gone on to make 97 senior appearances after becoming a regular feature of the first-team, but there’s a strong chance that he could be set to depart during the ongoing window.

The Spain international will be out of contract next summer meaning that now will be the final big opportunity that the hierarchy have to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and having established himself as their top-performing offensive player last season, he won’t be short of potential suitors.

The Whites will know that they are resigned to losing several of their big names in the coming weeks with stars like Jack Harrison, Tyler Adams and Robin Koch having already been linked with an exit, and if the following update is to be believed, the 32-year-old could be another to follow in their footsteps and seal a move away from the Championship.

Is Rodrigo leaving Leeds?

Taking to Twitter, Cross revealed that Leeds will meet with Rodrigo's representative possibly in the coming days to discuss his departure from LS11 after three years of service. He wrote:

"Rodrigo's agent, his father, set to meet Leeds top brass imminently to get the wheels moving on his exit. United not expected to make it difficult for him to move and get those wages off the books."

Should the 49ers keep or sell Rodrigo?

Leeds obviously won’t want to lose Rodrigo for nothing and the fee that they could potentially bring in for him will be appealing, but the centre-forward is such a standout player at the club so the 49ers should see if he could be tempted to stay by offering him a new contract.

The Nike-sponsored ace, who pockets £100k-per-week, racked up 14 goal contributions (13 goals and one assist) in 31 Premier League outings last season and recorded 66 shots over the course of the campaign, which was higher than any other of his teammates, as per FBRef.

Rodrigo, who has been lauded a “top talent” by CEO Angus Kinnear, also adds wonderful versatility to the squad with his ability to be deployed in seven different positions over the pitch, including all across the frontline and even in the midfield, so retaining his services is something that the board shouldn’t even have to think twice about if possible.