واصل فريق بيراميدز تصدر جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، بعد الفوز على الاتحاد السكندري بالمواجهة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم الجمعة بنتيجة 3-1.
والتقى بيراميدز مع الاتحاد السكندري على أرضية استاد الإسكندرية، وذلك في ختام لقاءات الجولة الـ16 من الدوري المصري.
وفي مباراة أخرى، سقط الزمالك، في فخ التعادل أمام زد بهدف لمثله، وذلك ضمن منافسات نفس الجولة على استاد القاهرة.
بينما تمكن الأهلي من خطف فوز ثمين على حرس الحدود بهدف دون رد، على ملعب المكس بالإسكندرية.
وتمكن المصري من تحقيق فوز كبير على سموحة بثلاثية دون رد، فيما تعادل البنك الأهلي مع طلائع الجيش بنتيجة 2-2.
ويتصدر بيراميدز جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 39 نقطة من الفوز في 12 لقاء والتعادل 3 مرات وتلقى هزيمة وحيدة، وبفارق 3 نقاط عن الأهلي صاحب المركز الثاني برصيد 36 نقطة وخلفه الزمالك برصيد 29 نقطة. جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري
1- بيراميدز – 39 نقطة
2- الأهلي – 36 نقطة
3- الزمالك – 29 نقطة
4- المصري – 29 نقطة
5- البنك الأهلي – 26 نقطة
6- سيراميكا كليوباترا – 24 نقطة
7- حرس الحدود – 22 نقطة
8- فاركو – 22 نقطة
9- طلائع الجيش – 21 نقطة
10- زد – 20 نقطة
11- بتروجيت – 19 نقطة
12- الاتحاد السكندري – 18 نقطة
13- غزل المحلة – 17 نقطة
14- سموحة – 17 نقطة
15- الجونة – 16 نقطة
16- الإسماعيلي – 13 نقطة
17- إنبي – 12 نقطة
18- مودرن سبورت – 9 نقاط
يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري المصري محدث باستمرار من هنا
This summer was a difficult one for Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the club losing two of their most important players in the form of Pedro Neto and Max Kilman.
The pair left Molineux to join Chelsea and West Ham United respectively, but their respective deals made the club a huge profit, with their sales making the club a combined £90m in their battle with the Premier League’s PSR and FFP rules.
However, Gary O’Neil’s side had to dip into the market to find suitable replacements to plug the gaps and improve the squad to be competitive in the league this season.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil
Deadline day saw numerous new incomings, with Carlos Forbs just one of the new players through the door in the West Midlands, with the winger brought in to replace compatriot Neto.
He was joined by one player who could be a huge addition for the club, bolstering their ranks and providing added quality in one area of the pitch.
Andre’s move to Wolves this summer
With the funds available after the departures this summer, Wolves decided to invest in another youngster to try and improve the options currently available at O’Neil’s disposal.
Andre Trindade with Fluminense teammates.
The club decided to splash £21m including add-ons on Brazilian midfielder Andre on deadline day, with the 23-year-old arriving with high expectations after his stint for Fluminense in his home country.
Despite the midfielder being in the early stages of his professional career, he’s already made 197 appearances for his boyhood club, before making his debut for the West Midlands outfit off the bench against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
The deal for Andre made him the eighth most expensive addition in the history of the football club, but he’s still worth less than one current first-team member who has enjoyed a huge rise after his move to Molineux.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s market value in 2024
After originally joining the club back in 2020, full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has excelled beyond all imagination at Wolves, becoming a pivotal player under O’Neil in recent months.
Wolves player Rayan Ait-Nouri
The Algerian endured a tricky time under former boss Julen Lopetegui, looking likely to depart the club, but after the Spaniard’s departure, it gave the 23-year-old a new lease of life, going from strength to strength under the Englishman.
He joined the club in a £10m deal from French side Angers, but a handful of years on from his move to Wolves, he’s seen his market value soar as a result of his displays in the West Midlands.
Highest valued players at Wolves (2024/25)
Rank
Player
Market value
1.
Matheus Cunha
£38m
2.
Rayan Ait-Nouri
£29.4m
3.
Joao Gomes
£29.4m
4.
Andre
£21m
5.
Hee-chan Hwang
£21m
6.
Jorgen Stand Larsen
£21m
Stats via Transfermarkt
The “incredible” talent, as described by boss O’Neil, is now valued at £29.4m as per Transfermarkt, a figure that is higher than the fee paid for Brazilian star Andre.
After the closure of the transfer window last week, the youngster will remain at Molineux until January at the very least, giving him the opportunity to build on his impressive form in recent months.
Ait-Nouri has the perfect qualities to play as a wing-back or even a winger with his pace, defensive qualities and his ability to create opportunities in the final third allowing the likes of Matheus Cunha to improve their own goalscoring tallies, having already chalked up one assist this season.
Worth more than Neto & Kilman: Wolves hit gold on “one of the best players"
Martin Zubimendi says it "wasn't that hard of a decision" to turn down Liverpool and stay at Real Sociedad.
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Liverpool tried to sign ZubimendiMidfielder turned them downReal Sociedad ace explains decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Just when it looked like Liverpool would bring the Spain international to Anfield this summer, Zubimendi decided to stay put at Sociedad. After previously saying he did not feel any "pressure" to join the Reds earlier this season, the midfielder has gone into more detail on "selfishly" snubbing their interest.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT MARTIN ZUBIMENDI SAID
He told El Diario Vasco: “I went on vacation, and it caught me by surprise. It wasn’t something I had planned. I reacted when the situation arose. It was an uncomfortable time for me but I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay. I don’t believe in 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunities. If you’re good and want to achieve something, it will come to you. There’s no need to rush. I looked at my personal progression, who I am, and the club’s project. I stayed because I knew this season would be important for me in the team, and I still had steps to take. It wasn’t that hard of a decision. There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me – and that was staying.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Zubimendi has since been linked with Arsenal, Manchester City, and more, but it seems he is content to bide his time and wait for the perfect opportunity. The Spaniard is a coveted player and will have plenty of options at his disposal.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
It remains to be seen if Liverpool or any other Premier League team will try to sign the 25-year-old in January or next summer.
Yorkshire kept at bay by unbroken 92-run stand between skipper and teenage debutant
Paul Edwards03-Jun-2021 Ben Brown of Sussex. The phrase has a solidity about it and an unfussy assurance of effort to which supporters of county cricket always respond warmly. Perhaps in time those kind souls who hold Sussex close to their hearts will remember the surname as fondly as now they recall Cox or Griffiths, Barclay or Parks. There would be nothing out of place in such an observance. On the contrary, Ben Brown already deserves it. We knew this before the Sussex skipper made an unbeaten 126 against Yorkshire but it was still enriching to be reminded of it.There are, though, many other reasons for supporters at Hove to feel encouraged this early June evening. Their side’s chances of qualifying for Division One of the County Championship may be strictly arithmetical but their achievement in ending this day on 267 for 5 was still substantial and our evening session was honoured by an innings of unnerving composure from 16-year-old Danial Ibrahim, who had been presented with his Sussex cap by Matt Prior only a few hours earlier. Ibrahim is the second-youngest debutant in his county’s history yet few players can have taken to first-class game with greater ease. At close of play, the young man stood back politely and allowed his skipper to take the applause of his team-mates and a generous Yorkshire crowd, yet it was still possible to wonder if we will recall Ibrahim’s unbeaten 37 just as vividly. Such gentle privileges are rare, indeed.”I thought he was fantastic and I’m so thrilled for him,” said Brown of a cricketer nearly half his own age. “I said to him walking off, ‘I got nought on debut, I was in and out and didn’t make an impact’. To go in against the second new ball and that bowling attack and get the score he did, I’m delighted. I feel old enough because I’ve played a lot of club cricket against his dad, Kash, who was here today. These are the days we’ve missed so much through Covid: a debutant gets runs against a good attack in front of a big crowd and his own parents.”Related
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The sight of Brown and Ibrahim adding an unbroken 92 for the sixth wicket was all the more delightful because such riches did not appear within Sussex’s grasp during a morning session in which the visitors did reasonably well to reach lunch on 63 for 3. Asked to bat on the sort of cloudy Leeds morning when bowlers cause havoc and a game’s shape can be decided in a session, the visiting batters had to scrap for every run.Tom Haines, who at 22 is almost a senior player at Sussex these days, has just been awarded a new contract at Hove but he had added only a couple of runs to the 622 he had scored in the Championship this season when he was defeated by David Willey’s extra bounce with the new ball and nicked a catch to Harry Brook at third slip. As though exacting retribution Stiaan van Zyl smacked Willey through the covers for a couple of fours but then fell to a fine ball from Jordan Thompson, who is rapidly becoming one of the first names on Andrew Gale’s team sheet.At the other end Ali Orr was batting so maturely that one had almost forgotten this was also his first-class debut. But having played very competently for 15 hard-earned runs in 91 minutes, he tried to pull Brook’s first ball of the day and merely top-edged a catch to the substitute fielder Duanne Olivier at long leg. And eight balls after lunch Yorkshire claimed the vital wicket of Travis Head, also for 15, when Thompson slanted the ball across the Australian who pushed a little too freely at it and edged to Harry Duke behind the stumps.And so we waited for Sussex to crumble away like the fresh Wensleydale many good Yorkshiremen enjoy with their Christmas cake. The crowd waited expectantly on what for many of them was a day that had long been ringed on their calendar. Yet they waited in vain…Aaron Thomason and Brown were not parted until six overs after tea, by which time they had put on 107 for the fifth wicket. If their stand did not take their side to genial affluence, it at least ensured basic subsistence, even on a good batting wicket, and Thomason deserves a sizeable share of the credit. The former Warwickshire cricketer was pressed into service as an opener at the start of the season when Phil Salt was knocked off his bike and had not made more than 21 in any of his last nine innings before being dropped down to No4 for this game. His 40 runs in 231 minutes therefore represented a substantial effort of concentration if nothing else and his disappointment when he chipped a slower ball from Thompson to Dawid Malan at midwicket was very plain.And then the crowd waited again. But as if to confound them at once Ibrahim scored his first runs in big school when he tucked Willey behind square for a couple. Brown reached the 19th century of his career with a leg glance off Thompson and received a hug from the young lad against whose father he had played. And our day ended not with the to-and-fro departure and arrival of many Sussex batters but with the serenity of two cricketers at utterly different stages of their careers yet who understood precisely what each was about.Brown of Sussex? Yes, absolutely. But Ibrahim of Sussex? It is surely too early for such fancies. But such evenings as this make one hope it might be so.
The transfer window slams shut in a week, and while this summer has felt less busy than previous years, Tottenham Hotspur have been one of the most active 'big six' sides, behind only Chelsea and perhaps Manchester United.
Daniel Levy and Co have secured deals for young and exciting talents like Archie Gray, Yang Min-Hyeok and Wilson Odobert while significantly strengthening the first team with the £65m signing of Dominic Solanke.
However, if Ange Postecoglou is going to successfully lead the club back up the Premier League and into the Champions League places over the next ten months, he will need his team to be at their best and probably a few more additions to the squad on top.
Fortunately, the latest star touted for a move to N17 could help with both, as he could create a brilliant partnership with Dejan Kulusevski and help get the best out of him while bolstering the squad as well.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from French outlet L'Équipe, Tottenham are very interested in signing AS Monaco full-back Vanderson.
In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the North Londoners are now ready to make an offer in the region of €30m for his services before the window slams shut.
The good news for the Lilywhites is that while the report claims the Ligue 1 side want to keep the Brazilian, they are unlikely to turn down that sort of money.
It might not be the most exciting of transfers, but Vanderson will undoubtedly improve Postecoglou's squad, and thanks to his attacking tendencies, he could help get more out of Kulusevski as well.
Why Vanderson would be a good signing
Okay, so the first thing to address is that as things stand, Pedro Porro appears to be the club's starting right-back this season, and given how well he has played at points over the last season and a half, it's unlikely that Vanderson would come in and instantly take his spot.
However, more than ever, football is a squad game, and while Djed Spence could eventually come good in North London, there are still doubts over his true ability, and if Postecoglou wants to ensure he has two quality attacking right-backs to help the team traverse what is set to be a challenging campaign, then the Brazilian defender looks like an ideal signing.
Moreover, the fact he's comfortable starting at right-back and in right midfield and has a general desire to get forward means he could help get just as much out of his attacking teammates as the Spaniard, especially those starting on the right wing like Kulusevski.
For example, in just 23 appearances last season, the twice-capped international, whom U23 scout Antonio claims is blessed with "obscene pace and acceleration", scored three goals and provided one assist, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement once every 5.75 games from right-back.
Just imagine if the Lilywhites' Swedish winger had a player as aggressive as that behind him and occupying opposition defenders; he'd have far more space to operate in himself.
Monaco's Vanderson
Moreover, it's not just his output that is impressive, but also his underlying numbers.
For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the Rondonópolis-born star sits in the top 2% of full-backs for tackles, the top 3% for interceptions, the top 4% for total shots, the top 9% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 10% for non-penalty expected goals and progressive passes received and the top 11% for actual non-penalty goals, all per 90.
Tackles
3.54
Top 2%
Interceptions
1.86
Top 3%
Shots Total
1.68
Top 4%
Touches in the Opposition's Penalty Area
2.44
Top 9%
Non-Penalty Expected Goals
0.09
Top 10%
Progressive Passes Received
6.91
Top 10%
Non-Penalty Goals
0.12
Top 11%
This impressive array of underlying metrics shows that while, yes, he thrives going forward, he is also more than capable of defending, which in turn would give players like Kulusevski the confidence to focus on the sharp end of the pitch.
Ultimately, while Vanderson won't transform Tottenham's first team, he would add so much quality to the squad overall and help get more out of the team's array of rightwingers when on the pitch. Therefore, Levy and Co should do what they can to get this deal over the line before another team comes in for him.
Watch out Udogie: Spurs target "tenacious" £50m ace who's like De Ligt
The talented defender could provide the Italian with some much-needed competition.
Ruud van Nistelrooy reportedly sent in a final "demand" to Manchester United players after he was ousted upon the arrival of Ruben Amorim.
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Van Nistelrooy impressed during his interim stint
Relieved from his duties on Monday
Urged players to rally behind Amorim
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Initially appointed as assistant manager just four months ago, Van Nistelrooy swiftly transitioned into the interim manager's role following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal. Though he served in this position for only four games, he left a lasting impression on both the dressing room and fans as the Red Devils won three matches and drew one under his guidance.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
According to Van Nistelrooy anticipated his departure as soon as it was announced that Amorim would take over the reins and bring his own set of backroom staff. He left his role at Old Trafford with a heartfelt message to the squad, urging them to rally behind their new head coach and give their best to restore United’s legacy under Amorim’s leadership.
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
However, Van Nistelrooy was reportedly pragmatic about the new manager’s need for autonomy. "Ruud made clear to the bosses he wanted to stay at United because he loves the club. But he was also pragmatic and expected that Amorim would want total control of things, including his backroom staff," a source told
"He told the players he was very happy to have come back and to have had the chance to manage the club for four games. It has helped his managerial career, increased his already strong ties with United and he hasn’t given up on the idea that he might be back one day. He made all that clear to the players and demanded that they give their all to the new manager."
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
With Van Nistelrooy’s departure, all eyes are now on Amorim as he prepares for his first game in charge. The Portuguese will debut as United head coach on November 24 in a Premier League clash against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Australia Test opener Will Pucovski may require surgery on his troublesome shoulder, which could rule him out of the remainder of the Australian domestic season.Pucovski injured his right shoulder while fielding on his Test debut against India in Sydney in early January. He was subsequently ruled out of the fourth Test in Brisbane and has not played since.The 23-year-old Pucovski had been selected to go to South Africa for Australia’s Test tour, but following the postponement of that tour, he returned to training with the Victoria squad ahead of the recommencement of the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup.Related
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But Pucovski did not appear comfortable after batting in the nets on Thursday, and Victoria coach Chris Rogers said the youngster would continue to seek medical advice as to whether he should play again this season.”He had a net session yesterday, it looked quite sore,” Rogers said. “It’s definitely his decision, what he wants to do. It’s his career, we’ve got to support that. And that’s in conjunction with the Australia side as well so we’ll support whatever he thinks. He will be getting a lot of advice from different people, so I think that will probably become a little bit clearer over the next week or two.”It’s hard when I think you’re playing not at 100%. You start to think that’s how you are going to play for the rest of your career. Particularly as the shoulder hasn’t responded to rehab as well he would have liked it to have, so he is probably really considering that option of surgery. He will go and talk to the relevant people and we should hear what he has to say. That will include our medical staff as well.”James Pattinson is ready to return to first-class action after being out of action with a rib injury.•Getty Images
There is some positive news for Victoria and Australian cricket with James Pattinson ready to return to first-class action after he was withdrawn from Australia’s Test squad for the final two Tests against India because of a rib injury.Pattinson was also selected for the postponed South Africa tour. He has played three consecutive 50-over club matches for Dandenong in Victoria Premier Cricket and is fully fit. But given Victoria’s heavy upcoming schedule of Shield and Marsh Cup matches, he is unlikely to play every game.”He wants to get out there, he is a natural competitor. He wants to be on the park as much as he can,” Rogers said. “But if we look at the schedule and project the amount of overs they might bowl on average, I think we’ll have to manage him and the other bowlers as well.”We’ll look to see when we can use him the best, but I wouldn’t expect him to play every game. But we’ve got to try and find the right times. The good thing for us is he is ready to go. He probably just needs a bit more bowling under his belt, but we expect to get that pretty shortly.”What was pleasing was there were reports that he actually did dial it up in the game on the weekend for Dandenong. He bowled with good pace and he was really happy with the way it came out.”
Arsenal fans are unhappy that Martin Odegaard has received a Norway call-up just days after his recover from injury.
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Odegaard gets Norway call-up
Arsenal fans unhappy
Gunners held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Gunners captain got his first start since August on Sunday as he provided the assist for Gabriel Martinelli's goal in the team's 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League. The midfielder has received a national team call-up for Norway's upcoming Nations League clashes which has angered a section of the Arsenal fans. Speaking to , Norway boss Stale Solbakken confirmed Odegaard's call-up as he said, "I spoke to him late yesterday. He is on his way to Oslo, so we can take it from there."
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WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
Odegaard damaged his ankle ligaments while playing for Norway on August 31 and has spent the last two months on the sidelines. Now that he once again returns to national team duty just days after regaining his full fitness, Gunners supporters feel that the club should not have allowed the player to leave.
An X handle named Antonio Zeca wrote on the platform, "Damn! We haven’t learned our lesson man!"
Acetyl CoA wrote, "What???? I thought we had an agreement with them to exclude Odegaard from this international break matches????"
This Arsenal fan, with the handle Chubie_Ujah, angrily wrote, "But why exactly is he going? It makes no sense at all."
A fan named Matt wrote on X, "This is an utter joke. Only just come back from an injury he picked up with Norway which has ruined our season, and the moment he’s fit again they want him to travel but might not even play him? Arteta has to step in here, surely? It’s just silly."
Rebecca Tyson feels that Declan Rice should also stay back at the club along with their skipper as she wrote, "Why do we seem to be the only team that panders to the international teams? Rice shouldn’t be going either."
WHAT THE MANAGER IS SAYING
Speaking on the 25-year-old after the match, manager Mikel Arteta said, "I don’t know another player that is capable of playing at that level after six weeks out. How physically and mentally connected he was with the team… it was unbelievable."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
While the North London side picked up a crucial point in Sunday's league clash, they remain winless in their last three games across all competitions and currently find themselves fourth in the league, nine points behind leaders Liverpool.
Last week, Newcastle United reached a critical juncture in their meteoric rise under Eddie Howe's management, with senior sources – as revealed by The Athletic – claiming that it was the most hectic and fear-riddled working week of their lives as concerns regarding a points deduction swelled.
Last season's Premier League and Champions League campaign was detrimentally disrupted by staggering injury problems, further compounded by the ten-month ban issued to recently-signed midfielder Sandro Tonali last October. Newcastle, consequently, will not play in European competition after finishing seventh in the league last year, losing their Conference League spot after Manchester United won the FA Cup.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
It's been a summer of peaks and troughs ever since. Lewis Hall's loan move has been finalised on a permanent contract, while free agent Lloyd Kelly has joined the fold. Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson have been sold for a combined recoup of £65m, mitigating PSR concerns without parting with a starring member of the squad, as has been the fear.
Where will Newcastle strengthen next? Improvements are needed across the field. And while it might not feel like the most pressing concern after Kelly's arrival, central defence still needs work, with Sven Botman's ACL injury possibly keeping him out until the new year and Paul Dummett having left after his contract expired.
Newcastle transfer news
According to reports from Portugal last week – via Sport Witness – Newcastle are preparing to launch a bid for SL Benfica star Antonio Silva, who is performing for Portugal at Euro 2024.
SL Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva
The 20-year-old defender has a €100m (£85m) release clause in his contract but United are only willing to table an offer worth half that amount – €50m (£42m).
Whether Benfica would entertain such a bid is unclear, though the Magpies have been buoyed by suggestions that they would be open to selling for the right price, whatever that may be.
What Antonio Silva would bring to Newcastle
Liverpool and Arsenal have both been noted as suitors for the young titan in recent weeks, so Newcastle must continue their efforts toward beating the Premier League juggernauts by signing a star who could make a real difference.
Silva is still so young in his career but has already chalked up 94 senior displays for the Eagles, scoring seven goals and winning the 2022/23 Liga Portugal title.
He's been hailed for his "incredibly complete" profile by talent scout Jacek Kulig, ranking among the top 2% of centre-backs in the Portuguese top flight last season for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 16% for successful take-ons, the top 8% for tackles and the top 10% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
Newcastle CBs vs Antonio Silva (23/24)
Stats
Botman
Schar
Lascelles
Silva
Matches played
17
36
16
30
Clean sheets
3 (18%)
8 (22%)
5 (31%)
11 (37%)
Goals
2
4
1
2
Assists
2
1
0
0
Pass completion
91%
83%
87%
93%
Touches *
68.5
71.0
55.3
68.3
Tackles *
1.2
1.0
0.9
2.1
Clearances *
3.4
3.6
2.6
3.0
Ball recoveries *
4.1
4.8
3.3
6.0
Dribbles *
0.00 (0%)
0.4 (62%)
0.1 (50%)
0.4 (80%)
Duels won *
3.3 (62%)
4.2 (50%)
4.0 (56%)
4.5 (67%)
All stats via Sofascore (* = per game)
The table above jots down the respective league metrics for Silva compared to Newcastle's three primary centre-halves – Botman, Fabian Schar and Jamal Lascelles.
What can we immediately see? Silva is undoubtedly the most mobile and aggressive defender, recovering the greater number of loose balls and thundering into 2.1 tackles per game. He carries the ball forward himself nearly once every two games (0.4), and while Schar recorded the same rate in the Premier League, he did so at an inferior success rate (62% vs 80%).
Sven Botman and Fabian Schar
Silva is also right-footed, which is the priority position in central defence for the Toon, Botman being left-sided and Schar and Lascelles, aged 32 and 30 respectively, entering the final year of their contracts.
The Benfica starlet has even been gushed over by pundit Jamie Carragher, who claimed that he is "going to be a superstar" after a stunning Champions League performance against Juventus in 2022.
He might even prove to be the biggest, most impactful signing since Alexander Isak was welcomed to Tyneside.
Their Biggest deal since Alexander Isak
Newcastle signed Isak from Real Sociedad for a club-record £63m fee in 2022, scoring ten goals from only 17 Premier League starts during an injury-hit debut campaign before setting Newcastle alight with his performances last season, scoring 25 goals from 40 matches across all competitions.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak
The Swede is one of the finest marksmen in the Premier League, scoring 21 goals and missing just 21 big chances last term. Erling Haaland scored 27 goals in the top flight but missed 34 big chances.
Isak ranks among the top 7% of forwards in Europe for goals scored per 90, and while Chelsea have displayed a vested interest in securing his services in recent days, selling him is simply inconceivable for Howe.
He's one of the best, and Silva could grow into his skin to emerge as one of European football's leading players in his position too. Journalist Antonio Mango called him "one of the best" young defenders in the world and it's surely only a matter of time before he decides to leave his homeland and ply his trade in a top division such as the Premier League.
While the Magpies cannot offer an instantaneous route into the Champions League, there is the promise of a platform to cement himself as a leading member of the team, where he should showcase his skills and rise to the upper echelon.
Newcastle have their work laid out ahead of them if they mean to topple the 'big six' hegemony once and for all, but by signing Silva, who could undoubtedly grow into a world-class star, they might just make their biggest signing yet.
Newcastle make approach for £40m dream Botman partner
Everton will desperately want to build on the 15th-placed finish in the Premier League this season, with the club needing to dip into the market to improve Sean Dyche’s squad.
The Toffees managed to string together a great end to the campaign, winning five of the last eight matches to secure another season of top-flight football, despite receiving multiple points deductions during the 2023/24.
However, over the course of the season, the club’s biggest issue on the field was highlighted, with the lack of goals evident during the 38 league matches in the campaign.
Dyche’s side only managed to score two or more goals in a game on ten occasions, accumulating a tally of just 40 goals – an average of just 1.05 goals per game, the second-lowest in the division.
Only two players within the squad managed to score more than five goals, with Beto failing to reach such heights despite his £25m move to Goodison from Udinese before the start of the campaign.
However, his side are already targeting attacking options ahead of the summer window, including one player who could prove to be excellent value for money.
Everton interested in signing talented free agent
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Everton are interested in signing Fulham attacker Bobby Decordova-Reid during the summer transfer window.
The 31-year-old Jamaican forward is out of contract at the end of the month and has been offered a new deal at Craven Cottage, but Dyche’s side could offer him a longer-term contract to tempt him into swapping London for Merseyside.
He featured 33 times in the Premier League during 2023/24, scoring six times, the third most of any player within Marco Silva’s squad.
The report goes on to state that Leeds United are also in the race for his signature, but, undoubtedly, the Toffees have the advantage over Daniel Farke’s side given their Premier League status.
Decordova-Reid, formerly of Bristol City and Cardiff City, is a versatile option who is capable of playing on either side of midfield, as a central striker or even as a right-back, potentially allowing the club to forget about loanee Jack Harrison.
How Decordova-Reid compares to Harrison
During the 2023/24 campaign, Harrison joined Dyche’s side on a temporary basis after Leeds’ relegation back to England’s second tier.
The 27-year-old Englishman featured 29 times for the Toffees in the Premier League, scoring just three goals in an all-round disappointing season for the forward.
Everton's loan forward Jack Harrison.
However, upon the expiry of his loan move on Merseyside, rumours were linking Harrison with a return to Goodison, following his parent club’s failure to return to the Premier League following the play-off final defeat against Southampton.
Despite the interest, Everton can forget about re-signing the English forward, and pursue a move for Decordova-Reid, who would prove to be an upgrade on the former Toffees loanee.
In the Premier League, the “immense” talent, as dubbed by former boss Scott Parker, has dominated the one-time Everton loanee in all attacking aspects – potentially a huge benefit given the Toffees' lack of goals this season.
Decordova-Reid has contributed with more combined goals and assists, with his tally of 2.1 shots per game nearly double that of Harrison in 2023/24.
Games
33
29
Goals + Assists
8
6
Goals + Assists per 90
0.5
0.2
Shots per 90
2.1
1.4
Pass accuracy
75%
65%
Aerial duels won
35%
34%
He’s also completed 75% of his passes, 10% higher than Harrison and also winning more aerial duels per 90, demonstrating his qualities with his feet and in the air.
The potential to get the Jamaican on a free transfer would be excellent business, with Dyche able to dramatically improve his forward options whilst complying with the league’s PSR rules.
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He’s enjoyed a remarkable campaign during 2023/24.